the iMentor

Hints & rants

This weB-LOG is about the musing of a technical consultant. It is the iMentor's thoughts on technology and the human condition.

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Brakes

January 1, 2025 Uncategorized 1 Comment
Episode #831 January 4, 2025 Several years ago my 1999 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck brakes began to fade. The truck just did not have the braking power it used to.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjGLuqyR1eU My general mechanic did all the usual tests: Pedal test. The pedal acted normally but required more effort than usual to brake. Brake fluid level. The fluid was full and clear, though every couple of years I had to add a little fluid. This may indicate a very slow leak. There was no evidence, however, of leaks in the reservoir, master cylinder, brake lines or calipers. Bleed the...
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Paradigm Shift

December 28, 2024 Uncategorized 1 Comment
Episode #830 December 28, 2024 Unlike a paragon, which is a model of excellence or perfection, a paradigm is our best idea at any given time.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJETT0g2bzw A paradigm is a set of procedures that are current, common and widely accepted best practices. These practices are not limited to ideas and beliefs. “Measure twice, cut once” is a way of saying that thoughtful preparation leads to better outcomes. Paradigm is, more broadly, a way of viewing or interpreting the world. If a paradigm changes it shifts the way the world is viewed. Examples of paradigm shifts are Ptolemaic Earth...
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Artificial Intelligence

December 18, 2024 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #829 December 21, 2024 Artificial Intelligence (AI) has arrived just in time.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vet6AHmq3_s My short term memory has been degrading slowly over time. Fortunately my long term memory has remained relatively intact. I think my short term storage time is slowing down. Long term seek time is still good. In computer terms, good read, not so good write. I know how to research. My early trips to the library evolved into excursions into the Encyclopedia Britannica. A check with the Merriam Webster Dictionary often allowed me to parse through a baffling sentence. Some questions I put to the...
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As It Seems

December 11, 2024 Uncategorized No Comments
Episode #828 December 14, 2024 Things are not always as they seem. Sometimes the truth is hidden behind the obvious.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8hRX5tmq_s   The drain plug of my inflatable spa came loose and the water drained out. I don’t remember kicking the drain plug. In fact, I had not been in the spa for days. Did a temperature change cause the plug to loosen? What had happened to cause the drain to become unplugged? The water draining occurred after carpet cleaners came to my house. I don't think they jumped into the spa. What did they do? They drove their...
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Quinn

December 4, 2024 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #827 December 7, 2024 Mr. Quinn rolled his wheelchair into the classroom. He swung it around to face the class with the small squeak of a sliding brody.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm-upHSP9KU   “Settle down slackers. Take you seats.” We students scuffled to our desks, put chemistry books down and grumbled under our breaths at our new science teacher. Ed Quinn ran the bent fingers of his right hand through his long balding hair. The act did not change his disheveled appearance. His button down shirt was wrinkled. The 5 o’clock shadow reflected the fluorescent lights with a pepper of grey....
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Reality

November 27, 2024 Uncategorized 3 Comments
Episode #826 November 30, 2024 Belief in reality is an act of conscious faith. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." —Napoleon Hill   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtSD1r2aYho Belief, faith and delusion are interrelated. The key to Napoleon Hill’s assertion is conception. Belief only requires faith, but can be a delusion, a fool’s reality. Much research and study is required to truly conceive of a reality. We craft reality with the scientific method, critical thinking and scrupulous observation. “Truth or verity is the property of being in accord with fact or reality. In everyday language, it is typically...
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