Humans Just Don't Do That Very Well

Dateline: 1988, somewhere around the planet Mars.  Russian Mars probe, Phobos 1, was ordered to commit suicide by a ground-based human controller who sent it the wrong commands which were meant to slightly adjust its trajectory. Control of the spac…

Humans Just Don’t Do That Very Well

Dateline: 1988, somewhere around the planet Mars.  Russian Mars probe, Phobos 1, was ordered to commit suicide by a ground-based human controller who sent it the wrong commands which were meant to slightly adjust its trajectory. Control of the spac…

How Do You Screw Up a Two-Button Machine?

I had the occasion to visit the Department of Motor Vehicles last week to update my drivers license with a new photo and a change of address. I entered the lobby area where there was a short line leading to a "Take a Ticket" machine. How hard could this be?

Curiously, it was taking some time for the customers to "take their tickets," leading me to ponder the average level of intellect found in

How Do You Screw Up a Two-Button Machine?

I had the occasion to visit the Department of Motor Vehicles last week to update my drivers license with a new photo and a change of address. I entered the lobby area where there was a short line leading to a "Take a Ticket" machine. How hard could this be?

Curiously, it was taking some time for the customers to "take their tickets," leading me to ponder the average level of intellect found in

Are You Ready for April 1?

April Fools day has been celebrated as far back as 1632, if you believe in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and bad math, or possibly as far back as 500 BC (if you are of Iranian descent). Regardless, it is a day to approach with some wariness if you ar…

Are You Ready for April 1?

April Fools day has been celebrated as far back as 1632, if you believe in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and bad math, or possibly as far back as 500 BC (if you are of Iranian descent). Regardless, it is a day to approach with some wariness if you ar…

I have no idea what you want!

You’re not being clear. I need you to be clear.

I have no idea what you’re saying. Are you asking me to do something? Is this informational? Why did I get this?

Having a reasonable command of the Engrish language, I fully understand each of th…

Practice Perfect Driving

I remember very clearly the day I taught my kids to swear. Oh, this was no well thought out exercise based on principles like expanding my child’s world view in a carefully controlled environment. Nope this was, Oh SSSHHHHOOOOOOT ….. (or somethin…