Siri not Jarvis

Where's my e-butler?

Advancing computing technology seems to have deviated from the speculative sci-fi books that I read as a child.   I haven't decided whether it's a positive or a negative thing.

I distinctly recall reading stories where households had servers with storage, computational power, etc.  Specifically, I'm thinking of those where middle-class families had an AI butler, or secretary.  They could be relied upon to accept verbal (voice) commands, questions, and possible conduct conversations.  

They'd do more than turn the lights on and off.  They might question whether you were accepting visitors if someone knocked on the door, and either allow them in or politely tell them you were indisposed.  They might accept standing instructions to deny all visitors/calls, but still be smart enough to pass through calls deemed to be emergencies.  The AI would take voice dictation memos (emails), send them off to their destinations, and search various databases (internet) for answers to questions, or research topics.  

It would be a like a butler/servant/personal-assistant, but without the moral baggage of being human. Rich aristocrats may have no problems ordering their "lesser" humans around, but us middle-class folks know that it's morally suspect... since all people should be equals socially.   The e-butler gets around this problem. They are nearly as smart/trainable as a person, but their whole purpose is to serve.  ...and because we made them, we can be sure they don't have their own pesky motivations.

Admittedly, we do have some of these now.  There's Amazon Alexa, Microsoft Cortana, Apple Siri, etc.  One could imagine that they are developing towards "good-enough" AI status.    But there's nothing private about the conversation one has with them.    I don't need to worry as much about a hacker/corporation/government surreptitiously interrogating my butler.   I could trust that they would be savvy enough to know when to guard my privacy, or inform me that they were getting questions.

With Alexa, I can be pretty sure that my inquiries about prenatal development are going to lead to more advertisements for diapers.  ...or that asking about the caribbean will lead to advertisements for vacation packages.  More nefariously, one could imagine that questions relating to politics might prompt a visit from the authorities in a police state

So instead of getting a personal assistant that might have some kind of loyalty to us, we get a communal 'public' assistant who is helpful, but likely has loyalties to someone else.

I suppose this is part of a larger trend towards everything becoming "a service" rather than a thing.

Edit:

Related articles:

• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/31/viv-artificial-intelligence-wants-to-run-your-life-siri-personal-assistants
• 
  

Learning about Docker

Trying to setup Docker running locally on my MacBook. My eventual target is a web service built from python+flask+apache.   I played around trying to download some images, and create my own.

Apparently, Docker is working on a MacOS specific version.  (Looks like it's a little more integrated into the OS, with a status menu/icon in the top menu bar. )

• Started with this page: https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac
• Did an experimental install of conda: https://docs.continuum.io/anaconda/docker
• And found a good docker conceptual overview here: https://michael.bouvy.net/blog/en/2014/02/01/what-is-docker-and-how-to-use-it-lxc-openvz
• Created a CentOS image that runs an ssh server modeled off of this github: https://github.com/tutumcloud/tutum-centos

What I Learned

• There are many pre-made docker-images available for download.  
• Basic ones like debian or centos.
• Specific applications like apache, or jenkins.
• Docker has commands for managing these images.
• docker search - Searches docker hub for published images.
• docker images - Displays the images present locally.
• docker pull - Pulls an image from a registry (default docker-hub) to local machine.
• docker rmi - Deletes a local image.
• Docker images are "instantiated" into Docker-containers.
• Containers may be interactive or not.
• They may run in the background "detached" or foreground.
• The commands:
• docker run - Starts up an image as a container.
• docker ps - Lists active containers.  (use -a for inactive as well)
• docker start - Reactivates a stopped container.
• docker attach - Attaches to a running a backgrounded container
• docker rm - Deletes a container.
• Containers will normally run to completion and exit, becoming deactive.
• Interactive containers will typically run /bin/bash or another interactive environment.
• When the user exits, the container becomes inactive.
• Non-interactive containers can be used to run services like sshd, or httpd.
• Internal to the container, the service is often run in non-backgrounded mode.  This prevents the process from completing and the container from deactivating.
• The start command is good for re-attaching to a container that was just a shell.  Using the run command will create a new container.
• Don't try to attach to a running container if it's running something other than a shell.  The CTRL-C interrupts don't work unless certain flags are passed to the attach command.
• New docker images can be made using a Dockerfile.
• It's a series of instructions that when complete, leaves an image in the state of the last instruction.
• Intermediate images are constructed, so it doesn't re-run the entire docker-file each time.
• The Dockerfile can 
• ADD local files _into_ the docker image.
• RUN commands that change the state of the image.
• CMD is the final command that is the main entry point when the image is run.
• The command:
• docker build - Builds the local Dockerfile
• Names!
• If an image isn't given a tag, it is only identified by an awkward hashcode.
• If a container isn't given a name, it is provided a fun random name, like "evil_davinci", or "sad_minsky".

Thoughts on Proposition 1

I'm referring to the proposition that was on the ballot in Austin on May 7th.

Personally, I was (and still am) against it.  In that sense, I suppose I should be happy that it failed.  Instead, I am mostly curious as to how this will play out in the long run.

I expect that either Uber and Lyft will return, or some other similar service will become popular here in town.  I'm looking to what has happened in other cities as a model.  For instance, in San Antonio it appears that Uber was able to successfully extract concessions from the city.  Although Lyft left Houston over it's regulations, Uber did not... yet.

I'm also curious as to why they are fighting the regulations so hard.  In Austin they were wanting to reverse a couple of points.  Among others:

• The city wanted background checks to involve fingerprinting.
• The city didn't want them stopping in the middle of the road to pick up passengers.
• The city wanted the cars marked, and identifiable as Uber or Lyft or whatever.

It's not clear why they wanted to avoid those so badly.  I have a hard time believing that it was because of the money.   They could have easily purchased all of the background checks with the money spend on political advertising.  

I'm inclined to believe that it has to do with each companies relationship with their drivers.  They want their drivers to remain "independent contractors" and not employees.  However, I don't see how any of the regulations required by the city really push them towards the 'employee' category.

Maybe some more research on my part will illuminate this for me.

---

As an aside... I don't think that the proposition did actually failed on its merits.  It seems more like it failed due to a botched advertising campaign.  Personally, I received two pieces of mail per day in the week or so before the vote.  That, in addition to the online advertisements, made me wonder why they were pushing so hard.  I could see why it would swing anyone who was undecided into the 'against' category.

Wait... I have a blog?

I just re-discovered that I actually did create a blog 6 years ago. This blog in fact.

Given my current inclination to avoid Facebook, and yet still want to document my thoughts in a semi-public manner, I've decided to re-activate it.

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Edit: Apparently, in a six year period blogger changed someone their default settings. Go figure.

After some random stabbing of configuration values, I now have site that looks a little spiffier.  (Well, it's less painful to look at.)  Given that my only viewer recently has been the google web-crawler, I expect this change will go largely unappreciated.

Spider!

So I was doing the laundry last night when I noticed this gal hanging around outside my backdoor.



There's nothing in the picture to get the scale correct, but her leg span is nearly 2 inches! According to the internet, she's a Black and Yellow Garden Spider. My first impulse was to grab the bug spray and take it out, but as I was watching it last night she caught and cocooned two other annoying insects. As far as I'm concerned that's enough to make her rent, so I'm going to leave her be for now.

How time flies.

I currently have family visiting, so there's not much progress on the house being made. However, I was able to move that wall over about a quarter inch. Once that was done I started filling in the gaps with drywall.



As I've mentioned before, the trim around the doors was actually put down before the drywall. Since that makes it hard to paint and looks a little sloppy, I went ahead and pulled the trim off from around the doors, so I can build up the drywall beneath it.



Interesting discovery. There's not much holding the door jamb in place except for the trim. I may have to reinforce that some how.

Interesting...

So I was curious how much of an offset there would be between the old and new wall.



There's no way I'm going to be able to be able to hide a quarter inch drop with just joint compound. (At least, not without adding a quarter inch of compound to the entire new face.)



To top it off, the gap widens as it goes out.



I sort of expected that actually. A slightly angled wall probably won't be noticeable.... but since I may have to move the wall to close the gap, I suppose I could try to straighten it at the same time. Fortunately, I used screws instead of nails, so it shouldn't be too hard to partially disassemble the structure and shift it over a little.

Building Walls

My task for the weekend was accomplished! Sort of...

I did succeed in framing, and dry-walling my little three-quarter wall.



I put down a layer of OSB to make it level with the other wall, which has a layer of pine planing under the drywall.



The finished product:





I say it's "sort of" finished, because my plan called for setting down a strip of 1/4" drywall on the narrow piece of exposed pine planking between the old and new sections of all. Home Depot had run out of that type, so it will have to wait until next weekend.

It's okay, really. It gives me a chance to prep the rest of the hallway for patching as well. The existing door trim was put down before the drywall, so replacing it will probably involve adding a layer of drywall underneath the new trim. I'm sure there are other options, but I'm not sure if they would look any better in the end.

Taxes

So after another fun drive out to Killeen and back, I was greeted with a letter from the IRS. I had hoped it was my tax refund, but no such luck. Apparently they decided that I should have completed a Schedule SE. I disagree, and not just because it means that I'd owe more money.

What's frustrating is that there seems to be no clear cut answer as to how I should be filing. I could declare that the extra income was from a sole proprietor business, in which case, I'd have to amend my tax return to include a Schedule C and Schedule SE. Alternately (and preferably), I could argue that because I undertook the money making activity "sporadically", it doesn't constitute a business. If I'm not a business, then I don't file a Schedule C, and the values in Schedule SE are all zeros.

It seems like a sound argument. I just wish there was a more solid definition of what constitutes a "business". As it stands, I feel like I'm trying to weasel out of paying. When really I'm not...after all, if I had known I'd have to file as a business, I would have kept track of expenses for the purposes of deducting them later.

The irony is that I'm only having to worry about this because I reported the income in the first place. I received no 1099, so had I not mentioned it, they'd probably be none the wiser. *sigh*

Tear Down This Wall

So my one real accomplishment this weekend was to clear out the extra material around the corner of the kitchen where I'm going to extend the 3/4 wall.



During the process, I determined I didn't really know what the dimensions of the new wall should be. Previously the idea had been "cover the fridge without closing off the room". After much debate with Catherine, I think that perhaps this rendering below is the best option. (Shown with the rendering of current state for comparison.)



Yes, that is a framed picture of a mule. No, it's not my first choice for wall art.

Furious Day Off

I know I said I wasn't going to do it, but I've gone and had my car's air conditioning fixed. I almost made it to June, but those drives back and forth to Killeen with no A/C were killing me. I guess I'll have to come up with some other reason to buy a new car now.

Also Prince of Persia was so-so. Then again, my expectations weren't that high to begin with.

The more interesting thing was the live action graphic novel they performed before the movie, "The Intergalactic Nemesis". It was like a combination of reading a comic book and listening to one of those old-time radio dramas. It was complete with 3 voice actors, foley effects artist, and keyboardist to provide the score... all live. Apparently they'll be putting on a longer show in September. I'm going to have to see if Catherine wants to go to that.

40 Hours -- One Day Early

So with the combination of working Sunday afternoon, and a couple drives to Killeen, I seem to have met my 40 hour work week 1 day early. Now I'm faced with a 4 day weekend, with absolutely no plans for what to do. I guess I'm lucky that there's plenty to do around the house.

Did I mention that I received a Certificate of Appreciation from the US Government? I don't think I really deserve it, but whatever... I'll take it. Nice to know those long days a month or so ago didn't go unnoticed.

Strawberry Shortcake

So I figured out how to make the strawberry shortcake Catherine normally makes. I think I was driven to do it because the strawberries were about to go bad, and I figured marinating them in the malt balsamic vinegar would hide any problems in their texture.

However, in the process I discovered I was fascinated by the process of turning whipping cream into whipped cream. I think it was the suddenness of the change that caught me by surprise. One second I'm furiously whipping, imagining I see some slight thickening of the liquid. The next second, it's sticking to the top of the bowl and the whisk, no longer really a liquid at all.

... and it was delicious to boot. The presentation left a little to be desired, since it looked like a pile of whipped cream and strawberries. (I considered taking a picture for posterity, but decided it might be better to destroy the evidence.)

In other news, I think I may have sunburned the right half of my face driving back from Killeen. (The A/C is broken, so the sunroof was open.)

Interesting. Between that and the whipped cream fascination, maybe I'm turning into Richard Dreyfuss's character from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

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2010.05.28 -- Yeah. Balsamic vinegar.... not malt.

The Name of a Rose ... or Blog

No, it doesn't really mean anything.

I did register the domain name. ...a year ago. I thought it would be a cool name for my software consulting company should I ever decided to do some serious private consulting. For now, maybe I'll see if I can get it redirected here.