Yesterday, I had a conversation with Chuck. This conversation has prompted a re-visitation of a blog post written almost two weeks earlier.
Chuck works as a therapist at a mental health institution. Many of the people he treats have addictions, but it is not always the case that addiction is the problem. Frequently, it is merely a symptom of something more fundamental lying underneath the addiction. Substance abuse is an attempt at self-medication, and addiction is simply self-medication gone wrong.
In dealing with patients who live in multiple worlds, the challenge can be knowing which aspects of a person’s life are real, and which are less real. Yet, that could be an unfair way of looking the life of another person. Perhaps there can be two (or more) realities that co-exist, not only in the mind, but in physical reality.
Take Rover, one of Chuck’s patients. Rover is a dog, trapped inside a human body. According to Chuck, everyone is treating Rover like a human being, while Rover wants to be treated like the dog he is. Admittedly, he is a dog with a few weaknesses compared to other dogs: his sense of smell isn’t that great, and his speed at fetching sticks is at the low end of the scale. Using a term from times before political correctness became an obsession, we would regard Rover as handicapped.
What is the difference between Rover and, say, Billi Sodd? The main difference is that Brock knows that Billi is fictional. Brock enters Billi for a theatrical performance of an unknown duration, and when Brock decides that the performance is over, Billi disappears, and Brock returns. Brock is in control. There may be encores, there may be long periods between performances, when Billi is resting.
This is not the situation with Rover. Rover has a human persona that we will call Ralph. Everyone is treating Rover as if Ralph were a real person. Other people are not letting Ralph end his performance. In fact, they may not even know that Rover exists, or that Ralph is a performance.
So, what does this have to do with Unit Two, or even Unit One?
Chuck is soon retiring, and he has fifty square meters underneath his house that could be transformed into a therapy room. If the purpose of Unit One is to promote “Innovation & Equality – for a better world”, then the purpose of Unit Two could be to promote “Therapy – for a better world”.
What concerns me is that economic necessity will rear its ugly head. I am in the enviable economic position, that my Government pension is sufficient to meet all of my economic needs, including the construction and operation of the Unit One workspace.
My suggestion to Chuck is to operate under similar principles, constructing a theatre or video workspace available for others to use, under some conditions, but free of charge. Here, space and equipment could be available for the sharing of knowledge and skills in theatre related activities, including set design. Like Unit One, target users could include disadvantaged groups, especially women, young people, immigrants and those with mental health issues.
Theatre is a socially accepted way of living in multiple worlds. It is a way in which dogs like Rover can be allowed to become their true selves. “Theatre – for a better world”
Golf courses can be described as green deserts. It is a half-truth. A lot of grass can be grown on them, they are not noted for their ecological diversity, but they aren’t deserts. For the past few days, I have been a regular visitor to a food desert, Cain’s, Your Independent Grocer, in Thompson Country. Again, that sentence contains a lot of half-truths.
Franchise operator Jason Cain giving away groceries in a well arranged publicity stunt, 2015-11-10 (photo: http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/cain-raises-spirits/)
Let’s begin by clearing away some half-truths. Thompson country is Kamloops. Jason Cain is a franchise owner/operator. Your Independent Grocer, is a supermarket chain owned by National Grocers, which is part of Loblaw Companies Limited. So much for independence. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Independent_Grocer
The store isn’t really a food desert. One major challenge of visiting this store, despite its enormous size, is finding something edible to eat. My estimate is that about 90% of their food-category products are processed. This means that they contain larger quantities of sugar, salt and additives, than I appreciate. The other 10% of the store contains fairly healthy food. My travelling companion, Daffy Marmot, was impressed with the fresh produce section. The Blue Menu Bleu assortment seemed to meet our culinary tastes.
Healthyish peanut butter
The peanut butter contained 100% peanuts, which means no salt, no sugar, no additives. We enjoyed the crunchy variety, and didn’t mind the separation of the oil, which had to be stirred in. It was all part of the healthy food experience.
One major problem with today’s food stores is the obesity caused by easy access to inappropriate foods. People succumb to temptation. Physically separate people from food, and many of the problems associated with instant gratification will disappear. This too is probably only a half-truth.
Personally, I don’t want to order food. My refrigerator and storage cupboards should be perfectly capably of tracking inventory, and making purchases from an online supplier. My role should only be to make a few supplementary purchases, preferably only within one hour after eating a meal. Don’t worry. Such dictatorial measures will not happen as long as large corporations are profiting from obesity.
One of the objections made to online grocery purchases is an inability to feel produce, things like apples. Yuck, the last thing I want to purchase is an apple that has been touched by 100 different people.
One solution is the use of collaborative robots (cobots) in the food chain. A cobot is “an apparatus and method for direct physical interaction between a person and a general purpose manipulator controlled by a computer.” http://www.foodqualityandsafety.com/article/robots-help-boost-food-chain-productivity/?singlepage=1&theme=print-friendly
Market leader is the Danish company, Universal Robots, with about a 60% market penetration. Collaborative robot arms belong to an emerging new class of industrial robotics that can operate outside of safety enclosures alongside employees.
A Universal Robots cobot moving fresh eggs. (photo: Universal Robots)
Soft Robotics is also making an impression in the market, because their tools can delicately pick and pack food products.
A Soft Robotics’ tool picking up a bagel. (photo: Soft Robotics)
London based, but with its Engineering department in Tallinn, Estonia, Starship Technologies has launched a nine-month pilot program to test out the Starship’s robots on public sidewalks in Redwood City, California. It partnered with food-delivery service Doordash to have its robots transport meals from restaurants in Redwood City’s downtown area. Starship’s robots move just slightly faster than walking speed, about 6 kmh, and they have a range of 3 km. During this testing phase, Starship uses living employees to babysit robots on deliveries. Their ultimate goal is to drive down the costs to less than $2 per delivery. If food deliveries are successful, the company hopes to quickly expand its business to handle grocery trips and delivering parcels.
The Swiss company, TeleRetail, is testing delivery bots in Mountain View. The robots are designed to offer a for-hire service that can be adapted to various tasks. Their business model is based on the Zipcar: anybody can use the robots to run whatever errands they want. They offer a complete logistics platform that enables them to integrate any mode of transportation.
Myrmex is launching an unmanned grocery delivery system using mobile robotic units. It is capable of delivering an online order just seconds after customer arrival at a pick-up point. The system is called CPS for Curbside Pickup System. Each online order is put into a plastic box which is then placed on a wire frame (pod) with a capacity of 20 boxes. According to Myrimex, more than 50 percent of the online grocery shoppers (young families with children, working people with irregular schedule) are reluctant to choose home delivery because of the challenges in meeting a timeslot. Click & collect gives users advantages in terms of personal time management, and lower costs. http://www.myrmex-inc.com/
Some of the proposed delivery solutions may also turn out to be half truths. Daffy Marmot, for example, feels that many (male) technologists have underestimated the social value of shopping.
About the Author: Proton Bletchley is Chief Scientist at Unit One. He is also heading a program leading to a Wonderment Diploma in Mechatronics & Robotics, from Ginnunga Gap Polytechnic. This is not just a half-truth, it is a non-truth.
Welcome to the Unit One Work Space, Ethan & Ethel. Here, everyone is required to wear appropriate clothing and safety equipment.
A lot of information about personal protective clothing and equipment is available from WorkSafeBC: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/law-policy/occupational-health-safety/searchable-ohs-regulation/ohs-regulation/part-08-personal-protective-clothing-and-equipment
Unit One uses the regulations here as guidelines for setting its own policy. Sometimes the rules are even stricter than those the government requires.
Identity Cards and Patches
At Unit One, everyone is issued an identity card. This contains a lot of information that could be needed in acute situations. For example, it lists name, birth date, blood type (if known), current medications, chronic medical conditions, allergies, personal contact information, and contact information in case of an emergency.
While this information is also stored in an encrypted format in the Unit One database, it is important to have this information physically available. Computers don’t always work.
Unit One
Billi Sodd
Birthdate:
1950-01-01
Medications:
Insulin
Allergies:
none
Blood Type:
O
Emergency Contact:
Ivan Sodd 604-527-4660
The ID card also lists courses you have taken such as first aid and hot work, as well as the machines your are qualified to use.
Qualification
Status
Expiry Date
First Aid
Basic
2019-01-01
Hot Work
Basic
2020-01-01
Table Saw
Supervisor
2020-01-01
Mitre Saw
Supervisor
2020-01-01
Band Saw
Supervisor
2020-01-01
Planer
Basic
2025-01-01
Router
Basic
2025-01-01
CNC
Lathe; Mill
2025-01-01
Electronics
DC; AC
2050-01-01
3D printer
Basic
2050-01-01
Laser cutter
None
–
A Unit One ID patch is available to sew onto work jackets. This includes the Unit One logo, and your name. Its colour indicates your work status: orange – novice, must work under supervision; yellow – qualified, allowed to work without supervision; white – supervisor, allowed to train and supervise other people; blue – member of the board of directors.
Clothing
Personal clothing must be of a type and in a condition which will not expose the worker to any unnecessary or avoidable hazards. First of all, this means that no dresses or skirts are allowed, girls. This is because trousers are safer to work in. Because there is a danger of contact with moving parts of machinery or with electrically energized equipment, clothing must fit closely about the body,
Everyone at Unit One wears trousers. This model includes space for knee protection. (photo: Jula)
Neckwear, bracelets, wristwatches, rings or similar articles may not be worn, except for medical alert bracelets. Similarly cranial (that means head) and facial hair must be confined, or worn at a length which will prevent it from being snagged or caught in the work process.
Everyone at Unit One must have suitable gloves to protect hands from abrasion, chemical or other injury.
Flame resistant clothing must be worn when performing hot work, including welding.
Headgear
Unit One provides safety headgear in situations where there is a danger of head injury. Our headgear is colour coded (see above).
Orange headgear, worn when needed. The orange colour indicates that the person wearing it is a novice who can work only under supervision. (photo: Jula)
Eyewear & face protection
Properly fitting safety eyewear must be worn if one is handling or exposed to materials which are likely to injure or irritate the eyes. In some cases these must be fitted with sideshields.
Eye Protection (photo: Jula)
If there is a risk of face injury, suitable face protection must be worn.
Footwear
Footwear must be of a design, construction, and material appropriate to the protection required. The following factors must be considered: slipping; tripping; uneven terrain; abrasion; ankle protection and foot support; potential for musculoskeletal injury; crushing potential; temperature extremes; corrosive substances; puncture hazards; electrical shock; any other recognizable hazard.
Hearing protection
While we have a supply of ear plugs at Unit One, we encourage people to use ear muffs. These offer less noise-reduction variability among users, are designed so that one size fits most head sizes, are not easily misplaced or lost, and may be worn with minor ear infections. However, they are less portable and heavier than ear plugs, may be less convenient for use with other personal protective equipment, may be less comfortable with hot work, and may interfere with the wearing of safety glasses because wearing glasses breaks the seal between the ear muff and the skin, resulting in decreased hearing protection.
Ear Muffs (photo: Jula)
Respirators and face masks
We typically use non-powered, air purifying half facepieces with sorbent cartridges when working with organic solvents. If dust is the issue, we use face masks.
Respirator used when working with organic solvents. (photo: Jula)
First Aid kit
At the entrance to Unit One there is a first aid kit that contains most items that should be used to treat minor injuries. This kit is never locked, and is accessible to everyone.
This is the first aid kit we have at Unit One. The lock has been disabled so that anyone can access it. (photo: Jula)
Fire extinguishers
Unit One is equipped with two fire extinguishers, suitable for all types of fires. These are located at opposite ends of the workshop.
Unit One is equipped with two fire extinguishers, one each at either end of the workshop. (photo: Jula)
Next time, we will be focusing on air quality management.
As the world continues its spiral of decline, there will be a greater and greater need for insight into basic knowledge, as more and more families become dysfunctional.
J. D. Vance explained the challenge in a TED talk.
Not everyone is blessed with an understanding of hygiene. Because lives may depend on it, The province of British Columbia requires all food service employees to take a Foodsafe course, level 1. This ensures that everyone has a minimal level of knowledge about the correct handling of food.
For some time, male inmates at Verdal prison have been offered a House Husband course. Here, they learn the basics of hygiene, food preparation for a family (nutrition, meal planning, setting tables, cooking, serving, using dish washers and washing/ drying dishes), laundry basics (washing, drying and ironing clothes, some minor repairs) and house cleaning (dusting, vacuuming, washing floors, walls, windows and bathrooms).
Snow removal is not covered in the House Husband course. Perhaps it should be, but with a focus on more manual methods. (Photo: Patricia McLellan, 2010)
Dysfunctional families and their members need fundamental knowledge on how to survive. Life skills is the proposed name for a MOOC course that provides this fundamental knowledge. MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course. Those interested in learning how to make MOOCs should investigate a course offered in Sligo, Ireland.
Comments are invited as to what such a course should contain, and how it should be divided up into modules.
