Pure Twaddle

It’s been awhile, blog. I know I haven’t written, but I’ve been caught up in other things. Yeah, I know, writing about a trip to Gallipoli doesn’t take up all my time. But researching volunteer opportunities in Brooklyn was a time-intensive project. Then there’s the day job and registering to vote and the summer laying about. Why, it just was impossible to keep you updated.

But the season is turning and I’d love to come back if you’ll take me. What do you say?

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I lie in bed awake unable to sleep,
and in my conscience deep,
I dream of Montana and hitch-hiking,
out West with a pair of skis,
forming creases on my shoulder while
the snow digs deeper into my psyche
Yes, I am ready for you
Thou urge to flee what feels so comfortable
And what again bothers me

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A thought process which occurred to me in the sixth hour of data-entry at my temp job:

1. Wouldn’t a book called Meditations On Data Entry by Tai Ping be hilarious?
2. Wouldn’t another book called How to File by Al Fibette be even funnier?
3. I’m on a role. How about Preparing Printed Works by Cole Aiting?
4. I could make millions off of this series of office-related humour bo…
5. Damn; hit enter instead of tab-enter. Have to redo that entry.
6. Jesus, I need to get out of here.

But I’ve got a job!

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Wired has a good article and video on Zappo‘s new inventory management system, which is completely automated by networked Roomba-robots from Kiva Systems. This seems to be the future for modern mail-order retail as errors, theft, and accidents are reduced to nearly zero. It’s even self-sorting! Certainly a cool system for industrial organization geeks.

I just wish the popular online t-shirt company (which rhymes with Bread-mess) I worked at this summer had a similar system. Their warehouse work-flow went as follows (all done manually):

1. Receive pallets at warehouse 1
2. Disassemble pallets into boxes
3. Open boxes to check style and size.
4. Reseal boxes
5. Sort boxes by style and size
6. Move boxes one block away to warehouse 2 by van
7. Resort boxes by style and size again
8. Place boxes on the shelves
9. Remove boxes from shelves
10. Open boxes and put shirts on shelves
11. GOTO 1

All the robots in the world couldn’t help this system, which tended to collapse under heavy workloads.
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Update 01/29: Here’s the video

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