prelude to a farewell

i’ve been mulling this over for a while now. in fact I’ve probably been putting it off. but the reality has caught up with me and it’s time i finally pull the plug on this show and send everybody home.

almost 3 years ago I began this little experiment. the idea was fairly simple. a post each day sharing a haiku. a meditation on the day. it became a kind of creative healing. a place to play and park so many of the thoughts that go rolling around inside my brain. this endeavor kept me active and more engaged with the world around me as i looked for new inspiration.

but time has caught up and shifted me now to a different place. the purpose has, i believe largely been fulfilled. i had wanted to share some things and the way i see the world. and i’ve done that. and sure, i could keep it up i suppose, but now it’s time for other projects.

thanks to all of you who joined me on the journey and who are reading this now. thanks for your comments of encouragement. it means a lot. i plan to leave the blog up indefinitely (that is to say as long as blogger allows) and invite you to visit the archives. if there are any missing links or files related to earlier posts, and you would like some more info or the original file, just shoot me a comment and i’ll be happy to respond as i am able.

and finally for those of you who were always wondering or never thought to ask, here is a little insight on the origins of the name “toastrobot”. back at the beginning of this as i was trying to think of a name, i was looking for something that sounded like two opposing ideas, like “iron butterfly”. i love robots, especially the shiny metal toy variety. and the contrast of a warm piece of toast appealed to me. like something fresh. add to it that my motorbike is commonly referred to as a “toaster” and it just seemed to work. anyway, it’s certainly taken on its own life and given me some in return.

so there you have it. may you continue to be blessed as i have been blessed.

mattb

mmm-bot

the robots are assembling now. waiting to receive instruction. waiting for direction. programming (tick) assemble. wait. stop. run program. (click) error. error. wait. run. stop. assemble. (click) error.

marathon

i came across this news story the other day out of osaka, japan. robotics companies developed these knee-high humanoid type robots to go the distance of a scaled marathon, a 26 mile course at their tiny scaled down size. i don't know why, but this idea intrigued me.
as i watched the warm-ups some of these little guys had been programmed to stretch before the race making more of an attempt to humanize themselves. when they fell over they had to be able to right themselves. as they walked/ran around the little track again and again following a colored marker with their light sensor i thought about the real marathoners. the humans i mean.
i imagined what it must be like at mile 18 when your body is feasting on itself demanding and crying out that you stop the madness, and the will locked up with emotion required to press on. when the little robots ran out of juice their creators were allowed to simply replace their batteries and they were off again. i thought about the endless train of thought that must go on for people as they battle the elements, navigate the other runners and all the while stay in tune with their bodies. what were these robots thinking about as they pressed on?
and then i thought too about ibm's watson on the recent jeopardy tournament and how it destroyed the field. this combination of intelligence and stamina that we are building into our little automatons is reaching new levels and what it means for the future who can say. but the more these creations take on the characteristics of their creators, the less human i feel. and yet, somehow i find myself emoting through them.

plugbot...meet plugbot

Christmas toast

this last Christmas was wonderful, and part of what made it so special were so many handmade gifts like this present from my son jake. it's a tiny toastrobot! he had apparently been secretly whittling it down from a single block using a tiny band saw blade. the result of his patient artistry brought tears to my eyes Christmas morning. holding this little object i could literally feel the love he had put into it. the toast is even removable and slips nicely into the slots he cut on top. you can have your iphones, kindles and x-boxes. this was a finer gift to me than any of those.

the toastwalk

just taking the toastrobot out for a little walk today...
(still a work in progress)

tinplate celluloid
materials aged for use
to rebirth again