Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto...

The other day, one of my closer friends called me "automated." I didn't know if it was an insult or a compliment. So I began to think. They are absolutely right. EVERYTHING in my life, is in fact, automated in some sort of way. My home computer network runs everything in my life. From important (secure) items such as my finances, to little things like ordering pizza. It's all done online. I can surf the net via my PDA, while I'm in the shower, while printing a document from my laptop in the living room to my bedroom printer, all while listing to mp3's from my bedroom computer through my home stereo in my living room. If I wanted to. Wireless technology is great! "That's not automated", you might say, but take my typical work day for example:

My bedroom TV turns on at 6am to CNN so that I can get the scoop on what happened overnight. I watch for a little bit and hop in the shower at the EXACT SAME TIME every day. I know this because my TV turns off and music begins to play from my mp3 library on my bedroom computer. While I'm in the shower, the coffee is brewing, and my PDA is updating the stored websites and email that I choose to take with me for the day. After showering and such, I walk into my living room at the EXACT SAME TIME everyday. I know this because, my computer runs a virus scan and shuts down my music. As I walk from the bedroom to the kitchen, my living room TV turns on to CNN, my aquarium light turns on ,and my fish feeder dumps some food into the tank. I grab a bottle of water, my coat, and my keys while my TV turns off and I head out the door.

While I'm at work, if bills are due, my home computer is paying them online, then begins defragging itself. My fish are fed once more before I get home. On the way home I stop to get gas using my Speedpass watch.

As I walk in the door my TV turns on to Comedy Central because I usually need a good laugh after work. I dock my PDA and the entire process gets itself ready for the next day. Around 6:30pm I go into my spare bedroom where I have one of those universal weight machines (that has dust on it most of the time) to try and exercise. The computer in that room begins to pull my "songs to exercise to" playlist from the computer in my bedroom and play them at random. It turns off the music about an hour later and I go relax.

What would happen if my power went out? (don't ask, it has and I freaked out) It begs to ask the question: who made who? Are we too dependent on technology? And where did I get this tech-nerd mentality from? No one else in my family even owns a computer? I tired to pull them in to this century but I found that is like asking Mother Nature for 365 days of sunshine a year.


Now if only I could get someone to do my laundry...