Now Appearing in an Extended Engagement! Join Dave Robison as he takes you into his world and his daily life of reviving a stand-up comedy career. Prepare for side trips exploring Public Relations, marketing and business ethics. Enjoy some frequent detours describing his observations on life. Read the exploits of this self-proclaimed Renaissance-man and blooming blogger as you go
On The Road With Dave.
About Me
Name: Dave Robison
Location: Mobile, Alabama, United States
From Mobile, Alabama comes Dave Robison, a confessed Internet-aholic, middle-aged-married-man, who's generally a nice guy--he just has one or two issues.
Stand-Up Comedy by Dave Robison is available for corporate events, college campuses, and nightclubs.
The following post was originally published on January 7, 2006. I thought in light of the recent announcement of the iPad, I'd visit the archives and re-run an article on my favorite piece of technology.
...I have found a device that I highly recommend to everyone.
Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade named: BOOK
BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.
Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works:
BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.
Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKs with more information simply use more pages.
Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.
Unlike other display devices, BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, and it can even be dropped on the floor or stepped on without damage. However, it can become unusable if immersed in water for a significant period of time. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of selected information for instant retrieval.
An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOKmarkers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.
You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).
Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a flood of new titles soon.
I was born and reared in Mississippi; but for the last 6 years I have called Mobile, Alabama, home. Actually, I think of Mobile as "Home"; more so than where I grew up. I'm comfortable here, I belong here.
And I still have a fascination with the city...kinda like a tourist. I've talked to life-long natives of Mobile who have lost that sense of wonder at the historical sites of interest in the city, the events, the history that makes up Mobile. Luckily, I haven't reached that cynicism that comes with living somewhere for so long that you stop noticing the things in your city.
So, I was thrilled when I was contacted by Turner Publishing from Nashville asking me to review a book about my city, Mobile, Alabama. Turner publishes a series of books focusing on historical photos of different cities across the USA. These books are suitable for coffee tables, local business office waiting rooms, and for those houses where books are strategically placed for interior design purposes.
BUT... "Historic Photos Of Mobile" is worth picking up and reading. Residents of the Gulf Coast can look into their past and experience some rich history through the photographs and commentary inside the book. And you don't have to reside on the Gulf Coast to enjoy the photographs; the book arouses your curiosity about the city of history and makes you want to explore the city of today.
The book's content begins in 1870 and carries the reader or researcher through to 1979. One critique of the book is that it ends too soon and abruptly with 1979, with no explanation as to why. However, the book shines with its small stories tucked away in the captions of the photos. I learned of John Fowler, an inventor at the turn of the 20th century who built his own airplanes in Mobile, and may have superseded the Wright Brothers in flight. I saw what may be my boss's father on a Mardi Gras float in 1949, and I read about how a tunnel I travel through everyday was built.
"Historic Photos Of Mobile" was written and compiled by Carol Ellis and Scotty E. Kirkland, both Archivists at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. I had the chance to meet the authors at Bienville Books in Mobile last Friday for their book signing.
Many purchasers of the book, including myself, had a story to relate to the authors about a particular photograph in the book and the authors spoke at length asking as many questions as answering.
I did ask the authors about the ending of the book and was informed that the publishers stick to a particular style in the series and most of the books end similarly. I suppose as a city enters the 70s, it's considered less and less historically significant. I guess those modern photos will be significant in another 50 years or so.
If you are a history buff, a resident of the Gulf Coast, or someone that enjoys those bygone days of yesteryear; take a visit back in time with "Historic Photos Of Mobile"
