We arrived at a crisis of unidentified proportions yesterday.

The robots have arrived.

We stumbled across the news on GeekWire, a new source recommended by some shipmates drifting through the electronic ether. The story touched on something we have been wondering about ever since we had to wheel Vic around in that rolling contraption from which he is, thankfully, slowly emerging.

We have grown a little weary of hearing:

“Since you’re already up, would you mind making me another drink?”

Once everyone had been served again, the conversation drifted—as it always seems to—to the weather.

Apparently, along with the nation’s anniversary celebrations, a massive heat dome is creeping eastward across nearly three thousand miles of America.

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Now, we can’t claim it will be quite as severe as what Europe has been enduring. They have been sweltering through weeks of temperatures they insist on measuring in Celsius. Around here we will stick with Fahrenheit, thank you very much, and see how things work out.

Our bigger concern may be watching the record-setting fireworks they are predicting for the holiday weekend.

That was when the robot story came back into focus.

We read about Ben Goertzel, who is developing a social robot intended to sell for around ten thousand dollars. His prototype is designed to help children and older adults by fetching drinks, making coffee or juice, checking the mail, carrying on conversations, displaying facial expressions, and even making suggestions about what to do next.

That caught our attention.

Ben says he is building a machine to help take care of children and senior citizens.

We are hoping it can also take care of everyone in between.

The remarkable thing is that this isn’t science fiction anymore.

They’re already here.

Stand by.

For the moment, though, we’d settle for having the heat dome move along.

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Copyright © 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com

Now, we can’t claim this is going to be as severe as what has been happening in Europe. They have been sweltering for a month of temperatures they claim to be measured in Celcius. We are going to stick with Farenheit and see what happens. The problem may be in watching the rec ord-setting fireworks they are predicting for this weekend.

We do not know if we will have the time to arrange for the robots. We saw a neat article about a fellow named Ben Goertzel. He has invented a device he intends fo market for about ten grand. It will fo make another drink. coffee or juice and check the mail. The story went on to say that there will be mecanical facial expressions, check the mail and make suggestions on what to do next.

Ben says he is inventing a device to take care of kids and old folks. We are hoping it can also take care of what is in between. And the remarkable thing is that they are already here. Stand by.

We just want the heat dome to pass!

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com