Month: August 2017

I love this.. it isn’t my image.. I found it online, but it’s hilarious and not far at ALL from TRUTH:

I’ve mentioned in my primary site that one of my strengths is being highly VISUAL.  I can see complex patterns in many things, break them down into categories/sub-categories, and analyze common traits, dissimilar traits, and conduct comparative analysis, root-cause analysis, historical analysis, and even forecasting (to an available extent).

Here are some of the things I’ve taken an analytical fascination with:
These examples are how my analytical-visual strengths serve me well in the workplace, especially in regards to Project Management and Productivity tracking.

I manage my requests and projects—tracking ETA, budget, demand source, duration, scope creep, resources, etc.  This is how I am able to manage my demand time, incidentally.  If I treat my workload like a project, I can see it through without unnecessary delay.

In previous jobs, I managed data analytic and reporting teams, and analytics helped drive the business toward success as we were able to provide the businesses with an actual VISUAL representation of how they were doing, where they’ve been, and where they were going.  We made use of incredibly fun tools such as Business Objects, Crystal Reports, Xcelsius, etc. Continue reading “My Special Interest With Patterns, Data, and Analytics..”

A few years before I even learned the term, I was watching a documentary about comets and how they contain the building blocks of life, frozen within their husks, and if passing by a warm body (e.g. an atmosphere or a star), particles break off and potentially float into the atmospheres of other planets.

I instantly pictured THIS:

To me, a comet looks like a sperm.  A planet looks like an egg.  If a sperm can seed an egg, thus creating life, then it is representationally-logical to me that a comet could do the same thing to a fertile planet.  The result of non-fertilization would be apparent in a barren planet as it would in a barren egg.

I was absolutely fascinated by the imagery, and it simply remained there until I came upon the term Panspermia.  Come to find out, there are others who theorize the same concept.

The entire theory puts the entire Universe in a completely different perspective.

I’ve always envisioned the Universe as something greater but still representational of the things on Earth.  I still am partial to the Universe being one big BRAIN—which would alter the Panspermia theory and make comets and planets the synapses of firing neurons, possibly.

Crazy theories, sure; but, they’re no more or less crazy than the countless mythological and theological beliefs we’ve been through in the past.  No matter what is truth VS fantasy, ours is still the musings of a microbe contemplating the nature of vastness—and it’s FASCINATING.

There is an accurate stereotype when it comes to autistic folks not being very good at understanding implied meaning, subtle hints, subtle facial expressions, and sarcastic humour—even irony.  What is NOT accurate is that it cannot be learned.

I still have to think for a few seconds after someone says something “dry” or sarcastic or doesn’t give any indication that he/she was not being serious.  While I was growing up, it was a far greater struggle until I learned how to beat it all.

How did I do it?

With the help of British humour, of course!

The Brits are masters of sarcasm and irony.  It only seemed logical to me to seek them out in order to learn how to overcome this very unusual deficit.

Monty Python was the biggest contributor for me because their very core is silly humour, but there is a high level of intelligence and implied meaning behind everything they do, and it was invaluable to me.  Are You Being Served was another essential learning source as that show was based heavily on silly irony and implied meaning.

Another unlikely source was—not British—The Marx Brothers.  Silly slapstick, sure, but the idioms/ironic sayings and responses were incredibly intelligent and so subtle that they could very easily be missed. This is precisely the learning tool someone like me needs in order to help “bridge the gap” in processing time during humourous conversations. Groucho and Chico, in particular, require regular rewinds/replays just to grasp the subtle genius of their comments (p.s. Harpo is still my favourite of them all).

Even if you cannot appreciate the humour, itself—as it is an acquired item—I highly recommend anyone immerse his/herself in any of the above comedy sources in order to overcome the sarcasm/irony/implied meaning deficit.

Being a predominantly visual person, I love design and illustration.  Often, these items tie into my other love, analytics.  I’ve also designed/developed web pages for companies.

Below, are some examples of design topics I’ve come up with:

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Continue reading “Design”

After spending time in a hot tub at home over the course of a few weeks, I started paying closer attention to the hanging plant that (was) just above the hot tub.

I noticed that its vines were spreading down the walls and into the tub.  There is nothing unusual about that—that’s what vines DO.

I did, however, notice that anytime the vines ends touched the hot water in the hot tub (I keep the water HOT—it’s a sensory thing, you see), a day or two later, they retracted away from the tub.

That was absolutely FASCINATING to me because plants aren’t supposed to have pain receptors the way humans do.  I took some pictures of this event, but I was unable to complete proving my hypothesis.  I wanted to research the theory that plants react to stimuli—particularly, a harmful one.  Come to find out, there is an entire science based around it.

Here are my photos:

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Continue reading “My Momentary Fascination With Plants and Reactions to Stimuli”

So, a couple of years ago, I began to notice a strange trend drivers were engaged in: leaving 1.5 to 2 full car lengths between themselves and the car in front of them.

Why are they doing this?  Don’t they realize they’re actually causing more trouble for the cars that are further back and may be stuck in an intersection?

I had to capture it and analyze it.  After all, that’s what “Aspies” like me do.

My conclusion is that most (not all) of the drivers who leave an excessive amount of space between themselves and the car in front of them is due to cellphone usage (e.g. texting or browsing or playlist shuffling or..).  That result is an easy one to explain.  I can’t explain the other group that is consciously leaving that amount of space—looking straight ahead and seemingly aware of what they’re doing.  Why???

Below, are my compilation of drivers caught in-the-act—they are STOPPED—the traffic is NOT in motion during these pics.

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Continue reading “My Fascination With Car Spacing at Traffic Lights”

8/16/2017

Yes, socializing is damned difficult for someone like me. Most folks don’t realize how much effort is required just to engage in simple small talk much less carry-on a lengthy conversation. Every single word and phrase is 1) detected, 2) analyzed, and 3) interpreted in my brain. If it’s straight-forward information exchange, I can reciprocate (unless it’s something I have no experience/knowledge of). If it engages my special interests (e.g. movies, music, science fiction, illustrating, martial arts, technology), then I can talk the other person(s) into sheer boredom and will RARELY be aware they’re done with the topic.. I can talk about my special interests for HOURS and RARELY interpret the other person’s facial expressions or body language. Contrary to popular misunderstanding, most of us on the spectrum DO want to socialize, but because of the above-mentioned challenges, we tend to avoid social interactions.  Having typed all of that, I deeply care for my friends and family—in many ways, they’re both one in-the-same.  I just can’t show it or express it worth a damn most of the time.

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Continue reading “Proof That I DO Attempt to Socialize”