I used to build drug pushing robots for the military.

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I used to build drug pushing robots for the military. - 10/11/2013 9:09:38 PM

MalcolmNathaniel

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Joined: 9/20/2010
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Alright, alright, it was "automated prescription equipment" most of which went to V.A. hospitals. I like the way I say it better.

This is a 100% true story (except for any bits I make up.)

I was reminded of it because of the thread on favorite guns which kind of led to gun control in Chicago.

So one day I am working with my father installing Automated Will Call machines in Provident Hospital in Chicago. Our system included a Master Unit and 3 Slave Units. Master and slave are valid electrical engineering terms. They have been used for over a century. We didn't think anything of it until we got to Provident Hospital.

You see, Provident is in, well, not the nicest suburb of Chicago. Pretty much everyone in the waiting room was there for knife or gunshot wounds. They were also pretty much all black people. Now we had to move the equipment in there. It was a tight fit getting these bits of capital equipment into the tight space allotted to the outpatient pharmacy.

My father kept saying, "We have to move the slaves here first." or "Get the slaves in and then we can worry about wiring them up." or "Put the master on the left."

Again, these are valid engineering terms. But then I looked at our audience. They were not happy with two white guys throwing around terms like that.

I pulled my father aside and said, "Pop, maybe we should change our terminology." From that moment forward they were called "The control cabinet" and the "Auxiliary cabinets."

The change in terminology mostly came about because I didn't want to get shot.

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RE: I used to build drug pushing robots for the military. - 10/12/2013 1:27:17 AM

hlen5

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Was your Dad really oblivious to the connotations?

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RE: I used to build drug pushing robots for the military. - 10/12/2013 9:45:29 AM

MalcolmNathaniel

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Yes he was. On one installation we stopped at Opryland in Nashville for dinner on the way back. This was around 2004. At the same time there was a convention of national intelligence operatives - lots of brass buttons in that room.

Now in the 1960's, 70's and 80's my father did a lot of work for agencies like the CIA, NSA and othe thre letter agencies. In the business this is often referred to as "spook work" spook being another name for spies.

So we were just chatting with these service men and women and my father asked this nice, rather pretty, black woman who was a Navy captain what she did.

She - "Intelligence."
Dad - "Oh, your a spook."
Me - "Um, Dad..."

About 3 seconds later he realized what he said and turned bright red.

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