The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition had the following to say about the automatic and the nature of automation:

The words automatic pilot or automatic transmission bring to mind mechanical devices that operate with minimal human intervention. Yet the word automatic, which goes back to the Greek word automatos, “acting of one's own will, self-acting, of itself,” made up of two parts, auto-, “self,” and -matos, “willing,” is first recorded in English in 1748 with reference to motions of the body, such as the peristaltic action of the intestines: “The Motions are called automatic from their Resemblance to the Motions of Automata, or Machines, whose Principle of Motion is within themselves.” Although the writer had machines in mind, automatic could be used of living things, a use we still have. The association of automatic chiefly with machinery may represent one instance of many in which we have come to see the world in mechanical terms.

So, without getting too much into philosophy, determinism and the mechanical nature of the universe...

0745 - My alarm alerts me to wake up in order to have a timely arrival at work.
0800 - The snoozed alarm tries again after 15 minutes.
0930 - A sensor placed above sliding glass doors sense my presense and opens.
1000 - My work ID, when waved in front of a sensor, verifies my identity and grants me access to restricted areas.
1143 - Water placed in the cooler is cooled prior to being dispensed for my enjoyment.
1235 - When a food bolus hits my stomach, gastric juices start breaking it down into nutrients and waste.
1345 - My calendar notifies me of a meeting I have in 15 minutes.
1448 - Towards the end of the meeting, my brain begins to automatically tune certain people out, particularly those with irrelavent discussions.
1513 - After getting back to my desk, Sf0 notifies me of when I have a new game message.
1635 - A soda dispenser drops an ice cold soda for me to enjoy (after I put $0.80 in it... thievery!).
1755 - A few click on a shifter switches gears on my bike to better manage the substantial ascents/descents that it takes me to get home.
1840 - The pilot light on my stove lights the gas range on the stove and lets me cook a nice, hot meal.
1915 - The dishwasher automatically washes, rinses and dries what I had just recently dirtied.
2005 - My housemates TIVO recorded "Saved by the Bell", "Family Guy" and "Quantum Leap" all for our viewing pleasure.
2130 - A brief look at my Quicken statement gives me an idea of what my fiscal month is going to look like.
2200 - After realizing I'm broke, I grab the electric wine-opener (these things are GODSENT!) and a bottle of wine to drown my sorrows.
2330 - The alcohol excites inhibitory pathways in my brain which put me into a deep slumber.