This is one of the things microservices rely on when they are constructed. And now I am learning about these, (courtesy of IBM) I am very impressed with them.
This looks at any activity, such as a business process, observes all the things it is doing, in great detail, and turns each of these sub-activities into a microservice. Each with its own small team, that has complete control of its entire lifecycle.
You end up with many small teams, but they work together nicely,
People decide how all these little pieces fit together (how they talk to each other) and they do this to make life easier for other people,
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
A Mental Collapse
I am something of an expert on this, having witnessed this at short range. In the collapse of a beautiful but crazy wife.
And at even closer range, in the collapse of myself, several times. I could write a book about each of these.
And the collapse of America, with the election of Trump.
And at even closer range, in the collapse of myself, several times. I could write a book about each of these.
And the collapse of America, with the election of Trump.
How angry men's rights activists online helped propel Trump to victory
Open Democracy
The attraction of Trump lay in his financial and sexual success which made him “emblematic of Red Pill manhood” – “the kind of alpha who could whip America into shape”
The attraction of Trump lay in his financial and sexual success which made him “emblematic of Red Pill manhood” – “the kind of alpha who could whip America into shape”
I didn't know these guys existed, but now they have been pointed out to me, they seem real enough.
Microservices
I am taking a course on this, presented by IBM on Coursera.
The first thing it does is to show you how good it is at teaching this subject. It expects you to be a good learner, but a demanding one.
This immediately separates you from most people who will not learn at all. And are proud of this.
The first thing it does is to show you how good it is at teaching this subject. It expects you to be a good learner, but a demanding one.
This immediately separates you from most people who will not learn at all. And are proud of this.
Monday, April 29, 2019
The Storyteller and his Story
The most famous storyteller of all time was Shahrazad. who started a tradition that is still with us today. She had to invent stories to save her life, and succeeded.
Later writers, such as James Joyce, would also invent stories just as improbable. He also succeeded, but in a different way.
Joseph Smith, who wrote the Book of Mormon, was killed by an angry mob, in 1844. Was he successful? People are still visiting his grave, so perhaps we can answer "yes" to that question.
Later writers, such as James Joyce, would also invent stories just as improbable. He also succeeded, but in a different way.
Joseph Smith, who wrote the Book of Mormon, was killed by an angry mob, in 1844. Was he successful? People are still visiting his grave, so perhaps we can answer "yes" to that question.
The Healing of Colombia
This is in the January 2018 issue of the National Geographic.
Colombia has made a strong effort to bring its dissidents back into the rest of its society. And the National Geographic has made a strong effort to document this (with lots of photos).
Will the rest of the world bother to read it?
Colombia has made a strong effort to bring its dissidents back into the rest of its society. And the National Geographic has made a strong effort to document this (with lots of photos).
Will the rest of the world bother to read it?
What Happened to the Human Race?
Something really bad happened that we have never understood.
One of its dominant characteristics was that it was self-destructive. This is easy to see, and we can start with that.
And we can see, easily enough that not everyone is this way.
Yesterday, I walked to the Soda Buen Taco and bought an Aroz Cantones. Everyone there was in the best of moods, happily socializing with each other, and me.
I put my food in my pack and walked to the soccer field, where a game was in progress. I was attracted to a young woman, and she was pleased with my attention. This one advantage of being an American man in Costa Rica. Young women and their parents appreciate your attention. And there are no bad results from this temporary attraction.
I have just described the contrast between Silicon Valley (where I was working in the Nineties) and rural Costa Rica (where I live now).
I wish it explained more because I am also taking an online course on Artificial Intelligence (AI), These people are also helping me, but there is nothing personal about this help. They do not know I exist
I will return to my basic point: we have become self-destructive, If we can become aware of that, we will become better people.
One of its dominant characteristics was that it was self-destructive. This is easy to see, and we can start with that.
And we can see, easily enough that not everyone is this way.
Yesterday, I walked to the Soda Buen Taco and bought an Aroz Cantones. Everyone there was in the best of moods, happily socializing with each other, and me.
I put my food in my pack and walked to the soccer field, where a game was in progress. I was attracted to a young woman, and she was pleased with my attention. This one advantage of being an American man in Costa Rica. Young women and their parents appreciate your attention. And there are no bad results from this temporary attraction.
I have just described the contrast between Silicon Valley (where I was working in the Nineties) and rural Costa Rica (where I live now).
I wish it explained more because I am also taking an online course on Artificial Intelligence (AI), These people are also helping me, but there is nothing personal about this help. They do not know I exist
I will return to my basic point: we have become self-destructive, If we can become aware of that, we will become better people.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
The Democrats will have to Show
That they too can mismanage America. Just as Trump is now doing.
LBJ (a Democrat) did this. First, he had the Great Society and Civil Rights. Then he had Vietnam (not a good second choice).
Today's Democrats can do the same thing. Promise good things (as Obama did) but then show they are utterly incompetent at something important. For Obama, it was the Economic Crisis of 2007-2008. But Americans never connected him with it.
They will have to pick something this time, that no one can miss.
But doing this in advance is going to be tricky.
LBJ (a Democrat) did this. First, he had the Great Society and Civil Rights. Then he had Vietnam (not a good second choice).
Today's Democrats can do the same thing. Promise good things (as Obama did) but then show they are utterly incompetent at something important. For Obama, it was the Economic Crisis of 2007-2008. But Americans never connected him with it.
They will have to pick something this time, that no one can miss.
But doing this in advance is going to be tricky.
Software 2.0
Medium
This is dynamite stuff! Written by someone who knows what he is talking about.
This is one of the huge differences between the Hardware world and the Software world.
Hardware people don't want to share their info, because that would be giving away money. Software people are eager to share their info because that would make them (and everyone else) richer.
And Software 2.0 only makes this contrast sharper.
This is dynamite stuff! Written by someone who knows what he is talking about.
This is one of the huge differences between the Hardware world and the Software world.
Hardware people don't want to share their info, because that would be giving away money. Software people are eager to share their info because that would make them (and everyone else) richer.
And Software 2.0 only makes this contrast sharper.
Game of Thrones recap/review
softonic
“We’re all gonna die.”
“We’re all gonna die.”
And us viewers are watching this happen eagerly.
You can take a quiz to determine which Game of Thrones house you are.
What is There about People that Really Bothers Me?
So much so, I want to kill them?
I am being honest here. There is something about people that really bothers me and quite a few other people also. To the extent that they will kill considerable numbers of them.
What is it that really bothers them?
The usual answer is "That depends on the situation, and every situation is different," Which is saying "There is no fundamental reason why people hate each other."
This doesn't feel right to me. I am certain there is a fundamental reason, and it is fairly obvious. People find it easy to hate people (or like people) and we are built that way.
Young children do not have this ability (they like everyone) but it develops fairly quickly. And whole societies develop characteristic attitudes toward other people that are really striking, and often violent. But seem perfectly normal to them.
One thing is often seen: people want to be like other people and discriminate against people who are not like them. This is not one of our better qualities, but it is very common.
And we should be on our guard against it.
I am being honest here. There is something about people that really bothers me and quite a few other people also. To the extent that they will kill considerable numbers of them.
What is it that really bothers them?
The usual answer is "That depends on the situation, and every situation is different," Which is saying "There is no fundamental reason why people hate each other."
This doesn't feel right to me. I am certain there is a fundamental reason, and it is fairly obvious. People find it easy to hate people (or like people) and we are built that way.
Young children do not have this ability (they like everyone) but it develops fairly quickly. And whole societies develop characteristic attitudes toward other people that are really striking, and often violent. But seem perfectly normal to them.
One thing is often seen: people want to be like other people and discriminate against people who are not like them. This is not one of our better qualities, but it is very common.
And we should be on our guard against it.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
She is Attractive and She is Intelligent
sdX
Take a close look at this Professor of Literature, as I did. She is discussing the Arabian Nights with another Professor of Literature.
She is also sexy and smart. For many people a forbidden combination.
This short passage will also give you a quick introduction to the course.
Take a close look at this Professor of Literature, as I did. She is discussing the Arabian Nights with another Professor of Literature.
She is also sexy and smart. For many people a forbidden combination.
This short passage will also give you a quick introduction to the course.
My Friend Jerry
I met Jerry Eiden in a Spanish class in San Jose, Costa Rica. We were both trying to learn Spanish, unsuccessfully, because we were too old, the language parts of our brains were long gone.
Jetty's family had moved from Illinois to LA to get in on the housing boom going on there. Where he met a man who had plenty of money, who offered to finance him if he went into business in the Canal Zone. Jerry took him up on that. and was soon part of this very lucrative, and corrupt economy.
He was soon a personal friend of General Noriega, the dictator of Panama. Jerry would work on his property for free, and the General would give him some contracts, without him bothering to bid on them.
Jerry has his own plane he could use to fly nonstop to Florida, where he had warehouses he could use to store his building materials in. When they were full he would use Container ships to move the contents to Panama. He was a Big Dealer, like many other Americans in the Zone.
But then the American military invaded the Zone, and that life was over.
Americans had no idea what was going on down there, and the huge amount of money that was lost. But it was gone, never to return.
In Costa Rica, he developed a close relationship with another family who helped him take care of his property. When realized his health was failing fast, he sold his house and two cars, to one of their daughters. It took her her six months to get a mortgage, but he waited for her.
He went to live with one of his daughters in Florida and died there.
Jetty's family had moved from Illinois to LA to get in on the housing boom going on there. Where he met a man who had plenty of money, who offered to finance him if he went into business in the Canal Zone. Jerry took him up on that. and was soon part of this very lucrative, and corrupt economy.
He was soon a personal friend of General Noriega, the dictator of Panama. Jerry would work on his property for free, and the General would give him some contracts, without him bothering to bid on them.
Jerry has his own plane he could use to fly nonstop to Florida, where he had warehouses he could use to store his building materials in. When they were full he would use Container ships to move the contents to Panama. He was a Big Dealer, like many other Americans in the Zone.
But then the American military invaded the Zone, and that life was over.
Americans had no idea what was going on down there, and the huge amount of money that was lost. But it was gone, never to return.
In Costa Rica, he developed a close relationship with another family who helped him take care of his property. When realized his health was failing fast, he sold his house and two cars, to one of their daughters. It took her her six months to get a mortgage, but he waited for her.
He went to live with one of his daughters in Florida and died there.
Who Cares about National Unity?
National Review
Heavens, how much good stuff keeps crowding its way into my little inbox! It's enough to make you wonder if the world is not in such bad shape after all.
Here I sit, in my pajamas, in front of my laptop, in rural Costa Rica.
This writer assumes I am somewhere in the contiguous United States. The largest and richest country in the world. But not the whole world,
Most of the world does not give a fig if the US is unified or not.
Heavens, how much good stuff keeps crowding its way into my little inbox! It's enough to make you wonder if the world is not in such bad shape after all.
Here I sit, in my pajamas, in front of my laptop, in rural Costa Rica.
This writer assumes I am somewhere in the contiguous United States. The largest and richest country in the world. But not the whole world,
Most of the world does not give a fig if the US is unified or not.
How Pete Buttigieg’s Meaningless Erudition Made Him the ‘Smart’ Candidate
NY Times Magazine
This is a clever online article that kept my attention. Only one thing gave me pause - he is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana!
I spent some time in Indiana when I was an Electronic Engineer in the Sixties. Looking back at it, I would be hard put to say who was crazier: me or Indiana. But I would have to say, Indiana.
I grew up in the Midwest, and I have always hated it. You would have a hard time making me like it.
This article almost succeeds.
This is a clever online article that kept my attention. Only one thing gave me pause - he is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana!
I spent some time in Indiana when I was an Electronic Engineer in the Sixties. Looking back at it, I would be hard put to say who was crazier: me or Indiana. But I would have to say, Indiana.
I grew up in the Midwest, and I have always hated it. You would have a hard time making me like it.
This article almost succeeds.
I Hate People, and for the Best of Reasons
Because they have hated me, and I was smart enough to know this.
This the world I was brought up in. Parents that did not like me (but pretended to). Schoolteachers that did not like me (but also pretended to). The Cold War that hated half the world. And behind it all, the Office that hated everyone in existence.
It would have taken an unusual person to notice the good in all this bad.
Now late in life (I am 82), I am beginning to realize that the world is more complicated and has room for all kinds of people, some of which aren't so bad, and some of which certainly are.
I can sort these people out, and react to them appropriately. The key word here is react. If I don't like them, they don't die (even if I want them to) and if they do not like me, I do not die either.
I don't have to take a gun and kill a few of them just to make my point.
This the world I was brought up in. Parents that did not like me (but pretended to). Schoolteachers that did not like me (but also pretended to). The Cold War that hated half the world. And behind it all, the Office that hated everyone in existence.
It would have taken an unusual person to notice the good in all this bad.
Now late in life (I am 82), I am beginning to realize that the world is more complicated and has room for all kinds of people, some of which aren't so bad, and some of which certainly are.
I can sort these people out, and react to them appropriately. The key word here is react. If I don't like them, they don't die (even if I want them to) and if they do not like me, I do not die either.
I don't have to take a gun and kill a few of them just to make my point.
Friday, April 26, 2019
They have Shut Down
I just made a short trip downtown on my unsteady legs.
There is a fast food restaurant there that makes a Katchi burger, that has everything in it, for not much money. They have been closed for remodeling for four days, but today they would be open, for sure, they said.
They were still closed. As was the Coto Restaurant next door, usually the busiest place in town.
What gives?
I have given this some thought and concluded they are rebelling against the Market Economy. The Revolt of the Masses in our time and place,
If rich people want their food, they can just suffer, and the more they suffer, the better!
There is a fast food restaurant there that makes a Katchi burger, that has everything in it, for not much money. They have been closed for remodeling for four days, but today they would be open, for sure, they said.
They were still closed. As was the Coto Restaurant next door, usually the busiest place in town.
What gives?
I have given this some thought and concluded they are rebelling against the Market Economy. The Revolt of the Masses in our time and place,
If rich people want their food, they can just suffer, and the more they suffer, the better!
To Be, you have to Accept Yourself
For most people, this is impossible.
Because they know they are terrible.
Are they really this bad? They certainly think so.
And having been this way once, I know this is a rock-solid belief.
They know there is something terribly wrong with them that justifies all kinds of terrible behavior from themselves and others.
I am thinking of the man who used to live where I do now. He operated a vegetarian restaurant where he served the food from different countries on different days of the week.
This was a success! But he died and is buried just up the road.
No one knows what killed him But in my opinion, his wife killed him,
This is a common cause of death but is seldom acknowledged.
I have been there myself. I was married to a beautiful, but a crazy woman. She ended up dead (having killed herself) but I survived.
These are the facts, that no one can dispute. But everyone disputes the reason for them. Which is:
The most common cause of death (or incompetence) in our time is self-inflicted.
Why do we find this so attractive? Because it makes us so important!
Because they know they are terrible.
Are they really this bad? They certainly think so.
And having been this way once, I know this is a rock-solid belief.
They know there is something terribly wrong with them that justifies all kinds of terrible behavior from themselves and others.
I am thinking of the man who used to live where I do now. He operated a vegetarian restaurant where he served the food from different countries on different days of the week.
This was a success! But he died and is buried just up the road.
No one knows what killed him But in my opinion, his wife killed him,
This is a common cause of death but is seldom acknowledged.
I have been there myself. I was married to a beautiful, but a crazy woman. She ended up dead (having killed herself) but I survived.
These are the facts, that no one can dispute. But everyone disputes the reason for them. Which is:
The most common cause of death (or incompetence) in our time is self-inflicted.
Why do we find this so attractive? Because it makes us so important!
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Why Crypto’s a Growing Threat To FAMGA (a.k.a. Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon)
Medium
Other people are thinking like I am (I think). We seem to be moving into a new reality, where I am not so weird.
Other people are thinking like I am (I think). We seem to be moving into a new reality, where I am not so weird.
I have a Balance Disorder
A balance disorder is a disturbance that causes an individual to feel unsteady, for example when standing or walking. It may be accompanied by feelings of giddiness, or wooziness, or having a sensation of movement, spinning, or floating. Balance is the result of several body systems working together: the visual system (eyes), vestibular system (ears) and proprioception (the body's sense of where it is in space). Degeneration or loss of function in any of these systems can lead to balance deficits.
I have come to this diagnosis myself. No one else is interested in it.
I also have an unusual awareness of how most people are destructive. An awareness they do not want to have.
For me, the two seem to be the same. I would much rather not be this way, but here I am, whether they like me or not.
When You Hate Yourself. You Have a Problem
Yes, you do. And this can affect you many ways, individually and collectively.
I want to consider how it affects me as an individual this morning. It hits me right where it hurts most: in my bank account.
Everyone wants me to buy their product or service. And many of these are defective in ways that are cleverly hidden.
What I have to do is simple: decide whether I can afford them or not. But when I do not like myself, it is always tempting to go for something that will do me no good.
This is the crucial blind spot of our time; we do not realize how easy (and satisfying) it is to become self-destructive.
I want to consider how it affects me as an individual this morning. It hits me right where it hurts most: in my bank account.
Everyone wants me to buy their product or service. And many of these are defective in ways that are cleverly hidden.
What I have to do is simple: decide whether I can afford them or not. But when I do not like myself, it is always tempting to go for something that will do me no good.
This is the crucial blind spot of our time; we do not realize how easy (and satisfying) it is to become self-destructive.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Programming Interests Me
Our Economy is in the process of transitioning from Manufacturing to Programming. And this is creating considerable confusion.
I still use manufactured products, I used an Expresso machine to make this morning's coffee. And I could not live without my Refrigerator.
But I am also studying F#, a programming language by Microsoft. Because behind all the manufacturing that is still going on, Software is running it.
This statement takes some explaining. How can Software run anything?
This cannot be explained, but it can be seen in action, as people are obsessed with their Smartphones. They can easily understand that Software is running their Phone. And indirectly running them.
But they do not stop to reason this out. Who is running this show? They can't imagine that many things are, all at the same time.
I still use manufactured products, I used an Expresso machine to make this morning's coffee. And I could not live without my Refrigerator.
But I am also studying F#, a programming language by Microsoft. Because behind all the manufacturing that is still going on, Software is running it.
This statement takes some explaining. How can Software run anything?
This cannot be explained, but it can be seen in action, as people are obsessed with their Smartphones. They can easily understand that Software is running their Phone. And indirectly running them.
But they do not stop to reason this out. Who is running this show? They can't imagine that many things are, all at the same time.
The Barber Shop in Orosi
I went there yesterday to get my haircut and my beard trimmed. While I was sitting there, I wished the folks back home could see me.
The contrast between there and the American scene was extreme, and could not be put into words.
The barbers here are young men who learn their trade by helping each other along. Their jobs do not last long, which is unfortunate, but typical of many jobs here, especially in the small towns, where businesses do not last long.
There is not much money in the local economy, and it is spread thin.
Any money here comes from outside of town. We are surrounded by coffee fields, but there is not much money in that.
This area does have plenty of water, most of which is sent to the center of the country. where most of the people live.
The contrast between there and the American scene was extreme, and could not be put into words.
The barbers here are young men who learn their trade by helping each other along. Their jobs do not last long, which is unfortunate, but typical of many jobs here, especially in the small towns, where businesses do not last long.
There is not much money in the local economy, and it is spread thin.
Any money here comes from outside of town. We are surrounded by coffee fields, but there is not much money in that.
This area does have plenty of water, most of which is sent to the center of the country. where most of the people live.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Living with People who do Not Like People
This is most people in the world.
You have to live with them, whether you want to or not.
Is this possible? Yes, it is.
But you have to keep carefully in mind that you are dealing with two people at the same time.
A real person and a manufactured one. And the manufactured one can cause lots of problems.
These people were made by a culture that devoted itself to manufacturing. That we now call Industrial or Capitalistic. They did know how to make things. make them cheaply and in large quantities. A very useful skill, that also created serious social problems.
We have now moved on to something else. All we can say for sure is we are not like that anymore. Which is not much help.
Each one of us has to find activities that are satisfying to us, and do not harm others.
You have to live with them, whether you want to or not.
Is this possible? Yes, it is.
But you have to keep carefully in mind that you are dealing with two people at the same time.
A real person and a manufactured one. And the manufactured one can cause lots of problems.
These people were made by a culture that devoted itself to manufacturing. That we now call Industrial or Capitalistic. They did know how to make things. make them cheaply and in large quantities. A very useful skill, that also created serious social problems.
We have now moved on to something else. All we can say for sure is we are not like that anymore. Which is not much help.
Each one of us has to find activities that are satisfying to us, and do not harm others.
improving Deep Neural Networks
Doesn't sound interesting, does it?
Somewhat to my surprise, it did interest me.
I don't know who deeplearnig.ai is, but they have the best talent and the best presentation for this subject I have seen.
Welcome to Improving Deep Neural Networks: Hyperparameter tuning, Regularization and Optimization
Somewhat to my surprise, it did interest me.
I don't know who deeplearnig.ai is, but they have the best talent and the best presentation for this subject I have seen.
Welcome to Improving Deep Neural Networks: Hyperparameter tuning, Regularization and Optimization
Makes sense, doesn't it?
The Usual Development Cycle
The finished product is nothing like it started out to be.
Someone had a bright idea, to begin with, and started to develop it. If he was lucky, he was allowed to turn this into a successful product, that many people could benefit from.
But this takes time and money, and these are often in short supply. Ideas that involve improvement of already successful ideas have the best chance of being adopted.
A successful development process may involve many cycles of testing and modification.
What usually happens, is that some other group takes control of this idea (they can tell it as a good idea) and uses it for purposes, it was not intended for at all. (Usually to make a fast buck.)
Then everyone wonders what went wrong.
Someone had a bright idea, to begin with, and started to develop it. If he was lucky, he was allowed to turn this into a successful product, that many people could benefit from.
But this takes time and money, and these are often in short supply. Ideas that involve improvement of already successful ideas have the best chance of being adopted.
A successful development process may involve many cycles of testing and modification.
Then everyone wonders what went wrong.
Computer apps that defy classification
Are they good or bad? Impossible to say.
I bought a HonSoop Bluetooth Earbud from Amazon, and don't know what to make of it. Are they trying to rip me off with this thing? or just confuse me?
I am looking at a maze that can take me many places (including Facebook and Outlook). This seems to be its basic purpose: to get me more confused than I already am.
If so, they are failing, because I can't even get started with the thing. The printed instructions are too small for me to read, and there are no online instructions. If they want to catch me, they have to give me a fighting chance.
I have to make it work, at least a little bit!
I bought a HonSoop Bluetooth Earbud from Amazon, and don't know what to make of it. Are they trying to rip me off with this thing? or just confuse me?
I am looking at a maze that can take me many places (including Facebook and Outlook). This seems to be its basic purpose: to get me more confused than I already am.
If so, they are failing, because I can't even get started with the thing. The printed instructions are too small for me to read, and there are no online instructions. If they want to catch me, they have to give me a fighting chance.
I have to make it work, at least a little bit!
Monday, April 22, 2019
Why the 21st Century is Opening With a Big Bang of Bad Vibes
Medium
The writer here is umair haque, one of my favorites.
Wham! Something strange, ugly, cold, and painful raced through me. It rocked me to my core. It shook me like a leaf. I ran to the bathroom, feeling nauseous, upset, suddenly dialed up to 11.
It wasn’t the show. It was the certain, singular kind of panic attack I’ve had since I was a little kid. A thing made of intense existential dread, of heart-pounding mortality, of the head-spinning realization that everything will one day be nothing at all. Is that all there is? What is this strange nightmare we’re living through — not knowing why we’re born, knowing we’re going to die, not knowing where we go, time turning us to dust? How can this be me, you, everything, us?
It’s as if a wave of negative energy is rolling through the world, my friends. If you’ve felt strangely uncertain, worried, terrible, and pretty miserable lately — I assure you, it’s not just you. It’s everyone. It’s a negative energy flu. Did you have something like my attack recently? Did you feel shaky, rocked, destabilized — even though, by all appearances nothing much had really happened? Congratulations, my friend. You’ve caught the negative energy flu.
The writer here is umair haque, one of my favorites.
Wham! Something strange, ugly, cold, and painful raced through me. It rocked me to my core. It shook me like a leaf. I ran to the bathroom, feeling nauseous, upset, suddenly dialed up to 11.
It wasn’t the show. It was the certain, singular kind of panic attack I’ve had since I was a little kid. A thing made of intense existential dread, of heart-pounding mortality, of the head-spinning realization that everything will one day be nothing at all. Is that all there is? What is this strange nightmare we’re living through — not knowing why we’re born, knowing we’re going to die, not knowing where we go, time turning us to dust? How can this be me, you, everything, us?
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Seven o'clock in the Morning, Easter is Over
And everyone is surprised by my surprise.
"It's always been this way!" They tell me, it's best to get it over with as soon as possible.
That way we can have more fun.
"It's always been this way!" They tell me, it's best to get it over with as soon as possible.
That way we can have more fun.
Ro Khanna
Capitalism in crisis: U.S. billionaires worry about the survival of the system that made them rich
Sanders wasn’t a perfect match for Khanna. Sanders didn’t really understand the tech industry — though he wasn’t calling for the breakup of big tech companies like Warren and some other candidates. Warren’s proposal, if executed, would hurt companies in Khanna’s district and alienate some of his wealthiest backers.
Khanna wished Sanders would talk more about the greatness of the American economy and the power of the tech industry, when properly taxed and regulated, to lift people out of poverty. But on that score Khanna believed he could help Sanders.
This Republican congressman also spoke at a Bernie Sanders rally:
Khanna wished Sanders would talk more about the greatness of the American economy and the power of the tech industry, when properly taxed and regulated, to lift people out of poverty. But on that score Khanna believed he could help Sanders.
The Extreme Difference between Those in the Know, and Those Not
I sit here in my pajamas in front of my Laptop in rural Costa Rica, slowly working my way through Christopher Steele, the man behind the Trump Dossier.
I am only sure of one thing. I am looking at a huge amount of material, I can barely understand, but I am trying to. And I am sure that most people are determined to not even try.
They have decided that ignorance is their best defense. If bad people are destroying the world (which they obviously are) something else will punish them. Probably God himself or herself. They do not have to do anything.
What a fantastic solution!
I am only sure of one thing. I am looking at a huge amount of material, I can barely understand, but I am trying to. And I am sure that most people are determined to not even try.
They have decided that ignorance is their best defense. If bad people are destroying the world (which they obviously are) something else will punish them. Probably God himself or herself. They do not have to do anything.
What a fantastic solution!
Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier
Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier
Saturday, April 20, 2019
America got Off to a Rocky Start
I am reading The Madisons: America's First Power Couple (The True Story of James & Dolley Madison) that I got from Amazon for free.
And I am amazed by how many mistakes American politicians made. The only country to make more, was France who invented whole categories of mistakes and was blessed with Napoleon Bonapart. Who did favor us with the Lousiana Purchase.
The Madisons were responsible for a war with Britain, who burned down Washington, DC. They both owned slaves and considered them part of their property.
James was rightfully considered the Father of the American Constitution - something brilliant the Americans invented themselves.
And I am amazed by how many mistakes American politicians made. The only country to make more, was France who invented whole categories of mistakes and was blessed with Napoleon Bonapart. Who did favor us with the Lousiana Purchase.
The Madisons were responsible for a war with Britain, who burned down Washington, DC. They both owned slaves and considered them part of their property.
James was rightfully considered the Father of the American Constitution - something brilliant the Americans invented themselves.
Easter in Orosi
This has been strange this year, and I still don't know what to make of it.
There was a small parade on Good Friday, and most of the businesses were closed. including the medical clinic. There were not many spectators. The parade included a number of people in wheelchairs, that was unusual. The center of the street contained a thick layer of colored sawdust in religious patterns. And the people in the parade (mostly dressed as Roman Soldiers) walked on either side of this. The religious statues being carried (that were supposed to impress you with their suffering) were not very impressive.
This morning (Saturday) all the sawdust was gone, and traffic was normal.
There was a small parade on Good Friday, and most of the businesses were closed. including the medical clinic. There were not many spectators. The parade included a number of people in wheelchairs, that was unusual. The center of the street contained a thick layer of colored sawdust in religious patterns. And the people in the parade (mostly dressed as Roman Soldiers) walked on either side of this. The religious statues being carried (that were supposed to impress you with their suffering) were not very impressive.
This morning (Saturday) all the sawdust was gone, and traffic was normal.
Friday, April 19, 2019
Good Friday Parade
This just finished, and quite a racket it was! Most of the people in the parade were dressed as Roman Soldiers, even a few girls.
The street in front of our house will be closed until after after Easter Day.
The center of the street is covered by colored sawdust in religious patterns.
The shaved ice cream vendor in front of the Church is running out of ice. I have never seen this before.
Most businesses are closed. as is the medical clinic. In Latin America, this is still the most important holiday of the year.
The street in front of our house will be closed until after after Easter Day.
The center of the street is covered by colored sawdust in religious patterns.
The shaved ice cream vendor in front of the Church is running out of ice. I have never seen this before.
Most businesses are closed. as is the medical clinic. In Latin America, this is still the most important holiday of the year.
The Pleasures of Life
What are they? What is our attitude towards them? Two big questions we do not think about very much.
Because we do not think very much, we just act the way everyone else acts.
There a lot of advantages to this.
We learn to use the same language everyone else uses. Although we cannot help but improve on it.
And we are always acquiring the latest fashions and possessions. As well as new, useful skills.
We agree that we should increase our pleasures and decrease our pains. But only some pleasures and pains. And we are strict about what these are.
Our attitude towards drugs is typical of our ambivalence. We are the only animal that has drugs, that can be almost anything, even ordinary food. Even relationships can be drugs.
That makes a person's life better or worse.
We should be carefully thinking about this, and one whole branch of Philosophy is about it: Ethics.
But most of us don't do this very much. And this is a fundamental fact of life in our time. We don't think about our pleasures very much. And this is not likely to change.
Because we do not think very much, we just act the way everyone else acts.
There a lot of advantages to this.
We learn to use the same language everyone else uses. Although we cannot help but improve on it.
And we are always acquiring the latest fashions and possessions. As well as new, useful skills.
We agree that we should increase our pleasures and decrease our pains. But only some pleasures and pains. And we are strict about what these are.
Our attitude towards drugs is typical of our ambivalence. We are the only animal that has drugs, that can be almost anything, even ordinary food. Even relationships can be drugs.
That makes a person's life better or worse.
We should be carefully thinking about this, and one whole branch of Philosophy is about it: Ethics.
But most of us don't do this very much. And this is a fundamental fact of life in our time. We don't think about our pleasures very much. And this is not likely to change.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Walking when I'm Woozy
This is not pleasant, believe me.
Especially when you can remember falling flat on your face, and a long trip to the hospital.
It's Easter Time down here, and the clinics are closed anyway. You are not supposed to get sick this time of year.
Jesus suffered on the cross, and you can too.
Especially when you can remember falling flat on your face, and a long trip to the hospital.
It's Easter Time down here, and the clinics are closed anyway. You are not supposed to get sick this time of year.
Jesus suffered on the cross, and you can too.
Understanding Yourself
What does this mean?
It does not mean understanding all one's many, many components. But it does mean understanding one's personality. Or someone else's personality. Or even a group's personality.
And it requires that each of these like each other. And are able to work together.
And here is where the whole Capitalist system breaks down. It has an inadequate emotional basis, And we have never fixed this.
I can remember back in the Seventies when this problem did us in. We were part of a system that provided our money, that we could not live without, but would not let us live together.
Our Economy and our Morality did not work together. And we knew this. Or at least some of us did.
What those of us that do understand this need, need to do now, is understand our exceeding complicated situation or at least as much of it as we can.
And we have the tool to do this with, the Computer with its Internet and Cellular networks.
It does not mean understanding all one's many, many components. But it does mean understanding one's personality. Or someone else's personality. Or even a group's personality.
And it requires that each of these like each other. And are able to work together.
And here is where the whole Capitalist system breaks down. It has an inadequate emotional basis, And we have never fixed this.
I can remember back in the Seventies when this problem did us in. We were part of a system that provided our money, that we could not live without, but would not let us live together.
Our Economy and our Morality did not work together. And we knew this. Or at least some of us did.
What those of us that do understand this need, need to do now, is understand our exceeding complicated situation or at least as much of it as we can.
And we have the tool to do this with, the Computer with its Internet and Cellular networks.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
From Bible-Belt to Bellhop
I am referring to the Audio Book An American Tragedy
An innocent young man is raised in an extremely religious family And then becomes a bellhop in a fancy hotel, and grows up fast, encouraged by some active young women who want to teach him the ropes.
An innocent young man is raised in an extremely religious family And then becomes a bellhop in a fancy hotel, and grows up fast, encouraged by some active young women who want to teach him the ropes.
An American Tragedy
erican TragedyAn American TragedyAn American Tragedy
The Strange Attitude toward Gourmet Coffee
I saw this in action when I visited my cousin in Northern Virginia, in the DC area.
I was astonished by the money there. Amazon recently decided to make another headquarters there, close to/the Pentagon, with all its money.
They were next to a shopping center, with the largest supermarket I had ever seen. It had an entire aisle devoted to wine, and my cousin shopped that carefully, every day.
There was also a Starbucks store, and I wanted to visit that. My cousin took an instant dislike to the place. He bought his coffee at a Burger King next door, where he didn't have to get out of his truck, and got a lot of coffee.
The quality was not so great. but that was what he wanted: low-quality, cheap coffee, at a drive-in. That was the American Way, and he knew it.
What do I drink for coffee? I have an espresso machine, and I use it to steam milk to make Cappuccino coffee.
I was astonished by the money there. Amazon recently decided to make another headquarters there, close to/the Pentagon, with all its money.
They were next to a shopping center, with the largest supermarket I had ever seen. It had an entire aisle devoted to wine, and my cousin shopped that carefully, every day.
There was also a Starbucks store, and I wanted to visit that. My cousin took an instant dislike to the place. He bought his coffee at a Burger King next door, where he didn't have to get out of his truck, and got a lot of coffee.
The quality was not so great. but that was what he wanted: low-quality, cheap coffee, at a drive-in. That was the American Way, and he knew it.
What do I drink for coffee? I have an espresso machine, and I use it to steam milk to make Cappuccino coffee.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
My Google Pixel Phone
Is useless.
Today I was determined to make it work, but could not.
It probably works fine in America, but does not work in Costa Rica, where I live.
If you want a phone that works here, you have to buy one here.
Today I was determined to make it work, but could not.
It probably works fine in America, but does not work in Costa Rica, where I live.
If you want a phone that works here, you have to buy one here.
Guantánamo’s Darkest Secret
New Yorker
This is a long article, practically a book in length, and its subject is very complicated.
You really need a software program to diagram it properly. Perhaps Object Role Modeling (ORM).
It says a lot about America that an article like this can be published, Bur that is because few Americans read much.
This is a long article, practically a book in length, and its subject is very complicated.
You really need a software program to diagram it properly. Perhaps Object Role Modeling (ORM).
It says a lot about America that an article like this can be published, Bur that is because few Americans read much.
Ticos have realized They can Destroy their World
And the idea has tremendous appeal for them. Now they can be like all the rest of the countries in the world!
They have chosen a common way to do this: via Religion, a blend of Catholicism and Evangelicalism. And, as is always the case, they have no awareness of this.
Unlike the other countries in Central America, they have a country with plenty of social advantages that they gained in a revolution of their own in 1947. And they have no military!
People from other Latin American countries come here, often illegally, to find work. Coming from corrupt countries themselves, they can not make Costa Rica any better.
Ticos should have a clear idea of the freedoms they are protecting, but they do not. They want what they want, and they want it now. And they want a world that this is free of personal freedoms of all kinds.
They have chosen a common way to do this: via Religion, a blend of Catholicism and Evangelicalism. And, as is always the case, they have no awareness of this.
Unlike the other countries in Central America, they have a country with plenty of social advantages that they gained in a revolution of their own in 1947. And they have no military!
People from other Latin American countries come here, often illegally, to find work. Coming from corrupt countries themselves, they can not make Costa Rica any better.
Ticos should have a clear idea of the freedoms they are protecting, but they do not. They want what they want, and they want it now. And they want a world that this is free of personal freedoms of all kinds.
Monday, April 15, 2019
Unions for Engineers
Slashdot
My father's father was a union man (and fanatically so) but the Railroads back in the Twenties, fired them all. And got away with it.
Companies now do not have as much power, they have to move more carefully, but anyone who disagrees with their policies will end up in much the same place.
My father's father was a union man (and fanatically so) but the Railroads back in the Twenties, fired them all. And got away with it.
Companies now do not have as much power, they have to move more carefully, but anyone who disagrees with their policies will end up in much the same place.
We do not like People
Who are "we" here?
This might be many people, but for me, it was my fellow-Americans. Not a good situation to be in, and one with many ramifications.
The most important one being a total unawareness of who we were. This information was so bad, it was not available to us.
Now that we are so obsessed with getting more data, we stubbornly overlook this one important fact.
That we are not good for people - that we are not good for our selves, as people. We like our possessions. but not ourselves.
Or, to put it in a slightly different way "What happened to the small businessman, that used to be the backbone of America?" The answer is clear: he (or she) is no longer, and is not missed.
Detroit is full of empty factories that no one wants. As is my hometown of Ft. Madison, Iowa. All those jobs are gone forever!
But the unemployment figures are not too bad, you may say. New jobs must have been created somewhere.
Where are they, and what are they like? The news here is not so good. Economic stratification has made the rich richer, and the poor poorer. The Middle Class is withering away.
Americans have responded by electing Trump. Whom they think will save them!
This might be many people, but for me, it was my fellow-Americans. Not a good situation to be in, and one with many ramifications.
The most important one being a total unawareness of who we were. This information was so bad, it was not available to us.
Now that we are so obsessed with getting more data, we stubbornly overlook this one important fact.
That we are not good for people - that we are not good for our selves, as people. We like our possessions. but not ourselves.
Or, to put it in a slightly different way "What happened to the small businessman, that used to be the backbone of America?" The answer is clear: he (or she) is no longer, and is not missed.
Detroit is full of empty factories that no one wants. As is my hometown of Ft. Madison, Iowa. All those jobs are gone forever!
But the unemployment figures are not too bad, you may say. New jobs must have been created somewhere.
Where are they, and what are they like? The news here is not so good. Economic stratification has made the rich richer, and the poor poorer. The Middle Class is withering away.
Americans have responded by electing Trump. Whom they think will save them!
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Swapping SIM cards in my Smartphones
I did this yesterday, with the help of an English-speaking assistant at ICE, the agency that operates the National Cellular service.
I owned another Phone, made by BLU, but it was defective. I bought another Phone made by Google, thinking I could run all my Google apps, on the Chrome browser, on it.
So the nice young woman took the SIM card, from the first Phone and put it in the second Phone. This cost me nothing.
Now I am busy making my Google Phone do everything my Windows 10 Laptop can do.
It won't do this perfectly, But good enough will be good enough.
Most phones are sold with the Cellular Provider and Phone number locked into them. This cannot be changed by the owner.
I owned another Phone, made by BLU, but it was defective. I bought another Phone made by Google, thinking I could run all my Google apps, on the Chrome browser, on it.
So the nice young woman took the SIM card, from the first Phone and put it in the second Phone. This cost me nothing.
Now I am busy making my Google Phone do everything my Windows 10 Laptop can do.
It won't do this perfectly, But good enough will be good enough.
Most phones are sold with the Cellular Provider and Phone number locked into them. This cannot be changed by the owner.
Pork and Beans
I had Garbanzos con Carne de Cerdo for breakfast. The other side of the can reads Chick Peas with Pork. I also had some Capachino coffee to go with it.
Not a bad way to start the day.
Not a bad way to start the day.
The Perils of Pearl and Olga
The New Yorker
This a part of a Crimes of Passion issue.
The young women here, were employed in Manhatten but satisfied with their jobs, and rode the subway frequently.
I did too when I lived there in the Sixties. The City gave its residents a lot. And the prices were reasonable.
This is quite a contrast to Chicago, The Hog Butcher to the World, that didn't give its residents much.
This a part of a Crimes of Passion issue.
The young women here, were employed in Manhatten but satisfied with their jobs, and rode the subway frequently.
I did too when I lived there in the Sixties. The City gave its residents a lot. And the prices were reasonable.
This is quite a contrast to Chicago, The Hog Butcher to the World, that didn't give its residents much.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Xrays in Cartago
My Dentist uses Innova, in Cartago, to get her Xrays.
They have a very advanced machine that can do a panoramic Xray. Once they clamp your head in that thing, you cannot move it! The machine moves around your head, instead.
They have a very advanced machine that can do a panoramic Xray. Once they clamp your head in that thing, you cannot move it! The machine moves around your head, instead.
The End of the World?
NYT Magazine
My little world is certainly in a chaotic state this morning. Everything in it is broke, including me.
The only thing that is working is the Times (referenced about) but I know few are reading that.
What can I say about me? I wish I knew.
I am surrounded by so much stuff, I can hardly tell what in that mess is me.
But saying that is saying something.
The end of the world is such, that we can say nothing about it.
My little world is certainly in a chaotic state this morning. Everything in it is broke, including me.
The only thing that is working is the Times (referenced about) but I know few are reading that.
What can I say about me? I wish I knew.
I am surrounded by so much stuff, I can hardly tell what in that mess is me.
But saying that is saying something.
The end of the world is such, that we can say nothing about it.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Greed is Good
This is what most people believe. Even though they can be easily be shown that cooperation is better. And makes them feel better.
This makes no difference, they are only interested in right now, and what benefits them right now.
This makes no difference, they are only interested in right now, and what benefits them right now.
Look Ma, No Brains!
Everyone is eager to show how stupid they are. Almost everyone, that is. And they are doing an amazingly good job at it.
I noticed this when I worked in the Computer industry from 1980 - 2000. There were some smart things going on, the Java language was revolutionized how computing was being done, but most people (including me) were detracted by all kinds of side-issues.
We were surrounded by lies. and strongly encouraged to support them.
I noticed this when I worked in the Computer industry from 1980 - 2000. There were some smart things going on, the Java language was revolutionized how computing was being done, but most people (including me) were detracted by all kinds of side-issues.
We were surrounded by lies. and strongly encouraged to support them.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Civilization and Beer
The two go together, and always have/ Some people prefer Wine, but the active ingredient is the same.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
The Perfect Explainer
I have found such a person, and he is not least bit shy about saying so. He is right out in the open at victorzhou.com (with his photo).
He will not help you find the love of your life so you cannot use him for that. But you can use him to make the right software find you. And in today's world, that is nearly as important.
He will not help you find the love of your life so you cannot use him for that. But you can use him to make the right software find you. And in today's world, that is nearly as important.
Despite the backlash, women are driving resistance to repression in Brazil
I wish I could say my sisters support this. For them, Brazil is someplace far away they don't want to bother with.
People Cannot understand Themselves
This needs to be said and said firmly: we cannot understand ourselves and never will be able to.
The reason for this is simple, there are too many reasons. And we cannot begin to connect them properly.
Sounds simple, doesn't it? That's because it is simple. People live on the borderline between sanity and insanity. And they have to stray over the line frequently, to function normally.
They cannot Love or Hate, or even Sell a pair of shoes. Without being a little crazy. And if you are a politician, more than a little is required.
t
The reason for this is simple, there are too many reasons. And we cannot begin to connect them properly.
Sounds simple, doesn't it? That's because it is simple. People live on the borderline between sanity and insanity. And they have to stray over the line frequently, to function normally.
They cannot Love or Hate, or even Sell a pair of shoes. Without being a little crazy. And if you are a politician, more than a little is required.
t
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Vitar Vivcam
This is a digital camera, but a strange one. It took me longest time to figure out how to make it work.
Fist you have to buy three AAA batteries and install them on the side of the camera. Weird, huh? But you have some optical zoom remaining. It must be cheap.
Never connect one end of the USB cable to your laptop. I don't know what this is for, but it messes up everything completely. Pretend it does not exist.
When ready to transfer from the Camera to the Laptop, remove the CD card from the bottom of the camera and plug it into the USB white connector with many slots one on side of it. Then transfer the photos and videos from the SD card to the USB connector to your laptop. The arrangements on the connectors on your Laptop may be getting tight.
Most cameras have a power card (that they provide); and an SD card right next to it each other. And they are charged together. These actually made sense. but they do cost more.
Fist you have to buy three AAA batteries and install them on the side of the camera. Weird, huh? But you have some optical zoom remaining. It must be cheap.
Never connect one end of the USB cable to your laptop. I don't know what this is for, but it messes up everything completely. Pretend it does not exist.
When ready to transfer from the Camera to the Laptop, remove the CD card from the bottom of the camera and plug it into the USB white connector with many slots one on side of it. Then transfer the photos and videos from the SD card to the USB connector to your laptop. The arrangements on the connectors on your Laptop may be getting tight.
Most cameras have a power card (that they provide); and an SD card right next to it each other. And they are charged together. These actually made sense. but they do cost more.
Is Programming a Social Skill?
Yes and no.
We are taking small children, I am told, and showing them how to code!
Why?
So the teachers can show them off to their parents.
The teachers are socializing the students, but doing Johnny or Suzy little good. They are far too young to go to work.
There will be a few, who when given a new a computer, will take to it naturally, and quickly become skilled at it, and even become rich (Bill Gates comes to mind).
There will be many more. who are attracted better jobs, will also pick up these skills on their own. And many of these will become teachers of programming so they can show off their special skills.
In this sense, programming is social, and quickly develops many specialties - with lots of money attached to each,
Money, as you know, is intensely social,
We are taking small children, I am told, and showing them how to code!
Why?
So the teachers can show them off to their parents.
The teachers are socializing the students, but doing Johnny or Suzy little good. They are far too young to go to work.
There will be a few, who when given a new a computer, will take to it naturally, and quickly become skilled at it, and even become rich (Bill Gates comes to mind).
There will be many more. who are attracted better jobs, will also pick up these skills on their own. And many of these will become teachers of programming so they can show off their special skills.
In this sense, programming is social, and quickly develops many specialties - with lots of money attached to each,
Money, as you know, is intensely social,
Monday, April 8, 2019
The Rapid Decline of America in the Seventies
This was not obvious to me, because there were so many other things going on at roughly the same time.
But looking back on it, it was clear that Americans had no idea what was happening to them. And didn't want to know.
Something big was going on, but they did not want to know what it was.
This was puzzling because we had just gone through the Sixties. when plenty was going on, and everyone knew it.
Now something much bigger was happening, so big we could not comprehend it. Instead, everyone was saying, as loudly as they could "Nothing really important is going on!"
What was it?
It was networked technologies, beginning with Television. That quickly overwhelmed us.
There had been Radio, that was also networked, but did not have the visual impact that the Movies had. People went to the Movies at least once a week. They were an international addiction.
And now the Movies were available in their homes, for free! They were in a new reality, much better than the old one The magic screen was everywhere!
TV crews went to screen everything Americans wanted to see - including Vietnam.
In the Eighties, something new came along, the Computer, with its Cellular and Internet networks.
What will its effects be?
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Saturday, April 6, 2019
The Technology that made Super Human People
The technology we now refer to as Industrial.
That reached its peak in the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of the Übermensch was probably its clearest expression.
That reached its peak in the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of the Übermensch was probably its clearest expression.
It showed that the superhuman was also the subhuman. That reached its peak expression in Nazism.
Being and Understanding
People cannot be without understanding.
This is not true of any other animal, who can be without an idea ever entering their heads.
It is true, however, that our pets, can understand some of our behavior, quite well. And many people have a similar understanding. They can be successful, without understanding other people very well.
They only need to understand whatever will make them a leader. Which is often not very much.
My Get Up Routine
This is a long process, taking maybe an hour, but I cannot rush it.
When I wake up, the muscles in my upper body are sore, and cannot be moved very much. But I do not get upset about this since I know this is normal for this time of day.
Whatever I do next has to be done slowly.
I roll back and forth on my bed, paying careful attention to the pain in my body, my ribs especially. After doing this for a while, I am able to sit up. without too much pain.
I then walk to the bathroom and take a poop.
This process continues for the rest of the day. I pay careful attention to the pain in my upper body and move slowly when it starts to hurt.
This slows me down but allows my body (and my mind) to recover.
When I wake up, the muscles in my upper body are sore, and cannot be moved very much. But I do not get upset about this since I know this is normal for this time of day.
Whatever I do next has to be done slowly.
I roll back and forth on my bed, paying careful attention to the pain in my body, my ribs especially. After doing this for a while, I am able to sit up. without too much pain.
I then walk to the bathroom and take a poop.
This process continues for the rest of the day. I pay careful attention to the pain in my upper body and move slowly when it starts to hurt.
This slows me down but allows my body (and my mind) to recover.
Google is introducing interactive emails for Gmail
softonic
I'm the kind of person who wants his Software to be the best there is. Second-rate. whatever it is, is not good enough.
I am using Windows 10 on my laptop, with Chrome browser. It keeps me well-informed, with articles such as this.
This means I am limited to what Google wants to show me, but that is not much of a problem.
I'm the kind of person who wants his Software to be the best there is. Second-rate. whatever it is, is not good enough.
I am using Windows 10 on my laptop, with Chrome browser. It keeps me well-informed, with articles such as this.
This means I am limited to what Google wants to show me, but that is not much of a problem.
America's first First Lady
This was Dolley Madison and her rise is well documented in The Madisons: America's First Power Couple.
A book I got for nothing as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
The Kindle technology is a miracle, but to benefit from the books you get, you have to read them!
I have since wondered how to understand Dolley. The definition of Emotional intelligence was a big help to my thinking.
A book I got for nothing as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
The Kindle technology is a miracle, but to benefit from the books you get, you have to read them!
I have since wondered how to understand Dolley. The definition of Emotional intelligence was a big help to my thinking.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Painful Muscle Spasms
These things are wrecking my life and I don't know why.
Let me go down the usual checklist.
Where is the pain located? In my left ribcage.
Where does it start? In my diaphragm, as an extremely painful muscle spasm.
When did they start? Here is when things get complicated, I had a normal morning and went to pay for my medical insurance at about 2 PM. This was easy because I was the only one there.
Then I decided to buy myself a Kachiburger, a local delicacy with nearly everything in it, Going up the stairs to the place was a struggle, but I made it. I placed my order and once again I was the only person there, I put the order in my pack, walked down the stairs and across the street.
I walked home without noticing anything unusual. Except I bought a liter of milk. And went to my apartment in the back. About then, things started getting unusual, and I started having muscle spasms.
This morning, I took a pain pill and took a pee, sitting down. The pain doesn't seem to be as bad, but not by much
Let me go down the usual checklist.
Where is the pain located? In my left ribcage.
Where does it start? In my diaphragm, as an extremely painful muscle spasm.
When did they start? Here is when things get complicated, I had a normal morning and went to pay for my medical insurance at about 2 PM. This was easy because I was the only one there.
Then I decided to buy myself a Kachiburger, a local delicacy with nearly everything in it, Going up the stairs to the place was a struggle, but I made it. I placed my order and once again I was the only person there, I put the order in my pack, walked down the stairs and across the street.
I walked home without noticing anything unusual. Except I bought a liter of milk. And went to my apartment in the back. About then, things started getting unusual, and I started having muscle spasms.
This morning, I took a pain pill and took a pee, sitting down. The pain doesn't seem to be as bad, but not by much
Thursday, April 4, 2019
What Happens When an Economist Walks Into a Brothel?
Bloomberg
I have subscribed to Bloomberg, and got this article as a result.
I am also reading about The Flood here. Believe it or not, the two stories are related.
I have subscribed to Bloomberg, and got this article as a result.
I am also reading about The Flood here. Believe it or not, the two stories are related.
People don'r want Other People to Know Them Very Well
I have observed this many times. If other people get to know them very well, bad things will happen to them (they think).
If other people even get close to knowing them, they panic.
If other people even get close to knowing them, they panic.
An Emphasis on Learning
This is one of the big changes in today's world, caused by Software.
I am sitting here, in my pajamas, in front of my laptop, learning TensorFlow.
I am one of the few who are doing this, but we are changing the world.
Because we like to learn. The rest, the 99 percent, would rather die. They will learn anything that provides an immediate benefit to them.
But for them, the future does not exist. And they don't worry about it.
I am sitting here, in my pajamas, in front of my laptop, learning TensorFlow.
I am one of the few who are doing this, but we are changing the world.
Because we like to learn. The rest, the 99 percent, would rather die. They will learn anything that provides an immediate benefit to them.
But for them, the future does not exist. And they don't worry about it.
How Rupert Murdoch’s Empire of Influence Remade the World
NYT Magazine
It is part of my duty, as a blogger, to report on the good news.
This news is not good, but it is important.
And these days, the two are virtually the same.
It is part of my duty, as a blogger, to report on the good news.
This news is not good, but it is important.
And these days, the two are virtually the same.
Andrew Yang's Presidential Bid Is So Very 21st Century
Wired
We are living in the 21st Century without actually being here.
This guy is one of the few who realize this. And Wired is making him visible.
We are living in the 21st Century without actually being here.
This guy is one of the few who realize this. And Wired is making him visible.
My Health Situation
Is not good.
Yesterday, after making sure my Social Security payments had been received. I went to Cartago to get the cash I need to survive down here.
I got 300,000 Colonies (about $400), bought some low-calorie sandwiches at a place called the Juice House, took a taxi to a WalMart store, bought a few things (including some Spam Lite), picked up a National Geographic at Aeropost, went to the Post Office to see if I had a key for my post office box (I didn't).
I took a bus to Paraiso, got a chocolate shake, and tried to get my glasses repaired that I broke in my fall (unsuccessfully), and took a bus home.
I was exhausted. And am still recovering from that trip.
But I am recovering, slowly.
I am in a lot of pain, as my body and my mild (really the same thing) struggle to adapt to an independent existence.
Yesterday, after making sure my Social Security payments had been received. I went to Cartago to get the cash I need to survive down here.
I got 300,000 Colonies (about $400), bought some low-calorie sandwiches at a place called the Juice House, took a taxi to a WalMart store, bought a few things (including some Spam Lite), picked up a National Geographic at Aeropost, went to the Post Office to see if I had a key for my post office box (I didn't).
I took a bus to Paraiso, got a chocolate shake, and tried to get my glasses repaired that I broke in my fall (unsuccessfully), and took a bus home.
I was exhausted. And am still recovering from that trip.
But I am recovering, slowly.
I am in a lot of pain, as my body and my mild (really the same thing) struggle to adapt to an independent existence.
Addiction
Man is an animal that likes drugs. The only animal that does.
But the drugs he can get addicted to can be almost anything. He can take anything to excess. religion, for example. Or TV programs. Once they get hooked, they want more.
And a marketplace develops to satisfy those needs that didn't exist a year ago.
Time itself has changed, without our noticing it. And people are saying, with complete confidence "Nothing has changed!"
But the drugs he can get addicted to can be almost anything. He can take anything to excess. religion, for example. Or TV programs. Once they get hooked, they want more.
And a marketplace develops to satisfy those needs that didn't exist a year ago.
Time itself has changed, without our noticing it. And people are saying, with complete confidence "Nothing has changed!"
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Engagement
Bloomberg
The conundrum isn’t just that videos questioning the moon landing or the efficacy of vaccines are on YouTube. The massive “library,” generated by users with little editorial oversight, is bound to have untrue nonsense. Instead, YouTube’s problem is that it allows the nonsense to flourish. And, in some cases, through its powerful artificial intelligence system, it even provides the fuel that lets it spread.
The conundrum isn’t just that videos questioning the moon landing or the efficacy of vaccines are on YouTube. The massive “library,” generated by users with little editorial oversight, is bound to have untrue nonsense. Instead, YouTube’s problem is that it allows the nonsense to flourish. And, in some cases, through its powerful artificial intelligence system, it even provides the fuel that lets it spread.
The last point is important. It assumes people can be easily deceived by online media. And Computer computer companies are making this situation worse.
People have been seduced by the magic screen ever since the Movies became popular. And ever since TV took over from the Movies.
It takes an intelligent person to distinguish between fantasy and reality. And these are in short supply.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
What Happened to Us?
This is what Americans should be asking themselves after they elected Trump.
But they are not.
Something important happened, but they do not want to know what it was.
All I can do is repeat that statement "Something important happened, but they do not want to know what it was."
Probably it was a combination of many things, happening over an extended period of time. Nothing overwhelming about this, but it felt that way to them. Too much was going on.
Their tipping point had been exceeded, and now they were in unknown territory.
I consulted Wikipedia and found an article on Catastrophe theory. This sounded right (it had a good mouthfeel) but as it said, it was very technical.
Perhaps I needed a more powerful writing environment to cope with this, so I launched a Jupyter Notebook.
Now I am trying to learn that.
But they are not.
Something important happened, but they do not want to know what it was.
All I can do is repeat that statement "Something important happened, but they do not want to know what it was."
Probably it was a combination of many things, happening over an extended period of time. Nothing overwhelming about this, but it felt that way to them. Too much was going on.
Their tipping point had been exceeded, and now they were in unknown territory.
I consulted Wikipedia and found an article on Catastrophe theory. This sounded right (it had a good mouthfeel) but as it said, it was very technical.
Perhaps I needed a more powerful writing environment to cope with this, so I launched a Jupyter Notebook.
Now I am trying to learn that.
Monday, April 1, 2019
The Prostitute who Cares for her Client
I am reading An American Tragedy.
Where a prostitute seduces the main character of the story. And where he benefits from the experience.
I could relate to this, because of an erotic experience I once had in Sri Lanka. Some young men I knew had paid the mother of a young woman so she could have sex with them. And they allowed me to have her also. She was eager to please me, and I felt much better afterward.
Where a prostitute seduces the main character of the story. And where he benefits from the experience.
I could relate to this, because of an erotic experience I once had in Sri Lanka. Some young men I knew had paid the mother of a young woman so she could have sex with them. And they allowed me to have her also. She was eager to please me, and I felt much better afterward.
Computer Science is Science
But there are plenty of people in the Computer Industry who do not believe this.
I was there for 20 years, 1980-2000, and I saw plenty of examples of people who were interested in making money, at the expense of everything else. Ethics were easily overlooked, and are still overlooked.
In Science, these are vital concerns and cannot be overlooked.
I was there for 20 years, 1980-2000, and I saw plenty of examples of people who were interested in making money, at the expense of everything else. Ethics were easily overlooked, and are still overlooked.
In Science, these are vital concerns and cannot be overlooked.
People Don't Like Science Anymore
Because Science describes how it is, not how they think it is.
For Isaac Newton, this problem did not exist. God had organized the world a certain way (using mathematical formulas) and all he had to do was discover what those formulas were.
His solutions always involved some simplification of the data to make the mathematics manageable (there was only planet revolving around the sun, the rest had to be ignored), but this was acceptable at the time. He explained almost everything, and that was good enough.
But as Science looked at the world more carefully (using Electro Magnetic theory and Quantum Mechanics) his solutions were seen to be inadequate.
They were inadequate to scientists, but not to most people. who had become rich because of the Industrial Revolution and the Steam Engine. That was all the theory they needed and wanted.
A huge gap appeared between most people and those who were knowledgeable. And this gap has persisted and even gotten worse.
They think growth can continue forever. But when Science says this is impossible, they attack Science viciously.
For Isaac Newton, this problem did not exist. God had organized the world a certain way (using mathematical formulas) and all he had to do was discover what those formulas were.
His solutions always involved some simplification of the data to make the mathematics manageable (there was only planet revolving around the sun, the rest had to be ignored), but this was acceptable at the time. He explained almost everything, and that was good enough.
But as Science looked at the world more carefully (using Electro Magnetic theory and Quantum Mechanics) his solutions were seen to be inadequate.
They were inadequate to scientists, but not to most people. who had become rich because of the Industrial Revolution and the Steam Engine. That was all the theory they needed and wanted.
A huge gap appeared between most people and those who were knowledgeable. And this gap has persisted and even gotten worse.
They think growth can continue forever. But when Science says this is impossible, they attack Science viciously.
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