This can be described easily - it is the illusion of being all-powerful.
It reached its peak right after WWII, when in fact, America was the most powerful nation in history - and the rest of the world (with the exception of the USSR) lay in ruins. Americans assumed this situation was permanent, and planned their lives accordingly. The American economy was booming, most Americans owned new homes in the suburbs, and they were driving powerful new cars.
The only problem Americans could see was Communism, and they set about eliminating that, in the Cold War.
The rest of the world, however, was changing - Europe, Japan, Russia, and China, acquired the American Disease. And saw no reason why they couldn't become all-powerful also. After all, it was an attitude, and they could have it too - and once they had it, they took it seriously.
You will no doubt, view this as global insanity - which is another, equally valid, way of looking at it.
Friday, November 3, 2017
Thursday, November 2, 2017
The Place of Women in Human Society
I am hardly the proper person to expound on this subject - having failed in all my relationships with women (beginning of course, with my mother). But this is also true for most men - and, for that matter - most women also.
I am listening to The Foundations of Western Civilization that says little about women, but I can easily imagine what their place in this must have been. Women are primarily responsible for reproduction - but also responsible for the pleasures that lead up to this. To put it bluntly, they are capable of multiple orgasms, that are pleasurable to them and also to the men with them.
Human sexuality existed long before we became civilized - and was part of the physical changes that included an upright posture, lack of body hair, sweat glands, frontal intercourse - and the large brain, that made language possible. And the use of Fire, that made it possible for us to cook our food - and greatly expanded the foods available to us. With all these advantages - we soon occupied everyplace in the world, except Antarctica.
But with the coming of Civilization, Women suffered. And we have to consider that as one of its serious disadvantages.
Very recently, with the coming of the Computer, and its Software - Women are attaining an equal status. But it is too soon to see how far this will go.
I am listening to The Foundations of Western Civilization that says little about women, but I can easily imagine what their place in this must have been. Women are primarily responsible for reproduction - but also responsible for the pleasures that lead up to this. To put it bluntly, they are capable of multiple orgasms, that are pleasurable to them and also to the men with them.
Human sexuality existed long before we became civilized - and was part of the physical changes that included an upright posture, lack of body hair, sweat glands, frontal intercourse - and the large brain, that made language possible. And the use of Fire, that made it possible for us to cook our food - and greatly expanded the foods available to us. With all these advantages - we soon occupied everyplace in the world, except Antarctica.
But with the coming of Civilization, Women suffered. And we have to consider that as one of its serious disadvantages.
Very recently, with the coming of the Computer, and its Software - Women are attaining an equal status. But it is too soon to see how far this will go.
Attitudes
People have attitudes, and these are important. But they cannot be used as data by a computer.
The reason for this is simple - people are living beings, that operate by complicated chemical interactions between large organic molecules. The basic unit is the cell - and highly specialized cells called neurons (nerves).
The Computer is much simpler, and operates with electrical signals in Silicon substrates, that perform mathematical operations . Any input to the computer must first be digitized (changed into a number).
Artificial Intelligence (which is getting a lot of publicity now) is software that claims it is imitating the operations of the Human Mind. This is not true at all - what it does is entirely different, but has remarkable achievements (such as translating languages and recognizing images).
This is an important difference that can be summarized easily - People and Computers are entirely different things - and cannot be made the same. And this simple fact has huge implications - that most people do not want to understand.
The Computer (especially the Phone) is amazing, and makes people feel more important. So they naturally feel it is part of them. Which is true - we always merge with our technologies - sometimes with disastrous consequences.
And we should be careful of merging with the latest ones - Television and the Computer. These are extremely powerful - and we should not use them, without understanding them.
This is not as difficult as most people think - understanding them is not difficult at all. But people want to believe these devices are part of the Mind of God. And should not be understood at all!
The reason for this is simple - people are living beings, that operate by complicated chemical interactions between large organic molecules. The basic unit is the cell - and highly specialized cells called neurons (nerves).
The Computer is much simpler, and operates with electrical signals in Silicon substrates, that perform mathematical operations . Any input to the computer must first be digitized (changed into a number).
Artificial Intelligence (which is getting a lot of publicity now) is software that claims it is imitating the operations of the Human Mind. This is not true at all - what it does is entirely different, but has remarkable achievements (such as translating languages and recognizing images).
This is an important difference that can be summarized easily - People and Computers are entirely different things - and cannot be made the same. And this simple fact has huge implications - that most people do not want to understand.
The Computer (especially the Phone) is amazing, and makes people feel more important. So they naturally feel it is part of them. Which is true - we always merge with our technologies - sometimes with disastrous consequences.
And we should be careful of merging with the latest ones - Television and the Computer. These are extremely powerful - and we should not use them, without understanding them.
This is not as difficult as most people think - understanding them is not difficult at all. But people want to believe these devices are part of the Mind of God. And should not be understood at all!
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Pity the Poor English Major
When I worked as a Technical Writer (from 1980 to 2000) most of my fellow-writers were English Majors - who had no jobs after they graduated, and out of desperation, became techwriters. To make themselves feel better, they pretended this was a deliberate career choice - and went to monthly meetings of their professional society - dressed in their best business suits.
My background was different - I had been an Electronic Engineer, put out of work by the Transistor. But I became a techwriter for the same reason - I had to have a job. Later, I had worked as a programmer - and then specialized in software documentation. I never wore a suit.
Now, 13 years after I left Silicon Valley - I study programming as a hobby, and read Literature and Poetry, as a hobby.
I find these two (writing programs and writing writing) enhance each other.
My background was different - I had been an Electronic Engineer, put out of work by the Transistor. But I became a techwriter for the same reason - I had to have a job. Later, I had worked as a programmer - and then specialized in software documentation. I never wore a suit.
Now, 13 years after I left Silicon Valley - I study programming as a hobby, and read Literature and Poetry, as a hobby.
I find these two (writing programs and writing writing) enhance each other.
Who Killed the ERA?
NY Review
I hardly know what to say about this. It's something every American should read, and read carefully - but very few will.
Americans have decided to read little, and understand little - and writings like this, are invisible to them.
I am reminded of Lady Macbeth's "Out damned spot!" But the spot here is even more ambiguous.
I hardly know what to say about this. It's something every American should read, and read carefully - but very few will.
Americans have decided to read little, and understand little - and writings like this, are invisible to them.
I am reminded of Lady Macbeth's "Out damned spot!" But the spot here is even more ambiguous.
Save Money and Buy a Refurbished Windows 10 Laptop
Amazon
When you buy one of these - you also get excellent technical support from laptopexperience.com the company that refurbished them.
About a week after I got it from Amazon, and started to use it - it died! I sent an email to them, and they gave the instructions to do a hard reset of it. (I was also using a Windows 7 laptop, and got that email on it). After following the instructions carefully - it is working again, like new.
I also had a little problem with an error message I did not understand. They had me uninstall the accelerometer!
When you buy one of these - you also get excellent technical support from laptopexperience.com the company that refurbished them.
About a week after I got it from Amazon, and started to use it - it died! I sent an email to them, and they gave the instructions to do a hard reset of it. (I was also using a Windows 7 laptop, and got that email on it). After following the instructions carefully - it is working again, like new.
I also had a little problem with an error message I did not understand. They had me uninstall the accelerometer!
The Destructive Impact of the Computer
It is destroying what the Industrial Revolution created in the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries - Industrialization, Capitalism, and the Market. A Way of Life that had become Global, and that everyone had taken for granted.
When I say this was an entire Way of Life, I am not exaggerating - it changed who we were completely - for the better, and for the worse - in ways we were not aware of - but we identified with completely. And which we do not want to change - or even think of changing. Because it is Who we Are.
It took centuries to build this environment, but the Computer has changed it, in less than a Century - leaving us in a state of shock - seeing enemies everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
"Interesting theory!" You may say, "But too far-out, for me to believe in. How come no one else is saying it?"
Good question, but one easily answered "People are saying it - but carefully. They don't want to get squashed, like a bug on the windshield."
People have been critical of the Industrial Economy for a long time - as long as it has been in operation. But they were not considered a threat - because its success answered for itself.
The Computer is different - it is successful, and it is making substantial changes - whether we want them or not.
It has changed the way we solve our problems. I saw this when I was working in Silicon Valley in the Nineties. When any changes were contemplated - the first thing everyone did - was Form a Company - complete with the usual corporate structure and offices. This was true in any Organization - such as the Schools - a social hierarchy had to be formed, with those at the top making more than those at the bottom - and having most of the Control. Everyone knew this was the way it had to be done.
But this is not the way it was done in Software. Software Developers could see this was not working - and set about doing it differently. Concentrating on something that worked and worked better. The result was a different kind of social structure - flexible, and built to do the job on hand.
It is not entirely correct to say that Software is destroying Industrialization - it would be more correct to say it is improving on it - by replacing the parts of it that no longer work.
And the people who have gotten rich off of those parts.
When I say this was an entire Way of Life, I am not exaggerating - it changed who we were completely - for the better, and for the worse - in ways we were not aware of - but we identified with completely. And which we do not want to change - or even think of changing. Because it is Who we Are.
It took centuries to build this environment, but the Computer has changed it, in less than a Century - leaving us in a state of shock - seeing enemies everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
"Interesting theory!" You may say, "But too far-out, for me to believe in. How come no one else is saying it?"
Good question, but one easily answered "People are saying it - but carefully. They don't want to get squashed, like a bug on the windshield."
People have been critical of the Industrial Economy for a long time - as long as it has been in operation. But they were not considered a threat - because its success answered for itself.
The Computer is different - it is successful, and it is making substantial changes - whether we want them or not.
It has changed the way we solve our problems. I saw this when I was working in Silicon Valley in the Nineties. When any changes were contemplated - the first thing everyone did - was Form a Company - complete with the usual corporate structure and offices. This was true in any Organization - such as the Schools - a social hierarchy had to be formed, with those at the top making more than those at the bottom - and having most of the Control. Everyone knew this was the way it had to be done.
But this is not the way it was done in Software. Software Developers could see this was not working - and set about doing it differently. Concentrating on something that worked and worked better. The result was a different kind of social structure - flexible, and built to do the job on hand.
It is not entirely correct to say that Software is destroying Industrialization - it would be more correct to say it is improving on it - by replacing the parts of it that no longer work.
And the people who have gotten rich off of those parts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
