This model was described by Adam Smith, in 1776, and it was simple - if everyone acted in their own self-interest, society as a whole would benefit, economically.
Actually, what he wrote, was not so simple. He was aware of the defects of this model, and thought it should be used with care. But his objections were ignored, in the rush of the emerging countries, especially England - to become rich and powerful, in the Industrial Revolution.
Two hundred years later, in 1976, it was still the Business Model - and was defended (by Big Business, as well as smaller ones) against any competing models.
But it was forced to change, because it was no longer so profitable - all the big oil fields had been discovered, and were being pumped dry. And the Computer (its Software, actually) operates on a different business model.
Right now, I am taking the Machine Learning Crash Course (MLCC) provided by Google, for free. Anyone can understand this, it is described in simple steps, with friendly videos. Google is giving away its expertise - so other companies can use it.
Something that never would have happened fifty years ago!
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Being Nice
Being nice is an essential American skill. It was best illustrated for us by President Reagan - who did many horrible things, without being bothered about them in the least. Before him, the Bad Guy had to act bad - and the Good Guy had to act good.
He showed, you could be nothing at all - and be perfectly acceptable. As long as under this agreeable facade - you did really bad things. In other words - you had to act good, but be bad.
He was an actor, used to being, in front of the camera - whatever the role demanded. The people behind the cameras however, were only interested in using their audiences, to win power, and money - for themselves.
Americans loved Reagan (and Hollywood), for showing them how this could be done. And they set about doing this, in every aspect of their lives. Including Business and Politics - that became the same thing.
To be fair, many Americans were uncomfortable with this deceit, and tried to straddle the line between being good, and being bad. They could be good to their friends and family - but not to the Government, that Reagan taught them to hate.
This was a huge change. The Government, as Lincoln said - was of the People and for the People. Now it was seen as the Enemy of the People.
How did this happen? That is the forty dollar question - only now it is the forty trillion dollar question. There is no easy answer. All we can say, is that many factors are involved - and are interacting in complex ways. All we can say, with any certainty - is that we don't know.
These are the main two facts, of the world today - (1) it isn't working and (2) we don't know why.
All we have to do, is accept these facts - and Move On.
He showed, you could be nothing at all - and be perfectly acceptable. As long as under this agreeable facade - you did really bad things. In other words - you had to act good, but be bad.
He was an actor, used to being, in front of the camera - whatever the role demanded. The people behind the cameras however, were only interested in using their audiences, to win power, and money - for themselves.
Americans loved Reagan (and Hollywood), for showing them how this could be done. And they set about doing this, in every aspect of their lives. Including Business and Politics - that became the same thing.
To be fair, many Americans were uncomfortable with this deceit, and tried to straddle the line between being good, and being bad. They could be good to their friends and family - but not to the Government, that Reagan taught them to hate.
This was a huge change. The Government, as Lincoln said - was of the People and for the People. Now it was seen as the Enemy of the People.
How did this happen? That is the forty dollar question - only now it is the forty trillion dollar question. There is no easy answer. All we can say, is that many factors are involved - and are interacting in complex ways. All we can say, with any certainty - is that we don't know.
These are the main two facts, of the world today - (1) it isn't working and (2) we don't know why.
All we have to do, is accept these facts - and Move On.
Monday, April 2, 2018
The Best I Can Do
The best I can do, is not help other people destroy themselves.
It amazes me, how people do not take destructiveness seriously. They even seem to think - it does not exist! Even though it has happened many times, to many people - individually and collectively.
And is the case in our world, right now - it is destroying itself.
My case in point is the Computer Industry, in the Eighties and Nineties - in the last century. Companies were being destroyed (and destroying themselves) at an incredible rate. I compared it to mushrooms growing on manure.
At the same time, the Computer (its hardware and software) were maturing at an incredible rate.
Both were happening at the same time!
Allow me to return to a previous statement - the world is destroying itself. This is obvious, in many ways - but in less obvious ways, it is making itself better.
We are not talking about one world here - but many worlds. All going in many directions at the same time.
Let me enlarge on that, there is only one time - but many things going on, in many places, at that time. Some places are getting better, and some are getting worse.
With your permission, I will get personal, and recall my five years, with my beautiful, but crazy wife, Beth. She destroyed herself, in gradual stages. She had the best therapists I could find, but all we could do was watch her get worse. I survived, but she did not.
It amazes me, how people do not take destructiveness seriously. They even seem to think - it does not exist! Even though it has happened many times, to many people - individually and collectively.
And is the case in our world, right now - it is destroying itself.
My case in point is the Computer Industry, in the Eighties and Nineties - in the last century. Companies were being destroyed (and destroying themselves) at an incredible rate. I compared it to mushrooms growing on manure.
At the same time, the Computer (its hardware and software) were maturing at an incredible rate.
Both were happening at the same time!
Allow me to return to a previous statement - the world is destroying itself. This is obvious, in many ways - but in less obvious ways, it is making itself better.
We are not talking about one world here - but many worlds. All going in many directions at the same time.
Let me enlarge on that, there is only one time - but many things going on, in many places, at that time. Some places are getting better, and some are getting worse.
With your permission, I will get personal, and recall my five years, with my beautiful, but crazy wife, Beth. She destroyed herself, in gradual stages. She had the best therapists I could find, but all we could do was watch her get worse. I survived, but she did not.
They Can Read, but They Don't Enjoy Reading
And as a result - they don't read much. They watch TV, or their Phones, instead - and these are much more interesting, in fact, entertaining - because they are designed that way.
I am reading Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right that tries to understand the new movements that are affecting the American Mind.
I downloaded it to my Fire Tablet, where I can read it easily, even easier than on the printed page.
A strange thing is going on in our time. More books are being published (on paper, and online) but fewer people are reading them. Text cannot compete with moving images.
I am reading Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right that tries to understand the new movements that are affecting the American Mind.
I downloaded it to my Fire Tablet, where I can read it easily, even easier than on the printed page.
A strange thing is going on in our time. More books are being published (on paper, and online) but fewer people are reading them. Text cannot compete with moving images.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
The World of Facts
This is the world that Science discovered for us. The objective world that exists independently of our human existence, wants, desires, and beliefs.
Its discovery in the 18th Century, was a great relief from the despotic rulers and religious dogmatism then prevalent.
It made possible the Industrial Revolution - that created more wealth than ever before.
It produced liberal democracies - devoted to the welfare of everyone!
But it was too good to last. And people came to hate it intensely.
This change, that had been noticed by everyone - has not been understood by anyone. Because it cannot be understood - but only added to the world of facts.
I put it this way - people can be either constructive or destructive. And the switch from constructive to destructive behavior - can happen quickly.
And once that switch has been made - the world of facts becomes inaccessible.
Its discovery in the 18th Century, was a great relief from the despotic rulers and religious dogmatism then prevalent.
It made possible the Industrial Revolution - that created more wealth than ever before.
It produced liberal democracies - devoted to the welfare of everyone!
But it was too good to last. And people came to hate it intensely.
This change, that had been noticed by everyone - has not been understood by anyone. Because it cannot be understood - but only added to the world of facts.
I put it this way - people can be either constructive or destructive. And the switch from constructive to destructive behavior - can happen quickly.
And once that switch has been made - the world of facts becomes inaccessible.
How it Really Is
People differ greatly in their attitude toward this. Most Americans do not want to know about it - and do not want to know, they do not want to know about it. They are quite satisfied to live without thinking - a prospect that horrifies me.
To put this another way - most Americans are desperately trying not to think. Not an easy job, but one they have assigned to themselves with a passion.
They want to let something else run their lives, and their country. And they do not care much what that something else is. Whatever it is, it is better than them.
And that gets right down to the problem I had growing up - the deep feeling that something was wrong with me - very wrong with me. One of the worst feelings a person could have.
To put this another way - most Americans are desperately trying not to think. Not an easy job, but one they have assigned to themselves with a passion.
They want to let something else run their lives, and their country. And they do not care much what that something else is. Whatever it is, it is better than them.
And that gets right down to the problem I had growing up - the deep feeling that something was wrong with me - very wrong with me. One of the worst feelings a person could have.
The Google Cloud, Explained
YouTube
This video does a good job of explaining a complicated subject. It makes it so interesting, you want to know more.
This is one of the amazing things about the Computer Ecosystem. Computers are not hard to understand, and computer companies are working hard, to help you understand it.
It's a sharing economy - the more software expertise gets shared, the better it becomes.
This video does a good job of explaining a complicated subject. It makes it so interesting, you want to know more.
This is one of the amazing things about the Computer Ecosystem. Computers are not hard to understand, and computer companies are working hard, to help you understand it.
It's a sharing economy - the more software expertise gets shared, the better it becomes.
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