This includes many Americans.
For some time, many of them have not bothered to vote. They did vote in the last election, to everyone's surprise, but the guy they elected, Donald Trump - does not consider himself a typical American - but something else. just what, no one knows, because he changes his mind, constantly.
He seems to be giving us the message "You can never know who I am, because I change all the time!" And Americans are not complaining. They even consider this a virtue. They feel - if he does't exist, he cannot be a problem. He is letting something else, be in control. Exactly what they would do - if they were in his shoes.
They know this something else, is out there - and it should be in control. And it should not be looked at too closely
I recommend for your reading How Democracies Die. Look.inside it, and read the Introduction.
Monday, June 4, 2018
I Witnessed the Destruction of America
The shocking experience, that told me something was terribly wrong, was the hatred of people that I experienced in the Office - that no one else seemed to notice.
I graduated, as an Electronic Engineer, from the U of Illinois, in 1959 - and went to work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Mainly because they offered me a job as a Field Engineer, where I wouldn't have to work in an office. I knew I could never work in one of those.
Now, looking back on this, much later, I realize I was looking at the Destruction of America - in person. And this was the overriding fact, no one wanted to acknowledge.
I suppose most people, in any fading culture, are unaware of this. It happens so gradually, no one notices it. Noticing it makes you a traitor to your country - so no one notices it. And the self-destruction continues.
When did this begin? Sometime in the 19th Century, when Industrialization took over. This was a huge event, we have never understood very well, but the result was a series of wars - the Civil War, WWI, the Depression, and WWII - that were unprecedented in their destructiveness. And to be fair, created the affluence that developed countries (such as America) enjoyed.
And created a new kind of person - that was more like a machine, than a person. These people felt they were super-persons, much superior to the normal persons, that they displaced. The Office appeared, as their natural habitat. Along with the Factory and the Railroads.
I was born in 1936, in Ft.Madison, Iowa, my Father's home town - that had the Santa Fe Railroad on the West End of town, and the Sheaffer Pen Company on the East End. It was a dirty town - but it had good jobs! None of this is left now - it is part of the Rust Belt that dominates much of America.
But let me return to the Sixties, and the Cold War, that wrecked the economies of the USSR and the US. But at the time, it made money for many people - including me. I had my own airplane, that I was proud of.
This is an important point that must be stressed - short term gains can create long term losses! And these both occurred, in the Computer Industry, in the Eighties and Nineties. I was there also.
I graduated, as an Electronic Engineer, from the U of Illinois, in 1959 - and went to work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Mainly because they offered me a job as a Field Engineer, where I wouldn't have to work in an office. I knew I could never work in one of those.
Now, looking back on this, much later, I realize I was looking at the Destruction of America - in person. And this was the overriding fact, no one wanted to acknowledge.
I suppose most people, in any fading culture, are unaware of this. It happens so gradually, no one notices it. Noticing it makes you a traitor to your country - so no one notices it. And the self-destruction continues.
When did this begin? Sometime in the 19th Century, when Industrialization took over. This was a huge event, we have never understood very well, but the result was a series of wars - the Civil War, WWI, the Depression, and WWII - that were unprecedented in their destructiveness. And to be fair, created the affluence that developed countries (such as America) enjoyed.
And created a new kind of person - that was more like a machine, than a person. These people felt they were super-persons, much superior to the normal persons, that they displaced. The Office appeared, as their natural habitat. Along with the Factory and the Railroads.
I was born in 1936, in Ft.Madison, Iowa, my Father's home town - that had the Santa Fe Railroad on the West End of town, and the Sheaffer Pen Company on the East End. It was a dirty town - but it had good jobs! None of this is left now - it is part of the Rust Belt that dominates much of America.
But let me return to the Sixties, and the Cold War, that wrecked the economies of the USSR and the US. But at the time, it made money for many people - including me. I had my own airplane, that I was proud of.
This is an important point that must be stressed - short term gains can create long term losses! And these both occurred, in the Computer Industry, in the Eighties and Nineties. I was there also.
Sunday, June 3, 2018
A Painful Case
I have been reading James Joyce: The Ultimate Collection that you can get, for free, from Amazon. All you have to do is install the Kindle for PC app, that is free also. You probably already have it already.
I have been wondering what story would introduce you to Joyce's style of writing. Try this one. He is as much interested in interesting you in the style of his writing - than in telling the story itself.
This is about a man and a woman that love each other passionately - but can not bring themselves to actually do it. Victorian sensibility in Ireland!
I have been wondering what story would introduce you to Joyce's style of writing. Try this one. He is as much interested in interesting you in the style of his writing - than in telling the story itself.
This is about a man and a woman that love each other passionately - but can not bring themselves to actually do it. Victorian sensibility in Ireland!
America has Lost its Mind
As you know, I have been trying to understand America - and the is the best explanation I could come up with.
It actually says a lot, when you stop to think about it. It summarizes Trump's personality - and the America that elected him, and continues to support him.
I must clarify one thing, however - Americans have not lost their minds completely. They can think very well - if they limit their thinking to an area of expertise they are familiar with. If they widen their focus, they are lost - but are not aware of this.
This is an important point - they are not aware, and not only that - are not aware, that they are not aware.
This is probably true of much of the rest of the world - but I can only speak with confidence of people I have made direct contact with. And this includes a few Ticas I have known personally. They have bought into the American worldview - and it has not done them any good.
It actually says a lot, when you stop to think about it. It summarizes Trump's personality - and the America that elected him, and continues to support him.
I must clarify one thing, however - Americans have not lost their minds completely. They can think very well - if they limit their thinking to an area of expertise they are familiar with. If they widen their focus, they are lost - but are not aware of this.
This is an important point - they are not aware, and not only that - are not aware, that they are not aware.
This is probably true of much of the rest of the world - but I can only speak with confidence of people I have made direct contact with. And this includes a few Ticas I have known personally. They have bought into the American worldview - and it has not done them any good.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Windows 10 is Better
If you know what kind to get, and how to use it.
And you are not going to get much help for this. There is an incredible amount of Windows 10 junk out there, that will not do you much good. I know, because I have a collection of this junk, myself.
Microsoft wants to sell you its Surface laptop, for a thousand dollars. That I am sure you would be satisfied with. If you have this kind of money - go for it! Windows 10 will boot up much faster, and will operate your apps faster. It has the latest version of Skype, that you can use to call anywhere.
Then install Google's Chrome browser, and all the Google apps, that you can sync with any other laptops you are using. Keeping everything synchronized is important - and Google is good at this.
Gmail is the best email app. I have Google Calendar, to keep track of my time. And Blogger, that I am using to write this blog. I just fired up MyDrive, that gives me huge amounts of online storage. I
was amazed by all the family photos I have there.
The Computer has given us fantastic new capabilities - perhaps more than we are capable of understanding..
And you are not going to get much help for this. There is an incredible amount of Windows 10 junk out there, that will not do you much good. I know, because I have a collection of this junk, myself.
Microsoft wants to sell you its Surface laptop, for a thousand dollars. That I am sure you would be satisfied with. If you have this kind of money - go for it! Windows 10 will boot up much faster, and will operate your apps faster. It has the latest version of Skype, that you can use to call anywhere.
Then install Google's Chrome browser, and all the Google apps, that you can sync with any other laptops you are using. Keeping everything synchronized is important - and Google is good at this.
Gmail is the best email app. I have Google Calendar, to keep track of my time. And Blogger, that I am using to write this blog. I just fired up MyDrive, that gives me huge amounts of online storage. I
was amazed by all the family photos I have there.
The Computer has given us fantastic new capabilities - perhaps more than we are capable of understanding..
Friday, June 1, 2018
Move Slowly, and Don’t Break Things
Medium
This was supposed to be a 10 read, but it took me much longer than that - and I ended up putting it on my reading list. Some things cannot be digested easily - and it takes multiple passes of the same material, to do the job.
Here is a quote:
Stanford University, the academic heart of Silicon Valley, is developing a computer science ethics course to train new technologists and policymakers to consider the ramifications of innovations like autonomous weapons or self-driving cars before they go on sale. As Mehran Sahami, one of the course’s conveners says, “Technology is not neutral. The choices that get made have social ramifications.
I just got home from by bicycle ride - where I went down a hill so fast, it scared me. But I bought a hamburquesa pollo from an attractive young woman - and that helped me settle down.
This was supposed to be a 10 read, but it took me much longer than that - and I ended up putting it on my reading list. Some things cannot be digested easily - and it takes multiple passes of the same material, to do the job.
Here is a quote:
Stanford University, the academic heart of Silicon Valley, is developing a computer science ethics course to train new technologists and policymakers to consider the ramifications of innovations like autonomous weapons or self-driving cars before they go on sale. As Mehran Sahami, one of the course’s conveners says, “Technology is not neutral. The choices that get made have social ramifications.
I just got home from by bicycle ride - where I went down a hill so fast, it scared me. But I bought a hamburquesa pollo from an attractive young woman - and that helped me settle down.
Mormonism
My religious family has been writing emails back and forth, with unusual intensity. They think their little church may recover after all - because it has a prophet at its head!
There is nothing I can say to them about this - they have their own ideas, and I would be foolish try to change them. But I can write in this little blog, and explain what is going on to you.
It all goes back to the founder of their religion, Joseph Smith. who thought he had special talents - that he never had at all, but he did have the talent of making other people believe in him.
He began as a person who could see buried treasure. Many people at the time, thought treasure had been buried somewhere in the fields of New York State - and they were digging trenches in their fields, in an effort to find it. But they needed someone to show them where the treasure was, and Joseph was just such a person. He had a special stone, he would put in his hat, then put the hat on his head, covering his eyes with it. He could then see where the treasure was.
But he had a problem - this practice was illegal! And a preliminary hearing was held, to see if he should be tried for this crime. But he left the state, and the trial was never held.
What to do next? He was the kind of person who concentrates on deceiving other people - a fairly common type, actually. And he next came up with the idea of writing a book, using his special powers to translate, from the plates of ancient book that had been reveled to him. The living room of their home was divided by a blanket that hung from the ceiling. Joseph on one side of the room, would dictate the contents of his new book - and a person on the other side of the room, would write down what he said.
Eventually this was printed, and was called the Book of Mormon. How this could impress anyone, is a complete mystery to me, and to many other people of the time. But some people took to it instantly, and took it England (at their own expense) to show people there. And it was obvious to them, that it was divine scripture.
No one has done an analysis of who these English people were - but they knew Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God - and they wanted to come to America, and become his followers. And this they proceeded to do - in considerable numbers. Joseph Smith found himself the head of a new church - The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-Day Saints - usually abbreviated to LDS.
His church moved many times - to Ohio, to Missouri, and then to Illinois. Where he was killed by an angry mob, in 1844.
There is nothing I can say to them about this - they have their own ideas, and I would be foolish try to change them. But I can write in this little blog, and explain what is going on to you.
It all goes back to the founder of their religion, Joseph Smith. who thought he had special talents - that he never had at all, but he did have the talent of making other people believe in him.
He began as a person who could see buried treasure. Many people at the time, thought treasure had been buried somewhere in the fields of New York State - and they were digging trenches in their fields, in an effort to find it. But they needed someone to show them where the treasure was, and Joseph was just such a person. He had a special stone, he would put in his hat, then put the hat on his head, covering his eyes with it. He could then see where the treasure was.
But he had a problem - this practice was illegal! And a preliminary hearing was held, to see if he should be tried for this crime. But he left the state, and the trial was never held.
What to do next? He was the kind of person who concentrates on deceiving other people - a fairly common type, actually. And he next came up with the idea of writing a book, using his special powers to translate, from the plates of ancient book that had been reveled to him. The living room of their home was divided by a blanket that hung from the ceiling. Joseph on one side of the room, would dictate the contents of his new book - and a person on the other side of the room, would write down what he said.
Eventually this was printed, and was called the Book of Mormon. How this could impress anyone, is a complete mystery to me, and to many other people of the time. But some people took to it instantly, and took it England (at their own expense) to show people there. And it was obvious to them, that it was divine scripture.
No one has done an analysis of who these English people were - but they knew Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God - and they wanted to come to America, and become his followers. And this they proceeded to do - in considerable numbers. Joseph Smith found himself the head of a new church - The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-Day Saints - usually abbreviated to LDS.
His church moved many times - to Ohio, to Missouri, and then to Illinois. Where he was killed by an angry mob, in 1844.
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