The Edge of Destruction

   I am a Cold War Kid.  I have been worried about a war with Russia since I was a little girl.  Really.  I grew-up with a father that had fought in WWII and talk of nuclear war was always dinner and family holiday talk (or arguments).  I can not remember when I wasn't afraid of nuclear war.  Of course, the drills I suffered through at school also helped enforce such fears.  

  I remember during the Cuban Crisis when America was on high alert notice that we could have nuclear war at any minute.  It was such a scary time.  I remember when the threat was at its most intense my Dad informed my mother and me that while he was away on his hunting trip that if anything should happen we should 'walk' to Shingleton's in GrassValley.  When I think about it today, I don't know if I should laugh or cry.  GrassValley was 50 miles away and uphill.  He had the horses.  Another ridiculous idea.  

  Unfortunately, I feel some of those old haunting feelings again.  I went to the mailbox the other day and my neighbor informed me we should just "Nuke Russia."  I asked her if she wanted to die in nuclear holocaust?  She didn't of course but the point being that I really wish people would stop saying that or they just might get their wish and it is not mine!  

  I have not been writing any blogs for awhile but I feel that I want to start writing again.  This was just a short dip in the pool to see if I can still do this.  It is my feeling that we are heading for some very serious times across the globe.  All of us are being affected by this and yet, it is all out of our hands.  But it is us, all of us, that is looking at what this could turn into and how it affect us at home and individually.  Can we prepare?  For how long?  I hear everyone say to move out of the cities.  And move where?  We don't know yet where this is headed.  We can guess though since threats are waging and escalation is a given.  So for now, we wait and hope and pray that this too might pass.  

  

The Essence of BOREDOM

CAGED

 

I feel we have a society that is getting bored!  Not just a little bit but a lot.  One of the many reasons for this is the declinism that is occuring in America.  Opportunities are becoming limited.  I know, we are told with the new technology there will be endless opportunities for new innovations bringing with it new kinds of jobs.  But I don't see it.  The whole essence of technology is ever more efficiency and less repetitious jobs for humankind.  That has been the promise for the last century.  But ridding us of the repetition has thus far been a loss of jobs and a loss of the industrial culture.  Just think of Detroit to name an easy example.  But this post is suppose to be about BOREDOM.  And that is what I want to delve into today. 

 

Everything mirrors the "End of History."  Been there, done that attitude and yet we just keep on doing it, over and over.  The music is (mostly) classic or gangster rap which is not exactly bursting with the sunshine of opportunity.  I know there is the "Happy Song" but even as the chorus goes over and over in your head...you know deep down that there is nothing to be THAT happy about.  I personally had to stop watching the News.  I was getting so much ANXIETY and deep feelings of gloom and doom it just wasn't worth being informed.  Then there are all the new television shows that are centered on the destruction of mankind one way or another.  Is there really nothing else we can entertain ourselves with but imaging our destruction and apocalypse?  Well sure there are all the very korny reality shows and sitcoms that aren't as much funny as they are gross and I guess that is substituting for humor. 

 

I think the essence of boredom is having nothing new to look forward to but the next gadget that soon is to be released.  We are living in an unreal world that we are together participating in and acting as if it is way cool.  But my fear is that deep down we all are getting anxious that this is not living and it certainly isn't fun.  What it is though is time consuming and that passes for accomplishing something.  But I think all this unspent energy is boiling up in each of us.  And I worry that one day it will burst forth like it has in the past century in ways unimaginable to our humanity.  How can I think such things?  Well, if you turn everything off for awhile and just think about the state of things you might see things differently as well.  Our culture of just existing has made us COMFORTABLY NUMB.  I just can't sit through dinner and watch the Evening News of murder, war, violence, and hatred.  That is when I came up with this "Hate begets Hate and the News is Directed Hate and Collective, Directed FEAR." 

 

I don't think we should allow our boredom to give us license to delight or cringe over death and mayhem.  I think we need to drop out of this culture of gloom and doom and drop in to living life again.  A life of true innovation.  A life where you concentrate on your creativity and passion and happiness.  Things that will bring joy to you and to others.  It is time we look again and break our addiction to nonsense and sickness.  If technology is opening up so many new opportunities for novelty then let's be novel and come up with growth of good things, like concentrating on happiness not disrespect for ourselves and everyone else. I do believe we can make a difference in our own life which will make a difference in others which will make America better instead of worse.  But we will have to break out of the cage that we are in and as we do so we will learn to feel and live again. 

"The Rise of Data and The Death of Politics"



The tech world is certainly taking Peter Diamandis advice on predicting & creating the future seriously. In the article "The Rise of Data and The Death of Politics" it is a apparent that they are taking Diamandis suggestion quite literally. This is alarming information concerning the NEAR FUTURE and the control that is extended through all of our smart-devices. Technology is combining big-data with predictable behaviour to create a new society that will be ULTRA-STABLE by helping you to make all the right choices.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/20/rise-of-data-death-of-politics-evgeny-morozov-algorithmic-regulation

All technological control comes with upfront benefits and promises for an "even more secure and safe" world.  Even, and especially if it is to protect us from ourselves.  For instance, Apple's latest patent will "deploy sensors inside the smartphone to analyse if the car is moving and if the person using the phone is driving; if both conditions are met, it blocks phone's texting feature."  this is one of many examples of control, oh I mean benefits of the new system of "smartification!"

Besides efficiency, the new "smart world" has a "new type of governance" called "algorithmic regulation."  This is being presented as an exciting political choice since "so much of our everyday behavior is already captured, analysed and nudged, so why stick to unempirical (not scientific)  approaches to regulation? Why rely on laws when one has sensors and real-time feedback mechanisms?  If policy interventions are to be...evidence-based and results-oriented, technology is here to help.  It offers policymakers simple solutions to "politics, democracy and power." 

The ultra-stability will be possible due to a system to "maintain stability by constantly learning and adapting itself to changing circumstances.  The system will readily adapt and change due to its tons and tons of supplied data which we have given (freely) over the years to help anticipate our next move.  All information which is stored in the clouds (very large, connected computers) that is measured, categorized, and analysed and will be used to accurately predict our next move.  All of this "big-data" combined with "predictive analytics" and the "internet of things" will allow the new system to operate a machine-like control in order to have ultra-stability.

The system can adapt to "ultra-stability because it is always monitoring and redeploying possibilities and resources.  Therefore, "there's no need to develop procedures of governing contingency, because the algorithms and immediate feedback can do a better job than inflexible rules out of touch with reality." 

The article goes in depth into all the new devices and uses for governments which some countries are already adopting.  This is the scientific approach of governance and if you heard (or thought) that the internet is the best surveillance the world has ever seen (Bloomberg) then wait till you see what the internet of things will be able to do. 

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/20/rise-of-data-death-of-politics-evgeny-morozov-algorithmic-regulation

 

SUMMER HALF OVER READING LIST to understanding the future

Summer Half Over Reading List



I bet you haven't started on the 10 books to explain the future.  So I thought in the interest of time that I would shorten the list since summer is half over.  You do want to understand what's coming, right?  So here is my top 5 choices of books to read pertaining to the future.

If I could only recommend one book to read this summer it would be Jaron Lanier's "You Are Not A Gadget.  Jaron is a techie that has stepped out of his comfort zone to help the public understand what is occurring in Silicon Valley and how they are creating your future.  He is smart and truthful.  This is a must read book and I am sure you can get it as an e-book (which is just wrong in my opinion).

#1 You Are Not a Gadget BY Jaron Lanier

 

2. This 2nd book is an oldie but goodie.  I bet you saw the movie but the book is way better and very different.  This little book was for the future but I think you will agree that it is relevant for today.  It is about a society (in the future) that couldn't handle conflicting opinions and chose to remain ignorant by filling their time with entertainment and empty pursuits.  Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451." 



 

#2  Fahrenheit 451 BY Ray Bradbury

 

3. This book is so short you can read it in an hour or two.  Again, this is a story written for a future time in which society has let the machine take over every aspect of life.  Everything is done for them by their fancy smartphone (or whatever device you would like it to be).  People rarely see each other in person but instead attend to their life in VR (virtual reality).  E. M. Forester's "The Machine Stops."

 

#3 The Machine Stops BY E.M. Forster

 

Or here is a link to a pdf of this story: http://www.ele.uri.edu/faculty/vetter/Other-stuff/The-Machine-Stops.pdf

 

4. The next recommended book is a response to the fact that the middle-class is disappearing and his suggestions of how to take advantage of the time available to make lots of money.  Also, he suggests ways to be happy and to find balance in a very unbalanced time.  This is a fast and fun read.  This guy is smart and funny.  James Altucher's "Choose Yourself."







 



 #4 Choose Yourself BY James Altucher

 

5. I can't recommend this author and this book enough.  The author continues with his theory on the take over by everything digital and what it will mean to our VERY NEAR future.  This is an insider's story of the technologies that are consuming our life.  Jaron Lanier's "Who Owns the Future?"

 

 

#5  Who Owns the Future? BY Jaron Lanier

 

There you go!  This list is as easy as it is interesting and fun.  So grab some good books or reading devices and start reading! 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 











DOES YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT MATTER?

Indelible

 

Your digital footprint is all that you do everyday with your digital electronics.  For instance: you get up in the morning and grab your phone to check facebook, twitter, yahoo, weather bug, news source, etc.  You like something and change you status on facebook, you retweet on twitter and add your opinion in a clever 140 characters, you then go to yahoo and check your emails and respond to the important ones, you check the weather where you plan to spend your day, you pin a new outfit on pinterest, you google some private issue, you text, you post, you call, you order things, you listen to music, you check your bank account and credit score.  Every little thing you do digitally is your digital footprint and is saved and is a measure of who you are and what you are up to and is being saved by every server you are using. 

 

Does this digital footprint matter?  That is what you determine by every movement you make on the internet.  For what might be nothing today could be something tomorrow.  Seems small but for some it has cost much to clean up their digital footprint.  New programs such as Cyberdust will allow you 30 or 45 seconds to read your text and then poof it is gone forever.  Not saved on any platform.  I think this is the wave of the future.  Everything we do online will be turned into nothing...but then we will go from substance to nothingness. 

 

So there is a fine line being drawn right now over the permanence of your information.  All that is out there now is very permanent.  There are just a few app's on the horizon that won't leave a print.  So for the most part it is important to be aware that everything you do online is being watched and saved, and will be there FOREVER for future viewing.  I guess the internet has become eternal!  So watch your step.



THE MACHINE STOPS by E.M. Forster

Could it be that easy?

 

No it is not easy to unplug from our technology.  And everyday it gets harder as we are using more and more technology to do everything.  Digital technology is embedded in our life now.  We depend upon it.  We trust.  We trust others to protect our digital life movements.  We are locked in: to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer (them) for poorer (us), in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part...Well, with the coming Singularity; maybe not even then!

 

Today I read short story by E.M. Forster "The Machine Stops".  He tells an excellent story that will make you think about our daily technology and the effect it is having on our culture and on our future.  This is a story written in 1909 and yet the language and presentation seems more appropriate for today.  It is the story of comfort, convenience, and protection.  Also, a story of dependence and atrophy.  It is a story of us and our love of technology and our want of ever more efficiency. 

 

It took me only an hour or so to read.  But as I finished, it set me into deep contemplation of the times we are living in with our ever advancing technology in relation to the story.  Then I decided that I wanted to take a college class on something along this line.  So I wrote a course syllabus called "Technology, Culture and the Future."  The course will explore the long reach and penetration of technology on individuality, personality, relationships, innovation, perpetualness, and the effect on humanity and civilization. In this course we will explore the usefulness and benefits of technology, as well as, the seduction and addiction of it.  Then we will explore the danger of the capacity of current trends in technology. 

 

It should be a lot of fun and thought provoking.  Just let me know if you would be interested in taking such a course online and I will get it set up. Just let me know in the comment section and I will get further information to you.  By the way: the first reading & discussion will be E.M. Forster's "THE MACHINE STOPS."

 

 

 



 



CREEPY PEEPING MACHINE

 

http://singularityhub.com/2014/05/31/move-over-facial-recognition-new-algorithm-identifies-your-actions-in-videos/ 

 

Transcript from Singularity Hub

 

Artificial intelligence algorithms can find your face in a crowd and detect what you’re feeling. But it’s harder for them to identify what you’re doing.

That’s because most actions — say, dancing — are actually a series of smaller actions. If an image depicted a person with hands in the air and hip cocked to one side, it would be difficult to know what that person was doing.
Researchers at MIT and U.C. Irvine have developed a new algorithm that can detect actions in video much more effectively than past efforts. It does by applying the lessons of natural language grammar computer scientists have parsed for computers.
“We see an analogy here, which is, if you have a complex action — like making tea or making coffee — that has some subactions, we can basically stitch together these subactions and look at each one as something like verb, adjective, and adverb,” said MIT post-doctoral researcher Hamed Pirsiavash in a news release.
Just as in some languages nouns can go before or after verbs but adjectives have to precede nouns, in a particular action, like making tea, the preparer could put a tea bag into an empty cup before or after putting the water on to boil, but no matter what the kettle will go on the stove before the water is poured.
The grammar model has another advantage: The algorithm can make educated guesses about partially completed actions in a streaming video. The software makes its best guess as to what the action is and subsequently revises it if necessary.
“We’ve known for a very long time that the things that people do are made up of subactivities. The problem is we don’t know what the pieces are,” said David Forsyth, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who was not involved in the project. “There’s a fairly substantial open problem here. I wouldn’t have said that the open problem has completely gone away, but the method itself is very powerful.”
Yet, just as different languages have different grammatical structures, different actions do as well. Based on many examples of the same action fed to it by its human instructors, the machine learning-driven artificial intelligence program will sketch out a grammar for each individual action. The software will recognize only specific actions that it’s been trained to handle. It’s been trained, so far, to identify moves in some common athletic activities. (A good chunk of the work on motion identification algorithms see high-level sports as a significant user base.)
But that doesn’t mean the software won’t be useful. Thanks to the grammar model, the program works faster and with less memory demands than previous attempts to solve the same problem. It also doesn’t require any special clothing like some gesture-recognition programs have. The program can also discard more of its own hypotheses faster, if they don’t adhere to its grammatical rules, easing its power demands. Memory demands remain fixed regardless of the length of the video.
With smaller computing demands, average Joes might be able to use the software. Users would fire up their webcams and task the computer with telling them if they remember to do something — such as take their medication — or if they complete an action — such as a physical therapy exercise or a golf putt — correctly. Down the road, the software could help robots work with humans in relatively unstructured work environments.
With any advances in artificial intelligence, legitimate privacy questions spring to mind. But this algorithm’s move to put the smarts in the hands of a user and develop them for narrowly targeted uses seems like a reasonable way to get the benefits of savvy computers without too much of the creep factor.