Surprise delivery!

I watched a video today about privacy, rather the lack of it, and how technology and publicly available information can be used to learn a lot about a person, in fact the presenter predicted someday Google or Amazon will know so much about our likes and needs that they will know what we want before we do! He even suggested Amazon might actually purchase goods in advance based on this information. I think they probably already do. I’ll even take this a step further and predict Amazon will someday purchase goods and ship them to us because they are so sure we will accept them, and we will accept them because they will be right!

Non-traditional invasion

The way I understand it our politicians create laws largely, if not completely, based on the influence of tens of thousands of registered lobbyists. It seems like any other country that wanted to gain control of our country could simply funnel money through some of those lobbyists to shape our country to their will without the expense and inconvenience of sending troops to stage a traditional invasion. Perhaps a good strategy would include disarming the citizens and creating a massive debt to enslave the population.

Horrific crash - Yay!

I remember as a child going to the racetrack with my family and watching eagerly for a horrific accident! I didn’t actually wish for anyone to become injured or take pleasure in the idea of damage or suffering that would be caused by such destruction, but I watched for it with anticipation that was eventually deflated by a safe orderly conclusion.

As I got older that memory crossed my mind briefly sometimes and I thought it was odd that I had wished for such a thing.

While watching the news today I see a crash took place in the Grand Prix. The car was wrecked; the driver and many spectators were injured. And now I realize this story will be repeated over and over on the news.

I think this is the explanation for my confusion as a child. The media had shown me that a crash is spectacular and worthy of viewing over and over. Races that end without devastation get about ten seconds mention if anything.

I wonder if the news could be delivered another, more responsible way, that doesn’t glamorize disaster, loss, and suffering. I think it could, but not with our current system where shock = money!

We need to find a way to motivate our behaviors based on what is ethically and morally right rather than just what is most profitable otherwise we're doomed to a spectacular conclusion!

Partial Government Shutdown

I'm frustrated by what I'm hearing in the media about the government shutdown. Some think its a good thing that those evil government workers should be punished for the poor job our government has been doing, the problem is those people are still being paid. The workers who are being sent home without pay are normal laborers like yourself who also have no voice in big government and no say in the laws imposed on us.

Another misconception is that only state parks and non-essential fluff will be sacrificed which is good for the country. Actually there are plenty of workers like myself who provide support jobs to the military although the exact nature and level if support will can't be reported publicly it goes without saying that removing that support would lessen our defensive state of readiness and effectiveness. These sacrifices won't be readily felt by the average American unless something goes terribly wrong. Let's hope you don't find out what sacrifices you are actually making.