On Vancouver Island, near Comox, looking to the Mainland of BC...
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Thursday, May 4, 2017
the Butterfly Effect...
The Butterfly Effect
Each and ever time I go shopping I am faced with a monumental ethical decision. I am not referring to such trivial considerations as: should I buy organic, or should my produce come from within a radius of 100 km from the point of consumption. I am talking about an issue that can tear the future of our society...our economy, the entire middle class into a negative spiral of ever lasting destruction. Do I have your attention now shoppers? This is more than a spill in aisle seven.
The dilemma is this: Once I have completed my shopping and approach the check out area I must choose between class destruction and a dystopia beyond imagination, or the stasis of status quo. In others words do I proceed to the automated check out on the left where six computer operated stations await me to take my money and let me pack my own groceries and/or purchases, or do I go right and proceed to the more traditional check out where a human being awaits to scan my purchases and take my money and who may or may not help me bag those same items.
After every shopping excursion, as you can well imagine, I am mentally drained. I have been pushed to the limits of my social consciousness with every ounce of my moral fiber as I make literally life changing decisions.
Perhaps, a slight over statement, but I have to admit to you that I am upset and very concerned about the rate of technological change and its potential and likely impact on our socio-economic system. Every time I use the automated check out I feel guilty that this is an instrument and means to destroying jobs at a very basic and elemental level. I can not even look the cashiers in the eye although admittedly they are most likely oblivious to my angst.
On one level automated tellers and technology of this type actually create jobs and enhances the economy especially in terms of employment for designers, engineers, programmers, manufacturers (both on and offshore), parts suppliers and the entire supply chain and their like as they create our Brave New Word. In the process of creation they create and destroy at the same time, a typical luddite cunumbra. The more technology, including the bar codes and scanners which I now accept as normal create efficiencies while taking away blue collar jobs.
Technological change has a mind of its own. In fact artificial intelligence, which actually does have a mind of its own may soon be more intelligent then its makers and render the human race or large portions of it obsolete. In the development process of higher levels of intelligence smart machines can design even smarter machines and all of the programmers, engineers and designers who created the automated check outs are also unemployed or semi employed. Where does it all stop? Should I surrender my beloved smart phone?
Now think of google vehicles and unmanned cars, trucks and buses that in a generation will replace drivers, including hundreds of thousands of truck drivers, taxi drivers (watch out uber), bus drivers and any one else paid to drive from point A to point B with a cargo.
If one goes into any modern ware housing facility or assembly line there are few people present as various robots do the work once done by thousands of people. I affectionately refer to them as the labour force. Generally, people might feel that jobs have been off shored and “stolen” by aggressive Chinese producers who can make the goods for cheaper. I think the reality is that all those manufacturing jobs were given away by the various CEOs and Boards who have their eye on short term profit. A clear and present danger at least. This situation, however you choose to see the exit of jobs from our shores to theirs will pale in comparison to what automation is and will do to the labour force.
My initial dilemma at the check out is based on this: every time we accept delicious, sweet, seductive technology in our lives there is a cost. Usually an invisible cost because you won’t necessarily see the person unemployed unless, eventually, it is you. The process of increased automation and off shoring will eventually lead and has already to under employment and unemployment.
The middle class will shrink and the gap between rich and poor will become so large it will literally reach revolutionary proportions. Unless of course we create a police state to keep the poor unemployed masses in their places and that would be poor and unemployed; so the elite can go on mass consuming off shored automated processed products.
One solution already kicking around is a guaranteed income for all unemployed people. This of course will never fly because of the engrained protestant work ethic which states all people must work for a living. Sadly ironic as more and more jobs slip away into automated oblivion. In the USA with Trump-like business mentalities in vogue guaranteed incomes would give too much power to governments by just giving away money in the perception that all non workers are dead beats. It would be a version of communism. The American Dream will live on in myth like status as people sell pencils on Main Street.
As I approach the check out can you now see the immense dilemma I and every other shopper must face. Go right? Go left? Trend softly, but do trend and think about what you are doing. Each purchase has a “Butterfly Effect”.
“Happy shopping and have a good day. Do you collect points?”
...next topic coming up...do you give to street people, or are you now one?
Monday, May 1, 2017
Interview with five year old professional dog trainer...
Interview with Profession dog trainer Emily Rempel
Emily: Hello, I am a dog trainer and I am training a dog today.
Dad: And what is the dog’s name?
Emily: The dog’s name is Kennedy. I named him after a friend from school.
Dad: And what is that dog like?
Emily: He is silly. He play bites and he is almost one year old.
Dad: and would you say he slobbers?
Emily: Yes I would. He slobbers really wet slobbers all over my clothes.
Dad: So tell us how to train a dog.
Emily: First of all you have to have two chairs and a rope. And then you have to tie the rope around the chairs. The next step you have to have the dog’s favourite ball. And then you have to go to the other side of the rope and ask the dog to jump. and the words you have to say are, “Jump Kennedy. Jump!” and you have to have lots of treats to do this. But if you have me as a trainer you don’t have to bring he treats.
The next step is after the dog jumps you give him a treat and while you are giving it to him you say, “good dog!”
Dad: How do you train a dog to walk properly on a leash without pulling you around the yard and yanking your arm off?
Emily. good question, do you have a different one?
Dad: Yes I do. I was wondering what you feed your dog.
Emily: The dog usually eats kibbles, but if it is a vegetarian it eats salad and stuff.
Dad: do you give your dog chew toys or do you let him chew the couch?
Emily: You give your dog chew toys, but if you are poor and the dog was just donated to you, you let it chew the couch. Just joking!!
Dad: Well that is quite amusing, but seriously what do you do with a dog who sheds a ton and a half of hair?
Emily: Well what you do is brush the dog really hard with one of your brushes and it will eventually go away if you do it every day. But if you don’t brush it every day it won’t go away and your dog will have fleas and will itch himself raw.
Dad: Can all dogs be watch dogs?
Emily: No they can’t. Only the dogs that can be trained and they have to be black labs to be trained.
Dad: Well doesn’t that make the yellow labs sad to be left out?
Emily: Actually no it doesn’t because the yellow labs don’t even know there are such a thing as watch dogs because they are just too darn friendly.
Dad: How did you first get interested in dog training?
Emily: Well actually I was watching a show on a TV commercial and I was learning stuff and now I am a trainer.
Dad: Do dogs generally like going to the ocean and harassing sea gulls?
Emily: Yes they do!!
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