Oxford Economics in the UK has done a study on how robots and automation will affect manufacturing and other jobs around the world out to 2030. There will be lots of unemployment; from 2+ million in the US and the same in the EU to over 12+ million in China. China may be headed for more problems, if this recent article in the Atlantic is halfway right.
We all love women and beer. Ninkasi was the Sumerian goddess of brewing 5,000 years ago and women back then owned all the pubs (also in England in the C13-17). Something went horribly wrong with the men in that part of the world, but throughout the ages it is the ladies that have looked after the rest of us with BCP well worth the read. Let’s all drink a toast to them!
The US and Russia have just extended the START Treaty. On 26 September 1983, the computers in the Serpukhov-15 bunker outside Moscow twice reported U.S. missiles were heading toward the Soviet Union. Col. Stanislav Petrov stopped the launch response, averting war. This is a really good documovie IMHO and well worth a look (free, 1 hr. 45 min.).
If you see the film, compare it to the rhetoric between the US and China today in the new cold war. Stanislav’s most memorable statement for me was; “We are wiser than the computers, we created them.”
Speaking of Russia, thanks to Edward Snowden we all know about Government electronic monitoring. But did you ever wonder who has built the world’s biggest surveillance system and who is it accountable to? The answer may surprise you.
History Section: The BBC has some good analysis of major events such as the Cultural Revolution which was more to do with the destruction of culture.
Cultural Section: A different take on the music of Flaubert.
Fashion Page: The ‘Mad Max’ movies were set in 2021; attached you can see the men’s fashion they predicted then. I’ll give it a pass, you?
The travel section: Thailand is trying to restart its tourist industry. One bright idea from their ever inventive travel promo department is to ‘Rebrand Pattaya’ with a focus on ‘daytime activities’. What are they smoking! Maybe then they can rebrand the country ‘Amazing Cuckooland?’
Word of the week: Disinformation creep. OK, two words, whatever; a general phenomenon, wherein marginalised communities are ignored by mainstream narratives and are targeted by misinformation narratives. For example for political ends and more recently on COVID and vaccines.
Technology tip of the week: Your home Wi-Fi router is the weakest point of your home network. It is password protected, just like your Internet account, but is preset by your service provider with something simple like ‘admin1234’. This means that anyone nearby can easily access your signal, steal your bandwidth or if they are criminal, turn your PC into a botnet zombie (which will slow it down a lot), attempt to steal your information, insert malware that will lock your device (ransomware) until you pay up or make you part of an unwitting distributor of porn. Criminals may also disable any Wi-Fi based home security system (most are today). See here how to change it.
Healthcare tip of the week: Careful what you eat! I’ve been admitted to hospital and they are keeping me in; I’ve gone and poisoned myself! What I thought was an onion turned out to be a daffodil bulb! I’m feeling OK but the doc said I should be out sometime in the Spring…
Traveller’s tales: Cambodia and exercise generally do not attract me. But the Two Birds Craft Beer brewery in PP may be onto something with Beer Yoga classes.
The Quiz: The usual eclectic quiz from down under, I got 11/15 with two guesses.
Island Musings
Upon retirement a fellow goes to doc for a checkup. As he was putting his shirt back on, the doc said he was doing ‘fairly well’ for his age.
A little concerned, he asked ‘Do you think I’ll live to be 80?’
The doc asked, ‘Do you smoke tobacco, drink beer, wine or hard liquor?’
‘Oh no,’ he replied. ‘I’m not doing drugs, either!’
Then he asked, ‘Do you eat rib-eye steaks, barbecued ribs and hot chilli?’
‘He said, ‘Not much… my former doctor said red meat is very unhealthy!’
‘Do you spend time outdoors, like playing golf, sailing, hiking, or cycling?”
‘No, I don’t,’ He said.
He then asked. ‘Do you gamble or drive fast cars?’
‘No, I drive a Hyundai wagon’, He said.
One more question. ‘Do you chase dusky full breasted women and have lots of sex?’
‘Oh no, I’m married to my childhood sweetheart, my first wife!’ He said…
The doc looked at him hard and said, ‘Then why do you even give a shit?’
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