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Chris,

I appreciate technology. I really do but it is supposed to simplify our lives and it certainly has done that in many areas. BUT when it goes haywire it really screws us up, right?

Question for you? Have you driven a self driving car? Would you?

What tech products do you love the most? Hate the most?
What took getting used to the most?
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NeedHelp, absolutely! Also, sometimes I think we are slaves to technology rather than using it to serve us. In pre Covid times I would do fast lane swimming several times a week. Some of my fellow swimmers wore Fitbits to monitor performance, but I noticed they often seemed stressed with their obsession on the data while they were exercising. I felt that they were missing a really valuable aspect of keeping fit: the mental benefits rather than just the physical.
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And no, I’m not keen on a self driving car. I’m happy with any tech device that can save time and effort but feel the car thing is a step too far.
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When you just need to listen to the news, be aware of the tone of voice the reporter is using.

If it sounds urgent, panicked, and contains conflicting statements, turn it off!

The Media's extreme efforts to cause mass hysteria and drama will be exposed.

Tune out, save your brain!
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Watch BBC news instead. They all sound upper crust and superior.
No emotion. Just the facts Ma'am.
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Chris, it's the same as people trying to get the perfect shot of a view instead of just experiencing it.
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Christopher Plummer
He was 91.

Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever.
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NeedHelp,
A few years ago I was at a stop light, we were running late for an appointment. The light was green and thought it was clear to proceed and oncoming car came from nowhere and did not stop and was heading toward us, told everyone to brace themselves and then put my head down getting ready for a crash and car stopped right in front of us so forcefully and the tires did not squeal. The guy obviously was not paying attention and looked at me in shock then gave me the finger. I was so darn mad more at the finger pointing. Fortunate none of us were injured including the driver of the other car. I think he had one of those self driving cars.
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Gershun, you make good points, and observations, about the often frenetic and certainly intense postures of American newscasters.     I often wonder if they fall in love with themselves after glaring into the camera so much.    Arrogance is a quality I would say sometimes describes some of them.

That doesn't include Dana Bash or Nicole Wallace, though; they're seasoned professionals.   

On the issues of technology helping us, I think technology has taken control away from us in so many ways.     If you're not familiar with geotagging and tracking via smart phone, you might want to read this:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/opinion/capitol-attack-cellphone-data.html

The first section primarily deals with data tracking after the riot, which to me was encouraging to track down the rioters and ensure that they're deal with.  

However, smart phones can produce data that can be monetized.

"We were quickly able to match more than 2,000 supposedly anonymous devices in the data set with email addresses, birthdays, ethnicities, ages and more."

"We were quickly able to match more than 2,000 supposedly anonymous devices in the data set with email addresses, birthdays, ethnicities, ages and more."  (Note "supposedly anonymous".)

You have to read the entire article to put the last two quotes in perspective, but just think about, and wonder how and where all the scammers get your name.

The old adage about "Big Brother" should also include "Big business".  


This article addresses government tracking, and although of concern, it's not as offensive to me as commercial tracking strictly for monetary purposes.   I've often wondered how much data is sold to those obnoxious scammers who repeatedly call with fictitious data attempting to scam someone.

https://techpp.com/2013/08/22/track-phone-turned-off/
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On self-driving cars, something many of the supporters don't seem to acknowledge is that these cars are designed and manufactured by people, just like us except that they're engineers or auto workers, etc.   

The point is that they're human, and they program the various applications in use to design and operate these automated vehicles.   I'm not sure if that scares me more than the fact that autos DO break down and DO have repair issues.   They're never perfect.

I was thinking the other day how much the CPI has and/or will continue to change to include presumably necessary tech devices.    However, I'm not aware that affects SS benefits though.  I certainly don't see much more than a nominal increase in mine.

And think of the derivative issues:   Computers and smart phones emit blue light, so now we have to get glasses for protection against that (although I'm told that smart phones do have blue light protection).  

What do people who don't wear glasses do?   Buy glasses just for blue light protection?    After I got my last pair and dug into the itty bitty print, I learned that the glasses only provide 20%  blue light protection.    And what about e-readers?   How much if any blue light protection do they provide?

Chriscat, you raise a good point about letting devices affect behavior and goals.    What amazes me is how willingly so many people surrender to the domination of tech devices.   I wonder if in years hence they'll still know how to think on their own.
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Gershun,

I love your comment! I very much agree that viewing experiences from behind camera lenses are totally different from being fully present in the moment.

Chris,

Same with Fitbit. I get the concept. It’s purpose is to aid in tracking data.

It’s a tool that can keep score but it take away from the experience or as you say, “serve as a distraction” to us.

Nevertheless we do get spoiled!

I remember my kids asking me if they could use calculators when they were really young.

I told my daughters to use their brain first, then use the calculator as a tool afterwards.

I swear, I know some younger people that can’t even figure out what amount to tip in restaurants! That’s sad.

Some technology is fabulous. Some, not so much.

My husband is an engineer so he and his engineering team design products.

He’s always testing out new products and applying for patents, etc.

By the way, I would love to drive a self driving car! My husband wants to transport like on Star Trek!

My mom didn’t even use cruise control. She didn’t trust it! LOL

I want my own personal robot like ‘Rosie’ from The Jetsons!

EB,

Self driving cars do have risks. I think they will prevent accidents too though as they become more sophisticated. Do you feel that way?

I love futuristic ideas. I was the kid that was in complete awe of space travel.

Watching man walk on the moon in my classroom at school was extremely exciting to me.
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My concern about some technologies is that if you are from the generation that has only known these things, you don't have the ability and knowledge to override them when things go wrong. For example, in the past, as a motorist, you relied on a road map to get you from A to B. As a result, you had some of this road map in your head: you knew the main roads, their compass orientation and the major cities and towns they connected. Today's young drivers don't have this knowlege, so they have a major problem if they are lost and can't get a GPS or mobile phone signal, rendering the sat nav useless. I always keep an up to date road atlas in the car. My boys mocked me for this until we found ourselves in this situation, and while they were unsuccessfully trying to connect with phones and sat navs, I found us the route the old fashioned way.
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Chriscat, you raise a good point about letting devices affect behavior and goals.   What amazes me is how willingly so many people surrender to the domination of tech devices.  I wonder if in years hence they'll still know how to think on their own.  This includes knowing how to read maps.

Perhaps this willingness affects political issues as well, and demagogues will use this (as they already have) to their advantage.   That's really frightening.

I was thinking the other day how much the CPI has and/or will continue to change to include presumably necessary tech devices.   However, I'm not aware that affects SS benefits though. I certainly don't see much more than a nominal increase in mine.

This is particularly annoying, in part b/c the rush to go "everything tech" raises the issue, as someone else posted, of registering for a COVID vaccine.   I refuse to register online, just as I refuse to use online "resources" as a substitute for safer ones.   

I did relapse at one point last year b/c I couldn't make payments (taxes) at the municipalities b/c of their closure.    It wasn't long afterward that I began getting spam, which I've never had in the last several years.    Tracing them back showed one was from a source in Argentina, and I can't remember where the other one was, but it wasn't the US.  

It might be that municipalities don't have the ability to make decisions that commercial entities do.  I wouldn't expect the amateurs running the local government to be on a level with Chase Bank, which I would trust for protection of personal data. 

And think of the derivative issues of tech devices:  Computers and smart phones emit blue light, so now we have to get glasses for protection against that (although I'm told that smart phones do have blue light protection).  

What do people who don't wear glasses do?  Buy glasses just for blue light protection?   After I got my last pair and dug into the itty bitty print, I learned that the glasses only provide 20% blue light protection.   And what about e-readers?  How much if any blue light protection do they provide?

So (a) reading (b) watching tv and (c) computer use now require blue light protection. I've read that some devices have filters that can be turned on, but I haven't found them yet, especially since there seems to be a trend toward not providing readable manuals; it's all online or in the device, which means spending more time looking at a blue light device while trying to figure out how to activate the protection against blue light eye damage.  Smart? I'd say incredibly stupid.

What I haven't seen mentioned in the glowing accolades of the benefits these devices provide is the issue of tech device recycling and disposal.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=electronic+waste&t=h_&ia=images&iax=images

Those images are terrifying, even if there are methods of recycling.  Granted that new industries have been created to address this, but the issue remains that tech devices still create a lot of e-waste.
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Chriscat, you're really on an insightful roll this morning!    Again you've addressed a significant issue of tech adaptation:  lack of knowledge of solutions outside of a tech solution.

I think that stifles creativity and coping mechanisms, as well as basic daily activities, but that's just my opinion.  I decided years ago that I wouldn't ride with anyone who couldn't read a map but relied solely on the talking headless device for directions.   That's soooo irritating when riding in a car.
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On a different note it was about minus 40 (C and F) this morning and Pumpkin went out!!! I called her in after 5 minutes had passed and she came back shortly. I don't think I am going to let them out at these temps. She has a wonderful coat but the tips of the ears and the paws are not as protected. You couldn't pay me to go out today. 🥶 ⛄
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Golden - Nephew said he hopes it is a quiet week and he doesn't have to go outside of town.🌬️❄️🔽🌡️
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I used to fantasize about a self driving freeway system - the AI would take control of your car at the on ramp and release control on the off ramp. Just imagine everybody slotted neatly along the road with no road warriors or tailgaters....
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cw - I hope it is quiet for him too. This weather is pretty bad and can be dangerous.

re the self driving cars - it's the trial period which concerns me most. Nothing is infallible, though they may, in the end, be safer than humans driving.
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Golden,

Have some hot tea 🍵!

That is too cold for me!

At one time my husband was offered a job in Massachusetts. I didn’t want to endure the cold New England winters.

Now though, I am sort of sorry that we didn’t try living in an area that experiences all four seasons.

We have visited during the autumn season and it was truly beautiful, as if God took a paint brush and painted all the leaves.

It was such a treat because we don’t see fall foliage here.

The snow is what scared me off the most!
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Temperature hasn't got above freezing today. One cat went out for 5 minutes, came back, was sick then went back to his heated bed for the day. The other cat refused to go out at all. Goodness knows what they would be like in an even colder climate.
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NeedHelpWithMom: Most longtime posters know that I hail from Westford, Massachusetts, which is a small New England town that is just 3 miles from the New Hampshire state line. I grew up with 6 foot walls of snow from November to April. Nothing EVER closed. I was President of the local U.S.O. chapter and often drove at the start of a blizzard.
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cw: Even A.I. is not without problems. 🚘🚘🤔🤔
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Tried to get an appointment for the Covid vaccine for a few days now. Got up early today 5am and finally got one in March, and my mothers in two weeks. Thanks NeedHelp for your input and advice. It really helped me make the decision to get it.
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EB,

That’s wonderful news! My second vaccine is in March.

It will be fabulous when the majority of people are vaccinated, right?

We will be able to breathe a bit easier.

My cousin now has to be under the care of a pulmonologist. It breaks my heart to see people suffering with COVID-19.

Sure, some get over it fairly quickly but others don’t. Some don’t even survive 😞.
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Llama,

You’re a tough cookie regarding the cold weather!

I am such a wuss! LOL
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It's frigid here. I'm so tired of snow. Well, to be fair, it's not the snow I'm tired of, it's the shoveling. But at least the sun is bright today, and thee sky is a gorgeous color of blue. Now if it were 65 degrees, it would be just perfect!
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NeedHelpWithMom: I do NOT relish the heat at all. My Norse son in law and I both prefer it cold. In fact, I don't even own a winter jacket. Just need a lightweight one.
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Llama,

I remember not being bothered by the cold as a child. I ran and played outside.

As I grew older, I became more sensitive to the cold.

I have super cold hands if it is cold. If my feet are cold I am miserable!
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Kids are just too stupid to realize how cold they are - when I was little we didn't have any of the clothing that kids (and grownups) have today, we played outside for hours in our rubber barn boots with a felt insole added for warmth, simple knit mittens, and regular pants (no snow pants).
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cwille,

You are so dead on! You’re absolutely correct about kids!

Snowing is so rare here! Usually, only a few flurries.

Well, one year when I was a kid, sorry I can’t remember the exact year. I know that I was young though.

We had a fair amount of snow, and my younger brother and I wanted to go play in it. My mom said, “No, you can’t. It’s too cold!”

Daddy was always respectful of my mom but he told my mom that he wanted to show us how to build a snowman and said she could make sure we were bundled up enough so we could go build a snowman.

Mom told my dad that she would get out our hats, mittens and jackets on and then we could go build a snowman with my daddy.

It’s still one of my very favorite memories with my dad. I was having so much fun that I don’t remember being cold 😊.
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