The digital revolution and the impact on people.

I just read a report on the impact of automation on jobs. It is estimated that over 45% of jobs are at risk of being taken over by some form of automation. How can you know if your job is at risk? Simple, how easy is it for your job to be done by a computer? I was looking at a list of jobs that are not susceptible to being automated and most of them are in health care. I guess if we want a job in the future we all need to work in the health care industry in some capacity. My concern is this, what are people going to do if their jobs are taken over by automation? In the past when jobs were lost they were replaced by other jobs (like car jobs for horse and carriage jobs that I wrote of before). Unfortunately there are no new jobs being created by the digital revolution. I think we are in for a massive societal unrest and upheaval in the not to far away future (if not sooner). How are people going to earn a living? If you can find an answer you will make a fortune.

What do you think?

See the article at: http://www.kurzweilai.net/impact-of-automation-puts-up-to-85-of-jobs-in-developing-countries-at-risk?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=0703504b19-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-0703504b19-282178613

Chromebooks v. Windows laptop

I was reading a review of a new Chromebook model last night. The comments regarding the new device were not what caught my attention. What caught my attention were comments in regards to buying a Windows laptop instead of a Chromebook. The reviewer made the point that buying a $200 Windows laptop would be much better than buying a $200 Chromebook. I disagree. Sure the Windows laptop will allow you to download programs that the Chromebook will not, but the inexpensive Windows laptop will not run anything that would justify owning one. For example, you might be able to download Photoshop but because of the lack of memory and a poor performing main processor you will not be able to do much with it. What you end up owning with the cheap Windows laptop is a cheap Windows laptop that can only do a few more things than a plane Chromebook.

Having owned both types of devices I think the Chromebook is a better value. First, Chromebooks usually have better quality components because in order for Windows laptops to be as cheap as a Chromebook they skimp on quality. Second, Windows laptops are way slower than Chromebooks. Third, Chromebooks marks have double the battery life. Fourth, sure you might have more functionality with the Windows laptop, but you have to pay for it. Once you buy the Chromebook you really never need to pay for anything else. Finally, with a Chromebook you never catch a virus. For me, that is one of the best selling points for owning a Chromebook.

If you're going to buy a $200 laptop, buy a Chromebook. If you want greater functionality then don't buy a $200 Windows laptop. Buy a $500 Windows laptop and spend a little extra money for a better machine. In the end, if all you are going to do is some basic things with a laptop, save yourself the money and buy a Chromebook. I use mine all the time and enjoy it. I think it is the best value for the money market.

What do you think?

Nightcap 2/10/16

It looks like most stocks sold off at the close. The DOW and the S&P closed down. The NASDAQ was higher a bit. Oil also closed below $28. The FED chair was talking to Congress and stated that rates will not be cut, but that the rate of increase will probably be slowed. Fiorina and Christie are out of the running for president. That was quick. I am surprised Carson is not out yet. He has had a very poor showing so far. Bush should be out, but I think he still has some money left to plug along for a while. South Carolina will shake things up a bit more in about 10 days. That was all that happened today that was interesting besides the usual crime, mayhem, and disasters. Maybe tomorrow will be more interesting?

What do you think?

Climate change

It sure feels like summer once again here in California. It was almost 90 degrees today. It is so odd to feel this kind of heat in February. I know that those who believe in climate change are excited to see this. They use an anomaly like this to prove what they believe to be true. I believe in climate change. It happens all the time. Sometimes things get warmer. Sometimes things get cooler. I do not believe in man made climate change though. I do not believe in man made climate change because there is no way to prove it. So called climate scientists are just making educated guesses as to why there might be some climate change. Should we cut back on pollution? Of course we should, but to say that we need to radically transform our way of life in order to survive his poppycock. I especially do not believe we need more taxes to fix the problem.

What do you think?

Is it to late?

Is it ever too late to get started on something? I see this question asked all the time on the social media site Quora. For example, I have seen someone ask: "am I too old to learn to play an instrument"? So, is it ever too late to start learning to play an instrument? The answer is depends. If you want to be a virtuoso soloist and you are older than 10, then the answer is yes it is too late. If all you want to be able to do is play the instrument well, it is never too late. I think this applies to just about anything anyone would want to start doing. If you want to be in the top of your field, or a top professional, or some kind a virtuoso, you must start at an early age (or even younger) because of the level of competition. The others at that level have started when they were early and you will just not be able to catch up. If you just want to be good at something, and maybe even make a living from it, it is never too late to get started. I know this firsthand. Now I have been a musician for 40 years. That is I have played the drums for 40 years and I have also been a professional at it. I am also currently a music teacher in the public school system here in California. About a year ago I decided I wanted to learn to play the saxophone. Was it too late for me to get started? Well if I wanted to be a jazz soloist and make records, yes it was too late. But if all I wanted to do was learn to play the saxophone well, then it wasn't too late. I'm here to inform you that I can actually play the saxophone fairly well. Will I make a living playing saxophone? Probably not. But I can play just about anything I want to.

So, the bottom line is it is never too late to start. But, you might not play with the New York symphony if you are a little older than 10. Is that a bad thing?

What do you think?

The debt monster

One of the biggest problems we have in our nation today is the amount of debt we have accumulated. The amount of debt that we have in our nation is staggering. If you add up what the federal government owes, what the state and local government owe, what corporations and businesses owe, and what individual and families owe, the amount is so immense it blows the mind. It is in the many trillions of dollars. I would actually do the math for you, but it's so large that doesn't really matter. In fact, I think it's so large that I doubt it will ever get paid back. So what is the implication? The implication is that essentially we are technically bankrupt. In other words, we are broke as a nation, and as a people. The other conclusion I come to is that the next few years are going to be difficult to say the least. This debt monster that has been created will wreck havoc and it is going to be ugly.

What do you think?

Nightcap 2/9/16

Stocks basically closed slightly lower as oil sold off again down below $29 a barrel. How much longer can oil producing nations endure these low prices? Trump and Sanders win in New Hampshire, which was what the polls were showing all along. Kasich in second was a bit of a surprise. Rubio was trounced. I guess debate performances do mater. Now let's see who drops out of the race next week. Other than the usual crime, mayhem, and disasters, there was nothing else of major importance in the news. It was basically a quiet day.

What do you think?

Technological advancement

I was thinking today about technological advancement. Right now in 2016 it does not feel as if we are on the cusp of anything new that will be revolutionary. Is that an accurate perception? If you look back at significant technological advances you come away with an interesting insight. Most if not all effectual technological advances were not foreseen or were expected. Take the automobile. Yes people thought they were great, and a novelty, but did they realize it was going to transform society as they knew it? I don't think so. Take the airplane. Though there were several people working on making it work, no one thought it was possible. But when the Wright brothers got it together, it transformed the world. The same could be said of the telephone, the computer, and even the Internet. No one truly guessed that they would be so transformative, but they were (and still are). Maybe we are living in a time when no new technical advances will be made, but maybe we are not? Maybe just on the horizon is something that will blow our minds. Wouldn't that be amazing?

What do you think?

Talking to my iPhone

Just recently I discovered a way to considerably increase my productivity in regards to writing. I have discovered the dictation function on my iPhone. I just started to talk to my iPhone. As I talked to my iPhone it turns what I say in the text. At first I was not sure how this would work out for me, but, the more I have been using it, the more I have written. Though I considered myself prolific, I was not prepared for how prolific I would become. I used to average about 1000 words a day. Now, I am averaging over 4000 words a day. Turns out, I can talk to my iPhone faster than I can type. Now most of what I create using the dictation function on my iPhone is not useful in any manner but, every now and then I create a gem. This reminds me of an adage when it comes to creating. In order to create something of quality you first have to create a lot of junk, and that is exactly what I'm doing by talking to my iPhone. I create a lot of words that I probably will never use. What I do get to do is practice a skill that is helping me write more more useful things. Who would've thought that by just talking to my iPhone I would transform my writing life? If you have an iPhone (or any other smart phone) you might want to give the dictation function a try. Is it perfect? No, but it does put words up on the page much faster than typing.

What do you think?

Continually surprised by my Chromebook

I am continually surprised by my Chromebook. For example, this weekend I attempted to watch the Super Bowl through AppleTV. Unfortunately, for some reason, the video feed was not working. So all I did was fire up my Chromebook, plug it in through the HDMI port to my big screen TV, and to stream the game through the Internet. Not only was I able to enjoy the game, the picture quality was outstanding, the sound was terrific, and I truly had an enjoyable experience. I was able to do all that on a laptop that cost me less than $200. If it is possible to do that on a laptop that costs less than $200, why are all the other laptops so much more expensive? I know that I lose some functionality by using a Chromebook, but I have yet to run across something that I am not able to work out in someway or fashion. My Chromebook continues to surprise me.

What do you think?