Saturday, 7 March 2015

Driver-Less Cars

This week, the Wall Street Journal did an outstanding piece on car insurance.  There's a tidal wave coming to car insurance over the next twenty years, and it's going to make the entire industry of car insurance....no matter what country you live in, or what type of insurance you have currently.....radically change.

You see.....driver-less cars are coming.  Every single insurance company within the US has a team working on this issue.  Frankly, it's disturbing where this is heading in terms of cost and profits (for the industry, not you).

Here's the thing.....the strong belief is that those sensors and onboard computer system....will lessen car accidents....year by year.  As more driver-less cars come.....less accidents (at least in theory).  What happens in twenty years?  You could bundle up a thousand 18-year old kids into one type of policy, who happen to all own a driver-less car, and discover less than three total accidents for the year (snow and ice-related, probably).  The rates for an eighteen year old kid?  It'll be dirt cheap compared to today's rates.

This worries the insurance industry.  They spent years developing the data and know the general accident rate for 40-to-60 year old folks who drive Ford pick-ups.

Of course, there's also a discussion about lawsuits against sensor and computer companies, where accidents do occur and the blame is on them.

This brings me to a curious computer logic situation.  Let's say you bought the $30,000 driver-less car.  It's mid-March and some ice storm arrives.  You crank up the car, and immediately it checks weather reports, and outside status.....then it turns itself off and determines that it is unsafe to proceed.  Will you override the computer?  Will the computer note your insistence and transmit an unsafe-to-drive email to your minister, your insurance company, and maybe even your spouse?

Will the driver-less car also have bad-maintenance feature where it determines you aren't responding to car issues and maintenance problems....so it sends another email to your insurance company about your lousy habits?

As much as I'd like to say that driver-less cars are appealing to me.....I'm holding reservations about all the wonderful things that will come.

I realize....some guys with an hour's drive to work could settle back into their seat and do class-work to finish up another degree.....or watch the Today Show.....or simply sleep another hour.

But I suspect as much positive as it might bring.....there's some bold negatives about driver-less cars.

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

The Simplicity of this Iran Nukes, US Treaty, and Netanyahu Speech

Rather than make this all complicated and require Wolf Blitzer an hour to explain things....let's do it in sixty seconds.

First, thirty-one countries have nuke power today in some form.  Nine countries have nuke weapons in some form.  How quick would it take Brazil, Czech or Finland to flip over to nuke weapons?  Probably less than three years.  Once you have the technology of nuke power.....it only takes a bit of experimentation or acquired technology from North Korea.....to settle into an accomplished goal of weapons.

Second, what the treat discussion here is really about.....is a brake-job or delaying Iran from nuke weapons for approximately a decade (might even be less than that, if they wanted to just skip the last part of the treaty).  So the value of the treaty is for the US is stand and admit there's nothing to hinder or stop this process....we will simply let things develop as they are.

Third, once Iran has nuke weapons.....what exactly do you think their neighbors will think about and consider?  Their own nuke weapons?  Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey?   The Saudis currently have no nuke power generator.  It'd take a simple contract with a French power company to get over to step one......build a nuke plant, and then bring in some South African or North Korean engineers to build up the secondary arm of nuke weapons.   Ten countries in the Middle East by 2030 with nuke weapons.....if Iran proceeds ahead?  It's a safe bet to make and put some money on.

Fourth, Israel and Netanyahu simply want the poker game to keep playing out with economic sanctions and military strategy.  We are probably on poker game version forty-two at present and Iran has figured out how to play poker in an effective manner.  Iran can't lose.....while they might be on a long-term strategy, they don't care about short-term losses.

Fifth, President Obama and Netanyahu?  Basically.....two guys who have each run out of likability and flexibility.  Netanyahu is up for election, and some Democratic Party wise-guys have shown up to help against his election chances.  Bad strategy if you ask me.....but meddling in politics is now a daily event in US politics.  Netanyahu has countered the White House strategy and now in their own backyard....something that they never envision.

The only option left besides signing some marginal treaty with Iran?  Basically dig up fifteen Democratic senators who will side with the Republicans and vote prior to the treaty.....saying 'no' support, period.  It'll make the President look weak, as well as the Secretary of State.....but we are at some point where there's nothing much to gain.

Bottom line?  There's a nuke war to come sooner or later out of this, and it might not involve the Iranians versus the Israelis.....it might be involving the Saudis, and there might be some religious mullah folks who trigger the event.  Then what?  To have twenty-five nuke missiles fired off within a span of an hour and half of Riyadh and Tehran destroyed?  Would it bother us that much?  I think the White House is simply saying 'no'.....they don't care anymore....let the nuke scenario play itself out.

That's the simplicity of this discussion.....nukes actually going off and some people wising up over stupidity.

EU: Fake Net Neutrality

It was an odd event yesterday that rivaled the US net neutrality of last week.

While the EU commission on communications didn't say nothing in public.....their documents found their way into the hands of a couple of journalists.  My humble guess is that some members of the commission disagree about what is being discussed and this was the only way to get public reaction.....complete open discussion prior to some big decision.

So, the talk within the commission?  You can have full up and turbo-powered net neutrality.  Yep....no one will stop net neutrality from occurring.  Oddly....the telecom groups (commercial organizations) will have the authority to monitor and arrange speed to customers.  In essence, there will be a minimum of two speed situations.  Those who pay extra.....will get extra.  Those who pay minimum.....will get plain vanilla speed.  But in the end, everyone will get net neutrality.

I know.....you will start laughing because it's a fake scheme and doesn't do much of anything, but that's the only way to keep current rates where they are.  You have to remember, there's already taxes built into the various government schemes in Europe.....so you pay a communications tax and sales tax into the package.  To suggest another tax, for what?  None of the current taxes find their way to improve the network....they simply move into the gov't pocket of revenue.

Folks disturbed by this? There are a number of folks who kept thinking the EU crowd would take the same steps as the FCC, and render net neutrality.  Well, they will deliver on that promise.....but it's not real net neutrality and simply plays on words, at best.

Living in Europe, as I do....I've come to some realizations about where things are going.  State-run and commercial-run TV is slowly dying off.  It might take twenty years but neither is going to be the vehicle of choice in thirty years for most residents of Germany.  Internet TV options will the pick, and state-run TV knows that it's a limited future for them....meaning their 18-Euro a month mandated tax is going to eventually dissolve.  It's almost impossible as it is now.....to find some sixteen-year-old kid who watches state-run TV.

I think the EU commission is looking at the situation and simply preparing people for the package deal......you want real speed via net neutrality.....you will pay for it.  The customer will determine this and sign up for it.  The lesser-speed crowd?  Month by month.....they will decline in number and more will opt for better speeds and more cost.  The customer wins in the end.

As for the fake words of net neutrality here in Europe?  As long as you say it's fair and you allow two speeds to exist.....people will believe it.  You could utter 'beer neutrality' or 'car neutrality' or 'ice cream neutrality', and people would all believe in some fairness to be skimmed off the gimmick in question.  That's life.

Saturday, 14 February 2015

A 'Gift' From Our Friends?

It's one of those odd stories that will leave you pondering.

You go and leave a balloon up in the upper atmosphere....to gather particles to examine later.

It comes down, and you do analysis of various things within the filter.  So, you get down microscopic things....thinner than a hair, and you come to this little ball....made out of titanium with a biological material oozing out.

Man-made?  They can't say that.  This would have been way up in the upper atmosphere.  Who goes around making titanium balls with an empty core....which you fill up with a biological material?  So far, some British scientists and Nobel Prize winners have not been able to come up with much....except they don't think it was originated from the Earth....but they can't really prove that point.

Why pick titanium?  Corrosion resistance.   If you wanted to preserve something for awful long time....not just years or centuries.....but eons.....you'd use titanium.

So I come to my humble opinion.  Let's say you were a fairly advanced race and knew of a thousand planets where life of some sort might survive.....but you assume that none exists there.....you might want to 'blast' the planet with a bucket of BB's.....titanium BB's.....loaded with various things that would evolve and plant themselves.  Trees, shrubs, bacteria, grass, marijuana, peanuts, and so on.  Whether they work or not....doesn't matter.  And you wouldn't worry about long term development because you aren't thinking of a 1,000 years or 10,000, or even 100,000 years.  You are thinking millions of years.

Unless someone comes up to prove it's only seven years old and has to be a Earth-made item.....it's pretty much going to result in everyone believing there's another intelligent life out there, and they have some type of agenda.

If you seed a thousand planets......you might want to eventually come out and check your success rate.

Friday, 13 February 2015

What Is Not the Government's Job?

This is one of those essays that I turn out, where offer some brief bit of wisdom.

It is bothersome to some degree....to be told over and over throughout a day via various news networks, newspapers, chat forums, and blogs.....of what the government perceives as it's "job".

It really isn't the government's job to create government jobs to help lessen the unemployment situation of the nation.

It isn't the government's job to determine your kid's outcome in life....other than providing some basic education across the board.

It isn't the government's job to run banks....other than ensuring banks don't shut down because of incompetence and you lose your savings (up to $250,000).  Beyond that $250,000 with that bank....if in a savings or checking account.....yeah.....the government has no responsibility and you pretty much are screwed.

It isn't the government's job to ensure enough carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, or turnips are grown in America.....nor is their job to ensure enough American-grown beef, pork, or chicken are delivered to groceries to ensure our survival.

It isn't the government's job to ensure accuracy with news networks for the 6PM nightly news that you enjoy.

It isn't the government's job to ensure enough bandwidth exists for you to download Stargate Universe, Chinese porn, or NASCAR racing events....to get delivered to your smart-phone in the backyard garage.

It isn't the government's job to deliver four-star, three-star, two-star, or even one-star medical opportunities to you, or ensure you live a long and semi-productive life.

It's not the government's job to ensure you don't over-eat on bacon and die by age fifty.

It's not the government's job to monitor 3.7 million school teaches in America....to prevent them from student-teacher sex romps or fake credentials.  Your local principal or board of education are more than capable....have enough 'powers'....and can be easily fired if they can't do the job.

It's not the government's job to limit the size or shape of the container of Mountain Dew that you consume each day.  If you are stupid enough to consume a 44-ounce Dew amount each morning......it's your screw-up, not the government's screw-up.

It's not the government's job to rig up NCAA bowl games to benefit some governmental priority.  We already have enough NCAA dimwits who can rig up the bowl business to benefit Auburn, Texas Tech, University of Alabama, and Georgia to get somewhere in the final ten.

It's not the government's job to find Bigfoot....stop Bigfoot....terminate Bigfoot.....or even prove Bigfoot even exists.

It's not the government's job to order someone to marry someone, or to find you some suitable partner to accept your eccentric ways, or approve of eighty-eight kinky ways of delightful pleasure.

It's not the government's job to determine foolishness, regulate provocative talk, or determine the best place in the backyard for a septic tank.

It's not the government's job to provide a roof over your head, provide three hot meals a day (unless you signed up as a Army Private), or ensure a world-class airport in your state with direct-flights to Daytona or Aruba.

It's not the government's job to ensure your kid speaks Finnish, Spanish, Russian, Chinese or French.  To be honest, it's not even their job to ensure your kid speaks English....other than you got to do something with English literature graduates....they can't just work evenings at 7-11 or run the fry machine at McDonalds.

It's not the government's job to bring culture, art, proper eating habits, or fairness across to the public.
Sadly, there's no 'boss' that you can really hold responsible for the government's job.....no one that you can fire.  If you suggest the President....think about the various gimmicks in effect to hinder you from firing him.  We are stuck with something that no one ever dreamed to be this big....this massive....and this dangerous.

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Shoals Amusement Park?

My brother brought this to my attention.  Folks around the Shoals area got pepped up yesterday because some folks came out and announced they are building a three-BILLION-dollar theme park in the local area.

What's generally said is that it'll be around a 1,400-acre park site....construction to start soon and wrap up by 2019 (open for business).  The park would center around music......yeah.....that kinda left me wondering how this would work up into some money-making operation.

The company did indicate that this will bring 20,000 jobs into the northwest Bama region.....which would be a major deal.  Although, if you sit and think about it....the vast majority would be a minimum wage situation....but folks around this area would not complain too much.

Scam?  Well....I did some reading on this and most locals have doubts over the announcement.  There is major company in the US which these guys claim to be a part of....which build amusement parks.  The doubts come because of recent failures.

If you look at Opreyland.....it just didn't have a sustainable business situation, so it was closed.  If you drew a 500-mile map from the region....what amusement parks that exist....are marginally surviving at the present.

Typically, you need three things for an amusement park to thrive.  First, there needs to be secondary things in the area to do....which the Shoals can claim the Tennessee River and five-star hunting....that's about it.  Second, you need an interstate highway connection.....which does not exist in the Shoals.  Third, you need some thriving and robust airport....which the best you can say is that three or four flights a day work out of the Shoals Airport.....with planes mostly big enough to handle twenty passengers and flies into Atlanta or Memphis.

Scam?  Well....Bama folks are skeptical (for obvious reasons).  In this case....the big show at the hotel, along with company involvement....gets folks past the first level and makes them think it might come true.

Location?  Well....that's a secret for another week or two.  They don't want to lay everything out there yet.

My humble guess is that they will try to use cheap farming property south of the Tennessee River, near Highway 72, going between the Shoals and Huntsville.  They might go further west and try to use the Natchez Trace Parkway....with cheap property all around the area but a good fifteen miles from the Shoals or the newly built golf resort.

The best I can say is that it's 'real' so far and might actually happen.  The profit game from a three-billion-dollar theme park?  Man, you'd have to have 10,000 folks a day coming in....staying a couple of days....and spending lots of money around on different things (golf, fishing, casino operations, drinking, food, etc).  I just don't see 10,000 folks coming daily to the Shoals for some theme park.  Sorry.

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

School Agendas

This was a quiz provided in Wisconsin to a high school civics class....in the past month or two.  It was supposed to gear a kid to think and know various political groups.....with a simple sentence attached to each.

The sixteen-year old kid came home....handed the sheet to his mom and asked what exactly was "wrong" and how is this explained.  Well..mom looked over the test and just was a bit shocked.  It's a bogus class exam which tends to push some kid into thinking various positive things or negative things about a political group....remarkably, against the Republicans.

It's hard for me to envision how life would be today in Bama....if I were in some high school history or civics class....and how it would relate to 1975-era education.

I admit....it was almost impossible for our ninth-grade teacher to get across the concept of communism and socialism.  'This is good' and 'this is bad'....as I can remember the class agenda for the early 1970s.  Bad guys were typically communists.....as I can remember the slant of the class.  If you asked any of the twenty-five kids why communists were bad...the answer would have been simply 'memorize' the answers and just get past the quiz......you don't have time to waste on really grasping something.

Teaching the class over Republicans, Democrats or Green politics?  I'd take a guess that you might find six kids out of a hundred today....that might be able to define some explanation....and the rest would ask if this had anything to do with the Civil War, Roman history or dinosaurs.

How important is it to define liberals, conservatives, moderates, Republicans, fascists, dictatorships, communists and such?  To be honest.....if you cornered a hundred folks in some mall....ages eighteen to sixty-five....less than fifty percent could give you a decent description of each.  Some Senators can't even define a fascist or socialist....without getting some note from their handler.  You could drag some PhD dimwit up onto a chat forum....with him giving a ten-minute presentation on the evils of socialism....then discover that he's never been outside of the US in his life....so it's all book material and no real practical knowledge.

I have no idea what the agenda was in this Wisconsin class.  If  I were to speculate.....I'd say the teacher had some agenda given to him or her, and they weren't bright enough to grasp that.  They just used some college-level test that Professor Gus gave them three years ago and think it might be worth reusing for a high-school level exam.

As for the events in this case?  The principal of the school would later tell the mother that this didn't count for any grade, and it appears that the exam will be yanked (never to be used again).....and you get the feeling that they were a bit peeved that this type of stupidity showed up in their school and they have to face some fury over a stupid mistake by a teacher.