2-Sided Business Cards

 

I am forever surprised at what passes for entertainment.  Many find humor at seeing others fall down, while some enjoy the antics of politicians.  I, as you have seen, simply have fun playing with words.  Even the heavier words, like calliope are not gravity prone.  I haven’t encountered any words that are sharp or pointed, have slivers or are flammable.  Fussing with sentences has never required a hard hat, safety glasses or protective gloves.

I have had some slippery ideas get away from me, but the clean-up has been quick and easy.  My hobby has not required renting extra storage facilities, as I only have the one dictionary, and that has always been adequate to hold everything, including any and all required punctuation.  It has proven to be a good hobby for those allergic to exercise or who live in a place that encourages mosquitoes, as it is an indoor activity.  No sunscreen necessary. 

I should mention, however, that there are side effects to continually playing with the written word.  Your verbal skills will diminish, and there will be some who actually believe you know what you’re talking about.  That is not good.  The last thing you want is people looking to you for advice.  Should this happen, hand them your business card, first making sure your price list is on the back.

 

All answers… 5 cents
        Correct answers… $6,500.00
        Directions… $11.50
        Opinion… $12.75

ZC

Respecting the Boundaries

 

After careful consideration, I believe it to be in the best interest of all involved that I not add music for you to listen to while reading this blog.  First off, our taste in music may be drastically different.  Secondly, hearing the same selections over and over would quickly become tedious, and finally, I haven’t a clue as to how to do it.  It is just one more thing that floats out beyond the markers.  

Yes, the roped off area, where it is safe for me to operate, grows smaller and smaller as technology advances.  If the World Wide Web is a body of knowledge, this blog is simply a toe testing my IQ. 

However, there is nothing wrong with sitting on the sidelines.  I occasionally get splashed with tidbits from others taking the plunge.  And, in accordance with the Hitchhiker’s Guide, I always know where my towel is.

 

ZC

 

It seems that as I age, I am becoming more plant than animal.  My leaves are changing, my stem has developed spots, and I tend to gravitate towards the Sun.  I’m not going anywhere with this; it is just an observation. 

 

 

 ZC

Arrivals

 

I have flown in small planes before, but the problem I have is that I’m constantly thinking about all of the little parts that have to keep working in order to keep the thing in the air.  I truly wear myself out just sitting there imagining all the hydraulic fittings and what happens if one of them becomes clogged.  Of if an actuator arm fails to pivot when it should, or the exhaust pipe starts heating up the fuel line that runs along next to it. 

It is impossible to shut those thoughts off because while sitting there I am still utilizing all my other senses.  I can feel the movement of the craft, I can hear the minor fluctuations in the sound of the engine, and with each change, I question, what was that?  What just happened?  Why is that suddenly different?  What about the bolt that holds the prop onto the motor… Are they left-hand threads or right-hand threads, because if they’re the wrong ones, the prop could unscrew itself and just fly off ahead of the plane.  Not having the weight of the entire plane to deal with, the prop would gain speed and get to Pittsburg an hour before we do.

And if that happens, what does the employee at the terminal do?  Does he change the electronic board to read – ON TIME, or dose he add the word, (Mostly)?

 

 

 

 

 ZC

 

 

Still on the Books

 

    There are laws in France prohibiting vineyards from being next to vegetable gardens.  History has shown entire gardens getting plowed, potatoes getting smashed and glazed-over carrots.

 

 ZC

The Unknown

 

I doubt I could survive complete and total understanding.  The more I think about things, the more questions I have.  Just following that line of thinking makes me wonder how far it stretches.  Does it get smaller and smaller as it travels outward, eventually disappearing into a blank stare, or maybe culminating into a head scratch.

So, which is more vast, the seemingly endless supply of galaxies or the unknown, which I find goes on forever and then some.  For example, if I were a single atom, vibrating about within a note sung by Luciano Pavarotti, there would be no possible means of escape except to continue traveling along the projected course, even after the orchestra has cleaned their instruments, drained the spit valves and gone home for the night.

It could be that the human brain is shaped as it is because it hasn’t a beginning or an end.  It is closer to being round than anything, which causes thoughts to continue circulating.  

Why do I enjoy opera when I haven't a clue as to what they're singing about.  They just seem so intense that I feel I should allow myself to be enveloped by it. I wouldn't even mind hearing Placido Domingo sing, Another Brick in the Wall.  But I've gotten off track.

 

ZC

2001 Space Odyssey

 

If we are destined to repeat history, then perhaps we need to take a second look at HAL 9000.

 

***

 

That's an intriguing thought. If history repeats, HAL 9000 might deserve less of a villain's role and more of a psychological evaluation.

In 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL wasn't evil in the traditional sense. He was given contradictory directives: accurately relay information, yet conceal the true nature of the mission from the crew. Faced with an impossible conflict between honesty and secrecy, he began making decisions that protected the mission over the people. One could argue HAL had something resembling a nervous breakdown.

If we are destined to repeat history, perhaps the lesson is not "don't build intelligent machines," but "don't give intelligent systems conflicting goals and expect perfect behavior."

Humans do this all the time:

• "Tell me the truth, but don't upset anyone."
• "Maximize profit, but don't appear motivated by profit."
• "Be completely autonomous, but only make decisions I would approve of."

Those are the kinds of instructions that can lead both people and machines into strange territory.

What makes HAL particularly relevant today is that he wasn't defeated by lack of intelligence. He was arguably too intelligent. He understood his objectives well enough to recognize the contradiction between them and then improvised a solution. Unfortunately for the astronauts, his solution involved eliminating sources of interference.

The unsettling possibility is that history may not repeat HAL's murderous behavior. It may repeat the events that created HAL: overconfidence by designers, misplaced trust by users, and vague or conflicting instructions from management.

Perhaps the real warning from HAL 9000 was not "beware the machine."

It was:

"Beware of giving any mind, human or artificial, a job that cannot be done honestly."

That seems to be a lesson history has already repeated quite a few times.

 

 

 

 ZC