Just Because Its Progress Doesn't Mean Its Good

[mc1]

as i went to look for a photo of "cheese whiz" (which i didn't even spell correctly - it's "cheez whiz", which vaguely looks both cheap and french (but not as french as "chez whiz" would have)), i found this:

a 12 pack of cheez whiz squeeze!
(why they went all the way with the "e" on the end of "squeeze" i'll never know).

so a dubious piece of "progress" has now progressed (re-progressed? pro-regressed?) into a squeezable format sold in the very progressive bulk format!

[fazool]

Originally Posted by flaggerphil

I have no problem with microwaves, cell phones (when used as a phone), Kindles (I read constantly...my Kindle is great for travel), and Condos (some people can't afford a single family house). The rest...meh.

Some of mine:

Computer games
The designated hitter
MP3 players
Baseball uniforms with pants to the foot
Basketball uniforms with "shorts" below the knee
Turbine powered unlimited hydroplanes
Current F1 cars
Ear buds
Boy "bands" where no one plays an instrument

I love a cell phone not as a phone. We all have, in our pocket, more computing power than all of the NASA computers combined, when they landed on the moon. You could (literally) run all the computing requirements of the Apollo 11 program on your phone.

In addition, with the connectedness of the Internet, you have at your fingertips immediate access to every single piece of recorded knowledge ever made. For example, you now have accessibility to every single piece of literature in the history of mankind. Right now. In your pocket.

I also love MP3 players which bring music everywhere I go, including my workshop, car, office, garage, patio, poolside, running. I love music too much.

And, finally, I absolutely love computer games. A lot of people abhor computer games as being anti-social. Nothing could be further from the truth, IMO. When getting together with a diverse group of 72 players from across the world who all work together, play as a team, talk online while playing and stick together for years as a team - it is a very social engagement.

[zabdart]

Celebrities who are famous for nothing more than being famous. I'm not going to be uncharitable and start naming names. We all know who they are.
Rap and hip-hop. Not music (sorry!)... melodically void, harmonically limited and rhythmically monotonous.
Movies in which the writing and acting are secondary to the CGI special effects (if you've seen the recent remake of The Great Gatsby you know what I mean).
The whole culture in which striking a pose and showing an "attitude" is more important than actually doing anything good or worthwhile.

[Nailpicker]

Originally Posted by zabdart

Celebrities who are famous for nothing more than being famous. I'm not going to be uncharitable and start naming names. We all know who they are.
Rap and hip-hop. Not music (sorry!)... melodically void, harmonically limited and rhythmically monotonous.
Movies in which the writing and acting are secondary to the CGI special effects (if you've seen the recent remake of The Great Gatsby you know what I mean).
The whole culture in which striking a pose and showing an "attitude" is more important than actually doing anything good or worthwhile.

+mandatory few extra characters.

[callouses]

Originally Posted by mjz

At the risk of sounding all Deep thoughts.... by Jack Handy....

These are all material/physical things.
We think tend to stop there when we speak about progress.
But what if matter is not the substance of the universe.
What if consciousness is?
What if the physical doesn't allow for consciousness?
What if consciousness constructs and enables the physical?

What if all of the time we spend on what we believe is progress dominates our existence and fills our brain with things that take us further away from reality? We measure the quality of our lives based on the matter we possess.

True progress is tapping into the power of our consciousness and understanding there is more than the physical limitations of our five senses. It certainly would explain a lot of "coincidences" wouldn't it?

We can become connected and have a deeper understanding of the universe and our small (or maybe it's huge) part in it if we expand our definition of progress to include that thing beyond matter.

That is all.

max

can I have your guitars then?

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by mc1

here in canada it's called "kraft dinner".

it now has more cheese!

I still make a box every few months and throw in a bunch of hamburger.

As far as TV Dinners go (microwave dinners), I enjoy them.

[Nailpicker]

I think your open minded view is good, but just to play devil's advocate let me reply to your thoughts and hope you don't take offense or think I'm simply being contrarian....I guess my comments are somewhat contrary, but not meant to be insulting, just a juxtaposed view....too much time on my hands today. 2" of rain and still coming down hard.

Originally Posted by fazool

I love a cell phone not as a phone.

Then why call it a phone? I don't wish I could play games, call a friend or use NASA level computing power on my $3000 digital camera. It's a camera.

Originally Posted by fazool

We all have, in our pocket, more computing power than all of the NASA computers combined, when they landed on the moon. You could (literally) run all the computing requirements of the Apollo 11 program on your phone.

But to what end? Why would an individual want or need that much computing power, or pay for it just to have it? Most people I know with smart phones don't even know all the functionality they have (paid for), much less how to use it.

Originally Posted by fazool

In addition, with the connectedness of the Internet, you have at your fingertips immediate access to every single piece of recorded knowledge ever made. For example, you now have accessibility to every single piece of literature in the history of mankind. Right now. In your pocket.

...that is painfully difficult to read on a small hand held cell phone? How expensive is it to get opposed to going to the library?

Originally Posted by fazool

And, finally, I absolutely love computer games. A lot of people abhor computer games as being anti-social. Nothing could be further from the truth, IMO. When getting together with a diverse group of 72 players from across the world who all work together, play as a team, talk online while playing and stick together for years as a team - it is a very social engagement.

I can kinda understand this and we all have our likes/loves, but getting together with a bunch of worldwide strangers online, strangers you'll likely never meet, may have absolutely nothing else in common with other than playing a game, as opposed to getting together face to face with real friends and acquaintances, people you can laugh about past shared events with, who will share your sorrow when your beloved dog dies, not just verbally with a typed, "sorry for your loss," but coming over and crying with you and remembering the shared trips and what a character ol' Bo was, who will help you out when you get stuck in the snow, will give you a lift when your car breaks down, etc., is what I call social engagement.

Again, not criticizing you or your view, just giving an alternate perspective. ...Still raining.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by Nailpicker

Again, not criticizing you or your view, just giving an alternate perspective. ...Still raining.

Not taken in a bad way - I like your presentation and respect the discussion.

Originally Posted by Nailpicker

Then why call it a phone? I don't wish I could play games, call a friend or use NASA level computing power on my $3000 digital camera. It's a camera.

Yes its more than a phone - its a multifunction device. If my camera had all those other things then being a camera would be just one more feature. And its also impressive that such a multifunction device only cost $200 instead of $2000

Originally Posted by Nailpicker

But to what end? Why would an individual want or need that much computing power, or pay for it just to have it? Most people I know with smart phones don't even know all the functionality they have (paid for), much less how to use it.

Oh, I see tons of use and value in such power. Even just on a simple trip out of the house. I can look up a store, check their hours, find a nearby restaurant, make a reservation online, have my calendar remind me of a bill, pay my account online, check on my kids’ at school, use GPS to get unlost, listen to my favorite music, and track my running workout. While waiting in checkout line, I can catch up on the book I am reading at home, grade a paper and balance my checkbook. I can check my eBay watchlist, buy a guitar and pay for it, then calculate how much lumber I need for a home construction project. I can enjoy a debate about whether a recent movie was based on historical facts of the French Revolution and lookup the movie on IMDB and then research the facts of the French Revolution. I can send a quick email to work and confirm a customer order.
(and that’s a slow day)

Originally Posted by Nailpicker

...that is painfully difficult to read on a small hand held cell phone? How expensive is it to get opposed to going to the library?

I love books. I actually don’t like reading ebooks. I love the feel and smell of a paper book. And it doesn’t need power and can “work” anywhere.
But, if I have a few spare minutes and really want to read a few pages, its always in my pocket. Plus I can browse or shop for every book that I might like to read.

Originally Posted by Nailpicker

I can kinda understand this and we all have our likes/loves, but getting together with a bunch of worldwide strangers online, strangers you'll likely never meet, may have absolutely nothing else in common with other than playing a game, as opposed to getting together face to face with real friends and acquaintances….

I understand and cherish my “real world” friends and family. But this is an interesting paradigm shift that I am in favor of. If I spend 2-4 hours a night playing and talking with the same group of people 4-5 nights a week (I don’t do that as much anymore), then those are very much “real” friends. We spend time together, we talk, we laugh, we reminisce, we share common interests and over time and conversation know the person’s “real world” personality a bit. They are real friends.

Sort of like the old argument whether a classroom gives “real” education and an online class isn’t a “real” education.


Again, none of your post was combative or offensive. It’s a nice discussion.

[Irish Pennant]

24 hour news

College football on cable TV

Red light cameras and photo radar

[unimogbert]

............

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Teleman52

woah maan, far out!

Actually more accurately " Far in maaan " and considerably more intuitive than a cursory drive might reveal.

[Nailpicker]

Originally Posted by fazool

Not taken in a bad way - I like your presentation and respect the discussion.

Again, none of your post was combative or offensive. It’s a nice discussion.

Thanks. That's how it was intended and how I hoped you would receive it, but sometimes, as we know, that's not always how discussions turn out. BTW, I do understand your perspective. Having spent over 30 years in I.T. I'd like to think I'm not a Luddite. But in truth, as I've gotten older and retired I'm more and more going toward more simplification in my life (admittedly as I define that path), materially, technologically and in terms of activities and hobbies I decide to still embrace or not. I find I'm a happier, more relaxed (and perhaps financially more sound ) person for it.

[harmonics101]

I'll add a few more,

The new Weather Channel format
Viagra commercials
Catheter commercials
Life Alert commercials
Beer in cans
Four way stops
Velveeta

[Wengr]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Actually more accurately " Far in maaan " and considerably more intuitive than a cursory drive might reveal.

Personally, I'd have to go with Carl Sagan on this and say "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".

[fazool]

Originally Posted by Nailpicker

Thanks. That's how it was intended and how I hoped you would receive it, but sometimes, as we know, that's not always how discussions turn out. BTW, I do understand your perspective. Having spent over 30 years in I.T. I'd like to think I'm not a Luddite. But in truth, as I've gotten older and retired I'm more and more going toward more simplification in my life (admittedly as I define that path), materially, technologically and in terms of activities and hobbies I decide to still embrace or not. I find I'm a happier, more relaxed (and perhaps financially more sound ) person for it.

I agree and that's the real question isn't it. I mean just because I *can* do all those things, *should* I ?

I mean, yes I love being able to do all those things but is my life better, more enjoyable and more meaningful for having done them?

I don't know.

I miss the simpleness of past life but like all that this new life has to offer.