Issue 221 Wearable computers December 5, 2013

Well, I have not done an issue on technology and its potential in a while so I thought about talking about a concept that is still developing. That concept is the wearable computer.

What is it?: A wearable computer is exactly how it sounds, a computer that you wear. The overall goal is to make a potable system much like your cell phone but integrated into your cloths. So your jacket may have a radio, mp3's and phone built in (this in an actual product that is already in existence by the way). Already skiers are enjoying heads up displays in their goggles with built in cameras so that they can post their journey from mountain top to bottom (and any crash in between). Google has its Google glass concept where a set of eye glasses has a mini computer attached that you can manipulate with movements from your eye. We also have a product that is taking the market by storm, "smart watches" which hook up to your phones via blue tooth technology so that you can screen your calls and access your phone all the while never taking it out of your pocket (basically a watch with a touch screen). These are just some of the concepts that have already reached the consumer market.

Why did it take so long?: This is an easy question. It is because the companies selling them had to be sure that people would actually buy there product. So they tested and modified each one for ease of use and of course sex appeal. Cause in the end you’re not going to wear something that makes you look like crap.

What’s Next?: Here is where the futurist in me gets to give my opinion on the next version of the product. Right now NASA and other private research groups are looking into the next generation of space suit. What they envision is an article of clothing that can not only protects from cosmic radiation and space itself but also act as a life sign monitor which protects its wearer in case of harm. For instance, the suit could become entirely rigid in case of a broken bone through the use of something called memory metals/plastic and liquid metals. A memory metal or plastic is a metal or plastic that can remember its original shape from when it is first formed. So you can bend it into any shape you want and then return it to that original form by either applying heat, cold or even an electrical impulse. Liquid metals are a type of metal substance that combines several materials to make the metal behave like a liquid, but can solidify on impact or become rigid when electricity is applied. Much of this technology is being researched by the military for use as an active protection system for soldiers. But every day use can include safety gear that reduces the impact of a fall on a construction site, on the football field or even just doing some really dangerous stuff like fire fighting. Basically, the active protection systems can protect our bodies in the same way a cars air bag does in a car crash. This is not all, can you imagine the next Swiss army knife being a piece of cloth. By using electrical impulses it could manipulate the cloth into taking the shape of a screw driver, a knife or even a beer bottle opener. Clothing itself could become an everyday multi tool, or if the military and intelligence agencies have there way, a potent hidden weapon system. Already police are experimenting with a gauntlet that is bullet resistant, has a built in taser, a weighted glove and a communication terminal. Now with these smart cloths it can combine the ability to call forth whip like weapons to capture and restrain opponents or vibrate like a speaker to act like a sound wave crowd control device (regular people may simply turn their cloths into a boom box). Eventually we will have the ultimate wearable computer system, an exoskeleton that can help the disabled walk again or give soldiers and emergency response personnel super human abilities. The limit is really a person’s imagination and the current level of technology.

Conclusion: It is going to be a very interesting world as technology progresses. Articles like this will eventually fad as such technology becomes mainstream and gets taken for granted like how a calculator used to be the size of a grand piano. I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Issue 220 Only 1 winner December 4, 2013

Following on yesterday’s theme of not rewarding failure, I would like to discuss why students are now being given out participation trophies. So even if there is a single winner, everyone still gets a prize of some sort. Stop making our kids a bunch of sissy's.

Feel good mentality: The reason why children are being given all these awards is because of the feel good mentality. That you did something great even if you failed, or lost. People don't like the idea of children feeling disappointed and dejected after having lost a game of baseball, or in a contest like a spelling bee. They want all these kids to continue feeling great about themselves regardless of their results. So basically it is all about protecting their feelings.

Sissies: Cut the crap. By rewarding failure here you are doing a disservice to children. You are essentially telling the kids that when they fail at something that they will still be rewarded regardless. Problem is that the world has not, nor will it ever work that way. People are rewarded for their efforts if and only if they get results. Our society is merit based and the sports and contests should reflect that. Sure I don't want to see children cry because they lost, that they were not the best. However, crying about it gets you no where in life. If you want to be the best next time, if you want that reward, then you have to earn it through hard work. If parents and adults in general taught this to there children, then these kids might just grow a back bone and stop throwing a tantrum every time they don't get things there way.

2nd and 3rd: As this trend of rewarding failure continues, I question even the wisdom of second and third place. Third place is insignificant compared to first and second, while second is simply the first loser. Or the best out of the losers if you will. In society, there are never rewards for third place in anything, but in certain instances rewards do come to those who come in second, but it is rare. So why continue with concept of second and third place in sports or anything for that matter. I can understand the argument that they are the next two best out of all the participants, but that simply does not cut it. If they loose, tell your kid, "you did your best", and you can reward them yourself for their best efforts. But don't give them a trophy for it when it is not deserved.

Conclusion: I may be being too harsh. Maybe even zealous, but I want America's kids to be mentally prepared for the world ahead. Schools and parents that give out trophies for just showing up do not reward the effort that the child shows. It does not reward the sweat and efforts they put in if they know that they do not have to try hard just to get a prize. It to me looks like you are just showing America's kids that its OK to just out right fail without trying. I don't like the idea of that. So I will not tell you how to raise your kid, but just caution you that rewarding a loss may not be the best thing for your child as the feelings of losing may be more important to their potential future.

Issue 219 Don't reward failure December 3, 2013

A society that rewards failure is a society that is doomed to fail itself. By allowing those who fail to continue as they have been doing will only result in the same failures again and again. We have seen this stupidity with the Bank bailouts in the United States and Europe, and even with children who are passed in class because their grades were inflated to move them through the system. So let’s go over these two examples.

Bank Bailouts: When the United States and Europe saved the banks, it was in an effort to stave off a financial collapse. One problem, the collapse kept going regardless. However, those same banks despite new rules (many of which are unenforceable) keep trudging along as if nothing has occurred. However, if another collapse does occur, then they expect to be bailed out once again. Yes, that is right; they are in the position to be able to screw up as many times as they want as the taxpayers money will be used to save them once again. What the fools in Washington D.C. and in the governments of the world fail to realize is that failure is the primary motivator to keeping these businesses in check. If a bank or any institution knows that they will not be saved, then it forces them to think twice about taking an action. And if that action seems too dangerous, they will not continue. Those that will risk it will either succeed or fail. As such, those that succeed will be mimicked and progress will result. Those that fail will be seen as a learning experience by the others as to what not to do with the world and business still progressing forward. But the governments did not allow this. They kept those who line their pockets in power because they feel that they needed to save them and us from a threat. It is a typical human reaction to want to do something, but those that fail in the business world are replaced. People who lost their jobs typically get them back in a year as those who are seen as an asset will be snapped up by other businesses looking to use their talents. In the free market, this notion of failure and replacement is known as creative destruction. It is the main tool that will ensure that any damage in the short term is turned into a positive in the long run. As such, the government must not interfere in this for they inherently corrupt the market and thus create monopolies that snuff out the weaker businesses that would have replaced them if there was no interference in the first place.

Schools: Children are being rewarded for not being good enough. They have their grades upped by redistributing them to their academically weaker classmates. In my old high school and even at the college I attended, grades were raised up in this matter to artificially make students performance look better than it was. Thus, I say with all truth, that I probably did not deserve to pass some of the classes I took in high school and at least one in college. As such, it caused me to be a little behind when I moved further up in the education system. Thankfully, I was book smart and did decent in most everything else, but my fellow classmates suffered in many instances. Many were not prepared to move up in the grade levels and as such were forced to rely on this system of inflating grades. This is apparently getting worse. I saw this as a trend in my final years of high school that even if the answer was wrong, that the student would still get points for showing work. As such, a student could get a number of answers wrong and still pass. Now this foolishness is being set as a standard in the common core curriculum as now under that system 2+2 can equal 6 under certain circumstances. This same grade inflation was used to make schools look better than they really were. These same scores that make schools look good also dictate the aid they get from the government as well. As such, in America today, there are a number of students that cannot read properly nor do math while schools reap rewards. These same students who are moved up before they are ready are also more likely to resort to criminality according to some studies. By rewarding failure here, we are risking the future of our entire country. We are regressing.

Conclusion: Any reward for failure will result in negative consequences. We see this in the creation of government sponsored monopolies and in the decline in America's children's education. The more this occurs the further America as a whole will fall into depravity and hopelessness. Stop rewarding failure. Let bad businesses fail like they are supposed to and teach children properly by moving them up when and only when they are ready. Stop America failing by stopping the rewards for failure.

Issue 218 Cultural Diffusion December 2, 2013

What is cultural diffusion exactly? Is it just some concept we all learned in school? Well it is probably one of the most important aspects of social evolution. So let’s get into it.

What is it?: Cultural diffusion is when aspects of one culture are taken in by another culture. At least, that is the simplest method of defining it. It allows for people of different cultures to learn form one another. For instance, the aqua duct was a roman invention, the world’s first computer was Arabian, gunpowder was Chinese, and the concept of zero was Indian. All these ideas were shared and helped build modern society. Today, other aspects of culture spread through diffusion. New ideas in the stock market, inventions, and even customs like Halloween, and the Christmas tree are part of cultural diffusion. We would not be where we are today without it.

Why is it important?: It is crucial to man kind’s social evolution. By interacting with one another, ideas are spread and old concepts that are outmoded are removed. In some cases outmoded concepts return when life's circumstances dictate. But overall, it is the spreading of ideas, beliefs and technology all throughout the whole world. It allows us to understand each other, and even compete with each other. Because of the computer, cultural diffusion is spreading ideas even faster than before. New technologies like 3D printers are being shared along with ideas on how to use them. Sharia compliant loans as a concept are being adopted by some businesses. Ideas on how to dress and when one should wear a particular article of clothing are also spreading. Art is affected also as many artist are using different techniques, like oil painting or motifs, of other countries spreading out new ways to express oneself on a canvas. Cultural diffusion is the spreading of ideas which is the most essential component to not just survival in this modern world, but thriving in it.

Conclusion: I keep this particular article brief because there really is not much else to do save site more examples. We are surrounded by the ideas of others that in the end help to enrich our lives. Technology, art, customs, and ideas are all spread by word of mouth, ideas and actions. This is the essence of what cultural diffusion is.

Issue 217 Corrupt Science November 29, 2013

Science is not all fact. In fact the majority of it is theory. What they call fact is simply what they could not disprove given the current information available through experimentation. But, the science can be corrupted if money or ego gets in the way.

Ego: There are a number of scientists who want fame and the fortune that comes with it. This was most certainly the case in the earliest days of the scientific community as they searched for the missing link between man and monkeys. So much so that these so called scientists made fake skulls and even fake bodies that would only later be disproven through advances in science and technology. We also have a similar issue today. The scientists who said dinosaurs may have had feathers were at first vilified. It would only be later that his ideas would be accepted by the overall scientific community. However, a new issue has arisen. Now that the feathered dinosaur idea is accepted the scientific community rejects any counter argument to the idea. As such, scientists who present evidence to the contrary are now being vilified instead. All this pertains to ego, as the pride of these scientists gets in the way of questioning how our natural world works.

Money: Money is also another motivator for corrupt science. A great example is the global warming/climate change debate. Many in the media will quote statistics that the earths temperatures have risen 7, 20 or even 30 degrees within the last 100 years. One problem, within the last 100 years the earths temperature has only increased by 1.2 degrees according to climatologists. If you also look at the whole ice sheet melting you will discover that during the winter it completely recovers only to melt again. As to why the water is possibly warmer is still in question however. But what about the polar bears you ask? Well the truth is polar bears while listed as endangered have never sunk to a level that would classify them as an actual endangered species. In fact their numbers are only growing. So why all this misinformation? Well it is because government pays for the research on global warming. These scientists are being paid to prove something rather than seek the truth. So they fudge the numbers so as to "prove" what the government wants. These scientists know that if they contradict the people giving them money then they will loose their funding and thus be left without a sponsor for not just their research, but their lively hood.

Another example is the debate over what’s better to raise a child. Are gay couples, single parents or traditional families better able to raise a child? Well it depends again on who provides the funding. Usually I see gay advocates who fund studies on gay couples having the gay couple coming out on top or equal to that of the traditional couple. Likewise those who fund studies on single parents, or traditional couples have there group come out on top. So its not about proving who really is better at raising children, its about the funding these scientists are getting as there results are used to support the "dog and pony" shows put on by these advocacy groups.

Conclusion: Ego and money are the primary movers and shakers of science and are what obstruct the pursuit of the truth. Coercion and ideology also play a role as well, but from my perspective do so at a much lesser extent. So if someone says this is fact, make sure that the fact comes with legitimate information to back it up.

Issue 216 Thanksgiving November 28, 2013

What is Thanksgiving for? Well back in the early days before The United States was the United States, people and members of government would routinely announce specific days as a day to give thanks. When America became a Republic it was given an official day in November as a day to give thanks for what we have and had. This if I remember correctly was done by George Washington. However, the idea and concept of a day of thanks did not go away till much later in America's history, but now we only have one national day of thanks due to changes in tradition. So what should we be thankful for?

Family and Friends: Family and friends support us. They help shape who and what we are and give us information and even empower us to push forward in life. I, at the very least, know that this was the case with me and my family and friends. It does not matter if the family is related to you or how many family and friends you have, for it is about just having them by your side in the first place.

Inventors and Businesses: Some may question why be thankful to this group. Well it is these people who make our lives easier. Think about it. The computer was an invention to make life easier. However, that invention would not have become so ubiquitous if it were not for a business that was willing to sell it. Same with the internet. It was designed for the military so that they may communicate in the event of a nuclear disaster. But, it was businesses that took it and made it essential to everyday life with more uses to come. Inventors and businesses make life convenient so that we have more time to do the silly, mundane or just plain stupid. But they also allow us to be more efficient and that also frees up time to spend with the family and friends you cherish.

The Troops: Our soldiers are literally sent into hell whenever they are sent off to war. All this while our politicians sit back comfortably in their chairs back in the capitol. Our soldiers come back scarred by the horrors of war and then face another battle trying to reintegrate back into a normal and every day life. Pray for them, and bless them for they do what many are unwilling to do.

Conclusion: Give thanks for what you have as you probably do not know how lucky you really are. On Thanksgiving these are the people I will be giving thanks to for everything that they have given me. Love, an easier life, and a life without fear.

Issue 215 Eliminate the Department of Education Novmeber 27, 2013

You are probably saying "why are you eliminating the department of education?" Well if you will give me a few moments I will tell you why it is one of the least needed Federal departments existing in our government.

Reason 1: The department of education was created by the Carter administration in an effort to increase test scores and overall student performance. Unfortunately, the student performance in the United States has actually stagnated since the department’s creation. So it had many wondering why this was the case. Well, the department of education is allowed to give out additional monies toward schools who meet certain standards. Let it be known that the department does not actually play a role in educating America's children, they just serve as a money tree for additional revenue to schools who desire extra cash for programs they may like and for the communities that surround them. How this works is by mandating schools follow certain rules to qualify for that money. The schools believe that they need the money in order to carry out their mission to educate children (though some may question where and how that additional money is spent). However, many a time the money is not even adequate to fund the program leaving the school needing more, but the money is not the issue at hand, it is the requirements that are put in place to get the money. The department of education mandates that the school implement programs or certain teaching methods in order to get that money. However, if the school deviates from that method the money is cut off. So schools have no incentive to give up the failing methods that are being forced on them. What makes matters worse is that some of those methods are actually incapable of educating children. It is not the teacher but the methods mandated that cause our children to falter in the education environment. This is basically forcing a cookie cutter education system on America's kids when they really need an education system that can be customized to each child as the need arises. Now we have "Common Core" being pushed by the department of education which advocates more cookie cutter approaches to education that makes education dull and sub par for America's kids. This cookie cutter policy is the main reason that students for years now have slowly been deprived of adequate education as standards are pushed further downwards to inflate the value of lower and lower test scores.

Reason 2: What also harms our student population is the student loan program run by the department of education. There are a number of race and other requirements that make it overly complex to get a student loan in the first place, rather than base the loan on the students’ ability to pay it back. But the problem is not necessarily the access to the loans, but rather the relationship between the amount colleges charge for tuition and the growth rate of the student loans themselves. The colleges know they can make the costs of colleges larger and larger, as the department of education will just give out bigger and bigger loans. The result is that students suffer massive debt while the colleges’ pockets get lined with cash. Also, the banks used by the government to distribute the loans get the money back if the student should default, but the student will still be left to carry the debt burden regardless which ruins their credit rating making it much more financially difficult to buy a house let alone a tiny apartment.

What the department of education also does is advocate exclusively for college for an individual. But that is not the only education option for a successful career. There are certificate courses, online schools and even vocational schools that are just as good, if not better at educating students in one particular subject or training the student to be a professional in a particular job. By advocating the college system as the only option to success, they disadvantage students by hiding their options.

Conclusion: America needs an education system that is customizable to each individual student. This allows children to advance at their own pace using the best method suited for their education needs. Also, colleges know that people continuously advocate their pipe dream of success and thus we ignore our other options. The department of education stands in the way of changing the system and allowing the schools to be governed at the local level where they can much more easily make the changes necessary toward the custom education model that will give students the advantages they really need in the education environment. So let’s do away with the department of education while we still can before America's children become doomed to mediocrity.