jlc

Point for good snark.

Jan

I used to make replica suits of armor as a hobby...but I ruined my hands doing it. Now, I just do a bit of metalwork (like, 15 min) at a time. This is not enough to maintain my skill level, let alone to become more skilled, so my metalworking abilities dwindle.

Jan

I do not understand, Thoritsu. Please explain in simple words and short sentences: Where do I get the vegetable oil in an emergency situation? (Say, an earthquake that temporarily cuts me off from access to major roads.)

Jan

Except that I can run out of oil and not be able to replace it. In spite of all of the cloudy days in one's life, the sun is remarkably dependable.

I do not care if the process is carbon neutral. Chernobyl has shown that separating the process of industry from the presence of human beings makes a big difference to wildlife - to the positive.

Jan

True. He had a heart attack at work. Chris and I did CPR and tried to save him, but...

I use a ball peen hammer to work the edge on an anvil. When you use a scythe, you sharpen it all the time (keep a stone in your pocket). Eventually you have abraded away the work-hardened edge - that is when you need to take the blade off and pick up the ball peen hammer.

Jan

I have one dagger, a memento from a friend who died (whilst I was giving him CPR) that is razor sharp. I deliberately keep most of my swords dull (one is sharpish). The other knives I use are clasp knives and camp knives...and my favorite kitchen knife, that I carefully sharpen with a stone and steel.

I have a scythe that I have just peen-sharpened. I really need to hit it with the stone again sometime soon.

Jan

That is not a pretty picture, blarman, but it is better than not surviving. So far, solar with battery has the best reliability in my book...a (wood/rubbish burning) power pallet for winter storms might be a good move as a backup.

But to keep civilization functioning...a lot of people have to have these things and a lot of people do not. Being an island of technology in a primitive society has a single word synonym: target.

Jan

Thanks, XenokRoy. This is indeed the type of company with which we often do business - but while centrallogic takes care of workflow issues in a hospital, I don't see that they have an explicit medical records module (yet). If you put me in touch with their CTO, I will be delighted to chat/email with him about this. Please go ahead and give him my personal email: jlc@schuylerhouse.com.

And thanks for thinking of us!

Jan

That sounds like a fun investigation. I bet all of your knives are now Really Sharp!

Jan

Yes, possibly. But my point was that 'things that could not be made on a 3D printer' ('its replacement' came to mind - maybe you wanted to purchase a competitor's brand!, eh?) could be delivered by drone.

I would look forward to the day when I can design my own non-trendy clothes, furniture, devices. Within my lifetime, the 'ownership' of the fashion world has broken away from Paris; even now Kickstarter movies, projects and the self-publishing of books is changing the way that 'what people really want' is seen. The looks-to-be-good/great film The Martian was serialized on Andy Weir's blog: finished in 2009, put on Amazon in 2013, where it rose to the top of the charts in less then 3 months. In that same year, it was opted by 20th Cen Fox and it will come out this October in theaters...And this was for a 'first' book that was rejected by all the publishers Andy Weir sent it to.

I think that what we are 'told' we want is a lot different than what we do actually want - and we are seeing some avenues out of that trap.

Jan

It has an overall plot arc, which puts it a bit ahead of TNG (at least for the first 4 seasons - 5th season of B5 is forgettable).

Jan

Sorry back at me. I try not to use cant phrases or acronyms, because they often stop me dead in my tracks when I am reading someone else's writing. I do make exceptions for B5 (Babylon 5) and TNG, as you saw.

Looking at clips from B5 yesterday makes me want to go back and revisit that series.

Jan

I would not put greenies and preppers in the same bin: the former oppose technology, the latter are aware that technology can fail. I agree that technological civilization requires the partition of labor (Steven Pinker and Matt Ridley both bring abundant data to the support of this idea). If we each farm our own plot and raise our own cattle, we will return to a low level of civilization. I do not want to go backwards to that point - I want technology to continue.

But the requirements for doing that are subject to modification. Let us say that we did have a dependable, local source of power. Let us also imagine that 3D printers go another few steps in development. It would then be possible for people to be spread out over the world, with work partitioned on a virtual, rather than a physical, basis. Their technology could remain high tech because they could print out new designs, clothes, even food, and a newer version of their 3D printer can be delivered by drone when their old one gets too ancient to bother upgrading any more. Even now, we are on the edge of this type of society, with virtual networks of companies and social groups (ahem. The Gulch), and that trend might continue.

Even with no ground-shaking new developments, the tech we have now is producing marked changes in our society. I think that we are in a virtual Gulch and that might be the most plausible place to live. It might not matter where your feet are planted, just where your mind is.

Jan

The Next Generation (Star Trek with Cpt Picard).

Jan

It is delightful even if you are not. I generally WooHoo rather than YeeeHaaaaa, but I think the terms are comparable!

Jan

I am old enough to qualify at some places (62) but too busy to take advantage of it right now, though I keep the thought in the back of my mind...

In the meantime, I am not too busy to keep on reading about interesting things: current historical topics are Egyptian hieroglyphics (learning to read) and European paleogenetics. Also SF...just for the fun of it.

Jan

Segueing a bit...I am also interested in edible wild plants. I have often garnished a camp meal with them, and once made an entire meal of them (and some crawdads).

Jan

Actually, many educational institution allow people >60 or 65 (or some other age threshold) to audit classes free. I believe MIT is one of those. You might see if you can legitimately qualify to do this.

Jan

I agree. And it did not even make it into the list of 10 best TV SF shows! It should have been #1 (and TNG #2). Time to re-watch.

Jan

I can understand knowledge addiction. But I would inevitably reach the point where I had some new insight or discovery that I would want to publish on - and hence provide value.

Jan

One of the things that I see about myself is that I do better with an external structure in my life: 'Getting up and going to work' is good for me.

Jan

Huh. I thought I had read all of Heinlein's old work - do not recall that one. I will read/reread it. Thanks.

Jan

Babylon 5, Voice of the Resistance in Rumors, Bargains and Lies (Susan Ivanova):

"First, one brief announcement.
I just wanted to mention, for those who have asked that absolutely nothing whatsoever happened today in Sector 83 by 9 by 12.
I repeat, nothing happened.
Please remain calm."

Jan

With all due respect, OA, I think that is exactly where we are headed - and we had best not shy away right now from thought-problems that can illuminate that type of society.

While actual machine intelligence is debatable, like the old joke about the mathematician, the engineer, and the blond, we will get 'close enough' to change our game. For example: robot driven delivery vehicles and farm equipment are probably doable today, certainly within a decade or so.

I envision a society wherein the baseline of non-working subsistence includes a house or apartment with utilities, HVAC, tv, computer, all food and clothes. And all this is provided by the robot workforce. I think that 20% of society will have no job at all (passive TV and gaming), 30% will have hobbies that do not exchange value, 30% will have hobbies that do provide value, and the remaining 20% will work for a living.

This image plays havoc with my personal philosophy...I am trying to come to terms with it.

Jan

There is only one possible reply:

MWAHAHAHAhahaha!