Today in History

29 January 2019

I Don't Need To Turn My Furnace On When I'm Not Home

I remember when having a Remote Control for a television was a HUGE convenience.  Just think.  You needn't stand up and walk across the room and turn the DIAL to get the next station OR to raise/lower the volume.  You didn't have to adjust the "Color" and "Hue", "Contrast" and "Balance".  Then,  once you disconnected from your chimney-mounted 32-prong antennae, with its TV-top directional locator, and sold your soul to "the cable company, they took care of all that for you.

You no longer had to stand in line for your $5.00 popcorn and $3.00 soda once Home Box Office arrived.  You just popped an Orville Redenbacher in the microwave and saved that $8.00. On top of that, you needn't drive to your local mall and it's TWO screen theater.  That $1.50 ticket price now seemed EXPENSIVE compared to the entire MONTH of movies right at home.

Now?  Two generations later, the "Big Screen" isn't seen in Panavision stretched across a 65 foot stage.  Penny candy now costs a buck.  And "Recliners" aren't just for falling asleep in while watching the late evening news.

Forget about signing up for another "loyalty" or "frequent shopper" key-tag.  Those new "chip" cards, the ones that are more secure, keep track of every cup of coffee, every head of cabbage, each and every beer and order of nachos you ever had or will have for the rest of your life.  That information is then collated, organized, evaluated, and recorded, then SOLD to the highest bidder so they can glean whatever they want.  You think that the shower curtain you just searched for on Amazon is now Magically appearing on your cellphone by chance?  Good one.

Last week, an AI program was introduced to the game of Chess and, within FOUR HOURS, without even being given ANY guidance, was able to beat a Grand Master.  FOUR HOURS.  Why?  Because it was NOT following any man-made approach, using its own, self-taught agenda.  What did it do?  It had NO regard for or assigned any emotional attachment to the pieces.  It only wanted to win.  And it did.

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