Why Libraries

One of the most famous people in history said "No society can exist without a library."

This was said as a result of people talking about the internet and how you won't need a library anymore because you will be able to get all the information you need using your computer. Even though I am a user of the internet to get free books about computers, programming, history, etc. I still believe in libraries. This is because they will continue to be the greatest source of information about anything you would want to know. Also there is something about having something in your hand and seeing the quality of the book itself and going back and forth between information in a number of books at the same time.

Throughout history there have been gigantic libaries that had all of the known books of the time. But because they were so hard to copy and to translate into other languages there sometimes weren't any other copies. When Ceasar burned Rome he destroyed the greatest library of his time. How many of ancient writings were lost forever we will never know, unless we can go back in time and "Copy" those documents. The problem was that some were written on papyrus or animal skins or clay tablets or other ways and means that the ancients developed to write upon. When the library was burned it really started the dark ages in Europe. 

The only places that they thought was the only place to keep a book was in a Monestary. There monks worked long hours coping the few books that they knew about by hand. What they didn't realize was that in the are around the Mediterranean Sea the Arabic society had a number of large libraries. These were in Seville in Spain and Cario Egypt and Constantinople (now known as Istanbul) Turkey. They had books that were translated from the ancient languages and from Hindu and Chinese. This would make them some of the most educated people in the world. But what happened to them?

It seems that as the "Intelegent" Christians went to save the Holy Land they destroyed the libraries because they did not have the "Bible". But what is the Bible? That is an idea for another day.

Robots of the Future

I was in a discussion the other day with some Portuguese friends and it came around to robots doing everything and there wouldn't be anything left for humans to do. That they would take over the world, etc.

I don't think it will come to that as all computers and robots are all designed, built, and programmed by different people. As I was a programmer before I retired I know that no two programmers really think alike and have a different way to come to the same solution. This would mean that no two types of robots would think the same way to come to the same conclusion, just like people. There is also the difference, right now, that there are a number of computer languages, written by people who speak, write and think in a different language. So I am not afraid of one computer taking over as it now stands.

There would be a way if they developed one robot to take over the memory and the programming of all the other robots to their way of working. This is what a number of geeks are now trying to do, in a way, with their viruses that they try to put into your computer. But there are a number of other geeks out there whose job it is to find all these viruses and get rid of them. This would be what I think would happen to the robots, as long as they keep making different robots.

I would be afraid if society allowed just one company to produce all of the robots, thereby giving them the ways and means to really take over from mankind. But if that happens, what would happen to the creators of the robot? They would disappear like the rest of mankind leaving only robots.

Do you agree with my reasoning and why it would never happen? Let me know what you think.

Tax Cuts?

It amazes me that the Republican Party and its elected representatives may use their veto power on all bills in the Democratic Party won't vote positively for the retaining of the tax cut bill. Even though they know that the only people who are benifiting from this are the richest people in America. They have said that the rich would spend the money and it would trickle down to the poor, but it's just the other way around. If the poor buy the products, the rich will just get richer through the expansion of sales of their products and through that more people will be needed to produce more products to fill the demand for more. Thereby, I say again, the rich will get more money which they have never spent in a manner that helps the poor, just the rich. Who can spend  $ 3 million for a painting that they have to put in a vault so no-one can see it, I wonder what poor person would get any of that money and how many jobs does that create?

It has always been known that the rich want every thing for free, which they get quite often, and not spend a dime. The poor need the money to exist, which is food, clothing, gas and transportation costs. When are they going to wake up that the Democrats were originally started to help the poor and the Republicans were for the rich. Now they claim they are the opposite but it seems to me they are all working for themselves.

There is an old saying that most lawyers are crooked and most of Congress is made up of lawyers. You decide who they are working for.

Think of the Future

Strange that I should say this, but then again I have always thought of the future. But it was always about me and now that I have grown older and ?wiser? I know that we should be thinking of the future not only for ourselves, but also for the business/company we work for. But also for the cities and countries that we live in, but most of all forms the civilization as a whole.

Even Abu Dhabi, UAE has been thinking of the future. Just think of all the new buildings, hotels, harbours and islands they have been constructing. This includes an indoor ski slope. Also one of the most efficient airports in the world. Yes this was all built using the money they received from the oil that was found, but not a citizen of the country has to live in poverty or a slum or worry about where they will get their next meal from. The government has actually thought of the future for their people. Why can't more countries do the same thing, instead of keeping the money only for the rich. They have seen that the oil will run out and then what will their people do?

It's amazing how much money is made by the big businesses, but why does only the top people get a bonus when if it wan't for the ones making the products didn't work hard enough or long enough there wouldn't be any income for the top to get their "little" bonuses. Even the Chineese have learned that to really increase the productivity you have to reward the workers, then they have the incentive to really work harder, thereby increasing the income.

I just saw on CNN International where a CEO in Hong Kong gathered his everyday workers to a meeting and told them just how much he appreciated their efforts and to give bonuses to those that proved to be some of the best workers in their areas. He also announced to them first a new product that the company was to bring out.

The FIFA has just announced the winners of the 2018 and 2022 world cup winners and I am glad to say that even FIFA is thinking of the future of football/soccer around the world and the people of the world. Congratulations to both of the winners and to those who were not chosen because even if they didn't win the right to hold the contests they have earned the respect of the world that they had the forsight to bid for the games in the future. I hope that this decision will help other countries not on the lists will think harder and look further into their country to take the first steps for them to host the games in the FUTURE.

Drawing Viet Vet

I have always thought that this is the way most people thought about us: as just an idea.