TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE US

I listened to industry giants on PBS debate the current, hazardous economy. They described Greenspan as a Chairman on marijuana and Bernanke as a Chairman on crack, as a way to describe their fiddling with the economy. Hmmm. The question is, what happens to the man on the street? 

Also on was the young Greenland Hedgefund manager who wrote the book You Can Fool All Of The People All Of The Time. He concludes the market should be left alone, but it only works if everybody and every institution, does their job correctly, like the FCC, the Banks, the Government, the Federal Reserve, and only if the government enforces the laws already on the books. We all know THAT isn't going to happen. They all seemed puzzled as we sink into the depths. They decried the bailout as the right thing to do, but that it was handled wrongly.
Technology will save us. Maybe. But which technology?

 

Truth to tell, I'm a little worried about how much technology we need. Phone communication is often  an ordeal. I ask myself,  do I  have a half or full hour to make the phone call and face the barrage of impersonal robots? Do I feel up to dealing with frustration right now?

I went for a mammogram yesterday, with the new, ultra sleek, exciting, digital machine. I don't believe the old (new) one our hospital bought  was even paid for yet.  But, the little gadget above seemed like an extravagant toy. I went to register for my appointment at central registration. They took my paperwork and gave me a pager and told me to sit down. I'm only 15 to 20 feet from this person, who basically handed off the paper work to another worker next to her. Then when the pager vibrated and flashed I approached the second woman and she registered me for my appointment and put an armband on my arm. I mean, whatever happened to calling my name? Then I moved a few seats away and waited for them to call my name for the procedure. I actually do know my own name, which they checked on my armband. The armbands are a good idea, I can see how it could prevent mistakes, like operating on the wrong arm, that kind of thing. If you are under anesthetic and fuzzy brained, it helps to know who you are. But, are we turning into zombies?

Well, one consolation, the weather was a beautiful, balmy, shirtsleeves day. The color is developing on the hillsides on the way. Hopefully, no technology will try to control the weather. 

There is that cartoon of futuristic people excavating ground layers from the early 2000nds, that explains, "...this is when the zombies let the computers take over..."   When you are becoming a fossil you get to be a bit cynical.