The Curmudgeon Speaks

I have this sense that older techies are frustrated with what the Internet has become and younger folks just shrug their shoulders and say “meh”. This is a case where always having the Internet is a liability. Experiencing the Internet only after it was relatively well formed does not provide experience of what the originators envisioned and what those of us who wrote html when it was first possible to operate a web server and offer your own web content imagined. Yes, we really did run our own servers and I think I thought things would get s little easier and everyone with a computer would soon do the same thing.

Things changed. Running your own server became more challinging because of hackers. Free services made posting your own content incredibly easy as long as you are fine with giving your content to a service and having the service benefit from ads and harvesting your and your viewers’ personal information.

Perhaps I have found a way to explain the vibe (does anyone still say that) of the early days. John Perry Barlow passed away in February. Barlow was an Internet pi0neer and word man for the Grateful Dead. Back in the day, tech folks were also something else as well. Barlow’s facility in expressing himself enabled him to author “The Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace.’ I encourage to read or listen (the audio) is toward the of the content from the preceding link. Yes, the declaration was naive. However, we are presently on such a different and negative path.

Back in MN for a lunch meeting with the advisory board.

I had to explain that YouTube would no longer allow me to collect ad revenue because I did not have enough subscribers.

They suggested I try being less boring.

Vox interview of Left Behind: Decline and Rage in Rural America author.

This sounds like an interesting read and similar to Hillbilly Elegy. Even understanding this perspective does not change my perspective.This is my youth without the anger. Perhaps that comes with age and frustration So many of the present policies hurt these angry people. Don’t they understand?

I had a similar reaction to similar frustrations after spending considerable time on Native American reservations. There is the same combination of commitment to a community and an idealized way of life despite the present toxic circumstances. A graduate program in my department was originally focused on what we described as “rural and reservation” mental health issues. Understanding never led me to see any solutions

The perspective explains why “Make America Great Again” plays so well, but the mantra is pretty much a fantasy interpretation of the past and the present.

I did purchase the book, but my list of unread books is long and it will take some time to the book so I can process at a deeper level

I have probably mentioned before that things cost a lot in Kauai. I had pretty much assumed that this was the way it was going to be with the exception of COSTCO – a foot long hot dog on a soft bun and a soda for $1.50. I have learned that products you are known for are often overpriced. I have no idea what the going price is for coconuts, but I do know coffee. I have consumed coffee pretty much everywhere they speak English and a few places they don’t.

My wife knows the prices of things she buys at grocery stores and can recognize good deals even at expensive groceries. I know the price of brewed coffee. The coffee at one of my favorite coffee spots (Fresh Start Coffee Roasters) is $1.75 for a medium (25 cents for a self-poured refill). The Sparrow, one of the two coffee shops I can find on my own in Minneapolis, is $2.50 and I have always been afraid to ask for a refill because they will likely charge me the same for the second cup.

I understand that they grow coffee here and all that. They are probably very proud of their crops and status as the #1 coffee producer in the U.S. Where else would you grow coffee in the U.S.? Anyway, I pay $4 or so for coffee (straight) and since the price of a latte is about the same, I usually have a latte.

The exception is the Koala Mill Ice Cream and Coffee shop. This shop has what they describe as “Aloha Coffee Pricing”.

There would probably come a time if I spent enough months in Kauai that I cease to be fascinated by the physical beauty I can see and photograph just walking around. Here are a couple of examples from today’s trek back from the coffee shop.

This is the flower of the plumeria. I associate it with the flower leis most probably think of when thinking of Hawaii. I took almost this identical picture this morning with my phone and then came back this afternoon with my camera because I wanted an image with more pixels I might have printed. There were several trees just starting to flower and this one flower caught my attention because of the yellowish cast. It was a tough shot. I had to hold my camera over my head as far up as I could and shoot blind.

Here is the interesting thing to me about this plant. My understanding of trees and the various parts of trees suggest that in a given year, a tree opens leaves that generate the food (sugars) the tree needs through the process of photosynthesis. This sugar is used to accomplish the things a tree needs to accomplish – sustain existing structures, grow, and produce seeds of some type. The plumeria seems to accomplish all of these things, but in the wrong order. I guess this is considered winter here and the plumeria when we first arrived looked dead (for a region where everything else was green). Then a couple of leaves emerged and now the flowers. I assume the full foliage will emerge eventually. The work the tree is doing now all must be accomplished with the energy stored last season. I have no idea why this tree needs to make things so difficult.

Example 2 – note the strange coloration on this tree trunk – greens and oranges.

What is not really visible in this image is the more traditional bark that used to cover this trunk and still covers most of the rest of the tree. The tree seems to molt. I tend to think of a tree losing the bark in a complete circle of the circumference of the tree as fatal (girdling) because it exposes the cambium. This must not be what is happening in this case. This is a common tree along my path, but I have no idea what it is. It was the unusual colors that caught my attention.

Much of my time is spent exploring the intersection of education, technology, and society. Trying to explain how academics do such things is probably not that interesting to most. However, the consequences of this intersection should be. Here is an interview on one of the podcasts I follow with Andrew Keen. He predicted the potential downside of the open Internet back in 2007 (Cult of the Amateur) and I must admit many of his predictions proved accurate. He has a new book, the focus of the interview I have linked, that describes what he believes has happened since and what might be done to seek more productive outcomes. I think the interview is well done and worth watching.

https://twit.tv/shows/triangulation/episodes/335

I am not a political scientist, but I do appreciate their collection of data. With all of the weird claims being made by politicians, I look for data and ignore pronouncements to understand what I observe.

This Mother Jones article summarizes a study from a research group at Oxford. Just to be clear, the source for the data are the Oxford researchers and not the Mother. Jones writers.

The researchers identified right and left-oriented individuals posting to Twitter and Facebook and then counted the frequency of watch list, junk news, and mainstream news articles promoted by both groups. Conservatives accounted for much more of the watch list and junk news references and liberals more of the mainstream news stories. Of course, conservatives assume the mainstream news sources are biased and so rely on “no spin” propaganda .

Ok, that list sentence was more opinion than data, but you can read the original content for yourself and see if you. Moe to a different conclusion.

I need someone to blame. I want to talk about important political policy issues and there is so much attention being paid to personalities and appropriate behavior. Since the Republicans are in power and Pres. Trump does so many inappropriate things I blame them. They control the conversation and seem accepting of the present focus. I guess if you can set the agenda you can get away with this. However, this is a terrible long-term strategy and voting them out could well be the end result of this strategy.  

I would rather comment on:

• The involvement of Russian actors in our political process, how they are influencing U.S. citizens, and yes, whether Republican actors played any role during the run-up to the election.
• The budget and how the budget will likely influence the present level of income inequality. In addition, how the budget will influence the national debt and how this increased debt will be addressed.
• Immigration. What is a reasonable commitment to the national interest (the best and the brightest) and what is the obligation of this country in responding to various crises around the world.
• Healthcare. Why does this country with all of its assets do such a poor job when it comes to healthcare? What can be done to address the healthcare needs of those who truly need assistance?
• Net neutrality. My personal interests are heavily invested in technology and Internet issues. Why is our Internet service so inferior to other countries and what can be done to provide an online environment to encourage economic growth, educational opportunity, and to provide a voice for all?