Posted by Raul on November 16, 2009
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It’s been a long learning process that has extended for the past eighteen years and still today remains as a continuous task to apply myself at.
I never had formal training in the study of the English language other than some courses while at the equivalent of high school in my country some thirty years ago, and I still don’t understand how I manage to pass those courses!
Mostly what I’ve learnt throughout these years is while at different jobs, listening music and watching TV, together with the normal interacting with people that occurs in everyday life.
Perhaps the most difficult part has been when trying to retake the writing of my observations and tales since the common talk in the streets is different from the written word.
One thing that helped me in this process was the mutual challenge we had with my son on how long it’ll take us to read some books.
As a way to motivate him in reading and practice myself in the English language several years ago when he was about ten years old I challenged him to read faster than me the stories of books like “Animorphs” and “Star Wars” We read those books by turn and compared the number of hours it took us each; needles to say that after just a couple of books my son became the permanent winner in our little contest.
Another element that helped me in my learning process was a formal training I had at college here in the US in the program of Airframe and Powerplant; a program that I took mostly as a way of learning in several areas of aviation mechanics with the intention of applying that knowledge in the area of car restoration.
This program was provided in English and by the end of it (seventeen months) there were practical, written and oral tests, which I can proudly say I passed with an average of 96 percent and several gallons of sweat!
So now, with a still basic knowledge of the English language and in the process of improving it a little more everyday I undertake the task of writing posts for this blog.
For that reason don’t be surprised if the grammar aspect of my writing doesn’t quite fit some times, and if noting those mistakes you feel up to write me a quick note to let me know I’ll be thankful for your help.
Raul
Posted by Raul on November 14, 2009
It surprises me when I see so many lonely people today. In times when technology allows so easy communication with the internet, cell phones, and even easy transportation to visit someone, people seems to be so isolated!
Emails on the internet fly by millions but mostly re-sent messages of jokes, chain letters or spam. At least that’s 99 percent of what I get!
Looking around in any street I can see lots of people talking in their cell phones while walking, driving, and even jogging! So many features available, conference calls, picture taking capabilities, email, etc.
Yet people remain alone!
What’s going on? Going to a party I can see how they talk, laugh, dance, hook up, even fight, but they are like lonely units sharing one place where they exercise their speaking capability. They are not communicating!
A group seated at a table; they are talking, often many at once telling their story, everybody talks, no one listen, just short answers like “wow”, “really?”, “no kidding!” And they keep talking all night long.
What happened with that custom of talking by turns? One speaks, the others listen, then give their point of view while the one who spoke listen the other’s opinions. Ideas are put on the table and discussed, analyzed. Each one provides their knowledge in the matter and through “conversation” the idea is grown, polished, and everybody learn something from the others. Everybody grows a little more and get fond with each other; friendship develop.
In those groups talking today I can see more “monologues” in group than “conversations”
When I was a child the custom was children listen and observe while adults talk. With that we learn to absorb the meaning of the words and had time to think for an answer in case we were asked. Today I see parents on the cell phone while kids scream: “hold on a second…are you okay? these kids!…what was I telling you?”
People talk, they don’t communicate anymore.
Kids have become a problem instead of a joy, they mean paying daycare and complications for the couple to go out and have fun instead of now being a family, and with it, a change in lifestyle. Parents don’t play with their kids anymore.
When kids are five parents buy them toys.
When kids are ten parents buy them electronic devices.
When kids are fifteen parents buy them a car.
When kids are seventeen parents complain: “teenagers!”
They forgot how to develop a relationship with their kids. Kids didn’t learn how to develop a relationship at all. So now we have lonely people.
They try to buy more stuff, a bigger house, a bigger and newer sport utility, the latest cell phone, computer or car stereo so they can feel they are someone: “I am what I have, if I have nothing, I am no one” They are trying to buy through material stuff instead of self growth the attractiveness to others. What happened with: “I am what I do, this is what I can do, this is who I am”
As long as people keep on materialism they will remain alone!
When people recover the art of conversation they will be able to develop friendships with others and their own kids and family; after that they won’t feel alone anymore, and won’t need material stuff to be someone. They will know who they are.
Raul
Posted by Raul on November 13, 2009
Long time ago, when I was fifteen (yup, loooong time ago!) I read somewhere that if you sleep eight hours a day, which is the recommended amount of hours by the experts, after sixty years of life you’ll have spent twenty years sleeping! Ouch! That means I’ll be “sleeping beauty” (okay, just sleeping me) for one third of my life. What a waste!
So if I sleep six hours a day instead of eight saving 2 hours a day, after a year is 730 hours, times 12 years is 8760 hours, divided by 24 hours in one day is 365 days, a whole year!
That means that after twelve years I’ll get an extra year to do things, and that’s not even considering eating right to live longer (that’s a tough one!)
So now you know, as long as you can function ok with less sleeping you are saving years to use as you want and enjoy life a little longer within the same time frame.
Cool!
Raul
Posted by Raul on November 12, 2009
This post is a following of the previous one called Killing Robots, so I suggest you to read that one first to better understand this one.
It seems that everyday more and more relationships are becoming automated. Let me explain.
Our lives are becoming automated; in more and more activities we take there is automation: heating already made food with a microwave oven, driving vehicles with automatic transmissions and automatic climate controls, power windows, mirrors, steering, etc. Automated clocks that self adjust to the right time, automatic heating and cooling systems in our homes, automatic security cameras and self turning on lights in the driveways, automated bill payment systems, even automated programs to write this article in this computer and then publish it in this blog!
It is a good thing to automate many processes in order to free time to do more, and we are doing more than before thanks to this, but since our lives are immerse in this automation, also the way we take relationships are suffering the same.
In the previous post Killing Robots you can see a quick comparison between newer and older cars; the newer, computer controlled, were you don’t have to worry about the different systems and just drive, and the older, were you had to pull the “choke” to start the engine and listen to the sounds to push it back in at the right time to prevent “flooding”
With newer cars we don’t worry, it is there, we don’t have to put work on them to make sure things go right, we just use them when we need them and forget the rest of the time, and the same thing with cooking food, just grab a box from the refrigerator, open it and throw it in the microwave, then forget, the machine will sound an alarm to let us know when is ready for us. No need to remember to turn on the lights, they have sensors. Even the toilets in public restrooms have sensors so there’s no need to remember to flush it.
My question is: could it be that with getting so accustom to automation we are starting to see automation in human relationships? I fall in love, she falls in love, we get together; I expect she will be there for me when I need her and she expect I will be there for her when she needs me, there is no need to do anything else; it’s an automatic relationship.
With older cars we had to be aware of their needs, we had to keep in mind what we had to do, we had to follow procedures to take good care of them so they will last; the same with cooking food, no microwaves or frozen meals in a box so there was a procedure to follow in order to make things right, to get good results, and that took time and dedication. We had to be accustomed to put effort and dedication to everything everyday in order to have good results and lasting service from all of our devices.
Today, with all the automation in our lives we are accustomed to use and forget, never being aware if there are any needs from our devices, so why would we pay any extra attention in a human relationship, being that a love, friendship or family one?
Like with older cars we knew we had to put effort in order to have a long, reliable service, with relationships we knew we couldn’t just throw away everything without first trying to solve the problems, and just like we developed patience with our vehicles, we knew we had to develop patience in our relationships.
Today we just use things without worries and then, when something goes wrong we discard them and get a new one, the latest, with more features.
Are we having a tendency to do the same in human relationships? Expecting that everything in that relationship will go in automatic and when things start going wrong, instead of fixing the problems and developing patience we just discard and start searching for a newer one that will brings us more features?
Taking care of material stuff = Taking care of relationships
Expendable material stuff = Expendable relationships
Newer cars suppose to last longer than older cars because of all the devices incorporated, yet they are not around for too long due to broken parts, smoking engines, worn out components.
Sure older cars were made stronger and heavier which made them more reliable. Are we becoming like new cars? More efficient in more things we do thanks to technology but at the same time becoming weaker and less reliable?
Are we gaining more efficiency in what we do thanks to all the devices we can acquire and use today, but at the same time, like new cars, loosing our strength and reliability in tough conditions, not able to deal with complicated situations that require dedication and patience?
Maybe that’s one of the main reasons why more and more marriages today are lasting less and less years, some even just months, and the same with friendships; if is not efficient, if it doesn’t provide us with the service we expect we simply discard instead of repair.
And with older people, we used to take care of them in their latest years when now they end up in nursery homes. An old car has memories implied in the use we gave them, times when they were part of the family, now they are good as long as they provide us a service, after that we get rid of them.
Where is the division line between practicality and neglecting human relationships?
Just a thought…
Raul
Posted by Raul on November 11, 2009
I love Sci Fi; my favorite writer is Asimov and his robot stories.
I’ve read many stories about how in the future machines will have a mind of there own and eventually will take control over people. Is that the future? I believe it’s already happening!
Today you can buy cars with ABS, Traction Control, Computer Controlled Engines, Air Bags Systems, etc.
Did you know that in icy conditions ABS Systems can leave you WITHOUT brakes?
Did you know that an Air Bag can kill you?
Today everything in a car is controlled by a computer that is programmed to act based on input signals sent by sensors around the car and engine.
ABS function is to prevent a wheel lock up to improve braking capabilities (a locked wheel skids instead of braking)
When you use the brakes, the sensors in each wheel will detect a lock up and reduce the brake fluid pressure in the looking wheel. If you are in icy conditions it doesn’t take much to lock up a wheel, so the ABS will reduce brake pressure, often to a point when, no matter how much pressure you apply to the brake pedal, no braking action is taking place in the wheels. You have no brakes!
Another element is TRACTION CONTROL, which works detecting the opposite of ABS, if the wheels are turning to fast in relation to the vehicle speed.
In that situation the TRACTION CONTROL system reduces the amount of accelerator given to the engine to reduce power applied to the wheels to prevent them from spinning and loosing car control, no matter how much you push the accelerator pedal.
Now, some people tend to believe that having ABS and Traction Control in their cars will give them complete grip in slippery conditions, mostly motivated by car manufacturer’s publicity, but the truth is that these systems only help to get the wheels turning in direct proportion to the vehicle speed, which allow the tires to do their job, but it is dependant on the kind of tires you have what kind of traction you get.
If you don’t believe me just take a look at what kind of cars are out of the road when it is snowing: mostly cars with ABS and TRACTION CONTROL!
Several sensors around the engine detect atmospheric conditions like air temperature, air pressure, etc. and from the engine, conditions like engine temperature, throttle position, RPM’s engine load, etc. based on that information the On Board Computer decides the amount of fuel to be fed to the engine, the ignition timing applied, etc.
At one hand it’s nice since now engines work the same when hot or cold, give maximum economy and power, and because of that, can last longer, but at the other hand, if a sensor start sending wrong signals the computer takes wrong decisions and you have a rough running car with no apparent reason. Just open the hood and try to fix the problem!
Air Bags are inflated by a gas that is activated with a small explosive. This explosive is ignited with an electric current of a tension of just a fraction of a volt. If you make a wrong connection while installing a stereo, or wear synthetic clothing (that creates static electricity) you could activate the air bags, which inflate in just a fraction of a second! You’ll never know what hit you. It had happened; just read the warning labels in your car and the owner’s manual.
My point is, with today’s cars there’s no use in carrying a set of tools other that to change a flat tire; there’s nothing you can do. Today’s cars are like the robot maid in those sci fi stories that perform a great job, but when something goes wrong you have no control at all. We are becoming more and more dependant of a technology that as users we don’t understand, and when something goes wrong we have no control.
Even when you take your newer car to a trained technician for repairs what he does is plug an external computer to the one in the car to get the “codes” that indicate what the problem is, and then replace the components the external computer tells him to change, so the only thing left to create is a “walking” external computer that goes and plugs itself without the help of a technician and we have that world of robots in those sci fi stories, but for now a technician is becoming more and more like a “helper” of those “master” computers.
Personally I prefer older cars, those that you could understand and develop a friendship of some sort with them. They were like friends, they helped you all the time, and some times they needed your help. Sometimes they were moody and you had to put up with it, and some times you were moody and they respond to your state of mind.
Mi favorite car is my ’57 Isetta. I just can’t jump in it and go, have to warm it up first, treat it gently and consider how weather will affect it, but we had been in so many places, we both sweat in hot days and shake when is cold. When I need it it’s up to help me and when it needs me I can fix it. We are good friends!
Raul
