Life in the Future

At these stores, they will sell a car that is customized to the customer's unique needs. [Lets face it, they will not only be away ahead in pricing, they will be tops in marketing strategies.] So you will buy your car piece by piece. What's the point of buying a top if you don't need one? Why buy sides to your car if you want a good view? If you always drive alone, what's the point of buying four seats? The solution is to buy only what you need: pay a dollar for each wheel, a dollar for the engine, a dollar for the floor, a dollar for a seat, and away you go. When it looks like rain, run back and buy a roof.

When winter comes you can buy the sides and top; or fold up what you have and store it. Reliability won't be a problem because when something breaks down, just throw it away and buy a new one. When you get tired of the color or style, just replace it. While it may feel like you are always dishing out money, by the time you're done, you might only pay $12.00 for the entire car, so let's not complain.

This store will be such a big hit that the people in India will name it the Dollaramamamma-mia store.

By 2020 they will cut down on both healthcare costs and human errors by creating robotic surgeons. The robotic surgeon will work on demand, using perfect information, do a perfect job, and have a perfect record. Operations will cost far less because they will no longer need tests, labs, or an actual surgeon. Plus, operations will be faster because the robotic surgeon will work with eight hands instead of two. It will be amazing. Crowds will gather to see the show. It will be quick. Instant operations will fit well into our busy lifestyle.

How the operation works:
Some people ignore bad symptoms. But now, a symptom will cause a buzzer to go off, so people can drop everything and run off for an operation. Maybe on a Monday morning, after a rough weekend, your liver will be in rough shape. So the buzzer will sound. It's time to run off to get a transplant.

First, scan the appropriate computer chip. There is nothing complicated about this, you will scan it in the same way you scan groceries at the grocery store. If you selected the wrong chip, not a problem. Just plug more money into the machine, and no doubt you will have better luck with your second operation. After the scan, the robot does everything automatically. When you get it right, the success rate will be 100%.

Buying an operation from a multi-purpose photocopier:
Since people want convenience, the robotic surgeon will be attached to a multi-purpose photocopier at your local office store. Next to it will be a sink (so you can wash the problem area), and a recliner (so you can pause and regroup). On the opposite side of the photocopier will be the stands (so the crowds can have a good view without getting in the way).

Now, after your photocopying is complete, select liver transplant, plug in your money (make sure you pay for it all, so it doesn't stop when it's half done), scan the right chip, jump up onto the photocopy machine, and lay flat exactly 1/4" from the edge. Don't wiggle. You won't be shaking because there is no chance of human error. You will be completely relaxed. The multi-purpose photocopier will command the eight arms of the surgeon to cut, yank, and paste. That's all there is to it. It'll be quick. You'll be amazed. It will be done to perfection. The beauty of it all is the robotic surgeon will be built without ears, so it won't get distracted or make errors when you scream in pain or cry out for help.

Permanent People:
Over the next 20 to 50 years, it will become harder to tell the difference between the human and the machine. All body parts will be replaceable. A computer will function like the human brain with the ability to recognize feelings and respond in a feeling way. They will then produce fake people.

We will then be able to create a machine duplicate of ourselves so we will appear to be alive long after we are dead. Maybe a few decades later, a way will be found to transfer our spirit (including our memories and thoughts) to the new body. Then we can choose to live for as long as we want.

It might be expensive. Maybe it will cost you an arm and a leg.
[Note: There's another change; we will have to change the language we use. By then, arms and legs will be a dime a dozen.]
[Note: by then, dimes will probably be obsolete, and we won't have any idea what the word dozen means.]

Once one of you is duplicated, you will just have to press control "D" to get another, unless you have placed yourself on a clipboard; then press control "V". If you want 500, select 500.

Naturally, when duplicates are running around all over the place, there will be a food problem. Modifications will have to be made with how you eat. Your duplicates will have to combine vitamins with something we have in abundance.

The most practical choice would be garbage. Your modified duplicate will be designed to eat garbage like a goat. But don't worry, your taste buds and sense of smell will be modified so you will really enjoy it. You will want to eat lots of garbage.

When it becomes possible to do a spirit transfer, they will figure out how to do them with a push of a button. So you will be able to reside within whichever duplicate you want, whenever you want and as long as you want.

Skip the duplicate that is in the middle of doing a jigsaw puzzle and choose one that is just completing one. After enjoying putting in the last few pieces, switch to another duplicate that is eating garbage, then to the one that is playing in a raging rock concert, then to the one that is scoring the winning goal. You will be so busy enjoying so many things that it could drive you crazy. When it is predicted that things will be better in the future, it doesn't necessarily mean that things will be easier.

Also, in 2009 we almost saw the collapse of the poorly regulated financial industry. No doubt, when people lost their life's savings (or their house), it had an impact on their health. During the crisis some corporations got billion dollar bailouts and their key decision makers got million dollar bonuses. The corporations did quite well because they were too big to fail. So while the incompetent, rich, gamblers got rewarded with bonuses and bailouts, the average taxpayer got the bill. There was an element of insanity to it all. Sadly, now that the financial industry is back on its feet, the regulations are still the same, so in the future, it could become necessary to bail them out again.

If you look at how these and other corporations (Eg. cigarette and pharmaceutical corporations) do business, you will understand why there is a need to make our system work better. Protesters complain about corporate greed. Corporations have to compete and they want to keep their market share, so they aren't free to make changes. They are expected to maintain their profits. Therefore, we need leadership, so when corporations make changes, there are appropriate controls, so there is a level playing field. This will make it possible for them to respond to the real needs of the average person.

But our attitude towards toxins also needs to recognize the reality of the role of toxins in our local economies. Most industries have safety standards and handle toxic chemicals with care. Some people have to work with toxins which eventually impact their health, so hopefully they get paid extra for their sacrifice. But we must realize that when a local company is irresponsible when dealing with toxins (if there are no national controls), sometimes we have to be tolerant and avoid criticizing, because jobs can be at stake. Workers may have to work at toxic, unsafe jobs, and avoid complaining even though they get paid little. If a corporation doesn't get local support and cooperation it can choose to move or expand elsewhere. Many jobs can be lost, and this can also be tragic for the workers.

That's why we need nationally enforced standards. When corporations complain, we need to recognize their motivation. Common sense tells us that our system needs a trusted referee and regulations to ensure people and their children are not exposed to toxic chemicals and to ensure our environment is adequate. History has shown that when powerful corporations are free to do as they want, a lot of damage is done and there are a lot of victims.

In Canada, front page headlines sum it all up:
"Protests didn't work. Financial reform didn't stick. Why it was a great year to be filthy rich." [ Winter 2011/2012 edition of the "Canadian Business" magazine. ] That was the impression that I had of the outcomes. The Internet has given people the power to make waves. But the protesters need realistic expectations. If they want to modify how things work, they need to understand how it works, and know what changes are practical. They also need to realize what they were up against. They need to understand their own limitations, and understand the power of the methods that the establishment can use, and at the real power of the rich.

Last October, about 300 people demonstrated in Calgary (Alberta, Canada) even though conditions here are generally quite good. Since we had proper regulations in place, we didn't have major problems with housing foreclosures, our unemployment rate isn't real bad, we are handling the homeless problem quite well, none of Canada's banks collapsed, and our economy is stronger and more stable than that of most countries. However, there were still concerns. Occupy Canada now has a living public document which is creating a starting point for discussion. At their online site you can read about proposals, help change them, and add your own comments: Rough Draft of Demands for Occupy Canada. Don't expect a lot, because it is only a rough draft.

Meanwhile as the United States chugs along, it is also coming up with answers. Many are broadcast on Charlie Rose's priceless television program. In his programs, he quite often interviews guests that have looked at important current questions in depth. They display solid knowledge, understanding, and practical insights. Check out Charlie Rose and you will find people with ideas that will give you a little more hope for the future.

Initially, about 75% of the population felt supportive of the Occupy Wall Street movement. But even though they didn't have a leader and were not united with one agenda, the protesters still gained a reputation. Some newspapers put a negative twist on what they reported, and after awhile some people got tired of hearing about the protestors. The protesters need to look at the wide ranging tools that Corporations can use in order to get their way, and to get the average consumer on their side. Once the public sees the protestors in a bad light, they know in advance what to expect. A bad reputation is hard to change.

There is a new reality show in which young and attractive people are buying homes worth well over a million dollars. It tells the public that rich people aren't so bad, they are actually likeable; and "The American Dream" is obviously a reality. We don't have to question this, we can see it regularly on television. But this program carries a powerful message. It gives viewers a warped view of what is real, a view that helps us sympathize with the rich.

Many people like to complain about too much government regulation. They know that a bureaucracy can be time consuming and costly. Some have strong opinions on this based on experience. But, regulations can be made clear and transparent. If banking can be quick and easy, governments can also make many of their processes quick and easy. If they deliberately turn the process into a frustrating ordeal, people need to blame the government for mismanagement. It is no longer necessary that regulations be made into a huge burden.

The power of the establishment can be seen in how conspiracy theories are treated. Initially, conspiracy theories can go unchallenged, so speculation happens in many areas. Then when a propaganda documentary is finally created, it has some easy targets, so some of the speculation is torn into pieces. In the minds of some viewers, the entire conspiracy theory is destroyed by that one documentary. In the case of the 9/11 conspiracy theories, when very little wreckage was found with two of the planes, some people denied that the planes had crashed. It isn't surprising that the documentary depicted this speculation as a repulsive failure to respect those who died, and those people are seen as American heroes.

After television became popular we soon had the couch potato. Since then, things have become worse as we increased our appreciation for irresistible and addictive packaged food, fast food restaurants, and junk food.

Our preferred activity has become sitting: sitting in front of the TV or computer. Even children prefer to sit rather than to play. It is not surprising that obesity and its complications have become a major problem. As we spend more time sitting and eating, some of us will become not much more than a blob.

There is currently a battle going on which will determine the future shape of the human race. The food industry (that wants people to be fat) is up against the fashion industry (that wants people to be skinny) and the porn industry (that wants people to be lumpy). At this time, it is easy to see that the food industry is going to be the clear winner.

If you sense that for you it could get worse, you might have a hard battle to change your lifestyle, to change your eating and shopping habits. Avoid reaching the point where you need to go to the hospital, and the only way to get there is to use a forklift to hoist you and your bed onto a flatbed truck. [this happened in Kansas in Oct. '09]   Obviously, there are better ways to enjoy life.

Many people fail to realize that the human body not only needs food, but it needs movement. More and more scientific studies are proving that regular movement (Eg. exercise (which can be free and enjoyable) ) can be as beneficial as some drugs (which can be expensive, with negative side effects).

If you are one of the many who avoid exercise, why not turn on some music and have some fun? It can be painless. Also, try choosing the kind of movement you enjoy, then make use of a program that helps you get fit. Try one of the new computer games that require physical movement.

An Epidemic of Obesity:
(A Worldwide Phenomenon)

It isn't fair to blame 2 out of 3 people for having a lack of will power. It makes more sense to take a realistic look at what the food industry is doing to us. Research has shown that anything with fat, salt, and sugar can be addicting. (a May 26/2010 story by Angela Mulholland, CTV.ca News Staff).
So that's what we're getting, and we're fighting a losing battle.

The food industry uses a variety of strategies to get us to buy food that makes us fat. They know that competition is stiff, so it is hard to increase market share by 5%. It is much more effective if they increase profits by 100% on a customer by making them fat so this has to be part of their strategy. (My assumption here is that an overweight person spends twice as much on food as someone who is slim.)

Being overweight has had a staggering impact on our lifestyle; and it effects our health. How can any nation claim to be strong when it is full of round and wobbly people?

The food industry also needs to change their use of processed sugars, hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals. They need more effective labeling and a knowledgeable referee to step in so the customer is no longer taken advantage of.

Most customers don't have the time to find out the long term consequences of eating the chemicals that are in many packaged products, and many tune out the short term consequences. So a customer will choose to save 20 cents on an item (which contains addictive and damaging chemicals), and come back next week to buy more. The food industry is happy with this because the health and well being of the general population is not their main concern; their main goal is to make profits. We need a referee to step in, to evaluate and regulate, to develop proper labeling, so we don't suffer the consequences of their chemical tricks. It has an impact on our healthcare costs. Salt is only a small part of the problem.

Right now, losing weight requires a radical change in shopping and eating habits, and in lifestyle. But most people are either overweight or obese, so the food industry is winning the battle. In an ideal world, most people would have the ability to chose to lose weight, and then to have a way to do it successfully. However, for most of us, the system currently has more power over our health and well being than we do, so we lose out in quality of life, and eventually it costs us all money.

Using Nanobots:
Miniature nanobots will be built to travel through your blood stream to anywhere in your body to repair damage. Also, larger nanobots will be used when you are sick. When you have an upset stomach, you will swallow a very small cherry tasting robot which will travel through your stomach taking video of the mess.

It will be set up like a video game, so you can control the exploring and the selection of images. Then you can replay the video to help a doctor diagnose your problem, or to prove to your employer that you really were sick.

Adding a month of summer by voting for "Summer Savings Time ! (?) "

In 2012, somewhere in the world, in response to a cool summer, people will vote to adopt "Summer Savings Time. "

So on February 1st, they will spring ahead one month, and on August 1st, they will fall back one month.

In this way they will completely eliminate one month of winter, and joyfully add one full month of beautiful summer. (?)

A Ring Tone Cadillac

In 2012, people will eagerly buy the new battery powered Cadillac which will run in silence. But the owners will soon complain about the lack of noise. Nobody hears them take off and nobody hears them drive by. People stop noticing their car. [ In the summer of 2010, concerns were finally expressed that electric cars have a safety problem because they don't make noise; if someone nearby backs up, you don't hear them coming. ]

Thousands of owners will complain about their quiet cars; it just doesn't feel like they own a REAL car.

The designers will respond by adding loud noises to the 2013 model. So, the driver can punch a button to get noise, like a ring tone. They can select:

• a rocket sound ending with a sonic boom
• a drag racer
• a flock of turkeys
• a herd of elephants

• a gurgling brook
• a freight train
• a marching band

But the good people who buy this environmentally friendly car will be considerate. They will willingly drive like a gurgling brook, most of the time. However, when they really get the urge to cut loose, they will escape to the country. So in remote areas, every few days, the countryside will be invaded by the loud sounds of a stampeding herd of elephants.

Genetic Engineering:
Eventually, genetic engineering will allow us to create the perfect human. It will be hard to get used to. Parents will order a baby who will grow up to do a slam dunk or to have a Barbie doll appearance. But after the 2082 winter Olympics, some babies will be created aerodynamic, so they can sail like ski jumpers. Soon, powerful little motors will be added so they can fly, and a new fad will really take off. Billions of slam dunkers will jump for joy, while billions of Barbie dollers will become totally depressed.

George W. Bush appeared to have the right image. He could memorize things, would roll up his sleeves and do real work (for a photo op), and looked like the kind of guy you can have a beer with. But were these reasons enough to vote for him, to make him the most powerful person in the world?

It is obvious to many people that being President of the United States is a complex and demanding job. It is true that George Bush was likeable, and he knew how to duck shoes, but this is only a small part of the job. It would be far better if he would have made the right decisions, so people wouldn't have to throw shoes at him.

Sarah Palin gave the entire world a scare. Some people actually thought she had enough ability to become President of the United States. It's true that she can get men to vote for her by wearing heels and a leather skirt. She speaks with conviction, and gets people's attention; she can hang out of a helicopter while shooting a moose.

We appreciate a feisty girl. But instead of just ducking shoes, Sarah Palin would throw them back. So, instead of getting the job done, every week, after an afternoon of shopping, she would waste the rest of the day engaged in shoe fights.

Sarah had and has weaknesses that are a problem. There was too great a chance that she might have become President of the most powerful country in the world. She probably would have made the same kind of BRUTAL and costly blunders that were made by George W. The only difference is that she would have made her blunders twice as fast.

I'll have to leave the comments in this box here just in case Sarah jumps into the Republican leadership race at the last minute, and just in case there is still someone out there who will vote for her.

Many of us live in a culture of violence, so violence is becoming more acceptable. Many people feed their minds with garbage: with movies, television programs, and computer games that make every part of their being know that shooting and violence is fun and exciting (and therefore, it becomes a more acceptable way of behaving). For many, it is their first impulse. Our society has gradually moved from a tradition of proper fist fights to fights with guns and knives in which there is a good chance that at least one person will die. Are we moving in the right direction? Could it be that we need to make better choices?

Dealing With Future Wars:

Both sides need to develop a mindset of compromise. Although both sides will find giving in to be an irritating, disturbing process, they need to face reality, and then get serious about dealing with their emotions. It is their extreme emotions that are the problem. After that, instead of continuing to suffer with the painful damage that comes with a lose lose situation, they can enjoy the wide ranging benefits of a win win situation.

It is tragic that the world has so many extremists of all types. Many extremists feel they don't have to be rational and fair, and don't need facts in order to understand. Some extremists create their own set of beliefs. Even though those beliefs are based on flawed information, are irrational, emotional, and potentially destructive, many times, history has shown that millions of people are willing to ignore common sense and share their emotions. When they all feel the same, they sense they must be right; so they follow their leaders like sheep. They don't care how the real world works or what the facts are because deep in their heart they know they have the answer.

ABOUT 45 MILLION DIED!
It was unfortunate.
Instead of doing what he did,
he should have taken two weeks
of puppet therapy.

Bringing Sanity to the World:

By 2015, it will be widely accepted that quality schools, pre-schools, and daycares have an extremely important role to play in the future of our world. Daycare workers will be given the added role (after a little additional training) of monitoring and influencing parents, to prevent abuse and neglect. They are in the best position to ensure that children in ALL families are emotionally healthy, so they don't grow up to become another Hitler, a fanatical leader, a mass murderer, an abuser, a bully, an addict, or a mental patient.

We need to keep in mind that changing the bad behavior of a child is far easier and far less costly than attempting to change the behavior of a damaged adult. Damaged adults cause problems wherever they go, require increased policing, jails, judicial system use, mental hospitals, treatment programs, etc. All of this costs "Big Bucks" and gets limited results.

George W. Bush should have spent time in a quality daycare. That is where he could have learned how to respect other children, especially those who are younger, weaker, and not as well developed. When George was 4 years old, he could have learned how to respond to a 3 year old who whacks him over the head from behind, then runs and hides. A quality daycare could have taught him how to use common sense, and how to be a good person.   While they were at it, they could have also taught George how to not leave behind a big mess.

After all that happened, I have to give George W. credit for writing a book, so we now know he did a few things right while he was President. But why was he eager to attack the wrong country? Why didn't he wait to see if the UN inspectors would find weapons of mass destruction? It was taking a lot of time to find them because they didn't exist. George W. relied on guess work and shaky intelligence, and then attacked. Why did he start an unnecessary war that the United States couldn't afford? Also, it isn't surprising that Amnesty International would like to investigate him for war crimes under international law.

It isn't fair to condemn the United States. They did elect a new leader 3 years ago and have put some sanity into their foreign policy. The United States withdrew their soldiers from Iraq, so Iraq must now work hard to maintain stability in their own country. Soon Afghanistan will face the same challenges.