floundersgreatadventure

The weekend news from down here was a little unexpected the police arrested in two days 1372 drunks 279 in the capital of Bogota. This is only the ones they got on main roads and includes taxi cab drivers and bus drivers. As I’ve said in the past drinking and soccer appear to be this country’s national pastime. This reminds of how they used to put Holiday death tolls on the news and we had some pretty big numbers back in the day. I think the police down here should take a look around the world especially in the United States to see how the problem is being handled. Of course the big problem down here is apathy by the police who only react after the TV news has shown some horrific major accidents caused by drunks then for a little while they respond to public outcry this also keeps peoples mind off the other problems in the country. I beginning to think that the main reason Colombian people are considered to some of the happiest in the world is their not sober enough to see their life as it really is. This is Flounder saying CIAO from Medellin.

Today we’re going to talk a little more about how the computer age is depersonalizing the world and preventing us from fully developing our imaginations. Let’s start with how just about everything in your house can be controlled by your smart phone while you’re in the car or on the train. You can set your burglar alarm, turn on your air conditioner or set it to a new temperature. You can set recording devices to record your favorite soap opera or sporting event. You can even open your door for your girl friend if you running late. We can keep going turn on the stove, oven, and dishwasher just about anything electric in your house and you don’t have to be there or get out of bed. Telecommuting is making so you really never have to leave the house all the major stores and markets will take an order over the internet and deliver it to your door. Now as to depersonalizing your world face to face conversation is becoming obsolete. Both Jeff and I have seen two people walking down the street together and rather than use their vocal cords to talk to each other they would text. Now that’s all fine and good but how do you know what that person is really like if you fall in love are in love with person next to you or are you in love with their electronic persona. We think if you watch every movie where computers are replacing natural selection with their choice and you say that can never happen. Take a look at yourself and see how much communication you do face to face and how much you do by computer or smart phone. You know smart phone is a good name for the device because it’s controlling you so obviously it’s smarter than you. This is a non smart phone owning Flounder saying CIAO from Colombia.

Jeff and Ruby went to a farm yesterday and had a great time they found out that there were farms in the area that were for rent for about 205000 pesos which is around 109.00 dollars. If this is true then next year after Hari is old enough to go to school they will take a more serious look at this. There even cats running around and although the road from the highway is best suited for a tank the pros thoroughly out way the cons. There is a bus that stops right down the road and even taxi service. The people we met were wonderful and friendly and it’s just so beautiful and quiet there. Here are a couple of pics so you can see what I’m talking about. But as you know I’m just glad there are cats around this is Flounder saying CIAO from Medellin

There was an article on the internet the other day that said children didn’t need to study grammar or spelling anymore because of Tablets, Smart phones and other computing devices. Then this morning there was another article about this 15 year old on the television show Jeopardy had lost about 3000 dollars because he spelled his answer wrong. Now Jeff says he’s seen this happen on a couple of game shows but no one eve complained like this kid and you know what they’ll probably give him the money. It goes to show though that spelling (which Jeff sucks at) is important and so is grammar. I know everybody talks in text language or HIP HOP now a days it’s just that Jeff feels we’re losing our since of self with our dependence on a machine to do thing s right. This is Flounder saying Thank you Spell check and CIAO from Medellin.

I know it’s been a couple of days since my last post but old one eye is busy taking care of Ruby and of course his bank screwed up again. Let’s start with a story about water the city of Cartagena which has been without drinking water for I think three days and thing are getting a little rough. As you can expect it’s had a large effect on the cities tourist business which as far as I know is their main source of income. They are trucking water to effective areas but the lines are long and people are upset, they are fixing the problem but they do a lot of that work slowly just like the US you know two or three guys working and eight or nine people standing around trying to look important. But they say on the news that they will get the problem fixed shortly (Yeah right). Medellin has a very modern water system and probably the best taste water I’ve ever had. Now the next story deals with the cost of doing business down here. If you’re a small business owner working seven days a week and you store is on the street and not in a mall you will subject to extortion from whatever criminal element works the area. They will come to you and tell you to pay X amount of Pesos every week if you refuse you will be robbed and possibly shot. The National police must receive a cut of this because they do little or nothing about it, of course if it happens in a wealthy neighborhood they will react but for the common folk tough shit. It’s really amazing walking around and see how useless the police really are of they will set up vehicle checks on the highways but there are neighborhoods where they will do nothing. These criminal get away with this because the people are conditioned to be afraid to complain means injury or possible death. Now we’re safe where we live because a lot of police live in the neighborhood. Now I don’t want you to think this a dangerous country it like most others during the day it’s safe but like other cities you have to be alert as for night time you don’t walk around by yourself and you stay out of certain neighborhoods. I’ve been told it has gotten better sine the old days but it still has a long way to go this is Flounder saying CIAO from Medellin.

I just read an article about MIT, that’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and how they’ve discovered a way to implant false memories in your mind about events that might not have even happened. So if you wake up tomorrow morning and think you the second shooter on the grassy knoll on that day in November 1963 when JFK was assassinated you might want to get a brain check. Sometimes I go to bed and everything’s cool and then I wake up and read stories like this and I go “OH SHIT”. Then there was the other story where the US Government wants more access to you information from Twitter. Really what do they want to know what kind of toilet paper Jeff uses? Now you know why I don’t think the age of information is such a good thing. I think I’m going to go back to bed and hope this is all just a nightmare this is Flounder saying CIAO from Medellin.

I’ve got old one eye helping with today’s post, so if it’s a little funny looking don’t blame me. We’ve been reading the news lately and have noticed a lot of train and bus accidents around the world and we’re wondering if either our technology has surpassed our ability to control it safely or is it outdated already. We’re going to go with its surpassed our ability to control it. I think that we’ve made thing so much faster that the human element is too slow to react in crisis situations. I also think that we’ve gotten to dependent on the machines making the right decisions for us so that if they don’t we can’t react fast enough. There is the maintenance factor to take into consideration to. The stress on components to go faster or carry more people is eventually going to take its toll. The solution seems to be but as much blame as possible on the human element so people won’t lose trust in the machines. Yes the human element contributes to the problem but that’s simply because you not going to get well educated bus drivers or train conductors. I don’t mean to demean the professions it’s just that these are boring jobs with little chance for real advancement. I don’t know if a higher degree of education would make a difference because unless you’re a hockey goalie or stockcar driver when things are happening at very high speeds around you’re not going to react fast enough in certain situations. We’ll be back to look at other aspects of technology soon this is Flounder saying CIAO from Medellin.

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted but if I wait for Jeff’s eye to get better it will be 2014. In order for him to have surgery for his cataract he had to see a regular doctor who has now sent him to a specialist with whom he has an appointment in Sept. this is the system that or insurance company has in place, he can’t afford to pay for it himself so he has to go with the flow don’t worry if it was an emergency he would have had it done already but they don’t consider not having perfect vision an emergency. So if he’s lucky he might get the operation by the end of the year and as he put the doctors are great but the system sucks big time. I’ll keep you all posted on what’s going on and I’m going to try to resume daily posts as long as old one eye doesn’t mind this is Flounder saying CIAO form Medellin.

Well I’ve been diagnosed with cataracts in my right eye and have to have surgery I don’t think I’ll be writing to many blogs for awhile but if something good comes up I’ll make sure Flounder gets a post out. I might just let him takeover completely but I need to talk to him first, I want to thank all the well wishers out there and I’ll “see” you soon

Jeff is having some eye problems and may not be able to help with the blog so if we miss a few days don’t get alarmed (and don’t cheer to much) I’m sure we’ll be back soon.