Influencer or Influenced

      Why not a self-referential blog post? After all, it is a self-focused activity anyway. When I first started the radical readings blog, it was actually an experimental little thing, using mixed uppercase and lowercase letters etc, trying to look cool. But I deleted my other, main blog, and this one remained, sitting unused for a while. Then I decided to try things on here. Youtube video links, or photos of the State Fair, and then finally, poetry and short stories when I got more into the literary writing thing. Now, here it is 2018, and I just hate to see this blog go away.

     After watching the documentary “Follow Me” on Netflix, it made me think about the social media phenomenon in general. Now it is not enough to just post stuff. It is much more about trying to do amazing stunts on Youtube to get hits, or take the most amazing Instagram selfie imaginable, or the most incredible Facebook post, etc ad nauseum. For me, the blog has been a way to toss out some of my poetry and writing, as well as promote my books. Guilty as charged. But I feel little remorse, aside from all of the time spent (or wasted) posting things that may be of very little interest to the rest of the world. After all, I'm in pretty good company.

     Not only famous people post things; now many become famous for posting just the right things. And it seems like most of humanity is on one kind of social media or another. To a child of the 1960s this still amazes me. The ages of being are now divided between before the Internet and online existence, and after. That line could be sharpest right around 1995-96 when masses of people started publishing their own web pages. Now, people were showing photos of their house, their pets, kids, spouses and even sexual preferences. Now, you didn't have one conventional life. Now you had two, one online and one offline, normal, static life.

     Today it has really gone bonkers. Our physical, real-world existence seems here only to feed, nurture and protect our exploding online presences. Data storage is cheap, and huge data centers are popping up all over the place. Even an online, virtual-world existence requires physical resources and real estate. There has to be some eventual place where we bump up against a limit, and have to stop, or at least shut off the devices once in a while. Who knows? If the giant FAANG companies can figure out a way to erect data centers in orbit or on the Moon or Mars, they probably will. And then we'll have even more storage for our cat pictures and grinning selfies. And I'm as guilty as anyone else. After all, I'm ranting about it here on my blog. Mike Wilson, doing his part to use up bits and bytes and disk sectors, doing his patriotic duty to consume. I salute me. And I salute you, dear reader, for your time expended on reading this er, stuff.

     I really do hope I can live twenty more years just to see where we end up. I'm amazed it has gone this far, astounded at some of the stuff people can download for free, which in the last century could only be imagined. Consumer I will happily remain, and leave it to others to try and become full-fledged Social Media Influencers . Good luck – I'll be watching. Lolz.

CEOTTK

So I watched that old standard again last night: Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

It was a classic sci-fi film. It was full of human drama, tension, and nefarious doings. And I found myself doing some mental comparisons between 1977 and now. One woman, a main character in the film, had her living room shown quite a bit. It had a rotary-dial telephone, a fold-down stereo set, and a large television. No desktop computer, no laptop, no tablet, no smartphone, or cell phone of any kind.

In other scenes, technicians for (apparently) NASA and/or the military all speak into bulky headsets. (the kind that probably were likely common in the early 1960's Mercury space program.) There was one computer CRT, which displayed some (monochrome) number sets. Lots of spinning radar dishes and automatic cameras were seen in the final sequences. In one scene a lady is taking a lot of snapshots with a regular cartridge-film camera. For 1977, nothing unusual. For today, quaint, dated, amusing. We have indeed come a long way.

Today the Extraterrestrials would be posted about, video-ed, shared – and they would “explode” across the entire Internet. Almost everyone would have some kind of image on their phone or PC in short order. But there would still be wonder and amazement in spades. Back in 1977, we were still struggling with the construction of the Space Shuttle. Today, no American spacecraft is able to loft astronauts into orbit, although a few are under construction. It is back to the capsules for us, made by private companies. The visiting aliens would have nothing to worry about regarding Earth-originating human-crewed spacecraft.

Their arrival would generate at least as much wonder today as back then. Would they generate the same light shows, that ultimate sky disco show? Or generate the same 5-tone sequence and spread it everywhere, including all the telephones? Hard to say. Someone is going to have to make a sequel to that film, for sure. Of the ET's coming back after 41 years. Hope someone does it. Hey Mr Spielberg, are you listening???? Thanks for reading.

Crazy Reigns These Days

Massacre at a synagogue, eleven dead.

Four policemen shot, possibly in the head.

Iowa congressman travels to Austria,

meets with neo-nazi thugs;

Companies decide to cut ties with him,

an awakening for the corporate slugs.

Our economy shines with high-powered veneer,

underneath workers struggle with poverty and fear.

Space program creeps along in fits and starts,

innovation fleeing our small-minded shores.

Seeking escape from their own pain,

people pick on others, driving them insane.

When will all of this madness end,

who can anyone really call a friend?

Inspired Capitalism just keeps changing the world

Froth, or A Venture-capitalist religion.

Starting companies can start fortunes,

industries, pump up economies, make careers,

change the lives of everyone in a nation or the world.

Light bulb, electric generation, AC power = modern civilization.

One guy perfected the light bulb, and made over society – all of it.

Two stinky nerds in a garage built a breadboard computer,

and their legacy is a trillion dollar company,

and a smartphone in a billion hands around the globe.

It is difficult to know what will take off, make it, hit it big,

be adopted and become fashionable.

Macintosh computers were obviously advanced, amazing,

but it took another two decades for their manufacturer to soar;

But the smartphone became ubiquitous in a decade.

When you combine technology, smart humans, capitol and determination,

astounding, improbable, unbelievable things can and do happen.

They have, over and over.

This is to denote a religion of inventing.

A religion of doing, a religion of making,

a religion of creation.

Not just once. But over and over, continuously.

This is the religion of inspired capitalism.

Not quite your pop stand or flea market table, no...

The “inspired” means intelligent, driven by one or more very smart founders.

You need intelligence, a background of technology, lots of financing, and determined, dedicated,

passionate employees. A venture capitalist to sit on the board and be a shepherd, a guide, a common-sense voice. Then, sit back and watch magic happen.

The mix won't catalyze, won't combust every time.

But when it does, the world is transformed, and billionaires are minted!

And more wealth is generated for everyone participating.

It is the duty, the mission and responsibility of the founders of every technology company:

To make their organization the next Apple, the next Xerox, the next Tandem, the next world-changing company out there. To strive for anything less is to allow mediocrity and ultimate failure into your company.

(In Froth We Trust – Froth is the next Big Thing.)

Froth - A religion of Inspired Capitalism

Inspired: by the Intellect of the founders and the Determination of the whole organization.

Capitalized: by Venture Capitalists and far-seeing investors.

Religion: Generating the non-stop dedication to the cause which is to create and market products that will change the world, revolutionize our lives, create wealth for everyone.

Examples of Inspired Capitalism – world-changing companies and ideas.

Apple computer

Cisco - fistfights in the corridors, but world-changing products shipped out the door.

Intel - founded by engineers fleeing Fairchild Semiconductor in 1968.

Tandem computers - because airline and wall street computers should not crash, by golly.

Segway and it's founder – let's try a new way to get people around. Dean Kamen.

Uber and Lyft, and other sharing technologies, Bird and scooter companies.

Some products will only last a few years, but they in turn propel further innovation.

AI-powered Robots and Dolls, controlled via Smartphone (thank you again, Steve Jobs).

(Some of us still remember the days when you had to walk up to a device and turn it on, not just tap your phone.)

A few individuals, some starting financing, a good idea, and miraculous transformation occurs.

Miracles are no longer the province of old-time Christianity. Now they will happen in labs and basements and garages, from Mountain View CA to Shanghai, China.

The next hundred years will be absolutely mind-boggling. Enjoy the show.

In memory of Gretchen Fosket

She came out of a corner,

and insinuated herself into my life.

A friendly smiling face at Alpha meetings,

A source of information about goings-on.

Her mood was not always the best,

since she battled various infirmities.

But when she smiled, she glowed,

and bestowed friendship and kindness.

She smiled often through all difficulties.

Lent support and a helping hand,

even a book to facilitate a years lessons.

Someone I did not even know,

except in reputation mis-represented.

She turned out to be a valued friend,

and a warm presence in my life.

Brain noise today

First you create intent,

desire and want and need.

Create hunger, thirst, cravings.

Desires both on the surface and deep down.

Then layer it with purpose,

intent laced with planning,

cunning and subterfuge.

An innate curiosity to learn,

and thus be able to satisfy urges.

Then you package it all,

make it portable, powerful,

ensconced atop a bipedal frame.

Mobile and loaded with senses.

Visual, infrared and ultraviolet sights,

deep olfactory library capable of molecular detection.

Four grapplers, each with seven digits, super-strong.

Once your apparatus is tested and diagnosed to a fault,

then you turn it on, sit down and have conversations.

You are now “Dad” and this is “Super-progeny.”

Meta-human, our successor.

Experimenting with URE

Cocksure poesy

Am not going to be demure,

or act all prim and mature;

Why would I want to obscure

efforts to insure romances aperture.

Undertake efforts to procure

someone with investiture;

forget that I am insecure,

just enter someone's plan for a future.

Go to clubs - don't be an amateur,

look in the mirror at your coiffure;

dance with the hotties and think thoughts impure,

see if they respond to any of your overtures.

In the end was unsure

if I could endure

wading through social manure

in order to procure

someone's love and ensure

our relationship would last forever.

Underlying structure of our universe

It is all their fault.

Masses of punch cards wracked western civilization,

to the refrain of “the computer did it”

or “we are having computer problems.”

The data moved swift to magnetic media.

Some blame shifted to erasure:

“The disk crashed, the tape got erased.”

A generation of teenagers fixated on video games.

PCs and Macs took over bedrooms and living rooms,

all tied together by the new, bedazzling Internet.

Companionship and conflict shrank to a mouse click away.

While everyone used mice, that is.

The advent of the Smartphone made a

new generation act like dumb humans.

The then-current crop of teens milled around,

zombies staring at tiny screens, lost in cyber space.

Now the screens grow larger, software

more varied and complex, capabilities increased.

PCs and Macs are for the older generation.

Love and life now groove on Iphones and Galaxies,

streamed live to your favored social media platform.

However,

deep down, below screens and circuitry,

under layers and layers of software,

those sneaky 1s and 0s shift silently around,

doing their dirty work every microsecond,

nanosecond, picosecond.

Social discontinuity is all their fault,

and they control the universe now:

01001110 01001111 01001000 01000001 01010100 01000101

New Decoration

Did they leap off the bridge,

catch a boot before the plunge?

Or was it a memento of past

roundups and romps on the range?

Trinkets get placed on pedestrian bridges,

locks symbolizing true love,

ribbons honoring a relative,

even commemorative plaques.

Never seen a leather boot on there!

What drugstore cowboy or range rascal

would part with such a precious icon,

replete with decorative eyeholes?

Unless there is a body with the other boot,

floating downriver;

or some motorcyclist is missing a

piece of valued luggage,

flung away while they were roaring

down a nearby road.

If boots could talk, then we would know.

So we speculate away, until someone

tosses the thing into the river,

or takes it away as a souvenir

of the wild, untamed Midwest.

Same to you and more of it

All around me now is quiet,

so nice to experience peace.

Flowers still bloom and trees stay green,

wind sways weed stalks, spores release.

Rain comes flooding in and wets the world,

soaks all the flowers and fleeces the trees.

Relaxing indoors is fine, quietude better.

One can contemplate and be at ease.

Enjoyed meeting with a group earlier,

we swapped funny anecdotes and left all pleased.

We take our wins and savor them at home,

prepare for the next problem or disease.

Another one always looms up ahead,

must stay alert, new problems never cease.

Am so thankful for past party enjoyments,

But always hoping for more joy to seize.

All around is discontent, scarcity, frustration, aggravation;

hidden by walls of brick, wood or some stucco frieze.

Best thing to do seems to keep plodding along,

stay alive, make money and the angry gods appease.

Native Energy

     Humankind has been studying using power from the sun for thousands of years. Evidence of early ovens and windmill-like devices from around 100-200 AD has been found. Over succeeding centuries, minor and major improvements have been made. By the 1400s, windmills were being used all over Denmark to pump water and so forth. In the twentieth century, wind and solar technology really made strides.

     Nowadays, one can see wind turbines in fields in many US states and even offshore, as well as in many other countries. We are deploying renewable energy technologies at an accelerating rate, and this bodes well for the environment as well as our energy security. But, due to factors like increasing population, our demand for fossil fuels seems to keep going up. More oil wells are being dug in areas from North Dakota to Texas. We continue to import oil from around the world. And oil pipelines are constructed to move the oil to refineries. Our environment suffers, from burning fossil fuels, and from pipelines leaking crude oil onto and into the earth. Pipeline rights-of-way have barged through sacred native burial grounds, and through watersheds. We keep having problems of various kinds due to our continued addiction to crude oil.

     There are various movements and groups trying to combat this. And to their credit, some utilities have undertaken large-scale deployment of wind turbine farms, and solar generation facilities. So there is hope. Nevertheless, coal plants are still used to generate electricity, and until we can shutter most or all of these, our air and water will continue to be polluted. So: one additional solution might be to form more local alternative-energy co-ops and groups, and even companies. These might be comprised of one or more Native American tribes pooling their resources, forming companies, either nonprofit or for profit, and diving into the alternative energy arena. Rather than simply running a casino, and keeping up with the Jones's, one or a group of tribes could do something revolutionary. Form a working group to form a corporation to deploy and sell alternative energy.

     This could consist of small solar installations on tribal homes, and setting up a billing system that would be fair and equitable to all involved. Or perhaps investing in a cooperative wind turbine or turbines. From there, expand it out to nearby homes, schools, businesses. Instead of waving signs and screaming at the pipeline companies, beat them at their own game. Offer energy alternatives.

One area that seems to be ripe is car charging stations. I see a few of these at libraries and public buildings. But there are many, many times that number of regular gas stations/convenience stores. Either set up a card-activated charging station, or partner with convenience store chains to set up charging units, with every charge sending a payment back to the NAE – Native American Energy – corporation, for example. Something to consider.

     In any case, it is gratifying to see more and more folks adopting alternative energy. Just today I read in the news that Jaguar is bringing out their own luxury all-electric vehicle, to compete with Tesla. More and more are seeing the benefits of adopting alternative propulsion, transportation, and all around energy. Native American tribes could do the same to help confront the pipeline intruders. Thanks for reading.

Touring a WWII LST the other day

Weapon sentinels take aim at the sky:

Be warned, Stukas and Zeroes:

You are a target in our sights.

Mighty engines rumble underneath,

carrying troops and equipment to some distant beach.

With massive steel bulkheads and supports,

large hoists and cranes, even a patrol boat

carried on a side hoist for outside inspections.

Everything in this giant transport from another era

overwhelms, imposing in strength and purpose.

In a day when wars were fought closer,

more often in direct sight of an enemy,

These vessels of conflict were “all in.”

Armed, armored and provisioned,

they had to be ready for any contingency.

US shipyards built over a thousand of these LSTs,

each more than the length of a football field.

Churchill called them “The ship that won the war.”

When you take in the full view of this massive craft,

you can believe they played a major role.

Quite an accomplishment for industry in 1945.

One wonders if we could match that kind of effort now.

Here is hoping that we never have to find out.

(Picture credit Wikipedia)

Mississippi

No more Native American canoes float over the waters,

now heavily laden barges set the river channel's pace.

Pleasure boaters dash to and fro at the edges, while

the Channel Catfish, Carp and Bass shelter where they can.

The river shines and sparkles in late-morning sun,

Moving soddenly through a large industrial area;

picks up tons of detritus while reflecting along the way,

as it journeys ahead, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

The river provides beauty and takes up tons of soil.

Our “Father of Waters” does a lot for people,

carrying barge traffic and pleasure boaters,

and various species of fish and crustaceans,

along with treated wastewater and storm runoff.

It has flowed for many years, even changed course

over the eons, and just keeps on flowing today.

Still an inspiring sight for any who care to gaze,

whether from high up on a bridge,

or next to a wooded riverbank.

I am so glad it is here to provide inspiration for me,

and hopefully for many, many generations yet to be.

Moving Detritus

Transitory Sweep

Fifteenth floor, deploy the broom.

Sweep steady, back and forth, back and forth.

Step down one, sweep the stair, poke the corners,

find some gravel? Sweep it into the scoop.

Step down one, sweep sweep sweep

do not lock the knees, that will make me faint.

I gain the rhythm, daydream some, occupy

different lands, times, worlds. Stumble,

right myself, pay attention: the landing is coming.

Sweep across the landing, check the corners.

Whew! Take some breaths, curse the stifling heat.

Sweep sweep sweep, got a coffee break to keep.

Sweep sweep sweep, it will be worth it on the

weekend, when payday arrives, ka-ching!

Ka-ching ka-ching, money into my bank account,

sweep sweep sweep dollars into retirement accounts.

Sweep sweep sweep - it will all be worth it.

See, there goes another floor, sweep past the exit door.

Back to the stairs, step down one, sweep sweep sweep.

Soon I reach six, where did those upper ones go.

Sweep sweep sweep, no here comes five, hurray!

Sweat drips down my polyester shirt, I shake it off,

sweep sweep sweep, take some deep breaths, keep going.

(No matter what I have to keep going.) May be over

sixty, but am getting closer to first floor now, and that

coffee break is closer than ever before. Just got to

keep my body going, sweep by sweep, step by step,

down, down, down into the basement stairwell.

Ahhh, coolness of lower air masses, and the sounds of

subfloor machinery. The last doors are breached, the last

landings swept away, the last rugs border-swept. And the

old body sweeps on to victory over dirt once again.

Wow, that must be some kind of record – at the least,

it all keeps the calories down. Sweep and done!

Saunter down the basement passage, sighing and gulping air.

Soon, coffee will follow. Ahhh.

Good Chemistry on a Sunday Afternoon

Sometimes just a few things have to be

spun in the right way,

just the right amounts.

Perfect weather,

congenial hosts,

the right mix of crowd,

no one with any extreme grudges.

Just friendly hellos,

tasty meats grilling,

chips and drinks and chatting.

a soak in cool pool water,

intermittent sunshine,

relaxation and conversation.

Eating and talking quietly,

no pressures.

Rest and chuckles and smiles,

ease and poise and restoration.

All too soon, it is

time to go,

bathed in afternoon sunlight

one last moment before we leave.

Ethereal snapshot of momentary bliss.

Driving away,

I know

I have just had a wonderful experience,

and wish it could go on and on and on.

e

Expansion Outline

We (humanity) have now explored the entire Solar System with robotic probes, and we are maintaining the ISS as an occupied outpost. Soon, hopefully, we will be building the Gateway station near the Moon. Here is a proposed outline of ownership and building-out of space facilities.

Firstly, while we complete the Gateway station, and begin occupying it, this will probably be a multi-national effort, involving governments. The US can use its SLS and Falcon Heavy rockets to assemble a core, in conjunction with Russian help. Then, hopefully the Europeans will join in with a module or two. Meanwhile, the ISS, getting long in the tooth, will be increasingly turned over to commercial interests. This will eventually become a tourist destination, perhaps with additional (Bigelow?) hotel modules and so forth. Commercial companies can contract with NASA etc to keep the station's life support and life necessities (recycling especially) functioning. The main focus of NASA/ESA/Roscosmos will shift to Gateway Station, and eventually the surface of the Moon.

NASA/ESA/Roscosmos etc should then establish a permanent Lunar base staffed by 4 to 6 astronauts. These can be rotated in and out every six months or so, since they will have some gravity to prevent bodily stresses and bone degradation. They could be ferried up to the Gateway, and then ferried home, with no necessary stopover on ISS (unless they want to.)

By the time NASA/ESA/Roscosmos completes the Lunar station and commences regular missions there, the ISS should be a 90 percent commercial operation, with government involvement only as consulting in keeping life support functional. The Gateway station should be shifting over to commercial ventures as well, like tourism.

The next step might be a station orbiting the Sun, halfway between the Moon and Mars (the orbital path). Perhaps mini-shuttlecraft would travel between the Moon and this platform. Once a small crew is occupying this platform, they would do long-term studies of issues like radiation and weightlessness, and transfer of material between the Moon and Mars. Some materials would concurrently be shipped to Martian orbit, to begin construction of a large, orbiting Mars station.

As the focus shifts to the mid-point platform and the Mars orbital station, operations on the Moon would be more and more commercialized, paying more of their own way, so governments can shift their focus further and further out. Casinos, care centers for the elderly, mining and adventure tourism would settle in. In this way, as each succeeding station or outpost is built further out, the preceding ones become more commercialized and self-sustaining.

Until such point is reached that, one day, we are all the way out beyond the orbit of Saturn. By this time, the Moon should be almost an economic backwater, occupied mostly by automated mining and observation stations, and Mars should be a buzzing hive of economic activity, with several colonies on the surface and underground. Commercial can follow governmental exploration, as humanity learns to live and thrive in a variety of new space environments. We will show our ever-changing adaptability and cleverness as we ultimately conquer our entire Solar System. By this time we should be so good at harvesting asteroidal materials, that shortages of material things should be relegated to a dim, harsh past, only remembered by our great-grandparents in their care centers on the Moon.

- end

Short Stories for Summer Reading

Enjoy some light sci-fi and fantasy reading this summer.

Twenty-Nine Stories

Have Fun!

Haiku Four - honoring a former Iowa Governor

hot southern winds blow,

carry away dripping sweat;

see procession pass.

Governor's honor,

good man honored by public.

Rest in peace Bob Ray.

Example to all,

humanitarian life;

historic high mark.

Words few or many,

inadequate to express the admiration

for a human being who lived his beliefs,

walked the walk,

put his acts beyond where his mouth was.

Would that we could do half as good.

-

Haiku Three

smartphone informs me

TV programs delight me

bugs eat my garden

Haiku Two

Twenty-five years ago, in 1993,

all 99 Iowa counties were declared

disaster areas, qualified for federal aid.

250,000 people were without drinking water.

Now, today, the Saylorville reservoir is full,

not quite to overflowing.

More rain is on the way this weekend.

Rain in northern Iowa that will flow our way.

We had a letup this week, with lots of sunshine.

The calm before the storm?

Another major disaster looms?

Anything can happen, and usually does.

Here is hoping this is not the case,

that the rains will be gentle, mild, light.

That more sunshine will drop the reservoir,

lower the rivers and streams back to normal.

Cross your fingers everyone.

And keep emergency supplies handy.

- - - - -     Haiku Too

more rain keeps coming,

reservoir filled to the top.

get ready, Des Moines.