Hi,
There have been a number of stories about the new technology of the future. Corning Glass is offering information on the many uses for strong varieties of glass recently invented and combined with computer like devices. These include menus in your bathroom mirror to select daily items, remind you of this or that, and give you calendar and time reminders. The new glass offers many uses in all areas of the technology of home and business. How much all of these innovations will add the cost of your home or business is a moot point as well as a mute one!
I don't know about you but that's more morning information than I can really handle without breaking the mirror!!!!!!!!!!
An article that really intrigued me was out of Yorktown Heights, New York where an IBM room sized COMPUTER (remember the first computer unveiled was also room sized and miniaturized in a surprising short time!!!!!) competed against MAN (generic) in thinking.
Now I should be more stunned by that but when you consider the thinking that most of mankind is inclined to do either through lack of ambition or intelligence, I'm compelled to think that it's about time a machine was invented to do just that!!!!!!!!!!! Problem is that such a machine is being created by the same stated mankind so unless the machine can teach itself to think for itself, I don't see much improvement happening but life might get easier!!!!!!!!
To illustrate that point, take the occasion and the million dollar prize IBM set up to test the machine. They took a JEOPARDY! contestant who won 74 consecutive games and two other big winners and pitted them against their computer, WATSON, named after the founder of IBM as is the research lab.
Fortunately, WATSON eventually WON big time since the game requires encyclopedic recall (no problem); untangling convoluted and opaque statements (a little problem but not much); strategic button-pressing (duck soup-EASY); and a bit of luck (WHOOPS!!!!!!!! WATSON WAS NOT BUILT TO BE LUCKY!!!!!!) But since only a bit of luck was required, the final amounts were: WATSON, $77,147.00; 74 GAME WINNER, $24,000.00; AND A THIRD CONTESTANT, $21,600.00. Not a bad price for a publicity stunt since WATSON couldn't spend the cash prize!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WATSON is now being groomed for, among other things, uses in doctor's practices and consumer buying. I'm not sure what one has to do with the other but doctors do sell a lot of profit making laboratory tests so I can only think that maybe WATSON will become a SUPER SALESMAN!!!!!!!!!!
WATSON'S big victory, however, was in stopping the LAUGHTER in Silicon Valley that started in the 1980's when companies who funded the 1960 vision of a thinking robot machine, were heavily invested, and went belly up!!!! The audience of IBM execs and clients, however, were quick to laugh at a huge 'faux pas' by Watson in answering Toronto for a large U.S. city and its clues. Hey, remember "mankind" programmed Watson so his intelligence is limited by his teachers!!!!!!!!!!
On the serious side of these ingenious machines, IBM announced that it will collaborate with Columbia University and the University of Maryland to create a physicians assistance service to help doctors in their illness research. They can query a "cybernetic assistant" quickly and easily on a machine that will have voice recognition. And this usage for WATSON could be ready in a few years. It will help a very memory oriented profession by providing new tools that create shortcuts to information on needed medical issues.
The three day competition put on by IBM's T.J. Watson Research Laboratory certainly proved to be a real vindication for a field of computer science that is only in its infancy. It is already parallel with STAR TREK in having a machine that can understand and answer questions but the testing indicates that the advances in the future will be more than mind boggling.
It tends to provide proof of what I wrote when all the financial troubles began and moaning and groaning was heard across America. WE ARE A VERY INVENTIVE SOCIETY and won't be kept in the DARK AGES OF POLITICAL warfare by any theorists, no matter how powerful or monied. Americans can remain in the forefront of this technological revolution and our inventive genius will go a long way to providing the freedom from oppression that our country desires.
REMEMBER SOME OF OUR GREATEST COMFORTS HAVE COME FROM AMERICAN INVENTORS. A FACT THAT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED!!!!!!!!!!That is why other societies and radical thinkers dislike and fear America. We have the TALENT to continue to play through!!!!!!!!! Support the inventors and the inventions as Wall Street has done! Embrace PRIVATE ENTERPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THESE ARE OUR STRENGTHS AS A NATION!!!!!!!!!!!
AND REALIZE WE HAVE ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES. Remember how far fetched "science fiction" seemed but we will soon have tools that far surpass the fiction. MACHINES can NOW be programmed TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO HUMANS and they will replace people in many jobs BUT THEY WILL CREATE NEW JOBS in service, care taking and programming, and whatever. New kinds of services will become available that have yet to be invented or even dreamed about since no tool exists yet for the innovations. The future is ours if we UNDERSTAND that!!!!!!!!!
CHEERS, CONNIE
2/19/11
THE MEDIA AIN'T IN THIS FOR NO LIGHT COURTIN'
Hi,
EGYPT!!!
We all followed the revolution that the Media helped along until the Media got bashed by ordinary citizens commanded by either the establishment or the rioters or both.
Considering the beating and raping an ill-advised female reporter from CBS got from a supposedly celebratory revolutionary crowd, it's a toss up which side objected to media interference the most. The reporter had been removed from Egypt after complaints and reentered the country that day, bragging to an associate who called her crazy, that she was without fear. Whether this was with or without CBS approval is not clear. What is clear; she was not wanted there, refused to be deterred, and placed herself in the danger. Tragic but arrogant. Arrogance is certainly an apt term for the media's attitude now.
Economically, we are already suffering the former unrest in the Middle East as gasoline prices rise, since we are determined to BUY Middle Eastern FRIENDSHIP????by buying their oil instead of using what already exists in our own country. Egypt's lack of government affects the ongoing relations with Israel and with whatever type of government comes out of the revolution. There is no guarantee of any new power's friendliness to us or Israel which could mean a new Middle Eastern war. I hope it becomes the government of Egypt's choice but there is no guarantee in revolution. Cost to us, of course; tax dollars.
The media is now in the stage of MAKING NEWS NOT JUST COVERING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! DANGER. WE don't elect the Media and we can't interfere with them so our input to their actions has to be through our knowledge of those actions.
When they become overbearing on any subject: revolution, health, and spreading fear with government bias, national security, even the weather's dramatic issues; we have to become constant in our ridicule of their methods before they and they alone are in a position to take away what little freedom we have left. REMEMBER, MEDIA IS ACTUALLY THE BIG MONEY THAT everyone is always talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE NOT IN THIS "FOR NO LIGHT COURTIN", FOLKS. "THEYS" GOLD IN THEM THERE RIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not a some to all blog. There are lots of reporters both on TV and in the other news associations that MEAN REALLY WELL. (remember that is not necessarily a compliment on my part) but there is also a large executive group controlling media to MAKE MONEY. Nothing would please them more than to see U.S. citizens (who have a right to peacefully gather and protest) actually take to our streets to ruthlessly and violently take down our government--Democrat or Republican--because the news coverage would be sensationalized.
Witness what happened in Wisconsin with the teacher unions this week. The amount of press coverage they received in a bankrupt state made the teachers seem greedy and the union look corrupt. Or from a different point of view, the Governor seemed high-handed and unsympathetic to the teacher's low salary needs. Certainly, not a fair assessment of their state or those involved. A headline in today's local paper claimed there are union conflicts all over the United States. The article concentrated on Wisconsin and ONLY speculation about Florida and other states. No other street conflict mention AT ALL. But the media obviously hopes a revolutionary virus is catching and that we citizens will catch it and give them lots of "news making MONEY"?????!!!!!!!!!
We are very fortunate at present to live under a very stable Constitution which provides PLENTY OF VOTER CHANGES at regular elections. Because of election laws and other constitutional avenues, Americans are in a constant position of being able to dump corrupt officials or make elective changes where necessary. Our 2010 election proved that to be true and this keeps our country more stable than most. We cannot allow an over-active media TO STIR UP news making events that lead our citizens down paths that are not to their advantage.
VIOLENT UNREST is not a sign of freedom but is a sign of BAD GOVERNMENT LAID ON BAD FOUNDATIONS with no other option for the people to remedy.
Although we glorify our original revolution in America, remember it happened BEFORE our forefathers were wise enough to LAY A GOOD FOUNDATION to GOVERNMENT in our country. Our Constitution provides the strong TRIPARTITE form of government by election to rational terms of office for the elected.
Our Constitution provides the deep cement foundation on which our national house is built. DON'T LET THE MEDIA CONVINCE YOU THAT WE NEED ANOTHER REVOLUTION.
IT IS NOT TRUE!!!!!!! WE SIMPLY NEED TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OFFERED TO US BY OUR CONSTITUTION!!!!!!!!!
Standing in line to vote in 2008, someone overheard a heavily accented man, who was a NEW AMERICAN say to the person behind him, "What a great country. Anywhere else in the world, an election like this would have required a REVOLUTION! WHAT A GREAT COUNTRY!" That really says it all, doesn't it???????????
And when we decided to change directions, we did so in 2010 and we have 2012 to look forward to changing even more. AREN'T WE FORTUNATE!!!!!!!!!!REMEMBER OUR FREEDOMS!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers, Connie
EGYPT!!!
We all followed the revolution that the Media helped along until the Media got bashed by ordinary citizens commanded by either the establishment or the rioters or both.
Considering the beating and raping an ill-advised female reporter from CBS got from a supposedly celebratory revolutionary crowd, it's a toss up which side objected to media interference the most. The reporter had been removed from Egypt after complaints and reentered the country that day, bragging to an associate who called her crazy, that she was without fear. Whether this was with or without CBS approval is not clear. What is clear; she was not wanted there, refused to be deterred, and placed herself in the danger. Tragic but arrogant. Arrogance is certainly an apt term for the media's attitude now.
Economically, we are already suffering the former unrest in the Middle East as gasoline prices rise, since we are determined to BUY Middle Eastern FRIENDSHIP????by buying their oil instead of using what already exists in our own country. Egypt's lack of government affects the ongoing relations with Israel and with whatever type of government comes out of the revolution. There is no guarantee of any new power's friendliness to us or Israel which could mean a new Middle Eastern war. I hope it becomes the government of Egypt's choice but there is no guarantee in revolution. Cost to us, of course; tax dollars.
The media is now in the stage of MAKING NEWS NOT JUST COVERING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! DANGER. WE don't elect the Media and we can't interfere with them so our input to their actions has to be through our knowledge of those actions.
When they become overbearing on any subject: revolution, health, and spreading fear with government bias, national security, even the weather's dramatic issues; we have to become constant in our ridicule of their methods before they and they alone are in a position to take away what little freedom we have left. REMEMBER, MEDIA IS ACTUALLY THE BIG MONEY THAT everyone is always talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE NOT IN THIS "FOR NO LIGHT COURTIN", FOLKS. "THEYS" GOLD IN THEM THERE RIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not a some to all blog. There are lots of reporters both on TV and in the other news associations that MEAN REALLY WELL. (remember that is not necessarily a compliment on my part) but there is also a large executive group controlling media to MAKE MONEY. Nothing would please them more than to see U.S. citizens (who have a right to peacefully gather and protest) actually take to our streets to ruthlessly and violently take down our government--Democrat or Republican--because the news coverage would be sensationalized.
Witness what happened in Wisconsin with the teacher unions this week. The amount of press coverage they received in a bankrupt state made the teachers seem greedy and the union look corrupt. Or from a different point of view, the Governor seemed high-handed and unsympathetic to the teacher's low salary needs. Certainly, not a fair assessment of their state or those involved. A headline in today's local paper claimed there are union conflicts all over the United States. The article concentrated on Wisconsin and ONLY speculation about Florida and other states. No other street conflict mention AT ALL. But the media obviously hopes a revolutionary virus is catching and that we citizens will catch it and give them lots of "news making MONEY"?????!!!!!!!!!
We are very fortunate at present to live under a very stable Constitution which provides PLENTY OF VOTER CHANGES at regular elections. Because of election laws and other constitutional avenues, Americans are in a constant position of being able to dump corrupt officials or make elective changes where necessary. Our 2010 election proved that to be true and this keeps our country more stable than most. We cannot allow an over-active media TO STIR UP news making events that lead our citizens down paths that are not to their advantage.
VIOLENT UNREST is not a sign of freedom but is a sign of BAD GOVERNMENT LAID ON BAD FOUNDATIONS with no other option for the people to remedy.
Although we glorify our original revolution in America, remember it happened BEFORE our forefathers were wise enough to LAY A GOOD FOUNDATION to GOVERNMENT in our country. Our Constitution provides the strong TRIPARTITE form of government by election to rational terms of office for the elected.
Our Constitution provides the deep cement foundation on which our national house is built. DON'T LET THE MEDIA CONVINCE YOU THAT WE NEED ANOTHER REVOLUTION.
IT IS NOT TRUE!!!!!!! WE SIMPLY NEED TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OFFERED TO US BY OUR CONSTITUTION!!!!!!!!!
Standing in line to vote in 2008, someone overheard a heavily accented man, who was a NEW AMERICAN say to the person behind him, "What a great country. Anywhere else in the world, an election like this would have required a REVOLUTION! WHAT A GREAT COUNTRY!" That really says it all, doesn't it???????????
And when we decided to change directions, we did so in 2010 and we have 2012 to look forward to changing even more. AREN'T WE FORTUNATE!!!!!!!!!!REMEMBER OUR FREEDOMS!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers, Connie
2/12/11
REVERSE CAN BE TRICKY IN A CAR AND A MORTGAGE
Hi,
In our Easy Economics blogs, we have covered a number of government created problems. The reason is that the Government creates a number of problems that we wind up paying for in our taxes and also in our cost of living. The horrendous mortgage problems caused by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (covered in a previous blog) have still to be recorded economically and paid.
The current rise in prices is a direct result of the whole economic debacle that we'll be cleaning up for years to come. Media optimism is always a sign of bad times to follow. If you listen to TV with a cynical ear, it can tell you quite a lot about the days ahead.
Unfortunately, one of the casualties of the current economic downturn has been what the government touted as the safest of all investments: REVERSE MORTGAGES!!!!!!!!!
What is a REVERSE MORTGAGE??????? An idea that affects many senior homeowners.
REVERSE MORTGAGES allow seniors (your parents or grandparents) to convert their home equity into cash. Instead of paying the bank each month for a mortgage, the senior gets paid. The payment is made either in a lump sum, a line of credit, or in monthly payments and is based on the appraised value of their home at that time. Homeowners must be 62 to qualify. BUT and this is a BIG BUTT: annual taxes and insurance are the responsibility of the homeowner.
When these annual fees are unpaid and add up over a long period of time and the lenders or loan service can no longer afford to catch up delinquent accounts from the home owner's available mortgage funds (if there are any), the lender has to advance the money to protect the loan and finally turns to the Government. All sound rather IFFY??????? What else is new?
Conceived as an eventual MONEY MAKER for government lenders when the home market was high and sold as an idea to benefit senior citizens, who wanted to stay in their homes but could no longer really afford them, it became another risky government venture lacking ordinary common sense.
Most seniors taking advantage of this scheme were facing financial jeopardy and welcomed the chance to get the equity out of their home as well as stay in it and gain peace of mind. After the mortgage was satisfied, the amount of cash now in the home owner's bank account had to carry them for a long period of time but they were expected by the Government to save out (as the government reckoned they would) the cost for taxes and home insurance. Some did.
Wouldn't it have occurred to at least one government official that like a regular mortgage payment, the cost of taxes and insurance be put in escrow, before payment was made to the homeowner? No, that would require creative thinking--something always lacking in political schemes. AFTER ALL THERE'S ALWAYS MORE MONEY IN TAXPAYER'S POCKETS.
That doesn't excuse the individuals who did not take their responsibilities!!!! A condition often found in Government inspired HELP? But that some of the homeowners taking advantage of this situation in large part were not financially robust and perhaps not even financially able should have been obvious to the lenders and the government.
Now, good old HUD (remember them--the scandal ridden agency so prevalent some years ago and still with us) must now collect the money so that the Reverse Mortgage program is "Not at Risk". Although the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association is playing down A FORECLOSURE THREAT for these AT RISK seniors, payment plans have been set up for the delinquencies with a two year limit for those over $5000. What happens if they can't pay??????????
That's a REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION that the government isn't answering. Of course to avoid foreclosure, the debt can be forgiven and the costs can come out of tax money. WHAT ELSE IS NEW?????????
The government can foreclose. The "large majority of the delinquencies have balances under $5000." according to Peter Bell, president of the National organization. FORECLOSING ON A SENIOR'S HOME that has a balance of less than $5000 is not a GOOD OPTION even to blind-sided officials.
Obviously in Mr. Bell's eyes, $5000 is not a BIG DEAL!!!!!!!! However, if the homeowner has no money in the bank, it might as well be $5 million, the ability to pay it off becomes the same. NIL !!!!!!!!!
HUD has allocated $3 Million for housing counseling agencies to help reverse mortgage homeowners (out of tax pockets) but the real amount of the delinquent debt has not been made readily available. But we do know that there are 30,000 delinquent homeowners (or about 5%) nationwide
Let's recap. The government lenders put out a lot of cash for homes to Senior homeowners to eventually profit the government and provide the homeowners with the equity and peace of mind that they desired. A noble cause.
Result. Senior homeowners, who received marginal equity or were irresponsible became delinquent on their taxes and insurance. The recent home debacle may have radically reduced the amount of value in the reverse mortgage homes to the government . Profitability disturbed; peace of mind gone; foreclosure of a segment of our population who can't regain stability not a viable option. Cost to the taxpayer+????????????
NOBLE CAUSE?? OF COURSE. PRACTICAL SOLUTION, NOT!!!!!!!!!!
CHEERS, CONNIE
In our Easy Economics blogs, we have covered a number of government created problems. The reason is that the Government creates a number of problems that we wind up paying for in our taxes and also in our cost of living. The horrendous mortgage problems caused by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (covered in a previous blog) have still to be recorded economically and paid.
The current rise in prices is a direct result of the whole economic debacle that we'll be cleaning up for years to come. Media optimism is always a sign of bad times to follow. If you listen to TV with a cynical ear, it can tell you quite a lot about the days ahead.
Unfortunately, one of the casualties of the current economic downturn has been what the government touted as the safest of all investments: REVERSE MORTGAGES!!!!!!!!!
What is a REVERSE MORTGAGE??????? An idea that affects many senior homeowners.
REVERSE MORTGAGES allow seniors (your parents or grandparents) to convert their home equity into cash. Instead of paying the bank each month for a mortgage, the senior gets paid. The payment is made either in a lump sum, a line of credit, or in monthly payments and is based on the appraised value of their home at that time. Homeowners must be 62 to qualify. BUT and this is a BIG BUTT: annual taxes and insurance are the responsibility of the homeowner.
When these annual fees are unpaid and add up over a long period of time and the lenders or loan service can no longer afford to catch up delinquent accounts from the home owner's available mortgage funds (if there are any), the lender has to advance the money to protect the loan and finally turns to the Government. All sound rather IFFY??????? What else is new?
Conceived as an eventual MONEY MAKER for government lenders when the home market was high and sold as an idea to benefit senior citizens, who wanted to stay in their homes but could no longer really afford them, it became another risky government venture lacking ordinary common sense.
Most seniors taking advantage of this scheme were facing financial jeopardy and welcomed the chance to get the equity out of their home as well as stay in it and gain peace of mind. After the mortgage was satisfied, the amount of cash now in the home owner's bank account had to carry them for a long period of time but they were expected by the Government to save out (as the government reckoned they would) the cost for taxes and home insurance. Some did.
Wouldn't it have occurred to at least one government official that like a regular mortgage payment, the cost of taxes and insurance be put in escrow, before payment was made to the homeowner? No, that would require creative thinking--something always lacking in political schemes. AFTER ALL THERE'S ALWAYS MORE MONEY IN TAXPAYER'S POCKETS.
That doesn't excuse the individuals who did not take their responsibilities!!!! A condition often found in Government inspired HELP? But that some of the homeowners taking advantage of this situation in large part were not financially robust and perhaps not even financially able should have been obvious to the lenders and the government.
Now, good old HUD (remember them--the scandal ridden agency so prevalent some years ago and still with us) must now collect the money so that the Reverse Mortgage program is "Not at Risk". Although the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association is playing down A FORECLOSURE THREAT for these AT RISK seniors, payment plans have been set up for the delinquencies with a two year limit for those over $5000. What happens if they can't pay??????????
That's a REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION that the government isn't answering. Of course to avoid foreclosure, the debt can be forgiven and the costs can come out of tax money. WHAT ELSE IS NEW?????????
The government can foreclose. The "large majority of the delinquencies have balances under $5000." according to Peter Bell, president of the National organization. FORECLOSING ON A SENIOR'S HOME that has a balance of less than $5000 is not a GOOD OPTION even to blind-sided officials.
Obviously in Mr. Bell's eyes, $5000 is not a BIG DEAL!!!!!!!! However, if the homeowner has no money in the bank, it might as well be $5 million, the ability to pay it off becomes the same. NIL !!!!!!!!!
HUD has allocated $3 Million for housing counseling agencies to help reverse mortgage homeowners (out of tax pockets) but the real amount of the delinquent debt has not been made readily available. But we do know that there are 30,000 delinquent homeowners (or about 5%) nationwide
Let's recap. The government lenders put out a lot of cash for homes to Senior homeowners to eventually profit the government and provide the homeowners with the equity and peace of mind that they desired. A noble cause.
Result. Senior homeowners, who received marginal equity or were irresponsible became delinquent on their taxes and insurance. The recent home debacle may have radically reduced the amount of value in the reverse mortgage homes to the government . Profitability disturbed; peace of mind gone; foreclosure of a segment of our population who can't regain stability not a viable option. Cost to the taxpayer+????????????
NOBLE CAUSE?? OF COURSE. PRACTICAL SOLUTION, NOT!!!!!!!!!!
CHEERS, CONNIE
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