It is a bit of an exaggeration but in some suburban communites especially those with a HomeOwners Association there is typically some type of covenant in place. You might not be able to raise chickens in your back yard for instance and as mentioned most likely a veggie garden in the front yard would not be tolerated. YMMV.
FadeToBlack
JoinedPosts by FadeToBlack
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9
Americans aren't allowed to grow their own food?
by purrpurr ini was recently told by an american i was chatting to online that in the usa people are not allowed to grow their own food.
she said that if you have a vegetable patch or something that the government will come along and bulldoze it?
she said that farmers are not allowed to grow food either and that the government bulldozes the crops if they grow?.
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Facing mortality after leaving the witnesses
by truthseeker intell me i'm not overly thinking this.. i'm 39 years old...still youngish...but i worry about getting old.
i look in the mirror and it depresses me.
i suppose i still cling to watchtower utopia when no one would age over 25.. i used to look forward to paradise earth because it meant all the evil in the world, nuclear warfare, terrorist attacks and sickos would be no more, but we are deep in the 21st century with no end in sight.. appreciate your comments.
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FadeToBlack
This is the toughest part for me:
Now, at 60 years old - I have no children with my husband .....I especially feel for him, as his siblings (non JWs) have big extended families of children, grandchildren family friends acquired through a life of 'doing life together' and old age is almost a rich pleasure to his siblings.
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Facing mortality after leaving the witnesses
by truthseeker intell me i'm not overly thinking this.. i'm 39 years old...still youngish...but i worry about getting old.
i look in the mirror and it depresses me.
i suppose i still cling to watchtower utopia when no one would age over 25.. i used to look forward to paradise earth because it meant all the evil in the world, nuclear warfare, terrorist attacks and sickos would be no more, but we are deep in the 21st century with no end in sight.. appreciate your comments.
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FadeToBlack
WIsh I was in your shoes. I've got 20 years on you. I think about the 'dying thing' a lot but have come to accept it will happen. Actually, looking back at some of the stupid stuff I did in my life, I'm pretty happy to still be around. SO I just try to take it a day at a time.
What would you like to do with your life now?
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Self-Driving vehicles and delivery robots - why?
by FadeToBlack ini saw a 'news' article today about pizza hut (i think) delivering pizzas via a robotic vehicle in nz.
also another article headline saying it is not a question of if, but when.
my immediate thought was, why?
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FadeToBlack
@prologos: good point. Unfortunately, if a few lower income folks die on the road to Nirvana, it is not really such a big thing (for the big guys). That is why we always see the trickle-down effect for safety features from high end autos bought by the wealthy down to the plebes (possibly).
Disclaimer: as interesting as the technology is and the many good reasons for pursuing it, I don't think it will ever happen as envisioned. The current experiment with debt-based, global capitalism is running on fumes. I'm expecting a major reset. The depression that happened in the 1930's will seem like a walk in the park compared to what is coming. We should have started preparing for a softer landing, many years ago.
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Self-Driving vehicles and delivery robots - why?
by FadeToBlack ini saw a 'news' article today about pizza hut (i think) delivering pizzas via a robotic vehicle in nz.
also another article headline saying it is not a question of if, but when.
my immediate thought was, why?
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FadeToBlack
@VIdiot: yes, I think the smiley face at the end gave it away! But, the point about 'illegal immigrants' is still valid. Who is going to do that work if the gov't suddenly decides they have to go back to where they came from (and not return). The gov't needs to make up its mind and come up with some type of temporary worker status. -
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Self-Driving vehicles and delivery robots - why?
by FadeToBlack ini saw a 'news' article today about pizza hut (i think) delivering pizzas via a robotic vehicle in nz.
also another article headline saying it is not a question of if, but when.
my immediate thought was, why?
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FadeToBlack
@hoser: that might have been how early systems worked, but I think it has progressed a bit: From howstuffworks describing google's system:
Lidar works like radar and sonar, but it's far more accurate. It maps points in space using 64 rotating laser beams taking more than a million measurements per second to form a 3D model in its computer brain that's accurate to the centimeter. Preloaded maps tell the system where the stationary stuff is -- traffic lights, crosswalks, telephone poles -- and the lidar fills in the landscape with moving objects like people. It also has regular ol' radar, a camera and GPS to help out.
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Self-Driving vehicles and delivery robots - why?
by FadeToBlack ini saw a 'news' article today about pizza hut (i think) delivering pizzas via a robotic vehicle in nz.
also another article headline saying it is not a question of if, but when.
my immediate thought was, why?
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FadeToBlack
@hoser: why woudn't they work in Canada if they work elsewhere? Population density? Perhaps in Toronto?
Maybe it will prove to be the last blowout/bubble and we will have driveless vehicles toting around to nowhere with nothing to do. I think a lot of this type of progress depends on infinite growth, which is just not going to happen on a finite planet. We are already approaching the limits. But what else are the believers going to say? Games up?
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Self-Driving vehicles and delivery robots - why?
by FadeToBlack ini saw a 'news' article today about pizza hut (i think) delivering pizzas via a robotic vehicle in nz.
also another article headline saying it is not a question of if, but when.
my immediate thought was, why?
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FadeToBlack
@Vidiot: I don't think robots or AI will be deployed to harvest strawberries for the top 1-10%. That will be left for the illegal immigrants, because as you noted, most entitled americans will feel it beneath them. What the bottom 90% will be doing in the future is the big question. It seems like a lot of them (older white males) recently have already decided on a different route (suicide). -
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Self-Driving vehicles and delivery robots - why?
by FadeToBlack ini saw a 'news' article today about pizza hut (i think) delivering pizzas via a robotic vehicle in nz.
also another article headline saying it is not a question of if, but when.
my immediate thought was, why?
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FadeToBlack
Regarding what Simon mentioned with regard to automation freeing up staff for customer service: that was a selling point we used at a company I worked for that automated order-entry call centers with Voice Recognition. There were 2 components that had to be developed. The interface with the back end system and the front end voice part.
Part of the task developing the system was to interview to current staff that actually took the orders over the phone. Sometimes they were a bit hostile, and rightly so. We used that line - this would free them up to handle more important service related tasks, etc. and this was true to an extent (for those that kept there jobs). But in reality it was viewed by management as a way to reduce head count. They kept the best and the rest were freed up to pursue other opportunities. I felt kind of bad knowing that people were losing their jobs so I could have one.
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Self-Driving vehicles and delivery robots - why?
by FadeToBlack ini saw a 'news' article today about pizza hut (i think) delivering pizzas via a robotic vehicle in nz.
also another article headline saying it is not a question of if, but when.
my immediate thought was, why?
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FadeToBlack
Thanks for all the thoughts on this matter. I guess my age was showing when I spoke about the American fascination with cars. I realize for most younger people the view has changed. For many it is not even an option as they are still living at home because they can't find a job and have student loans to pay off. But if your are fortunate enough to live in an area with good public transportation, why bother? When we lived in Warsaw for example, our car sat in the driveway 99% of the time.
I agree that with more and more automation the fundamental structure of society will have to change and I think that is why some countries are beggining to toy around with the idea of paying everyone a basic income. To help cover the costs, all forms of welfare would be done away with.
I also had this strange thought that if adjustments are not made to make things a bit more equitable, that the pizza delivery bot will have to be armed or accompanied by an armed security drone. I can just picture a gang of unemployed truck drivers hiding in the bushes waiting for dinner to arrive.
It might also make the roads safer for bicyclists when there are less bad drivers on the road. I live 13km from the nearest grocery store. It is doable by bike, but at the moment, I would not dream of getting on the road with the way people drive around here.