How could this go catastrophically wrong?

I mentioned on a forum post that, when considering possible futuristic technologies, I always consider how it might be misused.  After all, evil men have always existed, and there's no reason to think they won't continue to exist so long as humans remain human.  And those evil men are attracted to power like moths to a flame, so any sufficiently powerful technology will be coveted by them.  

This is something that many science fiction writers either don't understand or willfully choose not to understand.  They write stories about highly advanced societies bereft of crime and vice and corruption.  It's as if the technology itself provides atonement for us, making us all angels and saints in the process.  And it's ridiculous.  As Solzhenitsyn wrote, the line between good end evil runs down the center of every human heart.  Machines and other technological advances are morally neutral.  They are force multipliers, catalysts for human action and the will, nothing more.

I actually envy those with such a Pollyanna-like outlook.  I wish I had their optimism.  I'd be a much happier person, I suspect.

In summary, I try to consider the negative ramifications of new tech because I consider the alternative--the techno-utopian future--to be unrealistic and completely contrary to everything we know about humans.  If a writer is going to open Pandora's Box, then I would hope he'd show all hell breaking loose.

Random thoughts

This week is forecast to be sunny and warm.  Perhaps summer is finally on the way.

Baby bluebirds left the birdhouse on Sunday afternoon.  I actually watched a few of them leave.  They stick their heads out for a while, working up their nerve, I suppose, before finally taking flight.  They're cute little things, and I wish them well in the big bad world.

Trying to manage my diet, my sleep, and my headaches is a constant struggle.  I'm not losing ground, though.  In fact, I think I'm slowly improving.  If you're the praying sort, then I hope you'll pray for me.  Health stuff is scary and debilitating, and I'd rather be doing productive things.

I've acquired a table saw.  I've made a few practice cuts.  The good news is that I didn't saw off any of my fingers.  The bad news is that I'm still sort of terrified of it.  But that's actually good news, too, because that fear will go a long way towards keeping me safe.  I don't want to get too comfortable with the saw, because that's how carelessness happens, and carelessness is how catastrophes happen.

I've been mulling over the idea of writing something for Kindle Vella.  I still haven't decided.  But the idea of a serial is intriguing.

That's all for now.  Take care, folks, and thanks for supporting my work.

Rough weather

Lots of rough weather has blown through the southern states lately.  Here, it's rained for a couple of days straight.  I last saw the sun on the appropriately named Sunday.  If you're in the path of this stuff, I hope you're taking the necessary precautions and whatnot.

I haven't been feeling so hot, too.  I don't think I'm sick, but I've been fatigued.  Some of it's probably the weather, but I suspect some of it is my body still not having recovered from my January illness.  I may never get back to the self I was a year ago.

Thanks to all you folks who downloaded Clouds of Venus as part of my recent My Book Cave promotion.  I hope y'all enjoy it.

Take care, folks, and be kind to one another.

Just upgraded

I finally gave in.  I've upgraded my StoryOrigin account to the paid level.

I doubt I'll make that money back, but I'm giving myself the opportunity to see what happens.

In other news, I finished the cart I was building for my miter saw.  Retractable casters rock.  :D

The invasion has begun

I have no doubt that our forces will make quick work of the hapless Martians.  We have already achieved air superiority.  Our stealth assault helicopters have annihilated the enemy in the main theater of operations.

 

Now that we control the skies, our main battle tanks will subdue any remaining resistance.

We do not yet have accurate numbers for casualties and prisoners, but I have been assured that we have completely dominated the enemy so far.  We have reduced his cities to rubble, as can be plainly seen in the photos above.

The Martians struck us a grievous blow in the 1930s in New Jersey, but we have finally paid them back.  And we won't stop until their entire planet is ours.

Long live Terra!

Lumber prices

I'm currently building a cart for my miter saw.  I'm just using cheap 2x4s.

I say"cheap," but these things are nearly twice what they cost a year ago.  The lockdowns affected sawmills, too, and that created a lumber shortage.

I browsed a sawmill forum (never been there before, but Google showed me the way) and saw where one guy said it would be eighteen months before lumber prices get back to normal.

Eighteen months.  :/

In the meantime, housing prices will climb accordingly.  Actually, they already have.  Almost everything has risen in price already.

We're going to be feeling the economic pinch of the lockdowns for years to come.  Tighten your belts, folks.

Back in the day

Once upon a time, there was a made-for-television Star Wars movie called The Ewok Adventure.  I actually watched this when it aired.  I haven't seen it since.

But I always remembered that giant spider.  That thing scared me.  Yeah, the effects are primitive by today's standards, but I was just a kid in the 1980s, so... *shrug*

I'm not sure why I thought of this movie just now.  But it serves up some useful lessons... lessons like, "don't stick your hand in places you can't see."