PROGRESS AND UNEMPLOYMENT

WILL SMART MACHINES CREATE A WORLD WITHOUT WORK?

By PAUL WISEMAN and BERNARD CONDON

WASHINGTON (AP) — They seem right out of a Hollywood fantasy, and they are: Cars that drive themselves have appeared in movies like "I, Robot" and the television show "Knight Rider."

Now, three years after Google invented one, automated cars could be on their way to a freeway near you. In the U.S., California and other states are rewriting the rules of the road to make way for driverless cars. Just one problem: What happens to the millions of people who make a living driving cars and trucks — jobs that always have seemed sheltered from the onslaught of technology?

"All those jobs are going to disappear in the next 25 years," predicts Moshe Vardi, a computer scientist at Rice University in Houston. "Driving by people will look quaint; it will look like a horse and buggy."

If automation can unseat bus drivers, urban deliverymen, long-haul truckers, even cabbies, is any job safe?

Vardi poses an equally scary question: "Are we prepared for an economy in which 50 percent of people aren't working?" . . . . 

Full story: bigstory.ap.org

Peter’s Piece

Moshe Vardi is an alarmist.

But he will probably be a popular alarmist because he is predicting something that many people will find easy to believe.

This same theory has been peddled many times since the beginning of the industrial revolution when the Luddites went around smashing up machines in the mistaken belief that they were saving jobs.

However, the history of industrialization and its relationship to employment is clear. Industrial efficiency stimulates employment while inefficiency puts people out of work.

In the early 1800s less than half London’s population was in regular, legitimate, paid employment. The rest of the population was made up of child labor, criminals trying to survive and others starving on their way to an early grave.

Slowly, mechanization changed that. As products began to be produced more efficiently, more people could afford to buy them, demand increased and more products became available, and with them more job opportunities appeared.

That’s how the economic merry-go-round works and, as the ride gathers momentum, more and more people are able to join in.

Many occupations disappeared with horse-drawn transport, but many more new occupations were created by the huge auto industry that replaced it. Town crier was another job that vanished, but look at the huge numbers of people working in radio, television, newspapers and now internet businesses.

People no longer manufacture and sell the office machines of the early 20^th century, but look at the size and efficiency of the computer industry that has replaced them.

Every time an additional new product or service reaches the market it can only succeed if people have the money to buy it. The number of new products and services that have been developed and successfully sold during our lifetime is a sure indicator that more people are now in employment and getting a worthwhile share of the economic cake.

I don’t see anything on the horizon to indicate that this will change anytime soon.

DRIVING ON LEFT OR RIGHT

Road risks in spotlight downunder
as tourists tally 400 crashes

Thursday Jan 3, 2013 by Andrew Koubaridis

Long driving times, rural roads and driver fatigue contribute to accidents, AA says.

The aftermath of a crash at 8 Mile Junction near
New Zealand's Waitomo Caves

Overseas drivers were involved in more than 400 crashes on New Zealand roads last year, and failure to keep left, poor handling and fatigue the leading causes of deadly crashes.

The number is down on previous years - in line with a wider trend of a reducing death toll on New Zealand roads - but the number of foreign drivers involved in multi-victim crashes has prompted calls for tourists to make themselves familiar with the country's "unique driving challenges".

Three American tourists were killed in a crash near Turangi in May, and four Argentines died in a head-on crash in July in the central North Island.

Figures released to the Herald show there have been 15 fatal accidents involving foreign drivers last year - about 7 per cent of the total number of fatal crashes.

Transport Agency spokesman Andy Knackstedt said the agency was focused on ensuring everyone using the roads, including tourists and recent arrivals, had a safe journey.

He urged them to take advantage of the free information available.

"We don't want anyone to have their holidays marred by an avoidable tragedy," he said.

"Taking a few minutes to think about New Zealand road rules and the unique challenges of driving here is time well spent.

Driving on the other side of the road 

doesn't come naturally. 

This driver tells all in Highway America

Now available as an eBook from: Smashwords.com

"In particular we urge tourists to plan their trips carefully and to avoid the risks of driver fatigue by taking frequent breaks, sharing the driving, and not trying to drive too far in a day. We want people to take their time and to enjoy their journeys."

Automobile Association general manager of motoring Mike Noon said a common mistake overseas drivers made was pulling out on to a road in front of other vehicles.

The death of Canadian tourist Michele Smith near Waitomo in February was one example of that.

"They pulled out in front of a concrete truck. What happened is they looked the wrong way - the road was clear and [the driver] pulled in front of another vehicle that they didn't expect to be coming."

Mr Noon said the New Zealand road environment was a challenge.

"We have quite hilly, quite narrow roads. And a lot of those roads are winding."

Another difference was that New Zealand mainly did not have a national motorway system, which could make travel times deceptive.

"I think sometimes they fail to comprehend the time of travel here. So they think we just go to Rotorua in the morning and Wellington in the afternoon or drive from Rotorua to Queenstown."

It was not commonly realized that New Zealand was equivalent in size to the United Kingdom or Japan.

The AA was also aware of tourists beginning their driving almost straight after coming off big flights and crashing because of fatigue.

Mr Noon said another aspect of New Zealand driving that could cause problems for tourists was remote, rural roads which could be single-lane and gravel, something new to many overseas drivers.

Results from Tourism New Zealand's latest visitor experience survey found respondents were less satisfied with road safety than in 2011.

Peter’s Piece

New Zealand drivers belong to a minority worldwide who drive on the left side of the road. Driving on the left is the norm in countries representing only 2 billion of the world’s 7 billion people.

Those countries, including New Zealand, should consider changing to driving on the right. It has been done before without widespread chaos and can result in an immediate reduction in road fatalities.

Meanwhile, rental vehicle hirers from countries that drive on the other side should be required to pass a driving test or spend time in a driving simulator.

THE DRIVE OF YOUR LIFE

Norwegian Atlantic Road How would you like the job of building this road?    The road is built on several small islands and reefs, and is crossed by eight bridges, several roads and overpasses.  This road has views of the open sea, which is rare on the roads along the Norwegian coast.  You can see fjords and mountains near the road.    This spectacular road quickly became a tourist attraction. Precautions should be taken while driving it, because of the special hazards and the presence of sightseers and photographers. Imagine you are driving. Click Here

KINGS OF THE ROAD

 The unique life of a truck driver

Author Unknown

If it weren't for trucks and the drivers in them, you'd have nothing.

Truck drivers are a unique group of people, a group of men and women from all races and religions. The one thing that they have in common is that they spend their days and nights driving the highways of the world. There are drivers that only drive close to their home town, which allows them to be home with their families most nights. The group of drivers that I wish to tell you about are the ones that are only home a few days a month, if that.

The world of over-the-road truck drivers has improved over the years mostly due to technology. My grandfather retired in 1969 after spending 32 years in the cab of a truck. He drove before the invention of cell phones or small portable computers; he would call home only once a day from a pay phone. But the fact was he spent most of his time alone, with only a radio for company.

Truck drivers today have cell phones, CB radios, computers and nice sleeping quarters in their trucks. This makes their days a little more comfortable. The truth is they still spend the majority of their time alone. The cell phones allow them to talk to loved ones whenever they feel the need, computer technology even allows them to see their loved ones. Unfortunately this technology does not make it possible for them to hug their spouse and kids before they lay down to sleep each night.

A truck driver's own story . . . .

Now available as an e-book from: Smashwords.com

You must understand that most of these drivers love what they do; it is this love of the open road that allows them to be happy, living such unconventional lives. Loving what they do might make it a little easier to leave their families for days or months at a time; however, it does not make them any less lonely. The cell phones make it easier to help solve problems at home, make business decisions, or just have daily communication with family members; but they do not replace the needed hugs and kisses.

Loneliness is just one aspect of a truck driver’s life; they also deal with a heavy stress load. They pull large heavy trailers through bumper to bumper traffic, sitting for hours in traffic jams, as well as driving in terrible weather conditions in order to make a delivery deadline. They deal with irate customers because a load is an hour late due to a wreck that had the highway shut down.

There are good things about a truck driver’s life, they get to meet many interesting people and learn of many different cultures. One of the most wonderful aspects to the world of over-the-road truck driving is that they get to see places and scenery that most of us can only dream about. 

The men and women leading these unconventional lives are responsible for transporting and delivering the goods that most of us just take for granted will be on the store shelves when we need them. These are the people that we depend on in an emergency to get the necessary supplies to those that have been ravaged by Mother Nature. They are responsible for transporting the building materials that make it possible for our large cities and small towns to grow. Basically, they are the heart of our economic growth and prosperity.

So the next time you are sitting at a traffic light grumbling about how slow the truck in front of you is moving, please remember that the driver of that truck makes it possible for you to have access to most of the things that you have around you. Remember that driver might have been away from his family for weeks or months, so instead of grumbling or making mean gestures, smile and wave. You might just make his day, and let him know that the unconventional life that he leads is appreciated.

Without truck drivers the world stops!

CLIMATE AND STARVATION

Half of world's food is wasted - report

Friday Jan 11, 2013

Half the food purchased in Europe and America is
thrown away after it is bought.  Photo / The Aucklander

As much as half of all the food produced in the world - two billion tonnes worth - ends up being thrown away, a new UK-based report claims.

The waste is caused by poor infrastructure and storage facilities, over-strict sell-by dates, "get-one-free'' offers, and consumer fussiness, according to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Each year countries around the world produce some four billion tonnes of food.

But between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of this total, amounting to 1.2 to two billion tonnes, never gets eaten, says the report Global Food; Waste Not, Want Not.

In the UK, up to 30 per cent of vegetable crops are not harvested because their physical appearance fails to meet the exacting demands of consumers.

Half the food purchased in Europe and the US is thrown away after it is bought, the report adds.

Vast quantities of water are also wasted in global food production, it is claimed.

Around 550 billion cubic metres of water is used to grow crops that never reach the consumer, according to the report.

Producing one kilogram of meat is also said to take 20 to 50 times more water than producing the same weight of vegetables.

The demand for water in food production could reach 10 to 13 trillion cubic metres a year by 2050, the institution said.

The New Zealand Tour Commentary

This is up to 3.5 times greater than the total amount of fresh water used by humans today, raising the spectre of dangerous water shortages.

Dr Tim Fox, head of energy and environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: "The amount of food wasted and lost around the world is staggering. This is food that could be used to feed the world's growing population - as well as those in hunger today. It is also an unnecessary waste of the land, water and energy resources that were used in the production, processing and distribution of this food.

"The reasons for this situation range from poor engineering and agricultural practices, inadequate transport and storage infrastructure through to supermarkets demanding cosmetically perfect foodstuffs and encouraging consumers to overbuy through buy-one-get-one free offers."

By 2075 the United Nations predicts that the world's population will reach around 9.5 billion, resulting in an extra three billion mouths to feed.

Added stresses on the ability of the world to feed itself include global warming and the growing popularity of meat, which requires around 10 times more resources than staple plant foods such as rice or potatoes . . . .

Full story: NZ Herald

Peter’s Piece

This story started on a good note with a plea for less wasted food and a need to feed more hungry mouths.

Governments and businesses around the world must accept responsibility for the starving millions of innocent children who did not ask to be born into poverty.

But then the story worked its way around to a predictable statement about the effect of global warming for future populations. And that is where, from my perspective, the good story started to loose credibility.

As the world climate warms, if it warms, the world will be capable of producing more food rather than less. A warming climate will also enable more people to occupy the lands of the world while using less energy per person.

A warming climate will mean that more people will be able to enjoy a better standard of living, a condition that has been steadily improving since man emerged from the cave.

IF ONLY . . . .

How the richest people in America did it

by Richard Darell

The word “rich” evokes a lot of different emotions in different people. It’s probably the one word that has started more wars than any other. It’s also the one word that has most inspired people to innovate, help, and become outstanding. It’s also a word that has walled people in loneliness and despair. It’s a word that many people fear yet they still try to become it. The interesting thing is that when most people become rich, they don’t think it is all that. But it’s still a word that will keep being a motivating factor for people. So how do you get rich? What can you do, and what do you need to learn in orderto get there? As it turns out, nerdwallet looked at the 400 richest people in America and compiled a list of industries they have succeeded within.

In this infographic called The 400 Richest Americans, we’ll get a closer look at who the richest people in America are and what they have done in order to amass such insane wealth. There is a misconception in the world that you have to have special skills in order to succeed, but nothing could be farther from the truth. The one factor binding all of these people together (besides them all being among the richest people in America) is that they have all been dedicated to a dream and to doing what they love. They managed to find a way to do what they knew felt right, and they enjoyed doing it. Dedication comes from excessive dreaming, and from doing what you love.

You can be a master of anything if you put your head and heart into it. It seems most of the richest people in America have gotten rich through financial services and hedge funds. A lot of people reading this will most likely want to know just how many people have gotten rich off of the Internet. Well, it so happens that 10.5% of all the richest people in America got rich through computer, tech or web ventures. As you see, you don’t have to be Mark Zuckerberg in order to bring in the dollars by the truck load.

Mark Zuckerberg

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a larger version of this infographic. So, you will have to squint in order to read the fine print I am afraid. The nerdiest people to become rich are probably the most interesting part of this infographic. People have become among the richest people in America through Beanie Babies, Star Wars, cheese and even trucking. Yup, you can become rich within any area that your heart dares to dream within. Never stop just because it hasn’t been done before. Chances are, you will have an even greater chance of becoming rich if no one else has done it before, if that is your goal and motivation. If I may suggest, use your heart and dedication towards a dream rather than money as your motivation, and you will do even greater things. Love, dreams and creativity have always had a much more positive influence on people than money.

From  Bit Rebels

Peter’s Piece

If only I had known that fifty years ago . . . .

I would have written this nail-biting novel sooner

Available now as an e-book from Smashwords.com

AIR SAFETY

The world’s safest airlines and jetliners

The safest airlines

A Finnair Airbus A320

Finnair and Air New Zealand have been named the world’s two safest airlines based on their performance over the last three decades.

That is the finding of the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre's (JACDEC) annual safety index, which measures safety in the aviation industry.  JACDEC ranks airlines by incidents and accidents from the last 30 years and compares that with revenue passenger kilometres and benchmarks like the IATA Operational Safety Audit.

The top place has been given to Finnair which was ranked second last year. Finnair, which is 55% owned by the Finnish Government, is the fifth oldest airline in the world and has not had a fatal accident since 1963. It carries 9 million passengers a year to 70 domestic and international destinations with 44 aircraft, mostly Airbus A320, A330 and A 340 aircraft plus four Boeing 757 aircraft. It has 11 A350s on order.

Air New Zealand aircraft at Auckland International Airport

Second place for safety on the JACDEC index is Air New Zealand which has not had a fatal accident on a scheduled service since 1963, although the airline has had fatal training accidents and a fatal scenic flight accident in 1979.

Air New Zealand operates 50 aircraft including 17 Airbus A320 and B737, B747, B767 and B777 aircraft with orders for 20 new aircraft and 34 options. The airline’s longest route is Auckland to London via Los Angeles. Until the recent closure of its Beijing-London service the airline had a round-the-world network.

The safest aircraft

Boeing or Airbus? Many minds are made up on this question. Some say Airbus and some say Boeing.

It has been said by some that Boeings are designed by experts so that they can be flown by idiots, while Airbus is designed by idiots but must be flown by experts. But the accident statistics show that there is little difference between the products of the two manufacturers. In fact, the race between the two to build the world’s safest airliners is very tight.

An Air France Embraer ERJ 145

On a list of jetliners with a nil passenger fatality record a surprise entrant holds first place. The Embraer RJ 135/145 from Brazil is way out front with 15 million hours flown by 1,100 aircraft since 1996 with not a single fatal accident. 

Second place goes to the Boeing 777 with 942 delivered since 1995 and no scalps. Third place goes to the Airbus A340 with 375 deliveries since 1993. Other aircraft that have never claimed passenger lives include the Canadair CRJ 700/900, Boeing 717, MD-90, Boeing 747SP (only 45 made since 1976) and the Fokker 70.

So where does all this take us? It takes us to the conclusion that airline flying is the safest form of transportation ever devised. It is safer even than staying at home. The credit for this goes to the dedicated people who design, build, fly and maintain these winged magic carpets.