technology – Page 3 – Robert MacNeil Christie, Author

Speaking the Unspeakable: Climate Reality vs Industrial Culture

May 6, 2019

The Green New Deal (GND) may or may not have much chance as a framework for drafting realistic climate legislation. Not only does a slavishly Trumpist Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, defy Senate tradition and democratic principles to fight any proposal the president does not like. He and his Republican cohorts block anything the Democrats propose, just … More Speaking the Unspeakable: Climate Reality vs Industrial Culture

Internet Freedom the Co-op Way

April 22, 2019

I pay $35.00 per month for unlimited Internet service. I get about the same speed as most of the corporate Internet Service Providers offer, for about half the price they charge. All the customers/members of our co-op get the same service for the same price, with no restrictions whatsoever on content because our ‘provider’ is … More Internet Freedom the Co-op Way

Simple Complexity at ten thousand five hundred feet

April 19, 2019

I never stop marveling at the sophisticated complexity of modern technology. The fine performance of that flathead V-8 engine in my 1951 Ford when I was in high school was fully understandable by the average teenager at the time. Today, most of us do not have a clue about how the technologies we use every … More Simple Complexity at ten thousand five hundred feet

Up in the Air Again, and Down

April 10, 2019

Another entry in the Mad Jubilado series. I had not flown in almost four years. I recalled retired folks telling me that when I retire I would find myself with too much to do. I didn’t pay much attention. Not having to work sounded like not having much to do at all. Well, they were … More Up in the Air Again, and Down

The Poverty of Environmentalism: I

March 28, 2019

Environmentalism is stuck at a crossroads. A couple of years ago, I went to Denver where I presented a paper titled, “Calculating Survival: The Role of the Social Sciences” at the Summer Seminar of the National Social Science Association (NSSA). In the paper I argued that the biggest problem with climate change is not technological, … More The Poverty of Environmentalism: I

Intermediation Blues

March 14, 2019

As commonly used in finance, “intermediation” refers to banks and other financial institutions borrowing from savers/investors and lending to companies that need funds for investment in operations and new projects. I will look at the idea more broadly here. Intermediation occurs in countless ways in our industrial-consumer society. Most of the time, we do not … More Intermediation Blues

In the Air Again: Expectations and Complications of Global Travel

January 31, 2019

I was not ready for more travel, though I had to go to L.A. for a doctor’s appointment a couple of days ago. An airline ticket was actually cheaper than a half-hour telephone consultation, which insurance does not cover. Not that I don’t like traveling; I do. But it is, after all, part of that … More In the Air Again: Expectations and Complications of Global Travel

Messy Democracy vs. Painful Plutocracy

January 21, 2019

Wake up call for federal employees: In the era of Trumpery, life is really lived on the edge of insolvency and pain. Forty percent of the American people cannot cover a single $1,000- emergency. Most federal employees, though slightly better paid than their counterparts in private industry, live maybe a couple of paychecks ahead. The … More Messy Democracy vs. Painful Plutocracy

On the Road Again: Huanacaxtle and Martín

January 18, 2019

(continued from January 11, 2019 post) After a few days and a couple of back-and-forths with Seff Ramirez, locating a source of Huanacaxtle near La Peñita didn’t work out, so I tried another tack. I’d seen what appeared to be a tiny carpinteria in Los Ayalas, a small nearby beach town dominated by hotels and condos. I went … More On the Road Again: Huanacaxtle and Martín

On the Ground Again: Flourishing Below Sea Level…for Now

December 21, 2018

Much of Holland is below sea level. Will the dikes hold? The Dutch have held back the North Sea for hundreds of years. They are the world’s experts on dike and canal building and pumping seawater. But they may be facing a whole new situation in the years to come. Traveling through the Netherlands one … More On the Ground Again: Flourishing Below Sea Level…for Now

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Robert MacNeil Christie, Author

Viewing The Future As If Facts Matter

Category: technology