MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2021 YEAR-END ANALYSIS

 MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2021 YEAR-END ANALYSIS

Musing at the end of 2021

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Here we are in the last week of 2021.  I think this has been better than last year (2020) as we did have vaccines against COVID and we did get out and do things.  But, COVID still is rampant and even growing with a new variant. 

The Texas Tribune says: (December 22nd edition):

“The new COVID-19 variant omicron is bitterly reminding Texans and Americans that the pandemic isn’t over. 

“In a state where only 55.9% of people are fully vaccinated — and just 14.2% have received a booster shot — people are scrambling to get tested while weighing the risks involved with gathering for the holidays. Meanwhile, hospitals are preparing already burned-out staffs for possibly yet another surge.”

“The number of hospitals reporting full ICU units has started to increase again after dropping since August. Meanwhile, the rate at which COVID-19 tests come back positive has passed into territory that qualifies as concerning to federal officials."

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My comment - here we go again.  

For many reasons, Americans have adapted the concept of extreme independence.  We have accepted the concept that we can choose or not choose to get the vaccine.  In the paragraph above - 55.9% are fully vaccinated - that is with two injections of Moderna or Pfizer or one Johnson and Johnson.  Meaning that about 44% of the Texas residents are NOT vaccinated!!  So, 44% of the population is more at risk of COVID or one of the COVID variants (like Omicron).  And, that 44% can catch the new variants and share them with their friends, family, co-workers, and people they come into contact with.  

Last week, I saw a man going into the grocery store as I was leaving.  His body was full of tattoos, but he wore a shirt that say “No vaccines for me”.  

I’m taking March 2020 as the start of the pandemic - so now 21 months later, we have a solution (vaccines, masks, social distancing, washing hands, etc.) but the pandemic continues and warps into new variants.  

We are all in this together, let’s work together to move on.

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Okay, (quoting Franklin D. Roosevelt) - The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!!

“Autonomous weapon systems – commonly known as killer robots – may have killed human beings for the first time ever last year, according to a recent United Nations Security Council report on the Libyan civil war. History could well identify this as the starting point of the next major arms race, one that has the potential to be humanity’s final one.”

“Autonomous weapon systems are robots with lethal weapons that can operate independently, selecting and attacking targets without a human weighing in on those decisions. Militaries around the world are investing heavily in autonomous weapons research and development. The U.S. alone budgeted US$18 billion for autonomous weapons between 2016 and 2020.”

(From Killer robots, military technology | Homeland Security Newswire).

So, a pandemic that isn’t stopping, to killer robots - that may not quite be the message of “Peace on Earth, Good will to men” that we heard last week!!!

So, in the next war, robots on both sides (or ‘all’ sides), can be programmed with face recognition to shoot and kill their ‘enemies’).  Doesn’t that make you feel warm and fuzzy all over?

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A phone call in the future from Ron.

“Hi Ron, how are you doing?  How’s Connecticut?”

Ron answers, “Doing great, Karen.  How about you?”

“Also great!!  What’s up?”

Ron replies, “Do you remember that Boy Scout I mentioned who is setting up his own holiday music station?  Well, he is just $500 short of getting all the licenses, the equipment, and features to make it work.  I’m hoping you can help on this.”

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Also from Homeland Security - “Artificial intelligence can imitate people’s voices. Scammers are already taking advantage of this on the phone”.  These “deep fakes” sound like a friend’s voice, and with imaging can look like a friend.  Would I know that I’m being scammed?  Probably not, other than Ron has never asked for money before.  But knowing I am partial to ambitious Boy Scouts, the Artificial Intelligence application puts it all together to make “Ron” (or an AI version of Ron), ask me for money.  And, Ron would not scam me!!  (But Ron’s AI counterpart can and will scam me!!!)  

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Ah yes, the world does continue.  Christmas comes and goes, but hatred goes on.  

LOVE WINS!!!

Karen