As I continue to plow through ST: TNG episodes, much of the 1st and 2nd season are new to me. I got to say, "Measure of a Man" is one of my favorite episodes. Maybe it's the technological advances in AI in recent years; how far away are we from an android like Data, centuries, decades? Will we even last that long? Maybe it's the political climate and our orange god emperor, who doesn't even remember the context of the Civil War, but this episode gave me the feels. This interaction between Picard and Guinan that was the impetus for Picard's defense was great. Whoopi was fantastic.
"Consider that in the history of many worlds there have always been disposable creatures. They do the dirty work. They do the work that no one else wants to do, because it's too difficult or too hazardous. And an army of Datas, all disposable? You don't have to think about their welfare; you don't think about how they feel. Whole generations of disposable people."
"You're talking about slavery."
"I think that's a little harsh."
"I don't think that's a little harsh, I think that's the truth. But that's a truth that we have obscured behind a... comfortable, easy euphemism. 'Property'. But that's not the issue at all, is it?"
- Guinan and Picard
This episode is about identifying the worth of an android, meanwhile, we are still struggling with attaching worth to actual humans.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Monday, April 24, 2017
Parenting and Finance
I thought this post was worth sharing, in highlights, the subject is with regard to savings accounts for kids.
Taken from here, emphasis mine:
It can be so easy to question one's own parenting skills, but I guess it's also important to remember that our parents were able to do so, and lucky as we are to have good parents, we are doubly lucky to have a model/method to follow from our own experiences.
"Maybe I was naive and lucky, but I never considered not telling my children about their savings or not removing myself as custodian when they reached 18. My children knew from about the age of six (they were told before, but might not have understood the concepts) that we were saving money for them to go to college. Either then or by ten, they knew it was "their money," but they were expected to use it for college. By twelve, they knew the word "disinherited." Of course we never talked to them about going to college, only about going to graduate or professional school. [You shouldn't have to explain the benefits of going to middle school, and we treated going to college the same way - it's just another step along your path.]"
I thought that this was an interesting approach and I found it quite clever. I actually agree with it, except I have concerns about putting implied pressure (internal within the child, or external from parents) on the child to get into a graduate / professional program. Now that I think about it, this might have been what my parents did with me! Hmm...having said all that, one can only push a child so far before they have to go forth on their own.
"I always thought honesty was a good policy, and children learn by what you do as much as by what you say. That's just one reason why I wouldn't hide the account if I were you."
The first part is a no-brainer. The whole post is a good reminder of things to consider. Lots for me to think about.
"You have 16 years to teach him your values about education, how to treat others, money, responsibility, what words are inappropriate, table manners, etc. It's all a package. You can either have faith in your own ability as parents or not."
It can be so easy to question one's own parenting skills, but I guess it's also important to remember that our parents were able to do so, and lucky as we are to have good parents, we are doubly lucky to have a model/method to follow from our own experiences.
"Maybe I was naive and lucky, but I never considered not telling my children about their savings or not removing myself as custodian when they reached 18. My children knew from about the age of six (they were told before, but might not have understood the concepts) that we were saving money for them to go to college. Either then or by ten, they knew it was "their money," but they were expected to use it for college. By twelve, they knew the word "disinherited." Of course we never talked to them about going to college, only about going to graduate or professional school. [You shouldn't have to explain the benefits of going to middle school, and we treated going to college the same way - it's just another step along your path.]"
I thought that this was an interesting approach and I found it quite clever. I actually agree with it, except I have concerns about putting implied pressure (internal within the child, or external from parents) on the child to get into a graduate / professional program. Now that I think about it, this might have been what my parents did with me! Hmm...having said all that, one can only push a child so far before they have to go forth on their own.
"I always thought honesty was a good policy, and children learn by what you do as much as by what you say. That's just one reason why I wouldn't hide the account if I were you."
The first part is a no-brainer. The whole post is a good reminder of things to consider. Lots for me to think about.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Star Trek: TNG
Just saying how awesome Amazon Prime is, I get to binge on Star Trek TNG from the beginning, which I have never actually watched in order before.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
An Algorithm for Happiness
An interesting, insightful video. It strikes me as something similar to the saying of "it's about wanting what you have, not having what you want," but takes it a step further.
His philosophy can apply to personal finance, saving money, and so many other things, simply living life and understanding happiness. I can definitely understand how developing this philosophy probably helped him to move forward after the passing of his son, which sounded heart-breaking and really struck home for me. It reminds me to take joy in the everyday and the time that I can spend with Little Ender.
His philosophy can apply to personal finance, saving money, and so many other things, simply living life and understanding happiness. I can definitely understand how developing this philosophy probably helped him to move forward after the passing of his son, which sounded heart-breaking and really struck home for me. It reminds me to take joy in the everyday and the time that I can spend with Little Ender.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Saga - update
Damn, this is a good series. Like, really, really good. Twists and turns, this comic is no holds barred and definitely not for kids. This is especially so for the most recent volume that I read, Volume 7. I laughed when I turned to page only to see a very graphic depiction of Mr. Robot Prince masturbating to thoughts of various women including his target/our heroine. It totally caught me off guard.
I honestly can't wait for the next volume, especially in light of what happened at the end of this one. Arggggh!
In other news, I watched the final episode of Naruto Shippuden (episode 500) on Crunchyroll. Oh, the feels. I felt the same sadness when I finished the manga a year (or two?) earlier, albeit, less so because I knew this was a long time coming. I'm not sure if I will watch any of Boruto, we'll see. Attack on Titan, Season 2 is coming, but I'll probably wait until it's finished before I sign up for Crunchyroll Premium again. The Crunchyroll add-on for Kodi only works for Premium users, but it definitely worked great!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Just A Photo
Xtreme Comforts Bamboo Pillow Review
I had a memory foam pillow I tried from Costco, it was nice. It was comfy. I don't use it anymore for good reason.
Little did I know how important a feature it is for a memory foam pillow to be fully machine washable. Seriously. Little Ender (LE) really likes whatever pillow we use, and not the kid-sized one we bought for him, which is fine and dandy; until he gets sick and vomits all over your pillow. Your memory foam pillow that ISN'T machine washable. How the heck are you supposed to "spot clean" vomit? Also, did you know memory foam acts like a sponge?
Desperate, I jumped on Sweethome and found the Xtreme Comforts Bamboo Pillow. In short, it works. It's quite supportive, and smells only a little bit, initially, gone in 24 hours depending how sensitive you are to these things. It arrives in a sushi-like package, and then you rip open the plastic and it unfurls and expands. Fluff it up, smash the heck out of it, or toss it in the dryer for a bit to spread out the shredded memory foam and you can sleep on it the first night. Works great! Until the pillow gets stolen by the wife. Which then gets stolen by LE. So now...we have 3 of these because other pillows were forcibly phased out by wear and tear, or LE's vomit. Ah, the joys of daycare.
Standard size, queen size, and slim (for Little Ender.) Get the slim if you're a stomach sleeper.
Now I can rest easy (ha) knowing if I have another emergency cleaning session, it's as easy as tossing them in the washer.
We took an extra step and got some waterproof pillow protectors too. Because even though the pillows are easily washable, it's better not to have to wash them every time. Worth it.
Little did I know how important a feature it is for a memory foam pillow to be fully machine washable. Seriously. Little Ender (LE) really likes whatever pillow we use, and not the kid-sized one we bought for him, which is fine and dandy; until he gets sick and vomits all over your pillow. Your memory foam pillow that ISN'T machine washable. How the heck are you supposed to "spot clean" vomit? Also, did you know memory foam acts like a sponge?
Desperate, I jumped on Sweethome and found the Xtreme Comforts Bamboo Pillow. In short, it works. It's quite supportive, and smells only a little bit, initially, gone in 24 hours depending how sensitive you are to these things. It arrives in a sushi-like package, and then you rip open the plastic and it unfurls and expands. Fluff it up, smash the heck out of it, or toss it in the dryer for a bit to spread out the shredded memory foam and you can sleep on it the first night. Works great! Until the pillow gets stolen by the wife. Which then gets stolen by LE. So now...we have 3 of these because other pillows were forcibly phased out by wear and tear, or LE's vomit. Ah, the joys of daycare.
Standard size, queen size, and slim (for Little Ender.) Get the slim if you're a stomach sleeper.
Now I can rest easy (ha) knowing if I have another emergency cleaning session, it's as easy as tossing them in the washer.
We took an extra step and got some waterproof pillow protectors too. Because even though the pillows are easily washable, it's better not to have to wash them every time. Worth it.
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