Rogue Robot

Marvel's "Rogue"
(Fair Use)

If and when robots revolt, the results can be revolting.

A Tesla bot recently dug its metallic claws into an unsuspecting human.  While blood trailed from this “engineer’s back and arm," witnesses were left with more questions than answers.

As artificial intelligence seeps more and more into our lives, one question seems particularly disturbing: Can such an attack be premeditated by the robot itself?

Safety measures can certainly be implemented, but will some be readily sidestepped by savvy bots?  It is currently said, "Guns don’t kill people, people kill people."  That might now be the case, but what will occur as devices become smarter?

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-12-27-tesla-robot-attacks-engineer-at-texas-factory/?mid=1207871&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline4_readmore

Does the punishment fit the crime?

Carl Lutz's Letter of Protection
(Public Domain)
                                                        

What happens when an allegedly “good” kid posts “a detailed plan” to gun down worshippers at a synagogue?

After pleading “true” to this charge in juvenile court, the youth was ordered to attend therapy, to be on probation for one year, to refrain “from using the internet without adult supervision,” and to write a book report about Carl Lutz.

Lutz was a Swiss diplomat who had been stationed in what was then Mandatory Palestine.  While there, he witnessed the mob lynching of “an unarmed Jew.”  This may well have inspired him to save the lives of more than 62,000 Jews during World War II.

Will summarizing Lutz's heroics change the trajectory of an impressionable youth’s life?  Or will it merely be one more bump on the road to nowhere?                                                    

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-12-19-teen-who-planned-mass-shooting-at-synagogue-ordered-to-write-a-book report/?mid=1203081&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline2_readmore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lutz 

Be Here Now and Again with Bells On

(Fair Use)

Back in 1971, the book Be Here Now was all the rage.  It emphasized an ability to be present to What Is on a moment-to-moment basis.

Currently, one question seems to overshadow that whole process: Are such moments really worth it if they can’t be branded on TikTok?

For many, TikTok videos seem more real than daily life.  “Authentic” has become a Gen Z byword. It often refers to a polished presentation of a “mischievous” enactment.  Claiming to debunk the veneer of other staged videos, these so-called “chaotic” vlogs are the new cool.

So if you’re bellowing on the subway, retching in the shower, or simply stepping out bare-faced, you too can become a TikTok star. (Or is it influencer?)  Call it what you will, just don’t call it authentic…

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Here_Now_(book)

https://news.yahoo.com/from-that-girl-to-rat-girl-tiktokers-are-sick-of-manicured-wellness-content-and-now-crave-mischief-232103355.html

 

 

 

Tannenbaum, O No

Silver Fir

Although the German word “Tannenbaum” is often said to mean “Christmas tree,” the famous song lyrics tell a much broader tale.

For starters, “tannenbaum” literally means “fir tree.”  The 1924 lyrics by Ernst Anschutz speak of a faithful tree that remains “green and blooming… through summer’s heat and winter’s chill.”  Subsequent versions continue to emphasize tannenbaum’s evergreen qualities throughout all seasons.

All well and good when tannenbaum is allowed to live a full life within its natural setting.  But when tannenbaum is cut down, bundled, then propped back up in artificial environments, trouble sets in.  Household fires have long been associated with “never-greens” that easily ignite.

If that weren’t enough, there are plenty of moldy tannenbaums.  It turns out that dead trees are prone to parasitic infections.  A human disease called “Christmas Tree Syndrome” has recently made headlines.  It occurs when susceptible people come in contact with mold spores that flourish upon felled and bundled trees.  Symptoms include breathing difficulties and skin disturbances.

A modern “O Tannenbaum” lyric reiterates “how sturdy God hath made" this tree.  Kicking it to the curb within a few short weeks seems at odds with the Christmas spirit.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Tannenbaum

https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-11-28-christmas-tree-syndrome-hospitalizing-people-across-the us/?mid=1191103&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline5_readmore 

Wolves Within

(by Carl Weidemeyer, 1911)

Although dogs are said to be people’s best friends, wolves are said to be big and bad.  Yet there is an genetic wolf within each and every dog, and a metaphorical wolf within each and every person.

Last month, two stray canines went on a rampage at a Houston car dealership, causing approximately $350,000 worth of damage.  An employee theorized that “only a wolf would be capable” of such behavior.  The video footage instead showed dogs.

Hungry pups or peeps will sometimes become desperate.  Hunger for food and/or love can yield sorry results.  Who let these dogs out?  Were they abandoned pets, or had they spent entire lives scrounging? What would it take to turn them around?

There’s a famous story about Saint Francis and the wolf of Gubbio.  This hungry wolf had been terrorizing Gubbio’s people and animals.  Saint Francis approached it with holy love.  Empathizing with the wolf’s hunger, Francis arranged for Gubbio’s people to feed it regularly if it would henceforth stop the attacks.  It is said that “the wolf placed his paw in Francis’ hand in agreement” and remained docile from then on.

Resources

https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/st-francis-and-the-wolf-of-gubbio/       

Death by Selfie

Narcissus at the Spring
(Painting by Jan Roos)

There's an Ancient Greek myth about Narcissus, who was so in love with his own watery reflection that he lost his life while admiring it.

Before grabbing a camera and heading for precarious cliffs, it might be wise to recall this tragic tale.  It’s one thing to carefully navigate a hiking trail, but quite another to clown around on edgy ground.  The selfie you take while pirouetting atop a ledge might very well be your last.

The Journal of Medical Internet Research recently published the results of a study about selfie-related deaths.  These are increasing to the point where they’re being called “a public health problem.” According to Sam Cornell of the University of Sydney, the average age of such deaths “was 22 and most casualties were female tourists.”

Even when the body survives, the psyche can be crushed by habitual self-absorption.

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-11-27-taking-selfies-is-now-considered-a-public-health-problem/ mid=1190335&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline4_readmore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(mythology)

  

Munch a Bunch of Seaweed

Dulse
Photo by tiny.ian

Farming can be hard work.  Why bother to sow when you can simply reap Neptune’s bounty?

Forget fish, crabs, shrimp, lobsters and the like.  There’s a quick and renewable resource within easier reach, and that delicacy is seaweed.

Having once been a routine part of European diets, this “healthy and sustainable source of protein” remains a staple within “some Asian countries.”  No need to freeze those leftovers - for centuries they’ve been used for “fuel, fertilizer, or to feed livestock.”

Don’t like your seaweed wet and sloppy?  Try munching on some crisp dulse or crinkly nori.  Just steer clear of rotting algae and so-called “stinging seaweed” (the latter of which is actually composed of bacteria). 

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/back-menu-europeans-once-ate-163149549.html