Three books for Christmas - Don’t Blink When you are Engulfed in Flames and it is Hot, Flat, and Crowded

My wonderful family was kind enough to buy me three books this Christmas.

1. Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman
2. When you are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
3. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

The later two books have not arrived yet, so I started with Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

This is how it starts:

German engineering, Swiss Innovation, American nothing.

-Advertising slogan used on a billboard in South Africa by Daimler to promote the smart “forfour” compact car

The World’s 1st IT Professional

This video is hilarious to me.  As I have said before, my real job is an independent computer technology consultant for residences and small businesses.  Most of my customers are very technically astute, but occasionally you get a fun one like this.  It doesn’t bother me because I enjoy teaching them new things about technology.  Actually, every computer guy could use a lesson from the world’s first IT professional.

DaddyHogwash.com ‘Books’ Feature

New feature:

I have added alist of books that I have either read, or hope to read soon.  When you click on the books link on the top right, it will take you there.

You will notice that you can purchase the books there from Amazon.  If you plan on making a purchase of one of these books, please do it from here and help me fund (justify ) my time on DaddyHogwash.com.

I would really appreciate it.

See the books here.

Pennies From Space: Our Economy Needs A Miracle… Like In Science Fiction

I hate to sound alarmist, but I am pretty good at it.  I don’t think the average person realizes how bad of shape our economy is really in.  This article form Pennies From Space takes a tongue-in-cheek kind of look at science fiction for answers, but there is some truth to it.  If you look all through history, it is the country that implements the latest technologies that rule the world.  For Genghis Khan, it was the bow and arrow, for 20th Century America, it was the Atom bomb.

The subject was covered pretty well in Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond.  When a country’s economy is suffering, like America is now, it makes that country vulnerable to the tortoise waiting close behind, and this Earth has no shortage of emerging economies.  I predict that the next advance in technology will predict the country that takes the reigns of the world.  It could still be, mostly will be, and hopefully soon will be the grand old U.S.A., but we better put our butts in gear and get it done.  It seems most likely to come from Green technology, since that is what Al Gore, Thomas Friedman, Barack Obama, and others are pushing for.

Pennies From Space: Our Economy Needs A Miracle… Like In Science Fiction
Don’t panic! Sure, our economy is crappier than a crap-monster attacking a crap factory. But that’s the time when you should look to the future. Our economy could be transformed at any moment, by developments like new technology — or first contact with an alien species. And you can prepare for this bright future by reading science fiction, which is full of amazing stories of economic miracles. Prepare for our super hopeful future by reading about all the ways our economy could be revolutionized overnight!