:-)

-CW

Saw the one in the Air & Space museum's annex -- way cool!

I loved that the military officially admitted it existed right before retiring it, so they could officially break all the air speed records. I think one flew coast to coast in something like 59 minutes.

Even to this day, nobody can touch that one...

-CW

Player Piano is going to get more and more relevant in the coming years. It was one of Vonnegut's first books, written in the (?) early 60s (or late 50s). The main theme is automation taking away everyone's good jobs. The government was forced to start up a Depression Era "CCC" program for all the displaced workers (the "Reeks and Wrecks"). Many sci-fi writers of the era wrote about what would happen when all the good manufacturing jobs went away. They seem prophetic now...

-CW

I got to be up close and personal with the "Habu" while I was at Kadena AB... :D

Michale

The autobahn was up and running in something similar to it's modern form by 1935.

The Cadillac was the achievable luxury of the well paid working class. Professionals aspired to a Mercedes, the wealthy to a Rolls Royce. If you wanted a genuine sports car you had to go foreign or build it yourself. I was there, as a 10 Y.O. rally navigator in balloon fender Jags, various Austins, Triumphs and Fiats.

You have great taste in aircraft! The SR-71 was way ahead of it's time and a good investment. The SR-71 was unpredictable, satellites aren't. I'd be surprised if a very secret high mach recon drone hasn't taken it's place.

The US moon program was sort of a collaboration between the US and Germany if catch my drift. "We aim for the stars, but sometimes we hit London."

Why not?? If something as mundane as debit cards is OK, surely Movies/TV should count...

But also keep in mind one fact...

The US has lost the top spot in many areas in the last 7 years...

Now, what is significant about that??

Michale

Trust me, I have not forgotten.

Everyone else has... :D

Paul stepped on the starter, the motor caught, roared fast and slow without a miss as he pumped the accelerator. He looked up to see the profound satisfaction, the uplift of creativity, in the faces of the Reeks and Wrecks.
-Player Piano, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

That WAS good.. :D

Michale

Trust me, I have not forgotten.

[18] -

OK, that was pretty funny!

Here's a quote for you:

Paul returned to the garage, coiled the siphon hose in the glove compartment, and drove off. The car was hesitating again – catching and slowing, catching and slowing. At any rate, it took his mind momentarily from the inconvenient matter of the missing pistol. On the long grade past the golf course, the engine seemed to be hitting on no more than three cylinders, and a squad from the Reconstruction and Reclamation Corps, putting in a spruce windbreak to the north of the clubhouse, turned to watch the car’s enervated struggle with gravity.

Paul stepped on the starter, the motor caught, roared fast and slow without a miss as he pumped the accelerator. He looked up to see the profound satisfaction, the uplift of creativity, in the faces of the Reeks and Wrecks.
-Player Piano, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

There's a much deeper argument to make, here, about the whole "Reeks and Wrecks" thing, but I'll spare you for now. Just was reminded of it by your joke, that's all.

-CW

Not MORE regulation..

DIFFERENT regulations..

By and large Europeans are more pragmatic when it comes to regulating their industries..

The US imposes regulations to further a political agenda.. We have seen that time and time again..

In other countries, the regulations are designed to further the TECHNOLOGY...

Michale

I refer you to RD's recent Software Programmer joke..

I am doing it from memory cuz I am too lazy to look it up..

A mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer and a software programmer are all riding in a car when the car dies. The mechanical engineer says, "It might be a drive issue. I'll check the transmission. The electrical engineer says, "It might be an electrical issue. I'll check the fuse block. The software programmer says, "Why don't we all get out of the car and then get back in. See if that fixes the problem."

:D

As I said, it's RD's joke and I was relaying it from memory. Any errors are my own..

Michale

*AND* The Democrat Party POTUS candidate..

Don't forget that.. :D

Michale

Wasn't sure about Canada. Should have asked you before writing!

:-)

John From Censornati [2] -

Heh. I hate the wool being pulled over my eyes, that's all...

:-)

Michale [3] -

Yep, we've still got the biggest baddest military, I'll agree with you there. We ought to, we pay more than the other top 10 countries combined.

But please name me three other things we lead on. Hollywood movies don't count.

JFC [5] -

We swung for someone with a hammer and MISSED? Convene a congressional inquiry!

Heh.

Michale [6] -

Um, what? Europe's got more regulations than we do. And yet they're leading, on broadband, on high-speed rails, on credit cards, on many many things. So maybe more regulations mean more futuristic stuff?

Heh.

TheStig [7] -

Which came first, the autobahns or the Interstate Highway system? That was Eisenhower's baby, although (to be fair) he did design it so the US military could easily move around the country, should we ever be invaded.

You're right, though, after WWII, we did have the only economy left standing. That helped enormously.

I would also argue that the Cadillac was the standard of achievable luxury during the same period. As for military, well, we did put a man on the moon and led the world in nukes. Also, the SR-71 Blackbird, the coolest plane ever built.

John M [8] -

Exactly! Michale, you paying attention?

Michale [9] -

Um, yeah, except for, you know, reality. And the fact that Wall Street banks pretty much own large chunks of Congress.

TheStig [13] -

Isn't that "Computer programmers never die, they just enter an infinite loop"?

Heh.

-CW

Yes, but are you OVER-regulated...

THAT's the question...

Michale

Could it POSSIBLY be because of over-regulation...

We're pretty much regulated here.

Try again.

"Old computer scientists never die, they just cash in their chips."

Can you guess which Party??

I'll give you a hint.. It has 3 syllables and begins with a 'D'.... :D

Michale

I think you mean the criminality rate... :D

Michale

They're talking about incarceration rate.

I would argue that those countries don't have MORE regulation, they have DIFFERENT regulations...

And the regulations are designed to FURTHER technology, not impede it...

BECAUSE they are mandated by the government THROUGH MORE regulation,

No.. Thru DIFFERENT regulations. Regulations, as you yourself say, designed to ENHANCE the technology, not impede it..

Here in the US, the regulatory environment is designed to fulfill a partisan agenda, NOT enhance technology..

One only has to look at the EPA in the here and now to know that this is factual...

Michale

"Why do you think that other countries have that edge??

Could it POSSIBLY be because of over-regulation...

That THAT might have SOMETHING to do with it??"

That's funny, because places like Europe, Canada and Japan, have MORE regulations than we do, not LESS. And they have HIGHER levels of technology, like high speed trains, credit cards with computer chips, more developed sources of wind and solar power, higher speed computer networks, etc. BECAUSE they are mandated by the government THROUGH MORE regulation, NOT less.

The particular genius of American Design and Technology has never emphasized building the best. When America actually built things for a living (for the sake of argument, pre-1980s) it built good quality stuff in massive quantities that allowed it to be sold relatively cheaply all around the world. This was particularly easy after WWII because the US economy was really the only one left standing.

While the USA did hold the tallest building record for a good while, German autobahns were built better and were better designed for safe high speed use, and if you had real money, you bought foreign cars for outstanding luxury or handling qualities. Until recently, US military equipment has rarely been THE BEST...arguably the P51 Mustang qualifies, the B29 certainly does, as do US frigates if you want to go back the 1812 or so. Hardly anybody would rate the M4 "Sherman" tank the best tank of WWII, but it was a war winning machine because it was good enough, outstandingly reliable and cleverly customized (mostly by the Brits who seem to excel at the art of the lash-up).As Stalin put it, quantity has its own quality. Or as somebody else put it God is on the side of the big battalions.

Today, the US does tend to build the best military equipment, in small batches, at high cost, and we lose wars. Ve are becoming Germans! The art of over engineering!

The USA still designs things people want, at affordable prices They just get made in China.

Back to tallest buildings. I saw a documentary on a record highest skyscraper being build in China. The floors were 6" out of spec with the ceiling by the time they got to the top and were putting in the HVAC stuff. Let's see how long it stays up.

Why do you think that other countries have that edge??

Could it POSSIBLY be because of over-regulation...

That THAT might have SOMETHING to do with it??

Technology flourishes when pushed by market incentives and technology is stifled in an over-regulated environment..

Imagine what we could achieve if our "leaders" worked together instead of against each other...

Michale

"Why do you hate America?"

I think I may have responded too hastily. If you really hated America, you probably would've accused it of not hitting somebody with a hammer or drone.

A repost ofan earlier comment..

====================================
Allow me to post a passage from an "old" Star Trek novel:

"We'll arm ourselves," Kirk told him without hesitation. "But how do we do it? What do we trade for the firearms?"

Some computer technology would, of course, be a technical fallout of the traveler system . . . or a precedent of it.
-THE ABODE OF LIFE

This novel came out in 1982. While the first "debit card" was introduced in 1978 by Seattle First National Bank, it didn't go national until 1984 when Landmark created a nation-wide ATM network.

I remember reading this book and thinking what a kewl monetary system that would be.. :D

Once again, science fiction becomes science fact...
=========================

Michale

But the fact that we are the only acknowledged Superpower on the planet is still the undisputed fact of the land...

Our 25-year old credit card technology notwithstanding.. :D

Michale

We have better election time debates as well, I might add.

I can't even watch the presidential debates anymore. It's just too depressing.