"Life, don't talk to me about life."

[Hotrodder]

Trying to make sense of things

While I wasn't looking, it seems we have entered a new age.
What was once taken as simple truth is now divided into many variables depending on who says it.
Facts are no longer factual, and lies fill the gaps.

We have to live colder lives in a "warming climate" being told to lower the heating by a few degrees, spend a fortune insulating our homes in order to use less energy then expect us to not notice when the energy companies raise the price to retain the same profit margin.

We are told we should give up eating meat to save the planet. Do cows really fart that much?
I expect one day they will remember that we exhale Co2 so they will decide to tax us for the damage we do by simply breathing.

Everyone must accept "new" innovations that promise much but deliver little, costing more but with a usable lifespan of only a fraction of that offered by older solutions. Genuine quality comes with a high price tag and becomes harder to find as time passes.

Ads on TV show ugly new electric cars that float about unhindered by any other vehicles on empty roads and city streets. Over made-up stick insect models grimace in slow motion supposedly creating an image that their new perfume will project to anyone who buys it. Cleaning products abound that promise to kill 99% of all known germs but they never hint at what is needed to kill that last 1%. Watch the ads with the sound turned off and they are just ridiculous cartoons that might better appeal to children. Do the advertising people think we all have low intelligence and a short attention span?

Dozens of "service providers" all trying to entice us into contracts for ever faster broadband when every one of them uses the same technology over the same cables and equipment. The only difference between them is how dreadful their customer service is. We don't really need more speed. We just need reliability.

Can we live without a "smart" phone? Apparently not. Look carefully at any video clip taken in any town or city. Phone zombies can hardly see where they are walking because they are so mesmerised by what is on their screen. And when their battery goes flat, what a panic. And if it is broken, stolen, or lost it is the end of the world, such is their dependence on their "smart" device. If they were smart themselves they might not put their entire lives on a device that is so shoddy that it has to be replaced every two or three years for something supposedly better. I still wonder how good their eyesight must be to enjoy a film displayed on a screen the size smaller than a postcard.

As well as engaging with rampant consumerism to keep our overlords net worth climbing to stratospheric heights we are offered incompetent, corrupt, self-centred moronic politicians that promise to cure all the ills of the world while pushing us ever closer to the next world war. It seems government has lost its way and is now in the hands of lunatics, psychopaths, and commercial interests.

Now after generations of Americans being told that Russia is the enemy they elect a president that sides with Russia and rejects western allies and blatantly threatens to take over other countries against their will. And the billionaire cronies of this president stand with him to watch the world economy crash, waiting to buy up the spoils when they lose most of their value, and then enrich themselves even more when the dust settles and values go back up. The ugliest face of capitalism exposed for all to see.

It seems we're riding an out of control train toward a cliff edge with no option to disembark.

[Polarengineer]

Stop the world Marvin, I want to get off.

[L Austin France]

Thing is Hotrodder, if you could make any sense of things could you do anything to change 'em?
Personally, at my age, I've given up thinking I could & spend my days in my own little bubble looking after me & mine.
I doubt anyone gives a damn about me & all the other old farts so let them who just may be heard have a go & see what they can do about things.
Selfish attitude maybe but .................

[Blaze]

Times are changing at a speed that is hard to keep up with but it's a pity to dwell on all the negative aspects. I'm sure we have all had, or are still having, difficulties in life, but if you have a roof over your head and enough to eat, it's a good start.

Smartphones do have some positive aspects : they have allowed many people to keep in touch with friends and families, particularly in war-torn countries. They enable us to contact the emergency services anywhere in the world (yes, I know there are black spots) and the ability to locate people quickly has been a life-saver.

Is there any point in getting wound up about things we can do nothing about ? Of course we can have an opinion but what can we do about a decision made by a foreign leader ?

One thing I find very disturbing is the increase in the number of teenagers with psychological problems that I'm seeing in my work as a first aider. Bullying at school seems to be on the increase and there is little respect for teachers/heads of school who are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

[Pathca]

Plus one Blaze

[curtis]

Thing is Hotrodder, if you could make any sense of things could you do anything to change 'em?
Personally, at my age, I've given up thinking I could & spend my days in my own little bubble looking after me & mine.
I doubt anyone gives a damn about me & all the other old farts so let them who just may be heard have a go & see what they can do about things.
Selfish attitude maybe but .................

+1

[demi]

Models have been around trying to sell us perfume for at least 70 years as have ads promising to kill 99% of dangerous household germs.

Old farts have been around for aeons as well!

[Chappers51]

+2 Blaze

[MAD87]

Well, + all of the above - including conflicting opinions - but no one's mentioned the French "news" generated by AI.

[Pathca]

I was just going to post about the issues (especially with younger people but not exclusively) and AI They no longer have to do their own research or write their own essays it’s easy done for them at the click of a few buttons