Is the World what you thought it would be?

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abu13

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Being of a certain age I can remember watching Tomorrows World and looking at all the technology that would make the future so much better. The one thing that stuck in my mind was how automation would make life easier for everyone and how our lives would all be improved and we would have a much better standard of living and increased leisuretime.

The older I have got the more I now realise that the increased leisuretime they were talking about was actually unemployment, I am not for one minute saying the standard of living hasn't improved but I really question if the quality of life has improved.

One thing that hit me was a recent visit to Asda, there were only 3 tills open but there must have been at least 30 self service checkouts all being used. These checkouts were being manned by one poor women who must have been in her mid 50's and looked stressed to hell. I would love to know just how many people these self service checkouts have put out of work. All about profit for corporations, there is no reason other than profit to employing staff to man these tills. And it doesn't end there, what about the impact of Amazon and the like on Town centres and the local community. The out of town retail parks that have decimated local businesses.

What about the media and Politics? There used to be a time when I felt I could trust both but that is now long gone, Fake news and corruption everywhere. A society where we now accept food banks as being a natural part of everyday life and snowflakes everywhere just waiting to be offended.

All in all I think the World I now live in isn't anything like the dream I was sold back in the day.

And yes I do fully understand that this makes me sound like a miserable old bastard who thinks everything was better in his day :)
 
You can't blame Raymond Baxter. It wasn't his fault. He was just a mouthpiece for the real bastard in this scenario...Judith Fucking Hann. She controlled all aspects of this programme, from the hiring to the riders. Michael Rodd was her right hand man. Another devious bastard.

It's her fault there are no hover boards. She has them all in her lock up.
 
abu13 said:
Being of a certain age I can remember watching Tomorrows World and looking at all the technology that would make the future so much better. The one thing that stuck in my mind was how automation would make life easier for everyone and how our lives would all be improved and we would have a much better standard of living and increased leisuretime.

The older I have got the more I now realise that the increased leisuretime they were talking about was actually unemployment, I am not for one minute saying the standard of living hasn't improved but I really question if the quality of life has improved.

One thing that hit me was a recent visit to Asda, there were only 3 tills open but there must have been at least 30 self service checkouts all being used. These checkouts were being manned by one poor women who must have been in her mid 50's and looked stressed to hell. I would love to know just how many people these self service checkouts have put out of work. All about profit for corporations, there is no reason other than profit to employing staff to man these tills. And it doesn't end there, what about the impact of Amazon and the like on Town centres and the local community. The out of town retail parks that have decimated local businesses.

What about the media and Politics? There used to be a time when I felt I could trust both but that is now long gone, Fake news and corruption everywhere. A society where we now accept food banks as being a natural part of everyday life and snowflakes everywhere just waiting to be offended.

All in all I think the World I now live in isn't anything like the dream I was sold back in the day.

And yes I do fully understand that this makes me sound like a miserable old bastard who thinks everything was better in his day :)
Click to expand...

Pretty much. AI will revolutionise human labour in the same way that the steam engine did. Apart from that, we become more connected but ultimately human beings don't change their 2 million year old core psychology in the space of a couple of decades so we're going to be basically the same as it was in the 80s or 90s but with faster stuff.

The problem here is that the futurologists of that time period completely misunderstood what was happening in science and technology fields, the limits and potential applications of it.
 
No I’ve still not got hoverboard:(

saw that thing recently saying if back to the future was made now they’d be going back to 1992

made me feel very old lol
 
abu13 said:
Being of a certain age I can remember watching Tomorrows World and looking at all the technology that would make the future so much better. The one thing that stuck in my mind was how automation would make life easier for everyone and how our lives would all be improved and we would have a much better standard of living and increased leisuretime.

The older I have got the more I now realise that the increased leisuretime they were talking about was actually unemployment, I am not for one minute saying the standard of living hasn't improved but I really question if the quality of life has improved.

One thing that hit me was a recent visit to Asda, there were only 3 tills open but there must have been at least 30 self service checkouts all being used. These checkouts were being manned by one poor women who must have been in her mid 50's and looked stressed to hell. I would love to know just how many people these self service checkouts have put out of work. All about profit for corporations, there is no reason other than profit to employing staff to man these tills. And it doesn't end there, what about the impact of Amazon and the like on Town centres and the local community. The out of town retail parks that have decimated local businesses.

What about the media and Politics? There used to be a time when I felt I could trust both but that is now long gone, Fake news and corruption everywhere. A society where we now accept food banks as being a natural part of everyday life and snowflakes everywhere just waiting to be offended.

All in all I think the World I now live in isn't anything like the dream I was sold back in the day.

And yes I do fully understand that this makes me sound like a miserable old bastard who thinks everything was better in his day :)
Click to expand...
One slight thing if I may point out is there's more people in work than there's ever been, Raymond Baxter was talking bollocks him and his bloody automation.
 
mancity2012_eamo said:
Accurate enough all the same.
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He was a true visionary. I've also got/read most of his SF novels. He was also involved in the development of ground approach radar during the war, at a "secret" site on Bodmin Moor. I found it by accident, and a gliding club who now use it confirmed that it was indeed the "secret" site.
I gave my wife her first driving lesson on the runway. When we got about 100 yards from the end, she asked me what to do. I said you have 3 choices:
a) Stop.
b) Slow down and turn the steering wheel so that we could go back the other way.
c) Put your foot down, pull the steering wheel back, and hope we take off!

She stopped.
 
I remember partying like it’s 1999 back in the early 90’s,99 came and was no different apart from us winning the play off final fuck me that was some day

Then Buck Rogers, where’s that fucker now,probably same place as Ted

I’m 51 today and can honestly hand on heart say this world is pretty shit and although I used to hate people saying it but I agree now,just enjoy yourself

I’m also in Lanzarote at this minute and been out for a nice meal and a few sherbets with the mrs, and I’ve seen loads of cunts with hats on pretending they are Irish for the day,I say cunts but then I think no fair play to them they’re enjoying themselves Irish or not,that’s what it’s about

But life does kick you in the bollocks I mean my mrs has us on a flight coming home leaving here at ht during Sundays match and to say I’m pissed off is a huge understatement but you know what she would of enjoyed herself and that’s all that matters
 
I think things are way better now and better than I expected. I just wish I was younger to see more advancements.

1) Travel. We can fly anywhere now at reasonable cost, something my Grandad could've only dreamt off. World cruises are within reach of working class people. No longer just for the very wealthy.

2) Technology. We have in our pockets a computer that can store 10.000 books, 1000 movies, a million photo's, can tell us the answer to almost anything. Stream almost every song ever recorded. Stream TV shows and movies. Act as a brilliant camera and Video recorder. Store our diary, calender, do word games, watch sport, use as an Encyclopedia, name plants, planes, ships. I can read The Manchester Evening News in Australia every day.
TV's now you can have home cinema with full surround sound. 100" screens in Full HD. Fully Automatic washing machines/dryers. Brilliant Fridge Freezers, Microwaves.

3) Cars. When I was a kid somebody buying a new car was like an event, blimey he's rich. Now it's no big deal, most working people can afford a new car.

4) Health. Massive improvements in health, most cancers are now curable if caught in time. Artificial heart valves (40 years ago I wouldve just died a slow painful death), artificial limbs, think of Para Olympics, Pacemakers, etc. people now living longer than ever, preventative treatments for Asthma. Much better anesthetics for surgery, most disease's like Polio, Measles, Whooping Cough wiped out. Less childhood deaths.

5) Food. I never knew what a Mango or Cantalupo Melon tasted like, never probably heard of them as a kid. Now we have an abundance of food from all over the world. Curries, Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, the list goes on. Supermarkets stuffed with choice and you can even get home delivery if you dont have a car. (My Mother would've died for that)

6) Choice. Basically, you have heaps more choice in everything you do or buy.

7) Smoke. Thankfully, work, public transport, pubs, clubs cafes are now not buried in carcinogenic cigarette smoke.

Keep your Good Old days for me :)
 
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Bill Walker said:
I think things are way better now and better than I expected. I just wish I was younger to see more advancements.

1) Travel. We can fly anywhere now at reasonable cost, something my Grandad could've only dreamt off. World cruises are within reach of working class people. No longer just for the very wealthy.

2) Technology. We have in our pockets a computer that can store 10.000 books, 1000 movies, a million photo's, can tell us the answer to almost anything. Stream almost every song ever recorded. Stream TV shows and movies. Act as a brilliant camera and Video recorder. Store our diary, calender, do word games, watch sport, use as an Encyclopedia, name plants, planes, ships. I can read The Manchester Evening News in Australia every day.
TV's now you can have home cinema with full surround sound. 100" screens in Full HD. Fully Automatic washing machines/dryers. Brilliant Fridge Freezers, Microwaves.

3) Cars. When I was a kid somebody buying a new car was like an event, blimey he's rich. Now it's no big deal, most working people can afford a new car.

4) Health. Massive improvements in health, most cancers are now curable if caught in time. Artificial heart valves (40 years ago I wouldve just died a slow painful death), artificial limbs, think of Para Olympics, Pacemakers, etc. people now living longer than ever, preventative treatments for Asthma. Much better anesthetics for surgery, most disease's like Polio, Measles, Whooping Cough wiped out. Less childhood deaths.

5) Food. I never knew what a Mango or Cantalupo Melon tasted like, never probably heard of them as a kid. Now we have an abundance of food from all over the world. Curries, Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, the list goes on. Supermarkets stuffed with choice and you can even get home delivery if you dont have a car. (My Mother would've died for that)

6) Choice. Basically, you have heaps more choice in everything you do or buy.

Keep your Good Old days for me :)
Click to expand...
You are correct life is still tough though. There all these things to make life easier but with no money all is not obtainable. I have a lovely lady and 3 good young sons. But I have to work hard to provide for them. The world is better but you have to be able to afford it. Its tough for people who cannot.
 
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