"The masking tape tangles
It's sticky and black
And the copper
Proud Headed Queen Lizzie
Conducts little charges
That don't get charged black
Well, the technical manual's busy
She's not going to fix it up, too easy"
I walked into an old fashioned disaster today on the corporate office job at 6AM. Something happened to
the power supply, and as a result, there was no electricity, other than emergency 120 volt circuits, in the entire building. And, in a classic example of 21st century hubris, the building was designed without a emergency generator. This, despite the fact that the building is serving as the International Corporate headquarters of a major US corporation.
So, I did the intelligent thing, and pedaled back to the bike shop, where I immediately starting building, and fixing bicycles.
Looking back on a career in high tech, I have watched as systems became more complex, and saw that, as they did, the points of failure multiplied. I have watched as more reliance was placed on technology, assumptions were made, and saw what happened when assume made an "ass out of u and me".
Turning away from your automobile, and relying instead on a basic well equipped steel touring bicycle, simplifies your life. And it sets you free. You plan your day out, live locally, get in tune with your neighborhood, and the environment. You don't rely as much on technology, so when there is a gas shortage, or a traffic jam, it's no big deal.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not out to start wearing tweed clothes and tossing out my laptop and TV anytime soon. But I have watched "high tech" change people, and in many ways, it's not so good. Despite all of the many ways we can communicate with one another -Twitter, Facebook, email, IM - we have become less literate. Automobiles have onboard computers and communication devices that rival the Starship Enterprise, and are now nearly impossible to work on outside of a dealership. What happens when the dealerships close? Or the supply lines stop?
We rely too much on technology to be a "deus ex machina" - something to drop in and save us. I read, and hear, a lot of talk about how technology will develop a car that won't run on gasoline. There is almost an expectation that it will happen. Yet, all-electric cars are plagued with issues, and limitations. The same is true for the idea of using hydrogen, or fuel cells.
Sadly, the answer is already here, and has been here for 100 years. Bicycles, walking, and mass transit. It is possible to use a bicycle year round - I have done it the past four years. We have many customers who do just the same. All of us that do have a bit of snugness, but also we share a great sense of freedom. We can just hop on our bicycles, and pedal home. No gas required.
I just got an email - 46 hours to get the office electricity. I smiled - and turned back to truing the wheel I'm working on. The future is waiting, and it's on two wheels.
"Well I'm learning
It's peaceful
With a good bike and some trees
Out of touch with the breakdown
Of this century
They're not going to fix it up
Too easy."
- Joni Mitchell (with apologies - I know she would understand.)
It's sticky and black
And the copper
Proud Headed Queen Lizzie
Conducts little charges
That don't get charged black
Well, the technical manual's busy
She's not going to fix it up, too easy"
I walked into an old fashioned disaster today on the corporate office job at 6AM. Something happened to
the power supply, and as a result, there was no electricity, other than emergency 120 volt circuits, in the entire building. And, in a classic example of 21st century hubris, the building was designed without a emergency generator. This, despite the fact that the building is serving as the International Corporate headquarters of a major US corporation.
So, I did the intelligent thing, and pedaled back to the bike shop, where I immediately starting building, and fixing bicycles.
Looking back on a career in high tech, I have watched as systems became more complex, and saw that, as they did, the points of failure multiplied. I have watched as more reliance was placed on technology, assumptions were made, and saw what happened when assume made an "ass out of u and me".
Turning away from your automobile, and relying instead on a basic well equipped steel touring bicycle, simplifies your life. And it sets you free. You plan your day out, live locally, get in tune with your neighborhood, and the environment. You don't rely as much on technology, so when there is a gas shortage, or a traffic jam, it's no big deal.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not out to start wearing tweed clothes and tossing out my laptop and TV anytime soon. But I have watched "high tech" change people, and in many ways, it's not so good. Despite all of the many ways we can communicate with one another -Twitter, Facebook, email, IM - we have become less literate. Automobiles have onboard computers and communication devices that rival the Starship Enterprise, and are now nearly impossible to work on outside of a dealership. What happens when the dealerships close? Or the supply lines stop?
We rely too much on technology to be a "deus ex machina" - something to drop in and save us. I read, and hear, a lot of talk about how technology will develop a car that won't run on gasoline. There is almost an expectation that it will happen. Yet, all-electric cars are plagued with issues, and limitations. The same is true for the idea of using hydrogen, or fuel cells.
Sadly, the answer is already here, and has been here for 100 years. Bicycles, walking, and mass transit. It is possible to use a bicycle year round - I have done it the past four years. We have many customers who do just the same. All of us that do have a bit of snugness, but also we share a great sense of freedom. We can just hop on our bicycles, and pedal home. No gas required.
I just got an email - 46 hours to get the office electricity. I smiled - and turned back to truing the wheel I'm working on. The future is waiting, and it's on two wheels.
"Well I'm learning
It's peaceful
With a good bike and some trees
Out of touch with the breakdown
Of this century
They're not going to fix it up
Too easy."
- Joni Mitchell (with apologies - I know she would understand.)
No comments:
Post a Comment