Skunk Totem's Blog: A Twitter-Free, Facebook-Free Zone

I'm sick of Twitter and Facebook. More accurately, I'm sick of the craze that seems to obligate everyone to use social networking. Fans even dare to assert that shunning Facebook is a kiss of death to your career. It reminds me of the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated!"

At least the Borg are fiction.

I hope that Twitter and Facebook go the way of CB radio. (CB remains the ideal communications medium for truck drivers and volunteer emergency responders; it just isn't a dictatorial fad like in the late 1970s. So I'm not wishing TW and FB out of existence)

I'm hardly alone. Read this Omaha World-Herald article on the Slow Media Movement. It quotes and journalism professor Jennifer Rauch: "The movement attracts people who feel 'that some sort of boundaries need to be set;' that technologies should be chosen, not embraced blindly; should serve, not be served."

No, I don't drive a '72 Pinto with an 8-track player. I don't have a black-and-white TV. And if I hated the Internet, you wouldn't be reading this. But I am content with my Stupid Phone and a computer that must be plugged in. If I wrote books, I'd have them available on Kindle (but I read the old fashioned kind: no batteries required.) I, Ms. Rauch, and other "Slow Media" advocates bristle that we are Luddites or even "anti-broadband." We just want to take our technology in smaller doses. I love peanut butter, but that doesn't mean I want three pounds of it in one sitting or to put it on everything I eat.

Forget Nostradumbass prophecies: I figure we'll be doomed when the Old Order Amish are on Facebook.

On the light side in languages a few translated

Have you ever tried one of those online translation utilities, only to discover that the English "translation" is at best laughable or incomprehensible? As humanity continues to get more global, more people who speak different languages interact...and, well, I suspect human translators will have job security for years to come. A computer can only go so far (with current technology) and because each language is unique in its syntax, grammar, phonics (or no phonics at all) that automated translation may never be perfected.

I haven't written much in a while and haven't had time to tend to the blog, so this is something to amuse readers (all three of you) while awaiting some deeper prose. This text, using AltaVista BabelFish, translated to various languages, and the result back-translated to English.

To Chinese-simplified and back:
You once tried these on-line to translate the non-profit organization middle, only some discoveries, English "translated" was best is laughable or cannot understand? When the humanity continues to obtain the global character, speaks the different language interactive... more people and, is very good, I suspected will translate the personnel to have the job security for several years. The computer possibly so far only goes (by current technology) and because each language is unique in its syntax, the grammar, automated translation phonics (or basic does not have phonics) to be allowed never to consummate.

I have not written have period of time and do not have the time trend to blog, therefore this is something (all causes the reader three to laugh you) when waits for some more profound prose. This text, uses AltaVista BabelFish, has translated to various language, and the result has translated to English.

To Spanish and back:
You have always tried one of those utilities in line of the translation, to only discover that the "English translation" is in the best one of the cases ridiculous or incomprehensible? As the humanity continues obtaining more global, more people than speak diverse interactive languages... and, well, I we suspected that the human translators will have security in the use by the years to come. A computer can only go until now (with present technology) and because each language is unique in its syntax, grammar, phonics (or none phonics in all) that the translation automated can never be perfected.

I have not written much in awhile and I have not had time to tend to blog, so this one is something to amuse the readers (the three of you) whereas you wait one more a certain deeper prosa. This text, using AltaVista BabelFish, translated to the several languages, and the result behind-translated the English.

To Russian and back:
You did always attempt one of those online general purposes of transfer, only in order to open that the English "transfer" in the best it was laughable or incomprehensible? In proportion to humanity continues to obtain more global, more than people which speak differently languages interacting... and, in the best way, 4 podozryuem human translators will have obespechennost'a by work to Lethe, it is which necessary to arrive. Computer can only go to those times (with at present the technology) and because each language it is unique in its syntax, grammar, phonics (or absence phonics on all) which it automated transfer can ever be improved.

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And one more: To German and back:
Do you have at all one of that on-line translation of utility programs, only it tries, in order to discover that the English "translation" at best laughable is incomprehensible or? While humanity continues, to keep more global, those assume more people the different interacting languages... speak and well I that human translators have job security, so that years come. A computer can go only up to now (with present technology) and because each language in its syntax, grammar, Phonik is singular (or no Phonik at all) the translation automated, can be never perfected.

I much not in when wrote and does not have time had to be inclined to blog therefore this something is, reader (all three of you) too maintained when expecting somewhat deeper Prosa. This text with AltaVista BabelFish, translated to the different languages, and the result back-translated to English.

Yes, the above is inviting admonitions to "get a life," (Obtains the life, Obtain a life, You will obtain the life, Receive a life).

Stop the iTrain! I wanna get off!

An article in switched.com (it's also in today's AOL News) details a new car stereo by the Blaupunkt company that, according to the text, may render the CD player extinct. Basically it plays music off SD or MMC memory cards (iPod users use a universal input jack).

And how long will it be before this thing's obsolete? I wouldn't be surprised if it's decades before the unit itself wears out.

I'm very techno-ignorant. To me, SD means either South Dakota or standard deviation (a statistical term from my scientist days), while MMC is the Roman numeral version of 2100. This new stereo would sure beat my 1990 Oldsmobile's factory radio/cassette player, which doesn't work at all after getting a tape stuck in its craw. I'm using an even more archaic boombox behind the front seat for a radio (its cassette deck bit the dust, too). But electronic technology has become a runaway train that seems to be gaining speed with no end in sight.

My old Win95 computer works fine but no new software is available for it. New versions software comes out faster than you can learn the old ones. And it seems I heard somewhere that television sets won't work unless they're HDTV. And am I going to have to going to switch to Blu-Ray before I've even amassed more than a half-dozen DVDs?

C'mon, world, slow down. We've got more important things to do than trying to stay ahead of this race.