Power blackouts are a waste of time. Thanks to CT (and his phone) for being around to let me know someone hadn't detonated an EMP over NYC. Other than that momentary worry it was mostly just the annoyance of pushing my already over-full and behind schedule back another 18 hours or whatever.
When the power went out yesterday, I was working on the new column. As a point of amusement, here is what I was reading exactly when the power went down (I have everything here on UPSs so I didn't lose anything at least):
The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. They have greatly increased the life-expectancy of those of us who live in "advanced" countries, but they have destabilized society, have made life unfulfilling, have subjected human beings to indignities, have led to widespread psychological suffering (in the Third World to physical suffering as well) and have inflicted severe damage on the natural world. The continued development of technology will worsen the situation. It will certainly subject human beings to greater indignities and inflict greater damage on the natural world, it will probably lead to greater social disruption and psychological suffering, and it may lead to increased physical suffering even in "advanced" countries.If the system breaks down the consequences will still be very painful. But the bigger the system grows the more disastrous the results of its breakdown will be, so if it is to break down it had best break down sooner rather than later.
If it's not obvious that's an excerpt from mathematician and terrorist Ted Kaczynski's Unabomber Manifesto… Who I believe time will exonerate (well, he'll still be a murderer, but no more of a murderer than any soldier that's ever killed another in a “justified” war). Well, I'm off to the gym.
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