"Look Ma..."

"NO Hands!"     Photo: © Stan Banos

Not uncommon to hear people say there's no one in the driver's seat in San Francisco: tsunami wave store and car robberies, hard core drug addiction rampant in the streets, tent cities blocking sidewalks, filth, litter and human feces everywhere... Yeah, we got it all- in droves! One thing ya don't hear much about though is... our self driving cars; yup, amidst all the squalor- we got those! 

For several years now, we've had a horde of white, EV Chevy Bolts, all quite cute and individually named (see hood), driving about bedecked with rather complex technology, a driver, and one passenger beside him with requisite laptop. A common, everyday site until rather recently, when I first noticed, and gasped, at one very significant difference- gone was the human element; beta beast mode testing had finally arrived!

Sightings were rather rare at first, but then in one week I noticed a half dozen, then a full, and then became determined to get a decent shot of this modern day anomaly before becoming a common, so what occurrence of the future. Try as I might, I just couldn't manage a decent shot until finally having it land at my very lap after a long fruitless walk one lovely summer weekend, returning home directly across the street. Granted, not the most thrill inducing image imaginable- but it gets the point across. Driverless cars will soon become de rigueur everywhere, but for now, they're still quite a novelty as they stop, turn and drive on by sans the human touch. And so far, it's all good- uhhh... unless your home's on fire!

ADDENDUM: WHOOPS!

ADDENDUM... X2!!

Rockwell Automation Overload!!!

Well it's too late to order one of these smooth operators to coordinate all your basic household needs in time for this Christmas. But while you contemplate ordering one of these little multi-syllabic humdingers for next holiday season- you can certainly make the best use of your remaining time by ordering a can of WD-40 to gently quiet its myriad of hatches...

Gets hardcore at 0:50 (with the opening of the first latch).

The Hoax Exposed!

I have two near and dear friends who are vehement, rabid anti-maskers/vaxxers. And let's be clear- they're not Trump supporters. One is a vegetarian, one a vegan- so you see where this is headed... both believe that a strong immune system is the key. And frankly, I wanna believe that- I really do! There's just one little itty, bitty problem...

There are a group of people who for centuries lived 100% organic lives, healthy, active lives since their very existence, not as a voluntary lifestyle, but outta necessity, simple survival... Native Americans, American Indians, First Peoples. All as healthy as could be, until the White man came along with a host of viruses their robust immune systems simply had no defenses for- and they died by the tens of thousands.

Now, for the sake of argument, let's say that these modern day, immunity proponents have figured out some vitamin, mineral, food supplement/diet that can suppress, ward off, even kill the Covid 19 virus.  How long will fickle willed Americans adhere to this magical formula- months... years? And how about the rest of the world- how are vast impoverished parts of South America, Asia, Africa, etc going to obtain and sustain the life giving, magic ingredients? If only we had a simple, quick and easy, one-two solution that would let us get on with our lives...

But... don't you see the political aspects, the government control that our one world overlords are forcing upon us? Funny how these same people don't have any qualms whatsoever about volunteering the most intimate aspects of their lives to their Smart devices and online social media that have already collected their entire life histories for government inspection. Do you really think they actually need to go through all the trouble of creating such an elaborate hoax- that will ultimately rely on voluntary public compliance to succeed when they can't even get most people to vote? These days though, logic is not logical and brand trumps science!

But you don't have to take my word on this- let this expert explain in no uncertain terms:

Outside The Box

 Innovative, eccentric and beautifully comical- what else could one ask for!?