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Question of the Month...(July 2015)

carbinemike

carbinemike

Global Moderator
Staff member
Global Moderator
"Philanthropist"
Howdy,
This is a monthly series of questions topic for everyone to join in on the discussion. Some of the later questions may have a poll, and some will not. Don't be shy now, go ahead and post an answer.

As we prepare to celebrate the day we declared independence so much in the news is negative.

What is better about living in our country in 2015 versus earlier in your lifetime?

(If you are not from the U.S. feel free to apply the question to where you are from)
 
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Water Monkey said:
Instant communication.
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Split on that one. On one hand I bought my first gun online this year and it was great. The process had always intimidated me, especially given how tricky things are here in Kommiefornia, but being able to check the country's dealer stocks online and to order at the lowest price is definitely progress. So... online shopping, and for a few select things. That's all I got for positive modern life. :) Because on the other hand instant communication has been one of the banes of my existence. Those who know me keep hearing my rants about it. Cells should be used sparingly and mostly for emergencies in my world. Instead, they have turned into entertainment centers, tethers, leashes. "Did you get my email?!" Everyone feels entitled to reach me right away and anytime it's convenient for them. No one plans their communications anymore; we live in an ADD and short attention span twilight zone. They call you like they google stuff instead of thinking. Crazy. Not to mention that we're bombarded with fake news and advertisement non-stop thanks to how easy it is to target us anytime.

For the rest? The whole world's circling the drain, as far as I can't tell, and so are we. I watch this country turn into the orwellian dystopia I read about or saw in sci-fi novels and movies only decades ago. Cashless society, implanted IDs, mega-corporations running the country, people enamored with technology and disconnected from nature and other humans, fast-approaching AI, full-body scans, out-of-control political correctness, leaders wiping themselves with the Constitution under guise of keeping us safe... it's all there or coming soon. Idiocracy, 1984, Ex Machina, Demolition Man, you name it, we had been warned. :(
 
Instant communication has done little more than make people into even more impatient douches. For all that new technology could do to free us, it has done nothing more than lock us into a web of tracking, marketing and eavesdropping. I make my living in the tech field and I will be the first to tell you that the majority of the technology out there that makes out lives "easier" is design to track everything we do, where we go, what we like, etc. I don't think the majority of people out there realize exactly how much the gov, google, Facebook, twitter, etc know about us just based on where and how we use out smart phones, it's really quite unbelievable. If you carry a cell phone, even an older model, someone somewhere knows where you are on the planet at all times.

Unfortunately manufacturers are implanting technology into everything so it is harder and harder to unplug from it. Even if you don't personally utilize it, it's still there and who's to say whether it doing stuff despite the app says it's turned off.
 
Yeah, technology is neutral, i.e. it can liberate us or enslave us, but I think it's clear what's happening. I drag my feet as much as I can (didn't use a PC until 10 years ago; don't use smart phones, turn off most equipment when not in use, refuse to get - and beta-test - the latest technologies until I have no choice), but as you said, it's a lost fight. Like Obama in the White House, it's amazing the things that people will be gullible enough to accept. There's morons out there believing that machines will do all the work in the near future while we'll finally be able to play all day, like jacked in the Matrix. Yeah. That's what's gonna happen (sarcasm).
 
Technology.

Good and bad.
Good in that we have come a long way in such a short amount of time 20 to 30yrs. Now you literally have unlimited access to anything you ever wanted to know (now whether it's right or not is a whole different ball game) but in a sense you can reach whatever it is you may be after easier than you ever thought was possible.

Now the bad.
Total disconnect from reality.
Everyone seems to be too preoccupied with the latest technology to even walk without paying attention to where they don't know where they are walking because their faces are mesmerized by their phones. much less driving or anything else.
All these ppl that have "x" amount of followers on Facebook aren't really friends despite what they think. Back in the day you actually had to talk to ppl to have friends. Not so much today.

It's much better for the advances but horrible socially and distractions in moving vehicles. Hell your probably better off Drinking and driving than driving distracted. I'm just saying.
 
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I'll skip technology and note that I think beer is way better now with more and better choices since the craft brewing revolution. The sky is the limit on what's available.

Along a similar line, home brewing was illegal when I was a kid. It was legalized under Carter (he did one good thing!). It took off and grew with the craft beer industry. The grains, hops and yeast available to the do it yourselfer is staggering. Now they need to legalize home distilling for personal use.
 
Today's gun and ammo selection is better than ever.

Everything else seems to be going to hell, so the above may become a VERY good thing.
 
I agree with certain parts of "technology", the good being instant informational gratification. Want to know something about something? Do a web search and there it is... Yes on the mail ordering of budget-priced firearms and ammo--it is very easy as well as the local bulletin board forums with guns for sale. Before you would be at the mercy of the LGS.

Tech is also "bad" in many ways. Big brother (or anyone for that matter) spying or collecting info on you in any number of ways. The news cycle is just TOO instantaneous with the knee jerk by some reacting to potentially erroneous info and the lemmings following suit. Instant propaganda, if you will... :(
 
You all can gripe about instant communication. But the first AWB happened when nobody was informed or organized.

2013 the entire gun community organized and squashed it on a federal level with the utmost intensity. Not because you read it in a gun magazine a month later. But because you had the info literally at your fingertips.

Furthermore, the antis are literally losing the battle because they can't attack controlling the information. You literally can face them on the same platform and crash them with facts.
 
Going back to Mike's original question, I think that we have much more choice available to us now than we did 30-40 years ago. In just about every way you can think of. From food and clothing to consumer products and vehicles, etc, etc.

In some respects the choices are daunting...what do you choose? Best bang for your buck? But I'd rather have 5 or 10 or 20 choices than just 1 or 2.

In some ways we have better quality today in the products we buy, but in others you could argue that technology has allowed for programmed or planned obsolescence....an expiry date if you will, products that often lasted much longer previously, now seem to be trashed earlier and a new one needs to be purchased. Whether due to being out of date or outright product failure.

Morality...that's a biggie. Everyone has their own sense of what is moral. Mostly what we learned from our folks. Some of it good and some of it bad maybe...some of us learned from our parents mistakes and pressed forward.

It's pretty hard to argue (for most of us) that our basic moral compass and sense of values doesn't come from the Judeo-Christian influences in our western cultures. The basics being honesty and integrity...don't steal, don't cheat, don't murder, be forthright and stand with your neighbours. Though you don't have to be religious to live by these ethics, they do however guide a great many of us. These basic values in many ways are being challenged, eroded and even mocked.

I fear that their continued erosion on so many fronts will lead to even further moral decay...thereby weakening us all collectively. We can't seem to agree on what is good. But our enemies seem to agree that killing us off is good...and their "book" tells them so. What makes us different...our book says it's not okay to murder, rape and pillage at will. But we're so focused on our own lives and the hating of organized religion (justifiably so) that I think we're missing the bigger picture. That being, our society, our values and ultimately our freedom are being sacrificed at the altar of self...I'll do my own damned thing...to hell with everyone else.

That meaning too, the politician who only cares about re-election and his pension. Or the corporation who's only concern is keeping the shareholders happy...to hell with what's moral...let's make big profits! It's not illegal...capitalism drives the wheels of freedom and vice versa but there is a major disconnect between profit and what is truly equitable, a lack of accountability and between justice and true equality.

Sorry for the long post...it's a big question!
 
Bows are definitely better. Great being able to repeatedly hit a 10" plate at 100 yds with a arrow without much problem.
Having movies at home (DVD, Netflix, etc) is very nice so you don't get raped at the movie theatre.
For most of the country living conditions have risen dramatically although some are still stuck in the '60's.
Harleys have definitely gotten better although the prices have gone through the roof. Reliability is fantastic although the technology has some glitches that they are working on.
Far more firearm choices.
Star Trek and Dick Tracy gadgets in your hand instead on just on tv or in comics.
I had more days laying ahead of me than I have behind me now.
I didn't think about the time I had left above the grass.

The down side:
I seemed to have more time to do things I wanted to do.
I had more energy. Just getting out of bed can be a struggle now.
Responsibility seemed less (or maybe I just didn't let it get to me so much).
I'm a lot closer to retirement age.

not paying bills.png
 
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Technology has made it way easier to find gun info!

If one is considering ammo, a new or used firearm, parts, aftermarket- whatever, it's at our fingertips. This forum exists in that plane. Just look at the threads based primarily on photos. It works because its instant. People can research or have questions answered, not just locally but globally, in minutes and not days or weeks.

Without this forum (generally speaking) we'd be stuck calling OFM and waiting on hold indefinitely similarly to the line at the DMV Marge's sisters work at in the Simpsons.

It's a tool like anything else. It can be bad but so can alcohol and prescription drugs, cars and guns. It makes it easy for kids especially I think to waste the day by being vegetables, melting their brains while imagination is replaced by instant gratification. But that's where as a parent, I have to do my job and kick the kids out of the house when possible, limit online time and game time, make it something they have to earn by first being productive or by reading and being creative. At first kids balk at having to read but as is the case with our youngest, once she gets going, we begin spending more money on books because she devours them. From Ramona and Beezus to Where the Red Fern Grows. We put other things in front of he kids, like crafting stuff, material, needle and thread, glue, (and in special cases, glitter)

I understand the potential for addiction, those of us who are a little older and can remember getting up early on Saturday mornings to watch the cartoons, then being outside the rest of the day until the sun goes down, may not have an issue as much as younger generations growing up with the technology where it's even a part of school curriculum.

The world is increasingly at our fingertips. And can you imagine the things our govt would be doing if we weren't able to have near instant access and quickly object?
 
Rossignol said:
The world is increasingly at our fingertips. And can you imagine the things our govt would be doing if we weren't able to have near instant access and quickly object?
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I'm a glass half-empty kinda guy so bear with me... ;) I've said it before: the Information Age can and should be a wonderful thing. It's a great tool for a democracy that does bring knowledge and even a voice to everyone everywhere in the world. The only problem is that 'they' (the puppet masters) saw this coming long before us (we were just watching Star Trek and dreaming) and implemented counter-measures. The information we receive is controlled, drowned by disinformation, exploited. The sites we visit are packed with cookies and the camera/microphone in our devices can be turned on remotely to eavesdrop on us. In a way, amazing as it all is (and it is - the internet still blows my mind and I enjoy it), it's the cheese on the mouse trap.
The other problem is us, who are largely not informing ourselves and growing, but killing time and buying crap, while not caring about what is done with the fingerprints we leave all over the place (such as a post like this one). What do people do with this infinite knowledge at their fingertips? I know I'm guilty of it too and that's how I know: we waste it.

So, it's up to us to use the tool responsibly and carefully, as you said. Most people can't do that and that's why it was allowed to exist. There's always going to be the mouse that nibbles on the cheese without stepping on the trap or that will walk right by it. Back to the topic, this is probably the biggest difference between my life in 2015 and 2000. There's some good and some bad in that, but I expend a lot of time thinking about it and finding ways around the mouse trap and that gets to me too much to bask in the positives.
 
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