An insightful and well thought out speech on digital ID, and where it could take us.

The notorious cartoonist Bob Moran’s insightful speech at the Digital ID Debate in London – a must-listen

we have a rather idealistic government in New Zealand in much the same way that Canada and the USA have at the moment.They have this vision of reforming society and what it values, and changing those values to something else.

That ‘something else’ constantly changes according to polls and public opinion. In other words, mob rule.

Anything traditional these days is either attacked, or ignored as they promote an ‘alternative’, in a classic case of mis-direction.

Traditional groups are all under attack. Christian groups, Catholics, Girl Guides, Boy scouts, marriage, even the concept of women, is maligned or attacked in the media.

It is in times like this that you remember who you are, where you came from, and stick to your beliefs, and just ignore all that noise and peer pressure.

The link below is from someone who is very religious, but that in itself is beside the point.

All that matters is that you have a belief in something, which Mitch plainly does.

Photo by Dan Grinwis Thought for the Week I was an atheist, and insufferably superior about it. I considered myself more rational, more progressive than my naïve religious friends. But there was one thing I couldn’t explain: The Wallaces. They were the unofficial den parents of our high school theatre group, and their home, in […]

Sinking Sand

Personally, I believe I’ll watch the rugby this saturday night, surrounded by family and good food, and the All Blacks will win convincingly….,

It’s just the sort of thing a good solid Kiwi bloke used to do.

Needless to say, I’ll keep riding motorcycles, skateboards, and jumping out of perfectly good aeroplanes, etc, because thats who I am.

There is a cafe in a large town nearby that I visit once in a blue moon. I know it well because I used to work nearby.

Today, they had very enthusiastic people admiring this robot that was been demonstrated for a very smug manager who was grinning from ear to ear.

By chance he served me at the counter. I made the comment that I wouldn’t be smiling about something that is about to take your job.

This went straight over his head until I commented that I wont go to a cafe staffed by robots, at which point his face dropped like a lead balloon and it then became apparent he was actually the manager. (oops!, put my foot in it again).

It seems he has staffing issues, so the robot is in ‘reserve’

But here’s the thing. I know the history of the place and I know that he cant keep staff because he’s too difficult to deal with.

While I was there, a waitress got all stressed out simply because some customers sat down at a table to wait for their takeaway order. It just illustrated to me the stress that the staff were under.

So here’s the thing
If you like been served by real people, be nice to them. Treat them as you would like to be treated. Sometimes they aren’t having a good day.

The alternative is a cold robot that talks in a soothing voice. It might be a quaint experience at first but then, maybe that might change..