Why Robots Have Not Conquered The World Yet

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Science fiction movies of past years envisioned a futuristic world after the Year 2000 where robots and cyborgs were a normal part of society, cars could fly, and inter-planetary travel was as common as getting on a plane to travel across the country. And yet, here we are in 2011, and although technology has advanced and progressed so much, we do not have flying cars yet, and robots have not run for Congress just yet because they are busy being used in automotive plants.

It cannot be denied, though, that technology has changed and continues to revolutionize every part of our daily lives. Labor that used to be done by hand is now performed by machines, and transactions that used to take a while can now be done in just a few seconds on the Internet. People from different parts of the world can have a virtual meeting and talk to each other as if they were all in one boardroom. You can study languages, finish your Business Administration degree, or take up guitar lessons online, all without getting up from your couch.

And yet, a world controlled completely by computers and artificial intelligence still seems like a far-off reality. When we look at what aspects of technology have really exploded in growth, it is, ironically, the people aspect of it all. Why have social networking sites been tremendous factors in contemporary society? They connect people and provide a venue for sharing one’s experiences, feelings, and opinions. Even as more and more of our activities are being digitized or made more convenient by machines and gadgets, what makes them successful is still the human control behind the technology.

So are we going to be overrun by the rise of the machines anytime soon? Probably not, because all the progress we have made so far have not been towards making technology independent from humans, but rather, making technology work towards a better life for man.

 

 

The Never Ending Popularity of Star Wars

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There is probably not a living soul who has never heard of the Star Wars movies, the trilogy of which the first movie was released in 1977, the year the world changed for most of the Star War fans.

If you can ever say that a series of movies turned into a complete new culture, this Sci Fi trilogy has, and fans all over the world still seem to be actively collecting anything related to this American epic. And when I say anything, I mean that in the most broad sense of the word.

Television series, the video games, books and comics were originally sold to the public to keep the series alive between releases, but have given the trilogy a whole solid base of fans. So solid that meetings were being held and annual conventions where people would come dressed as their favorite Star Wars character, trying to feel, breathe and live the movies.

The Lego Group is one of the companies that understood the huge power of Star Wars merchandise and they came out with their first Lego Star Wars model in 1999 and they have since released many other models and collectors items, including the Lego Star Wars 8088 and the Lego Star Wars 8096, which clearly indicates that this trilogy is still as popular as ever.

 

Finding The Right Christmas Movies

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Finding the right Christmas movies for the upcoming holiday season is likely to be a difficult task without looking in the classics section. Most of the highest selling movies each holiday season come from films that originally hit the screen over fifty years ago. “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Miracle of 34th Street”, and “White Christmas” were all filmed over fifty years ago, but tend to sell at higher rates than more recent films. These old films, combined with newer technologies, have given consumers even easier access to the films. Digital downloads have become more and more popular over the last three years, and this Christmas may see a large rise in the amount of digital copies sold among the Christmas movies section. These older films can sometimes be hard to find in DvD or Blu-Ray form, but the benefit of digital downloads is that you are able to simply click and download the films without worry of the movies being sold out. Christmas movies tend to continually sell due to copies being lost, while digital downloads are a more permanent solution. The cheaper down-loadable versions of classic films are a great way to have your favorite Christmas films on hand all holiday season. 

BBQ Ideas for Homemade Hamburgers

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If you’re thinking about hosting a cookout and are contemplating BBQ ideas, don’t forget about good ole homemade hamburgers! Just about everyone loves a good grilled burger. If you’re going to invite a lot of guest to your cookout, find out about their personal preferences. You can make your homemade hamburgers to suit everyone’s tastes.

For people on a low fat diet, and for those who don’t eat red meat, make a few turkey burgers. With the right seasonings, low fat turkey burgers can be very tasty. And, believe it or not, I’ve even had some very good veggie burgers, which will keep your vegetarian guests happy.

The taste of homemade hamburgers doesn’t come from the meat alone. It can also come from the condiments and other toppings. Make some interesting sauces for your guests to sample by using your creative culinary skills. It’s easy to make some interesting spreads and sauces for burgers. Just make a base with cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, or even butter. You can add things like snipped chives, grated horseradish, minced onion, minced garlic, chopped basil, and fresh parsley. Spices work well here, too. Try adding some chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, curry, freshly ground black pepper, or ground red pepper. If you’re using cream cheese as a base, you can thin it down and add flavor with liquids like Worcestershire sauce, bourbon, Liquid Smoke, beer, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, steak sauce, or lime juice.