Everett Jenkins Birthday Blog

"Cybervisionaries like John Barrow had imagined that the Internet would give rise to social order beyond the reach of governments and powerful corporations. Yet by the late 2000s, it was clear that the Internet was giving rise to corporations that, if anything, were even more powerful than before."  Cloud Empires,  pgs. 132-133. In reading Cloud Empires, I find that the libertarian seeds sown by those like John Perry Barlow in the 1990s has sadly produced rather monstrous corporations that seem to diminish humanity.  So far, I have read the foundational stories for Ebay, Silk Road, Upwork, Uber, Amazon, and Bitcoin.  In the beginning, these technological corporate innovations were often designed to minimize the role of government.  However, over time, the innovations often became monsters themselves.  I suppose with a title like  Cloud Empires , one has to assume that the word "Empires" is an apt description of these new corporate entities and that, as with most emp

After completing my nightly mall walk this evening, I came home to pick up my gym bag before going to the local In Shape Fitness club to soak and shower.  However, before leaving the house, I turned on the TV to check the Lakers-Celtics basketball game score.  Somehow while scrolling the channels, I noticed that the FIFA World Cup Soccer Game between Croatia and Argentina was on.  Because of my objection to the games being held in Qatar, I had not watched any of the games.  However, I had never seen the fabled Lionel Messi play and I knew that this just might be his last game on the World Cup stage, so I parked myself in my lounge chair and watched the game. And that is when the magic happened.   Not long after sitting down, I noticed Messi rubbing his thigh as though he was experiencing a hamstring pull.  Oh no! It appeared that aged athlete just might have to hobble off the field with his World Cup dreams of glory dashed.  But then, Julian Alvarez was fouled as he was approaching the

  Those of you who have viewed the documentary  A Thousand Cuts  should have witnessed the courage that Maria Ressa has exhibited over the last decade in fighting the controversial, and homicidal, presidency of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte The documentary clearly depicts the confrontations and the government sponsored suppression of freedom of the press.  It is not often that you see a political leader warn drug dealers that he would kill them if they did not stop dealing drugs.  It is even rarer when you realize that the president means what he says.   Reporting on such an individual and living and working in such a hostile environment is why Maria Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.  However, what appears to have brought her to the Techonomy 22 conference was the concerns she was raising about the use of social media by authoritarian governments to advance the authoritarian's agenda.  A series of articles that

Notes from Chapter 2 of Cloud Empires:  Chapter 2 is entitled "Reciprocity: The Golden Rule in Cyberspace" "Therefore, live with self-restraint and pay your best attention to dharma, and treat others as you treat yourself."   Mahabharata Shanti-Parva 167:9 Cloud Empires, page 15 88888 "In February 1996, (John Perry) Barlow's virtual statemanship reached new heights as he published a text titled "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace": Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind.  On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone.,  You are not welcome among us.  You have no sovereignty where we gather. We have no elected government, nor are we likely to have one, so I address you with no greater authority than that with which liberty itself always speaks.  I declare the global social space we are building to be naturally independent of the tyrannies

As most of you know, I attended the Techonomy 22 conference that was held in Sonoma, California, from November 13-15.  The theme for this conference was "Innovation Must Save the World" and, indeed, many technological innovations were discussed during the three days there.  However, for me, the highlight of the Techonomy 22 conference was a session entitled "Global Health & Global Warming - What's the Connection?" which may advance a different perspective of what "innovation" is needed most in the world.  In this session, my Amherst College classmate (and Techonomy founder) David Kirkpatrick interviewed Larry Brilliant, one of the doctors involved in the eradication of smallpox from the planet, and I was in awe.  To understand my wonderment, I remind you of the Book of the Month for July 2021,  Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer.   You can find some of my notes set forth in the email below.  However, of particular significance are the pas

Before leaving Trouble in the Tribe, I did want to leave with this chart.  Much like the Mendel chart of elementary genetics, one finds that most people or groups are not monolithic but rather that they abide by a Mendelian type chart expressing a range of traits.  Below is a chart from the book Trouble in the Tribe that depicts a Mendelian like division of the American Jewish community over the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.  I suggest that you review the chart and determine for yourself the group that best abides by the Golden Rule enunciated by Moses and furthered by Hillel and Akiba.  Once that determination has been made, then you will be able to best determine which Jewish groups you should support. Peace, Everett "Skip" Jenkins Fairfield, California December 2, 2022 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 The Four Camps in the American Jewish Debate About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Left Camp Zionism?: Bad/Hijacked/Outdated Who Is At Fault?: Israe

One of the disappointments associated with attending the Techonomy 22 conference last month was that Maria Ressa, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, was unable to attend.  She graciously appeared briefly by Zoom and explained that she was unable to attend because pending legal proceedings in the Philippines had prohibited her from leaving the country.  I had wanted to hear her speak especially since she has expressed concerns that social media, in general, and Facebook, in particular, pose an existential threat to democracy not only in the United States but also around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Ressa Fortunately, on Friday, December 2, 2022, Maria Ressa appeared with Judy Woodruff on the PBS Newshour.  Apparently, she had been granted a short leave by the Philippine courts to briefly leave the country, but that she was still subject to the criminal proceedings that could land her in prison for up to seven years. Watching this courageous journalist and listening