Mind's Eye Re: thought experiments

The going monthly rate for a lawn-snow service in my neighborhood is
$150.- for 15-20 minutes of work. Not sure about cleaning services as
I do my own housework. Today I patched the foundation with cement but
not that interested in exterior work anymore plus my ladder courage
fails at 16 feet. And I did hire out having the oaks trimmed back as
it needed one of those bucket extenders of 60 feet or so. My point
started out thus- it is very hard to find help at reasonable prices-
perhaps my mind is locked to prices my mother paid or I paid in the
past- yes, that's probably the case. I must say it's interesting that
a new printer costs less than a replacement ink cartridge (HP), etc.

On Sep 25, 7:03 pm, Vam <atewari2...@gmail.com> wrote:
> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h-R3GAZaKpc/UGJGUcebnJI/AAAAAAAABz...>
>
>
>
> On Sunday, September 23, 2012 5:02:05 AM UTC+5:30, archytas wrote:
>
> > I don't think competition works as Don suggests.  In business we are
> > urged to focus on the best customers and rid ourselves of the others.
>
> > On 22 Sep, 12:36, rigsy03 <rigs...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > We don't get to dictate the behavior of our neighbors but we can sue
> > > or move. We don't get the same care/benefits- it's arbitrary- based on
> > > our best information and ability to be covered or to pay.
>
> > > On Sep 20, 11:33 pm, Don Johnson <daj...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > On Thursday, September 20, 2012 8:25:16 PM UTC-5, rigsy03 wrote:
>
> > > > > It is also the joy of work- accomplishment, etc. rather than
> > > > > competing- maybe you are testing your own skills or mastering your
> > > > > abilities to repair something, create something.
>
> > > > One can certainly enjoy sprucing up one's home or automobile or garden
> > and
> > > > keep one self busy making sure our home appliances and robots are in
> > good
> > > > working order. We have plenty of practice so we get quite good at
> > these
> > > > chores that help ourselves and our families. But our neighbor prefers
> > to
> > > > play video games and watch cooking shows on tv instead of being
> > > > industrious. Well that won't work because we are all "entitled" to the
> > same
> > > > things, correct? So maybe I should go to my neighbor's house and work
> > on
> > > > his robots and appliances and prune his trees and cut his grass for
> > him.
> > > > This will, of course, require me to work much harder and the chores
> > around
> > > > my living space will suffer for it but that's ok because we all
> > deserve the
> > > > same benefits don't we?
>
> > > > Maybe not.
>
> > > > dj
>
> > > > > On Sep 20, 12:03 am, Don Johnson <daj...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > > Reminds me of the Fritz Lang classic Metropolis. Who's going to
> > build
> > > > > and
> > > > > > repair and innovate the robots? Other robots? Haven't you seen "I,
> > > > > Robot"
> > > > > > or "Terminator?" There will always be greener grass somewhere and
> > people
> > > > > > will "compete" to occupy it. If it's not Financially perhaps we
> > will
> > > > > have
> > > > > > gladiatorial competitions to weed out the weak. Maybe we'll play
> > chess
> > > > > for
> > > > > > favors. Maybe we'll keep building robots to fight for us and play
> > chess
> > > > > for
> > > > > > us, I dunno. But we will always compete for what we want and we
> > will
> > > > > always
> > > > > > WANT what we don't HAVE. Doesn't matter if we already have
> > everything
> > > > > maybe
> > > > > > I want HER. Or HIM. Or that PARTICULAR view from that SPECIFIC
> > condo or
> > > > > > whatever. I'm no sociologist but I'm pretty sure the compitition
> > gene is
> > > > > > hardwired in the best of us and if we lose it we are doomed. I
> > mean
> > > > > extinct
> > > > > > doomed.
>
> > > > > > dj
>
> > > > > > On Wednesday, September 19, 2012 4:56:36 PM UTC-5, archytas wrote:
> > > > > > > Thought experiments are devices of the imagination used to
> > investigate
> > > > > > > the nature of things. Thought experimenting often takes place
> > when the
> > > > > > > method of variation is employed in entertaining imaginative
> > > > > > > suppositions. They are used for diverse reasons in a variety of
> > areas,
> > > > > > > including economics, history, mathematics, philosophy, and
> > physics.
> > > > > > > Most often thought experiments are communicated in narrative
> > form,
> > > > > > > sometimes through media like a diagram. Thought experiments
> > should be
> > > > > > > distinguished from thinking about experiments, from merely
> > imagining
> > > > > > > any experiments to be conducted outside the imagination, and
> > from
> > > > > > > psychological experiments with thoughts. They should also be
> > > > > > > distinguished from counterfactual reasoning in general, as they
> > seem
> > > > > > > to require an experimental element.
> > > > > > >http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/thought-experiment/
>
> > > > > > > One I like is the notion of robot heaven.  It's easy enough to
> > imagine
> > > > > > > a time when machines grow our food, build our shelter and do our
> > > > > > > work.  The interesting stuff comes in thinking what this would
> > mean
> > > > > > > for wealth distribution and the nature of society.  What work
> > would be
> > > > > > > left to do?  One can also wonder what place any of our work
> > ethics
> > > > > > > would have in such a society.  There may be some deconstructive
> > effect
> > > > > > > on just what current work ideologies are in place for.
>
> > > > > > > One of the great improvements technology brought to my life is
> > more or
> > > > > > > less never having to go into a bank.  The only real innovations
> > in
> > > > > > > banking are the ATM and electronic banking.  This kind of
> > technology
> > > > > > > and similar in agriculture and industry fundamentally reduce the
> > > > > > > amount of human effort to grow and make what we need.  We are in
> > > > > > > partial state of robot heaven.
>
> > > > > > > Our ideologies are not up to speed.  Real unemployment is
> > massive and
> > > > > > > education does little to provide job skills.  We are sold
> > life-styles
> > > > > > > and products by insane advertising.  Job creation seems to be in
> > > > > > > perverse areas like financial services or bringing back attended
> > gas-
> > > > > > > pumps.  With more efficient production we should be able to
> > afford a
> > > > > > > bigger social sector and I can't for the life of me understand
> > why we
> > > > > > > allow competition through crap wages and conditions.
>
> > > > > > > A great deal of what we pay for could be available more or less
> > free.
> > > > > > > Educational content and utility banking are examples - these are
> > areas
> > > > > > > that could be ratinalised like agriculture and manufacturing.
> > > > > > > Millions of jobs would go.  We should be asking why jobs are so
> > > > > > > central to out thinking on wealth distribution and how we might
> > > > > > > encourage work without the rat race.- Hide quoted text -
>
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> > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
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