Why is it always midnight...

... by the time I finish my blog??!

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

I just finished the book The Shallows - What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains.

Nicholas Carr is a well-respected writer/blogger. His previous books are The Big Switch and Does IT Matter?

First, I urge any parent of a pre high-school child to read this book (this means you, my daughters!) Prepare your child to defend his or her humanity against the world of electronic media!

While the onrush of computer/net technology is pervasive and probably unstoppable, it is not without hidden dangers. Not the kind most people think of - evil people trying to seduce children and so forth. Carr carefully lays the groundwork for the last chapter of his book, which succinctly summarizes the problem: as we humans get more comfortable and reliant on our information processing tools, our brains get better at interfacing with the machines. Getting better means our brains change to be more adept at dealing with multiple continuous streams of snippets of information, resulting in broader but shallower thinking skills. At the same time, the overloading of our 'working memory' (where our brain stores the most recent thoughts and sensations) crowds out time for contemplation, assimilation, correlation and storing of deeper thinking. And, worse yet, the parts of our mind that make us most distinctively human - compassion, sympathy, morality, appreciation of the state of other persons' emotions - take time to work through their thought processes. The Net's 'intellectual ethic' doesn't permit that time.

The final paragraph of the Epilogue particularly struck me with its dark prediction using an illustration very familiar to me. Carr summarizes the closing scene of the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey, in which the astronauts shut down the computer HAL's mind. "HAL's outpouring of feeling contrasts with the emotionlessness that characterizes the human figures in the film, who go about their business with an almost robotic efficiency... In the world of 2001, people have become so machinelike that the most human character turns out to be a machine. That's the essence of Kubrick's dark prophecy: as we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial (therefore inhuman*) intelligence."

* my insertion. Also, as I remember it, there was only one astronaut left.

Carr references two books which I intend to read:

Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhan

Computer Power and Human Reason: From Judgement to Calculation by Joseph Weizenbaum

The Texas State "Fry" (aka "Fair")

It appears the big hit this year is Deep Fried Frito Pie.

Has anyone thought of Deep Fried Barbeque Chicken yet? (or pork, or beef of course...)

If it appears at next year's Fair, I hope I get a royalty.

Grandcamp Summer 2010 Next

Since it was a nice day, we decided to take a wagon ride to the park. Naomi and Danielle are good wagon riders - except when the wagon stops, Danielle stands up to get out.

The playground had a springy seesaw...

... and little-people swings...

...a big wide slide...

... and roly-polys! We brought one home with us. (Did you know a roly poly is actually a woodlouse? There are over 3000 species of woodlice, which have 14 legs, but the genus Armadillidium is one of the few that can roll up into a ball. See Roly-Poly. I hope this doesn't affect anyone's love for roly polys!)

Later, there was water/mud play in the back yard, resulting in a bath. Danielle can't wait till she gets to use the big tub.

This day (and this Grandcamp) ended with a rendezvous with Mommy and Daddy when they arrived home from their trip at 10PM. They both looked very rested and relaxed!!

It was a grand Grandcamp!

Grandcamp Summer 2010 Next

3We did the cornstarch and water experiment today. This was the second batch.

It feels slippery.
It also makes artistic designs, on concrete and feet.
We took turns riding in Mimi's green wagon.
We baked Great Grandma Horn's Famous One-Bowl Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Special teamwork and care was observed at the most crucial step.
Who says you can't make rolled, cut out and sprinkled chocolate chip cookies? We made a bear, a ghost and a fish, plus smaller stars, acorns and blobs.Danielle enjoyed playing with Mimi's flower sprinkler.

,

Grandcamp Summer 2010 Next

We all went up to church to eat and play.

Mimi ordered the snacks.
Naomi ate most of them.
Then she played on the playground - climbing...
... sliding...

...more climbing...

Later, she did some swinging.
And got dirt in her shoes on one hard landing.
It was warming up, so water play was next.

Which resulted in mud play...

There was also some 'psuedo-pinata' action; we had to use a bucket and balls, instead of a real pinata.

Lots of activity led to an unplanned afternoon nap.
Meanwhile, this is what the world looks like to a grandparent.
And this is what it looks like to a small grandchild.
All-day activity led to a psuedo-nap in the evening. This one lasted all of 2 seconds.
We're all in bed now.

Grandcamp Summer 2010 Next - The Girls

When Mimi went to Bible study, the rest of us played on the playground at church.

Danielle didn't care much for walking on wood chips.
Later, we went to McDonald's to play some more and have brunch.
Help! I'm trapped in a McDonald's playground!
Naomi did some high-speed passes around the playground. Note that she is airborne...
Lots of motion.
Danielle tried out a pair of shades.

Grandcamp Summer 2010 Next - The Girls

Grandcamp Next commenced with the transfer from Grammie and Grandpa to Mimi and Pa, signified with the official "Handing Over of the Baby" (apparently in reverse in this photo.)
Danielle seemed to be thinking "Where am I going NOW??!!"
All was good, as her favorite foam blocks (Thank You, Aunt Jessica and Uncle Mark) were there waiting to be played with.
Naomi (aka "MuLan", her latest psuedonym) assisted with the Opening Of the Mail. She opened all the advertisements and donation requests, and then proceeded to answer them using stickers and a notepad.
Danielle was in charge of delivery.
Not all the stickers made it onto the notepad.
Danielle ate.
After some play and a couple of videos (of course), everyone went to bed (except Pa, who needed to get some photos posted before morning in Petra.)

Grandcamp East Summer 2010 - Farewell Day

John headed off to kindergarden with his buddy Henry. He enjoys school.
Christopher started the morning with a little electrical engineering investigation.
He then proceeded to study the effects of gravity and mechanics of stability... and the comforting power of one's personal blanket.



As for Mimi and Pa - they caught a plane in Atlanta, and flew home. Upon their arrival, the next Grandcamp adventure was ready to begin...

Grandcamp East Summer 2010 - Next Day

Is John an active boy? Is there any doubt?
Here's our definition of "Happy".
John and his friend Henry rode their bikes on the deck. Buddies help one another...
Meanwhile, Christopher was texting some friends.
Some of yesterday's driveway art is still in place.

Grandcamp East Summer 2010

(It is still summer, isn't it?)

We headed back east on Tuesday, to visit and assist whilst Tony is doing Dracula.

Christopher is as gregarious as ever. Here he is explaining about the empty food wrapper, and the extra food up his nose.

Julie and John spent some time sorting toys for "keep" and "resale".

Christopher is now mobile. "Who needs to crawl, when you can scoot!!"

Grandcamp Summer 2010 - Farewell

The day before John and Christopher had to go back home, we all went to have lunch with Great Grandpa. Naomi and John were feeling pretty silly!

Next day, Mimi packed up goodies for the trip.

John had a snack - does it make you think of anything from Biology class? (I won't say... :)

While Mommy and Mimi prepared and loaded things into the car, the rest of us took a train ride.
The train added more cars...

Everybody and every thing got loaded, and off they went!

It was the best Grandcamp ever!!