How Scarcity Has Changed Your Life, And Will Change It Again. But With Hot Chick Pictures.

“Dad! Bob broke your beer!” – Strange Brew

Here’s one only 1300’s kids will get: The Black Plague

Part of the history of humanity was scarcity. Scarcity has formed society since, well, forever. What do I mean?

Well, before agriculture, there was a scarcity of beer. My personal theory is that civilization itself is because we wanted beer on a regular basis (Beer, Technology, Beer, Tide® Pods, Beer, Civilizational Stability, and Beer). Click on this one, it’s a fun read and one of my Original Wilder Thoughts.

So, beer was scarce, and we made agriculture and farms so we could get beer.

But what became scarce then? Labor.

Prior to having agriculture, slavery was a net negative. To have a slave, you had to feed him or her, and what were you going to have them do all day, hang out and play Nintendo®? If you sent them out to hunt or gather, they’d never come back. But once you had work to do every day to make sure the farm produced pre-beer?

Slavery made sense because having more slaves resulted in having more beer.

If agriculture was the most disruptive technology in history besides Über®, slavery was an unintended consequence. Labor stayed as a scarce resource for a long time, until the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was amazing precisely because it changed the game on labor.Why did Leia passionately kiss Luke? She was looking for love in Alderaan places.

Sure, labor was needed, but the entire type of labor needed to be changed. It went from artisans and craftsmen making “one of a kind” items to people working in a factory making standardized items that were all the same. Because of the nature of the process, people generally worked on only one part of whatever was being made. The jobs were simplified, so that people could do one, repeatable task again and again.

People became replaceable, just another cog in the machine, but the scarcity of labor that created the need for slavery changed to make slavery uneconomical again. Why have a slave that you have to take care for, when you can have an employee that you can fire when they get old or injured?

Now, the scarcity was energy.An entire industry was built on just getting energy to feed the industrial revolution. Coal was the first, but followed soon enough by oil. The first oil wells were a boon because they produced lamp oil, and the gasoline bits were thrown away (generally dumped on the ground) and the heavy bits (asphalt, etc.) were thrown in pits.

Of course, soon enough, we determined how to use everything that came out of the ground for something, and none of the sweet, sweet oil was wasted.

Have we outstripped our energy resources? Possibly. But that’s another post . . .After I put that fence up, my neighbor was dead against it.

Entertainment had been scarcer than an Amy Schumer comedy special, too. If you wanted to listen to a song, you had to find someone who could play it or sing it. And the best version that you could get was dependent upon the best singer in town, and the best guitar player. After records showed up, now anyone could listen to the best vocalist in the world. Local bands? They weren’t needed so much anymore. Soon enough, the best actors and comedians (Amy Schumer, sit down) in the world were available, too.

You could say that entertainment was just a subset of information. The availability of that had been growing, too. From information carved into stone, set into clay tablets, handwritten on paper or parchment, to a printing press using moveable type, information kept getting cheaper and cheaper.

And faster and faster. The upside? All of Aristotle and Marcus Aurelius and Seneca available in an instant. The downside? Game of Thrones™ and Maisy Williams with her unibrow.Aristotle says we are what we repeatedly do. Therefore? I am your mother. (not my meme)

There are those that hypothesized that the only reason the Mongol Empire stopped before overrunning Europe was the time it took to get communications from the seat of the Mongol Emperors of China to the fringes of Empire. Or it could have been that they didn’t watch their steppe. Communication of information around the world was impossible at 10,000 B.C. (or could take centuries), years during the Roman Empire, months after Britain ruled the waves, days after communication cables were strung ‘round the world by the end of the nineteenth century, and down to hours after radio.

Now? Tribesmen living in the middle of a South American rainforest know the daily price of gold. Information has transcended the bounds of time and space, and the greatest works of literature and film are widely and instantly available. Oh, and Amy Schumer videos.

The ability to make decisions is in the process of being phased out as a scarce item. For decades, computer control systems have replaced operators at industrial facilities, and robots not only make welds, but make the decisions on the quality of the products produced. But these processes are determined and monitored by people.

That’s changing. Difficult things that were kept to humans like diagnosing patients? Human doctors are losing to A.I. One particular system looked at EKGs, and the A.I. could predict people who were going to die, even when doctors looked at the information and couldn’t see anything wrong.What do they call the person who graduated last in his class at medical school? Doctor.

But at least we still have thought and creativity, right?

Well, no. 2022 is the advent of A.I. art. There are multiple engines, online right now that will draw pictures that are almost indistinguishable from photographs. I’ve posted one below. It may look like a hot chick, but I assure you that it is not. Don’t believe me? Look at the hands. Small details, sure. And small details that will eventually be fixed.How long will it be before novels are written by A.I., and entire movies from start to finish are created in A.I. engines? Something tells me, not long. If agriculture was the most disruptive technology in the history of mankind, A.I., even as it exists today, is the second most.

It has long been my assertion, that in any Universe where A.I. is possible, it will be created, and will spread to the stars. But what’s the densest form of information storage currently known, the wellspring of millions of species across the history of Earth?

DNA.

Such a complex structure that incorporates so much information. It’s almost like it was . . . created.

Wouldn’t it be the perfect vehicle for translating information across the vastness of space? Easy enough to encode an entire ecosystem a fraction of an ounce (megaliter). But I digress, that’s probably (likewise) a good starter for a future post.A friend of mine had a job circumcising elephants at the zoo. The pay wasn’t good, but the tips were large.

So what is the scarcity that we are facing now?

One thing I see that we’re facing right now is a scarcity of virtue.

The values that we know produce a stable society are in short supply, and dwindling. The cracks of that are spreading. It can’t, and won’t continue long. We are at the cusp of a singularity of different factors, the scarcity of scarcity, and the scarcity of virtue and self-discipline.

Good times make weak men, who create hard times, who create strong men.

We are on the cusp of the hard times, and the strong men will be back. Our civilization will not be the civilization that came before. We have the elements in place to make a future that our ancestors couldn’t dream of. There is a chance that it will be a golden era of freedom and enhanced creativity.

And to think, it all started with Urg, king of the 78-strong tribe of the Shamalama tribe in ancient Mesopotamia, wanting to have a cold beer.

Cheers!

Author: John

Nobel-Prize Winning, MacArthur Genius Grant Near Recipient writing to you regularly about Fitness, Wealth, and Wisdom - How to be happy and how to be healthy. Oh, and rich.

26 thoughts on “How Scarcity Has Changed Your Life, And Will Change It Again. But With Hot Chick Pictures.”

  2. When it comes to AI art, Midjourney will blow you away.

    https://www.midjourney.com/showcase/recent/

    It’s not exactly Sarah Connors, but the backlash against AI art has begun. 3 minute video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNRumhRijo0

    But “artists” losing their jobs is just the beginning. So much for “learn to code”…

    https://link.medium.com/IrtUS27HMvb

    Good point on the current scarcity of virtue. However, I’ve come to believe the thing that is becoming the most scarce in our world…is Nature itself. A point that Avatar: Way of Water, er, drills right into your brain.

    https://xkcd.com/1338/

    Au revoir, P-22…

    https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/17/us/los-angeles-mountain-lion-euthanized-trnd/index.html

    2. Cannot speak to C.S., however the illustration A.I. is a cross-section of boomer-ific financialization strip-mining the other generations and concerted propaganda making the targets of said mining unlikable.

      The A.I. requires trillions of human hours of painstaking photography, painting, and other media shared digitally to build on.

      It’s not just eating our seed corn, it’s pissing on it and the setting it on fire.

  3. The flip side is that while gold, being tangible and finite, exhibits scarcity, “money”, in other words fiat digital currency, has no scarcity. You want more, you declare more, and each new “dollar” They create waters down the value of the dollar you had last week.

  4. ” the thing that is becoming the most scarce in our world…is Nature itself. A point that Avatar: Way of Water, er, drills right into your brain.”

    Plenty of nature, you just have to go out and look for it. Consider that 2.7% of the world’s land is apparently developed. But to even get to 2.7% they subtract Antarctica. That leaves over 97% undeveloped.

    Avatar? Seriously? That’s your point of reference? The movie series that popularized “unobtainium”?

    1. LOL. I go to see new Avatar movies just to take a break from reading Science magazine….

      https://www.science.org/content/article/cropland-has-gobbled-over-1-million-square-kilometers-earth-s-surface

      Just curious, where did you get your 2.7% figure from? I agree that’s roughly the right number for actual urban areas – but it takes a LOT more land out of sight over the horizon to support cities. My source for claiming the actual total number is over 50% is the Geological Society of America:

      https://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/22/12/article/i1052-5173-22-12-4.htm

      2. Google search. As far as 50%, I’d say they are stretching the definition of “developed” to make their point. A field of soy beans isnt developed to my mind. I live in a farming county and its mostly open land even if its being used for something. Give it a year and youd never know thered been a farm, give it ten and you wouldnt know humans had been on it.

        Also amusing that the first headline includes the word “gobbled”. No attempt to paint things in a neagtive light there. 😁

  5. John, concur that we have a great scarcity of virtue in the modern times. It has been largely leached out of society in a fairly short period of time ( maybe 40 years?). Hopefully having not been gone too long, it spring to life readily enough when called for.

    AI Art: I saw postings on this over the last weekend from friends. Honestly, my first reaction was “Are they not already doing this?”

    All of a sudden, “learn to code” is not just for coal miners any more.

    1. Yeah, but actual scarcity will bring virtue back. In abundance.

      AI? It’s coding now, too. Too late on that bus.

  6. I agree about the short supply of virtue. For years, it’s been slowly pushed out the door, and with too many never batting an eye while committing a little insurance fraud, filing for bankruptcy while continuing reckless spending, allowing their children unbridled access to the internet because it’s easier than standing up for their values, it’s a wonder the glue of society hasn’t completely disappeared. With the addition of easy lies by the media, while politicians steal with impunity, it’s hard to imagine a healing of society without drastic measures.

    1. Exactly! The first time I filled out a loan application, I was so picky to not represent anything. The last time? I realized no one even read them.

  7. ” Kicked out of the petting zoo”

    Subject to change without notice, The Charge prolly led by some woman named in honor of alexander hamilton’s Mommy…Who would embody…
    https://nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/famous/hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-scorned/… At the mere suggestion that she submit to a Pelvic X-Ray, to see what her angle REALLY is.

    https://eforensics.info/learning_module/sex-determination/
    _______________________

    Quickest reference to an old favorite i could find, “Electric Fence Romance”. Inherently lazy, but close enough.

    “The husband leans over and asks his wife, “Do you remember the first time we had sex together over sixty years ago? We went behind the village tavern where you leaned against the back fence and I made love to you.”

    “Yes”, she says, “I remember it well.” “OK,” he says, “How about taking a stroll around there again and we can do it for old time’s sake?” “Oh Jim, you old devil, that sounds like a crazy, but good idea!”

    A police officer sitting in the next booth heard their conversation and, having a chuckle, he thinks to himself, “I’ve got to see these two old-timers having sex against a fence. I’ll just keep an eye on them so there’s no trouble.” So he follows them.

    The elderly couple walks haltingly along, leaning on each other for support aided by walking sticks. Finally, they get to the back of the tavern and make their way to the fence.

    The old lady lifts her skirt and the old man drops his trousers. As she leans against the fence, the old man moves in. Then suddenly they erupt into the most furious sex that the policeman has ever seen. This goes on for about ten minutes while both are making loud noises and moaning and screaming. Finally, they both collapse, panting on the ground.

    The policeman is amazed. He thinks he has learned something about life and old age that he didn’t know.

    After about half an hour of lying on the ground recovering, the old couple struggle to their feet and put their clothes back on. The policeman, is still watching and thinks to himself, this is truly amazing, I’ve got to ask them what their secret is.

    So, as the couple passes, he says to them, “Excuse me, but that was something else. You must’ve had a fantastic sex life together. Is there some sort of secret to this?” Shaking, the old man is barely able to reply, “Sixty years ago that wasn’t an electric fence.”

    _________________________

    The internet was acting wonky at work, approx. 1/3 of the way through my appointed rounds. Thoroughly lost, i rounded a bend…And lo and behold, a sign. (Name Redacted) Yak Farm. Just grateful to finally be down off of what was euphimistically called a ‘Fire Road’.

    AND, the field WAS chock-full. Of Yak. (uncertain if that’s plural or singular, but of no consequence, as clearly, it was a hairy situation.)

    ‘What have You wrought, Siri!’, my first thoughts. I had crossed Several Streams, and only a few were bereft bridges. But no appreciable bodies of water, and i’m fairly certain the birth place of the Dalai Lama is farther east, Prolly even East of Intercourse. Pa, As far as i’ve been led astray that way, Snipe Hunting/Goose Chasing.

    Kinda made me think of self-immolation/Arab Spring kick off…Where the banners were in English as well, so i was filled with trepidation… because of the reality.

    East Central West By God Virginia.

    Hadn’t been there, in that neck of woods, since i learned to play the Banjo on the porch. And that was during the Summertime.

    The Farmer was very sympathetic. “You’ll get signal up the holler a piece, where the pavement starts. Probably run into a crew from (another Name redacted), They been up & down the hills here since last spring”. Thanked him for his offer of a few Yak steaks & ground, (He was Sooo Happy!, to FINALLY get High-Speed Connectivity), but i had to decline. Waste Not, Want Not. Told him, ‘ NOT sure, i may be staying overnight at this point, many miles/sites to go before i even THINK of headin’ for home’.

    Did get his card, replete with website. The wife may need the hair for what is looming.

    I had been able to successfully send my co-ordinates from each site with just a few taps, Find the next-in-line, based on GPS of same. Had to get a new phone with a bigger screen, tired of discovering i screwed up at the end of a string. And that was near my normal stompin’ grounds.

    Just up the hill a piece, Serendipitously, I ran into an individual who was terminating. He had a satellite phone. Nice enough to call (third name redacted), Who graciously appointed the terminator to escort me on the rest of my rounds. The Terminator was happy as well, same pay for driving, B.S.ing at each site.

    Much to our chagrin, consternation, and befuddlement, we could NOT discover a Familial Relationship. He was a Native Son as well. EZPZ AFTER. 16 Hr. Day, but @ least i will now be able to afford a Christmas card for the Boss Love of my life, AND, gonna get Her some kinda highfalutin’ Combs for her Long & beautiful tresses. VERY intimidating and domineering… Stands WELL in excess of 5′ 1″. NEVER hurts to Brown-Nose a little.

    Did that just the other day, (Ever the Gentleman, Thanks Mommy!) while holding the ladder for Her. She kept giggling so much that i finally had to staple up the cords for the Christmas decorations myself. AND, i did NOT need the ladder! Win-Win.

    Hocked an old Pocket Watch left to me by my Grandpa as well. Only was correct 4X a year, according to the Boss. (She is the S-M-A-R-T one, Further proof that opposites Do Attract).

    Didn’t have a Chain anywho, and darned if i’m gonna spend $ repairing something i can’t read.

    Count on Siri QUITE a bit, (when my better half is not available, IF i need to know the time. Or what i’m gonna be doin’, next.) Siri IS usually pretty helpful…But sometimes rather droll. Yrs. ago, when i was 1st learning to utilize the navigation feature?

    She would ultimately say…”Your OTHER Left”

    https://americanliterature.com/the-gift-of-the-magi-study-guide/

    Merry Christmas! ‘New Year’? Ain’t gonna be pretty…nearly guaranteed.

  8. I grew up in Michigan, where the lumber industry made fortunes, until the timber was gone. The copper mines made some money, too, until the copper was gone. There was a great Lake Trout fishery, until the lamprey slipped up the St. Lawrence River, through a canal around Niagara Falls; that’s gone, too. The auto industry worked out pretty well, until the quality was gone (relative to the Japanese imports, at least). The American financial industry was the envy of the world, until the value of the dollar and the integrity of the traders was gone. It’s a good thing we still have some oil & gas left in the ground, and an American university education is still respected around the world (by foreign students who don’t know better, but pay full price), and we can still spread fertilizer on the ground to grow food for the world (though it’s not always clear how they’re going to pay for it).

    1. Very, very well summarized. I am actually a very, very strong proponent of conservation because that is the way to avoid waste, which is a way that all of humanity wins. We (humanity) have one shot at this. Let’s make it count.

      1. Huh. Just getting ready to head out the door, and what to my wondering eyes (ears actually) should appear?

        ” We (humanity) have one shot at this”

        And it has been goin’ on since the last time it rained really hard. Mass Extinction Event(s)?

        https://revelationscriptures.com/revelations-three-population-reduction-predictions/#:~:text=Revelation%20predicts%201%2F4%20of%20the%20Earths%20Population%20will,the%20“Beginning%20of%20Birth%20Pains”%20at%20Matthew%2024%3A7-8.

        But at least it will be ‘Warm’ instead of ‘Wet’. The last time.

        One last trip to the Hinterland…”Well, I guess i can’t terminate what isn’t here”, He said.

        Gravy Today. ALL paved. One & Done. Feel a little guilty ’bout the trip charge, but ‘They’ insisted. On increasing the fee, “For Your Inconvenience”

        🤣 Maybe i’ll get $20 CASH! this year from the Boss Santa.

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