Home  >> Stories  >> The Tale Spinner #2016-22

---

IN THIS ISSUE

• Bruce Galway forwards predictions about the future
• Betty Audet enjoys the old-time jokes
• Don Henderson suggests that you don´t play golf with your wife
• Marilyn Magid shares this essay on friendship
• Catherine Nesbitt sends a list of things you may not know
• Tony Lewis tells the story of a lost set of keys
• Barbara Wear imagines God´s plans for seniors
• Sites are suggested by Barbara Wear, Carol Hansen, Jay, and Shirley Conlon

Bruce Galway forwards these predictions:

THE FUTURE IS HERE!

In 1998, Kodak had 170,000 employees and sold 85% of all photo paper worldwide. Within just a few years, their business model disappeared and they went bankrupt. What happened to Kodak will happen in a lot of industries in the next 10 year - and most people don´t see it coming. Did you think in 1998 that three years later you would never take pictures on paper film again?

Yet digital cameras were invented in 1975. The first ones only had 10,000 pixels, but followed Moore´s law. So as with all exponential technologies, it was a disappointment for a long time, before it became superior and went mainstream in only a few short years. It will now happen with artificial intelligence, health, autonomous and electric cars, education, 3D printing, agriculture, and jobs. Welcome to the fouth Industrial Revolution! Welcome to the Exponential Age!

Software will disrupt most traditional industries in the next 5-10 years. Uber is just a software tool: they don´t own any cars, and are now the biggest taxi company in the world. Airbnb is now the biggest hotel company in the world, although they don´t own any properties.

Artificial Intelligence: Computers become exponentially better in understanding the world. This year, a computer beat the best Go player in the world, 10 years earlier than expected. In the U.S., young lawyers already don´t get jobs. Because of IBM Watson, you can get legal advice (so far for more or less basic stuff) within seconds, with 90% accuracy, compared with 70% accuracy when done by humans. So if you study law, stop immediately. There will be 90% fewer lawyers in the future, only specialists will remain. Watson already helps nurses diagnosing cancer, four times more accurately than human nurses. Facebook now has a pattern-recognition software that can recognize faces better than humans. In 2030, computers will become more intelligent than humans.

Autonomous cars: In 2018 the first self-driving cars will appear for the public. Around 2020, the complete industry will start to be disrupted. You won´t want to own a car anymore. You will call a car with your phone, it will show up at your location and drive you to your destination. You will not need to park it, you only pay for the driven distance, and can be productive while driving. Our kids will never get a driver´s licence and will never own a car. It will change the cities, because we will need 90-95% fewer cars for that. We can transform former parking space into parks. 1.2 million people die each year in car accidents worldwide. We now have one accident every 100,000 km. With autonomous driving, that will drop to one accident in 10 million km. That will save a million lives each year.

Most car companies might become bankrupt. Traditional car companies try the evolutionary approach and just build a better car, while tech companies (Tesla, Apple, Google) will do the revolutionary approach and build a computer on wheels. I spoke to a lot of engineers from Volkswagen and Audi; they are completely terrified of Tesla.

Insurance companies will have massive trouble because without accidents, the insurance will become 100x cheaper. Their car insurance business model will disappear.

Real estate will change. Because if you can work while you commute, people will move further away to live in a more beautiful neighborhood.

Electric cars will become mainstream by 2020. Cities will be less noisy because all cars will run on electricity. Electricity will become incredibly cheap and clean. Solar production has been on an exponential curve for 30 years, but you can only now see the impact. Last year, more solar energy was installed worldwide than fossil. The price for solar will drop so much that all coal companies will be out of business by 2025.

With cheap electricity comes cheap and abundant water. Desalination now only needs 2kwh per cubic meter. We don´t have scarce water in most places, we only have scarce drinking water. Imagine what will be possible if anyone can have as much clean water as he wants, for nearly no cost.

Health: The Tricorder X price will be announced this year. There will be companies who will build a medical device (called the "Tricorder" from Star Trek) that works with your phone, which takes your retina scan, your blood sample, and you breathe into it. It then analyses 54 biomarkers that will identify nearly any disease. It will be cheap, so in a few years everyone on this planet will have access to world-class medicine, nearly for free.

3D printing: The price of the cheapest 3D printer came down from $18,000 to $400 within 10 years. In the same time, it became 100 times faster. All major shoe companies started 3D printing shoes. Spare airplane parts are already 3D printed in remote airports. The space station now has a printer that eliminates the need for the large amount of spare parts they used to have in the past.

At the end of this year, new smart phones will have 3D scanning possibilities. You can then 3D scan your feet and print your perfect shoe at home. In China, they already 3D printed a complete six-storey office building. By 2027, 10% of everything that´s being produced will be 3D printed.

Business opportunities: If you think of a niche you want to go in, ask yourself: "in the future, do you think we will have that?" and if the answer is yes, how can you make that happen sooner? If it doesn´t work with your phone, forget the idea. And any idea designed for success in the 20th century is doomed to failure in the 21st century.

Work: 70-80% of jobs will disappear in the next 20 years. There will be a lot of new jobs, but it is not clear if there will be enough new jobs in such a short time.

Agriculture: There will be a $100 agricultural robot in the future. Farmers in third world countries can then become managers of their fields instead of working all days on their fields. Aeroponics will need much less water. The first Petri-dish-produced veal is now available, and will be cheaper than cow-produced veal in 2018. Right now, 30% of all agricultural surfaces is used for cows. Imagine if we don´t need that space anymore. There are several startups who will bring insect protein to the market shortly. It contains more protein than meat. It will be labeled as "alternative protein source" (because most people still reject the idea of eating insects.)

There is an app called "moodies" which can already tell in which mood you are. By 2020 there will be apps that can tell by your facial expressions if you are lying. Imagine a political debate where it´s being displayed when they are telling the truth and when not.

Bitcoin will become mainstream this year and might even become the default reserve currency.

Longevity: Right now, the average life span increases by three months per year. Four years ago, the life span used to be 79 years, now it´s 80 years. The increase itself is increasing, and by 2036, there will be more that one year increase per year. So we all might live for a long long time, probably way more than 100.

Education: The cheapest smart phones are already at $10 in Africa and Asia. By 2020, 70% of all humans will own a smart phone. That means, everyone has the same access to world-class education. Every child can use Khan Academy for everything a child learns at school in First World countries. We have already released our software in Indonesia and will release it in Arabic, Suaheli, and Chinese this summer, because I see an enormous potential. We will give the English app for free, so that children in Africa can become fluent in English within half a year.

Betty Audet forwards these old jokes which had no swear words in them:

SOME OF US MISS THE OLD JEWISH COMEDIANS

A car hit an elderly Jewish man. The paramedic says, "Are you comfortable?"
The man says, "I make a good living."

I just got back from a pleasure trip. I took my mother-in-law to the airport.

I´ve been in love with the same woman for 49 years. If my wife finds out, she´ll kill me!

Someone stole all my credit cards, but I won´t be reporting it. The thief spends less than my wife did.

We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.

My wife and I went to a hotel where we got a waterbed. My wife called it the Dead Sea.

My wife and I revisited the hotel where we spent our wedding night. This time I was the one who stayed in the bathroom and cried.

My wife was at the beauty shop for two hours. That was only for the estimate. She got a mudpack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off.

The doctor gave a man six months to live. The man couldn´t pay his bill, so the doctor gave him another six months.

The doctor called Mrs. Cohen, saying, "Mrs. Cohen, your cheque came back."
Mrs. Cohen replied, "So did my arthritis!"

Doctor: "You´ll live to be 60!"
Patient: "I AM 60!"
Doctor: "See! What did I tell you?"

A doctor held a stethoscope up to a man´s chest. The man asks, "Doc, how do I stand?
The doctor says, "That´s what puzzles me!"

Patient: "I have a ringing in my ears."
Doctor: "Don´t answer!"

A drunk was in front of a judge. The judge says, "You´ve been brought here for drinking."
The drunk says, "Okay, let´s get started."

A man called his mother in Florida. "Mom, how are you?"
"Not too good," said the mother. "I´ve been very weak."
The son said, "Why are you so weak?"
She said, "Because I haven´t eaten in 38 days."
The son said, "That´s terrible. Why haven´t you eaten in 38 days?"
The mother answered, "Because I didn´t want my mouth to be full in case you should call."

A Jewish man said that when he was growing up, they always had two choices for dinner - take it or leave it.

A Jewish boy comes home from school and tells his mother he has a part in the play.
She asks, "What part is it?"
The boy says, "I play the part of the Jewish husband."
The mother scowls and says, "Go back and tell the teacher you want a speaking part."

Don Henderson has these words of advice:

DON´T PLAY GOLF WITH YOUR WIFE

A husband reluctantly agreed to play in the couples´ alternate-shot tournament at his club. He teed off on the first hole, a par four, and blistered a drive 300 yards down the middle of the fairway. Upon reaching the ball, the husband said to his wife, "Just hit it toward the green, anywhere around there will be fine."

The wife proceeded to shank the ball deep into the woods. Undaunted, the husband said, "That´s OK, sweetheart," and spent the full five minutes looking for the ball. He found it just in time but in a horrible position. He played the shot of his life to get the ball within two feet of the hole. He told his wife to knock the ball in.

His wife then proceeded to knock the ball off the green and into a bunker. Still maintaining composure, the husband summoned all of his skill and holed the shot from the bunker.

He took the ball out of the hole, and while walking off the green, put his arm around his wife and calmly said, "Honey, that was a bogey five, and that´s OK, but I think we can do better on the next hole."

To which she replied, "Listen, don´t bitch at me - only two of those five shots were mine."

Marilyn Magid forwards this essay about

GOOD FRIENDS

"Good friends are like quilts - they age with you, yet never lose their warmth."

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon, before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read, or play on the computer, until 4:00 a.m., or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the ´50s, ´60s and ´70s, and if at the same time I wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach in a swimsuit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And eventually, I will remember the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody´s beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength, and understanding, and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don´t question myself anymore. I´ve even earned the right to be wrong.

So to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

Catherine Nesbitt forwards this

STUFF YOU MAY NOT KNOW

Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska.

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%.

Now get this: The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%.

The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $16,400.

The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco cable cars are the only mobile national monuments.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs - Alexander the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, John Hancock and Charles Thomson.
Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn´t added until five years later.

Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace

Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter A?
A. One thousand

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers have in common?
A. All were invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn´t spoil?
A. Honey.

Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father´s Day.

In Shakespeare´s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence, the phrase "Goodnight, sleep tight."

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride´s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts, so in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them, "Mind your p´ and q´s, and settle down!"

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!

ED. NOTE: There is no guarantee that the above information is correct. If you doubt anything, check it out on Snopes or online.

Tony Lewis shares this story of

THE LOST KEYS

Several days ago as I left a meeting, I desperately gave myself a personal search. I was looking for my keys. They were not in my pockets. A quick search in the meeting room revealed nothing.

Suddenly I realized I must have left them in the car. Frantically, I headed for the car park. My husband has scolded me many times for leaving the keys in the ignition. My theory is that the ignition is the best place not to lose them. His theory is that the car will be stolen.

As I scanned the car park I came to a terrifying conclusion - his theory was right. The car park was empty.

I immediately called the police. I gave them my location, confessed that I had left my keys in the car, and that it had been stolen.

Then I made the most difficult call of all. "Hello, my love," I stammered. (I always call him "my love" in times like these.) "I left my keys in the car and it has been stolen."

There was a period of silence. I thought the call had disconnected, but then I heard his voice. He barked, "I dropped you off!"

Now it was my time to be silent. Embarrassed, I said, "Well, come and get me."

He retorted, "I will, as soon as I convince this policeman I have not stolen your bloody car."

This is what they call "the Golden Years!"

Barbara Wear sends this information:

GOD´S PLANS FOR AGING

Most seniors never get enough exercise. In His wisdom, God decreed that seniors become forgetful, so they would have to search for their glasses, keys, and other things, thus doing more walking. And God looked down and saw that it was good. Then God saw there was another need. In His wisdom He made seniors lose co-ordination so they would drop things, requiring them to bend, reach, and stretch. And God looked down and saw that it was good.

Then God considered the function of bladders, and decided seniors would have additional calls of nature, requiring more trips to the bathroom, thus providing more exercise. God looked down and saw that it was good. So if you find as you age, you are getting up and down more, remember it´s God´s will. It is all in your best interest, even though you mutter under your breath.

SUGGESTED WEBSITES

Barbara Wear forwards the URL for a video of a cat watching a horror movie, or something equally absorbing:

Carol Hansen suggests this link to a drone´s photographs of BC, Alberta, and the Yukon:

Jay forwards this link to a video of a young man from Taiwan working on a painting that had everyone wondering what he was really painting:

Shirley Conlon sends this link to a time-lapse video of the rise of a full moon filmed in Australia. The moon appears so large because of the use of a telescopic camera:

This Romanian grandmother has saved hundreds of dogs and cats from freezing:

To call on Prime Minister Trudeau to be a climate leader and reject the deadly Kinder Morgan pipeline, click on

This talented French trainer can get his gorgeous Angora cats to pull off amazing acts that would put most dogs to shame:

The earth is too tiny to even comprehend when compared to other planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe itself. To give you an idea of how tiny we really are, here are some visual aids:

Glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, is usually fatal within just months of diagnosis, but Duke University researchers developed a bold therapy that has resulted in quick and complete recoveries among patients in clinical trials. The treatment has been so successful it has been given "breakthrough status" from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

In this TED talk, Harvard-MIT physician, bioengineer and entrepreneur Sangeeta Bhatia shares how she led her multidisciplinary lab to develop an unusual breakthrough in cancer diagnostics:

To check out the features of the "freedictionary," which changes daily, go to