The Office of Technology Assessment: A Beacon of Informed Policy-Making
In an era of rapid technological advancement, the need for informed decision-making in government has never been more critical. The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), established by Congress in 1972, was a pioneering institution that bridged the gap between complex scientific developments and public policy. For over two decades, the OTA played a crucial role in shaping informed legislation, leaving behind a legacy that continues to resonate in today’s tech-driven world.
Birth of the OTA: Responding to Technological Complexity
The 1960s saw unprecedented technological progress, from the space race to the dawn of the computer age. Recognizing the need for expert guidance in navigating these advancements, Congress established the OTA through the Technology Assessment Act of 1972. Its mission was clear: provide lawmakers with objective, comprehensive analyses of technological issues to inform public policy.
A Catalyst for Informed Decision-Making
During its 23-year lifespan, the OTA produced over 750 meticulously researched reports on a wide array of topics. These assessments were instrumental in shaping policies across various sectors:
Environment: The OTA’s analysis of global warming impacts played a pivotal role in early environmental policy-making, emphasizing the importance of long-term ecological considerations.
Healthcare: Its assessments of medical technologies and healthcare delivery systems provided valuable insights, influencing debates on healthcare spending and resource allocation.
National Security: In the context of the Cold War, the OTA’s evaluations of emerging military technologies were crucial in formulating defense strategies based on technological realities.
The OTA’s non-partisan, thorough approach to complex issues ensured that Congressional decisions were grounded in solid scientific understanding, benefiting society through more effective and forward-thinking policies.
The Untimely Demise of a Vital Institution
Despite its significant contributions, the OTA was defunded and effectively shut down in 1995. This decision was primarily driven by budgetary concerns and a shift in political priorities. Critics argued that other organizations could fill the OTA’s role, but many experts disagreed, pointing out the unique value of its comprehensive, non-partisan assessments.
The closure of the OTA left a considerable gap in Congress’s ability to make informed decisions on complex technological issues – a gap that has only widened as technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace.
As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century, from artificial intelligence to climate change, the legacy of the OTA serves as a reminder of the crucial role that dedicated, unbiased institutions play in bridging the gap between science and policy. Perhaps it’s time to revisit the idea of an independent body that can provide our lawmakers with the insights they need to make decisions that will shape our technological future.
Secret Service Under Fire: Revelations About Denied Security Requests for Trump Events
In a shocking turn of events, recent revelations about the U.S. Secret Service denying requests for additional security at Donald Trump’s events have ignited a firestorm of controversy. This alarming disclosure comes in the wake of an attempted assassination of the former president at a rally in Pennsylvania, raising serious questions about the adequacy of security measures in place.
A Pattern of Denied Requests
Over the past two years, Trump’s security detail repeatedly sought additional resources to bolster protection at his events. These requests included:
Magnetometers for screening attendees
Additional agents
More snipers
Specialty teams for outdoor events
Despite these appeals, senior officials at the Secret Service frequently denied these requests, citing staffing shortages and limited resources. This pattern of denials led to mounting frustrations within Trump’s inner circle and his security detail, who felt the agency was falling short in its duty to protect the former president.
The Pennsylvania Incident
The gravity of these denied requests became painfully apparent during a recent rally in Pennsylvania. A gunman, taking advantage of potential security gaps, fired shots from a rooftop, injuring Trump and tragically killing an attendee. This harrowing incident has thrust the Secret Service’s decision-making process into the spotlight, intensifying scrutiny on the agency’s handling of security requests.
Official Response and Fallout
In the aftermath of the attack and subsequent revelations, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other high-ranking officials face mounting pressure to resign. The agency has since backtracked on its initial denial, acknowledging that some requests for additional security may indeed have been turned down. They are now reviewing documentation to better understand the specifics of these interactions.
Broader Implications for the Secret Service
This controversy sheds light on the broader challenges facing the Secret Service. The agency has long grappled with staffing shortages and limited funding, forcing difficult decisions about resource allocation. These revelations underscore the delicate balance the Secret Service must strike between fulfilling its mission and managing limited resources.
Looking Ahead
As the Secret Service reviews its procedures and addresses these concerns, it’s crucial that adequate measures are put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future. The safety of public figures and the general public hinges on the agency’s ability to effectively manage its resources and respond to evolving security threats.
This controversy serves as a stark reminder of the complexities involved in protecting high-profile individuals in today’s dynamic threat environment. It also highlights the need for a thorough review of the Secret Service’s protocols and resource allocation strategies to ensure they can meet the challenges of their critical mission.
As the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) approaches, Apple enthusiasts and industry insiders are abuzz with anticipation over the expected enhancements to Siri, Apple’s voice assistant. In a bid to reclaim its position in the competitive AI landscape, dominated by newer, more dynamic assistants like ChatGPT, Apple is reportedly set to unveil major upgrades to Siri that aim to significantly improve its functionality and user interaction.
The Need for Siri’s Overhaul
For years, Siri has been a cornerstone of Apple’s ecosystem, integrated across iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. Despite its wide usage, Siri has often been criticized for lagging behind its counterparts like Google Assistant in terms of understanding and executing complex commands. This gap has only widened with the advent of next-generation AI technologies that offer more nuanced and context-aware interactions.
What to Expect from Siri at WWDC
The upcoming updates to Siri are expected to focus on several key areas:
Enhanced Understanding and Responsiveness
Apple plans to revamp Siri’s underlying technology to improve its speech recognition and processing capabilities. This involves advanced machine learning models that can better understand the context and subtleties of user queries, providing responses that are not only accurate but also contextually relevant.
Integration with More Services
Expanding Siri’s capabilities to seamlessly integrate with a wider range of apps and services is another anticipated update. This would make Siri a more versatile assistant, capable of performing a broader array of tasks such as booking reservations, finding recipes, or even offering personalized shopping suggestions based on user preferences and past behavior.
Privacy-Focused AI
Apple has consistently emphasized user privacy, and the enhancements to Siri are expected to continue this tradition. By processing more tasks directly on the device rather than in the cloud, Apple aims to minimize data exposure while still improving Siri’s functionality. This local processing approach not only helps in safeguarding user privacy but also reduces latency, making Siri faster and more reliable.
More Proactive Assistance
Siri is also rumored to become more proactive in assisting users, similar to Google Assistant’s approach but with an Apple twist. By analyzing user habits and routines, Siri could offer timely suggestions and reminders, enhancing daily productivity and ensuring seamless interaction with connected devices.
The Broader Impact
These enhancements are not just about catching up with competitors; they represent Apple’s broader strategy to reaffirm its commitment to innovation and user experience. Improving Siri also bolsters the appeal of Apple’s broader ecosystem, encouraging deeper integration of Apple products and services in users’ lives.
Furthermore, a more capable Siri enhances Apple’s position in the burgeoning field of smart home technology, where voice commands are increasingly becoming the primary mode of interaction. As Apple continues to expand its product line in areas such as augmented reality and wearable technology, a smarter Siri is crucial for ensuring a cohesive and intuitive user experience across all devices.
Conclusion
The reported focus on making Siri “suck less” at this year’s WWDC is a candid acknowledgment by Apple of the need for its voice assistant to evolve. As AI continues to redefine user expectations, Apple’s investment in Siri is a clear indicator of its strategy to not just participate but lead in the AI revolution. For Apple users and tech enthusiasts, the upcoming WWDC promises to be a pivotal event that could redefine the role of voice assistants in our digital lives.
A few years ago, our driveway lamp post started falling apart. We get some crazy wind here in Fairfield, CT and once the lamp started having issues, it quickly got worse. There were broken glass pieces and the top wouldn’t stay on and the bulb would never stand up straight but I’m fairly certain that issue predates our residence in this home.
My origin story and my Native Mode is the furthest thing from Handy Man so I just kept kind of piecing the lamp back together in the most mailing-it-in way possible which was ok, I guess. However, our recent night winds (Seriously. I don’t know how we didn’t wake up in Oz.) were fairly drastic and the top of our lamp landed in our driveway hard enough that I wasn’t able sit the bent metal top back properly on top of the post as it had been mangled too out of shape. And thus, despite my best efforts to NOT become knowledgable about lamp posts, I was required to go into learning mode.
As with most things these days, there wasn’t a wealth of options for lamp posts in the physical stores. Even as big as Home Depot is, there were only a few choices and none of them really fit the bill. I should mention that I do use a slightly larger LIFX smart bulb for our driveway lamp and many of the lamps available wouldn’t be able to accommodate my smart bulb.
That said, I was hopeful for the Baytown II Lamp as it had a couple of things going for it. I loved the idea that it was solar. Any time I have to deal with our home’s electric situation, I’m often left asking, “Why did they do this?” and I know next to nothing about dealing with electricity. So, the idea that I could ignore the wires that run out to the lamp post and just let the Sun handle it? That excited me to no end. However, since the solar lamp post doesn’t use wired electricity, that negates the power switch we have inside our home. I would have been fine with that because, as I mentioned, I use a smart bulb and I control all of our outdoor light thru our various Amazon Echos, I didn’t think the lack of a power switch would be an issue. However, you can’t use a standard bulb with this lamp. You have to use the one that comes with the lamp post as that is the only bulb that will fit. Still, I thought it was worth the try and maybe I’d figure something out.
Sadly, the final straw was that, although I turned the lamp on to the High setting (as opposed to Low or Off), the bulb in the lamp just didn’t have enough power to light up our driveway. In fairness to the Baytown II, it probably isn’t supposed to. I’m guessing maybe it’s more of a next to the door on the house kind of light. I’m not sure. What I do know is that my best life lessons come from the mistakes I’ve made and so this is one of those.
So, I went online and ordered the Bel Air Lighting Catalina which is a more traditional lamp post in that is hard wired and, I believe, can take whatever bulb I put in it. Home Depot says I’ll have it by Monday. In theory, when the time comes, I’ll let you know how that went.
Last night, the Mrs and I didn’t really have anything pressing to watch and the 96th annual Academy Awards happened to be on AND ABC was nice enough to start the ceremony and hour earlier which was great! It’s never made a heck of a lot of sense to me that they have a 4 hour long awards show where the most exciting of the awards a handed out after my bedtime. I could be mistake but I think Best Picture was handed out somewhere around 10:30pm ET and that was pretty good. Big fan. On the whole, I’d say the award show was pretty good and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.
Also, big kudos the Amazing Mr. Jimmy Kimmel for an excellent job hosting the show. Hi monologue was great. The bits he showed up for mid show were very amusing and I loved that Jimmy capped it off by reading Trump’s complaining social media post towards the end of the show. Jimmy is awesome! My only complaint about Mr. Kimmel hosting the Oscars is that he doesn’t work on his own show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, for the week prior to the awards. The first thing I tend to watch on YouTube in the morning is Jimmy’s monologue from his late night show so I have greatly missed his take on things for the last week. That said, Jimmy Kimmel Live will be back on the air tonight and I am THRILLED to have him back.
As for the actual awards themselves, I don’t believe I’ve seen many of the contending movies this year but that’s pretty typical for me. Here’s my breakdown for the films for Best Picture.
Oppenheimer – I’m certain this is a great movie. I’ve watched most of Christopher Nolan’s films several times. The exception is Dunkirk. I never saw that movie. I don’t know why. The rest of Mr. Nolan’s movies, I’ve seen countless times and I’m a huge fan of the repeated viewings. As for Oppenheimer, I think we broke up watching that movie over 5 or 6 nights. And to be honest, I didn’t always know what was going on. But I got the gist. And it was visually exciting to watch and the sound was incredible. It doesn’t surprise me that Oppenheimer won Best Picture.
American Fiction – The start of the description that comes up when you google this movie is Monk is a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. So uh….yeah. Doesn’t exactly sound like a fun movie and I don’t know how much of it is relatable as I am not… a novelist. That said, the film does have some talented actors doing apparently some of their best work and generally, movies that find their way into the Best Film category are not awful. So, I’ll probably see this eventually.
Anatomy Of A Fall – I think it was during the Best Actress nominations that whoever nominated Sandra Huller for this film said that she still didn’t know the character Sandra played had killed her husband. If there’s one kind of film that I absolutely hate, it’s the kind of film where the movie is over and there wasn’t an absolutely a solid conclusion to the film. I can’t imagine I will ever watch this movie.
Barbie – I saw this movie a bunch of times and loved it. I’m not surprised this movie didn’t take home a ton of awards last night as it is a fantastic combination of successful box office, fun and a joy to watch. I imagine I will see this film again and again.
The Holdovers – I think Paul Giamatti’s awesome. Big Fan! And while this certainly wasn’t a fun movie per se, having seen Sideways, the last film Alexander Payne directed with Mr. Giamatti, I felt I was more prepared for a film that was a bit tragic in tone. Regardless of what I thought this film might be, I did enjoy it and I was very moved by Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s acceptance speech. I imagine Miss Randolph’s publicist appreciated it as well. 😀
Killers Of The Flower Moon – I don’t know. First off, I haven’t seen it. On the one side, you’ve got the exceptional talent of Scorsese, De Niro and DiCaprio all doing their finest work I assume. On the other side, you have a movie that I believe is another epic tale on how my people once again royally screwed over the Native Americans? Probably a great movie. Not sure if I’m going to see it.
Maestro – Bradley Cooper has proven he is an exceptional talent and he did a fine job with his A Star Is Born remake. I’m not opposed to watching this but it’s not like I’m looking forward to it either. This might sound stupid but if I don’t watch this motion picture it’s because it is my understanding that most of the film is presented in the 4×3 or square aspect ration. I cannot stand that.
Past Lives – A romantic drama about 2 young Koreans falling in love. I would need to hear INCREDIBLE things about this movie from people I trust before I even consider dedicating my time to this film. Nothing agains Koreans. Nothing agains love. I just don’t think this movie is going to tick any of my boxes.
Poor Things – Once again, I just don’t know. However, here’s why I might take a look at this one. First off, it’s on Hulu. I have Hulu. So, we’re off to a good start. Second, this film looks weird. I am genuinely attracted to weird movies. I think it’s because, often with weird movies, you don’t know what’s happening and/or you don’t know where it’s going. A perfect recent example of this is the movie Beekeeper. Have you seen Beekeeper? It’s not “good” in the traditional sense but that movie is preposterous and I could not wait to see how it was going to end. Not that I imagine Poor Things is anything Beekeeper. Poor Things appears to be a maybe reimagining of Frankenstein? I’m probably going to watch it so I don’t want to know too much about it. Plus, I’m a big fan of Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe. And it did win of boatload of awards last night. I imagine I will check this movie out.
The Zone Of Interest – Nope. I cannot even imagine what anyone can say to me to see this movie. Color me non progressive but between Diary of Ann Frank and Schindlers List, I feel confident that I have met my limit for viewing “entertainment” about the holocaust. Not to mention that, in googling the director, Jonathan Glazer, I discovered he was the director of the 2013 film Under The Skin. My review of that film? Oooffff! As this movie did win Best International Feature Film last night, I assume it’s good on some level. Odds are though that I have a better chance of seeing Past Lives before I check this movie out.
And so begins a new year. I would say that I’m happy to once again start with a clean slate but things are going pretty good for me right now. Work is good. Life is good. I feel like the writers and the actors strike worked out well for me. Because there was a lack of new entertainment and I didn’t lose an hour to late night show monologues on YouTube because those shows weren’t on, my YouTube algorithm was nice enough to point me towards productivity channels.
First came James Clear with his Atomic Habits book which I believe has completely changed my life. Then I followed it up with Mathew Dicks and his book Someday is Today. I was able to find those fellows thru Ali Abdul’s YouTube channel and he just came out with his own book, Feel Good Productivity, which I absolutely loved and look forward to listening to it a second time and taking a few notes.
It’s because of those guys and other motivated productivity people that I feel like I’m moving forward in my life. That’s an odd thing to say as I’m just 19 days away from my 51st birthday but it is what’s happening. I’ve lived most of my life in the search of making my work easier and the endgame always being one of leisure, preferably sitting in front of a tv set. Now, I live an existence where I’m constantly feeling like there’s just not enough time to get things done and wondering if I have the talent and ability to do great things well. The jury is out on that but at least now, I feel like I’m trying and while failure from trying is certainly not the optimal goal, I do feel it’s a better outcome then lack of life improvement that results from not trying at all.
I’m very excited to report that I managed to grab some Tom Segura tickets during the presale this morning. In case you’d like to try and get in on it for the Mohegan Sun show in March 2024, you can try here. The Presale code is TOMMY. The presale tix are around the $100 price point plus fees. 4 tickets ran me $499.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a comedy show without our two favorite comedy show companions, Mike and Laura Kelliher. We’ve been to so many shows together that I can’t keep track. It’s a shame we’ll have to wait so long but I’m sure it will be worth the wait. 😀
Looks like I need to put in one more block of text or this entry will look weird on the page and I really want to include the photo of all four of us seeing Dave Chappelle in Wallingford, CT back in September, 2015. The irony here is that you’re not allowed to take photos at a Dave Chappelle show but this was before they made us put our phones in socks to see a comedy show so we BROKE THE RULES! Lastly, the photo of just Mike and Laura is from the Wu-Tang/Nas concert on September 2022 and that show was FANTASTIC!
Often, when I don’t have to go into work first thing in the morning or if I have the day off, I generally start my days off at the Las Vetas Lounge in downtown Fairfield, CT. It’s a pleasant coffee shop atmosphere with good coffee and good food. My go to is a large latte and a bacon, egg and cheese on an English muffin.
Today, I was blessed with the lovely surprise of 3 young ladies from NicholsMD of Fairfield who paid for my latte as well as bought coffee for everyone in the Lounge. Thus begins my new rule of, if you’d like to buy my morning coffee, then I’ll be happy to tell the world about it. I don’t know that I’m the key demographic for NicholsMD of Fairfield – Boutique Care for Beautiful Skin. However, they seem like lovely people. They bought me a latte. AND, if you’re in the market for Beautiful Skin, you should probably check them out.
Wow! Haven’t written in here since July. It’s amazing how much time can pass if you constantly put something off forever.
So this will be a new feature of the BigDaveNovak.com blog. If I haven’t written anything by Tuesday, then you will get this week’s version of The Tuesday Thoughts which will be me just writing something. After all, it seems silly not to be writing something at least once a week. What follows will be something that I do not perceive as “good” per se. My hope is that knowing now that I will need to write one of these rambling blog posts will put me in a situation that will inspire me to be purposeful and intentional throughout the week, knowing that if I don’t put some thought into my blog, the result will be one of these off the cuff kind of posts that, at best, is maybe alright. Here we go:
All That Jazz…
I pretty much listen to jazz exclusively these days. I was Facebook messaging my cousin last night and she mentioned that we should share music suggestions with each other. I had to fess up and tell her that I’m mostly out of the new music game. Now that I’m 50, I find that new music doesn’t have as much to offer me as music of my generation and earlier did. NOT that I’m one of those, “The music they make today totally sucks” kind of people. I HATE when comedians bring that little gem out to pander to older audiences. So you mean that music made today doesn’t compare to that time in your younger life where every new song you heard was the soundtrack to your every new emotional discovery you had from your early teens through your late 20s? #DUH
I think it was Mick Jagger who coined the phrase, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old,” which is very catchy but as an older person, I can tell you that you can feel free to ditch the volume aspect of that statement. If you don’t like music, it’s because you’re too old. It’s not being made for you. Aside from those sort of child for life kind of people, if you’re over the age of… I don’t know…35ish? Music isn’t being made for you. Until mainstream music figures out how to make things like “Life didn’t turn out the way I planned” or “When is my next doctor’s appointment?” or “Yeah. Sure. I guess that might be fun. You think we’ll be home before 10?” or “That didn’t used to hurt” or similar topics into fun little pop songs, it is safe to assume that, as an older person, you are not going to relate to today’s popular music.
I came to that conclusion a year or so ago and decided to embrace the mostly lyricless music. I do dabble in classical music a little bit and I very much enjoy the Apple Classical app but I find my heart leans more towards the musical stylings of jazz. Whether it’s the calm sort of jazz that you’d hear in a Coffee Shop or the even more calm version that you might hear before you go to sleep all the way up to the real bouncy fun jazz, I’m a big fan. Right now, on SiriusXM, I’m listening to the Real Jazz station and they’re playing So What by Miles Davis and that’s a fun. bouncy song. I’m actually really happy that I found this sort of music dull and boring for most of my life as I now get to enjoy the majority of jazz through fresh ears.
Miles Davis – So What (Live)
In Closing…
Alright. This was good for me. I thought I was going to write about a bunch of different topics from entertainment to life philosophy and other rather whatnots but it turns out I can churn out a whole bunch of words (maybe too many words) in a fairly easy short amount of time. So I guess I’ll proofread this and then publish and then, if I was smart, get going on next week’s blog post. Spoiler Alert! That will not happen. 🤣. Talk to you soon. Dave.
Big Dave Novak 