Quite good coverage. I think I'm likely to live 10 more years, but 20 is a stretch. However, I just got my latest blood test back, and I'm in ridiculous good shape for my age. My glucose is just a tad high, and my kidney functions are a tad low, but everything else is still in the green, Sometimes robustly so.
Considering the Singularity does tend to make planning even more complicated than previously.
We're personally now in a place where I can confidently tell my wife that if our near (less than 10 years) future turns bad it will be worse for well over 90% of the US population. In that case even a large percentage of the top 10% of the wealthy will find that wealth didn't protect them. And some of those at the bottom may make it because they know how to operate in such a case. And I have made provision for family down to my great-grandchildren. My extended family (siblings and their descendants) all seem to be acting in a similar fashion. Despite moving from rural poverty in the early 50s to the middle-class and sometimes above that, we have mostly maintained the habits we learned then, and so have, in most cases, our children. With only a couple of exceptions we're all prepared to "pull back" to small acreages and live off the land and off the grid (and protect ourselves) if need be.
Given human nature I rather expect to see some sort of shakeout as the "elites" finally stumble over Reality and try to adjust. I don't see that many of them making it, if it comes to that. And the Singularity will arrive willy-nilly (a term not used often enough now). I expect it to start slowly and gain speed as the frightened elites push their foot soldiers to rather a lot of violence. I think that those who survive relatively intact will then be ready to take actual advantage of whatever the Singularity brings. And it has been my experience that few among the "ruling elite" are smart enough to understand what will be happening. It will get interesting in the worst meaning of that term.
Hang in there, Bill. I hope you make it. I hope I do, too. And if worst comes to worst you're invited to join us where we stand. Bring your mind and anything else useful you have when TSHTF.
I'm 73 now, and although my father lived to 93, I don't expect to match his lifespan. And I'm not sure I want to. About 2 years ago, I finally began to think of myself as being "old". A long youthful life might be a great thing, but I'm of the opinion that a long "old-aged" life would be a curse.
Quite good coverage. I think I'm likely to live 10 more years, but 20 is a stretch. However, I just got my latest blood test back, and I'm in ridiculous good shape for my age. My glucose is just a tad high, and my kidney functions are a tad low, but everything else is still in the green, Sometimes robustly so.
Considering the Singularity does tend to make planning even more complicated than previously.
We're personally now in a place where I can confidently tell my wife that if our near (less than 10 years) future turns bad it will be worse for well over 90% of the US population. In that case even a large percentage of the top 10% of the wealthy will find that wealth didn't protect them. And some of those at the bottom may make it because they know how to operate in such a case. And I have made provision for family down to my great-grandchildren. My extended family (siblings and their descendants) all seem to be acting in a similar fashion. Despite moving from rural poverty in the early 50s to the middle-class and sometimes above that, we have mostly maintained the habits we learned then, and so have, in most cases, our children. With only a couple of exceptions we're all prepared to "pull back" to small acreages and live off the land and off the grid (and protect ourselves) if need be.
Given human nature I rather expect to see some sort of shakeout as the "elites" finally stumble over Reality and try to adjust. I don't see that many of them making it, if it comes to that. And the Singularity will arrive willy-nilly (a term not used often enough now). I expect it to start slowly and gain speed as the frightened elites push their foot soldiers to rather a lot of violence. I think that those who survive relatively intact will then be ready to take actual advantage of whatever the Singularity brings. And it has been my experience that few among the "ruling elite" are smart enough to understand what will be happening. It will get interesting in the worst meaning of that term.
Hang in there, Bill. I hope you make it. I hope I do, too. And if worst comes to worst you're invited to join us where we stand. Bring your mind and anything else useful you have when TSHTF.
I'm 73 now, and although my father lived to 93, I don't expect to match his lifespan. And I'm not sure I want to. About 2 years ago, I finally began to think of myself as being "old". A long youthful life might be a great thing, but I'm of the opinion that a long "old-aged" life would be a curse.