"Inflation is coming down"

[Fernando]

Since Covid, I read that inflation has gone up 24%.
My rents haven't gone up that much. Not close.
And my commercial rents mostly no increase. My rents are not keeping up with inflation and increasing costs of insurance and other expenses.
And few days ago, my newer insurance company said they won't renew. Ugh.
And yesterday, my restaurant tenant who pays late in past several months said his business will be shut down by health department for few weeks. Ugh.
Poor Fernando.

 

[RCA]

Screens and kids is a major struggle for parents these days. You should run the laptop by your daughter and see if she is okay with it for the 7 year old. She probably doesn't want screens is why she got them watches instead of phones.

My mistake, it was for the 9 year old. I actually wanted to get her an Apple Mac-mini M4 with an ASUS ProArt monitor. ... But her mom (my daughter) said I had to get a Google Chromebook - because that is what their school in The Woodlands uses. So, I got her an upgraded version from the one the school gives the students. I am not at all happy about that. But her mom is like ultra strict about such things. I think the Google Chromebook is the worst computer around. But, yea, good for schools, because they can tie all of the students into specific websites for instruction, video, home work and tests.

Interestingly she (the 9 year old) was chosen to be part of some robotics program, where they build robots. She gets ultra excited about these things. I think she will become a software engineer.

- And another update, the iWatches for the 7 and 5 year old didn't work out, so she returned them. To be honest, figuring out how to use the iWatch - for an adult is not all that easy. There are just way too many options and commands. ....

 

[Fernando]

My mistake, it was for the 9 year old. I actually wanted to get her an Apple Mac-mini M4 with an ASUS ProArt monitor. ... But her mom (my daughter) said I had to get a Google Chromebook - because that is what their school in The Woodlands uses. So, I got her an upgraded version from the one the school gives the students. I am not at all happy about that. But her mom is like ultra strict about such things. I think the Google Chromebook is the worst computer around. But, yea, good for schools, because they can tie all of the students into specific websites for instruction, video, home work and tests.

Interestingly she (the 9 year old) was chosen to be part of some robotics program, where they build robots.

I bought my children Apple computes even though I don't use one. Apple computers have great software which I felt allowed them to do more than other students. And I was right. They were prepared to use new technology especially using AI in their daily work and personal activities. They don't need to use pen/pencil or notebooks and hardly print anything.

- And another update, the iWatches for the 7 and 5 year old didn't work out, so she returned them. To be honest, figuring out how to use the iWatch - for an adult is not all that easy. There are just way too many options and commands. ....

I have an iWatch years ago but hardly uses it. I still like the older watches with dials. My favorites are the citizen watches (no need for batteries) and favorite is the Disney one.

 

[Mike Ault]

I have an iWatch years ago but hardly uses it. I still like the older watches with dials. My favorites are the citizen watches (no need for batteries) and favorite is the Disney one.

 

[Joe Flacco]

My mistake, it was for the 9 year old. I actually wanted to get her an Apple Mac-mini M4 with an ASUS ProArt monitor. ... But her mom (my daughter) said I had to get a Google Chromebook - because that is what their school in The Woodlands uses. So, I got her an upgraded version from the one the school gives the students. I am not at all happy about that. But her mom is like ultra strict about such things. I think the Google Chromebook is the worst computer around. But, yea, good for schools, because they can tie all of the students into specific websites for instruction, video, home work and tests.

Interestingly she (the 9 year old) was chosen to be part of some robotics program, where they build robots. She gets ultra excited about these things. I think she will become a software engineer.

- And another update, the iWatches for the 7 and 5 year old didn't work out, so she returned them. To be honest, figuring out how to use the iWatch - for an adult is not all that easy. There are just way too many options and commands. ....

Schools need to get rid of the Chromebooks altogether and go back to physical text books with pencil and paper. Trying to make classrooms digital is not working and it is making our kids stupid.

 

[RCA]

Schools need to get rid of the Chromebooks altogether and go back to physical text books with pencil and paper. Trying to make classrooms digital is not working and it is making our kids stupid.

For the smarter students who can handle "some" digital technology, a "little" exposure to computers and robotics shouldn't hurt. If children don't show an interest in such technology it is not only a waste of time to teach it to them as such a young age, but will also probably set them back. At the age of 9, probably only 1% of the students will make it into the special robotics classes in "The Woodlands," from what my daughter told me. I don't know what percent of the time 4th graders spend using their Chromebooks, but I imagine it is not more than 20% each day. The Woodlands, TX is one of those more well to do communities in the US, and the general intelligence of the students and faculty there is above average for sure.

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/the-woodlands-best-cities-in-america-17852442.php

 

[RCA]

One problem with introducing computers and robotics to young children, smart enough to take interest, - is that they will likely start to lose interest in other types of homework, and the parents will have to spend more time nagging at them to do that "other" homework. Win some, lose some. Is it good or bad?

OK, I will tell you one thing for sure: The younger a person is when they start programming, so much the better. There is a very strong correlation between the age at which a software engineer first starts programming and the quality of his coding later in life. I started coding at the age of 18, in 1965, as soon as I entered the University of Oregon Honors College in my home town, and got a job at the university Computer Center. I was lucky, as there weren't many computers back then.

As time went on, it wasn't unusual to see 9-10 year old children programming microcomputers. And yet, I run into PhD's who have never programmed even when they are in their mid 20's.

Note: When I was up in Oregon a couple of weeks ago, I went to a dinner with some in-laws. One was a Professor of Linguistics at the U of O, who I find does very interesting work - that overlaps with AI and many things I am interested in. But her son-in-law who is finishing up on his PhD at the Univ. of Washington in organic chemistry, told me he had never done any programming. In fact, after dinner ( a so-called "Jefferson Dinner where the topic was AI), it apparently dawned on him who I really was and he says: "I am in the Seattle area and all the time and I see software engineers everywhere. Everywhere!. They all look the same! [ Then he pauses and looks at me ...]. -- And they all look just like you!." I was saying to myself: "What the heck is he talking about? We don't look all the same! He must know that." What he meant I suppose was that we have similar patterns of behavior and mannerisms. We tend to talk fast, we have a certain procedural view of life, - and so on and so forth. ...

 

[Joe Flacco]

My kids are similar in age to your grandkids and they both have desktops, but what they are allowed to do with it and when they can use it is limited. For right now they can use it for typing lessons and Minecraft on weekends only.

Coding is a relatively easy skill to learn. At their age, I am more focused on math.

 

[alebrewer]

Since Covid, I read that inflation has gone up 24%.

In April of '20, inflation rate was 0.3%. In June of 22, the inflation rate was 9.1%. That's an increase of ~ 30 times if my math is correct?

 

[Vermonter]

Coding is a relatively easy skill to learn. At their age, I am more focused on math.

With the AI assist it's even easier. Focus on math is never a bad thing