Posted On: Wednesday - July 9th 2025 10:44AM MST
In Topics: Music Artificial Stupidity iEspionage Peak Stupidity Roadshow Muh Generation
After trying to keep up with the news recently, Peak Stupidity will revert to our core competency here, documentation of the increase in stupidity and discussion of the root causes. That description of our mission has been gleaned very well by (at least Bing's) AI, BTW - see Artificial Intelligence understands Peak Stupidity.
This post describes what is definitely a root cause of increasing stupidity. This one comes from personal experience, and it's easier to write anecdotes, with not much to look up, so here goes.
That's the Uber app on somebody's iCrap. It's a file photo, so that info won't get you anywhere far. I don't have the app myself, because I won't give out CC info to the world on the web, even though I know these iEspionage devices give away about any other information anybody might want. I won't do it, though, Uber or Lyft.
However, this ride from the airport was arranged for me very late at night - the early morning, that is. After being up for over 20 hours, I was fine with seeing a message on my phone about the Uber ride coming. I guess I wasn't supposed to do anything but answer the automated call that said someone was coming in so many minutes. The ride got cancelled though. Odd, that, and then after another one was set up for me, the computer told me that Shenequa was coming in a brown Impala, license plate REDACTED were I able to remember, this one got canceled too, which was probably for the best!
Now stuck without a ride, as the Uber stupidity had me wondering if I should have done something on my iCrap other than answer the calls, I was resigned to just sleeping on the floor at this point. (A friend could get me, but only in the morning, and taxis were nowhere to be found.) To my surprise, after 10 minutes, I was informed loudly that another ride was virtually on the way. This time, just so the ride wouldn't cancel out, I called the phone number. Remember when you used to get the driver on HIS phone? Nah, probably too many off-the-grid or off-the-network deals were being arranged, so Uber got wise to that shit.
Now, it's a 3rd-party (Uber HQ server) number, so there's a time lag, but then I got to talk to the guy so I could tell him I WILL be outside, so KEEP COMING. I mentioned the place where I'd be. He mentioned a white Chrysler Town & Country. I know those aren't station wagons anymore (heaven forbid, driving a station wagon!), and he told me it was an SUV.
Sounds like a plan, but young people don't make plans as we used to. I refer the reader to, and will digress for a bit to Communication Gap, written about something related:
About 15-20 minutes later, I called to check on this guy. Instead of answering the phone, seemingly easier if you ask me, he texted back "5 minutes." Sounds like a plan. The weather was beautiful - I stood outside waiting.That alt-taxi ride 2 1/2 years back was outside of the Uber/Lyft iCrap system, at least.
"??" came another text from this number. Thinking the guy had fat-fingered something, I stood outside in the beautiful weather waiting.
Now, he calls. "Hey, what's going on?" he asks. "Nothing. Are you here?" "I text you, but you didn't write back." "The question marks?" "Yeah." "OK, I'm not 14 years old, man. I'm an American. I told you I'd be outside, and I'm outside. What you do is show up when you said you would. That's how it works, or used to." "Well, I didn't know if ..." "I'm here. Where are you?"
He drove right up, still on the phone. Rant only partly over, I just said nicely that it used to be that one said something and the other guy trusted him, with no constant texting necessary.
This time, we had the middle-man involved, the software. As I stood outside, the software told me my ride would be there in a couple of minutes. I took this opportunity to go through the phone system again and tell the guy EXACT location details. "There are a bunch of colored signs. I'm between the yellow one and the purple one. There's nobody else in this area."
Whoosh, there goes by a white Chrysler minivan. Well, I mean what's the chances it's not this guy, who can't make the effort to distinguish a minivan from an SUV? I called yet again. Now I was pissed. "You just passed me. That's a van, not an SUV. I'll head down there. Why didn't you just listen to what I told you 2 minutes ago?!" "No, let me show you something when you get here.", he said.
Now, I wasn't pissed about having to walk a couple hundred yards, as I was glad to have a ride. It's just that, well, when I opened the passenger side door to talk to this Uber driver, he showed me his proof that he was not being stupid. The app said I was HERE, where he stopped, right HERE, see? The app had a map. That I told him 2 minutes prior that I was between the yellow and purple signs, and I was the only one standing there as I said I'd be, as he blew by about 10 ft away is immaterial. The fact was, the app said I was HERE, not THERE.
I'm not kidding, this is life for this young generation. People may say things, they may be some places, but the software RULES. The software knows all, and, in fact, IS real life, not some dude spouting some information on the phone.
Being miffed at all this, and it being REALLY late for me by this point,I said nothing for the 15 minute ride. When we got there, we both agreed it was nothing personal, but, yes (he admitted), this young generation thinks differently. "Stupidly", I may add, here on this post, but I left it at that and did give him a tip. The night got even worse after this ... another story... that does involve more artificial stupidity, at least software systems and middle men.
My friend calls the whole thing brain outsourcing. I would bet money that, even if this guy had driven 50,000 miles all in this same area, if you took away his electronics, he couldn't find his way to the nearest McDonald's drive-through without getting lucky. It's just "take a right here", "turn coming up", "move into the left lane", "your passenger is right HERE". There is NO situational awareness involved in driving, and even walking, like this. This portion of your brain is outsourced to the matrix.
For a perfect example of my point, think of The Office's Dwight Schrute as me and Michael Scott as the Uber driver. Thank you, Adam Smith for reminding me, not of this clip, which is one of my top 10 favorite scenes from that favorite show of mine, but that this surely belongs here. It has appeared before on Peak Stupidity in the post about the auto GPS devices, From TomTom to the NWA. ("NWA" = Nagging Wife App.)
While stuck on the iCrap and artificial stupidity, young people don't really ever know where they are in the world, spatially, and probably in other ways too.
"Stupidity grows, where that Uber man goes... and nobody knows ... but me..."
Yeah, well, we'll put the song in now - nothing to do with the post, so if you think of something more appropriate - maybe some ELO or Alan Parsons Project.
That is Edison Lighthouse, a band name I'd never have been able to come up in a million years with without my youtube app (kidding!) From a different world, that's Love Grows where my Rosemary Goes from 55 years ago, January of 1970. They sound somewhat like The Monkees, who were British too.
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[UPDATED 07/10:] Added The Office clip.
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Comments:
SafeNow
Thursday - July 10th 2025 1:46PM MST
PS
iโm serious side, a few years ago, I think it was in Florida, an old man drove his car off a pier into deep water. A small USCG boat was, luckily, nearby. The small cutter launched a rescue boat, and the victim was extricated from the carโฆ.all within about 90 seconds! Semper paratus.
I suppose I should be grateful that the USCG received a modest budget increase from last year. But a large part of that money is spent on the fact that the USCG now goes all over the world, and increasingly so.
iโm serious side, a few years ago, I think it was in Florida, an old man drove his car off a pier into deep water. A small USCG boat was, luckily, nearby. The small cutter launched a rescue boat, and the victim was extricated from the carโฆ.all within about 90 seconds! Semper paratus.
I suppose I should be grateful that the USCG received a modest budget increase from last year. But a large part of that money is spent on the fact that the USCG now goes all over the world, and increasingly so.
Moderator
Thursday - July 10th 2025 11:23AM MST
PS: Ahaaa, that's one of my top favorite scenes from my top favorite show "The Office", Adam. Yes, the video should appear in this post.
I knew I'd included it before and I found it here:
"From TomTom to the NWA" (NWA is Nagging Wife App.)
https://www.peakstupidity.com/index.php?post=2079
That was 4 years ago, but it's not like I didn't remember this scene. I think I posted it a large handful of times on TUR.
This, and the scene from "Risky Business" in which the car mechanic asks "OK, who's the U-Boat commander?" are THE very best of the submerged auto scene genre.
I knew I'd included it before and I found it here:
"From TomTom to the NWA" (NWA is Nagging Wife App.)
https://www.peakstupidity.com/index.php?post=2079
That was 4 years ago, but it's not like I didn't remember this scene. I think I posted it a large handful of times on TUR.
This, and the scene from "Risky Business" in which the car mechanic asks "OK, who's the U-Boat commander?" are THE very best of the submerged auto scene genre.
Adam Smith
Thursday - July 10th 2025 8:55AM MST
PS: Ok, so I finally read your post...
And it reminded me of this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOW_kPzY_JY
The Machine Knows! โฎ๏ธ
And it reminded me of this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOW_kPzY_JY
The Machine Knows! โฎ๏ธ
Adam Smith
Thursday - July 10th 2025 8:30AM MST
PS: Good morning, Achmed!
Yeah, Paul Balon died of a heart attack a little before his time. (He was in his early 60s.) I did know his son Mike and played guitars with him a couple times. More of an acquaintance than a friend.
๐ท๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ?
No. I haven't talked to anyone in years. Much like a refugee, I left the depression of rust belt behind for the sunshine, the greener pastures, and better the economic opportunities found in Appalachia and I have never looked back.
The nicest thing I can say about New York? New York state is a real shithole not fit for man nor beast and Western New York is basically a giant superfund site.
There is a park in Poughkeepsie named after my Grandfather's cousin.
https://www.scenicusa.net/073111.html
For whatever that's worth... โฎ๏ธ
Yeah, Paul Balon died of a heart attack a little before his time. (He was in his early 60s.) I did know his son Mike and played guitars with him a couple times. More of an acquaintance than a friend.
๐ท๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ?
No. I haven't talked to anyone in years. Much like a refugee, I left the depression of rust belt behind for the sunshine, the greener pastures, and better the economic opportunities found in Appalachia and I have never looked back.
The nicest thing I can say about New York? New York state is a real shithole not fit for man nor beast and Western New York is basically a giant superfund site.
There is a park in Poughkeepsie named after my Grandfather's cousin.
https://www.scenicusa.net/073111.html
For whatever that's worth... โฎ๏ธ
Moderator
Thursday - July 10th 2025 5:23AM MST
PS: Adam, I guess The Rebels, later Rockin Rebels, were not quite rebellious enough to grow their hair long. What a difference between 1963 and, say, 1965. I guess someone had to start it, the Beatles?
I liked the instrumental and also the still pictures of those old days (some taken from "American Graffiti").
Wiki says your ex-HS teacher, Paul Balon, played bass and guitar for the band. It also says that he unfortunately died 22 years ago. Do you keep up with the people from up north?
I liked the instrumental and also the still pictures of those old days (some taken from "American Graffiti").
Wiki says your ex-HS teacher, Paul Balon, played bass and guitar for the band. It also says that he unfortunately died 22 years ago. Do you keep up with the people from up north?
Moderator
Thursday - July 10th 2025 5:19AM MST
PS: Yeah, he's doing OK decades later, SafeNow, though the backing vocals sure help during high notes and such. I do remember "Beach Baby" but didn't know it was that same guy. I don't remember the last song.
I'm all in favor of contacting people directly. My friend - well, I haven't seen him in a few years - used to driver for Uber. He'd done some 100 mile trips to a certain popular location, and he'd often exchange his contact info with those customers, so they could do things without the middle man. It's not just the money, but the ease of doing business the old-fashioned way.
I'm all in favor of contacting people directly. My friend - well, I haven't seen him in a few years - used to driver for Uber. He'd done some 100 mile trips to a certain popular location, and he'd often exchange his contact info with those customers, so they could do things without the middle man. It's not just the money, but the ease of doing business the old-fashioned way.
Adam Smith
Wednesday - July 9th 2025 10:51PM MST
PS: One moar One Hit Wonder...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv33eaygVDQ
โฎ๏ธ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv33eaygVDQ
โฎ๏ธ
Adam Smith
Wednesday - July 9th 2025 10:47PM MST
PS: ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ ...
that ๐ค๐๐ one of those one hit wonders...
โฎ๏ธ
that ๐ค๐๐ one of those one hit wonders...
โฎ๏ธ
Adam Smith
Wednesday - July 9th 2025 10:44PM MST
PS: Good evening, Mr. SafeNow and Friends!
About those ๐๐๐-โ๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z49t7c5cRmk
My fifth grade teacher, Paul Balon, was a a member of a band (The Rockin' Rebels) that one of those one hit wonders...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rebels_(surf_band)
Also... Anyone else remember Sam the Sham?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_the_Sham
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooly_Bully
โฎ๏ธ
About those ๐๐๐-โ๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z49t7c5cRmk
My fifth grade teacher, Paul Balon, was a a member of a band (The Rockin' Rebels) that one of those one hit wonders...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rebels_(surf_band)
Also... Anyone else remember Sam the Sham?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_the_Sham
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooly_Bully
โฎ๏ธ
SafeNow
Wednesday - July 9th 2025 9:10PM MST
PS
My era, so I will elaborate, if I may. Anthony Burrows was the great feel-good voice of Edison Lighthouse, as well as other one one-hit wondersโฆ.for other bands! Beach Baby and My Baby Loves Loving are examples. The Love Grows song was the soundtrack for the great final scene in Shallow Hal, in which Paltrow played Rosemary. The rumor at the time was that they named her Rosemary so that they could close with that song. Here is a link to Burrows singing this song decades later:
https://youtu.be/1Es90sjGB6I?feature=shared
I really enjoyed this telling stupidity anecdote, which focuses on the algorithm /
impersonal side if modern stupidityโฆ. something that bothers me constantly. As for getting a messy ride to work, I think the way to break through is that if you get to contact the driver directly, you act all apologetic and say โHey man, Iโm sorry this is a tough ride, but Iโm a big cash tipper, so please donโt give up on me, man, iโll make the inconvenience worth your while.โ Yes, I know, it hurts.
My era, so I will elaborate, if I may. Anthony Burrows was the great feel-good voice of Edison Lighthouse, as well as other one one-hit wondersโฆ.for other bands! Beach Baby and My Baby Loves Loving are examples. The Love Grows song was the soundtrack for the great final scene in Shallow Hal, in which Paltrow played Rosemary. The rumor at the time was that they named her Rosemary so that they could close with that song. Here is a link to Burrows singing this song decades later:
https://youtu.be/1Es90sjGB6I?feature=shared
I really enjoyed this telling stupidity anecdote, which focuses on the algorithm /
impersonal side if modern stupidityโฆ. something that bothers me constantly. As for getting a messy ride to work, I think the way to break through is that if you get to contact the driver directly, you act all apologetic and say โHey man, Iโm sorry this is a tough ride, but Iโm a big cash tipper, so please donโt give up on me, man, iโll make the inconvenience worth your while.โ Yes, I know, it hurts.
BTW, I had to look up the song, so I'm listening to it now. Why do I get Popeye's Fried Chicken ads in Spanish now in youtube clips?