Skynet is upon us

I've asked several friends over the years this question: are we, as a human race (not a colored race, regardless of color) better off now than we were 150 years ago? Has technology really made humans better? Sure, we do things every day that seemed like science fiction in 1980. We live longer (not sure that's a good thing). We marvel at all the advancements we've made in just the last 25 years. But then again, things are much worse than in 1860.

Many of us don't get outside to enjoy the thrills of nature as much as we need to. We don't have jobs or activities that get us moving, get us exercising. We live in secular little worlds with too much self-centeredness, too many pharmaceuticals clogging up a brilliant human design (note: not really alluding to anything religious there), and so much advanced technology -- designed by imperfect human beings -- that things are bound to screw up more and more and more as time goes by. I'm not on a James Cameron-esque crusade about the evils of advancing technology (and de-evolving humans in a way as a result), but maybe I am. Toyota's "car-thinks-for-itself" automobile computer programming glitches are just the first sign (okay, maybe the 123rd sign).

What's next? Designer computer viruses that can infect humans like biological viruses? Perhaps 1860 was not so bad after all. Plenty of sunshine, lots of exercise, great food (not the processed junk we all eat today) and a great all-around lifetime all things considered. Things are too complicated for the average IQ in 2010. We're becoming dumber. Food for thought (that is, organic, non-GMO food).