End of Dialects

After reading about how Apple's speech recognition is having problems, I was thinking that the because we don't have a uniform dialect or even language among humas to interact with technology, the technology is having problems understanding our commands.  One thing that I foresee is that people will start uniforming their speech to be compatible with computer speech recognition software.  Could this mean an end to speech dialects?

Computer have changes out lives a lot in the past 20 years.  Look at hand writing, typography and language.  50 years ago there were many more languages and regional dialects.  If someone needed to learn English it was because they were interested in British/American culture, not to interact with someone from Brazil.

You can see it also in typography, where older signs and other print media had interesting fonts.  Now days almost everything is in Helvetica, old German Fraktur script is pretty much dead and only left to WWII themes.

So I wonder if it will be the same with regional dialects in America's south or parts of the UK.  Will our speek all become hegemonized to a standard that computers will be happy with?

Fort Ross

One of the amazing and interesting chapters in California history is Fort Ross, located north of San Francisco, this fort was built by the Russian fur traders to supply food to Alaska.  When the fort was is use by the Russian traders, they did not have the same goal of colonization and converting the local population as the Spanish did with their Missions.  For this reason, not many people know about its existence.

The Russian River, located between Fort Ross and San Francisco was the unofficial border between the Spanish and Russian traders.

Russian supplies

Supplies from the Chinese traders

Workshop

San Leo

An amazing fortress in central Italy.

Flying

At the end of summer I thought it would be a cool idea to get my private's pilots license.  It was a bit of stupid thinking doing it in Germany.  Should have gone to Florida and get it there.  Needless to say I dropped out two flights into the program.

End the end, getting a PPL is a bit useless as flying is quite expensive and the extra costs in maintenance, rental, fuel, etc are quite high.

Roman Road Trip

Some events that I saw on my road trip.  I did try to cycle on the oldest part of the Via Appia Antica.  The road is amazing, but with the boulders not really cycle friendly.

Roman White Night

In the heat of the summer, the city of Rome has an amazing festival called White Night, where all the museums and cultural events are open till midnight with concerts in the street and loads of people.  By September most of the tourists are gone so it's a spectacle mostly Italians and Romans get to enjoy.  The flow below is a loads on people flowing in the city.

Last I tried to look up the next event and it looks like they don't do it anymore.  What a shame as it was really something to remember.

Tuscan Archipelago

Part of my Tuscan roadmap was to go along the coast and see the fishing villages.  This part of Italy is just amazing and I'm hoping to do more trips here to enjoy the sun and nature.

Rome

Part of my Italy roadmap, I went to Rome.  Don't remember much from the trip but going to Rome is always special.

Taunus air show

Hidden in the Taunus is a small airstrip and one day in the summer they had a little airshow.  What was cool is seeing a flying Junkers and Russian Yak's.

Cycling in the Taunus

At this point I was living in Taunus, near my office and was cycling almost daily in the hills.  Here my Dad comes and visits to the Roman Fortress that's near by.

Luxenburg

With a friend from work, we decided to do to Trier and nearby Luxembourg.  On the way we stopped by the American cemetery where Gen. Paton and many fallen troops are buried.

Wank

Hiking the Wank in Garmisch.

Camping in Garmisch

In the summer I went down to Garmisch for a weekend trip.  Always liked going to the Bavarian city and for this trip I camped under the Zugspitz on the Austrian side of the border.

Römerkastell Saalburg

This is quite a cool place just north of Frankfurt in the Taunus.  It's a reconstructed Roman fort with  the buildings rebuilt the way it would have been when Roman troops were stationed along the Limes defending the realm.

http://www.saalburgmuseum.de/