Energy

 

Sex Robots in 2022

In 2018, Business Leader investigated the fledgling world of sex robots. We discovered an industry very much in its infancy. Sex robots were a new and developing technology and the industry was just beginning to create a buzz on the international stage. We’ve now revisited the industry four years later to see how much it has changed.

During our original investigation, we discovered that there was a large demand for these machines and a desire to create the artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the sex robot users’ experience. As is often the case in the area of technological innovation, the tech was new but developing at an extremely fast rate. Some experts predicted that the rate of technological innovation in the sector would soon outstrip the necessary regulations.

We also discovered widely varied opinions on the moral and ethical concerns surrounding sex robots and their usage.

Changing trends for changing times
The world has changed dramatically since 2018. Civil unrest in Hong Kong, war in Europe and undoubtedly the most life-changing event in living memory – the Covid pandemic. As the world locked down and streets became deserted, online activity skyrocketed.

Before the pandemic, less than half of Britons said they preferred online shopping to buying goods in a physical shop. According to a survey by Reuters, since the coronavirus pandemic, around 70% of Brits now state that they prefer making purchases online and through their mobile phones than in a physical store. This is a huge and dramatic shift in purchasing habits.

Part of this increase in online shopping was due to an increased demand for sex toys and sex tech. According to statistics from adult brand Womaniser, online sex toy sales in the UK grew by 13% during 2020. This trend has been seen around the globe. In Canada, a 135% increase in sex toy sales was recorded and in Italy, sales increased by 71% during the first lockdown.

A society in need of sex
During the pandemic, we were constantly advised to limit human contact. Single adults were isolated and banned from even the most innocent of human contact. Even some couples were separated by distance and unable to connect in the most natural human way. As traditional methods of dating and engaging in sexual relationships were curtailed, people sought different methods of stimulation.

Alongside the increase of sex toy sales, sites such as Onlyfans saw a huge increase in member registration. Some top performers on the site made eye-watering sums of money with some six-figure amounts being recorded in just one month. Female online content creators had found a way to interact with a sexually frustrated client base from the safety of their homes.

With so much time spent at home, many people began to search for new ways to fulfil their sexual desires in a safe way. According to Florida-based company Sex Doll Genie, demand for their products increased by over 51% during February and March 2020. They also state that interest in their products has come from male and female singles as well as both straight and same-sex couples. Sex Doll Genie is currently developing its own sex robot which will simulate breathing and have a robotic heartbeat.

How have sex robots advanced since 2018?
In 2018, sex robot company RealDoll released the first-ever sex robot that used AI and was capable of learning. Harmony was programmed to react to its users’ preferences through a purpose-built app which could be adjusted dependent on user requirements. In 2022, RealDoll still lead the sex robot industry for innovation and are planning to release their first-ever male sex robot this year.

CEO of RealDoll subdivision Realbotix states that developing the AI software for Henry, the new male sex robot was complex. Alongside creating a new gender for the robot, they also had to create a sexual preference in the profile which would appeal to the female market. Henry certainly seems set to appeal. According to early statements, Henry will be totally AI-activated and will feature a fully functioning penis, strong enough to lift a truck.

Other advancements in sex robot technology for both male and female sex robots have been developed by Realrobotix. The experts are looking at ways to incorporate self-heating, self-lubricating erogenous zones into the robots. Safety concerns, however, mean that the new generation of sex robots may not be ready for the general public for several years. Of course, when a robotic arm mechanism is strong enough to lift a car, when using it as a sexual partner, it must be rigorously tested for safety.

Lack of regulation poses a moral, psychological, and physical threat
According to a team of US researchers, sex robots with AI are being developed in a completely unregulated domain. They say that the latest sex robot technology is escaping regulation because agencies are embarrassed about conducting in-depth investigations.

Dr Christine Hendren of Duke University suggested that ‘some robots are programmed… to create a rape scenario.’ This is a hugely grey area, as one side of the argument suggests that this will prevent real-life rape, while opponents suggest it will affirm a rapists’ desires.

In Japan, the ultimate sexual taboo is already being addressed through sex robotics. One Japanese developer and self-confessed paedophile has developed a sex robot that looks like a child. He says that the device is a prophylactic which will help him to fulfil his sexual desires and prevent him from ever abusing a real child. Critics say that this will merely enable him to practice his desires before taking a drastic step and repeating the actions in real life.

Whatever their stance, either pro or against sex robots being used to fulfill sexual taboos, most people agree that industry legislation is severely lacking.  READ MORE...

The Robot Amica

 

A Slacker Was 20 Minutes Late to Class

 

Forecast of US Economy 2023

The Conference Board forecasts that economic weakness will intensify and spread more widely throughout the US economy over the coming months, leading to a recession starting in early 2023. This outlook is associated with persistent inflation and the Federal Reserve hawkishness. We forecast that real GDP growth will slow to 0.3 percent in 2023, and then rebound to 1.6 percent in 2024.

US GDP growth defied expectations in late 2022, but we expect persistently high inflation and rising interest rates to tip the economy into a brief and mild recession starting in Q1 2023. Real US consumer spending began to contract in the final months of 2022, and we expect this trend to continue over the coming quarters.

 Additionally, as the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates (we forecast two more 25 basis point hikes over the next two meetings) we expect nonresidential investment to turn negative and residential investment to continue to contract. Finally, volatility in trade and inventory data that boosted growth in Q4 2022 is unlikely to persist in Q1 2023 and will therefore push overall GDP lower.

Labor market tightness will moderate somewhat over the coming quarters but will remain elevated relative to previous economic downturns. This should prevent overall economic growth from slipping too deeply into contractionary territory and facilitate a rebound in late 2023. Inflation will continue to cool over the course of 2023 as well, but the Fed’s 2 percent inflation target will remain elusive. As such, the Federal Reserve will not cut interest rates until next year, in our view.

Looking to 2024, we expect the volatility that has dominated the US economy over the pandemic period to diminish. We forecast that overall growth will return to more stable pre-pandemic rates, inflation will drift closer to 2 percent, and the Fed will bring rates closer to 3 percent. However, due to demographic challenges we expect tightness in the labor market to remain an ongoing challenge for the foreseeable future.

Who Are You?

 

Flowers

 

Change

 

Power & Control

 As I have mentioned to you before, I have lived for 75 years...  not counting the nine months in the womb...  during these years, I have come to realize that everything, at least in the USA revolves around POWER & CONTROL regardless of your financial income or position title.  Perhaps this is over simlification...  but, I don't think so.

One might think that this is mainly in marriages where one of these spouses always seems to be dominate over the other one...  In the past this dominance has typically been the male, but this changing as more and more females are taking control of the marriage.

Personally, I have seen this power and control on display in the following areas:

• A Chrstian University
• Board of Directors
• Supervisors & Managers
• CEOs & Presidents
• Vendors & Customers
• Church Deacons
• Religious Leaders
• Manufacturing
• Retail 
• Service Industry
• Family & Relatives
• Healthcare
• Volunteers
• Highway Patrol
• Children's Athletics
• Bank Tellers
• Telemarketers
• Salespeople
• Debates with other students

There is almost no aspect of our society that is not touched by POWER & CONTROL...

How is this taught to us???

1. By our parents
2. By our families
3. By our teachers
4. By the church
5. By the military
6. By our employers
7. By our community
8. By our friends
9. By the news media
10. By the social media

Everybody is afraid to talk about and worse than that, everybody is afraid to do anything about it...

We have lost this freedom without realizing it...

Energy

 

Life Skills

 

Important

 

SOYUS Goes to ISS

Russia has launched an uncrewed Soyuz spacecraft on a rescue mission to return two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut whose trip back to Earth has been hampered after their original space vehicle was damaged by a mini meteorite while parked at the International Space Station (ISS).

The Soyuz MS-23 vessel blasted off successfully from the Russian-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, live video broadcast by ISS partner NASA showed. of list

Though the MS-23 is scheduled to dock with the ISS early on Sunday morning Moscow time, it is not expected to bring home Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergei Prokopyev, and US astronaut Frank Rubio until later this year.

The three arrived at the ISS in September 2022 onboard the MS-22 spacecraft and were originally to stay about six months until the end of March. But the MS-22 began to leak coolant in December after an apparent micro-meteorite punctured an external radiator.

The same thing appeared to happen again earlier this month, this time on a docked Russian cargo ship. Camera views showed a small hole in each spacecraft.

MS-23, which took off on Friday, was initially scheduled to launch in mid-March with two cosmonauts and an astronaut on board who would take over from Rubio, Petelin and Prokopyev at the space station. But without the replacement crew on board MS-23, the two Russians and the US crew member will now continue working at the ISS until September.

Officials had determined that it was too risky to bring the three back in their damaged Soyuz MS-22 next month as originally planned. With no coolant, the cabin temperature would spike during the trip back to Earth, potentially damaging computers and other equipment, and exposing the suited-up crew to excessive heat.  READ MORE...

Most Extreme Roads

 

Advice From the Frog

We live in peculiar times when males want to become females and females want to become males...  it makes one pause and think...  why were we not made unisex with reproductive capabilities from the getgo.

Why not indeed.

But, we were not and because we were not then we have to accept all of these variations between male and female.

So, what if that is against our religion???

Then, I would say your religion is wrong because religion should not and does not discriminate otherwise it is not really the proper religion to have.  I am reminded of the Crusades of the Catholic where they wanted to annihilate all the muslims in the world because they believed in Islam...  how ridiculous was that?

Islam and Christianity believe in the same GOD...  in fact all religions in one form or another believe that there is only one ultimate creator, although he is known by different names.

If this one creator created everything then why did the creator create EVIL?

The answer is simple...  All things must have an opposite for mathematical balance of the universe.  In order to have light, you must have dark.  In order to have good you must have evil...

We fear what we don't understand....  and yet, some religious leaders will tell you that they don't understand everything in the Bible but still believe it 100%...  which is difficult to believe as that would mean they have no doubts at all.  And, if we believe our opposite is doubt and we know that everything must have opposites...

Is this a play on words???

Perhaps...

But, if we cannot think, then what are we?

People who don't think are told what to think...  and if you get told what to think enough, then you will stop thinking altogether...  what might be the unintended consequences of not thinking?

That's a hard one...  My first guess is:  ONLY GOD KNOWS...  but that assumes the we all believe in God...  and, there is no scientific evidence that God actually exists.

However, there is some evidence to suggest that God is an EXTRATERRESTRIAL...

So, what kind of advice do you think I am trying to give you here???

Advice From the Frog's Advisor

 Since we have already established the fact that I am the Frog's advisor, there is relatively little advice that I can give on the Frog's advice, except to say that advice is exactly what it is...  advice...  one can either accept that advice or not accept that advice... 

However, let me throw this out for you to ponder...  what if you were not allowed to see the Frog's advice because someone who had more power than you, did not want you to be able to see it...  If that happened, then you would never be able to follow or not follow that advice.

Believe it or not, this is exactly what happens in some countries...  For example, China does not allow FACEBOOK to be on the internet in their country.  The movies that come into China have to be changed so that nothing is said that the Chinese government does not want its people to hear or see.  Hollywood accepts these restrictions because of all the revenue that the Chinese market brings in.

What if the USA no longer allowed Advice From the Frog to be published on Blogger's blogs...  that censorship goes against our freedoms but unless you say something, then censorship could take place in this country.

So, my advice about the Frog's advice is to make sure that you are always able to see the Frog's advice and decide for yourself if you want to follow it or not...

This sad thing is that I should not ever have to offer this advice...  not in this country...  so, why am I?

This country is changing and only YOU can stop it...

Technologies That Will Change the World

 

China's Dominance in EV Batteries

Despite efforts from the United States and Europe to increase the domestic production of batteries, the market is still dominated by Asian suppliers.

The top 10 producers are all Asian companies.

Currently, Chinese companies make up 56% of the EV battery market, followed by Korean companies (26%) and Japanese manufacturers (10%).

The leading battery supplier, CATL, expanded its market share from 32% in 2021 to 34% in 2022. One-third of the world’s EV batteries come from the Chinese company. CATL provides lithium-ion batteries to Tesla, Peugeot, Hyundai, Honda, BMW, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo.

Despite facing strict scrutiny after EV battery-fire recalls in the United States, LG Energy Solution remains the second-biggest battery manufacturer. In 2021, the South Korean supplier agreed to reimburse General Motors $1.9 billion to cover the 143,000 Chevy Bolt EVs recalled due to fire risks from faulty batteries.

BYD took the third spot from Panasonic as it nearly doubled its market share over the last year. The Warren Buffett-backed company is the world’s third-largest automaker by market cap, but it also produces batteries sold in markets around the world. Recent sales figures point to BYD overtaking LG Energy Solution in market share the coming months or years.
The Age of Battery Power

Electric vehicles are here to stay, while internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are set to fade away in the coming decades. Recently, General Motors announced that it aims to stop selling ICE vehicles by 2035, while Audi plans to stop producing such models by 2033.

Besides EVs, battery technology is essential for the energy transition, providing storage capacity for intermittent solar and wind generation.

As battery makers work to supply the EV transition’s increasing demand and improve energy density in their products, we can expect more interesting developments within this industry.  READ MORE...

Being Mindful

 

In Prison