Hello Mr. Chips

It was inevitable. What is more obvious that a world addicted to technology, particularly communication devices, would decide to have microchips into their bodies to "improve" the effectiveness of machines. Perhaps it may be the first step to become robots, but surely it is an a minimum an astounding degradation of humankind. What has happened is that a Wisconsin business A local firm is embedding some of its employees with microchips.  Forty employees of Three Square Market, a firm that makes cafeteria kiosks aimed at replacing vending machines, voluntarily got tiny rice sized microchips embedded in their hands.

Company officials said it was for convenience, a way for them to bypass using company badges and corporate log-ons to computers. Now, they can just have their hands read by a reader, similar to using a cell phone to pay for goods. Hmmmm When humans make excuses to expand their toys capability at the expense of common sense and utility I see a loss of perspective about the old adage that man must control the machines, not be controlled by them.

The chip is not a tracker nor does it have GPS in it, so the boss can't track the movements of employees, company officials say. Not yet anyway! And to those  like me who worry about Big Brother having more control over our lives, Three Square Market President Patrick McMullan says you should, "take your cell phone and throw it away." Well, Mr. Mc McMullan I don't have a cell phone. Call me an un robot and non addict for making that decisions, but I am happy to not be  what you want your employees to be. In overuse, misuse of technology we lose some of our humanity.

The chips come from Biohax Sweden, a company that says it has nearly 3,000 people using it in Europe. The founder of that company, Jowan Osterlund, has struck alliances with companies to pay to have the chips installed in employees or pass them out at tech fairs. It's coming..... not Godzilla, but the microchip monster who wants to push humanity aside. Three Square Market employees say they were having the chip installed to be part of the larger team, and help develop the technology. Given that the employees are all geeks, I am not stunned about the implants. I would find it disturbing and surprising if non geeks bought into this idea.

A chip installation ceremony was held in the company's cafeteria, where Osterlund, a former tattoo artist, was on hand to perform the installation.  The entire process took about a minute. It started with Osterlund cleaning the skin, finding a spot in the hand to pinch, then asking the employee to inhale and exhale as he inserted a syringe, install the chip, and place a band aid over the spot.  It was done, a sort of funeral for humans and birth for microchip beings.