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Random Friday Thoughts
Apr. 13th, 2012 10:38 amLike the label on the tin says. As they say on "Top Shot," let's get to it.
Random Thought #1 A bit of a rant, but I've noticed a rash of "obstructive oblivion" while driving around town. This is doing things like, when stopped at a light with a left-turn arrow, pulling out far enough into traffic to make it impossible for somebody to see around and go right on a red. Or, when at a stop sign and faced with a busy, multi-lane street that doesn't have to yield to you, attempt to go left across said multiple lanes of traffic. (A friend of mine calls that "dreaming the impossible dream.") Hello, people, think about something outside of your car.
Random Thought #2 I'm familiar with the work of fellow Rotarian Jim Elliott. He runs a charity called Diveheart, which helps disabled people learn how to scuba-dive. Jim also has about 15 other projects to help disabled people. At any rate, his charity was recently featured in a documentary. I suggest you follow that link and watch it.
Random Thought #3 A concept in science fiction is the "post-scarcity society." The Star Trek universe is actually a good if trivial example of that. It's the concept that all material needs are easily met, and the SF interest is then, what do people do if they don't have to work? Well, here's a novel concept - we already live in a post-scarcity society.
I mean, in terms of basic needs, we, at least in the developed world, have more than enough of everything. Nobody in America is hungry because the crops failed and we don't have enough food, or homeless because we can't build enough housing. No, there are hungry and homeless people, and they are hungry because our food distribution system doesn't work for free or homeless because of mental illness or lack of money. If we wanted too, we could feed and shelter everybody. Ponder that the next time somebody pontificates on a post-scarcity society.
Random Thought #1 A bit of a rant, but I've noticed a rash of "obstructive oblivion" while driving around town. This is doing things like, when stopped at a light with a left-turn arrow, pulling out far enough into traffic to make it impossible for somebody to see around and go right on a red. Or, when at a stop sign and faced with a busy, multi-lane street that doesn't have to yield to you, attempt to go left across said multiple lanes of traffic. (A friend of mine calls that "dreaming the impossible dream.") Hello, people, think about something outside of your car.
Random Thought #2 I'm familiar with the work of fellow Rotarian Jim Elliott. He runs a charity called Diveheart, which helps disabled people learn how to scuba-dive. Jim also has about 15 other projects to help disabled people. At any rate, his charity was recently featured in a documentary. I suggest you follow that link and watch it.
Random Thought #3 A concept in science fiction is the "post-scarcity society." The Star Trek universe is actually a good if trivial example of that. It's the concept that all material needs are easily met, and the SF interest is then, what do people do if they don't have to work? Well, here's a novel concept - we already live in a post-scarcity society.
I mean, in terms of basic needs, we, at least in the developed world, have more than enough of everything. Nobody in America is hungry because the crops failed and we don't have enough food, or homeless because we can't build enough housing. No, there are hungry and homeless people, and they are hungry because our food distribution system doesn't work for free or homeless because of mental illness or lack of money. If we wanted too, we could feed and shelter everybody. Ponder that the next time somebody pontificates on a post-scarcity society.
