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Showing posts from April, 2011

Being a Parent

A few days ago our daughter watching all the Japanese Tsunami aftermath on TV got up and went to the keyboard and pounded out a tune. She later came and told us she was inspired to not just do some charity for the victims of Japan but something she thinks is more emotionally relevant. Hence she did - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLiPBnTXW40 As parents we felt a mix of emotions - amazed that our 8 yr old had got so big (at heart; in her thinking; her maturity) but felt more humbled. When you think about it, we get so caught up in determining the rights and wrongs and dos and donts that we lose all the innocence there is to being 'human'. Something for every parent to ponder over and make an extra effort to rectify in small part - so our 'future' can keep looking bright.

Major Breakthrough

As I sit and ponder this Fri Morn about how we came to be, I thought it would be a good idea to list the real turning points in human history (at least those that I know of) - 1. Polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci and Ben Franklin brought ideas of electricity and geometry into practical light - seems we are more in the dark about stuff than Vinci and gang ever were; 2. Bernoulli taught us about principles that led to early flight - now there are highly paid consultants and corporate hoodlums shuttling around the planet for no apparent reason other than sustaining air travel for the airlines to remain operational, and for themselves to rack up enough points so they can binge on another excursion with their botoxed companions; 3. Edison brought us the telephone and look where we are now - can't stop yakking or texting (just another incarnation of using another part of the anatomy to basically conduct meaningless chit chat); 4. Amar Bose gave us the loudspeaker - a refined and &

Grass

I got to thinking about all the ways our current use of the English language refers to this rather insignificant word. Grass - as in the organic matter that has sustained several species for a billion or so years; Grass - matter with certain potency, able to elevate the user's state of mind (which is amazing really when you think that the user is typically unaware they even have a mind); Grass - as in something that tends to be greener on the other side. Now this is also a very interesting scenario, in that the individual investigating this line of thought somehow has Bovine inclinations for an unknown reason. Said individual should consider the former application of this word - listed in this moronic blog); Grass - In a certain accent and appended to the word FOIE indicates fatty liver, which for the gastronme is quite the delicacy; Happy Noodling!

Royal Ding

Not a typo - really I wonder if it is a Royal Wedding or a Royal Ding to the finances of the British Exchequer! In all fairness two young smashing looking people in love getting hitched is one thing and best wishes to them but a public spectacle costing the local yokels in the n'hood of 50M dollars or thereabouts....somebody's noggin isn't screwed on right - right? One so called person of authority on matters Royal was heard saying "Primary job of Kate M is to breed" - alot - "she needs to ensure that she can produce enough offspring that at least one qualifies to be the heir apparent another 50 or so years from now" - really? Royality TV anyone?

Alternative Energy

Political football, nice soundbite, campaign contributor, hot science, can all be considered analogous to these two words today. What it is really 'not' is an idea that has matured. But putting on your engineer hat on for a second (or two or however long it takes to put the hat on and do some implied thinking) I have always wondered if that notion of 'alternative energy' even means anything. Alternative to what? Is it truly that important that we coin a phrase to distinguish 'Fossil Fuels' from any other form of energy producing source? Frankly that is also debatable since natural gas for example is a result of fossil action (those dinos that did themselves in for a cause) yet in many instances it is deemed to be a cleaner alernative to petroleum based energy. Take the example of electric energy to power automobiles - eh? What is all that about? The electric power today on workable models on the road actually comes from a battery source. Where does t

Andromeda Strain

Finsihed reading a three-in-one tome written by the departed Michael Crichton. I do enjoy reading his thrillers. What I did notice is that for someone not familiar with this author the first word of the title may itself be a Strain. Jokes aside, some of the dialog in the story does deserves consideration - for example the notion (kind of like what Lovelock talked about in THE GAIA theory) of a piece of rock being a Living Organism might be worth pondering. Every concept that the human mind has developed has been proven to be scientifically accurate in a frame of reference designed by the humans as well. So therefore in truth there is a conflict of interest. Time itself is a strange idea and I for one am not entirely sure that we have gotten to master - at an elementary level not many on this planet actually follow the paradigm as to be 'On Time' for anything; and then at a more metaphysical or existential level I think it is not even a true measure of anything largely