1. Why does what other people see as "behaving professionally" sometimes seem suspiciously like lying to me?
One example: if a person is clearly behaving in an erratic way and that person is in a position of authority, you shouldn't mention it. It's just not done. Or so I am told.
2. Is it my imagination or when people tell you that they want you to live up to "your potential" or "your expectations" you might get the sneaking suspicion they aren't thinking of "you" at all?
3. Why does 'corporate speak' with all its jocular positivity make me feel like I am covered in slime?
4. Why does it often seem to me that, in conditioning my daughter to live in society, I might also be asking her to stifle her very real feelings?
5. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Also, what does 'chuck' mean? Do we want the woodchuck doing this?
6. Why is taking care of the earth crazy? How did that little tidbit become 'common' knowledge?
7. Why is it vital for me to wear certain kinds of clothes as I get older? Why would anyone think a jeans and t-shirt is inappropriate for a woman of a 'certain' age? Further, why does anyone think phrases like "of a certain age" or 40 years 'young' are anything but grossly patronizing and really stupid?
8. Why don't we have a flying car yet?
9. Why, when people talk about the viability of 'green' technology, they always speak in terms of money, as opposed to the actual technology? It makes me think that, yes, we could create a situation where we used very little technology that wasn't green, but the will to do it isn't there. Is that off base on my part?
10. Why are we here?
What? I thought I'd end on a note about the bigger picture. I mean, if there is a bigger picture. Is there a bigger picture? I have no idea.
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I'd like to know the answer to #8, too. I feel that our lack of flying cars is a major deficiency that needs to be addressed pronto, because if I have to look at the year and go "Oh my God, I'm getting old!" I should at least have the consolation of fun technology.
Okay, here, about this one: "4. Why does it often seem to me that, in conditioning my daughter to live in society, I might also be asking her to stifle her very real feelings?"
Don't ask her to stifle her very real feelings, help her learn where and when to express them.
Best I can do. Will think on this some more.
2) Because they probably aren't.
3) Because it's slimy stuff.
4) Because emotional honesty is hard to come by.
5) No idea.
6) I didn't know it was crazy. I've never been big on common knowledge, because of course, it is typically neither.
7) One more thing I don't pay attention to.
8) Because when one was invented and built...an actual car with detachable wings...so it could be driven on the road and flown in the air...no one wanted one.
9) No. it isn't off base. Einstein said that a city could be powered for a day using a glass of water. No one wants that.
10) I'm not near deep enough to ever know the answer to that one.
xox
And I never watch reality TV...except the Antiques Road Show....
Also, everyone, why do some people call their body parts by weird names, as in 'vajayjay' (a loathsome appellation), etc.? I taught my daughter the word 'vagina.' And as time passes, I'm teaching her the rest of those words. It just seems weird to hear a grown person call her vagina her 'tutu' or some such thing. I do NOT get it.
12. Who's been eating my porridge?
13. Why do they keep repairing Cheney's heart?
14. How did they find it?
15. Can Heironymous Merkin ever forget Mercy Hump and find true happiness?
16. Will the circle be unbroken?
17. Wanna buy some dirty pictures, Mr. Pope?
18. Do you know the way to San Jose?
19. What kind of fool am I?
20. Is that all there is?
Just because we CAN doesn't mean we SHOULD.
11. Why aren't we all working from home now that we have computers, fax machines and cell phones?!
And I agree about that "your potential" thing. People who use that expression usually want you to live up to their expectations.
Okay, I get why there are no flying cars ... except of course for MY flying car ...
"Why are we here?"
As apposed to where? I feel this is important. If the question where, Why are we here instead of in say, I don't know the Disney Store?" My answer would be, "Because we are shopping for fresh radishes, duh."
That is the meaning of life.
Why don't we have background music that follows us wherever we go? Imagine how useful that would be! If you hear menacing music, you could certainly have some warning that something bad was going to happen?
Answer to # 10- Why not?
Why won't my mother get internet service when we've given her a computer and taught her how to use it?
Why do we say "have a nice day" when we obviously do not mean it?
4. because you are/and unfortunately almost need too. (ditto for me :(
6. I should and will do more to take care of our planet. I feel guilty about this.
7. Don't buy into it. Rock it as long as you can.
8. My son builds hover cars on LDD (lego digital designer.) He would love you for raising that question.
10. Because we are still on a winning team in the evolutionary race.
#7... Erm. This one isn't in my rule book, either. I wear pretty much whatever I want, and I'm older than dirt.
10... Because we don't know how to get to any other place that we can pollute and pretend we're not, or deny it. Or at least, so it would seem.
You know... this would make a great Open Call, and a collection of answers would be a fun read.
Eventually we also learn that the ultimate question really is - what do you get if you multiply 6 times 9?
This may help explain God's final message to his creation - We apologize for the inconvenience.
rated
Plus, I have actually done studies, as I worked pretty heavily in a class with a fairly reputable economics professor and his class on these very issues. It was vital to know the science, but what was difficult was how the science was constantly interpreted through the economic market, as frankly, you are doing. To claim that no viable technology exists is shortsighted and incorrect. It is the economic factors that drive this situation. And as you point out, much of the most useful green technology is bought up and then carefully pulled off market by large oil and gas companies as well. For example, those batteries to which I referred.
This extends into even the plants we grow and the industries we encourage. The ability to run on plant oils for example would be helpful in a limited way, but that's been subsumed by the larger economic situation. And don't even get me started on the ways a good crop of hemp would change our economic climate in this country. It is this lack of planning for the long term, concentrating only on the short term that causes these sorts of problems. One must think in the long term to get it right. For example, if California produced sunshine as a 'crop' think of how that might be down the road long term. But because the economic factors of the short term drive the market, it does not happen.
Question 8 is one I'm glad is unanswered. We can't seem to manage vehicles with only one plane of movement so anything more would be an absolute disaster. As it is, when a couple of folks get in a wreck, or their auto goes dead because they don't take care of it, nothing falls on anyone. Put us in the air and that all changes...not to mention the havoc it would wreak on flying critters.
Once upon a time, solar cells did not pay back. But, as of the year 2000, which is ancient times in the land of this technology, they pay back within a couple of years. Unless they are panels specifically designed for outer space, which is a completely different ball of wax. This is per several independent studies. It takes about two years. This makes sense actually as a solar panel has a life of about 20 years at maximum output. Note I wrote maximum output, which means the actual life of a panel can be slightly longer.
Another myth is that we're waiting on the technology to change. No, they work okay now, but of course, as with any new technology, the more we use it, the less expensive it will become. Remember how expensive a dvd player was when it first arrived. Now? Not so much.
Finally, in the last ten years or so, the scientific breakthroughs in the creation of new sorts of solar technology has been vast. It is an extremely feasible technology. The more we make, the cheaper it will get. The more we create, the more likely we can use the energy it produces to make more solar panels. (Germany has the lead in this one, actually, with the building of a power plant of only renewable fuels in the works.) The more honing of the technology (improvement in materials and technology--Japan has this one presently with some cool new solar technology), the longer the life of the product and the more energy it can output.
Whew. There. Now, go debate this. But these things I've mentioned aren't speculative or opinions. They are things actually happening. The resistance to solar has to do, in my opinion, with the will to move to other fuels and a resistance to thinking that the global market might change. Which is, also my opinion, hilarious since money itself is extremely speculative and in fact, an imaginary thing we made up to precipitate goods exchange. A reason I roll my eyes at the economist who declares he or she is an atheist. And yes, I'm aware it's more complicated but let's face it, that's the core of it.
So, I'd like us to think a bit more for the long term. That's all. Now I have to go work! I have to earn more of that imaginary stuff that does not remotely get me the goods exchange that I deserve!
Jeans and t-shirts are appropriate for all ages.