Every time I go to the library to write I see this little old Chinese lady sitting in a doorway. She has all her bags grouped around her and a rain hat pulled over her face to make her look invisible. There is a peace and resignation around her. I have seen her every time I go to the library to write. She has always been and seems to live in this doorway of a shuttered law office storefront.
I have started to go over and give her 3 bucks and today I added half a moon cake. I hope that she will remember that part of her earlier life. Continue reading The Forgotten Old People in San Francisco
Category Archives: wisdom
The Growth-Based Economy has to evolve
From the time I started understanding how life and the economy work I always had this gnawing question in the back of my mind:
If everything hinges on growth, isn’t there a limit? The earth is finite. We grow and grow and grow and then what?
Now we know; we have too many cars, too many wars, too many people, to much of everything.
And still we have to grow to keep our standard of living, our way of life. Continue reading The Growth-Based Economy has to evolve
WHY DO DICTATORS ARISE OVER AND OVER AGAIN?
What are the causes that these many dictators arise over and over again with each generation?
It looks like a combination of greed for money, a brutal craving to boss others around and a meanness that is unsurpassed and incomprehensible.
These dictators have absolutely no respect for the lives of others.
They have no compassion and no feeling for others.
The callousness cannot be justified nor tolerated.
That cannot be all there is to it. Continue reading WHY DO DICTATORS ARISE OVER AND OVER AGAIN?
Contrarians Are Mean
Contrarians are people who, on principle, will take the position or opinion opposite the one you just expressed.
And then, if you agree with them or with one of their discussion points, they embrace the opinion you just changed your mind about.
The most annoying part about a contrarian is that the subjects and the opinions about these subjects are completely irrelevant to them. Continue reading Contrarians Are Mean
Not Everything Is Progress
Not everything is progress just because it can be invented.
Why are the developers of self-driving cars so hellbent on
developing the self-driving cars and putting them on the street
to try them on us, the human guinea pigs?
Are the so concerned about us so we don’t get into accidents while driving?
Think again. Continue reading Not Everything Is Progress
WE HAVE TO RESIST THE STEREOTYPING
The time has come to abolish stereotyping. If we don’t, we will be nothing but robots in service to the few who have trained us like monkeys.
We are already halfway there. Ads are targeting us according to what we at one point have bought.
I was buying some workout leggings the other day.
Suddenly I am inundated with ads for leggings, not once, not twice, but every time I open my email, my Facebook and who knows what else. Every time!! Continue reading WE HAVE TO RESIST THE STEREOTYPING
COMMUNICATION AND HOW IT CHANGED US
Life and communication has changed a lot in the last 60 years that I actually witnessed.
This is how life used to be.
Right after the second world war in Germany people in small villages had no access to local news. For a while a man went around different places in the village, rang a big bell and told people the local news in a loud voice. Once newspapers could be printed again, the news cryers became obsolete. Continue reading COMMUNICATION AND HOW IT CHANGED US
CREATE A SAFE SOCIETY NOW
There is so much to do.
Everywhere I look there are people to help, animals and plants to preserve, messes to clean up and on top of it to live a life I love.
Where to start?
We have to choose where to make a difference.
Creating a society where it is safe to live without fear of getting killed is a big job and a good place to start. Some people, especially the young, will take on the task of decreasing possession of guns in the country. Continue reading CREATE A SAFE SOCIETY NOW
FOR ALL WHO EVER THINK THEY ARE BORED
HERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE DONE
- Save the planet from destruction in your lifetime
- Contribute to the evolution of people by recognizing their greatness and helping them achieve
- Find ways to protect the animals and plants
- Be healthy and promote it
- Continue reading FOR ALL WHO EVER THINK THEY ARE BORED
WHAT IS ZERO-SUM AND WHY IS IT OBSOLETE
During the long centuries of our evolution life was pretty much predictable. There was no technology to speak of.
People grew what they could, hunted what they could and the kings and rulers took what they wanted and left a little for the people who did the work. That production was the pie that existed for people to live and eat. If the kings took a big piece of the pie there was not much left for the peasants. Continue reading WHAT IS ZERO-SUM AND WHY IS IT OBSOLETE