Tweet If we, as humanity, are concerned about our environment and the survival of the human life form as we know it, the sources of energy we use need to be controlled. Immediately the discussion becomes cloudy because of the myriad of definitions that can enter and influence the conversation. But we all know what […]
The Distribution of Stuff – Part Three
Tweet In the previous posts we looked at food as part stuff. Food is the most collectively massive element in our usual interpretation of stuff and it takes energy to transport it and control the food environment (through refrigeration or cooling) during transit. But there are two other components of stuff that are massive and […]
The Distribution of Stuff – Part Two
Tweet We finished the last post briefly looking at the movie East of Eden and the loss suffered by Adam Trask when he tried to move lettuce packed with ice in a rail car in 1917. The ice melted and the lettuce rotted. Essentially, the rail car was not insulated, allowing for the rapid melting of […]
Some Definitions or Lack Thereof – Part Four
Tweet In the previous post we asked how do we pay for capitalism and socialism. To delve into this question it is good to start, again, with what is the difference between them. Is it about the individual and his or her existence or is it about a collective body of people, a community, a […]
Some Definitions or Lack Thereof – Part Three
Tweet In the last column we finished with the question “Are we capitalists or socialists?” This question was posed after we (at least I) concluded we are all liberals and we all want progress. We use the words capital, social, liberal, conservative, progressive and others with the “ism” attached. Rewriting the words gives us capitalism, […]
Some Definitions or Lack Thereof – Part Two
Tweet In the previous post, differences between capitalism and socialism were discussed, both viewed as formal economics. The perception of both is how to operate the state or nation and the balance between economic freedom, personal choice and economic growth or social freedom and reduced business fluctuations. In 1776, Adam Smith viewed the world as […]
Some Definitions or Lack Thereof – Part One
Tweet Welcome to another year on planet Earth. It is the annual time period when we look forward to either new opportunities or suffer the pessimism of not seeing any. Where are we going as a planet (our life supporting environment) or as humanity (the order of our existence and how we work together)? For […]
Education, Training and the Five “W’s” – Part Four
Tweet In the first three parts of this series, we explored education and training and what people need to know or master when they emerge into society. We also examined the five “Ws” of education and training to include the accelerating expansion of knowledge and even increasing demand for mental facility and skills needed to successfully […]
Education, Training and the Five “W’s” – Part Three
Tweet In Part Two we explored the who, what, when, why and where of education and training, the five “Ws.” Clearly some of the Ws are very much debatable. For example, one can argue that when someone graduates from high school at the age of 18, he or she should be fully capable of functioning […]
Education, Training and the Five “W’s” – Part Two
Tweet In the previous column, we looked at the rapid growth of knowledge and the growing challenge of staying current in a knowledge hyper-expansion. The five “Ws,” or who, what when, why and where were not even mentioned, except collectively in the title. I believe exploring these areas is essential to the continued existence of […]
