Thoughts
by
Frank
Didik
Random
thoughts on science, business and society today.
What
if and what can or might be.
Frank
X. Didik in Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, on April 11, 2023
In
1812, Napoleon wrote that "History is a myth agreed upon".
I say that these days,
"science is a myth
agreed upon".
So much of alleged science today is complete nonsense. The
definition of science is the ability to test and retest and always
get the same results. Anything that can not be tested is speculation
and should fall under the domain of philosophy, not science.
What
is the speed of gravity? If it is instantaneous, then what if
gravity can be modulated? Today
most scientists, assume that the speed of gravity is the same as the
speed of light, but what if the speed of gravity is instantaneous?
Further, if gravity can be modulated, it might allow for
instantaneous universal communication. Thus it might be possible to
communicate with space craft instantly, rather than waiting for
minutes for transmissions to reach the craft or earth. Perhaps
computer chips can be made to operate vastly faster. And this is just
the beginning since ...read
more ...
Frank X. Didik aboard
"The Futurist" in New
York Harbor.
What
if the decay rate of elements varies rather than being a constant? Imagine,
if this is the case, it would mean that all archeological dating is
in question. How old are artifacts? When in fact did the dinosaurs
really die out? Further, consider that ...
read
more ...
Reason,
Logic and intellect is not reliable.
The late Christopher Hitchens often stated that we should rely on our
logic, reason and intellect to determine the truth. Many people who
pride themselves as educated, intelligent and progressive believe the
same. As reasonable as this seems, Galileo proved over 400 years ago
that our logic, reason and intellect is unreliable and that only
direct experimental data, should be relied upon. Galileo had dropped
two balls of the same material, but different masses, from the
Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that they would hit the ground
at the same time, rather than the heavier ball hitting the ground
first, as almost everyone, including Aristotle, 2000 years ago, had
assumed. Our logic, reason and intellect is not reliable and should
only be viewed as speculation. Only direct experimentation and
obtaining the same results, over and over again should be relied upon.
What
if time varies along with all things, rather than being a constant? Consider
that...read
more ...
Can
the speed of light vary, even if traveling under the same
conditions, or in other words, is the speed of light really a
constant? According
to Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light is a constant
but ...read
more ...
The
1956 Firebird was
to be self driving.
Self
Driving Cars? If
you have an accident with a self driving car, who is at fault? The
car manufacturer, the owner of the car or the occupant
"driver" of the car? I
have enjoyed owning and driving some of the most interesting cars
made and have always enjoyed the freedom of driving without
impediments or restrictions. Nevertheless, if self driving ...read
more ...
Bicycles?
What ever happened to jet packs, flying cars and advanced technology
that in the past, was predicted that we would be using by today? Why
are bicycles being pushed by cities world wide?...read
more ...
Question:
Do bicycles and
skate boards represent a more environmentally friendly world or does
it indicate a decline in the standard of living? I ride my bicycle
about 10 miles every day, but only a small percentage of the
population benefit from bike lanes, mostly men under the age of 50.
Further, most people ride bikes in warm, favorable weather and rarely
in the rain, snow or cold weather.
Old
Computer Formats and the longevity of our digitally stored
knowledge. Are
we entering into a "pre-history" era? How can we preserve
our computer written records, books, photographs, video and
knowledge? If you
wanted to, would you be able to read a:
3
1/2" or 5 1/4" or 8" floppy?
cd-rom
or a dvd?
12"
optical disk?
9
track tape?
IBM
punch card?
Paper
punch tape?
If
you can not read these one or two generation old formats today, how
will society be able to read these documents in 200 years from now? I
doubt that the current line up of formats, such as SD cards, USB
drives or others, will be easy to read in 15 years. The longevity of
computer/digital storage before major failure is also an issue ...read
more ...
There
is an alternative to population control. Restricting
and discouraging the formation of families in order to stabilize or
reduce population infringes on the freedom and rights of every human.
There is another much better approach...read
more ...
Cell
Phone Etiquette
Advice for the modern person -
December 9,
2016 read
more
Time
to rethink bike lanes Advice for bicyle based cities
- August
3,
2016 read
more
Questioning
the results of modern science. For
the last 100 years, we have been experiencing the collapse of real
science. Theories, speculation and fantasy is the norm today. By
definition, the scientific method is the ability to test and re-test
and always get the same results, over and over. If an idea or a
theory can not be tested, the idea must be viewed as speculation and
not considered true, till that idea is proven without a doubt.
Scientific theory has moved to areas that are beyond our present
capability of testing and gradually a number of unproven theories
have become accepted as fact without any real proof. Further, new
theories have been developed based on old theories. Thus we have a
situation where science today is largely based on theory upon theory.
If something can not be proven, it falls into the realm of philosophy
rather than science. This has led to...read
more ...
Science
and media hype: Any
sudden "revolutionary" scientific discovery, even if such
discovery is written about in every newspaper and scientific journal,
should be greeted with skepticism. Such a discovery should only be
accepted after the bulk of scientists have have had a chance to
review the discovery and confirm that it is in fact correct. Such
things that come to mind include cold fusion, the so called "God
Particle" and even the recent stated discovery of a
"gravitational wave". All too often such media hype has
come and gone without any real discovery or fundamental change. ..read
more ...
What
percentage of information, contained in science books is accurate
and true? Are we in a post science period? Many
science books today present ...read
more ...
It
is time to retest scientific properties. Verify results. I
suggest that the properties of all materials be re-tested using
modern technology and certify the results. Melting and boiling
points, conductivity, hardness, and all physical properties of
materials should be re-tested ...read
more ...
Honesty
and integrity
in scientific
research is
essential in
order to
advance our knowledge
base. When
a scientist has worked for years to prove a particular theory and
finds out that their work has been in vain, it is difficult to admit
that their original assumptions were wrong. Still it is vitally
important ..read
more ...
Eclipse in Upstate New York
Eclipse in Upstate New York:
April 8, 2024 The width of totality was about 109 miles/170km and
lasted for little more than 3 minutes. A total eclipse is vastly
different than a 99% eclipse. Within just 4 seconds, the temperature
dropped by 7 degrees Fahrenheit. The colors, for some unexplained
reason, seemed to shift. Further, our digital cameras did not seem to
function well and
read more interesting observations --- Frank X Didik, April 8 2024.
--------------------
Disappeared
from society Over the past
two decades. Some of the things that have mostly disappeared from
society include:
Cameras that use film
Dial telephones
Home telephones
Video Tape recorders including Betamax, VHS and others
Records and record players
Postcards
Business cards
Telegrams
Special delivery
Typewriters
... and soon ...
private houses
private ownership of cars
private ownership of all types
Freedom to travel without excessive restrictions
Privacy
Illusion of Freedom
Freedom to do as one pleases
...and perhaps eventually, optimism!
Frank
X. Didik theory of theories:
People often forget that any "science" that
has the word "theory" in it is mere speculation without any
substantial proof.
For example, the atomic "theory", or the
"Theory" of evolution, Big-Bang "Theory", theory
that stars are suns, theory that there are millions of other planets
and universes, the theory of climate change, and the list goes on and
on. So many things are taught in our schools without any real proof
are mentioned so often that people accept these thoughts are
unquestionably real, but the fact is that all of them are mere
speculation that may or may not be true. Some things are accepted as
fact, that may not be true or accurate. Such things as carbon 14
dating, or the age of certain stratigraphy or fossils are all
suspect. Truthfully, we just do not know. Science is the ability to
test and retest and always get the same results. If something can not
be tested, it falls under the domain of philosophy.
Frank's old girlfriend? No! This 3 foot high
speculative recreation of what I think is a monkey, is on display at
the National Museum of Ancient History in Ueno Tokyo. The museum
states that this creature is what human's "evolved" from,
for those who actually believe in "evolution". The museum
complex is excellent, though I do not accept their conclusions. There
are so many theories that perhaps the museum should be renamed
"The Museum of Speculation and Wishful Thinking"! Sadly,
many museums around the world repeat the same speculations without proof.
Value Value is
determined by availability and unavailability. Value increases if
something is difficult to obtain and if the item is needed or desired.
Science today attempts
to prove natural phenomenon without the existence of God. Another way
of saying this is that science is attempting to prove the God does
not exist. Unfortunately many things that so-called "modern"
science clings to are very dubious at best.
Without Proof There is
always something that some people will believe without proof. For
example: if an atheist is asked if God exists, will immediately say
such things as only primitive people believe in God or those who will
not accept "science", etc. When asked about ghosts,
spirits, astrology the atheist may again say that
it is complete nonsense. However if you ask the atheist if he/she
believes in life on other planets, the existence of millions of
planets and solar systems, global warming, and most of what is in
books on the current view of the pre-historic world, the atheist may
well accept it even though there is not a shred of evidence
that any of this is real. Other concepts that are often accepted
without proof include:
...and the list goes on and on.
Moving ahead It is
difficult to accomplish things and move ahead if you are always busy.
You must take the time to step back and think things through.
Evolution
of American English Accents I have noticed that accents
evolve very quickly. If you were to watch a movie from the 1930's,
1940's or any other time, you will notice that people from each
period have distinct accents. Recently, I have noticed that first
generation Americans, who perhaps grew up in bilingual families, for
example Polish or Chinese families, have a distinct, new American
accent. I presume that over time, everyone's accent will be
significantly different in years to come.
Frank Didik, February 1, 2022
Collapse
in the standard of living I believe
that the standard of living in the United States was highest in the
early 1960's. In 1962, the average 35 year old working man was able
to support a wife, 3 or 4 children, own a house in the suburbs, have
2 cars and had enough money to go on a vacation once or twice a year.
Today, it takes two highly educated people working to buy a small one
or two bedroom coop or condo, car ownership is rare and they can only
afford to have one or two children at best.read
more
The
need for a
$40 per hour minimum
wage? read
more
Automation
and robotics will help return businesses to the United States.
With new automation and robotics, which requires less employees, it
is now possible for most American Based companies to return
manufacturing to the United States, with the benefit of lower
production costs, lower shipping costs and a safer business climate,
when compared with outsourced manufacturing. -February
14, 2018
Internet
free speech and censorship read
more
The
Downside of Robotics Robotics will
bring about a fundamental change in society. Millions of jobs will be
lost, but only a few, high end jobs will be created. Most former
employees will not be employable in this new environment. The same
occurred in England in the early 1800's with the industrial
revolution. High end weaving jobs were lost after the introduction of
high speed looms. Another example is the computer revolution from the
late 1960's till the mid 1980's and on till today eliminated the need
for thousands of office clerks. - May
5, 2019
Social Media Social
media has very little to do with being social, but rather deals with
ego and the desire for recognition and self defined importance and
with the number of "likes" or "followers".
Perhaps "social media" should be renamed "anti-Social
media". A key issue is that those who are addicted to
"social media" tend to neglect real life.
Education today
As mentioned before, schools have become more and more focused on
indoctrination and formation of opinions, rather than focusing on the
basics such as reading, writing, mathematics, critical thinking,
basic history, art and business.
Frank
Didik's
Thoughts
on how the world will change in the future
As
considered in 2016
No one
really knows what the future will be like and rarely have predictions
made in the past, become a reality in the same way that it was
predicted. Nevertheless, certain generalities of what might happen,
can be foreseen based on what is happening today
read
more
1. In the future,
robotics will change society and millions will lose their jobs ...read
more
2. In the future,
robotic friends, including intimate friends will prevail ...read
more
3. In the future,
dating and marriage may greatly decline read
more
4. In the future,
populations may drastically decline ...read
more
5. In the future,
pet ownership will decline read
more
6. In the future,
natural child birth may decline read
more
7. In the future,
Licenses may be required to have children ...read
more
8. In the future,
virtual living will take precedence to real life read
more
9. In the future,
aroma, heat, wind, moisture and taste will all be recorded read
more
10. In the future,
wealth will be concentrated among a tiny group of people read
more
11. In the future,
technological advancement may slow down ...read
more
12. In the future,
planets will not be colonized read
more
13. In the future,
people will travel less in the future ...read
more
14. In the future,
transportation networks will gradually be reduced ..read
more
15. In the future,
there will be a Loss of optimism for their future ...read
more
16. In the future,
people will rarely interact, face to face ...read
more
17. In the future,
microscopic robotic "bacteria" will be injected into the
body to cure diseases and repair or remove internal body issues ..read
more
18. In the future,
robots will perform medical procedures including surgery more
19. In the future,
doctors will be able to operate from anywhere on the planet ...read
more
20. Radically
changed moral values and decline in human dignity awaits us in the
future ...read
more
21. In the future,
society may gradually fall into a stagnant, non advancing epic ...read
more
22. Future crises
in Human Dignity ...read
more
23. In the future,
medicines will be specifically designed for the individual ...read
more
24. In the future,
robots will do most factory work and manual labor, including farming
and cooking, as well as the jobs of professionals such as doctors and
accounting, just to mention a few chores and will cause the loss of
millions of jobs and make large populations unnecessary .. read
more
---Predictions
for the future by Frank X. Didik, December
2, 2016
BITCOIN:
Bitcoins are backed by nothing more than the gullibility and wishful
thinking of the Bitcoin holder.
I believe that the
Bitcoin rise in value is akin to the Dutch Tulip craze in the early
1600's and that a massive decline in value is imminent.
Foreign
manufactured products versus American manufactured products:
American's will never buy an American made product if the same or
similar foreign products is sold at a lower price. This means that
manufacturing jobs will never return to the United States, unless
there is an import tax, however import taxes will violate most of
America's NAFTA and GAT treaties. Any talk of manufacturing jobs
returning to America without import taxes is simply idle banter.
The
Safety of Plastics.
Over the past 30 years, there has been a massive increase in the
number of human ailments such as Alzheimer's, breast cancer, prostate
cancer, autism, declining fertility, and other ailments. Some people
say that the cause is actually better diagnosis, while others blame
processed foods, GMO foods, pesticides, wifi, cell phones,
vaccinations and other outside influences. During this period, there
has been a rapid increase of various plastic packaging for food,
water and even clothing made out of polyester and other plastics,
with a decline in 100% natural fibers such as cotton and wool.
Studies should be conducted regarding the safety of these new
materials, as well as the fabric dyes and determine if such chemicals
can be absorbed by the skin and if they have any type of long range
human effect. -February
14, 2018
The
common
phrase, "It's
all good" ... is all wrong. All
is not good. There is an absolute right and an absolute wrong and
this is not culturally or time dependent. If you see someone going
down the wrong path in life, it is essential that you vocalize your
concerns and offer to help that individual. I am a moral absolutist
and not a moral relativist.
Producing
the very best and most effective TV commercials
The single purpose of a television commercial is to sell the product
or service. The fact that an advertisement might be interesting,
funny, informative or well produced is secondary to the main purpose,
which is to sell the product or service. One should never leave the
creation of the television commercial to the television producer or
the video editor. ...
read
more ...
Building
the most effective business websites Never
let a "web designer" develop the website for you. A web
designer should be produce the website under the supervision of an on
line marketing master, usually working with ...
read
more
|
|
From the right,
Frank Didik, Dr. Eric Bitterman, Chairman of Deutsche Welle, Dr.
Joachim Reppmann, and publisher Walter at the Von Steuben formal
event in New York City. Though Frank Didik does not have any German
background, he enjoys the inginuety and drive of the German people.
Subway
Safety-Subway Gate Subway Safety Barriers:
Every year hundreds of people are killed or severely injured when
they fall onto the tracks of trains and subways. The prevention is
cost efficient and greatly reduces liability ...
read
more ...
Greatly
reduce train noise A significant
amount of train noise is caused by the train wheels rolling over the
expansion joint of the tracks. This vibration creates noise,
vibrations, an less pleasant ride and also reduces the life cycle of
the train. The solution is relatively simple and cost effective ...
read
more ...
Frank
X. Didik with former NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio and first lady Chirlane
McCray, at Gracy Mansion in Manhattan.
WAR.
Are
we headed towards a global war? It sure looks that way.
Every action by almost all European countries shows agression. Every
TV program, every newspaper, every podcast, and all information
sources are all talking about war. Even science magazines are
discussing such ..read
more
Home
Front.
What will happen inside of the United States if a major war breaks out?
Books
The importance
of books as a permanent storage of knowledge.
Books have the potential
to offer greater depth than quickly surfing on the internet. A
printed book, that does not require a computer or a tablet or
electricity to read offers the added advantage of being a long term
depository of human knowledge...read
more
The
Library of
Frank
Xavier Didik
Frank Didik
in his home library on June 13, 2024, holding an original philosophy
book from 1687, entitled "The Whole Duty of Man"...read
more
The library of
Frank Xavier Didik has thousands of books, with a large number being
considered antiquarian books, with many before 1850 and some dating
to the late 1500's. All but perhaps 25 are non-fiction on topics of
science, engineering, history, religion, philosophy and politics. For
research purposes, some of the books cover cooking and medicine from
the 1700's to the late 1800's..read
more
Film
Vs Digital
A Fuji 6x9 (2 1/4 x 3 x 1/4) film camera with many
rolls of Fuji Velvia 50 film, which sadly is very hard to buy today. Fuji
Claims that the finished positive (slide) film will
last up to 100 years.
Digital
Currency
will represent a loss of freedom and privacy. Digital
Currency will mean the total control of your money by the government.
Thus what you (are permitted to) buy will be under the complete
control of the government. Further, everything you do and buy will be
known to the government and anyone who has access to this
information. Thus everything that you buy or sell or are permitted to
buy or sell will be known and potentially controlled.
-April 11, 2023
The
power and effect of interest on wealth and savings. Many
people do not understand the true cost and effect of interest over
time. For example, if you put $10 in a bank account you will have the
following after 100 years:
At
3% interest, compounded yearly: $192.19
At
6% interest compounded yearly: $3,393.02
At
8% interest compounded yearly: $21,997.61
As you see,
doubling the interest rate, vastly increases the amount you either
get from interest or have to pay in interest. This is why when the
central bank increases interest rates, it matters so much and can
have such a massive effect in the economy or commerce. -April
12,
2023
Sunglasses
Dangerous?
Sunglasses
reduces reaction time, since it takes
longer for the brain to process a darker image then a well lit image.
This could lead to potentially dangerous situations. Some Stereo 3D
systems used a dark glass and a lighter glass for two different eyes
to achieve the 3D effect, though polarized glasses are more common.
The
playgrounds are empty but
the dog runs are full.
No children, only dogs. I
have noticed that in New York City, the playgrounds are empty but
the dog runs are full. People are no longer getting married, and
having families. Where will this all lead to? When I was a child
growing up in NYC, there were children everywhere and the stores
catered to families, rather than individual single people. The best
boutiques along Madison Avenue on Manhattan's upper east side, always
had play areas for the children, so that the children could play,
while the mothers shopped. We children knew which stores had the best
toys and demanded to go to those stores, which in most cases, were
the most expensive stores! A sizable
portion of the population are no longer getting married and forming
families, but read
more
It
is essential to maintain law and order in New
York City There
has been a type of collapse of law and order in NYC. Shoplifting is
rampant, with little chance of punishment, even if caught.
Shoplifting is so prevalent that some stores have simply closed their
businesses. Unfortunately, the recent state law that removes the bail
requirement for many smaller crimes has given the green light to
criminals to continue their criminality.
Besides the
shoplifting and new bail rules, New York City has become like the
wild west when it comes to motorcycles. Today, very few motorcycles
seem to even have license plates, which means that they are probably
uninsured, unlicensed, and unqualified to even be riding. Further the
motorcycles rarely obey traffic laws and almost always go through red
lights, ride on the sidewalk or ride the wrong way down one way
streets. In the past, Police commissioner Bratton and others
maintained that by enforcing smaller regulations, the larger laws
also benefit.
We must have
reasonable police enforcement in New York City and certainly let us
not even consider reducing funding to the NYPD. Let the NYPD do their job.
Natural
Gas substitutes
Before 1947 in the
USA and late 1960's in Europe, countries used first wood gas and then
later coal gas, as this plant in Seatle, Washington prouced till the
mid 1950's read
more
Natural
Gas. Europe and
many other countries around the world are concerned about shortages
of natural gas but there are many
substitutes for read
more
Wood gas was also
used to power cars, trucks and buses when gasoline was not available
in Europe and Japan during World War 2. read
more
Bike
Registration Though
I am a strong believer that less government is best government, the
time has come to register and insure bicycles and to make sure that
bicyclist obey traffic rules. This is particularly necessary in
crowded urban areas. With the proliferation of bicycles, more and
more accidents and related injuries are occurring to both the cyclist
as well as pedestrians. A basic form of a license plate for bicycles
as well as liability insurance is clearly necessary.
Can
a draw bridge be an example of true democracy? read
more
Fads
come and go. Today,the fad is clown
colored hair, body graffiti, extensive facial shrapnel and torn
jeans, ultra tight "yoga pants" read
more
The
"Frank Didik" penny theory to
analyze the state of the economy read
more
Either
gold
is over valued or silver is under valued,
based on historic ratio's read
more
Libraries
have lost their purpose. read
more
Massive
surpluses in society
Industry has produced massive surpluses Since the start of the
Industrial Revolution, 230 years ago, society has gradually managed
to ever increase productivity and surpluses. Today, these surpluses
are so great that I estimate that only 20% of the population can
support themselves and the rest of the population. This assumption
was proven essentially correct with the Covid/Corona lockdowns when
it was estimated that over 50% of the population was not working and
yet society did not experience any shortages in any area. Further,
with the robotic and artificial intelligence revolution just around
the corner, even greater surpluses will be achieved and even less
workers/employees will be needed. This leads to the question of how
to deal with the vast number of people who's work will no longer be
needed? If the present monetary system continues, perhaps a basic,
livable income will necessary, though in general, I am not in favor
of the idea, since I have always felt that everyone should be
required to carry their own weight in society and further, give back
to society. There are some who feel that the population should be
reduced by discouraging the formation of families, encouraging single
life, birth control, abortion, same sex unions encouraging latter age
marriage and other methods. Most non-retail businesses can easily
survive with less than 50% of their work force.
Where
have all the insects and birds gone?
Just a few years ago, when I would drive in the country, my
windshield would be covered with insects that had hit the car. This
simply does not happen anymore. Has the insect population somehow
died out? No one seems to talk about this. Has insecticides or
plastics or radio transmissions somehow effected them? Further, I
have noticed a large drop in the number of birds that we have in the
cities as well as in the countryside. It seems that we are headed
towards, a silent spring.
Frank
Didik's opinion
On
Education
Rethinking
school and our education system
Should
everyone attend college or university?
... read
more ...
Wisdom:
I believe that wisdom can not be taught, but rather wisdom is a
unique gift of understanding that a person is born with.
Can
a
college or a university
really teach a person to be a businessman
or an artist or good in any particular field? ...
read
more ...
How
come all college undergraduate degree's
require four years?
Should some degrees require only one
year while others perhaps six years? ...
read
more ...
Weak
Students:
I have long believed that in a classroom environment, the weak
student holds the better students back. The idea of putting a weak
student with better students is a disservice to both the weak as well
as the better students. President Thomas Jefferson wrote how a slow
person holds back the others, rather than catching up to the others.
It should also be recognized that not all people have the same
ability and potential in every field. Two individuals completing the
same university program and having the same grades and degree, does
not make them equal in ability and potential. Students should not be
told that they can succeed at anything that they try to do.
What
courses should and should not be taught at college or university? Can
college or a university teach a person how to be a good business
person, or how to be creative? ...
read
more ...
Teaching: I
feel that it is not possible to teach a person to be creative or a
good businessman and the same applies to many other fields. You can
only expose that person to what has already been done and the current
understanding of the tools and materials of the trade and perhaps
with this understanding, the student can expand upon this knowledge.
Learning: My
view is that almost all learning is through observation and
questioning. This underscores the importance of parents to teach
their children and expose their children to the parents daily lives.
In today's society, most parents are forced to work and thus the
child has only limited exposure to the richness of the parents
understanding of things. I would also argue that when a parent is
walking with a child, that the parent should not be using their cell
phone or texting and instead be devoting their full attention to the
child. Schools, as they exist today, have a limited ability to truly
train/educate a student and most of what is taught to the student is
repeated over and over with little practical use for the student
after graduation. So many students today study for years and yet
after graduation, never use what they have learned or what they have
learned is of little relevance to their lives.
The
playgrounds are empty but
the dog runs are full.
No children, only dogs. I
have noticed that in New York City, the playgrounds are empty but
the dog runs are full. People are no longer getting married, and
having families. Where will this all lead to? When I was a child
growing up in NYC, there were children everywhere and the stores
catered to families, rather than individual single people. The best
boutiques along Madison Avenue on Manhattan's upper east side, always
had play areas for the children, so that the children could play,
while the mothers shopped. We children knew which stores had the best
toys and demanded to go to those stores, which in most cases, were
the most expensive stores!
Where
have all the twenty something year olds gone?
Strolling
down fashionable Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City recently,
it struck me how the average age of the crowded streets seems older
than in the past. I would guess that the average age of the people I
saw was around 35 years old. Twenty years ago, the average age would
have been probably around 25 years old. Why? I will further guess
that the answer is that many people are postponing marriage and
having far fewer children. Perhaps the high student debt or perhaps
women seeking careers over family or perhaps the hook-up culture is
the culprit. Regardless, this does not bode well for the future and
increasing family commitments is a must for a healthy society. ---
Feb 11, 2019
The
aging population is a sad, worldwide industrial nation phenomenon.
I am in Tokyo for a few days and have been here many times before. In
2002, I would guess that the average age on the street was about 24
years old. Today, I would guess the average age is about 35 years
old. --- Feb 26, 2019
Immigration:
Almost all countries consider what perspective immigrants can do for
their country and if those immigrants will contribute or be a burden
on their society and also evaluate if the potential immigrant will
blend in with their existing culture. Perhaps the United States
should take the same approach. ---Feb 11, 2019
The
term "White Privilege"
is a racist term, on the same level as the "N" word
and only serves to create racial tension, towards whites. Needless to
say, there are both poor and wealthy whites. All people should be
treated with respect, regardless of their race or physical
appearance. It is essential to individualize, rather then judge an
entire group of people, as though they are all the same. The
derogatory term of "White Privilege" should never be used
by politicians, in the press or used in schools and the term should
be allowed to die out.
Down
Syndrome.
Did you know
that there are some people with Down Syndrome who are geniuses? read
more
Life
forever? It is
interesting that life never really dies in that life continues,
uninterrupted with the offspring. Science has never observed life
emerging from minerals or non living elements. ---Feb 11, 2019
Investing
in Startups. Good idea or bad? Is
investing in a Startup, that has never proven itself in the market
place, a good idea or a waste of money (and talent)? We
all hear about the occasional, unproven startup that turns a few
dollars into millions of dollars, but is this the same as buying a
lottery ticket and hoping for the best? Historically, investors
invested in companies that were swamped with orders and making money,
but needed additional money to ...
read
more ...
Most
efficient brain-storming method and
how to make morning office meetings more productive and interesting ...
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more ...
Good
Citizenship
and
respect for our fellow human beings.
Important
quotes from my friends from around the world, that I completely agree
with and I am sure that most people would as well:
"Do
not generalize, but rather individualize." --Daniela
D. in Germany, who works for the German diplomatic Chancellery.
"Never
get angry with anyone. Who knows, perhaps one day that person will
save the world!" --Yuka
S., who works for Aoyama University in Tokyo (and Kanagawa).
"It
is important to always remember that
every person you encounter has their own goals and aspirations,
trails and tribulations and deserves equal respect." --Sue
Ann M. in Durham, North Carolina.
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