Sunday, October 17, 2010

Everybook, Everyperson, Everywhere

A little community, Southhold NY, voted against a library expansion. K=Kim, A=Another

K: What was the vote?

A: 582 to 402

K: I commented that libraries should be smaller and more books should be online so everyone can have access to them. "Everybook, everyperson, everywhere" is my slogan.

Imagine if the vote was the other way, and 582 voted in favor of the expansion. I'd still be against it. And not because I don't believe in libraries.

A: So what's wrong with a community voting to expand its resources.

K: It would be good for 582 and not so good for 400 people.

A: So the majority rules.

K: And what about the 400 people? Did Robin Hood just threaten their pockets? Are they now going to work another day or week for something they don't want?

A: What is wrong with libraries? Some people like the feel of paper, and books educate. Besides, in Mali people don't have computers. And libraries serve as needed community centers. What is best for the community is good, and therefore even the people who don't want it should be forced to pay for it.

K: I believe that "good fences make good neighbors" so I'm going to take your (hard-earned) money and buy me a fence. Is that the world you want to inhabit?

A: Are you crazy? I know what those 400 people need better that they do (had the vote gone the other way). They need a big expensive addition to the library... that they won't use.

K: And they'll benefit from having a community with better resources, won't they?

A: They may. That's why we invented persuasion. But I'm asking, "should 400 people have to pay for the desires of 582 people?"

K: If it is a good cause. Certainly. Otherwise they could live somewhere else.

A: Can anyone really know what is a good cause for someone else. Maybe the 582 people who want to spend there money on a library should do so. And if the 400 people want to visit... well, that's up to the others. Remember, 60% of any group would love to spend everyone's money. Does that mean they have the right to do so?

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Robin Hood Cures Disparity

L=Linda, K=Kim

L: I'm going to get a baseball bat.

K: But I gave away my gloves.

L: No, silly, it is for you.

K: I don't want one.

L: No, silly, it is for YOU.

K: You already said that.

L: I'm going to bop you on the head when you can't sleep.

K: Take things into your own hands?

L: It is survival of the fittest, you know.

K: Now that we are both up, I want to talk to you about something.

L: Nothing serious, I hope.

K: It is about the villains who want to save society.

L: Yes, like Robin Hood?

K: For starters, he'll do. What is the difference between what he does and what the government is considering, i.e. raising the taxes for the rich?

L: We didn't vote for him.

K: So everything is ok if we vote for it, and not okay if we don't?

L: No, I didn't say that. I'm talking about Robin Hood.

K: Look at it this way.

L: Which way?

K: Just hold on. I'm getting to it.

L: I'm holding on.

K: We are on a space ship, going toward two planets not far apart.

L: You mean in comparison to most planets being pretty darn far from each other.

K: Right! Get back on the space ship. We are whirling through space, and trying to decide which planet to land on.

L: I want to land on the better planet. Or maybe we should land on the worst planet, because we'd be more needed.

K: The planets are pretty identical, but on one there is a great disparity between rich and poor. And on the other there are an abundance of Robin Hoods... and less disparity. Further, let's agree that great disparity is not good.

L: Where do you want to land?

K: Am I rich or poor?

L: It doesn't matter. You agreed that great disparity is not good.

K: Fine. I guess it doesn't matter if Robin Hood or the IRS has spread out the wealth a little. Though it is creepy to have someone sneaking into our house at night.

L: Fortunately, in this age, Robin Hood sits at a computer and withholds a certain percentage from your income. Your dear jewels won't be touched.

K: Whew! Ok, let's land on the Robin Hoods infested planet. Maybe if there is less disparity there will be less crime and more happiness.

L: Hope so.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Confession

K=Kim, P=Priest

K: I'm not perfect.

P: You can say that again.

K: But I try.

P: I'm so glad my brain surgeon didn't tell me about his shortcomings.

K: Isn't the duckbill platypus known for not being perfect?

P: Yes, but unlike the duckbill, you have a brain bigger than a peanut.

K: I'd be a little better if it wasn't for clutching.

P: What's that about?

K: Well, whenever I'm trying to meet a challenge I remember the family dog growling at me when I was a little kid.

P: No kidding?

K: The dog was as big as an elephant... or so I remember, and I'd start to do something and the dog would run over and growl right into my ear. It was horrendous.

P: What did you do then?

K: I'd run and hide under my bed.

P: That sounds wise.

K: Then the dog would jump on the bed.

P: You needed a trap door, didn't you?

K: Yes! Every time I'd start to get out the dog would growl again. I spent half my life under that bed.

P: And the other half?

K: Trying to do things right.

P: You know, your dog is dead, so now you have no excuses.

K: But the growl is still there.

20,000 hits!

Thanks for your support!

Please respond!

Last week I mentioned a few moral dilemmas. One was the bystander who could save five lives by throwing one man onto some tracks.

I remember that.

Did the man object?

He didn't have time. The trolley hit him, and stopped.

So are we now done with moral dilemmas.

Yes. I started to realize that the heart is more important than the action.

That's dumb.

Probably. I keep thinking about eating a dumb piece of celery. It is one thing to eat it with disregard. And another to eat it with thanks. So eating it is not the point. Thanking it is.

So is that why you woke me up?

No. I wanted to say something else.

Is that why you wait just long enough before talking that I fall asleep again?

Look. If I dribble, you complain. And if I take time to think, you complain. Maybe we ought to call it quits?

Oh, I'm up now. What do you want to say?

Well, I'll sometimes meet someone and they'll say that they've been reading my blog for years and that they've enjoyed it... but they've never commented.

Well, what's wrong with that?

It kind of makes a lonely world. It is like not telling the celery that you appreciate her gift to you.

Celery is dead. What does it matter?

It does. But I'm now talking about people responding. I'm telling you how I'd like to get on my knees and tell them... "I'd love to hear what you are thinking. I don't know what is going on in your head." And if they are one of the responders... that I appreciate that beyond anything... and if, in the end, they really want to be silent, I appreciate that too. Even if they just put "like" or "dislike" in FB... that is helpful.

Ok, is that it for today.

Yea. (pause) Oh... today I hope to pass 20,000 hits on this blog.

Is that it?

(pause)... Yes.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Vote Against Prop. 19 (Legalization of Pot)

You have got to be kidding. How can you be against Prop. 19?

It takes a bad situation and makes it worse.

But what about all the people in prison for smoking a joint?

I agree that is a waste of resources. But why do we think that creating any law to solve a problem is better than no law?

Won't Prop. 19 earn California needed revenue?

I doubt it. They will have to hire countless people to regulate pot. And now the courts will be filled with people who don't follow the law. And jails will continue to be filled.

Maybe. But why can't we just pass the law and then next year pass a better one.

Amending laws never have the same effect. Look at the income tax regulations. Every time they get amended we spend more time doing taxes rather than doing business.

So what's wrong with the proposition, anyway?

First, it makes it illegal to sell to anyone under twenty-one. Now we'll have new criminals who sold to someone under twenty-one. That is going to be a fertile market. And I can sell to the kids at an increased market-up to compensate me for my greater risk... or I can buy illegal drugs (less safe?) and put the youngsters at risk.

Oh, I see that. But do you want kids getting high?

Not really. But they are getting high now. What is the difference?

So, what else?

Well, Prop. 19 makes the state government much bigger... and more expensive to run. Under the guise of "freedom," when government gets bigger it really takes away our freedoms.

How come?

Well, for starters, the more we work to pay taxes, the less discretionary income we have.

But this is a good cause.

I'm not sure. You know that the worst chemicals in tobacco are not the nicotine, but rather the toxins from the burning of leaves. The same toxins occur in pot.

Yea... but what about alcohol... that isn't good for us either.

That's another post.

So what do you propose?

Simply to take pot off the list of illegal drugs...

You have got to be kidding.

No. We already have plenty of laws that could be used when one person is endangering another (or their property)... or even when someone is selling something harmful. We need less laws, not more.

Oh...

Buddha killed the Pirates?

The Buddha killed a band of pirates. What is that about?

No, it was in one of his previous lives, as told in the Jakata stories.

That's against the vows, isn't it?

Maybe. The Buddha-to-be knew that the pirates were going to sink the ship and kill all the passengers.

So the Buddha killed the pirates to save the passengers?

Apparently not. He was worried about the karmic consequences for the pirates if they were to go through with their plan.

But what about his own karmic consequences for taking a life?

He was willing to forego those to protect the pirates.

So he killed the pirates to save them?

I guess so. Hope he never wants to save me.

Do you have any evil plans?

Not any more.

Who's in the world?

Xiushan said, "What can you do about the world?" Dizang said, "What do you call the world?"