As My Mind Turns and Puzzling Questions #2

As My Mind Turns and Puzzling Questions  #2

Americans own 40% of world’s firearms. When does the shoot-out occur at the OK Corral? 

How many calculations can you make per second? The world’s most powerful computer called Summit (last year I thought it was Aaron Rodgers), can make 200 quadrillion calculations per second. I can’t even write this out numerically on a piece of paper. How many lies can Trump tell in one second—oh never mind can’t we just let him self destruct, along with the rest of us,  in peace?

 By 2020 almost all houses in California will require homes to be built with solar panels. Will there be any sunlight energy left for those on the beach?

“I no longer want to continue life, and I’m happy to have a chance tomorrow to end it.” (a 104 year old Australian scientist).  This is legal in Switzerland, but I wonder if there is a special obituary column for these kind of death notices. Maybe it will end up being some kind of reality show where viewers vote for the most impressive death-by-choice scene. 

In 2001China was sixth globally for total export of goods. By 2017 China leads the world by a wide margin. Not surprising, Americans love bargains, even at the expense of their own workers.

In 2017 China accounted for around 40% of worldwide investment in renewable energy. We however, while still working on more important things, like build a big big wall—I assume that no one can get over it, through it, under it, around the end of it, enter via the vast unfenced coast line, via air, or whatever. Maybe China will export illegal immigrants to push their exporting success even further—like annex all the refugee tent cities and then export them as a slave labor force. Probably a good market. 

One in three Americans are overweight. The state with the highest obesity rate (37.7%) is West Virginia, followed by Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Why are all of them red states?

Vermont is now paying people $10,000 to move to Vermont. Why aren’t all those living currently in a urban or rural ghetto driving toward Vermont with the bed mattress on their car roof? Better yet, why doesn’t Vermont pay $10,000 per refugee from these tent cities. 

5,390 minerals have been identified on Earth to date. Only about 65 are thought to have been charter members of the solar nebula, the kind of minerals found in meteorites. 

The United States is now spending money to fight terrorism in 40% of the world’s nations, yet the rate of terrorism globally, including the United States, is growing at an exponential rate. Ironically, it is often highest in those countries we have invaded the last 50 years with ‘freedom fighters’ to bring peace, freedom and prosperity to these countries. Oops.  Lesson after lesson since Vietnam and we haven’t learned any lesson yet. 

From 1970 to 2010 there has been a 52% decline in wild life populations worldwide. Human overpopulation does that sort of thing. Guess which species will be the next to be sacrificed, and by their own species?  I guess we already have a good start. 

Some ask why I can’t dwell on more positive things or why I am in such a good mood most of the time if there are dire problems from every direction? There is nothing more positive than to realize God’s evolutionary process has been around billions of years, humans a minuscule portion of that time; and thus zero reason to think this progressive evolution will not continue. It is just hard for us to accept that the process is not run by us,  and that we are not special as a species compared to other species in the long run. We were once not the only human species, but the other human species became extinct.  Chance gave each one of us an opportunity, while the Golden Rule enables the less fortunate humans to achieve more contentment along with ourselves in the process. As for my personal contentedness it boils down to this. Out of a million different sperm, one particular one combined with a singular egg to create me. We all had that good luck. After that I was never the best at anything in any way. On the other hand I had a lot of luck regarding the era in which I was born, the country, my genetics, the environment for my formative years and got more than my share of help from others via the Golden Rule to save me from self destruction. Given my life profession of teaching young college age kids of all ilk I came face to face with others whose luck was less than mine. There is no way I can honestly respond to my good luck from others situation than to be grateful and try to be sure that what goes around comes around. The evolutionary process, not individual human beings, is the focus. Despite our illusions otherwise, we are but bit players in the whole process. Time stays, We go.  Luckily, for me, it was an interesting and enjoyable, if far from perfect, ride. Only a spoiled brat would sulk because a good life can’t last forever. For many less fortunate, if not for bad luck they wouldn’t have any luck at all. If one does well with lotteries  what has one really to brag about? It was luck, so only gratitude is appropriate. I define death as that point in time when we will never again have any reason to be discontented about anything again. Period. Some, who believe in a Heaven, might describe Heaven this same way for lack of any other specifics. The real difference—-I don’t think any one goes to a Hell, where many organized religions believe otherwise. The Golden Rule makes it possible for everyone to have varying degrees of Heaven right here while alive.