Random Thoughts and Observations

Posted by : Drew McKissick December 17, 2005 - 12:00am
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From the windmills of my mind…

 

What causes people to have such a complete lack of consideration for others as to not only take cell phone calls in movie theaters, but to actually MAKE them?  To say nothing of having the phone turned on to begin with.

 

How is it that people have become so attached to something that barely existed a dozen years ago (in a mass consumer sense) and they act as though they cannot live without it nor be away from it?  Do they really love the idea of always being available to interruption so much?  It seems to me that, in many ways, technology has added, rather than detracted from the amount of stress people endure in their daily lives.

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Why has text messaging become such a phenomenon?  And why am I so completely annoyed by it?  Maybe because it is so inconvenient, at least in terms of responding to such a message.  Keep in mind that the sender of such a message is almost surely doing so from a cell phone from which they could have easily (and more quickly) made a call, delivered their message, received a response and had any other interaction that might be necessary before the exchange is complete.  With a text message however, (at least those that require a response), the sender expects you to type out such response on a 10 digit keypad, awkwardly thumbing your way through three letters or so for each number on the pad, essentially defeating the supposed “convenience” of the medium altogether.  It just seems to me to be an inconsiderate thing to do to the recipient, especially when a simple call or voice mail would suffice.

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 Advancing technology has increased the rate at which the pace of change is possible as well as occurs in practice.  The quicker things change, the quicker customers grow tired of what’s on hand and look for the “next thing”.  This cycle is continually getting smaller, shorter and faster.

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Market standards of accountability are much more objective and useful than government standards.----------

 

Consumers have benefited from one de-regulation after another, (tele-com for example), and there is no evidence to suggest that de-regulation, (or more to the point “de-monopolization”) of education would prove less beneficial.  If you pay for child care or day care and then take advantage of a tax credit later, it was still “your” money, not the government’s – just as if you had put fifty dollars in the collection plate on Sunday and then deducted it from your taxes next April.  How would credits for private education be any different?  And why do liberals fear them so?----------

 

Why is it people are quicker to complain than to act, especially where politics is concerned?  Why is it, regardless of what political party may be in power at any given time, public opinion polls will usually show at least a substantial minority of people who think that the country is on the “wrong track”, while those same polls would demonstrate that only about half of those who complain actually vote?  Their slogan should be, “I care, I’m just not going to do anything about it”.----------

 

Why are the so-called “extremists” (on both the left and right) most likely to become involved in our political system?  Or rather, why is it that those activists who are involved in our political system are labeled as “extremists” by those who aren’t involved?  And when is the last time you ever encountered an activist “moderate”?  I think it is a case of people’s levels of activism being fairly proportional to their level of passion or commitment to their views, if they have any, other than apathy that is.----------

 

Why is there so much focus on safety laws which force you to strap yourself into your vehicle rather than focusing on keeping you from having a wreck in the first place?  Does it make sense to spend so much time and effort on legally forcing me to protect myself from injuries that result in encounters with idiots rather than legally forcing those idiots to be less idiotic?  You know, those who drive with one hand (or knee) while talking on a cell phone, changing the CD player, putting on make-up or punching keys on a blackberry, rather than keeping both hands on the wheel.  Is this an admission that us non-idiots are more likely to be compliant with the law?  At a minimum, maybe it gives a helping hand to “natural selection”.