The Complicated World Of Right

The world of design is ripe with those who would turn thumbs up or thumbs down on pieces based on their value systems, mood or blood sugar level. Interestingly, the world itself is full of different cultures, religions, viewpoints, languages, biases, tastes and interests. In other words it's complicated to get along these days. Everyone's empowered and seemingly entitled to their opinion, biases and prejudices. Such is the benefit of a free, messy world.

Philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Kant) did not address the source of right and wrong, they only say things are the way they are because that's how the universe works.

Moral relativists say that morality is imposed by some external authority, usually society. Bertrand Russell argued that individuals or societies which had certain types of moral understandings had an evolutionary advantage over those that did not.

"Right" comes from the Latin word rectus meaning base, which itself comes from the word reg = movement in a straight line, extension. The first meanings of the word meant "straight, not bent, curved or crooked." It wasn't until the early 16th Century that the word had the additional meaning of applying such mathematical concepts to people "of persons or disposition; disposed to do what is just or good; upright; righteous."

That said, we need to find a way to communicate, to share, to empathize. Across cultures. Across fences and political affiliations. Across a lack of intelligence that which would hold understanding and trust at bay. Because when what's right for the common good is overshadowed by individual ignorance, greed or interests, well, that's just not right.

The Circle Of Life

Put a really old person and a very young baby in the same room and apart from size you'll probably find many similarities. This is not mere coincidence. There is a reason for this. After we reach our peak as adults and get older we slowly begin to return to our original state – the state we were in when we appeared in the world. We have others help us out with stuff we can't do anymore. Memories fade and our skills diminish. Some people are better at this than others. For those of us not yet there it's something to think about because we all may be unique individuals with differences, but we're all headed in the same direction: older. That's right folks, there is no fountain of youth.

If you believe in reincarnation, you might even say that people who lose abilities as they get older are getting a head start on their next lives. We have to shed our old lives before we come back so we can start fresh again in the circle of life. It wouldn't do to remember our old lives because our brains would get full and we'd never end up learning anything new. Some folks wait to shed their old life after they pass away but some people who begin to lose abilities before passing away have less work to do to prepare to come back. And with less work to do maybe those folks get to come back to a new life sooner. So things like a second childhood may be a good thing. And acting younger as we get older isn't just nasty.

It's all poppycock, of course, because we all know growing older is a sad thing to be avoided at all costs.

Doing The CSI Thing All Over The Place

I've been investigating crime scenes all around me lately. As a expert equipped with an official, patented, clue-finding penlight, it didn't take long to begin finding suspicious evidence. Things only a highly trained super sleuth's eagle eye would uncover (don't try this at home):

1) Suspicious looking cleaning products are lurking in the kitchen cupboard, some with the skull and crossbones insignia of a well known street gang
2) I suspect all the ceiling lights in my house have been drugged because they always appear so high
3) Close inspection of the sock drawer has several odd socks mysteriously missing (never disappearing in pairs). Their mates are the main suspects of course
4) When I am asleep, unsubs sneak into my house; sprinkle dust everywhere and drain my batteries
5) Snowflakes (read: illegal aliens) drop from international airspace into the backyard and settle wherever they want without filing the proper paperwork
6) Trace evidence shows someone has broken into my car and left dead leaves on the floor of my trunk (I suspect a ecological, global warming cult)
7) I have found dubious fingerprints left directly on the very end of all my fingers and have sent them to the lab for identification but the perp evidently doesn't have a record

8) Brazen assassins have been posting the day they will kill my cream cheese right on the bottom of the container – daring me to stop them
9) Numerous pictures around the house have been framed for things they didn't do and then hanged mercilessly
10) My burglar alarm goes off whenever someone calls me on my phone and all the lady at the alarm company will tell me is to change my ringtone – I smell a coverup

11) I'm fairly certain that my dog Roscoe is casing the joint for a future heist (he's always looking around) and imagine it involves a payoff of a lifetime supply of crunchy treats and milkbones, and
12) I am investigating the possibility that the covert disappearance of a full roll of my luxury two-ply toilet paper hinges on a visit by three of my female relatives last month. The visit lasted two hours. It may turn into a cold case though. Evidence may have been flushed.

We must all remain vigilant in this dangerous, crime-ridden time.

12 Things That Lack Great Depth

Here we are in the New Year (plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose). I have been giving some thought to things because that seems to be my job these days. Here's what came out of this addled old brain when I emptied it into a strainer and looked for stuff that just shouldn't be stuck in there. Stuff like this:

1) Reality television shows that feature people you wouldn't have over to your house for stale Cheetos and warm beer – let alone dinner
2) Any message, conversation or post I've encountered that includes the word, “bitch” or any derivative thereof
3) Thoughts of setting up a zombie speed dating service. (It's all downhill once you get past "Aaaaaaarghphglugaaarfff")
4) Anything that came out of the Kardashian camp
5) Popular culture sites that open with a pop up window of Miley Cyrus twerking
6) Memories of eating cold hot dogs straight from the fridge at 3 in the morning (without ketchup)
7) How the toilet bowl appears incredibly shallow, until you drop your keys in it
8) Chick flicks disguised as mystery/action films (they no longer fool me)
9) A Valentine's Day card from your dentist reminding you it's time to have your teeth cleaned
10) Those senior's moments we blame for mismatched socks and the times we laughed way after everyone else did
11) Hearing the words, “How are you?” and “Have a nice day” at supermarket checkouts everywhere, and
12) Memes with cats or bears or nerdy people. Or dogs with crossed eyes. Okay, all memes.