I kick-started my day with this thought expressed in a discussion I’ve involved myself in on Facebook:
Economics is a field used to describe and quantify the distribution of goods and services in our world – it is based on a zero-sum assumption – “When the gains made by winners in an economic transaction equal the losses suffered by the losers. It is identified as a special case in GAME THEORY. Most economic transactions are in some sense positive-sum games.” Of course, the positive-sum is only awarded to the winners in the game. The fewer the winners the greater their positive-sum, the greater number of losers. Unfortunately a positive-sum winning is an “empty calorie”, it has no actual human worth in terms of species survival. Tastes great to the winner in the short term, but has no sustaining qualities.
There are ways of looking at the world that are not predicated on the polarity of winners and losers. Unfortunately economic theory is not one of those ways of looking at the world. Unfortunately most of us have accepted economic theory as the foundation of the world we are creating. Maggie Turner on Facebook
The Facebook “friends” I have are connected to me by serendipity; I like it that way. Every day one of this diverse subset of the human race has something to say that is either interesting or inspiring or both.
Recently Kate posted this video about an amazing “new” drug, I liked it so much that I sent it to my loved ones and now I am posting if for you.
I needed this little boost because I spend all of my day either sitting in a car or sitting in a windowless little room in front of a computer screen, for which I am paid very little. So, on January 8, Attila and I figured out how many lengths of the house I would have to walk to equal one half mile, between eighty and ninety trips from one end to the other, indoors. Once I had that calculated, I began to pace back and forth. Usually this type of pacing is associated with distress, but not in this case. I began my almost daily “hamster walk”. I miss days, but I don’t care, I just start again soon afterward and all is well. I have discovered how much more pleasant it is to walk in stocking feet, far more comfortable. This summer I will switch to bare feet!
Recently my sister sent me a link to my game-developer nephew’s new game. I don’t like games, and seldom if ever play them. I had to try it though, out of courtesy if nothing else. Now I am hooked! The concept is preservation of life, rather than destruction. See for yourself… Eggman. It is delightful to be related to this young man! My brothers and sisters and I have brought such wonderful people into the world!
This morning when we awoke the temperature was -21 C. The house had cooled and the bedrooms are definitely chilled, but still above freezing. Attila quickly had a fire roaring in the hearth and it is quite comfortable in the ten foot radius around the masonry heater. The temperature drops as you move out of that zone and towards the outer walls and windows of the living area.
Luckily I have switched to the small, wheeled, computer desk. I can move it closer to the masonry heater between firings, and further away when the fire is a roaring 375 C. Masonry heaters burn full out, and they burn hot.
Tonight it is predicted to be colder still, -26 C. Attila will fire the masonry heater three times today, and build a fire in the little wood stove downstairs.
We are again staying in our country house for the weekend, cooking and cleaning and catching up. We really cannot leave when the temperature drops to -20 or below, someone has to keep the hearth fires burning!
Worldly Distractions
Weather
-21 °C
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 101.6 kPa
Visibility: 16 km
Temperature: -21.3°C
Dewpoint: -23.8°C
Humidity: 81 %
Wind: NNW 15 km/h
Wind Chill: -30
Quote
“He woke at half-past two, an hour which long experience had taught him brings panic intensity to all awkward thoughts. Experience had also taught him that a further waking at the proper hour of eight showed the folly of such panic.”
The Forsyte Saga
John Galsworthy