http://www.dangoldberg.net/googlef0d66cc0ba5ccabc.html
 
For as long as humans have existed on this Earth our species has been studying the stars, planets, galaxies, and other astrological bodies, as well as their (and our) home - the universe. It is so immense that no one actually knows where it begins or ends. In fact...there isn't a person alive who can be certain that it has a beginning or an end, or...if there aren't other universes. Perhaps we live in a cosmos of multiverses. 

Yet, there is one thing that I am sure of - you, my blog reading friend, are most certainly the center of your universe. Okay, you may not be the center of MY universe, but...I can tell you this - without you, your universe wouldn't exist.

You see, everything is relative. No one knows what another person's view of reality is. Nor can we be able to fully understand what goes on in another human's (or for that matter, any other living thing's) mind. So, without you, your universe wouldn't exist. It would cease to be. Or, as Monty Python might (also) say..."It is no more."

Just as the age old question asks, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" the same holds true for everything else, including our "universal concepts." In other words...the universe exists for you only because you are in it, can observe or detect it, use your senses to identify it, and call on your (and others') knowledge to "verify" that it is an actual entity.

However, what happens when you're gone? Once YOU'VE ceased to be...does the universe, as you now know it, continue to be "real." A philosophical conundrum? Indeed! But - one that will never be fully answered because of who must answer it. 

As we go through life, we are constantly swimming through a sea of concepts and constructs. Many of which are believed by most, some of them believed by many, and a few of them believed by a small number - perhaps just one. So...before you make absolute statements, think about the dilemma each of us faces on a continuous basis, and even then - you may only be right for yourself.

Have fun dissecting things my friends...it certainly is an invigorating exercise - at least it is for one person I know...me!
 
 
It is not unusual to hear people say that staying focused is extremely important in our society. That's what one has to do in order to become successful in business and/or life. I don't disagree with that, but...I don't completely agree with it either.

Being focused means honing in on a project, idea, task, or concept. Yes - to get things completed you have to stay on task and not deviate from what must be accomplished. However, staying too focused can also have a negative affect. It can stunt creativity.

America has become a society that talks about how creative and innovative we are, yet - also tends (to some extent) to want people to stay within certain boundaries and stay away from risk. Not to get overly political here, but - the recent universal healthcare situation is a case in point. The opponents of universal healthcare would talk about how the Canadians, British, and others who live in countries that have government sponsored healthcare all have to wait months for care, or wait in line or at hospitals for hours to be taken care of. Whether or not this is true is not important in this case. Because...not surprisingly, these same American citizens would also speak about how great OUR healthcare system is; how innovative, inventive, and cutting edge our scientists, pharmaceutical companies, insurance organizations and doctors are. And...I will admit, to a large degree, they are.

However, taking their argument to its natural conclusion, wouldn't it then seem that these same innovative, inventive, and cutting edge companies and individuals could come up with a universal healthcare system where people wouldn't have to wait in line, or at the hospital, for hours - or...wait for months for treatment or surgery?

You see, the opponents of a new healthcare system (or any other new way of doing things) can't stay so focused that they stop thinking creatively. It just doesn't make sense. Sure there's plenty of money at stake...plenty. And, that's a major reason opponents of any "old way" of doing things hold their ground. But their position falls apart when you enter the elements of creativity and innovation into the argument. So - whenever you run in to people who staunchly defend the status quo, you must question why.

If our country is thought of as being the pinnacle of creativity, then let us be creative. It may be healthcare, but it may also be education, space travel, technology, manufacturing, or any other field. Don't say it can't work, say..."How can we make it work better!"