Observations and Commentary

Following are observations and comments on ideas or life situations that may come to me from time to time. They may be some of my thoughts or may be items brought to my attention by others for which I feel they are worthy of note. They are at least a reflection of my own views and attitude. - BDM.

The Stupid Rich Following is a proof to show that the stupid rich do little or no work.

GIVEN:
KNOWLEDGE is POWER; TIME is MONEY; and as every engineer knows, POWER is WORK over TIME.

PROOF:
If we substitute algebraic equations for these time worn bits of wisdom, we get:

(1) K = P

(2) T = M

(3) P = W/T

Substituting W/T (from equation 3) in for P in equation (1), yields:

(4) K = W/T

and, Substituting M (from equation 2) in for T in equation (4), yields:

(5) K = W/M

Equation (5) shows that KNOWLEDGE is directly proportional to WORK and inversly proportional to MONEY. Or, Interpreting this into English, we get:

KNOWLEDGE equals WORK over MONEY, or:

1. The More You Know, the More work You Do, and

2. The More You Know, the Less money You Make.

Solving for MONEY, we get:

(6) M = W/K, or,

MONEY equals WORK over KNOWLEDGE.

From equation (6) we see that MONEY approaches infinity as KNOWLEDGE approaches 0, regardless of the WORK done. This means:

The more you Make, the less you Know.

Solving for WORK, we get:

(7) W = M x K, or,

WORK equals MONEY times KNOWLEDGE

From equation (7) we see that WORK approaches 0 as KNOWLEDGE approaches 0. Which means:

The stupid rich do little or no WORK.

QED

Working out the socioeconomic implications of this breakthrough is left as an exercise for the reader.

It's Nothing New "We trained hard - But it seemed that every TIME we were beginning to form teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing. And what a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress, while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization."

Petronius - A.D. 66

Science Fair

A student at Eagle Rock Junior High School won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair on April 26, 1997. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical "dihydrogen monoxide."

And for plenty of good reasons, since:

1. It can cause excessive sweating and vomiting,

2. It is a major component in acid rain,

3. It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state,

4. Accidental inhalation can kill you,

5. It contributes to erosion,

6. It decreases the effectiveness of automobile brakes, and

7. It has been found in the tumors of terminal cancer patients

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.

Forty-three (43) said yes,

six (6) were undecided,

and only one (1) knew that the chemical was water.

The title of his prize winning project was, "How Gullible Are We?"
He feels the conclusion is obvious.

Maintained by BDM
njastro@erols.com