War On Christmas Spreads To Lincoln Tunnel - Heard this story on NPR today. I thought it was a fun piece, well done. Both sides got to express opinions. And I'm pleased to note that so far (at least, based on what I've seen), the whole argument between the "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" factions seems to be lower-key and less rabid than it was a year ago. Maybe both sides are painfully aware that we have bigger things to beat each other up about...
Anyway, here are my thoughts on the competing billboards.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Gambling With Insurance
Let us ponder the concept of insurance.
The way I figure it, humans long ago figured out life isn’t fair. A guy spends a whole season cultivating his crop, and then it gets washed away by a flood just before harvest time. Lightning strikes a thatched roof and a family’s home burns to cinders — but the house across the lane, made of exactly the same stuff, is untouched.
After a few millennia of this kind of thing, somebody came up with an idea for easing the random cruelties of fate. Maybe this person addressed a council of tribal elders, or maybe he went door to door explaining his plan. “We don’t know where lightning will strike next,” he may have said, “but if everybody puts one guilder in this strongbox, we’ll have enough money to build a new house for the one who gets hit. Just think, it could be you! Wanta buy in?”
The way I figure it, humans long ago figured out life isn’t fair. A guy spends a whole season cultivating his crop, and then it gets washed away by a flood just before harvest time. Lightning strikes a thatched roof and a family’s home burns to cinders — but the house across the lane, made of exactly the same stuff, is untouched.
After a few millennia of this kind of thing, somebody came up with an idea for easing the random cruelties of fate. Maybe this person addressed a council of tribal elders, or maybe he went door to door explaining his plan. “We don’t know where lightning will strike next,” he may have said, “but if everybody puts one guilder in this strongbox, we’ll have enough money to build a new house for the one who gets hit. Just think, it could be you! Wanta buy in?”
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