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Lot Like You

A real person, a lot like you

Better

This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of it reminds me of the Englishman who went to India to make a fortune first, in order that he might return to England and live the life of a poet.
He should have gone up garret at once.

Henry David Thoreau

Remember Duffy?

Roughly a year ago I introduced you to our new pair of pets, which we later named Fluffy (female) and Duffy (male), thanks to Dinky Mind. Fluffy got sick sick few weeks later. We took her to the village's only veterinarian whose meds didn't help and she died few days later.
Anyway, Duffy, who was pretty aggressive from the start, survived like a devil. People in their homes talk about things to eat, better sofas, plush carpets, clothes, backyard, frontyard, but we talk about Duffy: how he sleeps, how much he eats, and how he likes to run around when weather is awesome. Here's some porn for dog-loving side of you.

More Fields of Gold

Panorama of our farmland. (click for bigger image)

Fields of Gold

A sunset over the fields of my village.

Problem and Solutions

Most of the time there are more than one solutions to a single problem. A solution is simply a tool and choice of a proper tool is important and tells a lot about a person.
I have an example to illustrate this.

Problem: You have an office in a nice building (in fact just short of a 4-star hotel) but there's an issue of insects. They are virtually everywhere in the kitchen. Problem is that when things like sugar, coffee, tea whitener etc are used tiny insects rush to get in open bottles and jars. When someone gets in there whole material has to be disposed and utensils washed off. Needless to say, you are required to be careful and never to leave anything open. To err is human, right? A few times someone forgets something or maybe becomes a little less careful, or even interesting yet, an insect is blessed with some superpowers and rushes in quicker than you expected. Let's say this is recurrent and insects just can't be killed since a new battalion would come from neighborhood soon. What would you do if you are management in-charge there?

Solution 1: You ask people to be more careful. Repeat your instructions often. It's obvious that somebody's mistake helps them get in the bottles. You put a huge text up there in kitchen that mentions "insects' shit" plus more. What then if this still happens? Put a fine on anyone who makes this mistake. Publicly bash him. He would automatically be careful next time.

Solution 2: You buy better utensils. Buy a dispenser or something that doesn't have to be closed manually, and shuts itself automatically when you take your thumb off the button. You spray anti-insect frequently.

Which solution sounds better? #2, right? Here's how...
Solution 2 is more "human" than Solution 1. Things and circumstances have to be molded around human beings instead of vice versa. It's man's dignity which should be preferred instead of sugar and tea whitener. Rules are OK only when there's no alternative. You don't have to thrust limits and punishments upon yourself and your fellows. Innovate!

It's a painful reality that we do not often think of Solution 2. We all love and implement Solution 1. There's shortage of electricity? Please stop using electricity. Ever saw an ad saying that please eat less biscuits because we are running out of wheat and eggs?

There's always an innovative and dignified solution that we should look for. It's only a matter of the way one thinks.