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Showing posts from November 8, 2009

Waste for the sake of it

Nearly 9 years after moving to America, the continual wasteful nature of Americans still amazes me. A couple of weeks ago I watched a guy at a soda fountain fill his cup with ice, then empty 90% of it into the drain. Next he brimmed the cup with Coke, then he emptied about 50% of that down the drain, and topped it off with Diet Coke. Why not just put a few ice cubes in, then some diet coke, then some coke? Why waste? Then today I watched someone put two heaped scoops of sweetener into their mug, only to walk to the dustbin and empty most of it out. To which the obvious questions are (1) why not just put a little in in the first place? (2) if they wanted to empty it out, why not empty it back into the tin? This continually blinkered attitude explains why people over here can't grasp the concept of fuel-efficient cars or compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Or turning off lights when they're not in a room. Etc. ad nauseum.

There's something wrong with human nature

What is it in the nature of man That makes us hate and cheat and steal and kill? Why do people get off on bigotry, intolerance and racial intolerance? There’s something wrong with human nature What is it that makes a man gaze down from his penthouse suite Watching those young children sleeping rough on the street? Sometimes people do the strangest things. Parted by the restaurant windows Watching how the other half lives All over the world They keep their hand in their pockets It relieves their conscience There’s something wrong with human nature