Points To Ponder….

The classic Warner Brothers animated cartoon series Pinky and the Brain always featured the same catch-line.

 

The Genius mouse named Brain would always ask his dim-witted partner Pinky if he “was pondering what I’m pondering?” before launching off on another silly attempt to take over the world.

 

Although not as smart as that cartoon mouse, I too sometimes wonder if other folks are pondering what I sometimes ponder..

 

Let’s see.

 

PONDERING THOUGHT #1

If electricity was invented today—would we allow it or its delivery?

Imagine scientists telling us they’ve discovered this great energy source—but you’ve gotta be careful with it—cause if you don’t handle it right it could kill you. You can’t get it wet, touch it with your bare hands, or use too much of it through too small a distribution source like an extension cord..If you do, bad things will happen—and you WILL DIE or be seriously hurt.

 

And think of the outcry over the way it’ll be distributed… Over wires held aloft by poles.

 

You want to cut down how many MILLIONS OF TREES to make POLES???

 

Ugly poles every 50 feet with unsightly wires overhead..

Wires made of how many billion tons of copper???

 

 

The environmental impact statements alone would probably take decades to complete.

 

 

PONDERING THOUGHT #2

Why is it that heath care costs are different if you have insurance or if you don’t?

You’ll often see a bill for a medical procedure that lists one price—and then lists a lower price for the “provider discount”.

Let’s say I’m having a Gallbladder taken out. The hospital will charge me $4,000 for the procedure IF I pay for it by myself—but if I have insurance the same procedure is only $2,500 under the “provider discount.”

 

What’s the difference in terms of care?

 

Does the doctor’s ability change depending on whether I have insurance? Maybe the doc uses better tools when I pay for it as opposed to when the insurance company ponies up.

And If the procedure can be done for the lesser amount—why not just charge that lower price?

 

PONDERING POINT #3

How come the so-called “environmentally friendly” light bulb may actually do more damage to the environment than the old kind?

 

Like a lot of folks, I was in a rush to convert all my incandescent lights to compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s) to cut energy use and save a few bucks on the old electric bill…

But, come to find out—- the CFL’s are made with small amounts of mercury inside of them, unlike the vacuum tube of an incandescent.

 

Now, Mercury is a heavy metal, known to cause brain, spinal cord, kidney and liver damage. Once it’s in the environment—it will not break down easily and it can contaminate groundwater if the CFL’s are broken and buried in a landfill.

 

Do you think the average person is going to recycle those CFL’s properly—or are they gonna just toss ‘em in the trash where they’ll end up in landfills contaminating things?

 

By the way—if coal is used to generate the power for the CFL’s— Mercury is also released into the air via that process. Although steps are being taken to reduce Mercury emissions—it seems like a double environmental whammy.

 

And WHAT are you pondering these days?

—Steve

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