Of course they do!  Flying objects that are unidentified – after all, is what “UFO” means… and there’s no-one who can deny that there are objects flying through the air that are unidentified.  Even Project Blue Book, U.S. Air Force – was forced to ‘admit’ that there were sightings that they could not identify.

Most people, however, are actually thinking of ‘Little Green Men’ when UFO’s are discussed.  Yet surprisingly, I suspect that the odds are slightly more than in favor of them existing somewhere… I just don’t have a clue whether they are flying above us, mutilating cattle, drawing circles in our crops, and kidnapping people for sexual experimentation.

All of these traditional alien activities have more mundane explanations… and I do tend to follow Occam’s Razor.  When there’s a simpler explanation, I tend to prefer it.  I don’t need to imagine time traveling future humans… or aliens from 3 galaxies down the road…

There are times when simplicity doesn’t explain the facts (The JFK assassination is one example that comes to mind), but I’m afraid that although I have no doubt that we are not alone in the universe, I’m also not afraid that I’ll be beamed up to a spaceship one night, and sexually violated by some alien female.

Whether you view the universe through the eyes of religious belief in God, or the atheist’s belief of Darwinian evolution – it’s still going to be a fool’s bet to think that we are alone in the universe.

It wouldn’t surprise me to discover that I’m right in my lifetime – and learning that mankind isn’t alone is going to be a disruption and change in our society no less of an upheaval than the change from an agricultural society to an industrial society.

 

 

I’ve so far resisted the allure of cell phone ownership.  Actually, I still can’t quite figure out why I’d want to pay for the privilege of having people call me anytime day or night.  (And pay for the call as well!)

Cell phone companies should come up with a button that puts the cell phone “out of range”, and takes a message.  Then they’d have a feature that I’m already using… known as an “answering machine”.  If they can then drop the price to what I’m paying monthly for my normal phone bill, they might get me hooked.

Of course, I don’t have long distance plans, three-way calling, call forwarding, caller ID, Voice Mail, or any other money-costing features that the phone company offers.  Never felt the need for any of it.

The company that I work for recently decided to reimburse their employees for cell phones being used during work.  These employees drive long distances to various accounts, and are often out of radio range.  So the company offered an extra $20 each month if you’ll agree to use your cell phone.  What a deal!!  The company can now instantly speak to you on your dime!  I figure if my company wants to talk to me on a cell phone, they can issue me a cell phone.  (Hopefully, someone will invent the “out of range” button before my company decides to do so.)

We’ve turned into a society where actual physical contact never need take place.  We can speak all day on a phone that we carry with us … regardless of your location or activity, you can be speaking to someone miles away.  One gentleman obtained a bit of fame when he demonstrated the ability to never leave his house – obtaining everything he needed via the internet.

I must admit a tad bit of weakness for the internet myself… I probably spend far too much time sitting in front of a computer screen.  On the other hand, I deal with people all day long – so a bit of personal time spent working on websites … or having discussions and/or arguments on news forums is probably at least as sane a preoccupation as any other.

Hmmm… come to think of it – my preference for newsgroups rather than ‘chat rooms’ probably has much in common with my distaste for cell phone usage.  A chat room is nothing more than a typed form of cell phone usage – if not quite as intrusive.  A news forum, on the other hand – demands thought and preparation.  You read what someone wrote, and you take your time responding to it – even to the point of looking up material to include.  Chat rooms are far more instantaneous and ‘off the cuff’ form of communications.

What this all boils down to is… don’t bother asking me for my cell phone number…  by the time I get a cell phone – I’ll be able to stop you from calling and bugging me anyway…

 

 

I’m often amazed when I meet people who haven’t read a book since they left school… it really shocks me… then again, I’m rarely without a book, and often read several books each week.

I consider literacy to be one of man’s greatest inventions… it allows the collection and passing along of knowledge in ways that weren’t possible in a non-literate society.  It’s a way to continue to grow and learn long after you’ve left school…

One of the most interesting books that I’ve ever read – and believe everyone should have in their home is The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason.   It was first written in 1926… and has been in print ever since.  That might give you a clue to the power of this little book.  And it’s a relatively short read … even those who rarely read a book can put this away in no more than a few days.

I really don’t want to give away the plot or essence of the book – it’s cheap at Amazon… and can even be easily found in many used bookstores.  My father likes to collect ‘em when he finds them in used bookstores, as he gives them away as gifts. I highly recommend that you get it too!  You won’t be disappointed!