Tuesday 29 July 2008

Unemployment

Is it more costly to rehabiliate the non-worker than to subsidise an unacceptably low quality of life?

Landlords

Private home ownership and rental by small-time landlords is an example of failure of the capitalist system. Homes should be owned by large corporations and administered by them. In the interest of customer relations the corporations would provide better customer service (such as maintenance) than current small landlords whose exposure to reputational risk is limited.

Deliberate reintroduction of species

England's red squirrels retreated to the North in the wake of the grey, its cities are plagued by pigeons. Can these problems not be solved through reintroduction of species?

Red squirrels could be mass bred in captivity and sold to people wanting them. Whilst they wouldn't be pets as such the squirrels could be semi-dependent on humans by having specially designed feeding stations for them that their "owners" filled. This could provide the squirrels with the edge needed to regain their lost ground.

Similarly, peregrin falcons and sparrow hawks are endangered species and yet cities are full of food. A mass breeding programme could reintroduce these birds to city life bolstering their numbers and reducing the number of flying rats.

Rehabilitation of islamic extremists

Rather than locking islamic extremists in Guantanamo and torturing them, would it not be better for all if they were re-educated in moderate Islam (whilst being kept securely)?

Recording every detail of the perfect photo

The more sensors that are added to a camera, the easier it is to recreate the perfect photo:

GPS -> location
Altimeter -> elevation
Compass -> direction
Gyroscope -> direction
Clock -> time, date

(alternatively, the camera could be connected by bluetooth to other devices)

Inner peace

Whenever you remember to do so, try to find inner peace.

Monday 28 July 2008

Email fora

On a fairly regular basis I find the need to ask a question on a forum that I am not a member of, and will not need to be a member of once the question has been answered. Unfortunately, I am required to jump through the hoops of becoming a member before I can post.

I suggest a forum that uses email to create posts and reply to them. When you click on a "create post" or "reply" link you are directed (via a capatcha of course) to a unique use-once email address. You email your post or reply to that email and it appears on the forum.

Your email address would not be displayed to avoid spam. This could lead to confusing fora, so this is not the perfect solution for all fora.

The fora can be moderated by blocking email addresses of abusers.

Guard or fighter

I have often wondered if in times of strife I would have the courage to do what is right rather than that which is in my own interest: to be a resistance fighter rather than a concentration camp guard.

It now occurs to me that I have been living my whole life through such strife, but unlike times gone past I do not see it face to face, only on the news. Many people throughout the world lack basic needs or, worse, are subject to oppression and torture; I live in western affluence. That I do not do all that is in my power to right these wrongs marks me down as more the guard than the fighter.