Lack of Cannery Factory?

There are many interesting issues lately, "Taiwan Breeds Transgenic, Fluorescent Green Pigs" for one - does it not remind you of Dr. Seuss's poem Green Egg and Ham? Those wacky taiwanese scientist, what would they think of next?


There is also "Tapping Trees for Electricity". Currently they can get 2 volts out of a single tree but no mention of the relevent current. I found the concept strangely disturbing and matrix-like. But instead of us being the battery we are making another living being (trees) into our power source. However, I suppose we already cut them down and burn them for fuel, so this could be argued as no worse than what we have done for thousands of years. Yet still, I find the concept disturbing, perhaps I am just old fashioned and out of step with time.

I always have this strange idea that plants and trees talk. It is just that we don't listen very well. I also think it would be a neat idea to have a precise language translator for animals. Maybe one for dogs, one for cats, and another for birds. I bet animals have something interesting to say. Sometimes I think we humans talk so much we never really had time to settle down and listen to other life-forms. ^_^ Sometimes we talk so much we don't even listen to the people around us. When is the last time you say hello to someone and really stop to listen to the reply? Maybe such is the price for a modern and busy society. Everything must be faster, better, and cheaper.

It reminded me of a story I read once. A business man by chance met a fisherman and started a friendly conversation.
"That is a nice fishing boat you got there!" Business man said while eyeing the boat with speculation.
"This old piece of wood? It floats on water, which is good enough for me." Fisherman says with a hint of pride.
"With a boat like this I bet you can make enough to retire in 20 years" Business man said with excitment.
"Retire in 20 years? How would I do that?" Fisherman asked with interest.
"First, you catch enough fish for the first few years to save some money to buy a second ship. Then you can hire some hands to work for you and be a capatain of a small fleet. 10 years later, you will have enough money to start a Cannery Factory to make canned fish and supply the town. In 15 years you would be able to expand through out the country. In 20 years, you would have enough money to retire!"
"What do I do once I retire?" Fisherman said with some doubt at this 20 year plan.
"Why, you can just sit around and fish in the morning and then spent time with your family in the afternoon, it would be wonderful!"
"But I already do that, I catch my 10 fish then I go home to my family, why do I need to wait 20 years to do that?"

What the fisher man says struck me as true. I have enough to eat, a place to sleep, and the love of a few. I am mostly satisfied - as I should be.

But what the business man says also struck me as true, because sometimes, unexpectedly there would be an emptiness I can't explain. Perhaps that emptiness is because of the lack of my own cannery factory? ^_^



[Thoughts]