Cafe Philo in New York City in two weeks: "Should the State Ignore, Prohibit or Regulate Bungee Jumping?"

The discussion topic for the next Cafe Philo in New York City, in two weeks, on Thursday, October 8, 2009, is "Should the State Ignore, Prohibit or Regulate Bungee Jumping?".

Relax. The actual topic is not "bungee jumping" per se, which is just a clever placeholder for activities in general. So, the question could have been worded as "What role should the government have in prohibiting or regulating any activities of its citizens?" or "When should the government be involved in prohibiting or regulating any activities of its citizens?"

Meanwhile, I will be attending the Cafe Philo in Washington, D.C. this Sunday (tomorrow), September 27, 2009 where the discussion topic will be "Is It Better to Be Popular While Alive or Famous After Death?" Their group meets at Reiter's Book Store, 1990 K St., NW, Washington, DC from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

We are not sure who will be moderating Cafe Philo NYC yet since Bernard Roy has been experiencing health problems lately. He is back in NYC and attended the past two Cafe Philo sessions as a participant. So far, Frank De Canio has done a great job of moderating our discussions. Try to imagine moderating a group of passionate New Yorkers!

There were 15 people there this past Thursday for the disscussion of "What is social class?", including Bernard as a participant even though Frank De Canio continued as moderator.

Catch up on preparatory online discussions in the Yahoo! group for Cafe Philo NYC.

As usual, the meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the back room at Bamiyan Restaurant (Afghan food) at the northwest corner of Third Avenue and 26th Street in New York City. In exchange for free meeting space, it is expected that each attendee will purchase a minimum of $5 of food or drink. By the way, the room has a great new air conditioner, so it is a welcome oasis on a hot or humid summer day.

There is also usually some number of attendees who go across the street to McCormack's Bar for drinks and food and extended discussion after Cafe Philo, but not limited to the scheduled discussion topic.

There are a number of small groups in the U.S. and Europe who meet regularly to discuss topics related to philosophy. Some of these groups go by the name "Cafe Philo." There is one here in New York City that meets every two weeks, every other Thursday. It is organized and moderated by Bernard Roy, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Each meeting focuses on a specific topic which was suggested and voted on by the participants at the last meeting.

Also, there is an online discussion forum for the NYC Cafe Philo at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nycafephilo/

There is also a new web site for NYC Cafe Philo:  www.nycafephilo.org.

I have been attending the NYC Cafe Philo off and on since 2004. Previously I had attended the Cafe Philo in Washington, D.C. starting in 2001.

-- Jack Krupansky

Arctic sea ice extent annual minimum reached without setting a record and now expanding again

In a special report, the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported in its Arctic Sea Ice News dated September 17, 2009 entitled "Arctic sea ice reaches annual minimum extent" that the minimum annual extent of Arctic sea ice for the year occurred on September 12, 2009 and the extent of Arctic sea ice is expanding again due to seasonal cooling. As the report says:

Arctic sea ice appears to have reached its minimum extent for the year, the third-lowest extent since the start of satellite measurements in 1979. While this year's minimum extent is above the record and near-record minimums of the last two years, it further reinforces the strong negative trend in summertime ice extent observed over the past thirty years.

Specifically,

On September 12, 2009 sea ice extent dropped to 5.10 million square kilometers (1.97 million square miles). This appears to have been the lowest point of the year, as sea ice has now begun its annual cycle of growth in response to autumn cooling. The 2009 minimum is the third-lowest recorded since 1979, 580,000 square kilometers (220,000 square miles) above 2008 and 970,000 square kilometers (370,000 square miles) above the record low in 2007.

The 2009 minimum is 1.61 million square kilometers (620,000 square miles) below the 1979 to 2000 average minimum and 1.28 million square kilometers (490,000 square miles) below the thirty-year 1979 to 2008 average minimum.

Sure, the latest data is on that 30-year downwards trend line, but given that the last two years have not been as cataclysmic as a lot of prognosticators were claiming back in 2007 and even at the start of 2008 (Arctic ice-free in 2008?), I would prefer to take a wait-and-see attitude towards the current trend.

In addition, there is some question as to whether the global economic recession of the past two years may have reduced carbon "emissions" enough to possibly influence current global climate conditions. Hard to say. I would simply note that reducing "emissions" would not directly reduce the existing carbon load in the atmosphere, and it is that existing load that impacts climate in the here and now. Maybe what it also says is that the prognosticators are being quite misleading when they suggest that their forecasts decades into the future can be depended upon. Sane people know that forecasts of anything tend to be quite unreliable, especially those concerning the future. Typically forecasts seem based on a presumption that "unless something changes", when in the real world everything is in a constant state of change.

-- Jack Krupansky

Arctic sea ice extent seasonal minimum reach without setting a record and now expanding again

In a special report, the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported in its Arctic Sea Ice News dated September 17, 2009 entitled "Arctic sea ice reaches annual minimum extent" that the minimum extent of Arctic sea ice occurred on September 12, 2009 and the extent of Arctic sea ice is expanding again due to seasonal cooling. As the report says:

Arctic sea ice appears to have reached its minimum extent for the year, the third-lowest extent since the start of satellite measurements in 1979. While this year's minimum extent is above the record and near-record minimums of the last two years, it further reinforces the strong negative trend in summertime ice extent observed over the past thirty years.

Specifically,

On September 12, 2009 sea ice extent dropped to 5.10 million square kilometers (1.97 million square miles). This appears to have been the lowest point of the year, as sea ice has now begun its annual cycle of growth in response to autumn cooling. The 2009 minimum is the third-lowest recorded since 1979, 580,000 square kilometers (220,000 square miles) above 2008 and 970,000 square kilometers (370,000 square miles) above the record low in 2007.

The 2009 minimum is 1.61 million square kilometers (620,000 square miles) below the 1979 to 2000 average minimum and 1.28 million square kilometers (490,000 square miles) below the thirty-year 1979 to 2008 average minimum.

Sure, the latest data is on that 30-year downwards trend line, but given that the last two years have not been as cataclysmic as a lot of prognosticators were claiming back in 2007 and even at the start of 2008 (Arctic ice-free in 2008?), I would prefer to take a wait-and-see attitude towards the current trend.

In addition, there is some question as to whether the global economic recession of the past two years may have reduced carbon "emissions" enough to possibly influence current global climate conditions. Hard to say. I would simply note that reducing "emissions" would not directly reduce the existing carbon load in the atmosphere, and it is that existing load that impacts climate in the here and now. Maybe what it also says is that the prognosticators are being quite misleading when they suggest that their forecasts decades into the future can be depended upon. Sane people know that forecasts of anything tend to be quite unreliable, especially those concerning the future. Typically forecasts seem based on a presumption that "unless something changes", when in the real world everything is in a constant state of change.

-- Jack Krupansky

Social class... in America?

The Cafe Philo NYC discussion topic for next Thursday (9/24) is "What is social class?"

My initial reaction is... Social class? In America? No, that is the special thing about America compared to "older", "medieval" societies -- we do not have any "social classes" in America. We no longer have slaves and do not have true Aristocrats.

Sure, we have economic classes and plenty of economic, race, ethnicity, and gender-based prejudices and biases, but nothing resembling the social classes of "old."

In America you are not "born" into any "social class."

In particular, if you study hard and work diligently, you can... "go anywhere and do anything." Not exactly a hallmark of "social class." You can start at the bottom and sometimes push your way all the way to the top, maybe become one of the wealthiest or even most powerful, despite the circumstances of your parents or your birth.

That said, we have plenty of "categories" that people can "fall" into:

1. Native American "Indians"
2. The mentally ill
3. The mentally retarded
4. Handicapped
5. Senior citizens
6. Athletes
7. Writers, poets, journalists
8. Artists
9. Performers
10. Businessmen
11. Legal immigrants
12. Illegal immigrants
13. Union members
14. Management
15. Executives
16. Entrepreneurs
17. Hobbyists, fans, and enthusiasts
18. People with "weird" hobbies
19. Trekkies
20. Dog people
21. Gender identity other than natural male and natural female
22. Forms of attire - "suit", casual, work, etc.
23. Alcoholics
24. Drug addicts
25. Race
26. Beauty
27. Sexuality
28. Scientists
29. Mathematicians
30. Engineers
31. Luddites
32. Philosophers
33. Citizens
34. Children
35. Infants
36. Young adults
37. Tourists
38. Doctors
39. Criminals
40. Affinity groups
41. Social organizations
42. Religions
43. Region, language dialects
44. Astrology sign
45. etc.

Some of these categories are in fact fixed physically, but most are changeable or evolve or are outright choices.

It may not always be easy to "move up in the world", but commonly it is a choice to accept our current situation and not "pursue our dreams."

As the Wikipedia notes, "In class society class is a key feature of life, and the cause and consequence of an individual's class often deeply scores their life." Sure, some, even many Americans feel that experience, but overall Americans have something to say about the course of their life.

We do have something we still call "the middle class", but it is essentially a vague economic categorization rather than a social "class". There is a constant state of flux as people move up into the middle class, upwards from the middle class, or downwards from the middle class or downwards into the middle class. This is usually a matter of money, economics, motivation, jobs, health issues, etc., but essentially never a true "social class" issue.

Education is a significant factor in your ultimate economic status, but is not driven purely by money or the economic status of your parents.

The politicians that run states and even our national government are quite a "motley" crew. Sure, there is certainly some elitism, but there are plenty of examples of lowly "commoners" rising far higher than would be possible in a true "class society." Our latest President of the United States famously referred to himself as "a mutt like me."

We could also talk about "social standing", "status", "recognition", and "position", but how is any of that related to social class?

I suppose maybe we could also refer to "elitists" and "the common man." Sure, such a distinction does exist, but it is vague and gray and mostly a matter of perception rather than an objective assessment of social class.

Then there is Marx and socialism and all of that. Enough said on that.

In any case, I will lead with the position that America is not a true "class society" (because of the social and economic mobility we have) and hence we do not have "social class" in America.

So, the question is whether we are to discuss the older, more traditional conceptions of class society and social class that pre-date America (e.g., medieval Europe, monarchies, caste systems, etc.) or whether we wish to discuss the biases, prejudices, and artificial categories that we choose and use in America in our structure which has left traditional "class society" and "social" class in the proverbial dustbin of history.

Now, if anybody disagrees with me, start by identifying what one "social class" you belong to.

-- Jack Krupansky

 

Cafe Philo in New York City next week: "What is social class?"

The discussion topic for the next Cafe Philo in New York City, next week on Thursday, September 24, 2009, is "What is social class?". I'll post some of my initial thoughts shortly.

We are not sure who will be moderating yet since Bernard Roy has been experiencing health problems lately. He is back in the area, but still not quite ready to tackle a feisty Cafe Philo group. So far this summer, Frank De Canio has done a great job of moderating our discussions. Try to imagine moderating a group of passionate New Yorkers!

There were 10 people there this past Thursday for the disscussion of "How Common is Common Sense?", including Bernard as a participant even though Frank De Canio continued as moderator.

Catch up on preparatory online discussions in the Yahoo! group for Cafe Philo NYC.

As usual, the meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the back room at Bamiyan Restaurant (Afghan food) at the northwest corner of Third Avenue and 26th Street in New York City. In exchange for free meeting space, it is expected that each attendee will purchase a minimum of $5 of food or drink. By the way, the room has a great new air conditioner, so it is a welcome oasis on a hot or humid summer day.

There is also usually some number of attendees who go across the street to McCormack's Bar for drinks and food and extended discussion after Cafe Philo, but not limited to the scheduled discussion topic.

There are a number of small groups in the U.S. and Europe who meet regularly to discuss topics related to philosophy. Some of these groups go by the name "Cafe Philo." There is one here in New York City that meets every two weeks, every other Thursday. It is organized and moderated by Bernard Roy, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Each meeting focuses on a specific topic which was suggested and voted on by the participants at the last meeting.

Also, there is an online discussion forum for the NYC Cafe Philo at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nycafephilo/

There is also a new web site for NYC Cafe Philo:  www.nycafephilo.org.

I have been attending the NYC Cafe Philo off and on since 2004. Previously I had attended the Cafe Philo in Washington, D.C. starting in 2001.

-- Jack Krupansky

Cafe Philo in New York City tonight: "How Common is Common Sense?"

The discussion topic for the next Cafe Philo in New York City tonight, Thursday, September 10, 2009, is "How Common is Common Sense?".

We are not sure who will be moderating yet since Bernard Roy has been experiencing health problems lately. I heard that he is now over in France for the summer (as he usually does), recuperating, and may even be back to attend tonight as a participant. So far this summer, Frank De Canio has done a great job of moderating our discussions. Try to imagine moderating a group of passionate New Yorkers!

We are hoping that enough people will attend to continue meeting through the summer. There were 14 people there two weeks ago for the disscussion of "Why is Time Important?". That was actually a great turnout for a summer session.

Catch up on preparatory online discussions in the Yahoo! group for Cafe Philo NYC.

As usual, the meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the back room at Bamiyan Restaurant (Afghan food) at the northwest corner of Third Avenue and 26th Street in New York City. In exchange for free meeting space, it is expected that each attendee will purchase a minimum of $5 of food or drink. By the way, the room has a great new air conditioner, so it is a welcome oasis on a hot or humid summer day.

There is also usually some number of attendees who go across the street to McCormack's Bar for drinks and food and extended discussion after Cafe Philo, but not limited to the scheduled discussion topic.

There are a number of small groups in the U.S. and Europe who meet regularly to discuss topics related to philosophy. Some of these groups go by the name "Cafe Philo." There is one here in New York City that meets every two weeks, every other Thursday. It is organized and moderated by Bernard Roy, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Each meeting focuses on a specific topic which was suggested and voted on by the participants at the last meeting.

Also, there is an online discussion forum for the NYC Cafe Philo at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nycafephilo/

There is also a new web site for NYC Cafe Philo:  www.nycafephilo.org.

I have been attending the NYC Cafe Philo off and on since 2004. Previously I had attended the Cafe Philo in Washington, D.C. starting in 2001.

-- Jack Krupansky

Arctic sea ice extent declined less this year in August due to... wind

The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported in its Arctic Sea Ice News dated September 8, 2009 entitled "Winds cause sea ice to spread in August" that although the Arctic sea ice extent is still greater than at this point in the season in 2007 and 2008, the greater extent is at least somewhat due to winds. The report says:

Atmospheric circulation patterns in August helped spread out sea ice, slowing ice loss in most regions of the Arctic.

They do not say how large an effect the winds were or what the equivalent extent would have been with normal winds or "Atmospheric circulation patterns."

I had expected the minumum ice extent to be reached within a week, but the report says "NSIDC scientists expect to see the minimum ice extent for the year in the next few weeks." Another part of the report says that there are "one to two weeks left in the melt season" and "The minimum ice extent for the year will probably occur in the next two weeks."

The Arctic sea ice extent didn't some close to a new record, but for August it came in at #3:

While this year's minimum ice extent will probably not reach the record low of 2007, it remains well below normal: average ice extent for August 2009 was the third-lowest in the satellite record. Ice extent has now fallen below the 2005 minimum, previously the third-lowest extent in the satellite record.

The report says that sea ice extent for August 2009 averaged 2.42 million square miles, which is 350,000 square miles more than the record low for August in 2007 and compares to 2.43 million square miles in August of 2005, and is 540,000 square miles below the 1979 to 2000 average.

The way I read this is that the weather pattern in 2007 did some very serious damage and that a fairly substantial portion of that damage has already been recovered. Whether damage comparable to 2007 recurs is entirely speculation, but at least such damage did not recur in either 2008 or 2009.

The report closes by mentioning some new papers:

Three papers published in the past month have added important insight to our understanding of Arctic warming and sea ice decline. Elizabeth Hunke and Cecilia Bitz show that improved models can now reproduce the changes in sea ice extent and sea ice age that have occurred in the last 30 years. Ron Kwok and Drew Rothrock combine satellite data and submarine measurements to show an astonishing decline in sea ice thickness over the last 50 years. And Darrell Kaufman and colleagues show that recent warming has reversed a 2000-year cooling trend in the Arctic, and that this cooling was what would be expected from slow changes in Earth's orbit. The recent changes cannot be explained by these natural factors.

So, in addition to area (extent), we now need to track winds and ice thickness. I appreciate that the science is difficult and that the priorities of the variables can change over time, but it is unfortunate that the scientists have not had a consistent story about what variables to focus on. I hadn't heard wind mentioned until this report and none of the graphics factor in or adjust for that variable, or for ice thickness. Hopefully the official graphics will be updated with these new variables in the near future.

This was certainly not a great month or summer by historical standards, but at least it is a move in the direction counter to the wild claim made two years ago (and last week by Senator John Kerry) that the Arctic would be ice-free in 2013.

I would note that even before these "winds" in August, the extent was still reasonably above the extent in July of 2007. I would say that we should wait a good five years to determine how to properly judge 2007 in context, especially to answer the question of whether it was mostly due to weather fluctuations or climate change.

-- Jack Krupansky

The crumpled sidewalk shed is all patched up

When I went out for my usual lunch-time walk today the workmen had already patched up the sidewalk shed across the street from my apartment building. This morning it got "crumpled" by an errant delivery truck and they had to close my street. Now it is all fixed up. Not quite as good as new, but "good enough" for the sidewalk to be opened again. Life goes on as if nothing had happened.

-- Jack Krupansky

Why is there a fireman with an ax outside my apartment building?

As I approached the front door of my apartment building to go out for my morning walk today I noticed a NYFD fireman standing outside our door with an ax in his hand. A bit out of the usual, even for my neighborhood. I peered out the door and saw a couple of fire trucks and police cars and saw that my street was closed to vehicular traffic. There were a couple other firemen standing nearby with big prybars in their hands. Attention was focused directly across the street from my apartment building, but I could see no evidence of any fire, not even any fire hoses or water. Mostly everybody was just standing around looking at a truck parked across the street. And it did not appear to be on fire.

Everybody seemed rather relaxed.

I saw a few other pedestrians on the sidewalk, so I ventured out. I walked down the sidewalk (eastward) a short distance to get a better angle on the truck. It was your typical large box delivery truck that is so common in NYC. From an angle I could see that it's right front wheel was a foot or two up on the curb, there was some broken glass on the sidewalk, and... one of the scaffolding supports for the sidewalk "shed" in front of that building had been pushed out of vertical by at least a foot or two and the "shed" above it was sagging down. There was no actual collapse or debris (other than the broken glass that was probably from the truck) or any apparent injuries. There were no ambulances around.

In NYC a "sidewalk shed" is bascially a temporary roof above the sidewalk in front of a building to protect pedestrians from any falling debris while workers work on the facade of a building. This temporary roof is supported by scaffolding that rests on the sidewalk. In this case workers are chiseling and grinding out old mortar between the brickwork and re-mortaring the brick. Workers are on a platform daggling from ropes suspended from the roof, so there is no additional scaffolding above the "shed" that could collapse. There is usually some amount of tools and building materials and debris resting on top of the shed, so a collapse could be a moderate danger to pedestrians, but not life-threatening to workers as with a typical scaffolding that goes higher up the facade of a building.

Just yesterday morning I walked under that exact location of the shed where the support is now damaged.

No clue as to how or why the delivery truck was up on the sidewalk. It is not uncommon for vehicles to ride up on the curb a little bit to simplify parking.

My building is at 135 E 50TH ST, just east of Lexington Avenue.

The incident is just outside the service entrance for the W hotel, but I am not sure whether that portion of the building is actually part of the hotel. It could be, but maybe not.

Sorry that I don't have any juicy pictures, but I do not have a camera or even a cellphone with a camera.

-- Jack Krupansky

Why is there a firman with an ax outside my apartment building?

As I approached the front door of my apartment building to go out for my morning walk today I noticed a NYFD fireman standing outside our door with an ax in his hand. A bit out of the usual, even for my neighborhood. I peered out the door and saw a couple of fire trucks and police cars and saw that my street was closed to vehicular traffic. Attention was focused directly across the street from my apartment building, but I could see no evidence of any fire, not even any fire hoses or water. Mostly everybody was just standing around looking at a truck parked across the street. And it did not appear to be on fire.

Everybody seemed rather relaxed.

I saw a few other pedestrians on the sidewalk, so I ventured out. I walked down the sidewalk (eastward) a short distance to get a better angle on the truck. It was your typical large box delivery truck that is so common in NYC. From an angle I could see that it's right front wheel was a foot or two up on the curb, there was some broken glass on the sidewalk, and... one of the scaffolding supports for the sidewalk "shed" in front of that building had been pushed out of vertical by at least a foot or two and the "shed" above it was sagging down. There was no actual collapse or debris (other than the broken glass that was probably from the truck) or any apparent injuries. There were no ambulances around.

In NYC a "sidewalk shed" is bascially a temporary roof above the sidewalk in front of a building to protect pedestrians from any falling debris while workers work on the facade of a building. This temporary roof is supported by scaffolding that rests on the sidewalk. In this case workers are chiseling and grinding out old mortar between the brickwork and re-mortaring the brick. Workers are on a platform daggling from ropes suspended from the roof, so there is no additional scaffolding above the "shed" that could collapse. There is usually some amount of tools and building materials and debris resting on top of the shed, so a collapse could be a moderate danger to pedestrians, but not life-threatening to workers as with a typical scaffolding that goes higher up the facade of a building.

Just yesterday morning I walked under that exact location of the shed where the support is now damaged.

No clue as to how or why the delivery truck was up on the sidewalk. It is not uncommon for vehicles to ride up on the curb a little bit to simplify parking.

My building is at 135 E 50TH ST, just east of Lexington Avenue.

The incident is just outside the service entrance for the W hotel, but I am not sure whether that portion of the building is actually part of the hotel. It could be, but maybe not.

Sorry that I don't have any juicy pictures, but I do not have a camera or even a cellphone with a camera.

-- Jack Krupansky

One-way travel to Mars?

I noticed the intriguing Op-Ed article in The New York Times by Lawrence M. Krauss entitled "A One-Way Ticket to Mars" and was immediately reminded of similar thoughts I had and blogged about back on May 27, 2007 in a post about being a Mars colonist entitled "One-way trip to Mars".

I would definitely consider signing up for one-way travel to Mars to be a Mars colonist. I might want to wait a few more years before going, but nobody is going yet anyway.

Note that going one-way would not necessarily mean you could never come back, but simply that the return trip, if any, is completely decoupled from the outbound voyage. Some colonists might seek to return, but a majority would likely seek to stay on Mars.

Another note is that the somewhat weaker gravity would be a blessing to those of more advanced age (such as aging Baby Boomers.)

A final note is the prospect of children being born and raised on Mars.

And beyond a final note is the prospect of genetic engineering of humans to be able to survive in the weak atmosphere of Mars.

-- Jack Krupansky

Made my Kiva micro-loan for the month of September

I made a new micro-loan through Kiva for the month of September. My intention is to make a new micro-loan every month, if possible, from repayments for past micro-loans. Repayments in August were more than enough to fund this latest micro-loan (and one for October, November, and December as well.) All of these micro-loans are for micro-entrepreneurs in business in developing countries.

This one was for a group of five (one man, four women) in Kabul, Afghanistan for their individual business needs, including: purchasing beading materials, fruit cart business, general store, bakery business, and selling of books, pens, and other things. It is an 11-month micro-loan for a total of $1,075, of which I lent $25. The micro-loan was already disbursed to the micro-entrepreneur on July 27, 2009 by the local partner. Kiva is raising funds to essentially buy that loan from the local partner.

I now have only one micro-loan that is delinquent. It is actually just due to the field partner experiencing difficulty with transferring the money back to Kiva due to some new local government requirement. The other loan which was tagged as being delinquent has now been fully repaid.

I have made a total of 21 micro-loans to date, since December 2009.

Here is my Kiva public lender page: http://www.kiva.org/lender/JackKrupansky

Note: This is all real and good, but these micro-loans do not net any interest to us micro-lenders. Kiva's fine print:

Lending to the working poor through Kiva involves risk of principal loss.
Kiva does not guarantee repayment nor do we offer a financial return on your loan.

Still, at least we know our money is really helping somebody better their lives in a visible way rather than put the money in a bank account or money market fund where who knows what it helps to pay for or what good it does and for only a few pennies of profit in our pockets.

-- Jack Krupansky

The Good Enough Revolution: When Cheap and Simple Is Just Fine

There is an interesting article from Wired by Robert Capps entitled "The Good Enough Revolution: When Cheap and Simple Is Just Fine" which expresses a concept that I have believed in... forever. Actually, I haven't finished reading the article yet, but just the first page was "good enough" for me to judge that the author was talking about one of my core philosophies about technology, products, and services.

My own philosophy of "good enough" explains why I remain a diehard PC owner and user. Is the Mac better? Maybe, in some ways. Is the Mac superior enough to justify its price tag? To me: No way. To put it simply: To me, the PC is good enough.

To me, good enough is... good enough. Why pay extra for what you do not really need?

-- Jack Krupansky