On society / On SDM contents

The snow storm is over. There is some 50 cm snow outside, but who cares. I will let others take care of it. I myself took care of system architecture assignments. It took me some 8 hours to figure out somehow satisfying answers to the questions. The method and notation prof Crawley teaches us is good, but requires really much practice. Or then it is just me. I did order the book about the method and will study it during the srping. It has some wisdom, which I want to capture, and to which I would like to add something. Let's see.

Late today, Vineet and Kumar paid me a visit. I was already going crazy staying at home for 1.5 days. It was nice to have friends over.

Nothing more today. I had a drink or two, and I am now ready to read some 20 pages of the future of the work-book.

On society

Greg has found an excellent quote of Confucius:

When the perfect order prevails, the world is like a home shared by all. Virtuous and worthy people are elected to public office, and the capable hold posts of gainful employment in society; peace and trust among all men are the maxims of living. All people love and respect their own parents and children, as well as the parents and children of others. There is caring for the old; there are jobs for the adults; there are nourishment and education for the children. There is a means of support for the widows, and the widowers; for all who find themselves alone in the world; and for the disabled. Every man and woman has an appropriate role to play in the family and society. A sense of sharing displaces the effects of selfishness and materialism. A devotion to public duty leaves no room for idleness. Intrigues and conniving for ill gain are unknown. Villains such as thieves and robbers do not exist. The door to every home need never be locked and bolted by day or night. These are the characteristics of an ideal world, the commonwealth state

I could not have written better idea myself.

On SDM contents

It is quite funny, that people, who had devoted years of their life/career in figuring out more efficient ways of killing other humans are now asking us, students, to figure out ways to improve overcrowding of large cities and problems of health care. If they were serious, they would stop working for any kind of defence/attack industry and start working on the health/city-problems themselves. Maybe they are working on these issues, but at the level of common discourse military applications still prevail. So, if we really want to solve at least some of the world problems by making better engineering systems, abonding development of military systems would be a good start. I am not holding my breath, though. Again, I send trouble moving a little faster. Tom Allen should be happy.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs January 2005".