Random musings:

How can you evaluate prevention?

One hundred percent of people want to be above average.

I've tried an experiment a couple of times: In the process of working at my desk (or some other flat surface), I end up with a bunch of stuff (usually papers and clippings) scattered around me at different angles. When another person comes in and sees it, they comment on my having a "mess," or some such thing, around me. When they leave, I go through the things around me, arranging them so they all are at right angles to each other (text and paper edges)-- but not altering the overall placement of things-- the people invariably come back and comment on how I've "cleaned up" even though the overall arrangement hasn't changed. Interesting to see how visual ppl are, their rational assumptions of "clean" and "dirty" (hence value judgements) and how their cognition works.
I've also tried the following: Given an area with things (in my case, papers, books, boxes, laundry, etc) distributed across the floor of a room/office. Second person comes in and comments that I should "get rid of some of this stuff." After person 2 has left, I pick up the papers (et al), put them in stacks and otherwise arrange them to minimize their horizontal distribution without changing the amount of "stuff" there. The person then returns and remarks: "good, you took my advice," and "got rid" of the needed "stuff."
The moral of this story: If you want to impress someone, be vertically, as opposed to horizontally, messy and try to square off all the corners therein. :-)

Wow, I feel like a nerd now! But wait, there's more!

Is there a study of the meaning behind the word "nature" or "natural"? (especially when used in the phrases "human nature" and "natural extension")

And of the following:

"community"

"foreign"

"homeland"
----

What role do memorials (like the Washington Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, etc) play in your thinking about America? Their role in the US as a whole?

How important are lyrics in the music you listen to? as opposed to the melody/instrumentation?

What needs to happen for the "War on Terrorism" is successfully completed?

How do you know if someone is part of Al Qaeda? Connections through Osama bin Laden? Do they carry membership cards? How do you differentiate Al Qaeda members from members of other terrorist organizations? Seems to be a lot more amorphous than most ppl assume.

Do people know of studies on the significance of resignation (of posts) in American politics?

Also of suicide on the American psyche? Domestically, Internationally-- Why is it seen that "suicide bombings" are somehow more terrible than "regular" bombings? Relationship to American individualism? Mental illness?

Why does the government seem to think only "Seniors" need relief from exorbitant drug prices? Especially when individual pills of some can cost upward of $50? Is it just because of AARP? I understand the whole "fixed income" thing and drug companies' R&D costs-- but seniors are not the only ones with fixed income and at least as much of the medication cost comes from marketing as it comes from R&D. Ok-- I'm biased. Without massive financial help from my parents and almost daily battles with my medical insurance provider, I wouldn't have been able to get the meds and attention I needed for various health problems I've had in the last 5 yrs. (including three herniated discs in my lower spine and associated nerve problems). It is nice to walk normally again.

Meh-- wondering how many people who are outraged at what Bush is doing (especially in those "Anti-War" rallies) will actually vote.

And how did it turn into the "Anti-War" movement (with heavy emphasis on pacifism even beyond Iraq)? From the (admittedly biased and non-representative) sense of American opinion I've gotten, there are a lot of people who are against the current and recent US actions in Iraq, but aren't against war in general. It's a pity that the opposition to Bush seems to be rallying around a pretty simplistic point (not that it's right or wrong by any stretch of the imagination).

Anyhow, I should probably get back to work.....