What's Wrong

Why can't we address the real problems in the world? Not the economy, the business cycle goes from recession to expansion on its own. Not climate change, the world gets hotter and colder on its own. Not political disputes, politicians have been at each others throats since governments created them.

Why can't a restaurant's brunch be at least as good as the breakfasts put on by the local volunteer firehouses as a fund-raiser? At a Firehouse Breakfast, you get all you can eat of the basic staples: eggs, potatoes, various forms of pig, pancakes and around here cream chipped beef. Some even have omelettes and scrapple. The dessert assortment contains gelatin and pie along side the more traditional donuts and danishes.

At a restaurant though the treatment is lacking. Some seafood dish replaces some of the pork products and a noodley salad ousts the french toast. Fresh fruit and salad greens intrude on the traditional starch, sugar and grease. The food doesn't even taste that good. They always manage to screw up the potatoes (usually by adding a set of spices that disagree with the rest of breakfast). Yet the 24-hour Diner is able to get it right.

At least they managed to figure out the "open on weekends" bit. Doctors, dentists, banks, they all manage to screw that up. When a sizeable portion of your potential clients are working 9-5, why would you be open the same hours? Nothing against the unemployed, but they do make a lot fewer deposits and investments than the people who can't get to the bank until after 5. The same thing goes for pediatricians with hours while school is in session.

Why don't we take advantage of timezones? Right now all they do is complicate long-distance phone calls and scheduling. But what would it be like if we imported our doctors from California? Their 9-5 hours would extend after our work days ends. On a small scale it's already been tested, where do you think the stereotype of Indians running 24-hour convenience stores came from?

That would make a good start at improving the world. And will might last a little longer than mass exile of politicians and reporters.