Aphelion

Lots of good advice, there.

As a note of trivia, the original Wear sunscrean essay was by a Chicago Tribune columnist named Mary Schmich, and was written in 1997. You can find it here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/colu ... 576.column

The piece gained national notoriety when it was mis-attributed to Kurt Vonnegut, the way that faxlore and elore tends to be. Later, it was turned into a song by Australian directory Baz Luhrmann, with help from Anton Monsted, Josh Abrahams. You can see the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfq_A8nXMsQ

Take a moment from your day to do so. It's worth it.

Specialization is for insects! "

I like that. I like the idea of being a generalist, but it's getting harder all the time, and -- at least for those who choose to live in a modern technological society -- impossible to make a living at.

Back when scientists were still called "natural philosophers," it was still possible for a human being to learn nearly everything that was known or knowable about the world, and the parts he didn't know, he could derive. Not so much so today, I'm afraid.

It isn't us -- remember, concepts like compound interest were known in Old Testament times, and there's some pretty sophisticated architecture left over from the ancients -- it's the technology. If your iPod breaks, can you repair it? (Don't ask me, btw, I don't own one.)