Three Things

Here are two memes of my own creation:

What are three things you notice first and/or snoop into when you visit someone's home?

That's an easy one for me:

1. Books/Magazines

2. CDs/DVDs

3. Photos

I like browsing other people's bookshelves, as seeing what people like to read is a good conversation starter and helps you to get to know that person. The same, to a lesser degree, is true of CDs and DVDs.

And it's also a very telling thing when I visit a home that does not contain any reading material whatsoever. For one thing, it tells me very quickly that I have very little in common with that person and that we won't have a whole lot to talk about. A sterile and barren home is one that has no reading matter.

And one without any form of music is equally deficient. A lack of DVDs isn't quite as telling, as many people limit themselves to rentals.

Name three forms of technology you'd take with you if you were sent back 200 years in time.

This one was a bit tougher, as there are so many possibilities. Here are the ones I came up with:

1. Electric power

2. Heat/Air conditioning/Refrigeration

3. Computer/software

I'd considered indoor plumbing, but then realized I could live with outhouses. I thought about having a car, but where would I get the fuel, unless I could also bring an endless supply of gasoline with me as well? I'd also thought about modern medicine, but again, a modern hospital and a supply of modern medicine would be a problem.

Sweating in the summer and freezing in the winter was something I'd not want to endure, nor would I want to sit in candlelight at night. Of course, there would be no internet in the past, but with sufficient software, I could still enjoy my computer. A portable generator to provide enough electricity for one home wouldn't be as much of a problem as providing the things needed to keep a car running or to provide modern medical care.

Let's hear your ideas.