Wow, it's been awhile.

At first I thought the plan to build palm tree shaped islands off the coast of Dubai was dumb. I thought about the billions of dollars that are being spent to make it, money that could be used to feed the hungry and cure AIDS in Africa. I thought about how little control we humans really have over Nature, and how silly it was to expend so much energy and resources just to make two little islands. There are already millions of islands! Can't the sheiks of Dubai do something that benefits mankind?

But, then I started thinking like an American. These islands will be unlike anything anyone has ever seen: an innovation and an inspiration for all the builders and planners in the world. What's more, since it will be a luxury (or at least high-end) vacation destination and real estate venture, it will drive the everyday worker to work harder than he otherwise might have, in order to visit there. Maybe this particular project won't make a particular person strive for more. But it at least belongs to a lifestyle category that inspires the average American to keep working harder and trying to better his circumstances.

Whether that is necessary has yet to be explored. Next time.