Moths Must Not Be Able To See Well
I was just lying on my bed staring up at the closed blind of the skylight. I closed it during the ill-fated re-roofing extravaganza, and I don't wish to open it until the job is finished (they began in August or September). A large, rather attractive moth -- grey with a diamond outlined in black on its back -- was wandering the edge of the skylight, and almost ran straight into the stinging part of a wasp. The wasp swung around and the moth fluttered off, then did the same thing all over again. We should pool our money and buy contact lenses for these poor moths -- otherwise moths with poor eyesight might accidentally be killed! I thought the wasp was quite nice, however -- maybe the scenario had been enacted dozens of times before I watched. I suppose it might be that Nature, not a wasteful force, considered things like intelligence, memory, and eyesight unnecessary in short-lived creatures.

More Moths
I don't watch television so I have no idea what's going on, but apparently there was a performance at the Grammys that has Indian Country up at arms since it featured faux Indians. I'm amazed that anyone would think such a thing is a good idea to instigate in this day and age. Something I read quoted someone to the effect that other ethnic groups would not be treated that way. It made me thing -- what ethnic groups are off-limits when it comes to evoking offensive stereotypes or treating them disrespectfully, and which ones aren't? I always think of my friend from years ago, whose background was Scottish. She talked about the stereotypical Scotsman, who takes out his purse from which moths are released when he opens it. She thought it was funny -- the stereotype is that the Scottish are thrifty to the point of miserliness -- because she felt it was ridiculous and quite obviously not something that could harm her. I don't think one can equate that, however (which she did), with evocations of offensive stereotypes that have been used to crush and control, or evidence of disrespect that reveals a lazy and ingrained way of thinking that needs to be changed. It boils down to empathy, again -- I see all the time that people only apply what they know about themselves to themselves -- they don't apply it to others. Say, I like to be treated with respect, therefore MAYBE other people like to be treated with respect.