12/30/03’s illustrious band:

TANSTAAFL

Brought to you by author Robert Heinlein in his sci-fi classic The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. It’s an acronym for “There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.”

That was Heinlein’s way of saying that you have to pay the piper; you don’t get something for nothing. It’s the social version of Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

I haven’t actually read Moon, which is a dangerous admission for a sci-fi nerd like me. However, I’ve read several of Heinlein’s other novels and pronounce them engaging, but irritating. Stranger in a Strange Land is especially good; it’s the story of a man born and raised on Mars who comes to Earth as an adult and has to learn what it means to be human. Or try to, anyway. He gives to the world freely of his considerable gifts, but rather than simply accepting his boundless love and generosity, the world exacts a price.

Anyway. I don’t have anything more interesting than that to say today; I just like muttering tanstaafl. I suppose I could muse upon the theme of end-of-year reflection and giving something back for what we’ve been given, etc., but really, I just geeked out there for a minute.

Today around the world: December 30 is Rizal Day in the Philippines.

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