Ugly Minimalism

It seems to be a current trend to make things minimalist. The less you can see the better. Hidden away are plenty of features but you have to access them. That takes time. It's all about form over function or comfort. For a few examples.

How about a car dashboard. There used to be buttons and knobs to quickly access something you wanted. Now these are accessed via a touch screen.

Legislators are now going to downgrade safety scores for vehicles that don't have physical controls for important features. Why? Because time spent wading through menus and sub-menus is time your eyes are not on the road. Putting form over function and risking occupant safety.

A kitchen, in case it was hard to work out. No utensils hanging handily to grab in an instant. No herb trays. Regularly used appliances have to be found and lifted out. 

All of this inconvenience to create a formless waste. Cold, uninviting and impractical. If the owners eat out, order in or have preprepared bought dinners, I guess they don't need a practical kitchen. It's still ugly.

Another form over function fashion style are sofas with low backs. It works if they are used for slouching on but to sit up on? 

Again, it's all about the style and not good posture. I wouldn't touch a couch like that with a barge pole. The floor and a cushion would be more comfortable for me. I can't even say I think it looks nice.

Functionality is for me always more important than style. Car dashboards with sensibly laid out tactile controls look better in my opinion than a touch screen and blandness. 

A kitchen with nicely placed kitchen tools and appliances looks far superior to slabs of nothing. 

Furniture with proportions that accommodate the human frame looks more inviting than one that is nothing more than an uncomfortable styling exercise. Uglier too to me.

Photos: Freepik.

Why It's Good To Ask For Directions

When you're driving down an open road like the one above and you know the direction you are going is correct, you can relax. The weather is fine so you have clear vision, few cars if any, and the road is yours.

Now you have reached the town of your destination. You need to get to a street addess but its a new street and the navigation system doesn't recognise it. You see plenty of locals on the footpath. Do you stop to ask directions or try your best to find the street?

Men in general do not like to ask directions, but why? Some say it's because they are putting themselves in a dependent position. It could hurt their pride because they’d have to admit that they have need help.

I knew a man who said he would rather drive around indefinitely looking rather than stop and ask. Personally, I'm very quick to ask once I realise I need help. Not everyone knows the answer but soon enough someone does. It saves a lot of time and people seem to be happy they were able to help. 

Then you have more time to enjoy what you travelled all this way to do. Spend time with people who are special to you, like you see in the picture below. 

The Celebrity Traitors UK : 2025

The show is back and this time with celebrities from the UK. I know some of them but not others. Living in NZ we get UK TV shows so I only know those that might appear on them. That doesn't matter as we soon get to know them all. 

I've seen four episodes so far. Don't worry, if you haven't seen the show yet I won't let out any spoilers. In NZ, it is featured on TV3, twice a week and 12 hours after the UK viewing. I find it an interesting show and I'll explain why. 

Picking liars. Most people think they are good at that but a convincing liar is hard to pick unless they put their foot in it. Even then, some are good at putting it right.

Catching traitors. It is frustrating not to catch them but even if they are exposed, another is recruited. The main thing is they don't win. 

The daily challenges. They are good at team building but some of the team will soon be plotting to remove a faithful member of the team. I couldn't be a traitor.

Historical comparison. The first traitor ever got the first woman to believe him and used that trust against her best interest and by extension that of the whole human family. That original traitor also became the first liar and the father of the lie. Lying is an essential tool of a traitor, if they wish to succeed. 

Lesson: Appearances can be deceptive. We should never overestimate our ability to detect a lie. In The Traitors it is hard to gather the information necessary to detect the deceiver. 

In life generally, when it comes to information we receive, accurate knowledge of a subject can be a protection. It can expose those wishing to trick us or who are twisting the truth. If in doubt, be careful and try to get accurate information before believing anything. Beware of those who are traitors to the truth.