Don't make an ASS out of yourself

I travel by air a couple of times a year. As a control freak, I have never liked the idea of turning my life over to the pilots. I know they are professionals (and they usually hit the ground first), but I would rather "drive" myself. (I have always been the "Driver", but that is another blog). There are a LOT of people that have a fear of flying. It seems like every flight I am on there is someone that looks terrified as we take off. I am aware of the dangers, and would rather stay on the ground, but sometimes if you want to get there, flying is the only way. One of the ways the fear of flying has been addressed is by analogies/comparisons. Hearing one of my favorites was the basis for this blog. You all may have heard that "more people die in donkey accidents in an average year than die in plane crashes". Now, I don't know about you but that statement does nothing to help ease my concerns about getting in a huge metal tube with hundreds of other people and thousands of gallons of aviation fuel and heading into the sky. What is does do is absolutely TERRIFY me of donkeys. Who are all these people that are travelling on such an unsafe mode of transport? I wonder, are there head on collisions - donkey to donkey? Is it a footing problem? If you are like me, hearing about someone travelling on a donkey brings up a vision of a narrow ledge with a path on it, leading around the mountain. I can understand that, but more people than planes? Wow. I have also heard that more people die in bathing accidents. Yes, bathing - like bathtub. (that makes one wonder if donkeys are involved...) I know the tub can be a slippery place, but I do not ever remember feeling as though my life was in danger while lathering up. Let's be glad they do not have bathing facilities on airplanes! Another favorite comparison is with lightning. I know lightning can kill. But again, who are these people that are outside when lightning is striking. I know about the freak accidents on golf courses and sports fields. I know there are millions if not billions of souls that work in their fields and may be caught outside when a storm hits - BUT MORE THAN PLANE CRASHES!?! (I see the hands - hoofs? - of donkeys again.) Every child is told to get inside when a storm comes. Lastly, we have all been told that we are safer in the air than we were travelling to the airport in our car. More people die in car crashes than any other accident. Now I am terrified of driving to the airport! Unless you live in a city with rail transport to the airport, an automobile is the only way to get there. Telling me I am going to die getting to the plane is not going to ease my mind about getting on the plane. (this brings to mind the joke about the blond that heard that most accidents occur within five miles of home - so she moved) I guess at an intellectual level I know that airline travel, statistically, is one of the safest ways to travel. I do love the comparisons however. I guess I am done. I hope I gave you something to think about. Hey, it looks like a storm is coming. I think I will get on my donkey and head out to the airport. Bye

Who's got gas?

Here is another thing that is bothering me - I am tired of people whining about gas prices. Gas was never free!! When people whine about "$40 to fill my tank" they forget that even at $2 a gallon it was $25 or so to fill it!! Here are some numbers: The average car in the U.S. is driven about 12,000 miles a year. If you get 20 MPG (hey if you are driving a Hummer, getting 10, I don't want to hear it!) That is 600 gallons of gas a year. Most people would be estatic if gas was at $2 a gallon again -SO, that is about $600 a year (for the extra $1 a gallon) or $11.54 a week. Now I know there are a LOT of folks that were struggling to pay the $2, but the average person I know was not. Here is another way to look at it. How many Starbuck's coffees or lattes have you had lately at $$37.33 a gallon? ($3.50 for a 12 oz one) How about a beer on an airplane at $53.33 a gallon? ($5 per) Then there is bottled water at $10.66 a gallon. ($1 a 12oz bottle -and it can be MUCH higher

Our Guv'ment

Section 8 - Powers of Congress The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises , to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and Post Roads ; To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings a

Being Thankful

Here on the eve of Thanksgiving I thought it would be appropriate to be thankful. However there are many, many reasons to be thankful. We are thankful that we live in a country where fortunes can be made by lawsuits over the temperature of a beverage. We are thankful that we have cameras to record every movement of the latest pop tart exiting a limo. We are thankful that we have more lawyers than any other nation on earth - over one million. (I just read that 70% of the lawyers in the world are in the U.S.) We are thankful that we are innocent until proven guilty - unless the charges are of a nature as to be offensive to someone. We are thankful that we have hundreds of channels of television, still with nothing on worth watching most times. Along that theme, we are thankful to be able to watch exiting "sports" like spelling bees and baccarat. We are thankful to have devoted public servants and elected officials that look upon their job as a way to line their pockets. We ar

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