Flying is safer than driving

"In 2020 alone, 30,250 people died while riding in passenger vehicles. Forty-five percent of these were in cars, 34% in light trucks, and 18% on motorcycles.

 
There were 614 serious injuries in the air from 2002 to 2020, an average of 32 per year. Comparatively, Americans suffered about 2.3 million injuries per year in passenger cars and trucks on highways."

https://usafacts.org/articles/is-flying-safer-than-driving/?

Per mile motorcycles are the most dangerous, however, in my opinion, no matter how you travel you are not safe with the latest DEI standards for employment --whether pilots, bus drivers, repairmen, or factory assembly workers. You don't want a diversity hire or union boss guiding your transportation. Merit and skill matter more than ethnic background.

In 2020 although there was a decrease in miles traveled due to the lockdown, there was an increase in pedestrian and bike related fatalities. Another problem our "health" experts didn't think about.

The big three for roadway fatalities:  Alcohol, speed and not wearing a seatbelt.

More boxes to go through

This afternoon I'm going through all our trip memorabilia--most of it in two large storage boxes in the furnace room. Alaska, Arizona (twice), Arkansas, Baltimore, Bartlesville, Boston, California (3 times) Canada (Vancouver), Chicago, Finland (many cities), Florida, Germany (many cities, river cruise), Greece, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana (Columbus, Madison), Ireland, Israel, Italy (numerous cities), Kentucky, Michigan (Detroit, Boyne City, Bay View), Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Springfield--these were mostly architectural tours), Oregon, Philadelphia, Russia (St. Petersburg), San Antonio, Spain (Madrid, Murcia, Granada, Cordoba), Turkey, Washington DC (3 times). Post cards, maps, guides, newspapers, magazines, hundreds of receipts for restaurants, hotels, museums, art galleries, tours and airlines. Stacks of photos we couldn't use in the albums.

It all needs to go. But as I looked through the things, I couldn't help but think of the thousands of jobs related to tourism and travel, from the maps and brochures to the hotel staffs, the bus drivers, the cooks, waiters, cleaners, and tour guides. All out of work now.

  

Granada 2015

 

Alaska 2001

1700 private carriers flitting off to Davos carrying pampered liberals, celebrities and vacationers

This is how seriously liberals take climate change/global warming. I want a clean environment for everyone, potable water for desperately poor countries. I don't want billions wasted so political hacks and non-profit CEOs in the U.S. and Europe can feel good about themselves.

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/01/20/1700-private-jets-fly-to-davos-to-discuss-global-warming/

The influx of private jets is so great, the Swiss Armed Forces has been forced to open up a military air base for the first time ever to absorb all the super rich flying their private jets into the event, reports Newsweek.

“Decision-makers meeting in Davos must focus on ways to reduce climate risk while building more efficient, cleaner, and lower-carbon economies,” former Mexican president Felipe Calderon told USA Today.

Davos, which has become a playground of sorts for the global elite, is expected to feature at least 40 heads of state and 2,500 top business executives. Former Vice President-turned-carbon billionaire Al Gore and rapper Pharrell Williams will be there as well; each plans to discuss global warming and recycling respectively.

Safety in flying

An air traffic controller who lives in Columbus and attends our church writes:  “Thank you Mr. Obama and your inept Senate and administration whose gallant efforts today, to block Senator Moran's Contract Tower Amendment, succeeded; thus in turn costing me and a thousand other Air Traffic Controllers their jobs. Your political brinkmanship in using the safety of the national airspace system as a pawn in some elaborate narcissistic game continues to prove your inadequate ability to govern this country. Shutting down 238 Air traffic Control Towers (nearly 50%) which control nearly 1/3 (28%) of our nation’s air traffic is utterly absurd as well as dangerous. I now have grave concern for the flying public as well as the ripple effect that will be felt among all who use these airports across the country for their livelihood. You have done a great disservice to this country and I pray that the cost in not in human lives.”

Traveling? Watch out for "tourista"

In 2008 and 2009 I travelled internationally and developed severe diarrhea and vomiting on the return trips to the United States. As a result of the 2008 trip, I spent a few days in the hospital. So, if you're doing any travel this summer (I'm definitely not), here are a few precautions (all of which I followed) from Harvard Men’s Health Watch, April 2010.

Traveler’s diarrhea, or “tourista,” is a well-known hazard for visitors to developing countries where sanitation is flawed. Here are some tips to prevent intestinal infections:

•Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand gel before you eat.
•Avoid salads, uncooked vegetables, and unpasteurized milk and cheese.
•Only eat fruit that you’ve washed in clean water and peeled yourself.
•Do not eat undercooked or rare food. Eat cooked foods while they
are still piping hot. Be especially wary of food from street vendors.
•Avoid the water unless you have boiled it yourself; chemical disinfectants
and water filters are available for use in special circumstances. Don’t use ice made from untreated water. Don’t use untreated water to brush your teeth. In general, unopened bottled or canned beverages are safe, as is coffee or tea made from boiled water.
•Ask your doctor about taking along antibiotics in case prevention fails.
•Above all, suspect everything.

Icelandic volcano is shutting down air travel

Yes, I can see why the airline industry is concerned about the Iceland volcano affecting air quality and vision. But what about the long term affects? Remember the little ice age? Millions of Europeans froze or starved to death when the climate changed--it got colder because of the amount of ash in the air. And here we've been shutting down or over regulating the very industries that could help us if this were to happen again. Ah, the wisdom of Big Brother.

Icelandic volcano is shutting down European airspace : The Airline Zone

Perspective on the Sebelius Flu

"In 2005, the flu killed 63,001 people in the United States, according to the CDC. But that year the President of the United States did not use a primetime news conference to admonish the American people that they must wash their hands, and the Vice President did not say he would not want his family to have to ride on a plane or a subway because someone might sneeze near them.

An average of 36,171 people died each year of flu in the United States from 1993 to 2003, according to a recent CDC study.

Despite the recent fervor surrounding swine flu, conventional flu viruses have killed far more people than other, more publicized, strains in recent years. Avian flu, for example, has killed 257 people worldwide since 2003, according to the World Health Organization. It has killed no people at all in the United States."

Finish reading the article here.

On March 15-20 about 170 of us from the Columbus area returned from the Middle East. About 20 of us got sick on the way home. Some got sick after arriving home--some 2 or 3 days later with fever, aches and chills. It took about 4 weeks for my GI track to return to normal, although I didn't go to the hospital. Still I was lying on the floor of the airport for several hours, and someone had to get me to the front of the line at customs. I'm just thankful it wasn't during this scare. I'd still be at LaGuardia!