For years and years all I’ve heard on the news is how much trouble teenager drivers cause.   Insurance rates are outrageous for teen drivers.   They keep trying to up the age to get your license, gotta have good grades, etc etc.  Well I’m sick of it!

What about elderly drivers?    If you actually stop and listen to the news, you’ll hear far more instances of some elderly driver driving into a building or causing an accident.   So why isn’t more focus put on elderly drivers?

Today I was driving home on the four lane highway between Hartford and Beaver Dam.   This car was straddling the white line on our two lanes.   I could not see any heads in that car whatsoever.   I was following wondering what the deal was.   Finally a car came up beside me and the car in front of me eventually slid to our side and the car past.   I slid over and decided to get away from the car in front of me.  As I came up beside it, I realized it was a little elderly lady, she could barely see over the steering wheel.   Next thing I know, she starts swerving over right at me.   I hit the brake and tried to get out of her way, I hit the curb on my side and she finally went back into her lane after I blared the horn at her.   She then got in front of me and almost caused another accident turning into a parking lot.   It was obvious this lady had no business whatsoever behind the wheel of a car.

Now don’t get me wrong, I know there are some people who are 80 and can still drive as good as anybody.   My next door neighbors are 81/80 and he still drives and he’s a good driver.   I just think at a certain age, you should have to be tested again.   I also think it’s time to lay off teen drivers and focus on the age group that is really causing all the problems.

Take my Son

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had
everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often
sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very
courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father
was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door A
young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son
gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to
safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often
talked about you, and your love for art.” The young man held out this
package. “I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think
your son would have wanted you to have this.”

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the
young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the
personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes
that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and
offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what
your son did for me. It’s a gift.”

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to
his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them
any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his
paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great
paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collecti

On the platform sat the painting of the son The auctioneer pounded his
gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid
for this picture ?”

There was silents

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous
paintings. Skip this one.”

But the auctioneer persisted. “Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will
start the bidding? $100, $200?

Another voice angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see
the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandt’s. Get on with the real bids!”

But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime
gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a
poor man, it was all he could afford.

“We have $10, who will bid $20?”

“Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.”

“$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?”

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!”

A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the
collection!”

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.”

“What about the paintings?”

“I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a
secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation
until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever
bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the
paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!”

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the
auctioneer, His message today is: “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?”

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER
BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE…THAT’S LOVE

God Bless You

Alot of counties have been banning cigarette smoking inside public buildings and forcing business owners to ban smoking.   I didn’t agree with that.   Each business owner should be allowed to decide if they are going to allow smoking.   No one forces a non-smoker to enter a smoking establishment.   I know that when a restaurant has smoking and non smoking sections it doesn’t really do any good.   The areas are usually right there together, but again, no one ever forced a non smoker to go there.    The choice should be left up to the owner. 

As if that wasn’t bad enough, now places are saying you can’t even smoke outside on the property.   The hospital here in town as of Jan 1st will no longer allow smoking outside.   Come on, what harm is it in letting people smoke outside??   

They’re doing this to try to force people to not smoke.   Right under the article about the hospital was a second article saying they are going to up cigarette tax.   A pack of cigarettes is already $3.00 to $4.00 and I’m sure in some places even higher.

What I want to know is why aren’t they taking measures like this with drinking?    Why not up the tax on a bottle of whiskey?    Why not make it so you can’t drink in public?    How many times do you hear of someone dying in a car wreck because of smoking cigarettes?    How many bar fights have you heard of because of someone smoking too much?

We all know why liqour isn’t under attack though like cigarettes.   It’s because everyone in Washington DC, the judges, the lawyers, and everyone else drink.   There’s no way they are going to crack down on something they themselves do.   Liquor causes more deaths of innocent bystanders, so I think it’s time some focus was put on booze.  

The sugeon general is always quoted about cigarette smoking causing cancer and birth defects.   What about liquor?   It causes birth defects, liver problems, diabetes and a whole host of other problems.  

Turn about is fair play.   Come on Congress, pull your heads of the bottle and crack down on drinking too.

p.s.  No I’m not a smoker.   I quit 5 years ago, so don’t go getting all up in the air thinking I’m just another smoker blowing smoke.  

For the longest time sex has been used to sell booze.   We got used to that, which is sad in itself.   Then as time went on, we grew used to seeing more and more things sold using sex.   Now we are at the point where fast food restaurants are using sex to sell food.   How damn low are we going to allow ourselves to be dragged down?

Dairy Queen started the crap with the waffle bowls and now Arby’s has slipped into the gutter too.   I’m sorry, but I really think it’s time it stopped.   What kind of message is that sending?    I really think it’s time we brought God back into things and pushed the rest back where it belongs.    What happened to selling us a hamburger by showing us what a good time friends can have gathering at the restaurant, laughing and joking over fries?    What does sex have to do with fast food anyways?