It is time for professional drivers to respond to the foolishness of what is being reported and regurgitated, what is being studied and quantified, and what is actually happening on America’s roads (and sometimes on private property).

It is well established that a drivers reaction time to respond to a given situation is slower in bright sunlight than at night.  It has been quantified by professional race drivers that items hanging from mirrors cause a lowering of driver response time in critical situations.  The effects of simply driving after a meal have been quantified at local drag strips across the country by drivers who track in great detail every variable that may reduce their efficiency at the starting line.

Snow, rain, traffic lights, signs and billboards, pedestrians, road markings, traffic, bicycles, skateboarders, school zones, speed bumps, high beams, passengers, radios and CD players, all play a role in distracting a driver’s eyes.  That said, many of us simply drive to work with a hot cup of coffee next to us, talking on the phone ( hand held or otherwise), tailgating the person ahead or being upset because the person behind is following too close for comfort.

The ultimate problem is priorities.  If we are preparing a meal and a television or radio show ends, we continue preparing our meal until we have a convenient time to change the channel but if the phone rings we are conditioned to drop everything and answer it.  If we are having a conversation with someone and the phone rings we usually answer the phone at the expense of our conversation and if we do not, we are distracted by it to the point where our concentration is diminished.

When driving a motor vehicle on a public way, that single activity needs to be our number one priority, to the exclusion of all else, if we are to protect ourselves and the safety of those around us.  My personal “right” to embrace my “freedom” stops when that right infringes upon someone else.

Forget about multi tasking.  It does not work in a driving situation on a public road because too many variables exist that can go wrong.  We have people who text while walking and sometimes do not look both ways before crossing the road.  I witnessed a person texting while riding a bicycle last summer while in traffic with no hands on the handlebars and while wearing headphones.  Sometimes I suspect modern medicine has achieved the pinnacle of allowing our species to survive to the extent of reversing the concept of survival of the fittest and we have entered into an era of diminished common sense to the point where we refuse to accept responsibilities for actions known to cause harm.

So what do we do?  First we require a driving test every four years for everybody who wishes to drive a vehicle, regardless of age.  Second we register and inspect every device that uses public roads, including bicycles, and require insurance for bicycle riders as well as drivers.  Third, we require wireless device manufacturers to implement technology to disable those devices when within a moving vehicle.  These devices would be cell phones, tablets, and laptops, unless the vehicle is in park.  This technology already exists and just like seat belts should be required of all mobile device manufacturers.  Automotive computers are fairly standardized in terms of capability and implementation would be far less difficult than many people think.

Education, limited legislation, and common sense can reduce that chance of an accident far more than grandstanding politicians, media rating “specials” or special interest groups who protect the pocketbooks of large corporations.

I am a regular person and I know how ineffective my decision making and physical skills become when I am in a sleep deprived and high stress environment.  Apparently our the medical decision makers at Johns Hopkins were hiding under the bed when they supposedly learned about the effects of sleep deprivation on the human body.

Commercial truck drivers, in general, are permitted to work no more than 14 consecutive hours (and only 11 hours of that time may be actual driving time).  After the 14 hour period, truck drivers are required to have 10 consecutive hour off.  Additionally, truck drivers may only work 60 hours in a 7 day period or 70 hours in an eight day period.  Following these periods of work, truck drivers are required to have 34 consecutive hours of rest.

The laws concerning the hours spent working by commercial truckers are for safety.  Apparently the trucking industry understands the risks associated with tired truckers and so abides by these regulations.

I want to ask the people at Johns Hopkins why their interns, who are often tasked with intricate, highly technical, and time sensitive decisions while saving human lives why the decisions makers believe their interns are immune from the effects of sleep deprivation.

Why would a highly respected medical group knowingly and intentionally put their patients into the hands of interns who are not at the absolute top of their physical capabilities?

I am greatly disturbed by this show in that it appears to promote training practices in complete disagreement with documented medical best practices.

As humans we all struggle with our beliefs, our “mission in life”, our perceived duties and our responsibilities.  Ultimately it is the communication we have with those around us that is our legacy.  Monuments eventually crumble (even the pyramids), and our legacy becomes what we have communicated to others.  Regardless of wealth or personal accomplishment, we all share the same stardust and how we share ourselves with others is (or can be) our greatest gift.

I met a young lady last night who embodies all the hopes and dreams of my Friend.  She is his daughter and through her he will live on, with his teachings and his love guiding her through the years ahead.  Maybe someday she will have children and will provide them the benefit his teachings, his strength, and his wisdom.

It is through this process we provide our greatest gift to humanity.  The details often are less important than the passage of wisdom.  As much as we use technology to document and remember details, photographs and videos of events, cards and letters with exact phrases, it is our memory and our feelings that come alive and truly pass on the spirit and love of those who leave this world.

When I see an older gentleman come alive when speaking of his father I can see the spirit inside.  When I see an older lady perk up and suddenly remember some long lost tidbit of emotion I know that love lives on.

The sadness of losing a friend temporarily overshadows the greatness of that Friend’s gift to us.  Yet as time moves on and we go forward, it is the strength of our memory and the treasures stored within that allow us to honor our Friend and to pass on to others the gift we have been given.

Rest in peace my Friend.

If my elders had lived in the digital age I wonder if I would have any tidbits of their lives in boxes?  If my grandfather had a cell phone with all his contacts and messages would I see fit to keep it squirreled away, and even if I did would I have the proper battery and charger to glimpse into his life?

How many of us today embrace our digital cameras and phones, post pictures on Facebook or our personal websites?  How many of us actually have a real backup of our digital treasures?  And even more important, how many have a hard copy of these “things” we hold so dear?  And what of our children and grandchildren once we are gone?  Will they have a digital treasure of our lives to pass on?

I think not.  Perhaps I should spend some time at Wal-Mart, or the local pharmacy having copies made of digital pictures, or perhaps I should print out some particularly compelling message board posts that made an impact in my life.  Perhaps I should somehow believe there will be some sort of universal memory technology that will be developed so others may choose to see into my life once I am gone, or perhaps I should simply accept that whatever digital traces I leave behind will be flushed from some master archive a decade or so after I perish.

For all the convenience and immediate gratification technology brings, it does not come wrapped in a box.

So when one of my most trusted friends got married the other day I took the time to look through the old memory box, scan a couple of pictures, and post them online so they could be shared.

I doubt anyone will actually back up my file server or website once I am gone so I will keep my box, plus a few more boxes I don’t need, just so these memories might survive a bit longer than a delete keystroke by someone who just sees them as wasted space on a hard drive. 

Who is to say that a virtual country could not be created?  A country whose lifestyles, values, political and social structure defined not by physical borders but exists totally in virtualistance (Ok, I created that word which means:  The virtual territory of a country).

Such a country could implement a management process that allows for a political structure to exist, monetary issues can be completely managed in cyberspace, taxation rules can be implemented virtually, and even military protection can be contracted through virtual means.

The citizens could be located anywhere, even in a worldwide system where different planets may someday be populated, goods and services exchanged through virtual means, and country wide judicial systems engineered and directed via technology.

This concept may seem far fetched, but a country created entirely in cyberspace could have almost instantaneous   decision making capability, extremely low overhead, and the ability to respond to needs, wants, and problems quickly and efficiently.

Although such a country may not be viable during my tenure on this planet, I suspect the day will come when such an entity exists.  How will our existing physical format respond to such a nation and how will such an entity change the way we live?

Apparently the Palm Desert National Bank. licensed by Mastercard, has deemed my eight year old epileptic Budgie qualified to use a prepaid Mastercard which can be conveniently “loaded” at two convenient locations operated by the “Big Apple” chain of convenience stores.

This scam, or otherwise inept pre-qualified financial institution actually sent a physical Mastercard, complete with Chew’s full name to him at his home address.

Being an English Budgie who is eight years old with no social security number and no employment history, apparently presents no barrier to financial institutions seeking to create revenue through unethical and misguided means.  The fine print even states:  “ATTENTION EMPLOYERS AND BENEFIT PROVIDERS:  The AchieveCard is a reloadable prepaid card that accepts Direct Deposits just like a traditional checking account.”

The fine print further states:  “Palm Desert National Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and all cardholder’s funds are insured by the FDIC in accordance with the FDIC’s applicable terms and conditions.”

Chew can also earn 5,000 “Achieve Points” by setting up direct deposit which qualifies him to “bid” on “cool stuff”.

Of course, AchieveCard will charge a fee of $9.95 to activate the card (free activation with direct deposit), a monthly fee of $9.95 for simply having the card, limit daily cash withdrawals to $300.00 maximum per day, and limit the transactions to 12 per day.

AchieveCard also promises to share Chew’s personal information with affiliates or non-affiliated third parties, as well as service providers and agents.  Even Chew understands this to mean that if her were to become a sucker, every scammer in the country would shortly know his name, phone number, address, and financial information.

Regardless of the fact that Chew, and English Budgie, is swift enough to know better than to fall for this scam, he is indeed flattered by the offer and is proudly displaying the AchieveCard MasterCard between the rungs of his spacious cage.  He wishes the entire community know and understand the depth and breadth of the research performed by AchieveCard in order to entrust Chew, at only eight years old, with his very own MasterCard with his full name emblazoned on it, pre-approved for a wing tiring workout at convenience stores, casinos, and department stores everywhere.

Chew is a tad concerned the FDIC would go to all the trouble to insure his money and even has a bit of guilt about our Government backing his hard earned dollars, especially when our country’s debt level is so high.  But like any good bird, he wishes to thank out government for insuring his funds and he promises to be a responsible MasterCard user.

I did not vote for our elected Governor, but I want to extend him sufficient respect and courtesy so that he can do his best to fulfill his promises to Maine and I wish out newspapers, television and radio stations would do the same.  Working against our new elected leader from the beginning of his term is counter productive and costly to all Maine citizens.

What I do know is that many of our state policies over the past decades have failed to provide the citizens of our state with a regulatory and tax climate conducive to small business, and most business in Maine is small.  I do know that our insurance regulations have resulted in high premiums and less choice for Maine people.  I know we have a high percentage of Maine citizens receiving financial assistance from the state.

If we can bring more jobs to Maine, (the type of jobs that Maine people can perform), we can reduce the costs of unemployment and more workers will share the burden of paying into the state coffers.

If we can increase competition amongst insurance companies operating in Maine we can have more competitive rates and choices for Maine people.  If we can reduce the overall tax burden for corporations operating within Maine we can attract more business to our state and thereby create more jobs.

At one time I had a small business that did a high volume of sales and as such we could offer lower prices than our competition.  Now I have a small business that does far less volume, but is very specialized, and consequently has higher prices.  This evolution sounds much like our state where we have a high cost for living in Maine and small demographic groups receive high benefits and we have less volume of revenue to support these benefits.

State funds should be used for fairly for ALL state residents, not just a few select groups.

I urge our media providers to please give our new Governor an opportunity to succeed if for no other reason than to try a path different than the one which for decades has been leading us down the road to insolvency.

My Dad had been diagnosed with cancer and the odds were clearly stated by his doctor who said that if he survived he would be the first person to beat this particular form of the disease, and thus began almost a year of long trips back and forth between Maine and Boston.

In 1981 my best and closest friend (female) and I had landed at her Mom’s house in Newton, MA.  She was scheduled to depart shortly for a new career and I was to go my separate way with simply an agreement to get back together after we had lived our lives initial journeys.  I was fortunate to have already met my friend’s family a few times and so as I watched my lady leave for parts unknown (for at least 20-25 years I estimated), I was welcomed into her family home by her Mom, and her brothers and sisters.

Her Mom and I quickly became close friends.  I had a car and would take her wherever she wanted to go, run errands, and spend time with her in the evenings.  I then went to Cape Cod and began an adventure there of my own and for awhile we didn’t see much of each other.  Ten months later that would all change.

I went back to Maine in May of 1982 when I learned of my Dad’s renewed cancer and I was the one that drove him to and from Boston every month and sometimes weekly for checkups and treatments.  I was offered a place to lay my head by my Newton Mom, and she took the time to demonstrate to me how much love of life she had, and shared her friends and interests with me.  We got to know each other very well over the next year and my real Mom was extremely grateful for the generosity and support I was given by this wonderful lady in Newton.

My Newton Mom and real Mom never did meet, but I suspect they would have gotten along just fine.  They shared many of the same values and sacrificed their own wants for the wants and needs of their families.  They took the time to be of assistance to others and they also expressed their approval or disapproval as appropriate, and always did so with my best interest in their hearts.

When I read today of my Newton Mom’s birth date, (both Mom’s are now in a better place), I was reminded of how I have to be grateful for and how much I have to live up to in terms of her expectations.  Somehow I suspect she would approve, and so instead of being sad that she is gone, I am inspired by the gift of having known her.

The phone number still works and the house is still there, filled with love, joy, and family, but it is not the same.  Aunts, Cousins, Uncles, Nephews and Niece’s  are all enjoying family and friends and the joy of giving and receiving but there is still something missing.

The family dinner is “perfect” and we are so fortunate to have fresh food and more than enough of everything.  Music and television are on, and an internet connection so we may share our wealth with friends and family far away.  Phone calls are made and even home movies are put online so they may be shared with our family and friends.  But still something is missing.

Memories of Christmas past and stories of family fun and folly are exchanged. Acknowledgement’s from the online world of shared good wishes are expressed and so we may peek into the lives of folks we may know but a little, and we share some of our lives with them.  But still my wish is to do the impossible…

I wish today, and every day, that I could pick up the phone and call home.  Not “my” home that I am blessed to have with my wife.  I wish not for the house in which I live today or the car I drive, or the trappings of work accomplished, but for a simple phone call.

No matter how much I love my wife, my brother and his family, my friends and extended relations, there is still only one call I wish to make.

It is this brief musing which I settle for to quell the missing piece of this perfect Christmas day.  It is the most simple desire for a son to call home and speak to his Mom and Dad.  This is the one thing that is impossible to do since they are in a better place.  These gifts of family and friends I have today would not be with me except for the teachings I learned from my parents.  It is Mom and Dad with whom I wish I could share this day and the fortune I have gained from their efforts in helping me become who I am.

And so I do my best to honor them by reaching out to others and doing the best I can one day at a time.  Being grateful for what I have. Striving to succeed to better my position in life.  And all the while doing my best to extend a hand and exchange a smile in the hopes of bringing those around me along to share the wealth I have been given.