Lowest Common Denominator

[Pip]

Anyone see the movie Harrison Bergeron?

I read the Vonnegut story... It's in my favorite book of all time, "Welcome to the Monkey House".

[fastwin]

If the whole peanut dust in the hvac theory were viable then we would have had many planes dropping out of the sky and people dropping dead in their seats in the 70 plus years of commercial air travel.

Based on the premise of this new lowest common denominator peanut protection law I think we need to take it a little further.  For instance, convicted criminals can't vote, diabetics can't have sugar, people with high blood pressure can't have salt, Asians can't drive cars.  We need to ban a whole lot of shit.

Anyone see the movie Harrison Bergeron?

I'd like to volunteer to walk point on this and lead the "make the beast with two backs it, let's ban it" venture. My list of shit I want banned is pretty damn long and I'd be happy to take suggestions from others. People have been trying to ban my crap for years and now it's time for payback! Revenge is a dish best served cold.

[mstevens]

Apparently peanut dust gets released into the air when the packages are opened, and with all the air recirculation on board a plane, everybody ends up breathing that peanut dust.  No biggie unless you are severely allergic.

If someone IS severely allergic, they can and should be carrying a rescue device (such as an epinephrine injector). Peanuts are ubiquitous on our planet, so short of living in a bubble one is going to get exposed. Strawberries and shrimp are other common food allergies, but I doubt there will ever be a move to ban them.

Airflow on commercial aircraft is laminar, ceiling to floor, and circulates through HEPA filters. The dust from peanuts in one part of the plane is not going to have a significant impact on a person in another part. Once off the plane, they're back in the real world with that grimy urchin snarfing peanuts in the airport, so we're back to unavoidable exposure. On-board, exposure is trivial.

There ARE people who are dangerously allergic to common foods. However, a very large number of people who claim food allergies do not have them. They certainly think they do, but it's quite easy to test. This has been done and it's clear that food allergies are massively over-reported. This is for ingested food. For severe inhalation allergies to foods, the number of real cases is even tinier. Again, those patients have no business leaving the house without a rescue device.

[NoisyDante]

I like that term, "the pussification of America"!!! That's a good one! Can I use that term from time to time?

By all means use it and spread it around, I can't remember where I heard it first.  Possibly my mixing partner here at work, he coaches little league and he always complains that kids aren't tough anymore, and the rules in school prevent them from growing spines.

[fastwin]

Tell your co-worker he coined a good one. I agree that the world (or at least this country) has a protect them from themselves attitude. I'm not a wild squid and yeah, sure safety is a good thing. I always wear all my riding gear. No one has to tell me or make it a law. But some things just go too damn far.

I love my 13 year old step son but sometimes I just stare and shake my head. What are they doing to him? You're right, where's the spine? He's in Boy Scout's gearing up for the big 100 year anniversary Jamboree in DC. That's a good thing. Maybe Scouts will help counter school and the rest of the world's "pussy effect". Damn, when I grew up you had to be bleeding bad from at least two places and have a bone sticking out (ala Rossi ) for my parents to even take notice! Didn't hurt my feelings.

[NoisyDante]

I'm dating this girl right now who has two kids, and believe me, if I'm going to be some sort of influential figure in her sons life, he's gonna be tough as shit!

[The Bacon Junkie]

I'm allergic to bee stings.

Does that mean we should exterminate all bees and ban Honey Nut Cheerios??!!!   

make the beast with two backs NO!   


Suck it up, Buttercup.  Take off your skirt and grow a frickin' backbone.

[fastwin]

Well, luckily my step son's Dad is a great guy and we have the same outlook toward all of that. My wife gets along with him really well in spite of him being an "ex" and actually she is friend's with his current wife. We babysit their little girl when they can't find someone to watch her. Hell, we have even gone on family vacations with them. Weird but true. Good for the kiddos. Like I said he's a good guy.

Point is, even with his Dad and me all over him (in a good way) to "man up" when it's needed I still see the safetycrat/pussification effect on my step son coming through. Hell, he doesn't even want to go out and ride his bike or climb a tree. And nothing worse than to see the "drama queen" come out in him on the baseball field if he gets knocked down. Great kid, just being raised differently than I was and in a different world. Oh well, I'll keep working on it...

[Grampa]

Today I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman from England. He said the USA aint got nuth'n in regards to the safe and fair oversight.

Bubble wrap everything.

[Pip]

Today I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman from England. He said the USA aint got nuth'n in regards to the safe and fair oversight.

Bubble wrap everything.

I can personally attest to that, bp. It's still the wild west over here compared to England...

[DoubleEagle]

Where are our future Soldiers going to come from ?

If all the boys are growing up " softies ? "

Dolph     

[mstevens]

Today I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman from England. He said the USA aint got nuth'n in regards to the safe and fair oversight.

I'm pretty sure they actually invented the term "nanny state."

[herm]

^^ Yeah, the Epi-pen is just to keep you alive until you can get to a hospital.  It's not an antidote.

and, anyone who has had a dose of EPI is in no state to fly a plane...
just sayin..

[herm]

I'm pretty sure they actually invented the term "nanny state."

mary popins?

[Oldfisti]

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

No it's not.


It's best served as an all you can eat buffet!