As a follow-up to Will’s comment, I remember years ago when I visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I was absolutely amazed that visitors were permitted to go up in the tower and walk out on those balconies that encircle each floor with nary a railing in sight. As I recall, there was a sign on the ground that pointed out that the tower was, you know, leaning, and therefore if you fell off it was not going to be the Italian government’s fault, but that was it. My first thought was how that would never in a million years be permitted in the United States!

Hey!?!?! My parents managed to win $200,000.00 on the lottery! And a year later my cousin won $100,000.00. And trust me, they didn’t spend $300,00.00 on lottery tickets before then won!

Wishes can come true! LOL

BTW, we have a stupidity tax already. but we know it by a different name:

LOTTO

:OP

Gee Karl, maybe Denise would loan you an Estrogen patch. KIDDING. But calm down. You know perfectly well from a logical rational standpoint that society has those disclaimers on everything from plastic bags and coffee cups to soap (Directions: Unwrap, use like soap) and christmas lights (For Indoor or Outdoor use only. – as opposed to…?) to protect themselves from the LITIGIOUS among us. Being an employee of a law school I think this would be glaringly obvious to you. It’s Jim Sokolove, D’Oliveira and Morgan, Dane Schulman and those scheisters! Go after them! And Chris is right, your mom’s prenatal habits explain a great deal… KIDDING! KIDDING! DOWN BOY!

Jeez. xxoo

The U.S. has become one of the most over-warned and over-regulated countries in the world. Also, one of the worst educated, thus the over-warning and over-regulation.

In Europe it’s different. At the Pont du Gard, the great Roman aquaduct in the south of France, the mistral wind blows gales across the Mediterranean from Africa. You can walk in safety through the water channel at the top of the aquaduct a couple of hundred feet in the air but protected by the stone walls either side of you. Or, you can chin yourself on the stones and walk on the naerrow stone roof of the water channel where the wind is at its strongest. The French put a big warning sign at each end of the elevated, exposed section that says “Danger of Death” in several languages and then tells exactly how death can occur if you walk on top in words and in pictures. Then, it’s your choice.

Each year a couple of people elect to walk across the top, are swept off by the wind and fall to their deaths in the rocky river bed below, while the vast majority of people walk safely in the water channel. The French government picks up the bodies, sends them home with a note of condolence, mentioning gently but firmly that monsieur or madamoiselle had been warned but had made an unfortunate personal choice. And it ends there. No scandal, no multi-million Euro law suits or parliamentary investigations. Seems kind of rational somehow.

Edie: Why not just have a stupidity tax. Tax the stupid people.

Patsy: LET THEM DIE!!!!

One of the best AbFab lines ever!

wait…wait…what have you done with karl? who’s writing this blog?

i didnt know you had a rebellious bone in your body! youve never seemed to be one of those people who would rock-the-boat, or question authority (-ies). are you just having a punk rock day? whos been influencing you with these thoughts?

i wont even get into “my mother smoked and drank through her preganancy with me”. THAT explains a lot! LOL