Gratitude

I've been thinking a bit about mortality lately, and there's a few things I won't miss when my time comes. I'm not expecting any afterlife, so if I get stuck in one I imagine that's the first thing I'll regret.

The anniversary of the Tylenol scare just passed, and there were a few news accounts making mention of it. Man, that dude changed the world, and not in any way I like. Thanks to him, and I'm not even sure anyone died from that poisoning thing, damn near every product I buy now has more safety seals than the space shuttle. Hard plastic wraps around the cap that need to be cut with a knife to remove, then some sort of vacuum safety seal on the inside that, as often as not, doesn't peel off properly.

Even things *I* know would be a dumb choice for some random, terrorizing, mass poisoning stunt, like dishwashing soap or shampoo (which may actually be the same thing) sometimes are sealed for my safety. I mean, really, if something's in my shampoo that  burns or dyes my hair, well, I'm probably using it in a place where I can quickly wash it out.

Anyway, all this product safety stuff bugs me. Not that I've got anything against safety, mind you, but theses gimmicks have far less to do with safety than they do with ass-covering for litigation purposes.
Because of one sick whacko, the whole world changed.

Another thing I'll be really happy to get away from is the unavailability of rare hamburgers. They were excellent. I'm sure cooking the hell and taste out of meat is a good thing, but I'm not one of its fans. I know, I know: listen to the vegetarians. They'll set me straight.

I also won't particularly mind getting away with partisans pretending that every thing that happens is some life-shattering evidence of duplicity or worse by the opposition, either. I know, I know: Everything has to be dramatic, and if Bill O or Keith don't act all worked up, there won't be any viewers. Still, I'll be glad to be rid of it.

The world's changing, and most of that change is good. Not all of it, though, are changes I like.