Emergency Vehicle

I was talking to a paramedic about the loudness of an ambulance siren, compared to an automobile horn. An average auto horn is 85 decibels, while an ambulance siren is 120 decibels. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, regular exposure to 110 decibels or more, for one minute, puts a…

Texting in America

Reading a Facebook post by comedienne, Jasmine Ellis made me realize how cell phone use is affecting all of us. She posted the she is “Aggravated by these Dallas drivers! How have I been rear ended twice in the last 30 days? And they actually say “I was looking down at my phone” and didn’t…

Elderly Drivers

My father taught me how to drive. And he was a drunk driver. So I learned how to weave and drift across three lanes. He would place his beer can on the center of the dashboard and say “Now line that can up with the side of the road to keep your lane perspective.” Then…

Rat Fink Hot Rods

Ed “Big Daddy” Roth was an artist, cartoonist, pinstriper and custom car designer and builder who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink characters in the late 50’s. In the 60’s, when I was a kid, I was fascinated with his work. A combination of funny and creepy, all rolled into one. Not until 1993 did…

Traveling With A Pet

I used to take my dog on the road with me when I toured. It made me feel safe, traveling with a pet. He was a small terrier mix and was a great traveling companion. But, once he began to bark, he couldn’t stop. One time, when I was doing a cross-country trip, I just…