i read somewhere that you can't believe anything you read

I devote this blog to the examination of the many excesses of verbal extravagence. If the frequency of my postings is in any way limited it will not be because these excesses are in short supply, but rather that my time is. But I think I ought to record my observations for posterity. I also think that, at least for me, writing is rather good for the soul.

I heard the other day that in such-and-such a city, the second most common cause of death for young people ages 10-25 was gunshot wounds inflicted by handguns. This was supposed to frighten us, of course, but I took it as rather good news. We have done such a good job, through vaccination and other means, of eliminating diseases such as measels, polio, rubella, etc, that in order to die some one has to run you over with a car or shoot you with a gun. Break out the champagne.