But I am left kinda amazed at two things – one, the fact that people are stunned a plane could crash and two the news coverage… I mean I am amazed they stay in the air in the first place. Big heavy metal things.

Let’s face it, landings are really just controlled crashes when you think about it. Which I pretty much do everytime I fly…and teeth clenched land.

And no I am not a crazed individual who is fearful of flight… I fly a lot international and domestically through work… and that’s why I am amazed there are not more crashes. What with the drinking and the weak bladder. I wouldn’t fly with me if I could help it.

In fact flight must be one of the safest ways of traveling going on… certainly more so than hoping in a car with Midnight and attempting one of his famous road trips that usually results in a series of unrelated bushfires following him…. Seriously on his last road trip with the infamous Scotch of Province Carina, Midnight text me when he had touched down in Melbourne to pick up a car full of Scotch.
This was day one of the recent bushfires for 2009. As they traveled across the state of Victoria, more bushfires broke out. They crossed into New South Wales… so did the bushfires. Coincidence?? Most probably… but still.

The pair of them roadtripping are like a really disturbing male version of Thelma and Louise. But without all the teeth of Geena Davis or the bountiful bosomy promise offered by Susan Sarandon… but they do holler and bicker a lot, they check themselves out in the rear view mirrors and sing offkey, all while hurtilng down the Pacific Highway looking for a roadhouse pitstop that may never come quick enough. I’d imagine these sort of undertakings would test the very best of friendships. And I guess you gotta like the journey as much if not more than the getting there and having a good nanny-nap.

Actually this roadtrip concept is a real bugbear between the Saturday and Midnight. He insists that I wear a custom t-shirt that says “I ate after Midnight” (a pun on Gremlins and Midnight ha ha hmm) and play my banjo… whereas I insist on driving… we have now entered a long protracted stalemate here.

And the Midnight does love his chess. I like boobs. And Scotch has a nice Saab. I’m told. This is how we roll.

But back on message – air travel is safer than walking around a shopping center. I have no stat’s to back this up but they are out there and it is true.

The other thing I am a-mazed about following this tragedy is the way the media once again beats up news even when there may not be any. The following was filed on the News Corp website titled Air France passengers ‘had terror links’. Yup.

I’ve taken the liberty of quoting out of context the key passages of the report below:

TWO passengers with names linked to Islamic terrorism were on board the Air France flight that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 on board, it has emerged. …There is a possibility that the name similarities are simply a “macabre coincidence,” the source added, but the revelation is still being “taken very seriously”. Flight AF447 crashed in mid-Atlantic en route to Paris during a violent storm.
While it is certain that there were computer malfunctions, terrorism has not been ruled out.

Ummm okay. Kinda having a couple of side bets here.

Sure sure it is a macabre coincidence that terror link individuals were on the flight… but but but it was a violent storm that brought the plan down… or or or computer malfunctions… but terrorism makes for much better copy and sales/pings. To me it seems a bit of a stretch all round this terrorism link.

Is it not possible that the plan encountered a violent storm WHICH contributed to a computer malfunction WHICH brought the plan down.
Terror enough for you? Yes thank you.

Look some of these terrorists are good – but engineer a major weather event… not that good. I’d wager that those individuals with terror links sitting in the plan were just as terrified as all the other passengers as the plan dropped.

And on closing… think about it. If it was a terrorist attack… which I personally strongly doubt… how come no one has claimed responsibility?

I mean isn’t that the whole point of a terrorist attack – to create an environment of terror, of fear… and elevate the profile/stature of those behind it. From this and other reports no claims have been made (maybe one of the lower league terror outfits should have seen this as an opportiunity to claim it and step up to the plate) and instead, a sense of terror and fright has been engineered… by outfits like News Corp and the terror is more about the weather, Boeing planes, Air France, and Rio to Paris routes.

Nice one. Knuckleheads.

I’d fly Air France, and I’d fly a Boeing or an Airbus. And I’d be delighted to travel to Rio from Paris or Paris to Rio. And I’ll take my chances walking around the shopping mall.

But I do draw the line at the t-shirt and the banjo… unless I’m driving.