Questions That Need Answering

Many things puzzle me about the world around us. Please provide feedback if you have answers to my questions.

1. Why do telephone poles still exist? Is it really necessary to cut down all those trees and soak them in toxins? The poles constantly come down in wind storms and tornadoes, then communities are without power for hours or days. People drive into poles everyday. Just bury the lines, save a life or two, save a tree, stop visual pollution and long term soil pollution that occurs when poles are eventually discarded to damage or age. Really, the squirrels can find another way to get around. The noisy crows near my house can just leave.

2. Why are fitness rooms at clubs and colleges always so warm? At least keep the aerobic section temperature down and/or provide plenty of fans. I ran three miles in the college facility today and probably lost three pounds. My sweat was flying everywhere.

3. Due to number two I couldn't stop sweating, even after showering, to get back to work. Is it really bad for an old man to walk the college halls and enter the library without a shirt?

4. When a hotel advertises a fitness room for guests, does one treadmill and one bike count? I think there should be a minimum standard and the rooms should be given a star ranking. Two pieces of aerobic equipment would be a one star. Add a weight machine and/or dumbbells for two stars. (and keep the room cool!!, that'll get you three stars). Add more equipment to get up to a five star ranking, like a restaurant.

5. Every decent motel/hotel should provide maps or an app that gives safe running routes outdoors near the hotel. Really, this could be a good marketing feature. I picked our Hampton Inn in Lakeland, Florida based partly on looking at Google Maps and seeing that a safe one mile loop was just out the door.

6. Is it my imagination or reality? Every time I drive, in the village, on the expressway, or the Interstate, another vehicle comes across the line from the other direction and almost hits me. I drive a full-size pickup and probably would win a lot of those battles, but I really prefer not being a participant. What the hell is going on out on the roads?

7. This season I only know maybe two NY Yankees, Gardner and the fat old pitcher who's been there forever, Sabathia, oh, and Ellsbury, so three players. But the Yanks are winning and battling for first. Maybe not signing has-beens to huge contracts is paying off?

8. The Buffalo Bills fired their General Manager, Doug Whaley, a couple of days ago. This came as no surprise. But why not fire the president of the team, Russ Brandon? He is the one constant during their 17 non-playoff years. If you are going to clean house do it from the top down. Oh, and Brandon is also president of the Buffalo Sabres, how's that working out?

There you have it. Eight questions that affect all of us and need answering.