Real Kato Blog: Risk Assessment

You dropped a bomb on me, baby.

So I'm taking a trip to New York soon, to visit Crouching Hamster on her birthday. Today, authorities announced that there's a terrorist threat; apparently there's evidence that someone is planning to bomb the New York subways.

Some people would be frightened by this. But look: there are 4.5 million subway riders every day in New York. Even if we had a terrorist attack on the scale of 9/11 while I was there, my odds of being caught up in it would be less than one in a thousand. There are many, many things I do all the time that put me at greater risk of death... like my weekly gallon of vodka, or my daily bucket of saturated fat. What's the point in worrying about something that's almost completely random?

Did I mention that NutraSweet does NOT cause lupus?

Somehow, we've developed a culture of fear. We're afraid of terrorists and carbohydrates and cell phone radiation and meat from cloned animals. And meanwhile we'll all die by overdosing on ground beef. What's the point in all that worry?

Permalink 6 Comment

Posted by Ken in: commentary, life

Comments

Comment #1 from Crouching Hamster (Guest)
2005 Oct 7 - 4:35 am : #

Well, I saw this report at about 5:30 p.m., and had to take the subway an hour later.

On the way to the subway, I was thinking, "OK. Ken and Amy and I can just take the bus or cabs when they visit." Dear God. What if it happens before that? I may never get to see them.

LOTS was going through my mind. I actually called my mother tonight to let her know I was safe.

But now I'm chill.

You can't be afraid.

Comment #2 from Amy (Guest)
2005 Oct 7 - 7:28 am : #

I have been held at gun point twice, once in South Central C.A., once in Compton C.A., stabbed in the bootay at Venice Beach C.A. and set a hooker on fire once in Reno N.V. Bomb in N.Y., piffle.

Comment #3 from Noelle (Guest)
2005 Oct 7 - 10:29 am : #

Ok, I have to know the fire hooker story... I won't sleep tonight.

Comment #4 from Phil (Guest)
2005 Oct 7 - 3:36 pm : #

Yep -- I gotta hear the hooker fire story. And meanwhile, I think I know why New York has an up-hazard forecast: Amy's coming.

Comment #5 from Crouching Hamster (Guest)
2005 Oct 8 - 12:14 am : #

I'm getting the hooker fire story.
And we're on high alert here for Amy. (Ya know. Stocked up on vodka.)

Comment #6 from MonoCerdo (Guest)
2005 Oct 11 - 11:54 pm : #

"I have been held at gun point twice, once in South Central C.A., once in Compton C.A., stabbed in the bootay at Venice Beach C.A. and set a hooker on fire once in Reno N.V"

I thought these were lyrics to the best rap song that I never heard.

Comments are closed for this post.

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