Blog Lull...Sorry,

I realize that I have not posted any recipes recently, and it is because I have not been cooking as much as usual and that when I have, I have been using traditional recipes.

As for the lack of rants, well, they have been replaced with demented ideas, which are not fit for public consumption. At least not yet.

You see, these ideas come to me and my reaction is twofold: that's brilliant/that's just horrible. Then I have to decide if it can be made un-horrible.

My latest is an on-board device that monitors all sorts of stuff in your car. When you go over the speed limit a yellow light goes on. If you do not slow down in a certain amount of time, your bank account is debited the bail, and an onboard printer gives you a receipt/citation. If you have some mitigating circumstance, then you can set a court date. If the judge agrees, you get a refund.

Also, when the doors close, all passengers can have their thumbprint scanned, thus prequalifying the car for the diamond lane. If an unauthorized car goes into the lane: account debited, citation printed out.

Now, people will hate this. Big Brother. Violation of Civil Liberties. Blah blah blah.

I have said it before and will say it again: if you are doing nothing wrong you have nothing to hide.

But people, being what they are, insist on their right to break good laws. So they will need a benefit for stage one of the implementation (the voluntary stage). What it is is that you can order your fast food from your car, and when you enter the parking lot of the fast food establishment, your order is prepared, your account debited, and all you have to do is pick it up.

It is a commonplace that people will give up frivolous liberties for security, but I would bank that more people would give them up for convenience.

Also, the device in stage two would be required on new cars. People could sign up for the service, which would include, in the fine print, authorization for the DMV to use the "auto-fining" feature as well as to record all information of passengers and driver and to share that information with sundry governmental agencies.

Again, repeat:

If you are doing nothing wrong you have nothing to hide.