A Dead Animal Bookend

This morning on my way into work, I passed by a shabby building that only ever seems to be occupied by people for a couple of times per year. Today was one of them.

The parking lot of this establishment was full with pick up trucks of all shapes, colors, and sizes. And in front of the main entrance, I had the pleasure of seeing three dead deer strung up and hanging from a horizontal pole. Yep, hunting season is here.

Clearly this usually-desolate building must be a butcher shop for hunters. Now I'm fine with people hunting legally and controlling the deer population and bringing home a winter's supply of food, but I must say I was quite skeeved to see this display of carcasses on my way to work. Not really the best way to start the day, in my book.

To add insult to injury, at about 4:30 I'm sitting at my computer, facing the window that spans the wall behind my computer desk. Out of nowhere I hear a "thunk" and witness a small brown bird land on the brick window ledge outside. It twittered for a moment and stopped moving soon thereafter.

Nice bookend to my day today... dead deer hanging out in plain sight, and a bird committing death-by-window before my very eyes. Ironically, everything in between those moments wasn't all that much better...

Athletes Not Immune to Airline Accidents

Check out this list of athletes' deaths by airplane. I find this list to be quite amazing because we (the general public) tend to elevate athletes and coaches to practically immortal status and consider them as invincible. But accidental death can strike at any moment, even for this segment of the population who are generally in extraordinary physical shape. Makes you wonder if perhaps John Madden isn't too crazy for opting to ride in a motorhome between games.

At any rate, kudos to ThePilot.com (ironic name in this situation, perhaps), for printing this list and allowing us to remember the tragedies of days gone by involving athletes being killed in plane crashes. It's a sad and scary fact of life that these accidents can happen, even to sports idols. Let's just hope we don't see this again any time soon.