Nobody asked us, but ... Some scary statistics to take to heart

Every now and then a bit of information comes along that piques our interest. Newsweek had a story of what you should really be afraid of. In 2008, 33 Americans were killed by terrorist attacks, however, more than 36,000 died from seasonal flu. Deaths by peanut allergies were between 50 and 100, but unintentional poisonings accounted for 27,531 (they didn't mention intentional poisonings). Fatal plane crashes in 2005 killed 321 people, but 34,017 died in car crashes in 2008. Breast cancer claimed 40,170 women in 2009, but 432,709 died from cardiovascular disease the year before. The headlines lean toward the exceptions, rather than the rule. The scariest item mentioned, however, was that last year 1.4 million Americans were audited by the IRS. Looking over the above, our conclusion is: Don't get the flu, don't drive cars, don't cheat on your taxes, and get a check-up with your heart doctor. Good luck.

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Nice stuff: Sue Pickrell and her daughter, Amanda Cox, both grew their hair long, then cut it and gave it to "Locks of Love." It was the second time Sue has done this. What a neat thing to do. Locks of Love enables cancer victims to have wigs of human hair during their treatment. A very worthy cause, and thanks to both of them. Happy birthdays to Zina Lee and Lucy Adams, and a happy 50th anniversary to Kress and Brian Whalen ... "and many mooooore."

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The Carson City Chapter of the Retired Public Employees of Nevada is hosting its annual picnic at 11 a.m. July 6 in Pavilion C at Mills Park. Lunch is free, and is open to anyone who'd like to attend. Local candidates also have been invited. Sounds like a deal to us.

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Terry Beauchamp sent us this off the Internet: "An elderly mother superior was dying. The nuns had gathered around her bed to try to make her last journey comfortable. They tried to give her some warm milk, but she refused it. One of the nuns then remembered they had a bottle of Irish whiskey in the kitchen, so she poured a generous amount into the milk. Back at the mother superior's bed, they offered her a sip of the milk. She drank a little ... then a little more. Before they knew it, she'd drunk the last drop. 'Mother,' one nun asked, 'please give us some wisdom before you die.' She raised herself up in bed and whispered, 'Don't sell that cow.'" Amen.

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And Ken Fraser came up with this one (also off the Internet): "A guy was sitting at a bar just staring at his drink, when a big trouble-making biker steps in, grabs the drink and gulps it down, saying, 'What'cha gonna do about it?' The poor little man starts to cry. 'Come on man, I was just giving you a hard time. I didn't think you'd cry. I can't stand to see a man crying.' 'This is the worst day of my life,' said the man between sobs. 'I can't do anything right. I overslept, was late to an important meeting, and my boss fired me. My car was stolen from the parking lot and I don't have any insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home, and found my wife in bed with the gardener. My dog bit me, so I came to this bar to find the courage to put an end to my life. Then, to top it all off, you showed up and drank the poison.'" Mercy.

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As summer begins (glory hallelujah), we'd like to remind you of Food for Thought, the program that discreetly feeds homeless children. These children, through no fault of their own, often go to bed hungry. There are estimated to be more than 500 here in Carson City. Non-perishable individual food items are needed, as is money to fund the program. For details, go to www.foodfor

thought.org, call 883-1011, or send a check to Food For Thought to P.O. Box 656, Carson City, NV 89702. They will be eternally grateful.

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Enjoy the warmth.

• Carolyn Tate and Maizie Harris Jesse are longtime Carson City residents. They can be reached at editor@nevadaappeal.com.