Barry Dundas

No Drive Throughs

I can't remember where I saw or read this story, but I can't get it out of my mind. It was about the problem with drive through windows. In a time when we face sky-rocketing gasoline prices and the prospect of global warming which are impacted by burning fossil fuels, how much do drive through windows contribute to the problem? Can we afford to allow cars to sit idle at these windows all day long (especially at $4.00 a gallon)? I know, each car only sits for a few minutes but I can't even begin to do the math when you add up all the drive through windows in this country times the number of cars that go through them each day. I have to believe it is a substantial amount a fuel that is burned every day that is unnecessarily wasted.

So one solution is to make drive through windows illegal. Businesses would not be allowed to do business through these windows any longer. Does anybody believe that will ever happen? As Americans we are addicted to convenience. I am afraid that we would rather destroy our world than sacrifice getting out of our cars to walk into the fast food restaurant and buy our food. It would be a shame to counter the effects of these nutritious meals by actually getting a small amount of exercise.

If there is absolutely no chance of banning drive through windows than I have an alternate solution. I am ready to make a pledge now to stop using drive through windows. I am willing to make this small sacrifice if it can make a difference, but the only way it can make a difference is if I am not the only one. I know I am a dreamer, but what if we started a movement of people who said no to drive throughs? We would need some snappy slogan like "change we can believe in" (I think that one is taken), but I haven't got that far. We are not going to reduce our gas consumption over night, but we can't just keep doing the same old thing and expect different results. It is time to "just say no" to drive throughs (is that one taken as well). Will you join me?

New Ramblings

I have been so out of the habit of blogging that I almost forgot I had a blog. Part of my problem is that I think I need something to say before I put it out for the world to see. That is probably a bit presumptuous in that I think I have something to say or that anybody is really reading. This summer I have decided that it is time to start writing again regardless if I have anything to say. Instead I am just going to share what I am thinking even if it is just rambling.

Today I am thinking about George Carlin. I first heard George on an audio cassette when I was about 14 or 15. It wasn't my tape, but after a few minutes of listening I asked if I could borrow it. It was there that I learned (and memorized to impress my friends) the seven words you can't say on television. I also found his commentary on the Catholic Church rather funny, mainly because I wasn't Catholic. Now I understand that he could easily have said similar things about my denomination of choice.

In the past I have received an e-mail called "The Paradox of Our Time" supposedly written by George Carlin. It is a sappy little piece about what makes life worth living, but it was not written by George. He vehemently denies it on his own website using many of the words that cannot be said on TV. It doesn't even sound like George, but for some reason if it comes in an e-mail we think it must be true. I mention this because it leads to my thoughts for today. The e-mail implies that although George could be a loud critic of religion that he was a spiritual person. I don't know what George believed, but he did not have many good things to say about the church (some which probably needed to be said). I think he was pretty sure that God did not exist. Now that he is dead, I wonder what kind of conversation he is having with God. I think the ultimate joke for a comedian like George would be for God to say, "Georgie, I know you didn't believe in me all these years and even said some pretty hurtful things about my people so now you are going to have to pay the price. You are going to have to spend the rest of your life with me here in heaven." Now that is funny!