Everyone under 25 needs to take a course and pass a test to get a Boater Education Card to operate a boat in WA.

Quoted: Boating Safety Program at Washington State Parks

Harvard Center for Risk Analysis did a cost-benefit analysis of airbags. Despite the fact that the public overwhelmingly believes airbags to be a safe and cost-effective enhancement to a modern vehicle, this study found that driver's side airbags cost $70,000 per "year of life saved" and passenger side airbags cost $400,000 per year of life saved.

The latter figure is one that obviously is not one that could be economically justified for the general population. Even for the driver's side airbag, I think the cost seems to be much higher than other life-saving expenditures we can be making.

Why did Nader believe so strongly that air bags needed to be installed in cars? It seems irrational to me. At this point, I think his ego is so tied up with airbags that he would never come out against them no matter how detrimental or expensive they turn out to be.

Quoted: air bags kill more children than they save according to the "best available evidence,"

Really good video about Ralph Nader. He was thrust into national prominence after GM tried to smear his character through "dirty tricks" - which all came out in congressional hearings. Nader assumed the mantel of "white knight" and became very powerful.

No product can be made completely safe - but the cars built before 1965 paid little attention to passenger safety. Is there a point at which we can say that government is overstepping it's role and actually causing more harm than good in the regulation of an industry? I've long held a suspicion that the wide deployment of airbags has been a net harm to the American consumer rather than a needed safety feature (air bags largely are there to protect people who DON'T use safety belts).

Beginning in 2008, WA us phasing in a Boater Education test and will require boaters to carry this card in order to operate a motorboat over 15hp.

2008: 20 and under
2009: 25 and under
2010: 30 and under
2011: 35 and under
2012: 40 and under
2013: 50 and under
2014: 59 and under

(anyone born before 1955 is exempt)

The state will mail you a Adventures in Boating Course Manual and test by emailing boating@parks.wa.gov.

Choosy mothers, choose Jiff (now with 100% less salmonella than competing brands).

My friends Kevin and Dana Stoltz (our bookkeeper!) run this Personal Locator Beacon rental business. A PLB is a device you can take with you when you will be in the wilderness or generally away from civilization. If you are in need of search and rescue, you can activate the PLB and it will send a signal to a satellite based ermergency response system so the cavalry can come save you!

Since these are pricier than most folks want to buy for a single trip, PLB rentals is a way to get this life-saving technology into the hands of more people who otherwise wouldn't be able to use it.