"Black" Friday Follies...
I trust that you all had as good a Thanksgiving day as was possible, and that the MEANING of that day still resounds in your minds and hearts.
We had our "sedate" little twosome (Mrs. Bobby G. and myself), so no need to put the leaf in our dining room table.
It's the only time of year we dine in the dining room, actually. The rest of the time, it's the dinette in the family room, which works well enough.
Maybe we do Christmas dinner in the dining room, but that's it.
First up, the answer to Wednesday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
It was Robert Jackson, A Systematic View of the Formation, Discipline, and Economy of the Armies - 1804.
Anyhow, the leftovers have been stashed in the fridge, and I get to sit back and watch all the insanity unfold on this day...THE worst shopping day of the calendar year. And woe to those that feel the "need" to rush out for "sales".
THE FIVE on Fox yesterday had a funny show devoted to Thanksgiving...remembrances, tips and the like.
I especially like Bob Beckel's "travel tips", because so many DO fly home to be with loved ones.
He said that IF you have to bring a crying baby on board an airliner, PLEASE change the kid's diaper FIRST. Nothing worse than smelling a dirty diaper SEVEN aisles back. He also said that IF you encounter teenagers that say the word "LIKE" every other word, look for the air marshal on the flight and have him SHOOT them...lol.
I would mention that while I'm not an advocate of gun play at 35,000 feet, it should be noted that "safe" bullets are carried. These "frangible rounds" will turn to powder on impact with anything solid like the bulkhead or window on an airplane, but will penetrate organic matter (such as that annoying teenager or possible terrorist). Just so you know...
Now, I suppose that this morning for us NORMAL people is more like the AFTERNOON for those early-bird shoppers. I mean they've been out for hours just to be at some store at 0500 hrs...sorry, I was busy racking up Zs, as was everyone else not involved in all this buffoonery.
I can NEVER recall a time when ANYONE in our household EVER succumbed to the pressure of sales enough to want to "camp out" at some store to get someone something for Christmas.
And yes, I know I passed up a REALLY good ("Thursday Only") sale at Gander Mountain on a .22 Mossberg tactical "Plinkster" w/ 25 round magazine for ONLY $199 ($100 off)...PLUS a decent sale on bulk .22 ammo...yes, I know...all too well. But hey, it'll be on sale again.
Yet, truth be told, yesterday was more about family to me (however small it has become over the years) than anything else.
Still, there were PUH-LENTY of shoppers for all the sales out there...some camping out as long as TWO DAYS in advance (another "occupy" movement?) just for a "bargain".
Lemme toss a bit of fact out here at this point:
A bargain is only a bargain of you indeed SAVE money (and a goodly amount, that is)...got it?
That means if something you were hoping to buy was ONE price back in say...AUGUST, and has since been jacked UP 20%, and is NOW (on Black Friday) a whopping 20% OFF, then WHERE the hell is the savings, hmm?
What I've been fascinated with is the reasoning behind Black Friday, and in today's paper, they have an article that mentions just that.
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111125/NEWS03/311259941
One thing the story mentions is that "WE LIKE CROWDS"...really?
REALLY???
Unless it's a crowd at a Ted Nugent concert or the audience at a classical music recital, I'm not "down with that"...not one bit.
I detest crowds, because chaos breeds in such "target-rich" environments, and too many are oblivious to such things.
Small gatherings are fine, but with crowds come crowd-like behavior...pushing, shoving...your basic lack-of-civility.
Personally, I'd feel a bit safer in the lion pen at the zoo...wearing bacon britches!
You do have to understand the majority of the people spoken to in this story were WOMEN...
(Oh, well, THAT tells me a LOT about crowds, besides bony elbows in my side...lol)
Another facet in the story says that "Planners are pushy"...
NOT TRUE...(provisionally-speaking.)
I am a planner and I am NOT pushy when it comes to shopping...if anything, I am focused like a damn LASER BEAM.
I already HAVE a list in hand...KNOW what I want, KNOW where it can be located in the store I'm planning to "assault", and KNOW how much I plan to spend on whatever I'm getting....and then KNOW how to get the hell HOME in the best possible time.
I also tend to KNOW where I want to park in relation to the store entrances and exits..so that about covers it.
(...usually, it's a bit farther from all the numbnut drivers that LOVE to dent YOUR vehicle thanks to THEIR carelessness and haste.)
The story also cites that Black Friday shopping provides us with a "Sense of identity"...
ROFLMAO...!
Christ, the LAST thing I want is to have MY sense of identity defined by HOW EARLY I'm in front of some god-forsaken store, freezing my man-bits off for the sole purpose of feeding some financilly-hedonistic desire, as I shoulder my way through the mass of other shoppers when those doors finally open, like some Green Bay linebacker who's trying to sack the opposition's QB.
My sense of identity is nicely intact and well defined, thank you very much.
And anyone crossing me will find out soon enough JUST how well-defined it is when I go shopping!.
My identity is NOT shaped by the other shoppers around me, other than the fact that THEIR insanity only goes to secure my normalcy.
In THAT, I get a nice "warm n fuzzy"...(which may or may not be on sale this week...LOL)
So, I'll do what any good "covert operator" would do...bide my time...plan my moves, plot my strategy...and achieve victory.
That's what you're SUPPOSED to do in a "combat" scenario, isn't it?
And if you think that Black Friday shopping is anything LESS than "all-out warfare", you've not seen the opposition, nor understood the intricacies of combat. Better to hunker down, and wait for the barrage to lighten up before you leave that "foxhole" (your house) and move out.
In NC, they've had a SHOOTING at one store:
http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/11/25/3552821/sc-woman-shot-after-black-friday.html
...AND, the obligatory stampeding of "the herds"...much like the one in Buffalo where one man was literally trampled by shoppers (last year).
You can google the YouTube video for yourselves.
Now, is it just me, or do the FIRST shoppers to burst through the doors of most stores appear to be large black females (who have camped there for days...no job, Shekeisha??) Another woman used PEPPER SPRAY to get the items she wanted...
You do have to admire the WELFARE system that allows such people the opportunity to be FIRST when it comes to venues like this.
Like I said...like a stampeding herd...and you SURE as hell don't want to be in THEIR way (unless you managed to sneak a CATTLE PROD under your jacket).
To me, it's just not worth the hassle...the parking...the lines...the shoving...the potential for THEFT or ASSAULT...not one bit.
Do I secretly admire those who brave these things (and more) to score the bargains?
Nah...not really.
I'd much rather devote my admiration to those in uniform, be they local (LEOs, firefighters and those in the military), or troops overseas fighting for freedom and liberty.
I will shop on MY terms...and at MY leisure...and NOT because some store is touting SALES out the butt.
Of course, there IS always the "online experience" (not to be confused with the Jimi Hendrix Experience).
Nice to have the purchases COME TO YOU...rather than you chase after them.
But, if you DO have to go out today and jump into the maelstrom of mooks and moolies, take special care that you don't wind up on the evening news.
Be wary, be cautious and be vigilant.
Your life isn't worth some trinket that's on sale...that's for sure.
Have yourselves a great weekend.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

From OUR house to YOURS.

Humpday Happenings...
Here we are again...knock, knock knocking on Thanksgiving's door, and tomorrow, we will hopefully gather around dinner tables across this fine nation to celebrate the meaning of what it is to be...thankful.
First up...this week's WHO SAID THAT?
"The path of nature and of truth is narrow, but it is simple and direct; the devious paths are numerous and spacious; but they all lead to error and destruction." (answer on Friday)
But before we get into the mix today, I want to talk a little about how some holidays don't always turn out "as planned".
*** Case in point...this story about a FWCS asst. principal that wound up acting more the turkey than cooking one.
Here's the link to the *4-1-1*:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111123/LOCAL07/311239984
This demonstrates how deep the drug culture has infested our typical neighborhoods. This is an rather nice area, and it's the cookie-cutter housing development many have chosen to live in and raise a family.
But here we have drugs...just like down here in the ghettohood...nothing new about that.
What I have to ask straight away is: "Was it all worth it?"
(( During the search, officers found marijuana in several places in the home, including about two pounds in three freezer vacuumed sealed bags in the dining room, just under a half pound in a box in the garage and two vacuum sealed freezer bags in the kitchen freezer, along with a partially burnt brown cigar with pot wrapped in it in an ashtray.
Officers also found a large digital scale in the laundry room, a large bowl-type digital scale in the pantry, just under $4,700 scattered in various spots in the home and a .45 caliber semi-automatic Glock handgun in a nightstand.
In a kitchen cabinet, police found a glass snorting device that contained less than a gram of cocaine and a mirror, a razor blade and several plastic straws, all with cocaine residue on them. ))
** note - pictures are for reference only!
I would kiss that Glock "bye-bye" after this stunt...drugs AND guns do go over all that well, and even if you had a permit...you ain't gonna have one for long now. Hope it wasn't straw-purchased.
Having such marks on an otherwise unremarkable "record" shouldn't become some "rite-of-passage", and especially not for those we call ADULTS.
Derek Curry was a former FW firefighter, whose employment (which lasted for only SIX years - hired on in 1999) would seem to be in question.
Was he injured on the job and had to leave? Did he receive a "better deal" elsewhere?
At least he manned-up when stopped by ILLINOIS STATE POLICE, and allowed access to his Ft. Wayne home up on Millennium Crossing.
But "integrity after the fact" (when you've been caught with your hand in the cookie jar) still is more like a day late and a dollar short.
Police have filed charges against "Mikki" White (a former backup singer for Prince) who is supposed to be releasing a book soon (wonder how that's going to work out), and has a new CD, found here on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Mikki-White-Xperience/dp/B005T3BVME/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1322001266&sr=8-4
What I find hard to believe is how a former teacher at Fairfield Elementary School, who was criticized BY her principal back in 1997 for bringing a speaker to her class who talked about STDs, and had a "show & tell" with models of a UTERUS and SUCTION DEVICE to demonstrate how an abortion is performed...in AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, for God's SAKE...could stoop to something that will most assuredly ruin a decent CAREER...all for the sake of some pot and some blow
To me, that shows a severe lack of judgment...both back in 1997 as well as now.
And that "lack" seems to have followed Shadwaynn Curry like a frisky puppy.
Oh yes, she also has SEVERAL aliases:
(from court records)
CURRY, SHADWAYNN M
Also Known As JENKINS, SHADWAYNN M
Also Known As WHITE, SHADWAYNN M
And...MIKKI WHITE (professional name, obviously)
Why would a teacher or a principal NEED a FEW names? Always thought the ONE was sufficient, unless there was something to hide...or get away from. And she sure wasn't on a witness-protection program. Very strange indeed.
Now, what has DEREK been doing since leaving the department back in 2005?
The ONLY thing on his rap sheet shows a driving while suspended infraction back in 2002, so he's been flying under the radar, as it were.
Shadwaynn only has a "failure to dim lights" infraction from 1998.
So, what could cause two, seemingly regular folks to drop off the deep end of normalcy and delve into the "wonderful world of street-corner pharmaceuticals"? They obviously had nice digs to crib in, and HER salary alone (as an assistant principal) should have been sufficient to warrant a typically regular lifestyle.
I suppose they "thought" they could amend their income by becoming "entrepreneurs", after a fashion?
Well, someone thought WRONG there.
And it will haunt them for quite some time, unfortunately.
Might be less of a Thanksgiving at their house than they had originally planned... (more on this as it becomes available - her initial court appearance states she claims innocence)
And speaking of THANKSGIVING...
Tomorrow, we'll be hosting family members, or perhaps venturing forth to other members of our families, to sit down, and enjoy a wonderful yearly repast that will most assuredly cause belts to loosen across America.
And it's a marvelously AMERICAN thing to do....we "own" this holiday lock, stock, and barrel.
But for some of us, we remember times past, and how chairs at our tables have grown empty over the years.
I'm a traditionalist, so I will STILL prepare the usual dinner, as if family members from times past will be calling.
Some traditions should never be allowed to pass away, as our family members often do.
Even if it's only Mrs. Bobby G. and myself (along with our two cats), tomorrow will STILL be thanksgiving, and prayers will be spoken over our empty chairs, because the reasons we have to BE thankful go beyond the tangible things in our lives.
Who we are and have become over the years was built upon things our parents wanted for us...expected from us, and gave to us.
Add to that a sense of morality, from tomes which spoke to us about GIVING...and being THANKFUL, and it's little wonder we embrace tomorrow in the manner we have come to know.
Mankind is a social being, and that includes being charitable...the whole GIVING thing.
And on Thanksgiving Day we give of ourselves...to others (family), but we also have to give something TO ourselves, and that being the satisfaction that WE are doing what we are supposed to be doing. It's not selfish, but rather SELFLESS.
So, on that, I would wish that if you have an empty chair at YOUR table for whatever reason, you take the time to be thankful that whoever is absent remains in your thoughts and prayers, for they have helped to make your life better, and this nation stronger when they were present.
TO all our troops serving in whatever theater of operation, I wish the best for all of you, and that God will keep you and guide you in your duties to this nation and to her people.
TO our police and firefighters, I wish you safe journeys upon our streets, roads and highways.
And to all of you, may you take to heart the meaning of tomorrow, and the place it holds in our history, and will continue to hold in our future.
Have a fantastic Thanksgiving Day, and we'll catch all of you on the "flip side".
Be well, make a difference to someone today, as well as tomorrow, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

The Show That Never Ends...
I've been following the recent "super" committee that was created to fund ways to cut government spending, and I must say that I did not see anything SUPER about it.
To me, this was destined to fail from the git-go, and it was nice to be proved correct in that.
The word SUPER was used in such an improper context, so as to appear to be something "over and above" the USUAL committees (that can't seem to get much done in D.C.)
Certain things come to mind when I think "super".
-- Super-charged - An engine with a belt-driven device that increases horsepower output.
-- Superman - Immigrant to Earth that fights evil for truth, justice, and the AMERICAN way.
-- Super model - Cheryl Tiegs, Elle Macpherson, Miranda Kerr...'nuff said
-- Super bomb - Edward Teller's phrase for atomic fusion explosion
-- Super 8 - Motel chain that leaves the light on
-- Super - Slang for an apartment building head custodian
-- Super Friends - Cartoon show from the 70s
-- Super Eight - old type of film (8mm) used for home movies
-- Super Mario - Nintendo character - had a brother named Luigi
-- Super Bowl - Last pro football game of the season which USED to be worth watching















-- Superhero - Iron Man, Captain America, Green Lantern, the Flash, Spiderman (you get the idea)
So you can see that the word SUPER means SOMETHING.
But this Super Committee?
Not so much, unless you consider their lack of ability and willingness to come to some common ground a SUPER-FLOP!
In THAT, they have excelled beyond reason, and that means certain "predesignated" cuts to the national budget will take place in 2013.
I also hear that means people will see about TWO PERCENT LESS in their paychecks...
(( "WTF???" ))
Now, I always thought that LESS money in one's paycheck meant some TAX was going UP...didn't you?
And a TAX HIKE is not the same as a "budget cut", is it?
Curiouser and curiouser (said Alice in Wonderland).
*** Saw a REALLY good show on the Discovery Channel last night, called CURIOSITY (hosted by, of all people, Donald Trump).
The show provided the viewer with the entire "What is America really worth?" aspect.
I was amazed at how it was presented, and Trump was on his game (as were the writers of the show).
Someone did some HEFTY amounts of "homework" here.
Turns out that this nation, it's resources, infrastructure, military, creativeness and it's people ARE worth a lot more than many realize.
America is currently worth about $232 TRILLION bucks...give or take.
Here's a link to the page where snippets from the show can be found:
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/whats-america-worth-videos
It's pretty cool stuff.
Our HOMES are (collectively) worth a whopping $16.4 TRILLION bucks, so I guess Obama could practice eminent domain on EVERYONE in America, pay off the national debt, and STILL have money left over for Pelosi, Reid et al to go waste somewhere else, hmm?
Of course, ALL of us would THEN be homeless and living in the backseats of our vehicles, but hey, It's only socialism, folks...LOL!
(and it's what those liberal would love to see happen...so they could come "to our rescue")...yeah, right. No thanks.
I'll keep my guns, bible, house, car, and money...Obama can "keep the change"!
*** The Occupy movement is getting nastier and nastier (and still not bathing regularly, either).
I guess people are beginning to see what CAN (and usually does) happen whenever people don't follow the law, and are given that "free pass" to protest in whatever manner that they see fit, inconveniencing innocent people as they proceed, right?
I said to the Missus a few WEEKS ago, almost as soon as this OWS crap hit the streets (and the fan), that the police would soon be portrayed as "gestapo" and cries of brutality would be forthcoming.
Looks like I was pretty much on track with THAT.
We're seeing videos of police using O/C on protesters...who REFUSED TO MOVE and WERE WARNED in advance that they WOULD indeed be pepper-sprayed, if they did not comply.
The police are only following procedure (and the law).
If these protesters want to petition for and secure PERMITS (by paying for them) to be able to gather at a particular place and hold their rally...fine and dandy, people.
But you cannot "claim" or "occupy" any place you're not supposed to be without those permits, and certainly for the purpose of setting up some ad hoc homestead for the indigent, criminally-intentioned, or the chronically-stupid.
The protesters are decrying the use of the O/C (how ironic there with the whole crying aspect) but if they looked back in HISTORY, the alternatives would have been a LOT more hurtful.
How about a bunch of police DOGS to sic on the protesters...or the tried and true WATER CANNONS (during the Civil Rights movement, which was NOTHING like the occupy movements). Anyone remember KENT STATE and the SHOOTINGS?
Those alternatives could be a lot worse than some pepper spray in the puss, right?
So move your lazy asses along, get some permits, or better yet, take a bath, look for a job, or return to school so you can GET a job, and be done with it...this nation has some other severe problems to attend to, without having to worry about some dissidents trying to overthrow our system of capitalism, in lieu of some socialistic and fascist state. Leave that to Venezuela...or North Korea...or Kenya..or several dozen other nations wanting to be in the 3rd world.
*** Lastly today, I want to touch a bit more on what I mentioned yesterday.
A few people can spoil it for the many...we see that every day.
But how often do we hear about ALL the people that help the many by doing what they would normally do?
For example, we will have a story about ONE police officer that has committed some impropriety for whatever reason and is taken to task for it.
What about ALL the others who diligently patrol the streets, or stand in riot gear against hoards of angry protesters, or who find themselves running down a perp in some alley strewn with used hypodermic needles,.broken glass and garbage?
How about those involved in domestics every day, who have to endure the worst humanity has to offer?
What about a routine traffic stop that turns ugly in a heartbeat, and could cause an officer to not be able to return to his./her family after shift?
Sure, we can always point out those that make life difficult for everyone else...that's the EASY part. They set themselves up to be noticed by whatever stupid stunt they pull, and they deserve whatever punishment comes along.
Still, it's the REST of everybody that rarely gets noticed, simply because they perform the mundane...work at their jobs, do what is expected of them by their employer, and do their work as a means to an end when it comes to taking care of themselves, their family and their households.
And it's this time of year when such recognition shouldn't be passed over.
This nation is predicated upon the fact that we all have that life, liberty, and that pursuit of whatever happiness we can secure for us and ours.
And we need to be thankful in that regard for a Creator that has given to us such perspectives...such allowances for each of us to promote a sense of giving, and of thanks wherever it might be needed.
We need to remember all the people that help to make this nation great, because there is a vast number of them out there.
And if you ever have a desire to meet such a person, all you have to do is look in the mirror.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

((BTW, anyone remember what happened on this day back in 1963? Seems many media sources HAVE. I haven't))

Monday Musings...
Welcome to the beginning of Thanksgiving Day week, and the OFFICIAL kickoff to the entire holiday season (which starts this FRIDAY, and not before, kapeesh?). We're looking at a bit of rain to start our Monday here...no big deal, unless you're an impaired driver waiting to collide with some innocent person going to work or taking their child to school.
I've been noticing that for the last several weeks, the radio's been abuzz with a LOT of vehicular accidents.
Now, we've not had any severe weather, or poor road conditions to warrant such a apparent rise in these.
So, we MUST have an increasing rash of STUPID behind a lot of wheels out there.
What these folks don't realize is that THEIR behavior mucks up a lot of other lives.
Fortunately, major injuries or fatalities have not followed in the wake of this...just a lot of "fender-benders".
And while this makes the body shops all smiley-faced, it doesn't "help to make the season bright" for a lot of other people.
Is our situation THAT bad where we need to be sh*t-faced before 0700 hours?
It's like common sense for a lot of these people has taken a semi-permanent holiday.
Our society has allowed this to occur, believe it or not.
We have fled to the suburbs of America, in order to "escape" the problems of urban life in many cases, and that meant having to build shopping areas IN those suburbs, without foresight when it comes to total population growth, area available, and traffic patterns 5-10 years down the road (no pun intended).
All too often, we see cases where areas once farmland are now sprawling bastions of shopping pleasure, replete with horrendous traffic, poor parking, badly-timed traffic lights, and the resulting flaring tempers.
Now, for us still in the city (and even in the ghettohood), we've no alternative BUT to travel to such shopping venues, because most all the shopping has LEFT our area. And that was due to a changing demographic, plus growing crime rates.
So the only place left for people like myself and the missus to shop...is EVERYWHERE ELSE but our area.
I would have thought it unheard of to watch an entire MALL close down, but I've seen it happen on the (...all together, gang...) SOUTHEAST SIDE of Ft. Wayne. And I come from the East coast, where we have malls in greater abundance than most anywhere in the USA.
I've said here many times that our part of town has been the second largest area of this city when it comes to spendable (read disposable) income, and yet, we ALSO have the highest number of people on some sort of government assistance, AND the largest number of people NOT working.
Talk about a curious duplicity...or would that be our old friend...the DOUBLE-STANDARD?
But businesses know where best to open up, and it's sure not down here...unless they WANT higher thefts, employees robbed or shot, and vehicles vandalized or stolen. To conduct business under such conditions would be financial suicide.
And yet, there are still some who go against the grain here, and DO manage to have a thriving business, in spite of such conditions.
But they are a VERY few, and they have taken steps to prevent becoming victims of crime.
What has always bothered me, is that we always seem to have a few that spoil it for everyone else.
Doesn't matter what the situation is...the result is the same.
- You get one bad group in one house on your street...ruins the neighborhood for everyone else (and usually opens the door for more people of a similar and problematic nature).
- You get one bad apple in a law-enforcement agency, and the ripples are felt for some time, thanks to media exposure, and citizen outcry.
- One bad student in a classroom make learning difficult for the other 30 or so kids until the one is suspended or removed from the class.
- You have one bad employee on a production line and it screws things up for the whole shift, until the person is fired, or transferred to another area (where hopefully they won't screw that up).
Trouble is these days...we're seeing too many of the bad apples, and in many cases, they're being tolerated a lot more than they used to be...in the realm of "fairness", mind you.
But, let's take that impaired driver, for example. They get in an accident, get a slap on the wrist and they're BACK on the road in no time, regardless of the situation they just caused.
Remember when they pushed that NO-FAULT insurance at us way back in the 1970s?
Here's the WIKI in case you're curious:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-fault_insurance
I still think that mindset sucks, because something is always the fault (or result) of someone, unless it's an act of God, and I cannot recall having seen any accidents that were directly attributed to the ALMIGHTY, so that's a wash in my book.
The no-fault gig was thrust at us because "we" didn't want to BLAME any particular person, no matter HOW impaired they might be.
And it often caused HIGHER RATES, without proper compensation in many serious injury situations.
Like I say, something like this can ruin an otherwise nice holiday shopping spree...REAL fast.
Many times, these drivers are handed a LIFETIME suspension, and yet they are STILL pulled over by police, still behind the wheel of a vehicle they're NOT supposed to be driving. How screwed up is that?
Sometimes, these drivers might get a MOPED, and then THAT creates a whole new series of driving variables when it comes to OUR safety on the streets and roads, for in Indiana, they are NOT required to get such vehicle licensed (has to be OVER 50ccs for a tag).
Now, I don't know about YOU, but a drunk is a drunk, and when you stick them on a moped, or even a damn bicycle, that can be worse than an automobile, for the control factor is diminished by a factor of at least 5.
Ever try to pass a weaving bicycle or moped? it's not that easy on a narrow street or especially on a busy street.
Makes you wonder why we have public transportation (other than rolling urinals for the homeless and lazy).
Now, I said all that...to say THIS:
Be very careful out there, throughout the entire holiday season.
Other people will NOT be looking out for you, and they most often will NOT be on "their best behavior" for whatever reason.
They will be testy, arrogant, ignorant, impaired, anxious, or otherwise bothered with something OTHER than driving.
What YOU need to remember is that you might not be able to control what happens around you, but you SURE as hell can control what happens INSIDE your own vehicle, and that means being always on guard for the unexpected.
Plan your trips, expect delays, and go with your gut if you think something looks hinky or feels wrong.
And do make sure your vehicle doesn't strand you where you don't want to be stranded, so if that means a trip to the mechanic for a checkup...consider it an "early Christmas gift" for yourself.
Better to expect the worst, and be prepared for it, than for it to catch you with your britches down around your ankles, hmm?.
Take your time out there...there's plenty of holiday for everyone.
The life you save might just be YOUR OWN (and your loved ones)...and that never gets old.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.