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Friday, November 1, 2002
Legal Eagleities
Like, who are John Leslie and Ian Greaves?
More floating points
Flying against the odds
| | Many years ago my old company was required by its creditors to take out life insurance policies on its principals. In the course of filling out the paperwork, I discovered that we could obtain a substantial rate break if I denied particpating in dangerous practices. Among the few listed, I was surprised to find "scuba diving" and "flying in small airplanes." |
| | Death by small aircraft is a remarkably common event. Not as common as death by automobile, of course, but close enough to bring pause. Just a few celebs that come to mind: |
| | Hale Boggs, John Heinz, Mel Carnahan, John Tower, Patsy Cline, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Reba McIntire's band, Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, Ritchie Valens, Galen Rowell, Ron Brown, Will Rogers, Wiley Post, Glenn Miller, JFK Jr., Joe Kennedy Jr., Dag Hammarskjöld, Jane Dornacker, Frank Wells, the Evansville College basketball team, two guys from the Oklahoma University basketball team, Jim Croce, Ricky Nelson, Hale Boggs, John Heinz, Bo Rein, Amelia Earhart, Thurmon Munson, Bill Graham, Dean Martin Jr., Otis Redding, most of the Bar-Kays (four died with Otis), John Denver, Jim Reeves, Ronnie Van Zant (+ Steve and Cassie Gaines, also of Lynyrd Skynyrd), Aaliyah, Frank Sinatra's mom... |
| | A lot more seem to have died of drugs, cancer and car accidents, but still, ya gotta wonder. |
| | I was told by a military veteran, after Ron Brown's plane went down in Dubrovnik, that the cause was "brass fever," a condition that afflicts pilots in ther presence of senior officers and other powerful passengers who insist on flying in spite of the pilot's better instincts. I'm sure that was the case with Buddy Holly's plane. Bill Graham's too. |
| | Makes ya think that celebrity itself is a risky condition. |
There are responses to this message:Minor nit, Paul Burchfield, 11/3/02; 3:07:16 AM Re: Friday, November 1, 2002, Donald W. Larson, 11/2/02; 3:28:11 PM Re: Friday, November 1, 2002, John Robb, 11/1/02; 7:20:55 PM John Denver, Ralph Brandi, 11/1/02; 5:14:45 PM Bill Graham, chuqui, 11/1/02; 2:09:05 PM
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