A crash involving multiple tractor trailers blocked all lanes of Interstate 44 in Phelps County, an auspicious event for September 11. Back in the day Route 22 in New Jersey for me earned the moniker of "Death Highway." I-44 seems a serious competitor for the title without the congestion of the Garden State highway that allowed access to parking lots from two lanes. I can't be alone in cringing when having to drive I-44, especially on days when truck traffic is heavy and some of the drivers noticeably distracted stray over the center line.

Speaking of scary things, Halloween may have come early in Southwest Missouri. Look at the trees covered in webs, a definite Halloween creep factor. According to David Burton of the University of Missouri Extension, the basic control for fall webworms (AKA tent caterpillars) is pruning, but that method may not be practical since many of the trees are completely covered in the bug-filled webbing.

Besides crashes on Missouri highways, media reports contain shoot-em-ups. Sometimes they involve drug gang pay-offs. As a taxpayer pissed off when tax increases are mentioned for construction of more jails, I'm less disturbed by this loss of life and more concerned when reading, for instance, about the Northwest Arkansas woman who admitted to drowning seven puppies.

I saved another media report from last February, hoping to include it in a Musings column a bit sooner than this. While I shouldn't have snickered about the name. I couldn't help it. Bimbo Bakeries advertised that they had employment opportunities (for those with experience making or selling cookies and cake, of course). Why in the world they shortened the name "bambino""bimbo" beats me. Actually, we were being informed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be on the lookout for Thomas', Sara Lee and Jewel Bagels because they might contain undeclared peanuts and almonds. The Bimbo bakers had voluntarily recalled their products in the Midwest. I wonder what percentage of the population with food allergies benefits considering the added expense in a recall that eventually raises the price of the products.

While Arby's gives customers a plastic knife to cut their chicken salad sandwiches that contain nuts, other restaurants do not. I guess I don't have to wonder why Arby's doesn't just earmark a special knife for the purpose...that relies on their help not misusing it. Apparently, other places are more trusting.

Maybe, it was the way he worded it, but Fox commentator Jon Scott asked a Charleston, South Carolina reporter who John C. Calhoun was. Someone had thrown paint on Calhoun's statue and Scott was trying to ascertain the significance of that. The question, it seems to me, illustrated the shockingly paltry background in history that commentators have and how this lack colors their reporting.

But then does the audience pay attention? What are Republican women doing supporting Donald Trump? Why is anyone? Hee hee, had to get everyone's attention by mentioning The Donald.

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