- Dispatches: Old West & Beyond 06-16-26 -

“There is no fear without some hope, and no hope without some fear.” -

        June 16, 2026

  - Dispatches: Old West & Beyond 06-16-26 -

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“There is no fear without some hope, and no hope without some fear.” - Baruch Spinoza
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— MY TWO CENTS WORTH —
Good morning. This is Tuesday, June 16th.
Strap in. The future is here. 
Or will be in a couple of years. 
Flying cars. 
The idea has been around a while. In fact, the first article I ever read about flying cars appeared in Popular Science. The magazine first predicted airborne autos in 1924, although I wasn’t yet around to read that particular article.
Since then, I’ve learned that Popular Science has “championed the dream of flying cars” for ever a century. Apparently, if you keep predicting something for over the course of a hundred years, it stands a good chance of becoming reality. 
A few days ago, I spotted a recent article about flying cars with the headline: “We’re on track to bring flying cars to neighborhoods by 2028.” 
Please don’t. 
I have enough trouble navigating neighborhood traffic in a car that doesn’t fly. And the thought of personal aircraft ziggizagging through the sky above my neighborhood at between 60 and 155 miles an hour is frightening. No traffic lights to worry about. No fences or bridge abutments in the way. No sharp corners or sweeping curves.  Just other flying cars. The Wild West of personal air travel.  
According to Fox Business, “The flying car set to revolutionize personal air travel.”
I’m sure it will. 
But flying cars, at least in my opinion, also stand a good chance of revolutionizing reckless driving and road rage. And it boggles my mind to think they might be equipped with horns. 
What happens if the thing runs out of fuel and just quits? The lucky ones could crash-land in the middle of a spacious pasture. Others, however, could end up on someone’s rooftop. Or in the kitchen while you’re cooking up a mess of Sloppy Joes.
Here's my one-word solution for those in danger: RUN!
Your thoughts?

— DISPATCHES FROM THE OLD WEST — 
(1) Clay Allison, a rancher turned gunman, was a man given to violent mood swings. His quick temper caused him to engage in outrageous and gruesome behavior. Click here and read about “MAN OF VIOLENCE.”
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(2) When two gamblers faced off in the streets of Trinidad, Colorado, cooler heads intervened to stop the gunplay. But the long-running argument was far from over. For the full story, click here for “THE TRINIDAD GUNFIGHT.”
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— DISPATCHES FROM HERE & THERE —  
(3) If you have any unopened boxes of cereal around, they might be worth a small fortune—as long as they're several decades old. Last year, for example, a cereal pack from 1961 sold for more than $21,000. Click here and learn why.
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(4) In 1928, a short film titled Steamboat Willie ranked as  the first film to feature Mickey Mouse, a character who would define the Disney brand. The film is nearly 100 years old, but the humor seems to have stood the test of time. Check it out here.

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(5) Now that summer is in full swing, there’s always the possibility of heat waves. But beware of myths. For example, drinking lots of water or gulping salt tablets isn’t as helpful as you’ve been led to believe. Click here to test your know-how in dealing with the heat.  
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(6) Private eyes and police detectives populate crime fiction, of course, and it can be great fun. But here’s how the real-life versions of them differ from their fictional counterparts.
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(7) Literary legend Ernest Hemingway immersed himself in the experience of living. Read here how he made time to accomplish most of what he dreamt of. 
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“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” —Robert Louis Stevenson
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