Please note ...

... Bryan brings to our attention someone who is preaching common sense, but who is likely to be listened to, not because of the common sense, but because of who he is: Fill Your Boots.

One of the things I find fascinating about the media is how hysterical it can become when trouble hits. Now, ask yourself: If you were in a dangerous situation, would you want to have nearby somebody screaming that we're all doomed or someone who tells everybody to keep calm and advises steady, careful action? More and more the media actually trade in pessimism. I don't consider myself either a pessimist or an optimist, since reality seems to be an continuous admixture of good and bad. I just try, as someone once put it, to see things steady and see them whole. And having, more than once, faced a bit of danger, I make sure not to worry unduly until the crisis has passed.