1. Why do we say, “The sky is partly cloudy?” What else can be partly cloudy? The ground cannot be partly cloudy, nor the rain, nor the snow, nor the landscape. Why don’t we just say it is partly cloudy?
2. Why do we say, “There was 1.46 inches of rainfall.” Why not 1.46 inches of rain? If it did not fall, it would not be rain.
3. Snowfall amounts…same questions. There would be zero amounts if the snow didn’t fall.
4. Thunderstorms. Thunder is not dangerous, just noisy. Its main purpose is to send little puppies and great big dogs scurrying for cover. Lightning is dangerous. Why don’t we call them lightning storms?
5. At this point in time. I heard a TV interview a few days ago, when that term was repeated over and over. That was the 867,482,176th time that I heard that since John Dean made it a household expression in the Watergate hearings. What is wrong with the word “now?”
6. Why do automobile manufacturers put turn indicators on cars? The use of them is a lost art. We could go back to the old hand signals and save hundreds of dollars per automobile.
7. The temperature is 86 degrees. What else could it be? The temperature could not be 86 ounces, 86 inches or 86 pounds. Why don’t we just say the temperature is 86.
8. How can I tell which county you are from on the newly designed Alabama license plates? The ones that say, “God Bless America.” I love the new plates. They are easier to read, but I cannot get any hint of any county designation. It has been a lifelong hobby of mine to notice all the county prefixes when I am driving. For example, 36 is Hale County. Simply reverse those two digits and 63 is the adjoining Tuscaloosa County.
9. Why do so many motorists insist on tailgating? I was driving from Trussville to Huffman on I-59 last Sunday and I had my speed control set on 74 (1 mile below the speed limit). In the left lane, two vehicles were going a lot faster separated by one-half car length. If the first driver had sneezed, there would have been a rear-end collision.
10. Why am I posting all of this garbage? The answer is unknown, but it is a sure sign that the weather is not much of an issue today. I have always tried to avoid excess wordage.
