Ed and his wife Norma go to the state fair every year, and every year Ed would say:
"Norma, I'd like to ride in that helicopter."
Norma always replied:
"I know Ed, but that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks!"

One year Ed and Norma went to the fair, and Ed said:
"Norma, I'm 75 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter now, I might never get another chance."

To this, Norma replied:
"Ed, that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks!"

The pilot overheard the couple and said:
"Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and don't say a word I won't charge you a penny! But if you say one word it's fifty dollars."

Ed and Norma agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy manoeuvres, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word...

When they landed, the pilot turned to Ed and said:
"By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!"

Ed replied:
"Well, to tell you the truth I almost said something when Norma fell out, but you know ... Fifty bucks is fifty bucks!"

[Thank you, JJ.!]

" .. Two Dead, 23 Injured In Blasts At Marathon, Boston Police Say

As of 6 p.m., two people were reported dead and, according to an NPR count of patients at area hospitals, 87 were injured .. "

[source "NPR"; [04-16-2013]]
 
I need to state distinctly that my first feeling was one of utter disgust for those responsible for this atrocious, evil deed.

The second thought was my heartfelt sympathy for the victims & their families/friends.

But the next, third thought was:
Where on earth were all the agencies whose task it is to protect the American people against actions like this? Where were the warnings by CIA, FBI, NSA, DHS? A warning that something was about to happen?

Think of all the money spent in vain, all the hours spent in security controls, all the delays, disturbances, annoyances and inconveniances travelling people around the world - not only in the U.S.A. - have been going through since 9/11 ....

Think of the loss of civic rights, snooping in personal affairs and surveillance in the public space that has since been installed - and what good did it do?

I'm afraid the result of this foul deed will not be second thought about the measures installed since 2001/2002, but even more 'security' wherever you look - plus no significant impact on the above mentioned Gouvernment agencies that failed to do their jobs.

The pick-up was traveling about 75 mph [~120 Km/h] from right to left when it crashed through the guardrail.

It flipped end-over-end bounced off and across the culvert outlet, and landed right side up on the left side of the culvert, facing the opposite direction from which the driver was traveling ...