People should never get exposed to hazardous fumes at work, but sometimes it comes with the job. It can lead to major health issues later on in life.

While doing an errand today, I encountered a group of workers repaving a parking lot. The smell of asphalt was very heavy in the air. These guys breathe this in all day. It's part of their job, but it doesn't mean it's right. 

One worker looked indifferent to it all as he used a rake on the asphalt while smoking a cigarette. He was getting a double-dose of deadly fumes. 

I have mixed feelings about the options in some states to vote early in this election. I wonder what type of influence it will have on the final outcome.

It's great to see the voter turnout. I think every American should make an effort to vote if they can.

I will wait until election day. In years past, I have been out of town for some elections and used an absentee ballot.

There should be a thorough study done on this after the election to see if this should be an option in the future.

Concert tickets cost way too much money. The acoustics in large venues are not always the best. I find it outrageous that some performers start selling tickets almost a year in advance.

They know that the show will sell out quickly. In some cases, that's a ton of money earning interest for the promoter or whoever has their hands on it. 

So much can happen a year from now.There is no guarantee that the performer or audience members will even be around. 

I bought my Samsung Galaxy 5 phone over two years ago. I'm eligible for an upgrade, but I think I'll sit tight. I have been very satisfied with it. There is so much I don't know about it and probably never will.

Ironically, I could've  bought a Samsung 7. I'm so glad I never did. They are taking a huge financial hit with the battery problem in the phone. 

One of the biggest jokes is the involvement of a local Congressman in the attempt to build a train link between North and South Stations in Boston. It would allow for uninterrupted train service between Maine and Washington DC. It doesn't make sense that there is a two mile gap in downtown Boston, but it has been like that forever.

The biggest farce is the cost. Most estimates have it pegged at $8 billion. He said it could be done for $2 billion. I don't believe that for one second.

If it ever gets done, and that it highly unlikely, it will be over $10 billion. They don't even have any drawings for it.

A public school in Connecticut is eliminating their annual Halloween costume parade and related events for children. Officials cited safety concerns.

I fully support this idea and feel that Halloween has no place in schools. The education system performs poorly enough in America without wasting valuable classroom time on frivolous matters. 

Parents are upset because they want to be part of it. They are part of the problem because many of them want to be in costume. This is so crazy in light of the recent clown issue across the country.

We wold be better off as a nation if schools spent more time educating children rather than having ridiculous parties. 

Sports watches are relatively inexpensive, but the band breaks before anything else happens. Batteries don't last as long as they should.

My band is now held together by a safety pin and duck tape. It fits terrible around my wrist. If I wear a warm-up jacket, I put it in the pocket.

For some reason I cannot find the replacement for my TIMEX Ironman. I don't want to order one that might fit. I need to get it right the first time. 

It might be easier to go to Walmart and buy another new one for $35. 

I have never gone apple picking and have no plans in the future. How many apples can you eat before they spoil? I don't do pies or desserts.

It seems to be pretty popular this time of year. I saw some photos on Facebook and was surprised to see how many apples end up on the ground. What happens to them? Do they go to waste? What about the ones left on the trees?

I guess I will never really know. 

The world is full of boring people. They go on Facebook and tell the world that they are bored. That is their current status. If you say you're bored, you must be a boring person. 

I read one update from someone who listed all of the reasons they were bored. Others commented that they were bored too. 

These people don't have enough interests in life. It's so lame for them to admit this publicly.  

It was interesting to read the analysis of seat-belt use by drivers in Massachusetts. For 2015, it was 78.2% compared to 74% last year and 67% in 2006.

The nation's overall rate is 88.5%. The Bay State is 48th on the list, trailing only New Hampshire and North Dakota.  

A total of 34 states allow police officers to stop drivers for not wearing a belt. Massachusetts mandates that a stop occur for another violation. The belt is secondary.

There is no doubt that seat-belts save lives. There are periodic stories where the belt contributes to a fatality, but those instances are rare.

There is always the issue of the government mandating you to wear it. This strikes against personal freedom and choice. Many don't wear them because of that. 

It's a real challenge to wear the right amount of clothing this time of the year. It doesn't matter if I'm running or just doing things.

I thought I dressed right to play golf this afternoon, but I put on a light jacket after a breeze picked up. I never felt hot at any moment today.  

That won't happen again until next spring for me. 

I have a dental appointment later on today. It's for a cleaning and exam. The last time, I had a cavity under an old filling. That didn't surprise me because my fillings are so old. 

I floss after every meal. It really helps with my gum health. If you get a problem with them, it will certainly effect your teeth in a big way.  

So many people are missing teeth. Dental health is a big problem in this country. Some people don't even brush daily. They are not about to start flossing. 

I already turned on my heat other day. I finally started to wear sweaters when I go out. The time has come to put away the polo shirts until next year.

The next step will be to wear my winter coat. We have not reached that point with the weather, but it's only a matter of time. 

I heard a radio commercial about audio-books. I would never use them while running outside or doing things at home. 

I know someone who listens to them while driving. That would be too distracting for me.

People need to stay focused when they drive. Music or the news is good enough for me.

I find it hard to believe the latest expansion plans of the MBTA and their Orange Line. This is the project that will never be built because costs continue to spiral out of control.

Their latest proposal is to extend the line to a stop near the new casino being built in Everett. They say it could open in seven years at a cost of $85-95 million.

There is no way it will be built in this time-frame or at cost.  

It sounds like Hurricane Matthew will give Florida a real pounding in the next couple of days. It's a Category 3 storm with tremendous winds.

I have only visited Florida once. It was at the end of October which is still in the hurricane season.

It's very difficult to plan a trip there once the storm season starts. It would be foolish to make long range plans and then have them effected by a hurricane.

I'm in no hurry to get back there. 

It's hard to believe that Ford and BMW plan to sell driver-less cars by 2021. The technology is rapidly evolving, but are Americans really ready for this?

What is the future of driver-less cars? One economic report said that 5 million American jobs involve drivers of vehicles. Will those jobs disappear?

It's hard to believe that we could ever get to a point where people don't drive cars, but who ever thought that a telephone could become a computer and camera. 

Animal rights groups make many good points, but they can get really carried away. The latest involves a series of greeting cards sold by Hallmark which depict smiling chimpanzees.

Apparently, the group says the chimps are abused by being forced to smile. They claim that it is done out of fear as they are separated from their mothers at birth.

I don't know if this is true, but the same thought process goes into the objection of removing wild animals and birds from airport runways. There is no way that airplanes can coexist with them. 

Politicians are filled with talk and no action. We see that on every level of government.

The Boston City Council plans to take on the problem of Canadian Geese fouling public parks and playing fields. They are a real nuisance. People don't help by feeding them.   

Years ago, they were put on the protected species list. Now, they are out of control with no end in sight. They love grassy places. It doesn't matter if it's a golf course, public space or private property.

People don't want to admit that they need an aggressive plan to deal with them. Politicians will express their outrage, but the geese will keep leaving their messes behind for us to deal with.