Re: [Paddlewise] PFDs

I wrote:
>If you knew the odds of drowning while kayaking during each year were one in
>5000 would you paddle?
>If you live in an urban area that is about the average risk of dying in an
>auto accident (each year) if you drive a car.

Daniel: gypsy_trillium_at_yahoo.ca wrote".
>>>>>>>Are these quotable and verifiable statistics Matt? If they are, I've a
use
for them. Thanks!
~~~daniel~<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I first read that statistic in a book called "The Myth of Heterosexual Aids"
copyright 1990. At that time most writers on the subject were predicting a
world wide pandemic of Aids to sweep the world unless we took drastic measures
to stop it. The author, Michael Fumento, used that statistic to point out that
if you were a heterosexual it was more dangerous to drive a mile to buy a
condom than to have unprotected sex with a random heterosexual of the opposite
sex. He also pointed out the inconvenient truth that because of the difficulty
in catching with each sexual encounter (about 1 in 300 for men and 1 in 100
for women) that being in a committed monogamous relationship was more
dangerous than promiscuous sex because of the far fewer sexual encounters for
the promiscuous individual each year vs. the ten times less risk for using a
condom.

I questioned the risk level for driving that he claimed so I made a
calculation of it myself (using the number of motorists that died in a year
and the number of drivers, I think) and got about the same result. I think
death rates for motorists have decreased some since then, likely due to nearly
all vehicles having airbags now. Still you can probably find out that
statistic somewhere or do you own calculation of it if you want to use it.

It was an interesting book. It also taught me about the "Coolidge Effect". You
will have to look that up for yourself.
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