Two interesting tidbits in today's news. First, it seems that despite years of warnings, there are still quite a few folk out there who just don't take to seat belts, no matter the laws. Mid Hudson News Network reports today that over 3,000 tickets were issued statewide on the Thruway during the “Buckle Up NY” seatbelt enforcement program in the last two weeks in November. In 2009, the story adds, 24 percent of all fatal accidents on the Thruway involved motorists not wearing seat belts.... and State Police issued approximately 18,000 tickets to motorists not wearing their seat belts while traveling the Thruway.

As for our skies, the Daily Freeman is running an Associated Press story today about how the Federal Aviation Administration is missing key information on who owns one-third of the 357,000 private and commercial aircraft in the U.S. — a gap the agency fears could be exploited by terrorists and drug traffickers. As a result, it has ordered all aircraft owners to re-register their planes in an effort to clean up its files.

Ah, modern times...