<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Note that Florida Man might actually be from New York:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-man-arrested-joyriding-pickup-truck-florida-surf-police">https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-man-arrested-joyriding-pickup-truck-florida-surf-police</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I noticed some fun details in the article. The crazy fool shown driving in the shallow surf on New Smyrna Beach (near where I cheerfully misspent my tragically misspent childhood and youth) was only charged with failing to pay the vehicle access fee.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Never mind literally endangering the lives of the other crazy Florida Man fools which might be out in that surf swimming, scuba diving, fishing or surfing that time of day, oh no. Endangering Florida Man is more or less legal in that state. But gate crashing, oh no, we don’t allow that in these parts you know. Taint proper!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sheesh. Sometimes I am embarrassed to admit where I grew up.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Other times I am vaguely proud of it, sort of an incompatible mix which is hard to name without an inherent contradiction: contentedly embarrassed? Abashedly proud?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Note that Florida Man stories are really not merely typical news reporting, but rather they are offered for our amusement and personal self-esteem. We read about the crazy goofballs and think to ourselves: I have been known to do some ill-advised stunts in my time, but EVEN I am not THAT damn crazy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The stories are simultaneously entertaining and self-esteem builders.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>