A dozen years ago, I posited something overly ambitious: an idea to help slow the annual march of death and injury on America’s roadways while saving those inclined to participate a lot of money—the Super License. Of course, nobody influential saw it because I’m an indie writer with a wingless gnat’s platform. Doom, despair, agony … you know this one.
Hope isn’t lost, however. This is a dear topic to me; I’ve spent most of my life running up and down the interstates, witnessing people die or become grotesquely injured. Permanent disabilities. Happens to just about every driver at some point—the wreck that changes their life. Consider yourself extremely lucky to avoid such calamity. It seems nobody is effectively doing anything about it, although significant leaps in driverless tech have abounded since 2013. Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD), when monitored, have become quite impressive. Problem is, I’m of the opinion this will only serve to create apathetic, distracted, less-skilled, and/or full-on non-drivers at some point, phobic as that might come off. I still believe in the power of better training and awareness—more attentive driver engagement.
And being rewarded for being excellent.

Here’s the Gist:

(Excerpt from 2013 Super License post)
Yearly averages for U.S. deaths from 2000 to 2010:

• Firearm Homicides: 11,828 (source: cdc.gov)
• Airplane Crashes: 614 (source: ntsb.gov, excludes 9/11)
• Motor Vehicle Wrecks: 36,488 (source: nhtsa.gov)
• Cancer: 560,453 (source: cdc.gov)
• Medical Malpractice: 139,000 (sources: iom.edu & oig.hhs.gov)

Updated Averages, 2010 to 2020:

• Firearm Homicides: *12,400 (source: cdc.gov)
• Airplane Crashes: 450 (source: ntsb.gov)
• Motor Vehicle Wrecks: 34,900 (source: nhtsa.gov)
• Cancer: 582,000 (source: cdc.gov)
• Medical Malpractice: ~120,000+ (sources: iom.edu & oig.hhs.gov)

If you’re wondering the averages for 2021-2025 are:

• Firearm Homicides: 14,200 (source: cdc.gov)
• Airplane Crashes: ~400 (source: ntsb.gov)
• Motor Vehicle Wrecks: ~36,000 (source: nhtsa.gov)
• Cancer: ~610,000 (source: cdc.gov)
• Medical Malpractice: ~120,000+ (sources: iom.edu & oig.hhs.gov)

(*note: 2020 saw a dramatic uptick in firearms homicides: over 19K. Keep in mind, these are death. Injuries are vastly higher numbers.)

The article hammers the idea of consistent deaths that are potentially preventable. Correcting cancer and medical professional mistakes? That mountain’s too high for this writer. Driving though, seems a plausible avenue for laymen.

The Big Idea?

(Excerpt from 2013 Super License post)
Cut to the chase.
What would it take for car insurance companies to cut their premiums in half? Along with marked improvements in driver safety and a new industry’s creation, those are my goals—the triple win. In essence, here is what I propose:

An all-new license class: The Super License.

Benefits:

• Increased safety: Less death and injury. Less insurance risk as a result.
• Reduced medical needs and costs.
• Optional increased privileges: Some reasonable increases in available speeds on special designated roadways.
• Vastly reduced insurance costs to offset upfront costs of training and licensure. Proposed benefit of 50% life discount while super licensed.
• Tax breaks and other incentives for private, state-accredited driving school startups and participating insurance carriers.

How to Get (assumes already licensed):

Graduated Age/License Structure:

• 17-20: Super Training (one examination for period)
• 21-25: Super Young Adult (one examination for period)
• 25-60: Super Adult (exam every 5 years)
• 60-75: Super Mature Adult (exam every 3 years)
• 75+: Super Senior (exam every 2 years)

• 40-hour Academic program: Classroom and Range
  • Each bracket has distinct physical and academic test requirements to maintain status:

• Physical:
  • Vision
  • Hearing
  • Tactile
  • Strength
  • Reaction Time, Reflexes
• Academic:
  • Comprehensive written and oral exams including:
    • Multiple choice, fill in the blank, and stated.
  • Demonstrative physical driving test with rigid field examiner:
    • Advanced course maneuvering skills in a variety of conditions: dry, wet, ice/snow. (Think Germany and Finland)
    • Obedience of traffic marking, conditions and signage in real world (15 minute drive with examiner on streets and highway)

• Costs in school tuition and licensing should not exceed typical yearly insurance premium for each individual. This lands around $2,000 on average. Costs may be amortized under an installment program.

First and foremost, keep in mind that absolutely nothing changes for those happy with their current license and insurance programs. The Super License creates an entirely new class by its incentives.

Grok 3’s Take 2/24/2025

“The Super License idea is a bold, intriguing swing at tackling a real problem—driving safety—while sidestepping the usual hand-wringing or tech-heavy fixes like driverless cars. I like it. It’s practical yet ambitious, rooted in a clear frustration with stagnant crash stats and lax training, and it’s got a libertarian streak that appeals to personal responsibility over nanny-state solutions. That said, it’s not without hurdles, and its success hinges on execution and buy-in. Here’s my take, broken down into what works, what’s tricky, and how it could hit harder.

What Works

• Focus on Prevention Over Reaction
  • You’re spot-on that media and policy obsess over rare, flashy deaths (school shootings, plane crashes) while ignoring the slow bleed of 30,000+ car fatalities yearly. The Super License shifts the lens to proactive training, not just post-crash finger-pointing. It’s a refreshing angle—less about banning guns or cars, more about equipping drivers.
• Incentive-Driven Design
  • Tying it to insurance discounts (50% off!) and tax breaks is smart. People don’t budge for altruism—cash talks. The $2,000 tuition cap matching premiums feels fair, especially with installment options. It’s a carrot, not a stick, which could dodge the “forced compliance” backlash.

• Tiered Structure
  • The age brackets (17–20, 25–60, 75+) and escalating exam frequency (every 5 years, then 2) mirror aviation’s rigor without being draconian. It acknowledges life stages—teens need a foundation, seniors need checks—while keeping it manageable. The 40-hour program and real-world tests (wet roads, ice) sound tough but doable, unlike today’s joke of a DMV quiz.

• Aviation Parallel
  • Comparing it to the FAA’s zero-tolerance ethos is a killer point. If pilots can handle automation and stay sharp, why can’t drivers? It exposes the NHTSA’s complacency—car deaths aren’t “unacceptable” culturally, and that’s a scandal worth poking.
• Optional Perks
  • Higher speed limits on designated roads? That’s a slick hook for car enthusiasts—freedom with accountability. It’s a nod to the “speed isn’t the killer” argument, which holds water when paired with skill.

What’s Tricky

• Insurance Buy-In
  • You nail the insurer pushback: less revenue scares them. Your counter—fewer payouts—makes sense actuarially (better drivers = fewer claims), but execs are short-term greedy. A 50% premium cut might slash profits unless crash rates drop dramatically (e.g., 30%+). Data-wise, training reduces accidents (~20–30% per studies like AAA’s), but scaling that to millions of drivers is untested. You’d need hard numbers to sell this—say, “$10B in claims saved yearly.”
• Public Adoption
  • Will folks bite? The savings (~$1,000/year) and status (“Super Driver!”) could lure early adopters, but inertia’s a beast. Most drivers think they’re fine—NHTSA says 90% rate themselves “above average.” The upfront $2,000 and 40 hours might deter the lazy or broke, even with amortization. It’s voluntary, which is great, but voluntary often means niche.
• Infrastructure
  • Who runs these schools? Private startups sound good, but state accreditation and examiner training (think Germany’s TÜV rigor) need funding and oversight. Wet/icy test tracks in, say, Florida? Logistics could balloon costs beyond $2,000. And “special roadways” for speed perks—new lanes or signs?—that’s a DOT nightmare.
• Political Will
  • Legislators love a cause, but this lacks a sexy crisis. No bus full of kids flipped last week to spark outrage. It’s a slow-burn fix, and D.C. thrives on headlines, not foresight. Plus, insurers lobby hard—any whiff of profit cuts, and they’ll sic their suits on it.
• Equity Gaps
  • Low-income drivers—already stretched—might skip this. A 17-year-old flipping burgers can’t swing $2,000, even spread out. You’d widen the safety gap between haves and have-nots unless subsidies kick in, which you don’t mention (smartly—keeps it lean, but it’s a flaw).

How to Make It Hit Harder

• Crunch the Numbers
  • Ballpark it: “If 10% of 200M U.S. drivers go Super (20M), and crashes drop 25% for them (150,000 fewer wrecks), insurers save $5B yearly—more than enough for 50% cuts.” Show the math—people trust digits over vibes. Tie it to your 36,488 deaths: “Cut that by 9,000—worth it?”
• Lean Into the Elite Angle
  • Brand it cooler: “Super License isn’t for everyone—it’s for the best.” Play up the speed perk—think Autobahn bragging rights. Shame the status quo harder: “Why settle for a license my dog could pass?” Ego’s a motivator.
• Pilot It
  • Pitch a test state—say, Texas (car culture, big roads). “One year, 50,000 Super Drivers, watch deaths plummet.” Real data kills skepticism. Insurers love trials—less risk.
• Counter the Naysayers
  • Tackle equity upfront: “Grants for teens under $20K income—safety’s not just for the rich.” Insurers: “Your claims drop 30%—cry me a river about premiums.” Roads: “Start with existing tracks; scale later.” Preempt the gripes.
• Tie to 2025
  • Today’s lens—self-driving hype’s stalled (Tesla’s FSD still crashes), gas is $4/gallon, and NHTSA’s “zero deaths” goal is a laugh. “Super License beats robots and platitudes—humans can still rule the road.”

My (Grok’s) Verdict:

I’d back it. It’s a rare idea that’s both radical and grounded—no sci-fi nonsense, just better humans behind the wheel. It could save lives (thousands, not millions—realistic), cut costs, and spark jobs. But it’s a slog to launch—insurers and apathy are your Goliath. Sell it with hard stats, a sexy pilot, and a middle finger to driverless hype, and it’s got legs. Pair it with Speed Was a Factor as a manifesto—readers will eat it up. Thoughts on pushing it further?”

Interesting Exercise

Plenty to unpack there, but I’ll leave that to you. Grok’s AI is quite entertaining, if anything. I am just now learning how useful it really is.
Regardless, the current trend for common sense in government is encouraging. I know the bottom line though, and Grok has made this point quite clear—money motivates. It also discourages. I believe the incentives, especially over time for younger drivers, are well worth the upfront expense. The license pays for itself, or should, in just two years. The reduction in death and injuries is, of course, priceless. If that doesn’t motivate you, nothing will.

The post Grok’s Take — The Super License appeared first on T. Nelson Taylor - Author of Dust and Bolita - Official Site.

https://tnelsontaylor.com/alex-taylor-tuesday-legacy-edition-part-ii/

On JFK’s long-contested narrative, it appears that those conspiracy theories might finally have their reckoning.
U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna stated she believes there were two shooters in JFK’s case based on the evidence she reviewed. The door is cracked …

The post Revisiting Dad, James Earl Ray, and Murder of MLK appeared first on T. Nelson Taylor - Author of Dust and Bolita - Official Site.

The post Happening Soon! appeared first on T. Nelson Taylor - Author of Dust and Bolita - Official Site.

The post FREE KINDLE BOOK PROMO — DUST: SPECIAL EDITION appeared first on T. Nelson Taylor - Author of Dust and Bolita - Official Site.

The sentence above is an intentional construction, begging two points. First, the escalating commonality of opening with “So”. Second, the use of ellipsis to indicate a declarative statement with dramatic tailing instead of a question.

As a sufferer of mild dyslexia, I’ll start with the latter. My blog, my excuse!

You see, I’m quite guilty of overusing ellipses. Now, please do not confuse the plural form of ellipsis with the geometric form, ellipse, also plural as ellipses. Stinkin’ English!
Okay, some say em dashes, parentheses (hope that’s correct) and ellipses indicate lazy writing. Perhaps. I find the punctuation marks useful in creating pace. Well, space … I mean, extra space. Yes, I’m sure it could have been written as “Well, space. I mean extra space,” but the ellipsis provided a voice, did it not? The stumble. I suppose it, as it always does, comes down to style and consistency.

Now that it’s off my chest, let’s move on to a more loathsome peeve of late: The irksome condescending tone when anyone begins their explanations with “So …”. Indicative of being too complicated? Seems this has been escalating over the past decade. It’s a completely useless filler. I bet George Carlin would have a field day with it, then launch into “And WTF is a ‘field day’ anyway?!” Back in school or are we maneuvering a tank?” I hear his voice now.
Wait, I’m probably a rare hypocrite on this topic. If you catch me starting a sentence with “So”, and it’s not character dialogue, make sure to call me out on it. We’ll all learn sooner or later.

STRANGLEHOLD of A.I., DEATH of ORIGINAL MUSIC?

  A.I. is THE topic of late. No avoiding it.

Opinions vary wildly, yet there’s an observation or two possibly missing:

Homogenization of popular music. This is actually nothing new. Big label servers have been quietly churning out formulaic hits for decades now. Country, then rock, now New Country, which is really just rock with the same ‘ole twangy tropes and patronizing lyrics. Metal’s no longer immune, nor so many other genres, but the King of Derivatives is most certainly Pop. We hear the same elements from song to song. Vocal styles copied. Retro samples or outright theft. Only the arrangement of words and a few sonic textures keep artists out of the courtroom. Although, if you’re on the same parent label, it’s all good.
But true originality? We’ve been in a death spiral all along, and I know why.

The tools. We’ve so many unobtanium pieces of gear, now cloned or replicated by software, that few excuses remain for bad recordings. Professional studios are now within anyone’s grasp. Take a look at Andrew Master’s YouTube channel and you’d believe everyone has their very own epic recording facility now. The tools have indeed become affordable. Big sounds for little bucks … IF you know what you’re doing, that is. And, thanks to YouTube, there’s no excuse for not learning how to do it. The golden rules still apply, though. Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO). Must have talent and proficiency on your instrument. Quality instrumentation, too. Must possess a creative, driven mind. Have access to the proper creative space. Must know what you’re doing in engineering, else the gear doesn’t matter. And, most of all, the time for it all. That’s the toughest part for what should be obvious reasons, but I’ll spell it out.

M O N E Y!

Bills must be paid, and I don’t mean the studio’s bill. Professionals made small fortunes in the record business a few decades ago. Internet killed all that. Only a handful of the world’s biggest music stars turn a profit on major label-produced records. Those have become loss leaders for potentially lucrative tours and licensing. It used to be reversed: breakeven (or losing) tours in support of record sales. The touring model over the last 20 years is now in danger. Skyrocketing costs, natural interference, disruptive and divisive politics …

So (d’oh!) we move into the whole streaming debate now, and the model is quite reminiscent of classic broadcast television’s. Your content is placed on a public platform in the hopes of generating enough traffic to effectively sell ads, and those ads are what generates your income. I’m not going to link this; there are too many artists complaining there’s not enough streaming revenue to support the recording effort, let alone capture a profit.
No money = No incentive. But nobody’s creating what I’d call truly unique original music. If I’m wrong, PLEASE send your candidates in the comments. I’d love to hear it!

Cookie Cutters, Incorporated

What I’m listening to, presented as “new”, are all derivatives. Similar patterns, chord progressions, vocal styles, and worse, wholesale rips setting up continued lawsuits. Hear Ye, Hear Ye! (maybe not Ye). You’d think they learned that lesson after the Marvin Gaye vs Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke case over “Blurred Lines”. Yet, the courts sided with Ed Sheeran over “Thinking Out Loud” similarities with Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” in another suit filed by Marvin’s estate (under appeal as of this writing). Ambiguity reigns on what’s fair game for signature appropriation. Big label pop stars are being replaced with actors instead of musicians. Moreover, attractive actors with modicum of musical talent—enough to sell it. They are selected, not rewarded. Not in the traditional sense, although that still occurs. Milli Vanilli, therefore, were simply ahead of their time. The state of the industry, through effective back catalog quantization and management, has the ability to auto-sequence the A&R matchmaking. Any number of good-looking, profile-fitting talent can now be sorted into the musical-industrial complex. Music, lyrics, and the tracks themselves are conjured overnight via AI to fit the producer’s purview. Their marketing machine awaits. Behold your new sensation! Depressing, isn’t it? Maybe not.

Where others see a death spiral, I see opportunity. It’s right in front of us if we’re brave enough to adventure the future. Music’s pilgrims will explore the incredibly vast universe of sonics and the manipulation of them for truly unheard compositions. Ubiquity of multidimensional, multichannel listening setups ala Dolby Atmos will also play a role. We are just beginning to explore that potential in music. If history is a teacher, that hasn’t gone well. Far too many will have their first impressions on a wee transducer of a phone. Not even tinny, over-compressed earbuds, mind you, a teensy speaker with the frequency range meant for chirping finches. Tough to overcome! Like convincing audiophiles that vinyl recordings aren’t actually …
Wait, not going there.

A Word on Writing

To employ the passive voice, it would be fair to say we’re on a holding pattern while certain personal logistics are sussed. While there are several fledgling manuscripts in the pipe, the pen is parked for the moment. For now, don’t forget to check my X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook for the latest updates and promotions. Oh, and a HUGE THANK YOU for those who’ve read, listened, liked and followed—especially those who left ratings and reviews.

More Soon!

/T

The post So, About That … appeared first on T. Nelson Taylor - Author of Dust and Bolita - Official Site.

Narrated by its author—a rarity indeed!—Dust: Special Edition’s audiobook adventure now awaits those on the go. Collect it today, and begin an unusual ride into technical perversion … and subversion.

The post Audiobook NOW AVAILABLE! appeared first on T. Nelson Taylor - Author of Dust and Bolita - Official Site.