Girls Found Alive     
   
   What a wonderful surprise, that the 8- and 5-year-old sisters survived 44 hours in a Northern California wilderness. 

   Friday, they had asked their mom if they could go for a walk. She said "no," but apparently they didn't take no for an answer. 

   The girls had some survival training from their 4-H club, granola bars and rubber boots. Perhaps that training gave them the notion they could go it alone.

   They were dehydrated and cold when found Sunday, about 1-1/2 miles from home, but apparently in good spirits. 

Dummy Docks 

   More great news on Sunday. A SpaceX space ship with a dummy aboard docked successfully at the International Space Station, up there somewhere, 260 miles above earth. It is the first time since the space shuttle was scuttled in 2011 that an American craft made the trip. 

   Now that we know the dummy had the "right stuff" - I say, excuse the astronauts from next summer's launch and let two dummies do it. Much cheaper. And dummies don't mind splashing down in the ocean.

   Let's not stop there. Think of all the ways dummies can help humanity.

   They already model clothes and test vehicle safety. Dummies could relieve police officers along highways. Provide realistic target practice for soldiers. Hold your spot in line for concert tickets. 

   We can even imagine a blogger dummy writing Views By the Sea when Jimmy Donut is out of town. You would never know the difference.