I have a handful of axioms I live by - things like "it always takes longer" and "it always costs more". Basically, be prepared, because when someone says "I'll be there in ten minutes", it's best not to bet the farm on it.
Another one is "don't bet the farm (or your life) on a promise". I see someone signalling a turn in traffic, and I think, oh, it's safe to turn now - I'll just ignore they're still going FULL SPEED AHEAD. That's betting your life on what someone says they'll do. An excellent way to end your life.
I wait until the motorist actually commits - even partially - to what they've told the world they intend to do.
Same thing with politicians. I don't care if some politician says "I'm gonna build 300 new, safe, nuclear plants" or "I'm gonna cut the deficit in half my first term". I wait and see.
Because I've heard this crap before. Seems that once people get in office in Washington, the pod people take over and they just turn into what everyone else is. They don't follow through. In fact, if you follow the premise that their number one priority is staying in office, you can usually predict everything they will do.
So a President makes promises he doesn't keep? It doesn't even elicit a chuckle anymore.
