Posted for "colyncase on earthlink" <colyncase@earthlink.net>:

 ridicule and embarrassment could actually save your life.
 
 I remember when I was an extreme low time pilot getting into a vfr into night
marginal vfr situation.
 I was pondering what to do when pattern recognition identified the situation
as
 a good candidate for an "aftermath" article in flying magazine.
 
 The thought of being written up in "aftermath" was so repugnant it aroused me
 out of my stupor and caused me to do something rational.   ...In this case
put
 the airplane on the ground asap.
 
 It was considerably inconvenient but not so bad as the alternative.
 
 Colyn