Better to be safe than sorry. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Turn a blind eye. Hell in a hand basket. Last but not least. Back to the drawing board. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. A taste of your own medicine. Waste not, want not. And, of course, my personal favorite ... a fool and his money are easily parted.

Don’t you just love all those little nuggets of wisdom which – passed down from generation to generation – tend to make so much sense of life, typically in hindsight (when you don’t want to hear them)?

Not that we ever really listen to that voice of reason when it’s prudent to do so, particularly when it’s advising against a course of action that might keep us from that almighty buck.

Sometimes, however, people can surprise you.

Which was, needless to say, my reaction yesterday (surprise) when I read that Syracuse lawmakers had voted (unanimously, no less) to ban hydrofracturing within city limits.

And yes, I know such a decision is not theirs to make, according to those in favor of the controversial process (before you get all worked up). Instead, it’s up to the state, the DEC, Santa Claus, Pinocchio, the Jolly Green Giant or some other as-of-yet unknown entity, and not the individual municipalities themselves. Trust me, I get it.

That’s not to say I wasn’t pleased with their choice, however, one that puts Syracuse among the ranks of some other cities or townships you might’ve heard of, all of which have made a similar move, namely Buffalo, Ithaca and Albany.

Maybe those big-city boys know something I don’t, because any more these days, all I hear is how great, how wonderful and how astonishingly safe hydrofracturing really is. Then again, nuclear energy is completely safe too, until a massive earthquake, tsunami or other natural disaster strikes (remember Japan not so long ago).