... now we face the threat of hi-cap -- multiple warhead? -- cartridges.
Down in Des Moines a thugnut went out in his yard and started blazing away at this and that with something that looked to Des Moines Register reporters like an assault rifle.
No one got hurt until cops arrived and shot the perp down.
Later, a police spokesman and the six -- repeat six -- Register reporters combined to produce this explanation:
Police found a semi-automatic rifle similar to an AR-15 and a handgun with the suspect in the backyard. Several gun cartridges were found in the backyard, police said. (Police Sgt. and spokesman) Halifax said cartridges for the rifle used often contain 10 or 15 rounds.
It is simply mind-numbing that a mirvel like this was developed without any of us gun freeks having heard about it.
Dec 4, 2013
A little educashun Muzak if you please, Maestro
Randi Weingarten is not all that's wrong with the United States, but if you happen to be looking for a poster girl for the fubarity of our schools, she might be on your short list.
Randi is president of the American Federation of Teachers. She appeared on C-Span today to explain away why her 1.5 million union educators can't educate kids. As you might expect, it's because they don't get paid enough and don't get enough respect.
There's nothing unusual about that sort of nonsense from AFT or the other teacher unions. The striking thing is this woman's analytical and rhetorical approach. In essence, she rilly rilly rilly cares, and her wise and sincere concerns are products of her autobiography.
A reporter asked a how schools might reduce bullying. Ms. Randi responded that she is gay and that makes her an extra-caring expert on bullying.
Another reporter asked about the impact of city bankruptcies on teacher pensions. She revealed that her father was an engineer and didn't get a very good pension.
Near the end, a crusty old guy tried to cut through the crap with a question about "zero tolerance" for most everything public school drones find politically incorrect. (Jack gives Jill a little hug at the bottom of the hill and is expelled for sexual harassment.) Ms. Randi explains she understands the issue because she can remember being a high school teacher. And because "...I sometimes close my eyes and think." ( About half right there, Ms. Randi, if you ask me.)
It's all accompanied by great body language of engaged emotion. Her head blurs from the motion. Her neck stretchs and retracts beneath a visage well-practiced in broad, dramatic segues from smiley to frowny to amazement to just plain querulousness.
I blame public eduction for that, too. I'm all but certain her high school speech teacher told her class that the key element in exposition is enthusiasm (!). "Say it like you mean it, kids, and everything else will fall into place." Yeah. everything except a useful contribution to an important discussion.
I repeat. This woman leads the American Federation of Teachers. It's as though we still have the student on one end of the log but sent Horace Mann off to sell insurance and replaced him with Phyllis Diller.
Randi is president of the American Federation of Teachers. She appeared on C-Span today to explain away why her 1.5 million union educators can't educate kids. As you might expect, it's because they don't get paid enough and don't get enough respect.
There's nothing unusual about that sort of nonsense from AFT or the other teacher unions. The striking thing is this woman's analytical and rhetorical approach. In essence, she rilly rilly rilly cares, and her wise and sincere concerns are products of her autobiography.
A reporter asked a how schools might reduce bullying. Ms. Randi responded that she is gay and that makes her an extra-caring expert on bullying.
Another reporter asked about the impact of city bankruptcies on teacher pensions. She revealed that her father was an engineer and didn't get a very good pension.
Near the end, a crusty old guy tried to cut through the crap with a question about "zero tolerance" for most everything public school drones find politically incorrect. (Jack gives Jill a little hug at the bottom of the hill and is expelled for sexual harassment.) Ms. Randi explains she understands the issue because she can remember being a high school teacher. And because "...I sometimes close my eyes and think." ( About half right there, Ms. Randi, if you ask me.)
It's all accompanied by great body language of engaged emotion. Her head blurs from the motion. Her neck stretchs and retracts beneath a visage well-practiced in broad, dramatic segues from smiley to frowny to amazement to just plain querulousness.
I blame public eduction for that, too. I'm all but certain her high school speech teacher told her class that the key element in exposition is enthusiasm (!). "Say it like you mean it, kids, and everything else will fall into place." Yeah. everything except a useful contribution to an important discussion.
I repeat. This woman leads the American Federation of Teachers. It's as though we still have the student on one end of the log but sent Horace Mann off to sell insurance and replaced him with Phyllis Diller.
Nov 27, 2013
The Bank I Didn't Buy (More desktop clearing)
But it was a serious thought for about 15 minutes last spring in Terril, about a half-hour away, a declining little town. My ideas were (1) it would be dirt cheap and (2) I could do a quick and dirty rehab and use it for storage and a private indoor range.
The first notion was correct, the second not. Even at the auction price of about $2,000, she was just too tired. No intact windows, no mechanics, electricity, or plumbing, needing a roof job and a new main floor, joists and all.
It was all just too much work and expense, even for the smirky pleasure of answering the "What do you do?"" question with, "I own a bank."
The first notion was correct, the second not. Even at the auction price of about $2,000, she was just too tired. No intact windows, no mechanics, electricity, or plumbing, needing a roof job and a new main floor, joists and all.
It was all just too much work and expense, even for the smirky pleasure of answering the "What do you do?"" question with, "I own a bank."
Home of the real Sand Pebbles
Just clearing my desktop here. For some reason or another I once thought some readers might be interested in what is said to have been McKenna's real-life inspiration for the San Pablo.
Oh, to have been a China sailor before the Japs, before Mao, before Chaing.
ETA: USS Villalobos PG42. (PG=patrol gunboat)
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