September, 2013 archive
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
A little better.
(snip)
The four-week average dropped to 308,000 from 315,000 in the prior week, today’s Labor Department report showed.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits increased by 35,000 to 2.82 million in the week ended Sept. 14. The continuing claims figure does not include the number of Americans receiving extended benefits under federal programs.
In related news, Bloomberg’s experts are nothing if not consistent. Details at the link.
Droning On, Crazy Eddie’s Great Deals Dept. 0
Last week at Tyndall AFB in Florida, a pilotless F-16 roared into the sky with an empty cockpit, according to Boeing.
The QF-16 the pilotless jet didn’t just take off, turn around and land. It climbed to 40,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, broke the sound barrier and performed maneuvers like barrel rolls at more than 7Gs.
They are going to serve as targets in pilot training.
Droning On 2
Collateral damage?
Lies and Lying Liars 0
Mike and his guest dissect the Republican disinformation campaign about the Affordable Care Act and the efforts of insurance executives to astroturf teabaggers so they can keep their country club memberships.
Two Scoops of Black and Tan 0
I don’t drink much beer (any Sotch is better than every anything else), but I’m tempted to go buy some Yuengling (if I can get it here–haven’t looked) to celebrate the resurrection of Yuengling Ice Cream:
Drinking Liberally Virginia Beach Tomorrow 0
Fun and fellowship for liberals. Join us and talk about anything in a relaxed atmosphere.
When: Thursday, September 26th, 6 p.
Where:
Croc’s 19 Street Bistro
620 19th Street (Map)
More here.
iJunk Science 4
At Psychology Today Blogs, Jim Taylor surveys the evidence and concludes that the two most important factors in successful schools are the affluence of the school district and the skill of the teachers
Nevertheless, as he points out, the current rage is tech, not teach. A nugget:
Why the fascination with iJunk? Follow the link for his take on it.
iJunk sales, of course, are part of it. The rest, I think, is magickal thinking augmented by a misdirection play, hope that glitzy iTois will somehow make up for poverty, hunger, underpaid and mistreated teachers, decaying buildings, and anything resembling public accountability for the public good.
Slurred Lines 0
As my two or three regular readers know, I grew up white under Jim Crow in the segregated but not very deep South.
The whole time I was growing up, only once did I hear someone talk like this.
Flag Daze 2
The Inky notes that the Stars and Bars seems to be gaining popularity in Yankeeland. A nugget:
“I’ve had truckers come to me and say, ‘I can’t buy these things anywhere,’ ” Hauber said. “Places just stopped selling them.”
Hauber said that he doesn’t support slavery, but that the Civil War was also about states’ rights.
This question was not asked (or, at least, not mentioned in the story):
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States’ rights to do just what, exactly?
One more time, when someone says, “states rights,” ask that question.
Then please let me know what happens.
Cruzing to Godwin’s Law 0
Honest to Pete, these people are nuts.
If this keeps up, Sandisk will rename their Cruzer.
Full Disclosure:
I have two Sandisk Cruzers. I might just fire up Parted and change the label to something else. “Sandisk Too Stupid for Words” comes to mind.
_____________
*I try to use profanity sparingly in these electrons, but, really, now, it’s becoming a challenge.
Bird on a Wire 0
It seems to be a Thing. First there was this (picture at the link):
On Thursday, about 8:40 a.m., a helicopter swooped in beside the lines so a man perched on the edge of a platform could grab the bird.
Then they flew away together.
Now there’s this:
(I was tempted to file this under “wingnuttery,” but decided that would be cruelty to animals.)
Afterthought:
What is a heron doing in Yuma?
iTois for Poor Fanbois 0
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
When more politeness is not better.
Mitchell said the group had placed the Tannerite in an inoperable 1993 Honda Accord parked in the middle of a large field on his property, according to Gardner.
“When the bullet struck the vehicle it detonated the Tannerite, causing the vehicle to explode,” Gardner said. “The explosion caused extensive damage to the vehicle.”
Tannerite’s website recommends using half-pound amounts of the explosive when igniting it with a high-powered rifle. The substance produces an explosion and cloud of vapor so shooters know if they’ve hit their mark.
Gunnuttery boils down to liking to blow stuff up.
All the rest is rationalization.
