Doesn't matter what Obama says, there is still too much life in Al Quada. Any outfit that can pull off three big prison raids freeing their fighters, close down US embassies all across the middle east, bomb the Boston marathon, and destabilize the Assad regime in Syria, is still to be reckoned with.
We might have killed Osama bin Ladin, but the organization is still alive and dangerous.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
They don't make teachers like they used to.
After the Connecticut school shooting this winter, suggestions were made to arm teachers. This idea brought forth gallons of wails and tooth gnashings. Some said that teachers could not properly handle firearms. Other's wailed that teachers would never soil their hands by picking up a gun. Training would be impossible. and on and on.
I wonder about this. I think back on teachers I had years ago. Miss Shirley, Miss Gaudette, Miss Percy, Mr Convery, Mrs Falby, Mrs Mclauglan. It's been a lot of years since grade school but these teachers are still clear in my memory. They were all competent, forceful, and dedicated grownups, in whom we kids stood in awe. Should a homicidal maniac turn up one one of their classrooms, they would cope, a firearm in their hands would do the job nicely. Since graduating grade school, and serving in USAF in Southeast Asia, and some other dodgy places, I cannot say I ever met anyone who would be a better person to have in a menaced classroom with a gun in hand. Teachers in my day were calm, courageous and careful. Much better material than your standard rent-a-cop.
Any school committee ought to encourage teachers to carry. For that matter they ought to provide good student proof gun safes in the classroom.
I wonder about this. I think back on teachers I had years ago. Miss Shirley, Miss Gaudette, Miss Percy, Mr Convery, Mrs Falby, Mrs Mclauglan. It's been a lot of years since grade school but these teachers are still clear in my memory. They were all competent, forceful, and dedicated grownups, in whom we kids stood in awe. Should a homicidal maniac turn up one one of their classrooms, they would cope, a firearm in their hands would do the job nicely. Since graduating grade school, and serving in USAF in Southeast Asia, and some other dodgy places, I cannot say I ever met anyone who would be a better person to have in a menaced classroom with a gun in hand. Teachers in my day were calm, courageous and careful. Much better material than your standard rent-a-cop.
Any school committee ought to encourage teachers to carry. For that matter they ought to provide good student proof gun safes in the classroom.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
The Economist thinks petroleum demand will fall.
Clearly the Economist has been quaffing from the Beyond Petroleum tap. They argue that fracking has given us fantastic amounts of cheap natural gas. Gas will replace gasoline and diesel to fuel the big stuff, buses, 18 wheelers, garbage trucks, big vehicles with room on board for bulky compressed natural gas tanks.
Then they wax eloquent about the improvement in gas mileage over the years. I suppose. On the other hand you could buy a diesel Rabbit that got 40 mpg back in the 1970's. They don't sell those any more. And a lot of the improvement is just on paper. For instance the US EPA gives a substantial mpg boost to any vehicle that can run on alcohol.
Needless to say, none of the oil companies are forecasting a downturn in demand.
Then they wax eloquent about the improvement in gas mileage over the years. I suppose. On the other hand you could buy a diesel Rabbit that got 40 mpg back in the 1970's. They don't sell those any more. And a lot of the improvement is just on paper. For instance the US EPA gives a substantial mpg boost to any vehicle that can run on alcohol.
Needless to say, none of the oil companies are forecasting a downturn in demand.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Sauce for the Goose is sauce for the Gander
TV News has some victims of Obamacare wailing loudly about it. First we have the Congress and Congressional staffers. Since they invented Obamacare, and voted it in, it's only fair that they should enjoy the higher costs and reduced care they inflicted on the rest of the country. Then we have the IRS, so impartial, so fair, and getting a big boost in budget, authority and manpower to ram Obamacare down the throats of the rest of us. It's only fair that they should be sticking it to themselves as well.
Closing an embassy protects it? or something?
Looks like our valiant State Dept is closing up shop all across the Arab world. The evening TV news shows embassy closings from Morocco to Bangla Desh. And "closing" is accomplishing what?
I mean the embassy buildings are still standing. The ambassador and his staff are still in residence. The code room still has the codes. Classified documents are piled to the ceilings. A Benghazi style raid works whether the place is open or closed.
Or are we talking about evacuating personnel, equipment, classified and codes back to the US? Which is about the same as breaking off diplomatic relations.
To say nothing about the wimpy look it gives the US of A.
I mean the embassy buildings are still standing. The ambassador and his staff are still in residence. The code room still has the codes. Classified documents are piled to the ceilings. A Benghazi style raid works whether the place is open or closed.
Or are we talking about evacuating personnel, equipment, classified and codes back to the US? Which is about the same as breaking off diplomatic relations.
To say nothing about the wimpy look it gives the US of A.
Twitter, Fair and Balanced?
Got another email from Twitter, urging me to follow some important tweeters. They were pushing tweets from Obama, FLOTUS, Valerie Jarret, and Susan Rice. All solid balanced tweeters. To be fair, they did list Newt Gengrich, but even so, that's four raving lefties to one rightie.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Viking River Cruise Brochure
I dunno just how I got on their mailing list, but I did. They have great brochures, beautiful photographs of beautiful European locations. They run one and two week river cruises in big (450 ft) brand new modern river boats. Pricey too, $7K to $14K. The new boats are advertised to have super green hybrid engines and even an organic herb garden.
Before these brochures started popping up in my mailbox, I had no idea that Europe was so well watered. They run these big cruise boats to nearly every city in Europe. They run from Amsterdam to Bucharest, with stops along the way at Cologne, Nuremburg, Regensburg, Vienna, Budapest, and Belgrade. As well as Basel in Switzerland. And others.
This good water communications must have had something to do with medieval Europe's progress into the most advanced place on Earth by 1700. River transportation is as good as having a steam railroad, and a lot cheaper. You don't have to buy iron rail and lay track. That sort of bulk freight capacity has gotta be good for economic growth back in medieval times.
Before these brochures started popping up in my mailbox, I had no idea that Europe was so well watered. They run these big cruise boats to nearly every city in Europe. They run from Amsterdam to Bucharest, with stops along the way at Cologne, Nuremburg, Regensburg, Vienna, Budapest, and Belgrade. As well as Basel in Switzerland. And others.
This good water communications must have had something to do with medieval Europe's progress into the most advanced place on Earth by 1700. River transportation is as good as having a steam railroad, and a lot cheaper. You don't have to buy iron rail and lay track. That sort of bulk freight capacity has gotta be good for economic growth back in medieval times.
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