- You thought Sen. Joe Manchin was a traitor because he wants the feds to have power to prevent all gun transfers? So did I. But fact is, the man is too stupid to be a traitor.
- That photographer in Turkey who captured the murder of the Russian ambassador was amazingly brave, dedicated, and good at his job. You can debate whether the photos were in good taste, but you can’t deny his sheer guts.
- From Dana in comments: the story of Pinchas Rosenbaum, who disguised himself as a Nazi to save Jews in Hungary.
- Has it ever seemed to you that your friends went a little crazy when they had babies? Or maybe you yourself thought your baby was taking over your brain? Turns out it’s true.
- Will Colton Harris Moore, the Barefoot Bandit, end up using his considerable intelligence, public support, and good mentoring to succeed now that he’s out of prison? Or will he revert to being a something-for-nothing hustler? The evidence is coming in and it’s not good. First, he tries to get the public to fund a complete, professional-level, $125,000(!) flight education for him. Then when his probation office shuts him down (for excellent cause), he whines about having to, you know, actually work to achieve his goals.
- Speaking of work (in the ora et labora sense): Monks are making fruitcake for your Christmas pleasure.
- Why dogs love yoga mats. (I don’t own a yoga mat, but every time I lay my exercise towel on the floor, either Ava or the cat is bound to occupy it before I get a chance to.)
- Per jed in comments: the excellent response of University of Tennessee students when they were ordered to take down Christmas decorations.
- Twenty times when proper punctuation would have helped considerably.
Love the article about the Trappist monks of the Assumption Abbey and their fruitcake business! There’s a Trappist monastery near Rochester, the Abbey of the Genesee and their business is making bread, Monks’ Bread. My dad used to go on retreats to the Abbey of the Genesee and he would sometimes take my brother, sister and I to visit the Abbey and that’s how I got to know Brother Sylvester, who was their first baker and he also worked in the gift shop. BTW, there was a time in my life when I considered joining the Trappists, mainly to get away from the world and live the simple, spiritual life of a contemplative monk, but then I met my wife and that went by the wayside. 🙂
Yes! Fruitcake is spiritual — I always knew that.
Obligatory Oatmeal, but he didn’t cover his’ and her’s, both of which I’ve seen.
Who’s needs no stinkin proper punctuation when me can’t even figure out of which of these be right; “None of us is leaving” or “None of us are leaving” after I’s get by that methinks punctuation may come next!
While it’s impossible to predict how we will react in any given situation, gut feelings are sure to be very important. I believe the photographer’s gut told him to stay; he sensed the shooter seemed to be in control. The shooter didn’t appear to have any designs about shooting anyone else, as he wanted his message to go to the Russians alone. He also knew it was important to have as much publicity as possible, so it was to his advantage to have good photographs taken. And yes, it still took a lot of courage to do that.
I think the punctuation at the repair shop was O.K. Having a period after “right” emphasized the word and implied the work would be done correctly.
Lessons learned: The terrorist didn’t look like a terrorist.
The decision to keep shooting did take courage. OTOH I’ve noticed a tendency for pro photographers to think of what they see through the lens as an image to be framed, rather than as a real-world situation that may bite them. IOW, “What a great shot of a terrorist,” rather than, “That guy’s pointing a gun at me!”
Dan A (whose comment I haven’t approved yet) — Do I know you? Can you tell me what you want?
Manchin’s call for a “war on drugs” is right up there with the comment from a certain congressman that an island may tip over if more development is allowed, or Pelosi saying part time work is good thing because then we can pursue our dreams. Maybe it’s the Capitol Building that sucks the brains out of these people after they are elected. I’m not surprised any more that such idiot politicians exist, but I am continually astounded that they get re-elected.
I can’t eat diarrhea, either. Strangely, I’m OK with that “condition”.
One place I lived had “watch children” signs in every neighborhood. I always wondered what would happen if I took some binoculars and sat in my car complying with the sign. (Other than being bored out of my skull in no time at all.)
Lived in a state where there were signs that said, “Speed controlled by Radar.”
So why did they give the speeding ticket to the driver instead of the cop operating the radar?
How about, “Speed measured by detection devices”? Duh?
I came to the conclusion that the War on Some Drugs was lost via an article in the LA Times. It spoke of expenses and results, all of which were essentially negative. That was in April, 1973.
AG Mitchell pushed for the “No knock” law. Early on, numerous wrong addresses were attacked. In one of the first such, an innocent man was shot and paralyzed.
Fatalities due to drugs themselves are roughly five percent of those from tobacco and alcohol.
“Full of peace and Equanil” was once a common line for the effect of that popular tranquilizer. I note that marijuana is also a tranquilizer. So what’s the problem? Contrary to popular wisdom, “Reefer Madness” was not a documentary, regardless of Harry Anslinger’s opinion.