Friday, April 30, 2004

What Do Smarmy Dickheads Read?

Entertainment

A list of classic books is working its way ‘round the blogging classes.  I picked it up from the Oldsmoblogger who picked it up from others.  And now I bring it to the Ministry, because Lord knows we need another reason to think we’re so-damned-smart.

Books actually read are bold; portions only or Cliff’s Notes don’t count.

Forthwith, the list: 


Posted by on 04/30/04 at 06:43 PM
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We’re all C- students

Filthy Lucre

Today in Slate, an argument against individual investment Social Security accounts.

The short version:

Average yearly return of US stock market over last 20 years: 12%
Average yearly return on holdings of individual holders of Vanguard 401(k) accounts: 4%

In general, institutional investors and trustee investors do a good job, Joe and Jane blow do a terrible job.  Of course, this has far greater implications than just it maybe being a good idea to keep the Blows from meddling in their SocSec porfolios, but that’s the hot button issue of the the day, so I’m gonna lean on that button ‘til Buckethead squawks.


Posted by Johno on 04/30/04 at 05:36 PM
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“Friday the 13th, Detroit: Jason vs. Glock”

Darwin Award Contender

Just like in a horror movie. 

The woman is walking from her parked car to her home after work.  She drops something and, as she’s stooped to pick it up, sees the bad guy charging her from the treeline. 

She gets into her house, but can’t bolt the door before he’s upon her.  Muttering obscenities and a chilling monologue, he shoves powerfully against the door.  She ends up on her butt, on her own kitchen floor...just seconds before she’d been just walking toward her house, and suddenly she’s in mortal danger...then he’s in the house, nearly upon her...she sees the gun in his hand....she thinks of her teen daughter, also in the house...terrified, adrenalin racing, she sees his eyes…

Then she pulls her 9mm from her waist and puts 3 rounds in his fucking head.

Real life, not a horror movie.  The incident took place in Detroit, and the lady in question said it was like “Friday the 13th...except it was Tuesday.” Police determined that she had actually fired 6 rounds, but the autopsy showed (probably a very brief autopsy) that cause of death was multiple gunshots to the mellon.

Now, any person who can go from her everyday mundane pattern to immediate mortal danger, be off balance, ambushed, needing just a little more urging to head into panic, yet have it together enough to put 3 rounds in the bad guy’s head is fabulous.  Just fabulous.  That’s the difference training can make, as opposed to just packing to feel safer. 

Opponents of Michigan’s new concealed-carry statute “predicted a large increase in self-defense-type shootings”.  I’m not sure why that’s a bad thing; would those CCW opponents be happier, and feel safer, if this lady and her daughter were dead and this convicted fellon was still marauding about with his unregistered weapon?

She has admitted she has conflicted feelings over all of this.  She knows she did the right thing by defending herself and her daughter, but is not thrilled she had to kill someone.  Personally, I’d rather be alive and feel bad about killing the bad guy than be dead. 


Posted by on 04/30/04 at 01:33 PM
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