January 30, 2023
There is some discussion as to whether the 6-year-old who shot his teacher actually intended to do it. “Six-year-olds can’t form intent,” someone proclaims.
Sure they can. They can intend to sneak a cookie, they can intend to play catch, they can intend to do lots of things.
They may not fully understand long-range consequences, but that’s not the same thing.
The kid took the gun to school and he shot his teacher—because he intended to.
January 31, 2023
When Josh Hawley was attorney general of Missouri, he refused to release certain information about his time in office so that an opposing party committee couldn’t use it against him. Now the AG’s office—i.e. Missouri taxpayers—are on the hook for the fines and the legal fees.
I say that if he did it to further his campaign, let his campaign pay the tab.
January 31, 2023
The director of Missouri’s child welfare agency is trying to improve the state’s foster care system. He says that the state has effectively legally orphanized around 1,500 children.
I can’t fault his priorities, but I do think his grammar needs work.
January 30, 2023
I just read an article about the 6th mass shooting in California this month. A mass shooting is defined as a situation where three or more people are killed in a single incident.
I can just hear somebody saying, "The reason we have so many 'mass shootings' is that such a small number of victims is considered 'mass'. It's a scare tactic. If they increased the number of victims needed to be considered a 'mass shooting', there wouldn't be so many."
Looking at the people who have been elected to public office, or who air their views on Fox News (among other media outlets), are you going to bet against me?
January 19, 2023
I was listening to a modern radio station, and heard a song that had an Everly Brothers vibe. “They must be doing a flashback,” I said to myself. Curiously, they did it again on subsequent days. It was quite some time before I realized that it’s actually a new song.
I managed to remember enough of the refrain one evening to come home and look it up. Foolishly, I didn’t write down the name. But tonight, I sat down at the computer and typed in “New song that sounds old”, and it took me straight to the song.
I’m glad that that the search engine is so flexible.
