L.A. school district to give up three grenade launchers, keep 60 M16 rifles

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L.A. school district to give up three grenade launchers, keep 60 M16 rifles – San Jose Mercury News.

I think the federal government should provide local school districts with W-76 thermonuclear warheads. The feds have plenty of them left over from the 1970s, and they would only incinerate on average 40 square miles of the school district.

It could be used -- in the most urgent of circumstances only -- against taxpayers in communities that fail to fully understand the importance of paying for a quality education for all children.

New device in the works to catch texting drivers

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New device in the works to catch texting drivers | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com.

Soon cops will be able to point a radar gun at your car and detect if text messages are being sent -- to try see if the driver is texting while driving.

On the bus this evening, I saw somebody texting while driving -- while moving, and I thought how stupid. He was obviously typing a message out on his iPhone -- not just hitting it once to read a message or for that matter dialing a number. And it was in traffic too. Maybe it's a good thing that law enforcement can see when a phone is sending out a text message while driving, without trying to look through the glass of people's cars.

Guy Fawkes Day.

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The day after Election Day this year is Guy Fawkes Day (November 5, 2014). Sounds like a good excuse for a bonfire.

Thursday Update

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Good Morning! Happy Thursday. Two more work days including today until the weekend. In other words, one more morning of getting up early for the weekend. The fog is burning off and it should be a pleasant day, with chilly temps tonight.

Last Night Was the Save the Pine Bush Dinner. It was a pretty good dinner, although I had to leave at 7:30 PM and didn’t get to hear the speaker speak, as I had to go out to my parents house and let the dogs out. Didn’t camp out back last night, because by the time I got out there, it was pretty dark out there, and I don’t like taking my pickup truck back there, when I can’t see things well.

Fall is Progressing Along Nicely. With the cold nights of recent, the leaves in the Albany area are showing hints of the clorofill giving out and the fall colors starting to show. I am sure it will only get more fall like as the weeks progress, especially up in the Adirondacks.

Weekend is Looking Nicer Now. I was checking the weather radio on my way in, and it sounds like the weekend forecast is starting to look better. I probably won’t leave until Saturday morning, and it will be a one night affair, as it’s simply too difficult to get out of work at 5 PM and then drive most of the way up to the Adirondacks in pitch blackness.

Started Looking at Zone Off-Road Lifts. I had originally planned on putting a BDS lift on my truck, but after the expressway crash and after three years of wear-and-tear on my truck, I’m little hestitant to spend that kind of money. I started looking at Rough Country lifts, but they are so cheap, and the reviews of them are pretty bad in a lot of circles. The third choice my local installer offers in Zone Off-Road lifts. Made by the company

the economics of open space

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I think this article points out a false dichotomy. There can be a sustainable harvest of forest products while preserving the forest.

Not every piece of public land needs wilderness protection. Indeed, much public land does not fit the criteria for wilderness -- old growth forest, undeveloped, untrammeled by man.

Most public land can be used for forest products, oil and gas production, and other economic uses -- while providing forest and watershed protection and public recreation. Managed forests often provide a better habitat for many game species and offer great ability for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and other activities.

The National Forest and State Forest systems -- which generally are not wilderness but still forever in the public trust -- often get ignored by the various environmental groups, but they are an important portion of our protected lands.

As Gifford Pinchot once said, "where conflicting interests must be reconciled, the question shall always be answered from the standpoint of the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run."