General Commentary (May be military related) email: Kudzuacres1@juno.com

 
Thursday Three

1. What was your luckiest experience with finals? Don't recall any "luck" with finals.

2. What was your worst experience? I didn't take the final in Nuclear Physics because my grades were so bad that it seemed pretty useless to spend the two hours of the final. The professor gave everyone who took the final (about half the class) a "C". A year later, I had to do an extra semester in order to bring my minor subject GPA up to the required level. The "C" would have covered it. Okay, for those who are arithmetically inclined, I did not have stratospheric grades in Physics.

3. Finally, do you have any recurring finals nightmares? Yes. I am still showing up for an Analytical Geometry final with no idea what Analytical Geometry is.
posted by Larry at 8:36 AM

 
Diane asked me to share my "superior" driving skills that I allege save gas. The biggie is driving in the top gear that the engine can pull. Road and track describes it as full throttle, short shifting which translates as the exact opposite of what your high school driving teacher said about the egg between your foot and the accellerator pedal.

In my pickup, it means starting in second, accellerating fairly hard and shifting to fifth at about 30 mph, then wide open throttle up to cruise. The real key is steady driving and planning your way through the traffic. I owned a VW bus many years ago and playing the traffic was absolutely required if you didn't want to spend all your time going 40.

I haven't worked out how you do it in an automatic equipped car.

I am sure that Dr. Possum has even better driving tips what with owning Volvo and all.
posted by Larry at 9:35 AM

 
So Mac Thomason ranks the Presidents in his lifetime. I don't have the same list and definitely don't rank them the same.

10. Carter: Not sure how you could be worse. Miserable performance on the international scene and dhomestically, I try not to remember.
9. Nixon: He had a plan for Vietnam which turned out to be surrender after expending an additional 30,000 soldiers.
8. Johnson: I'll give him the 1964 Civil Rights Act. I believe VN cancels out any good. Robert McNamara alone is enough to put him firmly in Hell.
7. Kennedy: Did nothing in three years except start the buildup in VN. Yep, the liberals favorite President did that.
6. Ford: A total incompetent. The only thing he did right was pardon Nixon and if you were not of age in 1974, you don't understand. Nixon was not universally hated as you may think.
5. Bush 1: Used American troops at least twice to cover for incompetent foreign dealings (Panama and Kuwait). Domestically, pretty much a zero.
4. Clinton: Only this high because he didn't do much of anything domestically and his foreign misadventures killed so few Americans.
3. Bush 2: I would rank him last if not for those above. I think that 50 years down, GWB and WJC will both be considered lower third Preisdents.
2. Truman: Did some purely political things concerning Korea that got Americans killer needlessly. Did have the decency to admit it. Dropped the bomb and took responsibility for what he did.
1. Eisenhower: The only one left. Did good by not doing much.

Dang, it looks like I don't have a favorite. I didn't hate Clinton and I don't hate Bush 2. Johnson and Nixon belong in Hell and Carter belongs in a doddering old fools' home.
posted by Larry at 1:59 PM