Let’s get the most disturbing development out of the way first [hat-tip Crab Nelson] From the SF Chronicle:
(03-17) 12:57 PDT San Francisco — An underground equipment malfunction caused a small blast that dislodged a manhole cover in San Francisco Saturday morning, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. officials said.
The manhole at the intersection of Grant Avenue and California Street remained in its casing when the equipment failed at about 10:15 a.m. and caused no damage, said utility spokeswoman Jana Morris.
Witnesses reported seeing some smoke coming from the hole, but there was no fire, Morris said.
There were no electrical outages reported.
San Francisco Fire officials blocked the intersection for about an hour and utility workers investigated the incident.
For more information on the disquieting incident, please click here.
With that situation hopefully under control, let’s focus on more pleasant things, namely:
Walmart’s First Car Show!
I find most of those car adaptations — perhaps not all of them, such as the ones that seem likely to lead to fires and death — to be great! People are ingenious. One of my proudest moments in life is when I was able to start a car in a snowstorm in Claremont — seriously — with nail clippers. And with both Mexican and Filipino in-laws, I’ve seen some truly great ingenuity when it comes to squeezing the last drop of life out of a car.
So, while it is beyond the pale to call these contrivances “negro-rigged,” it would still be acceptable to say, “wab-rigged” or “honky-rigged” or “Filipino-rigged?”
Aren’t they all just called “jury-rigged,” whoever does them? I can say that my Mexican and Filipino relatives seem to take enormous pride in their ability to keep things running pretty much no matter what, in ways that boggle the mind. If that seems in any way like a slur, I apologize.
I have honestly never heard of the phrase you paraphrase until I just looked it up. I clearly went to the wrong schools.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_rig
Oh, I went to the school of hard knocks. And you’ve earned the right – with your Jewish nail clipper wisdom – to weigh in on these matters.
Oh, so you’ve met my in-laws?
Ah, Yankee ingenuity!
Ah, duct tape–is there a link to the wonders of duct tape, or did I dream it?
*Engine room……more Duck Tape!
Do you think this is funny?
Obama Economic Stimulus Jokes – Political Humor
radioactiveliberty.com/economic-recovery-stimulus-humor/