Headline of the Day (Heck, the Year)
Steven L. Taylor
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Friday, April 20, 2007
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9 comments
Via Reuters: Venezuela launches Zeppelin to tackle rampant crime.
I haven’t even read the story yet, but could there be a a headline that is a better combination of cool and ridiculous with something you just never expect to read?
Update: Ends up it is some kind of surveillance blimp, which isn’t so cool, I’ll admit. However, I just like the idea of a Crime Fightin’ Zeppelin.
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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…wonder if they used hydrogen as the lifting gas?…..
ANd can they get Page to pay for ’em?
Don’t laugh. We have a few of them over Baghdad trying to do the same thing.
Because nothing stops rampant crime at 10,000 feet like a lighter than air dirigible.
Well that is kind of funny, but a discussion about the steady rise in violent crime under Bush right here in America might be more useful…
Is this a response to ballooning crime rates in Venezuela?
Must be, Budge…
Couple of comments:
1. It is not a “Zeppelin”, it’s a blimp. A Zeppelin is a rigid airship: it has a frame covered by a fabric-type skin, and carries its lifting gas in internal cells similar to balloons. Pretty much went out of fashion with the Hindenburg. Blimps are not rigid, but rely on gas pressure to hold their shape. Much simpler, and strangely enough, more rugged.
2. “Because nothing stops rampant crime at 10,000 feet like a lighter than air dirigible”.
– It’s not a “dirigible” either – that word is usually reserved for zeppelins – see comment 1.
– Lighter than air dirigibles are however, much more effective than those idiotic heavier-than-air ones that just lay there and do nothing.
– Wow, they have rampant crime at 10,000 feet? That place is totally out of control!
Just having a little fun, no offense intended. And by the way – including a spell-checker is a really great feechure!
Just use Firefox, it’ll spell check any textarea on any web page.