Shots in the Dark

The BBC reports that while American college students think more highly of themselves than any time in the past half-century or so, they’re actually less-skilled and less-hardworking than at any time in the less half-century or so.

According to a survey of some 9, 000, 000 American college freshmen which began in 1966,

…over the past four decades, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of students who describe themselves as being “above average” for academic ability, drive to achieve, mathematical ability and self-confidence.

But…

…while the Freshman Survey shows that students are increasingly likely to label themselves as gifted in writing ability, objective test scores indicate that actual writing ability has gone down since the 1960s.

And while the freshmen say that they’re working harder, the number of hours they actually work—never very high—is actually significantly less than students of, say, 20 years ago.

Jean Twengue, a psychologist who’s studied the data, draws this conclusion:

Twenge blames the growth of narcissistic attitudes on a range of trends - including parenting styles, celebrity culture, social media and access to easy credit, which allows people to appear more successful than they are.

I’m buying it…but I wonder what people who actually deal with college freshmen think. Anyone?

…to carry an assault rifle in public, as Justin Dean, a Maine man, did?

He swore that he wasn’t trying to make a political statement; basically, he was just taking his rifle, with its 30-bullet magazine, out for a walk. (He told the Portland Press Herald that the gun was for protection.)

But it’s hard to believe that he wasn’t trying to intimidate people, like the gun nuts who bring their guns to political gatherings where gun control is being discussed—or the people who have so threatened the New York newspaper that published a map of gun owners, it’s been forced to hire armed security guards.

I don’t know about you, but if I saw this guy, I’d do exactly what most people did; steer clear of him and call the cops. And if I knew that this 24-year-old had served three terms in Afghanistan—enough to make anyone a little nuts—I’d get in my house and lock the door before calling the cops. (Not that locking the door would accomplish anything when a guy has an assault rifle.)

Our pro-gun laws are stupid.

Here’s the gun Justin Dean was carrying;

A new song, Wolf’s Law, from a terrific, up-and-coming Welsh band, The Joy Formidable. I think you’ll be hearing more about them. Album’s out 1/22.

Quite a cool graphic from the folks at GoodReads….

“Go fuck yourself.”

—House Speaker John Boehner to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, after Reid accused him of running the House like a dictatorship and caring more about retaining his Speakership than passing legislation. (The latter is certainly true; the former doubtful, given that Boehner isn’t even powerful enough to tell the Tea Party People where to go.)

Thanks to Politico. And happy new year to you, too, from the GOP statesmen in Congress.