Comments on: Elderly Minnesota Couple Fends Off Home Invader With Gun

By: Azkyroth

Azkyroth — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 09:09:45 +0000

“I sat on the edge of the bed. He says, ‘give me your hands! I’m going to tie you up!’ And I said, ‘No, I don’t think so,” Betty said.

“I couldn’t believe it. How could he be thinking of THAT when there was an intruder in the house?!”

By: CherryBomb

CherryBomb — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:53:42 +0000

I suppose you could read the headline as meaning that the elderly couple had a gun, which they used to fend off the intruder. It’s ambiguous the same way as the house on the snowmobile.

By: dean

dean — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:59:16 +0000

And Greg, the intruder was obviously armed. In fact, it seems he had two of them.

But clearly he wasn’t forewarned(because he wasn’t, well, …)

By: Warren

Warren — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:11:37 +0000

“A masked intruder wanting money barged into Wally and Bettyâ??s apartment in St. Charles over the weekend. However, he got something in return. … After a couple minutes of struggling, the man ran out the door with nothing.”

Bu – whaaaa?

So – he wanted money, but got something, then left with nothing.

This is a riddle, isn’t it? Is the answer “A tree”? “A shoe”? Ooh – I know, “An egg”!

And Greg, the intruder was obviously armed. In fact, it seems he had two of them.

By: Camille

Camille — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:03:31 +0000

I saw the story on the news last night. It didn’t make any more sense on TV than it does written. From what I could tell, the robber ran away simply because the couple didn’t cooperate. If anyone had any kind of weapon, it wasn’t mentioned.

By: Don

Don — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:49:58 +0000

One of my cow-orkers knows Wally and yes, he is a clown; rides one of those little trikes in parades and such. The “armed” intruder should know better than to wield a plastic[*] shovel against some 92-year-old clown!

[*]As reported by a Winona newspaper

By: dean

dean — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:00:08 +0000

Your headline noted – prompted my comment.

“Also, Wally, the intrudee, is a clown.”

Surely, you can’t be serious. 🙂

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:41:21 +0000

Dean: Notice also my word choice in the title of the blog post. Can’t tell who has the gun.

Anyway, yes, those snow-mobile riding houses are a menace!

And, for those disinclined to click the link, the original title of the article was: “An Elderly Coupleâ??s Defiant Stand Against Armed Robber”

So yes, I’m pretty sure the home invader was armed with a shovel.

Also, it may be worth noting that this is apparently a partial transcript of a TV spot, which might explain the “writing” … it’s actually talking. But still.

Also, Wally, the intrudee, is a clown. Don’t mess with the clown.

By: dean

dean — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:36:02 +0000

Did I miss any mention of a gun in the story? And this

After hearing all the commotion, his wife, Betty, went to the front of the house and found him on the floor. Wally had been punched in the nose and it was bleeding.
â??I sat on the edge of the bed. He says, â??give me your hands! Iâ??m going to tie you up!â?? And I said, â??No, I donâ??t think so,â? Betty said

seems to imply Betty was magically teleported from the front of the house to the bedroom?

I’m glad the guy and his wife are safe, but you’re correct: the writing sucks. That said, you don’t have a monopoly on horrible newspaper writing in your area. My “favorite” headline locally:

“Man killed by collision with house on snowmobile”