New Toy!

Okay, so I just got back from the fun store with something new. It's a new T&E gun and will be unveiled on Friday. I'm even going to take it to the range today!

Any guesses what it might be?

That is all.


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Friday Funny...

OldNFO sends in an oldie but a goodie:

THE OFFICIAL TEXAS SHERIFF EXAM

A young Texan grew up wanting to be a lawman. He grew up big, 6' 2", strong as a longhorn, and fast as mustang. He could shoot a bottle cap tossed in the air at 40 paces.

When he finally came of age, he applied to where he had only dreamed of working: the West Texas Sheriff's Department.

After a series of tests and interviews, the Chief Deputy finally called him into his office for the young man's last interview.

The Chief Deputy said, "You're a big strong kid and you can really shoot. So far your qualifications all look good, but we have, what you might call, an"Attitude Suitability Test", that you must take before you can be accepted. We just don't let anyone carry our badge, son."

Then, sliding a service pistol and a box of ammo across the desk, the Chief said, "Take this pistol and go out and shoot: six illegal aliens, six lawyers, six meth dealers, six Muslim extremists, six Democrats, and a rabbit."

"Why the rabbit?" queried the applicant.

"Great attitude. You pass," said the Chief Deputy. "When can you start?"

Heh. I've heard a few variations on this one...

That is all.

I Need One of These...

Friend, gunsmith extraordinaire (on a par with Wally!), and person I look forward to meeting later this year Spear sent in this picture of something I need:

That's a 4 bore. The teensy looking round next to it is a .30-06. I'm thinking I need something that shoots these. In a Contender. Heh.

Thanks for the ammo pr0n, Spear!

That is all.

And THAT'S Not The Worst Part!

THOTpd sent me the link to this facepalmingly stupid story out of CA:

Berkeley Police Chief Defends Overtime To Track Son’s Stolen iPhone

BERKELEY (KCBS) – Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan insisted a recent search for his son’s stolen iPhone should not be seen as an example of preferential treatment.

The iPhone stolen from a locker at Berkeley High School in January was equipped with tracking software that was sending a signal to Chief Meehan’s own phone. When the chief showed a detective the tracking signal, that officer then directed his team to find the phone.

Okay, I grok. Some lickspittle wanted to curry favor with the boss, so he offered to get his boss's son's iPhone back. Had Toady done this on his own, there's nothing wrong with that in the least. However, it lead to some eight hours of overtime going towards finding the phone, and here's the kick in the teeth:

The phone has not been recovered.

With tracking software enacted and four of the city's finest on the case, they still couldn't get the iPhone back. Why does the line about not being able to find one's ass with both hands and a bloodhound come to mind? And why does the name sound so familiar? Meehan... Meehan... Let me search the archives - oh, yeah. THAT Meehan... So in addition to threatening reporters, he also uses departmental overtime to look for his kid's iPhone.

Great work, if you can get it.

That is all.

Two, Two, Two Hits In One!

Numerous folks sent in this heartwarming tale of a store clerk saving his own bacon, and adding double to the count:

Sheriff: Clerk shoots, kills two men attempting to rob store

Two men are dead after they allegedly beat up and tried to rob the clerk at a general store on Acorn Hill Road in Hobbsville. The victim is in the hospital for some pretty serious bruising.

Two men stormed into the general store around 6 p.m. on Tuesday. They put their large guns in the face of the store owner and demanded money. The clerk was hit with the guns and then kicked repeatedly on the floor.

He then reached for a firearm under the counter, shot one of the men who turned and ran out of the store. The second goblin then fired at the clerk, getting himself shot dead for his troubles. Read that again. They came into the store, stuck multiple guns in his face, and then started beating him for no reason. What do you suppose they had planned for that clerk after he handed over the money?

I for one am glad he handed over hot lead instead.

Dead Goblin Count: 297

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #268

In light of Robb's artful KRISS shot from last Friday, I knew that I needed an updated shot of *my* KRISS Super V Vector for today's pic:

The astute viewer will note the addition of a forend grip as well as a TruGlo red/green dot sight. I'd like to say that I spared no expense outfitting the KRISS here, but that would be a blatant lie, mind you; the grip and the sight cost me under $65 shipped from Amazon...  However, even with that inexpensive sight, the KRISS has shown exceptional accuracy, putting shots into quarter-sized groups at 25 feet, consistent 2" groups at 50 feet, and 4-5" groups at 25 yards. Fired rapidly, with me giggling uncontrollably the whole time.

I've got to say, this is easily one of the most fun guns I've had the opportunity to shoot. The recoil is non-existent - .45 ACP out of a light handgun isn't too bad; out of a shoulder-borne arm it's just about negligible, and with the KRISS recoil method it's essentially zero. Add to that Buck Rogers gee-whiz space blaster looks and the general "Whoa, what is *that*?" and it'll draw a crowd every time it comes out of the case.

Time's running short on this testing & evaluation sample (hey, guys, any chance of an extension???), so I've got to get it to the range this weekend - I know, I know, it's a rough life...

That is all.

This Is How We Roll in *MY* Hood...

Pre-marinated beef!

Cows Crash Party, Help Themselves To Beer In Boxford

BOXFORD (CBS) – Boxford police had their hands full chasing some hard-partying cows Sunday night, according to police.

Police Chief Michael Murphy passed along pictures from the incident that began when officers were called to Main Street for an animal complaint.

This happened a couple towns over from me. Local PD cannot stop making with the jokes. Oh, and there's pictures, too:

(picture from article)

Life in the suburban outback is certainly fraught with peril, indeed...

That is all.

The Count's Piling Up...

The Pantsless One himself directed me to this post, which references this story:

Police: Cab driver shoots, kills would-be armed robber

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — A cab driver shot and killed a would-be armed robber on Mockingbird Lane in Brevard County, police said early Wednesday morning.

Authorities said the cab driver picked up apassenger on DeLeon Avenue in Titusville. When the driver dropped him off at the end of Mockingbird Lane, there was a dispute over the cab fare.

Well, now, I'd say you done lost that dispute, didn't you? Goblin pulled a small caliber gun and shot at the cabbie, grazing the back of his head. Cabbie responded by pulling a larger gun and shooting the hell out of the goblin, reducing him to room temperature. The forces aligned against freedom would prefer that the cabbie have magically "retreated" - neglecting to mention that a) he's in a small, enclosed space with someone trying to kill him; and b) even if he did get out of the cab and start running, now the goblin has his cab he can either steal or use to run him over...

Instead, he introduced a goblin's insides to the outside, and +1'd the count...

Dead Goblin Count: 295

That is all.

Meditations on Hits...

Heh. As seen in chat between Robb and myself:

me: So, was I not controversial enough? *g*

Robb: Nah, you were gentlemenly

me: darn

I gotta work on that whole "be a dick" thing

Robb: It brings in the hits, it would seem

me: heh

I don't care what the papers say about me, as long as they spell my name right...

Robb: I rarely get that luxury

me: it's the extra B

I thought about calling my blog !!!!!AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMarooned just so it would show up at the top of all blogrolls

Sent at 9:08 AM on Thursday

Robb: Rename it something to do with Aardvarks

me: AAAdventurous AAArdvarks

Sent at 9:09 AM on Thursday

Robb: "This is a blog about drunk Tubulidentata seeking help - AAArdvark!"

me: Aardvarks Anonymous.

This is what happens when minds are allowed to wander and don't come back...
 
That is all.

Their World, Not Mine

This is just disgusting.

Women charged with knocking down 93-year-old, stealing purse

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - Two women targeted a 93-year-old woman waiting for a bus and one of them knocked her to the ground when she stole her purse, police said.

Jeannette Robida had just left a hair salon and was standing at the bus stop when, according to court documents, Julia Gibb, 28, pointed her out, telling Juliana Souza, 23, she appeared to be an "easy target to score some money."

This is the world the gun-grabbers want us to live in, where the elderly, weak, frail people are at the mercy of soulless predators looking for an "easy target". For no reason other than her age, Jeannette Robida was targeted by two vicious thugs a third her age who assaulted her for the $15 in her purse. This is the world they want for us - where the young and violent need not fear armed victims, where they are free to prey on those they deem weaker, or easy targets, or simply because they feel like it.

I'll wager that neither women serves more than a month or two on probation, either - because we don't take petty crime seriously. It's never an issue unless someone gets killed, at which point there's much wringing of hands and shirt-rending and a boogeyman - which often is the tool used. The issue is not whether the thug used a gun, a knife, or their bare hands - it's that they do not fear retribution from their victims or the legal system, so they do as they please.

Putting yourself at the mercy of violent thugs that would assault a 93-year old woman for the $15 in her purse is fine for those who want to live in Brady land - but not in my world.

That is all.

In Which Jay Stirs The Pot...

Okay, so there's some dustup over micro-1911s not being reliable. A certain instructor, handsome devil though he may be, has offered to refund the full course tuition for anyone that takes his intensive handgun course if they take it with a micro 1911 and it performs without a flaw. While I would love to take him up on that offer, I can't commit to a training course in the immediate future.

What I can do, though, is an approximation. I'll bring my Colt 1991A1 Compact to the range with me next chance I get. I'll run as much Tulammo steel-cased 230 grain .45 ACP as I can through it in one session, with the goal of running 500 rounds through it without cleaning/lubing/spit-shining it/any maintenance whatsoever. Oh, sure, it's not a thousand rounds shot in a weekend, but it's more than enough shooting to see if the miniature 1911 will have problems.

So, we'll see if this:

Can run as well as these:

Why, you ask, am I doing this? Well, there are several reasons:

1. I'm genuinely curious. I've owned the Colt for two and a half years now and never had a bad experience with it at the range. I honestly think it can handle the stress.

2. If it works, I get to prove that there's at least one micro-1911 that can handle a lot of rounds without stoppages or failures; if it doesn't work, I learn something about my Colt and I get to shoot it a lot.

3. I am an unabashed fan of the 1911 platform. I know that polymer handguns are all the rage, and I have myself a few of 'em (including a revolver, even), but I love me some 1911 goodness.

4. Um, hello? I wasn't about to let the drama llama slip by without at least catching a quick ride! Why let all the other bloggers have their drama fun?

So, that's the plan in a nutshell. Over the span of a range trip (or, most likely, two), I'll run 500 rounds through my Colt 1991A1 in an attempt to break it. Along the way, I'll refrain from cleaning, lubricating, or in any way, shape, or form performing anything resembling maintenance. While it's not the same as taking it to an intensive pistol class, it's a reasonable facsimile thereof. I will meticulously document the round count and *any* issues that rise during the course of the shooting.

I'm going to try to run this over Memorial Day weekend. I've already got one range trip scheduled with Brad_in_MA; I might have to schedule a second trip to finish the torture test, but I'll muddle through it. I know, I know, the sacrifices I make in the name of science... I'll even front the cost of the ammunition - although if there's a friendly ammunition supplier out there that would like to sponsor the test (ahem), there's a spot on the sidebar for another MArooned supporter...

So, place your bets on how the Colt 1991A1 Compact does!

That is all.

And One More...

WizardPC sends in the latest addition to the count - at this rate, we should hit 300 before summertime...

Cumberland homeowner kills man in alleged burglary attempt

PLEASANT HILL (WATE) - A Cumberland County homeowner shot and killed one of two men he says tried to break into his home Tuesday morning. The other suspect was arrested a short time later.

The homeowner told deputies the two men forced their way into his home on Arthur Seagraves Road around 11 a.m. and assaulted him.

Apparently there was a belief that the homeowner sold jewelry which provided the impetus for the robbery. The two Einsteins never failed to consider that most folks what sell jewelry also take steps to provide for their protection. Even in places like New York City...

Well, one of them learned the hardest way...

Dead Goblin Count: 294

That is all.

November Can't Come Soon Enough...

So, I see this story on the local paper's website:

Joe Biden puts Mitt Romney in Bush league

KEENE, N.H. — A feisty Vice President Joe Biden preached to the converted yesterday, telling a crowd of self-described “dyed-in-the-wool” Democrats that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has it all wrong when he tells voters that things “have gotten much worse” during the Obama presidency.

Biden showed up at Keene State College’s Young Student Center with a chart that showed mounting job losses during the final months of the George W. Bush administration, then a leveling off after President Obama took over the Oval Office.

Three and a half years into Obama's presidency and they're STILL blaming Bush. This is a lot like Bob Dole running in 1996 as "I'm not Bill Clinton" here, only Clinton was at least the acting president, not a dude who hadn't been in office for nearly four years. I also like how they're trying to push this "Happy Days Are Here Again" BS, like the economy's just rebounding by leaps and bounds now that we've got Barack Obama's steady hand on the tiller - oh, except those eeeeeevil Republicans are blocking any real recovery.

Guys, look. I have no interest in seeing you win in November. Fortunately, the GOP is about to nominate someone that I also have no interest in seeing win in November, so I can offer some advice. First, you had complete control for two years. Democrats controlled the House, Senate, and White House. Anything that the GOP has done since taking control of the House in January of last year is immaterial as it pertains to what you inherited from George W. Bush. You and your party had control for two years.

Running against the George W. Bush boogeyman isn't going to work as well in 2012 as it did in 2008. People have had four years of Barack Obama in the White House, and the old saw about "Are you better off now than you were four years ago" is going to rear its ugly head. You can blame the House GOP all you want, but you're the one running for the office. "First rule of leadership: Everything is your fault." (Hopper) Blaming Bush for the economy worked for *maybe* the first year or so; everything since then has been all your doing - or lack of doing.

And, really, playing the "things are great! Ignore the man behind the curtain" schtick isn't fooling anyone except perhaps your lapdogs in the media...

That is all.

I Wish I Could Say I Was Surprised...

You know, sometimes I just hate being right about Massachusetts. Remember a couple of days ago, when I posted about the MA legal community lamenting the "Continued Without A Finding" status for drunk drivers? Well, sure enough, along comes a story that highlights perfectly why I thought that was incredibly stupid.

Latest drunken driving bust sparks fear in family

Rosemarie Walsh was not at all surprised to learn that Elizabeth Finnegan, 22, was accused of drunken driving and causing a crash involving at least five cars early Sunday morning on Interstate 95. “She will kill again,” Walsh said yesterday.

She used those exact words before the judge who settled a civil suit against Finnegan’s insurance company just weeks ago. Via Facebook, police records and depositions in that suit, Walsh has been following Finnegan’s exploits since just before Christmas 2006.

Okay, so to recap: She killed someone while driving drunk and was allowed to plead down to leaving the scene of an accident. Then three years later - while on probation - she was arrested for drinking and driving again. And now, another three years later, she has caused a massive crash while - you guessed it - driving under the influence.

Walsh is absolutely right - Finnegan will kill again. There is simply no question about it. The Massachusetts legal system turns a blind eye to drunk drivers, putting all of us on the MA roadways at risk. Why did this woman have a license in the first place? Her first conviction - which should have been for vehicular manslaughter - was in 2006, when she was 16 years old; the second in 2009 at the tender age of 19. That's two arrests for driving under the influence before she was old enough to drink.

I'll wager she gets yet another slap on the wrist - and possibly wind up with a "hardship" license like Unkie Alkie. You know, because we certainly wouldn't want her to miss the latest Happy Hour at the local bar now that she's legal. She is going to continue to drive under the influence, and she will kill again - I'll bet $100 that within five years someone will die as a result of her lawlessness. They'll propose more laws in response - laws that will promptly be ignored - and she *might* serve a little time over the second death. Might.

But you know, Continued Without a Finding is the reason drunk driving is a problem...

That is all.

Saying Thanks...

A few weeks back, I stumbled on this post by North where he had some paracord bracelets up for grabs. Being a fan of the genre (and having made a few with the Cub Scouts), I asked about one that turned out to be spoken for. North very kindly offered to make me one, pick a color - so, naturally, I chose Cub Scout blue & gold. The end result was awesome:

Thank you, North - I'll be sure to wear it in September as part of my ensemble...

That is all.