All Broke Up...

...over the news out of Pakistan:

Report: Pakistani Taliban leader killed

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The Pakistani military on Sunday was looking into a local report that the region's Taliban leader had died, officials said.

State broadcaster PTV reported that Hakimullah Mehsud, the Taliban commander in Pakistan, was wounded in a drone attack this month, and that he died and was buried last week. PTV cited local sources and its correspondent in North Waziristan.

Authorities are looking into rumors that Mehsud was despondent over losing the Johnny Depp lookalike contest...

That is all.

If Ignorance is Bliss...

MA State congressman Anthony Petruccelli must be one of the happiest men in the commonwealth.

An Act creating a global positioning system locators in firearms study commission.

SECTION 1. A special commission after this referred to as the Global Positioning System Locators in Firearms Study Commission, is hereby established for the purpose of making an investigation and study relative to the feasibility of placing Global Positioning System (“GPS”) locators in firearms.

Y'know, I take it back. This cannot possibly be ignorance - if someone's really stupid enough to believe that putting a GPS device in a firearm would do *anything* to reduce crimes committed with firearms, they're too stupid to avoid drinking out of a bottle with a skull and crossbones on it to reach adulthood. How does Petruccelli suppose this is going to work? Sure, if your gun is stolen, it *might* aid in getting it back. Given that MA has "safe storage" laws, where guns are required to be locked up anyways, getting a law-abiding gun owner their property back is a flimsy pretense for this naked attempt to run gun manufacturers out of MA entirely.

They've done a pretty damn good job with the "Approved Firearms Roster" {spit}. Manufacturers who want to sell firearms in MA have to submit a certain number of guns for "testing", with a number of idiotic and useless features (loaded chamber indicators, 10 pound triggers, etc.). Requiring gun makers to somehow cram a GPS device inside a handgun will end the sale in MA of all new handguns - quite simply, no manufacturer is going to add the expense and bulk for a tiny market like MA.

And that is exactly what State Senator Anthony Petruccelli is aiming for.

That is all.

Thanks to reader Seth in Massachusetts for e-mailing me this idiotic bill.

And Yes, Even More FAIL

Apparently Saturday is now FAIL Day. Here's the last bit of FAIL for today:

Global Warmening FAIL

Yep. That's the temperature outside Casa del G. today. That does not take into consideration the wind chill factor, which pushes the perceived temperature well below 0ºF. It's quite deceiving out, with bright sunshine and scant snow cover as a result of temperatures hitting the upper forties (and rumors of low 50s) earlier in the week.

But it is as cold as the Clinton bedroom out there right now...

That is all.

Speaking of FAIL...

Is the update on my truck. My not-quite-three-year-old truck. That has a whopping 31K miles on it. Y'see, a week ago I noticed it making an odd noise, a cross between a squeal and a whine, at higher (>1,500) RPMs. Even though I may not be mechanically inclined, I know when something doesn't sound right, so I made an appointment to bring it into the dealership yesterday (it's still under warranty, at least for the next month or two).

It's the alternator. At 31,000 miles. I am not happy. FAIL.

No wonder Chrysler needed a bailout...

That is all.

Spectacular Engineering FAIL

This *really* isn't a failure of engineering; it's more of a "failure to plan" FAIL:

Shanghai Building Collapses, Nearly Intact

In the weekend’s bizarrest news, a nearly finished, newly constructed building in Shanghai toppled over, killing one worker. As can be seen in the photo below, the 13-story apartment building collapsed with just enough room to escape what would have been a far more destructive domino effect involving other structures in the 11-building complex.

I've been sent pictures from a friend who's an engineer. There was obviously a severe lack of planning when this happened:

According to Shanghai Daily, initial investigations attribute the accident to the excavations for the construction of a garage under the collapsed building. Large quantities of earth were removed and dumped in a landfill next to a nearby creek; the weight of the earth caused the river bank to collapse, which, in turn, allowed water to seep into the ground, creating a muddy foundation for the building that toppled.

The pictures I received show the building's underpinning literally sheared off as though via a giant blade. It's both frightening and spectacular at the same time.

Here's what it look like:

Up Close

Long View

View of Base

---

And remember, these same people make your children's toys, clothes, and formula...

That is all.

Blogroll Adds and Changes...

Got a few more additions to the blogroll and one update today.

Additions:

1. Starik Igolkin's Blog. Starik had one of the nicest things to say to me in the e-mail he sent letting me know I was on his blogroll: "And while I can't really call you my blog dad (I first started a blog in 2005), LawDog, Ambulance Driver, Tam, you, and few others were the main reason I got back into it." Wow! Thanks.

2. Morality Deferred Until Further Notice. CueBall from the Gunblogger Conspiracy IRC channel. Be warned - sometimes his content is, well, NSFW. He's one hell of a photographer, and well-worth a read.

3. Fait of the World. Faitmaker e-mailed me to let me know he'd added MArooned to his blogroll and to point out his first post, a review of a Ceiner conversion kit for the AR-15. Good stuff!

4. Interned in Northfield. I love the "About": "My Blog. My Space. Free Speech Here. Mine. Not Yours." Heh. We appreciate cranky here at MArooned... :)

Welcome aboard all!

Update:

Reese at My Constructed Reality has moved from Blogger to Wordpress. Please adjust your blogrolls accordingly...

---

That's it for this week's update. Remember, the blogroll over to your right is a (more or less) reciprocal roll. If you've got MArooned on your blogroll and are not represented, shoot me an e-mail, leave me a comment, send me a note on Facebook, do anything short of hurling a rock through my window in the middle of the night...

Blogroll's getting lengthy - I like that!

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Rule Britannia...

So last week was German cars, this week it's British offerings. I was surprised how easy this list was to put together - Remember that Great Britain is home to Lucas Electrics, the reason they drink Guinness warm...

So here's my Top Ten List of British automobiles:

1. Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. Really, anything offered up by Rolls Royce should make the list, but the Silver Cloud is the quintessential luxury car. From the "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament to the hinged hood, the Silver Cloud cemented Rolls Royce's reputation as the ne plus ultra in luxury automobiles.

2. Bentley Azure. Oh, sure, it's 0-60 time of 6.1 seconds is downright lethargic by present-day standards. But when you consider the sheer mass of car - including the real wood dashboard and full leather interior - it's downright astounding.

3. XKE Jaguar. From "Deadman's Curve" to "Harold and Maude", Jaguar's answer to the Corvette was as much a media star as a track star. The distinctive styling and foreign appeal made it an instant hit here in the states, where folks looking for an alternative to the Chrome Roamers and lead sleds were eager for this exotic.

4. Morris Minor-Mini. To borrow a phrase from Dave Barry, a car so small it was routinely stolen by squirrels. It's been done in car, truck, SUV, and rally forms. In Cooper S guise it won the Monte Carlo rally four times in the 1960s alone.

5. Aston Martin DB5. James Bond's car. 'nuff said? Even without the machine guns, ejector seat, and bulletproof rear plate, the DB5 holds a storied place in the automotive world. Replacing the DB4, the DB5 brought a newer, larger motor, a five-speed transmission, and a triple carb to the picture.

6. Morris Garage Model A (MGA). This is one of those models where the aesthetics trump the actual function. It was a radical departure for the folks at MG, with the low, swooping lines replacing the angular T-type models.

7. Lotus Esprit. Another Bond car, albeit from the {shudder} Roger Moore years. Also hit it big in "Pretty Woman". The supercharged, intercooler four cylinder engine was pushed to achieve over 300 HP from the factory.

8. Triumph TR8. Triumph is a funny company. They started out making motorcycles, got into the car business, then folded the car business and went back to making motorcycles. Kind of a more successful Suzuki, actually. The TR8, even with the eight cylinder motor, offered less than 150 HP and 0-60 times that are eclipsed by minivans today. But it looks nice.

9. XJS Jaguar. The XJS (V12) Jag coupe is one of the rare exceptions to the rule that the convertible is better-looking than the coupe IMHO. There's just something about that styling that's understated, yet distinctive all at the same time.

10. Morris Garage Model B (MGB). This is a nostalgic favorite, as I had a friend in high school who was crazy about MGs, owning several models and even racing one in amateur autocross. One of the most frightening moments of my life came in one of Derek's MGs - we took a sharp corner at high speed and I looked over the door sill to see that my side of the car was actually off the ground...

---

Thus concludes the offerings from (formerly) Great Britain. Luxury cars, stylish roadsters, and screamin' sports cars - who could ask for more? From Rolls Royce to Lotus to Aston Martin, British cars have fascinated the American public from the post WWII era on.

What other British cars should have made the cut?

That is all.

Duelling Odd Headlines...

Okay, Friday morning fun question: Which headline do you think will lead to the odder story?

Police think remains buried under concrete are lottery winner

or

Woman struck by flailing fire hose dies

Obviously, where both stories revolve around someone losing their life, there's a fine line between humor and ghoulishness here. But the "lottery winner encased in concrete" has so many possible lines - mostly mob and/or Jimmy Hoffa related - and the "woman killed by firehose", well, the possibilities are nearly endless...

Just a glimpse into the strange things that amuse Jay G. on a Friday morning...

That is all.

If It's Friday...

...It must be Vicious Circle!

Join alan, Robb Allen, aepilot Jim, Stingray & Labrat, and your humble host as we discuss the State of Øbama, the iPad, and other miserable failures in Vicious Circle #37.

Vicious Circle. It's like group therapy... for reprobates.

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #148

Today's gun pic is another in a series of reader submissions. This one comes from my fellow MAhole, commenter, and someone I'm proud to call friend, Ross.

Don't Tread Indeed

The less-than-ideal picture quality resulting from a quick picture taken with a cell phone camera is greatly outweighed by the sheer awesomeness of this gun. A Smith & Wesson model 442 .38 Special +P with the Gadsden flag engraved on the sideplate. What could possibly convey the message of the Gadsden better than a pocket revolver?

Mere words cannot express how badly I want this revolver...

That is all.

Catcher in the Die...

Author J.D. Salinger dies at 91

(CNN) -- J.D. Salinger, the famously reclusive author whose 1951 novel, "The Catcher in the Rye," became a touchstone for generations of readers, has died. He was 91.

The author died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in New Hampshire, according to a family statement that his literary agent, Phyllis Westberg, provided Thursday.

I know it's clichéd to say, but I liked Catcher in the Rye. It was assigned reading in my freshman English class, and reading the verisimilitude-infused, profane, modern novel after struggling with Thomas Hardy and William Shakespeare was an eye-opener. The protagonist Holden Caulfield was a prep school kid - like me - who didn't fit in at the school - like me. Holden was the embodiment of the rebellion I felt inside, yet was too scared to act upon. It wouldn't be until I left for college that I looked back and realized that rebelling simply for the sake of rebelling is a pointless and most often futile gesture.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Salinger.

That is all.

Neat New Stuff!

I love this gig, I really do. Where else would I get a chance for someone to find me, out of the blue, and send me a link to a very cool custom fabricator of billet aluminum speedloaders?

Reader Christy e-mailed me the above link with a quick description:

The reason for my email is to tell you about my husband’s latest speed loader he has designed. He is a very talented custom CNC machinist and he can make just about anything you ask.

His speed loaders are the BEST you will ever find quality wise. They are made out of Billet Aluminum and are100 % made in the USA!

Go to the site and take a look at some of his work - it's pretty darn impressive. Now, granted, being an H-D fan I'll admit to a fondness for billet aluminum from the get-go, but those speedloaders do look pretty darn sweet. Christy sent some pictures of some really neat range gear - think a milled aluminum tray to hold your reloads - that they will be adding once they finish building their website. They're just getting started, but the quality sure looks good and they'll do custom work. And the prices are quite reasonable given the materials - this is billet aluminum, not plastic like most commercial speedloaders.

And yes, I put in the obligatory plug for a test unit... ;)

That is all.

Again, Toyota?

Toyota adds 1 million vehicles to recall

New York (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota announced Wednesday night that it is adding another 1.1 million vehicles to an an earlier 4.2 million vehicle recall originally announced in November.

The vehicles are being recalled to fix a problem in which the gas pedal can become caught on the edge of the removable floormat, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.

That's over 3 million vehicles recalled by Toyota this week. If they recall any more cars, they're going to have to partner with Ruger...

Boy, I wish had had 1/10th the skill of this guy...

That is all.

Note to Mssrs. Smith & Wesson...

If you happen to need a tester/reviewer for the new Bodyguard 380, I'd be happy to volunteer my services.

Just sayin'.

(Please note: My offer to the good folks at Kahr Arms to test their new MA-compliant PM9 still stands...)

That is all.

Gunnie Thought Question...

This one's more applicable to MA and CA gunnies; I don't think any other states have both an "Assault Weapons Ban" and an "Approved Firearms Roster". Feel free to play along though - it can easily be turned around in free states by imagining that your local dictator governor wants to pass one or the other. Here's the question:

If you could repeal one and one only, either an "Assault Weapons Ban" or some sort of "Approved Firearms Roster", which would it be?


I'm stumped, to be honest. Getting rid of the AWB would mean I could buy new full capacity magazines, put a functioning collapsible stock on my Bushmaster, or buy an under-folding AK clone from any number of locations around the country. It would be grand to not have to constantly worry if a magazine were pre-ban, or if putting a new stock on a rifle would constitute a felony. Just being able to order magazines through the mail would be a huge positive step. Not to mention no longer being limited to neutered magazine choices for new handguns.

But then... Having a much wider variety of handguns to choose from would be nice, too. Not have to search high and low for the exact gun you want; being able to choose from the entire spectrum of handguns available rather than just those that kow-tow to the state... Being able to buy a Glock for $500, new, or a Kel-Tec for under $250. Ruger LCP. Springfield XD. North American Arms. CZs! The list is long and distinguished. On the downside, though, is that I'd be broke inside of a month...

Talk about a Hobson's Choice! Would you rather be limited in magazine capacity and additional features your firearms could have, or in what handguns you can purchase? I know, I know, it's a lot like asking "would you rather be shot in the leg or the arm?" - there's just no good answer. I'm just curious where each respective intrusion on our second Amendment rights falls on other folks' spectrum of needs. I honestly can't say which regulation I'd rather see fall by the wayside, but if pressed I'd say the AWB - not being able to buy a new Glock is annoying, but at least it's not a felony.

So, what say you?

That is all.

State of the Union Live Blogging...

The things I do for my readers...

In five minutes President Øbama will give his first State of the Union address. I'll be right here, giving my impressions and snark, the whole time. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it to keep 'em honest...

Fasten your seatbelts; we're in for a bumpy night.

More to come...

---

9:00 PM: The start of the SotU... Watching Fox News (of course).

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Eric Holder has his own issues. Yeah, like ignoring terrorism as fast as he can...

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9:05 PM: Keeping true to form, sci-fi called. He does not approve of the name "iPad"...

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You know the question he wanted to ask was "Does this guy have a f**king clue?"

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WTF was that? "General Life Anxiety"? Is this a SotU or Dr. Phil?

And here comes Black Jesus!

---

9:07 PM: Is it just me, or is that like the most tepid applause Øbama has ever received? It sounds like it's mainly his family and the commentators from MSNBC...

Sarah Palin on Fox. I'm sure that choice surprises no one.

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9:10 PM: And Nancy Pelosi looks lovely in lilac. I think I just channeled Joan Rivers...

Øbama, Biden, and Pelosi. Harry Reid is stuffed in a trunk somewhere...

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And Øbama comes out sounding like Elvis...

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sci-fi comments: "I think this is the first time he's ever read the Constitution"

HOLY SHIT. I think he just said "Depression"...

---

Here it comes. Health care...

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You can see the thought bubble over Øbama's head: "Teleprompter One. Teleprompter Two. Teleprompter One. Teleprompter Two. Teleprompter One. Teleprompter Two."

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Is Biden a bobble-head or what?

---

He's heard about these issues from all 57 states...

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sci-fi commented that he was kicking his TV over to high-def. I guess he wants to count every plug on Biden's head...

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9:15 PM: You can almost see it on his face: "Are the simps buying this?"

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WOW That root canal joke fell FLAT. Any flatter it'd be Rachel Corrie...

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That's a POSITIVE? We recovered MOST of the money???

---

HERE WE GO. Soak the banks. As though they're NOT going to IMMEDIATLY pass it on to the consumer...

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Um... Offering tax "rebates" is not a tax cut.

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9:23 PM: Keep saying the same thing and it will become the truth, eh? Where have we heard that before?

Cops? Like the ones that acted "stupidly" in Boston?

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WOW. That was a SMALL standing O. It was more like a standing cheerio...

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WHOA. Back up the truck Barry. Your vaunted stimulus is SCREWING schools. Positions that should have been cut last year are now coming due for renewal, and have to be cut now. We're getting calls for tax overrides now here as it is.

Another jobs bill. Didn't see that coming. Let me guess, it's Bush fault...

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"Community banks". There's something to that term... Something tells me he isn't telling us everything...

And we're gonna give everyone a shiny new dime... and a PONY!

More infrastructure. Does this mean that more perfectly stable bridges are going to get ANOTHER coat of paint because they're "shovel-worthy"?

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HIGH SPEED RAIL???

ARE YOU SHITTING ME? This has got to due to the gleaming success story that is Amtrak...

---

He's not giving a SotU address. He's playing Santa Claus. Again. With my money.

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9:30 PM: 7 million jobs lost over the last two years. Okay, you've been in charge for half of that time. Your party has been in control of the House and Senate that entire time.

Did he just say gridlock? Doesn't one party control all three branches? How can there possibly be gridlock?

---

CHINA is investing in clean energy? ON WHAT PLANET?

---

Hoo boy. Hold on to your wallets. Here it comes...

"I'm not interested in"... How many times have we heard that now?

"...running GM"

"...setting salaries for Wall Street"

"...regulating banks"

See a theme here?

---

So Øbama's gonna cure cancer now?

WHOA. Did he just say "NUCLEAR"??? That was... unexpected.

---

9:35 PM: Is Pelosi sitting on a pogo stick? She keeps launching herself out of her seat...

---

OVERWHELMING scientific evidence of CLIMATE CHANGE??? Does he mean the data they made up out of whole cloth???

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We will double our exports in the next five years while at the same time reducing emissions and keeping pace with Germany. All the while creating tens of millions of new jobs, curing cancer, and making free energy out of unicorn farts. That's what I'm getting out of this...

---

Holy crap. Pelosi and Biden look like the SNL cheerleader skit with all the stand-up-sit-down-fight-fight-fight...

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9:41 PM: Right. What we really need is MORE people suckling at the government teat.

And "no one should broke paying for college"??? EXCUSE THE FUCK OUT OF ME???

Live within your means. Save. Work hard to pay off your loans early. Don't get a fucking useless degree in reviewing medieval turkish romance novels.

---

And, as certain as the sun rises, we come back to health care reform.

Wow. I wish I was half as witty as Barack thinks he is.

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9:45 PM: Hmmm. I'm sure this will shock no one, but he's not talking about tort reform for the legal lotto of malpractice lawsuits...

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Temperatures cool? Didn't he just say that global warming was scientifically settled?

---

So... everything that's wrong with America is either the fault of:

1. George Bush.

2. Insurance companies

3. George Bush

4. Wall Street banks

5. George Bush

I miss anything?

---

9:50 PM: Here we go... He's blaming Bush. AGAIN.

Can someone please remind this bozo how fast the deficit has grown IN THE PAST YEAR?

---

Okay, so the Federal government is going to "tighten it's belt". Let's see what Øbama thinks "tightening" is:

1. Freeze spending.

2. Medicare, Medicaid, and SS won't be frozen. Shocker.

$20 billion in savings? I sure hope Geitner didn't do the taxes on that one...

---

"I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans"??? ARE YOU SHITTING ME?

EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM he's proposed so far is going to drive us further and further into a financial hole. Where is the money coming from?

This freeze won't take effect until next year. Please ignore that this puts it PAST the November election...

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9:55 PM: Please, for the love of all that's good and holy, tell me this is over at 10...

---

How many more times is Øbama going to blame Bush for everything?

This guy looks behind him more than a NASCAR driver...

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They've excluded lobbyists... Except for those that he's granted exemptions for... Who happen to be serving in his cabinet...

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Is he REALLY picking a fight with the US Supreme Court???

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10:00 PM: I'm sure this will be just as transparent as everything else he's bullshitted about and then gone back on...

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Embarassing headlines? Like, oh, love children?

---

ARE YOU FUCKING SHITTING ME?????

WHY IS SCOTT BROWN NOT THERE?

This is complete and utter partisan bullshit. He is outright LYING THROUGH HIS FUCKING TEETH right now.

---

Supermajority? You mean like the one you USED to have???

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10:05 PM: WHAT???

He's spent the past hour blaming George Bush for everything that's wrong in America. And now he's going to claim he's not looking to the past?

---

Wow. He actually used the word "terrorist". I owe someone a Coke...

---

He's giving the terrorists an end date. Lovely. Just what we need.

More semtex underoos appearing in an airliner near you...

---

AND IT GETS BETTER. Pull out of Iraq in the next six months.

---

So, according to Unicorn Boy, all terrorism man-caused disaster is done as of August 11th? WTF?

---

Interesting choice of words "prosecute" two wars...

---

Aaaaaaand no nukes!

This guy is a fucking Doonesbury caricature.

---

10:10 PM: Yes, we're going to bring "science and education" to "muslims" around the world. Ooookay. And giant talking broccoli stalks are going to mow my lawn for free...

---

He said "abroad" and Bill Clinton said "Where?"

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Now we're going to open the floodgates to let illegals in...

---

Someone get the hook...

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10:15 PM: WTF? The banker puts us at risk??? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

NO WONDER SCOTT BROWN JUST TOOK TED KENNEDY'S SEAT.

---

He's admonishing us to NOT POINT FINGERS? George Bush is laughing like a tickled hermit at that one...

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What's next? "You had the power to go home all along!"

---

OH THANK GOD THAT'S OVER.

I need another beer.

That is all.

Hmmmm...

Thinkin' about live-blogging the State of the Union speech tonight. On the one hand, it's Øbama's first SotU speech, and I'd like to see where he goes with it. After his recent setbacks, it certainly seems like the American people are telling President Øbama that they want no part of his agenda, as his support for a candidate seems to be the kiss of death. Between the flailing health care reform bill, the still-struggling economy, and the omnipresent threat of terrorism still very real, he has some serious work cut out for him. Part of we would like to watch the SotU to see how he handles it.

And another part of me doesn't think I have enough beer and Rolaids...

That is all.

YHGTBSM...

iPad? Apple honestly named their tablet PC the iPad???

What, iDouche was taken?

That is all.

Another Blow from NH...

Actually, another blow lost from NH:

Wind knocked out of Mt. Washington record

New Hampshire’s Mount Washington has lost its distinction as the site of the highest wind gust ever recorded on Earth, officials at the Mount Washington Observatory said yesterday.

The concession came three days after the World Meteorological Organization posted a snippet on its website saying a panel of experts reviewing extreme weather and climate data turned up a 253-mile-per-hour gust on Australia’s Barrow Island during Cyclone Olivia in 1996.

Man, that's gotta play hell with the laundry on the line, eh?

That is all.

Troubles at Toyota...

Man, why couldn't this have been Nissan? I had the perfect title for it: Careful With That Xterra, Eugene...

Toyota suspends sales after recall of 2.3 million vehicles

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. said Tuesday it is asking dealers to temporarily suspend sales of eight models.

The company's sales suspension is part of a recall announced last week to correct a problem that could cause the accelerator pedal to stick.

Can't help but noticing that the 2007 Tundra is listed there, which results in no small amount of schadenfreude, as I was all set to buy a Tundra in 2007 before I got the Ram 'o' Doom. Owing to a combination of the sales weasel lying to me outright about what they could offer us for our trade-in and their unwillingness to budge on price (they wanted us to pay full MSRP sticker price for the Tundra while offering $2,500 below Kelly Blue Book trade-in on our Durango. GFY). This is the same dealership that had a Corolla and a Prius side-by-side in the showroom with a $10,000 price difference between identically equipped cars, FWIW. It's not the same dealership, though, that my buddy sci-fi went to looking for a mid-sized SUV that would seat "six or more" and was ONLY shown a RAV4...

Given Toyota's track record, I'm certain they'll fix this problem quickly so they can get right back to screwing their customers...

That is all.

Pointless Laws Governing Hunks of Metal

Got an e-mail from Mike (who you might recognize from Lissa's place) asking for some guidance on finding high standard capacity magazines for one of his pistols while remaining within the confines of MA law and the MA AWB. Here's his query:

Jay,

Do you think pre-AWB Sig magazines would likely be available for sale at the gun show in Marlboro this weekend? I'd like to track some down for my P229 both in .40 and 9mm--I'm considering a conversion barrel for it.

If they do have them, is there anything obvious to look for as far as identifying the manufacture date? Obviously, any LE-only stamps imply post-1994, as would any marked as .40/.357, but is there anything else you know of? I ask because I know you've gone through it for your P226.

Thanks, Mike

Dealing with the AWB in a land where the AWB has expired is a minefield for the gunnie who wishes to remain on the right side of the law (even if the law is an ass). I tried to sum it up as best I could:

Mike,

The cold, sad truth is that NOBODY knows, not even the powers-that-be.

You see, when the Assault Weapons Ban was put into law, it was easy. Magazines with capacity over 10 rounds were stamped, quite clearly, LAW ENFORCEMENT ONLY. If it had a stamp, it was illegal for you or I; if not, it was okay. With the expiration of the ban, though, things got exponentially more complicated. Glock has outright stated that there's no way to tell a pre-ban from a post-ban. Sig uses the same mold they used before the ban, to the best of my knowledge.

Also to the best of my knowledge, there has not been a single prosecution in MA for someone possessing a post-ban, illegal magazine.

If the vendor sells it as "pre-ban", and the following conditions apply, I'd say go for it:

1. No LEO markings. That's a given.

2. The magazine is for a firearm that existed prior to 1994. For example, someone claiming a "pre-ban" Smith & Wesson M&P magazine is lying.

3. The magazine company existed prior to 1994. This is more applicable to things like AR-15 magazines - there have been a bunch of companies that sprang up after the ban ended. Sticking with factory magazines, esp. for Sig, is the way to go here.

4. There's no date code on the magazine. I do not believe that Sig dates their magazines.

The pre-bans that I have for the P226 have been purchased by people I trust who have represented them as pre-ban. Most of them look like they've got honest wear on them (another good sign). One actually came with the original wrapper that has "PRE-BAN" printed right on it - that's a good sign. A reader sent me an AR-15 magazine still in the original wrapper with a 1989 date code on it. Both of these are very good to have - if in a worst case scenario you got a SUPER overzealous DA who was bound and determined to charge you with something, having a dated wrapper or wrappers shows that you're trying your hardest to obey the law.

Another thought is to contact Four Seasons about pre-ban magazines - they're on the pricey side, but you'll have a receipt from a gun store that verifies the magazine is
pre-ban.

If it's okay with you, I'd like to publish this as a screed about what we gunnies in MA have to go through. I'd like to use your original e-mail as a springboard...

Hope this helps!

Jay

---

So that's it in a nutshell. We in MA walk a tightrope every time we buy a "pre-ban" magazine - I've had guys at gun shows try to sell me magazines clearly marked with LEO stamps, claiming that because the AWB had sunset, the mags were okay in MA (despite the state AWB). Finding pre-ban magazines in a post ban world is tough, but it can be done - one suggestion to find pre-ban magazines is to offer to fund replacement of pre-bans in a free state; frex, a friend in NH who may have a couple old pre-ban AR mags and will swap for two new ones (make sure they handle the non-pre-ban mags from start to finish, of course).

That said, anyone out there in Free America have some SigSauer P229 9mm pre-ban magazines they might like to swap Mike for some new ones?

That is all.

What Does It Weigh?

It's Pinewood Derby time at the Casa del G. That means the scale has been dragged out of storage and set up for the duration. It got me to thinking (always a dangerous proposition) about what certain gunnie items weigh, when a thunderclap hit me: What do the various magazines we use weigh?

So I reached into the box 'o' magazines, loaded up a representative sample, and sat down with camera and scale. Here are the weights of several popular magazines and loaders out there.

---

Let's start out with one of the age-old rivalries: AK vs. AR

AR-15 30 round magazine

AK-47 30 round magazine

Hmmm. The AR-15 magazine weighs 17.4 ounces, whereas the AK mag is significantly heavier at 28.2 ounces. Guess that's the difference between a poodleshooter and a .30-30...

---

Next up is another rivalry: Glock vs. 1911, and .45 ACP vs 9mm

Glock .45 ACP 10-round magazine

1911 .45 ACP 8-round magazine

SigSauer P226 9mm 15-round magazine

The Glock 10 round magazine is a lot heavier than the 1911 magazine, and with only two more rounds capacity. The 10 round Glock mag is even heavier than the 15 round Sig 9mm mag, so you get 5 more rounds with 0.4 ounces less weight...

---

Lastly, here are two popular revolver reloads.

HKS Speedloader #36 5-round .38 Special

Bianchi speed strip 6-round .38 Special

Not much difference here, really, given that the speedstrip has an additional round.

---

Lastly, because I'm the curious type and figured y'all might be interested, I weighed single round of each. .22LR weighs 0.2 ounces a round; .38 Special JHP, 9mm FMJ, and .223 FMJ all weigh 0.5 ounces each; 7.62X39mm weighs 0.6 ounces; and the surprise heavyweight was the .45 ACP, coming in at a hefty 0.8 ounces! Thus concludes our weigh-in, where we answer the age-old question, "How the hell much weight am I lugging around after all?"

While I have the scale out, anything else y'all would like to see weighed?

That is all.

Quick Question...

WTF is "Jersey Shore" and why should I give a hairy rat's ass about it?

That is all.

I Fail To See the Problem Here...

Lowell Police Union Fights GPS Units In Cruisers

Lowell police are fighting a proposal to have GPS tracking devices installed in cruisers.

"Clearly, we want to make sure that our police officers are doing what they're supposed to be doing," said Lowell City Manager Bernard Lynch. "If we can make them more efficient and safer, I think that's certainly a worthy goal."

Can someone, anyone, explain to me why we aren't already doing this en masse? I mean, other than the fact that the unions go bugnuts apeshit when it looks like their drones might actually have to work for a living, that is. Seriously. It's town equipment - what possible reason can the patrolman's union give for opposing this? They're not asking the police officers to get RFID chips or anything here; what they're asking is that each police car be equipped with a GPS unit to keep tabs on the location of the cruiser.

In the court of public opinion, it would seem that the opposition to this mandate stems from folks that don't want to be tracked. The question that needs to be asked, of course, is why? This same union has already fought efforts to put GPS units in city-owned snowplows, so obviously dodging oversight is a recurring theme here. I can think of no possible reason to fight this effort other than the folks being tracked are systematically doing something other than which they are paid to be doing.

If it's town equipment, not your own private equipment, what's the issue? It's been fought on the grounds of being "intrusive" - well, yeah, your boss wanting to know what the hell you're doing when you're supposed to be working is kind of intrusive, isn't it? This is one of those cases where you have to stand back in awe of the power of the union - that this is even a matter for debate is a testament to the power organized labor yields. That they can stop such a common sense measure cold is one of the many reasons they have outlived their usefulness - they are no longer rallying for the right of workers to be treated fairly, but to avoid even the most basic of oversight.

Besides, as the police are fond of telling us gun owners as we submit our fingerprints, if you're not doing anything wrong, you've got nothing to worry about...

That is all.

Update from Yesterday...

Saw on the news this morning that the story I mentioned yesterday about the grandmother found dead in Methuen has a twist:

No Foul Play Ruled In Methuen Grandmother's Death

Authorities have ruled that a Methuen grandmother's death over the weekend was accidental.

Barbara DesRoche, 69, was found dead on the ground next to her car in the parking lot near the Methuen VFW, where she worked as a bartender for 20 years.

Medical examiners performed an autopsy Monday and found no evidence of serious trauma.

While it's still a tragedy for her family and a shame she's gone too early, it's comforting that it wasn't foul play. I stand by everything I wrote about gun control being evil, however at least in this case there was nothing evil about what happened to Mrs. DesRoche. It seems that this was just a terrible accident. Just thought I ought to set the record straight.

Rest in Peace, Mrs. DesRoche.

That is all.

Remember When...

Remember when no-bid contracts were a bad thing? When eeeevil Halliburton, in conjunction with Chimpy McHitler and Darth Vader Cheney, was obtaining no-bid contracts with the government to sap our precious bodily fluids, steal candy from babies, and rip the tags off mattresses? Remember that outrage? Well, then, the usual suspects should be all over this story:

Obama Administration Steers Lucrative No-Bid Contract for Afghan Work to Dem Donor

Despite President Obama's long history of criticizing the Bush administration for "sweetheart deals" with favored contractors, the Obama administration this month awarded a $25 million federal contract for work in Afghanistan to a company owned by a Democratic campaign contributor without entertaining competitive bids, Fox News has learned.

The contract, awarded on Jan. 4 to Checchi & Company Consulting, Inc., a Washington-based firm owned by economist and Democratic donor Vincent V. Checchi, will pay the firm $24,673,427 to provide "rule of law stabilization services" in war-torn Afghanistan.

Who are Checchi & Company? Big Demo donors, that's who...

The records show Checchi has given at least $4,400 to Obama dating back to March 2007, close to the maximum amount allowed. The contractor has also made donations to various arms of the Democratic National Committee, to liberal activist groups like MoveOn.org and ActBlue, and to other party politicians like Sen. John F. Kerry, former presidential candidate John Edwards and former Connecticut Senate candidate Ned Lamont.

There's some more of that "transparency" Øbama promised us right there...

Now, kick over to CNN, NYT, AP, etc. and see if you can find any mention of this sweetheart deal. Oh? What's that? You can't? You find that a search for "Checchi" on CNN yields 11 hits, the latest from 2003. Changing to the NYT, we find exactly zero hits. Why, it's almost like that eeeeevil "Faux News" is the only media outlet reporting this story! Imagine that! The media is covering for Øbama being a flaming hypocrite.

Next thing we're going to find out is that water is wet...

That is all.

Link found courtesy of CueBall from Gunblogger Conspiracy. Thanks Cue!

No Victory Is Small...

...when it slaps down petty tyrants.

The CCDL, Inc. has taken action to help Connecticut citizens applying for gun permits! Many issuing authorities in Connecticut have for years taken it upon themselves to ask for "EXTRA" information from applicants applying for their permit to carry pistols and revolvers. These intrusive bits of extra information include things such as 3 letters of recommendation that may need to be notarized, signed forms allowing the issuing authority to do financial credit checks, and some even request applicants to sign waivers so authorities can check your medical/mental health history records. This extra information has never been required by any state statute. Members of the CCDL have asked that the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners (BFPE) make a Declaratory Ruling on whether all of this extra information is needed when applying for a permit.

Huh. CT sounds an awful lot like MA in that regards. We've had instances where towns require a doctor's note before they'll issue a gun permit here... GOAL here in MA has been working towards a similar aim - collecting information on which towns require submissions above and beyond that which is required. It appears that CCDL has been successful in their endeavor:

The official ruling from BFPE is that anything not specifically called out in the CT state statues is NOT necessary when applying for a permit. They will be sending a copy of their ruling to each and every issuing authority in Connecticut.

Way to go CCDL!

That is all.

Story e-mailed to me by mopar, NE Bloggershoot dinner and shoot attendee and all-around good guy. Thanks mopar!

Evil Happens...

Death of a barkeeper shakes up Methuen

METHUEN - Elinor Shimko saw her friend sitting at the bar on Friday night, listening to karaoke and greeting old friends. “I said ‘Hi Barb, how’re you doing?’ ’’ Shimko recalled. “She said ‘Hi, honey. How are you?’’’

The next time Shimko saw Barbara DesRoche, the 69-year-old grandmother was dead. Her body lay where a co-worker had found her, in a parking lot next to her black Mercury Cougar and steps from the front doors of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars hall, where DesRoche had worked for the past 20 years.

Gun control: Because a 69-year grandmother brutally beaten to death by thugs is morally superior than hoodlums sporting numerous .45" holes.

Evil is out there. And it's not limited to the big cities and urban areas, either. It lurks in small towns, in small cities, in small minds. No matter how much we would like to pretend otherwise; no matter how civilized we think we have become; no matter how many electronic gadgets we string about our lives in a vain attempt to look like we're doing something about crime; evil exists. It lurks in shadows, it walks brazenly down the street.

Sometimes the only way to deal with evil is to confront it head on. 911 is a pipe dream with cops minutes away when you're running for your life. The police, even in the best cities under the best circumstances, are highly unlikely to be close enough by to stop someone from hitting you in the head with a brick (or 2X4). Sometimes you can run - he who fights and runs away, will live to fight another day, etc. - but if you're old, or infirm, or have small people in your care, it's not an option.

And when that happens, you want the best tool for the job possible. Gun control takes that tool away from you. Gun control doesn't take the tire iron out of the hoodlum's hands. It doesn't make the feral thug change his ways and join the priesthood. It doesn't keep violent criminals from breaking the law and acquiring guns themselves. All it does is ensure a compliant victim class who won't present any threat to the predators among us.

Gun control is evil.

That is all.

You Can Say That Again!

White House adviser: Obama has brought 'enormous change'

Washington (CNN) -- The White House rejected criticism Sunday that President Obama has not delivered on his promise of "change" during his first year in office.

White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said the president has brought about "enormous change."

That is certainly true - Øbama was responsible for a Republican Senator in MA and Republican governors in NJ and VA... Oh, and yet another House Democrat retires after seven terms, bringing the total to twelve, along with two senators and a governor. You know something? This is change we can believe in...

I also liked this howler:

Obama's travels have established relationships with world leaders that "lay a foundation for keeping America safe and making us a partner around the world," she added.

I'm confused. Is it all the bowing and scraping Øbama has done to various foreign leaders that keep us safe? Is losing the Olympics and failing to achieve any sort of consensus about climate change making us a partner around the world?

And lastly:

Jarrett also credited the president with having "pulled back the economy from the brink of disaster."

Hmmm. From a lot of vantage points, it appears that the stimulus didn't do anything, that all that was done was to kick the problem further down the road. GM and Chrysler are still reeling despite bailouts; unemployment is still in double digits; it's simply too early to tell if we are "back... from the brink of disaster." If anything, it may have stopped the plummet, but there's no pulling back yet.

But hey, at least Øbama's not spending all of his time playing golf like W, right?

That is all.

In Defense of Martha...

I'm in an awkward position here. I'm about to defend someone I don't particularly care for. I'd like to address the current idea floating around the 'net that Martha Coakley ran a particularly bad campaign against Scott Brown (who, I would like to mention, is now the [Republican] Junior Senator-elect from MA). Now, the simple fact that she lost Ted Kennedy's Senate seat to a relative unknown Republicans lends a good deal of credence to this idea, but there's more to it that meets the eye.

Taken out of context, Coakley *did* run a horrible campaign. After securing the nomination, in an abbreviated campaign season, she inexplicably took a vacation. She ignored her opponent - to her eventual detriment - in the beginning, and responded with far too much negativity in the eleventh hour hoping to undo some of the damage that had already been done by her inattention. She brought in everybody but Ted's corpse to pull for her, and in the end lost by 5% and well over a hundred thousand votes. In MA. To a Republican.

This is huge. No Republican has won a national office in Massachusetts since 1994 - nearly a generation. The MA House of Representatives has 144 Democrats and 16 Republicans. All higher offices are currently held by Democrats. But this lopsidedness is why I posit that Coakley should not be blamed too harshly for last Tuesday's historic loss.

Coakley's campaign, when viewed against other Senate races, looks terrible. Unless those other Senate races are in MA, that is... Ted Kennedy faced no credible opposition in 2006 or 2000, winning with 69% and 73% of the popular vote respectively. John Kerry ran unopposed in 2002 and won with 66% of the vote in 2008. Quite simply, there was no reason to suspect that she'd have to run a campaign at all - in her mind, the race was over when she secured the Democratic nomination.

Now, certainly, a less-myopic candidate would have put their all into the run, figuring that there's no such thing as a sure thing, especially in politics. A less tone-deaf candidate would have seen their opponent doing things like showing up at key sporting events and made an effort to attend these events as well, rather than scoff at the idea of being out in the cold. A candidate more in touch with the current political climate would see their opponent running commercials touting their opposition to certain pending legislation and drafted something other than "And ZOMG my opponent is against certain pending legislation!"

But then again, no Democratic candidate for national office in Massachusetts has had to to more than simply show up for the past 16 years, so what possible reason would Coakley have to suspect that she had to actually, you know, campaign?

That is all.

What Has It Got In Its Pocketses?

Blame Marko for this one. I saw this post and knew that I had to steal Marko's idea like Major Caudill pick up this meme and run with it. Marko's intro hooked me right in:

Here are the contents of my pockets as of right now.

---

So, here are the contents of my pockets as of the end of the day:

That's not a wocket in my pocket...

Let's see... Here we have:

• Smith & Wesson model 38 .38 Special revolver
• Bianchi Speedstrip reload
• Buck folding knife (GOAL/NES logos etched on the blade)
• Wallet
• Timex Expedition wrist watch
• Truck keys, including $2 Energizer LED flashlight and Leatherman Micra multi-tool
• LG cellular phone

Someday I'd like to replace the phone with something that can do a little more - think iPhone/Crackberry - but for now, I've got the basics for communication, locomotion, and protection covered pretty darn well. Some is old school - the snubnosed revolver is well over 50 years old - while some is new (pocketable cell phone, LED light). I'm reasonably well-prepared for almost anything likely to pop up in my daily life.

So... What's in your pocket?

That is all.

Cub Scout Update...

The egg drop was a roaring success - TheBoy's container survived a 75 foot drop (as did about a dozen others). The original plan was to drop all the boxes at six feet, then go up in six foot increments until there were no boxes left. Considering that:

a. All forty-something boxes submitted for the drop survived the six-foot drop, and
b. It took about 15 minutes to complete the six-foot drop;

we elected to go up to 18 feet next.

After eliminating a half-dozen boxes, we opted to increase the height by six feet. We only lost another two boxes at 24 feet, so opted for 36 feet next. This time we lost another half-dozen boxes, so we went up to 48 feet, then 75 feet (the limit of the ladder truck). The last drop, which eliminated a few more entries, consisted of a random height and the boxes being literally hurled at the ground... All in all, a good time was had by all. I am completely and utterly exhausted; I won't be able to talk for another week or so, and it'll be just in time for the Pinewood Derby.

TheBoy, naturally, insisted on eating his egg when we got home...

That is all.

ETA: And one of my Scout dads is bringing me some venison jerky. Life. Is. Good...

This Is Who They Want To Emulate...

TV channel critical of Chavez is dropped

Caracas, Venezuela (CNN) -- Venezuelan cable television providers dropped a channel Sunday that has been critical of President Hugo Chavez, citing violation of broadcast laws.

Radio Caracas Television, which lost its broadcasting license in 2007 and became a cable-only channel, disappeared shortly after midnight on Saturday.

Isn't Venezuela one of those countries the Progressives are always telling us we should aspire to become more like? They've got national health care, government-controlled banks; and governmental oversight of big business, three things the liberals are constantly pushing for here in the US. Hugo Chavez is widely supported by Democrats, pointing to Citgo's support of Citizen's Energy as evidence of Venezuela's largesse. Jimmy Carter fell over himself rubber-stamping Chavez's win over being recalled in spite of evidence there was vote-rigging by Chavez.

Funny how the suppression of dissent tends to get overlooked in the glowing reviews of the Chavez regime...

That is all.

Cub Scout Weekend...

Man, this weekend is all about the Cub Scouts. Last night was our Information Night for the new Scout parents for the upcoming Pinewood Derby (a.k.a. the "Superbowl of Cub Scouts" as it was explained to me my first year). We invite the owner of a local hobby shop who sells Pinewood Derby kits and accessories - and has done so for the past 35 years, including when I was a Cub Scout* - to give a short talk, and we display cars of our own and share some of our tips and secrets as well.

Today we're going over the track with a fine-toothed comb, cleaning and shining off the past two years' worth of graphite, dust, and grime so that the track shines for the upcoming Derby. Our track will also be used for the Regional races, and the Council Finals after that - so it needs to gleam. It needs to be taken down to individual track molecules, cleaned to within an inch of its life, and reassembled into the pieces that go together to form a 40' long track. We do this every other year or so to insure that the track stays in tip-top shape.

Then tomorrow is our January Pack Meeting. We're having the "Humpty Dumpty Egg Drop", whereby the Scouts make a receptable that will cushion an egg from successive drops of 6', 12', 18', etc. TheBoy and I have a clever arrangement of a box-inside-a-box, with levels of old mattress egg crate material and bubble wrap in between layers. Rather ingenious if I do say so myself. The plan is to have each rank line up to have their box dropped, and whoever has an intact egg moves on to the next height. We've enlisted the eager help of our town fire department, who will use one of their bucket trucks to achieve the height for the drop.

* Happened to find this picture while cleaning out some old stuff. Enjoy!

Cub Scout JayG

Yes, even back then I was a dork...

That is all.

Talk About Up Is Down!

Election energizes climate bill talks

WASHINGTON - Seeking to resuscitate stalled global warming legislation in Washington’s suddenly changed political climate, a bipartisan group of senators including John Kerry of Massachusetts has been conducting private talks this week with the White House and a key business group over an array of concessions sought by Republicans.

The election of Scott Brown as Kerry’s colleague has added urgency to the negotiations for a compromise, which would include the Democrats’ goal of limiting carbon emissions while encouraging development of nuclear power, subsidizing coal mining, and drilling for off-shore oil.

Given that one of the criticisms leveled at Scott Brown during the campaign was that he didn't believe in manmade global warming, I find it incredulous that the headline would read "energize" climate bill talks - unless they mean energize as in electrocution. It's interesting to see that, even though much has transpired to put the lie to the alleged "science" behind manmade global warming, the leftists and media (but I repeat myself) just keep chugging merrily along pushing the ZOMG WE MUST DOOOO SOMETHING FOR TEH CHILDRENS! line.

Apparently even losing Ted Kennedy's senate seat in Massachusetts to a Republican didn't cool the Democrats' ardor for controlling the American people.

That is all.

Apt Analogy

Atom Smasher, co-blogger with MeatAxe over at Men Are Not Potatoes, hits one out of the park today:

"My Name Is Barack Obama, And I'm An Obamaholic." "Hi, Barack!"

Money quote:

But the prez is still convinced that it's something he ate. We're not rejecting his message because we've heard it and think it's awful, we're rejecting it because we're angry at President Bush, or we're mad at "fat cat bankers", or because we're just plain stupid.

Go read the whole thing in all its bloggy glory...

That is all.

Blogroll Updates...

Hoo, boy. Even though I just did an update last week, there's a bunch of new blogs to add to the MArooned blogroll, including another blogchild! If this keeps up I'm gonna have to put up a tip jar to defray my blogchild support... ;)

Please welcome the following blogs to the 'roll:

1. Blogchild first: Merlin's Musings. Merlin has been a commenter here for a while, and sent me an e-mail with the heading "It's all your *#$*&#@$*@& fault". Heh. Merlin's sent me quite a few chuckles via e-mail and in comments, and I expect his blog will reflect that same sense of humor...

2. Midwest Chick over at Non-Original Rants. Took the highly unorthodox step of actually e-mailing me to tell me she had MArooned on her blogroll (that's a hint there, folks...) Lists herself as "Just a down-to-earth chick with opinions." Down-to-earth I grok.

3. A Geek With Guns. All you need to know is in this snippet in his "About Me" section: "I’m also a huge gun nut. If it will hurtle a projectile down range at high speeds the chances are I’m into it. And as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now I’m huge into gun rights. Many of the posts made on this blog deal with gun rights." Yep.

4. Maddmedic. "My opinions, my beliefs, my random thoughts and rants. Bothers you? Tough!" I can see Maddmedic and I have nothing in common here... :)

---

Welcome aboard, everyone!

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Hail Germania...

Since we wrapped up the Top Ten lists for the Big Three American automobile manufacturers, it's time to move beyond our shores to distant lands. Today's Top Ten list will comprise cars made in Germany.

1. Porsche 911. Ah, the 911. For twenty five years Ferdinand Porsche's 911 coupe proved that cars could do more than go really fast in a straight line - they could also go really fast around corners, too. Pitted against the American muscle cars, the 911 with its flat-six motor held its own on the straightaways but shone in the corners.

2. Volkswagen Beetle. Of all the cars ever produced, it would be hard to find one that is more recognizable than the VW Beetle. Produced from WWII into the 1970s, the first "People's Car" had the longest production run of a single design in history, not counting the foreign copies that continued to be produced into the previous decade.

3. Mercedes 300SL. Ah, the "gullwing" Benz. Designed as a racing car, the 300SL was the first Mercedes to sell more units outside of Germany than inside. It was also the first car to utilize direct fuel injection into the 3 liter engine. Plus, the gullwing doors would be the inspiration for the DeLorean some thirty years later...

4. Porsche 959. Never cleared for importation into the United States, it was still declared one of Motor Trend's Number One Sports car of the 1980s. Not only that, but in 1986 a pair of 959s took first and second place in their class in the Paris-Dakar rally!

5. BMW 2002. With BMW's first turbocharger, the 2002 developed some 170 horsepower with the suspension to match. The 2002 might not have been the first true "sports sedan" (the Chrysler 300 series some 20 years prior would be better suited for that title), it certainly helped establish BMW outside of Europe as a maker of high-performance luxury sedans.

6. Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. The Type 14 (VW's designation for the Karmann Ghia) was the most imported car into the US in the 1960s. With styling by Ghia in Italy and bodywork by the German Karmann, it was an international effort that translated into near-universal appeal.

7. Porsche 928. It's hard to say whether the front-mounted V8 engine - as opposed to the traditional rear-mounted straight six - powering this Porsche was more or less shocking than the fact that it was available with an automatic transmission. The 928 was the fastest car in the United States in 1983, owing to American manufacturers still trying to get a handle on emissions control and fuel economy standards.

8. BMW 507. One look at the 507 and it's not hard to see the Corvette- and Thunderbird- inspired styling. While it was billed as competition to the Jaguars and Mercedes roadsers in Europe, it was introduced to the world in New York City in 1956. Plus Elvis had one...

9. Volkswagen Microbus - The first true "minivan", for many years it was the only alternative to the monstrous vans available from Detroit if one wanted more people hauling space than a traditional sedan or wagon. Available in passenger van, pick-up, or camper arrangements, the micro-bus could certainly be considered a sport-utility vehicle as well.

10. Mercedes McLaren SLR. A Mercedes with scissor-wing doors and 617 horsepower under the hood. What could possibly be better for roasting Corvettes and Vipers than German engineering wrapped in opulent leather and real wood dashboards?

---

So there's the list of my Top Ten German cars. I'm by no means an expert on foreign automobiles in general, so this list may very well be lacking some important designs.

What German automobiles would you have put on the list?

That is all.

Why Yes, Even More VC...

Just in time for your Friday listening pleasure, it's Vicious Circle #36 (appropriately titled Designated Hate Receptacle). Listen to Alan, aepilotjim, bobn, stingray & labrat, ToTC_Lee, and your humble host pontificate on MA Republican Senator Scott Brown, economics, and G-d's own caliber.

Vicious Circle: because brittle people aren't going to tweak themselves.

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #147

Gonna try something (mostly) new today. I've been putting up a Friday Gun pic for almost three years now, and I'm starting to exhaust even the mighty G. armory for new and unique pictures. I've got a handful of things left, a few new twists on some old favorites, and some compilations, but I want to work in a new angle: Reader pics. If there's a favorite firearm you own, or a particular picture you like, send it on it and it could be the Friday Firearm.

Obviously, standard disclaimers apply: Nothing illegal, nothing threatening, nothing you mind showing the world. If you send a picture of yourself holding said firearm, your winsome mug is gonna grace the pages of MArooned. If you have a blog, let me know and I'll gladly put a link up, otherwise your submission will be left as "Name X from State Y". Please give as much info on the firearm in question as you can - manufacture, make, caliber, etc. I know a little about a lot, but there's a lot about which I know very little...

That said, here's today's reader submission:

Readers with Rifles!

That's reader Chad from VT with his EBR. Chad writes:

"Thought you'd get a kick out of this, this is what I treated myself to. Bushmaster .223 w/ a dissipator upper."

Let me see. It's a rifle I can't own (see the eeeevil bayonet lug) purchased by a free man in a free state. Aside from being insanely jealous, I wholeheartedly approve. Thanks for sending this picture in, Chad! I look forward to posting more of my readers' and fellow bloggers' submissions in the future!

Oh, and just for the record this was sent under the heading of "buy a boomstick for brown".

Heh.

That is all.

Couldn't Do It...

...I couldn't go an entire day without pimping mentioning something about Scott Brown...

Malone may challenge Delahunt

BOSTON - A Republican analyst says former State Treasurer Joe Malone “is seriously considering” running against U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Quincy, following Scott Brown’s U.S. Senate victory Tuesday.

The analyst, Todd Domke, told New England Cable News that Brown’s margin of victory in Delahunt’s district indicates that the incumbent is vulnerable. The district includes the South Shore.

Now, I wouldn't exactly hang my "GOP Renaissance in MA" hat on Joe Malone, mind you. But it is interesting to see more MA Republicans starting to take interest in re-joining local politics - perhaps Scott Brown's victory will make some of the more complacent (AHEM) Congressmen start to sweat a little bit. Maybe they might even start listening to their constituents rather than running roughshod over the populus...

Okay, I'm getting a little carried away here...

That is all.

Link sent from good friend and commenter brad_in_ma, who offered the following tagline: "The Brown Revolution Continues". I like it...

Paradigm Shifting Without A Clutch...

Mini Cooper SUV unveiled

The Mini Cooper has been hit for parent company BMW, but there are still a lot of potential customers out there who can't quite fit their families into a tiny subcompact. That's why Mini's introducing the Cooper Countryman, a small SUV almost 16 inches longer than the Mini Cooper. The brand's first four-door model, it will go on sale in the U.S. early next year.

Folks, we have a winner for "Silliest Vehicular Idea EVAH". I thought the Porsche Cayenne had that title sewed up - I mean, let's face it, when you hear the word "Porsche", the image that's conjured up is a sleek European sports car, not some bloated pig of an SUV. Oh sure, the advertisements were quick to point out the sports car heritage, with TV ads showing some namebrand-slave putting his cell phone outside so the person on the other end could hear his Porsche, but in the end, you still have a VW Toureg with a lion on the front. BFD.

But here we have something to top even that. We have the Mini, a brand resurrected from the dead to capitalize on the retro fad wrought by the VW Beetle, being turned into a gross caricature of itself. The Mini, originally intended to become an updated version of the campy Morris Mini, has now bloated up to SUV size. Here's a tip: People don't buy Minis because they want legroom or cargo carrying capacity. They buy one because it's a cute little car that gets good gas mileage that's an alternative to some generic econobox from Seoul...

I shudder to think of what the next manufacturer to offer an SUV will be - will we see a Maserati or Ferarri model?

That is all.

Want, WANT, *WANT*

Smith & Wesson(R) Introduces New BODYGUARD(R) Line

Company Launches New Compact Pistol and Revolver with Integrated Laser System

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Smith & Wesson® Holding Corporation (Nasdaq Global Select: SWHC), parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 158-year-old company in the global business of safety, security, protection and sport, announced today the introduction of company's newest line of firearms designed for personal protection – the Smith & Wesson BODYGUARDS. The BODYGUARD 380 semi-automatic pistol and BODYGUARD 38 revolver have been designed in conjunction with Insight Technology®, a leader in the laser optics field, to offer consumers a new and uniquely engineered, lightweight, self-defense firearm with built-in laser sights.

Here's what caught my eye:

BODYGUARD 380 Pistol
Compact, sleek and ergonomic, the BODYGUARD 380 delivers personal protection in an easy-to-carry platform. Chambered for .380 ACP, the lightweight pistol features a high-strength polymer frame with a black, Melonite® coated stainless steel slide and barrel. The new BODYGUARD 380 is standard with a 2 3/4-inch barrel, which contributes to an overall length of 5 1/4-inches and an unloaded weight of only 11.85 ounces.

Hot damn, there's a pocket .380 ACP coming on the market that has:

a. A take-down lever rather than a pin;
b. A dedicated slide stop and release; and
c. More than a snowball's chance in hell of being approved for sale in MA.

Smith & Wesson has been excellent about certifying their pistols for sale in MA. I cannot think of any model they currently produce that is either not MA compliant or submitted for testing. If this does make the MA list and goes on the market at a reasonable price (factoring in the extra cost for the laser), I'll be taking a long look at this as a replacement for the P3AT.

Now, I'll admit it's ugly as sin (picture here) and has the same number of levers as my P226 in 1/3 the slide space, but being able to purchase it new from a company I trust is worth putting up with an ugly gun. Besides, it's the same weight, dimensions, and capacity as the Kel-Tec P3AT, which isn't exactly a beauty queen itself but more importantly never leaves the DeSantis Nemesis holster other than for practice...

Side note: Insight Technologies, eh? Wonder if they'd be interested in supplying some laser sights for testing???

That is all.

Dial "S"... for Stupid

Former Cop Convicted for $1 Million Bogus Check

A Cook County judge has convicted a 38-year-old Chicago woman of attempting to deposit a $1 million bogus check.

And not only was the defendant in Wednesday's bench trial a former Chicago police officer, but prosecutors say she attempted to deposit the bad check in her account at the Chicago Patrolmen's Federal Credit Union.

Just... Speechless. Not only did this woman, one of the "Only Ones" charged with upholding the public trust, violate that trust, she did it in quite possibly the stupidest way possible. Not only did she forge a check against one of the largest amusement companies in America, she then tried to deposit it in the COP FEDERAL UNION. DUH!

One million dollars? Who did she think she is?

Sometimes I despair for the human race...

That is all.

Restoration of Rights...

I got an interesting e-mail a couple days ago. A reader sent me a note with a question I honestly cannot answer - I don't even know where to begin. I'll let him tell it in his own words:

Found your blog through my dad a few months back, and it’s the first one I check every morning. I have seen you post some stuff about your opposition to the permanent loss of 2nd Amendment rights for felons. I am one of those felons. In 1998, I was making some really poor decisions and doing a lot of dumb things, which eventually ended up getting me convicted for distribution of a controlled substance. I served a little time in prison and got out later that year. Since then, I have been a volunteer firefighter, got married, have an awesome job, and have NEVER been in trouble. I am a hard-right conservative, and am a firm believer in personal responsibility. I knew what I was doing back then was illegal, and I knew the consequences. So I can’t blame anybody but myself, but I really, really want to own guns again. My dad is a gun nut, my wife is a CCW holder, and I want to be able to enjoy my right to shoot with them.

Soooo… The reason I am e-mailing you is that I am wondering if you might have any suggestions on how and where to start the process for restoring those rights. I have asked around a bit on some local forums, and talked to several LEO friends, but they all said that the restoration process goes through the ATF and that the Clintons supposedly cut funding for that particular program and now if you send an application for restoration, you get a letter saying that there is currently no funding to process said application. I’m wondering if you might have suggestions or ideas on where to look further on this. Or perhaps you would pose that question to your faithful readers? I thought about going to the NRA, but I would think they’d be disinclined to assist me, just because we all know how the liberals would portray something like that. “NRA Fights to GIVE Guns to Criminals!”…

First off, remember Robb's story about the guy who got into hot water because he had a conviction as a teen and his wife some many years later owned guns. Don't be too open about what may or may not reside with you if you're not 100% certain it's copacetive with local law enforcement.

Secondly, thanks for the kind words.

Thirdly, find your local state gun enthusiast affiliation (like GOAL here in MA). More than likely they maintain a list of lawyers who specialize in Second Amendment issues. Chances are a brief consultation with someone who specializes in having rights restored will let you know if it's possible or not. Where it's a drug charge, there may be some federal issues involved - I honestly don't know - so legal representation may be needed.

Lastly, don't necessarily write off the NRA. They might not work publicly to get a felon's rights restored, but they may be able to point you in the right direction. If nothing else they're an incredible resource for information on what's local to you and what the state and federal rules are that apply to your situation.

---

Best of luck in your quest. Your story is EXACTLY why I think that gun rights should be restored upon serving one's time. A youthful mistake (and let's face it, if we didn't have this ridiculous "War on Drugs" it never would have happened) will haunt you your entire life, and preclude you from using the best tools available to protect yourself and your loved ones. At the very least there should be a time limit - if you stay clean for X years after finishing your parole, you get full restoration.

In any case, hopefully someone can shed some light on the process and perhaps get you started on your path to gunnie redemption.

That is all.

BRILLIANT!

In honor of Senator Brown's outstanding victory and his "A" rating by the NRA, I propose that all gun owners go out and treat themselves to a new firearm.

We'll call it:

Buy a Boomstick for Brown

Now: choices, choices...

That is all.

Worth a Few Ducats...

Got an e-mail from "David" this morning about a worthy cause:

Thought you'd find this interesting. I've been following Jake for a wile, ever since he was a marine sniper out in the field taking out baddies.

Basically he and some chums went down to Haiti of their own accord, with their own dollars, to see what they could do as medics. They're not asking for money, but not turning it down either.

Here's the site for Team Rubicon. They've been blogging their experiences in Haiti helping out in the aftermath of the earthquake (now earthquakes, multiple, as a 6.1 magnitude quake hit earlier today) and it's well-worth a read. These gentlemen are what America is all about. They've got a call asking for more help, and also have a tip jar up if you would like to support what they're doing.

Go, take a look, and drop 'em a few bucks if you can spare it - these guys are on the side of the angels.

That is all.

So What Now?

The political landscape has changed. A Republican has been elected to the US Senate from Massachusetts for the first time in over a generation; the seat formerly occupied by Ted Kennedy, the "Liberal Lion" of the Senate is now held by Scott Brown, GOP. This happened at a time when the Democrats control the White House, the House of Representatives, and the US Senate, with Brown's election removing the filibuster-proof majority from the table.

Is the bloom off the Øbama rose? This is the third election he's lent his support to that has gone south:

• Deeds in VA
• Corzine in NJ
• Coakley in MA

Not only is Øbama's support akin to the kiss-of-death, but his approval rating is south of 50% for the first time in his presidency. He's not winning over any Republicans with talk of "We won"; he's not ingratiating himself with the left over the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan; he's finding out that international relations require more than simply showing up.

Democrats should be nervous about November. The figurehead of the party has lost his coattails; Massachusetts - one of the very bluest states out there - just filled Ted Kennedy's seat with a "far right teabagger"; people are sick and tired of backroom deals that involve billions of their hard-earned tax dollars going to buy votes on contentious legislation. If the American people decide they want two-party rule again, this November might look like 1994 all over again.

Here's hoping that Scott Brown is no Newt Gingrich, though.

That is all.

Oh, By The Way Senator Kerry?

Get used to this:



'Cuz you're getting a new neighbor...

We've got good news and bad news for Senator Kerry.

The good news is that he's no longer the Junior Senator from Massachusetts.

The bad news is that he's the only Democratic Senator from Massachusetts.

Heh.

I don't know if I'll *ever* get tired of that...

That is all.