"My daddy couldn't give up coffee for Lent. He says he needs it to live".
That is all.
HAMPTON, N.H. - It seemed to take only a few moments. A roaring blaze fueled by hurricane-force wind gusts blowing off the coast of this seaside community ripped through a decades-old wood-framed hotel early yesterday, dancing from building to building until it consumed a whole block on the popular Hampton Beach waterfront.
By early yesterday, five buildings on Ocean Boulevard had been reduced to rubble, and a rising mist of ash mixed with spray from the Atlantic Ocean to produce a foul smell of destruction. Fire officials estimated that the blaze caused millions of dollars in damages on the coveted beachfront property.
Police detectives scrambling with little evidence to solve the weekend killing of an elderly grocery clerk were able to make swift arrests after receiving several key tips, including one from the mother of one of the teenage suspects, according to several law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case.There's the usual hand-wringing about how these were boys that "fell through the cracks" and came from families known to law enforcement. There's the inevitable tagging of this as a "senseless" killing - as though any other robbery where the clerk is killed is any less senseless; as though sticking up a store for a couple hundred bucks is worth taking the life of another.
The mother, Germaine Northcross, had called police to say she believed that her 16-year-old son, Onyx White, had been involved in the robbery and killing, according to the officials, who asked to remain anonymous because of the ongoing investigation.
That is all.
Washington (CNN) -- Heated partisan exchanges and in-depth policy discussions at the bipartisan health care summit on Thursday are unlikely to sway both parties in finding common ground, analysts said as the summit was going on."Heated partisan exchanges" you say? Good. The health care debate has been, for far too long, framed as this epic battle of one political party to bring free, perfect health care and unicorns to every single American, and the painting of the other political party as cold and heartless and a tool of the evil looming medical industry. The reality, of course, is far more complex - both sides have taken contributions from the medical complex and have scores of industry lobbyists vying for their attention.One said the summit makes an argument against televising hearings. Another said it will reinforce doubts about whether Washington can resolve the health care impasse.
During another exchange, Obama called out House Minority Whip Eric Cantor for bringing "props" to the summit. Cantor had a large stack of papers and legislation in front of him.Are you kidding me? Øbama is accusing someone of bringing props? Really? The man who handed out lab coats to doctors attending a photo op has the stones to accuse someone of using props? Sheer, unmitigated gall, reinforced by the fact that the clownishness of that October meeting went all but unnoticed in the media.
That is all.
That is all.
Lookit The Pointy
I do have to admit, he makes one helluva convincing argument...
That is all.
Gunnie Lighting
Boy howdy, wouldn't that just make the dining room complete?
That is all.
The Colorado State University Board of Governors voted unanimously Tuesday to place students at both of its campuses in harm’s way with a sweeping weapons ban law-abiding citizens will obey and criminals will ignore.Sounds like Sheriff Alderden has it about right. I'm wondering if we can get him to run for higher office, perhaps? He makes a lot of sense:Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden, outraged by the ban, told The Gazette’s opinion department he will undermine it in the interest of student safety.
“I have told the CSU police chief I will not support this in any way,” Sheriff Alderden told The Gazette. “If anyone with one of my permits gets arrested for concealed carry at CSU, I will refuse to book that person into my jail. Furthermore, I will show up at court and testify on that person’s behalf, and I will do whatever I can to discourage a conviction. I will not be a party to this very poor decision.”Thank you, Sheriff Alderden. Thank you for not taking an "Only Ones" approach - obviously, your men are armed and can legally remain armed on college campuses. It's refreshing to see a Law Enforcement official who realizes that "Gun Free Zones" are nothing more than "Victim Disarmament Zones" and will do nothing to keep people safe. In fact, all a school-wide gun ban does is give a potential mass murderer a compliant, unarmed victim base.
Auditor Joseph DeNucci acknowledged Wednesday he hired his financially ailing cousin as a "fraud inspector" two years ago, even though the 77-year-old relative's primary background is as a saxophone player and entertainer.
DeNucci, who is retiring in January, defended the move amid a recession that has led to tax hikes, service cuts and state layoffs, and despite his official mandate to watch out for waste, fraud and abuse throughout government.
The Boston Herald, which first reported the hiring, said Spezzano had a leg operation in December and is now out on medical leave. He is being paid through a state worker community sick-leave bank.
That is all.
That is all.
Hi Jay,Just a couple of comments on the practical use of lasers.
Red lasers are useful dusk to dawn and indoors anytime under any temperature, hot or cold. The dark hours are statistically when most crimes occur, anyway. Red lasers are not practical in most daylight conditions.
Green lasers offer an increase in daylight shooting distances except in direct sun and glare. Green lasers are dazzlingly bright indoors. Green lasers, however, dim out in the cold at temperatures below 15F to 35F or above 110F.
There is a weapon mounted green laser made by B. E. Meyers only for the US Military that will operate at virtually any temperature found on the battlefield, but the cost of the unit is over $5,000.
Why use a laser? Lasers provide low light speed and accuracy and they also instantly inform the assailant in a universal language to drop their weapon or face the consequences.
An additional advantage of the laser is the ability to visualize training issues at the range such as flinching by dry firing with the laser on.
Best regards,
Will Houde-Walter
CTO
LaserMax, Inc.
Will, thanks for taking the time to impart some wisdom on what to expect when using a laser sight. I will readily admit to being a newcomer to lasers, having only passing familiarity with laser aiming systems. I will be taking my laser-equipped handguns to an indoor range this weekend, so I should have some better idea of how they function in their intended milieu...
That is all.
New York (CNN) -- Two men have been arrested in a bold and bizarre jewelry store robbery involving crooks who disguised themselves in Hasidic Jewish attire, complete with hats and false beards, police announced Tuesday.It's a cunning twist: rather than a simple robbery with an odd disguise, it's an insurance scam with an alleged robbery. It's not even certain if there ever was a robbery at all - the alleged thieves spray-painted over surveillance cameras at the onset, so it's only the word of the store owners as to what was actually taken.But all was not as it seemed, according to police. The heist was actually an elaborate inside job set up by the store's owners, who were $1 million in debt and six months behind on their rent, police said.
But police said Tuesday that investigators became suspicious of the incident when it was discovered that Shah and Kankariya got a new insurance policy just before the apparent robbery.Yeah, getting a new and improved insurance policy immediately preceding a major heist is a pretty big red flag. If they'd been less greedy - settling for a smaller score or more patient - waiting a year or two before the scam - they might have gotten away with it. Instead, they borrowed a scene from "Snatch" and got pinched.
A 17-year-old Freetown girl, reported missing by her family last week, and an Acushnet man with some gold teeth and a tattoo on his neck were arraigned yesterday on charges that they committed a string of bank robberies in Bristol County in the past two weeks.
Caitlin Ingham and 21-year-old Kristopher Santillo were tracked down to a motel on Route 6 in Dartmouth Monday night by police from three departments who had identified them as suspects in at least three bank robberies, the first of which took place Feb. 6 in Acushnet, authorities said.
“The detectives’ impression is that there is not enough brains among the three of them to orchestrate any multiplicity of bank heists,’’ said Lieutenant Jeffrey Silva, spokesman for the New Bedford police.
Bail was set at $3,500 in cash for Ingham and $20,000 in cash for Santillo, who also had his bail revoked in other cases, according to a spokesman for Bristol District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter.
Winter in Suburbia
Just the kids sledding in the backyard as the sun makes its way behind the trees in the backyard. They built and decorated that snowman themselves - that's TheBoy's Spiderman hat and BabyGirl G.'s pink knit scarf that they brought out for decorations. They built the snowman, leaving him with a frown "because he's going to melt soon", and went off to sled down the side of the yard.
It won't be long before these days are behind me; I just want to grab each and every day I have with my kids and hold it as close as I can before they grow too big...
That is all.
Whaddya Know? It Works!
Sure enough, it fits like it was made for it. All the things I liked about the holster when I tried the G30 in it still apply - it's still very comfortable for carrying and the cant is right - the big difference is that I can draw (and even re-holster!) without taking the holster off my belt. It really works well with the 1991A1; the slight difference in size from the G30 makes a world of difference. The 1991A1 fits snugly in the holster, not loose; all attempts to dislodge were unsuccessful...
Now, of course, the big question is if LaserMax makes a guide rod laser sight for the 1991A1 Compact...
That is all.
After two pipe bombs arrived at the Newton home of Dr. Paul Rosenberg in December 1993, a witness told investigators that Jimmy E. Anderson Jr. had said he “wanted to get back at’’ the doctor by shooting, bombing, stabbing, or strangling him, according to files released yesterday by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Nothing in the files indicated whether investigators found the unidentified witness credible. But the files confirmed that Anderson and his wife, Amy Bishop, were questioned in the attempted mail bombing. The documents also provided more details about why investigators may have focused on them - although they were never charged.
My impression of the Lasermax guide rod laser so far? Pretty good. It does exactly what the company advertises, and that's almost a novel thing in today's world. Look for further reviews as I shoot and train with the G-30 mounting the Lasermax unit.
Cancun, Mexico (CNN) -- A shouting match involving the presidents of Venezuela and Colombia is the latest rumble in months of tension between the two South American nations.
...
According to a source who attended the luncheon and asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation, Chavez and Uribe started yelling and called each other names, using obscene language.
The presidential outbursts between Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Alvaro Uribe of Colombia happened Monday afternoon at a closed-door luncheon for heads of state attending the so-called "Unity Summit" being held near the Mexican beach resort of Cancun.
That is all.
A 9mm dedicated indoor/pistol range carbine.I've been thinking about a 9mm carbine for a while now. I really like the idea of a rifle I can shoot at the indoor range - it'd be nice to keep up the rifle skills in the cold winter months without freezing my digits off. 9mm is a heckuva lot cheaper than .223. I'd finally have a reason to get a holographic sight! I'd been leaning towards a Kel-Tec Sub2000 carbine (or perhaps one of the Beretta Storms), when Tam's comment got me to thinking...
WASHINGTON - Army superiors were warned about the radicalization of Major Nidal Malik Hasan years before he allegedly massacred 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, but did not act in part because they valued the rare diversity of having a Muslim psychiatrist, military investigators wrote in previously undisclosed reports.
An obvious “problem child’’ spouting extremist views, Hasan made numerous statements that were not protected by the First Amendment and were grounds for discharge by violating his military oath, investigators found.
Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration will propose legislation that would allow the government to block excessive rate hikes by health insurance companies, a senior administration official said.
The official could not speak on the record because the White House has not formally announced the proposal.
Word of the administration plan comes as the White House was to unveil President Obama's latest health insurance reform proposal at 10 a.m. ET Monday.
Jay,Hmmm. A quick perusal of Gunbroker using "Winchester 67" as the search terms yields two pages, with values ranging generally between $150 and $250. The same search on GunsAmerica has fewer hits with the price range slightly higher. Basically, if it's in good shape, it's worth about $200 from what I can see. A new Crickett sells for about $175 - $200 for reference. I think the higher end prices come from the significantly rarer smoothbore versions, FWIW.
Someone at work has a rifle they are willing to sell. Got it when his grandfather passed away...he doesn't shoot..his wife is dead set against guns in the house... currently its at his parents home in Maryland.
Its a Winchester model 67, .22 cal, single shot bolt action. Has the plunger that you pull back (on the rear of the bolt) to cock it.
From the pictures I've seen of it, it looks to be in very good to excellent condition. Saw a few close-ups of the breech...no rust, blueing is still holding up well on it. Walnut stock.
I did a web search, but prices seem to be all over the place, from 175 all the way up to 1500 for a pristine example...
Would you know, or do you know someone who would know, what a fair price for these things are in general?
Thanks!!
Dennis
That is all.
That is all.
That is all.
MOSCOW, Ohio -- Like many people, Terry Hoskins has had troubles with his bank. But his solution to foreclosure might be unique.
Hoskins said he's been in a struggle with RiverHills Bank over his Clermont County home for nearly a decade, a struggle that was coming to an end as the bank began foreclosure proceedings on his $350,000 home.
The Moscow man used a bulldozer two weeks ago to level the home he'd built, and the sprawling country home is now rubble, buried under a coating of snow.
"As far as what the bank is going to get, I plan on giving them back what was on this hill exactly (as) it was," Hoskins said. "I brought it out of the ground and I plan on putting it back in the ground."
Washington (CNN) -- Alexander Haig, the former military officer, secretary of state and adviser to presidents, has died, a Johns Hopkins Medical Center spokesman said.
Haig, 85, was admitted to the Baltimore, Maryland, hospital on January 28 and died at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, hospital spokesman Gary Stephenson said.
But forget the chain of command ONCE and declare yourself in charge and that's all they remember the rest of your life, right Al? "I'm in charge" indeed - completely forgetting the Speaker of the House *and* the President of the Senate.
Requiescat in pace, Alexander Haig.
That is all.
(CNN) -- The defense attorney appointed to represent an Alabama professor accused of shooting her colleagues said Friday he regrets describing her as "wacko."That's HER lawyer, folks; that's not the prosecuting attorney talking there.
But at a news conference, Roy Miller said "something's wrong with this lady."
Bishop is under suicide watch in jail, Miller said.Here's an idea: leave about 15 - 20 feet of rope in the cell, give the poor woman some privacy, and hope she does the right thing - problem solved, and no expensive trial!
We've got stories of the raving lunatic who crashed a plane into the IRS building in TX; nuclear troubles from both North Korea and Iran; ways our tax money is spent; news on the war front; and a sad tale of a missing family.
So what's the lead-off story? 'I am so sorry,' Tigers Woods says in public apology
Hell in a handbasket, folks. Hell in a handbasket. As long as we've got our bread-and-circuses, we'll ignore the signposts saying "Hell: 200 miles" all along the way. Distract us with a salacious story of a talented sportsman brought down by his reproductive organs, we'll forget all about the evil in the world, all the crazy, all the many ways our government fails again and again to do what it is supposed to do.
It gets discouraging when you realize that the vast majority of your fellow Americans know the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" but can't name their own Representative...
That is all.
They arrived in the middle of the night, a steel cavalry of about 40 Boston area plowmen answering the call to dig out our nation’s capital from this month’s record-setting blizzard. And after a week of nonstop work, they are being hailed as heroes.
An embassy official from South Africa, grateful for getting plowed out, handed one Boston driver a $400 bottle of his country’s wine. Residents are inviting drivers inside for snacks or much-needed bathroom breaks. Television crews have chronicled the plowmen’s labors, and earlier this week, the Washington Post plastered Boston’s crews on its Metro page.
Bushmaster Before
(Hey, I got it two weeks before Christmas...)
It's a pretty standard carbine configuration; a collapsible stock (pinned to comply with MA AWB); 16.25" barrel, shortened handguard; and standard carry handle. The pinned stock always grated at me - it would be very handy to actually be able to use that collapsing stock for new shooters and such - and I wanted to be able to add optics/red dot or holographic sights and a pistol grip forend.
With that in mind, here's what it looks like now:
Bushmaster After
It now sports an ACE skeleton rifle stock in place of the pinned collapsible stock and a UTG quad rail handguard in place of the standard carbine handguard. The UTG quad rail has a LaserLyte Kryptonyte Gunsight K-15 green carbine laser on top and the aforementioned LaserMax Colt CGL foregrip laser underneath. I was tempted to stick on one of the LaserLyte pistol bayonets in front of the foregrip just so it would have a bayonet, but it slipped my mind...
I'd like to swap out the pistol grip itself to something a little more ergonomic; perhaps a scout-type scope to mount off the handguard (or just the illuminated scope kindly gifted to me last year by AD); definitely a sling (any thoughts?). The only other "big ticket" item I might consider adding on would be a high intensity weapon light - like the Surefire Scout Light - off the side rail for complete target illumination (note to SureFire: We'd be happy to review any and all weapon-mounted lights here at MArooned - we can accomodate pistol rail lights, shotgun lights, or AR-15 lights...)
What other must-have accessories should I be thinking about?
That is all.
WASHINGTON — The nation's Homeland Security officers lost nearly 200 guns in bowling alleys, public restrooms, unlocked cars and other unsecure areas, with some ending up in the hands of felons. The problem, outlined in a new federal report, has prompted disciplinary actions and extra training.
Most of the misplaced weapons — including handguns, shotguns and military rifles — were never found. "Most losses occurred because officers did not properly secure firearms," says the Homeland Security inspector general report.
You know how come I don't leave my gat in the bathroom? Because I had to pay my own hard-earned dough for it, I'm packing it because I want to and not because my boss makes me, and most importantly, I don't have a powerful .gov employee's union to cover my arse from legal responsibility if I leave it lying around.'Nuff said?
When a robber barged into a Malden convenience store around 1 a.m. last Thursday morning and demanded cash from the register, he never expected a 75-year-old customer to stand in his way.
But an elderly woman, dressed in a dark coat and wearing a babushka, gave him a piece of her mind, grabbing a nearby price scanner and beating him with it until he fled from the store with about $100.
(CNN) -- An access point to Fort Hood in Texas was briefly shut down Wednesday after guards discovered a live grenade during a random vehicle search, officials said.I understand the issue; in the wake of the tragic shooting emotions are running high and there's a lot of pressure to "do something" in the general sense. You could make a case that it's not over-reacting to call Emergency Services over an explosive device; from my limited understanding, though, this round is inert unless fired from a launcher, meaning it's akin to finding a shotgun shell in someone's trunk. In any case, it kicked over my giggle box to see a borderline PSH headline about finding grenades on an Army base...
At about 9:15 a.m., guards alerted Fort Hood Emergency Services after finding the live munition and closed Clarke Gate for about 30 minutes, according to a Fort Hood news release.
There is an investigation under way to determine what, if anything should happen to the serviceman, Broadway said.
Colt CGL Foregrip Laser
There's the CGL foregrip installed on the Bushmaster (more info on the attachment method tomorrow in Friday's Gun Pr0n, where the new and improved Bushie will make its appearance). It attaches via a quick-release throw lever (which isn't all that quick in that it takes quite a bit of "oomph" to budge the lever, which, really, is exactly what you want). It is positively rock-solid on the rifle, not budging even when the entire rifle is carried by the pistol grip only. Believe me, I tried to get this to move and couldn't do it...
CGL, rear
There's the selector for light or laser. There are four positions total: Light (switch pointing to the left), off (switch pointing straight up, as shown), laser on solid (switch pointing to 1 o'clock) and laser on pulse (switch pointing to ~ 2:30). Given the purpose of the laser sight, it's interesting that there's no laser & light setting - the whole "know your target" aspect. Given that the two have definitely different ranges (more below), it's not too serious an oversight.
CGL, front
Here's the trigger switch, a simple push-button at the front of the grip. The layout is ergonomically excellent; I could index my finger on top of the unit and be ready to activate it in a moment's notice. The grip has texture that's not too grating yet provides a solid surface for gripping; a Hogue Hand-all grip might make a good addition.
CGL Laser
Here's the laser portion of the CGL foregrip. This is the entire length of my house plus garage, a distance of about 65 feet. I was able to easily resolve the laser dot at the edges of my property (~ 75 yards) at night; outdoors during the day will be tested when I get to the range. The dot is bright; when on pulse it's very noticeable and quickly acquired. Rough adjustments based on iron sights have been performed and are simple to fine-tune.
CGL Light
The light is the weakest part of the unit in a literal sense. I was surprised to see two AA batteries powering the unit; I would have expected something more along the lines of a couple CR123A Lithium batteries for more power. The light given off from this unit is adequate at best, throwing enough light to maneuver in a totally dark area but not sufficient to safely acquire a target while identifying the backstop, for example. This is one case where more power would definitely be worthwhile.
UPDATE: I was e-mailed by my contact at LaserMax about this issue. I'll let him explain the light in his own words:
Thank you for your attention to the Colt/LaserMax CGl. I would like to explain some of the design elements of the Colt Fore-grip Laser.Given those parameters, the light is nigh-perfect. My apologies for not doing my homework and realizing that this was a secondary light - in that role, it's well-suited for that task. It provides ample illumination in the immediate area of the operator, and the battery choice makes sense with this additional information. As for the rail mount, I was quite impressed with how solidly it mounted to my forend rail.
The product was designed as an accessory to the Colt Military/LE/Consumer Black rifle line that includes the LE-6920/6940 and the PDW (personal defense weapon), etc. with features to satisfy Special Operators requirements.
1. The CGL illuminator is a covert travelling light that provides 4 lumens to allow the operator to identify sure footing and obstacles with minimum signature. The LED light is available in white, red or blue for reasons of team identification and preserving night vision. We assumed that the operator would have mounted their choice of a +100 lumen light from SureFire, Insight, Streamlight, or a NVG to provide positive target identification.
2. The choice of AA battery allows CGL operation with the Military’s most commonly available power source and keeps the grip slim and low in weight. Lithium AA batteries are also available and provide extended life for the CGL’s low current power drain.
3. The American Defense QD rail mount is fully adjustable to allow mounting to any Picatinny Rail. The Picatinny’s dimensions tend to vary from each manufacturer. To adjust the mount for a perfect fit, remove the CGL from your rifle’s rail, squeeze the mount in so the hex head screw can be turned and loosen it one notch and try remounting it until the QD lever can be locked with reasonable thumb pressure.
The LaserMax Colt CGL Foregrip Laser gets a thumbs up so far, with final verdict pending - all indications are good, though.
That is all.
Obligatory FTC disclaimer: LaserMax has provided the Colt CGL Foregrip laser and several other laser sights to the writer of this review.Nicole Chuminski was convicted of arson and murder yesterday for setting the roaring blaze that killed two sisters found huddled together in their South Boston home almost two years ago.
The room in Suffolk Superior Court went eerily quiet as the jury of seven men and five women announced that Chuminski was guilty of second-degree murder for causing the deaths of 14-year-old Acia Johnson and her younger sister, 3-year-old Sophia, who were found holding each other in a closet after the fire.
Chuminski, who was also convicted of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for injuring the girls’ mother and brother in the fire, is expected to be sentenced tomorrow to at least life in prison with the eligibility for parole in 15 years.
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Devo believes the future has finally caught up with its visionary music and "de-evolution" message.
Thirty-five years after the group's first album -- and two decades since its last -- Devo is back with new music and a look to replace their iconic energy dome hats.
Devo will have a world stage for the debut when it performs Monday night, February 22, at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Instead of being an art band targeting a niche following, Devo is now using focus groups to choose which songs to include on its next CD and what clothes to wear onstage, he said.
WASHINGTON — The White House, led by Michelle Obama, announced a sweeping initiative on Tuesday aimed at revamping the way American children eat and play — reshaping school lunches, playgrounds and even medical checkups — with the goal of eliminating childhood obesity within a generation.
The “Let’s Move” campaign, nearly a year in the making, is Mrs. Obama’s official debut in a high-profile policy role, and she has already lined up an array of partners in government, medicine, science, business, education and athletics who are pledging to work together to get children off their couches and consuming fresher, healthier food.
