A Sad, Sad Day Indeed...

I honestly don't know what this world is coming to.

One less skill for soldiers to master at boot camp: bayonet training

When a US Army general made the decision recently to remove bayonet assaults from the array of skills soldiers must learn during basic training, it seemed like a no-brainer.

US troops hadn’t launched a bayonet charge since 1951 during the Korean War. And new soldiers preparing for an increasingly violent war in Afghanistan already need to learn far more skills than the 10 weeks of basic training allows, says Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, head of initial entry training and the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command.

"US troops hadn’t launched a bayonet charge since 1951" What? Do you honestly expect me to believe that the Northeast Bloggers are ahead of the Armed Forces of the United States? Who's going to protect our shores from the rampaging Pokemon hoards?

While it's understandable that - as a practical skill - bayonet fighting tactics are part of a bygone era, there is a notable reason to continue:

In 2004, with ammunition running low, a British unit launched a bayonet charge toward a trench outside of Basra, Iraq, where some 100 members of the Mahdi Army militia were staging an attack. The British soldiers later said that though some of the insurgents were wounded in the bayonet charge itself, others were simply terrified into surrender.

Instilling such terror is at the heart of the philosophical argument for keeping bayonet training, historians say.

From the Spartans to the Berserkers to the Gurkhas, history is replete with warriors who should have lost battles due to inferior numbers, armaments, or tactical advantage - yet didn't. The sheer psychological toll that their deeply ingrained reputations as fearless fighters brought gave them the edge needed to prevail.

Besides, affixing bayonets and charging the enemy in a last-ditch attack sure beats getting captured and beheaded, right?

That is all.

Story brought to us by commenter Stretch, who opines "Clearly not a good idea. But I still think we should be using .45s and bolt action rifles."

Okay, Maybe CA Is Good for Something After All...

I have to admit, this looks damn cool:

Screw Burning Man: This year's greatest desert festival is a three-day Mad Max reenactment!

If you've always wanted to be a Road Warrior or watch two men enter and one man leave, then get your ass down to Southern California for Wasteland Weekend, a Mad Max-themed weekend featuring DJs, post-apocalyptic vehicles... and Bartertown. We've written before about the burgeoning subculture of Mad Max reenactors — who gather to show off their cool replicas of the vehicles from the first two movies and recreate the classic convoy chase scene from the end of The Road Warrior. But this will be a different level. There will be three replicas of Max's pursuit special.

Three pursuit specials. Damn. I'm trying to figure out how to sell that one to the Mrs. "Uh, honey? I want to spend an insane amount of money to import a car from Australia just so I can turn it into a banged-up copy of Mad Max's police car". I'm guessing a frying pan would be in my future...

Personally, though, I think the gyrocopter would be the best way to get there...

That is all.

(Yes, another link sent by PISSED)

This Is Why I Have the Harleybago...

Because if I had a sportbike, I would be tempted to do stuff like this:



I'm guessing that's Eastern Europe, judging from the Cyrillic characters and some of the automobiles shown in the video. I have no idea if lane splitting/center line riding/etc. are legal, but something tells me not. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that the activity shown in this video would get the rider not only arrested, but most likely shot.

These kinds of stunts infuriate me as a rider. I see these guys all the time, whipping in and out of traffic, splitting lanes, and just acting like morons in general. They poison the well for all bikers - folks see them pulling wheelies, ignoring traffic laws, and creating an unsafe environment all around and extrapolate that behavior to all motorcyclists. Then when I am riding along, minding my own business, your average cager thinks nothing of cutting me off, because I'm just "another damn biker".

Squids have two places - served up as fresh calamari and as organ donors.

That is all.

Link sent by PISSED, who I hope isn't the rider in question... :)

Just What You'd Expect from MA...

Mass. drivers prepare for texting and driving ban

BOSTON — April Baker admits she often texts her friends while driving, even though the habit has caused her to nearly crash into other vehicles in front of her on a few occasions.

But Baker says she working to break her texting habit because of a new state law banning the practice that goes into effect Thursday.

Okay, so let me get this straight. Nearly hitting another vehicle didn't make this imbecile stop texting while driving, but a $100 fine will? They honestly expect us to believe that the very real threat of injury or death won't stop someone from texting while driving, but a simple traffic fine will? I mean, I know this is MA, where they honestly believe that a one-gun-a-month law will stop gangbangers from getting their hands on hot heaters, but still...

Here's another thought - how much money is the state willing to spend defending these citations? If someone is pulled over and gets a $100 ticket for texting, and appeals the charge on the basis that they were dialing someone/using the notepad feature/looking up a number/some other activity than texting, the onus will be on the state to prove that they were in fact texting at that time. That means pouring over phone records to determine if there were data charges at the exact time of the infraction - good luck with that.

Make no mistake. The MA legislature passed this law so that they could be viewed as "doing something" about the problem of distracted driving. Much like gun control, they took the repeated breaking of a law and addressed it by... passing another law! That has worked so well with illegal drugs, drinking and driving, and other crimes that we've "solved" by simply passing more laws, right? But hey, at least this one will bring lots of dough-re-me into the state coffers, right?

MA: You're more likely to bleed the death of a thousand cuts here.

That is all.

Confessions of a Helicopter...

Blogson Colin sends this interesting article:

Are we raising a generation of nincompoops?

NEW YORK—Second-graders who can't tie shoes or zip jackets. Four-year-olds in Pull-Ups diapers. Five-year-olds in strollers. Teens and preteens befuddled by can openers and ice-cube trays. College kids who've never done laundry, taken a bus alone or addressed an envelope.

Are we raising a generation of nincompoops? And do we have only ourselves to blame? Or are some of these things simply the result of kids growing up with push-button technology in an era when mechanical devices are gradually being replaced by electronics?

I'd wager that my parents struggled with analogous concepts while raising my sister and I - how are they going to survive if they can't milk a cow/gap a spark plug/field strip a 1911/etc.? I'm sure my grandparents wrestled with other, different, but similar questions, each appropriate to the time period and players involved. Technology changes; what was state of the art when I was TheBoy's age is now entirely forgotten - computers no longer fill entire rooms; cars no longer take leaded gas, require a choke, or use a carburetor; televisions are no longer black and white nor have knobs - or UHF.

Somethings, though are universal: telling time on an analog clock face; riding a bicycle with two wheels; tying a pair of shoes. No amount of digital watches, scooters, or Velcro closures will replace the classics; allowing your child to fail to master certain key concepts can only hurt them in the long run. To truly be a complete parent, you have to accept that yes, sometimes your child is going to fail. They won't always get the part, or make the team, or tie their shoes on the first try (or thirtieth, for some kids).

I've done the helicopter bit, holding hands a bit too long, hovering over my child as he takes his first tentative, halting steps. I've gasped in horror as my crawling infant slipped on the tile floor and got a bloody lip; I've brought my son to the doctor's office over a slight fever, convinced he had the flu; I think to an extent all parents go through that insane overprotective phase. By the time the second child rolls around, you've BTDT and it's amazing how something that would have had you in hysterics with kid1 barely even registers with kid2. You're bleeding? Don't get any on the rug.

Some parents never grow out of this, and it's those parents at which this article is aimed. Everyone has an example of this type of parent - the one that calls the school to complain that their kid wasn't chosen as the bathroom monitor yesterday even though it was clearly their turn; the ones that argue every grade lower than A- with the teacher, convinced that their precious little snowflake is simply incapable of anything less than "A" quality work. They're the parents that make their kids' lunches for them as they're going off to high school, or folding their laundry for them in college.

They're the parents whose kids are going to - at some point in their life - fail, and when they do indeed fail, they're going to be crushed.

Part of being a parent is letting your kid make bad decisions. Hitting your sister even though you've been threated with being grounded; staying out past curfew on a school night; "borrowing" the car even though you don't even have your license yet (whose bright idea was it to try to sneak out a diesel, anyways???) The trick as the parental unit is to let them fail in ways that won't ruin their lives, leave scars, or hurt anyone else; you want them to learn from their mistakes so that they won't make the same ones, but at the same time, you don't want them going to jail.

At least not for more than an overnight's visit...

Going to extremes in defense of your child when they're in the right is one thing; they need to know that mom and dad believe in them and will support them in a righteous cause. But just as giving support when needed is a good thing, giving support when you should be telling them "what the hell were you thinking???" is a bad thing - they get the idea that they can do no wrong, that the world owes them something, that they are entitled to have everything they want just fall into their laps.

IOW, they're Democrats-in-training.

It's a balancing act for sure - no one wants their progeny to fail. It's human nature that we want to see our children exceed our own fortunes; that we want them to be successful where we failed (or simply didn't try); we want them to have all the possibilities we were offered and then some. Being in a position to allow your kids the freedom to succeed - or fail - based on their own effort (and a little pushing and prodding from mom & dad) - is the greatest feeling in the world. Watching your child succeed in an endeavor is a wonderful feeling.

Watching them succeed after getting up from failure is even better.

That is all.

Be Careful...

'Credible But Not Specific' Threat of New Terrorist Attack

US and European officials said Tuesday they have detected a plot to carry out a major, coordinated series of commando-style terror attacks in Britain, France, Germany and possibly the United States.

A senior US official said that while there is a "credible" threat, no specific time or place is known. President Obama has been briefed about the threat, say senior US officials.

It's the "soft target" part that concerns me. They've shown no compunction about slaughtering school children, among other things; we've seen multiple attacks on public transportation; and recently they've been opening fire in crowded areas as part of their terrorism campaign. There hasn't been a follow-up attack on US soil (or even against US targets abroad) since 9/11; with the changing of the guard in the White House it's folly to think that they have given up the "Death to America" rhetoric.

I harbor no John McClane-style fantasies about taking on an all-star team of terrorists, let's get that right out in the open. My plan for dealing with such attacks consists mainly of trying to not be anywhere near where tangoes are likely to strike; anything other than that is p*ssing into the wind. An attack could occur pretty much anywhere at any time using a wide variety of weapons and tactics, and there's simply no way for the average person to adequately train for even a tenth of all possible scenarios.

What we can do, though, is be alert; keep our eyes and ears open and just BOLO for anything out of the ordinary. I'm not suggesting we get all tinfoil hattie paranoid, just use common sense and the same situational awareness we use in our daily lives at all times. Get used to the idea that "condition white" simply does not exist any more - yellow should be the lowest form of alert, and even then only in the safest of safe spots (mental note: a second, concealed gun safe for the ground floor is long overdue...)

Don't go crazy looking for Black Bart in your back yard, but keep a sharp eye out regardless...

That is all.

Link thoughtfully provided by PISSED. Thanks for the warning buddy - now let's get to the range for some more carbine practice!

So Much FAIL...

75 brawl during Ohio party for 3-year-old girl

(CNN) -- The princess birthday cake for a 3-year-old girl was one of the few things left untouched after a brawl that police said involved 75 people at a hall in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio.

Some 150 people were at a party at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall in Elmwood Place when the fight started early Tuesday, CNN affiliate WCPO reported. Seven police jurisdictions were called in to quell the fighting.

There is just so much wrong packed into that opening two lines that I don't even know where to start. 150 people for a birthday party for a three year old? Seven police jurisdictions had to respond? 75 people took part in the brawl? Later on in the story we find out that beer bottles and folding chairs were involved, leaving us to assume some sort of affiliation with professional wrestling, I guess.

Folks, if you want to throw a party, throw a party. Call it the "we're getting drunk" party and drink yourself into a coma. But don't use the pretext of a pre-schooler's birthday to gather over a hundred friends and relations to drink beer all afternoon and rehash old slights and slings. This poor little girl is going to grow up thinking that SWAT teams in riot gear always respond to her birthday party - she's going to think it's part of the birthday cake...

I'm guessing they'll need to call out the National Guard for her wedding...

That is all.

Win This Gun...

This contest was brought to my attention:

50,000th member coming soon! Winner to receive PA-459 Threat Response™ Shotgun.

Weatherby Nation™ will soon welcome its 50,000th member to our growing family of Weatherby® enthusiasts. In three short years, the “Nation” has grown to become one of the industry’s largest and most active social communities. To celebrate this milestone, the 50,000th member will receive a new Weatherby® PA-459 Threat Response™ Shotgun. Thanks to everyone who has helped to make Weatherby Nation™ such a growing and vibrant place to talk about shooting, hunting and everything Weatherby®.

Here's the gun up for grabs:

Go sign up - who knows, you might just win it!

That is all.

The Count Keeps Growing...

Unc, Admin, and reader Gene hipped me to this feel-good story out of North Carolina:

Pizza Hut employee shoots and kills robbery suspects

CHARLOTTE -- An employee at an east Charlotte restaurant shot and killed two armed suspects Monday night and the search is on for a third man involved in the robbery attempt.

Police say the three men entered a Pizza Hut on Independence Boulevard around 11:15 p.m. They beat one employee and tried to force two others into the cooler. One of those employees turned and fired his own gun at the suspects, shooting and killing two of them.

The only downside to this story is that the employee in question might lose his job over having a firearm at his gun-free workplace. I mean, he could have hurt someone with that thing! I mean, they were only herding the employees into a cooler in the back of the restaurant after beating one and robbing the place. They should have given them what they wa- no, wait, they did that. They were being good little victims, just like company policy, right up until they were about to be executed.

Instead, our Hero sent two of 'em to the morgue - and in this case, two outta three definitely ain't bad.

Dead Goblin Count: 69 & 70

That is all.

Bring Enough Guns...

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I'd been contacted by CSN stores to review one of their products of my choosing. I hinted that it would be a gun case of sorts, as Cases and More is one of the online stores under the CSN umbrella, and managed to pick something out that both filled a niche in my gear and could serve for a first review. I reviewed the extensive list of rifle and pistol cases, both soft and hard-sided, and came across this beauty:

It's a Monstah!

That's a Boyt Harness Company H20D pistol case. I chose it because I have a couple of inexpensive pistol cases (actually, that's a lie. I have cheap pistol cases) and have been looking towards getting something a little more durable and protective. What I didn't realize was just how cavernous this case truly was:

Lotsa Room

There are three levels to this case. Each level will hold 2-3 large framed revolvers, 4 Government frame 1911s, or 6-8 small- or medium framed revolvers or semi-automatics. This is the perfect case for a Bloggershoot or other extensive shooting event where a wide variety of pistols may be chosen for the day's festivities - I figure I can now get all the pistols I'd care to clean bring in one case, rather than in two pistol cases, three soft cases, and several holsters...

The case itself is impressive. The plastic is sturdy and solid all around, with beefy edges for locks and a comfortable, foldaway handle for carrying or storing. The foam is deep and firm and can be custom-fit for however many pistols you can fit into it - I imagine I'll be carving out at least one J-frame spot and one Government 1911 spot at first. It's waterproof, stackable, and comes with a lifetime warranty. I'll get some pictures of it filled to capacity when the next big shoot approaches and update with another review, but I expect this to be a fast favorite.

The last thing I'd like to mention is the experience with CSN Stores themselves (through the Cases and More outlet). Ordering was fast and simple, and I received the case less than a week after ordering. The price was comparable to ordering direct from the manufacturer, but Cases and More offered free shipping, a significant savings considering the size and heft of this case. Overall the experience was simple and painless - pretty much what we've come to expect from web-based companies in this day and age, but still good to see things working the way they should.

Two thumbs heartily up for the Boyt Harness H20D case and Cases and More!

That is all.

Don't Challenge a Pack Rat...

Heh. In my post about the Øbama lawn sign out in the trash in MA, commenter Scott quipped:

So you've kept all your lawn campaign signs from years past?
Are you That Guy with the 2000/2004/2008 bumper stickers on his car?
Pictures!

To answer your questions, Scott: Actually, I have; no; and here you go:

Still There

Yes, that is a 2000 Bush/Cheney lawn sign. Yes, that is my wife's 2010 Honda Pilot (just to stave off the "that's an old picture" accusations). I've had that lawn sign in my garage for a decade now. Now, I'll be the first to admit that a good chunk of the reason it's still there is sheer laziness, but moreover it's the first political sign I put on *my* lawn - it means something to me. As much as I fell out of favor with George W. Bush, I still have that sign hanging up in my garage...

Be careful what you ask for - you might just get it!

That is all.

Frightening...

GOP impedes vote on stimulus spending

Governor Deval Patrick warned yesterday that the Commonwealth will be forced to close two prisons, lay off state troopers, and make other major cuts unless Republican lawmakers drop their objections to spending $443 million in federal stimulus money.

“We have prisons at risk of closing; we have people with developmental disabilities who are in halfway houses that will close; we have children who are developmentally delayed whose services are in jeopardy,’’ Patrick said after House Republicans blocked the spending yesterday. “We need to deal with this, and we need to deal with this now.’’

Wow. Scare tactic much? Obviously "Cadillac" Deval learned his schoolyard bullying from the myriad town administrators who immediately threaten to lay off cops, teachers, and fireman and stop curbside garbage pickup if the latest tax override isn't supported. If this stimulus money isn't spent NOW NOW NOW then all of these programs are going to disappear in a puff of smoke! POOF! What no one - especially not the ardently pro-Patrick Globe - is asking is what will happen to all of these jobs and facilities NEXT year, when there's no stimulus money?

That's not even the worst of it. This is what scared me when I read the article:

“You know all those people whose services I just mentioned who are in jeopardy?’’ Patrick said. “They could give a wit about the rules in the House and Senate. I think whatever needs to happen needs to happen to get this done.’’

Got that? Who cares if it's right or wrong, legal or not, just do it now because ZOMG THERE ARE SERVICES IN JEOPARDY!!!!1111 It ought to frighten us all that any government official, let alone one with executive power, thinks in this manner. Just because services are threatened does not mean lawmakers should abandon caution and due process and just vote for any damn thi- no, we're not talking about ØbamaCare, why do you ask?

You've only got a few months left, Gov; best make the most of them...

That is all.

Never Rob A Chinese Restaurant...

...because they're either buddies with cops or armed themselves.

Restaurant owner shoots, kills robber

Bridgeport, Conn. (WTNH) - Police say a Bridgeport restaurant owner shot and killed one of two men who tried to hold up his establishment Sunday night.

The shooting happened at Peking Restaurant on Wade Street around 9:30pm. The deceased has been identified as 21-year old Allen Dixon of Bridgeport.

Victim selection FAIL. I remember, as a wee sprog, frequenting a Chinese restaurant owned by "Uncle Bobby". He owned a couple restaurants out where my dad was stationed as a MA state cop, and was one of the only establishments open past midnight back in the day. Dad would swing in and pick up a bag full of food for the guys on the midnight shift, and got chummy with "Bobby" over the years. Even broke up a couple fights between the local kids and the rival high school on more than one occasion.

Just seeing what the cooks were using out back would make me think twice about hitting a Chinese joint - knowing how friendly they tend to be with the local gendarmes just seals the deal.

Dead Goblin Count: 68.

That is all.

Thanks to my buddy mopar for the tip!

New Ad!

Please direct your attention to the sidebar item marked "Jay Pays the Bills". You will see a new advertisement for a frequent provider of blogfodder here at MArooned - Dragon Leatherworks:

"Dragonleatherworks.com...Holsters that fill a need, not an ego."

That's the tagline over at Dragon Leatherworks, and it works here as well. If you're in the market for a quality built leather holster that will stand up to serious use and look damn good doing it, they're the place to go.

Give 'em a click and see what they're all about!

That is all.

Hear, Hear(ing Protection)...

In my post about TheBoy's new musical endeavor, I jokingly referred to needing new (and improved) hearing protection. A couple commenters offered suggestions, and it got me to thinking about a gear post. Sure, we talk a lot about the neato wizbang gunnie accessories like mag holders and bug out bags and such, but the every day gear gets left by the wayside. Specifically, I'm talking about eye and ear protection here. Here's mine:

Eyes and Ears

Pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. I'm by no means a dedicated shooter (as much as I would like that to be the case) and as such might only get to the range once every other week, so my gear isn't high end by any means. Additionally, I shoot mainly at an outdoor range, which means that the noise level is greatly reduced naturally as opposed to indoor shooting with typically will have nice hard concrete walls for the sound to bounce off and hit you a second time. When I shoot indoors I will "double plug" - put the purple (not a word, it's BabyGirl G.'s favorite color) in-the-ear plugs in place then put the muffs on over them.

The glasses are $5 WalMart safety glasses; I have a backup pair that come with me (the ones still in the package) as well as two or three other pairs kicking around the house for new shooters or when we have a group expedition (someone *always* forgets either eyes or ears - hence the big multi-pack pf plugs). The two muffs are a AOSafety (standard safety equipment) and a Caldwell noise-canceling pair; the Caldwells work, sorta, when you remember fresh batteries (but even without batteries they reduce noise significantly.

Over fifteen years of shooting and this set-up has worked for me. Eventually, as TheBoy and BabyGirl G. come shooting with me (meaning I get to go more often), I'd like to upgrade my gear. I've heard molded ear plugs are the way to go, offering greater comfort (you don't have these giant plastic Mickey Mouse ears hanging off your head in the summertime) and superior noise reduction as well. For the glasses, I'm not certain upgrades offer more in the way of protection, but it would be nice to have something a step above "got it off the Clearance rack at Wally World"...

What's your safety gear setup like?

That is all.

Drums, Please...

TheBoy is in Fourth grade. He's more than halfway done with his elementary school career, and has started (as I've mentioned previously) to exhibit signs of growing up. Fourth Grade is a Very Big Year - this is the first year they receive actual letter grades (A,B,C, etc.) rather than the previous NAPO method (Needs Improvement/Adequate/Proficient/Outstanding). The sports teams are more competitive, keeping score and following the rules of the games more than ever before.

And it's also the first year they can lessons for a musical instrument.

TheBoy has, of course, chosen "percussion", and if you notice a striking similarity between the name and a method of igniting gunpowder to cause destruction and mayhem, give yourself a gold star. He'll be coming home with his very own drum kit, a single snare drum that he will use to practice, practice, practice until I start wearing my Peltor muffs around the house 24/7. If he gets really good I may move to Peru. I imagine that he chose "percussion" simply because "jackhammer" was already full.

I kid, I kid. I'm excited for him, albeit a little apprehensive about the noise. Musicians run in our family, with my uncle as the music director for a local high school and numerous great uncles who have performed in amateur bands through the decades. I played guitar back in high school, a million lifetimes ago and certainly haven't retained anything, but I remember the days spent down in the basement with me, the songbook, and my Harmony acoustic learning fumbling my way through the latest hard rock offering. If nothing else, this will be his introduction to the arts, a first tentative step towards his adult years and appreciation for more than the latest pop drek.

I imagine it will also result in my getting some vastly improved hearing protection, too...

That is all.

MA Gun Control Works!

It does! Just listen to all these success stories to see how well gun control is working in the Volksrepublik:

BC students on edge after stabbing

Few Clues In Regis College Murder

Not-guilty plea in 4 Winchester deaths

Police arrest three suspects in stabbing death of Hyde Park pizza delivery man

It's a good thing MA has such strict gun control, isn't it? I mean, imagine if all those people had been shot?

I hesitate to highlight these types of stories in this way because I don't want to be seen as using these stories in the same manner that the Bradys use gun violence stories. Each of these crimes is a tragedy in their own right; each involves someone injured or killed through mindless, wanton, or psychotic violence. The fact that the weapon involved was not a gun is irrelevant - to those of us without an agenda. To those that would foist more onerous regulations upon us, these deaths are less than meaningless - they're counterproductive.

MA Gun control: Because we'd rather see a hard-working pizza delivery guy stabbed to death than standing over the bodies of his attackers holding a smoking .38 Special.

That is all.

What A Difference...

...that thin blue line makes...

Trooper Arrested For Pointing Gun At Officer

BOSTON (WBZ) ― A veteran state trooper on military leave was arrested early Saturday morning for allegedly driving drunk, crashing his car and pointing a gun at an off-duty officer.

...
Once there, he was approached by an off-duty Boston police officer. According to the police report, Walsh pointed a gun at the officer before heading inside.

At least one shot was fired in the home. Police surrounded it. When Walsh walked out the front door, officers struggled with him and arrested him.

Got that? He drove drunk. Strike one. He pointed a gun at a police officer (albeit off-duty). Strike two. He fired his gun once, possibly twice. Strike three. He struggled with police officers after all of this. Strike four. And yet he was arrested and taken into custody without being shot dead, without being tasered, without being beaten to within an inch of his life.

As opposed to lawful CCW holders in Nevada:

Shoppers Take Stand In Costco Shooting Inquest

LAS VEGAS -- Several Costco shoppers present when police shot Erik Scott took the stand Saturday to describe their versions of events in the fourth day of emotional testimony at a coroner's inquest hearing.

Testimony was heard by 17 witnesses, mostly shoppers, each with a slightly different version of what happened, in Saturday's portion of the inquest. The proceedings will determine whether three Las Vegas Metro police officers were justified when they shot and killed Scott outside a Costco store on July 10.

Yeah, it's really too bad that the surveillance camera footage of the event was "damaged" after being confiscated by police - the same department involved in the shooting. I'm certain that they reviewed the tape, found that their officers acted 100% appropriately, and then mysteriously hit the red button marked "ERASE" by accident, right?

Two veterans, two analogous situations - they both faced police officers while armed with a firearm. One is taken into custody after a struggle, the other gets three .45 ACP slugs through his heart. The only difference is that little metal badge. One lives, one dies. One will most likely get a slap on the wrist, some administrative leave, and go right back to his life. The other gets a grave site and a grieving family full of questions.

It's hard not to buy the "Only Ones" rhetoric with stories like this.

That is all.

For A Small Fee...

Got into an interesting discussion with my folks over the weekend. My mom spent some 30+ years on the school committee and still keeps an ear out for the latest buzz, and learned that our local district is thinking of charging admission to all high school sporting events. Currently only football games require admission, and there is a movement afoot to charge for all five "major" sports (hockey, basketball, soccer, and baseball as well as football). The onion in the ointment, as it were, is that the district already charges a $350 fee for participating in each sport.

Dad's position is that since they charge for football - even though they collect a user's fee - they have every right to charge admission to other sports.

Mom's position is that paying the fee should be sufficient, with the football admission being the one legacy holdover from the days before there was a user's fee (the admission from the games historically went towards upkeep of the football stadium).

I lean towards dad's side of things - they've established precedent by charging a user's fee for football while continuing to charge admission to games. While I agree with mom that it's ridiculous to charge such a steep user's fee and then expect folks to cough up money to go to games, the fact is that they've been doing it for years with the football program. Personally I think it's emotional terrorism - you have to pay to see your kid play, and if you don't pay then you can't see your child taking part in their chosen sport.

The thing that worries me, though, is that some parents may view the paying of admission as absolving them from good behavior. They may view themselves as spectators of a game rather than as parents watching their kids play, and comport themselves accordingly - heckling the referees, talking over announcements, etc. Charging folks a set fee to watch their own kids play a game changes the fundamental dynamics of the relationship between the parents and the governing body (school) - where before it was understood that this was an amateur undertaking with most of the principal players volunteering, now there's an expectation of professionalism that I don't believe the school is ready for.

What say you? Should schools charge admission to high school games even though there's a user's fee?

That is all.

Set Your Sights Again...

I received yet another box 'o' laser sights from my friends at LaserLyte (friend them on Facebook!):

New additions to LaserLyte

It seems that LaserLyte is expanding their line of RSLs (Rear Sight Lasers) and adding more new products to their product line. I was told "We have about 15 more new products coming out before Jan 2011. Watch for more boxes" by my contact at LaserLyte, so expect to see more new items showing up for review. This current crop poses a bit of a dilemma for me: I only have one of the guns they sent RSLs for (the 10/22).

Looks like I'm gonna have to go out and buy another couple guns, eh? ;)

That is all.

Mouths of Babes

BabyGirl G. requested that I blog this...

At church today they gave out small plastics for all the First Communion celebrants who would be receiving the sacrament later this year. Baby Girl G. was delighted to receive a purple cross, and was excited about showing it off to Mrs. G. She held it up to show it off and exclaimed,

"The baby Jesus is in there!"

That's my girl...

That is all.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday Smiles...

Baker catches Patrick in new poll

With just five weeks to the election, Republican Charles D. Baker has pulled even with Governor Deval Patrick in a gubernatorial race shaped by anti-incumbent sentiment and unusually high excitement among Republican voters, according to a new Boston Globe poll.

The poll results also suggest that independent Timothy P. Cahill is pulling voters equally from Baker and Patrick, raising questions about the conventional political thinking that his candidacy is undercutting Baker’s chance to defeat the governor in the Nov. 2 election.

I'm not so sure about the second part - Cahill's transparent attempt to pander to the Tea Party factions are a clear attempt to take votes away from Baker and not "Cadillac" Deval. It's interesting that despite fighting a two-pronged attack, Baker has managed to pull into anything even remotely resembling a lead. I love that part, too: "unusually high excitement among Republican voters".

A) Republicans make up a whopping 11% of registered voters in MA. They will be voting for Baker no matter what.

B) If this is the best spin the Boston Globe can put on Patrick being dead even - and losing ground - to the GOP contender, Patrick had better be greasing someone up in the Øbama administration for a federal gig.

In any case, it brought a smile to my face on this Sunday morning...

That is all.

Gone Shootin'

Heading out to the sooper seekrit range with SCI-FI to retrieve my AK and for some supplementary trigger time. Hoping to break in the Model 27 (complete with sweet new Ahrends grips) and bring some closure for my oldest and dearest friend.

And shoot stuff...

That is all.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Conflicted Addition...

In the comments to yesterday's DGC addition, "anonymous" leaves the following link for another DGC addition:

3 teens face felony murder charges after accomplice dies

A 15-year-old boy who broke into a Davenport home wearing a mask and was shot by a homeowner died Thursday and his three alleged accomplices have been charged with felony murder, authorities said.

Sounds pretty cut and dried, right? Couple of kids break into a home wearing masks while their buddies stand lookout. Homeowner catches them in the act and perforates them both, ending one's criminal career permanently and sending the other to the hospital gut-shot. Happy ending to the story, right? And to top it off, the accomplices will be charged with felony murder as well as accessories to B&E - a heavy price to pay all around, but PSGWSP.

Except for this:

However, investigators searched the house and found narcotics. Oyola-Aponte was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, the sheriff's office said. He was released after posting $5,000 bail.

Now, I'm as pro-legalization as they come - WRT drugs, legalize, tax, and make some damn money off them rather than spending billions on some quixotic "War" on drugs. However, right now they are not legal, and possession of narcotics is a crime. It doesn't state how much cocaine was involved, whether it was just a small amount for personal consumption (which it sounds like if he was released on only $5K) or more.

I'm torn on leaving it as a DGC addition, wondering if the proclivities of the homeowner should influence the inclusion of the goblin's untimely demise. I think I'll leave it, because there's two possibilities here. The first is that it was coincidence, that they just happened to break into a home where the denizens thereof happened to enjoy a little Colombian marching powder from time to time. The other possibility is that the homeowner in question was known as the local snow lord, in which case the victim selection fail makes the case for inclusion.

The addition stands.

Dead Goblin Count: 67

That is all.

Update...

Okay, I offered up some bumper stickers earlier this month, and got quite a few takers. It's a little hard to send them out, though, if I don't have a mailing address to send them to (that's a hint guys). Drop me a line (e-mail is in my profile) and let me know where I should be sending these beauties - and PISSED indicated that he has more if I get more than 3 takers...

C'mon - we want to spread "Cadillac" Deval's words of wisdom around, right?

That it all.

Help a Blogger Out...

Good friend and co-pilot WeerdBeard wants to upgrade his WASR-10 to an FAL.

I’m totally not in love my my WASR-10, I kinda expected a lot more from such a popular rifle pattern. I think an FAL would serve a much better place in my armory without any real loss. Its de-greased and cleaned, and comes with two 30 round Romanian Magazines, and a nylon after-market sling. Its shown some feeding issues, but the sights are in very good shape and keep a better group than I expected. Also it has a Tapco trigger that’s really nice.

For those of us in ban states, it's AWB ban compliant and comes with two-preban 30 round magazines. He's willing to negotiate on the price, but would much rather trade for his desired FAL (TBH, I wouldn't mind an FAL either...) If you've got something to trade, or just want the sheer satisfaction of seeing yet another gun leave MA, give Weerd a yell and see what's what.

Please, someone, buy this before I do...

That is all.

I Wonder if They Come in Low-Cal Versions?

Pharmaceutical-Grade Caffeine Brownies Really Pack a Punch

Allison Nelson has opened the nation’s first caffeine bakery called “A Smack in the Face” located across the street from Iowa State University, The Des Moines Register reported. And she takes this caffeine thing pretty seriously. Inside each brownie, she bakes in 200 milligrams of pharmaceutical-grade caffeine.

Put that in donut form and you'd have a line that stretched to Terra Haute of 3^rd shift officers...

That is all.

Link whimsically sent to me by brad_in_ma, and no, I have never partaken of altered brownies, thankyewverramuch...

Proper Ending to the Week...

...is another addition to the Dead Goblin Count. Fellow 2010 NRA Conference attendee Scott from MacBourne's Musings was kind enough to send me this heartwarming story:

Parmalee Band Member In Critical Condition

ROCK HILL, SC -- Parmalee drummer Scott Thomas was shot early Tuesday morning during an attempted robbery following the band's performance at a South Carolina nightclub.

Parmalee, a band based out of Greenville, N.C., had finished its set at The Money in downtown Rock Hill, S.C., when two local men tried to rob the band, according to Rock Hill Police Lt. Brad Redfearn.

Um, Jay, this doesn't sound good. One good guy in critical condition? Well, considering that the two goblins fared considerably worse:

"We do know that both parties exchanged fire. One of the suspects was killed on the scene and the other was struck. He got away from the RV," Redfearn said. "We found him about 100 yards away. He was on the ground. A victim was also struck."

The story is pretty thin on details, so it's hard to tell if the band members were shot before or after they engaged the goblins (not that it matters). In any case, it's pretty brazen to barge into someone's property (even an RV) with the intent of robbing them; it's a good end to the story that the band members had the means for protection at their disposal. Calling 911 would most likely have resulted in dead or other injured band members and two goblins still on the loose.

I like how this worked out much better.

Dead Goblin Count: 66

That is all.

UPDATE: There's a link where you can send donations to help the band out with medical expenses and such.

WANT WANT WANT!!!

OMG. I have to have this:

I'm Just Gonna Boldly Go Call Dominoes: The Official Starship Enterprise Pizza Cutter

(picture from linked article)

Yeah. That's pretty much a must-have. We tend to have pizza a bit at the G. household, it being one of the foods that we can all agree on. We're fans of the Newman's Own line of frozen pizzas, as there are different options to suit all the discerning tastes (that's a polite euphemism for picky eaters) in the G. family while being a quick and easy option for a Friday night. When we have time, we make our own pizzas using store-bought dough (we've made it ourselves; it's just not worth the effort). It's a lot of fun, with the kids each creating their own "personal" pizzas and a couple standards for mom & dad (we're huge fans of mushroom pizzas, for some odd reason).

But yeah. A household that has Star Trek Christmas ornaments needs an Enterprise pizza cutter...

That is all.

Thanks to the World's Most Dangerous Librarian for the savvy catch!

Friday Gun Pr0n #182

Commenter stretch was kind enough to send me today's gun pic:

Old School Rimfire

That's a Colt Woodsman, circa 1920s. It's always an extra special Friday gun pr0n when we can feature something designed by John Moses Browning (Peace be upon him) Himself. The Woodsman was Colt's premiere .22LR offering of the time, a target pistol for the discerning shooter to compete with the Hi-Standards and (later on) the Mark Is. Examples of this fine pistol today run anywhere from $500 to several thousand dollars for complete set-ups.

And since they're C&R eligible, I can even get one here in the Volksrepublik... Hmmm...

That is all.

It's On Like Donkey Kong!

B B & Guns tonight is having a rootin' tootin' hi-falootin' feud-fest!

It's an all-you-can-holler hootenanny of likes, dislikes, impassioned pleas, and high-spirited debate as they take on the contentious issues of the day.

For the record:

• 1911
• .45 ACP
• Beans
• Connery
• Neither - Mosin-Nagant
• PC

That should cover it...

That is all.

Building on a Theme...

Wow. Sometimes you get something dropped in your lap that's just pure manna from heaven. I posted this story about Barney Frank's re-election woes earlier today, and before it had even posted, I received an e-mail from B with the following picture:

Øbummer

Talk about prescient - even my post title couldn't have been more perfect (Sign of the Times). According to B, this picture was taken today in Lynn, MA - a blue collar, reliably Democrat-leaning town just outside of Boston. There's still a big union influence in Lynn, and plenty of yellow dog Democrats. If an Øbama sign is out in the trash in an urban center in Massachusetts a month and a half from election day, all bets are off for November.

The only bad part is that a big Dem loss means a big GOP win - and we all know how poorly the Stupid Party takes signs...

That is all.

You Won't See This Happen Much...

...but I happen to agree with Boston Mayor Tom "Mumbles" Menino on something.

An emotional Menino speaks out on slaying

Mayor Thomas M. Menino has grappled publicly with the brutal killing earlier this month of a pizza deliveryman whose two daughters worked in his office at City Hall.

Last week, during a talk with students at Emerson College, Menino spoke again in deeply personal terms. Asked by a student about the death penalty for the three young people accused of the crime, Menino gave a thoughtful 60-second answer about why he believes capital punishment is inherently unfair and targets the poor. Then the mayor’s serious tone took a turn.

I don't want to turn this into a DP/no DP discussion, so I'll withhold comment on his thoughts on the death penalty. The part that I agree with comes up later in the article:

“I’d do some things that would be worse than the death penalty,’’ Menino continued, eliciting more quiet laughter from the students. “Because it wouldn’t happen in a second. I would slowly torture them.’’

You go Mumbles. Get down with your bad Sicilian self. Now, I'm certain that once his horrified handlers realize exactly what he's said, the spin and damage control will be out in full force and he will humbly retract and apologize for these words. But for now, it captures the raw emotion running through the city in the wake of such an absolutely senseless crime. A man working three jobs to provide for his family was called to a vacant building, then stabbed to death for the $100 he had on him.

$100. He was murdered in cold blood for $100. They knew ahead of time that they were going to kill whoever rang that doorbell. They knew it would be a pizza delivery guy, and had to have some idea that he would not be carrying a lot of money. Yet these pieces of shit planned to murder someone for the few dollars they had on them, regardless of who showed up, regardless of the devastation that the murder would cause. Because of their depraved indifference to human life, a fellow human being who wanted nothing more than to live his life and provide for his family is dead. For a hundred bucks they brutally murdered someone's father, someone's husband, someone's caretaker, someone's loved one.

People like this are the reason I carry a gun.

That is all.

Sign of the Times...

Poll surprise of the day: Barney Frank in trouble?

The Sean Bielat campaign has declared themselves within reach of unseating Barney Frank in Massachusetts’ 4th CD, one of the presumed safest districts for Democrats in the nation. The poll, conducted for the campaign by OnMessage, shows Frank falling below the 50% mark despite the D+14 composition of his constituency. Bielat comes within nine points, even though the poll shows that he still badly trails in name recognition.

Folks, if Barney Frank is A) below 50% and B) less than 10 points from an unknown Republican contender, I'm starting to think that my good friend Borepatch might just be right about the chances of the Stupid Party come November. This one may be too big for them to screw up, although with the recent idiocy of them stonewalling the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell they sure are trying hard to lose this. Don't get me wrong - I fully expect the Republicans to do something monumentally stupid at the last minute and blow what should be a complete and utter landslide.

But for the first time, I have hope. If Frank is struggling - and let's face it, in MA a long-seated Democrat with only a single digit lead is struggling - then the voter dissatisfaction with incumbents is real, significant, and has the potential to really shake things up in a month and a half. And that is a good thing. As my aforementioned friend and blogson is wont to say, "Vote 'em out". Vote 'em all out. Democrat, Republican, if they've got the word "incumbent" next to their name, vote for the other person on the ballot. If there's no one else on the ballot, write your own name in. Treat the word "incumbent" as though it says "beats kittens to death with crack-addicted orphans for fun".

I don't know what I'll do if Barney Frank loses to a Republican, but it will have to be something big - I'm thinking full-on front lawn happy dance...

That is all.

(story sent to me by both PISSED and the World's Most Dangerous Librarian. Thanks y'all!)

Intriguing...

Flipping through the pages of the latest issue of America's 1st Freedom, I came across an advertisement that made me look twice. It was for a shotgun security system called the ShotLock Shotgun Vault, and it has piqued my curiosity. The concept is straightforward and simple: the 14 gauge steel metal frame bolts to the wall (or goes inside your car), and the shotgun is placed with the receiver and trigger group behind the hinged, locked door.

It locks and unlocks with a two-stage system, which seems somewhat on the complicated side - you have to turn the knob to clear, then enter the code - but it doesn't look like anything that a little bit of training wouldn't take care of. Since it renders the firearm incapable of being fired, it's safe to store the shotgun loaded (although personally I would err on the side of caution and leave the chamber empty - that way you can rack the slide and make the goblin quake in fear... *g*)

It looks interesting, that's for sure, but I think I'd need some feedback from folks who own this system or something like it before I committed to it. I'd be especially interested to know how difficult it is to work the knob and buttons under timed conditions, especially in no- or low light conditions like you would find yourself in during a home invasion. And of course, I'm always available for an impartial and thorough evaluation if so desired...

Any thoughts/comments/ideas/feedback on this design or others like it?

That is all.

Just For Alan...

Presented without commentary:

(Comic from Penny Arcade website)

Heh. Sorry bud, couldn't resist... ;)

That is all.

It's Time for Another Round of "Imagine If"...

Horndog Harry Reid Calls Kirsten Gillibrand ‘The Hottest Member’…

(Politico) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had an unusual form of praise for New York’s junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, this morning at the fundraiser Mayor Bloomberg hosted for him at his townhouse – referring to her as “the hottest member” as she sat just a few feet away, according to three sources.

Once again, imagine if this had been a Republican. Imagine if John Boehner had been speaking at an event with Sarah Palin and he had called her a MILF. How many picoseconds do you think would elapse between the time the "F" stopped reverberating off his lips and NOW was calling for him to step down? The over-under is between 3 and 4. But since it's DEMOCRAT Harry Reid, this is page 18 news, shuffled off in the bowels of the newspaper next to the retractions and the classified ads for dog walkers.

I'll wait for the NYT, CNN, and NBCBS to run with this...

That is all.

Link from - you guessed it - PISSED. Thanks man!

Speechless...

Even for MA, this is pretty damn brazen. It's even more so when you take into consideration both who it is and what the circumstances surrounding her situation are.

Aunt Zeituni: 'Country Is Owned By Almighty God'

BOSTON (WBZ) ― "President Obama, I'm his aunt, I'm the only person on earth allowed to pinch his ears and smack him. Not his father; not his mother; not his wife or brother - he'll fight with him. But Auntie is a much honored person in African culture."

This may be the case in Africa, but in the United States the President's Aunt Zeituni Onyango hasn't been revered, but reviled by many.

Read the whole thing. Listen to the video, if you can stomach it. This case is everything that's wrong with our current system of immigration wrapped up in a neat little package. She manages to come up with the money to get from Kenya to America in 2000. She then gets so sick that she "can't" leave, and winds up staying - making her an illegal immigrant. She goes before a judge, who rules that she should be deported, and she winds up staying anyways in clear violation of the law.

And how do we react? She gets free rent and $700 a month to live off of, leap-frogging others with more pressing needs who had been waiting for months for assistance. And she's been doing it for eight years now, becoming "legal" only earlier this year - by the same judge who ordered her deported in 2004! When asked what she felt she owed this country, she replied "nothing", stating that it was from heaven that she managed to somehow get into public housing ahead of others.

Even removing the whole Øbama angle, this story is ridiculous. By no means should this woman have been given public housing - she should have been put on the first plane back to Kenya once she was medically cleared, end of story. It's simply mind-boggling that this did not happen in 2000. But for her to receive public assistance - that's our tax dollars at work there - ahead of American citizens who waited their turn? Unconscionable. When you factor in that Øbama mentions her in his book - obviously he knows she exists - and has allowed her to remain in public housing (didn't he just get a multi-million dollar deal for his latest book?), it shows just how deep his disdain for our country - and the people who play by the rules - runs.

It's time "Auntie" paid her own damn way.

That is all.

Back In Business!

The DGC, that is! Good friend brad_in_ma sends us this heartwarming tale:

Alleged intruder shot by victim

LAVALETTE -- A Huntington man died late Sunday night, apparently shot and killed by a resident of the Lavalette home who caught him and an accomplice in the act of burglarizing it.

The shooting happened about 11:11 p.m. in the 5700 block of Lynn Creek Road, in a secluded part of Wayne County about four miles from W.Va. 152.

Single shot to the melon. DRT. Guess we can throw this on the "9mm will do the job with proper shot placement"... From the sounds of things - and I'm relying on the newspaper account here, and we all know how accurate the mainstream media is when dealing with firearms and defensive shootings - there was a brief struggle between two men armed with guns that ended when the Good Guy plugged the Bad Guy right in the coconut.

Quote of the day from the County Sheriff, and evidence that, no Toto, we are not in Massachusetts any more:

"It's a good Second Amendment case," Farley said. "A man was able to defend his girlfriend, child and home ... As it stands, we're not going to charge him for defending himself in his home."

G-d bless America, where - for now - we still have the right to defend ourselves from those who would do us harm in our own homes.

Dead Goblin Count: 65

That is all.

Ode To The Blue Gun...

Blue gun, blue gun, resting on the shelf;
Shall I use you to test my draw, a race against myself?
Perhaps you'll teach a new shooter a proper grip and stance;
Or perhaps test an accessory, to give a better chance.
Revolvers, pistols, shotguns, even bayonets all have a form of you;
Bringing new meaning to the term "tangled up in blue".

Okay, so poetry ain't my strong point...

Got directed to the Bluegun website by Dragon for an upcoming collaboration, and got sucked in checking out all the various and sundry options available. There's shotguns, rifles, bayonets, grenades, machetes; pretty much everything under the self-defense umbrella has a doppelganger in blue. Rifles, shotguns and carbines are most expensive; in some cases nearly the price of their real life counterparts - but it's money well-spent if you're doing a lot of training.

With a blue gun, you don't have to worry about whether it's loaded or not (although you should always treat it as such). A finger on the trigger can be corrected without anticipating a [BOOM]. Muzzle discipline can be practiced over and over and over until even the greenest new shooter understands that the barrel points downrange at all times. You can practice drawing from concealment without putting undue wear on your carry weapon or increasing the likelihood of an ND. You can even bring the blue gun to a gun shop or gun show to try out a holster without worrying about zip ties or dirty looks.

What kicked over my giggle box, though, was this:

(image from website)

Yes. That's a Raven .25 ACP blue gun. There really is a blue gun for everything...

That is all.

Run To The Hills...

Igor bearing down on Newfoundland; Tropical Storm Lisa develops

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lisa formed Tuesday in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, but posed no immediate threat to land.

As of 5 a.m. ET, Lisa was about 530 miles (850 km) west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center. Lisa was headed north at 5 mph (7 kph) and carried maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

Lisa is expected to strengthen in the next few days.

Maybe it's the name (heh), but this one sounds serious. This sounds like the kind of tropical storm that will destroy your house and steal your lunch money. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the worst one of the season, perhaps even the decade. There's one thing for certain - the damage will be severe and wanton; Lisa takes no prisoners.

Her dastardly plan for world domination continues apace...

That is all.

Shenanigans!

Gunblogger Conspiracy denizen spike sent me the following link:

US hunters shoot down Google fibre

Google has revealed that aerial fibre links to its data centre in Oregon were "regularly" shot down by hunters, forcing the company to put its cables underground.

The search and advertising giant's network engineering manager Vijay Gill told the AusNOG conference in Sydney last week that people were trying to hit insulators on electricity distribution poles.

Okay, according to these yahoos, bored hunters are taking potshots at insulators - which are larger than wires - and hitting the wires themselves? Does this sound even remotely possible to anyone with even the slightest knowledge of firearms, ballistics, and high tension wires? Regularly shot down? I think someone's been watching DieHard3 a little too much here. Either that or they're telling stories at the local geek bar trying to impress the ladies - the telcom version of the mall ninja.

There I was, heli-skiing into the backcountry to initiate repairs on a vital portion of the fiber optic network. I had my trusty GOOGLEWATER! fusion splicing kit slung across my back using a single-point sling, when all of a sudden we came under withering fire from a volley of hunters...

Yeah. I don't theeeenk so.

That is all.

WANT! WANT! WANT!!!!!!

Commenter Stretch is trying to get me to buy one more gun before the end of the year:

(more info at Ruger website here)

Boy, howdy, wouldn't that be a good one for TheBoy's first semi-auto rifle? And gee, what do you know? I've already got about a half-dozen magazines for it! I think, though, that I might remove the stock and put on the one I took off my first 10/22, though - that engraved stock is a beaut and it would be a shame to get dings in it. I'd do that after we shot her a few times, though - gotta break it in a little bit. I don't believe in safe queens in .22LR...

That's going on the JayG. Christmas list, that's fer damn sure!

That is all.

Seriously, WTF?

Commenter skidmark sent me this little gem. Michael Graham highlights teh silly here:

MA Liberals Discover The “Wonder, Curiosity and Joy” Of Parking Enforcement

Which links to the original story here:

Cambridge art project turns your parking tickets into poetry

Cambridge —Instead of responding to that parking citation you got on Cambridge Street with frustration, tears or rage, try the city’s latest suggestion for handling that unwanted ticket: do some yoga.

Starting this week, the city of Cambridge has been handing out redesigned parking ticket envelopes that feature a revamped method of receiving a parking citation. Part of a public works project called “Crossing Non-Signalized Locations,” the envelopes adorned with yoga poses are an attempt to bring out the poetry in parking enforcement.

Seriously, go read the whole thing. If you can make it through the entire article without either breaking out in maniacal laughter or throwing something across the room, you're doing better than me... I think this was my favorite part:

In addition to the envelopes, the installation includes three other components, all meant to bring warmth and wonder to the world of parking regulations.

Because, you know, if there's anything I thought needed more warmth and wonder, it was receiving a citation for parking illegally.

That is all.

What's In A Number?

Over the weekend I had a revelation. I'd commented before about the similarities between Glock and Smith & Wesson handguns for numbers. Then I sat down at the Glock website and looked at their product line. I started filling in the corresponding S&Ws that I recognized off that bat, and dug a little deeper.

Being a super geek, I tossed it into an Excel spreadsheet, and filled it out some more. Eventually, I came up with this:

Every Glock pistol has a corresponding Smith & Wesson handgun, with all but one being a revolver. Obviously this is not the entire Smith & Wesson line, but I can't think of any additional Glocks out there (aside from the rumored G40, the .22LR full size - which would correspond to the S&W J-frame hammerless...). Very little matches up, obviously, given that one company makes exclusively semi-automatic handguns and the other only had one semi-auto in the whole list; I just thought it was interesting that there was a S&W for every Glock number extant.

Smith & Wessons just happen to look a lot better doing what they do...

That is all.

One Thing is Clear...

The iPhone is the overwhelming choice of gunbloggers.

Heck, it's the choice for non-gunbloggers too - out of the six people at Saturday's sendoff for Lissa, there were [counts picture] oh yeah, six iPhones. That's 100% correlation, folks. The other interesting thing that I noted was that of the three Massachusetts-based gunbloggers at the meet, one is leaving MA and another is in the process of taking steps to leave MA. Of the three non-bloggers at the meet, one is part of the team leaving and the other two are considering NH. That's also 100% correlation, as I'd leave in a heartbeat if the Mrs. were amenable.

MA: You're more likely to want to get the hell out of here.

That is all.

Sad News...

New to the Blogroll Lawyer With A Gun informs us that the blogger who posted as "Did it MY way" has passed on. Lawyer also points us to a Memorial and Guest Book which we can sign for Tony - the first picture in the photo gallery is the picture he used as his avatar on his blog and for posting. We learn that he was an army veteran, owned his own business, and had a family that loved him and misses him very much. This is the amazing thing about the internet. I'm grieving for a man I never met save through his written words after learning of his passing from another blogger I'd only recently discovered.

Rest in Peace, Tony. Your unique and unfiltered outlook on life, politics, and everything will be missed.

That is all.

Reaping... Sowing...

City may curb sales of sugary beverages

First, it was smoking in restaurants and bars. Then, artery-clogging trans fat in fast food joints and bakeries. Now, Boston health regulators have their crosshairs fixed on soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages sold in city buildings.

Concerned about the girth of employees and visitors to government agencies, Boston officials are weighing — gingerly — whether to restrict or even prohibit the sale of calorie-laden refreshments on city-owned property.

Welcome to ConsequencesLand. Population: You. For years you stood idly by as the government took greater and greater whacks at our freedoms. You didn't speak up when they passed laws against our guns - guns are icky, you think; they're dangerous and the news always has stories of people getting shot. You kept quiet when they started going after the cigarette companies - after all, didn't those cigarette companies lie about the health effects of cigarettes? If you felt even the slightest twinge of doubt or remorse it wasn't obvious when you remained silent as they banned trans fat, assuming that the tales they told about the deleterious health effects were true and that it was "for our own good" - we didn't know that trans fats were being used, right?

Well, the thing is, with the health nazis, you give them an inch, they want a marathon. Once you cede your personal responsibility over to them, you are subject to their whims and predations no matter how high and noble their goals may sound. Sure, they're only taking the soda vending machines out of City Hall. Today. Who knows what they'll be taking out tomorrow? Who's to say that - given the bully pulpit of the House of Legislators - they won't
decide to ban sales of soft drinks within a 5 mile radius of t he State House? Who knows where it even will end - will we see an "Approved Beverages Roster"? I'm sorry sir, I can't sell you that Mountain Dew, it's a $5,000 fine under the Beverage Consumer Protection Act...

At some point it will come to a head - and it will end badly no matter what happens...

That is all.

Don't Hold Your Breath...

Man challenging constitutionality of gun permit revocation

WORCESTER — Citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, a Shrewsbury man is challenging the constitutionality of a state law under which his license to carry a firearm was revoked five years ago by Police Chief Gary J. Gemme.

Lawyer Mel L. Greenberg, who represents Raymond J. Holden, filed an amended petition in Central District Court Sept. 10 appealing Chief Gemme’s 2005 revocation of Mr. Holden’s firearm’s license based on a determination that Mr. Holden was not a “suitable person” to carry a gun.

In a nutshell, Holden had a complaint sworn out against him which was dropped shortly thereafter. The police chief decided that Holden was no longer "suitable" to carry (in MA = own) a firearm and revoked his permit. Even though the charges were dropped, the allegations recanted, and a judge ordered the permit be restored, the chief of police took it upon himself to revoke this man's gun permit. What this means in MA, mind you, is that he to immediately divest of every single firearm in his collection - i.e. bring them all to a gun shop and leave them on consignment.

Even though he wasn't even charged with a crime. Welcome to Massachusetts, the birthplace and graveyard of liberty.

This is an uphill battle, one that I certainly hope is won but won't hold my breath waiting for. The local police chiefs wield complete and total authority over the granting of firearms permits; they are very reluctant to give up this power. In some cases it's good - there are cities and towns in MA where the chief realizes that the second amendment means something and will issue a permit to anyone that asks (that isn't prohibited, of course). In some cases - like in Boston proper - no permits are given save to favored political hacks, the offspring of sports stars, or the rich and famous.

I'm surprised that MA hasn't already been more in the forefront in the 2A battle. The system in place here in MA for granting permits is blatantly unconstitutional - one cannot own a pistol except at the whim of the local Chief Law Enforcement Officer. Even with a perfectly clean record, you can be denied a permit to OWN a handgun for no reason other than the Chief doesn't like the way you look. It's interesting that no one has seized on this travesty yet to highlight the insanity of "May Issue" CCW laws.

In any case, I wish Mr. Holden the best of luck - because he's gonna need it.

That is all.

Link comes courtesy of The Packetman - thanks!

Already?

So, the other day while driving TheBoy home from soccer practice, he asked THE question. He's 9 (and a half, he'll quickly tell you; it's one of those inexplicable phenomenon whereby young folks actually want to be older...); I hadn't planned on having THAT talk for another few years. Given that my own "talk" with Dad G. was a little more, err, pragmatic than anything else (I believe his exact words were "You knock her up, you own her"), I'm kind of at a loss as to how I should proceed.

I punted at the time, using a semantic loophole - he asked "How does a baby grow inside a woman's belly" rather than "where do babies come from" - getting into a precise biochemical analysis of the cell division, mitochondrial exchange, and subsequent protein folding involved in the growth of an embryo. Decades-old Developmental Biology textbooks flittered in front of my mind's eye as I searched for a technically accurate but meaningless answer to his question. It's not that I didn't want to answer, or thought he's not old enough - it's that I wanted to make sure Mrs. G. and I were on the same page as far as what kind of information to give him (hint: NOT any of the links Stingray or Weerdbeard post).

*sigh*

I hadn't planned on having this discussion for a few years. I imagined that I'd take him aside, all Father Knows Best-like once his voice started changing and explain to him how he was turning into a man and all that. Usually I'm smoking a pipe in this sequence, but that's just me. I figured that 13, maybe 14 was a good age to start gently introducing concepts related to sexuality, giving just the right mixture of knowledge and warning to sate his curiosity but leave him cautious.

I might as well try to design a perpetual motion device. While blindfolded, hopping on one leg, and humming "Ride of the Valkyries".

I suppose I should have known better when he started talking about girls at school who were "hotties" and ones that were "just friends." A more observant person would have seen the transition from video game-themed T-shirts to faddish threads and realized that, despite however stunted I may have been at his age, he's getting very close to being ready for THE talk. In two years he'll be finishing elementary school and going off to Junior High Middle School, years I remember only when the shock treatments have been spaced too far apart. The talk should take place before then, I'm thinking, not so much to impart information (he does have access to the internet, after all) but to let him know, as dorky as Dad is, he's willing to answer questions and provide straight talk.

Or maybe I need to look into a good military school. That's always an option.

That is all.

From IRC...

Talking about my state:

[13:23] [dixie] he lives in MA, the state of shame
[13:23] [jayg] you can't spell shame without MA

"You can't spell shame without MA" - that should go on a bumper sticker...

That is all.

Paging Robb Allen...

I think you have a promising career in television in Slovenia:



The pantsless lifestyle is spreading like wildfire!

That is all.

UPDATE: I would be remiss if I didn't point out that New Jovian Thunderbolt beat me to this by four days.

Happy Luger Day!

Luger Day, you ask? Of course it is - it's 9/19! It's also some other silly holiday that Weerd Beard, Bob, Strings, and Paul might appreciate, too. So shiver your timbers, walk the planks, and hoist the mizzenmast or whatever it is pirates do these days (besides getting shot in the head by Navy Seals, that is...)

YARRRR!

That is all.

Greetings from Lissaville

We are having entirely too much fun at the going away party for Lissa and Mike...




We're watching The Holy Grail on TV, exchanging Simpsons quotes, and generally having a wonderful time.

Lissa is having entirely too much fun...

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Believe It Or Not, This Wasn't In MA...

Child Still Expelled for Toy Gun - a Year Later

Samuel Burgos has fond memories of his friends at school, but he only gets to see them in pictures now. The 8-year-old boy hasn't been in school for a year and will likely miss another year if the Broward County School Board has its way.

Burgos was suspended from school in November after a teacher found a toy gun in his backpack. But when the boy went to register to go back to Pembroke Pines Charter School, he was told he will be expelled for this school year, too, as part of the county's zero tolerance weapons policy.

I'm still scratching my head over this one. The school administrators (and some in the comments to the article) are making the claim that he violated the weapons policy with the toy gun. In their twisted, warped, hoplophobic little minds, a plastic representation of a weapon is the same thing as the real thing - one has to wonder if they extend that to drawings as well. Plastic toy ≠ weapon. End of story. And yet this child has been out of school for over a year.

Welcome to Zero Tolerance theater, where common sense takes a back seat to mindlessly following a moronic policy.

That is all.

And yes, this is another link from PISSED...