In the classic "I don't have time for this", I spent a good chunk of last night tossing and turning, convinced that our furnace was no longer working and the house had grown cold. I went so far as to go down in the basement and check on the oil levels and the furnace itself, only to find that everything was as it should be - over a half a tank of oil, and the furnace functioning normally.
The reason I was so cold is that I had somehow contracted an extremely fast-acting bug of some sort. I went to bed shortly after midnight, leaving plenty of time to get a good night's sleep before church & CCD for the kids, and generally planning a very busy day. 2AM and I'm freezing, unable to sleep and wandering the house looking for heat. Woke up as Mrs. G. left for work at 7, had her check my throat (we've had strep going around the family), and fell back asleep for two more hours. I'm going to get the kids to CCD, possibly gas the truck up if I have strength left in my body, then spend the afternoon attempting to keep them quiet.
Why does my body go into full revolt at the worst possible time???
That is all.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
New Link...
If you'll look over to the right sidebar, there's a new link with graphic:
When one of the Alan's asks for your help, you answer the call:
Happy to help, Alan.
That is all.
When one of the Alan's asks for your help, you answer the call:
We're seeking to build our presence on the web. A larger web presence can increase our donor base and help us keep up with the big budgets of the anti-gunners. We rely primarily on grassroots donations so this project is crucial to our continued success. We've been making a lot of progress lately and we want to keep our momentum.If you'd like to display the banner on your own website, give a holler and I can send the code along. The more visibility we can give 2AF, the better off we all are. The Second Amendment Foundation is out there everyday working to make our gunnie lives better, which in the process only adds to our freedom. They're definitely wearing the white hats in this fight.
Happy to help, Alan.
That is all.
If You're A"Round"...
Give Vicious Circle #73 a listen.
Join alan, Labrat and Stingray, Vine, aepilotjim, Tracie, Weerd, Newbius and I as we discuss politics, voter fraud, dueling cat pianos, the Droid vs. the iPhone (Weerd has a new toy...), and anything else that happens to waddle across the radar screen. It's three and a half hours of pure listening bliss (okay, that might be a stretch...)
Vicious Circle: There might be better podcasts out there, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one drunker!
That is all.
Join alan, Labrat and Stingray, Vine, aepilotjim, Tracie, Weerd, Newbius and I as we discuss politics, voter fraud, dueling cat pianos, the Droid vs. the iPhone (Weerd has a new toy...), and anything else that happens to waddle across the radar screen. It's three and a half hours of pure listening bliss (okay, that might be a stretch...)
Vicious Circle: There might be better podcasts out there, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one drunker!
That is all.
Friday, October 29, 2010
A Smile on My Face, and a Song in My Heart...
Capitol Hill's 'Camelot' era coming to an end
Loughlin is only 2 points behind his Democrat rival. 2%. Man, it would be something to see the last Kennedy seat go to a Republican. "Patches" is the ultimate embodiment of the "Camelot" mentality - simply because his dad was Ted Kennedy, the heir to the Kennedy throne, he won a congressional seat in RI. With dad no longer around to pull the strings, Patches could finally admit that he was in way over his head and step down.
And if his seat gets picked up by a Republican, I might have to join certain people in a happy dance...
That is all.
Special thanks to the World's Most Dangerous Librarian for sending me this extra-special happy story!
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. Two years ago, it would have been unthinkable that both seats held by Kennedy family members could be won by Republicans.
But Scott Brown's January election to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's former Massachusetts seat paved the way, and now the GOP is hoping Rhode Island state Rep. John J. Loughlin II will give an encore performance in the race for the U.S. House seat held by Patrick J. Kennedy, the late senator's son, in Tuesday's election.
Loughlin is only 2 points behind his Democrat rival. 2%. Man, it would be something to see the last Kennedy seat go to a Republican. "Patches" is the ultimate embodiment of the "Camelot" mentality - simply because his dad was Ted Kennedy, the heir to the Kennedy throne, he won a congressional seat in RI. With dad no longer around to pull the strings, Patches could finally admit that he was in way over his head and step down.
And if his seat gets picked up by a Republican, I might have to join certain people in a happy dance...
That is all.
Special thanks to the World's Most Dangerous Librarian for sending me this extra-special happy story!
Don't You Know Who I Am?
Heh. This should surprise exactly no one.
Vanity, thy name is John Kerry
Which is why it was so humorous, in 2004, to see Kerry attempting the "man of the people" schtick. Here's a guy so obviously removed from reality that he thinks "Can I get me a huntin' license?" is going to take people's minds off of his decades-long assault on our Second Amendment rights. He thinks that a 10 second photo op - in which he appears with a $10,000 shotgun and several thousand dollars of (brand new) LL Bean "hunting" gear - will magically transform him from gun grabber extraordinaire (remember, Kerry actually left the campaign trail in 2004 to vote for more gun control) to "average Joe out hunting"...
One thing's for certain - there's ugly that no amount of surgery, cosmetics, or money can fix, and that's the ugly of someone who thinks you are beneath them...
That is all.
Vanity, thy name is John Kerry
Anyone from MA knows this to be true - Kerry's developed quite the reputation as the "Do you know who I am?" Senator, using his inflated sense of self-worth like most people use Tic-Tacs. Knowing Kerry, though, he's not displaying those pictures because he wants people to know all the celebrities he has met. No, Kerry just likes seeing himself that much. Given how much Lurch spends on Botox and other cosmetic enhancements, it's a toss-up between him and Nancy Pelosi as to who's the least "original".Sen. John Kerry is so vain, he probably thinks this story is about him . . . and he’d be right!
Slate.com has named the skipper of the Isabel the most vain man in that vanity pit known as the U.S. Senate based on a “scientific analysis” of all 100 senators’ “Ego Walls.”
In a posting headed “If the Walls Could Talk,” Slate writers Darren Garnick (who also writes “The Working Stiff” column for the Herald) and Ilya Mirman explored the photo displays on the waiting-room walls of each senator’s office and developed a “Senate Vanity Index.” The formula, developed by Mirman, an engineer and scientist, measures the level of egotism displayed in each senator’s lobby based on how many pictures the solon has of himself (or herself) glad-handing celebrities, world leaders and the like.
Which is why it was so humorous, in 2004, to see Kerry attempting the "man of the people" schtick. Here's a guy so obviously removed from reality that he thinks "Can I get me a huntin' license?" is going to take people's minds off of his decades-long assault on our Second Amendment rights. He thinks that a 10 second photo op - in which he appears with a $10,000 shotgun and several thousand dollars of (brand new) LL Bean "hunting" gear - will magically transform him from gun grabber extraordinaire (remember, Kerry actually left the campaign trail in 2004 to vote for more gun control) to "average Joe out hunting"...
One thing's for certain - there's ugly that no amount of surgery, cosmetics, or money can fix, and that's the ugly of someone who thinks you are beneath them...
That is all.
New Political Party...
I was watching the news out of New York recently, specifically the multi-ringed circus that is the current goobernatorial race, when one Jimmy McMillan of the "The Rent is Too Damn High" Party was introduced as one of the candidates. Aside from calling for the resignation of Chuck Schumer, Kristen Gillibrand, and Andrew Cuomo, I don't see a lot of issue-related information on their website. But it did get me to thinking, and we all know how dangerous that can be...
And then it hit me. I have the perfect name for the new third party that will gain prominence once the Stupid Party screws things up. I mentioned on last night's BB & Guns that I had little hope that the GOP would take the right message from a win this coming Tuesday. I stand by that prediction - it only took a few election cycles after 1994 for them to become just as beholden to power as the Democrats, just as willing to stomp all over our rights (just different rights) to appease their perceived base to remain in power. Well, this morning the new political party came to me in a thunderclap. We should call our new party:
The "Stay Off My Lawn" Party will be socially liberal - people should be free to do what they wish to their own bodies as long as they don't hurt others. You want to smoke dope, marry another dude, or light yourself on fire as a tribute to Chthulu, go right ahead. As long as your actions do not harm any other person, knock yourself out (literally, if that's your bag). However... The flip side to this is that if your actions cause harm to another person, we're going to drop the jail on top of you and leave it there. If you get in a car and crash it into a bus full of nuns and orphans because you were coked to the gills on heroin, then we're going to put you somewhere that makes Gitmo look like Club Med, capiche?
"Stay Off My Lawn" works with fiscal issues as well. The government is not, should not, cannot be in the business of providing everyone with everything. Period. There is a very short list of things that the government can and should be doing - make the currency, regulate international relations, maintain an army to kill people and break things when outsiders threaten, and things of that nature. Making sure I have enough money to retire on is not one of them, nor is it the government's job to make sure that crappy car companies stay in business. "Stay Off My Lawn" feels that the free market is the ultimate test of the viability of any business.
Internationally, "Stay Off My Lawn" fits seamlessly as encapsulated by Agent J in "Men In Black": If you don't start none, there won't be none. Leave the US alone and we're happy to leave you alone; mess with us, we're going to make Nagasaki and Hiroshima look like a damn picnic. We'll pull out of Mecca, Medina, Europe, Africa, etc. - all the places you accuse "The Great Satan" of entering for our own gain - but we're taking our armed forces and foreign aid dollars with us. We're also going to build a reinforced wall across the borders of the US and staff said wall with the armed forces recalled from around the world - immigration will still be allowed, of course; however it will also be firmly and fairly regulated so that only those that truly want to become Americans can enter.
So there you have it, the basic tenets of the "Stay Off My Lawn" party. The party will be overwhelmingly guided by that ancient and mystical document known as the US Constitution and Bill of Rights - if it doesn't pass constitutional muster, we don't support it. The government has no place telling us what to say, what to own for defense, how we testify in court, etc.; in turn, we obey the laws and pay our (greatly reduced) taxes so that the (significantly more limited) Federal government can keep out the bad guys, make the money, and maintain the infrastructure. Taxes go down, private industry takes over many of the former duties, individual freedom goes up. The only price we pay is that we are a lot more responsible for our own actions.
What are we missing?
That is all.
And then it hit me. I have the perfect name for the new third party that will gain prominence once the Stupid Party screws things up. I mentioned on last night's BB & Guns that I had little hope that the GOP would take the right message from a win this coming Tuesday. I stand by that prediction - it only took a few election cycles after 1994 for them to become just as beholden to power as the Democrats, just as willing to stomp all over our rights (just different rights) to appease their perceived base to remain in power. Well, this morning the new political party came to me in a thunderclap. We should call our new party:
The "Stay Off My Lawn" Party.
The "Stay Off My Lawn" Party will be socially liberal - people should be free to do what they wish to their own bodies as long as they don't hurt others. You want to smoke dope, marry another dude, or light yourself on fire as a tribute to Chthulu, go right ahead. As long as your actions do not harm any other person, knock yourself out (literally, if that's your bag). However... The flip side to this is that if your actions cause harm to another person, we're going to drop the jail on top of you and leave it there. If you get in a car and crash it into a bus full of nuns and orphans because you were coked to the gills on heroin, then we're going to put you somewhere that makes Gitmo look like Club Med, capiche?
"Stay Off My Lawn" works with fiscal issues as well. The government is not, should not, cannot be in the business of providing everyone with everything. Period. There is a very short list of things that the government can and should be doing - make the currency, regulate international relations, maintain an army to kill people and break things when outsiders threaten, and things of that nature. Making sure I have enough money to retire on is not one of them, nor is it the government's job to make sure that crappy car companies stay in business. "Stay Off My Lawn" feels that the free market is the ultimate test of the viability of any business.
Internationally, "Stay Off My Lawn" fits seamlessly as encapsulated by Agent J in "Men In Black": If you don't start none, there won't be none. Leave the US alone and we're happy to leave you alone; mess with us, we're going to make Nagasaki and Hiroshima look like a damn picnic. We'll pull out of Mecca, Medina, Europe, Africa, etc. - all the places you accuse "The Great Satan" of entering for our own gain - but we're taking our armed forces and foreign aid dollars with us. We're also going to build a reinforced wall across the borders of the US and staff said wall with the armed forces recalled from around the world - immigration will still be allowed, of course; however it will also be firmly and fairly regulated so that only those that truly want to become Americans can enter.
So there you have it, the basic tenets of the "Stay Off My Lawn" party. The party will be overwhelmingly guided by that ancient and mystical document known as the US Constitution and Bill of Rights - if it doesn't pass constitutional muster, we don't support it. The government has no place telling us what to say, what to own for defense, how we testify in court, etc.; in turn, we obey the laws and pay our (greatly reduced) taxes so that the (significantly more limited) Federal government can keep out the bad guys, make the money, and maintain the infrastructure. Taxes go down, private industry takes over many of the former duties, individual freedom goes up. The only price we pay is that we are a lot more responsible for our own actions.
What are we missing?
That is all.
Halloween Ha Ha...
Old NFO sent the following. I had to share:
It doesn't help that I've started reading Monster Hunter: Vendetta either...
That is all.
Howdy folks, it's everyone's favorite holiday season. No doubts you're looking forward to Trick'r'Treat, maybe a costume party, or ritualistic sacrifice to the Dark Ones! But always remember, safety comes first! Now, here's some very simple rules that should make your Halloween a fun and safe holiday for everyone!
1. If someone tells you that you are the Chosen One and must save whoever or whatever, kill them and change your name.
2. Same bloody well goes for any harbinger of any "prophesy". If possible, resurrect them and kill them a second time.
3. If a mysterious and beautiful woman appears out of nowhere and is interested in you, run.
4. If you see a lone young child in the middle of nowhere and is uncommonly cheerful and/or giggling, run like you heard banjos.
5. Black cats, not so bad. Black dog that watches you without ever blinking? Don't run. Slowly back away.
6. Attics? Tell one of your buddies that you hid the beer up there.
7. Cellars? Tell your buddy that you forgot you moved the beer down to the cellar. That's the point of buddies, they're gullable.
8. Bullets may or may not work. Either way, shoot the evil entity. A lot.
9. Fire always makes a situation better. Or more entertaining, and that's the truly important thing.
10. If mysterious folk with foreign or ancient accents pop on any suspicious date (full moon, ides of march, etc), pretend to not understand them.
11. If you can't outrun the evil entity, well, you only have to outrun the more cliche characters.
12. For the love of the gods, if you are driving at night, fill the tank when you're between a quarter and half tank.
13. Fix-A-Flat. Cheaper than being hung up on a rusty meat hook.
14. Hawt chicks are like canaries. Always keep a few around when you visit Bad Place. They'll die first.
15. Little known fact, vampires are allergic to magnesium. When ignited and shoved down their throat.
16. If you have reason to believe you are being stalked by an evil entity, someone might want to stay awake when everyone else sleeps.
17. If one member of your party starts hearing voices, party over, time to leave.
18. If a disembodied voice tells you to get out, follow the advice.
19. Vacations to run down shacks in the middle of nowhere never work out well.
20. Vacations to Eastern Europe can end with you dismembered. But they have very attractive women. Definitely worth the risk.
21. If anyone says "But Whatever Bad Entity doesn't exist", kneecap them and leave them while the rest of you wait to see if he or she is right.
22. A flamethrower is always appropriate.
23. When various members of your party mysteriously start missing, don't individually go looking for them.
24. There's no such thing as overkill. Only "Not enough" and "Needs more". Remember this when you think the evil critter is finally dead.
25. When you find the sacred/cursed/ancient artifact, don't screw with it. Just put it on eBay and let the feedback answer your curiosity.
26. If some random weirdo offers you unsolicited food, drugs or drink, politely decline.
27. If the innkeeper is way too happy to see you, leave. They probably want to sacrifice you. Or they have termites.
28. If someone gives you a quest to find something oddly obscure that happens to be bloody far away with implausibly complicated directions, go on a vacation instead.
29. If you really HAVE to go, dial Blackwater's Rent-A-Friend program then rent a helicopter to take you and friends to said obscure location.
30. If you manage to escape the werewolves, undead, aliens, or whatever long enough to get to the phone, don't try to explain the situation. Just call the National Guard and tell them al-Qaeda is planning to poison the nation's beer supplies and they're currently at such and such an address. You'll have all the Blackhawks and Apache gunships you'd want in about ten minutes.
That's it! Remember these rules, and you'll have a safe and happy Halloween!
It doesn't help that I've started reading Monster Hunter: Vendetta either...
That is all.
Friday Gun Pr0n #187
Today's gun pr0n is another fine firearm from Matt at SWR Manufacturing:
Be Vewy Quiet...
That's a suppressed Beretta 85, the perfect gun for The World's Most Dangerous Librarian (because it's a .380 and it's quiet, natch). I don't think this one actually got shot at the shoot, being as how it's a .380 and all and as such ammo is rather limited. We did get a really cool shot of the innards of the suppressor, though:
The Insides are on the Outside!
Kinda weird, isn't it, that you're looking at many hundreds of dollars right there - not to mention the royal hassle from the Feds...
That is all.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Geekin' Out...
Driverless van crosses from Europe to Asia
The motorhead in me is appalled - cars were meant to be driven. The tech geek in me thinks this is one of the coolest stories yet - we're approaching, yet again, the realm of science fiction where we have cars that will drive themselves. Obviously, this test is flawed - three months to travel 8,000 miles isn't exactly record-shattering, and won't extrapolate to real-world conditions; however it's a neat first step towards autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles of the future. The article mentions other groups working on automated cars and the successes they have had; this appears to be a real line of research for groups interested in robotics as it relates to transport.
The implications are staggering, from the changes in long-haul trucking to family vacations and everything in between. Imagine the cost savings in goods if trucks can run 24/7 either without human intervention at all or with greatly reduced input. Long distance car trips (near and dear to me, as I've logged close to 10,000 miles this year traveling for various vacations and sundry) may become more appealing if mom & dad can set the trip computer to "Disney" and then kick back and relax. Car manufacturers may start designing cars around a more limited driver role - and, oddly enough, more than likely start offering cars more responsive to driver input as the pendulum swings back. Time will tell if this is the next "big thing" in automobiles or just a fad, but it's interesting to see this technology in action.
I, for one, welcome our new Autobot overlords, and can be useful in rounding up humans to toil in their underground coal mines*.
That is all.
*sorry, had to take the gratuitous "coal-powered" swipe at the electric cars lest I lose my right-wing whacko cred... :)
Beijing, China (CNN) -- A driverless van has completed the longest-ever trip by an unmanned vehicle, beginning in Italy and arriving in China, covering 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles), researchers said.
The van arrived at the Shanghai World Expo on Thursday, after leaving Italy on July 20. The three-month trip took the van through Eastern Europe, Russia and Kazakhstan; across China through the Gobi Desert; and finally along the Great Wall, before arriving for a celebration at the expo. The driverless van relied solely on electricity.
The motorhead in me is appalled - cars were meant to be driven. The tech geek in me thinks this is one of the coolest stories yet - we're approaching, yet again, the realm of science fiction where we have cars that will drive themselves. Obviously, this test is flawed - three months to travel 8,000 miles isn't exactly record-shattering, and won't extrapolate to real-world conditions; however it's a neat first step towards autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles of the future. The article mentions other groups working on automated cars and the successes they have had; this appears to be a real line of research for groups interested in robotics as it relates to transport.
The implications are staggering, from the changes in long-haul trucking to family vacations and everything in between. Imagine the cost savings in goods if trucks can run 24/7 either without human intervention at all or with greatly reduced input. Long distance car trips (near and dear to me, as I've logged close to 10,000 miles this year traveling for various vacations and sundry) may become more appealing if mom & dad can set the trip computer to "Disney" and then kick back and relax. Car manufacturers may start designing cars around a more limited driver role - and, oddly enough, more than likely start offering cars more responsive to driver input as the pendulum swings back. Time will tell if this is the next "big thing" in automobiles or just a fad, but it's interesting to see this technology in action.
I, for one, welcome our new Autobot overlords, and can be useful in rounding up humans to toil in their underground coal mines*.
That is all.
*sorry, had to take the gratuitous "coal-powered" swipe at the electric cars lest I lose my right-wing whacko cred... :)
Tune In to BB & Guns Tonight...
...so you can listen to me try to discuss the upcoming elections without cussing. Should be interesting, especially considering that we have some brutal elections here in MA where the traditionally Dem strongholds and stalwarts are facing surprising resistance from the (heretofore non-existent) MA GOP...
Tune in to BB & Guns at 8:00 PM EST tonight to listen to Breda and I discuss the elections, potential voter fraud, and how the Stupid Party will inevitably screw things up if by some miracle they manage to win on Tuesday...
That is all.
Tune in to BB & Guns at 8:00 PM EST tonight to listen to Breda and I discuss the elections, potential voter fraud, and how the Stupid Party will inevitably screw things up if by some miracle they manage to win on Tuesday...
That is all.
Teach The Children Well...
This scares the ever-lovin' bejeezus out of me:
Peterborough Police Look For Suspect In Attempted Abduction
The story on the local news offered a little more information - the boy knocked a pair of toy handcuffs out of the man's hands, grabbed his little sister, and ran. That's damn good reaction right there - that boy is a hero. He handled this situation exactly right - and that sort of reaction doesn't just happen on its own, this is something he was taught by a parent, sensei, or teacher. Good on him for remembering what to do and having the courage to do it, and good on whoever taught him not to be a victim.
This is one of those "it can happen anywhere" stories - Peterborough NH is a small town about a half-hour west of Manchester, a small town with selectmen and a Main Street where the Planning Board meets to discuss whether or not to grant a variance to the Johnsons so they can put an addition on their house. The police force is most likely concerned with parking problems downtown and darn teenagers speeding leaving the school, not stranger abductions and potential child molesters. Predators lurk everywhere, even in "good" cities and towns, and we must always be vigilant - and teach our child to react accordingly.
Hopefully this predator will be caught soon, and the good folks of Peterborough can breath easy once again, but hopefully a little more wary.
That is all.
Peterborough Police Look For Suspect In Attempted Abduction
PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (CBS) — In a small New Hampshire town, police are looking for a man who tried to handcuff a boy at a school bus stop.
Peterborough Police Chief Scott Guinard says the man approached a 10-year-old boy who was waiting at the stop for an older sibling, along with his 6-year-old sister. The chief says the man first offered the children money. Then, he commented on the boy’s rubber bracelet and tried to grab it.
The story on the local news offered a little more information - the boy knocked a pair of toy handcuffs out of the man's hands, grabbed his little sister, and ran. That's damn good reaction right there - that boy is a hero. He handled this situation exactly right - and that sort of reaction doesn't just happen on its own, this is something he was taught by a parent, sensei, or teacher. Good on him for remembering what to do and having the courage to do it, and good on whoever taught him not to be a victim.
This is one of those "it can happen anywhere" stories - Peterborough NH is a small town about a half-hour west of Manchester, a small town with selectmen and a Main Street where the Planning Board meets to discuss whether or not to grant a variance to the Johnsons so they can put an addition on their house. The police force is most likely concerned with parking problems downtown and darn teenagers speeding leaving the school, not stranger abductions and potential child molesters. Predators lurk everywhere, even in "good" cities and towns, and we must always be vigilant - and teach our child to react accordingly.
Hopefully this predator will be caught soon, and the good folks of Peterborough can breath easy once again, but hopefully a little more wary.
That is all.
Perhaps I'm Too Cynical...
...but when I saw this story, it didn't surprise me in the least:
Up to $1 Billion in U.S. Aid Winds Up In Taliban Coffers
You know what really jumped out at me? This:
That is all.
Story sent by PISSED, who is holding onto the title of "sends me the most blood pressure spiking stuff" by a good margin...
Up to $1 Billion in U.S. Aid Winds Up In Taliban Coffers
As much as $1 billion in U.S. aid has been diverted from programs meant to stabilize Afghanistan and has wound up in the hands of the Taliban and other insurgency groups, war analysts and government auditors say.I wish I were surprised, I really do. But we're dealing with one incredibly inefficient and bloated bureaucracy (ours) and a culture steeped in corruption, graft, and thuggery (oops, ours again but this time applicable to the Taliban as well), so the fact that literally billions are being pissed away in bribes and payoffs isn't all that shocking. It's a sad fact that I'd find it more surprising if the story were that everything was functioning smoothly...
In fact, they say, graft has gotten so bad that the U.S. government estimates that only about 10 percent of the aid budget actually reaches the people in Afghanistan who need it.
You know what really jumped out at me? This:
But those familiar with the country say the scale of the corruption is far wider. “Virtually every transaction in Afghanistan involves some degree of payoff,” says Christine Fair of Georgetown University’s Center for Peace and Security Studies. “Everyone is getting a piece of the money. If you want to get a clinic built, you have to make sure everyone in the village is paid off.”Replace "Afghanistan" with "Chicago" or "New Orleans" and it's still true...
That is all.
Story sent by PISSED, who is holding onto the title of "sends me the most blood pressure spiking stuff" by a good margin...
I Have The Coolest Blogchildren...
So, I go get the mail a few days ago, and there's a letter for me. A little on the unexpected side, as e-mail, Facebook, and chat have made long distance communications instantaneous and free, but not entirely out of the ordinary. I open it up and find a present from my blogdaughter inside:
LOVE IT!
There's so much win packed into this I hardly know where to begin. First off, I'm thrilled that I was one of the people she thought of when she saw Gadsden tattoos. Secondly, the note is a great touch (comments about head notwithstanding... *g*) - whenever I send something out via mail I always like to add in a short handwritten note (and if you know how pitiful my handwriting is, that's a labor of love right there). Third, it is incredibly cool that not only does a Gadsden temporary tattoo exist, but it's also made in the USA...
And lastly, well, this is one of the designs I'm toying with for my first tattoo. I'm turning 40 next year, and one of the things I want to do before I turn 40 is get a tattoo. I've managed to avoid one thus far, not finding anything I'd want permanently attached to my body as of yet - but this is clearly in the running. I think I'll skip the yellow background (lots of pain and expense for something that's not going to show up all that great on my skin), but the snake, grass, and text will be perfect. This will give me a chance to try it out before I go under the needle!
Thanks for thinking of me Nancy - you made my whole week!
That is all.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Hmm...
Commenter notDilbert sent me news of this contest:
poo-flinging humble scribbling here would win such a contest (especially given the proliferation of F-bombs and "kill 'em all" posts...), but couldn't narrow the field down. Looking back through my political themed posts, there's a lot dealing with the idiocy of MA politics - not exactly the most promising of themes to win a MA-based blogging spot. Then again, it's free, so why not?
Any political posts stand out here at MArooned, or should I just pick the one with the fewest profanities?
That is all.
Boston's Talk Station AM 680 WRKO is in search of the next great political blogger! Now through October 29th you can submit your best original political blog entry and our expert and celebrity panel of judges will choose the 10 best blogs, 5 conservative and 5 liberal. We’ll narrow down the contestants via our celebrity judges: Tom Finneran, Todd Feinburg, Charley Manning and Howie Carr. Once the finalists are chosen, our expert judges will issue a challenge. After the finalists post their challenge our fans will vote for the best blog entries in each category!I thought about submitting of the hundreds of political entries here at MArooned, just on a whim - I harbor no illusions that my
Any political posts stand out here at MArooned, or should I just pick the one with the fewest profanities?
That is all.
The High Cost of Free Healthcare...
Illegals’ medical bills top $35.7M
There were two parts that were especially troubling for me regarding this story (aside from 35 million dollars of my tax money being spent caring for people that shouldn't even be in the country, that is):
1.
2.
Over $35 million in health care costs to illegal immigrants. Gee, that couldn't possibly be contributing to the rising cost of health care that Patrick tries to blame on Charlie Baker's stewardship of Harvard Pilgrim, could it? The administration tries to hide behind the shield of not denying life-saving coverage because of immigration status, but it's hard to imagine that the state's 220K illegal immigrants are all getting deathly ill requiring immediate emergency care.Beleaguered Bay State and U.S. taxpayers coughed up a staggering $35.7 million this year in free emergency health care for more than 52,000 illegal aliens in Massachusetts, sparking outrage from candidates and critics who back a tougher line on immigration.
The figures — released by Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration under an order for the Secretary of State’s office and after more than a month of ducking questions — show illegal immigrants who belong to MassHealth Limited received $33.8 million in taxpayer-funded in-patient hospital care this year.They also made 6,160 visits to the state’s overburdened emergency rooms in the fiscal year ending in June for an additional cost of $1.9 million, a Herald analysis shows.
There were two parts that were especially troubling for me regarding this story (aside from 35 million dollars of my tax money being spent caring for people that shouldn't even be in the country, that is):
1.
Patrick’s GOP rival Charlie Baker declined to comment.This is very disturbing. A week before the election, Baker has a chance to slam-dunk Patrick's claims that Baker's tenure as CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care caused MA health insurance premiums to rise. Here's a gift-wrapped statistic to use as the big hammer against Patrick - his administration has been solely responsible for administering this program and should have been more carefully monitoring disbursements. And yet he's declining comment? It doesn't make sense to pass up this opportunity, and makes me wonder if Baker is trying to keep to the high road - or placate the illegal community...
2.
The figures show 69 percent of the state’s MassHealth Limited subscribers are illegal immigrants. The state is projected to pay $13.7 million of the cost of the health-care program this year, while federal Medicaid picks up the other $22 million.
More than two-thirds of the subscribers to this program are illegal immigrants? Are you serious? If we can identify these illegals, why are they still involved in the program? Why are they not on the next plane or boat sending them back? I honestly do not comprehend how we can know that such a high percentage of subscribers to a program that assists with health care costs are in this country illegally and not do anything about it. This is your tax money and mine, and yet no one seems to care. This should be a much larger issue than it is.
No one seems to be willing to address the issue of people who are in the US illegally, period. We're painted as racists and/or xenophobes for even questioning immigration status; the line between legal immigrants and criminals streaming into the country gets intentionally blurred to further muddy the issue; and the true costs of providing services to all and sundry are hidden or obscured. Rather than take a stand on illegal immigration and the costs to all honest Americans, we turn a blind eye, unwilling to face spurious charges of racism for daring to question the wisdom of allowing our border to remain porous.
It's not going to get better by ignoring it - we're only kicking it down the road - but that seems to be what we're best at these days...
That is all.
Link sent by PISSED, who apparently thinks I've been too mellow recently...
They're At It Again...
MBtGE sent me a link to this typical Washington Post poll:
Are gun stores responsible for crime?
It's the classic post hoc ergo propter hoc argument - since B follows A, B must have been caused by A. Because gun stores sell guns, and guns are used in crimes, gun stores must be selling the guns used in crimes. In very few cases do gun stores actually violate the law and sell firearms to prohibited persons - and when they do they should face the full penalty of law. Most often, though, the guns are either stolen outright, either from the gun shops themselves or from law abiding folks (and printing the names of folks who have concealed carry permits might be helping in this endeavor) or bought through straw purchases, where a person eligible to own a firearm buys it and then sells it to someone who is ineligible.
Before we talk about holding gun stores responsible for acts committed by criminals, let's go after straw buyers. One of the most famous examples of a straw purchase is Robyn Anderson, who purchased three of the four firearms used in the Columbine shooting. She purchased two shotguns and a Hi-Point 9mm carbine, and then handed them over to the two shooters, both ineligible to purchase firearms due to age and mental condition. She was never prosecuted for her actions.
Think about that for a second. The person who provided 75% of the firearms used in the Columbine shooting was never prosecuted for her role in the massacre. Instead, she became a shill for the gun-grabbers, tearfully testifying how easy it was to acquire firearms because of the "gun show loophole" - even though she could have purchased all three firearms at any gun store regardless of any non-existent "loophole." Never prosecuted. They claim to want to pass more laws with the intent of stopping "gun crimes", yet won't prosecute the laws already on the books.
Should we hold individual gun stores responsible for guns used in crimes? Well, if it can be proven that the store in question knowingly sold the firearm to a prohibited person, certainly. Beyond that, do we really want to open that particular Pandora's box? Should Bob Smith Ford be responsible for every person that drives one of their Explorers while drunk? Or in excess of the speed limit? Or do they just want to make it so onerous for a store to engage in the business of selling firearms that fewer and fewer actually do? They don't need to ban firearms if there's no one left to sell them, do they?
Not that it matters, but if you feel so inclined, take a moment and vote in the poll - at the very least, deny them the ability to say that people support this idea.
That is all.
Are gun stores responsible for crime?
It's the classic post hoc ergo propter hoc argument - since B follows A, B must have been caused by A. Because gun stores sell guns, and guns are used in crimes, gun stores must be selling the guns used in crimes. In very few cases do gun stores actually violate the law and sell firearms to prohibited persons - and when they do they should face the full penalty of law. Most often, though, the guns are either stolen outright, either from the gun shops themselves or from law abiding folks (and printing the names of folks who have concealed carry permits might be helping in this endeavor) or bought through straw purchases, where a person eligible to own a firearm buys it and then sells it to someone who is ineligible.
Before we talk about holding gun stores responsible for acts committed by criminals, let's go after straw buyers. One of the most famous examples of a straw purchase is Robyn Anderson, who purchased three of the four firearms used in the Columbine shooting. She purchased two shotguns and a Hi-Point 9mm carbine, and then handed them over to the two shooters, both ineligible to purchase firearms due to age and mental condition. She was never prosecuted for her actions.
Think about that for a second. The person who provided 75% of the firearms used in the Columbine shooting was never prosecuted for her role in the massacre. Instead, she became a shill for the gun-grabbers, tearfully testifying how easy it was to acquire firearms because of the "gun show loophole" - even though she could have purchased all three firearms at any gun store regardless of any non-existent "loophole." Never prosecuted. They claim to want to pass more laws with the intent of stopping "gun crimes", yet won't prosecute the laws already on the books.
Should we hold individual gun stores responsible for guns used in crimes? Well, if it can be proven that the store in question knowingly sold the firearm to a prohibited person, certainly. Beyond that, do we really want to open that particular Pandora's box? Should Bob Smith Ford be responsible for every person that drives one of their Explorers while drunk? Or in excess of the speed limit? Or do they just want to make it so onerous for a store to engage in the business of selling firearms that fewer and fewer actually do? They don't need to ban firearms if there's no one left to sell them, do they?
Not that it matters, but if you feel so inclined, take a moment and vote in the poll - at the very least, deny them the ability to say that people support this idea.
That is all.
Letters, We Get Letters...
A reader who has asked to remain anonymous sent me the following e-mail:
But I don't have a 442 (although I've thought about getting one for pocket carry). Anyone out there have one of these models (or the 438/432/etc) and noticed any rust/discoloration/pitting/etc.? The only time I've seen rust on a S&W revolver it's because the gun was stored for long periods of time in a leather holster; other than that I haven't seen much other than holster wear on blued guns. The 637/638/642 stainless guns, though, have shown enough discoloration - although not rust or other functional issues - that finish may be an issue (assuming one cares about the appearance of a carry gun, which I'm not particularly picky about myself).
Really, then, it comes down to the very simple question of "Blued vs. stainless: Which finish is best?"
That is all.
Dear Jay,I hope this e-mail finds you well. I read your blog every day, and I have a quick question if you don't mind. I am considering the purchase of a S&W.38 snub-nosed revolver, either the 442 or the 642. Evidently, the 642 has a stainless cylinder/barrel with an aluminum frame, while the 442 has a blued cylinder/barrel with an aluminum frame. Evidently, the clear-coat over the aluminum on the 642 may be prone to chipping. Have you heard anything about this? If carried, will a blued gun such as the 442 rust? Are their any other factors that should influence my decision?
I prefaced my response with the proviso that I prefer blued guns to stainless off the bat. However, I have seen several (4-6) S&W model 637s or 642s that have had significant wear imparted to them in relatively short amounts of time; whereas I've had my 360 for six years now and, aside from minor scorch marks on the ends of the cylinders, have not noticed any wear from carrying it in a variety of holsters. I haven't seen rust on the 360 or my blued 38, both of which spend a fair amount of time in my pocket on hot summer days.
But I don't have a 442 (although I've thought about getting one for pocket carry). Anyone out there have one of these models (or the 438/432/etc) and noticed any rust/discoloration/pitting/etc.? The only time I've seen rust on a S&W revolver it's because the gun was stored for long periods of time in a leather holster; other than that I haven't seen much other than holster wear on blued guns. The 637/638/642 stainless guns, though, have shown enough discoloration - although not rust or other functional issues - that finish may be an issue (assuming one cares about the appearance of a carry gun, which I'm not particularly picky about myself).
Really, then, it comes down to the very simple question of "Blued vs. stainless: Which finish is best?"
That is all.
Reloading Primer...
(Oh yes, I just had to...)
Commenter, bloggershoot attendee, purveyor of fine toys, and all around great guy Wally sent me the following picture a while back:
I asked if he'd be interested in writing a guest post on the basics of reloading, and he was kind enough to oblige:
I know there's a lot of folks out there who reload - and a good number who, surprisingly enough, don't. I'd love to get into it, but haven't taken the plunge right now for a few reasons. First, I need the proper set-up. I've got plans for a corner of the attic to be turned into the gun room, with a 10' bench for reloading and cleaning supplies - this will get me away from overactive kids, too. Secondly, there's still just enough pictures of "reloading gone wrong" to keep me from jumping in - at least until I've had more time to practice under qualified supervision (like Wally!). And lastly, right now I'm not shooting enough that the savings in costs outweigh the expenditure of time - I figure that will change as the kids get older and I have more time...
Those of you that reload, what's your main reason for doing it? Cost? Crafting the perfect handload? Volume? Those that don't, why not? If you shoot any significant amount the savings are substantial - although, what I've heard from those that reload is that you don't actually save any money, you just get to shoot a whole lot more. One of the things I'm interested in doing once I get into it is crafting specialty rounds for certain shooting types - like .45 ACP lead round-nose bullets for shooting in the indoor range, or really hot .357 Magnums for long range shooting with the model 27.
Man, with all this talk, I think I might just pull out the box 'o' supplies and take inventory... Thanks wally!
That is all.
Commenter, bloggershoot attendee, purveyor of fine toys, and all around great guy Wally sent me the following picture a while back:
Proto-boolitts!
He followed it up with a quick blurb in an attempt to kick-start me into reloading:
Jay,
I snapped a pic the other day and thought you may want to use it for a gun porn pic - or not, since there are no guns in it. I know you aren't into handloading (yet?) but I'll be glad to help get you up and running when you decide to make that leap.
I got back into handloading in October of 2008. The pic is my consumption since then. That turned into over 10k rounds without having to scurry to every wal mart in the county :)
I asked if he'd be interested in writing a guest post on the basics of reloading, and he was kind enough to oblige:
A primer on reloading -
Jay asked if I’d guest post a quick overview on reloading. While I am an avid reader here, I never figured I’d get to give back – so I jumped at the chance. Thanks Jay!
Reloading is another facet of the shooting hobby. Not reloading as in filling magazines or stuffing cylinders – reloading as in handloading, turning the spent cartridge cases into fresh ammunition. Reloading is a pretty straightforward process with three basic steps.
The first operation is to resize the case. Upon firing, cases expand. When cases are ejected they tend to get dinged up. Resizing restores the cases to perfectly round and slightly undersize diameter. In some situations, cases tend to stretch from the pressures of firing and they must be trimmed to length.
Next, the primer is replaced. The primer is the little button on the back of the case that gets the cartridge ignited. This is a very simple press in and press out affair. Some cases have a little ridge to retain the factory primer, and that ridge also needs to be ironed out the first time the case is reloaded.
Finally, the round is assembled. The resized and primed case is charged with a suitable amount of a suitable smokeless powder and a bullet is placed atop. One final calibrated squish puts it all together into a loaded round of ammunition. There are many volumes dedicated to load recipes, but this is a pretty high level post so I'll skip getting into exact details for now.
Why reload ? Some enjoy having ammo available without driving to every gun store in the county hoping to find their favorite load - or any ammunition for that matter! If you shoot .380, remember what it is like to go a year without finding ammo on the shelves?
Some folks like to reload to find the perfect combination to wring out the last bit of accuracy from a firearm. When reloading, you aren't limited to off the shelf combinations. Try different bullet weights and profiles, types of powder, powder charges, cartridge length – and some combination is all but guaranteed to deliver some great groups at the range.
Others simply must reload if they wish to shoot some old iron in long obsolete calibers. Since this is Jay's blog I'll use the 11mm Mauser as an example. Empty 11mm brass is a bit pricey at $3 each, but the brass can be loaded many times over. Subsequent reloads would run about 35 cents per round.
And that leads us into another reason to reload – cost savings! It would be pretty reasonable to be producing 45 ACP for under $10 per box. 9mm for $8, 357sig for $9, 44mag at $11, .223 at $4, and 6.5x55 are about $8 per box by my recipes. Most of those prices are less than half of what you would be paying for loaded ammo, if you are lucky enough to find your preferred flavor.
But like everything, there is a trade off. Reloading does take time. A basic single stage press can produce 200 rounds an hour or more. Fancier presses can triple that output. Unfortunately, reloading equipment isn't free either but it does last darn near forever. My primary press is a RCBS single stage that I got as a hand me down from dad. I have no idea how many rounds it has produced in total, but since October of 2008 I have been saving empty reloading component packages, as seen in the picture. This most basic setup has produced over 14,000 rounds in two years, just an hour or two at a time.
I know there's a lot of folks out there who reload - and a good number who, surprisingly enough, don't. I'd love to get into it, but haven't taken the plunge right now for a few reasons. First, I need the proper set-up. I've got plans for a corner of the attic to be turned into the gun room, with a 10' bench for reloading and cleaning supplies - this will get me away from overactive kids, too. Secondly, there's still just enough pictures of "reloading gone wrong" to keep me from jumping in - at least until I've had more time to practice under qualified supervision (like Wally!). And lastly, right now I'm not shooting enough that the savings in costs outweigh the expenditure of time - I figure that will change as the kids get older and I have more time...
Those of you that reload, what's your main reason for doing it? Cost? Crafting the perfect handload? Volume? Those that don't, why not? If you shoot any significant amount the savings are substantial - although, what I've heard from those that reload is that you don't actually save any money, you just get to shoot a whole lot more. One of the things I'm interested in doing once I get into it is crafting specialty rounds for certain shooting types - like .45 ACP lead round-nose bullets for shooting in the indoor range, or really hot .357 Magnums for long range shooting with the model 27.
Man, with all this talk, I think I might just pull out the box 'o' supplies and take inventory... Thanks wally!
That is all.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Offsetting the Rage...
Bob S. sends this following heartwarming tale out of (where else?) Texas:
Cabdriver killed assailant in east Oak Cliff, police say
The recently deceased made one glaringly fatal error: He brought a knife to a gunfight. Once again, we see a glimpse into the world the gun-grabbers would have us inhabit - one where a 26 year old thug with a lengthy criminal record is free to prey on middle aged cabdrivers with relative impunity. Fortunately, Mr. Richardson lives in our world, and was able to protect his own life.
Dead Goblin Count: 79
That is all.
Cabdriver killed assailant in east Oak Cliff, police say
A cabdriver shot and killed a 26-year-old man who tried to rob him in east Oak Cliff early Monday morning, Dallas police said.
Driver John Richardson, 51, was dispatched to pick up Antonio Tutson shortly before 3 a.m. along Jeffries Street in South Dallas, police said.
The recently deceased made one glaringly fatal error: He brought a knife to a gunfight. Once again, we see a glimpse into the world the gun-grabbers would have us inhabit - one where a 26 year old thug with a lengthy criminal record is free to prey on middle aged cabdrivers with relative impunity. Fortunately, Mr. Richardson lives in our world, and was able to protect his own life.
Dead Goblin Count: 79
That is all.
Saving Us From the Scourge of Iver Johnson Hammerless Revolvers...
Reader, comment, blogshoot attendee, and good friend Brad_in_ma sent me this little slice of local inanity:
New Bedford gun exchange nets more than 100 firearms
*sigh* Once again, with feeling: You can't buy "back" something that was never yours in the first place. I'm certain that the usage in this particular instance is simply a case of languid journalism rather than any sinister connotations; however at some point in the genesis of the term it would not surprise me in the least to find the terminology most deliberate. Words mean things. Calling a program whereby businesses are browbeaten into donating gift cards to exchange for old and useless firearms a "gun buyback" is like saying that a repo man is merely a "reverse loan officer" or some other semantic gymastics.
And yes, once again:
In other words, 100 year old Iver Johnson revolvers, Lorcin pot metal wonders, or WWII era Baby Browning knock-offs. Grandma cleans out the broom closet, finds recently departed Grampa's WWII Luger bring-back, the family panics because ZOMG GUN!!!!, and presto! A piece of history is destroyed! (Or finds its way into someone's collection for $50 worth of Whole Foods gift cards...) It's always suspect when they don't post any pictures of the firearms "taken off the street" - because a good chunk of the time there's a dozen or so pellet guns, rusted single-shot shotguns, or Marlin model 60s that appear to have been stored in brine.
When they can't even dredge up a good "junk on the bunk" shot, you know it was a failure...
That is all.
New Bedford gun exchange nets more than 100 firearms
NEW BEDFORD — Organizers touted Sunday’s gun exchange as a huge success, saying it took about three times as many firearms off the streets as last year’s effort.
The Rev. David Lima, executive minister of the Inter-Church Council, one of the sponsors, called the community response overwhelming. Although the total number of firearms collected won’t be known until today, he projects it will triple the 41 firearms yielded at a similar gun exchange held last October.
*sigh* Once again, with feeling: You can't buy "back" something that was never yours in the first place. I'm certain that the usage in this particular instance is simply a case of languid journalism rather than any sinister connotations; however at some point in the genesis of the term it would not surprise me in the least to find the terminology most deliberate. Words mean things. Calling a program whereby businesses are browbeaten into donating gift cards to exchange for old and useless firearms a "gun buyback" is like saying that a repo man is merely a "reverse loan officer" or some other semantic gymastics.
And yes, once again:
He [New Bedford mayor Mayor Scott W. Lang] said many of the handguns turned in were "Saturday Night specials."
In other words, 100 year old Iver Johnson revolvers, Lorcin pot metal wonders, or WWII era Baby Browning knock-offs. Grandma cleans out the broom closet, finds recently departed Grampa's WWII Luger bring-back, the family panics because ZOMG GUN!!!!, and presto! A piece of history is destroyed! (Or finds its way into someone's collection for $50 worth of Whole Foods gift cards...) It's always suspect when they don't post any pictures of the firearms "taken off the street" - because a good chunk of the time there's a dozen or so pellet guns, rusted single-shot shotguns, or Marlin model 60s that appear to have been stored in brine.
When they can't even dredge up a good "junk on the bunk" shot, you know it was a failure...
That is all.
Take This Endorsement And WHAT It?
RI Dem: Obama Can 'Shove It' For Not Endorsing Him
It's interesting, from a disinterested party aspect, to see this kind of infighting. It's also equally interesting to see the kid-glove treatment given this, especially in light of every "ZOMG Republican X doesn't agree with Sarah Palin/The Tea Party/Zombie Reagan" revelation that comes out when it is shockingly revealed that all Republicans do not eat, sleep, or vote with a common brain.
What's also interesting is that this is exactly the kind of treatment that small(er) states can expect if measures like the one proposed in MA to bypass the Electoral College start gaining ground. Once candidates only need to court the large population centers, every single state with less than a couple million people can expect to be completely ignored in every national politica race pretty much forever - their votes, statistically, are meaningless. When Los Angeles by itself can effect the outcome of a presidential race more than a half-dozen plains states, what possible reason could a candidate have for spending valuable campaign time flying into and out of WY, ND, SD, ID, etc.?
Once again, Øbama is on the forefront of a new trend, and we should all be very scared...
That is all.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) ―The Democratic canddate for Rhode Island governor told President Barack Obama on Monday to "shove it" after learning Obama would not endorse him.Um, yeah. Yo, Barry? This is your party. Not only is this your own party, but this is a Northeast liberal, the very bluest of the blue. When you start losing guys like Caprio, you're really in deep kimchee - and by all appearances, you've grabbed for the solid lead life preserver. Øbama has refused to endorse Caprio out of respect for one of his opponents, former RI Senator Lincoln Chafee - a refusal which may very well prove costly should Caprio ultimately prevail.
Frank Caprio's campaign last week said he would welcome the president's endorsement.
But on Monday, the same day Obama was set to make his first visit to Rhode Island as president and a day after the White House said Obama would not endorse anyone, Caprio angrily told WPRO-AM that Obama can "take his endorsement and really shove it."
It's interesting, from a disinterested party aspect, to see this kind of infighting. It's also equally interesting to see the kid-glove treatment given this, especially in light of every "ZOMG Republican X doesn't agree with Sarah Palin/The Tea Party/Zombie Reagan" revelation that comes out when it is shockingly revealed that all Republicans do not eat, sleep, or vote with a common brain.
What's also interesting is that this is exactly the kind of treatment that small(er) states can expect if measures like the one proposed in MA to bypass the Electoral College start gaining ground. Once candidates only need to court the large population centers, every single state with less than a couple million people can expect to be completely ignored in every national politica race pretty much forever - their votes, statistically, are meaningless. When Los Angeles by itself can effect the outcome of a presidential race more than a half-dozen plains states, what possible reason could a candidate have for spending valuable campaign time flying into and out of WY, ND, SD, ID, etc.?
Once again, Øbama is on the forefront of a new trend, and we should all be very scared...
That is all.
Sometimes, Stupid Kills...
Stretch sent another story. I'm not certain if I should laugh or cry. The moral, though, is that stupid sometimes kills, and if you play stupid games, expect to win stupid prizes...
Man electrocuted in botched copper wire theft, police say
The saddest part?
They left their two small kids sitting in their vehicle while they went to steal things. Now these kids have no father, their mother is in intensive care, and they're wards of the state. Then again, with the pair of geniuses that spawned them, they might actually have a chance at life now. Honestly? If it was just the two folks who were harmed by the theft gone wrong this would be a classic case of stupid people doing stupid things and getting what they deserve. With two kids thrown in the mix, it's terribly sad - that they lost one parent forever and another for however long the state deems - and also infuriating - these people thought nothing of involving their kids in petty theft.
I am reminded of a line from Calvin and Hobbes here: Sometimes I think the best sign of intelligent life in the universe is that they haven't tried to contact us...
That is all.
Man electrocuted in botched copper wire theft, police say
Well, now, it wasn't, was it? I'm trying to figure this out here. They were trying to steal copper wire? Is there really that big of a market for it that it's worth taking that risk? I mean, I can understand copper tubing - it's plumbing, the worst that's going to happen is that you get wet. But wires? Really?(CNN) -- One man was electrocuted and his female partner was severely burned after the couple attempted to steal copper wire from a vacant property in Southern California, police said.
"I believe they thought the power was off," said Lt. Keith Hupp of the South Gate Police Department.
The saddest part?
Police said they believe they found the couple's
children -- ages 3 and 6 -- waiting in a truck near the vacant property when
they arrived at the scene Saturday afternoon.
They left their two small kids sitting in their vehicle while they went to steal things. Now these kids have no father, their mother is in intensive care, and they're wards of the state. Then again, with the pair of geniuses that spawned them, they might actually have a chance at life now. Honestly? If it was just the two folks who were harmed by the theft gone wrong this would be a classic case of stupid people doing stupid things and getting what they deserve. With two kids thrown in the mix, it's terribly sad - that they lost one parent forever and another for however long the state deems - and also infuriating - these people thought nothing of involving their kids in petty theft.
I am reminded of a line from Calvin and Hobbes here: Sometimes I think the best sign of intelligent life in the universe is that they haven't tried to contact us...
That is all.
One Week...
In one week we'll be going to the polls for the midterm elections. In one week we'll have our first chance to send a clear message to the powers that be in Washington: ENOUGH. In one week we'll have our opportunity to do as my #1 blogson recommends and vote 'em out. I'm pessimistic enough to agree with those who opine that we're not voting ourselves out of this mess; however, if we send a clear and unified message to those who would rule us that they serve only on our whim and our good graces, it may lessen the manner in which we do get out of this.
No more will we stand for politics as usual. If a politician is elected and then turns his back on his constituents, send him right the hell back the next cycle. Don't vote for anyone simply because of the letter after their name - I want to see Republican incumbents voted out as well as Democrats. Sending a bunch of Republicans in place of Democrats will only change who gets blamed for what happens in DC, it will not change what actually does happen. We need to let the "elites" know that we are, ultimately, their bosses; that they ignore us (ØbamaCare) at the peril of their tenure; and that we are well-aware of the true meaning of politics (poly meaning many and ticks, bloodsucking parasites)
Whatever you do, vote. If you can take the day and stand outside a polling place with a sign, please, by all means do so. If you can get someone to the polls to vote, volunteer. We're past the point of "historic" elections - 1980 was probably the last of those, if that was even such a beast; the best we can hope for these days is that whoever we put into office this time won't crap on the Constitution as bad as the person they are replacing. But that's a strategy in and of itself - if we can continue to replace politicians with another, slightly less bad version, over time we can start to correct what's wrong.
Here's my personal checklist of reasons to vote against someone:
That is all.
That is all.
No more will we stand for politics as usual. If a politician is elected and then turns his back on his constituents, send him right the hell back the next cycle. Don't vote for anyone simply because of the letter after their name - I want to see Republican incumbents voted out as well as Democrats. Sending a bunch of Republicans in place of Democrats will only change who gets blamed for what happens in DC, it will not change what actually does happen. We need to let the "elites" know that we are, ultimately, their bosses; that they ignore us (ØbamaCare) at the peril of their tenure; and that we are well-aware of the true meaning of politics (poly meaning many and ticks, bloodsucking parasites)
Whatever you do, vote. If you can take the day and stand outside a polling place with a sign, please, by all means do so. If you can get someone to the polls to vote, volunteer. We're past the point of "historic" elections - 1980 was probably the last of those, if that was even such a beast; the best we can hope for these days is that whoever we put into office this time won't crap on the Constitution as bad as the person they are replacing. But that's a strategy in and of itself - if we can continue to replace politicians with another, slightly less bad version, over time we can start to correct what's wrong.
Here's my personal checklist of reasons to vote against someone:
- Voted for ØbamaCare
- Voted for Government bailout of bank/mortgage companies/GM/Mopar
- Incumbent
- Gun Control supporter
- Treating terrorism as a criminal justice issue
- Believes in Global Warming
- Letting the Bush tax cuts expire
- Support amnesty for illegal immigrants (or simply referring to them as "undocumented" immigrants
That is all.
That is all.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Not An Addition...
...but certainly worth mentioning. Reader skidmark sends in this gutbusting tale of a very dumb criminal and a textbook example of how not to rob someone...
Victim takes fake weapon and beats would-be robber
Stupid criminals. At least they're good for blogfodder...
That is all.
Victim takes fake weapon and beats would-be robber
Police said a man using a fake gun in a San Fernando Valley stickup was beaten with the prop weapon when the would-be victim took it from him. Los Angeles police Sgt. Jeff Collado told City News Service on Thursday that the attempted robbery suspect was bloodied and he was hospitalized. His name hasn't been released.Oh, I'm sorry, but that is just too damned funny. This idiot crook is lucky he only got a beating - think about the moment when the victim realized it was a fake gun. He had to have been thinking, "This idiot is robbing me with a fake gun. He can't DO that!"
Stupid criminals. At least they're good for blogfodder...
That is all.
Common Sense Gun Control...
Via Unc, we find this novelty pen constructed from rifle brass. Since it's made out of a "Real rifle shell", it's a piece of ammunition under Massachusetts law:
(emphasis mine) Yes. You would need a minimum of an FID card to possess that pen in the people's Republic of MA. A. Stinkin'. Pen. Because it is made out of an actual piece of brass - a component used in the manufacture of firearm ammunition - it requires a permit (fee: $100, plus whatever the cost of the required Basic Firearms Safety Course) to own. A. Pen.
That's what common sense gun control looks like, folks.
That is all.
"Ammunition", cartridges or cartridge cases, primers (igniter), bullets or propellant powder designed for use in any firearm, rifle or shotgun. The term "ammunition" shall also mean tear gas cartridges, chemical mace or any device or instrument which contains or emits a liquid, gas, powder or any other substance designed to incapacitate.
(emphasis mine) Yes. You would need a minimum of an FID card to possess that pen in the people's Republic of MA. A. Stinkin'. Pen. Because it is made out of an actual piece of brass - a component used in the manufacture of firearm ammunition - it requires a permit (fee: $100, plus whatever the cost of the required Basic Firearms Safety Course) to own. A. Pen.
That's what common sense gun control looks like, folks.
That is all.
Ooh, Tempting!
"Samurai" Mauser M1871/84 11mm Rifles
It'd still be cool as hell to pick up, I've gotta admit.
That is all.
Thanks to "stretch" for the link in e-mail!
Original Mauser M1871/84 11mm Rifles from the movie "The Last Samurai" Starring Tom Cruise. Each “Samurai” edition Mauser M1871/84 is an original Mauser M1871/84 rifle that has been carefully cleaned, reblued, then had its receiver carefully polished as the original examples were. Minor parts such as the extractor, ejector and cutoff levers were replicated, as were the stocks and magazine tubes. The trigger guards were painted gold on-set as well to better recreate the on-screen look desired by the Director. These guns are in good condition, bearing the nicks and scratches from use in the film.$400, though. On the one hand, it's so old it doesn't need an FFL. On the other hand, how hard is it to find 11mm ammo? Then again, how often do you get a chance to actually own a working firearm used in a Hollywood movie? Even better, a Hollywood movie where Tom Cruise dies at the end?
It'd still be cool as hell to pick up, I've gotta admit.
That is all.
Thanks to "stretch" for the link in e-mail!
1911s For Noobs, Part 3
Got a text from my good buddy Dragon over the weekend. He's in the process of obtaining his first 1911, and had a very good question regarding some 1911 terminology:
What, praytell, is an arched mainspring housing as opposed to flat in a 1911?The mainspring housing is the part of the grip that touches the web of your hand - look at the gun as it points away from you, follow the trigger down, the mainspring housing is the part between the grips looking at you. This:
Hope this helps!
This mainspring housing is flat. Here's a good picture showing 1911s with arched and flat mainspring housings. Basically, if the back of the frame is straight, it's a flat mainspring housing. If it bulges backwards into your hand, it's arched.
You could also just go read T-bolt's excellent summation, too...
That is all.
Yes, There's An App For That...
I was contacted recently by Randy of GunStoresApp about a new app for the iPhone that helps locate gun stores in a given area. He describes the app thusly:
Here's what the app looks like on your iPhone:
So, here's the deal on what this app is all about. I'm a gun guy and a technology guy. I have combined these two interests and decided to make an iPhone app that has a location-based search for gun stores near your current location, or near any entered location in the USA. It works off of the ATF database of FFLs and it's really cool. I initially did it for my own use, you know "scratch your own itch" kind of thing, since after searching the iPhone app store there were only two other choices for this kind of thing and neither one did just what I wanted. So I made my own app. It's called "Gun Stores" and it's now available for download in the iTunes App store, or from this website: http://gunstoresapp.comI downloaded it to my iTouch and found a bunch of places I never knew existed all in a 20 mile radius. It does list every FFL in the area - even those that are available "by appointment only" and such - so calling an unknown dealer before heading there is a plus. Fortunately, this app lets you dial right from the map itself - or add the gun store to your contacts. When you click on the point indicating a gun store, it pops up the name and address. Click on this, and the address becomes clickable for directions, and the phone number is clickable to dial. Very handy indeed!
Here's a quick run-down of some of the main features:
* Over 60,000 U.S gun dealer listings in the app
* FREE database updates every month
* Find gun stores near your current GPS location, or any other U.S. location
* Get detailed gun dealer information to call or visit the store
* Get driving directions to the gun store from your current location with Google maps
* Add a gun store to your iPhone's contacts
* Share a gun store's information via email
* Validate gun dealer licenses right from the phone with FFL EZ Check
Here's what the app looks like on your iPhone:
App for everything...
Quite handy - I can't even begin to count the number of times I could have used something like this back in the day...
That is all.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Fall...
The Cub Scout Halloween party is over - Igor had his triumphant return to the Haunted Hallway yet again - and we've only the yearly ritual begging left for this month-long ordeal celebration. Last week was the PTA Halloween Howl; last night was the Hallway; and next week is the main event - and then right into the crazy season before the greatest day of the year in kid-dome...
The leaves are almost all gone; the few remaining leaves on the branches are forlorn and falling fast. The trappings of summer - the patio furniture and water toys - have all been put away for the winter; the air conditioner is covered against ice and snow; all that's left is to winterize the camper and cover it over - and the yearly ritual of storing the Harley for the season. It won't be long before the first snowfall arrives (we've had significant snowfall as early as the first week of November); before long we'll be facing three solid months or more of freezing temperatures, blowing snow, and barren landscapes.
I am so much more a spring person than a fall person...
That is all.
The leaves are almost all gone; the few remaining leaves on the branches are forlorn and falling fast. The trappings of summer - the patio furniture and water toys - have all been put away for the winter; the air conditioner is covered against ice and snow; all that's left is to winterize the camper and cover it over - and the yearly ritual of storing the Harley for the season. It won't be long before the first snowfall arrives (we've had significant snowfall as early as the first week of November); before long we'll be facing three solid months or more of freezing temperatures, blowing snow, and barren landscapes.
I am so much more a spring person than a fall person...
That is all.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
All But The Last Panel...
Heh. Sent to me by TheAxe was this funny comic from The Oatmeal. The second-to-last panel is more my default, and the last panel would never, ever in a million years cross my mind. This is Massachusetts, after all, and that last panel would be seen as an unforgivable sign of weakness akin to using one's turn signal...
Death before yielding, that's the MA roadway motto...
That is all.
Death before yielding, that's the MA roadway motto...
That is all.
Okay, Just a Couple More Pics...
Heh. Got these earlier this week from Amanda, the other half of the power duo hosting couple Heath and Amanda responsible for the awesomeness that was the Northcoast shoot. She shot two obligatory photos that I just had to share:
CHAAAHGE!
A still shot of the bayonet charge. The blurs to my right are THOTpolice and Cueball; laughing maniacally in the background is Heath.
And no shoot would be complete without an accounting of the brass:
Bucket 'O' Brass
Remember that doesn't include shotgun hulls, brass that was collected by individual shooters (I reclaimed all my .38 and .357 brass for future use), or .22LR brass. That's a five gallon bucket more than half full there.
And, once again, thanks to Amanda for the pictures and for hosting our motley group...
That is all.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Not Surprising...
I doubt we will ever know the true depths to which this repulsive man took our nation.
President Bill Clinton Lost Nuclear Codes While in Office, New Book Claims
SEVERAL. MONTHS. There was an uproar in the late '70s when the rumor surfaced that Carter left the "biscuit" in a suit that got sent to the cleaners - a matter of hours - yet the Clinton administration loses it for "several months" and it's no big deal. Yawn. Just silly American imperialism. But George Bush was responsible for 9/11 happening on his watch. Never mind the 8 prior years of complete and utter neglect of America and her security that passed under his predecessor, the depths of which we are only scratching the surface right now.
We couldn't impeach Clinton while the economy was good, right? Can we impeach him now?
That is all
President Bill Clinton Lost Nuclear Codes While in Office, New Book Claims
When you're President of the United States, you can lose a vote, you can lose popular
support, and you can lose a round of golf. But you're never, ever supposed to lose the biscuit.
That's what they call the card the president is meant to keep close at hand, bearing the codes that he has to have in order to launch a nuclear attack. And for several months during the Clinton administration, a former top military officer says they lost the biscuit.
SEVERAL. MONTHS. There was an uproar in the late '70s when the rumor surfaced that Carter left the "biscuit" in a suit that got sent to the cleaners - a matter of hours - yet the Clinton administration loses it for "several months" and it's no big deal. Yawn. Just silly American imperialism. But George Bush was responsible for 9/11 happening on his watch. Never mind the 8 prior years of complete and utter neglect of America and her security that passed under his predecessor, the depths of which we are only scratching the surface right now.
We couldn't impeach Clinton while the economy was good, right? Can we impeach him now?
That is all
Getting Into the Spirit...
Heh. Seen around casa del G.:
Strong Stuff
Mother's Little Helper causes tooth decay, too...
That is all.
Phobias...
Apparently Lissa's little bout with a spider touched a nerve with some folks - the comments keep on coming, both at her post and at my link. It got me to thinking about phobias in general, about those that I personally possess and the reasons for them, as well as how we can deal with them. I thought it might be interesting to chuck out some ideas. Generally, we tend to be afraid of things out of either ignorance (think guns) or because of specific incidents.
I have two irrational phobias:
I have two irrational phobias:
- Flying. I am not what you would call a good flyer. I'm not even a white-knuckle flyer - if I have to get on an airplane, it's generally with a good amount of "medication" and trepidation. I come by it honestly - I flew out of Tampa, FL ahead of a hurricane and we ran into turbulence so bad that it a) frightened the flight attendants; b) caused us a moment or two of actual free-fall; and c) so thoroughly scared the hell out of me that I said the Lord's Prayer in English and French. I also had a close call landing in Boston where the air traffic controller tried to land us on top of another plane...
- Large dogs. I got bitten pretty bad by a German Shepherd when I was 5 - you're not supposed to pet a guard dog when they're eating, go figure - and have been scared silly of large dogs ever since. Shepherds, pit bulls, Dobies, Bull mastiffs, etc. all have me terrified; even labs and retrievers make me a little nervous unless I know them.
I find it interesting that my two phobias because they're similar but different. Both arise from specific incidents in my past for their genesis; one is a primal fear, the other far more recent; both arise from genetic and conditioned responses that humans have developed over time. The fear of dogs - I'd extrapolate to a general fear of larger predators - is obviously a survival instinct, handed down in our genetic code from the days when we had to fight to stay at the top of the food chain. It's a hindbrain, primal urge to run like hell when faced with something that could potentially eat us - pure flight response.
Flying is more recent, obviously, but with roots going back certainly as far as man himself. There are twin concepts at work here - there's the loss of control one experiences when getting into an airplane as well as the generalized fear of falling. When you step on board an airplane, someone you have never met is going to apply sufficient thrust to get a large metal tube airborne and hurtling along at speeds up to 500-600 MPH. You have no idea if the pilot is the greatest pilot who ever grabbed a yoke or someone who washed out of 15 flight schools before dropping enough cash in the Bahamas for a certificate - and you're trusting this unknown with your very life. We've also got a built in altimeter - we instinctively know when we have reached the height at which a fall will kill us - so not only are we at the mercy of a stranger, but we will die when we hit the ground.
There's little I can do to overcome my fear of dogs. I'm allergic, so getting a pet that's a large dog isn't possible. Were I not allergic I could find a Shepherd puppy and and bond with it from an early age, helping me see it grow from a baby into a full grown dog. I could volunteer at an animal shelter, where I would interact with many different large(r) dogs and recondition myself to them - seeing them in a friendly light rather than in an aggressive light. Since I happen to prefer breathing, I'll keep my distance - and my fear.
Flying's a little tougher. On a purely logical level, I know my fear is completely irrational. I ride a motorcycle. I've even been known to ride without a helmet on occasion. On a logical level, I know that I am about 10,000 times more likely to die riding my Harley than in an airplane crash. I've had enough close calls on the bike to know that people generally are pretty damn clueless, and when they outmass you 4-5 to 1 they don't give a rat's ass about you. Yet I'll get on my Harley without hesitation, because I'm in control. After the first incident out of Tampa, I flew for my (previous) job on a regular basis - every other month roughly. While I was apprehensive about flying, the repetition (and subsequent eventless flights) helped me get over my fear. Momentarily...
We develop fears for both rational and irrational reasons. Some are superstitions with no basis in fact or genetics; others are ingrained from terrifying experience; still others come completely out of the blue. We can work to overcome our fears, develop ways of working around them, or, in some cases, only face them once in a great while. The trick, obviously, is to not let your fears rule you or the choices you make in life, and understanding both the basis for the fear and having a plan to deal with it helps immensely.
That said, what are your irrational (or rational) fears?
That is all.
File Under "N" for Not Long For This World...
20-year-old woman student is police chief of violent Mexican town
I'd give even odds over her finishing out her term - unlike her predecessor, that is...
That is all.
Link from PISSED, who forwarded this story to me with the subject line of "Life Expectancy FAIL"...
Mexico City: A 20-year-old criminology student, the only candidate for the position, was designated as police chief in the violence-plagued town of Guadalupe Distrito Bravo, Mexican media reported Tuesday.Do you think there's a reason you were the only candidate? I like how, later in the article, the responsibility for fighting the drug gangs is shunted off to "other law enforcement agencies". Let us know how that works for you - provided, of course, that you can find a suitable medium. Actually, she might not be too bad off - something tells me someone whose aim is to "reclaim public space" isn't exactly going to make the cartels quake in their boots. They might even help keep her alive so they don't have to worry about a police chief who might stand up to them...
Marisol Valles Garcia took charge on Monday of security in the town, population 10,000, on the US border. The community is around 80 km east of Ciudad Juarez, itself regarded as the most violent city in Mexico.
I'd give even odds over her finishing out her term - unlike her predecessor, that is...
That is all.
Link from PISSED, who forwarded this story to me with the subject line of "Life Expectancy FAIL"...
More Like This, Please...
Woman shoots and kills intruder, wounds another
I am *definitely* not a fan of posting the damn address of the victim here; this report goes one better and POSTS A DAMN MAP OF THE AREA. Great. Now the family and friends of the goblin that was killed know exactly where to go... Minor rant aside, THIS is EXACTLY why those that want to take away our firearms can go to hell. Two men kick in a door to find a woman with two small children. What do you suppose would have happened if she had not had a firearm?
This story could have gone so horribly wrong I don't even like to think about the possibilities. Instead, we have one dead goblin, one wounded - who if there is any justice will face homicide charges if there's any "commission of a crime" laws in place. Because this young mother had access to a firearm - and the fortitude to use it - the outcome is a much happier one. Sure, there's some dry cleaning involved, but it's a helluva lot better than another possibility with 2 men on one woman with kids...
Dead Goblin Count: 78
That is all.
Story sent to me by JP and Jennifer - thanks you two!
MIDWEST CITY — A woman who told police she shot and killed one intruder and wounded another this morning appeared to be acting within her rights under the "Make My Day" law, Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said.
Police found one man dead in a house at 9313 NE 14 and captured a juvenile with a gunshot wound about a block and a half north of the house, Clabes said. The woman told police the intruder she wounded fled the house after he was shot.
I am *definitely* not a fan of posting the damn address of the victim here; this report goes one better and POSTS A DAMN MAP OF THE AREA. Great. Now the family and friends of the goblin that was killed know exactly where to go... Minor rant aside, THIS is EXACTLY why those that want to take away our firearms can go to hell. Two men kick in a door to find a woman with two small children. What do you suppose would have happened if she had not had a firearm?
This story could have gone so horribly wrong I don't even like to think about the possibilities. Instead, we have one dead goblin, one wounded - who if there is any justice will face homicide charges if there's any "commission of a crime" laws in place. Because this young mother had access to a firearm - and the fortitude to use it - the outcome is a much happier one. Sure, there's some dry cleaning involved, but it's a helluva lot better than another possibility with 2 men on one woman with kids...
Dead Goblin Count: 78
That is all.
Story sent to me by JP and Jennifer - thanks you two!
Friday Gun Pr0n #186
Look at the date. Is there any other gun I could possibly post today? I didn't think so... Here's a round-up of 10/22s I've featured over the years:
BSA 100th anniversary 10/22
BSA 100th anniversary 10/22 Custom Ruger
Tim in Seattle's custom 10/22
Is That What I Think It Is?
My 10/22 done in evil
Wall 'o' 10/22s
Yes, that is what you think it is
My 10/22, old school.
No matter what form it takes, the 10/22 is a perennial favorite.
That is all.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Remember to Tune Your (BT)Radio!
Because the irrepressible Stingray will be Breda's cohost tonight on BB&Guns!
The show's theme is "What I Learned From Liberals" - it ought to be a doozy. I know I've learned a thing or two over the years [pause for laughter] - be sure to tune in and maybe even add your own anecdote or two. It's at 8:00 PM tonight - be there!
And if you really want to hear Stingray rant, just call in and utter two words: Critical Mass...
That is all.
The show's theme is "What I Learned From Liberals" - it ought to be a doozy. I know I've learned a thing or two over the years [pause for laughter] - be sure to tune in and maybe even add your own anecdote or two. It's at 8:00 PM tonight - be there!
And if you really want to hear Stingray rant, just call in and utter two words: Critical Mass...
That is all.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time, New Addition!
Reader Scott sends me the following addition to the DGC:
Police: Driver Kills Would-Be Carjacker
But a willingness to open fire before your intended victim even has a chance to respond? That thug made the decision to kill long before he approached that guy, and had our hero not been armed, he'd be another statistic in Detroit's murder tally. Make no mistake - he was marked for death for no reason other than he owned something that a thug wanted. Only the gun he was lawfully carrying saved his life - not compliance, not "giving them what they want", not refraining from resisting - but honest to goodness actual lead flying back at the goblin.
Dead Goblin Count: 77
That is all.
Police: Driver Kills Would-Be Carjacker
DETROIT, Mich. — A father from Detroit survives a double shooting that exposed his double life.Ouch. Nothing like having to defend your life in a shoot-out to bring your cheatin' heart to the forefront... That aside, bravo to you sir. He was approached by an armed thug who demanded the keys to his SUV - and started shooting - and not only survived the encounter but killed the thug in the process. There are no guarantees, but if the thug had not started shooting he might have gotten the car - let's face it, the guy wouldn't have been exposed if he handed the keys over.
The 36-year-old man, who is married with a 9-year-old daughter, was out with another woman and her 5-year-old son at the time of the shooting.
But a willingness to open fire before your intended victim even has a chance to respond? That thug made the decision to kill long before he approached that guy, and had our hero not been armed, he'd be another statistic in Detroit's murder tally. Make no mistake - he was marked for death for no reason other than he owned something that a thug wanted. Only the gun he was lawfully carrying saved his life - not compliance, not "giving them what they want", not refraining from resisting - but honest to goodness actual lead flying back at the goblin.
Dead Goblin Count: 77
That is all.
Worse Than MA? INCONCEIVABLE!
In an attempt to wrestle the "most restrictive handgun laws" title from MA, Chicago has one-upped us in the Approved/not-Approved handgun roster:
Chicago Police Department Roster of “Unsafe Handguns”
Read the list. It makes our Approved Firearms Roster seem positively inclusive. I like how Daisy is listed - apparently Ralphie's Red Ryder is not safe enough for the city of Chicago, most likely because of the assault compass in the stock. Reading through the list, it appears they've gotten ahold of a registry of "every firearm manufacturer that ever made firearms in the history of time" and included, well, all of them. Some manufacturers - like Smith & Wesson - haven't made the models in question in well over 100 years. Heck, I'd wager some of the manufacturers listed haven't been in business in over 100 years.
It's hard to see what the city of Chicago thought they'd gain with this stunt. They've been spanked but good over the handgun ban; now it appears that they're poised to get the concept of an "Approved" roster thrown out. With the inclusion of just about every gun ever made on this list, they illustrate the danger to our Second Amendment right to own a firearm - once you permit the government to dictate which guns can - and cannot - be owned, you start the journey to banning. Maybe they have overreached this time, and MA might reap the benefits when the decision is made that such rosters are unconstitutional.
And maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt, too...
That is all.
Link sent by PISSED, who notes the first comment on the article: "Hol crap! Why didn’t they just list the company that they do allow? It would have saved time and paper."
Chicago Police Department Roster of “Unsafe Handguns”
Chicago, IL --(Ammoland.com)- The City of Chicago released its roster of “unsafe handguns” that cannot be legally possessed in the City because they cannot be registered with the police as one part of obtaining a license to possess a gun, as required under the City’s new gun laws.
But the list is not limited to hand guns as the law is so vague it can be interpreted as to apply to all guns made by a manufacture.
Read the list. It makes our Approved Firearms Roster seem positively inclusive. I like how Daisy is listed - apparently Ralphie's Red Ryder is not safe enough for the city of Chicago, most likely because of the assault compass in the stock. Reading through the list, it appears they've gotten ahold of a registry of "every firearm manufacturer that ever made firearms in the history of time" and included, well, all of them. Some manufacturers - like Smith & Wesson - haven't made the models in question in well over 100 years. Heck, I'd wager some of the manufacturers listed haven't been in business in over 100 years.
It's hard to see what the city of Chicago thought they'd gain with this stunt. They've been spanked but good over the handgun ban; now it appears that they're poised to get the concept of an "Approved" roster thrown out. With the inclusion of just about every gun ever made on this list, they illustrate the danger to our Second Amendment right to own a firearm - once you permit the government to dictate which guns can - and cannot - be owned, you start the journey to banning. Maybe they have overreached this time, and MA might reap the benefits when the decision is made that such rosters are unconstitutional.
And maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt, too...
That is all.
Link sent by PISSED, who notes the first comment on the article: "Hol crap! Why didn’t they just list the company that they do allow? It would have saved time and paper."
Arachnaphobia...
Lissa has a run-in with a ginormous spider.
Hilarity ensues. Go read the whole thing, but be warned - please swallow all liquids lest you spray them all over your monitor and/or keyboard. Here's a sample:
She provides some pictures for scale - it's a mighty small Cadillac - and weaves (ha!) an interesting yarn of doing battle with indigenous critters in her new sunny FLA home. Living up north, where it's generally too cold for critters of this type, it had to have been a shock. It also reminded me of when I was in college and working in the produce section of the local grocery store. We opened up a box of bananas and found that it had a stowaway - a black widow spider. They're surprisingly small - but the hourglass gives it away.
And there's no truth to the rumor that I developed a 4' vertical leap that day...
That is all.
Hilarity ensues. Go read the whole thing, but be warned - please swallow all liquids lest you spray them all over your monitor and/or keyboard. Here's a sample:
It’s eleven o’clock at night. I’m making the nightly round, checking the locks and doors, and I reach for the sawed-off broomstick that wedges the sliding patio door. As I sweep back the curtain and reach down, I notice A SPIDER THE SIZE OF A F***ING CADILLAC SITTING ON THE INSIDE OF OUR GLASS DOOR.
She provides some pictures for scale - it's a mighty small Cadillac - and weaves (ha!) an interesting yarn of doing battle with indigenous critters in her new sunny FLA home. Living up north, where it's generally too cold for critters of this type, it had to have been a shock. It also reminded me of when I was in college and working in the produce section of the local grocery store. We opened up a box of bananas and found that it had a stowaway - a black widow spider. They're surprisingly small - but the hourglass gives it away.
And there's no truth to the rumor that I developed a 4' vertical leap that day...
That is all.
With All Due Respect...
You mess with the Killdozer, you get the horns...
Israeli soldier involved in bulldozer death to testify
Like the man said in "Men in Black": If you don't start none, there won't be none.
That is all.
Israeli soldier involved in bulldozer death to testify
(CNN) -- A former Israeli soldier is expected to testify Thursday in a civil suit filed by the parents of an American peace activist, who was crushed to death in 2003 by a bulldozer as she tried to prevent Israel from bulldozing homes in Gaza.The soldier -- the one driving the vehicle when Rachel Corrie, 23, was run over -- will testify from behind a screen to protect his identity. The Israeli Supreme Court upheld the decision to shield him.
I honestly can't think of anything to say here that won't come across as black-hearted and mean. So I'll just speak my mind then... Rachel Corrie played a very expensive game of "Chicken" which she lost and paid with her life. She injected herself into an ageless battle between two groups that have never, do not, and will never see eye-to-eye, and she allowed herself to get caught up in the romanticism of the supposed victim. She willingly chose to use herself as a human shield, and wound up crushed under an armored bulldozer for choosing improperly to block it with her own body.
Whether the soldier knew she was there or not is immaterial; she willfully put herself in danger akin to the folks that run with the bulls in Pamplona. She relied on the operator of the bulldozer not only being able to see her, but also to want to stop before hitting her - and being able to stop before hitting her. It's doubtful the soldier intentionally ran her over - we humans have a natural aversion to killing our own kind for the most part - it's more likely that he never saw her to begin with (considering that she was behind a mound of dirt).
And, lastly, it gives me a reason to post a gratuitous picture of KILLDOZER:
Like the man said in "Men in Black": If you don't start none, there won't be none.
That is all.
In Defense of The Rules...
There has been a LOT of discussion about The Four Rules lately. Alan thinks they should be boiled down to two rules. Unc wants to add a fifth. Tam thinks there ought to be a Rule Zero. Being contrarian, as well as a traditionalist, I thought I'd run down the Four Rules and offer my reasons for keeping them all...
1. ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
I prefer to think of this one as "treat every gun as though it were loaded", because there are definite circumstances under which you know your gun is, in fact, not loaded. Every time a gun touches your hand, treat it as though it were loaded until you verify that it is not. I suspect this rule came into being because of the plethora of "I didn't know it was loaded!" excuses for NDs. Guns. Are. Dangerous. End of list. They're even more dangerous if you treat them like a prop or a toy without checking to see if they're loaded.
Rule 1 is deliciously simple; I think for that reason it tends to get overlooked. "Air is important for breathing", yeah, we tend to gloss over something that simple. An unloaded gun is a poor club; relatively harmless in the scheme of things, so the default more or less turns to "loaded" - which is good - except when it becomes so commonplace as to get forgotten. This dovetails with Uncle's Fifth rule - when that gun starts to fall, Rule #1 goes out the window and the dropper will instinctively grab for it. Unfortunately, the trigger guard is a handy little place to catch a firearm as it falls...
2. NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
Pretty self-explanatory. Don't point the gun at anything you are not willing to put a bullet into - or through. I'd argue that this is the single most important rule - if you never point the gun at something you aren't willing to shoot, you will never have a tragic accident. Even if you have a loaded gun, even if you put your finger on the trigger, as long as the gun is pointed in a safe direction (and "up" is not a safe direction), you'll be okay.
It's a pretty safe bet that we have all been muzzle-swept at one point or another; it's a pretty even bet that, if you spend enough time on the range, you might even sweep someone yourself. This rule gets tricky in that the only way to absolutely not cover someone with your firearm is to leave it in the safe - when you're carrying in a pocket, for example, your muzzle might point at the person across the table from you when you sit down to lunch. Now, granted, that's a holstered firearm that's not actively being touched, but it is still pointing in a direction you don't necessarily want to ventilate.
3. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
Once again, pretty self-explanatory. The vast majority of modern guns will not fire without the trigger being pulled under any circumstance (barring mechanical failure, etc.) - the only way to make the gun go boom is to put your boogerhook on the bang switch. Keep said boogerhook off the trigger, no boom. It's just that simple. We most often see this rule broken in sensational photographs involving people and guns...
Here's another one that seems intuitively simple, yet gets broken all the time. We dry-fire, we test how a shotgun comes to shoulder, we check length-of-pull, etc. This is why having multiple rules is so important - if you're in a case where you must break a rule, obeying the other three prevents accidents from happening. If you're dry-firing, yet you have the gun pointed in a safe place, even if by some fluke the gun were to be loaded (obeying rule1!), you're still safe (although possibly deaf).
4. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.
Most often "and what's beyond it" is appended to this one; a bit superfluous of course but not a bad idea. Hand in hand with #2, tragedies can be averted by following these two. It's a sad rite of passage, every year around this time we hear of some poor innocent out for a walk in the woods who catches a round from a hunter who breaks this rule. Alternately someone will get hit by a falling round - "gun clapping" - or one that leaves the range. This rule is often paired with "you own every bullet you fire".
This rule should be extrapolated to include backstops and such whenever shooting. Things like rocks, bodies of water, or misshapen steel targets should be taken into consideration - things like what happens if your round catches a rock hidden in the dirt berm? Backstops should be solid but not too tightly packed; steel spinners, poppers, or plates should be placed in front of solid backstops and should be free of holes or dents that could unexpectedly alter a bullet's path. Even something as simple as using the right firearm - like not shooting a high-powered rifle at a steel pistol target - falls under this rule.
This isn't meant to disparage any of the other suggestions; Tam's is downright elegant in its simplicity - I'd boil it down even simpler to "Guns are not toys". It seems like the vast bulk of "accidents" result from people failing to treat a particular firearm with the proper respect and pointing it at something they shouldn't and putting their finger on the trigger. In order for something bad to happen - for someone to get shot "accidentally" - all four rules have to be broken
That is all.
1. ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
I prefer to think of this one as "treat every gun as though it were loaded", because there are definite circumstances under which you know your gun is, in fact, not loaded. Every time a gun touches your hand, treat it as though it were loaded until you verify that it is not. I suspect this rule came into being because of the plethora of "I didn't know it was loaded!" excuses for NDs. Guns. Are. Dangerous. End of list. They're even more dangerous if you treat them like a prop or a toy without checking to see if they're loaded.
Rule 1 is deliciously simple; I think for that reason it tends to get overlooked. "Air is important for breathing", yeah, we tend to gloss over something that simple. An unloaded gun is a poor club; relatively harmless in the scheme of things, so the default more or less turns to "loaded" - which is good - except when it becomes so commonplace as to get forgotten. This dovetails with Uncle's Fifth rule - when that gun starts to fall, Rule #1 goes out the window and the dropper will instinctively grab for it. Unfortunately, the trigger guard is a handy little place to catch a firearm as it falls...
2. NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
Pretty self-explanatory. Don't point the gun at anything you are not willing to put a bullet into - or through. I'd argue that this is the single most important rule - if you never point the gun at something you aren't willing to shoot, you will never have a tragic accident. Even if you have a loaded gun, even if you put your finger on the trigger, as long as the gun is pointed in a safe direction (and "up" is not a safe direction), you'll be okay.
It's a pretty safe bet that we have all been muzzle-swept at one point or another; it's a pretty even bet that, if you spend enough time on the range, you might even sweep someone yourself. This rule gets tricky in that the only way to absolutely not cover someone with your firearm is to leave it in the safe - when you're carrying in a pocket, for example, your muzzle might point at the person across the table from you when you sit down to lunch. Now, granted, that's a holstered firearm that's not actively being touched, but it is still pointing in a direction you don't necessarily want to ventilate.
3. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
Once again, pretty self-explanatory. The vast majority of modern guns will not fire without the trigger being pulled under any circumstance (barring mechanical failure, etc.) - the only way to make the gun go boom is to put your boogerhook on the bang switch. Keep said boogerhook off the trigger, no boom. It's just that simple. We most often see this rule broken in sensational photographs involving people and guns...
Here's another one that seems intuitively simple, yet gets broken all the time. We dry-fire, we test how a shotgun comes to shoulder, we check length-of-pull, etc. This is why having multiple rules is so important - if you're in a case where you must break a rule, obeying the other three prevents accidents from happening. If you're dry-firing, yet you have the gun pointed in a safe place, even if by some fluke the gun were to be loaded (obeying rule1!), you're still safe (although possibly deaf).
4. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.
Most often "and what's beyond it" is appended to this one; a bit superfluous of course but not a bad idea. Hand in hand with #2, tragedies can be averted by following these two. It's a sad rite of passage, every year around this time we hear of some poor innocent out for a walk in the woods who catches a round from a hunter who breaks this rule. Alternately someone will get hit by a falling round - "gun clapping" - or one that leaves the range. This rule is often paired with "you own every bullet you fire".
This rule should be extrapolated to include backstops and such whenever shooting. Things like rocks, bodies of water, or misshapen steel targets should be taken into consideration - things like what happens if your round catches a rock hidden in the dirt berm? Backstops should be solid but not too tightly packed; steel spinners, poppers, or plates should be placed in front of solid backstops and should be free of holes or dents that could unexpectedly alter a bullet's path. Even something as simple as using the right firearm - like not shooting a high-powered rifle at a steel pistol target - falls under this rule.
This isn't meant to disparage any of the other suggestions; Tam's is downright elegant in its simplicity - I'd boil it down even simpler to "Guns are not toys". It seems like the vast bulk of "accidents" result from people failing to treat a particular firearm with the proper respect and pointing it at something they shouldn't and putting their finger on the trigger. In order for something bad to happen - for someone to get shot "accidentally" - all four rules have to be broken
- The gun has to be treated as though it were empty - if you really thought the gun you pointed at your friend was loaded, then you were attempting murder.
- The muzzle was not pointed in a proper direction - if you wanted a hole in your friend, see the previous statement.
- A finger touched the trigger before the target was acquired - obviously, if you'd see that your friend had a loaded gun pointed at him, you wouldn't pull the trigger.
- The backstop was not safe - unless you happen to be in the habit of using friends as berms.
That is all.
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