(Picture from Engrish at failblog.com)
Obviously they have concatenated Massachusetts + Moonbatt...
That is all.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Milestone and a Half...
Dunno how I missed it, but yesterday was SayUncle's ninth year blogging.
Nine years. Blogging since 2002. He's got even me beat - in my post congratulating Tam over the weekend, my blogfather reminded me that I've been blogging since 2003 - so he's got nearly a year on me, and he's been doing it solo the whole time. I saw in the comments to his post, and I agree, that if I were to only read one gun blog a day, it would be SayUncle.
Congratulations, Unc!
That is all.
Nine years. Blogging since 2002. He's got even me beat - in my post congratulating Tam over the weekend, my blogfather reminded me that I've been blogging since 2003 - so he's got nearly a year on me, and he's been doing it solo the whole time. I saw in the comments to his post, and I agree, that if I were to only read one gun blog a day, it would be SayUncle.
Congratulations, Unc!
That is all.
This Explains A *Lot*
Woman Gets Duped Into Buying Wooden Apple iPad for $180
What really floors me is that this stupid bint was approached by two men in a McDonald's parking lot about a complex piece of computer hardware. She's offered this bit of hardware at a substantially reduced price - and yet waits until she gets home before opening a Fed Ex box that's supposed to hold the iPad? I wonder how often EMS crews are called to her house because she forgets to chew her food before ramming it down her gullet.
And another thing - these guys took the time to actually paint the block of wood to look like an iPad. I can't decide if that's ballsy or just plain stupid. I guess in a dark parking lot the quick paint job might fool the stupid people, but if you're getting people to bite on a Fed Ex box in a McDonald's parking lot, you're not exactly dealing with a Mensa crowd.
At least one thing is now crystal clear: I understand fully how Barack Øbama got elected now...
That is all.
Yep.
There's an old adage that fits here: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". Look, no one's going to sell a $500 iPad for $300, let alone $180. They're certainly not going to do it out of the trunk of a car. My first thought, long before "I wonder if they're selling a block of wood in that box" would be if the merchandise was stolen. "Receiving stolen property" is a pretty serious crime, and one that I want no part of.But this story hits closer to home. Apparently a South Carolina woman who thought she was buying an Apple iPad for the bargain price of $180 belatedly realized she'd just bought a piece of wood.
We've heard of people wanting the Apple iPad so badly that all common sense seems to fly out the window, like the kid in China who sold his kidney for one.
What really floors me is that this stupid bint was approached by two men in a McDonald's parking lot about a complex piece of computer hardware. She's offered this bit of hardware at a substantially reduced price - and yet waits until she gets home before opening a Fed Ex box that's supposed to hold the iPad? I wonder how often EMS crews are called to her house because she forgets to chew her food before ramming it down her gullet.
And another thing - these guys took the time to actually paint the block of wood to look like an iPad. I can't decide if that's ballsy or just plain stupid. I guess in a dark parking lot the quick paint job might fool the stupid people, but if you're getting people to bite on a Fed Ex box in a McDonald's parking lot, you're not exactly dealing with a Mensa crowd.
At least one thing is now crystal clear: I understand fully how Barack Øbama got elected now...
That is all.
Yep.
It Keeps Getting Better...
Remember Øbama's unkie Onyango, the alkie? (Unkie the alkie!) Turns out he had a valid social security number thanks to our old friend Michael Dukakis:
PICKET: Did president's uncle benefit from 1980's Dukakis fake ID policy for illegals?
It's not surprising that MA would enact such a dumbass policy. This is, after all, the state where a drunk driving illegal alien benefits from a catch-and-release policy - even after breaking and entering and assaulting a police officer - yet a law abiding gun owner gets thrown in prison, without bail, for months for owning a deactivated grenade. This is the state where a child molester gets three years in jail, while someone that happens to buy a new 12 round magazine could face five years.
MA: Common sense ends at the (NH) border.
That is all.
Thanks to Stretch for making me turn to the blood pressure meds this early in the morning...
PICKET: Did president's uncle benefit from 1980's Dukakis fake ID policy for illegals?
Boston radio talk show host Howie Carr brought up on his Monday's show that Onyango Obama, President Obama's long lost half uncle ("Uncle Omar") who was arrested by Framingham, Massachusetts police last week, charged with DUI, and found to have a warrant out on him by immigration authorities at ICE, has a valid social security number and a Massachusetts driver's license.Somehow I just knew this was going to come back to Senor Eyebrows...
Massachusetts welfare workers assigned hundreds of dummy Social Security numbers to illegal immigrants to enable them to receive millions of dollars in state benefits...Yep. You read that right. The Volksrepublik of Massachusetts didn't just get all FUBAR'd yesterday. It's been FUBAR for a long, long time. Dukakis - remember, the man responsible for foisting George H.W. Bush (and by extension, Bill Clinton) on us did such a great job on the state of Massachusetts that he handed the governorship to the GOP (in a state that's 90%+ democratic controlled) for fifteen years.
The practice started after Dukakis issued a 1985 executive order barring state agencies from asking people applying for state services about their citizenship status.
It's not surprising that MA would enact such a dumbass policy. This is, after all, the state where a drunk driving illegal alien benefits from a catch-and-release policy - even after breaking and entering and assaulting a police officer - yet a law abiding gun owner gets thrown in prison, without bail, for months for owning a deactivated grenade. This is the state where a child molester gets three years in jail, while someone that happens to buy a new 12 round magazine could face five years.
MA: Common sense ends at the (NH) border.
That is all.
Thanks to Stretch for making me turn to the blood pressure meds this early in the morning...
America The Beautiful...
Going through some pictures of the bloggershoot last night, I came across one that made me smile:
Very small belt
It made me smile because it goes to this:
Happiness is a belt-fed weapon
Yes, that really is what it looks like. It's a Lakeside Machine LLC belt-fed .22LR upper (sorry, I don't remember the lower) that comes to us courtesy of Paul from SL Guns. Before the bloggershoot, we stopped into SL to say hi and for some folks to pick up some last minute ammo, and Paul happened to be in the shop. I made my way over and said hi, and he had a grin on his face that would have put the Cheshire cat to shame.
He explained to me that after last year, with the goodies brought by Wally and SWR Manufacturing, that he was afraid that plain ol' subguns would lose their allure. Go for the gusto, he said; so he went out and found something truly unique - the belt-fed .22LR machine gun. He brought over 800 rounds of belted .22LR ammo - and it lasted *maybe* 30 minutes... If Miriam-Webster ever decides to put a picture under "fun" in the dictionary, this gun will be it...
Thanks for sharing her with us Paul!
That is all.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
*Snerk*
Got an e-mail from one of the many "lists" I manage to find myself on with this subject:
Does this mean that a Democrat in the Øbama administration actually paid their taxes?
That is all.
Beware Democrat Hypocrisy on TaxesIt turned out to more of the same, let's cut spending before raising taxes (a sentiment with which I agree). I was disappointed, I have to admit. My first thought, upon reading that particular headline, leaned more to the snarky variety. The first thing that blipped into my head was:
Does this mean that a Democrat in the Øbama administration actually paid their taxes?
That is all.
It's Not Every Day...
...that I link a television commercial, but I think this one's worth it...
I LOL'd - and immediately thought of T-bolt...
That is all.
I LOL'd - and immediately thought of T-bolt...
That is all.
Oh, That Wacky First Family!
Weerd covered it yesterday, and commenter Ancient Woodsman sent the story in. I simply had to cover it...
Obama’s uncle arrested in Framingham on drunken driving charge
It's bad enough that Auntie has asylum and suckles at the public teat; but now we've got Unkie Onyango driving like, well, most other illegal aliens out there. The one thing that I wanted to see, though, is the look on the arresting officers' faces when the claims of being the President's uncle actually proved true. That's gotta earn 'em some cred around the donut shop, eh?
Let's see if Unkie Onyango gets asylum, too...
That is all.
Obama’s uncle arrested in Framingham on drunken driving charge
An illegal immigrant from Kenya busted for drunken driving after nearly striking a cop car in Framingham is the uncle of President Obama, the Herald has learned.Oh, by the way, Onyango is the brother of "Auntie Zeituni", Øbama's auntie that he thought so highly of that he wrote about her in his book - yet he lets her continue to live in public housing in the projects of Boston. This is why leftists want to take your money at gunpoint - they can't even take care of their own families.Obama Onyango told cops he wanted to “call the White House” after he was nabbed for OUI Aug. 24 after nearly plowing his SUV into a police cruiser. He was arraigned Thursday and was ordered held without bail because he was wanted on a federal immigration warrant, officials said.
It's bad enough that Auntie has asylum and suckles at the public teat; but now we've got Unkie Onyango driving like, well, most other illegal aliens out there. The one thing that I wanted to see, though, is the look on the arresting officers' faces when the claims of being the President's uncle actually proved true. That's gotta earn 'em some cred around the donut shop, eh?
Let's see if Unkie Onyango gets asylum, too...
That is all.
Snippets...
Had a bunch of stories sent in that I wanted to address, so here's a bunch all at once. Call it the "shotgun" approach...
Stretch sends one in that's going to have me seriously thinking about sleeping with a .308 under the pillow...
Giant rat killed by pitchfork in Marcy Houses is believed to be Gambian pouched rat
Be careful. There's a picture at the link. I now understand why we have flamethrowers...
Wally sends in this infuriating story:
Burglar's family awarded $300,000 in wrongful death suit
Reader 8notch sends in a cautionary tale about being a speedtrap tattletale:
Class action suit says Florida Highway Patrol illegally tickets motorists who warn others about speed traps
The Big Guy informs us that we have our very own lounge. Something tells me you don't want to order a screwdriver there...
One last one from Stretch, a warning to be careful in the desert:
Two tourists killed by heat stroke after getting out of car to go for help in California desert
Be careful out there, for a wide variety of reasons.
That is all.
Stretch sends one in that's going to have me seriously thinking about sleeping with a .308 under the pillow...
Giant rat killed by pitchfork in Marcy Houses is believed to be Gambian pouched rat
Be careful. There's a picture at the link. I now understand why we have flamethrowers...
Wally sends in this infuriating story:
Burglar's family awarded $300,000 in wrongful death suit
An El Paso County jury on Friday awarded nearly $300,000 to the daughter of a burglar who was fatally shot in 2009 while breaking into an auto lot.Right. Because the authorities had been ever-so-eager and willing to stake out the business all night long to catch meth-heads stealing stereos. Watch how fast they move. Anyone that's ever had their car broken into and has dealt with "the authorities" knows that smash&grab crimes are not particularly high on the list of "crimes that get significant attention by the police". What's worse, though, is that the recently deceased had three knives on his person, yet was allegedly "no threat" - hello? I was unaware that the police were now able to read dead people's minds...
Parents of the victim, Robert Johnson Fox, embraced their attorneys after a judge announced the jury’s verdict, capping a two-week-long civil trial in which business owner Jovan Milanovic and two relatives were painted as vigilantes who plotted a deadly ambush rather than let authorities deal with a string of recent burglaries.
Reader 8notch sends in a cautionary tale about being a speedtrap tattletale:
Class action suit says Florida Highway Patrol illegally tickets motorists who warn others about speed traps
Tampa, Florida -- When the Florida Highway Patrol pulls someone over on the highway, it's usually because they were speeding.
But Eric Campbell was pulled over and ticketed while he was driving the speed limit.
Yep. The "offense"? "Improper flashing of high beams". You can almost hear the cops laughing as they wrote the ticket... Mr. Campbell is suing the police for improper ticketing - plus $15K in damages. I hope he gets it.
The Big Guy informs us that we have our very own lounge. Something tells me you don't want to order a screwdriver there...
One last one from Stretch, a warning to be careful in the desert:
Two tourists killed by heat stroke after getting out of car to go for help in California desert
A Dutch music promoter and his German girlfriend died from heat stroke after apparently getting out of their car in the California desert to go for help.They chose the wrong vehicle, and upon getting stuck chose the wrong option. Rather than calling for help and sitting tight, they proceeded on foot. It proved to be the last mistake they would make.
Augustinus Van Hove, 44, and Helena Nuellet, 38, drove into Joshua Tree National Park before noon on Monday and took a remote, dirt road to head towards Arizona, according to police.
Be careful out there, for a wide variety of reasons.
That is all.
Asking The Tough Questions...
Heh. Commenter, blogfodder source, blogmeet attendee, mensch, and good friend Brad_in_MA has a situation. Brad recently got his MA LTC, starting his own journey into the crazy world of the gun nut, with two purchases already under his belt. You know where this is going, don't you?
Brad's looking for #3:
Either gun would fulfill Brad's requirements - ability to change configuration, wood stock, etc. There's other, more exotic options like the Benelli tactical line; the value-minded Stevens Security model; or even the high-end Browning BPS; however for a first shotgun, there's really no reason to either skimp or spend too much. Either the 500 or the 870 provide a stable, sturdy, reliable entry into shotguns; with the ability to expand capabilities down the line. Either one would be an excellent choice; it boils down to a "Ford vs. Chevy" type argument which is better.
Of course, I heartily endorse the Mossberg 590 with bayonet lug - because, as I'm fond of saying, "A shotgun without a bayonet is like a day without sunshine"...
That is all.
Brad's looking for #3:
And while the next purchase is a ways off . . . having a plan is never a bad thing. The M1 garand is definitely on the (very) short list of WANT WANT WANT ever so badly because it has been characterized as "The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised", it is a rather impractical piece. So . . . where have my thoughts taken me? 12 gauge !!!
When I last went to Westford Sportsmen's I shot, among other things, a Browning BPS 12ga. I liked the idea of its bottom eject, but am not beholden to that design. I saw that at the moment, FS has an Ithaca 37 (also bottom eject) on their used page for $200. Assuming decent condition, not sure if this is a reasonable price, but I digress.
The first question I have to answer is: What is the purpose for this purchase? I'm thinking trap, & maybe sporting clays. It would serve secondarily as a SHTF, EOTWAWKI, CLRAWHHCO (Chicken Little Running Around With His Head Cut Off) piece. I'm pretty certain I want a pumper for simplicity & reliability. For trap/clays I'll need a long-ish barrel, but for home defense I'll want to max out at about 20 inches. Out of the gate, I'm thinking in the 22 or 24 inch range as a compromise. And whatever I buy MUST be able to handle 3" magnum shells. I can't imagine needing / wanting anything to handle the 3.5" Turkey-saurus loads which were at bloggershoot.
Another consideration . . . I like wood. To me, the plastic, black tacticool shotties are just soul-less pieces for rendering death and destruction. Wood gives character and soul to any gun. Something to "ooh" and "aaaah" about if the wood looks nice.
A further consideration would be flexibility and ability to modify / upgrade. While I don't think I'd need anything with as many options as there are for guns like the 10/22, having some ability to customer a shotty would be nice. I fear that guns like the Browning BPS or the Ithaca 37 just don't have a lot.
And lastly, what the hell would I name a shotty? Gotta use a girl's name, that's for sure. Is there a champion Ladies trap or skeet shooter you know if?
So . . . I've come up with either a Rem 870 or Mossy 500/590 series. Thoughts?
With the demise of the Winchester 1300, the pump-action shotgun market has really boiled down to either the Mossberg 500 or the Remington 870. Yes, there are other guns out there - Brad mentions the Ithaca 37, frex - but for accessories, the Mossie and Remie are tops. Extra barrels - like a rifled slug barrel for hunting, or a 26" barrel with interchangeable chokes - can be readily swapped out to change configurations in minutes.
Either gun would fulfill Brad's requirements - ability to change configuration, wood stock, etc. There's other, more exotic options like the Benelli tactical line; the value-minded Stevens Security model; or even the high-end Browning BPS; however for a first shotgun, there's really no reason to either skimp or spend too much. Either the 500 or the 870 provide a stable, sturdy, reliable entry into shotguns; with the ability to expand capabilities down the line. Either one would be an excellent choice; it boils down to a "Ford vs. Chevy" type argument which is better.
Of course, I heartily endorse the Mossberg 590 with bayonet lug - because, as I'm fond of saying, "A shotgun without a bayonet is like a day without sunshine"...
That is all.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Run Up The Score!
Brad_in_MA sends in the latest DGC addition, from the Show Me state Land of Lincoln:
Metro-East pawn shop owner shoots at robbers, killing one
We're closing in on 200 - would be nice to hit before Halloween!
Dead Goblin Count: 190
That is all.
Side note: I had a couple folks send me the story about the retired Detroit cop who dispatched a robber in a McDonalds. I elected to leave it off the count mainly because it was a retired cop who did the shooting - even though MI is pretty decent about firearms and carry permits (well, compared to MA, anything is decent), there's still a "protect your own" vibe for retired cops that gave this shooter more leeway than a "retired hospital worker" or "retired IT guy" might get...
Metro-East pawn shop owner shoots at robbers, killing one
(KMOV.com) -- An investigation has been initiated after a Metro-East pawn shop owner shot at two robbers, killing one.The story indicates that the deceased robber used to work at the pawn shop, which just makes this an even dumber move - shouldn't he have known that someone there might be armed? Many pawn shops take in firearms as part of their stock in trade; as a result, pawnshop employees tend to take measures akin to those in gun shops. Sounds like he got blind to the reality and thought about the money and shiny things rather than the guns, though... Good guys won this round, though!
Police said the robbery and shooting happened Saturday morning at the Pawn Pros pawn shop at the corner of 12th and State streets in East St. Louis, Illinois.
We're closing in on 200 - would be nice to hit before Halloween!
Dead Goblin Count: 190
That is all.
Side note: I had a couple folks send me the story about the retired Detroit cop who dispatched a robber in a McDonalds. I elected to leave it off the count mainly because it was a retired cop who did the shooting - even though MI is pretty decent about firearms and carry permits (well, compared to MA, anything is decent), there's still a "protect your own" vibe for retired cops that gave this shooter more leeway than a "retired hospital worker" or "retired IT guy" might get...
The Facts Beg to Differ...
Oh, boy, Øbama Jr.'s gone and done it again...
Illegal immigration is not to blame for fatality, Patrick says
I've covered this story before, and it still infuriates me. In a sick, twisted way he's right. Illegal immigration didn't kill Matthew Denice, a drunk driver did. However, it was a drunk driver who had no business being in the country, never mind on the streets, and that is a direct result of the inability of the state of Massachusetts to deal with criminals in general and illegal aliens specifically.
Now, here's the thing. If I assaulted a cop, you had better believe I'd be charged with a crime and treated accordingly. I'd gain a felony conviction, making me ineligible to own a firearm anywhere in the US. But since Mr. Gauman was an illegal alien, charging him with a felony would have meant alerting Immigration, and we progessives in MA certainly couldn't have that. So they mysteriously marked the case Continued Without a Finding, meaning that as long as Gaumanused a different fake ID next traffic stop stayed under the radar, he'd be off scot-free.
Read that again. The state of Massachusetts would rather release a dangerous criminal back into the general population than run the risk of an illegal getting deported. They would rather downgrade rather serious crimes (assault and battery, breaking & entering) to that of a speeding ticket in order to maintain the illegal alien voter base. That is what killed Matthew Denice - the incessant pandering to the criminal population.
Again, Governor Deval, j'accuse.
That is all.
Illegal immigration is not to blame for fatality, Patrick says
Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday that he shared the community’s outrage over the death of a 23-year-old Milford man struck last week by an alleged drunk driver who was also an illegal immigrant. But the governor urged people not to blame the death on illegal immigration.
...
“It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy,’’ Patrick said at the end of a news conference about preparations for Hurricane Irene. But, he added, “Illegal immigration didn’t kill this person. A drunk driver killed this person, and we have laws about that. And I expect the book to be thrown at this person.’’
I've covered this story before, and it still infuriates me. In a sick, twisted way he's right. Illegal immigration didn't kill Matthew Denice, a drunk driver did. However, it was a drunk driver who had no business being in the country, never mind on the streets, and that is a direct result of the inability of the state of Massachusetts to deal with criminals in general and illegal aliens specifically.
Now, here's the thing. If I assaulted a cop, you had better believe I'd be charged with a crime and treated accordingly. I'd gain a felony conviction, making me ineligible to own a firearm anywhere in the US. But since Mr. Gauman was an illegal alien, charging him with a felony would have meant alerting Immigration, and we progessives in MA certainly couldn't have that. So they mysteriously marked the case Continued Without a Finding, meaning that as long as Gauman
Read that again. The state of Massachusetts would rather release a dangerous criminal back into the general population than run the risk of an illegal getting deported. They would rather downgrade rather serious crimes (assault and battery, breaking & entering) to that of a speeding ticket in order to maintain the illegal alien voter base. That is what killed Matthew Denice - the incessant pandering to the criminal population.
Again, Governor Deval, j'accuse.
That is all.
Playin' Around...
Thanks to Borders cartwheeling into the ground on fire, we picked up a very nice selection of board games for rock-bottom prices. It came in handy yesterday during the ZOMG HURRICANEPOCALYPSE, if for nothing else than having a non-electronic source of amusement in case of power outage. When Irene started to wind down without too much incident, we had some fun...
Come On Irene
And yes, we did use all the letter tiles...
That is all.
Trying To Lose the "New" in "New England"...
Stretch sent this to me last week. It is to facepalm...
Knife Safety
I like how they infer of some nefarious link between stores selling knives and the "1300 stabbings over the past 3 years". Yeah. It's the fault of the crappy imitation Buck knife sold at the 7-11 that Massachusetts has a positively abysmal record of prosecuting violent assault. You've just got to love the chutzpah of a guy who will gleefully shrug off the state's responsibility to incarcerate criminals in favor of slapping more restrictions on lawful commerce.
They also never really answer the question of which knives are at issue. I have a butcher's knife in my cutting block that is as sharp or sharper than any other knife I possess. Are they going to cover the Henckels for sale in the upscale boutiques? Or are they just going after the POS folding knives in the corner stores? There's no distinction - they just want the license paid.
Scratch a nanny statist, find someone looking to expand the state power *and* rake in that sweet coin...
That is all.
Knife Safety
(FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - When we think about weapons, most of our minds go directly to guns, but there is a growing problem in the city: the use of knives in violent situations. Two Boston City councilors are looking for a way to make the sale of knives more difficult.Listen to the video. There is nothing proposed as far as who can or can't buy a "knive" (councilor Ross's word). It's all about licensing stores that might happen to sell knives. They're pushing it as a "public safety loophole" that stores can sell cutlery without specific licenses - yet there are no proposals on who can or can't purchase, just that stores get a license.
I like how they infer of some nefarious link between stores selling knives and the "1300 stabbings over the past 3 years". Yeah. It's the fault of the crappy imitation Buck knife sold at the 7-11 that Massachusetts has a positively abysmal record of prosecuting violent assault. You've just got to love the chutzpah of a guy who will gleefully shrug off the state's responsibility to incarcerate criminals in favor of slapping more restrictions on lawful commerce.
They also never really answer the question of which knives are at issue. I have a butcher's knife in my cutting block that is as sharp or sharper than any other knife I possess. Are they going to cover the Henckels for sale in the upscale boutiques? Or are they just going after the POS folding knives in the corner stores? There's no distinction - they just want the license paid.
Scratch a nanny statist, find someone looking to expand the state power *and* rake in that sweet coin...
That is all.
Hitting the Big Time...
Man. Some guys have all the luck. Dennis is not only moving to America, but he's also getting some prime exposure for his excellent holsters:
That's the back cover of the most recent issue of Concealed Carry Magazine, and that's an Oleg Volk picture of Dennis's handiwork. That's hitting the big time IMHO; especially given that USCCA has heavy hitters like Marko, Tam, and Kathy in their corner. It's rather amusing that someone who makes holsters ideally suited for open carry would be featured in Concealed Carry Magazine, but I will attest that his Talon and Flatjack holsters are very well suited for concealed carry as well as open.
I've given Dennis a fair amount ofink electrons in the past and hope to continue to do so in the future. He makes an excellent product at an affordable price, everything made by his hands and to exact specifications. He's a great guy, working his butt off in an industry that can be closed and insular, and I want to see him succeed and thrive.
Congrats Dennis!
That is all.
That's the back cover of the most recent issue of Concealed Carry Magazine, and that's an Oleg Volk picture of Dennis's handiwork. That's hitting the big time IMHO; especially given that USCCA has heavy hitters like Marko, Tam, and Kathy in their corner. It's rather amusing that someone who makes holsters ideally suited for open carry would be featured in Concealed Carry Magazine, but I will attest that his Talon and Flatjack holsters are very well suited for concealed carry as well as open.
I've given Dennis a fair amount of
Congrats Dennis!
That is all.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
How Long Is That In People Years?
View from the Porch turns six today.
Six years old. If her blog were a person, it would be starting first grade. VFTP, getting on the big yellow school bus, saying the pledge of Allegiance ("I pledge allegiance to Queen Fragg and her might state of hysteria"...) I've been here at MArooned for 4½ years now, and I thought that Tam had been doing VFTP for way more than a year and a half before I started. I guess when you're that good, the time just flies by...
Happy blogiversary Tam!
That is all.
Six years old. If her blog were a person, it would be starting first grade. VFTP, getting on the big yellow school bus, saying the pledge of Allegiance ("I pledge allegiance to Queen Fragg and her might state of hysteria"...) I've been here at MArooned for 4½ years now, and I thought that Tam had been doing VFTP for way more than a year and a half before I started. I guess when you're that good, the time just flies by...
Happy blogiversary Tam!
That is all.
Had To Do It, Part II...
Okay, one more...
Oh come on - you didn't think I was gonna let you get through today without hearing this one, did you?
That is all.
Oh come on - you didn't think I was gonna let you get through today without hearing this one, did you?
That is all.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Vicious Circle: Now with More Drama!
Vicious Circle #106: Disaster (Alan's title) is up for your listening pleasure.
This was one of the more interesting VCs, as we started with about 500 people on the call, which then got truncated (Alan finally got sick of listening to us bitch about his free ice cream), and just when I took my headphones off it started back up. Originally we had Michael and Jennifer, Stingray and Labrat, aepilotjim, Weerdbeard, Newbius, Old NFO, Dennis, Breda, and alan. The second group was pared down, but added in Unc., and we continued until the wee hours. Links are here, and should most certainly be considered NSFA.
Vicious Circle: Download it for listening pleasure during ZOMG HURRICANEPOCALYPSE!
That is all.
This was one of the more interesting VCs, as we started with about 500 people on the call, which then got truncated (Alan finally got sick of listening to us bitch about his free ice cream), and just when I took my headphones off it started back up. Originally we had Michael and Jennifer, Stingray and Labrat, aepilotjim, Weerdbeard, Newbius, Old NFO, Dennis, Breda, and alan. The second group was pared down, but added in Unc., and we continued until the wee hours. Links are here, and should most certainly be considered NSFA.
Vicious Circle: Download it for listening pleasure during ZOMG HURRICANEPOCALYPSE!
That is all.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Much-Needed LOLs - And Good Advice, Too!
DaddyBear has tips on how to survive a hurricane.
Most important tip:
And like T-bolt says, don't use a shotgun for zombies!
I just realized there is one criticial component missing from my hurricane preparedness plans: Bourbon.
That is all.
Most important tip:
Remember, this storm has already been to the Caribbean, where the zombie menace originated. Watch your spouse and children for evidence of zombie infection carried by the wind, and respond as necessary.
And like T-bolt says, don't use a shotgun for zombies!
I just realized there is one criticial component missing from my hurricane preparedness plans: Bourbon.
That is all.
Blogroll Updates!
In the interest of not having several months of updates to do at once, I'm going to try to make this a regular feature. Here are the new blogs I've added to the MArooned blogroll this week:
1. LMB's World of Music and Mayhem. Found through a Sitemeter trackback and saw this post about Nostalgia. Heh. Yep.
2. Knuckledraggin my life away. Wirecutter's my west coast compatriot, a red-state mindset living in a blue state. Found when he linked the infamous "Donut of Doom" shot at Les's place. I'd heard about him before but for some unknown reason not added him yet. That has been rectified...
3. The Gun Blog Black List. The astute reader will notice that this one has been flagged so as to remain at the top of the blogroll. I've done this not to highlight the blacklist part, but because it's a pretty thorough compendium of gun blogs out there and, as such, is a darn good resource. I believe we have Mr. North to thank for it...
It's been a while, so I'll repeat my position: I run a reciprocal blogroll here at MArooned. If you link to me and your blog is not represented on the roll to the right, shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment and let me know. I'll be sure to add you in the next update. With very few exceptions, I have added everyone who has contacted me or who I've come across.
Now go say hi to the new folks!
That is all.
1. LMB's World of Music and Mayhem. Found through a Sitemeter trackback and saw this post about Nostalgia. Heh. Yep.
2. Knuckledraggin my life away. Wirecutter's my west coast compatriot, a red-state mindset living in a blue state. Found when he linked the infamous "Donut of Doom" shot at Les's place. I'd heard about him before but for some unknown reason not added him yet. That has been rectified...
3. The Gun Blog Black List. The astute reader will notice that this one has been flagged so as to remain at the top of the blogroll. I've done this not to highlight the blacklist part, but because it's a pretty thorough compendium of gun blogs out there and, as such, is a darn good resource. I believe we have Mr. North to thank for it...
It's been a while, so I'll repeat my position: I run a reciprocal blogroll here at MArooned. If you link to me and your blog is not represented on the roll to the right, shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment and let me know. I'll be sure to add you in the next update. With very few exceptions, I have added everyone who has contacted me or who I've come across.
Now go say hi to the new folks!
That is all.
You're Kidding Me...
PISSED sends this in, and I'm still shaking my head at the stupidity shown...
Federal Government Tries to Stop Food Stamp 'Water Dumping' Fraud
The stupid is piled three deep here. First off, looking at water bottles in general, they're redeemable in fewer states than soda, if they're redeemable at all. Massachusetts has a bottle bill, so I went to the refrigerator and checked on various bottles contained therein (it's a public fridge). Poland Spring bottles say right on them that they are non-returnable. Dasani water, OTOH, are returnable in CA, NY, OR, ME, and CT. There's a very limited area where this can occur.
Secondly, the mindset of someone who would willingly waste an entire case of water just escapes me. I mean, it's bad enough that food stamps even cover bottled water - a gallon of store-brand water is like 2/$1 - that's $2 for the equivalent of a case of 20 ounce bottles that would sell for $6-7. But for someone to actually go out, spend food stamp money on bottled water and then just dump it out in the parking lot? Unconscionable. But then again, that's what happens when you divorce actions from consequences. These people won't lose their free money, nor their food stamps, so they'll just do it again, consequence-free.
Lastly and most egregiously... The Federal government is in charge of doing something about this? Specifically the Department of Agriculture? I suppose, if the Dept. Ag. is in charge of food stamps this sort of makes sense, but only if offenders really are kicked off the program. What's disturbing, though, is the idea floated to go after these people for "trafficking" charges - much like the much-vaunted RICO statutes that we were told would only ever apply to organized crime - until they weren't - it seems like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly here...
But then again, government will never solve a problem that would put it out of business, so...
Federal Government Tries to Stop Food Stamp 'Water Dumping' Fraud
The federal government is moving to crack down on a bizarre form of food-stamp fraud that's flushing away taxpayer dollars.
The scam is called "water dumping." It works as follows: Food stamp recipients use their benefits to purchase water bottles and from there promptly dump the water out and redeem the bottles for cash.
The stupid is piled three deep here. First off, looking at water bottles in general, they're redeemable in fewer states than soda, if they're redeemable at all. Massachusetts has a bottle bill, so I went to the refrigerator and checked on various bottles contained therein (it's a public fridge). Poland Spring bottles say right on them that they are non-returnable. Dasani water, OTOH, are returnable in CA, NY, OR, ME, and CT. There's a very limited area where this can occur.
Secondly, the mindset of someone who would willingly waste an entire case of water just escapes me. I mean, it's bad enough that food stamps even cover bottled water - a gallon of store-brand water is like 2/$1 - that's $2 for the equivalent of a case of 20 ounce bottles that would sell for $6-7. But for someone to actually go out, spend food stamp money on bottled water and then just dump it out in the parking lot? Unconscionable. But then again, that's what happens when you divorce actions from consequences. These people won't lose their free money, nor their food stamps, so they'll just do it again, consequence-free.
Lastly and most egregiously... The Federal government is in charge of doing something about this? Specifically the Department of Agriculture? I suppose, if the Dept. Ag. is in charge of food stamps this sort of makes sense, but only if offenders really are kicked off the program. What's disturbing, though, is the idea floated to go after these people for "trafficking" charges - much like the much-vaunted RICO statutes that we were told would only ever apply to organized crime - until they weren't - it seems like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly here...
But then again, government will never solve a problem that would put it out of business, so...
Do As I Say...
A commenter sends in this link:
Dashcam Video Released Of Mayor's Drunken-Driving Arrest
Oh, and for those that keep score (like Unc), Mucci is a member of MAIG.
That is all.
Dashcam Video Released Of Mayor's Drunken-Driving Arrest
A day after Steubenville's mayor pleaded guilty to charges related to a drunken-driving and other charges, NEWS9 has obtained dashcam video of the incident.
On Tuesday, Domenick Mucci, Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to a first offense of operating a vehicle while impaired, Steubenville city prosecutor John Mascio Jr. said.That's gotta suck, especially for the Chief of Police who was woken up at 3AM to come down to the station to deal with it personally. To his credit, it appears that the mayor did not try to weasel out of punishment owing to his status. To his detriment, it's his third OUI. And he's in OH - is there something in the water there?
Oh, and for those that keep score (like Unc), Mucci is a member of MAIG.
That is all.
Friday Gun Pr0n #229
Numerically speaking, I should post a picture of the P229 I used to own. However, I promised earlier that I'd reveal the new T&E gun, so I have to honor that. Fortunately, it's in the same family:
Skeeter!
SIG SAUER Mosquito, .22LR semi-automatic DA/SA hammer-fired full(ish) sized pistol. It's 90% the size of a P226, and keeps (mostly) the same controls - decocker, slide release, and takedown lever. It differs from the P226 in more than just size - there's an ambidextrous safety, and the barrel is fixed rather than floating. There's even an accessory rail for lights, lasers, or bayonets...
When I picked it up at my FFL, two of the guys working behind the counter mentioned that they owned Mosquitoes. One had had to send his back to Sig for some work before it ran right; the other handed it to the Sig Armorer on site who buffed and tweaked it a bit before even trying it out. Both ran fine after tweaking; I know that Lissa loves hers.
In any case, I'll run a few hundred rounds of CCI mini-mags (recommended) through her and report back sometime later in the fall...
That is all.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Breaking (but not shocking) News...
Officer Roid Rage won't be getting fired.
Wizardpc points us to this story where we learn that the poor city of Canton has been suffering - SUFFERING - in the wake of this incident:
Excuse me.
BOO FUCKING HOO.
I've got a crazy idea! Maybe you wouldn't have so many negative phone calls if you would FIRE THIS PSYCHOTIC SHITBAG? Excuse the ever-loving shit out of me, but 16 goddamn internal investigations and you still keep this festering sore of a human being on your payroll? He threatens to execute a handcuffed person and you cite him for violating department rules like he wore jeans to work?
Officer Roid Rage is going to kill someone. His entire career, he's been a bully and a thug with a badge, and he's been getting away with it. He's going to keep pushing until he finally snaps, no longer content to merely threaten suspects, and he's going to kill someone.
And when it happens, I hope the next of kin sues the city of Canton into receivership.
That is all.
Wizardpc points us to this story where we learn that the poor city of Canton has been suffering - SUFFERING - in the wake of this incident:
“The Canton Police Department’s operation and efficiency has been impaired due to negative phone calls and emails that have been fielded by its members (regarding the case),” the report says.
Excuse me.
BOO FUCKING HOO.
I've got a crazy idea! Maybe you wouldn't have so many negative phone calls if you would FIRE THIS PSYCHOTIC SHITBAG? Excuse the ever-loving shit out of me, but 16 goddamn internal investigations and you still keep this festering sore of a human being on your payroll? He threatens to execute a handcuffed person and you cite him for violating department rules like he wore jeans to work?
Officer Roid Rage is going to kill someone. His entire career, he's been a bully and a thug with a badge, and he's been getting away with it. He's going to keep pushing until he finally snaps, no longer content to merely threaten suspects, and he's going to kill someone.
And when it happens, I hope the next of kin sues the city of Canton into receivership.
That is all.
Holy Sidekicks Batman!
Heh. On the radio on the news this morning was a discussion of a recent list of Top Ten sidekicks. I went a'searching for the list they were talking about, and wound up finding a better one:
The top 10 sidekicks of all time
Heh. Al Gore.
As with all lists, there's bound to be folks who disagree. Personally, I'd like to have seen Arthur from The Tick on the list instead of, say, Patrick Starfish; but it's hard to argue with Kato, Robin, or Dr. Watson. And there's a special surprise for the Ron Paul fans in the number one slot, too!
Who's your fave sidekick that is - or isn't - on the list?
That is all.
The top 10 sidekicks of all time
It’s the 10 o’clock hour on 10-10-2010, and across the Los Angeles Times, we’re creating top 10 lists. Here at the Hero Complex, we are using the occasion to celebrate sidekicks — those trusty pop-culture pals who forever trail in the shadow of alpha figures but often win the hearts of fans. It was a tough list to assemble, and there were plenty of near-misses.
Strong cases could be made for Tinker Bell, Boo-Boo, George Costanza, Dyna Girl, Danno, Renfield, Art Garfunkel and Al Gore — we’re sorry, but really at this point they must be accustomed to the also-ran role. So let’s get on with our companion countdown, in which we nod to a loyal pal, smile and say, “He’s with me.”
Heh. Al Gore.
As with all lists, there's bound to be folks who disagree. Personally, I'd like to have seen Arthur from The Tick on the list instead of, say, Patrick Starfish; but it's hard to argue with Kato, Robin, or Dr. Watson. And there's a special surprise for the Ron Paul fans in the number one slot, too!
Who's your fave sidekick that is - or isn't - on the list?
That is all.
Jokes, Writing Themselves Again...
Stretch sent this one in. Hoo boy, it was hard not making jokes...
Bill Clinton declares vegan victory
That is all.
Bill Clinton declares vegan victory
The former president, known for his love of burgers, barbecue and junk food, has gone from a meat lover to a vegan, the strictest form of a vegetarian diet. He says he eats fruits, vegetables and beans, but no red meat, chicken or dairy.Clinton, 65, who had quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and then stent surgery in 2010, is following this eating plan to improve his heart health.
Um... Yeah. why do I have a hard time believing that the McDonald's president has finally seen the light and is living a more healthy lifestyle? Hell, chasing skirts was the only exercise the man ever got... I kid, I kid. Dad G. had a pretty mild heart attack about twelve years ago, and he got pretty serious about taking steps to make a second heart attack less possible: Better nutritional choices, more exercise, etc. If this is really Bill Clinton's Come To Jesus moment, good for him. I won't make any jokes about his new, meat-free, healthy diet...
That is all.
Raising Awareness... And Hemlines!
Ambulance Driver is gonna be wearing a skirt.
What AD has set up, though, is a triumvirate of very cool prizes for the blogger who raises the most money. AD's got the list at his link, but basically there's aRuger .22/45 pistol from Virginia Arms Company; a custom gun belt/holster combo from Michael's Custom Holsters and a $250 gift certificate from Brownell's. And that's just the first place!
Stay tuned for information on how we can all work together to raise some money and awareness of various types of cancer.
That is all.
Get yourself a kilt, and wear it as often as possible for the month of September. If you don't have a kilt, get a kilt. And if you neither have nor want a kilt, don't let that stop you. Not everyone is manly enough to wear a kilt. Seriously, we won't judge you because you're not secure in your own masculinity. Wimp.See, here's the thing. Unless one of my intrepid readers can find a precedent for an Italian to wear a kilt, I'll have to sit this one out. I have no desire to see my grandfather rise from the dead just so he can beat me about the head and shoulders... Besides, I just don't have the legs for a kilt. My car had a flat. A friend came in from out of town. It wasn't my fault!
What AD has set up, though, is a triumvirate of very cool prizes for the blogger who raises the most money. AD's got the list at his link, but basically there's aRuger .22/45 pistol from Virginia Arms Company; a custom gun belt/holster combo from Michael's Custom Holsters and a $250 gift certificate from Brownell's. And that's just the first place!
Stay tuned for information on how we can all work together to raise some money and awareness of various types of cancer.
That is all.
It's Not Just Massachusetts...
PISSED sends in another story of an illegal immigrant involved in the deaths of innocents:
Driver charged in deaths of four
Gee, last time I checked, 19 was two years below the legal drinking age. Are they saying that Mr. Castillo broke the law by purchasing and consuming alcohol? Just like he broke the law by driving while intoxicated? After a previous incident where he broke the laws of the land by also driving while intoxicated? Maybe if his first act hadn't been to break the laws of the United States things might have turned out differently...
Y'know, this really pisses me off. A felony DUI conviction is sufficient to cause the revocation of one's rights to own a firearm in many locations, yet not enough to alert authorities in the case of one's immigration status? If I get caught driving drunk and am sentenced to one year or more - which could certainly have been the case adding in the underaged drinking charge - I lose my 2nd Amendment rights forever. I am considered too dangerous to own a gun - but not dangerous enough to deport if I'm an illegal alien.
And, as usual, nothing happens until someone gets killed. It's interesting, isn't it? Some illegal gets liquored up and plows his truck into another vehicle, killing four people, and it barely makes the news. No one calls for Chivas to be banned; no one calls for a Federal law limiting vehicles to 10MPH or less. A giant collective yawn is let out, and the story becomes a sad footnote in the crime logs; forgotten to all but the families of the victims.
But let some disgruntled loser shoot up their place of employment and it's front page news, with the ghouls coming out of the woodwork to call for more restrictions. Yes, let's pass more laws for these losers to ignore and break at will - making murder double plus illegal will stop them for certain! It's only when the tool used is a firearm does the media take notice - giving credence to the myth of that inanimate object having any power of its own.
And also, the elephant in the room of illegal immigration. Speak out against illegal aliens and you're called a racist or worse; supporters of open borders deliberately blur the line between legal and illegal immigrants to further this smear. They point to the hundreds of thousands of people legally here in the US as evidence of immigrants in US society, conveniently ignoring the difference between legal and illegal immigration. Folks that don't obey one law, there's no guarantee they're going to obey any law.
And in this case, and the one I posted earlier this week, someone else pays the price for their lawlessness...
That is all.
Driver charged in deaths of four
A man charged with four counts of intoxication manslaughter is an illegal alien who only a few weeks ago was arrested on another alcohol-related charge, officials say.
Roberto Castillo, 19, remained in the Washington County jail this morning under $2 million bond after authorities say he slammed into another vehicle at the intersection of Highway 36 South and FM 109 about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
Gee, last time I checked, 19 was two years below the legal drinking age. Are they saying that Mr. Castillo broke the law by purchasing and consuming alcohol? Just like he broke the law by driving while intoxicated? After a previous incident where he broke the laws of the land by also driving while intoxicated? Maybe if his first act hadn't been to break the laws of the United States things might have turned out differently...
Y'know, this really pisses me off. A felony DUI conviction is sufficient to cause the revocation of one's rights to own a firearm in many locations, yet not enough to alert authorities in the case of one's immigration status? If I get caught driving drunk and am sentenced to one year or more - which could certainly have been the case adding in the underaged drinking charge - I lose my 2nd Amendment rights forever. I am considered too dangerous to own a gun - but not dangerous enough to deport if I'm an illegal alien.
And, as usual, nothing happens until someone gets killed. It's interesting, isn't it? Some illegal gets liquored up and plows his truck into another vehicle, killing four people, and it barely makes the news. No one calls for Chivas to be banned; no one calls for a Federal law limiting vehicles to 10MPH or less. A giant collective yawn is let out, and the story becomes a sad footnote in the crime logs; forgotten to all but the families of the victims.
But let some disgruntled loser shoot up their place of employment and it's front page news, with the ghouls coming out of the woodwork to call for more restrictions. Yes, let's pass more laws for these losers to ignore and break at will - making murder double plus illegal will stop them for certain! It's only when the tool used is a firearm does the media take notice - giving credence to the myth of that inanimate object having any power of its own.
And also, the elephant in the room of illegal immigration. Speak out against illegal aliens and you're called a racist or worse; supporters of open borders deliberately blur the line between legal and illegal immigrants to further this smear. They point to the hundreds of thousands of people legally here in the US as evidence of immigrants in US society, conveniently ignoring the difference between legal and illegal immigration. Folks that don't obey one law, there's no guarantee they're going to obey any law.
And in this case, and the one I posted earlier this week, someone else pays the price for their lawlessness...
That is all.
Be Prepared...
Impact uncertain as Hurricane Irene aims at New England; Gillette stadium concert canceled
Hurricane Irene could sweep ashore in New England this weekend, dousing the state with torrential rains, and lashing it with damaging wind gusts, while heavy surf pounds the coasts and water rises in streams. But it’s still “highly uncertain” exactly where and how hard the storm will hit, National Weather Service forecasters said this morning.
Country music star Kenny Chesney isn’t taking any chances. Promoters today announced they are rescheduling his Gillette Stadium concert. The Foxborough event will be held this Friday, instead of Sunday as originally planned, according to a statement posted on Chesney’s website.
Oh yeah. The local news is going absolutely batshit insane over hurricane Irene. This has all the drama and fury of a Nor'easter snowstorm, coupled with the possibility of this being the biggest hurricane to hit New England in over 80 years. Naturally, it's being hyped endlessly as "ZOMG KILLER DEATH HURRICANE WILL LAY WASTE TO ALL OF NORTHERN HEMISPHERE ZOMG!!!!11111oneoneone". I'm surprised there aren't angry mobs storming the Boston weather bureau right now demanding that they stop the hurricane in its tracks.
Of course, this brings to mind the age-old question: Bug in, or bug out? Personally, I've lived through a bunch of "hurricanes" in New England, and basically the sea water's just too cold for hurricanes to last long. Gloria back in 1986; Bob in 1991; even Hugo was supposed to wallop us good, and none of them amounted to much more than just an extra-wet summer storm. Even the meteorologists are hedging their bets, with lots of "it depends" and "storm track" and other weasel words like they throw in when they're predicting eleventy billion feet of snow and we get a dusting...
It's a good idea, though, to take a few common sense precautions just in case. I'll freeze up a half-dozen ice blocks in the big freezer downstairs (grab a plastic storage bucket; fill ~ 3/4 to top, put in freezer. Blocks last longer than cubes) in case we lose power - we can consolidate all the frozen food in the freezer downstairs and use coolers for the refrigerated stuff. Bring out the candles and flashlights; make sure there's batteries for everything that runs on 'em. Test the sump pump and make sure it's working properly; other than that, there's little to do ahead of the storm other than to keep a clear head and take a few basic precautions.
It's pure luck, mind you, that I still have several dozen loaded AR magazines from the Northeast Bloggershoot... ;)
That is all.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Okay, The List...
Seen pretty much everywhere. I've been avoiding this one, because as a science fiction geek it pains me greatly that I'm so horrifically lacking in this list...
The NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels with the ones I have read in bold:
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne
38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys
39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells
40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings
42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
49. Childhood’s End, by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote In God’s Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore
74. Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel’s Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher
87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer’s Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis
24 out of 100 - I have to do better than that!
That is all.
The NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels with the ones I have read in bold:
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne
38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys
39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells
40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings
42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
49. Childhood’s End, by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote In God’s Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore
74. Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel’s Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher
87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer’s Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis
24 out of 100 - I have to do better than that!
That is all.
Time For Another Round!
Of my favorite game, that is...
Guess the gun!
I've got another Testing & Evaluation sample in my hot little hands, just waiting to be tested, tortured, and otherwise abused in the name of reviewing. It's something I've written about before, both here and at Guns, Holsters, & Gear; but other than that, no hints. Those of you over in the Gunblogger Conspiracy that know, please shush.
So, who wants to take a stab at guessing the new gun?
That is all.
Guess the gun!
I've got another Testing & Evaluation sample in my hot little hands, just waiting to be tested, tortured, and otherwise abused in the name of reviewing. It's something I've written about before, both here and at Guns, Holsters, & Gear; but other than that, no hints. Those of you over in the Gunblogger Conspiracy that know, please shush.
So, who wants to take a stab at guessing the new gun?
That is all.
Road Signs We Need...
Sent in by Mopar:
We need these!
Heck, I'll pay for the signs and install them myself...
That is all.
Cadillac Deval, Prince of Unfortunate Timing...
Local firebrand Michael Graham nailed Deval Patrick to the wall today - with his own words.
Watch Deval Patrick Lecture Milford On Why Getting Deadly Illegal Immigrants Off The Streets Is A Waste Of Time
How secure is MA now, Governor Patrick, with an unknown number of Nicolas Gaumans roaming the streets?
That is all.
Thanks to PISSED for the link!
Watch Deval Patrick Lecture Milford On Why Getting Deadly Illegal Immigrants Off The Streets Is A Waste Of Time
Watch the video. Patrick ain't a slick speaker; in fact, he almost makes Mumbles seem eloquent as he "um"s and "ah"s his way through the minute and a half segment. He claims that folks who are here "totally legally" will be deported under Secure Communities - quietly neglecting to mention that they would be deported if they commit crimes.A few weeks ago, Gov. Patrick was in Milford for a town-hall-style event. A group of citizens concerned about the illegal immigrant problem in their community showed up to ask him about it—in particular, the Governor’s flip-flop on Secure Communities. (He was for it when he was losing re-election, against it once the election was won).
How secure is MA now, Governor Patrick, with an unknown number of Nicolas Gaumans roaming the streets?
That is all.
Thanks to PISSED for the link!
Our Very Own Noodle Incident...
So, last night, we're sitting down to dinner. We were having "FFY" (Fend For Yourself) dinner (everyone gets their own quick&easy dinner), and BabyGirl G. decides that she wants a macaroni and cheese cup. She also announces that she is going to get it herself, and that she does not want any help from "any grownups".
Those nagging voices in the back of your head? They're there for a reason.
After about two minutes she saunters over to us, looking rather concerned. She nods her head in the direction of the microwave and says, in a very small voice, "I think something's wrong".
[parents everywhere are nodding grimly, knowing that this is most often the understatement of the year...]
I get up from the table to see acrid smoke billowing out of the microwave. Before I even get to the microwave, I hit the industrial-strength kitchen fan we installed with our JennAire range - the one that can clear out a small forest fire. Open the door to the microwave, and it looked like a very small but powerful thermonuclear device had detonated inside, laying waste to the tiny island nation of Macaronistan. It turned a simple macaroni and cheese cup into this:
Those nagging voices in the back of your head? They're there for a reason.
After about two minutes she saunters over to us, looking rather concerned. She nods her head in the direction of the microwave and says, in a very small voice, "I think something's wrong".
[parents everywhere are nodding grimly, knowing that this is most often the understatement of the year...]
I get up from the table to see acrid smoke billowing out of the microwave. Before I even get to the microwave, I hit the industrial-strength kitchen fan we installed with our JennAire range - the one that can clear out a small forest fire. Open the door to the microwave, and it looked like a very small but powerful thermonuclear device had detonated inside, laying waste to the tiny island nation of Macaronistan. It turned a simple macaroni and cheese cup into this:
Mac 'n' cheese of DEATH
Apparently BabyGirl G. forgot one critical step in preparing this Mac&Cheese cup - she forgot to add the requisite water to the bowl before putting it in the microwave. It took less than two minutes for the plastic to melt and the macaroni to char; which is frighteningly fast for an appliance that doesn't use open flame, gasoline, or Coleman's fuel...
It took a few minutes to clear out the smell of melting plastic, and we had to pony up another macaroni & cheese, but eventually we got things back to normal. It turned into a good learning experience - we got a chance to go over the fire drill rules again (and both kids nailed them perfectly); we stressed the importance of paying attention to what we were doing; and the kids got to see their boring ol' dad dashing around the kitchen being a "hero" ("Dad! You could have been all burned up!")
They both expressed worry that Mrs. G. or I could have been hurt or even killed by the flames (there were no actual flames, I relayed to them after the fact); so we had to reassure them that this was not a life-and-death situation or anything like that. There was no actual fire, just the plastic melting; we were able to get the fans circulating and windows and doors opened fast enough so that the fire alarms didn't even go off (which was a minor miracle unto itself).
Macaroni and cheese dinner: $2
Electricity used to cook Mac&cheese to a blackened lump: $0.05
Look of wonder on my daughter's face when she realized that I had "saved" her? Priceless.
Just keep an eye on them, folks - before they burn your kitchen down, too...
That is all.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
I Am A Bad Person...
...Because I had a very different reaction to this story:
Fla. dropout hoped bomb plot would cause more casualties than Columbine
Dropout, druggie, thief; with all the things this kid had going for him, I wonder if the cops wouldn't have been better off placing him under surveillance and hoping he blew himself up before the plot was to take place?
I liked this part:
Shrapnel - nails and screws
Plastic tubing - PVC pipe
Timing - electronic timer
Fusing - candle wick
Fuel source - Coleman fuel
I wonder how many homes have the above items in them right now?
That is all.
Fla. dropout hoped bomb plot would cause more casualties than Columbine
A teenage dropout accused of hatching a “catastrophic” plot to set off a bomb at his former high school on the first day of classes next week is now in police custody.
Jared Cano, 17, of Tampa, Fla., is alleged to have planned an attack on Freedom High School using homemade bombs with the intent of claiming more victims than the 1999 Columbine High School massacre that resulted in 13 deaths before the two teenage shooters killed themselves.
Dropout, druggie, thief; with all the things this kid had going for him, I wonder if the cops wouldn't have been better off placing him under surveillance and hoping he blew himself up before the plot was to take place?
I liked this part:
After receiving a tip about the plan, police searched Cano’s family home. In the teenager’s bedroom they discovered materials to make pipe bombs, including shrapnel, plastic tubing, and timing and fusing devices, along with a fuel source, Castor said.
Shrapnel - nails and screws
Plastic tubing - PVC pipe
Timing - electronic timer
Fusing - candle wick
Fuel source - Coleman fuel
I wonder how many homes have the above items in them right now?
That is all.
State of Massachusetts: Accomplice to Murder
Saw this link over at PISSED and needed to comment. First, this is VERY much needed:
Warning:
(image courtesy of Robb Allen)
Family alerted police on driver
Okay, so the guy's a scumbag. Lots of scumbags out there.
Illegal alien driving drunk with no license scumbag. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???
Assault and battery on multiple people, combined with B&E, *AND* he's an illegal and the case was CWF? WTFF???
The state of Massachusetts has blood on its hands in this case. Plain and simple. Had the state done its job and contacted ICE to have this dangerous scumbag deported - like they're supposed to - Mr. Denice would still be alive today. FACT. The state of Massachusetts is an accomplice to the murder of Matthew Denice, there's no doubt about that. While Guaman bears ultimate responsibility for killing Denice, there is simply no question that the state of Massachusetts aided and abetted him in this task.
J'accuse.
That is all.
Warning:
(image courtesy of Robb Allen)Family alerted police on driver
MILFORD - Nicolas Guaman, accused of dragging a motorcyclist for a quarter of a mile after a collision, showed not a flicker of emotion when police told him the motorcyclist was dead, a document filed in court yesterday showed.
Okay, so the guy's a scumbag. Lots of scumbags out there.
Guaman appeared yesterday in Milford District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to eight charges, including vehicular homicide while under the influence, failure to stop for police, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and reckless conduct creating risk to a child.Okay, add drunk driver to scumbag. Oh, and he didn't have a license. Big shock.
An immigrant from Ecuador living illegally in the United States, Guaman may face deportation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency following his arrest.
Illegal alien driving drunk with no license scumbag. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?
Milford police arrested Guaman in 2008 on charges of assault and battery on a police officer and at least one public employee and of breaking and entering, according to the police and the Worcester district attorney’s office. The case was continued without a finding for one year.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???
Assault and battery on multiple people, combined with B&E, *AND* he's an illegal and the case was CWF? WTFF???
The state of Massachusetts has blood on its hands in this case. Plain and simple. Had the state done its job and contacted ICE to have this dangerous scumbag deported - like they're supposed to - Mr. Denice would still be alive today. FACT. The state of Massachusetts is an accomplice to the murder of Matthew Denice, there's no doubt about that. While Guaman bears ultimate responsibility for killing Denice, there is simply no question that the state of Massachusetts aided and abetted him in this task.
J'accuse.
That is all.
Yet Another Reason...
PISSED sends in an editorial from a NH newspaper about VA's new "guns in bars" and the aftermath thereof:
Bars & guns: Gun haters lose again
Secondly, there's a ridiculous amount of irony in the comments. Folks are wringing their hands about how "ZOMG EVIL GUNZ & ALCOHOL DON'T MIX!!!!" - when it is perfectly legal to carry in a bar in New Hampshire. The next time these addled mushbrains are knocking back their fourth Zima shooter at Chili's, they could very well be standing next to a dude carrying a J-frame in his pocket. They'll never know...
There's also a good number of folks pulling the "it's only one year" or "it's a statistical anomaly" card. Yeah. Because the anti-freedom side is ever-so-careful about presenting scientifically and statistically valid documentation, right? I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the peals of riotous laughter coming from the pro-freedom side on that one. Look. Drop the intellectual dishonesty. We all know that had the incidents increased it'd be front page news for weeks. Stop pretending it isn't significant.
And lastly, even if the drop in crime *is* just a statistical anomaly; even if allowing guns in bars has absolutely zero effect on crime and violence, isn't the fact that it *didn't* skyrocket once legalized of interest? I mean, to those that really, honestly, truly care about things like facts and truth of course. We know the anti-freedom side doesn't really care about gun violence except as a means of pushing more gun control.
Heavy emphasis on the "control" part there.
That is all.
*HEAVY sarcasm here
Bars & guns: Gun haters lose again
Once again, hysterical predictions of death and mayhem have bitten the dust after the expansion of concealed carry legislation. When are the anti-gun nuts going to stop trying to curtail Americans’ freedoms through fearmongering?Bingo. See, NH gets it. There are several points to be made here. First off, imagine if the exact opposite had happened. Imagine if violent crimes had increased 5.2% after the law took effect. Think we'd be seeing the same calm, measured response from the media*? Or is it more likely that every major newspaper in the country would run some version of "Wild West Redux: Blood in the street in VA!!!!11111ZOMG"? I think we all know the answer to that one...
The Richmond Times-Dispatch of Richmond, Va., reported on Sunday a finding that should surprise no one. But it stunned the gun haters. People carrying concealed weapons into bars and restaurants don’t suddenly transform into bloodthirsty killers, it turns out.
Secondly, there's a ridiculous amount of irony in the comments. Folks are wringing their hands about how "ZOMG EVIL GUNZ & ALCOHOL DON'T MIX!!!!" - when it is perfectly legal to carry in a bar in New Hampshire. The next time these addled mushbrains are knocking back their fourth Zima shooter at Chili's, they could very well be standing next to a dude carrying a J-frame in his pocket. They'll never know...
There's also a good number of folks pulling the "it's only one year" or "it's a statistical anomaly" card. Yeah. Because the anti-freedom side is ever-so-careful about presenting scientifically and statistically valid documentation, right? I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the peals of riotous laughter coming from the pro-freedom side on that one. Look. Drop the intellectual dishonesty. We all know that had the incidents increased it'd be front page news for weeks. Stop pretending it isn't significant.
And lastly, even if the drop in crime *is* just a statistical anomaly; even if allowing guns in bars has absolutely zero effect on crime and violence, isn't the fact that it *didn't* skyrocket once legalized of interest? I mean, to those that really, honestly, truly care about things like facts and truth of course. We know the anti-freedom side doesn't really care about gun violence except as a means of pushing more gun control.
Heavy emphasis on the "control" part there.
That is all.
*HEAVY sarcasm here
Tuesday Campaign Pic, Part 11
Been a while since I remembered to put one of these up. Since TheWon is having such a hard time convincing us of his greatness, I've taken it upon myself to help out with some campaign posters for next year. Like this one:
Go Barry Go!
Remember, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate*...
That is all.
*OLD chemistry geek humor...
Interesting Opportunity
I was recently contacted by Guns & Ammo about a new blog they're launching to promote Son of Guns. They're getting it started with an interesting idea:
I've come up with a handful of questions:
That is all.
Each week we'll be doing a question and answer section with Will himself.Now, I've only seen snippets of the show, but it looks to be the firearms equivalent of Monster Garage with Jesse James or Orange County Choppers. They get a particular challenge or deadline, they meet the challenge or deadline despite (or maybe because of) various and sundry "personal" interactions. Hey, we all like the drama, right?
I'd like to give you all a chance to ask a question or two...or ten, to be included in a blog post next week. This is no holds barred. Anything you want to know about the show, shop or his general attitude. Just remember....Will Hayden never minces words.
I've come up with a handful of questions:
- Do you think that your work on television helps or hurts your interactions with the various government agencies (*cough*BATFE*cough) that you have to deal with on the legal end?
- You don't have VEPR .308 mags by any chance?
- You wouldn't be looking for a custom leather holster for your RJF 1911, would you?
- Assuming all paperwork were handled properly, could you make Abomination?
- How long would it take to make the chainsaw bayonet?
That is all.
Monday, August 22, 2011
There's A Reason They're The Stupid Party...
It's stuff like that makes me realize that the Stupids will NEVER get it...
Give Obama a break
Well, see, for starters Øbama's the one who claimed we weren't involved in any sort of military action in Libya to begin with - that was his whole rationale behind not following the proscribed path for committing US troops, remember? Øbama's the one that's trying to have things both ways - he wants to be celebrated as having "won" in Libya while at the same time also claiming that he's not committing US troops, and therefore doesn't need Congressional approval.
The rest of the article isn't any better. Frum centers on the concept of presidential vacations and how we need to lay off Øbama because the president is never really on vacation. While that's true, it's also something that the folks on the right were constantly saying the entire time Bush was in office whenever the Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) would harp on Bush's vacation schedule.
And yet those same tongues never wag as Øbama goes on yet another vacation or plays another round of golf. It's not that we're complaining about the big Ø's vacation time; it's the discrepancy in coverage between the two presidents and their vacations that's the issue. While the media was all over Bush for going to his ranch in Crawford, no one seems to care about Øbama jetting off to tony Martha's Vineyard for a couple weeks. In fact, Øbama's press secretary once ridiculed Bush about vacation time and now claims that there is no such thing as a "presidential vacation"...
And yet Frum's "advice" to the GOP is to, yes, be Stupid and stop hammering on the hypocrisy - no, that's exactly what we need to do...
That is all.
Give Obama a break
Washington (CNN) -- How do you score partisan points against a president who looks to have won a military victory in Libya at very low cost? Simple: Attack him for being away from Washington at a summer house when the victory was won.
That line of attack was tested by some Republican talkers and bloggers this weekend. I wonder if we'll hear more of it in the coming days.
Well, see, for starters Øbama's the one who claimed we weren't involved in any sort of military action in Libya to begin with - that was his whole rationale behind not following the proscribed path for committing US troops, remember? Øbama's the one that's trying to have things both ways - he wants to be celebrated as having "won" in Libya while at the same time also claiming that he's not committing US troops, and therefore doesn't need Congressional approval.
The rest of the article isn't any better. Frum centers on the concept of presidential vacations and how we need to lay off Øbama because the president is never really on vacation. While that's true, it's also something that the folks on the right were constantly saying the entire time Bush was in office whenever the Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) would harp on Bush's vacation schedule.
And yet those same tongues never wag as Øbama goes on yet another vacation or plays another round of golf. It's not that we're complaining about the big Ø's vacation time; it's the discrepancy in coverage between the two presidents and their vacations that's the issue. While the media was all over Bush for going to his ranch in Crawford, no one seems to care about Øbama jetting off to tony Martha's Vineyard for a couple weeks. In fact, Øbama's press secretary once ridiculed Bush about vacation time and now claims that there is no such thing as a "presidential vacation"...
And yet Frum's "advice" to the GOP is to, yes, be Stupid and stop hammering on the hypocrisy - no, that's exactly what we need to do...
That is all.
Massachusetts, Where Nepotism Is A Way Of Life...
Khazei OK’d hiring brother at nonprofit
Interesting. I wonder who the other six Democrats are? Someone the Globe backs, no doubt. Here's another interesting part. When asked why he didn't run the appointment of his brother by the board of directors of the non-profit, Khazei responded thusly:
"Such a small amount". $50 an hour. There's no time period given other than during Khazei's three year tenure, but $50/hour isn't "a small amount" in my book - that's $100K a year. But then again:
Yeah, I suppose if you were making just shy of a quarter mil for managing a non-profit (by putting your brother on the payroll) and $12K/month as a consultant you might view $50 an hour as "a small amount". I wonder who Kharzei is running against that the Globe felt the need to run this story?
Welcome to MA - even our non-profits employ hacks!
That is all.
Alan Khazei, who is basing his campaign for US Senate on his experience leading nonprofit organizations, paid his brother nearly $40,000 as a consultant for the charity he ran over a three-year period, an action that appears to run afoul of his nonprofit’s conflict-of-interest policy.There are many interesting things in this story. First off, that the Globe is running it on a Democrat - obviously they view Khazei as more of a threat to the existing Democrat power structure in MA than to Scott Brown in November 2012. Oh, wait:
Khazei is among seven Democrats who have declared they are running in next year’s primary for the right to challenge Republican Senator Scott Brown. Khazei leads all Democrats in fund-raising, reporting $920,000 in the most recent filing period.
Interesting. I wonder who the other six Democrats are? Someone the Globe backs, no doubt. Here's another interesting part. When asked why he didn't run the appointment of his brother by the board of directors of the non-profit, Khazei responded thusly:
“It was my approval with the senior team,’’ Khazei said. “It was such a small amount, $50 an hour, $2,500 a month.’’
"Such a small amount". $50 an hour. There's no time period given other than during Khazei's three year tenure, but $50/hour isn't "a small amount" in my book - that's $100K a year. But then again:
Be the Change paid Alan Khazei $242,000 in salary and bonus in 2009, according to its most recent public tax filing. Khazei also acknowledged earlier this week that he has been receiving a consulting fee of up to $12,000 a month from the nonprofit, under a contract he received after he resigned as president and chief executive in March to become a full-time candidate.
Yeah, I suppose if you were making just shy of a quarter mil for managing a non-profit (by putting your brother on the payroll) and $12K/month as a consultant you might view $50 an hour as "a small amount". I wonder who Kharzei is running against that the Globe felt the need to run this story?
Welcome to MA - even our non-profits employ hacks!
That is all.
How To Waste a Few Hours...
Get wrapped up in this:
Greatest Film Mis-Quotes
Some of them are rather pedantic, with a single word substitution or change in placement; others really show how the collective consciousness can alter something pretty substantially from what it was to what we think it was... For example:
And they've got sound clips of the correct quotes, too!
That is all.
Greatest Film Mis-Quotes
Some of them are rather pedantic, with a single word substitution or change in placement; others really show how the collective consciousness can alter something pretty substantially from what it was to what we think it was... For example:
The startling revelation of fatherhood by Darth Vader (David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones) to young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) was not: "Luke, I am your father", but: "No. I am your father."Now, with a young son who went through a serious Star Wars period (he was just the right age when the last of the new trilogy came out), I've seen Empire Strikes Back enough times to know the correct quote (and, being the inveterate sci-fi geek I am, I know Vader's next line is "Search your feelings, you know it to be true"...) But how many times have we heard it as "Luke, I am your father"?
And they've got sound clips of the correct quotes, too!
That is all.
Ooh! Sign Me Up!
Brad_in_MA brings a very interesting opportunity to my attention:
WINGS OF FREEDOM TOUR 2011 Schedule
I mean, it's not everyday you get to see a Flying Fortress, Liberator, and Mustang in the wild...
That is all.
WINGS OF FREEDOM TOUR 2011 Schedule
The Wings of Freedom Tour brings historic aviation to your community! Tour through the authentically restored aircraft or take a flight aboard for the ultimate immersion in history!Here's a chance to see a B17, a B24, and a P51 live and in person! It's $12 per person to tour the airplanes, considerably more if you want to fly in one of them (and several orders of magnitude more if you want to fly them yourself). I'm interested in either the tour in Beverly, MA on Saturday September 17th or in Nashua NH on Saturday October 1st - anyone else interested in taking a tour of some vintage WWII airplanes?
I mean, it's not everyday you get to see a Flying Fortress, Liberator, and Mustang in the wild...
That is all.
New Header!
Just in case you happen to have gone blind and somehow missed it, MArooned now has a shiny new header (to match the shiny head of the author, of course!). The astute eye recognizes it immediately as a genuine NoPants™ original header - yes, the genius and talent of Robb Allen has brought a fancy header to MArooned. Robb took pity on me (and my complete and utter lack of anything even remotely resembling artistic ability) and designed the header using a picture that SCI-FI took a few years ago and added in some familiar elements.
The new header looks amazing. One of the reasons I hadn't gone ahead and done something fancy is that I really didn't know what I wanted - oh, I had a couple ideas and all, but lacked the artistic talent and technical know-how to bring my jumbled thoughts into fruition. Robb patiently extracted the important bits (bayonet! hand cannon!) and brought it together into a stylish, attractive (well, as attractive as anything with my ugly mug on it can be), and eye-catching header.
Those of you who might be interested, Robb's available for contract work...
That is all.
Robb, thank you.
The new header looks amazing. One of the reasons I hadn't gone ahead and done something fancy is that I really didn't know what I wanted - oh, I had a couple ideas and all, but lacked the artistic talent and technical know-how to bring my jumbled thoughts into fruition. Robb patiently extracted the important bits (bayonet! hand cannon!) and brought it together into a stylish, attractive (well, as attractive as anything with my ugly mug on it can be), and eye-catching header.
Those of you who might be interested, Robb's available for contract work...
That is all.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sunday Funnies
Heh. A stumble around YouTube brought up this:
G'head. Watch it without laughing. I dare ya...
That is all.
G'head. Watch it without laughing. I dare ya...
That is all.
Holy Hardening Arteries Batman!
Ohio Hamburger Festival dishes up fried patties to brave attendees
On the plus side, you'll be able to use your bloodstream to lube your AR and 1911...
That is all.
This, unlike fried butter, actually doesn't sound entirely unappetizing. Of course, my mind balks at the calculations in the caloric content, but I'll file this in the "if I contract a terminal disease" file for later use... Have some deep fried beer to wash it down and finish the meal off with a fried Twinkie, and you'll be ready for your morning angioplasty...(CNN) -- Step aside Iowa and fried butter -- there is a new national fried treasure to feast upon.
The country's first deep-fried cheeseburger is making its debut among at least 30 other varieties of hamburgers served by 15 different vendors at the National Hamburger Festival in Akron, Ohio, this weekend.
On the plus side, you'll be able to use your bloodstream to lube your AR and 1911...
That is all.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Where In the World is JayG?
Takin' in a ball game with the kids...
Yeah, life is pretty good today...
That is all.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Yeah, life is pretty good today...
That is all.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday Circle...
Vicious Circle #105 - Chatdown - is up for your listening pleasure.
Join alan, Dennis, Stingray & Labrat, Chris & Laura, Linoge, Barron, Spear and I as we discuss the weighty issues of the day. Plus drama llama. Oh boy, drama llama. Gun talk, drama llama, Dennis' wild optimism about the Stupid Party next November, more drama llama,etc. Links galore here.
Vicious Circle: The podcast equivalent of handing a chimp an AK-47...
That is all.
Join alan, Dennis, Stingray & Labrat, Chris & Laura, Linoge, Barron, Spear and I as we discuss the weighty issues of the day. Plus drama llama. Oh boy, drama llama. Gun talk, drama llama, Dennis' wild optimism about the Stupid Party next November, more drama llama,etc. Links galore here.
Vicious Circle: The podcast equivalent of handing a chimp an AK-47...
That is all.
Friday, August 19, 2011
WAY Overdue...
Okay, it's been almost two months since my last blogroll update. Time to update!
1. Aaron at Weapon Blog. Even though I've been linking to his monthly gun contests, I seem to have left him off the blogroll. Sorry Aaron!
2. Tactical Tupperware has moved from wordpress to its own URL. Please adjust your browser accordingly!
3. The Redneck Engineer. He's currently on hiatus while enduring some tough times, but I'm putting him on the blogroll and asking you to keep him in your thoughts and prayers right now.
4. Wizardpc, formerly co-blogging at Walls of the City, has started his own blog, Guns, Cars, and Tech. Being someone who finally spread his blog wings after co-blogging for a while, I understand Wizard's actions.
5. John a.k.a. Justcook over at Cooking not rocket science. Found through my incessant digging through Sitemeter links, it's an eclectic mix of recipes, restaurant stories, and odd food-related items.
Welcome aboard to the newbies and best of luck to the changes!
That is all.
1. Aaron at Weapon Blog. Even though I've been linking to his monthly gun contests, I seem to have left him off the blogroll. Sorry Aaron!
2. Tactical Tupperware has moved from wordpress to its own URL. Please adjust your browser accordingly!
3. The Redneck Engineer. He's currently on hiatus while enduring some tough times, but I'm putting him on the blogroll and asking you to keep him in your thoughts and prayers right now.
4. Wizardpc, formerly co-blogging at Walls of the City, has started his own blog, Guns, Cars, and Tech. Being someone who finally spread his blog wings after co-blogging for a while, I understand Wizard's actions.
5. John a.k.a. Justcook over at Cooking not rocket science. Found through my incessant digging through Sitemeter links, it's an eclectic mix of recipes, restaurant stories, and odd food-related items.
Welcome aboard to the newbies and best of luck to the changes!
That is all.
Friday Auto WTF...
Saw this in the parking lot of the hotel yesterday
Yep. That's a Subaru Baja, an automotive "duh" in its own right - hmm, let's take a moderately successfully idea and make it far less useful! The whole appeal of the Outback was that it was a medium sized station wagon that was good in inclement weather. You could haul groceries in the winter, all the beach gear in the summer, and still get reasonable gas mileage. Then they hacked the back off and called it the "Baja" - removing the usefulness of the wagon and adding a completely useless "bed" that served no purpose other than to generate nostalgia for the Brat...
So this guy buys one and then puts a cap on it. It's no longer even useful for the tiny, marginal bit that the bed adds (oversized items), *and* the cargo area is separate from the interior. Unless the owner has a specialized gig hauling stuff that needs to be separate from the driver - and needs good gas mileage and not a lot of hauling capability weight-wise, I can't even begin to fathom the purpose of this monstrosity.
But then again, some people claim that beans do not belong in chili, so there's exceptions to the rule everywhere...
That is all.
Yep. That's a Subaru Baja, an automotive "duh" in its own right - hmm, let's take a moderately successfully idea and make it far less useful! The whole appeal of the Outback was that it was a medium sized station wagon that was good in inclement weather. You could haul groceries in the winter, all the beach gear in the summer, and still get reasonable gas mileage. Then they hacked the back off and called it the "Baja" - removing the usefulness of the wagon and adding a completely useless "bed" that served no purpose other than to generate nostalgia for the Brat...
So this guy buys one and then puts a cap on it. It's no longer even useful for the tiny, marginal bit that the bed adds (oversized items), *and* the cargo area is separate from the interior. Unless the owner has a specialized gig hauling stuff that needs to be separate from the driver - and needs good gas mileage and not a lot of hauling capability weight-wise, I can't even begin to fathom the purpose of this monstrosity.
But then again, some people claim that beans do not belong in chili, so there's exceptions to the rule everywhere...
That is all.
Do It Again, Only Harder!
With economy, poll numbers low, Obama asks voters to give him leverage
Yes. He really is saying "Look, I know I've screwed this thing up six ways to Sunday, but just give me more power and *boy* watch what I do! Lost in these grandiose explanations of why the American people need to contact these eeeevil Republicans and tell them to stop holding up the Øbamaian utopia is the fact that the people did speak - rather soundly - less than two years ago. They saw the blueprint Øbama laid out for the country and voted accordingly - for the other side.
Nice try Barry; maybe another million dollar Canadian bus might help smooth things out on your way to another vacation on the Vineyard...
That is all.
VINEYARD HAVEN - As President Obama wound up his three-day bus tour of America’s heartland yesterday and prepared to begin his vacation today in Martha’s Vineyard, he appears increasingly vulnerable in his bid for a second term next year.And, naturally, Øbama's response has been two-fold: 1. Blame Republicans (although he does seem to have stopped blaming Bush, turning his attention to the Republicans in Congress as the scapegoat for why things aren't going well - and of course no one in the media challenges him to state why things didn't happen in the two years his party had a lock on the House, Senate, and Presidency, but I digress...); and 2. Clamor for more power.
The numbers are foreboding: He is more unpopular in the polls than ever, and he is facing a rough-and-tumble economy dragged down by 9.1 percent joblessness.
Yes. He really is saying "Look, I know I've screwed this thing up six ways to Sunday, but just give me more power and *boy* watch what I do! Lost in these grandiose explanations of why the American people need to contact these eeeevil Republicans and tell them to stop holding up the Øbamaian utopia is the fact that the people did speak - rather soundly - less than two years ago. They saw the blueprint Øbama laid out for the country and voted accordingly - for the other side.
Nice try Barry; maybe another million dollar Canadian bus might help smooth things out on your way to another vacation on the Vineyard...
That is all.
Curse You, Big Business!
That's what's wrong with Washington, right? We're always hearing that the powerful businesses are buying congresscritters left and right and twisting their arms to pass bills favorable to big business - and detrimental to America at the same time.
Except, of course, that the reality is a stone-cold bitch.
Read that list. Of all donations to political parties, the GOP doesn't make the top ten largest donors. Or the top 16, for that matter. Yes, they get a slight edge on the third and fourth slots, but given that the first and second positions, the ones that donated the most, were so thoroughly left-leaning as to be one-sided,
Now read the list again. Count up how many donors have "Union" or "Brotherhood" in their names. Those are the groups that are "for the little guy", the ersatz "voice of the people. And they're out-spending "big business" by a large measure, and it's all going to one party and one party only.
If anyone is "buying influence", it ain't Big Business...
That is all.
NOTE: Thanks to Roadkill in Gunblogger Conspiracy chat for the link!
Except, of course, that the reality is a stone-cold bitch.
Read that list. Of all donations to political parties, the GOP doesn't make the top ten largest donors. Or the top 16, for that matter. Yes, they get a slight edge on the third and fourth slots, but given that the first and second positions, the ones that donated the most, were so thoroughly left-leaning as to be one-sided,
Now read the list again. Count up how many donors have "Union" or "Brotherhood" in their names. Those are the groups that are "for the little guy", the ersatz "voice of the people. And they're out-spending "big business" by a large measure, and it's all going to one party and one party only.
If anyone is "buying influence", it ain't Big Business...
That is all.
NOTE: Thanks to Roadkill in Gunblogger Conspiracy chat for the link!
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