OGNTSA*

"An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence".

Which apparently means, "Bend over, law-abiding gun owners of Massachusetts, you're about to take it in the shorts. Again".

GOAL (Gun Owner's Action League) has a breakdown of this Act here. In a nutshell, Cadillac Deval is finally getting around to bending over MA gunowners just like he promised when he was elected in 2006. Here are some of the proposals he's suggesting in the state that already has some of the harshest gun control in the nation:

• One-gun-a-month limit (also applies to "high capacity" [>10 rounds] magazines)
• No more private transfers
• Releases the names of gun owners to the media
• Mandates that confiscated weapons (i.e. when someone lets their license expire) be destroyed rather than auctioned off.

For MA Gun-owners and other freedom-loving residents, here's a list of members on the MA judiciary committee that will oversee this bill. This "Act" comes up for public debate tomorrow. Please call and write every member and (very politely) let them know how this bill will negatively impact the law-abiding gun owners of MA while doing nothing to reduce crime. Point to states like NJ, which have one-gun-a-month laws, for evidence that these laws do nothing to reduce crime. Point out the significant MA budget deficit and how destroying confiscated weapons rather than auctioning them off deprives the state of much-needed funding.

This is complete and utter nonsense, feel-good anti-gun fluff put up by a desperate governor trying to stay relevant by kicking gun-owners. Don't let him get away with it.

That is all.

*Oh G-d, not this sh!t again

Not What I Thought

Patrick accuses zoo officials of scare tactics

Governor Deval Patrick yesterday accused Zoo New England officials of creating a false and inflammatory scare with their warning that state budget cuts may force them to close two Greater Boston zoos and euthanize some animals.

“As a supporter of the zoo and a parent who has visited often, the governor is disappointed to learn that Zoo New England has responded to this difficult but unavoidable budget cut by spreading inaccurate and incendiary information,’’ Kyle Sullivan, a spokesman for the governor, said in a statement.

For the record, I agree with Governor Cadillac. Claiming that budget cuts will result in having to kill animals is beyond the pale, even by Boston standards (Boston proud motto: Come enjoy our mobster-shaped speed bumps!). Then again, I was pretty bummed to find out that's what the scare tactic actually was - I was hoping the zoo was threatening to release the animals in downtown Boston...

I mean, honestly, the thought of lions and tigers (and bears, oh my) running through Beacon Hill just kicks over my giggle box...

That is all.

Northeast Blogger Shoot, Summer Edition Update Part II...

Original post here; first update here.

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Second Annual Northeast Blogger Shoot Meet & Shootin' Spectacular!!!

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Okay. I think this is set now. We've got a place. We've got a time. We've got folks showing up. We've got all the makings of a Northeast Blogger Summer Shoot!!!

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First, let's present the specifics:

Date: Sunday, August 2^nd, 2009

Time: 10:00 AM EST until 5:00 PM/dusk/cops get called/we get kicked out

Location: Area 12, doubletrouble's sooper seekrit (and very heavily guarded) private range. Invitation only.

Attendees:

doubletrouble
JD
Andrew
Borepatch
Marko
Lissa
weer'd beard
zeeke42
MedicMatthew

Possible:
ZerCool
brad_in_ma
Paul
mopar
wally
David
Bennett
TOTWTYTR
libertyman
The Saj

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Wow. 10 definites and 10 possibles. With less than three weeks to go, let's work on getting more of those "possibles" turned into "definites", okay? We've got a definitive date. We've got a time. We have a private range where the only hard-and-fast rules are that the owner's word is LAW and the Four Rules must be obeyed at all times. Other than that, it's all good. There's plenty of guns to go around; plenty of cherished children's toys to bayonet, and much talkie-talkie with wicked smaht folks to be had...

So who else wants in on the shootie - and bayonetie - goodness?

That is all.

Happy Happy!

A little birdie librarian told me it's someone's birthday...

Happy Birthday Caleb!

That is all.

Saturday Afternoon Music...

Ever since my "Music for TEOTWAWKI" post, I've had this song stuck in my head:



Sing it, Joey...

That is all.

Lookin' On The Bright Side...

Just sat down and wrote out my electric bill for May/June. As I wrote out the check, it struck me that this was a rather small bill, proportionately, when compared to previous years and the start of summer. So I started flipping back through my checkbook, and had to flip back over a year before I found a month where we spent less on electricity...

Y'see, because the summer so far has been so pathetically below normal, we haven't been using the air conditioning at all. We typically see our electric bill double in July and August, with a steep increase in May and a gradual decline in September due to the cost of cooling our house. We have central AC, which is really nice from a comfort perspective - it also keeps the house free of pollen and dust from not having the windows open. But so far this year it has been turned on once, for an afternoon, back in May...

{Insert obligatory snark about Global Warming and "ZOMG TEH ICE CAPZ IZ MELTIN' AND TEH POLAR BEARZ IS DYIN'..."}

That is all.

This is a Strategy?

House Dems to levy new tax on wealthy to pay for health care

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee Friday proposed a graduated tax on wealthy Americans to pay for health care reform, to several Democratic sources tell CNN.

The new tax would kick in for individuals who make over between $280,000 to $400,000 per year and for married couples who make from $350,000 to 500,000 per year, imposing a 1 percent tax on their adjusted gross income.

Is there really nothing new under the sun? This is what passes for ideas in today's Congress? Tax the wealthy? I mean, I know that new ideas have been short in supply in the 0bama administration so far - about as rare as a non-party hack in the admin - but this is just sad.

Equally sad - and frightening - is this little snippet:

Sources say the new tax is expected to bring in $540 billion over ten years. This new revenue, combined with approximately $500 billion in projected savings from health care reforms, would offset the roughly $1 trillion that the House Democrats' health care bill is expected to cost, they said. The Congressional Budget Office has not released its cost estimate yet on the House bill.

Got that? They're magically "saving" half a trillion dollars from "health care reforms" - can anyone point out what these magic reforms actually are? Are 0bama's magic unicorns going to start performing MRIs? This administration is now throwing around completely fabricated figures to the tune of trillions now.

Bruce had it right - we'll be seeing the term "quadrillion" with regards to the deficit or fed spending within the year.

That is all.

Blogroll Updates...

Hoo boy. Got a whole bunch of new blogs as well as some updates.

New blogs:

1. Ballistic Arc. Tirno states his reason for blogging as:

They say 90% of everything is crap. Due to the magic of the internet, I'd increase that by a power of three. So why would I want to dive into the compost pile that is the blogosphere, with the narcissists, idiots and [insert topic] geeks?

'Cuz I has to. Shucky-darn.

Heh.

2. The Survivalist Blog. Here's the intro: "My name is M.D. Creekmore and I write The Survivalist Blog to help others prepare for an uncertain future." I like it.

3. Monster Hunter Nation. Yes, the man himself, Larry Correia, has seen through my syncophantic ranting been kind enough to link me on MHN... I'm geekin' out so bad I think I need to go to a Trek convention...

4. Be A Survivor. Flea states: "Be A Suvivor is all about disaster preparedness and survivival. We also do reviews of equipment and books to help our readers make informed decisions." Making informed decisions. We could use more of that.

5. Keep Texas Zombie Free. Hell, the name alone was worth a slot on the blogroll. Anything that spreads the word about killing those filthy hippies zombies is good in my book.

And the update:

Will's Workbench is now on Wordpress. Adjust blogrolls accordingly.

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80% of the new blogs and 100% of the updates were sent to me via e-mail. I love it - the message is getting through. But just in case you missed it, the standard disclaimer applies:

If you're crazy kind enough to add MArooned to your blogroll, please let me know so I can reciprocate...

That is all.

Gun Nut, Defined...

New Jovian Thunderbolt tackles the herculean task of defining what makes someone a gun nut.

He's got a good list, and I've got a few additions of my own:

• If you've ever bought a firearm because you have the same gun but it's too sentimental/fragile/dangerous to shoot, you might be a gun nut.
• If you carry a gun for self-defense and base wardrobe decisions around your carry piece, you might be a gun nut.
• If you've bought magazines for a particular firearm knowing that they were less-than-adequate, but wanted more for range time, you might be a gun nut.
• If you've ever bought a gun you didn't particularly care for simply because there was a chance it could be banned, you're almost certainly a gun nut.
• If you see a cop/security guard's sidearm and your first thought is "Glock, Sig, or S&W?", you might be a gun nut.
• If you bought a firearm accessory solely for the purpose of making said firearm "more evil", you are definitely a gun nut.
• If you've bought a magazine/holster/other random accessory for a gun you haven't fired in 10 years, you might be a gun nut.
• If you get e-mail newsletters from more than one firearms warehouse or gun store, you're a gun nut.
• If the employees of the local gun store know you by sight, you're a gun nut.
• If the employees of said local gun store call you up if you haven't been by in a week and they're concerned for your health, you're definitely a gun nut...

What are your own "you might be a gun nut if" answers?

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Da Fuzz!

Yesterday's treatise on what to look for in an unmarked car yields today's Top Ten List:

Top Ten Cop Cars.

1. 1970s Plymouth Fury III. Okay. Years and years of watching "The Dukes of Hazzard" have forever imprinted the 1970s Fury on my brain as the ne plus ultra of police cars. And I guarantee you that this is the first time that "Dukes of Hazzard" and "ne plus ultra" have ever been used in the same paragraph here at MArooned...

2. 1992+ Ford Crown Victoria. The current incarnation of the 'Vic, the very last of the full-size cars available to the general motoring public, this is probably the best known cop car on the road today.

3. 1991-1996 Chevrolet Caprice. How popular was the last model of the Chevrolet Caprice? So popular that police departments were sending them out to be rehabbed rather than trade them in on a Ford. And that's with the design flaw of the door-mounted seatbelt!

4. 1987 Buick Gran National. Yes, the Connecticut State Police used the Gran National as part of their unmarked fleet. BADASS.

5. 1974 Dodge Monaco. It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters, so it'll run good on regular gas.

6. 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. This is a classic in anyone's book. In police car form, it's almost too good to chase after the baddies...

7. 2009 Dodge Charger. Yeah. it's got a Hemi. Yeah, that Hemi's got 370+ horsepower. You can run from it, you'll just lose. And pad your ticket... The new Charger police car has the mortal lock on the "badass" look today.

8. 1984 Chevrolet Caprice. This is a personal favorite, as it was the last MSP car to grace our driveway before my dad retired. Hey, I'm a sentimental guy when it comes to my cars...

9. 1988 Ford Mustang LX 5.0. The MA State Police used these as their interceptor vehicles in the late '80s/early 1990s, and it seemed to be a natural fit for the job. The 'Stang shown was an actual CA Highway Patrol car.

10. 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon. Oh hell yes. Mad Max's cruiser gets an honorable mention on the list.

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So there's my list of my favorite police cars. Granted, none of these make the list if they're pulled in behind me with the lights on, but all are pretty darn neat in their own right.

What cool cop cars make your list?

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #119

Today's subject is something different. Radically different. This is a weapon that's primitive yet modern, outdated yet timeless, a throwback yet cool. It's deadly, has ammunition that can be reused, and is utterly silent save for the mechanism of action itself.

What could it be? None other than:

Crossbow!

Yep. The G. armory contains a crossbow.

I don't remember when I picked this up; it was pre-kid, that's about the only certainty. It's a generic, definitely entry-level crossbow, certainly nothing you'd hunt with or dare display at the local hunting lodge for fear of being laughed out of the building. It's basically the Hi-Point of crossbows, which for my purposes (general sticking of arrows into stacks of phone books) was more than sufficient for what I wanted.

Did I mention I have a crossbow?

That is all.

Life Imitates Heinlein...

What Does Life-Extending Drug Mean for Humans?

A natural compound used as an immunosuppressant in organ-transplant patients has been found to extend life in mice, according to a study published on July 8 in the journal Nature. Aging mice that were given the substance, rapamycin, lived significantly longer than mice that didn't get the drug: females that received rapamycin were 13% older at death and males 9% older.

The research, conducted as part of the National Institute of Aging Interventions Testing Program, took place at three separate test sites and involved nearly 2,000 genetically similar mice. Trials began when mice were about 600 days old — well into middle age, at a stage roughly equivalent to 60-year-old humans. (See the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2008.)

And here I was thinking that blood replacement was the secret?

What's especially interesting is this:

However, even administered late in life, rapamycin delayed the deaths of the longest-lived male mice by 101 days and by 151 days in the longest-lived females — the equivalent of about 13 years on average in humans — compared with mice with no treatment. In terms of life expectancy when treatment began (or average remaining lifespan when the mice were 600 days old), that translates to an increase of 38% in female mice and 28% in males.

28% increase over an 80-year lifespan is a not-inconsequential 22.4 years. Not quite approaching Lazarus Long capacity, but it's a start... The real question, of course, is whether we'll improve plastic surgery to the point of calling it "rejuvenation"...

That is all.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise...

Really, honestly, truly, does this surprise anyone with two brain cells to rub together?

Billions in aid go to areas that backed Obama in '08

WASHINGTON — Billions of dollars in federal aid delivered directly to the local level to help revive the economy have gone overwhelmingly to places that supported President Obama in last year's presidential election.

That aid — about $17 billion — is the first piece of the administration's massive stimulus package that can be tracked locally. Much of it has followed a well-worn path to places that regularly collect a bigger share of federal grants and contracts, guided by formulas that have been in place for decades and leave little room for manipulation.

Sure. Pull the other one...

That is all.

News You Can Use pt. 2

How to ID covert cop cars

(AOL Autos) -- If you have a heavy foot and may travel a bit over the speed limit, you might want to keep an eye out for these popular police car models.

I'll spare you the list, but in a nutshell, the things to look for are:

• Crown Vic. The Ford Crown Victoria has been a police car staple since at least the late 1970s, and has been pretty much the exclusive full-size car since GM stupidly dropped the Caprice in 1996.
• Dodge Charger. The Charger is smaller and lighter than the 'Vic, but with the 390+ HP Hemi has more than enough oomph for its role as interceptor.
• Ford Mustang. Police agencies have been using 'Stangs as interceptors since at least the mid-1980s 5.0L model.

Realistically, this covers 95+% of the unmarked cars you're likely to come across on the highways and byways of America. Most cities don't get more creative than an all-white version of whatever model car they use for cruisers; it's the highway patrol/state police that tend to have more options available to them.

What to look for? Lights in the grill are an obvious giveaway. Look for a perfect finish - for whatever reason, the unmarked cars are typically kept in much better condition than the standard cruiser. Dual exhaust on a model that doesn't typically come with twin pipes. Plain hubcaps - this is truest on the Vics.

ETA: Tinted windows. Quite often, the windows will be tinted to hide/obscure the light bars. Now, in states like FLA where most cars have tinted windows this might not be such a giveaway. In states like NH or MA, though, where tinted windows are either illegal or limited, it's a giant neon sign that screams "UNMARKED CAR"... Thanks to OrangeNeckInNY for the tip!

Basically, if it looks like a cop car, odds are it *is* a cop car...

That is all.

PS: Hmmm. "Top Ten Police Models" sounds like a killer idea for tomorrow's Fun Thread...

Six Years...

A couple of weeks ago, I got curious and started looking around my blogfather's site. Specifically, the archives. I knew I started blogging there shortly after my daughter was born. Well, a few minutes' worth of digging and I found my first post ever.

Six years ago today, I wrote my very first post. Wow...

That is all.