Oopsie!

Navy ship accidentally fires on Polish port

Washington (CNN) -- A crew member aboard a U.S. Navy ship accidentally fired a machine gun into the Polish port city of Gdynia on Wednesday while cleaning the weapon, Navy officials said Friday.

Three rounds were fired from an M240 machine gun into the town but no injuries or damage were reported, officials said.

Boy, I really hate it when I forget to unload my machine gun before cleaning it. And it's even worse when I fire it into a foreign town... Think someone's going to have about a decade of KP ahead of them?

The question, of course, is what really happened?

That is all.

Behind Enemy Lines...

Look what made it into today's Boston Globe:

AN ATTACK AT MASS. GENERAL

“While this certainly qualifies as a ‘psychiatrist’s worst nightmare,’ it’s not the greatest thing in the world for the nanny-state antigun forces, either. Here we have a private citizen - and what difference does it make what they do for work if they’re not actually on the job at the time - using their lawfully owned and carried firearm in the defense of another. We have an actual, honest-to-goodness defensive gun use where the gun wasn’t taken away from the gun owner, where the wrong people didn’t get shot, where the private citizen stopped a deadly threat with the force necessary.’’

Hmmm. Sound familiar? I had nothing to do with the posting, BTW. Someone from the Globe found the trackback from my original post and put it up there. From what I hear, it made the print version as well. Obviously I will now be targeted for re-education...

And in case anyone's curious, a link from SayUncle generates a LOT more hits than one from the Boston Globe. Make of that what you will...

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Beautiful Buicks

As we continue our swing through the Top Ten from the Big Three, our next marque is the Buick brand in the General Motors family. The Buick brand pre-dates GM itself, getting its start in 1903 as the fledgling American automotive industry took its first few tentative steps. Over the years, Buick served its role as an entry-level luxury model second only to Cadillac, the last stop before full-blown opulence.

Here's my Top Ten favorite Buicks:

1. 1987 Grand National. With a turbocharged and intercooled 3.8L V6 engine, the full-sized GN shouldn't have been as cool as it was. Even the V8 didn't move this pig at anything resembling a fast speed; it seems almost counterintuitive that a smaller motor would work better.

2. 1938 Y-Job. Considered to be the very first of the "concept cars". Designed by the automotive legend Harley Earl himself. Styling cues carried forward well into the 1950s and beyond, as evidenced by the Buick Blackhawk concept in the earlier part of this decade.

3. 1972 Riviera. The "boat-tail" Riviera, the early 1970s models are instantly recognizable by their aquatic-styled rear quarterpanels. They're also large enough to land commercial aircraft on, and typically weigh more than an elementary school.

4. 1959 Electra 225. The "Deuce and a Quarter", 1959 saw the debut of the 225 (so-named because that was the car's length in inches). Over the years, the Electra would evolve into a bloated land yacht and then a front-drive mid-sized sedan, but the original '59 just looked the best.

5. 1977 Regal. This is a sentimental favorite, as it was the first new car my family owned. It would eventually be totalled, hit by a triple-axle dumptruck that slipped out of gear, rolled down a hill, and plowed into the Regal. The only damage done to the Regal was that the door was caved in...

6. 1954 Skylark. Can't really say why the '54 Skylark makes the cut, except possibly for its clean styling, timeless good looks, and signature cues like the toothy front grille or the swooping side trim.

7. 1967 LeSabre. Really, pretty much any LeSabre from the mid 1960s through the 1970s would make the cut; however, pre-1970s models had more their own feel to them and less of a "Corporate GM" cookie-cutter look that they would obtain in the '70s and especially the 80s, where "ChevyOldsmoBuick" would become the norm.

8. 1953 Estate Wagon. The last of the true "woodies", the '53 Estate wagon is one of the nicest grocery getters around. The Estate nameplate would continue to be used until 1990, although in '89 and '90 it was used for the wagon only. And it didn't have real wood, although there was a sweet 350 V8 under the hood...

9. Super Sedan. Many of the styling cues of the Skylark would be shared with the Super; yet the Super would be one of the "forgotten" cars of the 1950s; a chrome-roamer lost to the ages. Well, not on this list it ain't.

10. Reatta convertible. Oh, sure, it was a SOP to the Mazda Miata to offer the Reatta as a drop-top, but the Reatta came out several years ahead of the little Mazda. The Reatta suffered from brand-orphaning - no one expected a lithe little two seater from Buick, of all people, and sales languished. The blue-hairs that bought Buicks in the late 1980s were about as far from the demographic that bought Miatas as can be humanly possible in the same species.

---

There's my list of Top Ten Buicks. The #1 and #2 spots are simply non-negotiable, but the rest of the list is open to interpretation.

What are your favorite Buicks?

That is all.

Here There Be Stupid...

They make their mark in mug shot history

(CNN) -- Police say guilt was written all over their faces. Police received a call Friday night that two men with hooded sweatshirts and painted faces had tried to break into a man's home in Carroll, Iowa.

When police stopped a vehicle matching the caller's description blocks away, they were stunned by the men's disguises.

There were no ski masks or stockings pulled over their heads; instead, Matthew Allan McNelly, 23, and Joey Lee Miller, 20, streaked their faces with permanent black marker.

Here's the criminal geniuses in their mugshots:

Great job, guys. Way to raise the bar for future criminal enterprise in your town. When the tales of great capers are told; when the law enforcement conferences offer case studies, your story will be told. However, it will be as the punch line, as the comic relief to a day filled with real criminals.

You will forever be known as the cautionary example, as the guys that make people feel better about themselves because, hey, at least I never tried to break into someone's house wearing SHARPIE as a disguise...

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #135

Today's gun pr0n is an old school piece:

Smith & Wesson Model 39-2

The model 39 was introduced in 1955, some six years in development bringing it to market. It was the first American double-action semi-automatic pistol, using a modified Browning Hi-Power locking principle. It's a single-stack (8 round capacity) recoil-operated, locked breech all-steel auto-chucker; the double-stack version (model 59) would appear some 15 years later.

This particular model belongs to Dad G.; he dusts it off twice a year for his quals (LEOSA and also NH PI) and scores Expert Marksman every time (apparently the shooting skills skip a generation or two in the G. family; I'm hoping this means TheBoy is a natural). Brought it along on the range trip with Lissa a couple weeks back and was positively amazed at how easily it broke orange clays at the 25 yard berm.

One could do a lot worse than one of these fine pistols, that's for certain.

That is all.

Some Animals are More Equal Than Others...

Two years after son's death, mother finds solace in hate crimes bill

(CNN) -- For Elke Kennedy, the significance of Wednesday's hate crimes legislation can be traced to a single punch outside a bar on a drunken night two years ago.

"My son was murdered as he was leaving a bar in Greenville, South Carolina," the 48-year-old woman told CNN about her son, Sean, who was 20 when he came face-to-face with what she calls a hate crime. "He walked outside the bar and there was three people sitting in a car outside and they called him over to ask him for a cigarette."

How long did the assailant spend in jail? You'll love this:

He bargained it down to involuntary manslaughter and served 199 days in the county lockup followed by 12 months in prison, Kennedy said. Moller was released on probation last July, she said.

Okay, so we need so-called "Hate Crimes" legislation because our Criminal "Justice" system is hideously broken? Are you kidding me? Involuntary manslaughter and he served a year and a half in jail? We don't need Hate Crime legislation. We need to start making people pay for abusing their freedoms. First off, I dispute the involuntary part of the manslaughter charge - this isn't a car crash where the death was wholly unintentional. He punched that kid hard enough to cause significant brain damage - that's not an accident.

The whole concept of "Hate Crime" legislation is just so Orwellian that I had to use the line from Animal Farm for the title of this post. All animals are equal, some are more equal than others. Because the object of ire was a "protected" group, the perpetrator of violence should receive a stiffer penalty, that's the general idea behind Hate Crimes - essentially creating a new, more important class of people. Everyday shmoes who take a beating for being in the wrong place at the wrong time are SOL; special groups get special treatment.

Could there possibly be anything more unAmerican than setting up a special victim class that gets special protection under the law?

That is all.

A Little Birdie Told Me...

It's a famous Uncle's birthday today.

Happy Birthday SayUncle!

That is all.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

...Do it again, only harder!

Massachusetts agencies already make small-biz loans Deval’s proposing

Gov. Deval Patrick emerged from his economic summit this week touting a plan to create a new small-business loan program - but the state already has at least two agencies that do the same thing.

A Herald review of government agencies and programs turned up the state’s Capital Access Program and the Community Development Finance Corp., both taxpayer-backed entities designed to boost lending to small firms in need of capital in almost exactly the same way the governor is proposing. A top Patrick administration official said yesterday there could be as many as eight other similar programs.

At what point do we stop and say, you know what, that was a great idea but, sadly, it just doesn't work? How many hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars do we throw at the problem the exact same way before we walk away from that approach? It's not working. Let's take a different approach rather than trying it again, only harder. Hmmm. Come to think about it, that seems to be the Bay State's approach to another thorny problem, doesn't it? Now if only there were a marginalized constituency to throw to the wolves here, they might just have something.

You want to hear the scariest part?

Still, Bialecki said yesterday, the administration wants to create a new fund that would pool money from a number of public and private sources and make direct loans to firms based on future growth, not on what their current income allows.

Read that again. They want to base loans on "future growth". In today's unsteady economy, they want to make loans based not on what the company can afford to pay back, but based on what they might be making sometime in the future. Hmmm. This sounds nothing like the "interest-only" loan debacle that torpedoed the home mortgage industry, right? I wonder what basis they're going to use for "future growth"? Something tells me the model will look more like Enron than Morgan Stanley.

But hey, we're doing what feels good, right? That's what matters these days - not results, not actual hard-and-fast accomplishments...

That is all.

Comparo!

After the range trip with Lissa, after I cleaned all the guns, I took some extra shots of the S&W model 39 and the SigSauer P232. One of the shots I took of the P232 was on the scale, for a comparison to the S&W AirLite J-frame:

P232 Weight

20.9 ounces. That's pretty hefty for a 7+1 shot .380 ACP. Remember that the S&W AirLite weighs a full seven ounces less (and the P3AT weighs even less than that, with only one round fewer). Now, that extra weight does mean that the .380 is easier to shoot in the P232 than in the P3At, certainly; however for one extra round it's not worth nearly double the weight IMO.

For comparison's sake:

Weight P3AT

Weight 360PD

The pictures also give a rough comparison of the sizes of the three firearms. The P232 and the 360PD are approximately the same size, with the P232 having a slightly longer barrel but definitely slimmer profile. The P3AT is, once again, far and away the smallest gun going; with length, height, and width dimensions as diminutive as its weight.

I still don't see why anyone would voluntarily go without one of these pocket rockets.

That is all.

Loaded Statements...

Well, I guess we can add "chili has beans" to the list of statements that will get people all riled up...

So what's that make?

• The AR platform is better/worse than the AK platform.
• 9mm is better/worse than .45 ACP
• 1911 is better/worse than Glock
• Coffee is best served piping hot/at 90 MPH into the face of a goblin

Heh. Might be the last person in the blogosphere to say it, but good job Caleb...

That is all.

Piper, Paying Thereof

D.C. sniper scheduled to die next month

(CNN) -- Convicted Beltway sniper John Allen Muhammad is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection November 10, a Virginia corrections official said Tuesday.
"Inmate John Muhammad was offered a choice in method of execution, and he declined," Larry Traylor said. "Under the code, if the inmate declines to choose, it defaults to lethal injection."

Too bad it doesn't default to firing squad. The irony would simply be delicious. T-minus thirteen days until Muhammad can start rotting in hell. I hope your victims get to piss on you when you pass through Purgatory on your way down...

My first thought upon hearing this news was that it was awfully quick for a death sentence to be carried out - until I read that the shootings happened in 2002. Seven years have passed since Muhammad and his protégé in evil Malvo shot innocent people at random in the suburbs of DC, killing 10 out of 13 people shot.

I am perplexed by this:

Attorneys for Muhammad argued last week that he should be given clemency on the grounds that he has a severe mental illness that worsened while he served in the Persian Gulf War.

A severe mental illness that doesn't allow him to realize that shooting perfectly innocent people while they live their lives is wrong is reason NOT to kill him? See, in my book, that's a perfectly valid reason to execute right there. If someone is so far gone that they can't associate "random killing" with "bad", I don't want them in my gene pool, sorry.

And I'm going to have to disagree with some of my libertarian brothers here. I think the death penalty most certainly can and should be applied by the state. I agree that it is a big deal to grant the state that kind of power, but counter with the thought that we already DO give the state that kind of power insofar as we have no problem handing over machine guns and grenades to our police force to execute no-knock warrants where anything can go. At least with executions there's going to be some level of oversight, if for no other reason than the fanatical anti-death penalty zealots who will pore over every DP case looking for uncrossed "t"s and undotted "i"s...

And as for Muhammad, my only regret is that he won't ride the lightning, because there's a perfect song for that...

That is all.

Edited for snark: Is there any truth to the rumor that H-S Precision contacted Muhammad for a testimonial?

Things Are Not As They Seem...

When you hear of a defensive gun use in MA, it's a big deal. When it's on the front page of the Boston Globe, you know there's going to be some serious obfuscation.

Doctor stabbed, attacker killed - this is the headline to the story.

MGH patient shot by guard

This is the second line under the headline, before we even get to the actual story. Kinda leads you to believe that the person that did the shooting was, you know, employed by the hospital where the shooting occured as a security guard. Err, not quite...

A patient at a Massachusetts General Hospital bipolar clinic stabbed his psychiatrist during a treatment session yesterday afternoon, and was then shot dead by an off-duty security guard, in a frantic scene that a colleague later described as “every psychiatrist’s worst nightmare.’’

Dr. Astrid Desrosiers, a 49-year-old instructor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the mother of grown children, and a celebrated doctor in the city’s Haitian community, was in stable condition at MGH and recovering from her wounds, relatives, colleagues, and hospital officials said.

While this certainly qualifies as a "psychiatrist's worst nightmare", it's not the greatest thing in the world for the nanny-state anti-gun forces, either. Here we have a private citizen - and what difference does it make what they do for work if they're not actually on the job at the time - using their lawfully owned and carried firearm in the defense of another. We have an actual, honest-to-goodness defensive gun use where the gun wasn't taken away from the gun owner, where the wrong people didn't get shot, where the private citizen stopped a deadly threat with the force necessary.

Sarah Brady and John Rosenthal have been put on suicide watch for the duration.

Dead Goblin Count: 31.

That is all.

Hittin' the Pig Time...

From one local newspaper:

Absenteeism is up in some schools in the Pentucket Regional School District, prompting Superintendent Paul Livingston to issue an H1N1 flu update to parents yesterday afternoon.

Livingston said "a high number" of students for this time of year are absent from the Bagnall School in [G.ville] due to flu-like symptoms, with the Page Elementary School in [town next to G.ville] reporting a "slightly higher-than-typical" rate of students out. The four other schools in the district — Sweetsir and Donaghue elementary schools and the middle and high schools — currently have rates considered normal for midautumn, the superintendent said in a phone interview yesterday.

(No link; it's such a small town that I've probably given enough information out as it is).


Yep. Our sleepy little 'burb has been hit hard by the H1N1 virus. My daughter reports that less than half her class was present today. According to sources at the school, over a hundred kids were out on Monday (TheBoy included). It got so bad that the PTA (Mrs. G. is the secretary) canceled the annual Halloween party - this is the first year since they started putting on the Halloween party that it has been canceled. They decided to err on the side of caution and not offer up a giant germ smorgasbord. Go figure.

TheBoy has been temperature-free for nearly 24 hours now, and if he wakes up with a normal temp he's going to school for the first time since Friday. He's the first wave returning, as the flu seems to have hit last Friday, aided and abetted by a series of Halloween and birthday parties over the weekend that put fledgling carriers in close proximity to one another as the virus was just starting to break out. The perfect storm of epidemiology, if you will.

We've apparently been extremely fortunate - there have been no reported cases where the virus caused significant harm to any of the afflicted kids. Those affected reported moderate to high temperatures, aches, pains, chills, etc. - all consistent with a flu virus; all are on the mend after several days of rest and isolation. There was no need for a national emergency declaration nor a sweeping quarantine from the state.

Just plain old common sense, rest, and keeping your damn sick kids away from the healthy ones.

That is all.

Ya Think?

Police: Cop Pulled Gun On Haunted House Character

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore city police officer was charged with assault after he pulled a gun on a haunted house character over the weekend.

Baltimore County police said Sgt. Eric Janik, 36, pulled his gun on a haunted house employee dressed up as the killer from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" at the House of Screams show in Essex on Sunday.
...

Police said Janik also appeared to be drinking.

NO SHIT SHERLOCK! I mean, I know I always wave my gun around at haunted houses when I'm stone-cold sober. That's got to be the understatement of the year. In a sad, sick way I guess I should be happy that this was a law enforcement officer, because now it won't be used as a "ZOMG Gun owners can't be trusted".

What is moderately surprising is that the officer in question was suspended without pay and may actually be charged with a crime. There's nothing in the article to indicate if he was taken down by a SWAT team like you or I would be if we were drunk and waving a loaded firearm around, though. What pisses me off is that this guy was fucking hammered with his nine year old daughter present. Having a gun on him makes it more dangerous, of course; I have to wonder what other shenanigans that poor girl has witnessed...

Some days, just when you think we've hit bottom as a species, some fool produces a shovel and starts digging...

That is all.

And Speaking of Senator Kennedy...

There was a debate last night to see which of the four dwarves will replace him in the US Senate.

Rivals sound a Kennedy theme

In their first debate of the campaign, the four Democratic candidates for US Senate sparred gently last night, each seeking to play to a liberal base and win recognition as the rightful heir to the seat once held by Edward M. Kennedy.

The debate allowed the four to highlight their candidacies and their themes: US Representative Michael E. Capuano played to his blue-collar progressive roots and his insider political skills; Attorney General Martha Coakley was crisp and efficient, showing a command of the issues and making a point to address the camera; Stephen G. Pagliuca and Alan Khazei presented their nonpolitical backgrounds as assets.

It also allowed all four to basically parrot every pie-in-the-sky social program and 0bama "must-have" Unicorn wish list out there. Close Gitmo? It's there. Pull out of of Iraq and Afghanistan? You betcha. Free health care for everyone? Check. Free tuition for illegal immigrants? Got it. If it's a fringe left-wing position, they were for it. If it had anything to do with Bush/Republicans, it was more evil than red meat.

SNL couldn't have written a better parody of a debate held amongst Democrats to succeed Ted Kennedy. Every hackneyed cliché, every worn-out boogeyman, every time-honored tool in the Demo bag of tricks was taken out, slavered over, and put back. It was like this was nothing more than a chance for each of the four to state, officially and for the record, that yes, they were a MA Democrat.

Too bad that, once again, the joke of Massachusetts will be on the rest of the nation.

That is all.

Senator Kennedy's Legacy Lives On...

...no, no one drowned a young campaign worker, the other legacy:

A cynical gimmick against Cape Wind

OF ALL THE gimmicks that opponents of Cape Wind have resorted to, working with the Wampanoag tribes to protect all of Nantucket Sound for cultural reasons wins the prize for sheer cynicism. The ploy seems intended to drag out the approval process long enough for some other tactic to emerge. But the opponents will have to work hard to find a mechanism for delay as laugh-out-loud bogus as this one.

Yes, you read that correctly. The power players that have blocked the Nantucket Sound wind farm for years have cynically settled on the Wampanoag Indiain tribe as their last great hope for scuttling the unsightly project. The Wampanoags, who you might remember as players in the MA Casino brouhaha a few years back, are being used as pawns and props in a long-running war between the bluebloods and the greenheads.

It's rare when I actually agree with a Globe editorial, and I suspect we're disagreeing for different reasons. It is rather interesting to see the Globe actually take a stand against a recognized minority; apparently they don't mind being racists if it means getting a pet environmental project pushed through. Kennedy was one of the most vocal opponents of the wind farm project, and it's good to see that the opposition hasn't gotten any more serious after his passing.

And isn't it fitting that an energy project opposed by Ted Kennedy centered around moving large masses of air?

That is all.

Least Favorite Gun Parts...

Tam got me thinking about this post with her diatribe against the Loaded Chamber Indicator. What are the really stupid things that gun makers stick on their firearms? What are the things that you race to your favorite gunsmith to have removed, covered, or otherwise obliterated? I've come up with a handful:

1. The magazine disconnect. Even the man himself JMB (PBUH) stuffed a mag disconnect into the Hi-Power for reasons known only to Him. The mag disconnect, the legend goes, is supposed to act as some last-ditch talisman in the event one finds one's self struggling for one's own firearm. Simply hit the mag release, and the gun is now utterly useless save as a bludgeon. Except of course there's no guarantee that you won't be the one holding a newly-useless firearm while some 400 pound gorilla tries to pound you into pudding...

2. The aforementioned Loaded Chamber Indicator. Stupid but basically harmless seems to be the general consensus. I have firearms with various and sundry LCIs; I just ignore them and follow Rule 1: All guns are always loaded. My LCI is Colonel Cooper's #1 Rule. Can be a problem if the firearm gets old/worn/dirty and the LCI becomes difficult to see - if the LCI cannot clearly be read, the inattentive user might be lead to think their firearm is unloaded when it is not.

3. "Billboard" safety messages. Yes, Sturm & Ruger, I'm thinking specifically of you and the fact that every single firearm you put out has a small bible engraved on the barrel. "Is not safe. Is gun" is all you need. SRSLY. This one doesn't affect operation of the firearm, but it sure detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the firearm in question.

4. The dreaded internal lock. Here we look squarely at Smith & Wesson and their hated internal locks - some of which have been shown to engage all by themselves at the worst possible of times. Like, say, in the middle of the gun firing, which could be detrimental to one's health were one firing said firearm in defense of one's self... If you want to lock your firearm, get a trigger lock or a cable to immobilize the action. Don't depend on something already part of the firearm to lock it closed for you.

5. Trigger safeties. Specifically, safeties mounted on the trigger itself - yes, Glock, we're talking about you here. The trigger safety on the Glock autopistol was the single biggest stumbling block to my getting a Glock in the first place. I shot a friend's G19 before he left to move to America, and passed on buying it because I hated the trigger. It didn't make any sense to me then; even now, as the owner of a G30 I still don't like the trigger safety but I can look beyond it. It's definitely not needed.

---

That's what I could come up with for useless gun add-on parts. There are certainly many others I haven't thought of yet - perhaps some I don't mind, others I may not have come across yet. Everybody's got their favorite - perhaps I should say least favorite - useless part.

What's your vote for #1 Gun Appendix?

That is all.

HAMTHRAX STRIKES!

Just got the call from the Mrs. She brought TheBoy to the doctor because he's been fighting a low-grade fever since Friday, and naturally thought that he'd picked up my upper respiratory infection.

She puts him on the phone to give me the news, and I hear,

"I got the swine flu! I got the swine flu!"

Yes folks. Hamthrax has claimed my boy...

He seems fine; his temp has gotten no higher than 101.1 at the worst. His demeanor is perfectly normal; he has complained of aches and pains and the normal symptoms of someone with a fever/flu-like conditions, but a very mild one.

I'm cautiously optimistic that the worst is behind us, and that he's on the mend. And if this is what swine flu brings, they are TOTALLY blowing it out of proportion. Strep throat puts my son out of commission more than swine flu.

Still, in any case, I'd appreciate any and all good thoughts for TheBoy while he recovers from H1N1...

That is all.

On Being Well...

For the third day in a row I've woken up without feeling like a truck ran over me. I actually felt good enough this morning to work out for the first time in a week (mental note: yes, you can get out of shape in as little as as week's time!). For the first time in a week, I'm alert and hitting on all eight cylinders. It's a good feeling, and it's a shame it takes getting blindsided by illness to fully appreciate it.

My illness last week threw me for a loop, hard. I tend to get really sick really fast for a day or so; taking a day to rest and bouncing right back into the swing of things. The last time an illness put me out of commission for a week I think was in high school when I got the chicken pox for the second time (first time was a weak case in 1st grade). I was sick for about a week then, too; of course being a teenager I bounced back much faster.

You realize just how much we take living in the modern age for granted - I had an upper respiratory infection that was treated quickly with modern antibiotics. A hundred years ago that might have gone untreated; left to its own devices to either work its way out of my system or take over and bring me down. Instead, a quick doctor's visit and a few moments at the pharmacy and I'm well on my way to recovery. What an amazing age indeed.

It's only when that health is stripped away that you realize how fortunate we are to live in this time of medical advances; when you think about how far health care has come in the past 100 years. It makes you wonder, though; what advances will we continue to make in the next 100 years? Will we finally see things like regenerating organs or limbs? Cancer vaccines? Simple methods for treating heart disease?

Or will we pass our "universal health care" debacle and bring the US Health Care system to a grinding halt?

That is all.

Let's Meat on the Highway...

Mass Pike Mess: Trucks, Car Crash At Weston Tolls

If you're heading into Boston on the Massachusetts Turnpike this morning, expect major delays. Three tractor-trailers and a car crashed at the Weston tolls on the eastbound side of the highway around 2:30 a.m.

State police say a truck carrying slabs of beef struck a toll booth and was rear-ended by another truck. Both fell on their side. A third truck and a car were also involved.

Every tailgater from Plymouth to Orange was headed into Weston this morning, with their Weber grills warming up on the back gate of the Expedition in anticipation of the state's largest tailgating party...

MA Pike: It's THE place to meat people!

Mass Drivers: Not only do we not believe in turn signals, we don't even yield for roadside beef!

MA: Why, yes, we may very well steer you wrong.

MA: We believe in using our horn to let you know something that formerly had horns is on the road in front of you.

MA Traffic: Congested with a chance of meatballs.

(Can y'all tell I'm having fun with this one?)

That is all.

Spillin' Secrets...

To get the week off on an interesting start, here's some of my deep, dark gunnie secrets revealed for all to see:

• I am not a rifleman. While I'm certain that I could be with a little training and a lot of practice, I just don't think shooting a rifle accurately is the best use of my gunnie time, money, and energy.
• I would rather shoot .22LR than just about anything else. From any platform.
• I am not comfortable carrying a firearm "cocked & locked".
• While I do love the M1 Garand and expect to own one someday, I can't get all that excited about a rifle that only takes eight rounds at a time. Perhaps recent arms have jaded me, but if I can't bring at least two and a half dozen rounds in a single box, I just can't get all that worked up.
• I have rifles in my armory I have never shot. I only have one pistol in my armory I have never shot, and that one has a rusted bore.
• I am fanatical about cleaning, and tend to clean guns the day they are shot if it is at all possible.
• I have a near infatuation with the Hogue Monogrip. All of my snubbies and most of my other (non-Colt) revolvers wear them. A good number of my semi-autos wear them as well. They're just plain comfortable grips.
• I love the way a good pair of wood grips look on a handgun, but most often I am too cheap to fork out the dough.
• The first thing I do when I'm thinking about buying a new semi-automatic firearm is check the price and availability of spare magazines.
• I believe that in caliber wars, as in muscle cars, there's no replacement for displacement. And you displace a lot more with a .45 caliber bullet than a .355 caliber one.
• I firmly believe that a huge chunk of the regulations we have on fully-automatic weapons and suppressed weapons should be lifted.
• In that vein, only VT and AK do concealed carry as it should be done according to the Constitution.

---

So that's enough opening up for today. Who else wants to spill their secrets?

That is all.

A Parent's Love for Their Child...

It's nothing short of gorgeous outside today. Bright sunshine. Not a cloud in the sky. High 50s for temperature. It's the perfect day for a fall motorcycle ride, preferably a nice long one down a twisty road with fall foliage along the side. The days will rapidly get colder and colder, the weather decidedly less attuned to maneuvering on two wheels; the Harley will be put into storage shortly in November before the snow starts to accumulate.

Instead, I'm going to spend the day transforming the local Congregational Church into a Halloween House of (not quite so) Horrors for the Cub Scouts. All day long, on the way to and from church, I've watched all those happy bikers take their chrome steeds out for one final journey, and wished I could be among them.

Oh well. It's a worthy tradeoff...

That is all.

Birthday Greetings!

Don't forget to mosey on over and wish Major Caudill a happy birthday today...

(Just kidding. Happy birthday Marko!)

That is all.

GMAFB

Obama declares swine flu national emergency

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has signed a proclamation declaring swine flu a national emergency, the White House said Saturday.

"In keeping with the administration's proactive approach to H1N1 Flu, President Obama last night signed a proclamation declaring 2009-H1N1 Influenza a national emergency," it said in a statement. "The proclamation enhances the ability of our nation's medical treatment facilities to handle a surge in H1N1 patients by allowing, as needed, the waiver of certain standard federal requirements on a case-by-case basis."

Okay, so let me get this straight. This is a strain of flu that we've known about and tracked since April. In that time it's killed about a thousand people, far below what the non-swine flu normally claims. And based on this, we're declaring Hamthrax to be a National Emergency? Can someone explain this to me, please?

Because from where I'm sitting, this looks like yet another raw, naked power grab by the Sun King himself...

That is all.

So, There's Money Burnin' A Hole In My Pocket...

As I mentioned earlier, I made a little room in the gun safe by sending off the SW99 compact 9mm to a new home. This also means that there's a good deal of money in the gun fund now. Since, of course, I have both money in the gun fund and room in the safe, this naturally means that there's nothing that's striking my fancy enough to warrant an acquisition.

There are many worthy candidates, though. Just in the local classifieds, we have:

Colt Anaconda
Colt CCO
Ruger Mk III with rail
SAR-1 with 75 rd drum
Norinco SKS Type-M (takes AK mags)

I could also go to my local gun store and order up one of the Kel-Tec Sub2000 carbines that take Sig P226 mags, or a new Ruger Mk III Hunter with fluted barrel. Or a Walther PPS.

But nothing's really making my hand reach for my wallet yet, yanno?

That is all.

Sometimes, I Despair for Humanity...

I caught the single line link to this story on CNN's homepage:

Ticker: Dem calls White House move 'bulls**t'

And was sufficiently intrigued to click through to the article itself. In a nutshell, the candidate for VA governor does not feel he's getting sufficient support from the White House in his bid to become governor. Okay, whatever. What really stuck out at me were some of the comments to the article:

Dan

October 23rd, 2009 5:19 pm ET
SOCIALISM….. GOP calls Obama a Socialist.
SOCIALISM….. GOP calls Public Option, Socialism.
SOCIALISM….. Social Security, is it not Socialism?
SOCIALISM….. Free education until 12th grade, is it not Socialism?
SOCIALISM….. Bailout of Wall Street and AIG, is it not Socialism?
SOCIALISM….. Bush lied that Iraq has WMDs, is it not Socialism?
SOCIALISM….. We believed what Bush said, is it not Socialism?
SOCIALISM….. 4300 Troops died, is it not Socialism?
SOCIALISM….. Bush visits Beijing Olympics, is not a waste of Tax Money.
SOCIALISM….. Obama flies to Copenhagen to Canvas for Chicago, GOP calls it a waste of Tax Dollars.
This is an Example how GOP tries to Misled.......................................

(Does this guy have any fucking clue what "socialism" even is?)

---

NVa Native
October 23rd, 2009 5:15 pm ET
If you don't like our President then you can leave our country.

(hmmm. Shades of that MA legislator who was telling her residents to leave the town if they didn't like the rules...)

---

Bill
October 23rd, 2009 5:04 pm ET
2000 to 2008 ___________________
GOP – 8 Years – No Deeds, Did Nothing, Zero, Absosutely Zero
2009 _________________________
GOP – All Talk._____________________________
GOP = Talkative Idiots, No Deeds, Just Talk.

(Can someone translate this from mumbly idiot to English for me? The GOP/Bush did nothing for eight years? Then why the hell was everyone accusing him of being Hitler? Moron.)

---

Kevin Denver Colorado

October 23rd, 2009 4:57 pm ET
Like everything else, the republican crystal ball is broken. If you really believe that the country is going to vote you in in 2010 you're seriously deluded. While we may not achieve everything in the time frame that everybody would like (yesterday!) We will achieve all major goals of fixing the indescribable mess you republitards left us and the intelligent and rational people of this great country will vote to give Obama a 3rd & 4th Term.......... ad infinitum.

(The intelligent and rational people of this country know that 0bama can't serve a 3rd & 4th term...)

---

It goes on for pages and pages of stupid - both left and right - I'd excerpt more, except that I could feel my brain actually starting to melt as I read the sheer concentrated stupid. I used to think that more Americans should get involved in the political process. Now I'm not so sure. Hell, now I'm not sure a good portions of Americans should be left alone without a permanently attached drool cup...

Anyhoo, it's interesting reading - if you want to lower your IQ 50 points or so...

That is all.

Draw The Line...

So, apparently there's a list floating around out there of music allegedly played at Gitmo as part of interrogation techniques. The list has been released due to FOIA requests from musicians curious to know if their music was used in torture. Because I know y'all need to know, here's the list:

-- AC/DC
-- Aerosmith
-- Barney theme song (By Bob Singleton)
-- The Bee Gees
-- Britney Spears
-- Bruce Springsteen
-- Christina Aguilera
-- David Gray
-- Deicide
-- Don McClean
-- Dope
-- Dr. Dre
-- Drowning Pool
-- Eminem
-- Hed P.E.
-- James Taylor
-- Limp Bizkit
-- Marilyn Manson
-- Matchbox Twenty
-- Meatloaf
-- Meow mix jingle
-- Metallica
-- Neil Diamond
-- Nine Inch Nails
-- Pink
-- Prince
-- Queen
-- Rage against the Machine
-- Red Hot Chili Peppers
-- Redman
-- Saliva
-- Sesame street theme music (By Christopher Cerf)
-- Stanley Brothers
-- The Star Spangled Banner
-- Tupac Shakur

---

Don McLean??? Did they play "American Pie" over and over and over or something? Barney and Sesame Street I can grok - the thought of these hardened terrorists being forced to listen to "I love you, you love me, we're a happy family" just kicks over my giggle box...

But Neil Diamond? Amnesty International should have something to say about that...

That is all.

Taste the Schadenfreude...

Bay State liberals shun Barack Obama’s visit

President Obama blows into the bluest state today facing a cold shoulder from once true-blue admirers, as gay rights activists, anti-war protesters and vexed environmentalists vow to picket a fund-raiser he’s headlining for Gov. Deval Patrick - a marquee event that hasn’t even sold out.

As of last night, liberals who once braved frigid temperatures to behold Obama were shunning tickets to the fund-raiser at the posh Westin Copley Place featuring the president, sources told the Herald. And despite campaign denials, Patrick operatives reportedly were pushing the ducats - between $500 and $6,000 - by e-mail up to the last minute.

When you can't sell out a fundraiser in MA, there's something seriously wrong... What I really like is that their apparent beef with 0bama is that he's not delivering on his lofty campaign promises. I can understand their consternation, really, because with 0bama's lengthy record in politics prior to winning the presidency he'd been a politician you could count on to deliver on his promises...

And if you believe that, I've got some prime waterfront property in Arizona for sale...

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: The Gauntlet Is Thrown Down!

Well, I was going to continue my stroll through the Big Three's best offerings this week, but the Munchkin Wrangler himself threw down a challenge via e-mail:

Jay,

Here’s a special request for your car feature…sort of a chronologically-restricted “Best Of”.

Assume that some day in the not-too-distant future, I’ll have a chunk of cash to spend on a vintage automobile. Further assume that I’d like to buy a car of the same vintage as myself.

What are your top picks for the year 1971? (Preferably cars that are at least somewhat available on the used market, no 100-unit special runs that’ll fetch more than a lakeside house on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Up to the challenge?

--Marko

Marko, for those of you who might not realize it, has a birthday coming up. He and I are born in the same year, so this is applicable to myself as well. I'll try to balance out the list between cars I'd like, cars I think Marko would like, and cars that might just possibly be affordable. 1971 is nearly 40 years old. Pristine cars from this time period are few and very far between; fixing up a beaten-down clunker can easily push the price well into the stratosphere. This will be a juggling act indeed...

I'm ready...

---

1. Porsche 911. How could I not include the pinnacle of German automotive design and engineering? The 911 has been one of my favorite cars for as long as I can remember. This would be one of the more expensive cars to collect and keep running, but boy would it be worth it...

2. Cadillac El Dorado Convertible. Everything about this car just screams decadence. It's 180 feet long. Has a turning radius measured in furlongs. Requires two men and a boy to open the door. And yet, imagine every head turning when you roll up to the local drive in night in a classic Caddy convertible. Bonus points if you have horns on the front and are wearing a white suit...

3. Mercedes 280 SL Convertible. The real beauty of the 280 SL is that, since it's a Mercedes, it's basically still running just the way it did when it rolled off the showroom floor in 1971. Of course, it's required a dedicated mechanic, a heated garage, and a side business selling dubiously-obtained organs to pay for everything, but when you want to look like Matt Houston, what are ya gonna do?

4. Oldsmobile Cutlass 442. Pristine examples of the rarer convertible version sell for around $40K, so this one isn't too far out of the realm of possibility. The Olds is a little less known than the Chevelle or the GTO, so demand's not quite as high (a '71 Chevelle in pristine shape is selling for nearly double). Less expensive options would be a plain-jane Cutlass or a non-SS Chevelle.

5. BMW 2002. Here's another one that's a lot of fun to drive and shouldn't be terrifically expensive to pick up in decent shape. The 2002s were BMW's unsung heroes; cars that quietly established BMW as a player in the "fast but comfy" niche long before anyone ever dreamed of a Lexus IS.

6. Dodge Challenger R/T. The R/T package might put the total cost outside of the budget for this exercise, but finding an entry level Challenger or Charger shouldn't prove too costly or difficult. Plus it's nice to have something that's a little out of the ordinary, and the big Mopar is certain to grab some looks, especially in Plum Crazy Purple or Hugger Orange.

7. XKE Jaguar. "And then I saw the Jag slide into the curve" Ah, yes, the ill-fated XKE Jaguar, the lone Brit car on the list. I just couldn't picture Marko contorting his Germanic frame into an MG or a Morris, and there was just something plain wrong about a little Triumph Spitfire...

8. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. For less than the cost of a new Camaro, you could have a fully restored Stingray or an unmolested version. The fiberglass body holds up over the years better than the other offerings, so finding one that looks bad but only needs a little work shouldn't be too hard. Plus it's not like there aren't about a hundred bazillion places to find aftermarket parts for Vettes or the Chevy 350...

9. Toyota Landcruiser. How much you'd care to spend on a Landcruiser basically depends on how much bondo you want to put in - or take out - of it. There's nothing quite like open air fun in the summer and hardcore four wheelin' in the winter, so this would be a practical vehicle as well as something fun. At least that's how I'd pitch it to Robin...

10. Ford Bronco. Of course, if I'm going to include the foreign four-wheeler I have to include the American counterpart... The Bronco hadn't yet ballooned out to monstrous proportions to keep up with the Blazer in '71, so it's still a small, lightweight off-road demon with a removable roof. Eminently fun, and mostly practical.

---

So there's my list of possible project cars and/or midlife crisis acquisitions. There's a little something for everyone, from land yachts to off-road trucks to sporty European runabouts. What cars can you think of to add to Marko's conundrum?

And Marko, what do you think? Did I meet the challenge?

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #134

Today's gun pic is one of the guns that made it to last Saturday's outing with Lissa, the Sig P232:

SigSauer P232

It's a fixed barrel, blowback-action .380 ACP semi-automatic pistol modeled after the venerable Walther PPK. It's double- or single action for the first shot, has a seven plus one capacity single stack magazine, and this particular model wears the standard three-dot white sights rather than the Sig night sights. It's one of the more accurate .380 ACPs I've ever shot, on a par with the significantly heavier Makarov, mostly owing to the fixed barrel design.

Plus, it's made just over the wire in America at Sig of NH - what's not to love?

That is all.

Almost Forgot...

Happy 10/22!

Today's one of those unique gunnie days, like August 70th or March 57th...

That is all.

Someone Needs Killin'...

Missing Florida girl's body found in Georgia landfill

(CNN) -- The body of a small child found in a south Georgia landfill has been identified as that of a missing 7-year-old Florida girl, Clay County, Florida, Sheriff Rick Beseler said Thursday morning.

John Bankhead of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation told CNN the state medical examiner will positively determine whether the body belongs to Somer Thompson, who went missing earlier this week. An autopsy will be conducted in Savannah, Georgia.

She's only marginally older than BabyGirl G. Words cannot adequately express the horrors I would be prepared to unleash on the subhuman who did this to my child. Suffice to say, I cannot think of a punishment that would be too severe for this monster. Heck, I would gladly donate blood if it meant they could keep him alive longer for more torturing. The only ray of sunshine here is that both Georgia and Florida are states that have and use the death penalty. No matter which state tries this piece of garbage, he'll be looking at a needle at the end.

Assuming, of course, that the next intended victim's daddy (or mommy) doesn't put a .30-06 round through his head first...

That is all.

Interesting Observation...

One thing I noticed during my sick leave was a sharp contrast in gender roles between TheBoy and BabyGirl G. BabyGirl G. was trying her level best to help Daddy out, offering to get me a glass of water or adjust my covers on the couch or just sit next to me and lean against me so I knew she was there. It was very touching, a rather Rockwellian moment in the G. household.

Whereas TheBoy was far more interested to know whether or not Daddy had swine flu, because one of his friends' brothers' cousins knew a guy who got swine flu and his whole face MELTED RIGHT OFF and they tried to fix him at the hospital but it was too late and now he has to go around with only half a face and everyone laughs at him and it's all because he had this disease and daddy your face isn't going to MELT RIGHT OFF is it?

(those parents out there with hyperactive male children are all nodding knowingly right now...)

It just struck me as funny. My daughter genuinely wanted to help me out in my hour of need. My son wanted to talk my ear off. There's a lesson in there somewhere... BabyGirl G. has also been somewhat disappointed because Daddy hasn't been giving her a kiss goodnight the past few nights. I've tried explaining that Daddy doesn't want to give her his cold; I've pointed out how nasty this cold has been, how I've been stuck in bed or coughing, etc. and that I don't want her to go through it. She just looks at me and says "that's okay, Daddy. You can catch up later".

You got it, princess...

That is all.

Holster Primer...

My range buddy and bloggershoot attendee Lissa asks for the intarwebz help in choosing a holster:

First off . . . how does one choose a holster? I know, I know, try lots of stuff and see how it works . . . but where’s the starting point? There are lots of things one needs to purchase before actually getting a gun (e.g. holster, bulletproof vest or big bucket of sand, cleaning kit, gun safe, etc.). Where do I begin? Which shops do y’all patronize? How do I go about this business WITHOUT dropping a few hundred bucks on experimental holsters that I’ll never use?

Well, I can't really help there too much - I have the obligatory box 'o' holsters and then some - but I do have some 15 years of experience in totin' a firearm. I figured I'd post a few basic thoughts on holsters as a "Holsters 101" if you will.

First off, a few axioms:

• As Caleb will no doubt agree, don't bother with any holster made out of nylon as a CCW holster (other than pocket carry). I have yet to come across a high quality, well-crafted nylon holster. Sure, I have a bunch, but they were either purchased when I was young and didn't know any better, or were purchased for guns that I will most likely never carry.
• In that same vein, any "one size fits most" holster should be steered clear of as a general rule. You want a holster specifically designed for your gun, one that is molded to the contours of the exact firearm rather than a general shape.
• Don't skimp. You're going to save, what, $50, tops by going with a cheap-assed holster. This is something you are going to rely on to keep your firearm in ready condition the entire time it's by your side. Spend the extra ducats on a quality holster - this is not the place to save a few bucks.
• Holsters I use: Crossbreed, Bianchi, Galco, Don Hume, DeSantis. I've had good luck with all of these brands and endorse their products wholeheartedly. This is by no means a comprehensive list; I am well aware that there are many other fine manufacturers of holsters out there; these happen to be the ones that I personally use.

---

With the above said, here's a short primer on what to look for in a carry holster. Since Lissa is in the Volksrepublik of MA, where open carry is about as well-received as a french kiss from the pope, we're really talking about Inside the WaistBand (IWB) holsters. Sure, with the proper cover garment you can conceal a firearm carried OWB, but it's the exception rather than the rule. Besides, Lissa would look plain silly in a muu-muu...

Even in the rather narrow domain of IWB holsters there's a lot of variations. Does the holster attach to the belt with a metal clip, plastic hook, or leather loops? Is the holster itself leather, kydex, some combination of the two, or even some exotic material? Kydex has a slight advantage in that it's not affected by being next to your body all day; however I always wear an undershirt under my CCW piece and prefer leather myself.

Beyond this, it comes down to comfort and compromise. You want a holster that will conceal well, distribute weight evenly, and retain the firearm in all but the most violent of motions. Having adjustable attachment points is a good thing, as you can adjust the cant of the holster (whether it rides straight up and down or leaning forward/backward) or have the holster ride lower or higher on the belt line. Twin attachment points - at the far ends of the holster - will work well to distribute the weight; a holster loop with a split in the middle is meant to go over a belt loop to anchor the holster in position.

There's a lot to learn in the beginning phases of the neophyte gunnie. Given that choosing a holster is an eminently personal choice, what works for one person may very well not work for another. What is comfortable on a 6' tall, 200 pound man might be the worst fit possible for a 5'2" 105 lb. woman. Unfortunately, there is a fair amount of trial and error. One suggestion would be to find, if available, a "blue gun" version of your firearm and frequent gun shops and gun shows looking for holsters. The blue gun allows you to try the fit of the holster with a facsimile of your firearm in it without worrying about clearing your defensive arm.

And as always, if you see something that looks interesting or promising, just ask your friends on the intarwebz!

That is all.

Be Careful Out There...

...who knows how many more guys like this there out running around?

Feds: Boston terror suspect planned to kill officials, attack mall

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Investigators have charged a man with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and other crimes, the acting U.S. attorney for Massachusetts said Wednesday.

Tarek Mehanna, 27, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, traveled overseas, sought training from the Taliban, wanted to kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq and hoped to kill one or two members of the executive branch of the U.S. government, said Michael K. Loucks, the acting U.S. attorney for Massachusetts.

Judging from the picture, the reason they couldn't find any "assault weapons" was that they kept getting sidetracked by those delicious infidel Twinkies... It really looks like this was the "B" or maybe even "C" team here - more of a Keystone Terrorist group. They watched videos, they flew to hotspots, I'll bet they played lots of first person shooters, too, and figured they knew how to handle an AK based on using one in Counterstrike...

In all seriousness, it's a good thing they were so incompetent. An attack on a mall outside of Boston would have been Sarah Brady's wet dream; as it stands they'll probably gloat about this attack being foiled because of MA's tough gun laws... In any case, it sounds like what could have been a nasty attack was foiled based on good surveillance of the players combined with a little incompetence on the part of the bad guys.

In any case, be careful out there, folks...

That is all.

Happy Birthday, Old Girl...

Birthday celebration for USS Constitution

The USS Constitution celebrates Old Ironsides’ 212th birthday this morning with a 17-gun salute and a 90-minute tour of the Boston Harbor.

The world’s oldest warship afloat leaves for its voyage at 8 a.m. with Cmdr. Timothy Cooper at the helm.

212 years in service. An actual, honest-to-goodness piece of American history that you can still see in operation from time to time. I may bitch about living in the Volksrepublik of MA a lot, but it's pretty darn cool that I can see Old Ironsides pretty much any time I'd like.

It's just too bad that the folks that run MA have forgotten her rebellious heritage...

That is all.

Still Sick...

Well, I woke up this morning to find that my temp had spiked at 103.8ºF. This is now the third day I've felt like crap; it is time to see the professionals. If this does turn out to be swine flu, I'm going to be mighty unhappy... Wish me luck; I really can't afford to take a whole week off...

Sometimes I just have the worst timing on the planet...

That is all.

UPDATE: Went to the doc this morning. Diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection, swabbed for strep throat and Flu A & B. Got a Z-pak to go, and I'm already feeling better. I'm cautiously optimistic that I might be over the worst of this...

Talkin' About Boolitts...

Reader Alex e-mails with a question about bullet selection:

Jay,
Read your blog about every day, and really enjoy what you have to say. After a tour in Iraq, I really got interested in buying guns and ammo. I recently purchased a taurus .357 with a 6" barrel. Since then I have been stocking up on ammo, focusing on FMJ for plinking and JHP for defense. However, after reading various opinions on various loads, I find myself getting more confused about what type of round to buy, what size, and what brand. Before I go spend all my money and time buying and testing rounds, I was wondering if you could give me any advice on these issues. I was looking at S&B 158g SP, S&B 158g. FMJ, Fiocchi 142. FMJ, Fiocchi 148g SJHP, and Fiocchi 158g JHP w/ xtp bullet. Is there a rule of thumb regarding different size bullets for different applications? This article seemed to be well written, but it raised as many questions as it answered regarding bullet selection.
Thanks for your time.
-Alex

---

I may not be the world's most foremost authority on bullet selection, but I took a shot at it:

Good evenin' Alex,

First off, thank you for your service.

Secondly, my experience with revolvers has been that bullet selection isn't quite as critical as with semi-autos. I'm assuming you know that the lighter the bullet the faster the round travels and the heavier the bullet the more kinetic energy it imparts. A 110 grain .357 Magnum round is going to scream (approx. 1300 FPS out of a 4" barrel IIRC). You lose some of the speed with the heavier bullets, but make up for it with increased muzzle energy - that's why defensive rounds are generally 110 - 125 grains, and hunting rounds are 180+ grains.

My experience with S&B has been that the QC is spotty - it's one of the only manufacturers that consistently has one or two bad rounds in every box. I tend to pick up reloads from a local place I trust, 158 grain .357 Magnum FMJs for practice and 125 grain JHP hydrashoks or Gold dots for self defense. One thing to keep in mind is that the lighter, faster rounds are not recommended for the uber light snubbies (like my venerable S&W model 360PD, the "Snubbie from Hell™) because the extreme pressures tend to rattle that last round loose...

Thanks for reading!

---

Now, I know there's some reloaders out there that might be able to chime in with a better answer, so have at it!

That is all.

Sick...

Stayin' home today - something about a fever of 103.4ºF that says "thou shalt not go into work". Advil has been pumped into my body, with any kind of luck I'll feel human again later. But for now, no blog for you. Jay need sleep!

Ah, bed, how I've forgotten how comfy you are...

That is all.

The High Price of Success...

Heh. I was just informed by Mrs. G. that my services as Igor have been requested at the PTA's "Halloween Howl" this year... Apparently my reputation from the Cub Scout Halloween party has preceded me, with my Scouts raving about "Igor" from the Haunted Hallway... Since all four of my new Tiger leaders are also PTA members, I am not about to turn them down.

So, basically, I get to shout myself hoarse on Sunday afternoon and then again on Friday evening... I sure hope I can shake this cold by then...

That is all.

Can We Just Stop, Please?

Am I the only one who is:

a) Sick to death of hearing the phrase "balloon boy hoax"; and
b) Shaking my head because by making it a 24/7 news story we're giving this psychotic family exactly what it wants???

"I don't care what the papers say about me, as long as they spell my name right" indeed...

That is all.

A Note on Personal Hygiene...

Look. If you're going to cut your hair in the men's room at work, at least have the common decency to PICK UP THE FUCKING CLIPPINGS rather than leaving them strewn around the sink. That is just plain ol' nasty.

Common courtesy. Get some.

That is all.

This Is Gun Control.

Police: UConn football player stabbed to death

(CNN) -- Cornerback Jasper Howard called his mom Saturday night after Connecticut beat Louisville, and he was given the game-winning ball. He was thrilled.

Just hours later, the phone rang again. This time it was UConn football coach Randy Edsall notifying her that her son had been stabbed.

He was pronounced dead early Sunday.

First let me extend my condolences to the Howard family. This is an unimagineable loss; I cannot fathom how I would react to the call that my son's life was cut short over a foolish argument from a school dance. No one deserves this. No parent should have to bury their twenty year old child over a disagreement. This is not about the knife used - although had it been a firearm the usual suspects would be wailing about it.

This is the inevitable conclusion of gun control. By focusing our efforts on the inanimate object and not the person misusing said object, we continue to miss the point. Rather than mindlessly bleating "GUNS R BAD" and calling for more restrictions - which only the good people will obey - we need to start asking ourselves why people have little problem employing such horrific violence over the smallest slights.

Instead, we focus on the tool used, and hope the real problem goes away.

You see, the real problem isn't simple. It's not something that's going to be fixed with one law, or even a series of laws; it may not even be "fixable" through the judicial system except tangentially. We already have laws against killing people; they didn't seem to stop whoever plunged a knife into Jasper Howard. For just about any scenario where "gun control" is proposed as the answer to violence committed with a firearm, chances are you'll find dozens of existing laws that are being broken already.

We don't need more laws. We need enforcement of existing laws coupled with real, actual consequences of breaking those laws. We may need to build more prisons (personally, I'd be happy to release all non-violent drug offenders to make room, and before the pro-legalization folks start congratulating me, I'd also like to build electric bleachers to take out the cold-blooded killers and rapists). We also need to take a hard look at our decaying culture and try to reason out why we've become so quick to kill; so immune to the permanency of death.

Maybe that's why we focus on the tool used - this is a hard question with no easy answers. Simply trying to pinpoint exactly when the "sanctity of human life" started declining is hard enough - our history is filled with duels to the death (Alexander Hamilton, call your office). Defending one's honor - or that of one's family, or betrothed, etc. - is an integral part of human nature, most likely hardwired into the psyche to protect one's clan. As our external dangers dwindle, as we spend less time clawing and scratching to make a living or defend ourselves from nature, this innate need to protect one's chosen group has expanded to include fellow sports teams devotees, local affiliations, or other interest outside the family.

But gun control - the unwavering belief that all we need to do to make all the violence and bad things in the world go away is to ban all guns - takes all the heat off the breakdown of the traditional family. It removes the incentive to look inward at our species and the remarkable violence we are capable of perpetuating on our fellow man. No, it's the "easy availability of guns" that are "more and more deadly" and "only designed for killing" that are the problem; certainly it has nothing to do with the fact that little Johnny thinks no more of picking up a Glock to shoot someone who dissed him than the rest of society would think about swatting a fly.

A baseball bat, knife, or wooden board can be used to murderous ends. Proponents of gun control like to say that firearms make it easier to kill, as though the actual physical act of pulling a trigger being easier than swinging a Louisville Slugger is the only thing stopping young Timmy from killing the kid down the street that looked at him funny. It's preposterous on its face, and hundreds of thousands of incidents the world over show this to be utterly false - we are a creative species, and can always think of new and innovative ways to injure and or kill our fellow man than by simply pulling a trigger.

Gun control will always fail to reduce violence. Always.

What it will not fail at, however, is removing guns from the hands of people that should have them - the good, honest, law-abiding folks who serve to protect themselves, further their hunting or sporting needs, and keep the government honest. As many before have said, "gun control" is not about the gun, it's about the control. Unless and until we stop being dazzled by the BS of "no one needs an assault weapon" or "handguns are made for killing", they will continue to turn up the heat on the pot in which we frogs are swimming...

We're making headway, but I won't be happy until that pot is overturned and the frogs hop away free...

That is all.

Weekend Range Report UPDATE!

Lissa has her range report up. With pictures. Something tells me Lissa won't be getting a snubbie any time soon...

Go. Read. I *think* she and Mike had a good time.

That is all.

It Has Been Said...

That a bad day at the range beats a good day at the office, a sentiment with which I heartily concur. Now, when you have a good day at the range, it can erase an entire bad week at the office. And when you have a great day at the range, well, the sun is shining and all is right with the world...

Saturday afternoon was spent in gunnie heaven (or, as I like to call it, gunnervana, the state of perfect gun nut bliss) with Lissa and her husband Mike. They are currently going through the byzantine process of getting their permits in MA, and are starting to think about which gun(s) they would like to purchase with their shiny new permits. Being as I have a few guns kicking around*, I'd offered to bring them to my club and let them try a few guns from the G. armory.

*Lissa asked how me how many guns I owned, just out of curiosity. I paused for a bit, thought about it, and replied that I wasn't quite sure, but I was pretty sure it was under triple digits... She laughed and remarked that she thought it might be over 50 or so...

We went back and forth in e-mail a few times hashing out what they'd like to try. Here's what we finally settled on:

1. Sig P226 (9mm)
2. Colt Gold Cup 1911 (.45 ACP)
3. Sig P232 (.380ACP)
4. S&W model 38 (.38 Special)
5. S&W model 422 (.22LR)
6. Remington model 572 (.22LR)
7. S&W model 39-2 (9mm)
8. Marlin model 39A (.22LR) - this was the only gun we didn't shoot.

Lissa and Mike are "more of a semi-auto family right now" (Mike's words), before anyone wonders why I didn't bring the S&W model 19 or 17. The P232 and the model 38 were explicit requests - Mike had inquired about "anything like a snub-nose .38 or a .380 ACP" they could try. Not wishing to subject either of them to the Snubbie from Hell™ quite yet, I opted for the model 38 instead - slightly heavier than the SfH, and .38 Special only. The P232 was a natural choice given their predilection for SigSauers; I figured it was more refined and would be more to their liking than my Makarov, she of the spartan Russkie stock...

We started off with the 422; always good to warm up with a gentle rimfire I always say. Lissa and Mike are, how shall I put this, rather competitive in their shooting - it was very cute to watch - and insisted on calling a cease fire after every couple of sets so they could compare targets. Even though I hadn't been in quite a few weeks, I wasn't as rusty as I feared I would be (no "minute-of-berm" for me this time! *g*). We moved onto the Sig P226, and continued in the Sig family with the P232. Neither was much of a surprise - they're Sigs. They work, they work well, they put the bullets where you want them to go.

And then we tried the snubnosed revolver.

The snubnosed revolver is not an easy gun to master; it takes a lot of dedicated trigger time to develop mere proficiency. The short sight radius combined with the most rudimentary of sights make it a daunting gun to shoot accurately - Lissa asked if the smaller-barreled gun was less accurate than a gun with a longer barrel, and I responded that it was harder to shoot accurately, not that it had any less inherent accuracy. Important distinction. It's even harder when you're shooting double action only on a gun that's set up for either (i.e. doesn't have an improved trigger). I haven't seen a range report from Lissa yet (and she had the camera!); I won't divulge her reaction to the snubbie other than to say she made a note in her little notebook (she is so organized!) that basically crossed it off her mental list...

However, we made up for it with the Colt Gold Cup National match - both Lissa and Mike chewed big ragged holes in the centers of their targets (and I even got a couple bullseyes!) with the stainless .45. Lissa commented on the heft of the Colt - this is not something you'd want to tote around all day to be certain - and quite correctly opined that it's probably why the .45 ACP doesn't seem to have the same recoil as even the .380 ACP. It seemed to me that the Gold Cup was a hit - we broke out additional magazines even - as it's just such a joy to shoot and really wrings out the best of even the most mediocre shooter like your humble host. We then had a brief discussion of the bazillion different flavors of 1911, then put away the paper targets. It was time for fun...

Busted out the Remington, set up the steel plates and some clays, and spent the last half hour or so plinking away with a .22LR pump-action rifle. Talk about fun! I brought along a jar of Federal bulk .22LR for the occasion, and we managed to shoot a good 3/4 of it in that half hour. Breaking clays is fun; clanging steel is fun; hitting the steel plates with a pistol and the clays with the S&W model 39 at the 25 yard berm was eminently satisfying as well. Lissa commented on Marko's prowess with a pistol from the Northeast Bloggershoots, and the simple fact that my meager shooting could prompt that memory put a smile on my face that's still here today...

Thank you, Lissa and Mike, for making the long haul out to the sticks to go shooting with me. I've got a bunch more guns you can shoot if you'd like; I'd love for you guys to try out the S&W model 17 (.22LR) wheelgun (I will try to convert you yet!) as well spend some more time plinking. Let me know the next time you want to head out this way, and I'll clear some time to head back to the range. Oh, and if it helps to sweeten the deal, we could hit the rifle range with some evil black rifles and scoped bolt actions for long(ish) range goodness... ;)

If Lissa and Mike had half as good a time as I had, I'll be a happy man, because they'd be pretty darn happy with our shootie outing this weekend...

That is all.

PS: Sorry there's no pictures, but the kids were going to a Halloween party and Mrs. G. wanted the camera. Lissa took a bunch, and I'll rely on her good graces to pick the least ugly picture of me... ;)

Once Again, Around Ol' Sol...

The incomparable Ambulance Driver has a birthday today. Go wish him well - he's an even older bastard than your humble host... How old, you ask? Well, he is only four years younger than the esoteric handgun round that shares its caliber with his age...

Also note that he has a shiny new URL and update your blogrolls accordingly...

That is all.

Why Is It...

...that Monday through Friday, I have to go through a lengthy routine involving bright lights, trumpet-like sounds, cajoling, and even a police whistle to get my kids out of bed by 7AM, yet on Saturdays and Sundays they're up at 6:30AM and will not go back to sleep for any reason? It's truly amazing just how quickly the human body and mind start to understand the concept of "weekend"... And I know, I know, it's all part of being a parent...

All I know is that I cannot wait until my kids are surly teenagers and want to sleep until noon. Payback is not only a bitch, but she comes in at 8:00AM in the morning to get you up to mow the damn lawn...

That is all.

Gunday Comes Early...

So, not only am I hitting the range with Lissa and Mike, but I'm also sending off a gun to a new home to free up some gun funds. While I'm normally reluctant to sell any firearm, the SW99 compact has really become a redundant arm, too small and light for any sort of target practice, yet supplanted in the CCW arena by the G30. The gentleman buying the SW99 has been looking for a DAO compact for CCW for a while now, and will be giving her a good home.

G-dspeed, little S&W.

That is all.

Holy Saturday, Batman!

Let's see... In the past two hours, I've:

• Had to remind TheBoy that it's 35ºF outside and that he needs more than his soccer shirt and shorts unless he wants to freeze to death about 187 times.
• Tweaked, fiddled, and otherwised cursed at the computer for nearly an hour before realizing that the reason it wasn't connecting to the internet had to do with the modem connection, not the PC (here's a tip from your buddy Jay: If you have an alternate computer, use it first, rather than screwing around for 45 minutes...)
• Torn the house apart looking for BabyGirl G.'s soccer shirt.
• Reminded the kids that we really, REALLY need to start getting ready RIGHT NOW about 30 or 40 times.
• Torn the house apart looking for my car keys, only to find them hanging on the hook right where they belong (who did that?)
• Taken four Tylenol because I feel like the morning after and there wasn't a night before.

Or, as any other parent with small kids knows, we could just say, "normal Saturday"...

That is all.

At What Point...

...do we stop blaming past administrations for current failings?

Clinton criticizes Bush handling of Afghan conflict

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday that President Bush's administration was "unrealistic" in its dealings with the war in Afghanistan.

Clinton told CNN the Bush administration was unrealistic both in terms of the number of U.S. soldiers it committed to the conflict and in its relationship with certain Afghan political leaders.

The war was "under resourced" since its start in 2001, she said, and she indicated the Bush administration's attention was improperly shifted to Iraq.

That's it. That's the entire "article". No mention on what "realistic" would look like, although given that the Annointed One hasn't deviated from the Bush plan much, it's hard to tell what they might even consider "realistic". As far as the number of soldiers committed to the conflict, can someone please reconcile Hillary!'s comments with 0bama's refusal to consider the recommendation to send more troops now? And of course, the obligatory slam at the Iraq war - which Senator Clinton voted for.

Many on the left blamed Bush entirely for the 9/11 attacks. It "happened on his watch", even though the attacks were demonstrably planned during the Clinton administration. 0bama has been in office for a month longer at this point than Bush was during the 9/11 attacks, and yet his mouthpieces are trotting out the same tired excuses. It's not his fault. He ran out of gas. He, he had a flat tire. He didn't have enough money for cab fare. His tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole his car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN'T HIS FAULT, HE SWEARS TO GOD.

Maybe it's got something to do with Chicago?

That is all.

Weekend Plans...

Okay, so it's snowing today... Tomorrow's plans include bringing the kids to soccer, running some suburban dad-type errands, and, oh, taking a friend and her husband to the range. With any kind of luck we'll have a nice range report for y'all - this time with someone else's smiling face rather than my ugly mug.

I just hope Lissa doesn't outshoot me with my own gun - but I suspect she will...

That is all.

When Paradigms Collide...

Hmm. Something's not fitting here...

Patrick warns of 2,000 job cuts

As many as 2,000 state jobs could be eliminated, Governor Deval Patrick warned yesterday, unless unions agree to concessions necessary to help close an estimated $600 million budget shortfall that could trigger spending cuts throughout state government.

Executive branch managers will be asked to take an unpaid furlough of up to nine days, Patrick said, and the administration will look at other potential money-savers, including consolidating state agencies, farming out some public programs to private agencies, selling surplus state property, and making other service and program cuts.

I wonder how many other agencies will finally see an end to their free lunches...

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Unemployment at 33-year high; insurance fund running dry

Unemployment in Massachusetts has reached its highest level since the 1970s, officials said yesterday as they also disclosed that the state will exhaust a fund that helps laid-off workers pay for health insurance by the end of next month.

State officials said they are considering a number of emergency measures, including imposing higher costs on the unemployed and raising fees on employers, to close a gap that could exceed $50 million by April.

"Higher costs on the unemployed"? Can someone translate that from bureaucratese to English for me? Because it sure sounds to me like they want to charge unemployed people more money. The unemployed. The folks what don't have jobs. Blood? Stone? Bueller?

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Contrast those two stories with this:

Recession over, unemployment seen at 10 percent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The worst U.S. recession since the Great Depression has ended, but weak household spending as the labor market struggles to create jobs will slow the pace of the economy's recovery, according to a survey released on Monday.

The survey of 44 professional forecasters released by the National Association for Business Economics, also known as the NABE, found that 80 percent of the respondents believed the economy was growing again after four straight quarters of declines.

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So, which is it? Is MA so incompetently governed that it can't pull out of the recession, or is the rosy picture of the economy painted by the 0bama administration not entirely correct? That's a tough one - I'll be the first to admit that Cadillac Deval is the worst thing to happen to this state since Michael "Tank" Dukakis; however there's a strong case to be made for the national media once again providing cover fire for the current administration...

"May you live in interesting times" indeed...

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Primo Plymouths

As I continue my foray through the automotive world, we come to the mighty Mopars. The first of the three main Mopar brands to be reviewed will be the one that is no longer with us, the Plymouth. Historically the entry-level Mopar offering, the thinking was that you started with a Plymouth, moved up to Dodge, and maybe someday sprung for a Chrysler...

So here's the Top Ten Plymouths!

1. 1971 Barracuda. 1971 was the year of the AAR 'Cuda. 340 cubic inch, high compression engine. Available in Plum Crazy Purple or Lime Green. This is the Plymouth di tutti Plymouths.

2. 1970 Superbird. Ah, the Superbird. Take one bare-bones Roadrunner. Give it a nigh-ridiculous wing spoiler and a plastic nose. 0-60 in 5.5 seconds in a car that size is nothing short of miraculous...

3. 1958 Belvedere. This one is personal - a good friend of mine has a '58 Belvedere that he restored just like Christine - same motor, same paint code, everything. It even has the push-button transmission...

4. 1966 Satellite. The Satellite had the storied 426 Hemi available as an option. That alone puts it on the list. Classic styling; sharp, crisp lines, and a no-nonsense approach to going fast (Step 1: Put enormous engine in. Step 2. VAROOOOM).

5. 1974 Duster. There's no truth to the rumor that the Duster made the list only because it was the car driven by Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke... The Duster was the last-gasp muscle car from Plymouth before the emissions debacle and gas shortage ended the muscle car era.

6. 1936 Business Coupe. Another personal favorite, my grandfather owned a '36 Business coupe for his first car when he came to America. He held onto it well into the 1980s, finally giving it to my uncle who partially restored it.

7. Savoy. The Savoy was a mid-level car with top-shelf styling, a full-sized sedan that was affordable yet didn't look cheap. As a side note, late 1950s Savoys were used as stunt doubles for the Gran Fury in Christine...

8. 1978 Fury. The late 1970s Furys were cop-car staples; countless thousands have been destroyed in TV and movies (The Blues Brothers holding the record for most cars demolished). Besides, if it's good enough for Roscoe P. Coltrane, it's good enough for the list...

9. 1948 Special Deluxe. The Special Deluxe is one of those cars that just exemplify the American spirit post WWII. Production of cars not related to the war effort stopped from 1942 through 1945; the cars immediately following the end of hostilities would set the tone for the amazing chrome masterpieces of the 1950s.

10. Trailduster. Okay, so it's just a re-badged Ramcharger. It's still the only real truck made under the Plymouth marque, and who knew Plymouths got that big?

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So there's my 10 favorite Plymouths - what are yours?

That is all.