I want to know who Adam Selene is, though...
That is all.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
BZZZT! Sorry!
Aging Manson 'Family' members long for freedom
Why? Why is there a debate over this at all? These folks should have been shot at dawn. End of story. The fact that their death sentences were overturned in 1972 meant that they were spared the chair; now they serve as cautionary examples of why we so desperately need the death penalty. Folks, if any single member of the Manson family is paroled from jail, it would be the single biggest pro-death penalty push made in this country since Timothy McVeigh was sent to hell.
I'm sure they "long" for freedom. I'm equally certain that Sharon Tate longed for her life to be spared, and that we should show poor crippled Susan Atkins the exact same level of compassion she showed Tate as she stabbed her to death: NONE. This is exactly the kind of case that wins my reluctant support of the death penalty - these people should NEVER come up for parole. The very fact that they DO come up for parole is a joke, a sham, a travesty of justice so perverse that it could only come from California. Or perhaps Massachusetts, assuming we don't just let our murderers go free on furloughs...
It absolutely boggles my ever-lovin' mind that members of the friggin' MANSON FAMILY are making a concerted effort to win their release from prison. It stuns, saddens, and shocks me greatly to learn that Manson himself comes up for parole. Digging a little deeper, I found that Manson first came up for parole in 1978 - yes, a scant eight years after the gruesome murders that rocked America.
And every year that passes, every turn of the calendar page brings us a little closer to the day when that horror is forgotten; when this monster gains his legal release from prison. Rather than being carried out in a pine box, he'll walk out a free man. On that day, justice will no longer simply be blind; she will be deaf, dumb, and stupid as well.
On the plus side, it makes for a very quick and defensible answer to the question "Why do you carry a gun?"...
That is all.
(CNN) -- Susan Atkins is terminally ill; Charles "Tex" Watson is an ordained minister. They and other members of Charles Manson's murderous "family" now shun him.
After three decades behind bars, Manson family members Atkins, Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten have repeatedly been described as model prisoners who have accepted responsibility for their crimes.
Parole boards, however, continue to reject their bids for release, and a debate rages over whether the four should ever be freed.
Why? Why is there a debate over this at all? These folks should have been shot at dawn. End of story. The fact that their death sentences were overturned in 1972 meant that they were spared the chair; now they serve as cautionary examples of why we so desperately need the death penalty. Folks, if any single member of the Manson family is paroled from jail, it would be the single biggest pro-death penalty push made in this country since Timothy McVeigh was sent to hell.
I'm sure they "long" for freedom. I'm equally certain that Sharon Tate longed for her life to be spared, and that we should show poor crippled Susan Atkins the exact same level of compassion she showed Tate as she stabbed her to death: NONE. This is exactly the kind of case that wins my reluctant support of the death penalty - these people should NEVER come up for parole. The very fact that they DO come up for parole is a joke, a sham, a travesty of justice so perverse that it could only come from California. Or perhaps Massachusetts, assuming we don't just let our murderers go free on furloughs...
It absolutely boggles my ever-lovin' mind that members of the friggin' MANSON FAMILY are making a concerted effort to win their release from prison. It stuns, saddens, and shocks me greatly to learn that Manson himself comes up for parole. Digging a little deeper, I found that Manson first came up for parole in 1978 - yes, a scant eight years after the gruesome murders that rocked America.
And every year that passes, every turn of the calendar page brings us a little closer to the day when that horror is forgotten; when this monster gains his legal release from prison. Rather than being carried out in a pine box, he'll walk out a free man. On that day, justice will no longer simply be blind; she will be deaf, dumb, and stupid as well.
On the plus side, it makes for a very quick and defensible answer to the question "Why do you carry a gun?"...
That is all.
European Vacation...
So Barack's off on his first world tour trip as President. He'll be stopping in England, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic as part of an eight day trip meant to shore up support for recent measures to halt the plummeting world economy.
There's no truth to the rumor that he had his teleprompter reprogrammed in British in honor of the trip.
That is all.
There's no truth to the rumor that he had his teleprompter reprogrammed in British in honor of the trip.
That is all.
Safe Queens...
Safe queens. The guns that you own that just never seem to make the trip to the range. Now, I don't mean broken guns, or heirloom guns, or guns that are too valuable to shoot very often, or guns that take obscure ammo. I mean the guns that, through no fault of their own, just don't get out much.
Most of the time, at least in my experience, the reason for a safe queen is that there's a better alternative in the rotation. For example, the Harrington & Richardson Sportsman .22LR revolver. I've got two other .22LR revolvers (three if you count the NAA mini, but that's a safe queen in its own right) - a Colt Official police that's a good trainer for a .38 special, and the S&W model 17, which is my favorite .22LR handgun. The H&R just doesn't fit in; it's not as well-made as either the Colt or the Smith; the sights are even more rudimentary than the Colt's grooved topstrap; the only advantage is that, since the cylinder can be removed completely, it is easier to clean...
The NAA mini is another version of a safe queen. It takes .22LR ammo, so it's not that the mini is too expensive to shoot. It's only .22LR, so even the minuscule size of the gun doesn't provide terrible recoil. It's even so tiny that cleaning is a cinch. So why doesn't it make it out more often? Well, quite frankly, it's a single-action, five shot revolver with a 1 1/8" barrel that you need to remove the cylinder to load. It's just not a lot of fun to take to the range for a normal day shooting.
Now, where it does excel is as a novelty. It's a great gun to bring when folks are expecting/hoping for something interesting or out of the ordinary - it's not every day you get to fire a gun that's a third the size of your hand. The Snubbie from Hell™ falls into this category somewhat as well - folks want to shoot it out of a morbid curiosity to discover for themselves the unique level of agony that is setting off a 158 grain, 1300 FPS .357 Magnum round in a 3/4 pound handgun...
I've divested of most of my safe queens; the only ones left have some other intrinsic value like the 3" barrel Colt Detective Special or the aforementioned NAA mini. I had a Ruger Single Six that was an excellent little .22LR shooter; however, I got it the same time I found the S&W model 17 - and it just sat in the safe for range trip after range trip... Some guns, like the S&W model SW99 compact 9mm, have been replaced by other guns (the G30 in this case); there's little reason to bring a carry gun to the range if you no longer carry it.
So what are your safe queens? What are the guns you own that you don't shoot terribly often?
That is all.
Most of the time, at least in my experience, the reason for a safe queen is that there's a better alternative in the rotation. For example, the Harrington & Richardson Sportsman .22LR revolver. I've got two other .22LR revolvers (three if you count the NAA mini, but that's a safe queen in its own right) - a Colt Official police that's a good trainer for a .38 special, and the S&W model 17, which is my favorite .22LR handgun. The H&R just doesn't fit in; it's not as well-made as either the Colt or the Smith; the sights are even more rudimentary than the Colt's grooved topstrap; the only advantage is that, since the cylinder can be removed completely, it is easier to clean...
The NAA mini is another version of a safe queen. It takes .22LR ammo, so it's not that the mini is too expensive to shoot. It's only .22LR, so even the minuscule size of the gun doesn't provide terrible recoil. It's even so tiny that cleaning is a cinch. So why doesn't it make it out more often? Well, quite frankly, it's a single-action, five shot revolver with a 1 1/8" barrel that you need to remove the cylinder to load. It's just not a lot of fun to take to the range for a normal day shooting.
Now, where it does excel is as a novelty. It's a great gun to bring when folks are expecting/hoping for something interesting or out of the ordinary - it's not every day you get to fire a gun that's a third the size of your hand. The Snubbie from Hell™ falls into this category somewhat as well - folks want to shoot it out of a morbid curiosity to discover for themselves the unique level of agony that is setting off a 158 grain, 1300 FPS .357 Magnum round in a 3/4 pound handgun...
I've divested of most of my safe queens; the only ones left have some other intrinsic value like the 3" barrel Colt Detective Special or the aforementioned NAA mini. I had a Ruger Single Six that was an excellent little .22LR shooter; however, I got it the same time I found the S&W model 17 - and it just sat in the safe for range trip after range trip... Some guns, like the S&W model SW99 compact 9mm, have been replaced by other guns (the G30 in this case); there's little reason to bring a carry gun to the range if you no longer carry it.
So what are your safe queens? What are the guns you own that you don't shoot terribly often?
That is all.
Monday, March 30, 2009
MArooned Movie Review: Monsters Vs. Aliens
Tooks the kids to see "Monsters Vs. Aliens" yesterday. We had originally intended to catch the 3-D version, but a combination of dawdling kids and a rainy Sunday meant arriving at the theater just in time to see the "Sold Out" message displayed on the "Current Attractions" board.
Heavy sigh.
Wound up seeing the non-3-D show in a different theater a short time after. I'm glad we did - it was a cute movie, and both kids liked it. The first half-hour was a little slow, with the buildup for one of the characters taking (IMHO) a little long for a kids' movie; however once it got going it just never stopped. Don't expect things to make sense or for there to be any continuity; it's an animated kids' movie.
I'll let the target audience speak for itself. BabyGirl G. actually sat still for the entire movie. This is the first time she's ever made it through an entire movie in the theater without either falling asleep or getting bored and pitching a fit. As the closing credits started to roll, The Boy turned to me and said, "Daddy, how long until we can get the DVD?".
Yeah. $30 well-spent.
I give "Monsters vs. Aliens" a hearty B+ on the ol' MArooned report card. It's a kid favorite, with just enough pop-culture references to keep mom & dad from falling asleep. The monsters are funny, silly, and otherwise entertaining; there's no gore or scary scenes to speak of. And good triumphs over evil. What more could you want?
That is all.
Wait Just One Second...
Do you honestly mean to tell me that our illustrious president is taking a harder stance with the heads of GM and Chrysler than he is with the head of a possibly nuclear-armed Iran?
SRSLY? WTF?
Maybe someone oughtta tell 0bama that Ahmadinejad is threatening to start a business in the US that might make some money? Maybe that would get 0bama to come down hard on Iran then... Well, supposing that this new company doesn't hire any ACORNs or former Chicago office staffers, I suppose...
If someone has a clue what 0bama's doing, put it in an envelope and mail it to 1600 Penn Ave., 'K?
That is all.
SRSLY? WTF?
Maybe someone oughtta tell 0bama that Ahmadinejad is threatening to start a business in the US that might make some money? Maybe that would get 0bama to come down hard on Iran then... Well, supposing that this new company doesn't hire any ACORNs or former Chicago office staffers, I suppose...
If someone has a clue what 0bama's doing, put it in an envelope and mail it to 1600 Penn Ave., 'K?
That is all.
Flirtin' with Disaster...
Hoo, boy, did we have a close call yesterday...
I took The Boy to CCD after church, like we do every Sunday. It's held in the gymnasium of our parish's school, grades 1-5, with grades 6-8 held during the week. All of the Sunday CCD classes line up with their catechists in the gym, then head off to individual rooms after a short prayer.
Well, I look over at The Boy and see him looking quizzically. He has his hand in the pocket of his jacket, a jacket that had been in the closet since the fall (this comes in handy in a moment). All of a sudden, I see him pull out a shell casing. He looks over at me, holds it up for everyone to see, and exclaims, "Hey dad, look what I found!".
Bear in mind that in the state of MA, it's a felony to possess even components of ammunition without a permit...
I nonchalantly head over to see what he's holding, and when I get a bead on it, my heart plummets into my shoes. Fortunately, the only other adult present is the mom of one of my Cub Scouts, who looks at the benign piece of brass in his hand and gasps audibly.
"[The Boy], what is that" she asks.
"A bullet!" The Boy replies.
I step in, pocketing the brass in a fluid gesture that [hopefully] conceals my terror. I explain to the horrified mother that we attended the Veteran's Day ceremony in November, and that they fire a 21-gun salute to honor the veterans. At the end they call up the kids to pick up the brass as a souvenir (a practice I mentioned in my stint as Captain Buzzkill).
Well, Veteran's Day was the last time The Boy wore that particular jacket...
She seemed mollified by that response, especially when I pointed out that all of the Scouts had been invited to attend, and didn't we see her and her Scout there in support of our town's veterans? I also had to slightly bend the truth - I had to pretend I didn't know that they used modified M1 Garands and 1903 Springfield bolt-action rifles in the ceremony, stating only that they used "some sort of rifle" with blanks.
Figured in this case, discretion was definitely the better part of valor. Sure, I could have pointed out the different models of rifles used, but going all gun-geek on a soccer mom at CCD class just wouldn't have been a terrifically good idea. Especially since we're hoping to recruit her husband as the pack Committee chair when my current chair crosses over with his son in two years... I figure I'll have at least a year to work on getting him to the range....
Have I mentioned lately that I hate this state?
That is all.
I took The Boy to CCD after church, like we do every Sunday. It's held in the gymnasium of our parish's school, grades 1-5, with grades 6-8 held during the week. All of the Sunday CCD classes line up with their catechists in the gym, then head off to individual rooms after a short prayer.
Well, I look over at The Boy and see him looking quizzically. He has his hand in the pocket of his jacket, a jacket that had been in the closet since the fall (this comes in handy in a moment). All of a sudden, I see him pull out a shell casing. He looks over at me, holds it up for everyone to see, and exclaims, "Hey dad, look what I found!".
Bear in mind that in the state of MA, it's a felony to possess even components of ammunition without a permit...
I nonchalantly head over to see what he's holding, and when I get a bead on it, my heart plummets into my shoes. Fortunately, the only other adult present is the mom of one of my Cub Scouts, who looks at the benign piece of brass in his hand and gasps audibly.
"[The Boy], what is that" she asks.
"A bullet!" The Boy replies.
I step in, pocketing the brass in a fluid gesture that [hopefully] conceals my terror. I explain to the horrified mother that we attended the Veteran's Day ceremony in November, and that they fire a 21-gun salute to honor the veterans. At the end they call up the kids to pick up the brass as a souvenir (a practice I mentioned in my stint as Captain Buzzkill).
Well, Veteran's Day was the last time The Boy wore that particular jacket...
She seemed mollified by that response, especially when I pointed out that all of the Scouts had been invited to attend, and didn't we see her and her Scout there in support of our town's veterans? I also had to slightly bend the truth - I had to pretend I didn't know that they used modified M1 Garands and 1903 Springfield bolt-action rifles in the ceremony, stating only that they used "some sort of rifle" with blanks.
Figured in this case, discretion was definitely the better part of valor. Sure, I could have pointed out the different models of rifles used, but going all gun-geek on a soccer mom at CCD class just wouldn't have been a terrifically good idea. Especially since we're hoping to recruit her husband as the pack Committee chair when my current chair crosses over with his son in two years... I figure I'll have at least a year to work on getting him to the range....
Have I mentioned lately that I hate this state?
That is all.
Green!
No, not the faux-environmentalism as displayed by Saturday night's moronic "Earth Hour". Not even the sweet, sweet green of cold, hard American cash. No, I mean the green of spring. The rush of chlorophyll back into the blades of grass still remaining on my lawn; the ritual defeat of old man winter as the seasons turn yet again.
Started noticing lawns with just a hint of the green; less than your average "Irish" pub about a week and a half ago, but some green nonetheless. It's a heartening sight; made even more welcome by the decidely wintry temperatures while out and about yesterday - mid-30s, "global warming" notwithstanding.
The winter blahs are on their way out; snow only lingers in the giant mounds of supermarket parking lots and shaded woods. The brown of late winter has been washed away; early spring rains and thawing have scoured the roadways clear of winter's funk. It's a welcome change, one as inevitable as the taxes we fill out this time of year but certainly more enjoyable.
With the coming of spring, there are many new challenges. The winter's storms brought down many branches that must be collected for burning. The camper needs to be de-winterized. The cars need to be inspected. The coming rains demand an ever-vigilant eye for the sump pump tasked with keeping the basement from turning into an indoor pool.
Again.
But not all of the challenges are so difficult. There's the happy challenge of making time to get the Harley out of winter storage. There's a new bicycle to be obtained for The Boy, as he's sprouted at least two or three feet over the winter and looks rather comical on last year's bike. AA Baseball starts in a couple of weeks. And our Cub Scout Pack has a new Cubmaster.
Me.
That is all.
Started noticing lawns with just a hint of the green; less than your average "Irish" pub about a week and a half ago, but some green nonetheless. It's a heartening sight; made even more welcome by the decidely wintry temperatures while out and about yesterday - mid-30s, "global warming" notwithstanding.
The winter blahs are on their way out; snow only lingers in the giant mounds of supermarket parking lots and shaded woods. The brown of late winter has been washed away; early spring rains and thawing have scoured the roadways clear of winter's funk. It's a welcome change, one as inevitable as the taxes we fill out this time of year but certainly more enjoyable.
With the coming of spring, there are many new challenges. The winter's storms brought down many branches that must be collected for burning. The camper needs to be de-winterized. The cars need to be inspected. The coming rains demand an ever-vigilant eye for the sump pump tasked with keeping the basement from turning into an indoor pool.
Again.
But not all of the challenges are so difficult. There's the happy challenge of making time to get the Harley out of winter storage. There's a new bicycle to be obtained for The Boy, as he's sprouted at least two or three feet over the winter and looks rather comical on last year's bike. AA Baseball starts in a couple of weeks. And our Cub Scout Pack has a new Cubmaster.
Me.
That is all.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Overheard in the G. House...
BabyGirl G., while playing with her dolls,
And yes, it was in perfect tune to "Jamie's Cryin'" by Van Halen...
That is all.
*Don't ask me how or why, but she calls her favorite doll "Baby Mama".
Thanks to RW for pointing out that it's Jamie, not Janie. Janie was the one with the gun. Jamie was the one who was crying...
Whoa, whoa, whoa, baby mama*'s cryin'
And yes, it was in perfect tune to "Jamie's Cryin'" by Van Halen...
That is all.
*Don't ask me how or why, but she calls her favorite doll "Baby Mama".
Thanks to RW for pointing out that it's Jamie, not Janie. Janie was the one with the gun. Jamie was the one who was crying...
Saturday, March 28, 2009
¼ Mil...
Sometime over the past week, I kicked over the 250,000 visit mark. That's a lot of folks coming around to read my spittle-flecked brain droppings...
Thanks everyone.
That is all.
Thanks everyone.
That is all.
{Chortle}
I'm in the top ten Google hits for "Smart carry Accidents". I don't know why, but that just kicks over my giggle box...
That is all.
That is all.
Liar, Liar...
Patrick aides directed hiring
Ho hum, another whopper from Cadillac Deval. I mean, I guess you can't blame the man - one need look no further than the water-carrying that goes on in the media for his good buddy (and campaign speech stealin') Barack Obama to see why he might feel that he could get away with such shenanigans.
In a time of budget cuts, layoffs, and belt-tightening all around, offering a six-figure salary to a political ally for a job that's been vacant over a decade is more than just being tone-deaf. It speaks to a level of arrogance that approaches incredulity. This is a man who swept into office promising an end to business as usual, yet has surrounded himself with the same lobbyists he railed against on the campaign trail.
Hmmm. Sounds familiar...
From his brand new Cadillac to his new drapes to the tired old practice of rewarding political cronies with plum state gigs, Patrick has added "fleece these suckers" to his campaign slogan of "Together We Can". And now he's been caught lying about it, hiding behind a thin veneer of plausible deniability (it was an aide, not Patrick himself!) to insulate him from consequences.
The worst part is, he'll get re-elected in a landslide next year...
It's also rather telling that the Globe chose to release this information on a Saturday, traditionally a dead news time (right up there with Friday night). This information will be old hat by Monday, no reason to rehash, and the sheeple will have long forgotten the chicanery and lies by the time the election rolls around. Gee, more of the same ol', same ol'.
Go figure.
That is all.
Contradicting a series of steadfast denials, internal e-mails show that Governor Deval Patrick's top aides controlled the appointment of state Senator Marian Walsh to a high-paying job at a state authority, from setting her salary to crafting her job description.
They also provided the agency's talking points for the news media in an attempt to quell a public uproar.
Ho hum, another whopper from Cadillac Deval. I mean, I guess you can't blame the man - one need look no further than the water-carrying that goes on in the media for his good buddy (and campaign speech stealin') Barack Obama to see why he might feel that he could get away with such shenanigans.
In a time of budget cuts, layoffs, and belt-tightening all around, offering a six-figure salary to a political ally for a job that's been vacant over a decade is more than just being tone-deaf. It speaks to a level of arrogance that approaches incredulity. This is a man who swept into office promising an end to business as usual, yet has surrounded himself with the same lobbyists he railed against on the campaign trail.
Hmmm. Sounds familiar...
From his brand new Cadillac to his new drapes to the tired old practice of rewarding political cronies with plum state gigs, Patrick has added "fleece these suckers" to his campaign slogan of "Together We Can". And now he's been caught lying about it, hiding behind a thin veneer of plausible deniability (it was an aide, not Patrick himself!) to insulate him from consequences.
The worst part is, he'll get re-elected in a landslide next year...
It's also rather telling that the Globe chose to release this information on a Saturday, traditionally a dead news time (right up there with Friday night). This information will be old hat by Monday, no reason to rehash, and the sheeple will have long forgotten the chicanery and lies by the time the election rolls around. Gee, more of the same ol', same ol'.
Go figure.
That is all.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Blogroll Additions
Have a handful of new blogs to add to the MArooned blogroll today. These are blogs I've found mainly through my borderline psychotic obsession with perfectly normal and not at all obsessive Sitemeter perusal. Please welcome the following blogs:
1. 9X19 Dan. Describes himself thusly: "God-loving, prior-service Infantryman from the Great Plains who is now comfortably living the engineer life in Alabama." Yeah. You'll fit in fine here.
2. Collateral. Love the header: The daily maelstrom of Food, Fitness, Family, Philosophy and Fanaticism. Lots of fitness information here.
3. Gun Geek Rants. A geek who likes guns. Good thing there's none of those around here, nosirree bob...
Once again, if you have MArooned on your blogroll and do not appear on the list on the right, let me know and I'll be happy to reciprocate. Just send an e-mail, look me up on gchat or Facebook, or leave a comment below.
Welcome aboard everyone!
That is all.
1. 9X19 Dan. Describes himself thusly: "God-loving, prior-service Infantryman from the Great Plains who is now comfortably living the engineer life in Alabama." Yeah. You'll fit in fine here.
2. Collateral. Love the header: The daily maelstrom of Food, Fitness, Family, Philosophy and Fanaticism. Lots of fitness information here.
3. Gun Geek Rants. A geek who likes guns. Good thing there's none of those around here, nosirree bob...
Once again, if you have MArooned on your blogroll and do not appear on the list on the right, let me know and I'll be happy to reciprocate. Just send an e-mail, look me up on gchat or Facebook, or leave a comment below.
Welcome aboard everyone!
That is all.
Friday Fun Thread: Figureheads*
This week's Top Ten list is going to be another departure from the usual. This week's list contains a vanishing icon: The hood ornament... This list will be done with pictures, like the tailfins list a while back. So here goes!
1. Rolls Royce.
The Spirit of Ecstasy is probably one of the most copied, parodied, and prestigious emblem out there.
2. Cadillac crest & wreath.
What Guido would be caught dead in Brooklyn without a shiny new wreath on the front of his DeVille? The ducks got lost sometime in the 1990s.
3. Mercedes.
For a period in the 1980s, no one with a Mercedes was safe from folks stealing the hood ornament for their proto-rap bling. Why? We have no idea...
4. Mack Bulldog.
What differentiates a Mack from a Kenworth? Well, besides the obvious engine, transmission, frame, etc.
5. Dodge Ram.
Sadly, my truck doesn't have an actual Ram ornament (they phased them out in the 1980s), but the first Ram I owned did...
6. Jaguar.
Even though Ford didn't acquire Jaguar until the 1980s, the Jaguar emblem bears more than a passing resemblance to the Ford Greyhound of the 1940s.
7. Oldsmobile Rocket.
The Rocket was a theme for Oldsmobile - the Rocket engines were among the fastest of their class, and were a feature to look for in "your father's Oldsmobile"...
8. Ford Greyhound.
For a long time, the Greyhound was the symbol for Ford and Lincoln's top-of-the-line models.
9. Packard.
Who's going to argue with an amethyst-tone Indian on the front of your car?
10. Chrysler Imperial.
It looks like some sort of falcon. If the object of having a hood ornament is to make your car look faster, mission accomplished.
Thus concludes another Top Ten automotive list. If there is a hood ornament that you like, please leave it in comments - with pics, natch!
That is all.
*Thanks to Scotaku for the correction. Boy, is my face red! I think I concatenated "Figurehead" and "Masthead" there. Oopsie.
1. Rolls Royce.
The Spirit of Ecstasy is probably one of the most copied, parodied, and prestigious emblem out there.2. Cadillac crest & wreath.
What Guido would be caught dead in Brooklyn without a shiny new wreath on the front of his DeVille? The ducks got lost sometime in the 1990s.3. Mercedes.
For a period in the 1980s, no one with a Mercedes was safe from folks stealing the hood ornament for their proto-rap bling. Why? We have no idea...4. Mack Bulldog.
What differentiates a Mack from a Kenworth? Well, besides the obvious engine, transmission, frame, etc.5. Dodge Ram.
Sadly, my truck doesn't have an actual Ram ornament (they phased them out in the 1980s), but the first Ram I owned did...6. Jaguar.
Even though Ford didn't acquire Jaguar until the 1980s, the Jaguar emblem bears more than a passing resemblance to the Ford Greyhound of the 1940s.7. Oldsmobile Rocket.
The Rocket was a theme for Oldsmobile - the Rocket engines were among the fastest of their class, and were a feature to look for in "your father's Oldsmobile"...8. Ford Greyhound.
For a long time, the Greyhound was the symbol for Ford and Lincoln's top-of-the-line models.9. Packard.
Who's going to argue with an amethyst-tone Indian on the front of your car?10. Chrysler Imperial.
It looks like some sort of falcon. If the object of having a hood ornament is to make your car look faster, mission accomplished.Thus concludes another Top Ten automotive list. If there is a hood ornament that you like, please leave it in comments - with pics, natch!
That is all.
*Thanks to Scotaku for the correction. Boy, is my face red! I think I concatenated "Figurehead" and "Masthead" there. Oopsie.
What's In A Name?
THIS IS NOT THE FREEDOM TOWER
"Freedom Tower". "One World Trade Center".
Meh.
I prefer "Eat Shit and Die Terrorist Goat-Fucking Asshole Place" anyway.
That is all.
Freedom is out of fashion at Ground Zero.
Once hailed as a beacon of rebirth in the aftermath of Sept. 11, the Freedom Tower has been stripped of its patriotic name -- which has been swapped out for the more marketable "One World Trade Center," Port Authority officials conceded yesterday.
"Freedom Tower". "One World Trade Center".
Meh.
I prefer "Eat Shit and Die Terrorist Goat-Fucking Asshole Place" anyway.
That is all.
Friday Gun Pr0n #104
Since I've been thinking about getting another .22LR autoloader, I figured I'd put up the other .22 auto in the G. armory:
High Standard H-D Military
This is a High Standard H-D military model with 6" bull barrel. This is one of the most accurate guns I have ever shot - on a par with the Smith & Wesson Model 17. Unfortunately it's extremely finicky and tempermental, so it sits in the safe most of the time, waiting for the day I finally get around to taking it apart and cleaning and/or repairing it.
High Standard started out in Connecticut in the 1920s, moving to Texas in 1993. Their current line of firearms includes their signature target .22LR autoloaders, AR-15-based rifles, 1911-based pistols, and the remnants of AMT and Interarms. Ironically, none of these handguns are legal in MA...
Which is really a shame, because one of the AMT .30 carbines would be an absolute hoot...
That is all.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Jumping In...
Over on the Northeastshooters forum, there was a lively discussion of the FL CCW who shot and killed the armed robber in Burger King that was the subject of DGC#8.
There were two basic schools of thought presented. One school of thought was basically that the CCW holder has an obligation of sorts to society in general to step in and take out armed robbers in such a situation; the other school of thought (to which I ascribe) is that unless you or yours are personally in danger, or the situation escalates beyond strongarm robbery (i.e. the goblin starts assaulting people), it's best to sit it out in a state of readiness.
There's compelling arguments on both sides, IMHO. Taking immediate, decisive action against affronts to civilized society sends a clear message to the criminal element that it will not be tolerated; conversely, simply handing over the money emboldens the criminals. I can agree with this. If more people resisted; if more criminals wound up bleeding out on the convenience store floor; if their violence begat even more violence aimed at them, I agree that we'd all be better off (well, except the criminals, but I'm not too concerned about them).
On the other hand, I can see the "wait and see" angle - but speaking only as a citizen of MA. We've been told by our illustrious Attorney General that MA discourages "self-help" as a rule of thumb - and this was in regards to a case of a man who beat up the scumbag who molested his son. There's a legal - and financial - minefield in MA with regard to self-defense with a firearm in even the most clear-cut cases; coming to the defense of a third party gets heavily into a gray area.
My position - valid for MA only - is that in the absence of a clear and present danger to myself or others, I would not confront the goblin. I would make ready to confront him, discretely readying my sidearm if possible (or at least getting ready to draw); but in the absence of additional violence (above and beyond displaying the weapon), I would not take action. Should the goblin escalate the situation - say, by assaulting the clerk or other patrons - then it's on; if it's a simple strongarm robbery I'd be better served to take very careful note of the goblin for future identification.
Once again, I stress that this is valid only in MA and other locales where self-defense is actively frowned upon. In a state such as Florida, which has "Stand your ground" laws, I would take action (at least like to think I would; I hope and pray I never have to find out). Waving a gun around - whether it's loaded, unloaded, or a BB gun - presents a danger to all and sundry; it's the threat of violence and/or personal injury or death.
But here in MA, it's very likely that, were I to be the CCW holder who shot the robber, I would be arrested, jailed, and charged with murder. The recently deceased would be fêted in the local news as a misunderstood youth who was just about to turn his life around; I, of course, would be portrayed as a vicious, bloodthirsty redneck gun owner who wanted nothing more in life than to live out my Travis Bickle fantasies and kill me some minorities. Go before a liberal judge - of which there are many in MA - and wind up plea-bargaining to manslaughter and sentenced to a decade in jail. My kids lose their father; my wife loses her husband; we lose our home in the landslide of legal bills resulting in the defense of my actions and the civil suit served by the goblin's next-of-kin.
My actions would stand a very good chance of causing my family - the very people I am directly responsible for - to suffer.
Maybe I am selfish, but I'm not putting my life, my freedom, and the safety and security of my family on the line to defend a stranger from a potential assailant. My first and foremost responsibility is to my family, me and my own. It is imperative that I be there for them, to shape and guide my children, to provide for them, to be present and active in their lives in their formative years. And I can't do this from a jail cell. I am not willing to give up everything I've worked for my entire life in defense of another not in my immediate circle.
And I hate that this state forces me to make this decision.
That is all.
Oh, No You Didn't...
GOP critics walk fine line in opposing president's policies
Now the Republican minority is being accused of being unpatriotic after a whopping two months. They're finally discovering that they're supposed to be the party of small(er) government (HA!), and are starting to finally oppose spending - cynically, I might inject, because the dude in the White House has a "D" next to his name. But because they don't agree with his radical plans for forced socialism, they're unpatriotic.
And, we can only surmise, racist.
That is all.
How do you separate policies from the person?Excuse me? Did you really just say that? After eight fucking years of relentless hammering of the Bush administration over similar sentiments, you're just coming right out and laying it down like that? Remember "Dissent is patriotic"? Remember the fears from the liberal elite that Bush was crushing dissent? Now that the dude in the White House has a "D" next to his name, everything's upside down, eh folks?
It is more than an academic riddle these days, as President Obama's Republican critics gingerly walk the tightrope of opposing his economic and other plans without being accused of being unpatriotic.
Conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh started it even before Obama's inauguration in January by saying that he hoped Obama would fail because he objected to many of Obama's policies.
Now the Republican minority is being accused of being unpatriotic after a whopping two months. They're finally discovering that they're supposed to be the party of small(er) government (HA!), and are starting to finally oppose spending - cynically, I might inject, because the dude in the White House has a "D" next to his name. But because they don't agree with his radical plans for forced socialism, they're unpatriotic.
And, we can only surmise, racist.
That is all.
Open Question...
Lawrence chief mulls closing firehouses on rotating basis to save money
Now, living in a town that has a volunteer firefighter force, I'm not especially concerned. Certainly, Lawrence has more need for a full-time force, but it can and has been done with fewer firefighters if needed. That's not my point, though.
What bothers me is that when budgets get tight, emergency services are the very first to be threatened with cuts - gee, almost like the town managers know that people are going to be very reluctant to go without police, fire, or EMS services and will therefore be more likely to okay overrides.
My question, though, is very simple: How many six-figure-salary "assistant executives" does Lawrence have?
Extrapolate it further - I've covered the $60K/year no-work job held by the sister of a MA official and the $175K/year position recently filled by Cadillac Deval that had been vacant for 12 years. It really makes you wonder, though, just how much money could be saved simply by weeding out some of the unnecessary bureaucracy.
But then again, where would the siblings, cousins, and offspring of all our state reps go to line up at the public trough, then?
That is all.
LAWRENCE — Fire Chief Peter Takvorian is considering revolving closures of the city's six firehouses to cut down on overtime costs and stave off any layoffs in what he calls his already lean department.
The revolving closures are still tentative and Takvorian has yet to discuss the matter at length with his department and city councilors.
Now, living in a town that has a volunteer firefighter force, I'm not especially concerned. Certainly, Lawrence has more need for a full-time force, but it can and has been done with fewer firefighters if needed. That's not my point, though.
What bothers me is that when budgets get tight, emergency services are the very first to be threatened with cuts - gee, almost like the town managers know that people are going to be very reluctant to go without police, fire, or EMS services and will therefore be more likely to okay overrides.
My question, though, is very simple: How many six-figure-salary "assistant executives" does Lawrence have?
Extrapolate it further - I've covered the $60K/year no-work job held by the sister of a MA official and the $175K/year position recently filled by Cadillac Deval that had been vacant for 12 years. It really makes you wonder, though, just how much money could be saved simply by weeding out some of the unnecessary bureaucracy.
But then again, where would the siblings, cousins, and offspring of all our state reps go to line up at the public trough, then?
That is all.
Convert Me...
The more I think about it, the more I want to get a conversion kit for my Gold Cup and my Sig P226. There's a lot of good reasons to get the kits - I can train with my centerfire pistols for far less money, I can have a bigger variety of .22s to use in the indoor range at my club, I can work on trigger control without breaking the bank shooting .45 ACP or 9mm.
Really, the only downside is the price - for what a conversion kit cost, I could pick up a Smith & Wesson 22A or a Ruger Mark III. It's hard to justify spending $300+ on a conversion kit when I could go out and buy another whole gun for that money - and not have to worry about fitting, or breaking in, or any of those issues.
I think that the pros outweigh the cons in this case. I think that getting a conversion kit will allow me to shoot a lot more while developing caliber-independent skills I can use in centerfire shooting as well. Another pro of the conversion is that I can swap it out when I find myself flinching too much.
Now... With all that said, which conversion kit is best for the 1911 platform? I've got a Colt Gold Cup National Match, series 80 that would be a good base. A quick search reveals conversion kits by Ciener ($199), Kimber ($289), Marvel ($316), and Advantage Arms ($349). Kits for the Sig P226 run roughly $320 or so, and kits for the Glock G30 for $265. The million dollar question, then, is: Does anyone have experiences - good or bad - with any of these conversion kits?
Any and all comments/suggestions/recommendations/etc. are greatly appreciated.
That is all.
Really, the only downside is the price - for what a conversion kit cost, I could pick up a Smith & Wesson 22A or a Ruger Mark III. It's hard to justify spending $300+ on a conversion kit when I could go out and buy another whole gun for that money - and not have to worry about fitting, or breaking in, or any of those issues.
I think that the pros outweigh the cons in this case. I think that getting a conversion kit will allow me to shoot a lot more while developing caliber-independent skills I can use in centerfire shooting as well. Another pro of the conversion is that I can swap it out when I find myself flinching too much.
Now... With all that said, which conversion kit is best for the 1911 platform? I've got a Colt Gold Cup National Match, series 80 that would be a good base. A quick search reveals conversion kits by Ciener ($199), Kimber ($289), Marvel ($316), and Advantage Arms ($349). Kits for the Sig P226 run roughly $320 or so, and kits for the Glock G30 for $265. The million dollar question, then, is: Does anyone have experiences - good or bad - with any of these conversion kits?
Any and all comments/suggestions/recommendations/etc. are greatly appreciated.
That is all.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
It Cometh...
Buy A Gun Day, that is.
Yes, that magical day is almost upon us, the day we cut our checks to the government and then head immediately to the gun store to salve our wounded consciences... It's time to do our part to stimulate the economy and buy something in the boomstick family...
Tax Day = Buy A Gun Day...
I'm still having a devil of a time deciding what to get. On the one hand, after shooting TOTWTYTR's Smith & Wesson model 34, I'm REALLY keen on getting a .22LR snubbie for practice on the cheap. I'd also like to get a .22LR conversion kit for my Gold Cup and/or my P226, for more practice on the cheap (if there's anything the Bloggershoot taught me, it's that I need to practice a LOT more so that next time I can hit something besides the ground...) ;)
OTOH, I could really use a Ruger Mark II or III, maybe one of the Hunter models with the bull barrel. It'd be nice to have a reliable .22 autoloader for first time shooters. And I still don't have a 10/22 in my armory, a gaping hole that will need to be filled before I take Ross up on his generous offer to shoot in an Appleseed shoot.
I'm leaning towards a handgun for the simple fact that the last five firearms I've purchased have been longarms - I'm due for another pistol. But what to get? I, like JD, have some cash burning a hole in my pocket and nothing specific that I really want or need. I guess I'm just going to have to go to a random gun shop or two and see what jumps out at me.
Yeah, I know, it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it...
That is all.
Yes, that magical day is almost upon us, the day we cut our checks to the government and then head immediately to the gun store to salve our wounded consciences... It's time to do our part to stimulate the economy and buy something in the boomstick family...
Tax Day = Buy A Gun Day...
I'm still having a devil of a time deciding what to get. On the one hand, after shooting TOTWTYTR's Smith & Wesson model 34, I'm REALLY keen on getting a .22LR snubbie for practice on the cheap. I'd also like to get a .22LR conversion kit for my Gold Cup and/or my P226, for more practice on the cheap (if there's anything the Bloggershoot taught me, it's that I need to practice a LOT more so that next time I can hit something besides the ground...) ;)
OTOH, I could really use a Ruger Mark II or III, maybe one of the Hunter models with the bull barrel. It'd be nice to have a reliable .22 autoloader for first time shooters. And I still don't have a 10/22 in my armory, a gaping hole that will need to be filled before I take Ross up on his generous offer to shoot in an Appleseed shoot.
I'm leaning towards a handgun for the simple fact that the last five firearms I've purchased have been longarms - I'm due for another pistol. But what to get? I, like JD, have some cash burning a hole in my pocket and nothing specific that I really want or need. I guess I'm just going to have to go to a random gun shop or two and see what jumps out at me.
Yeah, I know, it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it...
That is all.
QotD
In comments to Tam's post about the 0bama administration's ever-growing desire for more power, commenter Lorimor offers this absolute gem:
Amen, brother, amen...
That is all.
Sheep only have two speeds, grazing and stampede.
Amen, brother, amen...
That is all.
Workin' Towards Double Digits...
1 dead, one injured in Miami Burger King shooting
{sniff}{sniff} I just love a story with a happy ending, don't you? Sadly, the good Samaritan was wounded in the exchange, but is expected to survive. No word on whether or not he will be charged, but given that it's Florida, home of "Stand your ground", it's rather doubtful. With any kind of luck, he'll even get his piece back before he's released from the hospital.
As it damn well should be.
Good guys: 1. Goblins: room temperature.
Dead goblin count: 8
That is all.
Thanks to commenter wolfwalker for the link. (Far too infrequent) commenter and very good friend sci-fi also sent me the link in an e-mail...
Police said a man wearing a ski mask walked into the store at Biscayne Boulevard and 54th Street and demanded money from a clerk.
A customer, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled a gun, said Officer Jeff Giordano, a Miami police spokesman.
The customer and robber exchanged fire.
The robber was shot dead at the scene.
{sniff}{sniff} I just love a story with a happy ending, don't you? Sadly, the good Samaritan was wounded in the exchange, but is expected to survive. No word on whether or not he will be charged, but given that it's Florida, home of "Stand your ground", it's rather doubtful. With any kind of luck, he'll even get his piece back before he's released from the hospital.
As it damn well should be.
Good guys: 1. Goblins: room temperature.
Dead goblin count: 8
That is all.
Thanks to commenter wolfwalker for the link. (Far too infrequent) commenter and very good friend sci-fi also sent me the link in an e-mail...
Gunnie Bleg
My good friend (and fellow Bloggershoot attendee) JD has a serious problem. He's got money burning a hole in his pocket and a desire to upgrade his carry gun. He asks,
Well, it so happens I have a little experience with the M&P series, so I responded immediately:
So, what say you? Bear in mind that JD is, like me, trapped behind the Red curtain here in the Volksrepublik of MA, and therefore beholden to the Approved Firearms Roster {spit}. That means outrageous prices for Glocks and Kahrs, little-to-no chance of guns like the CZ75 or the Springfield XD, etc. We're pretty much limited to S&W, Ruger, ParaOrdnance, and SigSauer.
(Hey!!! JD - Sig 239 in .40 S&W. I've seen them used for around $550-$600, and you can get the screamin' .357 Sig barrel for it too!)
Help a fellow MAhole blogger out with this most important of decisions, won't you?
That is all.
*JD was very helpful when my Bushmaster developed a severe case of indigestion over the .223 reloads...
Jay
Have you had any experience with the Smith and Wesson M&P pistol?
I am looking for a new carry gun and am debating a 1911 say a Para Ordnance or S&W in the $700 range but it looks like the M&P does well in sales at Four Seasons and I don't know anyone that has one. . .
I want something with a bit more guts than the .380 I got now ya know. . . .
Anyways, if you have any thought on this I would love to hear them. . . and blog fodder them if you want = )
thanks
JD
Well, it so happens I have a little experience with the M&P series, so I responded immediately:
Hey JD (my AR-savior!)*,
Hmmm. You've got $700 and an itch for a new carry gun. Oh, what a terrible, terrible fate... Heh.
Let's see... The M&P. I had bad luck with the M&P compact .40 S&W when I shot it at the Smith & Wesson range. The placement of the magazine release put it in such a way that my normal grip would cause it to engage about, oh, once or twice a magazine. Leading to humorous range exchanges like this:
[M&P] BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
{CLUNK}
[me] SHIT DAMMIT!
Since I was thinking of the compact .40 as a carry gun, and couldn't rely on it as such, I more or less put the M&P series out of my mind.
I've heard that S&W has addressed this issue (I'd heard from several other people who had the same experience) since then. I would strongly recommend you find someone with a comparable model of M&P and try it out, first, though. The M&P series is one of the greatest values for the MA gunnie - under $500 new OTD, and right now I think S&W is running a "two free magazine" promo again. Can't argue with that at all.
If you can find one for a reasonable price, look at the subcompact Glocks - 26 (9mm) or 27 (.40 S&W). What's great about the Glock WRT MA law is that there are plenty of pre-ban high-capacity magazines to be had. M&P? Not so much.
You can also find the S&W scandium-framed Commander sized 1911s for around $700 (gently) used if you want to honor the St. JMB (PBUH). I'm waiting to see how much they want for the subcompact 1911 before I get a new 1911 - if it's MA compliant, which I would imagine it would be, and under $900 or so new, I will be SORELY tempted to pick one up.
Another thought would be a S&W snubbie - either the 442/642 for pocket carry or a 637 for IWB. Those are selling for around $400 or so new, and that extra $300 will buy quite a bit of practice ammo. I dunno if you got a chance to shoot The Snubbie From Hell™, but the Airweight .38 specials are only a couple ounces heavier and shoot .38 Spl +P ammo - almost as good as .357 Magnum. Let me know if you'd like to try it out (or my shrouded hammer model 38).
I'm going to post this and see if anyone else has any other suggestions - I'm sure there's a couple dozen other good suggestions that I'm just not thinking of right now...
So, what say you? Bear in mind that JD is, like me, trapped behind the Red curtain here in the Volksrepublik of MA, and therefore beholden to the Approved Firearms Roster {spit}. That means outrageous prices for Glocks and Kahrs, little-to-no chance of guns like the CZ75 or the Springfield XD, etc. We're pretty much limited to S&W, Ruger, ParaOrdnance, and SigSauer.
(Hey!!! JD - Sig 239 in .40 S&W. I've seen them used for around $550-$600, and you can get the screamin' .357 Sig barrel for it too!)
Help a fellow MAhole blogger out with this most important of decisions, won't you?
That is all.
*JD was very helpful when my Bushmaster developed a severe case of indigestion over the .223 reloads...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Lighten Up, Francis...
Heh. As promised, the video:
Nothing says "Northeast Bloggershoot" quite like a child's stuffed plaything impaled on a rifle bayonet...
That is all.
Nothing says "Northeast Bloggershoot" quite like a child's stuffed plaything impaled on a rifle bayonet...
That is all.
Other BloggerShoot AARs
Just wanted to post a quick roundup of other folks' impressions of the dinner and/or shoot.
TOTWTYTR
Lissa
Scotaku
Borepatch
MedicMatthew
I'm so glad everyone had a good time, even if they were underwhelmed by the steak at Hilltop (that's it! You're off the list!).
That is all.
TOTWTYTR
Lissa
Scotaku
Borepatch
MedicMatthew
I'm so glad everyone had a good time, even if they were underwhelmed by the steak at Hilltop (that's it! You're off the list!).
That is all.
New Shooter Report
Sunday night, at the Northeast Blogger (and AD) Early Spring Meet-n-Eat, one of the attendees approached me and mentioned that he'd like to attend the shoot on Monday. He mentioned that he'd shot a couple of .22 rifles many years before, but that he hadn't shot a gun in probably two decades. He wanted to attend the shoot, but was reluctant to come without his own arsenal.
I felt he had been out of the shooting sports long enough to count as a new shooter, so I told him that I'd be more than happy to spot him any ammo he'd care to shoot. I had a hunch that the other shooters in the group would be more than happy to share as well, and was not proven incorrect. He traversed the shooting line, inspecting multitudinous shootie goodness, and wound up shooting pretty much everything we had to offer at least once or twice.
I'll let his own words in comments describe his experience:
And he posts more about it on his own blog. Go. Read Scotaku's firsthand account of his re-introduction to shootie goodness.
That is all.
I felt he had been out of the shooting sports long enough to count as a new shooter, so I told him that I'd be more than happy to spot him any ammo he'd care to shoot. I had a hunch that the other shooters in the group would be more than happy to share as well, and was not proven incorrect. He traversed the shooting line, inspecting multitudinous shootie goodness, and wound up shooting pretty much everything we had to offer at least once or twice.
I'll let his own words in comments describe his experience:
Thank you, Jay. I wasn't kidding about needing a team of plastic surgeons to get the smile off my face. It was chilly, but in the end, that really didn't matter. Thanks for your (and all the others') generosity and hospitality. Now to get Herself more involved...
And he posts more about it on his own blog. Go. Read Scotaku's firsthand account of his re-introduction to shootie goodness.
That is all.
Bloggershoot AAR
Ah, the After Action Report... This is a fun one to write, as I simply had a fantastic time yesterday at the Northeast Blogger Early Spring Shoot (with AD). I got to shoot a couple of my new guns that I hadn't gotten around to breaking in (the Mossberg 590 and the Mosin Nagant M44); I got to shoot a whole bunch of other people's very cool guns; and I got to fraternize with a simply wonderful group of people.
Even when they were making fun of my (lack of) shootin' skillz...
Even when they were making fun of my (lack of) shootin' skillz...
Let's start with the attendees. Heath and Amanda followed me to Harvard Sportsmen's Club, where Liz and Bill hosted our
A finer group of people you couldn't wish for...
So, onto what everyone wants to see: The guns!
Here are the many offerings:
Rifles, Part I
Rifles, Part II
Pistol Bench
Yeah. We easily had enough ordnance to conquer Canada. Hell, if I'd gotten on 495 going the wrong way I probably could have gotten Quebec to pre-emptively surrender when I hit northern Vermont... We had a wide gamut of firearms, from mil-surp Nagants and Enfields to top-end ARs, mini-14s, and even a Sig 556. Lots of shootie goodness to be enjoyed, that's for sure!
Here's where we were shooting:
25 & 50 Yard Ranges
And yes, those are eeeeevil orange clays on the backstop. You've got to keep a close eye on those clays, because they will charge at the slightest provocation. It's best to keep a shotgun fully charged just in case a group gets too close... The clays shown are on the 25 yard berm, but we also had clays on the 50 yard berm. Significantly more challenging...
Here's what it looked like when we were through:
Brass By The BushelThat's a big heapin' pile 'o' brass right there. I shudder to think of what the street value of the ammunition expended today would run (I was shooting 7.62X39mm that had a sticker price of $2.49 for a box of 20, so my prices weren't exactly current). Bill and Liz took the brass home, as they reload and we figured it was the least we could do to show our gratitude for hosting.
Some highlights, lowlights, and other thoughts of the day now.
Everybody loves the Colt Gold Cup National Match. AD was willing to endure the poking, prodding and otherwise humiliation of the TSA Security Theater for a shot at secreting it away upon his person to take home. I even commented, as I cleaned off some 2-300 rounds' worth of grime, that she was a "dirty, filthy whore" - a comment that garnered an odd look from Liz, until I opined that pretty much everyone had their hands on my Colt today...
Had two issues with two of my guns. I forgot to bring the allen wrench for the SpecOps stock on the Mossberg with me, so naturally it worked itself loose after about a dozen rounds of buckshot and slugs. A quick glance around the benches and bags failed to yield a proper wrench, so I had to retire the 590 prematurely. I did get to shoot 00 buckshot and slugs through it, though. The Bushmaster was emphatic in refusing reloaded .223 ammo, getting hung up on chambering and generally just plain stopped working after 1 or 2 rounds. Switched back to Rem factory ammo, no problem. Shot some of Heath's Norinco .223, no problem.
In all of the excitement, I don't want to lose sight of a new shooter - look for a separate report later today. Sunday night one of our attendees mentioned in passing that he would like to attend the shooting portion of the meet-n-greet, but that he hadn't shot in years, having fired a .22 rifle many decades prior.
One of my favorite parts of a get-together like this is getting the opportunity to try out new, different, and/or exotic firearms. I got to shoot Dwight's delicious Uberti - this is an absolute hoot, as the heft of the gun cancels all recoil, and the .45 Colt round takes its sweet time getting downrange on the 50 yard range. LOTS of fun to shoot. TOTWTYTR had several different guns that I kept trying to distract him from so I could spirit them away, not the least of which being a sweeeeeet S&W model 34 .22LR snubnose revolver. He also has a Model 18 .22LR with about the nicest double action trigger pull I've experienced outside of my Colt Official Police. And he's got both an Enfield with sword bayonet and a Schmidt-Rubin K31 which is every bit as nice as every gushes about... JD brought some really nice guns, including a Marlin lever action and a Remington Nylon 66 in chrome, but I only had time to run a 30 round magazine through his WASR-10.
Special Thanks.
I'd like to offer some words of thanks to some folks for kindness above and beyond. First, to Liz and Bill for hosting us. Second, to Dwight for the really neat scale-model Chevy panel truck that he gifted me with - having read of my penchant for diecast models, he offered me one he had received. Third, to Kelly, both for gracing us with his witty presence and for the super uber tacticool lighted reticle scope he brought me for my Bushmaster. It's very slick, exactly what I was looking for, and went on like it was born there. Me like! Lastly, a big thanks to Heath and Amanda for driving the 11 hours out to meet us, and for generously giving me sufficient stores of .223 and 7.62X39mm ammo to last quite a bit.
It was an absolute pleasure seeing all of you; some for the first time; some for the 10th time. I'm already starting to think about a summer shoot and/or summer BBQ - this time, in a private backyard, we could sit around a patio table and "show whatcha brung" like we should have done at Hilltop (except that they would have called in the SWAT team, of course...).
We will do this again.
And, lastly, a couple final pictures to set the stage for a later video:
The Victim
The Aftermath
Yes, I did bayonet a(nother) children's toy. Again. Video to follow...
That is all.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Range Day! Party Time! Excellent!
Had a fantastic time at the range today at the Northeast Blogger (and AD) Early Spring Shoot. I'll have a more comprehensive post for tomorrow morning, replete with pictures and video, but wanted to get down a few quick thoughts right away.
First off, a giant THANK YOU! to Liz and Bill for hosting us at Harvard. We had the run of the pistol and rifle ranges, and made excellent use of both.
The Snubbie from Hell™ was a big hit, even if some folks present (*cough* AD *cough*) only had the temerity to shoot one cylinder's worth of .357 Magnum from it. Look, just because it bit me (and drew blood).
The Bushmaster was also a BIG hit, especially with the lovely Mrs. Borepatch who graced us with her presence (Yes, she actually does exist, and she is every bit as lovely and charming as Sarah Palin).
I need to get a snub-nosed .22LR. SRSLY. Hitting a 6" steel plate at 25 yards with a snubbie 5 out of 6 times is almost more fun than should be allowed by law...
And before any vicious rumors start, I *can* hit what I'm shooting at. Sometimes. Look to AD's for his new hit catch phrase that I helped spawn. Someday I hope to live it down. If he couldn't shoot so damn well, I'd really give him shit...
I'll post more tomorrow. Right now I have guns to clean, a cut to re-bandage, and what's left of my ammo stash to put away.
Oh, and yes, there was a childhood toy and a bayonet. And video...
That is all.
First off, a giant THANK YOU! to Liz and Bill for hosting us at Harvard. We had the run of the pistol and rifle ranges, and made excellent use of both.
The Snubbie from Hell™ was a big hit, even if some folks present (*cough* AD *cough*) only had the temerity to shoot one cylinder's worth of .357 Magnum from it. Look, just because it bit me (and drew blood).
The Bushmaster was also a BIG hit, especially with the lovely Mrs. Borepatch who graced us with her presence (Yes, she actually does exist, and she is every bit as lovely and charming as Sarah Palin).
I need to get a snub-nosed .22LR. SRSLY. Hitting a 6" steel plate at 25 yards with a snubbie 5 out of 6 times is almost more fun than should be allowed by law...
And before any vicious rumors start, I *can* hit what I'm shooting at. Sometimes. Look to AD's for his new hit catch phrase that I helped spawn. Someday I hope to live it down. If he couldn't shoot so damn well, I'd really give him shit...
I'll post more tomorrow. Right now I have guns to clean, a cut to re-bandage, and what's left of my ammo stash to put away.
Oh, and yes, there was a childhood toy and a bayonet. And video...
That is all.
My Dinner with AD...
What I can possibly say about meeting the one, the only, the Ambulance Driver? Well, let's see. For starters, he's got great taste in gifts for hosts (more later...). He's just as funny in person as he is in print - and that's saying quite a bit. It was hard not to squee like the little fanboi bitch I am, but I think I managed to make it through the entire evening without saying "ZOMG! AD!"
Well, not more than three or four dozen times...
Who else was there? Let's see...
TOTWTYTR
Commenter wally
Heath and his wife Amanda (from OH!!!)
Marko
Lissa and her fiance Mike
Steve and Larry (friends of TOTWTYTR)
Scotaku
Zeeke42
Weer'dbeard
JD
commenter and fellow NES'r Ross
Borepatch
Ken and Katie
Sci-fi & B
Liz & Bill
MedicMatthew (a thousand apologies, Matthew!!!)
Apologies if I've missed anyone else, my brain had pretty much turned to tapioca by the end of the night. Over the course of the evening, we managed to discuss Star Wars, Star Trek, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the Simpsons, the two lever-action rifles mounted over the wall at the back of restaurant and why they may or may not have been exempt from MA's "safe storage" laws, the .17 HMR round, Porsches, Corvettes, road rage, motorcycles, and the ineptitude of the Obama administration.
For starters.
Oh, and since we were in the Volksrepublik of MA and were quite reluctant to show our carry pieces, we opted for the next best thing: BLADES! Naturally, I couldn't resist a picture:
Well, not more than three or four dozen times...
Who else was there? Let's see...
TOTWTYTR
Commenter wally
Heath and his wife Amanda (from OH!!!)
Marko
Lissa and her fiance Mike
Steve and Larry (friends of TOTWTYTR)
Scotaku
Zeeke42
Weer'dbeard
JD
commenter and fellow NES'r Ross
Borepatch
Ken and Katie
Sci-fi & B
Liz & Bill
MedicMatthew (a thousand apologies, Matthew!!!)
Apologies if I've missed anyone else, my brain had pretty much turned to tapioca by the end of the night. Over the course of the evening, we managed to discuss Star Wars, Star Trek, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the Simpsons, the two lever-action rifles mounted over the wall at the back of restaurant and why they may or may not have been exempt from MA's "safe storage" laws, the .17 HMR round, Porsches, Corvettes, road rage, motorcycles, and the ineptitude of the Obama administration.
For starters.
Oh, and since we were in the Volksrepublik of MA and were quite reluctant to show our carry pieces, we opted for the next best thing: BLADES! Naturally, I couldn't resist a picture:
Missing: One Ginsu
Had we not been given steak knives, we still could have gotten the job done. Quite well. Some of us (Ross) could have have gotten by without forks... Closest we got to comparing other weaponry was weer'dbeard and I showing off our spare magazines in the parking lot after they closed the restaurant... :)
I'll try to update more tomorrow. Right now, it's damn late as I type this and tomorrow is another big day. We're all meeting at Harvard Sportsmen's Club for a day of shootie goodness, including some trigger time for some folks who have never shot before. So not only do I get to go shooting with AD, but I get to score a new shooter as well.
Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug. Right now, I'm happy to be the windshield...
That is all.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Two Down, One To Go...
Okay...
Arrow of Light Ceremony is done.
Blue & Gold Banquet is done.
All that's left is the Northeast Blogger (and AD) Dinner at Hilltop. The fun stuff...
Woo Hoo!
That is all.
Arrow of Light Ceremony is done.
Blue & Gold Banquet is done.
All that's left is the Northeast Blogger (and AD) Dinner at Hilltop. The fun stuff...
Woo Hoo!
That is all.
Video Tribute...
Yeah, my day's been looking a lot like this:
Only with more crashing and chasing...
That is all.
Only with more crashing and chasing...
That is all.
Crazy Day!
Okay. Here's my schedule for today:
8:00AM: Feed the cats (folks are on vacation).
9:00AM: Church.
10:15AM: CCD for The Boy. BabyGirl G. and I to hit BJs to get last minute supplies for Cub Scout Blue & Gold Banquet.
11:15AM: Pick up The Boy.
12:00PM: Get sitter for BabyGirl G. Go to high school to help set up Blue & Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts.
1:00PM: Crossing over of WeBeLoS II Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. I officially become Cubmaster.
2:00PM: Banquet.
3:00PM: Clean-up.
4:00PM: Home to change and greet out-of-town guests arriving for Blog meet.
5:15PM: Arrive at restaurant ahead of other attendees towarn talk to hostess ahead of group arrival.
6:00PM: Blog meet dinner. Meet the inimitable Ambulance Driver. One word: Steak...
10:00PM: Restaurant closes.
10:05PM: Chinese restaurant across the street open until 2AM.
Midnight: Stumble home and collapse in a heap.
Heck, I'm tired just thinking about it...
That is all.
8:00AM: Feed the cats (folks are on vacation).
9:00AM: Church.
10:15AM: CCD for The Boy. BabyGirl G. and I to hit BJs to get last minute supplies for Cub Scout Blue & Gold Banquet.
11:15AM: Pick up The Boy.
12:00PM: Get sitter for BabyGirl G. Go to high school to help set up Blue & Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts.
1:00PM: Crossing over of WeBeLoS II Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. I officially become Cubmaster.
2:00PM: Banquet.
3:00PM: Clean-up.
4:00PM: Home to change and greet out-of-town guests arriving for Blog meet.
5:15PM: Arrive at restaurant ahead of other attendees to
6:00PM: Blog meet dinner. Meet the inimitable Ambulance Driver. One word: Steak...
10:00PM: Restaurant closes.
10:05PM: Chinese restaurant across the street open until 2AM.
Midnight: Stumble home and collapse in a heap.
Heck, I'm tired just thinking about it...
That is all.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Victory!!!
Heh.
Brought BabyGirl G to the gun store this morning while her brother was at his First Communion retreat. We walk into the place, and she takes one look at the display of pink and purple Cricketts on the counter and exclaims,
Sometime next week I might be able to chisel the smile off my face...
I told her that in a couple of years, when she was a little older, we would be back to get one for her. I asked her if she knew what it was, and she thought it was a BB gun. I told her it was a real rifle, like the one her brother was going to shoot this year, and she was equally pleased. Needless to say, so was Daddy.
Oh, and I scored some reasonably priced 9mm and .45 ACP, as well as some not-too-horrifically increased .223. You might be a gun nut if you need a cardboard box to carry all your ammo out of the store...
That is all.
Brought BabyGirl G to the gun store this morning while her brother was at his First Communion retreat. We walk into the place, and she takes one look at the display of pink and purple Cricketts on the counter and exclaims,
"Ooh, Daddy, can I get one of those?"
Sometime next week I might be able to chisel the smile off my face...
I told her that in a couple of years, when she was a little older, we would be back to get one for her. I asked her if she knew what it was, and she thought it was a BB gun. I told her it was a real rifle, like the one her brother was going to shoot this year, and she was equally pleased. Needless to say, so was Daddy.
Oh, and I scored some reasonably priced 9mm and .45 ACP, as well as some not-too-horrifically increased .223. You might be a gun nut if you need a cardboard box to carry all your ammo out of the store...
That is all.
Come Together...
I've had a couple people e-mail me about the Blogger dinner tomorrow afternoon. Seems that in my haste to get updates out and such, I neglected one of the basics: How the hell are we getting together?
Well, I'm planning on being at Hilltop between 5 and 5:30 (we're meeting at 6:00). I'll talk to the hostess when I get there, and find out where they'rehiding putting our group. Just look for the devastatingly handsome gentleman standing around looking dashing and worldly. Then look for the shaved head biker stealing his wallet. That'll be me.
For anyone attending the dinner (or the shoot): My contact information is in my profile. Shoot me an e-mail and I'll give you my cell# if you want it just in case. I'm really looking forward to seeing some of you again as well as meeting some of you for the first time.
See you tomorrow night!
That is all.
Well, I'm planning on being at Hilltop between 5 and 5:30 (we're meeting at 6:00). I'll talk to the hostess when I get there, and find out where they're
For anyone attending the dinner (or the shoot): My contact information is in my profile. Shoot me an e-mail and I'll give you my cell# if you want it just in case. I'm really looking forward to seeing some of you again as well as meeting some of you for the first time.
See you tomorrow night!
That is all.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Spring Has Sprung...
...the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is...
First day of spring. Hoping to get the Harley out of storage next weekend. After the winter we've had, I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle. I'm guessing it's probably going to snow, given the normal state of my "luck"... Two years ago I picked the bike up and the air temperature was 25ºF. Much less with wind chill...
Even then, though, feeling the wind in my face was about the greatest cure for spring fever I could ever imagine...
That is all.
First day of spring. Hoping to get the Harley out of storage next weekend. After the winter we've had, I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle. I'm guessing it's probably going to snow, given the normal state of my "luck"... Two years ago I picked the bike up and the air temperature was 25ºF. Much less with wind chill...
Even then, though, feeling the wind in my face was about the greatest cure for spring fever I could ever imagine...
That is all.
Friday Fun Thread: Micro Machines!
Okay, so I just had to book-end last week's car thread. Since we've covered the automotive equivalents to the USS Nimitz, today we're going to discuss the diminutive. Today's list will contain some of the smallest cars on the roadways, including one that, according to Dave Barry, belonged to a marque that was "so small it was routinely stolen by squirrels". Obviously this list will borrow heavily from our European brethren...
So here we go!
1. Nash Metropolitan. Yes, an American car tops the list, if for no other reason than serving as the inspiration for Mr. Incredible's econobox. It's an American car from the 1950s that doesn't have tailfins, bumper darts, or enough sheet metal to build a warehouse. In fact, I'd wager it could fit neatly in the trunk of the 1959 Cadillac...
2. Morris Mini. 12" tires, excuse me, tyres. 850cc engine (I've owned two motorcycles with equal or greater displacement). 10' length. I could literally double my garage space if I could convince Mrs. G. to get two Minis... I don't know why I love this little British oddball, but I do.
3. BMW Isetta. 247 cc engine. One door which doubles as the windshield. Was the car driven by Urkel. This is one of those "so homely it's cute" cars. One testing site, when asked for top speed, replied, "85 miles an hour. Except that we had it mounted in the bed of a Chevy pick-up at the time".
4. Messerschmitt KR200. Yes, that Messerschmitt. After WWII they were forbidden to manufacture aircraft, and turned to automotive/motorcycle oddities such as the three-wheeled KR200. It had a 10 hp single-cylinder engine capable of over 60 mph and seated two - in tandem.
5. VW Polo. Yes, over in Europe there is a Volkswagen smaller than the Golf. In fact, the Golf and Jetta are considered to be mid-sized to large cars in Europe, whereas here in the good ol' gas-guzzlin' US they're considered stop-gap transportation in between chrome behemoths. That require large infusions of cash to keep running (why yes, I had a GTI. Why do you ask?)
6. SMART Fortwo. One of my childhood friends' moms (who lives down the street) has one of these. One of these days I'm going to see if it will fit in the bed of my Ram with the tailgate up. I might be interesting in one of these as a commuter car if it:
a. Wasn't a two-seater only;
b. Cost less than $14,000;
c. Got better gas mileage than my Plymouth Sundance; and
d. Wasn't rear wheel drive.
7. Goggomobil. This is the "Dart" model, which one can only assume is short for "Lawn Dart". It's another two-stroke powered micro-car from Europe with top speeds that would be at home in a supermarket parking lot and all the accident survivability of a glass table. But it's red, and it sounds Italian!
8. Fiat 600. Ah, Fiat. Fix It Again Tony. With Fiat, Italy proved that the United States wasn't the only country that could produce really bad small cars. One of the few cars that could sidle up to a Nash Metropolitan and not dwarf it...
9. Hillman Imp. What's really amusing about the Hillman line of autos is that this is considered a mid-sized car. Ha! Those crazy Brits! And I hear they call food poisoning "Bubble & Squeak", too... The Imp was introduced as a rival to the Mini, but never quite achieved the same level of success as measured by sales, iconic stature, or number of people who exclaim "What the hell is that?" when they see one.
10. Trabant. Oh, yes, you'd better believe that Eastern Europe's "finest" would make the list. Probably most famous for being the car worked on with a hammer in the Bond movie "GoldenEye", the Trabant was rumored to have a lifespan of some 28 years. Of course, the fact that there was a ten year waiting period to get one behind the Iron Curtain might have something to do with that longevity...
Okay, so there's the list of my Top Ten "Micro Machines". Only one American car on the list, and the remainder of slots occupied by mostly obscure European cars. You might ask, "Jay, how the hell do you know about all these weirdo cars?", and I'd have to respond, "Diecast". I collect 1/18th scale diecast model cars, and for some reason, the European small cars are a perennial favorite of the diecast set.
I think it's the economy of packaging...
That is all.
So here we go!
1. Nash Metropolitan. Yes, an American car tops the list, if for no other reason than serving as the inspiration for Mr. Incredible's econobox. It's an American car from the 1950s that doesn't have tailfins, bumper darts, or enough sheet metal to build a warehouse. In fact, I'd wager it could fit neatly in the trunk of the 1959 Cadillac...
2. Morris Mini. 12" tires, excuse me, tyres. 850cc engine (I've owned two motorcycles with equal or greater displacement). 10' length. I could literally double my garage space if I could convince Mrs. G. to get two Minis... I don't know why I love this little British oddball, but I do.
3. BMW Isetta. 247 cc engine. One door which doubles as the windshield. Was the car driven by Urkel. This is one of those "so homely it's cute" cars. One testing site, when asked for top speed, replied, "85 miles an hour. Except that we had it mounted in the bed of a Chevy pick-up at the time".
4. Messerschmitt KR200. Yes, that Messerschmitt. After WWII they were forbidden to manufacture aircraft, and turned to automotive/motorcycle oddities such as the three-wheeled KR200. It had a 10 hp single-cylinder engine capable of over 60 mph and seated two - in tandem.
5. VW Polo. Yes, over in Europe there is a Volkswagen smaller than the Golf. In fact, the Golf and Jetta are considered to be mid-sized to large cars in Europe, whereas here in the good ol' gas-guzzlin' US they're considered stop-gap transportation in between chrome behemoths. That require large infusions of cash to keep running (why yes, I had a GTI. Why do you ask?)
6. SMART Fortwo. One of my childhood friends' moms (who lives down the street) has one of these. One of these days I'm going to see if it will fit in the bed of my Ram with the tailgate up. I might be interesting in one of these as a commuter car if it:
a. Wasn't a two-seater only;
b. Cost less than $14,000;
c. Got better gas mileage than my Plymouth Sundance; and
d. Wasn't rear wheel drive.
7. Goggomobil. This is the "Dart" model, which one can only assume is short for "Lawn Dart". It's another two-stroke powered micro-car from Europe with top speeds that would be at home in a supermarket parking lot and all the accident survivability of a glass table. But it's red, and it sounds Italian!
8. Fiat 600. Ah, Fiat. Fix It Again Tony. With Fiat, Italy proved that the United States wasn't the only country that could produce really bad small cars. One of the few cars that could sidle up to a Nash Metropolitan and not dwarf it...
9. Hillman Imp. What's really amusing about the Hillman line of autos is that this is considered a mid-sized car. Ha! Those crazy Brits! And I hear they call food poisoning "Bubble & Squeak", too... The Imp was introduced as a rival to the Mini, but never quite achieved the same level of success as measured by sales, iconic stature, or number of people who exclaim "What the hell is that?" when they see one.
10. Trabant. Oh, yes, you'd better believe that Eastern Europe's "finest" would make the list. Probably most famous for being the car worked on with a hammer in the Bond movie "GoldenEye", the Trabant was rumored to have a lifespan of some 28 years. Of course, the fact that there was a ten year waiting period to get one behind the Iron Curtain might have something to do with that longevity...
Okay, so there's the list of my Top Ten "Micro Machines". Only one American car on the list, and the remainder of slots occupied by mostly obscure European cars. You might ask, "Jay, how the hell do you know about all these weirdo cars?", and I'd have to respond, "Diecast". I collect 1/18th scale diecast model cars, and for some reason, the European small cars are a perennial favorite of the diecast set.
I think it's the economy of packaging...
That is all.
Friday Gun Pr0n #103
Today's gun pr0n is an update to a previously exhibited firearm. I've been a busy boy eviling up my home defense shotgun, the Mossberg 590 I acquired last year. So far I've taken great advantage of the pump-action feature, which grants it immunity from the stoopid Assault Weapons Ban we extended in 2004 (fuck you Mitt Romney).
Mossberg 590. Now 20% more evil
The eagle-eyed will note the addition of the M10 bayonet and a Knoxx SpecOps recoil-reducing stock with four-position adjustments. The recoil-reducing stock was a must-have addition, as I'd put one on my Winchester 1300 and it makes a significant difference when shooting slugs. For sheer tacticool points I'd rather have a Butler Creek side-folder, but for actual utility the Knoxx SpecOps gets the nod. And the ducats. Future additions include a tactical sling, a forend with SureFire light, and a forend pistol-grip.
Plus whatever else I can think of to add on to this bad larry to make Sarah Brady soil her armor...
That is all.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
UnSuitable...
BabyGirl G. just started "Daisy Troops", the junior league for girl scouts. Their big spring event is the "Father/Daughter Dance", which is coming up in two weeks. It's absolutely HUGE, with many of the girls getting their hair done, manicures, etc., all for a night of dancing with their daddies. It's extremely cute, and I can't wait for my turn this year.
Except I just realized something: I no longer own a suit that fits me...
I went into the closet where we had stored the suits and such (I don't wear suits very often if I can avoid it at all; often getting away with a sportcoat and Dockers). The smallest suit I have is a size 46 jacket and 36 pants. I put it on and looked like David Byrne of the Talking Heads. "Same as it... ever was".
And then I had another realization: I don't have to shop in the "Fat Bastard" men's clothing stores for suits any more. I can shop off the shelf! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself... I can walk into Macy's, or Filene's Basement, or... Hey. Where the hell do I get a good suit these days? I started thinking about it, and I'll need something I can wear to a funeral as well as a Baptism and my son's First Communion. I'm going to have to get something a step up from my usual cut of bottom-of-the-line economy suits...
It's a welcome change, I have to say, buying a new suit because the old one is too big, rather than the reverse...
That is all.
Except I just realized something: I no longer own a suit that fits me...
I went into the closet where we had stored the suits and such (I don't wear suits very often if I can avoid it at all; often getting away with a sportcoat and Dockers). The smallest suit I have is a size 46 jacket and 36 pants. I put it on and looked like David Byrne of the Talking Heads. "Same as it... ever was".
And then I had another realization: I don't have to shop in the "Fat Bastard" men's clothing stores for suits any more. I can shop off the shelf! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself... I can walk into Macy's, or Filene's Basement, or... Hey. Where the hell do I get a good suit these days? I started thinking about it, and I'll need something I can wear to a funeral as well as a Baptism and my son's First Communion. I'm going to have to get something a step up from my usual cut of bottom-of-the-line economy suits...
It's a welcome change, I have to say, buying a new suit because the old one is too big, rather than the reverse...
That is all.
Oopsie!
Dodd: Administration pushed for language protecting bonuses
I blame Bush.
Digging a little deeper, we find that:
My favorite, though, was this headline:
Obama on AIG bonuses: 'I'll take responsibility'
The very first thing he says, though, is:
That is all.
(CNN) -- Senate Banking committee Chairman Christopher Dodd told CNN Wednesday that he was responsible for language added to the federal stimulus bill to make sure that already-existing contracts for bonuses at companies receiving federal bailout money were honored.
Dodd acknowledged his role in the change after a Treasury Department official told CNN the administration pushed for the language.
Both Dodd and the official, who asked not to be named, said it was because administration officials were afraid the government would face numerous lawsuits without the new language.
I blame Bush.
Digging a little deeper, we find that:
AIG's derivatives branch is in Dodd's home state. Many of the bonuses in question were awarded to executives at that branch. But in the written statement, Dodd said he had no idea the legislation would impact the company.There's a shock, eh? Curse you, Bushhitler, for protecting your big business cronies!
My favorite, though, was this headline:
Obama on AIG bonuses: 'I'll take responsibility'
The very first thing he says, though, is:
"We didn't draft these contracts. We've got a lot on our plate. But it is appropriate when you're in charge to make sure stuff doesn't happen like this,"Here's a tip, Barry:
First rule of leadership: everything is your fault-A Bug's Life
-Hopper
That is all.
Finally, Some Sanity...
Insurance Change for Veterans Is Scrapped
Gee, do you think it had something to do with this idea being less popular than genital warts?
Was the administration actually surprised to hear that people were upset that we were honestly considering telling our servicemen and women that their job-related injuries would have to be covered by private insurance? SRSLY? Are they really THAT tone-deaf? They'd save $550 million by dropping vets' insurance. Obama's stimulus package contained over $4 BILLION for ACORN.
This was never about saving money.
The way I see it, there were two possible reasons for this idea. The first is, quite cynically, that Obama knows the military voted overwhelmingly for McCain, and was proposing this to punish them. The second, even more cynical idea, is that this was a back-door way to implement national health care - as our nation's servicemen and women overwhelm the health care system with their war-related injuries, it pushes us closer and closer to "needing" national health care.
Especially with a few dozen human interest stories about soldiers injured in battle who can't get the health care they need for those injuries...
In any case, it's good to see that there is still some tiny vestiges of sanity in the 0bama administration. While this idea never should have seen the light of day in the first place, it's at least joined the scrap heap of bad ideas thus proposed, a litany of idiocy rapidly tossed under the bus.
At least with this administration that bus will never want for traction...
That is all.
WASHINGTON — Under withering criticism from veterans and Congress, President Obama on Wednesday abandoned a proposal that would have required veterans to use their private health insurance to pay for the treatment of combat-related injuries.
David K. Rehbein, national commander of the American Legion, said the president had indicated at a meeting on Monday that he “intended to move forward” with the proposal, which could have saved the government more than $500 million a year.
But on Wednesday, the White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said Mr. Obama had scrapped the idea.
Gee, do you think it had something to do with this idea being less popular than genital warts?
Was the administration actually surprised to hear that people were upset that we were honestly considering telling our servicemen and women that their job-related injuries would have to be covered by private insurance? SRSLY? Are they really THAT tone-deaf? They'd save $550 million by dropping vets' insurance. Obama's stimulus package contained over $4 BILLION for ACORN.
This was never about saving money.
The way I see it, there were two possible reasons for this idea. The first is, quite cynically, that Obama knows the military voted overwhelmingly for McCain, and was proposing this to punish them. The second, even more cynical idea, is that this was a back-door way to implement national health care - as our nation's servicemen and women overwhelm the health care system with their war-related injuries, it pushes us closer and closer to "needing" national health care.
Especially with a few dozen human interest stories about soldiers injured in battle who can't get the health care they need for those injuries...
In any case, it's good to see that there is still some tiny vestiges of sanity in the 0bama administration. While this idea never should have seen the light of day in the first place, it's at least joined the scrap heap of bad ideas thus proposed, a litany of idiocy rapidly tossed under the bus.
At least with this administration that bus will never want for traction...
That is all.
Northeast Blogger Shoot, Early Spring Edition Ordnance
As promised in my last update about this weekend's festivities, here's an accounting of the portions of the G. armory that will be making the trek to Harvard Sportsmen's Club on Monday for the Early Spring Northeast Blogger (and AD) Shoot.
Long arms:
Bushmaster XM15-E2S .223 Rem/5.56mm
Mossberg 590 12 gauge
Mosin-Nagant M44 carbine 7.62X54mmR
Possible: .22LR rifle to be determined (most likely the Marlin Model 39A or the Remington Model 572 Fieldmaster)
Handguns:
Colt Gold Cup National Match 1911 .45 ACP
Smith & Wesson Model 17 .22LR
Smith & Wesson Model 360PD .357 Magnum (A.K.A. The Snubbie From Hell™)
That's the definite stuff. If anybody who's coming on Monday would like to try something out that I haven't listed, let me know - I'm only too happy to share. I suspect that there will be a wide variety of arms available to try, so I'm bringing the newest and/or best of the armory for this shoot. As for ammo, well, if you're coming and you want to shoot something, bring some (except for AD; your ammo's on me!) or make arrangements to have some brought for you (for those coming from out of state or those that don't have a permit). I'm planning on bringing enough of the above calibers to have plenty to share, and will most likely bring a stash of 9mm, 7.62X39mm, and .380 ACP just in case. Oh, and I'll also be bringing a fresh case of orange clays...
Long arms:
Bushmaster XM15-E2S .223 Rem/5.56mm
Mossberg 590 12 gauge
Mosin-Nagant M44 carbine 7.62X54mmR
Possible: .22LR rifle to be determined (most likely the Marlin Model 39A or the Remington Model 572 Fieldmaster)
Handguns:
Colt Gold Cup National Match 1911 .45 ACP
Smith & Wesson Model 17 .22LR
Smith & Wesson Model 360PD .357 Magnum (A.K.A. The Snubbie From Hell™)
That's the definite stuff. If anybody who's coming on Monday would like to try something out that I haven't listed, let me know - I'm only too happy to share. I suspect that there will be a wide variety of arms available to try, so I'm bringing the newest and/or best of the armory for this shoot. As for ammo, well, if you're coming and you want to shoot something, bring some (except for AD; your ammo's on me!) or make arrangements to have some brought for you (for those coming from out of state or those that don't have a permit). I'm planning on bringing enough of the above calibers to have plenty to share, and will most likely bring a stash of 9mm, 7.62X39mm, and .380 ACP just in case. Oh, and I'll also be bringing a fresh case of orange clays...
But no teletubbies...
That is all.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tech Bleg...
Got a notice yesterday that my *new* Photobucket account is already reaching it's maximum bandwidth for the month. EEP. While I'm thrilled that y'all like my pictures (you like me! You really really like me!), I can't keep opening a new Photobucket account every week. I'm afraid that with each new password I'm getting closer and closer to the day I forget them all...
So... That said, what do y'all recommend for the next step in online storage? Photobucket gives 25 GB of monthly bandwidth, and I'm at 80% right now with the month a little more than half over. The "upgrade" to unlimited bandwidth is $40/year, before I go that route I'd like to know if there's better (read: free) options out there that I am not aware of.
Anyone got any hints? I'm with LawDog and the "Magic Elf Box" theory here, so any help is appreciated. I like putting up the pretty pictures and keepin' y'all entertained, and would like to keep on doing it. With the high price of ammo, though, I'd prefer to keep excess spending to a minimum...
Any and all options/providers/thoughts would be appreciated.
That is all.
UPDATE: I really appreciate all the options and offers y'all sent in. As is my wont, though, I took the path of least resistance and ponied up the bucks for the unlimited Photobucket account. So let's make 'em EARN that $39.95!!!
So... That said, what do y'all recommend for the next step in online storage? Photobucket gives 25 GB of monthly bandwidth, and I'm at 80% right now with the month a little more than half over. The "upgrade" to unlimited bandwidth is $40/year, before I go that route I'd like to know if there's better (read: free) options out there that I am not aware of.
Anyone got any hints? I'm with LawDog and the "Magic Elf Box" theory here, so any help is appreciated. I like putting up the pretty pictures and keepin' y'all entertained, and would like to keep on doing it. With the high price of ammo, though, I'd prefer to keep excess spending to a minimum...
Any and all options/providers/thoughts would be appreciated.
That is all.
UPDATE: I really appreciate all the options and offers y'all sent in. As is my wont, though, I took the path of least resistance and ponied up the bucks for the unlimited Photobucket account. So let's make 'em EARN that $39.95!!!
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Law makes drivers move over, slow down for roadside emergencies
There's no truth to the rumor that the bill was originally called the "Get Your Head Out of Your Ass" law...
What's next? The "Don't Shave Behind the Wheel" law? "Don't Stop in the Middle of the Road for No Reason" law? Do we really need a new law telling people they should move over and slow down when approaching an accident scene?
What frightens me most is this:
[Emphasis mine] Got that? You're supposed to slow down, but we're not going to tell you what to slow down to. Nope, no possibility of abuse there... Just "slow down" and you'll be okay. However, fail to "slow down" enough - or just catch the town at a time of low revenue - and it's $100 out of your pocket and increased insurance premiums.
No sir, I don't like it. Don't like it one bit.
That is all.
In the past few months, State Police have encountered numerous instances in which troopers or their cruisers are struck when they are on the side of the road, said David Procopio, a spokesman for the State Police.
Now, officials from State Police, the Massachusetts Highway Department, and AAA Southern New England are hoping a new law - "Slow Down, Move Over" - that goes into effect Sunday will eliminate some of those accidents.
There's no truth to the rumor that the bill was originally called the "Get Your Head Out of Your Ass" law...
What's next? The "Don't Shave Behind the Wheel" law? "Don't Stop in the Middle of the Road for No Reason" law? Do we really need a new law telling people they should move over and slow down when approaching an accident scene?
What frightens me most is this:
Passed by the State Legislature on Dec. 22, the law requires drivers approaching emergency situations to leave the lane closest to the incident if possible and to slow down to a reasonable rate of speed.
Procopio said there is no specified speed limit. Violators face a fine of up to $100, he said.
[Emphasis mine] Got that? You're supposed to slow down, but we're not going to tell you what to slow down to. Nope, no possibility of abuse there... Just "slow down" and you'll be okay. However, fail to "slow down" enough - or just catch the town at a time of low revenue - and it's $100 out of your pocket and increased insurance premiums.
No sir, I don't like it. Don't like it one bit.
That is all.
Spot the Problem!
What's wrong with this headline?
MA Native Shot During Alleged Robbery In Miami
Nothing at all, provided you want to mislead your readers. Going to the story, we find that:
trick bring viewers in, eh?
Sadly, since it was a police officer who ended this criminal's career, it doesn't count in the dead goblin category. On the plus side, we have a strong contender for a new category: "Victim selection: UR doin it rong"...
That is all.
UPDATE: TOTWTYTR points out that there's a good deal in this story that doesn't quite add up, not just the headline. Shot in a lifeguard station? That's just plain weird, and certainly doesn't quote pass the sniff test for self-defense.
MA Native Shot During Alleged Robbery In Miami
Nothing at all, provided you want to mislead your readers. Going to the story, we find that:
Nothing like a misleading headline toAround 10 p.m. Monday night, police say a Palm Beach sheriff's deputy, not in uniform, was confronted by a robber who had a knife. The deputy shot the man dead.
Police say the man is Nicholas Burdett, 25 – a Springfield College alum and a former Needham resident.
Sadly, since it was a police officer who ended this criminal's career, it doesn't count in the dead goblin category. On the plus side, we have a strong contender for a new category: "Victim selection: UR doin it rong"...
That is all.
UPDATE: TOTWTYTR points out that there's a good deal in this story that doesn't quite add up, not just the headline. Shot in a lifeguard station? That's just plain weird, and certainly doesn't quote pass the sniff test for self-defense.
Know What Would Be Nice?
Never, ever hearing the phrase "octo-mom" again. That's be just fucking peachy.
That is all.
That is all.
Convince Me...
I mentioned the paucity of new guns in the G armory earlier this month, and pondered over what I should get next. One of the guns on the list is the venerable M1 Garand, called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S*. Patton. What's not to love about a semi-automatic rifle that won WWII and is available from CMP for around $500?
I know I should want a Garand. But it's just not all that high on the list. It's heavy. It's a pain in the ass to clean. It uses clips rather than magazines. The ammo is pricey - even the military surplus available from CMP is running $6 per 20 rounds. It's not on the latest version of the Assault Weapons Ban, nor was it on the 1994 version, so it's available even in MA.
So... Convince me. I'm halfway on board due to the historical significance. I've heard the various and sundry rumors: CMP's running out of them; they're going to be banned; re-importation will be banned; etc. I want to get one, that's not the issue. It's a matter of priorities.
I just need to be convinced that I should get one right now...
That is all.
*Thanks to alert reader Brad for correcting me
I know I should want a Garand. But it's just not all that high on the list. It's heavy. It's a pain in the ass to clean. It uses clips rather than magazines. The ammo is pricey - even the military surplus available from CMP is running $6 per 20 rounds. It's not on the latest version of the Assault Weapons Ban, nor was it on the 1994 version, so it's available even in MA.
So... Convince me. I'm halfway on board due to the historical significance. I've heard the various and sundry rumors: CMP's running out of them; they're going to be banned; re-importation will be banned; etc. I want to get one, that's not the issue. It's a matter of priorities.
I just need to be convinced that I should get one right now...
That is all.
*Thanks to alert reader Brad for correcting me
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Six Words...
Ted lists his six words. Thought it was a cute idea worth stealing borrowing, so here's mine:
That is all.
Loves his kids more than freedom.
That is all.
The Massachusetts Way...
You want to know how things are done in MA? Here's a checklist...
- Proposed $0.19/gallon gas tax increase
- Proposed increase in income tax to 6% from 5% (20% increase)
- Proposed increase in various and sundry fees (firearms permits, car registrations, etc.)
- Cuts to local aid resulting in cuts in police, fire, and other critical services.
And at the same time, we have do-nothing jobs for $60K/year...
Yeah, that's change I can believe in. I do suppose it is better than a $175K/year job that had been vacant the previous 12 years... Welcome to Massachusetts. Pull a seat up to the trough and dig in...
That is all.
Who is this Erin, and Where is Her Bra?
Happy St. Patrick's Day, folks; or, if you're a City of Boston employee, happy "Day off from work so you can drink green beer" day. Also known as "Evacuation Day" {chortle}.
Being a Goombah-American, I've never been a big one to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. I've gone into the North End of the Feast of Saint Anthony (and yes, worn my corno). I've eaten homemade pasta (hell, I've made my own pasta). Hell, I've even drank my grandfather's homemade vermouth (from a stock that could double for paint thinner, no less...).
But St. Patty's Day? Green beer? Leprechauns? Never really got into it. Never really had the connection.
Well... Now I've got three reasons, two of which are half-Irish and one that's full... So, for one day I can be Irish. Chalk up another thing that happens when you become a parent (excellent list BTW Marko...) And yes, my children were served green applesauce for breakfast this morning...
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
That is all.
Being a Goombah-American, I've never been a big one to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. I've gone into the North End of the Feast of Saint Anthony (and yes, worn my corno). I've eaten homemade pasta (hell, I've made my own pasta). Hell, I've even drank my grandfather's homemade vermouth (from a stock that could double for paint thinner, no less...).
But St. Patty's Day? Green beer? Leprechauns? Never really got into it. Never really had the connection.
Well... Now I've got three reasons, two of which are half-Irish and one that's full... So, for one day I can be Irish. Chalk up another thing that happens when you become a parent (excellent list BTW Marko...) And yes, my children were served green applesauce for breakfast this morning...
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
That is all.
Give Me A Lever and a Place to Stand...
...and I will move the world. Archimedes spoke these words over two thousand years before the invention of the lever-action rifle. Prophetic, because with the proper lever gun, it is possible to remove the center of a target or the heart of a deer...
Far be it from me to tarry ere a gun-buying decision be made, I replied post-haste:
So, Jay, what prompted this astute observation, you ask?
Well, reader "merlin" recently e-mailed me with a question about lever-action rifles:Heh. "...wondering if you had an opinion". Merlin, I've got an opinion on everything gun related... *g*Hey JayG.
I've been reading your blog for a while, but I very rarely comment. I think I got introduced to you via Law Dog, but I honestly don't remember now.
Anyways, on to my question. I'm starting to get the itch again. You know the one I'm talking about. It's usually located somewhere near the tip of your index finger, and it seems it can only be scratched by sweetly caressing a slightly curved piece of metal, usually black, chrome, or blued in hue.
I've pretty much decided to start with a Buckmark just to get back in the game. I'm also being "gifted" a Model 28 N-Frame HighwayPatrolman in .357 with a 4" barrel from my dear old dad. He is also holding on to my Ruger 10/22 long gun for me, which I will repatriate at an appropriate time.
I feel like I'm fairly well set on the hand cannon side of things, at least for getting back into things, but I'm looking at rifles now, trying to decide what I want. At some point I'll probably end up with a .243 or a .308, but for now I want something in .22 LR, just because it's cheap and easy, and I'm broke.
So, I guess this is the long way of getting around to an ad I saw in the local rag yesterday for Henry Repeating Arms. I vaguely remember hearing the name, but don't know much about them and was curious if you had an opinion. The ad featured a nice looking rifle with an octagonal barrel, lever-action and chambered in .22LR. Looked very reminiscent of the old saddle guns of yore. I'll admit most of my interest is just for the looks alone, but that's almost reason enough, isn't it?
I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have on it, and feel free to turn this into a blog posting if you'd care to.-- Merlin
Far be it from me to tarry ere a gun-buying decision be made, I replied post-haste:
Hi Merlin,
Believe me, I know that itch extremely well. I'm trying to ignore it for another couple of weeks right now as it is, at least until Buy A Gun Day on April 15th... The Buckmark is an excellent choice, and I am positively green with envy over the Model 28... A 10/22 is on my short list of guns to get, and I might even get one this year.
As for the Henry, let's put it simply: You could do a whole lot worse, and spend a whole lot more, than a Henry lever-action rifle. They're great looking guns that shoot extremely well, have a great balance and heft, and a slick-as-snot lever action that you can, with little practice, work just as fast as a semi-auto. For the money, they're one of the greatest deals around. You get a lever-action rifle, which is about as American as you can get; you get an inexpensive shooter - you can shoot bulk .22LR all day long and not worry about jams or misfeeds like in a semi-auto; and you get this:
There's even a large lever loop available for it. How can you possibly go wrong?
I own a Marlin model 39A Golden .22LR lever action gun, which I positively stole a few years back. My buddy Bruce (No Looking Backwards) has a Henry. We've shot 'em side-by-side at the range, and I've got to say, that little Henry shoots every bit as good as my Marlin. The lever on the Henry's even a little slicker - although to be fair I don't think my Marlin is quite broken in yet. Accuracy's about the same between the two; the Marlin has a 4-round edge in the tubular mag (long barrel, longer magazine); other than that, they're evenly matched.
And with an MSRP of $325 (which means you should be able to take one home for ~ $250 or so), it's not going to break the bank. And it comes with a lifetime warranty. How can you argue with that?
Thanks for okaying the posting - I think this is an excellent question and I'm happy to give the MArooned Seal of Approval to the Henry Lever-action .22LR.
And yes, "because it looks cool" is an absolutely good reason to buy a gun. Of course!!!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for the e-mail!
Best regards,Jay G.
MArooned
Personally, no armory is complete without at least one .22LR rifle in it. It's best to have a semi-automatic rifle (I recommend the Ruger 10/22, even though I don't own one - yet) and one manually operated one - bolt, slide, or lever-action. One could do a heckuva lot worse than a Henry repeating .22 rimfire rifle, and not at heckuva lot better. Oh, sure, I like my Marlin just fine, but if I hadn't come across that deal, I'd have bought a Henry, no question about it.
So, as a parting thought question... What's your favorite .22LR rifle?
That is all.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Under the Radar...
Ah, smell that? It's more local HopenChange...
Only 1 hearing planned in Boston on governor's plan to raise Registry of Motor Vehicles fees
How's that go again? Oh yeah. BOHICA (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again). This is on top of the 19 cent/gallon gas tax increase as well as the proposed 1% increase in sales tax (which they have proposed as, and I am not making this up, "only a penny"...).
Obviously, Governor Escalade needs another six figure job for a political hack...
That is all.
Only 1 hearing planned in Boston on governor's plan to raise Registry of Motor Vehicles fees
BOSTON - The Patrick administration is planning a single public hearing in Boston to air plans for raising 30 different types of fees charged by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Mass. Gov. Deval L. Patrick wants to increase the fees to help pay for operation of transportation agencies and to pay debt for building roads and bridges.
How's that go again? Oh yeah. BOHICA (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again). This is on top of the 19 cent/gallon gas tax increase as well as the proposed 1% increase in sales tax (which they have proposed as, and I am not making this up, "only a penny"...).
Obviously, Governor Escalade needs another six figure job for a political hack...
That is all.
Headline of the Day...
Presented without further comment:
Man mistakes woman for a monkey, shoots her
(Okay, just one comment: They'll be gibbon him a lot of grief in the pokey...)
That is all.
Man mistakes woman for a monkey, shoots her
(Okay, just one comment: They'll be gibbon him a lot of grief in the pokey...)
That is all.
Err, No.
Lawyer: Accused coach out of his league
Okay, first off, nice ego, dude. Secondly, you're talking about barely pubescent high school girls. I don't care if they were flinging themselves at you, you do NOT flirt back. And you sure as hell do not touch. Dude's lucky he just got fired, as opposed to being on the receiving end of a very pissed off father and a woodchipper...
What pissed me off the most, though, was this bullshit:
When I was 19 years old, a buddy stopped by my house. He had his girlfriend with him, and she had brought her 15 year old cousin with her. At 15 years old, this girl had a body that was designed by Satan on one of his better days. And yet, even then at the tender age of 19, I knew that it would have been wrong to try anything with this girl - even though she was very flirty, willing, and eager. Hell, come to think of it, when I was a 23 year old graduate student teaching Biochemistry lab, I had more than a few young co-eds flirt with me. Never once did it enter into my head to flirt back - there's no piece of tail worth losing your education and future career over.
They don't need training, you nitwit. They need to be summarily fired and banned from teaching for the rest of their lives when they do something so monumentously stupid as send sexually-charged text messages to a goddamned fourteen year old. Training ain't gonna fix that kind of stupid, and I don't want someone that egregiously bereft of common sense driving my kids' school bus, let alone teaching them a damned thing...
We need to bring back the stocks. I'll bring the rotten fruit.
That is all.
MASHPEE — The attorney for the local high school soccer coach accused of statutory rape of a 14-year-old student said yesterday his client believed the alleged victim was flirting with him.
Stephen Weixler, 22, of Mashpee, a coach for the girl's junior varsity soccer team and a teaching assistant in a middle school special needs program, thought all the girls on the soccer team were flirting with him, defense lawyer Thomas Guiney said.
Okay, first off, nice ego, dude. Secondly, you're talking about barely pubescent high school girls. I don't care if they were flinging themselves at you, you do NOT flirt back. And you sure as hell do not touch. Dude's lucky he just got fired, as opposed to being on the receiving end of a very pissed off father and a woodchipper...
What pissed me off the most, though, was this bullshit:
"These young teachers don't recognize boundaries," Guiney said. "Before they throw these young teachers in the classroom, they should give them some training in boundaries."
When I was 19 years old, a buddy stopped by my house. He had his girlfriend with him, and she had brought her 15 year old cousin with her. At 15 years old, this girl had a body that was designed by Satan on one of his better days. And yet, even then at the tender age of 19, I knew that it would have been wrong to try anything with this girl - even though she was very flirty, willing, and eager. Hell, come to think of it, when I was a 23 year old graduate student teaching Biochemistry lab, I had more than a few young co-eds flirt with me. Never once did it enter into my head to flirt back - there's no piece of tail worth losing your education and future career over.
They don't need training, you nitwit. They need to be summarily fired and banned from teaching for the rest of their lives when they do something so monumentously stupid as send sexually-charged text messages to a goddamned fourteen year old. Training ain't gonna fix that kind of stupid, and I don't want someone that egregiously bereft of common sense driving my kids' school bus, let alone teaching them a damned thing...
We need to bring back the stocks. I'll bring the rotten fruit.
That is all.
Northeast Blogger Early Spring Meet Reminder, Part II
Okay. We're at T-minus six days and counting for "Dinner with AD" and one week from the "Early Spring Northeast Blogger (plus AD) Shoot". Read previous updates here.
Meet-n-Eat
Date: Sunday, March 22nd
Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (closing time, I'd wager they'll let us stay later if needed)
Location: Hilltop Steakhouse, Route 1, Saugus MA - I have called and reserved an area to seat up to 30 people (any more and we'll need to make other arrangements).
Event: Dinner & drinks with the incomparable Ambulance Driver
Attendees:
JD
MedicMatthew
Zeeke42
Andrew
Elizabeth & Bill
TOTWTYTR
Ross
Lissa
Weer'd Beard
Scotaku
Ken
Nate
Heath & Mrs. Heath
Sci-Fi & B
Ted
Marko
libertyman
wally?
(please let me know if your name is on this list and shouldn't be or should be but isn't)
Meet-n-Shoot
Date: Monday, March 23rd
Time: Figure we'll start at 10:00AM and go until mid-afternoon.
Location: Harvard Sportsman's Club, Harvard MA. Meet at the pistol range (first range on the left as you come in).
Event: Flinging lead downrange with your favorite EMS blogger (and a shaved head biker gun nut).
Attendees:
JD
MedicMatthew
Zeeke42?
Andrew
Elizabeth & Bill
TOTWTYTR
Ross
Scotaku
Ken
Nate
Heath & Mrs. Heath
wally?
(please let me know if your name is on this list and shouldn't be or should be but isn't)
There's still plenty of room at the dinner (I count 22 attendees including your humble host) and at the shoot (15 including yours truly), so say the word if you want to attend.
One final update on Thursday (including ordnance!), then we're off to the races!
That is all.
Meet-n-Eat
Date: Sunday, March 22nd
Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (closing time, I'd wager they'll let us stay later if needed)
Location: Hilltop Steakhouse, Route 1, Saugus MA - I have called and reserved an area to seat up to 30 people (any more and we'll need to make other arrangements).
Event: Dinner & drinks with the incomparable Ambulance Driver
Attendees:
JD
MedicMatthew
Zeeke42
Andrew
Elizabeth & Bill
TOTWTYTR
Ross
Lissa
Weer'd Beard
Scotaku
Ken
Nate
Heath & Mrs. Heath
Sci-Fi & B
Ted
Marko
libertyman
wally?
(please let me know if your name is on this list and shouldn't be or should be but isn't)
Meet-n-Shoot
Date: Monday, March 23rd
Time: Figure we'll start at 10:00AM and go until mid-afternoon.
Location: Harvard Sportsman's Club, Harvard MA. Meet at the pistol range (first range on the left as you come in).
Event: Flinging lead downrange with your favorite EMS blogger (and a shaved head biker gun nut).
Attendees:
JD
MedicMatthew
Zeeke42?
Andrew
Elizabeth & Bill
TOTWTYTR
Ross
Scotaku
Ken
Nate
Heath & Mrs. Heath
wally?
(please let me know if your name is on this list and shouldn't be or should be but isn't)
There's still plenty of room at the dinner (I count 22 attendees including your humble host) and at the shoot (15 including yours truly), so say the word if you want to attend.
One final update on Thursday (including ordnance!), then we're off to the races!
That is all.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Hair Metal!
Heh. Been listening to Sirius 23 too long I guess...
This is one of The Boy's favorites, so it's only fair that it make for a cheesy Sunday afternoon music posting. One thing you gotta hand to Twisted Sister - they did not take themselves too seriously... And as a parting note, when The Boy first saw this video, his first question to me upon seeing Dee Snyder was "Daddy, is that a boy or a girl?"
Heh.
That is all.
This is one of The Boy's favorites, so it's only fair that it make for a cheesy Sunday afternoon music posting. One thing you gotta hand to Twisted Sister - they did not take themselves too seriously... And as a parting note, when The Boy first saw this video, his first question to me upon seeing Dee Snyder was "Daddy, is that a boy or a girl?"
Heh.
That is all.
Familiar...
Ever run into someone you just know you know, but can't figure out where from? Happened to me last week at the gun show - I saw a gentleman there that I knew I'd seen before. I thought it might be one of my Scout dads, except that he was there with his daughter. Even made small talk, commenting that he was braver than I bringing a child to a gun show in MA. It looked to me like he was doing the same thing - probably thinking "I know I've seen this shaved-head biker dude before"...
Well, this morning I figured out where I knew him - we're members of the same church!
Walking out of church after services today I ran into him again, and we did that "hey, that's how I know you" look. Got to chatting, sure enough, we're members at the same gun club, too; his daughter is the same age as my son, and he's been thinking of taking her for her first time shooting this year (as have I).
As Stephen Wright opined, it's a small world - but I wouldn't want to paint it...
That is all.
Well, this morning I figured out where I knew him - we're members of the same church!
Walking out of church after services today I ran into him again, and we did that "hey, that's how I know you" look. Got to chatting, sure enough, we're members at the same gun club, too; his daughter is the same age as my son, and he's been thinking of taking her for her first time shooting this year (as have I).
As Stephen Wright opined, it's a small world - but I wouldn't want to paint it...
That is all.
Sunday Morning...
Got a few moments of peace before starting out for yet another crazy day. Church, CCD, a bake sale for the Cub Scouts, then some errands while Mrs. G. and BabyGirl G. go to a baby shower for Mrs. G.'s youngest sister (I'm gonna be an uncle again - yay!). Then some errands to pick up some necessities (including those in the .22LR and 9mm varieties if there's any to be found)... And today's easy compared to next Sunday...
One of these weekends I'm gonna take it off and relax all weekend long. I'm tentatively penciling it in for sometime in 2021...
That is all.
One of these weekends I'm gonna take it off and relax all weekend long. I'm tentatively penciling it in for sometime in 2021...
That is all.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Wow...
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that stopped by to comment on my blogiversary yesterday.
So, thanks Tam, Sebastian, Brigid (whose comment actually made it onto the "What others are saying about me section!), Borepatch, Firearms & Freedom, (a fellow 3/13'r!), Rustmeister, Robb, and everyone else who stopped by to say congrats*.
Or called me crazy. Guess I should be used to that by now...
Thanks everyone!!!
That is all.
*(Apologies if you linked and I missed it; I went by what Blogger said linked here and I know not everything gets picked up, sorry...)
So, thanks Tam, Sebastian, Brigid (whose comment actually made it onto the "What others are saying about me section!), Borepatch, Firearms & Freedom, (a fellow 3/13'r!), Rustmeister, Robb, and everyone else who stopped by to say congrats*.
Or called me crazy. Guess I should be used to that by now...
Thanks everyone!!!
That is all.
*(Apologies if you linked and I missed it; I went by what Blogger said linked here and I know not everything gets picked up, sorry...)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday Fun Thread: Land Yachts!
This one came to me in a thunderclap of inspiration. What are the ten biggest, longest, heaviest cars ever offered by Detroit? Let's face it: No one does excess like the USofA. Our cars had the biggest motors, the tallest tailfins, the worst gas mileage... If there was a superlative (except for quality...), our cars had it, topped it, and topped it again...
So here are the Top Ten Land Yachts. Each of these beauties gets single digit gas mileage, seats 7 (for dinner), and could land a moderate-sized helicopter on its hood. Enjoy!
1. 1975 Cadillac 75. Sure, it's a limo, which may or may not preclude it from other lists, but not mine. It's over 22 feet long. Won't fit in a standard garage. And has that vintage 1970s porn/cheesy movie vibe. What more could you want?
2. 1974 Lincoln Town Car. I came extremely close to buying one of these many years ago after a spate of accidents where people insisted on hitting me. I figured that this was about as big a car as you could drive without actually needing a CDL...
3. 1961 Chrysler Imperial. Just... Wow. What more can you even say about this car? Mile-high tailfins. Acres of chrome. Seating for 20. It looks like an Art Deco motel on wheels.
4. 1959 DeSoto. See Imperial above. Put these two cars next to each other and you'd have an all-out tailfin-and-chrome war. Plus enough sheetmetal to build several aircraft carriers.
5. 1969 Ford Galaxie 500. A friend of mine in high school had one of these. Convertible, even. I think we managed to cram 9 people in it without putting the top down. It was funny seeing this land yacht parked among the little Datsuns and Civics that typically lived in high school parking lots of the time.
6. 1990 Buick Roadmaster. My grandmother had one of these for a short while. This body style was GM's last gasp at the full-size car; continued today only in the Cadillac DTS premium luxury car. We used to call it "Grammy's Roadmonster" and heaven help you if you parked anywhere near it - as you were very likely to get backed into...
7. Chrysler Newport. I think this is the actual model in "Love Shack" that "seats about 20". Just look at the size of that thing. You could live in that thing comfortably for a month. I think if you look closely you can see what would later become the Space Station Mir sitting in the back deck...
8. 1974 Cadillac El Dorado. This was another car that I came close to buying back in the day. The older brother of a guy I worked with was selling one for short money; it needed work, of course, but he swore up and down it was a solid driver. I couldn't scrape the dinero together and passed, only to laugh later when it blew up literally leaving the parking lot from the transaction...
9. 1973 Ford LTD Country Squire Wagon. Another friend in high school had one of these monstrosities, and it was capable of hitting 110 MPH on I95 with seven people seated comfortably inside. That was one crazy ride, complete with one of the fake wood paneling segments actually getting torn off by the wind...
10. 1970s Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon. I'm not certain, but I think you could actually land a helicopter on the roof of this behemoth. There's more glass in that ass end than in most commercial greenhouses, and it certainly uses more fuel. And yes, for the record, the wagon in the picture has, in fact, gotten the full "Hurst Olds" treatment...
So there's my paean to American automotive excess. These monsters once roamed the highways of America, frightening small imports and frequently requiring in-flight refueling for their monstrous engines. I know some of my readers have owned large cars; guys, here's the time to strut your stuff...
That is all.
So here are the Top Ten Land Yachts. Each of these beauties gets single digit gas mileage, seats 7 (for dinner), and could land a moderate-sized helicopter on its hood. Enjoy!
1. 1975 Cadillac 75. Sure, it's a limo, which may or may not preclude it from other lists, but not mine. It's over 22 feet long. Won't fit in a standard garage. And has that vintage 1970s porn/cheesy movie vibe. What more could you want?
2. 1974 Lincoln Town Car. I came extremely close to buying one of these many years ago after a spate of accidents where people insisted on hitting me. I figured that this was about as big a car as you could drive without actually needing a CDL...
3. 1961 Chrysler Imperial. Just... Wow. What more can you even say about this car? Mile-high tailfins. Acres of chrome. Seating for 20. It looks like an Art Deco motel on wheels.
4. 1959 DeSoto. See Imperial above. Put these two cars next to each other and you'd have an all-out tailfin-and-chrome war. Plus enough sheetmetal to build several aircraft carriers.
5. 1969 Ford Galaxie 500. A friend of mine in high school had one of these. Convertible, even. I think we managed to cram 9 people in it without putting the top down. It was funny seeing this land yacht parked among the little Datsuns and Civics that typically lived in high school parking lots of the time.
6. 1990 Buick Roadmaster. My grandmother had one of these for a short while. This body style was GM's last gasp at the full-size car; continued today only in the Cadillac DTS premium luxury car. We used to call it "Grammy's Roadmonster" and heaven help you if you parked anywhere near it - as you were very likely to get backed into...
7. Chrysler Newport. I think this is the actual model in "Love Shack" that "seats about 20". Just look at the size of that thing. You could live in that thing comfortably for a month. I think if you look closely you can see what would later become the Space Station Mir sitting in the back deck...
8. 1974 Cadillac El Dorado. This was another car that I came close to buying back in the day. The older brother of a guy I worked with was selling one for short money; it needed work, of course, but he swore up and down it was a solid driver. I couldn't scrape the dinero together and passed, only to laugh later when it blew up literally leaving the parking lot from the transaction...
9. 1973 Ford LTD Country Squire Wagon. Another friend in high school had one of these monstrosities, and it was capable of hitting 110 MPH on I95 with seven people seated comfortably inside. That was one crazy ride, complete with one of the fake wood paneling segments actually getting torn off by the wind...
10. 1970s Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon. I'm not certain, but I think you could actually land a helicopter on the roof of this behemoth. There's more glass in that ass end than in most commercial greenhouses, and it certainly uses more fuel. And yes, for the record, the wagon in the picture has, in fact, gotten the full "Hurst Olds" treatment...
So there's my paean to American automotive excess. These monsters once roamed the highways of America, frightening small imports and frequently requiring in-flight refueling for their monstrous engines. I know some of my readers have owned large cars; guys, here's the time to strut your stuff...
That is all.
Time Passages...
Two years ago today this blog was started. Over 1,450 posts. Roughly 75,000 curse words. Over 100 gun pr0n pictures. That's a good start, I think.
Thanks to everyone who reads, comments, and/or links to my humble scribbling. I've had the privilege of meeting a good number of folks, have exchanged e-mails, gchat, and Facebook with some as well; I have yet to come across anyone with whom I wouldn't want to have a beer. It's been a great two years; here's hoping you'll still be reading my scribblings in another two years.
Not bad for a retarded chimp banging away at an old IBM Selectric...
That is all.
Thanks to everyone who reads, comments, and/or links to my humble scribbling. I've had the privilege of meeting a good number of folks, have exchanged e-mails, gchat, and Facebook with some as well; I have yet to come across anyone with whom I wouldn't want to have a beer. It's been a great two years; here's hoping you'll still be reading my scribblings in another two years.
Not bad for a retarded chimp banging away at an old IBM Selectric...
That is all.
Friday Gun Pr0n #102
Today's gun is (sadly) not a gun in the G. armory. It is, however, a firearm that I played a (small) part in the acquisition thereof. Back in September I took some new shooters to the range. Last month Dwight (the second new shooter) got his MA LTC. He immediately scored this incredible beauty:
That's an Uberti 1866 Yellowboy carbine (19" barrel) in the very manly (and CAS appropriate) .45LC. How does it shoot? Well, I'll let Dwight give the range report:
Uberti 1866 Carbine
That's an Uberti 1866 Yellowboy carbine (19" barrel) in the very manly (and CAS appropriate) .45LC. How does it shoot? Well, I'll let Dwight give the range report:
Cold day but Elizabeth and i went to try the 1866.
Shot all the 45 I had (40 cartridges - couldn't find more.)
At 25 yards the fold down site is right on. POA = POI. Makes a very satisfying bang and a big hole.
Heh. I think that's the quote of the day: "Makes a very satisfying bang and a big hole"
Very nice rifle, Dwight. I can safely say I'm green with envy (and I will most certainly take you up on your generous offer to shoot her...). Cowboy Action Shooting is one of those "lottery" undertakings - I'd love to get a full setup, but only if I hit it big in the lottery. There's just so much nice stuff out there for CAS that I could totally see myself going a little (read: a lot) overboard.
That is all.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Byrds of a Feather
How Much Will The Kennedy Legacy Cost?
Got that? $33 million out of $126 million (26.2% from my back-of-the-envelope calculations) is going to something with the Kennedy name on it. Apparently they're keeping up with the Byrds...
Wow, with all those million$ in pork pouring into the state, maybe we can forget that measly penny tax increase?
That is all.
More than $1 out of every $5 of the $126 million Massachusetts is receiving in federal money from the newly passed government spending bill is going to help preserve the legacy of the Kennedys.
List: How Mass. Earmark Money Breaks Down
On the table: $22 million to upgrade the archives at the JFK Library, $5 million for a new gateway to the Boston Harbor Islands on the Rose Kennedy Greenway and almost $6 million to plan and build the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate.
Got that? $33 million out of $126 million (26.2% from my back-of-the-envelope calculations) is going to something with the Kennedy name on it. Apparently they're keeping up with the Byrds...
Wow, with all those million$ in pork pouring into the state, maybe we can forget that measly penny tax increase?
That is all.
Serendipity...
Sometimes, posts just fall out of the sky and onto your keyboard. Like this story:
Fire hits NH match company
That is all.
Fire hits NH match company
JAFFREY, N.H. — Seventy-five people are temporarily out of work after an overnight fire at a match company in Jaffrey, N.H.Hmmm... Matches... Fire... Nope. Can't see the connection here...
Flames broke out at D.D. Bean & Sons around midnight. The company makes paper book matches. Four employees who were in the building got out safely.
Officials said the fire broke out in a room where employees mix chemicals used on the match sticks. They are investigating the cause.
That is all.
Flash of the Blade
I received a gift the other day, something I've been looking for and hadn't been able to find. It was a bayonet for my Turkish Mauser, courtesy of poster "Vaarok" from the Gunblogger Conspiracy Channel on IRC (Go! Look! I'm a "conspirator"! Yay me!). I had idly mentioned that I was looking for a bayo for the Mauser, and Vaarok offered that he had an extra one that might work. Before I knew it, a bayonet was on its way.
Now, it's hard to ship a bayonet. They're pointy, and heavy, and don't sit all that well in a plain cardboard box. So, needless to say, I get a frantic call from Mrs. G.
It had been sealed inside a length of PVC tubing, a brilliant solution to the issue of shipping, as the bayonet arrived in perfect shape. I'm just glad no one overreacted to the shape of the package and wound up calling the bomb squad to explode my shiny new pointy toy... Naturally, the very first thing I did when I got home was free the bayonet from its "pipe bomb", run up into the armory, liberate the Mauser, and affix bayonet...
And as an aside, thank you so much for your incredible generosity, Vaarok. This bayonet is perfect!!!
Naturally, this calls for a picture. I had intended to take a picture with another new knife - a joint GOAL/NES Buck knife, except that it hasn't arrived yet (wah!). So I decided to take a shot of the new bayonet with some of my favorite pocket knives.
Now, it's hard to ship a bayonet. They're pointy, and heavy, and don't sit all that well in a plain cardboard box. So, needless to say, I get a frantic call from Mrs. G.
"Uh, Jay?"
"Yes dear?"
"Did you piss somebody off lately?"
"Not that I'm aware of. Is there a Police Officer there?"
"No, you just got a pipe bomb in the mail."
It had been sealed inside a length of PVC tubing, a brilliant solution to the issue of shipping, as the bayonet arrived in perfect shape. I'm just glad no one overreacted to the shape of the package and wound up calling the bomb squad to explode my shiny new pointy toy... Naturally, the very first thing I did when I got home was free the bayonet from its "pipe bomb", run up into the armory, liberate the Mauser, and affix bayonet...
And as an aside, thank you so much for your incredible generosity, Vaarok. This bayonet is perfect!!!
Naturally, this calls for a picture. I had intended to take a picture with another new knife - a joint GOAL/NES Buck knife, except that it hasn't arrived yet (wah!). So I decided to take a shot of the new bayonet with some of my favorite pocket knives.
Cutting Edge
Mauser bayonet and sheath in center; Gerber Paraframe and Kershaw "Ken Onion" Leek on the right; Victorinox "Pioneer" Swiss Army knife and Shrade "Old Timer" lockblade on the left.
The Gerber's my everyday knife. This is an inexpensive folding knife that I could, if need be, leave in a trash bucket or TSA drone's dish and not be out a lot of money. It's a sturdy knife, could hold an edge a little better, but hey, and it was under $20 from Amazon. Can't argue with that. The Kershaw's my "I need a sharp blade I can open with one hand" knife. That small blade is extremely sharp, as numerous cuts will attest. It makes a lousy pry bar, though. One of the big reasons I don't buy expensive knives is that I tend to, well, abuse my pocketknives...
The Shrade and the Victorinox are old favorites. The Old Timer was an impulse buy before my first camping trip, the so-called "Greatest Camping Trip in the History of Western Civilization". I was getting gear at Sears, I believe, and came across this knife on the clearance rack, something silly like $10. I couldn't resist. It was the perfect camping knife, and it even came with its own leather sheath. Well, that $10 knife has been one of the most reliable camping partners imaginable, cutting marshmellow roasting sticks by the dozen, stripping bark for fire-starting, and generally providing a sharp, durable cutting implement that's always on my belt when I need it. This is as good of a value as the Gerber...
The Swiss Army knife, well, that belonged to my grandfather. It was one of the last presents I gave him before he passed away, a small pocketknife to replace the one he'd recently lost. My grandfather was a tough guy to buy presents for; he tended to use things until they literally fell apart and could no longer be stitched, taped, or welded back together - living through the Depression will do that to a person. When Grampy ever said that he could use a new knife, I knew the perfect one for the job. It's compact, has all the tools you need, and has a textured handle for sure gripping. I knew the gift was a hit when he opened up the box, nodded, and put it into his pocket without a word.
And when he passed away, it was the one thing that I looked for in his effects.
So there's a few of my favorite edged items. What are your favorite knives?
That is all.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Acorns, and the Trees They Fall From...
The Boy now has glasses; like father, like son... I inherited a mix of my parents' eyesights - Dad G. has perfect eyesight; Mom G. is legally blind without corrective lenses. My eyesight is not terrible, but I've needed corrective lenses since I was a young man to see at any distance greater than 5-10 feet. Mrs. G. has perfect eyesight; I was hoping in the great roulette wheel of the Punnett Square that my offspring would inherit her vision.
Well, I got half my wish - BabyGirl G has eyesight that makes eagles go "DAMN!"...
The Boy, OTOH, has inherited my myopia. It appears to be about the same strength as mine (very weak when younger, but gets worse as I age), so I'm uniquely qualified to help him with questions at this stage (poor Mrs. G. is mystified - she's never needed glasses). It was noticed as part of his 8 year check-up that his eyesight was less-than-perfect, and the doctor recommended we take him to an optometrist. We set up an appointment with my eye doc, and he has 20/40 vision. About what I had as a sapling, too...
Now, it had never been an issue in school up until this year. He's such a class clown that his seat had always been right up front next to the teacher's desk - and the blackboard. Only this year has he started to settle down in class and allowed to rotate through the classroom positions, and only now have his vision issues started to manifest. Several of his friends wear glasses, so the social aspect shouldn't be an issue; our biggest concern right now is him losing them (we gladly paid the $20 for the insurance against scratching/breaking).
But damn, does he look cute in his glasses! He opted for a pair of oval(ish) lenses with brushed chrome frames. It completely changes his look - he looks older, and more serious now. Strongly doubt it'll actually MAKE him more serious, but at least now he can see the board in school. He's been duly cautioned about not wearing them at recess and remembering to bring them home, and we've impressed upon him that these are very expensive glasses that he needs to take very good care of...
Needless to say, I will have to contact my doc about getting a new pair of glasses myself. I've been wanting a new pair for a while, as my current pair of glasses is about three prescriptions old; this is the perfect opportunity to get a new pair. I don't know if I'll get the same frame/lens combination as The Boy, as I only wear my glasses for nighttime/weekend duty and can get by with a more, err, value-oriented set...
But it would be nice to have a matching set...
That is all.
Well, I got half my wish - BabyGirl G has eyesight that makes eagles go "DAMN!"...
The Boy, OTOH, has inherited my myopia. It appears to be about the same strength as mine (very weak when younger, but gets worse as I age), so I'm uniquely qualified to help him with questions at this stage (poor Mrs. G. is mystified - she's never needed glasses). It was noticed as part of his 8 year check-up that his eyesight was less-than-perfect, and the doctor recommended we take him to an optometrist. We set up an appointment with my eye doc, and he has 20/40 vision. About what I had as a sapling, too...
Now, it had never been an issue in school up until this year. He's such a class clown that his seat had always been right up front next to the teacher's desk - and the blackboard. Only this year has he started to settle down in class and allowed to rotate through the classroom positions, and only now have his vision issues started to manifest. Several of his friends wear glasses, so the social aspect shouldn't be an issue; our biggest concern right now is him losing them (we gladly paid the $20 for the insurance against scratching/breaking).
But damn, does he look cute in his glasses! He opted for a pair of oval(ish) lenses with brushed chrome frames. It completely changes his look - he looks older, and more serious now. Strongly doubt it'll actually MAKE him more serious, but at least now he can see the board in school. He's been duly cautioned about not wearing them at recess and remembering to bring them home, and we've impressed upon him that these are very expensive glasses that he needs to take very good care of...
Needless to say, I will have to contact my doc about getting a new pair of glasses myself. I've been wanting a new pair for a while, as my current pair of glasses is about three prescriptions old; this is the perfect opportunity to get a new pair. I don't know if I'll get the same frame/lens combination as The Boy, as I only wear my glasses for nighttime/weekend duty and can get by with a more, err, value-oriented set...
But it would be nice to have a matching set...
That is all.
Felicitations...
My good friend Bruce is celebrating five years of snarky bloggy goodness today. What is it about the month of March for starting blogs, anyways?
Go. Read. Wish him many happy returns.
That is all.
Go. Read. Wish him many happy returns.
That is all.
The Price We Pay...
Alabama man's 10 victims include family, strangers
We have another heartbreaking story involving another mass shooting. Some unstable person, upset with their lot in life, decided it was better to go out wreaking havoc and raining death than quietly; taking innocent lives with him. Ten innocent people - some family, some random strangers - did not see the sun rise this morning because someone else had a bad day and decided to share.
What disturbs me, and I hate feeling this way, is that I read this:
and all I can think of is, great, more fodder for the antis and another Assault Weapons ban. It angers me that I think this way - angry both at myself for thinking of the political ramifications while folks are still grieving; but also at the anti-gun side, because as certainly as the sun will rise in the East, there will be press conferences before noon decrying "assault weapons" and calling for a new ban. It wouldn't have made a lick of difference, but they'll feel like they've "done something".
Unfortunately, there's precious little we can do to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Firearms are prevalent, and there are blackmarket venues for obtaining them. More than likely always will be - the Soviet experience in Afghanistan revealed home forges churning out automatic AK-47s using primitive metalworking tools. The knowledge is out there and we won't get the genie back in the bottle.
Banning "assault weapons", whatever the criteria du jour used to define such a creature, is only going to affect those who play by the rules and obey the laws. It's not going to stop or even slow down an angry sociopath with an axe to grind and a score to settle. We can't read people's minds and determine their intent or mental health barring previous instances of instability.
And that's the most frightening aspect - we can't control it. No matter how hard we wish it were so, we simply cannot predict when a person will have had enough and passes the breaking point. Some, many, most never do. But for the outliers, the guys (and they are almost always guys) that have had all they can take and see no other way out, there's extremely little we can do about it.
Banning guns isn't the answer. It's not going to stop someone determined on a murderous rampage any more than a restraining order is going to stop an abusive spouse from playing piñata with his ex. Placing roadblocks in front of those who would obey the laws anyways doesn't make us any safer, it merely annoys the law-abiding and placates the sheepish.
Pray for the victims today, and hope that common sense and freedom do not come under fire.
That is all.
(CNN) -- An Alabama man went on a shooting spree Tuesday, killing 10 people -- family members and apparent strangers -- before turning the gun on himself, officials said.
By the time Michael McLendon ended his rampage, he had fatally shot his mother and set fire to her house, killed his grandparents, his aunt and uncle, the wife and child of a sheriff's deputy, and three other people, according to the coroners of the two counties that the shooting spanned.
We have another heartbreaking story involving another mass shooting. Some unstable person, upset with their lot in life, decided it was better to go out wreaking havoc and raining death than quietly; taking innocent lives with him. Ten innocent people - some family, some random strangers - did not see the sun rise this morning because someone else had a bad day and decided to share.
What disturbs me, and I hate feeling this way, is that I read this:
He fired a 30-round burst with what appeared to be an M16, grazing Police Chief Frankie Lindsey with a bullet.
and all I can think of is, great, more fodder for the antis and another Assault Weapons ban. It angers me that I think this way - angry both at myself for thinking of the political ramifications while folks are still grieving; but also at the anti-gun side, because as certainly as the sun will rise in the East, there will be press conferences before noon decrying "assault weapons" and calling for a new ban. It wouldn't have made a lick of difference, but they'll feel like they've "done something".
Unfortunately, there's precious little we can do to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Firearms are prevalent, and there are blackmarket venues for obtaining them. More than likely always will be - the Soviet experience in Afghanistan revealed home forges churning out automatic AK-47s using primitive metalworking tools. The knowledge is out there and we won't get the genie back in the bottle.
Banning "assault weapons", whatever the criteria du jour used to define such a creature, is only going to affect those who play by the rules and obey the laws. It's not going to stop or even slow down an angry sociopath with an axe to grind and a score to settle. We can't read people's minds and determine their intent or mental health barring previous instances of instability.
And that's the most frightening aspect - we can't control it. No matter how hard we wish it were so, we simply cannot predict when a person will have had enough and passes the breaking point. Some, many, most never do. But for the outliers, the guys (and they are almost always guys) that have had all they can take and see no other way out, there's extremely little we can do about it.
Banning guns isn't the answer. It's not going to stop someone determined on a murderous rampage any more than a restraining order is going to stop an abusive spouse from playing piñata with his ex. Placing roadblocks in front of those who would obey the laws anyways doesn't make us any safer, it merely annoys the law-abiding and placates the sheepish.
Pray for the victims today, and hope that common sense and freedom do not come under fire.
That is all.
Drought...
While chatting with a friend the other day, it dawned on me that I haven't had a new acquisition in over three months. This is the longest in quite a long time that I've gone without buying a new gun. Obviously, now that I've started thinking about it, I've got "the itch" pretty bad... And, let's not forget, Buy A Gun Day is a little over a month away.
You know where this is going, right???
Well, I've got a hunk 'a' change burning a hole in my pocket. I've got both Buy A Gun Day and my birthday next month. So there will be a new acquisition in the foreseeable future. The big question, though, is what? Some of the possibilities are:
That's the short list for right now. I'm sure there's a couple dozen options I haven't even thought of but can't live without. What else could/should I be considering?
That is all.
You know where this is going, right???
Well, I've got a hunk 'a' change burning a hole in my pocket. I've got both Buy A Gun Day and my birthday next month. So there will be a new acquisition in the foreseeable future. The big question, though, is what? Some of the possibilities are:
- S&W Model 442 Heller Edition
- Ruger LCR
- Walther PPS
- Ruger 10/22
- S&W Subcompact 1911
- Ruger Mini-14/30
- M1 Carbine from CMP
- Ruger Mark II/III
- Smith & Wesson 22A
Basically, I'm looking for another .22LR semi-automatic pistol to use in helping new shooters. The 422 is a good gun, but it's rather finicky; I'd prefer something that will function reliably with moderate .22 ammo. It would be something with iron sights; the Ruger Mark III "Hunter" with the fluted heavy barrel is a sweet looking choice...
- M1 Garand from CMP
That's the short list for right now. I'm sure there's a couple dozen options I haven't even thought of but can't live without. What else could/should I be considering?
That is all.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Enough!
I have had enough of winter. I am ready for spring.
- I'm sick of wearing boots.
- I'm sick of wearing a parka.
- I'm sick of hustling the kids into snowpants, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. just to get them off to school.
- I'm sick of my street feeling like the surface of the moon as I drive down it.
- I want to see grass again, even the sickly brown crap masquerading as my lawn.
- I'd like to be able to start my truck and go rather than wait 5 minutes for it to warm up.
- Sand. I hates it. It gets EVERYWHERE. At least salt has the decency to dissolve.
- I want to wash my truck and have it last more than 20 feet before it's partly white again.
- It sure would be nice to go out of the house with only ONE layer of clothes...
- It would also be nice to not have to drop $500/month or more on heating...
Not to mention I feel the need for two wheels so bad it hurts...
That is all.
I'll Take "Well, DUH" for $1,000, Alex
Massachusetts really is liberal
File under "N" for "No Shit, Sherlock"...
In other news, water was reported as being wet, fire was reported as being hot, and the sky was found to be blue. Seriously, this is what passes for news these days? Confirmation of what we already know? What other reports are lurking in the wings? Can we assume that there will be news reports telling us not to lick irons, or stick forks in electrical outlets?
Anyhoo, here's the breakdown:
And my own rep?
Remember Tierney - sounds like Tyranny...
That is all.
This should come as little surprise to Massachusetts voters, but the Bay State had the most liberal delegation in the US House last year, according to the latest National Journal rankings.
File under "N" for "No Shit, Sherlock"...
In other news, water was reported as being wet, fire was reported as being hot, and the sky was found to be blue. Seriously, this is what passes for news these days? Confirmation of what we already know? What other reports are lurking in the wings? Can we assume that there will be news reports telling us not to lick irons, or stick forks in electrical outlets?
Anyhoo, here's the breakdown:
In the House, Bay State Democrats John Olver and John Tierney were among nine representatives who tied for the most liberal, while Barney Frank and Richard Neal tied for 13th most liberal of the 435 House members.
And my own rep?
John Tierney
MA-6 (D)
Composite ScoresLib: 93.2 (1st) Cons: 6.8 (416th)
Remember Tierney - sounds like Tyranny...
That is all.
Goin' to the Range...
Brigid got me started on this one, courtesy of drjim. She's put together a lovely pictorial of the bags and cases she uses when she goes to the range, and has asked the collective hive mind (thanks Marko!) what's in their range bags. Naturally, I'm not about to pass up an opportunity to capitalize on good blog fodder, so... :)
We'll start with transporting the guns:
We'll start with transporting the guns:
Locking Gun Case
This is a locking case I picked up at Home Depot for $20 - gun cases do not have to be expensive propositions. The case came with adjustable sections, which I configured to hold two small guns and one medium gun. There's another piece of foam that fits over the top, and the top is similarly padded. Properly laid out, I can transport a half-dozen guns in this case. And it has twin integral locks to satisfy MA transport regulations (don't get me started).
And the bag itself:
The Range Bag
Ah, the range bag, the real "meat" of the request. My range bag is a Workforce tool bag from Home Depot; I think I paid $15 for it. It's got interior pockets for magazines; locking zippers; a carrying strap; and plenty of room to carry all my gear. Speaking of gear, what is in my range bag?
- Ammo for each gun, typically 100 - 200 rounds per gun.
- Loaded magazines - why waste time loading at the range when you can bring a dozen magazines with you?
- Hearing protection - both muffs (Peltor) and foam plugs. I keep a spare, unopened boxs of disposable plugs in an outside pocket for others who may need them.
- Safety glasses
- Small 8X50 binoculars
- Maglula double-stack magazine loader
- Stapler and staples for outdoor range
- Targets - stick-on orange 4" bullseye and Shoot-n-See.
- Unfolded cloth diaper - good for giving a quick wipe-down before heading home
- Two sections of .30" aluminum cleaning rod
Often there will be enough room in this bag to toss a pistol in a pistol rug so that this is the only thing I need to bring. Or there's room for lots more ammo...
And lastly, ready to go:
Ready to Go
Visible in the outside pockets of the range bag are items that may be needed in the course of a range trip:
- Pens (for signing log books, making notes on targets, taking down phone #s of guns for sale...)
- Electronic key to clubhouse/indoor range
- Gun club badge
- Leatherman multi-tool
- Flashlight (very handy for locking the gate after dark!)
- Gun oil
- Patches
- Assorted brass brushes & plastic jags
- Nitro solvent
- Various small tools that may be needed for the trip
So that's what I bring to the range. Any questions?
That is all.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Must... Get... Song... Out... of My Head...
Dance your cares away,
Worry's for another daaaay.
Let the music play,
Down in Fraggle Rock.
Today's JayG safety tip: Don't ever, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever look up "Fraggle Rock" on YouTube to show your kids what you watched on TV as a kid...
That is all.
Worry's for another daaaay.
Let the music play,
Down in Fraggle Rock.
Today's JayG safety tip: Don't ever, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever look up "Fraggle Rock" on YouTube to show your kids what you watched on TV as a kid...
That is all.
For the Record...
Reid: Republicans want Obama to fail
Yes. Yes we do.
WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that Republicans want President Barack Obama to fail.
“It’s very clear, they’ve made a decision they want President Obama to fail,” Reid said.
Yes. Yes we do.
Yes, we want Barack Obama's plan to turn the US into a socialist paradise with "free" health care, draconian gun control, and unfettered government control over the proles to fail - spectacularly, if possible...
That is all.
Pepulz. I Hatez Dem.
My last post talked about the thawing that occurred over the weekend, with temperatures hitting the 60ºF mark. Well, it being New England, the good weather didn't last long, and it's currently snowing like a bastard outside. We're expected to get 3-6" of heavy, wet snow over the course of the day, a stark contrast to the spring-like temps that had me pining for my Harley over the weekend.
What this means, of course, is that people have put away their winter driving habits and gotten into full-on spring mode. It took me over an hour to drive the 15 miles from my house to my work owing to a combination of idiots, asshattery, and general moronia sweeping the land. Plus it appears that several of the local towns I drive through on my way to work have decided not to treat or plow the roads as a cost-saving measure...
There were generally two types of idiot out on the road this morning:
What this means, of course, is that people have put away their winter driving habits and gotten into full-on spring mode. It took me over an hour to drive the 15 miles from my house to my work owing to a combination of idiots, asshattery, and general moronia sweeping the land. Plus it appears that several of the local towns I drive through on my way to work have decided not to treat or plow the roads as a cost-saving measure...
There were generally two types of idiot out on the road this morning:
- The "I've got an expensive 4WD SUV and can drive 40 MPH over untreated roads" mindset (destination: woods)
- The "OMG SNOW WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE" mindset that creeps along at 5MPH, insuring a steady stream of cars coming up on the idiot and having to dive around them.
In addition, I actually had to turn back from my normal route because some imbecile had made it about halfway up a hill, stopped, and gotten their car perfectly perpendicular to the road. They were turned in such a manner that the tow truck which was on scene was having trouble finding purchase to straighten them out.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that driving sucks today - I actually had to use 4WD today - but there's just no excuse for things like, oh, stopping in the middle of the road to let your middle schooler out so he can get into dad's SUV. In the middle of the road. With cars skidding to a stop on both sides of the road, because mom's minivan was on one side and dad's SUV on the other. They stopped traffic going both ways (on a corner, mind you) so that their precious little one could ride in the more weather-appropriate car. I can totally grok this, mind you, I just don't want it done in the frakkin' travel lane.
The good part, though, is that the snow won't last long. It's supposed to get into the upper 40s tomorrow and Wednesday, with some rain expected to hasten the white crap's departure. Can't say I'm sorry to see it go - we've had a bad, bad winter this year (something like 14-15 measurable storms, one of the snowiest in modern memory. It's time for spring, and time to say goodbye to our bad winter drivers.
So we can say hello to our bad summer drivers, of course...
That is all.
Spring Thaw...
So the mercury climbed all the way up into the 60s yesterday. The rising temperatures brought much-needed relief from the interminable-seeming winter, erasing acres and acres of snow from the landscape and preparing the ground for spring showers. Those showers will wash away the accumulated dirt and grim of the past winter; for now, though, the grime just sits there, a stark reminder of just how bad this winter was.
With the snow gone, the effects of this brutal winter are coming back to light. Tree branches, downed in the December ice storm but covered for months and months, are still sitting by the side of the road, awaiting disposal. The tasks that were gladly put off as the temperature dropped at winter's first grasp now stare back at as, reminders that time waits for no man. It's time to go out and get dirty, cleaning up the mess that we had long forgotten about, yet knew would have to face.
It's unfortunate that, right now, the same can't be said for the mess in Washington. There's rumblings from within Obama's own party that he's in over his head, that he's making serious gaffes, that he's still not ready to lead. Issues like the recent visit by Gordon Brown, the "goals" of the stimulus package with regards to creating - or saving - 3.5 million jobs, and repeated tax cheats coming up for appointments have dodged the president, cropping up like so many dead tree branches long thought buried. And instead of firing up the woodchipper, rolling up our nation's sleeves and exhorting us to get back to work, we're just hoping for more snow to cover everything back up.
It's gonna be a long 4-8 years, folks...
That is all.
With the snow gone, the effects of this brutal winter are coming back to light. Tree branches, downed in the December ice storm but covered for months and months, are still sitting by the side of the road, awaiting disposal. The tasks that were gladly put off as the temperature dropped at winter's first grasp now stare back at as, reminders that time waits for no man. It's time to go out and get dirty, cleaning up the mess that we had long forgotten about, yet knew would have to face.
It's unfortunate that, right now, the same can't be said for the mess in Washington. There's rumblings from within Obama's own party that he's in over his head, that he's making serious gaffes, that he's still not ready to lead. Issues like the recent visit by Gordon Brown, the "goals" of the stimulus package with regards to creating - or saving - 3.5 million jobs, and repeated tax cheats coming up for appointments have dodged the president, cropping up like so many dead tree branches long thought buried. And instead of firing up the woodchipper, rolling up our nation's sleeves and exhorting us to get back to work, we're just hoping for more snow to cover everything back up.
It's gonna be a long 4-8 years, folks...
That is all.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Back-to-the-'80s Sunday Video
Heh. Heard this on Sirius 19 (The Boneyard) and just HAD to put it up...
Love the outfit, Sammy...
That is all.
Love the outfit, Sammy...
That is all.
Join Us, It's BLISS!
Robb teaches his oldest child the basics of shooting.
Awesome. Simply awesome. Good on ya, Robb!!!
That is all.
Awesome. Simply awesome. Good on ya, Robb!!!
That is all.
Daylight Savings My A-
Ugh. My least favorite day of the year - "spring forward"... We lose an hour of sleep - totally teh suxxor... Plus it doesn't help that half the clocks in the G. household are of the self-advancing kind, whereas the other half are not - meaning that when I woke up this morning, I didn't know what the hell time it was...
On the plus side, though, both kids slept until 7AM today...
That is (groggily) all.
On the plus side, though, both kids slept until 7AM today...
That is (groggily) all.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Get the Lead Out...
Holy crap. I just cleaned out my ammo locker. I have a LOT of ammo. This is a good thing.
Let me back up a step. I'd been meaning to clear out the locker to make more efficient use of space in the locker. It's basically an old wooden toybox with a locking hasp and a padlock on it, and I had it turned on its side so that basically the lid swung out like a door. The problem is, I was too lazy to build shelves in it, so I just piled all the ammo on top of itself.
Well, I reached the point where everything fell over, and I just kinda opened the door, pushed everything to the sides, and continued cramming everything in. Today, after my successful trip to the gun show, I took a good long look at the locker and realized it was time for cleaning. I cleaned all the ammo out of it and arranged it on the floor for cataloging. I also cleared out the overflow locker in the attic so that all centerfire rifle and pistol ammo is downstairs, and only shotgun ammo and .22LR are in the unheated/un-air conditioned attic.
Wow. I found ammo I had long-forgotten about. Several hundred rounds of good, quality hollowpoints for four different calibers were found in the bottom of the overflow locker. Several hundred rounds of 7.62X39mm were also found. I have about a hundred rounds of 7.62X54mmR on stripper clips (before I realized they don't work without a 2X4).
The one place I'm really lacking is shotgun ammo. Only got about 60 slugs and about the same for 00 buckshot - this needs to pick up, as the 12 gauge is my primary home defense gun (although, to be fair, the Bushmaster has more or less assumed that role, as loading in a magazine to an AR-15 is much faster than loading 8 rounds of 00 buckshot). Since I'm in MA, remember, all ammo must remain under lock and key...
Bring on the Zombie Apocalypse. Casa del G. is ready for the onslaught...
That is all.
Let me back up a step. I'd been meaning to clear out the locker to make more efficient use of space in the locker. It's basically an old wooden toybox with a locking hasp and a padlock on it, and I had it turned on its side so that basically the lid swung out like a door. The problem is, I was too lazy to build shelves in it, so I just piled all the ammo on top of itself.
Well, I reached the point where everything fell over, and I just kinda opened the door, pushed everything to the sides, and continued cramming everything in. Today, after my successful trip to the gun show, I took a good long look at the locker and realized it was time for cleaning. I cleaned all the ammo out of it and arranged it on the floor for cataloging. I also cleared out the overflow locker in the attic so that all centerfire rifle and pistol ammo is downstairs, and only shotgun ammo and .22LR are in the unheated/un-air conditioned attic.
Wow. I found ammo I had long-forgotten about. Several hundred rounds of good, quality hollowpoints for four different calibers were found in the bottom of the overflow locker. Several hundred rounds of 7.62X39mm were also found. I have about a hundred rounds of 7.62X54mmR on stripper clips (before I realized they don't work without a 2X4).
The one place I'm really lacking is shotgun ammo. Only got about 60 slugs and about the same for 00 buckshot - this needs to pick up, as the 12 gauge is my primary home defense gun (although, to be fair, the Bushmaster has more or less assumed that role, as loading in a magazine to an AR-15 is much faster than loading 8 rounds of 00 buckshot). Since I'm in MA, remember, all ammo must remain under lock and key...
Bring on the Zombie Apocalypse. Casa del G. is ready for the onslaught...
That is all.
Quest for Fire(power)
Oog go gun show. Hunt big .45ACP ammo. Perform great ammo dance in hopes will help oog find ammo. Oog no seen .45 in heap many moon. Oog getting worried that big chief mean no more ammo. Oog go find more.
IOW, off to the gun show. Report to follow.
That is all.
IOW, off to the gun show. Report to follow.
That is all.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Blogroll Additions
Yes, folks, two blogroll addition updates in one week. It's been a good week here at MArooned (and I don't just mean from the Breda-lanche over the sinful bacon post, although that was nice...)
Have four new blogs to add to the 'roll, an amazing three of which actually e-mailed me to let me know I was on their rolls... Ask and ye shall receive, I guess! Thanks guys & gals!!!
So onto the additions!
1. My Reputo. A pro-capitalism blog. Gotta love it. From the header: "I am an unabashed capitalist! I believe that government should have limited powers. Most importantly, I believe that individuals should help their fellow man." I grok this.
2. Asphyxiated Emancipation. Reading through AE's blog, I found myself nodding in agreement on more than one occasion. Don't know who that reflects more on... *g* AE's a commenter and an eater of fire - I believe he means that literally as opposed to just the insanely hot habañero peppers I enjoy...
3. Straight from the Snark's Mouth. Snarky writes this while introducing your humble scribe to her blogroll: "A gun nut, a father, a husband, a biker, an all around good guy who seems like he might just have a short fuse... I agree with everything he says, ESPECIALLY considering idiots on the road. His Road Rage posts keep my sides splitting while simultaneously cursing stupid drivers. Also worth noting are his Friday Fun posts about cars and Friday Gun Pr0n. Can't go wrong." Yeah. Flattery will get you everywhere...
4. The Next Chapter. Found this one through a Sitemeter trackback. First thing I spotted was "Pray for peace" and started to wonder, then saw the "Prepare for war" right under it. Followed by the Nuge for President and Sarah Pac banners, and knew it was okay...
Welcome aboard everyone!
And, as always, especially since it seems to be working...
That is all.
Have four new blogs to add to the 'roll, an amazing three of which actually e-mailed me to let me know I was on their rolls... Ask and ye shall receive, I guess! Thanks guys & gals!!!
So onto the additions!
1. My Reputo. A pro-capitalism blog. Gotta love it. From the header: "I am an unabashed capitalist! I believe that government should have limited powers. Most importantly, I believe that individuals should help their fellow man." I grok this.
2. Asphyxiated Emancipation. Reading through AE's blog, I found myself nodding in agreement on more than one occasion. Don't know who that reflects more on... *g* AE's a commenter and an eater of fire - I believe he means that literally as opposed to just the insanely hot habañero peppers I enjoy...
3. Straight from the Snark's Mouth. Snarky writes this while introducing your humble scribe to her blogroll: "A gun nut, a father, a husband, a biker, an all around good guy who seems like he might just have a short fuse... I agree with everything he says, ESPECIALLY considering idiots on the road. His Road Rage posts keep my sides splitting while simultaneously cursing stupid drivers. Also worth noting are his Friday Fun posts about cars and Friday Gun Pr0n. Can't go wrong." Yeah. Flattery will get you everywhere...
4. The Next Chapter. Found this one through a Sitemeter trackback. First thing I spotted was "Pray for peace" and started to wonder, then saw the "Prepare for war" right under it. Followed by the Nuge for President and Sarah Pac banners, and knew it was okay...
Welcome aboard everyone!
And, as always, especially since it seems to be working...
I run a reciprocal blogroll here at MArooned. If you like myinsane scribblingwriting enough to add me to your blogroll, tell me about it - I'm quite happy to return the favor. But I can't do it if I don't know about it! So leave me a note in comments; shoot me an e-mail (contact info's around here somewhere); catch me on Google chat or Facebook; heck, anything short of writing your blog name on a piece of paper and hucking it through my window tied to a rock works... :)
That is all.
Friday Fun Thread: Automotive Oops!
Well, last week's fun thread on shitboxes seemed to have touched a nerve. Oddly enough, folks are mighty passionate about the cars they've owned that have been, well, let's just say less than 100% reliable and/or safe... Heck, I didn't even tell the story of the Dodge Club Cab my friend owned that tried to eject me while going around a rotary...
In a similar vein this week, the Top Ten list is going to be the Top Ten automotive mistakes. These are cars that just didn't work, for one reason or another. Some were overpriced, some unsafe, yet others underpowered. Some were all three. In any case, here are the cars that you know cost someone a high-payin' gig...
1. Edsel. The Edsel has got to be the most famous flop in automotive history. Ford had grand designs for the Edsel, with plans for it to be its own marque, a step up in luxury from Ford with bigger, more luxuriously appointments and flair. Instead, it languished on dealers' floors, priced too high and offering too little in return.
2. Ford Pinto. Yeah, a car that explodes in a rear-end collision has FAIL written all over it. Add in butt-ugly styling - even for the 1970s - and a pathetic attempt to cash in on the small(er) car preference in light of the gas crisis, and it all came down in one bad car.
3. Plymouth Prowler. If Mopar had offered an eight cylinder engine, or a turbo-charged V6 with a six-speed manual transmission rather than the auto-tranny V6, they'd have had another winner like the Viper. Instead, they charged an absolute premium for a car that would get beaten off the line by Escort GTs...
4. Chevy Vega. Ah, the car made out of compressed rust, the Vega was GM's answer to Ford's Pinto. The Vega didn't explode, although there were rumors that letting one off a jack too quickly would cause it to fall apart completely. Quality wasn't Job 1 on the Vega. Or Job 2. Or Job 83...
5. Buick Reatta. Too pricey, too slow, and with a nameplate that everyone's grandmother drove. Not exactly a winning combination. The Reatta was intended to be, well, we're not really sure - it was too small and cheap to challenge the Mercedes C class; with only 165 horsepower out of the 3.8L V6 and front-wheel drive it wasn't challenging anybody off the line, either. It was too cheap to rival the Mercedes and BMWs and too expensive to rival the Celicas and Zs.
6. Toyota T100. The only foreign car on the list, the T100 was Toyota's first attempt at a large(r) truck. The only problem was, Toyota forgot to power it like a larger truck, putting in a 3.9L V6 when Ford had a 4.0L V6 in the Ranger and GM had a 4.3L V6 in the S-10/S-15. It was bigger, but with the little engine couldn't get out of its own way or haul much of anything.
7. 1991 Chevrolet Caprice. The last iteration of GM's B-body had a significant design flaw, one that GM stubbornly denied until the end. The seat belts were attached to the door rather than the "B" pillar, and in high-speed collisions had been found to actually yank occupants out of the car. This proved catastrophic for the police fleet sales, as these are the kinds of crashes police cars are often subject to...
8. 2002 Ford Thunderbird. This was simply a case of Ford getting greedy. They saw the success of the New Beetle and the PT Cruiser as a hankering for a "retro" car and released the "boutique" T-bird as an obvious hommage to the original '55 T-Bird. Problem was, they priced it about what a full-on restoration would cost for an original...
9. Chrysler Aspen. Simply a case of the wrong car at the wrong time. Just as gas prices went through the roof and the economy started dropping faster than frat boy trou at pledge week, Chrysler decided that what they really needed to do was re-badge the gas-guzzling Durango with the Chrysler name badge and charge more for it. Just a couple years later, they've dropped both SUVs from the line...
10. Cadillac Cimarron. I know I've bashed this one before, but it's so damned pitiful that it deserves a second whack... GM took the Chevy Cavalier, a no-nonsense, entry level econobox, tossed Cadillac emblems on it, and doubled the price. GM was perfectly willing to throw the good Cadillac name under the quality bus just to make a quick buck. I honestly think the Cimarron is the starting point of GM's decline...
So there's my list of automotive failures. Some too slow, some too expensive, some too dangerous; all were losers in pretty much every sense of the word.
How many other "oops"s did I miss?
That is all.
In a similar vein this week, the Top Ten list is going to be the Top Ten automotive mistakes. These are cars that just didn't work, for one reason or another. Some were overpriced, some unsafe, yet others underpowered. Some were all three. In any case, here are the cars that you know cost someone a high-payin' gig...
1. Edsel. The Edsel has got to be the most famous flop in automotive history. Ford had grand designs for the Edsel, with plans for it to be its own marque, a step up in luxury from Ford with bigger, more luxuriously appointments and flair. Instead, it languished on dealers' floors, priced too high and offering too little in return.
2. Ford Pinto. Yeah, a car that explodes in a rear-end collision has FAIL written all over it. Add in butt-ugly styling - even for the 1970s - and a pathetic attempt to cash in on the small(er) car preference in light of the gas crisis, and it all came down in one bad car.
3. Plymouth Prowler. If Mopar had offered an eight cylinder engine, or a turbo-charged V6 with a six-speed manual transmission rather than the auto-tranny V6, they'd have had another winner like the Viper. Instead, they charged an absolute premium for a car that would get beaten off the line by Escort GTs...
4. Chevy Vega. Ah, the car made out of compressed rust, the Vega was GM's answer to Ford's Pinto. The Vega didn't explode, although there were rumors that letting one off a jack too quickly would cause it to fall apart completely. Quality wasn't Job 1 on the Vega. Or Job 2. Or Job 83...
5. Buick Reatta. Too pricey, too slow, and with a nameplate that everyone's grandmother drove. Not exactly a winning combination. The Reatta was intended to be, well, we're not really sure - it was too small and cheap to challenge the Mercedes C class; with only 165 horsepower out of the 3.8L V6 and front-wheel drive it wasn't challenging anybody off the line, either. It was too cheap to rival the Mercedes and BMWs and too expensive to rival the Celicas and Zs.
6. Toyota T100. The only foreign car on the list, the T100 was Toyota's first attempt at a large(r) truck. The only problem was, Toyota forgot to power it like a larger truck, putting in a 3.9L V6 when Ford had a 4.0L V6 in the Ranger and GM had a 4.3L V6 in the S-10/S-15. It was bigger, but with the little engine couldn't get out of its own way or haul much of anything.
7. 1991 Chevrolet Caprice. The last iteration of GM's B-body had a significant design flaw, one that GM stubbornly denied until the end. The seat belts were attached to the door rather than the "B" pillar, and in high-speed collisions had been found to actually yank occupants out of the car. This proved catastrophic for the police fleet sales, as these are the kinds of crashes police cars are often subject to...
8. 2002 Ford Thunderbird. This was simply a case of Ford getting greedy. They saw the success of the New Beetle and the PT Cruiser as a hankering for a "retro" car and released the "boutique" T-bird as an obvious hommage to the original '55 T-Bird. Problem was, they priced it about what a full-on restoration would cost for an original...
9. Chrysler Aspen. Simply a case of the wrong car at the wrong time. Just as gas prices went through the roof and the economy started dropping faster than frat boy trou at pledge week, Chrysler decided that what they really needed to do was re-badge the gas-guzzling Durango with the Chrysler name badge and charge more for it. Just a couple years later, they've dropped both SUVs from the line...
10. Cadillac Cimarron. I know I've bashed this one before, but it's so damned pitiful that it deserves a second whack... GM took the Chevy Cavalier, a no-nonsense, entry level econobox, tossed Cadillac emblems on it, and doubled the price. GM was perfectly willing to throw the good Cadillac name under the quality bus just to make a quick buck. I honestly think the Cimarron is the starting point of GM's decline...
So there's my list of automotive failures. Some too slow, some too expensive, some too dangerous; all were losers in pretty much every sense of the word.
How many other "oops"s did I miss?
That is all.
Friday Gun Pr0n #101
Interestingly enough, this one is somewhat numerologically correct... I'm going to offer somewhat of a "rimfire revolver 101" gun pr0n for my good friend New Jovian Thunderbolt, who is pondering which .22LR handgun he should get. He's trying to decide between a revolver and a semi-auto, and I'm advising the revolver. From my comment to his request:
Clockwise from upper left:
Smith & Wesson Model 17
Colt Official Police .22LR
North American Arms mini-22LR
H&R Sportsman
The S&W covers the target aspect. The Colt is a training gun for the bygone days of the Colt .38 Special revolver. The H&R is an inexpensive plinker, and the NAA mini-22LR is just for fun. I think it's safe to say I'm a big fan of the rimfire revolver...
And, you know, it's always nice to have options.
So I figure that since T-bolt has a conversion kit for his 1911, he's got a semi-auto already. My advice would be to get a S&W model 617 as a training aid for his 686. He can get the 10 shot model so as to not lose capacity over a semi-auto, and can use whatever the cheapest bulk ammo he can find.
What say you? What should he get? Head on over and add your $0.02...
That is all.
Interesting enough, I have four very different .22LR revolvers:If you don't already own a .22 pistol, start with a revolver. They're less finicky about ammo, there's no magazines to buy (and, for whatever reason, .22LR magazines are unreasonably expensive), and the manual of arms for a revolver is simpler than that of a semi-auto, if you're teaching a noob.
I'm biased. I prefer S&W wheelguns.
However, I found a Colt Official Police .22 trainer for short money (under $250) that shoots *almost* as good as my S&W Model 17.
Don't be tempted by the cheap imitations. You're not going to save much up front, and you'll pay for it down the road for the inferior workmanship.
You're buying a .22 pistol for the long haul here...
.22LR Wheelguns
Clockwise from upper left:
Smith & Wesson Model 17
Colt Official Police .22LR
North American Arms mini-22LR
H&R Sportsman
The S&W covers the target aspect. The Colt is a training gun for the bygone days of the Colt .38 Special revolver. The H&R is an inexpensive plinker, and the NAA mini-22LR is just for fun. I think it's safe to say I'm a big fan of the rimfire revolver...
And, you know, it's always nice to have options.
So I figure that since T-bolt has a conversion kit for his 1911, he's got a semi-auto already. My advice would be to get a S&W model 617 as a training aid for his 686. He can get the 10 shot model so as to not lose capacity over a semi-auto, and can use whatever the cheapest bulk ammo he can find.
What say you? What should he get? Head on over and add your $0.02...
That is all.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
FLA Rendezvous...
Okay, so the Diznee trip is approaching fast and furious - this weekend, we're calling down to make our dinner reservations. Many people have recommended making the reservations ahead of time to avoid last-minute unpleasantness and such, so we're making them as soon as possible.
We're going to have some free time our first night in FLA, Saturday, June 6th. If anyone in the general Orlando, FL area (Robb, Greg & Beth, Jay?) would like to get together, we'd have time for a dinner or something then. We're staying at one of the value resorts on the Disney campus, and will not have a car, so we're pretty limited.
Anyhoo, if anyone in or near the area wants to get together with a foul-mouthed, shaved-head biker gun-nut who will most likely have been drinking heavily as a result of being on an airplane for the first time in nearly 10 years, give a holler... (Hmmmm. Wait. That's probably not the best sales pitch you've ever given, Jay...)
That is all.
We're going to have some free time our first night in FLA, Saturday, June 6th. If anyone in the general Orlando, FL area (Robb, Greg & Beth, Jay?) would like to get together, we'd have time for a dinner or something then. We're staying at one of the value resorts on the Disney campus, and will not have a car, so we're pretty limited.
Anyhoo, if anyone in or near the area wants to get together with a foul-mouthed, shaved-head biker gun-nut who will most likely have been drinking heavily as a result of being on an airplane for the first time in nearly 10 years, give a holler... (Hmmmm. Wait. That's probably not the best sales pitch you've ever given, Jay...)
That is all.
Moar Doin It Rong...
Obama's Middle Class Task Force Has No Middle Class
No Joe the Plumber, eh? Color me shocked.
What makes it even more deliciously ironic is this little tidbit:
So, basically, the "middle class task force" doesn't have any middle class members or give a flying rat's ass what the middle class has to say. The only groups welcome are the greenies and the goonions, heavy demo-supporters. Sure am glad that we're no longer seeing "business as usual"...
Oh yeah, that's change I can believe in.
One last parting kick in the 'nads:
IOW, they harbor no illusions about this "task force" actually, you know, doing a fucking thing...
Sure am glad I'm going to the range tomorrow. Just for the enviro-weenies, I'm going to shoot nothing but lead ammo...
That is all.
While defining America's most beloved demographic group has never been an exact science, most academics agree that the term refers to anyone earning between $30,000 and $100,000 a year. (Median household income in the U.S. hovers around $50,000.) Every member of the President's task force — from Biden ($227,000) to Council of Economic Advisors Chairwoman Christina Romer ($172,000) to Energy Secretary Steven Chu ($191,000) — makes well over $150,000, putting them in the top 5% of wage earners.
No Joe the Plumber, eh? Color me shocked.
What makes it even more deliciously ironic is this little tidbit:
Middle-class Americans are invited to submit questions and ideas through the task force's website, but while tickets for the Philadelphia meeting were distributed to labor and environmental groups, the task force did not accept questions from the audience.
So, basically, the "middle class task force" doesn't have any middle class members or give a flying rat's ass what the middle class has to say. The only groups welcome are the greenies and the goonions, heavy demo-supporters. Sure am glad that we're no longer seeing "business as usual"...
Oh yeah, that's change I can believe in.
One last parting kick in the 'nads:
The task force didn't specify the number of jobs it hoped to create in the green sector or how much of an impact the programs are expected to have on the middle class as a whole. Annie Tomasini, Biden's deputy press secretary, says the Philadelphia meeting was just a "listening session" and that the task force will not actually make any decisions regarding green job creation. They'll have to go back to Washington to do that.
IOW, they harbor no illusions about this "task force" actually, you know, doing a fucking thing...
Sure am glad I'm going to the range tomorrow. Just for the enviro-weenies, I'm going to shoot nothing but lead ammo...
That is all.
Sensing A Pattern...
Businesses endorse 25-cent gas tax hike
Massachusetts business groups yesterday endorsed a 25-cent increase in the state gas tax, a more aggressive hike than Governor Deval Patrick's 19-cent request, saying that the state needs to move even faster to fix its ailing network of roads and bridges to encourage a strong business climate.Hmmm. There's got to be more behind this story. There's no way on G-d's Green Earth a company or companies are going to go on record as stating "We are actively working to screw over our precious consumers in today's economy". The story also reports that:
The business leaders compared the current push for a transportation overhaul to the effort that led to the state's new comprehensive healthcare law, saying that the costs to motorists and businesses are worth it to fix chronic money shortages that have plagued the system for more than a generation.
"I've been involved in politics in Massachusetts now for 25 years and I am honestly not sure that I can remember another time where the business community came out in such an organized way on behalf of a tax increase," said Marc D. Draisen, a former Democratic legislator and executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which advocates a 29-cent increase.To recap:
- Cadillac Deval: $0.19/gallon tax increase
- Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce: $0.25/gallon tax increase
- Metropolitan Area Planning Council: $0.29/gallon tax increase
See a pattern? Yeah, the gov's increase doesn't seem so bad compared to the other ones out there, doesn't it? Kinda like when state firearm permit fees were scheduled to more than double in some cases, provoking a fierce reaction from local groups and bringing unwanted attention to the discriminatory MA permitting process right around the time of the Heller decision.
Then the gov dropped the hike request, and it was treated as a victory.
What got lost in that fight was the drive to actually lower the fees - MA has, by a large margin, the highest gun permit fees in New England. It's also the only state that requires a permit to simply own a firearm - IOW, if you don't drop the hundred beans on the permit, you can't own a gun. Period. GOAL was mounting a pretty fierce drive to get the legislature to look at lowering the permit fees to be more in line with neighboring states when Patrick proposed the increase.
Switch gears, change tactics, go on defense rather than offense. End result? Fee stays the same, rather than undergoing scrutiny and running the risk of getting lowered or abolished in some cases (i.e. if some enterprising 2A lawyer were to apply the Heller decision to MA and argue that charging any sort of fee to exercise one's Second Amendment rights is a blatantly unconstitutional process...). Momentum = lost.
Buried in the article was this nugget:
A higher gas tax might also reduce the pressure on lawmakers to raise corporate taxes - which some of the groups have sought to reduce or hold steady.
Hmmm. A little quid pro quo, perhaps? The business groups appear to push for higher gas taxes, Patrick's plan seems more reasonable, and they avoid a rise in corporate tax rates. Nah, that would be horribly cynical of me to think that there would be such collusion and arm twisting among our ruling elite and corporate masters, no?
Gotta start drinking some Sarcastro-B-Gone with my morning java...
That is all.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
YHGTBSM, Part II
Britain to give Teddy Kennedy honorary knighthood
[jaw drops]
Dame Mary Jo Kopechne was unavailable for comment, as she was continuing her forced role as lady of the lake...
{set poor taste mode=off}
That is all.
LONDON (AP) — He won't be allowed to call himself Sir Ted, but Britain is awarding an honorary knighthood to U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy.
The government says the senator is being recognized for services to U.S.-U.K. relations and to Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office says Brown will announce the honor Wednesday, when he addresses a joint session of Congress in Washington.
[jaw drops]
Dame Mary Jo Kopechne was unavailable for comment, as she was continuing her forced role as lady of the lake...
{set poor taste mode=off}
That is all.
Special Gun Nuts Blogroll Additions!
Whoa. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa. I have been seriously remiss in adding some folks to the blogroll here at MArooned. These are folks who I've been chatting with for months now over at Gun Nuts/Blog Talk Radio chat and yet, foolishly, do not yet have on my blogroll.
A thousand apologies, all...
Listed alphabetically:
Atomic Nerds
Blackfork
Confessions of a Gun-Toting Seagull
FarmGirl
Gay_Cynic
Yuri Orlov
Zercool
(Now, if'n y'all - except Atomic Nerds - could see fit to addin' lil ol' me to your 'rolls... *g*)
Welcome aboard everyone!
And while we're doing the linky-love goodness, I want tobeg point out that Matt G, RobertaX(thanks RobbieX!), and Sebastian have been daily reads for ages here, and yet my linky-love goes unrequited... Ahem... Folks, I'm married, I'm used to begging here...
That is all.
A thousand apologies, all...
Listed alphabetically:
Atomic Nerds
Blackfork
Confessions of a Gun-Toting Seagull
FarmGirl
Gay_Cynic
Yuri Orlov
Zercool
(Now, if'n y'all - except Atomic Nerds - could see fit to addin' lil ol' me to your 'rolls... *g*)
Anyone I've missed from Gun Nuts, please leave a link in comments and I'll add you to Friday's update. Also, numerous folks have e-mailed me to say that they've added MArooned to their blogrolls - just wanted to say thanks, I'll get you added by Friday, and I will answer your e-mails, I promise. Just real busy ATM...
Welcome aboard everyone!
And while we're doing the linky-love goodness, I want to
That is all.
Revelation!
I have made a disturbing discovery:
Pride: We're all proud of our bacon-making skills.
Covetness: Don't have bacon? Then you covet it.
Lust: Duh. It's bacon.
Anger: Try taking my bacon away and see how angry I get.
Gluttony: Ever cook up bacon and have leftovers? I didn't think so.
Envy: You have bacon and I don't. 'Nuff said?
Sloth: Eat too much bacon.
There you have it. All seven deadly sins as embodied by bacon. There is clearly only one thing to do for the benefit of mankind: Send your bacon to me. I'll protect you from it's evil intentions...
That is all.
(Forgot to give thanks to Marko's status on Facebook this morning for the inspiration)
Bacon is the seven deadly sins.
Pride: We're all proud of our bacon-making skills.
Covetness: Don't have bacon? Then you covet it.
Lust: Duh. It's bacon.
Anger: Try taking my bacon away and see how angry I get.
Gluttony: Ever cook up bacon and have leftovers? I didn't think so.
Envy: You have bacon and I don't. 'Nuff said?
Sloth: Eat too much bacon.
There you have it. All seven deadly sins as embodied by bacon. There is clearly only one thing to do for the benefit of mankind: Send your bacon to me. I'll protect you from it's evil intentions...
That is all.
(Forgot to give thanks to Marko's status on Facebook this morning for the inspiration)
Memo To Al Gore...
Global Warming.
UR doin it rong.
(No, we don't actually keep the house at 72º, the thermometer is placed right over a heat register)
That's what I woke up to this morning. Single digit temperatures and a foot of snow, less than three weeks from the start of spring. At this point, I'm tempted to drive to work in four wheel low with the air conditioning on just to release more chlorofluorocarbons into the air to widen that hole in the ozone layer, creating more acid rain which will melt the polar ice caps and induce global warming.
Or something like that.
That is all.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...
I've gotten a good deal of comments the past couple of weeks about the new look:
the force my facial hair.
Yeah, after a good deal of time with the ol' caterpillar, I went for the clean-shaven route. I had intended to simply trim the cookie-duster, but you know how the expression goes:
What? Never heard that one? It's been a staple in my house since, well, a little mishap with the razor caused a serious imbalance in"Never trim a bushy mustache when in a hurry with small children underfoot".
I've had a mustache since about 1991 or so, shaving it off for a very brief period in early 2007 (when my weight dropped below 200 pounds, I shaved my face clean, no longer needing a beard to hide multiple chins). I quickly brought the 'stache back, as I was fast reminded why I grew it in the first place - I hate shaving under that gargantuan Roman nose (you know why it's a called a Roman nose, right? It's a-roamin' all over my face!).
And then I started thinking about all the various changes that happened in my life. Go back 5 years. I weighed about a hundred pounds more than I do now. I was on medication for high blood pressure. Hadn't started shaving my head yet. Two little kids - an infant and a 3 year old. Go back 10 years. No kids. Brand new house. 75 pounds heavier. Different job. I wasn't even blogging then (five years ago I was Ricky's co-blogger). I was smoking a pack of Marlboro Lights a day. Even drank more than a six pack a year.
An awful lot has changed in just those 5-10 years.
- Lost weight.
- Daily exercise.
- Quit smoking.
- Had two kids.
- Moved into a house.
- New job.
- Started this blog.
That's a lot of changes right there... Most of them made so that I could serve as a better example for my kids, living the credo that "Lead and they will follow". I didn't want them to see a fat, slovenly couch potato parent and think that it was preferable, or even acceptable. I wanted them to grow up seeing a father who took pride in his appearance, who took care of himself both to be in the best health possible for his kids but also to serve as a good example. I eat my broccoli. I do my push-ups. I wake up at 4:30 in the morning to hit the gym. I do it for them, yes.
But I also do it for me.
Change can be a good thing. But you've got to work for it; you've got to work hard, day in and day out. You can't just sit around and hope that things improve; you've got to take the initiative and do it on your own. No one's going to just wave a magic wand and send in the changey unicorns to make right all what's wrong in your life; you need to make your own decisions, change what you can, and hope that those around you follow your lead.
There's an analogy there; I just can't put my finger on it, though...
That is all.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
As Others Have Said...
Massachusetts. Live Free Or Here.
All numbers taken from the Mercatus Center study referenced by SayUncle, Alphecca, Bruce, and many others. From the intro:
This paper presents the first-ever comprehensive ranking of the American states on their public policies affecting individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres. We develop and justify our ratings and aggregation procedure on explicitly normative criteria, defining individual freedom as the ability to dispose of one’s own life, liberty, and justly acquired property however one sees fit, so long as one does not coercively infringe on another individual’s ability to do the same.
Onto the data...
Table I: Fiscal Policy Ranking
23. Massachusetts 0.02
This is the best showing MA gets. A little better than halfway...
Table II: Regulatory Policy Ranking
43. Massachusetts -0.15
Hmmm. 43rd out of 50. Sounds about right, if not a little too free for MA. Don't worry, Cadillac Deval will improve that ranking.
Table III: Economic Freedom Ranking
37. Massachusetts -0.133
Oh, with all of the new "fees" being imposed, I doubt we'll stay this low for long...
Table IV: Personal Freedom Ranking
44. Massachusetts -0.109
This one was rather surprising, but not because of MA (although I was surprised to see MA at 44th rather than 48th or 49th...). OH, home of the World's Most Dangerous Librarian, actually has less personal freedom according to this survey. I don't buy it...
Not exactly the numbers one would expect or hope for from the cradle of American liberty, the home of the "shot heard 'round the world" and all...
That is all.
The Answer Is... Four?
Obama's trade rep pick owes almost $10,000 in taxes
I forget who it was that made this observation, but it bears repeating: No wonder Democrats love raising taxes. They don't pay 'em anyways...
That's four tax dodgers now. It appears as though Obama's appointees will be going 50:50, as Kirk looks likely to gain the nomination. Tom Daschle went down in flames (G-d, do I love typing that) as well as Nancy Killefer, whereas Tim Geithner has been approved. I think it's time for a new slogan:
That is all.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Dallas, Texas, Mayor Ron Kirk, who is President Obama's nominee to be the U.S. trade representative, owes nearly $10,000 in taxes. He's the fourth Obama pick that has come under fire for tax issues.
Kirk's tax returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007 were reviewed by the Senate Finance Committee as part of the vetting process, according to a report released by the committee Monday.
The committee found that Kirk failed to report as income $37,750 in honoraria collected for 16 speaking engagements at Austin College over those three years. One year, he deducted honoraria from four events as charitable donations though he hadn't reported them as income, according to the committee report.
I forget who it was that made this observation, but it bears repeating: No wonder Democrats love raising taxes. They don't pay 'em anyways...
That's four tax dodgers now. It appears as though Obama's appointees will be going 50:50, as Kirk looks likely to gain the nomination. Tom Daschle went down in flames (G-d, do I love typing that) as well as Nancy Killefer, whereas Tim Geithner has been approved. I think it's time for a new slogan:
Barack Obama. Reinvigorating the US Economy, one Democratic tax cheat at a time.
That is all.
Northeast Blogger Early Spring Meet Reminder...
Where does the time go? There's less than three weeks to the Northeast Blogger (and Special Guest) Early Spring Meet. Must be time for another update! It's time to nail down some more specifics on the two events.
Meet-n-Eat:
Date: Sunday, March 22nd
Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (closing time, I'd wager they'll let us stay later if needed)
Location: Hilltop Steakhouse, Route 1, Saugus MA
Event: Dinner & drinks with the one, the only Ambulance Driver, straight outtaCompton CT EMS Conference
Meet-n-Shoot:
Date: Monday, March 23rd
Time: Still TBD, depends on how late we stay out Sunday night
Location: Also TBD based on weather and hosts. Ideally at Harvard Sportsman's Club, Harvard MA depending on hosting; in inclement weather Manchester Firing Line.
Event: Flinging lead downrange with your favorite armed EMS personality and several of hishangers-on compadres.
Attendees:
JD
MedicMatthew
Zeeke42
Andrew
Elizabeth
TOTWTYTR
Ross
Lissa
Weer'd Beard
Scotaku
Ken
Nate
Heath
Sci-Fi & B
Some folks have expressed interest in one event or the other; for planning purposes, it would be great to know who can make what event... There's plenty of room, especially at the evening dinner, so c'mon and join the fun! Meet AD! Buy a copy of his book! Get it signed! Be able to say "I knew him when..."
That is all (for now).
Meet-n-Eat:
Date: Sunday, March 22nd
Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (closing time, I'd wager they'll let us stay later if needed)
Location: Hilltop Steakhouse, Route 1, Saugus MA
Event: Dinner & drinks with the one, the only Ambulance Driver, straight outta
Meet-n-Shoot:
Date: Monday, March 23rd
Time: Still TBD, depends on how late we stay out Sunday night
Location: Also TBD based on weather and hosts. Ideally at Harvard Sportsman's Club, Harvard MA depending on hosting; in inclement weather Manchester Firing Line.
Event: Flinging lead downrange with your favorite armed EMS personality and several of his
Attendees:
JD
MedicMatthew
Zeeke42
Andrew
Elizabeth
TOTWTYTR
Ross
Lissa
Weer'd Beard
Scotaku
Ken
Nate
Heath
Sci-Fi & B
Some folks have expressed interest in one event or the other; for planning purposes, it would be great to know who can make what event... There's plenty of room, especially at the evening dinner, so c'mon and join the fun! Meet AD! Buy a copy of his book! Get it signed! Be able to say "I knew him when..."
That is all (for now).
Monday, March 2, 2009
Hypocrites R Us...
I've long held, in my outlook on religion, that man fails when he attempts to convey the message of the higher power. Man, being the flawed creature he is, tends to color his view of G-d's work through his own filter, and often to his own ends. I tend to view organized religion with a healthy hint of distrust, as man's history is littered with examples of how religion is used more as a method of controlling man than honoring the higher power.
And yet I find myself doing the same damn thing.
I caught myself doing it the other day, when The Boy told yet another whopper. I reminded him that lying was a sin - he's preparing for his First Communion this year, and they've been giving the "Highlights" version of the Ten Commandments in CCD (Catholic Sunday School). It dawned on me that I was using the very same tactics I had decried in the Church, albeit on a smaller scale. I was using my son's newly formed religious knowledge as a way to control him.
I started to rationalize it - it was for a greater good, right? He needs to learn that honesty is the best policy, that while lying might get him out of trouble in the short run, in the long run it only breeds distrust. And then I started to wonder: Is this how it starts? By telling him that he shouldn't lie because it's a sin, I'm abdicating my responsibility as a parent to help him distinguish between right and wrong. I'm taking the path of least resistance, appealing to his nascent religious obligations to force him to make the right choices.
And then I thought, hell, if it stops him from lying, how bad can it be? As long as I don't mind being a hypocrite, of course. How can I in good conscience disdain organized religion as a tool of oppression when I'm so willing to use it thusly myself? Even though I'm arguably using it for a noble end, the fact remains that I'm using my son's religious upbringing as a tool to control him. And yet, it works. Which only heightens my displeasure at having to resort to such drastic measures...
*sigh*
No one ever said this would be easy, eh? I believe it was the Acidman himself who opined "If it were easy, any asshole could do it"...
That is all.
And yet I find myself doing the same damn thing.
I caught myself doing it the other day, when The Boy told yet another whopper. I reminded him that lying was a sin - he's preparing for his First Communion this year, and they've been giving the "Highlights" version of the Ten Commandments in CCD (Catholic Sunday School). It dawned on me that I was using the very same tactics I had decried in the Church, albeit on a smaller scale. I was using my son's newly formed religious knowledge as a way to control him.
I started to rationalize it - it was for a greater good, right? He needs to learn that honesty is the best policy, that while lying might get him out of trouble in the short run, in the long run it only breeds distrust. And then I started to wonder: Is this how it starts? By telling him that he shouldn't lie because it's a sin, I'm abdicating my responsibility as a parent to help him distinguish between right and wrong. I'm taking the path of least resistance, appealing to his nascent religious obligations to force him to make the right choices.
And then I thought, hell, if it stops him from lying, how bad can it be? As long as I don't mind being a hypocrite, of course. How can I in good conscience disdain organized religion as a tool of oppression when I'm so willing to use it thusly myself? Even though I'm arguably using it for a noble end, the fact remains that I'm using my son's religious upbringing as a tool to control him. And yet, it works. Which only heightens my displeasure at having to resort to such drastic measures...
*sigh*
No one ever said this would be easy, eh? I believe it was the Acidman himself who opined "If it were easy, any asshole could do it"...
That is all.
Pisser...
US says Iran has material for bomb
In the panoply of "shit that keeps me up at night", this is somewhat high on the list. Iran showed little hesitation to train and support terrorists against our forces in Iraq. The thought that Iranian forces might now have nuclear weapons in their arsenal is a frightening concept, and one that validates the concerns of the Bush administration in spite of reports to the contrary.
Well, now Iran has the bomb, or is damn close to it. They've openly stated their desire for destroying Israel, and now it appears they have the means to do so. If only more had been done while they were in development of nuclear weapons, we might not be facing such a dire outlook now. However, the political opponents of the President were more interested in him being wrong than in actually doing something about the situation (remember the kerfluffle over his "Axis of Evil" comments?)
I can only hope that the "loyal opposition" now is more interested in the best interests of the US than in proving President Obama wrong...
That is all.
WASHINGTON - The nation's top military officer said yesterday that Iran has enough nuclear material to make a bomb, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the country was not close to building such a weapon.
Admiral Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN's "State of the Union" program that he believed Iran had enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon.
In the panoply of "shit that keeps me up at night", this is somewhat high on the list. Iran showed little hesitation to train and support terrorists against our forces in Iraq. The thought that Iranian forces might now have nuclear weapons in their arsenal is a frightening concept, and one that validates the concerns of the Bush administration in spite of reports to the contrary.
Well, now Iran has the bomb, or is damn close to it. They've openly stated their desire for destroying Israel, and now it appears they have the means to do so. If only more had been done while they were in development of nuclear weapons, we might not be facing such a dire outlook now. However, the political opponents of the President were more interested in him being wrong than in actually doing something about the situation (remember the kerfluffle over his "Axis of Evil" comments?)
I can only hope that the "loyal opposition" now is more interested in the best interests of the US than in proving President Obama wrong...
That is all.
Meditations on Being Sick...
To expand on my earlier post, I caught something from the kids. I don't know if it was strep throat, as there are no tell-tale white blotches and my throat doesn't feel like I've been gargling with molten lava... The symptoms were definitely flu-like, with fever, heavy chills, etc. I went to bed at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon and slept through until about 7 this morning.
I still feel like I've fallen off the back of a truck and gotten dragged behind it for several miles, with body aches and a pounding headache, but at least now I can walk around the house without 78 blankets wrapped around me, a suburban mummy warding off the evils of Orthomyxoviridae... It's been a humbling experience, to say the least - I'm used to being the guy that gets things done, and being taken out of commission so abruptly is jarring.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm just a big ol' wuss when it comes to being sick. I hate it. I hate the out-of-control feeling when your body wages war against itself. I hate not being able to do the things that need to get done. I hate feeling like death warmed over. Mostly, though, I realize just how much I take for granted the normal state of things...
Shorter Jay: Being sick sucks.
That is all.
I still feel like I've fallen off the back of a truck and gotten dragged behind it for several miles, with body aches and a pounding headache, but at least now I can walk around the house without 78 blankets wrapped around me, a suburban mummy warding off the evils of Orthomyxoviridae... It's been a humbling experience, to say the least - I'm used to being the guy that gets things done, and being taken out of commission so abruptly is jarring.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm just a big ol' wuss when it comes to being sick. I hate it. I hate the out-of-control feeling when your body wages war against itself. I hate not being able to do the things that need to get done. I hate feeling like death warmed over. Mostly, though, I realize just how much I take for granted the normal state of things...
Shorter Jay: Being sick sucks.
That is all.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, Saturday Night's All Right
Managed to sneak out of Casa del G. last night to get to the range for some much-needed recoil therapy. Needed to get some trigger time on the J-frame, as it had been a while since I'd run some lead through it, and I wanted to sight in the red dot sight on the 422. As expected, the range was empty (my gun club consists mainly of hunters who have little interest in pistol shooting. Their loss, my gain), although someone had thoughtfully left every single light and fan on. Grrrr.
But it was a good night shooting...
I need to practice more with the snubbie; while all shots were COM I wasn't consistently putting them where I wanted them to go. This is totally my fault; I have been neglecting my carry revolver skills in favor of the semi-auto. I chalk this up to the reliability of the revolver; since it's less likely to jam or otherwise malfunction (notice I do not say that it can't or won't!), I tend to practice more with the semi-autos.
Sighting in the red dot on the 422 was quite enjoyable. The 422 is a little finicky on loading/ejecting, which I will need to address - it's not quite ejecting spent brass on every nth shot (there's no real rhyme or reason to when it jams, as sometimes it was every other shot; sometimes it was once every other magazine). Accuracy, however, was quite good:
That's 30 shots at 30 feet. Yeah, I'll take that...
The sight was a bit of a challenge to dial in, as there are no markings whatsoever as to which is elevation and which is windage. A little bit of trial-and-error (story of my life) got the job done. Made an interesting discovery, too - the 422 will feed Federal bulk .22LR just as well as the mid-range PMC Sidewinders I'd been feeding it.
All in all, an excellent way to spend a Saturday night...
That is all.
But it was a good night shooting...
I need to practice more with the snubbie; while all shots were COM I wasn't consistently putting them where I wanted them to go. This is totally my fault; I have been neglecting my carry revolver skills in favor of the semi-auto. I chalk this up to the reliability of the revolver; since it's less likely to jam or otherwise malfunction (notice I do not say that it can't or won't!), I tend to practice more with the semi-autos.
Sighting in the red dot on the 422 was quite enjoyable. The 422 is a little finicky on loading/ejecting, which I will need to address - it's not quite ejecting spent brass on every nth shot (there's no real rhyme or reason to when it jams, as sometimes it was every other shot; sometimes it was once every other magazine). Accuracy, however, was quite good:
S&W Model 422 & target
That's 30 shots at 30 feet. Yeah, I'll take that...
The sight was a bit of a challenge to dial in, as there are no markings whatsoever as to which is elevation and which is windage. A little bit of trial-and-error (story of my life) got the job done. Made an interesting discovery, too - the 422 will feed Federal bulk .22LR just as well as the mid-range PMC Sidewinders I'd been feeding it.
All in all, an excellent way to spend a Saturday night...
That is all.
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