Done Deal...

With victory in House, health care reform moves to Senate

Washington (CNN) -- The House of Representatives passed a sweeping health care bill Saturday night with a tight vote of 220-215, making it the biggest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare was created more than 40 years ago.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act, or H.R. 3962, restricts insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition or charging higher premiums based on gender or medical history. It also provides federal subsidies to those who cannot afford it and guarantees coverage for 96 percent of Americans, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

"...the biggest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare was created more than 40 years ago" - if that doesn't chill your marrow, you either don't pay taxes or haven't been paying attention.

We do get a glimpse into the workings of the Democratic mind:

"Democrats voted for the bill and a Republican voted for the bill. That equals bipartisan," Pelosi said later.

Got that? One Republican out of 202 voted for the bill, so it's bi-partisan. One half of one percent = a consensus. As long as someone somewhere on the other side of the aisle votes for it, it's bi-partisan. By Pelosi's criteria, Bill Clinton's impeachment was overwhelmingly bipartisan, as all of five Democrats voted to impeach. Or we could consider that 39 Democrats voted against the bill - meaning that the vote against was a LOT more bipartisan than the vote for.

In any case, the only thing that stands between this monstrosity passing and the last shreds of fiscal responsibility is the US Senate. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

That is all.

Stimulus Schwimulus...

Employment Situation

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- OCTOBER 2009

The unemployment rate rose from 9.8 to 10.2 percent in October, and nonfarm payroll employment continued to decline (-190,000), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The largest job losses over the month were in con-struction, manufacturing, and retail trade.

And yet they're barreling full-speed ahead with the vote on Universal Health Care today, regardless of the impact of such a bill. $1.2 Trillion over 10 years? If you believe that, I have a tunnel project in Boston to sell you - originally spec'd at a hair over $2B, but final costs more than 10X that. And that was a limited project in a single city in a single state. Imagine that, writ large...

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Geoff over at Innocent Bystanders put the following chart together regarding unemployment figures and the 0bama administration's projections regarding the effect of the stimulus package:

Boy, it sure is a good thing we rammed through that trillion dollar stimulus bill without reading it, isn't it?

That is all.

Tip 'o' the keyboard to my good buddy sci-fi for e-mailing all this to me. He did all the heaving lifting, I just serve it up for ya...

Fort Hood

Lots of talk going around the gun blogosphere about the events at Fort Hood down in Texas yesterday. We had all the makings of a sensational story: A career military man, angry about being deployed, takes out his frustrations in an orgy of violence against his fellow soldiers. We have a surprising development that US military bases are gun-free zones, where all weapons are stored under lock and key, including personally-owned firearms. We have the Major's muslim background adding fuel to the fire. He was also a graduate of Virginia Tech, site of the 2007 massacre that was the worst mass shooting in US history. And Fort Hood is near Killeen, TX, where George Hennard smashed his way into a Luby's Restaurant and killed 23 people before taking his own life.

You literally could not design a more perfect media storm.

The reactions are typical. Some folks call for a lifting of the ban on personal firearms on base, rightfully claiming that the "gun-free zone" does nothing other than provide a target-rich environment for a madman or terrorist. Others want to go the opposite direction, and ban all guns entirely and beef up security. President 0bama gave a speech on the shooting and started off with a "shout out" to Medal of Honor recipient Joe Medicine Crow. There's a little something to fuel everyone's hate this morning, from those who would use this to ban guns to those who will use any excuse to bash the President.

I can't help but think of the 13 men and women killed and the 30 people wounded. Please pray for the dead and injured, that they may find peace in this terrible time.

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Masterful Mercurys

Today's Friday Fun thread will examine another facet of FoMoCo, the Mercury marque. The Mercury brand is positioned between the entry-level, full-line Ford and the luxury, limited level Lincoln. Mercury pretty much apes Ford for most of their models much like Chrysler & Dodge or Chevy/Buick/Cadillac. Here's my Top Ten list of Favorite Mercurys.


1. 1949 Mercury 8. The original chopped & channeled hot rod, the Merc appeared in such films as American Graffiti and Cobra... Arguably the most famous Mercury out there.


2. 1969 Marauder X-100. What's not to like about a car with a 390 HP 429 CI V8? The Marauder was one of Mercury's entries in the "personal luxury" market, a niche group filled with Lincolns and Oldsmobiles.


3. 1967 Cougar. Mercury's twin for the Mustang, it came out three years after the Pony's debut just in time to offer yet another choice in the pony car wars. 1967, of course, saw GM introducing the Camaro and Trans Am...


4. 1956 Monterey. Last year before they restyled it to look like the Chevy Impala; the Monterey was a throwback to a better time of high tailfins, two-tone paint, and nigh invulnerable lead sleds...


5. 1982 Capri. No, not the Miata wanna-be they turned it into in the late 1980s, this would be the 5.0L Mustang's twin from the early/mid 1980s. A little rarer than the 5.0L Mustang, the Capri was instantly recognizable from the giant bubble of glass on the rear deck.


6. 1971 Cyclone. Mercury's twin to the Torino GT and adversary of the Chevelle/GNX/442/GTO quarter from General Motors. And if it was the GT version, it could be had with a 425HP 427 Cobra Jet...


7. 1949 M-47. Yes, Virginia, Mercury did indeed make a pick-up truck. It didn't last long, and it would be well over 50 years before FoMoCo worked up the courage to ask about making it again...


8. 1964 Comet. While the vast majority of the Comets were powered by anemic six cylinder engines, a select few had the twin-carb 427 under the hood. These models actually saw some race time as Super Stock entries.


9. 1973 Cougar. (1971 shown). This one's a sentimental favorite, as it was the first car of a childhood buddy of mine, and many nights were spent cruising around in the big Merc looking for something to happen...


10. 2004 Marauder. Gotta give props when a major manufacturer throws caution to the wind and starts modding a V8-powered grandma mobile. Of course, we won't mention that they were nearly ten years behind General Motors and the Impala SS...

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So there's my list of favorite Mercurys. It's a more obscure brand, and the list was significantly harder to cobble together than some of the previous lists, having to delve deep into the company's history for some models.

What did I miss?

That is all.

Beware The Mouse...

Mickey Kicks Butt & Takes Names In New Video Game

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Everyone knows Mickey Mouse, but they don't know him like this. A new video game, set to be released in the fall of 2010, is changing the iconic Disney character's demeanor.

This is not a drastic change for the character. Back when the mouse was introduced in the 20s, Mickey was a troublemaker. Game designer Warren Spector wanted to embrace this and create a game designed around Mickey's dark side, CNET reports.

Mickey looks a little PO'd:

Yeah, that's what I want my kids to emulate - an angry rodent...

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #136

Today's gun pr0n is one of the odd ducks in the G. armory:

Saiga-20

It's a Saiga-20, a semi-automatic, magazine-fed 20 gauge shotgun based on the Kalishnikov design. Magazines aren't quite as hard to come by as they are for the VEPR, but still on the pricey side and not likely to be readily available. Also, because it's a semi-automatic shotgun, all AWB rules apply because of the lovely state of MA - that means, for shotguns, that any magazine over 5 round capacity needs to be pre-ban, not 10 rounds as for pistols and rifles.

It's great for slugs and buckshot; the semi-automatic action really cuts down the recoil of the already more shoulder friendly 20 gauge. It handled slugs and buckshot easily; birdshot it was a little finicky although I think I needed to switch the adapter over. All in all, it's a good, sturdy shotgun to have in the armory, even if its larger brother the Saiga-12 is the more sought-after version.

And you should see the looks it gets on the trap range!

That is all.

You Look Like the Piss Boy!

Irish town proposes urine wardens

Last week, Ennis man John O'Connor installed a device which transmits an electric shock to those who relieve themselves outside his shop.

The device has sparked debate in the town, with one councillor suggesting the appointment of two "urine wardens".

Yes. You read that correctly. The problem of public urination is so bad in Ireland, they have a position entitled "Urine Warden".

Wicked Pisser.

That is all.

CAUTION: Sharp Learning Curve Ahead...

Cops: Harvard students cause fracas at club

Those wacky Harvard Business School students. Dress them in drag, and you don’t know what they’ll do. But it wasn’t the lipstick and heels that got one partygoer in trouble at the HBS Australian and New Zealand Club’s annual “Priscilla Ball,” cops said.

It all went awry just before 11:30 p.m. Friday, police said, when two students tried to get back into Tequila Rain on Lansdowne Street, after they’d reportedly been bounced for a “high level of intoxication and disruptive behavior.”

The story just keeps getting better.

Then, police said, Sidani called the cops racists, saying, “I’m a Lebanese citizen. I’m going to call the Lebanese Embassy,” while Huot stuck his arms out, saying, “Arrest me. I want you to arrest me.”

Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. Especially when you're stupid:

A crowd started to gather, and when one of the officers tried to escort him up Lansdowne Street, Huot allegedly grabbed him by the throat. The officers wrestled him to the ground and handcuffed him, police said, while Sidani tried to photograph them with a camera phone, saying, “This is going to get us a lot of money.”

BZZT! Thank you for playing! Your chance for "a lot of money" evaporated when you grabbed the officer. The fact that you were arrested with nary a mark on you is going to dispel any attempt at a police brutality claim, kids. Instead, you're going to have a felony charge to answer to, and if you push your luck, a felony conviction to follow you around the rest of your lives.

Great job, geniuses.

That is all.

Unintended Consequences...

AP: 'Cash for clunkers' = cash for big new pickups

The Obama administration's $3 billion "cash for clunkers" program should be renamed "cash for gas-guzzling pickup trucks," according to an Associated Press analysis of the data.

AP reports that for 8,200 deals — the most common — buyers traded in their old Ford 150 pickups for new Ford 150 pickups. Fuel economy for the new trucks is just 1 to 3 mpg better than the clunkers — less than 20 mpg.

Glad to see that the "Cash for Clunkers" program - that cost the taxpayers billion$ of our tax dollar$ - achieved its stated goal of getting gas-guzzlers off the streets. Unfortunately, they forgot to tell us that those gas guzzlers were simply replaced with new gas guzzlers. Gee, I wonder why that little piece of information was omitted in the glowing reviews of the program?

I'm having a hard time thinking of a program that is more descriptive of the whole 0bama administration than "Cash for Clunkers". This program:

• Cost taxpayers billions
• Achieved dubious results
• Had hidden costs that didn't surface until after people had used the program
• Didn't help American manufacturers
• Negligible positive impact on the environment

So, it completely and utterly failed to help the environment or boost American auto sales, and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. It was an empty, symbolic gesture that will, in the long run, hurt far more than it helps. Folks are going to discover that the $4,500 rebate needs to be disclosed as income on their taxes and have an unpleasant surprise come April 15, 2010. Used car prices have skyrocketed, with supply severely diminished because the "Clunkers" were destroyed under the Cash for Clunkers program.

I believe the exact term is "All sizzle, no steak" - what an apt analogy...

That is all.

Surprising, In A Good Way

Inmates come to guard's aid in jail attack

(CNN) -- Hillsborough County, Florida, Deputy Kenneth Moon was alone at his station at a county jail facility near Tampa when an inmate attacked him with no warning.

Moon, 64, was no match for Douglas Burden, 24, in custody on various drug charges. With Moon still in his chair, Burden put him in a choke hold and pulled tight.

And then, surveillance video of the Monday attack showed, other inmates jumped into the fray.

But it's not what you think - watch the video in the link. They beat that dude like a redheaded stepchild. As the inmates start swarming in, it really looks bad for the deputy - right up until they start practicing amateur phrenology on the attacking inmate. The video has a quick synopsis of the first four men to jump to Moon's aid - none are choirboys - but gets one thing right: These four men saved Deputy Moon's life, no question. They could have sat and watched the attack and done nothing, yet chose to go against one of their fellow prisoners to help a popular guard.

Pretty damn heroic, even considering their circumstances.

That is all.

Super Mondo Mega Comparo!

Okay folks, this is it. This is the be-all, end-all comparison that will finally, once-and-for-all, settle the eternal question: Glock or 1911?

My good friend Weerd Beard was kind enough to take some measurements and get the weight of his Smith & Wesson SW1911SC, a scandium framed, Commander-sized 1911 from the good folks at Smith & Wesson. I provided my Glock G30, a double-stack DAO polymer-framed subcompact. In the pictures shown for comparison, I've used my Colt 1991A1 as a stand-in for Weerd's 1911SC; the only difference size-wise is that the 1991A1 is a Government model (5" barrel), adding 3/4 of an inch to the Commander model overall.

So here goes!

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First off, the direct comparisons:

Glock vs. 1911: Height

Glock vs. 1911: Length

Glock vs. 1911: Width

The Glock, being a subcompact model, has the advantage in length (even subtracting 3/4" for the shorter Commander size of Weerd's 1911SC) and definitively in height. The 1911 is significantly thinner than the Glock. Both guns have other sizes available; there are micro-1911s with 3" barrels and shortened grips; there's also a single-stack subcompact Glock (G36) that's substantially thinner than the double-stack.

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Next, the weights:

1911 Weight

Glock Weight

Only 1.3 ounces separate the two guns; that's pretty surprising - I would have thought the polymer-framed Glock to be substantially lighter. Had the 1911 been an all-steel model, the weight differential would be more dramatic (of course, as my grandfather used to say, had the dog not stopped to shit he'd have caught the rabbit, so...)

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Other factors up for consideration are that the Glock carries 9 or 10 rounds (9 round magazine shown, and will accept a 13 round G21 (full-size) magazine. The 13 round magazines have +2 extensions available, meaning that you can have 15 rounds of .45 ACP goodness at the ready, added to the 11 (10+1) in the gun for a max of 26 rounds. The 1911 has an 8 round magazine, with 10 round magazines available, for a max of 19 rounds.

This is pretty much the end of the objective comparison; anything else that could be included would really be more subjective. Reliability, accuracy, ease of cleaning/tinkering, aftermarket parts, accessories; all of these are open to interpretation and/or rely on assumptions. This comparison is not meant to favor one pistol over the other, but merely to provide a direct comparison of physical characteristics of the two firearms.

I'd like to thank Weerd Beard for suggesting this comparison and for providing the specs and pics of his 1911SC. Blame him if you want to get into the holy mother of all opinion wars as to which of the two guns is a better platform... *g*

That is all.

Oopsie!

Man appears alive at own funeral in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO — A Brazilian bricklayer reportedly killed in a car crash shocked his mourning family by showing up alive at his funeral. Relatives of Ademir Jorge Goncalves, 59, had identified him as the victim of a Sunday night car crash in Parana state in southern Brazil, police said.

As is customary in Brazil, the funeral was held the following day, which happened to be the holiday of Finados, when Brazilians visit cemeteries to honor the dead. What family members didn't know was that Goncalves had spent the night at a truck stop talking with friends over drinks of a sugarcane liquor known as cachaca, his niece Rosa Sampaio told the O Globo newspaper. He did not get word about his own funeral until it was already happening Monday morning.

It's a damn good thing he wasn't mistaken for a zombie, otherwise he might have been shot dead at his own funeral...

That is all.

Another "Only in MA" Moment...

Embattled Turner calls easy reelection victory ‘significant’

Councilor Chuck Turner has said for months that voters would look past his federal indictment and grant him another term, and last night the five-term Roxbury councilor got his vindication: a 20-point blowout over challenger Carlos “Tony’’ Henriquez.

“It’s significant that I was reelected, but the real significance is that our community did not fall for the hype,’’ Turner, standing on a chair, told a crowd of about 50 campaign supporters who gathered at his district office in Dudley Square and chanted “Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!’’

Yeah, that would be the hype of Turner caught on tape accepting a $1,000 bribe. It's going to be really interesting to see what happens when Roxbury has to pony up the money for a special election after Turner goes to jail... I'm certain that the accusations of racism will be fast and furious...

Only in MA... Or maybe DC.

That is all.

Letters, We Get Letters...

I have the greatest readers in the gun blogosphere, you know that? I get e-mails like this one from PhillipC:

You might be a gun nut if..

You design your costume around a particular weapon in your possession.

I have an SKS, and it just seemed natural to me to go as a certain young revolutionary. Tell me if you know who I'm supposed to be, as I was surprised at the number of people who didn't.

I'm not responsible for any coffee through the nose, or need for duct tape. :-)

PhillipC

So who did Phillip go as for Halloween?

Guess Who???

Please, for the love of all that's good and holy, tell me that y'all know who Phillip is dressed as?

That is all.

Ask The Gun Nut...

So I'm on the evil Facebook, and one of my buddies shoots me a PM. He has a gun-related question, and as he puts it, "you're the guy to ask". Heh. He just became an auxiliary police officer in the next town over from me, and was trying to figure out what he should get as his service pistol. One thing led to another, and he presented his question:

"Is the m1911 pistol only available in .45acp?"

It's a deliciously intricate question, when you come down to it. For those steeped in the lore of the 1911, we might name the .38 Super and the 10mm as other worthy calibers for a 1911 to be chambered in. For folks that value the 1911 platform for micro-sized conceal carry guns, they're well aware that 1911s are chambered in 9mm. For the competition shooters, the .40 S&W-based guns offer a higher power factor than the 9mm in a gun that holds a full 10 (or more) rounds.

But asking if the 1911 comes in something other than .45 ACP is a perfectly valid question. The "Colt 45" is a ubiquitous piece of Americana; as American as motherhood, apple pie, or the '57 Chevy. Thomas Magnum, Eliot Ness, Starsky, every WWII movie every made, even Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas carried a 1911 in .45 ACP. For someone not intimately familiar with the 1911 in its many incarnations, it's quite reasonable to wonder if there is any caliber other than .45 ACP for the 1911.

And then again, some of us believe that 1911s should only be chambered in .45ACP like G-d and His prophet John Moses Browning (PBUH) intended...

That is all.