I'll have what they're having

And make it a double:

Favoring the constitutional right to bear arms over others' concerns about gun safety, Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed into law a bill making Arizona the third state allowing people to carry a concealed weapon without requiring a permit.

The measure takes effect 90 days after the current legislative session ends, which likely puts the effective date in July or August.

"I believe this legislation not only protects the Second Amendment rights of Arizona citizens, but restores those rights as well," Brewer, a Republican, said in a statement.

Take that, you mealy-mouthed, panty-waisted, half-wit hoplophobes!

Damn, but don't it feel good to win one now and again. I think I'll look at some real-estate in Arizona, as it just vaulted itself into the upper reaches of my list of desirable places to inhabit on a semi-permanent basis.

When in doubt, empty the clip

- The story is slightly aged, but it's probably still fresher than the last packet from Telkom.

- "Muskelkraft Flieger" would also make a great rock-band name.

- They're trying, but without a towel and large, friendly letters reading "DON'T PANIC", this is going nowhere fast.

- Having decided to take my chances without the above, I'd like to have one of these instead. (With video goodness.)

- Evidently, we're just not modeling hard enough; pass the chicken entrails and bones, please.

- Speaking of financial modeling...

Wish-List Addendum

Really, it warrants no explanation beyond "DO WANT".

Waiting

While at a birthday party last weekend, some time after we had declined to give a snort about fireworks that may or may not be seen from the roof (we pondered, drinks in hand, of questionable ability to do so, had we the desire), but sometime before the inevitable close of the evening (sometime the next morning), we sat at the fire-pit, conversing. We, meaning one of the more elderly men (young in spirit, though, and try convincing him otherwise) and myself.

We quibbled about our gardens at length, and about everything else that had passed since we last spoke. Inevitably, the discussion shifted to the state of my personal life. Specifically, the notable lack of a better-looking, better-dressed, better-behaved complement to my shambling mess (to complete that tired old Victorian stigma), complete with lady-parts and parasol.

I shrugged. "The last one didn't work out", I offered. "I owed her better than wasting her time with something that wasn't about to work."

He nodded, and swirled the quasi-alchemical mixture in his Mason jar, as if attempting to read it like so many tea leaves.

At length he said, "You need to find yourself a cute little waitress somewhere and settle down."

I was immediately taken with the image, and had nothing further to say beyond, "Yep."

When in doubt, empty the clip

- Andrew Wyeth, 1917-2009.

- "I'll take 'Things That Cost $33' for $100 trillion, Alex."

- I'm hoping this gets here before the incoming administration does something rash. Hubba-hubba.

- "The truth is together with unfunded liabilities and promises to our retirees we're in the hole for over $59 trillion. We need to understand this truth before we can move forward with any new proposals."

Civil disobedience at it finest

Now there's something I can drink to:

Tonight is the 75th anniversary of the end of Prohibition – of 5 December 1933 when Utah became the deciding 36th state to ratify the 21st amendment to the constitution, and restore to the country's citizens the basic human right to go out and have a drink.

They didn't restore it; that's the totalitarian view of government power, that it may give and take away "basic human rights". Today is a day for the libertarians in the crowd, a day commemorating the end of an idiotic rather than "noble experiment".

Now, if we could hammer out the rest of the mala prohibita in the legal code with the 9th and 10th Amendments, then we'd be on our way to a week-long party celebrating the kind of liberty and justice you can't beg, buy or steal.

Heh. I do dream.

Prototype: "Roy Bean"

Do want, even if just for the novelty value.

Here's a video from Taurus with it in action.

I'm not sure about how well the .410 shot-shells would stack up against a comparable sidearm in .40SW or .45ACP at varying distances, but it'd be a hoot to try out.