July 2012 - Argghhh!

Here's a primer, with lanyard attached. When the spectator said they got hit by something (standing 30 feet to the right rear of the piece) the copper tube, which is blown out of the vent, is what glanced off their cap.

A U.S. Army paratrooper takes cover behind a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle while firing his M4 carbine at insurgents during a firefight near Muqor in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, June 30, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

...per se. It just means that now there are *two* alcohol fueled components in a fighter. An A-10C Thunderbolt II flies over Florida’s Gulf Coast on June 29, 2012, marking the second flight of an aircraft powered solely by an alcohol-derived jet fuel blend. Alcohol-to-Jet is a cellulosic-based fuel that can be derived using wood, paper, grass or anything that is a cell-based material. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago)

Best quote regarding children firing cannon at Castle Argghhh! came in email: "And that’s growing up in Kansas for you! Wow! Very impressive. Looks like it was a very fun day." Indeed.

[EDITORS NOTE: This is the longest blog posting in history, so you might want to print it out and read it when you have the time. I apologize for the length, but I think it is necessary to make the point I wanted to make; to wit, that the Supreme Court’s answer to the Stolen Valor Problem is not only unworkable, but unnecessarily puts folks in jeopardy of legal or physical disputes. Also, thanks to Ranger Up for the appropriate graphic.] As you know, I disagree with the Supreme Court’s...

Tim said, "John, I thought you might find this interesting. An original 12lb gun cast in 1864 on a reproduction carriage. It was used to fire cannister rounds for an experiment by archeologists as to the actual spread/range, etc of the rounds. The ammunition was made up by Paulson Bros to Ordnance department standards. The 27 balls were color-coded by layer so that when located, they could be marked via GPS to determine where each layer expanded to and impacted. Fascinating footage of the impact...

"These are my panties, this is my gun. This is for fighting, these are for fun!" While also a new jody for Marines in Boot, it also encapsulates this lawsuit, where Spearmint Rhino is suing Chiappa firearms over potential trademark confusion . Methinks Chiappa will win this shootout.

...on Roberts and Obamacare . I agree with the good Doc. The fact that I like his sci-fi and that he's a Redleg have nothing to do with that. It is a political decision - and Pournelle frames it correctly. If we don't like what Congress is imposing, then it's time to change Congress. And that guy in the White House. H/t, Casey for the link.