Author: Kim du Toit

Gratuitous Gun Pic: James Crockhart & Son Double (.450 BPE)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

As any fule kno, I am not an aficionado of the black-powder firearms genre, but that doesn’t mean I am averse to pics of same.  This particular beauty was made in the late 19th century — which is very definitely a period of history in which I am interested if not actually addicted to — and I love it.

As the action suggests, this is not a muzzle loader — by then, we’d definitely moved on to brass cartridges [snort of derision from Reader Mr. Lion et al.]  even though smokeless powder had not yet become a thing.  Had I access to a friendly reloader who could make me the ammo necessary, I would jump at it just for the historical sense alone.

Here’s a thought, however, if you didn’t want to shoot this fine old gun.

If you were looking for a piece of wall art — say, for over your house’s mantle piece — and you had a budget of around $12,000 for such an indulgence, would you consider this rifle over a contemporary painting?  Here are a couple of examples of what I’m talking about, by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot:

I have to tell you, I would be torn.

And I apologize if this discussion makes you want to run to the nearest gun store (or art gallery) and buy something.  (See the above two posts for the implication.)

News Roundup

Bad News

And talking about giving the finger:


...let NYFC sink.


...they hate us, we move, Q.E.D.

From the Global Cooling Climate Warming Change© front:

  and:
...make ’em starve, guys:  join the Frogs and Krauts, make your own European Union.  Also:


...some would call it prudence, others would call it hypocrisy.  I report, you decide.

On the Police Blotter:


...wait [putting on Sarah Hoyt’s Shocked Face]:  you mean criminals don’t obey gun-prohibition laws? 

And speaking of gun laws:


...git ‘er done, cher.


...that’s not really breaking news, is it?  We’ve been doing that anyway, since Trump was still only a millionaire.

In the Dept. of Vanishing Things:


...wait:  could this crisis be from vegans becoming a dying breed?  One can only hope.

And in International News:


...and as plans go, this sounds like a good one.


...lemme guess:  for boys, Mohammed, Piotr and Jetmir;  for girls, Ngxoza, Jasmin and Agnieszka.


...presenting Dr. Kim’s Patented Anti-Seagull Devi©e:

And now ’tis time for link-free 

...and how many men would take the risk?


...not, mind you, that I think she said (or says) it that often, the Welsh tart.  But anyway:

And one from days of yore:

And that’s it for the news.

Quote Of The Day

QOTD

I really could quit looking up things to feature here and just read Jeremy Clarkson for material.  Here’s his latest:

OH no. It really is true. Just days after calling in the administrators, Body Shop has started to shut its branches across the country. 
So where am I going to get my satsuma body butter now? And my carrot moisturiser? And my tea tree oil?
I guess I’ll have to go back to the olden days of using soap and water and accepting the fact that old people are supposed to look like scrotums.

Priceless.

I know, it’s actually scrota, but I’m not going to correct The Greatest Living Englishman.

Grinding Gears

Drive Time

Via Insty:

The overarching trend in the car world has been that the manual transmission is on the way out. People like automatics for the convenience, but they can be faster than manually shifting, and they’re frequently better at saving fuel. But the manual still has advantages. It’s small and light, it’s still sometimes more affordable than an equivalent automatic model, and, of course, it’s much more engaging than an automatic. For these reasons, automakers are still selling a variety of models with manuals. The list is certainly short compared to a couple decades ago, but the variety is impressive. Whether you’re looking for an extremely affordable commuter, a sports car or even an off-road oriented truck or SUV, there’s a manual-equipped car for you. And we’ve assembled the whole list of every single make and model of car with an available manual transmission for you three-pedal diehards.

…and then follows the list, for those who’d prefer driving a car instead of just steering it.

Manual transmissions are the bolt-action rifles of the automotive world.

And if you can’t see the similarities… well, I can’t help you.

See No Evil

Technology

In commenting on Florida’s proposed ban on social media for under-16s, Robert Shibley says this:

It would be wise for the big platforms to make it much easier for parents to regulate this stuff, because that’s far preferable to the law stepping in.

That’s a laudable suggestion, but unfortunately it doesn’t take into account the fact that getting kids hooked on their programs is the actual goal of the “big platforms”, simply to get eyeballs for their advertisers.  That any harm might occur to the owners of those eyeballs is to be ignored because First Amendment, dude.

I myself think that lowering the age of consent to 12 and the drinking age to 13 would probably do less harm to kids than does exposure to FaecesBook and the like.  What the hell:  if we’re going to trust kids not to do stuff that might harm them, let’s go all the way. [/Big Platforms]