PUBLIC NOTICE: henceforward, I shall be calling the cartridge formerly known as ".40 S&W" by a new name -- ".40 Liberty" -- to disassociate one of the greatest implements of self-defense ever conceived from the cowardly corporation doing its best to eradicate the very concept of self-defense, and to remind everybody to boycott that corporation and interdict its sales to all government agencies.
-- L. Neil Smith

Ms. Maggie is quite right ...

S&W (as well as Walther, for whom they are manufacturing in the US) is doing a lot of very bad things in terms of QC ...

Wolf would like a nice H&K club, though, if anyone's looking to buy me a new gift (I wear a size .40 ;))

Well, I was thinking about PR fallout from the infamous deal they cut with the Clinton administration. That was such a disaster that the company's UK owners ended up selling out to a small firm called "Saf-T-Hammer" that designed "safety and security devices" for firearms, owned by a former S&W VP.

They had also poisoned their distribution channel by trying to impose some really insanely restrictive conditions on their downstream. Not smart.

A good friend of mine owns a gunshop. He told me one of the conditions of being a stocking dealer for the S & Ws was that at the end of the business day all of the handguns were to be placed in a gun vault to be secured. That means the security system and the 3/4" solid bars covering the windows arent enough and you have to take all the guns out of the displays and lock them in the vault.

Why in the hell would you want to go through the added expense and time to become a stocking dealer when no one wants the S & Ws anyway. It's no wonder they're making bicycles and auomotive parts now to suppliment the gun biz. Stupid asses.

Oh yeah...me and Ed are real close. I usually hang out with him and Midge over in East Falls. He doesn't like coming over here to the apartment in Torresdale...he calls us Far Northeasterns "Republican snooties." On some Friday afternoons, he, Dan Fee, and I roll over to Jimmy's on Ridge Ave. for some serious cheesesteaks. We gotta do it before sunset though...Sabbath. I'm gonna miss him when he heads out to Harrisburg...but he promised to get me in on the PLCB so that I can sell the pieces off to all my friends. Apparently, him and John Street are cool on NE Airport being renamed for...well, I don't want to make you all any more jealous.

Toad, kb...you guys want your own liquor store? They're selling like hotcakes. ;)

Really? During the campaign his idea for "reforming the PLCB" was to allow beer distributors to sell wine. “I am going to reform the system in a way that’s achievable.” he said. So keep watching....and keep an eye on his 10% by-the-drink tax in Philly too. I suspect that's going to be around for a while. :-)

As long as he leaves Krispy Kreme alone...

Well, Ed's a bit of a realist. Admittedly, he's afraid that the unions will cause untold amounts of hell if he tries to privatize the system. Truth be told, I don't think anyone can privatize that baby for a while...that union factor could be a death blow for either major party.

But the other day, as we were chomping down at Jimmy's, Big Ed turned to me with a stone-cold serious face and said, "T-money, I need a scapegoat. You know that if I lead the charge for privatizing the LCB, I'm dead in the water..."

Dan Fee then interjected, "We need you to be the fall guy, T. We'll get you on the LCB, then you have to go about selling it off, much to our feigned shock and dismay. We'll set it up so that there isn't much we can do to stop you...you'll be surrounded by yes men, like your good buddy Griff. But we gotta warn you T. You'll wind up being a target...you know how Johnny Doc and the electricians are..."

Big Ed then waved off Fee and said, "Now don't you worry. Sylvester (Johnson, the police commissioner) has already got that angle covered. Vince (Fumo) and John (Perzel) are working with us on that as well. But after you start selling it off and break the union, people, especially in Philly, will call for your head. You'll have to resign and leave the state in disgrace."

Fee then added, "You've always wanted to move to Chicago, right T? And we'll talk to Rod (Blagojevich, IL's incoming governor) in helping get Rho squared away."

Big Ed looked at me with concern in his eyes, "It's for the good of the people, T."

"I know Big Ed," I said, acknowledging all that the two men had said. "Well, if it's for the good of the people, how can I say no? I'll do it for you Big Ed!"

"Excellent!" Big Ed cried. "Waitress! More cheesesteaks for everybody!"

I'll dunk to that! :)

you do know why, right?

Mostly to save face for S&W ... they were frustrated over numerous gunshop breakins in which all the pistols were stolen except theirs ... :D police would find a big pile of broken glass, and a big pile of S&Ws ...

UPDATE: Four weeks Later
 

I had my follow up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon today. Got fresh x-rays taken. All is looking well and I have had my cast removed and replaced with a removable brace. :)

I have also been cleared to drive, so I'm going to be wandering around aimlessly in The Red Baron.

At one point the doc asked me what I'd been doing.

So I let him know. I'd been to a faith healer (three reiki masters who are friends), as well as following a wide variety of medical advice from an assortment of psychiatrists, including take Vitamin C, take calcium, take multi-vitamins, and one of our doc's even made a point of kissing it better.

Well, some combination of these (including one of my favorite meds, tincture of time) was effective. I'm apparenly showing good growth of new bone callous, and have relatively decent range of motion.

Re: UPDATE: Four weeks Later
 

Well, congratulations. And stop by and see us sometime.

I couldn't stand even the thought of only being able to tickle the ivorys with only one hand much less my guitar.

I'm really glad for you.:)

I was overjoyed beyond belief last night when I got home, took off my brace and untaped my fingers and was able to type with both hands.

Simple pleasures. :D

And you've been posting quite a bit lately...I am impressed. If I could only type with one hand, I'd lose my mind. :)

Having one hand immobilized slows me down to normal person typing speeds. I've been clocked at 100 WPM when I'm on the top of my game.