Nice article in today’s Detroit News about the increase in female CCW holders.

Unlike someone I know, these women actually apply for their permits

Wasn’t I supposed to write something about the .450 Nitro Express? Yeah, I’ll get around to it. Right now I’m busy updating my resumé because the head of the CIS department might want to hire me for next semester.

So for now, here’s something that I, as a big The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly fan, really want:

Cimarron’s making a pretty close replica of the 1851 Navy conversion that Clint Eastwood used. Yes, it’s silly and completely impractical. No, there’s no ejector rod, so you have to poke the spent shells out with a dowel. And oh yes, it is badass.

 The following is an actual transcript:

Me:    need ur address d00d

pdb:    fer?

Me:    sending the kid a present

pdb:    awwww
pdb:    You ‘ol softie
pdb:    wait
pdb:    can I have this delivered at home, or should I get a PO box?

Me:    for a stuffed animal?!?

pdb:    dude, it’s you
pdb:    I was fearing the worst

Me:    yeah, I’m sending your kid a dead hooker

pdb:    see, that’s what i’d expect

What he doesn’t know is, it’s a dead hooker stuffed animal.

Nice op-ed about Ron Paul’s campaign in tomorrow’s WaPo, written by Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch of Reason.

For a very long time I wouldn’t (couldn’t?) listen to this song. Not just because it triggered memories the way songs often do, but because I’d actually lived it, in room 902 of that old hotel. And what followed was something I’d usually prefer not to dwell upon.

But I just got some very disturbing news and now I can’t help but brood over it, second-guessing myself.

There are things you can fix and things no one can fix.

I’m afraid I’ll be attending a funeral soon.

About a year ago I wrote a post about an ideal laptop that no one was willing to make.

Well, Asus came up with something passably close. Two pounds, 7″ 800×480 screen, 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of flash, 3.5 hour battery life, and running Linux out of the box.

I’ll take mine in black, plzkthx.

Looks like Ruger and Hornady are teaming up to revive the .450 Nitro Express.

This is a pretty easy one for Ruger; they just have to cut a different chamber in the .458″ barrels they already make for the .458 Lott. Gunsmiths have been doing this as a custom conversion for years.

I’m working on a longer post with details on the cartridge itself; it should be up this weekend.

Venture Bros. Season 3 won’t start until next June. On the bright side, we’ll get to see Brock fight Master Billy Quizboy.

Bitter Bitch asks:

If the Santa in your family could fill your stocking with some gear or one gun, what would it be?

That’d be the same gun I’ve been jonesing for since last fall: a Ruger No. 1 in .450/400 Nitro Express.

One of our (somewhat) local shops even has one in stock at a good price. Just think, if my three regular readers scrounged under their couch cushions and came up with a paltry $275 each, I could have a shiny new elephant gun to unwrap on Christmas morning.