Who ya' gonna bribe?

It is of course amazing to read that the federal government didn't get something right the first time. Washington has re-indicted the Smith and Wesson sales VP and 21 other arms dealers for being willing to bribe an African government official. (He didn't exist; it was a sting.) The move is of interest primarily to lawyers, but for you hard-core anti-government radicals, it's another small entry in your Washington WTFs journal.

We condemn bribery of foreign officials. However before we get all Huffington Posty about hanging these guys by their merchant-of-death thumbs, we ought to recruit some sentencing consultants who (a) have sterling reputations for integrity while at the same time (b) possess extensive experience in doing business with governments still at the juju level of linear logic.

The other thing that comes to mind is a question on priorities. Would the feds have better spent the money and man hours rooting out domestic bribers of domestic officials?

There is a delicious characterization there of newly minted integrity crusader Chris Dodd as "somebody playing a new and uncharacteristic role as he pushes his bill rewriting the rules of regulating Wall Street: 'In the twilight of his career, history and a touch of Catholic guilt have now pushed Dodd, the consummate insider, into the role of reformer: the old Senate telling the new that it must act to have any hope of redemption. Twice in the past week, Dodd has gone to the Senate floor to deliver hard-nosed lectures challenging those who would stand in the way of new financial regulations after the disastrous market meltdown in 2008'."

You see, Senator Dodd understands that since he is retiring from the Senate it is high time we ended the influence of big money on senators.

Joseph Heller

People who don't reread Catch 22 every few years are not to be trusted. It was time, and I began last night.

Yossarian is in the hospital with his almost jaundice. The Texan was admitted to the ward.

"The Texan turned out to be good-natured, generous and likable. In three days no one could stand him."

Dunkirk II

The Admiralty steams to the rescue, 70 years after Dunkirk I. Hail Britannia.

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The dust is supposed to damage jet engines, and I have seen everyone from the likes of Chuck Schumer to Elton John quoted on the matter. Maybe the world's great wire services and newspapers could set up an interview with an actual aeronautical engineer. Just for a little journalistic balance, y'know.

Retro bangers

The horoscope says it's a lucky day, so I think I'll try again on the magazine fix for the Marlin Model 38.

I'm trying to adapt a tube spring and follower cannibalized from a 1907 Hopkins and Allen Military Rifle which is too far gone to ever be a shooter again. (Neat old rifle though, almost a as neat as H and A's ad for it in Popular Mechanix. In those days gun makers used Presidents' words to move product.)

It shouldn't be all that difficult once I determine how to retain the follower in the tube after the magazine is empty. You can shoot the gun all day long even without the internal tube parts if you simply raise the muzzle to about vertical after each shot.