Dear President Obama,

I wonder, Sir, if you are attending to today's economic thermometer?

Our domestic stocks are tubing because, our experts report, the entire Ouzo production of Greece and all the of Portugal's best Madeira will not suffice to pay their kings' debts, and the folks who lent them money are getting more than a little (a) anxious to be repaid and (b) fricked if they'll ever loan money to one of them again.

If fact, lenders are starting to wonder about sovereign debt in general. That's, you know, like fronting cash money to nations.

Anyway, that just reminded me I just wanted to ask you to keep up a very good front in front of Chinese persons you happen to run across. I'd get pretty nervous out here if they decide to Greece us.

'course, I wouldn't dream of cramping your style by asking you to help make sure we start buying only what it can pay for. I mean health care and war and nations to build and like that.

Your Nervous Pal,

Jim

P.S. -- It is okay by me if you want to blame three or four of the guys who had the job before you for some of it.

Old gun serendipity

A while ago I put up a bad shot of an old H&R "The American Double Action."

I finally started putting it back where it belongs this morning, and for some reason stirred the box of old partial guns ( plus gun parts I can't identify).

Lo and behold, I find I have a second YADA, identical except for barrel length, and it seems to bear all the parts the other one is missing. I feel a half-day in the shop coming on to meet my urgent need for another ancient revolver shooting an obsolete, barely available, largely useless, and ruinously expensive caliber for which I have neither brass nor dies.

EDIT: Fuggitaboutid. No trigger spring. But it looks good on the wall.

The Bill

For firearms law researchers, here is the new Iowa shall-issue and reciprocity bill:

http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=BillInfo&Service=Billbook&ga=83&menu=text&hbill=SF2379

Some despicable interloper

...has been posting on my blog, reporting on all sorts of irresponsible speculation that the Honorable Chester Culver, Governor of the Great State of Iowa, might pocket veto the shall-issue and reciprocity bill. If I ever find that dastardly rumor monger, he is in great trouble.

I , for one, never doubted for a moment that Governor Culver would do the right and honorable thing. But you know that.

He says today that he will sign the bill Thursday, either the last or next-to-last possible day.

I will relay the implementing rules and timing as soon as I can get them from the agencies.

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Edit: How thoughtless of me to neglect warning you of the blood bath to come.