- Fred goes outside to fetch a pail of air.
- A classic sporterized Springfield. There's a big difference between a clean vintage sporter and a bubba hacksaw job. (The apex predator of the sporterized warhorse environment being, of course, Griffin & Howe.)
- If there's a less American concept than "Loyalty Day", I can't think of what it might be. I mean, we were basically founded on disloyalty to our then-sovereign ruler. Either our Permanent Ruling Class is utterly tone-deaf, or I am an anachronism completely out of touch with the tenor of the times. When are they going to pick a date for "Fealty Day", for Hamilton's sake?
Books. Bikes. Boomsticks.
“I only regret that I have but one face to palm for my country.”
Hmph. I thought we already had a "loyalty day", referred to by the cretinous as "July Fourth" and by the rest of us as "Independence Day".
ReplyDeletedoc,
ReplyDeleteIts Self-Reliance Day, not Loyalty Day...shesh!
And Im with Tam. This country was founded on civil dis-obedience. Celebrating blind loyalty is the antithesis of what it is to be American.
And I hear a chorus of LEO's shouting, "Stop resisting! Stop resisting!"
ReplyDeleteSad part is, some folks I know well are all in favor of such things, and they get quite annoyed with my "disloyalty" when I point out the bad acts of many government employees.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteIt's always a good idea to check the profile of the commenter before you before making too many assumptions. ;)
A pail of air? Haven't read that story in a long time. Good to know some people still read Fritz Leiber.
ReplyDeleteThat is gonna be one fine shooting rifle, and a pleasure to have in the cabinet. Sportered does NOT need to mean bubbaed.
ReplyDeleteA couple of things leap out at me from B. Hussein's proclamation.
ReplyDelete". . NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA . ., do hereby proclaim May 1, 2012, as Loyalty Day. This Loyalty Day, I call upon . . to join in support . ., whether by displaying the flag of the United States or pledging allegiance to the Republic for which it stands.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve . ."
First was, in the era where "In God we trust" is being erased, "In the year of our Lord". Hmm.
Then there is the issue that Our Dear Leader that needed a do-over to make his oath of office wants us to obey the Constitution only one day each year. The rest of the time is Chicago rules, thug enforcement version.
I think the House could have met it's responsibility to nation, flag and Constitution more ably by impeaching our Dear Leader on May 1.
Ah, but Brad, it would need a touching display of naivete to think Loyalty Day had anything at all to do with the Constitution. I didn't think anyone could come up with a holiday more offensive than socialist May Day, but government should never be underestimated in that capacity.
ReplyDeleteA recent discussion about loyalty versus patriotism seems more important now...
That last comment was me, btw.
ReplyDeleteHey, he wants us to start seeing May Day as something special for us all!
ReplyDeleteWhether we want to or not
Un Tam? About Loyalty Day? As much as I like to, we can't blame the Anointed One for this one. Officially, it goes back to the Eisenhower Admin, and was actually started during the "Red Scare" of the 1920's. It was meant to "Counter" all those Wobblys who were "Uniting the World" on this Day.
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny is that Obama, like many Presidents before him, issued his "Proclamation," yet his Political Base was out on the Streets doing their Feeble Best by marching to the Ash Heap.
Must be an Election Year.
I nominate November 6th as Disloyalty Day.
ReplyDeleteThe proper salute for Loyalty Day requires the middle finger to be at full extension.
ReplyDeleteTerry
Doc,
ReplyDelete"Independence Day" = "Loyalty Day"? Does not compute...
Classic sci-fi reference, FTW!
ReplyDeleteDoes it come with a Two-Minutes Hate, or will the forthcoming regulation mandate one every week?
ReplyDeletetrevalyan nailed it.
Your Obedient Servant,
Emmanuel Goldstein
As they point out over at the Reason comments: "Loyalty Day" was proclaimed on 7/18/1958. It continued what was previously known as "Americanization Day" and was specifically intended as a counter to the International Day of Labor celebrations. Obama proclaims it just as previous Presidents have done in compliance with the terms of the law.
ReplyDeleteThe first part, about it dating to 1958, is definitely true.
The anti-Communist part seems plausible.
I think the "Loyalty Day" thing is pathetic, but:
A) It's not something Obama invented, and it appears every President since-and-including JFK has done this every year, and
B) The proclamation thing is "requested" as part of the law.
So I'll give him a pass on it.
Loyalty's nice. I guess we all like the concept of loyalty. I don't quite see how to get from there to the idea of a national "Loyalty Day", though.
ReplyDelete"Clunky" is a word that leaps to mind. Also, "thud". There ought to be a word coined to express "record-scratch". In a group of Americans, I guess I have to have someone's disloyalty proven beyond a doubt, before I sit up and take notice.
Not that one can't apply some preliminary filters, in the absence of complete information. That guy over there, for instance--he just sort of looks disloyal. You never can tell. Best to keep your head on a swivel.
Mike James
Was it a pail or a bucket? It's been a long time since I read that one.
ReplyDeleteRoscoe--
ReplyDeleteA Pail Of Air
Mike James
A Pail of Air, nice.
ReplyDeleteHow about Orwell Day? We could stop by Costco on the way home to pick up sheet cakes decorated with "Do it to Julia! Not me!" and little gummy rats.
ReplyDeleteMike James
I used to have a Springfield very similar to that. It has AA walnut sporter stock on it with a semi-monte carlo comb. I also had it re-worked to fire .308 Norma Magnum instead of .30-06. Very sweet rifle.
ReplyDeleteI regret to this day that I had to get rid of it back in my poor school kid days, but it gives me some solace to know the guy I sold it to has dragged it over to Africa three times now, and killed a leopard, a bunch of different antelope (sable, waterbuck, wildebeest, hartebeest, and so forth) and a couple of the little guys like duikers and two warthogs with it.
It almost makes it worth giving it up.
Funny thing about the springfield, you had to watch. i wore the .30-06 barrel out of the gun from shooting it so much (something like 9,000 rounds) so I had the .308 Norma barrel made up for it. The action I left alone, and it had quite a bit of wear on it, too. When those wear out, the safety release can actually fire the gun. So when you click off hte safety, it can and will fire. I had the action rebuilt shortly thereafter. Scared the bejeesus out of me. Possibly the reason above all others that I sold it - I just wasn't comfortable with it anymore.
Putting that many rounds through a sporter '03 is unusual, and I'm glad you had the chance to really wring it out.
ReplyDeleteTam, thanks for the mention and kind words.
One thing. A couple of people have hinted they would like to build their own version. Fine and I wish you well, but if you start with rifle still in military configuration, you'll make some of us sad.
One of the good -- and much cheaper -- ways to go is to stay alert for already bubba-ed 03s and 03A3s. They show up often at gun shows, and asking prices around $200 are common. You can ignore home-smithie ugliness if the action and barrel are sound.