We did it! The Matinee was up on Saturday (and nearly on time!), the TW3 (this!) was up on time, and we had a W4 this week as well.
So at least as far as beancounting goes, it looks like a good week.
The links are
not yet
live; to find the posts scroll down. Enjoy!
The Boring Statistics
This week we remained close to the historical mean on words, at roughly 18,000 words, generally the same as the last two weeks, and we loaded 25 posts, one less than last week. The mean post was up to a fairly mainstream 730 compared to last week’s 650 (the TW3 said 640 but the stats have been updated). We continued to exceed our target of 19 posts (3x day x6 days +1 on Sunday); in effect there’s a bonus post daily. Comments were
low, 66
, 71 (updated when we made the links live Sunday night), down from 81.
Our gratitude to readers, commenters and linkers is sincere and continues. Thanks for validating our efforts.
Most Commented Post of the Week
Our most commented post was “Improved Peace Symbol,” which looked at the history of warfare-positive people turning the hippies’ misshapen Mercedes-Benz logo back on them. This was a relatively rare instance of the most commented-upon post being a GWOT post instead of the more usual technical posts. The runner-up was also a GWOT post of a sort, the one about the Navy’s latest officer to blot his copybook, this one by, it says in the indictment, taking bribes. As the Dragnet TV show used to say, “all suspects are presumed innocent unless convicted in a court of law.” This guy’s already convicted by his officer peers of the crime of Bad Publicity on the Service. The court could find it’s all a big misunderstanding, but the officer’s career goose can’t be uncooked.
Not drawing any comments were a couple of surprises to us: a video post on the Japanese Type 5 copy of the M1 Garand, and the TW3, the excellent Great War Fiction site. We hope you just didn’t comment because you went to the site. The rice-burner M1 was something we thought extremely interesting and so we’re kind of shocked nobody said nothin’. But we suppose that beats random abuse.
The Week in Posts
Here’s the recap of our posts for this week:
We had a Burning Sunday.
Manufacturers are saying Goodbye Gun Valley, hello Gun County. And anti-gun policies are one reason.
We warn readers that on Syria… beware extreme claims
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have crappers!
An overdue comment on the Sanborn case in Colebrook, NH: Black-powder substitute blast leads to charges
We really liked An M1 Garand with a Japanese Accent (Galand?). You guys didn’t. C’est la guerre.
The real ‘Plasma Knife’ story is a lot less dramatic than the version sexed-up by gormless mediots.
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have parrots.
We finally catch up on some Back Matinees: Cross of Iron and Night Bombers.
Our Wednesday Weapons Website of the Week: Great War Fiction actually deals also with the poetry and cultural impact of World War I. Great site.
The Navy serves up Another scandal with security information and Lady Gaga
We offer you a Book review: Red Army Tank Commander.
The hippies started it, but we gunnies made an Improved Peace Symbol. Actually, a basic truckload of ‘em.
We point you to Chris Hernandez for A good look at a good shoot.
Willie and Joe didn’t spring to life in a vacuum. Check out the Cartoons of World War I.
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have body wastes.
Soviet* SEALs Stay Strapped while Submerged — yeah we know they’re not Soviets any more but we got carried away with the alliteration.
We ask, What is it with cats and crossbows? Bonus skewered cat-kebab photos and X-rays.
Breaking: Powder Plant Owner Guilty of Manslaughter. That’s the end of the road for the Sanborn case, at least until sentencing. Date for that not set. Moral of story, make it real obvious you’re safety cautious if you’re in the hazmat manufacturing business.
The lesson of the Brian Aitken case is that In New Jersey No Man is Safe.
Ten signs Bubba is in Da House smithin’ yo’ guns.
Hat’s off to the Marines — boy, did HQMC crawfish on this with record speed or what?
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have hammers…
Saturday Matinee 2013 43: Storming Juno (2010, TV) is a Canadian TV production that’s half drama and half documentary, but somehow the strange neither-fish-nor-fowl beastie works.
And we’re back around the barn to, That was the week that was: 2013 Week 43
We hope you enjoyed this week’s content.
Here’s how we did on last week’s promises:
Not as well as we’d like, but about as well as we usually do. The overdue and the underdelivered:
√ A horror story from NJ promised originally now some seven weeks ago. Finally.
X A major post on Gerald Bull’s awesome space-capable artillery that seems to have entrenched itself on the back burner. If we don’t get these two done this week, they’ll be voting age before we know it.
√ To post 3 x day x 6 days. We exceeded this.
One gun-tech or -industry post and one SOF/UW post per day. We were… close, and that’s all we’re gonna say about that.
√ To post a √ WWWW, a √ TW3, and a √ Saturday Matinee, before COB Saturday. Done x 3.
X One back Saturday Matinee. We might yet, after queuing this up. But other duties also call.
This is pretty much going to be a standing set of promises until we have a reason to improve them. It was a huge relief to get the Brian Aitken story out. Everyone needs to know about this.
We also promised, specifically:
√ A look at a very different Garand (the Japanese one from Tuesday);
√ An update on the gun industry’s assortative relocation from anti-gun to pro-gun states (up Monday);
1/2 Some more M16 stuff (we’re not entirely sure what, yet, we have a lot of things queued up) (we still have most of this, but a couple things leaked into the Bubba is in Da House story Saturday morning);
√ A story of a black powder substitute gone real bad (Two stories on the Craig Sanborn trial resulting from the explosion at the Black Mag plant, Monday and Friday);
And some gun-building, which is carried over as we’re still standing by for an FSB jig. (Doesn’t help we didn’t send out the check).
For Next Week
Our goals are unchanged:
to catch up the long-festering back posts mentioned above, now down to just one (Gerald Bull).
to post three times a day, six days a week, of which:
one gun-tech or -industry post and one SOF, UW, or war-related post up daily.
a WWWW, on Wednesday.
a Saturday Matinee, and a TW3 before the week ends at midnight Saturday.
one back Matinee — at least.
Some specifics we know we have for you:
A video of a protective vest entrepreneur doing the usual confidence demonstration, with some historical demos thrown in;
An explanation of why both opponents and supporters have always given background checks more credence than they’re really worth;
Even more M16 stuff from the historical archives;
The formulas for invisibility, if we can figure out how to display formulas in WordPress;
And, we hope, that little bit of gun-building.
See you with a TW3 on Saturday! (Again!)