Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em; Just Don't Shoot 'Em

Today, on a public library terminal, I tried to access an article lamenting the demise of the Winchester Model 94 (January will mark the second anniversary of this American icon). The computer I was using informed me that the site was blocked because it was about "weapons." The same message was received when I tried to go to the Winchester Repeating Arms official site at www.winchesterguns.com. Once again, the page was about weapons, so I couldn't access it. On a lark, I tried the Smirnoff official site, to which the workstation replied, "Nyet!" But I had no problem going to MTV, VH1, or Philip Morris -- three companies whose products I find much more objectionable than I do those of the fine folks of Winchester Repeating Arms.

AT

Adventure Team Daily - an Adventure Team-related blog.

Paratrooper Rocky at Flickr has a composite image of all the Adventure Team sets from 1970 to 1977.

The Star Wars Holiday Special

I've heard it said that the mother-of-the-bride's job is to make sure that the bride gets the wedding that her mother always wanted. This Christmas I found out that dads make certain that their son's always get the Christmas that they always wanted. Namely, Santa's helpers were up Christmas Eve until 11:30 assembling the Millenium Falcon.

He's Dead, Jim

My powers cord got pulled from my computer. Now when I try to start it up, it just restarts all on its own. Its like Groundhog Day. So, I shall be scarce.

Brits Attempt To Ruin Eyepatch Industry

h/t ESB: An English Shooter's Blog

Many a Shropshire lad will have a blue Christmas this year thanks to the West Mercia Police. Our friends at the Beeb report that police have asked that Father Christmas not bring air rifles to kids since firing them in public may be deemed "anti-social behaviour."

Parents in Shropshire are being asked not to buy air guns as Christmas presents after youths fired pellets at shop windows.

When air guns are fired in public causing alarm it can be considered as anti-social behaviour, West Mercia Police said.

They could also could be mistaken for a real gun result in a police response.

The youths were spoken to by officers and two toy guns bought from a stall in Market Drayton were confiscated.

"Although these guns were obviously toys, so not illegal to have out in public, the pellets were hitting nearby premises and causing a nuisance," a police spokesman said.

"Air guns are not illegal to have or use in your own home but if the guns look realistic, even if on close inspection they are made of plastic, then they may be illegal to sell or have out in public without reasonable excuse.

"Realistic-looking air guns that do not comply with the specifications of the Violent Crime Reduction Act are illegal to sell or have out in public without reasonable excuse."

[ source : BBC ]

Poofters.

Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus

h/t Rob Macdougall

It's Harry Turtledove meets Michael Crichton in this Jurassic National Military Park in Natural Bridge, Virginia. "Professor" Mark Cline, the gentleman who gave the world Professor Cline's Haunted Monster Museum & Dark Maze, takes visitors into the world of "What If?" His premise:

A family of Virginia paleontologists has accidentally dug a mine shaft into a hidden valley of living dinosaurs. Unfortunately, the Union Army has tagged along, hoping to kidnap the big lizards and use them as "weapons of mass destruction" against the South.

( Read more... )

...and Speaking of the War Between The State
Move over Captains Kangaroo and Feathersword. A new Captain has entered the world of playtime fun. His name: Henry Wirz.

That's right! For ages, kids have been able to reenact the War Between The States thanks to plastic blue and gray soldiers. I've heard my father-in-law talk about having them when he was a kid. I remember way back when I was a kid lining up my gray plastic rebels to give the bluebellies hell on the kitchen floor of the double-wide trailer that my dad used as a fishing camp on Lake Seminole. I also remember gleefully finding my son a similiar pack of soldiers in a local pharmacy.

Well, now kids don't have to limit their Civil War in Plastic to battles like Fort Cardboard, Hand Towel Gap, and Couch Pillow Ridge. Thanks to places like Toy Soldier Depot, kids can relive the experience of Camp Sumter, the Andersonville P.O.W. camp.

This is a American Civil War plastic Confederate Andersonville Prison Camp Playset. In brown wood grain type plastic, this stockade is huge! Measures 24" long, 13" wide, 6" tall. Snap together construction, assembly required. Also comes with two sets of double door gates, one on each side of stockade. Also includes a set of 8 guard towers that are 7" tall that can be positioned in any location around the camp. This set works quite well with our BMC Civil War soldiers sets. We do offer a companion set of "Union Prisoners/Confederate Guards" that is sold seperately. Playset in polybag with header card. This stockade has alot of potential, could be used for Western or Frontier forts, or even a Barbarian or Fantasy Fort!

This is a American Civil War Union Prisoners/Confederate Guards plastic soldiers set. Companion set of the Andersonville Prison Camp playset. inlcudes 6 Lean-to's and 6 tents in brown plastic (some restocks of this item now have white plastic tents), and approx. 20 or so blue plastic Union prisoners and several grey Confederate guards. Soldiers are approx. 2 1/4" tall. In poly bag with header card. Though meant to be a companion set for the Andersonville playset, most of these troops could also be used in camp or non-combat duties too!

"Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toy Design Sheets?"

HissTank.com has a collection of Triclops Studio design sheets and model photos from the Sigma 6 Adventure Team Wave 2 and 2.6 Mission Sets, a line that was discontinued before these figures made their way to your local retailer. Of sad note for me personally, there was to have been a Joe Colton, the modern incarnation of the old 70s Adventure Team, complete with what looks like a Pygmy Gorilla all grown up.



Also in this line was to have been a pretty snazzy sniper figure complete with grassy knoll.



h/t HissTank.com

An open letter to ToyArk.com

Dear ToyArk.com,

In a recent post by DESTRO, he alleged that "ToyArk.com has just received new Images of upcoming G.I. Joe Movie: Rise of Cobra Figures." However, the images that were posted were not G.I. Joes. While the figures look very sharp, they appear to be mersh for the old Rainbow Six video game, not any movie about G.I. Joe. There is no flocked hair. There is no kung-fu grip. The Adventure Team logo is nowhere to be found. And those rifles look way too destructive to bag a White Tiger or a Pygmy Gorilla. They don't even look like they're made by Hasbro.

I realize that one should not expect perfection when posts are made by unpaid volunteers, but, in the future, I would appreciate that if readers are promised pics of new G.I. Joe action figures, they receive pics of new G.I. Joe action figures.

Sincerely,