Home for Random Thoughts

[Big RR]

And it appears to be cocked as well--why? One would think a "firearms expert" wouldn't do that. It appears to serve no prupose.

[Scooter]

I think that Baldwin is protesting too much about not pulling the trigger, but I don't believe that should be held against him. It is a completely reasonable expectation of any actor on a set that no prop firearm would contain live ammunition. It is completely unreasonable to expect any actor to check for themselves that said firearm is free of live ammunition before doing with it what would normally be expected, i.e. pointing it at someone and pulling the trigger. If actors had to ascertain this every time said firearm left their view, then they would have to halt the action during every take of every scene involving a firearm in order to carry out such a check. All of the talk of what constitutes "common sense" firearm safety has no place once a firearm is on a set, unless every scene involving a firearm is shot at a snail's pace and has to be sliced and resected in the cutting room a hundred times to make it work.

Baldwin's responsibility as a producer are a different matter, if he was responsible for practices that raised the likelihood that live ammunition could end up in prop firearms. But in that case, why charge only him and not any other producer? I find it unlikely that Baldwin had sole and final say over any such decisions. But I guess charging someone named Matt Del Piano doesn't carry quite the same cachet for a D.A. as nabbing a Baldwin.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Facebook didn't let me put this on their platform. Apparently I'm encouraging suicide.

[Big RR]

Scooter--I tend to agree with you re his behavior a an actor; my only concern would be if he acted recklessly when handling the pistol; even if you are sure it is not loaded, that is no reason to point it at people of dry fire it (i recall years ago one of the posters here killed his dog while dry firing an "unloaded" weapon.

As for his production responsibilities, I guess it would depend what they were, but I would think the director should at least be charged too as the director is ordinarily in charge of the set and production.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Not so random. Driving home from the library in Kent, noticed a bird of prey circling. Some sort of eagle. What sort of eagle has all that white on it? Parked off the road and Margaretta and I got out to watch a bald eagle sailing its circles against an unusual sky (blue - this Ravenna OH). Not seen one before except as a dot on a pile of twigs in a protected tree a mile away.

Then today . . . ruckus in the yard. Got outside to watch two Cooper's hawks raiding a squirrel dray. Said squirrel running up and down the tree right beneath the raiders while one dipped into the unsightly pile of leaves and (presumably) desquirreled it.

Wonders of nature. Watched Attenborough's "testimony" on Netflix last night. Made saving the planet sound possible. Just needs worldwide cooperation, all of us to be vegetarians and a few other likely events. Sigh

[BoSoxGal]

Will history look on Merrick Garland as a hero of democracy?

Or will history see him as having failed miserably in his duty to the Constitution and the American people?

[BoSoxGal]

[Burning Petard]

BSG, thank you for the quote from Ms Christie (I have lost track. Should it be Dame Christie?) I have put on my wall above my desk, right against Leonard Cohen's last poem/lyric, 'Listen to the Hummingbird'

snailgate.

[ex-khobar Andy]

She was knighted (1972, per Wikipedia) and would be formally known as 'Dame Agatha' - for some reason they are usually known only by their forename which is how we have Sir Elton, Sir Mick, Sir Paul (but not Sir Keef), Dame Judi, Dame Helen etc.

[Crackpot]

Visited the site of Meade’ greatest victory today.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Visited the site of Meade’ greatest victory today.

Well done, sir!
Meade SOU EHOG

(Savior of Union; Eternal Hero of Gettysburg)

[Crackpot]

I thought that was Sickles.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Swords or pistols, sir? Your choice.

[Big RR]

Now, now Meade, he's only saying what Sickles said time and time again. Not only that, but he brought his troops to where they could eat peaches between attacks. What a guy; a legend in his own mind.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Et tu, BigRRute?

[Big RR]

My pleasure.

and to be fair, there are more forts named for confederate generals (at least until recently) than Sickles. That should tell you something.

Of course, Sickles can be the inspiration behind Legos.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well, he did go out on a limb

[Crackpot]

Just a perk of being the last to die really…

[Crackpot]

DC thoughts:

Who the fuck puts traffic lights on roundabouts?!
Parking sucks and I’m glad I don’t plan on moving my car til I leave.

[ex-khobar Andy]

CP - plenty of traffic lights on roundabouts in England these days. I shall be driving round some of them in April / May.