I have someone answering my e-mails -- so he knows I exist, but he's only answering 1/3 of the questions in each one.

Susan, it doesn't work does it?

I'm a little reluctant to have a gun in the house due ot the kid factor, but then, my grandparents had some Egyptian rifle on their mantle with my mom and her brothers growing up and a gaggle of grandkids.

Posted here so that Jilli will see it: An Open Letter to Tim Burton

pounds head on desk

This just adds to my ever-growing hate and distaste for PR and Marketing firms. Sure, target any subculture you can so you can try and get them to spend money, but don't actually, y'know, have anything to do with them. Bar them from your events. Because they're scary and ooky.

The place I'd like to order from makes them nonfunctional, so they can ship them to countries with tougher gun control laws. Though I'll admit I was thinking of having mine modified by a gunsmith to actually work.

I guess it's the having grown up in a house with a hunting rifle myself that makes it hard for me to see what the big deal is.

So. Am I weird to want a gun?

I always wanted a gun and now I have one. There are a few in our house. The idea of a small child near a gun worries me, but I believe they can safely co-exist in the same house if care is taken.

It doesn't sound like you are wanting a gun that is for regular shooting. Until you have some ammunition, it wouldn't be dangerous.

re: gun

If it was absotively, posolutely unable to be fired--blocked barrel, solid breech, no moving parts except for a fake trigger--I'd say go for it. Given the chaos factor of kids, I'd try to avoid anything that could wind you up on the evening news as a cautionary tool.

I feel 50% less blinvisible.

I think I got the other 50%. Darn you.

ION, Jilli, is there a hotel nearish you or Plei that you would recommend?

That Willy Wonka incident is most bizarre.

Susan, if you make it functional, keep the ammo somewhere else, like in a safety deposit box. That way, you could fire it at a range (or wherever you fire reproduction antique guns), but it would be essentially not a weapon in the house.

The idea of a small child near a gun worries me, but I believe they can safely co-exist in the same house if care is taken.

I'd worry about it too much, it would only take one mistake.

Susan, if you make it functional, keep the ammo somewhere else, like in a safety deposit box. That way, you could fire it at a range (or wherever you fire reproduction antique guns), but it would be essentially not a weapon in the house.

My thinking all along--well, not necessarily a safe deposit box, but somewhere not in the house and not easily accessible.