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HOW Much?

Men & Women

I am not a wealth envy-kinda guy, and I generally have no problem with people going after money… but yikes:

Kevin Costner’s estranged wife Christine Baumgartner is awarded $129,000 per month child support – just HALF the amount she demanded – amid VERY ugly divorce war

Do they have a dozen kids that need supporting?  Indeed not:

The former couple share three children: sons Cayden, 16; and Hayes, 14; along with their younger daughter Grace, 13.

They will also be splitting expenses down the middle for the kids’ pricey private school tuition, as well as their extracurricular activities, which includes sports.

Baseball gloves from Gucci, tennis shoes from Jimmy Choo, Tiffany reading lamps, leather-bound autographed first-edition school text books, diamond-encrusted tennis racquets from Fabergé:  I’m amazed that the amount was pushed down to a lousy $129k per month from the $500k / month (!) she’d been seeking.

Here’s what gets in my craw.  If this gold-digging whore (thank you, Mr. William Burr) had been the wife who helped ol’ Kevin become this movie star, I might — might — be a little more sympathetic towards her “needs”.  But no:  Costner ditched his first wife (who had supported him through the lean years before stardom) and went on to marry Wife #2, this tree-gardener woman (after shagging women of the Elle McPherson ilk).

So in a sense, I guess he got what was coming to him, eventually.

I’m just astonished that he could actually afford to pay $129k per month, but then again he’s a big Hollywood star.  (And just to be clear, I actually like him as an actor, and know quite a bit about his background because my late wife Connie was very briefly his agent, back in her Hollywood days.)

The sums of money just make my head spin.

Pants, Pants, Burning Bright

Asshole Cops, Lies and Untruths

Here’s one who should go close to the head of the line when it comes time for visiting the Great Tree:

During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Director Christopher Wray claimed that he doesn’t know how many assets his agency had on the ground on January 6—or whether there were any at all.

I’m old enough to remember when it was a crime or something to lie under oath.  “Perjamas”?  “Purgeworthy”?

Whatever, this asshole should hang third from left.

Gratuitous Gun Pic: Marlin Model 90 O/U (20ga)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

Following on from our earlier discussion on .410 shotguns, I went a-browsing for more of said things, and found not one but two Marlin Model 90s at Barnett’s:

Okay, this is by no means a “fine” shotgun, but I have to tell you, I kinda like its sleek look and light weight.

And once again, I am astonished by yet another example of a Marlin gun I’d never heard of.

But for those put off by the nosebleed prices of the “fine” .410 guns and are looking for an acceptable entry-level one either for themself or for a kid / grandkid, this might be a good place to start.

That said, I know nothing about the Model 90 — for all I know, Marlin stopped making them not because of low demand, but because they were utter crap.  Somehow, though, I doubt that.

Slim Pickings, Again

Bad News

Over the past few days, I have once again been struck by the paucity of decent news upon which to vent my spleen and/or make serious (or any) commentary thereon.

Cocaine in the White House?  Probably Hunter Biden’s, but given the foul menagerie of creatures that currently infest the place, I wouldn’t be surprised at whoever the actual bearer turns out to be.

Election 2024 candidates?  Too early, and whether Stumblin’ Joe ever gets to be the DemSoc candidate is of only minor interest.  There’ll be skullduggery a-plenty, whoever emerges as the eventual candidate.  As for the Republicans, I look on all the candidates except De Santis with growing horror, and Trump especially so.

The FBI/DOJ/IRS/FedGov in general?  Bunch of fucking power-hungry, corrupt assholes.  Their career prospects under the reign of World-Emperor Kim would be gallows fodder and soylent green ingredients.  All of them, without exception.

Good grief, when the most interesting news is that Red Bull F1 have reinstated bigmouth Oz driver Daniel Ricciardo in their Alpha Tauri second team, we’re all in trouble.  Otherwise, we’re left with the news that Boris Johnson’s equally-bigmouthed wife has popped yet another sprog… oh FFS, kill me now.

No wonder I prefer to read the Daily Mail, Sun, Star and Mirror from Over There.  At least they have boobies coverage / uncoverage.

Thank gawd for guns and cars, or I’d really have nothing to talk about.  See a couple of the posts below.

Pick Your Poison

Drive Time

So:  Ferrari V6 or Ferrari V8?  In an interesting rebuttal of an old myth about Enzo Ferrari, Hagerty’s Jason Cammisa pronounces a revelation.

However, the end of the “revelation” — just the last couple minutes of the video — has a side-by-side comparison of the sound made by the engines of the Dino 246 vs. that of the 308 as Cammisa takes each one along the same twisty mountain road.

As Longtime Readers know, I have a soft spot for the wonderful and curvy Dino 246 GT, the most beautiful car ever made:

…compared to a rather sour opinion of its successor, the flat-planed and wedgy Dino 308 GT4, which isn’t close to being beautiful:

However:  after listening to the two engines close together… I admit to a certain degree of confusion, because the V8 of the latter sounds absolutely glorious.

Put on some headphones, crank up the volume and see if you agree with me.

And yes:  a pox on whoever at Ferrari decided to do away with the manual gearbox.