Max Appreciated Mr. Barnes' Efforts

I gotta be honest: I'm wiped. After two luxurious weeks of vacation, I was getting used to sleeping like a normal human being. You know, at night. Last night was my first day back to work, and my body has to readjust to the grueling 11pm - 7am shift. Thankfully, the internet is chock full of useless information for the lazy (or exhausted) blogger.

To wit: 140 years ago today, C.E. Barnes of Lowell, Massachusetts patented the machine gun.

Ah, the machine gun. Is there a more beautiful sight to behold? (And don't give me newborn babies; we're talking about firearms here!) The equation is worthy of Pythagoras: maximum firepower + little effort = high body count. Mr. Barnes' lifetime achievement is not celebrated because he has revolutionized gunplay (see also "Escape from New York" and "The Matrix"), but because there are so many folks who are about to see the machine gun up close.

Yeah, London bombers, I'm looking at you.