this man needs to own a large chunk of the city, after having the conviction reversed.
Read this, and consider the levels of BS involved, not just the possible racial angle. Among others, there's this: "Jones, who wasn't armed,", and wonder what the hell all this is. He's in on a raid on a suspected drug house, wearing full SWAT-type gear, and he's not armed? If not, why the hell not? Makes this sound squirrelly as hell.
I've been around law enforcement most of my life, and I agree with Publicola(who posted on this also, but I can't get his site up to get a direct link); LE officers break into the wrong house on a no-knock warrant, and an officer gets shot by the homeowner, that's tough. Sounds nasty, doesn't it? I don't care. You have the absolute right to defend yourself, your family and your home against intruders, and if the intruder who just broke your door down in the middle of the night turns out to be a cop, that's too bad for him. Regrettable, but no grounds for prosecution.
There have been a number of cases like this over the last couple of decades; usually it's the homeowner or a family member who gets killed, and the police walk away because 'they were following depart guidelines', even though they broke into the wrong house! But if they break into the wrong house and one of them gets hurt or killed, they want the one who dared to act in self-defense hung. I call BS.
One more wedge driven between a lot of people and the police.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Thursday, December 08, 2005
The Springfield process
Ok, now that I can post pictures I can go over this the way I wanted to. The earlier post had the shot of the rifle in the box. However, it doesn't do justice to the cosmoline coating. Take a look at this:
And if that's not good enough, how 'bout this?
I repeat, yuck.
After taking the barrel/action out of the stock, it went into my grease soaker. It's a length of 4" diameter PVC pipe with a permanent cap on one end and, in this case, a gallon of laquer thinner poured in. I've used kerosene in the past with good results, but I didn't have any, so thinner it was. I had to take the trigger/sear assembly off for it to fit into the pipe, then set it in action first, sloshed it up & down a few times, then left it overnight with a cap on the open end. Doesn't have to be overnight, but it was late and it was cold outside, so it sat. Does a wonderful job of dissolving most if not all of the grease.
Next day I took it out and set it to dry while I was taking all the metal off the stock. The handguard only had a little on the outside, the inside was clean(it also didn't match the stock, arsenal replacement I'd say). 'The metal' means the nose, the trigger guard, the buttplate, rear sling swivel and the barrel band spring. My preferred method(kitty litter, heat and time) was not doable right now, too cold outside, so I decided to try something I read in Shotgun News. Got a wallpaper tray, poured in some odorless mineral spirits and set the stock in, using a brush to spread it all over the wood. Let it sit a while, brushed and rinsed some more. It worked pretty well, seems to have taken all the grease and old oil out of the wood, and dried out pretty quickly, especially considering temps in the high 30's that day.
After I'd set it to dry, I took the barrel/action and other metal parts and put them in the tray. A little brush work and a few minutes got rid of the last of the cosmo on/in the action(again, it was filled!), and then cleaned it all off the metal parts. Left them to dry off, then wiped them all down with Corrosion-X. Except for the parts in contact with the wood, like the magazine box/trigger guard, the buttplate, the inside of the barrel bands and the stock nose; for those I used Eezox. It's a pretty good lube and protectant, and it's dry; goes on wet and the carrier evaporates. It's also the best stuff I've found for folding knife hinges for the same reason.
The stock was pretty beat up, lots of dents and gouges. The proof mark was just visible under the grip, and a 'RIA' cartouche(Rock Island Armory) barely there on the left side of the butt, so I gave it a light sanding with fine paper to take off the worst of the roughness and left it at that. I rubbed in one good coat of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil, a stuff I've had very good results with on both gunstocks and knife grips, and gave it a light buff with steel wool, and here it is:
If you've ever wondered, the one big difference between the 1903 and the 1903A3 is the rear sight; the 03 has an open sight mounted on the barrel, and the A3 has an aperture sight mounted on the receiver:
Overall, I'm impressed with the workmanship on the metal, the barrel appears perfect, the action tight and slick, and I expected the stock to be somewhat beat up. I'll be very happy being the caretaker for a time for this piece of our history.
And if that's not good enough, how 'bout this?
I repeat, yuck.
After taking the barrel/action out of the stock, it went into my grease soaker. It's a length of 4" diameter PVC pipe with a permanent cap on one end and, in this case, a gallon of laquer thinner poured in. I've used kerosene in the past with good results, but I didn't have any, so thinner it was. I had to take the trigger/sear assembly off for it to fit into the pipe, then set it in action first, sloshed it up & down a few times, then left it overnight with a cap on the open end. Doesn't have to be overnight, but it was late and it was cold outside, so it sat. Does a wonderful job of dissolving most if not all of the grease.
Next day I took it out and set it to dry while I was taking all the metal off the stock. The handguard only had a little on the outside, the inside was clean(it also didn't match the stock, arsenal replacement I'd say). 'The metal' means the nose, the trigger guard, the buttplate, rear sling swivel and the barrel band spring. My preferred method(kitty litter, heat and time) was not doable right now, too cold outside, so I decided to try something I read in Shotgun News. Got a wallpaper tray, poured in some odorless mineral spirits and set the stock in, using a brush to spread it all over the wood. Let it sit a while, brushed and rinsed some more. It worked pretty well, seems to have taken all the grease and old oil out of the wood, and dried out pretty quickly, especially considering temps in the high 30's that day.
After I'd set it to dry, I took the barrel/action and other metal parts and put them in the tray. A little brush work and a few minutes got rid of the last of the cosmo on/in the action(again, it was filled!), and then cleaned it all off the metal parts. Left them to dry off, then wiped them all down with Corrosion-X. Except for the parts in contact with the wood, like the magazine box/trigger guard, the buttplate, the inside of the barrel bands and the stock nose; for those I used Eezox. It's a pretty good lube and protectant, and it's dry; goes on wet and the carrier evaporates. It's also the best stuff I've found for folding knife hinges for the same reason.
The stock was pretty beat up, lots of dents and gouges. The proof mark was just visible under the grip, and a 'RIA' cartouche(Rock Island Armory) barely there on the left side of the butt, so I gave it a light sanding with fine paper to take off the worst of the roughness and left it at that. I rubbed in one good coat of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil, a stuff I've had very good results with on both gunstocks and knife grips, and gave it a light buff with steel wool, and here it is:
If you've ever wondered, the one big difference between the 1903 and the 1903A3 is the rear sight; the 03 has an open sight mounted on the barrel, and the A3 has an aperture sight mounted on the receiver:
Overall, I'm impressed with the workmanship on the metal, the barrel appears perfect, the action tight and slick, and I expected the stock to be somewhat beat up. I'll be very happy being the caretaker for a time for this piece of our history.
Music
Not the stuff you listen to, the stuff you make.
I love my guitars. I like playing them, I like to sing with them. My 12-string (my first) helped me get through some bad times, and she's sitting in a stand next to my 6-string. I've got a damn bookshelf of music- books I bought, pages I copied from library books, stuff printed from websites- and I still haven't managed to try a lot of it. What I'm thinking of now, however, is something else about music.
I can sing fairly well. In some styles. But some of my favorite songs I just don't have the range for. Dan Fogelberg, for example, Leader of the Band and In Love With You; two of my favorites, but I just can't sing them very well, and it frustrates the hell out of me. Same for a lot of other pieces. I used to play a lot at open-mike nights at a couple of bars in town, and I had to leave some songs I could play well out of performing because I just couldn't sing them well. Very frustrating.
I can do a lot of others; I can sing Gordon Lightfoot's stuff pretty well, and he's got a lot of songs I like. There's a lot of traditional and folk stuff from Ireland and Scotland and England I can do pretty well with. It just causes a great deal of heartburn at times that I cannot hit the notes for some stuff.
'Course, I can't play as much as I used to(thank you, arthritis), which sucks. Oh well, those instruments are still here, still standing in wait for the time that I can work with them. I do need to get some new strings, which means I need to make an order to Webstrings; their phosphor bronze strings sound as good as anything else I've tried, and the prices are good.
If I can start making the time, I'm going to start playing more, see if pushing it a bit will at least be tolerated by the troublesome joints. I really miss the times I got lost in practicing.
I love my guitars. I like playing them, I like to sing with them. My 12-string (my first) helped me get through some bad times, and she's sitting in a stand next to my 6-string. I've got a damn bookshelf of music- books I bought, pages I copied from library books, stuff printed from websites- and I still haven't managed to try a lot of it. What I'm thinking of now, however, is something else about music.
I can sing fairly well. In some styles. But some of my favorite songs I just don't have the range for. Dan Fogelberg, for example, Leader of the Band and In Love With You; two of my favorites, but I just can't sing them very well, and it frustrates the hell out of me. Same for a lot of other pieces. I used to play a lot at open-mike nights at a couple of bars in town, and I had to leave some songs I could play well out of performing because I just couldn't sing them well. Very frustrating.
I can do a lot of others; I can sing Gordon Lightfoot's stuff pretty well, and he's got a lot of songs I like. There's a lot of traditional and folk stuff from Ireland and Scotland and England I can do pretty well with. It just causes a great deal of heartburn at times that I cannot hit the notes for some stuff.
'Course, I can't play as much as I used to(thank you, arthritis), which sucks. Oh well, those instruments are still here, still standing in wait for the time that I can work with them. I do need to get some new strings, which means I need to make an order to Webstrings; their phosphor bronze strings sound as good as anything else I've tried, and the prices are good.
If I can start making the time, I'm going to start playing more, see if pushing it a bit will at least be tolerated by the troublesome joints. I really miss the times I got lost in practicing.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
One of the reasons I really didn't want to buy a new computer right now...
Aside from the Christmas season, and having given to some charitable stuff, and so forth.
Most of you are probably familiar with the Civilian Marksmanship Program, CMP for short. Qualified buyers can buy rifles, ammo and other shooting supplies from them, and they run a lot of competitions around the country. One of the rifles you can get from them is the 1903 and 1903A3 Springfield rifles, the last bolt-action battle rifles issued by the U.S. military. What I really wanted was the -A3 version, so I figured in a few months I could probably swing it. Then came September.
Then came a notice that CMP was down to the last 1000 of the Remington-made A3 rifles, which they expected to last about 6 months. I held off for about a month, dutifully considering bills, etc. Then I thought about what usually happens; there's something I really want, but I hold off until things look a bit better, and when I go back it's gone. The other way this works is you find something at a gun show, decide to look around a while first, and when you do go back, somebody else bought it. In this case, I thought that with word if these being the last 1000 got around, they weren't going to last as long as they thought. So I did it; I placed my order.
Not quite two weeks ago, FedEx delivered this to my door:
Alright, technically they didn't deliver it to my door. Remember some posts a while back about FedEx and timing? Yeah, they cleverly managed to come by 10-15 minutes after I left the house. Every damn time. So actually had to haul my fat ass at least four miles away to pick it up at their office(thenerve of those people!). However, when I opened the box, it were worth it, bubba. There, wrapped in a green bag and layers of cosmoline was this example of the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, 1903A3.
And when I say 'layers of cosmoline' I ain't woofin'; when the thing was last worked over at the arsenal they'd heavily greased the bore, then the inside and outside of the action and barrel and the trigger and magazine, then reassembled it. Yes, I used rubber gloves to get it out of the bag.
(Side note: years ago the first milsurp rifle I ever bought was a #4 Mk1 Enfield; the bore was full of grease, so was the entire action-including the inside of the bolt- and they'd greased the outside before putting it back in the wood, and then greased the outside of the whole thing! God, it was a mess to clean up, and I didn't know then the things I know now to make it easier.)
I've got some pictures that show just how greased this one was, but it was a bleepin' fight to get this one shot posted, so if I can I'll add the other pics in later.
It took about two days to get the metal and wood cleaned, and I found, among other things:
The bore is spotless, shiny with sharp rifling.
The muzzle appears to show very little wear, especially for a rifle made in 1943.
The trigger is a two-stage military, the second stage light with just a hint of creep, which about ten minutes with a stone took care of. I've handled modern rifles, new ones, with worse triggers.
And this is one of the smoothest bolt actions I've ever handled, with no sign of slop or great wear.
I've only been able to shoot it at a local indoor range so far, and it did not disappoint. I'm really looking forward to weather nice enough to hit the outdoor range so I can try it at 100 yards. And I really wish I had access to a longer distance.
Final note for now: two days after I got it, I was looking at The High Road and in Rifle Country was a post: CMP 1903A3's all gone. My first thought was "Damn, they went fast!" and my second was "Lord, I'm glad I ordered it when I did!".
And I'm still damn glad. Even though it's caused me to say "Budget? WHAT budget?". And then the computer crapped out, and oh crap...
Note: CMP still has the earlier 1903 Springfield-made rifles, at least for now. If I had the money(how many damn times do we say that?) I'd order one of them; a friend got one a while back, and it looks to be in as fine mechanical shape as mine.
Most of you are probably familiar with the Civilian Marksmanship Program, CMP for short. Qualified buyers can buy rifles, ammo and other shooting supplies from them, and they run a lot of competitions around the country. One of the rifles you can get from them is the 1903 and 1903A3 Springfield rifles, the last bolt-action battle rifles issued by the U.S. military. What I really wanted was the -A3 version, so I figured in a few months I could probably swing it. Then came September.
Then came a notice that CMP was down to the last 1000 of the Remington-made A3 rifles, which they expected to last about 6 months. I held off for about a month, dutifully considering bills, etc. Then I thought about what usually happens; there's something I really want, but I hold off until things look a bit better, and when I go back it's gone. The other way this works is you find something at a gun show, decide to look around a while first, and when you do go back, somebody else bought it. In this case, I thought that with word if these being the last 1000 got around, they weren't going to last as long as they thought. So I did it; I placed my order.
Not quite two weeks ago, FedEx delivered this to my door:
Alright, technically they didn't deliver it to my door. Remember some posts a while back about FedEx and timing? Yeah, they cleverly managed to come by 10-15 minutes after I left the house. Every damn time. So actually had to haul my fat ass at least four miles away to pick it up at their office(thenerve of those people!). However, when I opened the box, it were worth it, bubba. There, wrapped in a green bag and layers of cosmoline was this example of the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, 1903A3.
And when I say 'layers of cosmoline' I ain't woofin'; when the thing was last worked over at the arsenal they'd heavily greased the bore, then the inside and outside of the action and barrel and the trigger and magazine, then reassembled it. Yes, I used rubber gloves to get it out of the bag.
(Side note: years ago the first milsurp rifle I ever bought was a #4 Mk1 Enfield; the bore was full of grease, so was the entire action-including the inside of the bolt- and they'd greased the outside before putting it back in the wood, and then greased the outside of the whole thing! God, it was a mess to clean up, and I didn't know then the things I know now to make it easier.)
I've got some pictures that show just how greased this one was, but it was a bleepin' fight to get this one shot posted, so if I can I'll add the other pics in later.
It took about two days to get the metal and wood cleaned, and I found, among other things:
The bore is spotless, shiny with sharp rifling.
The muzzle appears to show very little wear, especially for a rifle made in 1943.
The trigger is a two-stage military, the second stage light with just a hint of creep, which about ten minutes with a stone took care of. I've handled modern rifles, new ones, with worse triggers.
And this is one of the smoothest bolt actions I've ever handled, with no sign of slop or great wear.
I've only been able to shoot it at a local indoor range so far, and it did not disappoint. I'm really looking forward to weather nice enough to hit the outdoor range so I can try it at 100 yards. And I really wish I had access to a longer distance.
Final note for now: two days after I got it, I was looking at The High Road and in Rifle Country was a post: CMP 1903A3's all gone. My first thought was "Damn, they went fast!" and my second was "Lord, I'm glad I ordered it when I did!".
And I'm still damn glad. Even though it's caused me to say "Budget? WHAT budget?". And then the computer crapped out, and oh crap...
Note: CMP still has the earlier 1903 Springfield-made rifles, at least for now. If I had the money(how many damn times do we say that?) I'd order one of them; a friend got one a while back, and it looks to be in as fine mechanical shape as mine.
We're all going to die! Again!!
Video at 10!
Yesterday every weather weenie in the region was telling us to expect anywhere from 1-3 to 4-6 inches of snow starting early this morning(freezing rain likely further south), high winds and nasty cold.
Well, it's cold; 13 this morning, about 20 now. Windy, but nothing striking. And not one damn flake of snow yet. It was sunny and clear when I got up, and they were -then- saying "It's coming later today!" It's cloudy now, but still not a flake to be seen. Now they're saying that it's 'still coming' but maybe an inch.
Dammit, my folks were going to come up this morning to meet some people for lunch, and cancelled because of the forecast. And they could have made the trip and been back home without seeing any snow or a drop of rain.
And every time the idiots came on the news it was 'Dangerous situation! Snow and strong winds! Get ready!' with the weather weenies alternating between 'some of you are going to die' and that idiot smiley-chuckling patter.
I meet one of these clowns, I'm going to kick them in the ass.
And right now I've got two different posts I want to do, both of which require pictures, and neither Hello or the Blogger picture-posting will work. Crap.
Yesterday every weather weenie in the region was telling us to expect anywhere from 1-3 to 4-6 inches of snow starting early this morning(freezing rain likely further south), high winds and nasty cold.
Well, it's cold; 13 this morning, about 20 now. Windy, but nothing striking. And not one damn flake of snow yet. It was sunny and clear when I got up, and they were -then- saying "It's coming later today!" It's cloudy now, but still not a flake to be seen. Now they're saying that it's 'still coming' but maybe an inch.
Dammit, my folks were going to come up this morning to meet some people for lunch, and cancelled because of the forecast. And they could have made the trip and been back home without seeing any snow or a drop of rain.
And every time the idiots came on the news it was 'Dangerous situation! Snow and strong winds! Get ready!' with the weather weenies alternating between 'some of you are going to die' and that idiot smiley-chuckling patter.
I meet one of these clowns, I'm going to kick them in the ass.
And right now I've got two different posts I want to do, both of which require pictures, and neither Hello or the Blogger picture-posting will work. Crap.
Anyone else having problems with Hello?
Had some pictures to post, and the damn thing won't do it. No error message, just says 'this may take a few seconds' and sits there. For freakin' ever.
IF I can get this figured out, I've got some stuff to post. In the meantime, was listening to the Tony Snow show last night and they had two people on; Michael Reagan who'd said some nasty things about Howard Dean due to his latest public vomiting, and I can't remember who who was defending Dean. Defense basically boiled down to "I wish he hadn't said that, but you nasty conservative types are really causing the problem because you keep yelling about it". Idiot. Oh, and he kept bringing up anything he could think of wherein any 'conservative'(by his label) said something mean, bad, etc., and therefore that excused Dean. I repeat, idiot.
Leiberman speaks in support of the troops and the war effort, and the Democrat party basically disowns him; Dean and Kerry crap on the troops and the effort and these bastards ignore or excuse it.
It's enough to ruin your good mood
IF I can get this figured out, I've got some stuff to post. In the meantime, was listening to the Tony Snow show last night and they had two people on; Michael Reagan who'd said some nasty things about Howard Dean due to his latest public vomiting, and I can't remember who who was defending Dean. Defense basically boiled down to "I wish he hadn't said that, but you nasty conservative types are really causing the problem because you keep yelling about it". Idiot. Oh, and he kept bringing up anything he could think of wherein any 'conservative'(by his label) said something mean, bad, etc., and therefore that excused Dean. I repeat, idiot.
Leiberman speaks in support of the troops and the war effort, and the Democrat party basically disowns him; Dean and Kerry crap on the troops and the effort and these bastards ignore or excuse it.
It's enough to ruin your good mood
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Well, I WAS going to post on a particular thing,
but the picture posting system I've been using seems to have had a stroke. So I'll do it later.
I've been using the keyboard that came with the new pc, and it sucks. Soon as the old one is well cleaned out, it goes back on.
John Kerry is a suckass fool. Not on the subject, just wanted to note it.
It's turning damn cold outside, and the wind has picked up. Were supposed to get about 4 inches of snow tomorrow, but they've now dropped it to 1-3 inches. Too bad, really; we could use the moisture, it's been dry as hell the last month.
Oh, and Dean is, if not actually there, damn close to treasonous conduct.
That's it for now
I've been using the keyboard that came with the new pc, and it sucks. Soon as the old one is well cleaned out, it goes back on.
John Kerry is a suckass fool. Not on the subject, just wanted to note it.
It's turning damn cold outside, and the wind has picked up. Were supposed to get about 4 inches of snow tomorrow, but they've now dropped it to 1-3 inches. Too bad, really; we could use the moisture, it's been dry as hell the last month.
Oh, and Dean is, if not actually there, damn close to treasonous conduct.
That's it for now
One just can't help himself, and the other is an idiot
Although there's a certain amount of uncertainty as to which is which, or if they kind of crossover.
John Kerry just can't help himself. He can't get through this without insulting our troops just like he did before. Key quote: "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women,..."
He wanted more troops in, he wants all the troops out, they're a bunch of terrorists, he voted for it before etc., etc., etc. And this idiot is a U.S Senator, and could have been president... the mind boggles.
And then we have the words of the wondrous Howard Dean, head of the Democrat Party:"idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong," and that the dems will 'come together' on a plan to yank all Guard and Reserve troops immediately, all regulars within two years. Ah, this must be the 'get out now!' plan that Kerry and Feinstein and Co. have said they've never heard of.
I was trying to come up with some ways to make fun of these people, but there's nothing funny about the damage they do. Speaking of which, Michelle Malkin has this on the 'Christmas card' sent to a troop at Walter Reed. Oh yeah, they 'support the troops' a whole lot, don't they? If this was a kid who actually wrote this, what worthless idiot helped them do it? And mailed it? 'Support the troops but not the war' my ass.
Update 12/7 2050 hrs: Earlier today was listening to Rush and he had some interesting audio from one of Sen. Kerry's spokesmen, who was having a freaken holstein over the things Rush said yesterday about Kerry's statement. He was 'misquoted' and 'slandered' and 'misunderstood' and, as near as I recall, 'insulted by that draft-dodging donut-eating Limbaugh'. Oh, and they made due notice that J. Effin' Kerry is a 'war hero', too; can't leave that out, now can they? Considering what Rush said was somewhat mild compared to what a lot of others said, it was interesting how freaked out they were; it also tells you how committed they are to kissing up to the nutcase left in that they defended the statement so strongly. Maybe we need to mail the Senator a picture of a guillotine? Or would that be too 'French' a reference?
John Kerry just can't help himself. He can't get through this without insulting our troops just like he did before. Key quote: "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women,..."
He wanted more troops in, he wants all the troops out, they're a bunch of terrorists, he voted for it before etc., etc., etc. And this idiot is a U.S Senator, and could have been president... the mind boggles.
And then we have the words of the wondrous Howard Dean, head of the Democrat Party:"idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong," and that the dems will 'come together' on a plan to yank all Guard and Reserve troops immediately, all regulars within two years. Ah, this must be the 'get out now!' plan that Kerry and Feinstein and Co. have said they've never heard of.
I was trying to come up with some ways to make fun of these people, but there's nothing funny about the damage they do. Speaking of which, Michelle Malkin has this on the 'Christmas card' sent to a troop at Walter Reed. Oh yeah, they 'support the troops' a whole lot, don't they? If this was a kid who actually wrote this, what worthless idiot helped them do it? And mailed it? 'Support the troops but not the war' my ass.
Update 12/7 2050 hrs: Earlier today was listening to Rush and he had some interesting audio from one of Sen. Kerry's spokesmen, who was having a freaken holstein over the things Rush said yesterday about Kerry's statement. He was 'misquoted' and 'slandered' and 'misunderstood' and, as near as I recall, 'insulted by that draft-dodging donut-eating Limbaugh'. Oh, and they made due notice that J. Effin' Kerry is a 'war hero', too; can't leave that out, now can they? Considering what Rush said was somewhat mild compared to what a lot of others said, it was interesting how freaked out they were; it also tells you how committed they are to kissing up to the nutcase left in that they defended the statement so strongly. Maybe we need to mail the Senator a picture of a guillotine? Or would that be too 'French' a reference?
Monday, December 05, 2005
New computer!
I now have my new pc. I've got the anti-virus updated and Firefox downloaded; now I get to rebuild my bookmarks, etc. Yuck.
More blogging to be done later. After I get some more of this done.
More blogging to be done later. After I get some more of this done.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Alas! No joy tonight
The pc won't be ready 'till tomorrow, so one last night on the laptop. One of the problems with which is, it being borrowed, I can't look at some of the sites I usually do. No, not those, dammit. There are a lot of news sites that have various popups and crap that the stuff I had on my old pc blocked. Well, the owner of this laptop doesn't have that stuff, so I've been restricting my viewing to keep from getting bugs on it.
Quick wrapup:
Steve has been hitting the range, and has laid down money for a new, EEEEVVVILLLLLE nasty-looking sniper rifle. And has been asking for advise. Just start at the top and scroll down to see all the glory of questions such as "How the hell do I aim this thing? Or clean it? Or sight it in?". Jeez, you'd think a physicist and lawyer could figure this crap out.
And Right Wing News has an interview with Tammy Bruce that you really should read. I've read her two previous books, now I need to get at this one.
Now, I have focaccia to take out of the oven. Later, folks.
Quick wrapup:
Steve has been hitting the range, and has laid down money for a new, EEEEVVVILLLLLE nasty-looking sniper rifle. And has been asking for advise. Just start at the top and scroll down to see all the glory of questions such as "How the hell do I aim this thing? Or clean it? Or sight it in?". Jeez, you'd think a physicist and lawyer could figure this crap out.
And Right Wing News has an interview with Tammy Bruce that you really should read. I've read her two previous books, now I need to get at this one.
Now, I have focaccia to take out of the oven. Later, folks.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Relief is on the way!
For me, at least. Found a system at a local shop that should take care of my needs nicely. Computer needs, that is. With any luck I should be able to pick it up tomorrow. I added on a cd burner/backups and music/ and had to add a modem; everything's set up for high-speed connections only. Apparently, I'm behind the times.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Tell me again, we're supposed to trust the Major Media why?
Read this over at Say Uncle, and remind me about the 'superior fact-checking and ethical standards' of the Major Media.
Between crap like this, and the hugely slanted BS they run about the war, I can't think of a reason not to start simply referring to the MM et al as Rathers.
Between crap like this, and the hugely slanted BS they run about the war, I can't think of a reason not to start simply referring to the MM et al as Rathers.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Chipper; The Evening After
I did remember to pick the thing up, and spent a fair piece of the afternoon cutting off the stuff small enough to run through, then doing some more pruning of small stuff and chipping it, then stacking the big stuff for later. Then put everything away so the Yard Security Trainee won't decide to chew the cord in two.
So now my hands hurt, and I've got enough scratches to look like I fought with my daughters psychotic cat. And I got to watch Trainee sniffing through the chips and finding somehow 'choice' bits to chew up further. Between this and the way she jumps, I have to wonder if the little bastard has some rabbit in her family tree.
While performing these joyous activities, I was considering my forge and tools, and an old saying. You've probably heard it: "Do what you love and the money will follow". Guess what? They LIED! I've spent a total of about 24 years smithing; learning, trying, recycling failures, getting ideas and working them out. I've turned out blades of all types and sizes, roasting forks, candleholders, fire kits, chandeliers, screwdrivers, belt buckles, pennanular brooches, knife/fork/spoon sets and I don't know what all else. I've been at the big Irish Festival in Texas, several different celtic festivals there and here, Medieval Fair and some other stuff including fur trade rendezvous. And the best I've done, figuring materials, coal, electricity for the blower, grinding belts and polishing stuff, travel and etc., would be somewhere at or just below minimum wage. There are some people who fill a particular niche in forging and make a good living at it; most live somewhere in the region of 'hand to mouth' and do other things on the side to make ends meet. I have no idea how many fine bladesmiths I've heard of who got hurt or something and couldn't work for a while and were on welfare or people were taking up collections for them. And if it's a health problem it's worse because they usually don't have insurance.
Don't misunderstand, I have loved the making and learning of this. I enjoy the hell out of demonstrating and teaching this stuff, and I wish I had more of a way to pass on what I've learned. It just irritates the hell out of me when someone with a disgustingly cheerful outlook tells some kid the above-noted saying. I never tried to discourage my kids from trying things, and working to be good at what they like; I did make sure they understood that there are bills to pay and obligations to take care of, and that doing something just because you like it often has to take second place. And what REALLY pisses me off is when someone(parents, coaches, teachers) tells a kid who doesn't really have the talent for a game or instrument or whatever that they do and pushes them halfway to death. A kid tries hard but just doesn't have that extra bit, don't lie to them; tell them the damn truth. Yeah, they may hurt, but they'll hurt more if you push/let them run into something they can't make it at. Make damn sure they understand that if they love doing it that they should continue to do so, but don't lie to them and let them make it their life.
Other side of that? A kid with real talent that nobody will push the kid to develop. Talent, if you don't develop the skills to use it, is worthless; no matter how incredibly talented you are, if you don't work at it you won't make it. There are very rare exceptions, but hoping you may be one of them is not the way to make it.
God, how did I get here from running limbs through a chipper?
So now my hands hurt, and I've got enough scratches to look like I fought with my daughters psychotic cat. And I got to watch Trainee sniffing through the chips and finding somehow 'choice' bits to chew up further. Between this and the way she jumps, I have to wonder if the little bastard has some rabbit in her family tree.
While performing these joyous activities, I was considering my forge and tools, and an old saying. You've probably heard it: "Do what you love and the money will follow". Guess what? They LIED! I've spent a total of about 24 years smithing; learning, trying, recycling failures, getting ideas and working them out. I've turned out blades of all types and sizes, roasting forks, candleholders, fire kits, chandeliers, screwdrivers, belt buckles, pennanular brooches, knife/fork/spoon sets and I don't know what all else. I've been at the big Irish Festival in Texas, several different celtic festivals there and here, Medieval Fair and some other stuff including fur trade rendezvous. And the best I've done, figuring materials, coal, electricity for the blower, grinding belts and polishing stuff, travel and etc., would be somewhere at or just below minimum wage. There are some people who fill a particular niche in forging and make a good living at it; most live somewhere in the region of 'hand to mouth' and do other things on the side to make ends meet. I have no idea how many fine bladesmiths I've heard of who got hurt or something and couldn't work for a while and were on welfare or people were taking up collections for them. And if it's a health problem it's worse because they usually don't have insurance.
Don't misunderstand, I have loved the making and learning of this. I enjoy the hell out of demonstrating and teaching this stuff, and I wish I had more of a way to pass on what I've learned. It just irritates the hell out of me when someone with a disgustingly cheerful outlook tells some kid the above-noted saying. I never tried to discourage my kids from trying things, and working to be good at what they like; I did make sure they understood that there are bills to pay and obligations to take care of, and that doing something just because you like it often has to take second place. And what REALLY pisses me off is when someone(parents, coaches, teachers) tells a kid who doesn't really have the talent for a game or instrument or whatever that they do and pushes them halfway to death. A kid tries hard but just doesn't have that extra bit, don't lie to them; tell them the damn truth. Yeah, they may hurt, but they'll hurt more if you push/let them run into something they can't make it at. Make damn sure they understand that if they love doing it that they should continue to do so, but don't lie to them and let them make it their life.
Other side of that? A kid with real talent that nobody will push the kid to develop. Talent, if you don't develop the skills to use it, is worthless; no matter how incredibly talented you are, if you don't work at it you won't make it. There are very rare exceptions, but hoping you may be one of them is not the way to make it.
God, how did I get here from running limbs through a chipper?
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Fed-Ex timing is everything
I expected them to deliver something this morning. Since every time before it's been between 0800-0830, I hung around 'till about 0915, then headed out to do laundry. And came home to find a '1st attempt' notice on the door, marked 0930. Damn.
Every time I've missed them in the morning they've always made a second pass by the house around 1630-1730, on their way back to the shop I suspect. There's a new Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant that opened nearby, so, having a little extra left over I went there for lunch, then swung by Outdoor America, one of the local gun shops. Who, by the way, was having a sale; I should have turned around and left when I saw the signs. Anyway, I got home and found a '2nd attempt' on the door. I left for lunch about 1130; this one was marked 1140. Dammit!
So I've spent the day since raking leaves and putting them in the second compost heap and some cleaning up around the house. With any luck they'll come back by and save me driving to their office after 6 to pick it up.
I say 'second compost heap' because I just started another one a couple of days ago. The first one has worked nicely with grass clippings and whatever since I started it during summer. However, with leaves falling/blowing in it's full and there was a big pile and more to come, so I dug out another piece of chicken wire and set up another one. Now it's full, and there's a pile dumped in the garden and wet down until the stuff in the two heaps goes down enough to add some in. One thing I've noticed is that if you keep them damp and turn them every third day, they tend to break down fairly quickly. Come spring, I should have quite a bit of compost and worms to dig in.
I've also got to get the chipper back from a friend who's using it. I cut a bunch of limbs out of trees in the back a couple of weeks ago, and I need to chop up the small stuff. Tomorrow's supposed to be windy but a bit warmer, so I'll try to get it tonight.
Every once in a while I think of all that needs doing and consider standing in the yard screaming "Will it never end?!?", but I don't think it'd help. Other than amusing the dogs.
Every time I've missed them in the morning they've always made a second pass by the house around 1630-1730, on their way back to the shop I suspect. There's a new Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant that opened nearby, so, having a little extra left over I went there for lunch, then swung by Outdoor America, one of the local gun shops. Who, by the way, was having a sale; I should have turned around and left when I saw the signs. Anyway, I got home and found a '2nd attempt' on the door. I left for lunch about 1130; this one was marked 1140. Dammit!
So I've spent the day since raking leaves and putting them in the second compost heap and some cleaning up around the house. With any luck they'll come back by and save me driving to their office after 6 to pick it up.
I say 'second compost heap' because I just started another one a couple of days ago. The first one has worked nicely with grass clippings and whatever since I started it during summer. However, with leaves falling/blowing in it's full and there was a big pile and more to come, so I dug out another piece of chicken wire and set up another one. Now it's full, and there's a pile dumped in the garden and wet down until the stuff in the two heaps goes down enough to add some in. One thing I've noticed is that if you keep them damp and turn them every third day, they tend to break down fairly quickly. Come spring, I should have quite a bit of compost and worms to dig in.
I've also got to get the chipper back from a friend who's using it. I cut a bunch of limbs out of trees in the back a couple of weeks ago, and I need to chop up the small stuff. Tomorrow's supposed to be windy but a bit warmer, so I'll try to get it tonight.
Every once in a while I think of all that needs doing and consider standing in the yard screaming "Will it never end?!?", but I don't think it'd help. Other than amusing the dogs.
OKC Bombing update
Well, well, KTOK has this on their site:
"Former FBI deputy assistant director Danny Coulsen tells the McCurtain Daily Gazette there is a need for a greater investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing."
McCurtain Daily Gazette reporter J.D. Cash interviewed the former agent for several days on this. He reviewed the redacted documents that Jesse Trentadue has already obtained, and says, basically, "There's a bunch more people who should have been indicted". The KTOK post, including the whole Gazette article, is here, and worth reading. Link direct to the Gazette article is here.
One interesting thing, if you read my earlier posts on this, the documents released to Trentadue so far included the information that the Southern Poverty Law Center had an informant in the Elohim City compound who also fed info to the FBI; now the SPLC is claiming that was in error. I wonder why?
Previous posts here, here, here, here. One or two more that I don't have time to dig up the links to right now
"Former FBI deputy assistant director Danny Coulsen tells the McCurtain Daily Gazette there is a need for a greater investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing."
McCurtain Daily Gazette reporter J.D. Cash interviewed the former agent for several days on this. He reviewed the redacted documents that Jesse Trentadue has already obtained, and says, basically, "There's a bunch more people who should have been indicted". The KTOK post, including the whole Gazette article, is here, and worth reading. Link direct to the Gazette article is here.
One interesting thing, if you read my earlier posts on this, the documents released to Trentadue so far included the information that the Southern Poverty Law Center had an informant in the Elohim City compound who also fed info to the FBI; now the SPLC is claiming that was in error. I wonder why?
Previous posts here, here, here, here. One or two more that I don't have time to dig up the links to right now
Monday, November 28, 2005
Speaking of wastes of oxygen,
fetid and otherwise, Powerline takes note that Ramsey Clark, the worst excuse for an attorney general this country ever had, is giving Saddam emotional and legal support. I've got a question: has this clown ever found a terrorist or tyrant or commie dictator that he would not support? As I recall, he said- when he was the AG, yet- that the longest sentance for any crime, including murder, should be five years, and absolutely wet his pants at the very idea of a death penalty. He's one of the slimy assholes Steve mentions who makes life hard for actual honest lawyers(yeah, yeah, calm down; they do exist).
Powerline also notes, in the waste of oxygen area, Whoopi Goldberg and the idiots involved in the intro for the latest Looney Tunes collection; check out Mark Steyn's piece linked there.
Hollyweenies and lawyers of the most odious type; fit company for Rall, wouldn't you say?
Powerline also notes, in the waste of oxygen area, Whoopi Goldberg and the idiots involved in the intro for the latest Looney Tunes collection; check out Mark Steyn's piece linked there.
Hollyweenies and lawyers of the most odious type; fit company for Rall, wouldn't you say?
Political roundup
I've mentioned before that there are things the President has and hasn't done that I'm not happy with. Some of the things in his speech on illegal immigrants today are crap, and others should have been done long ago.
In a nasty case, Rep. Cunningham plead guilty to accepting bribes. It's a terrible thing he did, but at least he kept enough of his integrity to flat plead guilty and resign from the House. It would be nice of some others who've committed similar crimes would go home, but don't hold your breath; there's a bunch of people in D.C. who will not leave until they die if they can prevent it.
It's been established numerous times that Ted Rall is a fetid waste of oxygen, but he just seems to be intent on proving it again and again. But don't you dare question his patriotism! Or that of his buttmonkeys.Got news for you, Teddy; you're not a dissenter, you are on the other side. I don't question your patriotism because I don't think you have any. You're a vile scab on the skin of this nation. Period.
One of the reasons this kind of sewage in print pisses me off so much is having known a bunch of people in the military. My son used to be in the Civil Air Patrol; the influence of a number of Air Force officers (from a Lt. Colonel on down) was wonderful, and at least one of his friends is currently serving(oorah, Joey!). It's enough to make you want to kick someone in a sensitive place. Several times.
Oh, and let us not overlook the "Main Street Republicans", those chicken-hearted clowns who betrayed the folks back home, and are now threatening Michelle Malkin for calling them on it. And for calling the fact that George Soros(Asshole-Socialist) money is involved. It's too involved to quote from here, read it here for all the info.
In other breaking news, Ted Kennedy and Chucky Schumer are opportunistic, hypocritical jackasses(literally and figuratively), Feinstein and Boxer are right up there with them, and I just made a new batch of fudge. Which has nothing to do with politics, but I used the 60% cocoa chips and tripled the amount of pecans in the recipe; waiting for slab to cool will be difficult.
In a nasty case, Rep. Cunningham plead guilty to accepting bribes. It's a terrible thing he did, but at least he kept enough of his integrity to flat plead guilty and resign from the House. It would be nice of some others who've committed similar crimes would go home, but don't hold your breath; there's a bunch of people in D.C. who will not leave until they die if they can prevent it.
It's been established numerous times that Ted Rall is a fetid waste of oxygen, but he just seems to be intent on proving it again and again. But don't you dare question his patriotism! Or that of his buttmonkeys.Got news for you, Teddy; you're not a dissenter, you are on the other side. I don't question your patriotism because I don't think you have any. You're a vile scab on the skin of this nation. Period.
One of the reasons this kind of sewage in print pisses me off so much is having known a bunch of people in the military. My son used to be in the Civil Air Patrol; the influence of a number of Air Force officers (from a Lt. Colonel on down) was wonderful, and at least one of his friends is currently serving(oorah, Joey!). It's enough to make you want to kick someone in a sensitive place. Several times.
Oh, and let us not overlook the "Main Street Republicans", those chicken-hearted clowns who betrayed the folks back home, and are now threatening Michelle Malkin for calling them on it. And for calling the fact that George Soros(Asshole-Socialist) money is involved. It's too involved to quote from here, read it here for all the info.
In other breaking news, Ted Kennedy and Chucky Schumer are opportunistic, hypocritical jackasses(literally and figuratively), Feinstein and Boxer are right up there with them, and I just made a new batch of fudge. Which has nothing to do with politics, but I used the 60% cocoa chips and tripled the amount of pecans in the recipe; waiting for slab to cool will be difficult.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
A place to see
Was over at American Drumslinger and he directed me to The Rock Bitch; go check the lady out.
In a good way, of course.
In a good way, of course.
The wind was indeed sweeping down the plain,
and taking anything not nailed or tied down with it. Straight winds in the 30's and gusts of more than 50mph earlier; it's calmed down now, but 'till we get some rain the fire danger is bloody awful here.
Just general notes of things picked up today,
MADD activists have no damn business helping staff checkpoints. The group has changed from one with a legitimate aim to a bunch of nannies who want to control people. Wizbang noted this here: check out the second comment.
There was something of a noise a while back about some twins who sing and are big in the white supremacist movement. Dean Esmay notes that he's used to musicians and a lot of others in the entertainment industry being suckups to dictators(think Carlos Santana wearing a Che' shirt in front of a bunch of Cuban musicians). I've wondered why we haven't heard of some of these clowns wearing a Hitler shirt; after all, they like to cheer Castro and Stalin and company. However, from this, some of them seem to be getting over their aversion to the Nazis; after all, they were socialists so how bad could they have been?
Let's see, Bitch Sheehan is back in Texas with very few buttmonkeys backing her up(amazing what criticizing Hillary does for ones pull on the left, isn't it?). I like this; they had a 'traditional Iraqi meal' for Thanksgiving, saying "They said they wanted to call attention to the innocent Iraqi victims in addition to the more than 2,100 U.S. soldiers killed since the war began in March 2003. " I wonder if they give a rats ass for the innocent Iraqis murdered by the tens of thousands by Saddam before we took him out?
In the foreign moonbats(Canadian division), we have this. The Canadian military used to be one of the best forces in the world, now they're one of the most crapped-upon by idiots like this...
Oh Lord, look what Kevin found at Curmudgeonly & Skeptical!
And Schumer and company(socialist weenie divison) are at it again, check this out at Riverdog.
And Steve did make it to the range!
Just general notes of things picked up today,
MADD activists have no damn business helping staff checkpoints. The group has changed from one with a legitimate aim to a bunch of nannies who want to control people. Wizbang noted this here: check out the second comment.
There was something of a noise a while back about some twins who sing and are big in the white supremacist movement. Dean Esmay notes that he's used to musicians and a lot of others in the entertainment industry being suckups to dictators(think Carlos Santana wearing a Che' shirt in front of a bunch of Cuban musicians). I've wondered why we haven't heard of some of these clowns wearing a Hitler shirt; after all, they like to cheer Castro and Stalin and company. However, from this, some of them seem to be getting over their aversion to the Nazis; after all, they were socialists so how bad could they have been?
Let's see, Bitch Sheehan is back in Texas with very few buttmonkeys backing her up(amazing what criticizing Hillary does for ones pull on the left, isn't it?). I like this; they had a 'traditional Iraqi meal' for Thanksgiving, saying "They said they wanted to call attention to the innocent Iraqi victims in addition to the more than 2,100 U.S. soldiers killed since the war began in March 2003. " I wonder if they give a rats ass for the innocent Iraqis murdered by the tens of thousands by Saddam before we took him out?
In the foreign moonbats(Canadian division), we have this. The Canadian military used to be one of the best forces in the world, now they're one of the most crapped-upon by idiots like this...
Oh Lord, look what Kevin found at Curmudgeonly & Skeptical!
And Schumer and company(socialist weenie divison) are at it again, check this out at Riverdog.
And Steve did make it to the range!
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Assorted thoughts and links on a Saturday
Now that I'm out of the turkey-endorphin haze and have reasonably lucid thoughts. Smallest Minority has(again) two good things. First is a pro-gun article in- of all places- the New York Times! The second is called March of the Lemmings, which includes, among other things, one of the most nutcase level rants from DU I've heard of yet. I don't know whether to recommend the latter as a 'do you believe this shit?' read or as a 'know your enemy' read. And make no mistake, some of those people flatly are The Enemy.
Made it back to Uncle's place and found this on some clowns who call themselves the Gun Guys; standard 'guns are eeevillle crap coming from people claiming to be pro-gun. Then there's some idiocy in the name of law enforcement here. And to end it all, a link to an ATF letter in which they class a shoestring as a 'machine gun'. No, I'm not kidding. And, as a side note, evil days have come to Uncle's house; the kid can now say "No!"
Michelle has this on the resignation of the 'professor' who wrote the idiot letter threatening a conservative student and calling for troops to kill their officers. The school does get points for actually checking into this, but loses points as no tar and feathers were involved.
She also notes some of the crap going on in our schools. And these are the same idiots who say vouchers and school choice will hurt education. Damn.
Wizbang has this linking to "one of the better new bloggers on the left". It's an article on how we should not adjust our foreign policy to try to make others like us. In the overall I agree, but I get pissed off at things like "...its decision to wage war based on claims concerning the Iraqi threat which were false and inaccurate, are destructive and indefensible. " I looked at the rest of his site, and found, among other things, 'irrational attacks on ex-supporters of the war' and the 'chaos in Iraq', and so forth. It's better than some others in that he doesn't call anyone who disagrees with him vile names, but otherwise it seems a standard 'Bush is evil, conservatives are bad' lefty blog. If this is one of the 'better' bloggers on the left, sheesh.
I'm so damn sick of the "Bush lied!" crap. Especially when it's coming from senators and reps who are on defense committees and had full access to the intel. And I'm sick of these clowns in Congress throwing out words, calling for withdrawal, etc., then screaming like stuck pigs when someone quotes their own words back. Or, in the case of Murtha, actually making them vote on the measure they talked up. Since when it is dirty tricks to make you live up to your own words?
Screw it, this is ruining my good mood.
Made it back to Uncle's place and found this on some clowns who call themselves the Gun Guys; standard 'guns are eeevillle crap coming from people claiming to be pro-gun. Then there's some idiocy in the name of law enforcement here. And to end it all, a link to an ATF letter in which they class a shoestring as a 'machine gun'. No, I'm not kidding. And, as a side note, evil days have come to Uncle's house; the kid can now say "No!"
Michelle has this on the resignation of the 'professor' who wrote the idiot letter threatening a conservative student and calling for troops to kill their officers. The school does get points for actually checking into this, but loses points as no tar and feathers were involved.
She also notes some of the crap going on in our schools. And these are the same idiots who say vouchers and school choice will hurt education. Damn.
Wizbang has this linking to "one of the better new bloggers on the left". It's an article on how we should not adjust our foreign policy to try to make others like us. In the overall I agree, but I get pissed off at things like "...its decision to wage war based on claims concerning the Iraqi threat which were false and inaccurate, are destructive and indefensible. " I looked at the rest of his site, and found, among other things, 'irrational attacks on ex-supporters of the war' and the 'chaos in Iraq', and so forth. It's better than some others in that he doesn't call anyone who disagrees with him vile names, but otherwise it seems a standard 'Bush is evil, conservatives are bad' lefty blog. If this is one of the 'better' bloggers on the left, sheesh.
I'm so damn sick of the "Bush lied!" crap. Especially when it's coming from senators and reps who are on defense committees and had full access to the intel. And I'm sick of these clowns in Congress throwing out words, calling for withdrawal, etc., then screaming like stuck pigs when someone quotes their own words back. Or, in the case of Murtha, actually making them vote on the measure they talked up. Since when it is dirty tricks to make you live up to your own words?
Screw it, this is ruining my good mood.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Ho, ho, ho, and damn! I'm still full
Thanksgiving was celebrated with proper amounts of stuffing with good food. Mom takes holidays when company comes as a chance to make the food she usually doesn't make for just herself and dad, which meant pies and turkey and ham and stuffing and gravy and... I lost track. Dad makes the dressing from his mother's recipe, and you could founder yourself on it alone.
Steve over at Hog on Ice described his dinner, and the aftermath with the birds. Happily, the dogs don't make noises like that in the house, so I don't have to listen to that.
Michelle Malkin posted a recipe for pie. I'm going to make some more fudge; I found some chocolate chips that are 60% cocoa, and they make damn good fudge. The first batch went pretty fast since I shared it at work; I think this batch is going to the guy who's working on my pc. He says it's either the power supply or the motherboard; if the power, he has one that'll work, and if it's the board I need to find a new pc. I'm hoping for the power supply, I don't want to have to get another pc.
Michelle also linked to this mess. I wonder, if they are indeed who they're suspected to be, how diligent will the authorities be in tracking them down and making arrests? After all, don't want to interfere with their religeous beliefs, now do they?
I had some plans for proper levels of yelling about various crap, such as that bitch Sheehan making another pilgrimage to Crawford, but I'm too narced on turkey still for proper outrage. So later, folks
Steve over at Hog on Ice described his dinner, and the aftermath with the birds. Happily, the dogs don't make noises like that in the house, so I don't have to listen to that.
Michelle Malkin posted a recipe for pie. I'm going to make some more fudge; I found some chocolate chips that are 60% cocoa, and they make damn good fudge. The first batch went pretty fast since I shared it at work; I think this batch is going to the guy who's working on my pc. He says it's either the power supply or the motherboard; if the power, he has one that'll work, and if it's the board I need to find a new pc. I'm hoping for the power supply, I don't want to have to get another pc.
Michelle also linked to this mess. I wonder, if they are indeed who they're suspected to be, how diligent will the authorities be in tracking them down and making arrests? After all, don't want to interfere with their religeous beliefs, now do they?
I had some plans for proper levels of yelling about various crap, such as that bitch Sheehan making another pilgrimage to Crawford, but I'm too narced on turkey still for proper outrage. So later, folks
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Did I ever mention I don't like working on ladders?
Or roofs? Well, down at my parents house there's a biiiig old cottonwood that's got some problems, especially in the biiig limb that stretches out over the house. So a chunk of today was spent in the roof helping dad take this limb down a piece at a time.
I did talk him into buying one of the power polesaws. That little chainsaw-on-a-stick is very nice for things like this, especially since you can whack off a section of limb without worrying about it falling on you.
However, that part is done. One more limb to help out with- it's not as heavy- and that'll be taken care of. Then I'm going to used dad's bullet sizing press to size and lube a few hundred .45 bullets. And mom has been cooking; God, it smells good around here!
This laptop keyboard is a bit of a pain, but the laptop is kind of handy, being able to check mail, etc., while I'm here. In any case, this is the only thing I plan to post until after Thanksgiving. Have a good day of it, folks.
I did talk him into buying one of the power polesaws. That little chainsaw-on-a-stick is very nice for things like this, especially since you can whack off a section of limb without worrying about it falling on you.
However, that part is done. One more limb to help out with- it's not as heavy- and that'll be taken care of. Then I'm going to used dad's bullet sizing press to size and lube a few hundred .45 bullets. And mom has been cooking; God, it smells good around here!
This laptop keyboard is a bit of a pain, but the laptop is kind of handy, being able to check mail, etc., while I'm here. In any case, this is the only thing I plan to post until after Thanksgiving. Have a good day of it, folks.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Thanksgiving week
Let's see, various tv 'specials' I'll be skipping and, since I'm visiting my folks, probably enough food to founder me, Og and Kim together. Overall balance, a definate plus.
Over at Smallest Minority, read this letter to Sen. Kennedy(Dr. MA). Maybe someone can nail a copy to his door. If you can get past all the private security he shouldn't need since the police can take care of everything, right?
I tried my daughter's recipe for fudge, except I doubled the amount of pecans. Damn, that's good stuff! I found some chocolate chips that are 60% cocoa, which I think helps a bit.
I've got packing to do, and some stuff to pick up before I leave tomorrow, so...
Oh, one last thing. Mythbusters tested the idea that a pickup with the tailgate down/off gets better mileage and with the gate up. Result? Gate up gets noticeably better mileage. Turns out that with the gate up a vortex forms behind the cab that tends to direct the airstream over the bed; with the gate down/off, the vortex either doesn't form or is very weak and the airstream tends to wind up hitting the rear of the bed, causing drag. So I need to put the damn thing back on before I leave.
Over at Smallest Minority, read this letter to Sen. Kennedy(Dr. MA). Maybe someone can nail a copy to his door. If you can get past all the private security he shouldn't need since the police can take care of everything, right?
I tried my daughter's recipe for fudge, except I doubled the amount of pecans. Damn, that's good stuff! I found some chocolate chips that are 60% cocoa, which I think helps a bit.
I've got packing to do, and some stuff to pick up before I leave tomorrow, so...
Oh, one last thing. Mythbusters tested the idea that a pickup with the tailgate down/off gets better mileage and with the gate up. Result? Gate up gets noticeably better mileage. Turns out that with the gate up a vortex forms behind the cab that tends to direct the airstream over the bed; with the gate down/off, the vortex either doesn't form or is very weak and the airstream tends to wind up hitting the rear of the bed, causing drag. So I need to put the damn thing back on before I leave.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
God, I wanna be on Mythbusters!
Come on, guys, I've got guns! I've got powder and can do metalwork! I wanna help blow things up!
But we'll use your gun for the stuff like I just watched. They decided to see if you could get a shotgun barrel to blow by sticking your finger in the barrel. So they took a 12 guage, made a synthetic bone/ballistic gel tissue hand, stuck the finger in the barrel, and pulled the trigger. Remotely, of course.
Result? One hand blown off of Buster, no damage to the gun. Twice. So then they used a ballistic wax hand(more rigid material) and managed to ring the barrel just back from the muzzle, but no 'banana peel' fracture. What next? They rammed the muzzle into a flowerbed and got a 8" dirt plug in the barrel, and fired with that. That split the barrel for about an inch or so and caused the vented rib to break loose and roll back, but no big split and no sign of damage to the ballistic gel head and shoulders in the shooters position.
So as a last resort, they cut the barrel back to get a square muzzle, ground a steel plug and welded it into the muzzle and fired it. And it blew the end off the barrel just behind the weld, and caused a small split. With still no damage to the 'shooter'.
So as a final test they took a Carcano rifle, pulled a bullet, hammered it into the barrel at the muzzle to simulate a squib and a stuck bullet, and fired it. It blew off about an inch or so at the muzzle(neatly amputating the bayonet mount), but not banana peel split.
Back when barrels were made of wrought iron I could see the type of split they were looking for happening; wrought iron is a lot softer than steel. But with steel barrels, especially modern ones, I much doubt it.
Damn, I want to work on that show.
But we'll use your gun for the stuff like I just watched. They decided to see if you could get a shotgun barrel to blow by sticking your finger in the barrel. So they took a 12 guage, made a synthetic bone/ballistic gel tissue hand, stuck the finger in the barrel, and pulled the trigger. Remotely, of course.
Result? One hand blown off of Buster, no damage to the gun. Twice. So then they used a ballistic wax hand(more rigid material) and managed to ring the barrel just back from the muzzle, but no 'banana peel' fracture. What next? They rammed the muzzle into a flowerbed and got a 8" dirt plug in the barrel, and fired with that. That split the barrel for about an inch or so and caused the vented rib to break loose and roll back, but no big split and no sign of damage to the ballistic gel head and shoulders in the shooters position.
So as a last resort, they cut the barrel back to get a square muzzle, ground a steel plug and welded it into the muzzle and fired it. And it blew the end off the barrel just behind the weld, and caused a small split. With still no damage to the 'shooter'.
So as a final test they took a Carcano rifle, pulled a bullet, hammered it into the barrel at the muzzle to simulate a squib and a stuck bullet, and fired it. It blew off about an inch or so at the muzzle(neatly amputating the bayonet mount), but not banana peel split.
Back when barrels were made of wrought iron I could see the type of split they were looking for happening; wrought iron is a lot softer than steel. But with steel barrels, especially modern ones, I much doubt it.
Damn, I want to work on that show.
Speaking of whining crybabies,
Powerline has this on the vote in the House the other day on Murtha's resolution. Result: take Murtha's idea and make the Dems actually vote on it for real, and they scream and moan about how it's a cheap attack on them.
Sorry boobs
Sorry boobs
Sunday morning thoughts
One of the things I've always treasured is the freedom we have here to scream and yell and state our opinions without fear of some clown in a trench coat asking for our papers and hauling us away. First time I really thought about it was when some court ruled that the communist party was free to put a candidate in an election. My dad was pissed, not thinking that a bunch of people wanting to destroy this country should be allowed to act openly on it. I tended to agree with him, but a part of me thought, hmmm, freedom of speech has to apply to everyone or it's in danger for all of us. I don't claim it as an original thought, I probably heard it somewhere in an argument or read it in an article(way pre-www), but it made me a bit uncomfortable; why should we let enemies of this country work openly to destroy it?
I thought about it at the time, and a lot since. I've decided I'm not an absolutist; I'd rather have people like the communists and socialists openly showing what they are so we can see them, but I do think there are limits. And I think actually calling for the death of our soldiers and our loss in war is over that line.
Oh, for the most part I don't like the idea of throwing people in jail for it; again, this shows us who the enemy is and how they think, it reveals the danger they pose. There is such a thing as treason and the other such charges, and when those laws are broken those who break them should be prosecuted.
What I am sick to death of is the clowns who scream "Dissent in the most patriotic act!" and so forth, when they don't actually dissent against a policy but against this country itself. The dipshits who scream "Don't question my patriotism!" to keep people from calling them on their most unpatriotic acts. Again, don't call for our troops to die, don't call for the enemy to win, don't call for censorship of those who disagree with you- don't try to silence those who disagree by trolling and spamming and hacking and shouting them down- and then defend yourself with that cry. And when you constantly call for various and sundry people to be killed and scream 'fascist' and so forth at anyone who argues with you, you're not in a good position to sound indignant over someone else turning it back on you(see Wizbang) I don't like it when anyone calls for killing someone else or destroying their life because they argue with you or have a different stand on matters, including someone on 'my own side' to some extent, I simply point out that the clowns at DU aren't in a good space to scream about evil threats when that's what makes up much of their idea of 'discussion'.
What brought this up was two things, this post at Michelle's and this one at Greyhawk. In the first, Michelle has posted some of the crap she receives, and it's the most vile racist garbage imaginable; it's like these idiots want to prove that if you appear to belong to some minority group you don't DARE speak out in any way that takes you off the reservation or they'll come after you. The other, Greyhawk has been posting tributes to troops who died in Iraq, and has received so many trolls etc. that she's decided to stop for now. These bastards can't argue with the policy, oh no, they have to redicule and threaten and demean those who are over there. Shitheads like this are the first ones who scream and whine when anyone challenges them on it. Got news for you folks; you ARE unpatriotic, and you ARE on the other side when you do crap like this.
I've apparently been lucky, the only such who've come by here have left one comment and gone away, but a lot of people have had all kinds of crap dumped on them for stating a non-PC thought. And our discourse has become somewhat nasty over the last decade or so, and much more so since 2000(gee, I wonder why?). And it's not helping. You don't convince someone that your idea is better by calling them names, or by ignoring their argument and attacking them personally, you just prove to them that your idea is no good; if it were good, you'd be able to argue it.
I thought about it at the time, and a lot since. I've decided I'm not an absolutist; I'd rather have people like the communists and socialists openly showing what they are so we can see them, but I do think there are limits. And I think actually calling for the death of our soldiers and our loss in war is over that line.
Oh, for the most part I don't like the idea of throwing people in jail for it; again, this shows us who the enemy is and how they think, it reveals the danger they pose. There is such a thing as treason and the other such charges, and when those laws are broken those who break them should be prosecuted.
What I am sick to death of is the clowns who scream "Dissent in the most patriotic act!" and so forth, when they don't actually dissent against a policy but against this country itself. The dipshits who scream "Don't question my patriotism!" to keep people from calling them on their most unpatriotic acts. Again, don't call for our troops to die, don't call for the enemy to win, don't call for censorship of those who disagree with you- don't try to silence those who disagree by trolling and spamming and hacking and shouting them down- and then defend yourself with that cry. And when you constantly call for various and sundry people to be killed and scream 'fascist' and so forth at anyone who argues with you, you're not in a good position to sound indignant over someone else turning it back on you(see Wizbang) I don't like it when anyone calls for killing someone else or destroying their life because they argue with you or have a different stand on matters, including someone on 'my own side' to some extent, I simply point out that the clowns at DU aren't in a good space to scream about evil threats when that's what makes up much of their idea of 'discussion'.
What brought this up was two things, this post at Michelle's and this one at Greyhawk. In the first, Michelle has posted some of the crap she receives, and it's the most vile racist garbage imaginable; it's like these idiots want to prove that if you appear to belong to some minority group you don't DARE speak out in any way that takes you off the reservation or they'll come after you. The other, Greyhawk has been posting tributes to troops who died in Iraq, and has received so many trolls etc. that she's decided to stop for now. These bastards can't argue with the policy, oh no, they have to redicule and threaten and demean those who are over there. Shitheads like this are the first ones who scream and whine when anyone challenges them on it. Got news for you folks; you ARE unpatriotic, and you ARE on the other side when you do crap like this.
I've apparently been lucky, the only such who've come by here have left one comment and gone away, but a lot of people have had all kinds of crap dumped on them for stating a non-PC thought. And our discourse has become somewhat nasty over the last decade or so, and much more so since 2000(gee, I wonder why?). And it's not helping. You don't convince someone that your idea is better by calling them names, or by ignoring their argument and attacking them personally, you just prove to them that your idea is no good; if it were good, you'd be able to argue it.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
So far, this laptop is ok,
but I miss my full-size keyboard for one thing. And if I hit the end of a sentance and try to do a couple of line-feeds to drop to a new para, it won't do it for some damn reason. Which makes some things a pain. And is leading to run-on sentances like this.
Well, if this works I think I have a solution to the last, but I'll be glad to get my pc back. I hope.
I've been watching the Firefly dvd's, a bit at a time, and just finished the third episode. I'd forgotten how much I'd liked this series. And no, I kept forgetting to get out and see it, so I haven't seen Serenity yet; I may have to buy the DVD when it comes out if I can't catch it at the dollar theater. Hell, I may buy it anyway.
In any case, I have brass to sort and dogs to annoy, so 'nighty-night
Well, if this works I think I have a solution to the last, but I'll be glad to get my pc back. I hope.
I've been watching the Firefly dvd's, a bit at a time, and just finished the third episode. I'd forgotten how much I'd liked this series. And no, I kept forgetting to get out and see it, so I haven't seen Serenity yet; I may have to buy the DVD when it comes out if I can't catch it at the dollar theater. Hell, I may buy it anyway.
In any case, I have brass to sort and dogs to annoy, so 'nighty-night
Carnival of Cordite #39
up at Gullyborg. Lots of nice stuff, though I haven't been able to hit it all yet.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Computer problems suck
Specifically, a pc that won't boot up. More specifically, mine. So I'm posting this on a borrowed laptop until a friend finds out if my pc can be saved, or if it bit the big one this time.
It's actually a nice laptop, but the little drag-your-finger mouse screen will take some getting used to. But I can check my mail, and if some important thought crosses my mind(shut up) I can put it here.
I was trying to remember how old my pc is, and I'm not sure. I can't find the receipt anywhere, but I believe it's about 6 years old, maybe a bit more, and has worked quite well the whole time. I had a weird problem that turned out to be software related a year or so ago, and that turned out ok. I'm afraid this time it's either the drive or the motherboard. When it first began acting weird I backed up most of the stuff that had changed since my last one, and the only important to me stuff that's not I can replace pretty easily. So we'll see.
It's actually a nice laptop, but the little drag-your-finger mouse screen will take some getting used to. But I can check my mail, and if some important thought crosses my mind(shut up) I can put it here.
I was trying to remember how old my pc is, and I'm not sure. I can't find the receipt anywhere, but I believe it's about 6 years old, maybe a bit more, and has worked quite well the whole time. I had a weird problem that turned out to be software related a year or so ago, and that turned out ok. I'm afraid this time it's either the drive or the motherboard. When it first began acting weird I backed up most of the stuff that had changed since my last one, and the only important to me stuff that's not I can replace pretty easily. So we'll see.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Ref my earlier piece on the ownership of arms
In the comments Kevin reminded me of a three-part post of his. If you haven't read it, you should check it out
Part one: It's most important that all potential victims be as dangerous as they can, here
Part two: Violence and the Social Contract, here
Part three: Governments, Criminals and Dangerous Victims, here.
Part one: It's most important that all potential victims be as dangerous as they can, here
Part two: Violence and the Social Contract, here
Part three: Governments, Criminals and Dangerous Victims, here.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Blogroll additions, and no new forging for a while
I just discovered these two tonight. I was looking over comments and checked their homepages and wow! good stuff here!
The King at Pirates! Man your women! and
the man at South Park Pundit.
Now I've got to find time to read all their stuff.
On the forging front, between weather and time and so forth haven't been able to do much for a while. Right now it's turned cold, and standing in the wind trying to work on thin pieces- like decorative scrolls and blades- doesn't work too well; they cool off damn fast when the temp is in the 40's-50's and the breeze is whistling along. On top of that, it's been pretty dry around here, and the whole state is under an outdoor burn ban. I could probably get by with the forge, but between the dry and the wind, I'm not taking the chance. The weather this time of year can run from 30's to 70's for highs and teens to about 50 for lows; so if we get some rain there may still be some days I can light it off and do some hammering. We'll see.
The King at Pirates! Man your women! and
the man at South Park Pundit.
Now I've got to find time to read all their stuff.
On the forging front, between weather and time and so forth haven't been able to do much for a while. Right now it's turned cold, and standing in the wind trying to work on thin pieces- like decorative scrolls and blades- doesn't work too well; they cool off damn fast when the temp is in the 40's-50's and the breeze is whistling along. On top of that, it's been pretty dry around here, and the whole state is under an outdoor burn ban. I could probably get by with the forge, but between the dry and the wind, I'm not taking the chance. The weather this time of year can run from 30's to 70's for highs and teens to about 50 for lows; so if we get some rain there may still be some days I can light it off and do some hammering. We'll see.
National Ammo Day/Week; it's a start
Picked this up today
Le's see, three cartridges, 600 rounds total. If I didn't have some other expenses that have come up recently, there'd be two boxes of the Gold Dots, a local gun shop has a real good price on them. And for practice ammo the Blazers are quite good and inexpensive. Well, maybe by the 19th...
Le's see, three cartridges, 600 rounds total. If I didn't have some other expenses that have come up recently, there'd be two boxes of the Gold Dots, a local gun shop has a real good price on them. And for practice ammo the Blazers are quite good and inexpensive. Well, maybe by the 19th...
A fine quote to add to that of Krusty
That quote? "There are three reasons to own a gun. To protect yourself and your family, to hunt dangerous and delicious animals, and to keep the King of England out of your face." - Krusty the Clown
The one I just heard? "Don't think of it as a rifle; think of it as a part of your body that shoots bullets." The kid on King of the Hill
The one I just heard? "Don't think of it as a rifle; think of it as a part of your body that shoots bullets." The kid on King of the Hill
Kevin's nomination, and thoughts on force
Kevin at Smallest Minority has been nominated for Greatest Blog Post Ever for this: Those Without Swords Can Still Die Upon Them. If you haven't read it before, take a look when you can. It's an interesting piece.
One of the things that keeps coming up from some people is the 'guns are evil' or 'guns are dangerous and should be banned' argument. There are variations on it, but it boils down to 'if you get rid of guns the bad people will be less dangerous and you won't have accidental shootings; so there!". When the people making this statement do acknowledge that bad people won't turn in weapons just because you tell them to(you, of course, become a Bad People if you refuse to turn in yours), they usually come down to two ideas: that eventually the Bad People will run out of guns/ammunition, and that it's a good idea to get arms out of the hands of honest people even if it won't help crime problems because nobody needs to own them. That last is, I think, their real Truth that leads them; they've decided that nobody has a reason- or a good enough reason- to own guns, so they shouldn't be allowed to. They don't trust themselves with weapons, so they don't trust anyone else either. They'll make exceptions for minions of the State, military and law enforcement, but that's it(it should be noted that the really rabid adherents of this idea don't like LE having arms either, and would rather get rid of the military, too). They are putting complete trust in the State to protect them and discount any right to self-defense. Yeah, for some that's a bit drastic, but for many? Seen any of the information about what's happened in Britain over the years? If you defend yourself with your bare hands, in your own home, against an attacker and the Crown Prosecutor thinks you used too much force or, at any time, had any intention of harming your attacker, you go to jail. And most of the 'you don't need to own guns' people think we should be more like Britain.
This includes the pacifist and 'no violence' types. The pacifist doesn't think force other than moral argument should be used against anyone for any reason, the 'non-violent' types don't think force should be used except in extremis with exceptions; and those exceptions almost always include only the use of force by the state. I have little to no respect for either of them. They both depend on other people to keep them safe, so they don't have to dirty their hands with violence and weapons, and don't think anyone else should be allowed to defend themselves. Oh, some will allow as to how you should be able to defend yourself with your bare hands, but use of weapons shouldn't be allowed; if you can't do it bare-handed, you should run. I just love the idea of these people telling an old woman or a pregnant woman or a mother with children that she should just run away(after, if necessary, jumping out a window) rather than take a weapon in hand. It's idiotic, but it makes sense to those who think you shouldn't be allowed to use violence even to protect self/family/home.
There are some pacifists who say "I don't want the state to use violence even to protect me", but that's really a bullshit statement. I wrote once before that a government cannot adopt a two-tier system where force can only be used to protect some of the people but not others; claiming you want them to do just that is insane. And saying you won't use force to protect citazens from the bad guys no matter what is inviting the bad guys to do whatever they want, because force won't be used to stop them. A society that tries to work that way will go the way Britain is going. Take a look at this book, or go read The Policeman's Blog and see if you like that idea. Rampant political correctness that won't let you do or say anything that might hurt precious feelings somewhere, you can't use force without having the threat of firing and/or jail hanging over your head... There are restrictions on the powers/authority of law enforcement for good reason; they also must have the authority to act as and how needed in times of trouble or the job can't be done. The crooks tend to be people who only respond to force or the threat of it, and waving your magic fluffy bunny wishing wand won't change that, and it won't make bad guys suddenly stop hurting/robbing/raping/killing people and make them amenable to reasoned discussion.
And last, among the 'guns are icky' people are those who have no problem with self-defense, but don't think guns should be used. I used to know a lot of these when I was messing around in the Society for Creative Anachronism. They'd tell- with great relish- the stories about someone using a sword or axe or knife on a burglar or attacker; they'd speak of the knife or sword they kept by the bed and how they'd use it on anyone who broke into their house. But mention firearms, and they sniffed up something terrible. Guns were bad, guns were not 'honorable', guns were excessive use of force. Slicing someone's guts open with sharp steel was acceptable, but guns were 'excessive' force... And 'honorable'? Why in the name of whatever would you give a rat's butt about giving 'honorable combat' to a rapist/buglar/murderer who is attacking you? I didn't understand it then, and I don't now. In fact, I think it's idiotic. The right to self-defense, using whatever force necessary, is the most basic right of a human being; restricting it, especially for reasons of political correctness or just because you don't like it, is a definate step toward tyranny; if people are not allowed to protect themselves they become ever more dependant on the government, and that's something tyrants like, even-maybe especially- if they don't think of themselves as tyrants.
I'll throw in another category as the 'not too-violent' people. These are the people who say a knife is nice but 'it shouldn't be that sharp because it's dangerous'(no, I'm not kidding, I have heard that). Or, as some lady wrote in a local weekly, "People should be allowed small guns for hunting and maybe self-defense, but that's all". Yes, you should be able to own this BUT; yes, you can defend yourself BUT. Again, you(and themselves) cannot be trusted so various restrictions must be placed on you so you'll be 'safe'.
You also get combinations of the above, and very often they'll be either unwilling to believe that you can't agree with them, or will dismiss you because, obviously, if you were smart enough to really understand, you would agree with them; therefore, since you disagree, you're not smart enough to be worth listening to.
This has all been covered by different people in the past, I just felt the need to lay this out after rereading Kevin's piece.
One of the things that keeps coming up from some people is the 'guns are evil' or 'guns are dangerous and should be banned' argument. There are variations on it, but it boils down to 'if you get rid of guns the bad people will be less dangerous and you won't have accidental shootings; so there!". When the people making this statement do acknowledge that bad people won't turn in weapons just because you tell them to(you, of course, become a Bad People if you refuse to turn in yours), they usually come down to two ideas: that eventually the Bad People will run out of guns/ammunition, and that it's a good idea to get arms out of the hands of honest people even if it won't help crime problems because nobody needs to own them. That last is, I think, their real Truth that leads them; they've decided that nobody has a reason- or a good enough reason- to own guns, so they shouldn't be allowed to. They don't trust themselves with weapons, so they don't trust anyone else either. They'll make exceptions for minions of the State, military and law enforcement, but that's it(it should be noted that the really rabid adherents of this idea don't like LE having arms either, and would rather get rid of the military, too). They are putting complete trust in the State to protect them and discount any right to self-defense. Yeah, for some that's a bit drastic, but for many? Seen any of the information about what's happened in Britain over the years? If you defend yourself with your bare hands, in your own home, against an attacker and the Crown Prosecutor thinks you used too much force or, at any time, had any intention of harming your attacker, you go to jail. And most of the 'you don't need to own guns' people think we should be more like Britain.
This includes the pacifist and 'no violence' types. The pacifist doesn't think force other than moral argument should be used against anyone for any reason, the 'non-violent' types don't think force should be used except in extremis with exceptions; and those exceptions almost always include only the use of force by the state. I have little to no respect for either of them. They both depend on other people to keep them safe, so they don't have to dirty their hands with violence and weapons, and don't think anyone else should be allowed to defend themselves. Oh, some will allow as to how you should be able to defend yourself with your bare hands, but use of weapons shouldn't be allowed; if you can't do it bare-handed, you should run. I just love the idea of these people telling an old woman or a pregnant woman or a mother with children that she should just run away(after, if necessary, jumping out a window) rather than take a weapon in hand. It's idiotic, but it makes sense to those who think you shouldn't be allowed to use violence even to protect self/family/home.
There are some pacifists who say "I don't want the state to use violence even to protect me", but that's really a bullshit statement. I wrote once before that a government cannot adopt a two-tier system where force can only be used to protect some of the people but not others; claiming you want them to do just that is insane. And saying you won't use force to protect citazens from the bad guys no matter what is inviting the bad guys to do whatever they want, because force won't be used to stop them. A society that tries to work that way will go the way Britain is going. Take a look at this book, or go read The Policeman's Blog and see if you like that idea. Rampant political correctness that won't let you do or say anything that might hurt precious feelings somewhere, you can't use force without having the threat of firing and/or jail hanging over your head... There are restrictions on the powers/authority of law enforcement for good reason; they also must have the authority to act as and how needed in times of trouble or the job can't be done. The crooks tend to be people who only respond to force or the threat of it, and waving your magic fluffy bunny wishing wand won't change that, and it won't make bad guys suddenly stop hurting/robbing/raping/killing people and make them amenable to reasoned discussion.
And last, among the 'guns are icky' people are those who have no problem with self-defense, but don't think guns should be used. I used to know a lot of these when I was messing around in the Society for Creative Anachronism. They'd tell- with great relish- the stories about someone using a sword or axe or knife on a burglar or attacker; they'd speak of the knife or sword they kept by the bed and how they'd use it on anyone who broke into their house. But mention firearms, and they sniffed up something terrible. Guns were bad, guns were not 'honorable', guns were excessive use of force. Slicing someone's guts open with sharp steel was acceptable, but guns were 'excessive' force... And 'honorable'? Why in the name of whatever would you give a rat's butt about giving 'honorable combat' to a rapist/buglar/murderer who is attacking you? I didn't understand it then, and I don't now. In fact, I think it's idiotic. The right to self-defense, using whatever force necessary, is the most basic right of a human being; restricting it, especially for reasons of political correctness or just because you don't like it, is a definate step toward tyranny; if people are not allowed to protect themselves they become ever more dependant on the government, and that's something tyrants like, even-maybe especially- if they don't think of themselves as tyrants.
I'll throw in another category as the 'not too-violent' people. These are the people who say a knife is nice but 'it shouldn't be that sharp because it's dangerous'(no, I'm not kidding, I have heard that). Or, as some lady wrote in a local weekly, "People should be allowed small guns for hunting and maybe self-defense, but that's all". Yes, you should be able to own this BUT; yes, you can defend yourself BUT. Again, you(and themselves) cannot be trusted so various restrictions must be placed on you so you'll be 'safe'.
You also get combinations of the above, and very often they'll be either unwilling to believe that you can't agree with them, or will dismiss you because, obviously, if you were smart enough to really understand, you would agree with them; therefore, since you disagree, you're not smart enough to be worth listening to.
This has all been covered by different people in the past, I just felt the need to lay this out after rereading Kevin's piece.
We 'woke up to reality', did we?
Looking over Instapundit, found this article on how the rioting in France continues, and how it's further weakened Chirac. And how there's no leader in Europe to step into his role.
Which doesn't really bother me. His 'role' was 'France is Great, and rules all of Europe'; a whole bunch of people over there never liked the idea of an EU dominated by France and never liked all the ten-thousand-and-one regulations on all aspects of life that grew under the EU. Big reason why the EU constitution was stomped when it came to a vote. I'd much rather see a bunch of independant countries than an EU with a bunch of provinces that are kicked into line by an 'elite' bureaucracy.
My gripe with the article comes here: "There's been a change in tone by the Bush administration, a perception of the importance of Europe to the U.S.," said Michael Calingaert, an expert on Europe with the Washington-based Brookings Institution.
"It's unfortunate that at the moment they woke up to those realities, Europe is increasingly weak and fractured," he said. "It makes that dialogue more difficult."
I call horsecrap on this statement. We spent a long time trying to get/keep Europe on board, with the result being insult and backstabbing by the 'elites' who ran the EU. Mind you, a lot of countries- mostly those who'd been under Soviet domination- helped out, and are helping out. Spain did, until the current socialist weenie got into power. But because the EU didn't back us, and there are problems in Europe, we didn't 'wake up to the reality of how we needed Europe' till now?
And if our leadership is weakened now, it's because of the actions of a bunch of politicians who don't care about facts, who don't care about what they themselves did and said before, who only care about what they can say now that they think will help them gain power.
I'll throw in a point connected to that last. There's been a bunch of noise back & forth about the holiness of 'dissent'. I say this: if you're actively hoping for us to be defeated, if you're actively hoping for U.S. troops to die, if you're actively hoping for a bunch of islamist murderers and terrorists to win, then- to borrow a phrase from Glen- you're not 'dissenting', you're on the other side. And I damn well DO doubt your patriotism. Scratch that; you are NOT patriotic. You can argue like hell with what the government is doing, you can disagree loudly without question of your patriotism. But when your 'dissent' consists of the above noted things, your 'patriotism' is not only doubted, it's denied. When you march for a communist governmnet to take over with all its' soul-destroying tyranny, when you call for murder and death as your means of 'protest', you're an asshole and an enemy of this country. "Don't question my patriotism!" my ass.
By the way, on the subject of our 'weakened leadership', the Captain notes the words of that sanctimonious jackass Sen. Jay Rockefeller, in which he admits to going to a meeting with, among others, Syria and telling them what he thought the president was going to do. One of the worst supporters of terrorism in the world, one of the worst dictatorships(look up Hama), and he tells them "... was a predetermined set course which had taken shape shortly after 9/11". God knows what else he passed on to them while flapping his gums. And this is one of the people who's on tape referring to Saddam as one of the biggest threats in the world, referring to his NBC weapons programs, etc., and now runs around saying "I was lied to!". This jackass was/is on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and made statements for years before Bush was elected talking about what a threat Saddam was, and now? "Well, Bush lied to me!". No mention of how Clinton lied to him before that, of course, oh no.
When someone acts this way not because they're more worried about trying to increase their political power than with, say, WINNING THE WAR, I damn well question their patriotism and their honor. This idiots' actions may well have made the task of defeating the enemy more difficult, damn well did give Saddam and Assad more time to sneak NBC materials out of Iraq, and he whines now because the President fights back against his bullshit? He should be kicked off the Intelligence Committee for this admission.
It's enough to mess up the whole morning.
Which doesn't really bother me. His 'role' was 'France is Great, and rules all of Europe'; a whole bunch of people over there never liked the idea of an EU dominated by France and never liked all the ten-thousand-and-one regulations on all aspects of life that grew under the EU. Big reason why the EU constitution was stomped when it came to a vote. I'd much rather see a bunch of independant countries than an EU with a bunch of provinces that are kicked into line by an 'elite' bureaucracy.
My gripe with the article comes here: "There's been a change in tone by the Bush administration, a perception of the importance of Europe to the U.S.," said Michael Calingaert, an expert on Europe with the Washington-based Brookings Institution.
"It's unfortunate that at the moment they woke up to those realities, Europe is increasingly weak and fractured," he said. "It makes that dialogue more difficult."
I call horsecrap on this statement. We spent a long time trying to get/keep Europe on board, with the result being insult and backstabbing by the 'elites' who ran the EU. Mind you, a lot of countries- mostly those who'd been under Soviet domination- helped out, and are helping out. Spain did, until the current socialist weenie got into power. But because the EU didn't back us, and there are problems in Europe, we didn't 'wake up to the reality of how we needed Europe' till now?
And if our leadership is weakened now, it's because of the actions of a bunch of politicians who don't care about facts, who don't care about what they themselves did and said before, who only care about what they can say now that they think will help them gain power.
I'll throw in a point connected to that last. There's been a bunch of noise back & forth about the holiness of 'dissent'. I say this: if you're actively hoping for us to be defeated, if you're actively hoping for U.S. troops to die, if you're actively hoping for a bunch of islamist murderers and terrorists to win, then- to borrow a phrase from Glen- you're not 'dissenting', you're on the other side. And I damn well DO doubt your patriotism. Scratch that; you are NOT patriotic. You can argue like hell with what the government is doing, you can disagree loudly without question of your patriotism. But when your 'dissent' consists of the above noted things, your 'patriotism' is not only doubted, it's denied. When you march for a communist governmnet to take over with all its' soul-destroying tyranny, when you call for murder and death as your means of 'protest', you're an asshole and an enemy of this country. "Don't question my patriotism!" my ass.
By the way, on the subject of our 'weakened leadership', the Captain notes the words of that sanctimonious jackass Sen. Jay Rockefeller, in which he admits to going to a meeting with, among others, Syria and telling them what he thought the president was going to do. One of the worst supporters of terrorism in the world, one of the worst dictatorships(look up Hama), and he tells them "... was a predetermined set course which had taken shape shortly after 9/11". God knows what else he passed on to them while flapping his gums. And this is one of the people who's on tape referring to Saddam as one of the biggest threats in the world, referring to his NBC weapons programs, etc., and now runs around saying "I was lied to!". This jackass was/is on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and made statements for years before Bush was elected talking about what a threat Saddam was, and now? "Well, Bush lied to me!". No mention of how Clinton lied to him before that, of course, oh no.
When someone acts this way not because they're more worried about trying to increase their political power than with, say, WINNING THE WAR, I damn well question their patriotism and their honor. This idiots' actions may well have made the task of defeating the enemy more difficult, damn well did give Saddam and Assad more time to sneak NBC materials out of Iraq, and he whines now because the President fights back against his bullshit? He should be kicked off the Intelligence Committee for this admission.
It's enough to mess up the whole morning.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Not sure if this will come out or not
Weather changed the other day; from southerly winds and warm temps to, early this morning, strong northerly winds and colder temps. I walked outside and saw this, grabbed the camera and took some shots
Moon up high, a star below and the cloud below that. Not as clear as I'd like, but better than I'd expected
Ok, after posting this I opened the blog and viewed it, and it just didn't come out. Damn.
Moon up high, a star below and the cloud below that. Not as clear as I'd like, but better than I'd expected
Ok, after posting this I opened the blog and viewed it, and it just didn't come out. Damn.
National Ammo Day/Week
I can't believe I forgot to make note of this before, but here it is.
If you've not heard of it before, I think the Gun Guy originally came up with it; on one day, have as many gunners as possible buy at least 100 rounds of ammo. It was then expanded to Ammo Week. Officially NAD is the 19th, but the whole week counts.
Nobody around town has the same price I found for .30-06 at the Tulsa show... Hmmm. I can always use another brick of .22... I wonder of Brigadoon has any good .303?
If you've not heard of it before, I think the Gun Guy originally came up with it; on one day, have as many gunners as possible buy at least 100 rounds of ammo. It was then expanded to Ammo Week. Officially NAD is the 19th, but the whole week counts.
Nobody around town has the same price I found for .30-06 at the Tulsa show... Hmmm. I can always use another brick of .22... I wonder of Brigadoon has any good .303?
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Roll-your-own firearms
Smallest Minority has this post on small-scale firearms manufacture in Pakistan and the Phillipines. By 'small-scale' I mean what amounts to in a backyard shed in some cases, and some of these people turn out damn good firearms, stuff you would have no problems using. And all illegally made.
Which brings up the nonsense of 'ban guns and nobody will have them'. As has often been pointed out, the only people who surrender arms at government order are honest people, the criminals keep theirs. And get more illegally. And in many cases, can make them. There's been several articles about 'homemade' guns turning up in Britain, though not too many; it's too easy to smuggle them in(although the Brits have pretty much banned anything they think might be modified to fire a cartridge). And they do turn up here, too. Oh, and take note of this: "...Japanese Yakuzas were known in the past to fly to the central Philippines to collect them...". Now, that's just not possible, EVERYONE says Japan has no gun crime problem, and nobody has guns...
I first heard of this when I was a kid. Dad had a magazine from some LE agency that mentioned a bust of a gang armory in New York City. Among the things seized was a submachinegun made by the armoror, chambered for .22. They noted it test-fired just fine, and it was apparently the first; they lucked out and grabbed it and them before they could go into production. That was in the late '60's if I remember right, and nothing has changed since. Except that machinery like mills and lathes and, if needed, heat-treating furnaces are more available than ever before.
Which brings up something I read over at mASS BACKWARDS a while back. He noted that some idiot at a lefty blog had been running some posts on how the idea of people making guns and ammo was silly because of the precision machinery and special skills and materials required. As I note above, there are a number of places from which you can get milling machines and metal lathes- good ones- and they'll deliver to your door. Steel? Cheap and easily available in all grades, same for brass. And so forth. It would actually be easier to make a subgun than a revolver, and you can find plans to make a subgun from salvage yard materials, no special tooling needed except for a reamer(and as one book points out, doesn't even have to be an actual chamber reamer).
'Course, this is largely academic. With the borders as open as they are, does anyone really think that people who smuggle people and large amounts of drugs in would have any problem- or moral qualm- with smuggling arms and ammo?
Didn't think so.
Which brings up the nonsense of 'ban guns and nobody will have them'. As has often been pointed out, the only people who surrender arms at government order are honest people, the criminals keep theirs. And get more illegally. And in many cases, can make them. There's been several articles about 'homemade' guns turning up in Britain, though not too many; it's too easy to smuggle them in(although the Brits have pretty much banned anything they think might be modified to fire a cartridge). And they do turn up here, too. Oh, and take note of this: "...Japanese Yakuzas were known in the past to fly to the central Philippines to collect them...". Now, that's just not possible, EVERYONE says Japan has no gun crime problem, and nobody has guns...
I first heard of this when I was a kid. Dad had a magazine from some LE agency that mentioned a bust of a gang armory in New York City. Among the things seized was a submachinegun made by the armoror, chambered for .22. They noted it test-fired just fine, and it was apparently the first; they lucked out and grabbed it and them before they could go into production. That was in the late '60's if I remember right, and nothing has changed since. Except that machinery like mills and lathes and, if needed, heat-treating furnaces are more available than ever before.
Which brings up something I read over at mASS BACKWARDS a while back. He noted that some idiot at a lefty blog had been running some posts on how the idea of people making guns and ammo was silly because of the precision machinery and special skills and materials required. As I note above, there are a number of places from which you can get milling machines and metal lathes- good ones- and they'll deliver to your door. Steel? Cheap and easily available in all grades, same for brass. And so forth. It would actually be easier to make a subgun than a revolver, and you can find plans to make a subgun from salvage yard materials, no special tooling needed except for a reamer(and as one book points out, doesn't even have to be an actual chamber reamer).
'Course, this is largely academic. With the borders as open as they are, does anyone really think that people who smuggle people and large amounts of drugs in would have any problem- or moral qualm- with smuggling arms and ammo?
Didn't think so.
Crapblogging- the variations
Og has, over the past while, informed us of a number of incidents that brought up the term 'crapblogging', among the worst of which was this from Velociman. While I have nowhere near the experience he has shown with certain phenomena(thank God!), I thought I'd pass this on. Especially since he bought a bike.
A few months ago I was out one evening taking care of some errands. Warm evening, the bike running smooth, all's well with the world. Until I was heading home, with a couple of miles to go, and my system suddenly advised me "It's Time". Maybe the vibration, or the rough spots in the road, but it was INDEED time. Every tried to ride a motorcycle over distance, in traffic, with your butt clenched as tight as you can get it? I'll save you the trouble; it ain't a whole lot of fun.
Various internal motions and close calls later, with about a half-mile to go, got caught at a light. A LONG damn light, with rumbles and disturbances threatening to not only let go but to blast me off the seat when they happened. I nearly blew the light but there was too much traffic, so I sat there, about two inches taller in the saddle than usual, and when that light changed I damn near used the curb for a berm shot as I took the turn. Residential street, can't go too fast, please don't let me get caught at the light, yeah thank you, down the final straight and into the driveway. Hit the kickstand, hit the door at a near run, I'm thinking I can feel bad things coming out of me, slam it behind me, into the bathroom nearly breaking my belt getting it open and my pants down and with my butt about two inches above the seat it begins. Not nearly at the cosmic-incident level of Velociman, but damn! I never felt thrust from a bowel movement before. Which went on for a while, with a feeling of 'all is right with the world' coming over me as my system emptied everything except my internal organs(unless that was a gall bladder I felt? Nah).
And after all that, it only took about two squares of TP and one wipe to clean up. For which I was profoundly grateful.
A few months ago I was out one evening taking care of some errands. Warm evening, the bike running smooth, all's well with the world. Until I was heading home, with a couple of miles to go, and my system suddenly advised me "It's Time". Maybe the vibration, or the rough spots in the road, but it was INDEED time. Every tried to ride a motorcycle over distance, in traffic, with your butt clenched as tight as you can get it? I'll save you the trouble; it ain't a whole lot of fun.
Various internal motions and close calls later, with about a half-mile to go, got caught at a light. A LONG damn light, with rumbles and disturbances threatening to not only let go but to blast me off the seat when they happened. I nearly blew the light but there was too much traffic, so I sat there, about two inches taller in the saddle than usual, and when that light changed I damn near used the curb for a berm shot as I took the turn. Residential street, can't go too fast, please don't let me get caught at the light, yeah thank you, down the final straight and into the driveway. Hit the kickstand, hit the door at a near run, I'm thinking I can feel bad things coming out of me, slam it behind me, into the bathroom nearly breaking my belt getting it open and my pants down and with my butt about two inches above the seat it begins. Not nearly at the cosmic-incident level of Velociman, but damn! I never felt thrust from a bowel movement before. Which went on for a while, with a feeling of 'all is right with the world' coming over me as my system emptied everything except my internal organs(unless that was a gall bladder I felt? Nah).
And after all that, it only took about two squares of TP and one wipe to clean up. For which I was profoundly grateful.
Something you'll never see happen, no matter how bad it is,
if you count on the UN, the EU, etc., to do it.
No matter the open slavery, the open religeon-based killings and raids and rape, the UN and EU will never agree to supply arms and/or trainers to people being oppressed. Because if you do that, you grant that they have a right to self-defense AND the means with which to do it. And the 'elites' who run both groups flat can't stand the very idea of that.
Hell, it's been covered at Smallest Minority and Geek's place and Publicola how the UN and EU work hard to ban the ownership of 'small arms'- which to them means any firearm- from private ownership anywhere for any reason. Screw your Constitution, we know better! So do what you're told, peasant! They've demonstrated that they'd rather see people dead and raped and in chains than help them fight for themselves. Hell, in too many cases they'd rather watch them die and sit bitching about why doesn't 'someone'(usually the U.S.) do something?, rather than act themselves. Military force is so 'non-progressive', don't you know?
So Instapundit has asked the question several times, why not provide these people arms and trainers?, and the answer is always the same: the UN and EU and company would rather see those people die or live in chains than give them arms. Partly because they disdain the idea of people, instead of international agencies, acting; and partly because later on, you tell an armed and free people to do something they don't like, they're just likely to tell you to go to hell and back it up.
You know, same reasons people like Kennedy and Schumer and Feinstein don't want anyone here to own arms.
No matter the open slavery, the open religeon-based killings and raids and rape, the UN and EU will never agree to supply arms and/or trainers to people being oppressed. Because if you do that, you grant that they have a right to self-defense AND the means with which to do it. And the 'elites' who run both groups flat can't stand the very idea of that.
Hell, it's been covered at Smallest Minority and Geek's place and Publicola how the UN and EU work hard to ban the ownership of 'small arms'- which to them means any firearm- from private ownership anywhere for any reason. Screw your Constitution, we know better! So do what you're told, peasant! They've demonstrated that they'd rather see people dead and raped and in chains than help them fight for themselves. Hell, in too many cases they'd rather watch them die and sit bitching about why doesn't 'someone'(usually the U.S.) do something?, rather than act themselves. Military force is so 'non-progressive', don't you know?
So Instapundit has asked the question several times, why not provide these people arms and trainers?, and the answer is always the same: the UN and EU and company would rather see those people die or live in chains than give them arms. Partly because they disdain the idea of people, instead of international agencies, acting; and partly because later on, you tell an armed and free people to do something they don't like, they're just likely to tell you to go to hell and back it up.
You know, same reasons people like Kennedy and Schumer and Feinstein don't want anyone here to own arms.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
I HAVE to make note of this
If you've not gone by Steve's place, you have no idea what you're missing. Recipes, thoughts on virginity and sex and women and men and, under the heading 'How to Annoy a Muslim' you find this:
"Tell me I'm not wonderful. I'm sitting by the pool with my Koran, half in the bag, smoking tobacco, drinking beer, cooking swine, and listening to a Jew play the piano."
Go there. You'll regret it if you don't.
(C'mon, all the cool kids are doing it...)
"Tell me I'm not wonderful. I'm sitting by the pool with my Koran, half in the bag, smoking tobacco, drinking beer, cooking swine, and listening to a Jew play the piano."
Go there. You'll regret it if you don't.
(C'mon, all the cool kids are doing it...)
Friday, November 11, 2005
Range report: Enfield Trainer
You ready for this, Og?
I had a chance to take this rifle to the range where I could give it a proper try. Wednesday a front came in, so it was a chilly and windy morning. The wind was blowing downrange, however(mostly), so it wasn't too bad. And I needed to sight in my .308 in case I have a chance to go out after deer.
Here's the star of the day:
Along with all the other crap on my bench and the one next to it. Ammo used was Eley Sport and Federal Lightning. Started off at 50 yards with the Ross aperture sight flipped up, and at the lowest position:
Then with the open rear sight. You can remove the Ross from the mounting bracket by pulling one screw, so it's easy to get it out of the way. This is with the sight at the lowest setting(200 yards):
The #1 rear sight has a straight-sided notch; this one has the notch widened out to a 'V' because with the aperture all the way down(which put it just a touch high at 50) the notch would be in the way. It's a little bit in the way as is.
The Federal shot about the same size groups, but about 3/4" higher. So after sighting in the deer rifle, I set up some targets at 100 yards. No, I don't have those targets. Did I mention it was a bit windy? 'Nuff said. I was getting 3-4" groups with both brands, and considering the light, the wind and my eyes I thought that was pretty good. The sights aren't up to the Parker-Hale match sights on the Martini, but this rifle still shot quite well. I'll note that I shot at 100 with both rear sights, and the widened notch on the open sight didn't help matters, but it still did a quite respectable job for a 91 year old rifle. I'll also note that recoil, as expected is almost non-existent; with the weight of a rifle designed for .303 plus the extra weight in the barrel from the smaller bore, it shifts the piece- slightly- when you fire. The trigger is the standard two-stage military, kind of heavy on the break; I've got a Enfield trigger, so I think I'll do a bit of careful polishing and fitting and see how it comes out.
Especially after this, I'm damn glad that Ross sight caught my eye. I'm going to enjoy being the caretaker for this piece for a while.
As a side note, the .308 I was sighting in was the Savage Scout. After the last time I shot it I found that the scope mount was loose, so I needed to make sure it was shooting where it was supposed to. Damn good thing I checked; it was off. Shooting this rifle is a pleasure, it's got a wonderful trigger and the three-point sling setup is great for steadying your aim. If I am able to go out, and get a shot, all my excuses are gone.
I had a chance to take this rifle to the range where I could give it a proper try. Wednesday a front came in, so it was a chilly and windy morning. The wind was blowing downrange, however(mostly), so it wasn't too bad. And I needed to sight in my .308 in case I have a chance to go out after deer.
Here's the star of the day:
Along with all the other crap on my bench and the one next to it. Ammo used was Eley Sport and Federal Lightning. Started off at 50 yards with the Ross aperture sight flipped up, and at the lowest position:
Then with the open rear sight. You can remove the Ross from the mounting bracket by pulling one screw, so it's easy to get it out of the way. This is with the sight at the lowest setting(200 yards):
The #1 rear sight has a straight-sided notch; this one has the notch widened out to a 'V' because with the aperture all the way down(which put it just a touch high at 50) the notch would be in the way. It's a little bit in the way as is.
The Federal shot about the same size groups, but about 3/4" higher. So after sighting in the deer rifle, I set up some targets at 100 yards. No, I don't have those targets. Did I mention it was a bit windy? 'Nuff said. I was getting 3-4" groups with both brands, and considering the light, the wind and my eyes I thought that was pretty good. The sights aren't up to the Parker-Hale match sights on the Martini, but this rifle still shot quite well. I'll note that I shot at 100 with both rear sights, and the widened notch on the open sight didn't help matters, but it still did a quite respectable job for a 91 year old rifle. I'll also note that recoil, as expected is almost non-existent; with the weight of a rifle designed for .303 plus the extra weight in the barrel from the smaller bore, it shifts the piece- slightly- when you fire. The trigger is the standard two-stage military, kind of heavy on the break; I've got a Enfield trigger, so I think I'll do a bit of careful polishing and fitting and see how it comes out.
Especially after this, I'm damn glad that Ross sight caught my eye. I'm going to enjoy being the caretaker for this piece for a while.
As a side note, the .308 I was sighting in was the Savage Scout. After the last time I shot it I found that the scope mount was loose, so I needed to make sure it was shooting where it was supposed to. Damn good thing I checked; it was off. Shooting this rifle is a pleasure, it's got a wonderful trigger and the three-point sling setup is great for steadying your aim. If I am able to go out, and get a shot, all my excuses are gone.
Law enforcement problems in Merry Olde England, too
I'm still stewing about the lastest information about the OKC Bombing coverup, and today the Gun Guy linked to this and this about conditions between police and citazens(or is it still 'subjects of the Crown'?) in Britain. It seems like lots of bureaucrats and politicians(with and without badges) are doing all they can to make relations between the cops and commoners as bad as possible.
A couple of years ago at a gun show I heard a couple of guys talking about the new uniforms some agency was going to. They'd decided to go from dry-clean only wool to a cotton/poly that could be washed(good) in a dark color. What color? Dark green or blue or something? Hell no, it had to be black. One of the guys was recounting telling a local officer that that cost them his respect; his words were something like "there's enough idiots in black uniforms and masks running around without you adding to it". And I see his point; the uniform does affect attitude in all too many cases, on both sides. We've got enough trouble with the militarization of law enforcement without adding to it. How many cases have we heard of in the last decade or so where, on an anonymous tip or just bad information, the local tactical team blew into someone's house in a no-knock raid and killed some innocent? And then nothing happened to them because 'they followed proper procedure'? Do these idiots think that this crap doesn't affect how people deal with them? How about the pull someone over on a traffic stop and then pressure them for 'consent' to search? And making someone sit by the side of the road for however long while waiting for a drug dog becuase the cop is mad that the driver won't be intimidated into 'consenting'? That does NOT leave members of the public with any great willingness to cooperate with the next badge-holder that they come in contact with.
The crap in England and the frenzied attempts of the feds to cover up their screwups in the OKC Bombing case are related: "We need to be able to do whatever we want whenever we want and not be held accountable; how else can we do our jobs?" How many people reading about this crap, especially family & friends of the dead and wounded, have any great desire to trust the FBI and ATF?
And why should they?
A couple of years ago at a gun show I heard a couple of guys talking about the new uniforms some agency was going to. They'd decided to go from dry-clean only wool to a cotton/poly that could be washed(good) in a dark color. What color? Dark green or blue or something? Hell no, it had to be black. One of the guys was recounting telling a local officer that that cost them his respect; his words were something like "there's enough idiots in black uniforms and masks running around without you adding to it". And I see his point; the uniform does affect attitude in all too many cases, on both sides. We've got enough trouble with the militarization of law enforcement without adding to it. How many cases have we heard of in the last decade or so where, on an anonymous tip or just bad information, the local tactical team blew into someone's house in a no-knock raid and killed some innocent? And then nothing happened to them because 'they followed proper procedure'? Do these idiots think that this crap doesn't affect how people deal with them? How about the pull someone over on a traffic stop and then pressure them for 'consent' to search? And making someone sit by the side of the road for however long while waiting for a drug dog becuase the cop is mad that the driver won't be intimidated into 'consenting'? That does NOT leave members of the public with any great willingness to cooperate with the next badge-holder that they come in contact with.
The crap in England and the frenzied attempts of the feds to cover up their screwups in the OKC Bombing case are related: "We need to be able to do whatever we want whenever we want and not be held accountable; how else can we do our jobs?" How many people reading about this crap, especially family & friends of the dead and wounded, have any great desire to trust the FBI and ATF?
And why should they?
Carnival of Cordite #38
Up at Gullyborg. .223's, .45's, the mess in San Francisco and(to wash the bad taste of the last out of your mouth) this week saw the Birthday of the U.S. Marines and Veteran's Day.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
The French riots are 'overblown' according to some,
and reports of fewer cars being burned are supposedly one indication. However, the Captain points out "The rioters in these areas have begun targeting the French infrastructure instead of just parked cars." That could mean that they're not burning as many cars because a: the weenies who took it as a chance to just destroy things are tired or scared now and b: they're saving their stuff up now for serious targets. Not good.
And Little Green Footballs notes something for us to worry about here: the MEChA assholes are expressing their admiration for the riots and predict(more look forward to) the same here. Oh joy, the BPMs and MEChA weenies all wanting to riot together. I know about AZ, but you folks in CA have some ammunition laid by? You may need it.
And Little Green Footballs notes something for us to worry about here: the MEChA assholes are expressing their admiration for the riots and predict(more look forward to) the same here. Oh joy, the BPMs and MEChA weenies all wanting to riot together. I know about AZ, but you folks in CA have some ammunition laid by? You may need it.
Found it! Article on OKC Bombing Updated
KTOK has it on their site today here, and at the bottom is a link to the original article by the McCurtain County Gazette. I don't have much time right now, basically it notes that:
ATF had informants in a neo-Nazi compound.
One informant told ATF about the threat to bomb federal buildings in OKC.
The judge in an informants trial(and that's a messy damn story by itself) ordered the information not made available to lawyers in the McVeigh trial 'so it wouldn't affect the trial'.
More later. I'm already disgusted as well as mad about this.
Ok, with more time to read the article, it's summed up in the first two paragraphs:
Unearthed by a Salt Lake City, Utah, attorney, statements made by a Tulsa Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) agent in a federal courtroom confirm that a confidential informant did warn the agency of plans to bomb federal buildings before the attack in Oklahoma City that left 168 dead and hundreds more injured.
Moreover, a federal judge in Oklahoma ordered that the information be kept sealed because of its potential impact on the trial of bomber Timothy McVeigh, records show.
That covers it pretty well. Despite all the denials, despite all the crap, federal agents knew there were specific threats to federal buildings in OKC. They even saw the buildings: "Howe was debriefed and then taken to Oklahoma City to show Graham the areas she visited with the individuals who were part of a wide-ranging terrorist investigation that was receiving substantial funding and attention in Washington, D.C." And while some of those who testified in court or gave statements may not have known, others did. And they lied about it, under oath. They gave sworn statements in which they lied. They testified in court, and lied.
And then, just to make this really, truly wonderful, the judge in the case had this exchange with a federal prosecutor(Burrage is the judge):
Burrage: "With that McVeigh trial going on, I don't want anything getting out of here that would compromise that trial in any way."
Brewster: "What do you mean by 'compromise?' Do you mean snared with McVeigh's lawyers?"
Burrage: "Yes, or something that would come up - you know, we have got evidence that the ATF took a trip with somebody that said buildings were going to be blown up in Oklahoma City before it was blown up or something of that nature, and try to connect it to McVeigh in someway or something."
Brewster: "That would be up to their representation of the client in some regard, Your Honor. If you are asking me not to share any documentation from these files with those lawyers, then I won't."
So, let's see, federal agents and lawyers lying under oath, a judge witholding information from defense lawyers that had bearing on the case... and before all that, hundreds of people dead and injured in a bombing the feds had been warned about.
People, we're talking about perjury by agents and lawyers, we're talking about a judge breaking law. People should be prosecuted for this, lawyers should be disbarred for life for this. And you could probably make a good case for negligent homicide cases against those who knew of the warnings and didn't, from the sound of it, do squat about it.
Think any of that'll happen? Me neither. And crap like this is why I despair for my country.
ATF had informants in a neo-Nazi compound.
One informant told ATF about the threat to bomb federal buildings in OKC.
The judge in an informants trial(and that's a messy damn story by itself) ordered the information not made available to lawyers in the McVeigh trial 'so it wouldn't affect the trial'.
More later. I'm already disgusted as well as mad about this.
Ok, with more time to read the article, it's summed up in the first two paragraphs:
Unearthed by a Salt Lake City, Utah, attorney, statements made by a Tulsa Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) agent in a federal courtroom confirm that a confidential informant did warn the agency of plans to bomb federal buildings before the attack in Oklahoma City that left 168 dead and hundreds more injured.
Moreover, a federal judge in Oklahoma ordered that the information be kept sealed because of its potential impact on the trial of bomber Timothy McVeigh, records show.
That covers it pretty well. Despite all the denials, despite all the crap, federal agents knew there were specific threats to federal buildings in OKC. They even saw the buildings: "Howe was debriefed and then taken to Oklahoma City to show Graham the areas she visited with the individuals who were part of a wide-ranging terrorist investigation that was receiving substantial funding and attention in Washington, D.C." And while some of those who testified in court or gave statements may not have known, others did. And they lied about it, under oath. They gave sworn statements in which they lied. They testified in court, and lied.
And then, just to make this really, truly wonderful, the judge in the case had this exchange with a federal prosecutor(Burrage is the judge):
Burrage: "With that McVeigh trial going on, I don't want anything getting out of here that would compromise that trial in any way."
Brewster: "What do you mean by 'compromise?' Do you mean snared with McVeigh's lawyers?"
Burrage: "Yes, or something that would come up - you know, we have got evidence that the ATF took a trip with somebody that said buildings were going to be blown up in Oklahoma City before it was blown up or something of that nature, and try to connect it to McVeigh in someway or something."
Brewster: "That would be up to their representation of the client in some regard, Your Honor. If you are asking me not to share any documentation from these files with those lawyers, then I won't."
So, let's see, federal agents and lawyers lying under oath, a judge witholding information from defense lawyers that had bearing on the case... and before all that, hundreds of people dead and injured in a bombing the feds had been warned about.
People, we're talking about perjury by agents and lawyers, we're talking about a judge breaking law. People should be prosecuted for this, lawyers should be disbarred for life for this. And you could probably make a good case for negligent homicide cases against those who knew of the warnings and didn't, from the sound of it, do squat about it.
Think any of that'll happen? Me neither. And crap like this is why I despair for my country.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Ref the OKC Bombing
This is pissing me off on several levels, not least that I heard about this on the radio, but KTOK doesn't have anything on their web site about it. So I looked around and found this on the site for the McCurtain Daily Gazette, only the damn link is broken and the whole article won't come up. Full text of what does come up is:
Judge sealed testimony that ATF was warned before bombing
McCurtain Daily Gazette
By J.D. Cash
Unearthed by a Salt Lake City, Utah, attorney, statements made by a Tulsa Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) agent in a federal courtroom confirm that a confidential informant did warn the agency of plans to bomb...
and when you try to bring up the rest of the article you get a blank. And I can't find the damn thing anywhere else. If I can find anything from wherever it's been hidden, I'll add it in.
Update:
I still can't find the complete article, but KTOK just had an interview with the McCurtain Daily Gazette reporter who did the story. Basically, an BATF agent admitted in a trial that they'd been warned of bomb threats against federal buildings in OKC. They judge decided didn't want the information to get to the Timothy McVeigh's lawyers because it would show there was a wider conspiracy than the governments' case said, so he sealed the record. Think about that. My understanding is that it's unethical at least and, in at least some cases, illegal to keep information of this type from a defense attorney, yet the judge sealed the record of this testimony so the defense couldn't get hold of it.
I have to think that another consideration of this judge is that this would show how ATF and FBI fell down on the job, and he didn't want that coming out. May be wrong about this, but I tend to believe it.
Judge sealed testimony that ATF was warned before bombing
11/9/2005
McCurtain Daily Gazette
By J.D. Cash
Unearthed by a Salt Lake City, Utah, attorney, statements made by a Tulsa Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) agent in a federal courtroom confirm that a confidential informant did warn the agency of plans to bomb...
and when you try to bring up the rest of the article you get a blank. And I can't find the damn thing anywhere else. If I can find anything from wherever it's been hidden, I'll add it in.
Update:
I still can't find the complete article, but KTOK just had an interview with the McCurtain Daily Gazette reporter who did the story. Basically, an BATF agent admitted in a trial that they'd been warned of bomb threats against federal buildings in OKC. They judge decided didn't want the information to get to the Timothy McVeigh's lawyers because it would show there was a wider conspiracy than the governments' case said, so he sealed the record. Think about that. My understanding is that it's unethical at least and, in at least some cases, illegal to keep information of this type from a defense attorney, yet the judge sealed the record of this testimony so the defense couldn't get hold of it.
I have to think that another consideration of this judge is that this would show how ATF and FBI fell down on the job, and he didn't want that coming out. May be wrong about this, but I tend to believe it.
The Captain calls it Falluja-sur-Seine
and points out that it's now spread to over 300 towns and cities in France. This is not just some 'disaffected youth' acting out their frustrations, this is a serious, widespread action. Clive Davis thinks that calling it an Islamist uprising is incorrect; other people state that at center that's exactly what it is. In either case, it's a bloody mess that's getting worse with every night.
I think it's, depending on where it's coming from, either dishonest or hoping for the best to discount the islamist roots of this. And barring the French government finally saying "enough" and turning the army and security services loose... Not just France, but a lot of Europe is in real trouble with this.
I think it's, depending on where it's coming from, either dishonest or hoping for the best to discount the islamist roots of this. And barring the French government finally saying "enough" and turning the army and security services loose... Not just France, but a lot of Europe is in real trouble with this.
To borrow from Wizbang,
it's time for the 'anti-war' crowd to sit down and STFU
I could remember some bits and pieces of nuclear and chemical weapons and/or materials found in Iraq, but Jay Tea has this link to Summary of WMDs and WMD material found in Iraq after the invasion
Isn't it just wonderful how the 'news media' has ignored or downplayed every bit of this?
I could remember some bits and pieces of nuclear and chemical weapons and/or materials found in Iraq, but Jay Tea has this link to Summary of WMDs and WMD material found in Iraq after the invasion
Isn't it just wonderful how the 'news media' has ignored or downplayed every bit of this?
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
A new term of reference for ragheads!
Little Green Footballs pointed to this article by Mark Steyn which contains this marvelous passage: "They look like LA gangsters, not beturbaned prophet-monkeys."
This is a good week. I got my first "it's all Bushs' fault"(thank you Robert), and now a wonderful term for the islamist butt-monkeys among us. From now on, they shall be 'beturbaned prophet-monkeys', or BPM for short.
On the bad side, this close from Steyn:
"If the insurgents emerge emboldened, what next? In five years' time, there will be even more of them, and even less resolve on the part of the French state. That, in turn, is likely to accelerate the demographic decline. Europe could face a continent-wide version of the "white flight" phenomenon seen in crime-ridden American cities during the 1970s, as Danes and Dutch scram to America, Australia or anywhere else that will have them."
Oh, lots of places will have them. Far better would be for the people of these and other countries a: tell their governments to get off the multi-culti bs and DO SOMETHING, b: add a 2nd Amendment to their constitutions and c: make sure it's in law that self-defense, including lethal force when necessary, is recognized as a basic human right no matter what the 'elites' think of it. You know, the 'elites'? The ones with lots of money and condescending attitudes toward the peasants, and armed security guards all 'round? Screw 'em- metaphorically, of course, God knows what diseases besides idiocy some of them carry.
Speaking of self-defense and muslim corsairs, I've been thinking about the 'what weapons on your boat' question. It partly depends on what you have room to hide; after all, doesn't do any good to have a legal BAR or something if the Coast Guard boards you on a drug search and confiscates it because the captain doesn't think your paperwork is good enough. So...
If you have the room, some type of machinegun. Not a sub-gun, the real thing. Mention was made of an M2 Browning, but I think a .30 Browning would work quite well instead, and be easier to move. If there's a small pirate craft that can withstand mixed ball, incindiary and AP they should sell the design to the Navy. I'd say nay on a Barrett; long-range precision shooting ain't gonna work on a boat. Or one of the other good GPMG's should do.
Shotgun. Definately a shotgun. Mixed load of buckshot and slugs, probably leaning toward buck. One of the Mossberg or Remington or Winchester stainless jobs would do nicely. 12 guage of course, and if someone else in the crew has trouble with a 12 go with a 16 or 20. Yeah, 16 guage ammo would be hard to find many places, but restock isn't really going to be a problem here.
Handguns. Plural. What you're best with, and practice reloads under non-ideal conditions. Ammo that'll punch through light armor and damage boats. Lots of ammo.
And, if you have the space/money/connection, a few grenades would be rather nice. Just the thing to toss into the pirates' craft as they close, don't you know?
And, oh hell, if you're going all the way, a good compound bow and some arrows with either explosive or incindiary heads, or something suitable taped to the shaft up front. Again, long-range accuracy isn't a factor hear; blowing a hole/starting a fire in the other boat is. Just the thing for toasting BPMs.
Opinions?
(no, I don't care how cool it looks, parrots and cutlasses are a last resort. You really want to clean up after a seasick bird?)
This is a good week. I got my first "it's all Bushs' fault"(thank you Robert), and now a wonderful term for the islamist butt-monkeys among us. From now on, they shall be 'beturbaned prophet-monkeys', or BPM for short.
On the bad side, this close from Steyn:
"If the insurgents emerge emboldened, what next? In five years' time, there will be even more of them, and even less resolve on the part of the French state. That, in turn, is likely to accelerate the demographic decline. Europe could face a continent-wide version of the "white flight" phenomenon seen in crime-ridden American cities during the 1970s, as Danes and Dutch scram to America, Australia or anywhere else that will have them."
Oh, lots of places will have them. Far better would be for the people of these and other countries a: tell their governments to get off the multi-culti bs and DO SOMETHING, b: add a 2nd Amendment to their constitutions and c: make sure it's in law that self-defense, including lethal force when necessary, is recognized as a basic human right no matter what the 'elites' think of it. You know, the 'elites'? The ones with lots of money and condescending attitudes toward the peasants, and armed security guards all 'round? Screw 'em- metaphorically, of course, God knows what diseases besides idiocy some of them carry.
Speaking of self-defense and muslim corsairs, I've been thinking about the 'what weapons on your boat' question. It partly depends on what you have room to hide; after all, doesn't do any good to have a legal BAR or something if the Coast Guard boards you on a drug search and confiscates it because the captain doesn't think your paperwork is good enough. So...
If you have the room, some type of machinegun. Not a sub-gun, the real thing. Mention was made of an M2 Browning, but I think a .30 Browning would work quite well instead, and be easier to move. If there's a small pirate craft that can withstand mixed ball, incindiary and AP they should sell the design to the Navy. I'd say nay on a Barrett; long-range precision shooting ain't gonna work on a boat. Or one of the other good GPMG's should do.
Shotgun. Definately a shotgun. Mixed load of buckshot and slugs, probably leaning toward buck. One of the Mossberg or Remington or Winchester stainless jobs would do nicely. 12 guage of course, and if someone else in the crew has trouble with a 12 go with a 16 or 20. Yeah, 16 guage ammo would be hard to find many places, but restock isn't really going to be a problem here.
Handguns. Plural. What you're best with, and practice reloads under non-ideal conditions. Ammo that'll punch through light armor and damage boats. Lots of ammo.
And, if you have the space/money/connection, a few grenades would be rather nice. Just the thing to toss into the pirates' craft as they close, don't you know?
And, oh hell, if you're going all the way, a good compound bow and some arrows with either explosive or incindiary heads, or something suitable taped to the shaft up front. Again, long-range accuracy isn't a factor hear; blowing a hole/starting a fire in the other boat is. Just the thing for toasting BPMs.
Opinions?
(no, I don't care how cool it looks, parrots and cutlasses are a last resort. You really want to clean up after a seasick bird?)
Ref the Trentadue case
I couldn't find anything more recent than this at World Net Daily. Yeah, I know, but it seems to mesh with what I'd heard on the radio about this. I found this, too; it's a couple of years old, but does summarize a good bit of what's turned up, including harassment of witnesses.
I keep coming back to why this isn't more of a story. You've got someone almost certainly murdered while in federal custody; you've got evidence destroyed; you've got a medical examiner harassed into testifying how the authorities in charge wanted him to; you have a quite possible connection to what was at that time the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil; and you have evidence that various federal agents/officials may well have known an attack was going to take place and have covered up and lied about it since. All the kinds of things screenwriters go to rediculous lengths to put into a script, all happening in real life. And nobody wants to cover it or talk about it, other than some blogs and some OK news agencies.
I probably shouldn't be surprised. When the 're-enactment' of the last day of the Branch Davidian mess at Waco was done, they did it at a different time of day, different weather conditions, different ammo, etc., and the major media didn't mention that that I ever heard. Not to mention the other things that, if ever, were mentioned once and then forgotten.
Of course, lately they're real busy talking about the mess in France in the most neutral way possible with little or no mention of the fact that it's primarily Moslems burning things, breaking things, shooting at police and setting people on fire. Mustn't say anything offensive to the little bastards, you know.
I keep coming back to why this isn't more of a story. You've got someone almost certainly murdered while in federal custody; you've got evidence destroyed; you've got a medical examiner harassed into testifying how the authorities in charge wanted him to; you have a quite possible connection to what was at that time the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil; and you have evidence that various federal agents/officials may well have known an attack was going to take place and have covered up and lied about it since. All the kinds of things screenwriters go to rediculous lengths to put into a script, all happening in real life. And nobody wants to cover it or talk about it, other than some blogs and some OK news agencies.
I probably shouldn't be surprised. When the 're-enactment' of the last day of the Branch Davidian mess at Waco was done, they did it at a different time of day, different weather conditions, different ammo, etc., and the major media didn't mention that that I ever heard. Not to mention the other things that, if ever, were mentioned once and then forgotten.
Of course, lately they're real busy talking about the mess in France in the most neutral way possible with little or no mention of the fact that it's primarily Moslems burning things, breaking things, shooting at police and setting people on fire. Mustn't say anything offensive to the little bastards, you know.
General roundup
Been busy and, being lazy, haven't anything wonderfully interesting to write about. But, assuming all three of you haven't already seen this stuff, here's some things to check out:
Ace of Spades has a bit on the New York Times telling the family and girlfriend of the late Corporal Starr to basically screw themselves. Aren't they just a wonderful buch of people at the worn-out whore--excuse me, Grey Lady? Best paper around, they insist so themselves.
He also has this on the wonderful tolerance of the left in academia for speech they don't like. Which means if you don't agree with them they'll cry and stamp their feet and try to ruin your life. After all, they're better than everyone else, and you know it, you dirty right-wing fascists! And don't confuse things with the actual fascists being socialists, you're just trying to twist things!
And this covers a variety of stuff, CIA leaks and CIA working against this administration and- oh hell, just check it out.
Captain's Quarter's has a roundup of the mess in France, and the terrorist arrests in Australia and the possible links between them. Just start at the top. By the way, a state of emergency and curfew(?!?) was declared. After twelve nights of this? Where the hell was this declaration the first night?
I need some powder and .30 cal bullets. Not news, just reminding myself.
Smallest Minority has a lot of stuff recently. It's another start at the top and work down, beginning with(you ready for this?) DU with a guns forum. No, I'm not looking there, I haven't eaten yet. I won't look later, because I will have eaten recently; there's only so much my fagile psyche can take.
There was a link somewhere to some good info on the French mess- no, the current one-, and if I can find it I'll add it in.
There's been some new stuff on the Trentadue case recently, but it's been hard to find stuff to link to. A couple of weeks ago KTOK said that the judge had finally been given(I'm tempted to say 'allowed to read') the unredacted documents to study, but by the time I got home that evening I couldn't find anything on their site. I remain amazed that the national media seems to be pretty much ignoring this case, and I'm still wondering why? I'm not big on conspiracy theories; it could well be that, for some reason, it just doesn't fit their collective template of 'what people should hear'. In any case, I'll keep looking for the new stuff.
Ace of Spades has a bit on the New York Times telling the family and girlfriend of the late Corporal Starr to basically screw themselves. Aren't they just a wonderful buch of people at the worn-out whore--excuse me, Grey Lady? Best paper around, they insist so themselves.
He also has this on the wonderful tolerance of the left in academia for speech they don't like. Which means if you don't agree with them they'll cry and stamp their feet and try to ruin your life. After all, they're better than everyone else, and you know it, you dirty right-wing fascists! And don't confuse things with the actual fascists being socialists, you're just trying to twist things!
And this covers a variety of stuff, CIA leaks and CIA working against this administration and- oh hell, just check it out.
Captain's Quarter's has a roundup of the mess in France, and the terrorist arrests in Australia and the possible links between them. Just start at the top. By the way, a state of emergency and curfew(?!?) was declared. After twelve nights of this? Where the hell was this declaration the first night?
I need some powder and .30 cal bullets. Not news, just reminding myself.
Smallest Minority has a lot of stuff recently. It's another start at the top and work down, beginning with(you ready for this?) DU with a guns forum. No, I'm not looking there, I haven't eaten yet. I won't look later, because I will have eaten recently; there's only so much my fagile psyche can take.
There was a link somewhere to some good info on the French mess- no, the current one-, and if I can find it I'll add it in.
There's been some new stuff on the Trentadue case recently, but it's been hard to find stuff to link to. A couple of weeks ago KTOK said that the judge had finally been given(I'm tempted to say 'allowed to read') the unredacted documents to study, but by the time I got home that evening I couldn't find anything on their site. I remain amazed that the national media seems to be pretty much ignoring this case, and I'm still wondering why? I'm not big on conspiracy theories; it could well be that, for some reason, it just doesn't fit their collective template of 'what people should hear'. In any case, I'll keep looking for the new stuff.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
'Category 7'; oh yeah, no bias here...
Year or so ago there was a disaster movie about weather going to hell. It was bad enough I forgot the name, and I'm not going to waste time looking it up. Well, the next installment has its' first half on tonight, called Category 7: The End Of The World. On, where else?, See-BS.
Huge and extremely powerful storms, all over the world. Global warming causing part of it but 'something else' making it spin up to the extremes. Put-upon FEMA director fighting the government. Put-upon scientist whose theory seems to be working out, but can't get funding from the eeeevil government(his current grant is from Greenpeace). Wicked presidential chief of staff who's mean, nasty, and loves the energy industry. Wicked evangelists using disaster to call for money. Add in a rain of poison frogs and a plague of flies and a member of the evangelists staff talking about bringing more things about(plagues of Egypt, anyone?). Oh, and tornados in Egypt destroying the Great Pyramid.
I will eat a large bite of my favorite hat if this doesn't turn out to be the evil bible-thumpers behind the mysterious something making the weather worse.
UPDATE! My hat is safe, the prediction has just been proven true.
Oh, and an SR-71 being used as a weather-chasing plane. Yeah, real likely.
Ok, this is, if anything, a bigger piece of crap than the one before, with bias showing through every seam. Add in a lot(a LOT) of jerky, stop-action photography that's supposed to add to the drama but just makes for irritation, and you have a tv event that should be missed at all costs. If I were into self-abuse I'd go to check out the Kos kids and DUmmies later; I'm sure they're wetting their pants over the way this piece of crap 'speaks truth to power' and so forth. Understand, I like disaster movies, but when the movie is primarily a propaganda piece, and not even believable, with every evil-government and etc. you can think of thrown in, forget it.
Ok, they just had a Cat 5 hurricane pop up out of nowhere, with some news weenie in the winds playing Dan Rather and saying "It's a definate category 5! Winds are gusting to 150 miles per hour! If there's a hell on earth, this is it!!" I can't take anymore, the tv's going off.
Huge and extremely powerful storms, all over the world. Global warming causing part of it but 'something else' making it spin up to the extremes. Put-upon FEMA director fighting the government. Put-upon scientist whose theory seems to be working out, but can't get funding from the eeeevil government(his current grant is from Greenpeace). Wicked presidential chief of staff who's mean, nasty, and loves the energy industry. Wicked evangelists using disaster to call for money. Add in a rain of poison frogs and a plague of flies and a member of the evangelists staff talking about bringing more things about(plagues of Egypt, anyone?). Oh, and tornados in Egypt destroying the Great Pyramid.
I will eat a large bite of my favorite hat if this doesn't turn out to be the evil bible-thumpers behind the mysterious something making the weather worse.
UPDATE! My hat is safe, the prediction has just been proven true.
Oh, and an SR-71 being used as a weather-chasing plane. Yeah, real likely.
Ok, this is, if anything, a bigger piece of crap than the one before, with bias showing through every seam. Add in a lot(a LOT) of jerky, stop-action photography that's supposed to add to the drama but just makes for irritation, and you have a tv event that should be missed at all costs. If I were into self-abuse I'd go to check out the Kos kids and DUmmies later; I'm sure they're wetting their pants over the way this piece of crap 'speaks truth to power' and so forth. Understand, I like disaster movies, but when the movie is primarily a propaganda piece, and not even believable, with every evil-government and etc. you can think of thrown in, forget it.
Ok, they just had a Cat 5 hurricane pop up out of nowhere, with some news weenie in the winds playing Dan Rather and saying "It's a definate category 5! Winds are gusting to 150 miles per hour! If there's a hell on earth, this is it!!" I can't take anymore, the tv's going off.
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