I'm putting together the stuff to blue by the same method Og used here. You'll notice one of the ingredients is lye, which is proving a bitch to locate around here.
Here's the question: the formula notes 'sodium hydroxide' as the lye. I found a place nearby that has potassium hydroxide, which(from what I read) is also considered lye. Anyone know if they're basically the same, or if they're different enough that I should not try this stuff?
Monday, June 04, 2007
A bit more on do-it-yourself
This reminded me of something. Couple of years back, one of the open-mike nights I used to hit was usually run by a guy who was a speech teacher during the day. One night he was griping about the trip to a contest last weekend. Two cars, he drove one and one of the students drove the other.
The second car got separated- due to traffic, he thought- so a ways down the road he pulled in to a station, parked where the car could be seen from the highway, and they sat down to get a coke and wait. About an hour later the other car showed up and parked. First question, as you'd expect, "What happened to you?"
"We had a flat."
"It took you an hour to change a flat?"
"No, it took a while before someone stopped to change it for us."
He was dumbfounded, along with most everyone else listening. Five in the car, three boys, and none of them knew how to change a tire or were willing to try. Most had the same background: if you, a guy from twelve or thirteen on, had confessed to having to wait by the road until someone could change a flat for you you'd have been laughed out of the room. Only an injury or medical condition would have exempted you from that. Where/when I learned to drive, most of the girls that age could change a tire if they had to(rural area, might be a while before someone comes by), they just didn't like to.
This is one of those things that's also a safety matter. Weather might make it a bad idea to just sit a while hoping for assistance, and some people who stop might not have 'offering assistance' in mind, especially if the one broken down is a woman(This used to drive me nuts with my first wife. She'd never let me show her how to change one: "Someone always stops to help me with a flat.").
Again, you might not enjoy something like changing a tire, but you should damn well know how.
The second car got separated- due to traffic, he thought- so a ways down the road he pulled in to a station, parked where the car could be seen from the highway, and they sat down to get a coke and wait. About an hour later the other car showed up and parked. First question, as you'd expect, "What happened to you?"
"We had a flat."
"It took you an hour to change a flat?"
"No, it took a while before someone stopped to change it for us."
He was dumbfounded, along with most everyone else listening. Five in the car, three boys, and none of them knew how to change a tire or were willing to try. Most had the same background: if you, a guy from twelve or thirteen on, had confessed to having to wait by the road until someone could change a flat for you you'd have been laughed out of the room. Only an injury or medical condition would have exempted you from that. Where/when I learned to drive, most of the girls that age could change a tire if they had to(rural area, might be a while before someone comes by), they just didn't like to.
This is one of those things that's also a safety matter. Weather might make it a bad idea to just sit a while hoping for assistance, and some people who stop might not have 'offering assistance' in mind, especially if the one broken down is a woman(This used to drive me nuts with my first wife. She'd never let me show her how to change one: "Someone always stops to help me with a flat.").
Again, you might not enjoy something like changing a tire, but you should damn well know how.
The previous post got me thinking about writing,
and authors, which made me think about the first time I met some authors. And about how someone's work gets fiddled with over time.
That time was the Fourth World Fantasy Convention in Fort Worth, 1978. First Con I'd ever been to, and my first real trip without parents involved. The big thing that caused a friend and I to buy tickets and save up for the trip was that the Guest of Honor was a gentleman named Fritz Leiber, who wrote(among other things) the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, just about my favorite sword & sorcery fiction pieces then and now. So the chance to meet him, and maybe chase girls(shut up) sent us south.
Very nice weekend in a number of ways, though finding the hotel was not one of them(note: do NOT trust directions the con staff send you) Met Leiber(not for long, he was rather in demand as you can imagine), met Andrew Offutt and a few other writers. In the dealers room found all the Fafhrd and Mouser books(all but one collections of short stories) I didn't have and got them all, and the drawing of them in the schedule, signed by Leiber. Met the wife-to-be. And was introduced to the works of Robert E. Howard.
Yes, the creator of Conan, and Bran Mak Morn, and Kull the Conqueror and Solomon Kane and others. My previous acquaintance with his work had been glancing through those godawful comic books: no matter the weather, enemy or place Conan was always in a breechclout and boots, etc. The Con was actually dedicated to Howard and his writing, and I'd wondered why. No, I didn't take the time to dig up one of his books and read it before the Con. The introduction to the actual Howard stories came through hearing them.
Saturday night the main event was a couple of readings. Harlan Ellison read two of his shorts, one funny as hell and the other equally creepy, and then Leiber walked to the podium. Leiber was about 6'4" or so, slim, with a mane of white hair and a deep, resonant voice. He'd been an actor at one time and it showed, with the hall quiet he could be heard fairly well even without the amp. Then all the lights in the hall went down except for the candelabra on the wall behind him and the small reading lamp, and he began to read.
The story was The Phoenix on the Sword, the first of the Conan stories and one Howard said he wrote 'as if Conan were standing behind me telling the story'. And Leiber had the gift of reading so that you felt you were in the story, watching and hearing instead of just sitting and listening. It was bloody awesome. And it started me reading Howard.
His Conan was very much a wandering barbarian mercenary, pirate, thief, whatever filled his purse. When it was cold he wore furs, when it was hot and sunny he wore pants and a shirt, or a robe, whatever was found where he was. And he wore armor. Not the character I'd expected from those comics. I've still got the books I picked up after that.
That time was the Fourth World Fantasy Convention in Fort Worth, 1978. First Con I'd ever been to, and my first real trip without parents involved. The big thing that caused a friend and I to buy tickets and save up for the trip was that the Guest of Honor was a gentleman named Fritz Leiber, who wrote(among other things) the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, just about my favorite sword & sorcery fiction pieces then and now. So the chance to meet him, and maybe chase girls(shut up) sent us south.
Very nice weekend in a number of ways, though finding the hotel was not one of them(note: do NOT trust directions the con staff send you) Met Leiber(not for long, he was rather in demand as you can imagine), met Andrew Offutt and a few other writers. In the dealers room found all the Fafhrd and Mouser books(all but one collections of short stories) I didn't have and got them all, and the drawing of them in the schedule, signed by Leiber. Met the wife-to-be. And was introduced to the works of Robert E. Howard.
Yes, the creator of Conan, and Bran Mak Morn, and Kull the Conqueror and Solomon Kane and others. My previous acquaintance with his work had been glancing through those godawful comic books: no matter the weather, enemy or place Conan was always in a breechclout and boots, etc. The Con was actually dedicated to Howard and his writing, and I'd wondered why. No, I didn't take the time to dig up one of his books and read it before the Con. The introduction to the actual Howard stories came through hearing them.
Saturday night the main event was a couple of readings. Harlan Ellison read two of his shorts, one funny as hell and the other equally creepy, and then Leiber walked to the podium. Leiber was about 6'4" or so, slim, with a mane of white hair and a deep, resonant voice. He'd been an actor at one time and it showed, with the hall quiet he could be heard fairly well even without the amp. Then all the lights in the hall went down except for the candelabra on the wall behind him and the small reading lamp, and he began to read.
The story was The Phoenix on the Sword, the first of the Conan stories and one Howard said he wrote 'as if Conan were standing behind me telling the story'. And Leiber had the gift of reading so that you felt you were in the story, watching and hearing instead of just sitting and listening. It was bloody awesome. And it started me reading Howard.
His Conan was very much a wandering barbarian mercenary, pirate, thief, whatever filled his purse. When it was cold he wore furs, when it was hot and sunny he wore pants and a shirt, or a robe, whatever was found where he was. And he wore armor. Not the character I'd expected from those comics. I've still got the books I picked up after that.
That was some weekend. Meet authors, buy books and get them- and that drawing- signed by Leiber, meet wife. Definitely interesting, and with long-term consequences in a variety of ways.
(I'll throw in something about the books: Karl Edward Wagner edited some of them, and did it the right way: corrected obvious spelling errors, set it up properly for paperback format as opposed to the original pulp magazine columns, and otherwise left the stories the hell alone. Read one as originally written, and compare it to the same after it had been 'edited to make it better'; you can really tell the difference. Which is why I'm still ticked at L. Sprague de Camp)
I think I could call this a 'spike in traffic'
I looked at Sitemeter for the numbers for the last seven days. Here's visits:
And here's visits and page views:
Guess which day Insty linked to my post?
Of course, the day after it's a big drop downward(ah, fickle fame...) so I'm back from a tall soapbox to a standard size with a saggy lid.
And here's visits and page views:
Guess which day Insty linked to my post?
Of course, the day after it's a big drop downward(ah, fickle fame...) so I'm back from a tall soapbox to a standard size with a saggy lid.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Wow, Instalanche!
over the post on using your hands.
To address something Bruce said in comments:
No, if you're a lawyer/doctor/software engineer working on a $200/hour job, I don't think it's generally a good idea to drop everything to fix the furniture yourself. And not everyone enjoys working on the car, or fixing the lawnmower or whatever.
I do think it's a Good Thing to be able to do some of that, for a variety of reasons. It makes you less dependant on someone else for some work(I'm not fond of crawling under a house working on something, but knowing how to fix the problem in question saved money I couldn't afford to spend), it can save time, and, what may be the big one, people I know who can fix some things on their own are generally proud of it. May just be small things, but they like being able to take care of it. And knowing they can fix that makes them more likely to fiddle with something new and either fix it or figure out exactly what's wrong(which can save time and money when you take it to a pro).
I would flat hate taking the top off the truck engine in the driveway, especially some times of year, but it's comforting to know that I could find a manual and do it if I had to. And I'll admit that if I had to call someone to change a tire because I couldn't figure out how I'd be embarrassed as hell(which happens often enough, I don't need it over something like that). I'd much rather read, or screw around on the computer, or go to the range than fix the mower; but fixing it has saved money and time over taking it to someone else. And the kids knowing how to do some things on their own has helped them out.
Side effect for the kids? Cuts or scrapes or small injuries were generally seen as something to gripe about a bit and get over, because they were in the way of what you were doing, not obsess over. Which, in the long run, is a very Good Thing.
To address something Bruce said in comments:
No, if you're a lawyer/doctor/software engineer working on a $200/hour job, I don't think it's generally a good idea to drop everything to fix the furniture yourself. And not everyone enjoys working on the car, or fixing the lawnmower or whatever.
I do think it's a Good Thing to be able to do some of that, for a variety of reasons. It makes you less dependant on someone else for some work(I'm not fond of crawling under a house working on something, but knowing how to fix the problem in question saved money I couldn't afford to spend), it can save time, and, what may be the big one, people I know who can fix some things on their own are generally proud of it. May just be small things, but they like being able to take care of it. And knowing they can fix that makes them more likely to fiddle with something new and either fix it or figure out exactly what's wrong(which can save time and money when you take it to a pro).
I would flat hate taking the top off the truck engine in the driveway, especially some times of year, but it's comforting to know that I could find a manual and do it if I had to. And I'll admit that if I had to call someone to change a tire because I couldn't figure out how I'd be embarrassed as hell(which happens often enough, I don't need it over something like that). I'd much rather read, or screw around on the computer, or go to the range than fix the mower; but fixing it has saved money and time over taking it to someone else. And the kids knowing how to do some things on their own has helped them out.
Side effect for the kids? Cuts or scrapes or small injuries were generally seen as something to gripe about a bit and get over, because they were in the way of what you were doing, not obsess over. Which, in the long run, is a very Good Thing.
What Congress does with your money,
which they say they don't have enough of to do things like this:
Tens of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars soon could be flowing into the National Council of La Raza, an organization that advocates for civil rights for Hispanics and has connections to groups that advocate the separation of several southwestern states from the rest of the nation.
If you haven't read anything about La Raza, I'd suggest you do. And especially check out MEChA, a group just as warm and cuddly as the Nation of Islam. And just as racist. Then start yelling at your Congresscritter about this.
Tens of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars soon could be flowing into the National Council of La Raza, an organization that advocates for civil rights for Hispanics and has connections to groups that advocate the separation of several southwestern states from the rest of the nation.
If you haven't read anything about La Raza, I'd suggest you do. And especially check out MEChA, a group just as warm and cuddly as the Nation of Islam. And just as racist. Then start yelling at your Congresscritter about this.
What goes around,
do indeed come around. Current/former hippies dealing with drugged-out people acting- oh, like they used to.
"I used to be a hippie. I wore beads and grew my hair long," he said. "But my generation had something these kids do not: a standard of civilized behavior." Well, just maybe. Here's the bit that sums up the whole attitude:
Panhandler Jonah Lawrence, 25, insists it is residents who need civilizing. "They say, 'Get a job!' " he said. "And I say, 'You got clothes for me? Or a place I can take a shower so I can look for work?' It's so bogus to tell me to get a job if I have nothing."
Well, try this you little bastard: stop spending what you have on drugs and booze and you'll have something to use to clean up and find a job. Assuming you actually want to try.
Found through Michelle Malkin
"I used to be a hippie. I wore beads and grew my hair long," he said. "But my generation had something these kids do not: a standard of civilized behavior." Well, just maybe. Here's the bit that sums up the whole attitude:
Panhandler Jonah Lawrence, 25, insists it is residents who need civilizing. "They say, 'Get a job!' " he said. "And I say, 'You got clothes for me? Or a place I can take a shower so I can look for work?' It's so bogus to tell me to get a job if I have nothing."
Well, try this you little bastard: stop spending what you have on drugs and booze and you'll have something to use to clean up and find a job. Assuming you actually want to try.
Found through Michelle Malkin
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Things
Ex-wife had a plumbing problem, loaned her some money for a plumber to root out the line. She e-mailed that the problem in the sewer line was a 'humongous' hair clog(she & the daughter both have long hair).
I sent back 'Stop shedding so much'.
I don't think it went over all that well.
Friday, June 01, 2007
The NOR shoot begins tomorrow,
and here I sit. Dammit.
I half thought about retiring when it turned out I couldn't get the leave time for this.
Have fun, you bastards.
I half thought about retiring when it turned out I couldn't get the leave time for this.
Have fun, you bastards.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Yes, the lack of 'use your hands' knowledge is bad (link corrected)
Really bad.
My daughter's first year in college she got a job at the museum in Norman, and one of her big selling points was when the asked if she could use 'basic hand tools': they meant like a screwdriver and hammer, and when she said "Yes" they were delighted. They were tired of hiring people who had to call building maintenance when they found a loose drawer pull.
Couple of years before that, some people I knew were building a three-level stage at a Ren-fair somewhere back east. Lots of local volunteers, almost none of whom could do anything with tools, including measure: they told one guy they needed a piece of plywood 48x60", and he(and those around him) couldn't figure out how to get that out of a 4x8' sheet. They had to give a short class on measuring, hammering and cutting to get the damn stage done.
God, I am so glad for the times I made the kids help do things around the house. And yard. And car, and forge...
As to the screwed-up link, I guess 'general idiocy' is more than just a post label...
My daughter's first year in college she got a job at the museum in Norman, and one of her big selling points was when the asked if she could use 'basic hand tools': they meant like a screwdriver and hammer, and when she said "Yes" they were delighted. They were tired of hiring people who had to call building maintenance when they found a loose drawer pull.
Couple of years before that, some people I knew were building a three-level stage at a Ren-fair somewhere back east. Lots of local volunteers, almost none of whom could do anything with tools, including measure: they told one guy they needed a piece of plywood 48x60", and he(and those around him) couldn't figure out how to get that out of a 4x8' sheet. They had to give a short class on measuring, hammering and cutting to get the damn stage done.
God, I am so glad for the times I made the kids help do things around the house. And yard. And car, and forge...
As to the screwed-up link, I guess 'general idiocy' is more than just a post label...
Damn, I'm glad I bought a case when I did!
7.5 Swiss, that is. Late last year my favorite ammo dealer had two cases and I bought one, figuring A: it'll keep and
B: won't get any cheaper.
I was right on both counts. The stuff has been hard to find, and I just looked around and found the price per case to be $240, a lot more than I paid just a few months ago.
B: won't get any cheaper.
I was right on both counts. The stuff has been hard to find, and I just looked around and found the price per case to be $240, a lot more than I paid just a few months ago.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
And the Socialist Senator from NY speaks again
and on this speech the major media doesn't think it's worth reporting. Or just doesn't want to spread around what she said.
Buying a gun vs. illegal alien applying for Z visa
Have you noticed that if the NICS check is having problems they have three days to decide if you'll be allowed to buy a gun, but the IIABAN* bill gives 24 hours to decide if someone gets the visa? And if the check can't be completed by that time, they get it automatically?
Back when I was a dispatcher, one of the things you had to deal with was that there was no online way to check if someone with a Mexican drivers license had a valid license, or find out if they were a wanted criminal in Mexico. The way an official put it one day was that 'there's no way we're going to interface our NCIC system or NLETS directly to Mexico'. You see, among the requirements of people using these systems is requirements for security of access to the data and respect for privacy law in the use of it(consider the corruption in Mexico and think of them having access to those systems).
Now consider that this bill would give one whole day to find out if someone has a criminal or other record that would disqualify them, when there's no fast way to check on this stuff into Mexico, and no way to know if the information from there is accurate and true.
But Chucky Schumer & Kennedy & Co. think the government needs three days to decide if you'll be allowed to buy a gun.
Just friggin' wonderful.
*Illegal Immigrant Amnesty By Another Name
Back when I was a dispatcher, one of the things you had to deal with was that there was no online way to check if someone with a Mexican drivers license had a valid license, or find out if they were a wanted criminal in Mexico. The way an official put it one day was that 'there's no way we're going to interface our NCIC system or NLETS directly to Mexico'. You see, among the requirements of people using these systems is requirements for security of access to the data and respect for privacy law in the use of it(consider the corruption in Mexico and think of them having access to those systems).
Now consider that this bill would give one whole day to find out if someone has a criminal or other record that would disqualify them, when there's no fast way to check on this stuff into Mexico, and no way to know if the information from there is accurate and true.
But Chucky Schumer & Kennedy & Co. think the government needs three days to decide if you'll be allowed to buy a gun.
Just friggin' wonderful.
*Illegal Immigrant Amnesty By Another Name
Monday, May 28, 2007
MOLLE light
Saw a review of these in Shotgun News last month, and thought it looked pretty neat. So I checked it out, and ordered one
I'll state right off that I'm still a bit ticked off at PentagonLight who make it. Ordering it involved a delay("I didn't get a confirmation for shipping like the site says to expect." "We're backordered, it'll be a week or so."), then more delay, then a couple of unanswered e-mails, then a "Tell me where it is or cancel the order" from me followed by "We're sorry about that, yours should ship Monday at the latest".
It shipped Tuesday. Yeah, it's just one day, but it was damn near a month after I ordered it. So while I'm hoping that this was an exception for their service, I'm still ticked.
MOLLE is short for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment, the system that replaced the old ALICE gear(no, I don't remember what it's short for). This light looks kind of like the old military right-angle flashlight. This one is small(3.5" tall) and light(1.5 oz) and uses a single AA battery. Instead of a bulb, it uses a .5 watt LED with about 40 lumens output, and can be had with blue or red filters that screw onto the base for storage and over the lamp for use. It's supposed to fit inside one of the loops on the MOLLE gear(don't have any to check that) and has a spring clip that allows it to be hooked on a belt, pocket or whatever.
A bit unhappy with the company or not, so far I have to say this is a very good light. Not as bright as my Surefire G2, it's a very similar white light with no shadows or holes in it. The switch is on top: press down a little for momentary, down all the way for constant on. It's supposed to run about three hours constant with a fresh battery, soon as I get a chance I'll stick a brand new Duracell in and try it. It'll sit upright on the base, and I've hooked it on pockets and belt; the hook does swivel so you can aim it.
Overall I rate it as a good piece to have.
I'll state right off that I'm still a bit ticked off at PentagonLight who make it. Ordering it involved a delay("I didn't get a confirmation for shipping like the site says to expect." "We're backordered, it'll be a week or so."), then more delay, then a couple of unanswered e-mails, then a "Tell me where it is or cancel the order" from me followed by "We're sorry about that, yours should ship Monday at the latest".
It shipped Tuesday. Yeah, it's just one day, but it was damn near a month after I ordered it. So while I'm hoping that this was an exception for their service, I'm still ticked.
MOLLE is short for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment, the system that replaced the old ALICE gear(no, I don't remember what it's short for). This light looks kind of like the old military right-angle flashlight. This one is small(3.5" tall) and light(1.5 oz) and uses a single AA battery. Instead of a bulb, it uses a .5 watt LED with about 40 lumens output, and can be had with blue or red filters that screw onto the base for storage and over the lamp for use. It's supposed to fit inside one of the loops on the MOLLE gear(don't have any to check that) and has a spring clip that allows it to be hooked on a belt, pocket or whatever.
A bit unhappy with the company or not, so far I have to say this is a very good light. Not as bright as my Surefire G2, it's a very similar white light with no shadows or holes in it. The switch is on top: press down a little for momentary, down all the way for constant on. It's supposed to run about three hours constant with a fresh battery, soon as I get a chance I'll stick a brand new Duracell in and try it. It'll sit upright on the base, and I've hooked it on pockets and belt; the hook does swivel so you can aim it.
Overall I rate it as a good piece to have.
Further on the Christian/Newsom murders
here and here. The reports of mutilations are now reported by the authorities as false, which- assuming they're not downplaying things- leaves a bloody, horrible case of kidnapping, rape and murder.
It's being(unfortunately) used by apologists for the dirtbags and some white supremacists and some general 'these rumors are just because the suspects are black' weenies to push their viewpoints. And we're still stuck with the simple fact that if a gang of whites had done this to a black man and woman, the major media would've been screaming about it from the start.
Lots of thoughts on this mess, but I'm going to have to work on them a bit.
It's being(unfortunately) used by apologists for the dirtbags and some white supremacists and some general 'these rumors are just because the suspects are black' weenies to push their viewpoints. And we're still stuck with the simple fact that if a gang of whites had done this to a black man and woman, the major media would've been screaming about it from the start.
Lots of thoughts on this mess, but I'm going to have to work on them a bit.
Memorial Day Updated
Over the years, I've known a bunch of people who were currently in uniform, or had been in the past. Family, friends, people who(in CAP) taught/trained my son.
This is the first Memorial Day since son joined up. He's currently in a quite nice place; in a few months he'll be in a somewhat less nice place. He's had good training, in Basic from people freshly back from the immediate war zone* and since with people who've been there; a bunch of people in his unit have been there before. They're prepping hard for it. There's a certain amount of concern, of course, but knowing that does make this a bit less difficult to deal with.
What'll I do today? The flag is up out front, at least unless('until' by the look of the clouds) it starts raining again. I'm not going shopping. There's things I'll take care of in/around the house, and when I take a break I'll check around on the web on the State Of Things, and I'll be thinking about people I know and don't know who're out on the sharp end. I'm uncertain about God, in that while I think He's out there, sometimes I'm not too fond of Him, but I'll probably do a bit of praying(can't hurt).
This is a marvelous country we live in. Because a bunch of people of all social classes were willing to put their lives and families on the line to create it; because a lot of people have fought for it in many ways since, many losing everything. Someone once asked how, if I liked this country so much, I could be so distrustful of the government and I said it's because I love this country and I don't want the muck-sucking politicians and their buttmonkeys to screw it up because I wasn't watching. There are a bunch of people in ACUs all over the world as well as here, some actively fighting the bad guys and the others training for the time, and it's to keep this country going without the bad guys killing and torturing in the streets here.
From those in graves in many places to those old ones who fought in the past to those currently out there, we owe them. A lot.
Update: Kevin has a list of places where you can donate to help the troops and the families of the fallen.
* I call Iraq and Afghanistan the 'immediate' zone; I think we're in the 'warm to cool' zone, depending on what part of the country(as in "What's nearby they'd like to hit?") you're in. As to training, in Basic every member of the training cadre had been in one or the other immediate zone within the past six months; the Army has been taking the top few percent of noncoms coming back and rotating them to training duty.
This is the first Memorial Day since son joined up. He's currently in a quite nice place; in a few months he'll be in a somewhat less nice place. He's had good training, in Basic from people freshly back from the immediate war zone* and since with people who've been there; a bunch of people in his unit have been there before. They're prepping hard for it. There's a certain amount of concern, of course, but knowing that does make this a bit less difficult to deal with.
What'll I do today? The flag is up out front, at least unless('until' by the look of the clouds) it starts raining again. I'm not going shopping. There's things I'll take care of in/around the house, and when I take a break I'll check around on the web on the State Of Things, and I'll be thinking about people I know and don't know who're out on the sharp end. I'm uncertain about God, in that while I think He's out there, sometimes I'm not too fond of Him, but I'll probably do a bit of praying(can't hurt).
This is a marvelous country we live in. Because a bunch of people of all social classes were willing to put their lives and families on the line to create it; because a lot of people have fought for it in many ways since, many losing everything. Someone once asked how, if I liked this country so much, I could be so distrustful of the government and I said it's because I love this country and I don't want the muck-sucking politicians and their buttmonkeys to screw it up because I wasn't watching. There are a bunch of people in ACUs all over the world as well as here, some actively fighting the bad guys and the others training for the time, and it's to keep this country going without the bad guys killing and torturing in the streets here.
From those in graves in many places to those old ones who fought in the past to those currently out there, we owe them. A lot.
Update: Kevin has a list of places where you can donate to help the troops and the families of the fallen.
* I call Iraq and Afghanistan the 'immediate' zone; I think we're in the 'warm to cool' zone, depending on what part of the country(as in "What's nearby they'd like to hit?") you're in. As to training, in Basic every member of the training cadre had been in one or the other immediate zone within the past six months; the Army has been taking the top few percent of noncoms coming back and rotating them to training duty.
Friday, May 25, 2007
With one thing and another, haven't had much to write lately
Work with strange shifts, trying to get enough sleep, not much time to do anything and then Security Staff(Senior) passing on... it all kind of drains the enthusiasm out of you.
So I thought I'd just post some links, in case you haven't run across these things yet.
From Kim, his opinion on the 'Illegal Immigrant Amnesty By Another Name' bill. I'll second him on the pissed off, though I have the slight mitigating factor that both OK Senators voted against this mess and have made their opinion of it very plain. I'll add to it that the only reasons for them to be surprised by the anger on this is
A. Abject stupidity(quite possible)
B. Acting(also possible)
C. Actually believing they could say a few words and have everybody go along. Though I think this one would be a side-link to 'Abject Stupidity'.
Take a look at these grips Xavier tested. I don't know about the bone, but I like the buffalo horn on the maker's site.
Remember I mentioned a while back word that the Yugo government, in keeping with a treaty they'd signed with the God-cursed UN, would stop exporting arms and ammo? Got this today in an e-mail from Century:ITS DEFINITE NO MORE YUGO SKS’S AND YUGO UNDERFOLDERS GET THEM NOW WHILE YOU CAN
The price on them has been going up(along with everything else), and this'll only make things worse.
One of the things about the current IIABAN bill is the emotion being used by some of these clowns to try to sell it. Both the 'teary-eyed children' crap, and- the one that REALLY pisses me off- is the comments(especially by people who damn well know better) that "Anyone who's against this bill is a racist". Let me state that if either my Senator or Rep. had said such a thing, not only would I have told them exactly what I think of them, I'd do everything I could to see them out of that office.
Also note, from His Majesty and Michelle Malkin, phone numbers to the House and Senate that bypass some of the usual crap needed to get to them. Where'd the numbers come from?
The hotline is paid for by something called the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform and it’s being blasted to pro-open borders groups all over the country. The hotline gives its callers access to their senators that average Joes don’t have.
The numbers are;
1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)
Don't you just love it? A Spanish number for people who apparently can't or won't speak English to yell at the Senate and House?
And last, from Michelle, a bit about the way the murdering fornicators-of-swine we're fighting treat people. And the absolute friggin' silence from the usual suspects who whine about us even daring to fight them.
I'm going to try to enjoy this weekend. Catch you later.
So I thought I'd just post some links, in case you haven't run across these things yet.
From Kim, his opinion on the 'Illegal Immigrant Amnesty By Another Name' bill. I'll second him on the pissed off, though I have the slight mitigating factor that both OK Senators voted against this mess and have made their opinion of it very plain. I'll add to it that the only reasons for them to be surprised by the anger on this is
A. Abject stupidity(quite possible)
B. Acting(also possible)
C. Actually believing they could say a few words and have everybody go along. Though I think this one would be a side-link to 'Abject Stupidity'.
Take a look at these grips Xavier tested. I don't know about the bone, but I like the buffalo horn on the maker's site.
Remember I mentioned a while back word that the Yugo government, in keeping with a treaty they'd signed with the God-cursed UN, would stop exporting arms and ammo? Got this today in an e-mail from Century:ITS DEFINITE NO MORE YUGO SKS’S AND YUGO UNDERFOLDERS GET THEM NOW WHILE YOU CAN
The price on them has been going up(along with everything else), and this'll only make things worse.
One of the things about the current IIABAN bill is the emotion being used by some of these clowns to try to sell it. Both the 'teary-eyed children' crap, and- the one that REALLY pisses me off- is the comments(especially by people who damn well know better) that "Anyone who's against this bill is a racist". Let me state that if either my Senator or Rep. had said such a thing, not only would I have told them exactly what I think of them, I'd do everything I could to see them out of that office.
Also note, from His Majesty and Michelle Malkin, phone numbers to the House and Senate that bypass some of the usual crap needed to get to them. Where'd the numbers come from?
The hotline is paid for by something called the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform and it’s being blasted to pro-open borders groups all over the country. The hotline gives its callers access to their senators that average Joes don’t have.
The numbers are;
1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)
Don't you just love it? A Spanish number for people who apparently can't or won't speak English to yell at the Senate and House?
And last, from Michelle, a bit about the way the murdering fornicators-of-swine we're fighting treat people. And the absolute friggin' silence from the usual suspects who whine about us even daring to fight them.
I'm going to try to enjoy this weekend. Catch you later.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
CZ-82
This is one of the firearms from former com-bloc countries that have become available. It was the Czech replacement for the CZ-52 pistol as a military sidearm
The -52 was a single-action semi-auto chambered for the 7.62x25mm cartridge, which propelled a 90-grain bullet to about 1400fps. SERIOUS penetration, and a fireball at the muzzle that does indeed get attention at the range. The -82 is smaller(6.77" long, 4.99 high, 1.42 wide), double-action, weighs a shade over 28 oz and is chambered for the 9x18mm cartridge. Where the -82 used a single-stack magazine that holds eight rounds, the -82 uses a double-stack that holds 12.
The -82 has an ambidextrous thumb safety, can be carried cocked & locked, and has white-dot sights. And one interesting characteristic: polygonal rifling. Which at first glance causes it to look like a smoothbore.
Takedown is much like the Makarov and the Walther pistols: drop the magazine, pull down the trigger guard at the front, pull the slide all the way back, lift the back up a bit and ease it forward off the barrel and that's it to field-strip. It feels a lot like those pistols, too. The workmanship seemed quite nice, everything well fitted and smooth working.
About that double-action. Firing the first shot, just pull the trigger or you can cock the hammer first. And, as mentioned, you can carry it condition one(no idea how secure the safety is on this point so cannot say if a good idea or not). Since there's no decocker, to lower the hammer on a live round means holding the hammer spur with one thumb, pulling the trigger and easing the hammer down. Could be just a bit touchy at times.
How'd it work? Quite well. Fired it with some Wolf ball and Silver Bear hollowpoints. Recoil is just like the Makarov, which means- for me- a touch uncomfortable after half a box or so; very snappy. I don't know if something like the Pearce grip that helps on the Mak is available, if it is and I planned on shooting one of these much, I'd get it. Accuracy was much like the Maks I've fired, quite good, especially since this has much better sights than the Mak. At ten yards it printed all shots about two inches below point of aim.
They generally come with a holster designed to allow for either left- or right-hand carry that also holds the extra mag and cleaning rod, I'll try to get a picture of that and add it on later.
Overall, an interesting piece.
Had a chance to try one of these out a couple of weeks ago and with one thing and another finally got around to writing about it.
The -52 was a single-action semi-auto chambered for the 7.62x25mm cartridge, which propelled a 90-grain bullet to about 1400fps. SERIOUS penetration, and a fireball at the muzzle that does indeed get attention at the range. The -82 is smaller(6.77" long, 4.99 high, 1.42 wide), double-action, weighs a shade over 28 oz and is chambered for the 9x18mm cartridge. Where the -82 used a single-stack magazine that holds eight rounds, the -82 uses a double-stack that holds 12.
The -82 has an ambidextrous thumb safety, can be carried cocked & locked, and has white-dot sights. And one interesting characteristic: polygonal rifling. Which at first glance causes it to look like a smoothbore.
Takedown is much like the Makarov and the Walther pistols: drop the magazine, pull down the trigger guard at the front, pull the slide all the way back, lift the back up a bit and ease it forward off the barrel and that's it to field-strip. It feels a lot like those pistols, too. The workmanship seemed quite nice, everything well fitted and smooth working.
About that double-action. Firing the first shot, just pull the trigger or you can cock the hammer first. And, as mentioned, you can carry it condition one(no idea how secure the safety is on this point so cannot say if a good idea or not). Since there's no decocker, to lower the hammer on a live round means holding the hammer spur with one thumb, pulling the trigger and easing the hammer down. Could be just a bit touchy at times.
How'd it work? Quite well. Fired it with some Wolf ball and Silver Bear hollowpoints. Recoil is just like the Makarov, which means- for me- a touch uncomfortable after half a box or so; very snappy. I don't know if something like the Pearce grip that helps on the Mak is available, if it is and I planned on shooting one of these much, I'd get it. Accuracy was much like the Maks I've fired, quite good, especially since this has much better sights than the Mak. At ten yards it printed all shots about two inches below point of aim.
They generally come with a holster designed to allow for either left- or right-hand carry that also holds the extra mag and cleaning rod, I'll try to get a picture of that and add it on later.
Overall, an interesting piece.
Had a chance to try one of these out a couple of weeks ago and with one thing and another finally got around to writing about it.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
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