I got nothing. My shoulder is giving me fits. Maybe it was a mistake to help Archie with his gutters.
Heard a rooster somewhere in this suburban neighborhood. Gun content: Archie wants to shoot it.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Found Fun
How come I can never manage to stumble over free gummint guns? I'd ake good care of them, and never use them in a crime. The Park Police should be tossing the freebies over my back fence, the way I figure it.
I'd need to sell maybe one to subsidize a really nice safe for the others.
I'd need to sell maybe one to subsidize a really nice safe for the others.
Friday, June 28, 2013
ATF data
Been looking at the ATF 2012 trace data for my state, Maryland.
The vast majority of traces were guns sourced to Maryland. And the vast number of traces that were done on crime guns were purchased more than 3 years prior.
Average age of possessor was 40. The national average is 36.
The Maryland city with the most traced guns is, surprise, Baltimore, with more than 50%. My burg, Silver Spring, had only 150 traces. Silver Spring abuts the District of Columbia on the Georgia Avenue corridor. That's the east side of Rock Creek Park. West of the park is Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues. That area is more affluent with suburbs abutting you may have heard about. Bethesda and Chevy Chase.
The vast majority of traces were guns sourced to Maryland. And the vast number of traces that were done on crime guns were purchased more than 3 years prior.
Average age of possessor was 40. The national average is 36.
The Maryland city with the most traced guns is, surprise, Baltimore, with more than 50%. My burg, Silver Spring, had only 150 traces. Silver Spring abuts the District of Columbia on the Georgia Avenue corridor. That's the east side of Rock Creek Park. West of the park is Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues. That area is more affluent with suburbs abutting you may have heard about. Bethesda and Chevy Chase.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Goal Recap
See my goals over there on the right? Number 3.
I have harvested one, been in on the field cleaning and butchering of 3 more (MBtGE dropped them) and dined on tasty chili, stew, and ternderloin. I have not gotten any hides or antlers. Why? Well, none of the 4 HAD antlers. All 4 were yearling bucks eating and damaging our battlefield parks and adjoining farms. Probably could rop 40 of them a year and not make a dent in the over population. Nothing but button bucks.
So what about a hide? MBtGE would have let me have the pelts of all 4. If he had kept the pelts of all the deer he had shot in his humting career he could carpet the house, wall to wall. So why don't I have one? Why? It's hard to process a skin. And neither of us has done it before. So that's that.
Probably a skill I should investigate further. Just cuz. All that scraping, smearing of deer brains, alum, salt peter, what have you...
To perhaps harvest some tasty venison with either a rifle or a shotgun, any skin or antler is just a nice bonus, here.
I have harvested one, been in on the field cleaning and butchering of 3 more (MBtGE dropped them) and dined on tasty chili, stew, and ternderloin. I have not gotten any hides or antlers. Why? Well, none of the 4 HAD antlers. All 4 were yearling bucks eating and damaging our battlefield parks and adjoining farms. Probably could rop 40 of them a year and not make a dent in the over population. Nothing but button bucks.
So what about a hide? MBtGE would have let me have the pelts of all 4. If he had kept the pelts of all the deer he had shot in his humting career he could carpet the house, wall to wall. So why don't I have one? Why? It's hard to process a skin. And neither of us has done it before. So that's that.
Probably a skill I should investigate further. Just cuz. All that scraping, smearing of deer brains, alum, salt peter, what have you...
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Pain update
NSAID script and a referral to an orthopaedist. Fun.
And now I need real blog fodder. Preferably with very little typing. Hurts. Less bloggy.
In other news, I want this hoverboard marketed. Just to get the dang bikes off the car-roards. At least the more aggressive and rude variety of bicyclists.
And now I need real blog fodder. Preferably with very little typing. Hurts. Less bloggy.
In other news, I want this hoverboard marketed. Just to get the dang bikes off the car-roards. At least the more aggressive and rude variety of bicyclists.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Bursitis
My shoulder is KILLING me. Pain. Flare up of bursitis, I think. That or maybe gout. Exacerbated by my rotator cuff surgery 20 years ago, no doubt.
It's teh off hand shoulder so shooting with Dad didn't do it. I can still USE it, it just aches. I would be unhappy if the zombies came tonite.
Ima call the doctor right now.
It's teh off hand shoulder so shooting with Dad didn't do it. I can still USE it, it just aches. I would be unhappy if the zombies came tonite.
Ima call the doctor right now.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Range Report
I took my father to the range for Father's Day this past week.
It's been years since he shot anything. But I knew he had better fundamentals than me. And more patience. So I figured on him being a pretty good shot. He was on a rifle team in High School, and he gave me his .22 Mossberg bolty a few years back. I was sure he'd have a better trigger pull, and that's 90% of marksmanship by my lights.
On hand were a 1911 with a .22 conversion, a Commander, a coupla revolvers, 686 and snubbie, and an XD.
The XD was a bust. I got some freebie mags for it and they were jam city. Didn't have any of the confirmed good magazines with me to confirm it was them, but that's where the smart money leans... mags that don't work with the XD I have. Odd. I wanted to have an XD to show Dad what a 'modern' pistol was like.
The .22 1911 was problematic for him too. The sights are black on black with a dim indoor range (why are most indoor ranges so dark?) and a black target, so it was hard to get a good sight picture. You can see his shooting in the lower left quadrant of the un-shoot-n-see-ed part of the target.
Mine is all the top left target. Just messing around demonstrating. It also demonstrates that shooting skills are dulled by lack of practice. Grumble grumble.
Dad did best on the lower right target. Those 3 groups close to the bull are all with the Commander in .45 at 25 feet. The top right is single action .38 with he 686 at 50 feet.
He's had surgery on tendons in his thumbs for pulling back the hammer is a bit more difficult for him that it used to be.
The only good shot of mine is the one only one in the red, and that was my first shot with the Commander. I shoulda stopped there.
A fun time was had by both, and after, the traditional beer and duck fat fries. They had this on tap, and I was impressed. I'm normally a Victory man.
It's been years since he shot anything. But I knew he had better fundamentals than me. And more patience. So I figured on him being a pretty good shot. He was on a rifle team in High School, and he gave me his .22 Mossberg bolty a few years back. I was sure he'd have a better trigger pull, and that's 90% of marksmanship by my lights.
On hand were a 1911 with a .22 conversion, a Commander, a coupla revolvers, 686 and snubbie, and an XD.
The XD was a bust. I got some freebie mags for it and they were jam city. Didn't have any of the confirmed good magazines with me to confirm it was them, but that's where the smart money leans... mags that don't work with the XD I have. Odd. I wanted to have an XD to show Dad what a 'modern' pistol was like.
The .22 1911 was problematic for him too. The sights are black on black with a dim indoor range (why are most indoor ranges so dark?) and a black target, so it was hard to get a good sight picture. You can see his shooting in the lower left quadrant of the un-shoot-n-see-ed part of the target.
Mine is all the top left target. Just messing around demonstrating. It also demonstrates that shooting skills are dulled by lack of practice. Grumble grumble.
Dad did best on the lower right target. Those 3 groups close to the bull are all with the Commander in .45 at 25 feet. The top right is single action .38 with he 686 at 50 feet.
He's had surgery on tendons in his thumbs for pulling back the hammer is a bit more difficult for him that it used to be.
The only good shot of mine is the one only one in the red, and that was my first shot with the Commander. I shoulda stopped there.
A fun time was had by both, and after, the traditional beer and duck fat fries. They had this on tap, and I was impressed. I'm normally a Victory man.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Does Obsessing Over Zombie Apocalypse Reveal a Lust to Escape Modernity?
In a word, yes.
Notice that folks interested in the whole zombacalypse thing are in the main gunnies, survivalist, and rugged individualists? Zombies represent an implacable power that it is not only ethical to oppose violently, but a personal duty, to? Something to be endure and survive. A fight for life. But, unlike gov't forces there is nothing abhorrent about opposing it. Yes, the power of gov't is sketchy when over exteneded but not everyone IN government is insensate. There are people in gummint. Heck, some of them are us and some are Ron Swanson types working on the inside. But if the power that is is hordes of undead there are no qualms about putting a round through their running lights, on sight.
Most of 'us' would even frown upon somebody just zapping random members of the Deptartment of Agriculture just on small government principles. Not so, zombie Dept of Ag undead.
Last Man On Earth, Omega Man, fighting against long odds and thriving, on personal resources alone, the ultimate individual, struggling for his right to his life... That appeals, though.
And it's wargame planning. Thinking on 'what you'd do if...' and if you are ready for a Level 4 Zombie Outbreak you are ready for any lesser disaster.
Sad that rugged individualism is considered un-modern.
Notice that folks interested in the whole zombacalypse thing are in the main gunnies, survivalist, and rugged individualists? Zombies represent an implacable power that it is not only ethical to oppose violently, but a personal duty, to? Something to be endure and survive. A fight for life. But, unlike gov't forces there is nothing abhorrent about opposing it. Yes, the power of gov't is sketchy when over exteneded but not everyone IN government is insensate. There are people in gummint. Heck, some of them are us and some are Ron Swanson types working on the inside. But if the power that is is hordes of undead there are no qualms about putting a round through their running lights, on sight.
Most of 'us' would even frown upon somebody just zapping random members of the Deptartment of Agriculture just on small government principles. Not so, zombie Dept of Ag undead.
Last Man On Earth, Omega Man, fighting against long odds and thriving, on personal resources alone, the ultimate individual, struggling for his right to his life... That appeals, though.
And it's wargame planning. Thinking on 'what you'd do if...' and if you are ready for a Level 4 Zombie Outbreak you are ready for any lesser disaster.
Sad that rugged individualism is considered un-modern.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Dog
Having a blog is like having a dog. A big ol' Saint Bernard. You gotta feed it. A LOT. Maybe that's why it is called a 'blog' the o-g part probably comes from the word 'dog'. Huh? Whadaya think of that theory, huh?
["Uh, T-Bolt, I believe it is a portmanteau of the words Web Log. Weblog. Blog. See?" "Quiet, you!"]
Unlike a Saint Bernard, at least I don't have to walk the blog or clean up after it.
So many little things I could talk about. Bloomberg counting that scumbag Boston a terrorist that got aired out by the po-po a victim of gun violence? Please. Cops leaving loaded guns everywhere. Schoolchildren sentenced to 40 years hard labor on Devil's Island for merely thinking about the word gun in range of some jumped up public school administrator. All have been done before by me or covered well enough on other blogs.
I found an extra box of .44 magnum while prepping for a range trip. That's like finding a $50 in your pocket of your jeans after doing the laundry. I think I'll look some more. Maybe there is some .22 in that hole.
["Uh, T-Bolt, I believe it is a portmanteau of the words Web Log. Weblog. Blog. See?" "Quiet, you!"]
Unlike a Saint Bernard, at least I don't have to walk the blog or clean up after it.
So many little things I could talk about. Bloomberg counting that scumbag Boston a terrorist that got aired out by the po-po a victim of gun violence? Please. Cops leaving loaded guns everywhere. Schoolchildren sentenced to 40 years hard labor on Devil's Island for merely thinking about the word gun in range of some jumped up public school administrator. All have been done before by me or covered well enough on other blogs.
I found an extra box of .44 magnum while prepping for a range trip. That's like finding a $50 in your pocket of your jeans after doing the laundry. I think I'll look some more. Maybe there is some .22 in that hole.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Future Movies
Hmm. I did 2 movies as blog posts the last week without even trying. Escape from New York was set in 1997. Alien Nation was set in 1991.
I remember those years. None of that stuff happened like they said it would. Those are HORRIBLE documentaries.
Still better than Michael Moore's stuff. Truthier. Did you know that Bowling for Columbine is not in the Internet Movie Firearm database? Huh. I wonder why. There is that fake bolt action rifle presentation at the bank that Mike lied about. I'd really like to know what kind of rifle that was...
I remember those years. None of that stuff happened like they said it would. Those are HORRIBLE documentaries.
Still better than Michael Moore's stuff. Truthier. Did you know that Bowling for Columbine is not in the Internet Movie Firearm database? Huh. I wonder why. There is that fake bolt action rifle presentation at the bank that Mike lied about. I'd really like to know what kind of rifle that was...
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
See?
THIS is why democrats shouldn't be allowed to own guns. They are so divorced from reality that they are clearly undiagnosed schizophrenics and, if exposed to the system would be quickly adjudicated mentally defective and thus prohibited persons.
"The White House Says It’s Winning The Gun Control Debate"
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Car Cover
You are being shot at and you don't want to get any holes in you. You need something to duck behind. Several brick and steel building between you and the shooter are good. So is being on the other side of a hill. A big ol tree trunk is acceptable?
What about a car? Sure the engine block can stop most everything a bad guy would be slinging your way but what about the rest?
Well, I, and other tested that proposition at a Northcoast blogshoot many moons ago. Pretty much everything went through the door. But few things went through both doors. A rifle round will sail clear through. A .44 magnum did too. But 9mm and .45 and such stayed in the car. Ducking behind the other side of the car, even without the engine block, and you have a modicum of safety. It's not just concealment, it's cover. As long as someone smart bad guy doesn't shoot under the car at your shins.
So why did this thought percolate up in my head, now? I don't remember if we test shotgun loads. I imagine hot loads of 12 gauge 00 buck or slug wouldn't go through both doors. Some sort of rifle sabot might. But I have no real world evidence to know.
Or the bad guys might be aliens with really fancy sabot rounds that even go through engine blocks. :50 seconds into this trailer.
What about a car? Sure the engine block can stop most everything a bad guy would be slinging your way but what about the rest?
Well, I, and other tested that proposition at a Northcoast blogshoot many moons ago. Pretty much everything went through the door. But few things went through both doors. A rifle round will sail clear through. A .44 magnum did too. But 9mm and .45 and such stayed in the car. Ducking behind the other side of the car, even without the engine block, and you have a modicum of safety. It's not just concealment, it's cover. As long as someone smart bad guy doesn't shoot under the car at your shins.
So why did this thought percolate up in my head, now? I don't remember if we test shotgun loads. I imagine hot loads of 12 gauge 00 buck or slug wouldn't go through both doors. Some sort of rifle sabot might. But I have no real world evidence to know.
Or the bad guys might be aliens with really fancy sabot rounds that even go through engine blocks. :50 seconds into this trailer.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Monday Drought
It's Monday, and I got nuthin. Well, this is kinda gun related, in that NASA should have been in the War Department.
Mmmm, sausage...
Buzz Aldrin said Tang sucks. The only way Tang made it this long is because it was an Astronaut drink. Probably cheap, too, is my guess. Never having bought any. Whole world has gone to heck since we stopped mixing up coloured sugar water in tupperware pitchers. You kids get off my lawn. Where is my Flav R Aid?
You know we haven't had a really good Gun Meme on the blogs in a while. Here is one, I'll get started: "Plastic Guns? Threat or menace?"
Mmmm, sausage...
Buzz Aldrin said Tang sucks. The only way Tang made it this long is because it was an Astronaut drink. Probably cheap, too, is my guess. Never having bought any. Whole world has gone to heck since we stopped mixing up coloured sugar water in tupperware pitchers. You kids get off my lawn. Where is my Flav R Aid?
You know we haven't had a really good Gun Meme on the blogs in a while. Here is one, I'll get started: "Plastic Guns? Threat or menace?"
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Snake Plisskin
I thought he was dead...
But... Something triggered a memory. Escape From New York. Plisskin had a neato torpedo submachine gun. I wonder what it was, that awesome bullet hose...?
Well, thanks to the internet!
Aw, crap, it was just a suppressed Mac 10 with a what looks like the optics for a .22 plinker. So disappointing. Looks like he was right handed and right eye dominant. Or, at least he became right eye dominant.
Your childhood heroes never live up to your expectations. Next someone is going to tell me that Santa Claus was my Dad the whole time. Happy Father's Day, Dad!
But... Something triggered a memory. Escape From New York. Plisskin had a neato torpedo submachine gun. I wonder what it was, that awesome bullet hose...?
Well, thanks to the internet!
Aw, crap, it was just a suppressed Mac 10 with a what looks like the optics for a .22 plinker. So disappointing. Looks like he was right handed and right eye dominant. Or, at least he became right eye dominant.
Your childhood heroes never live up to your expectations. Next someone is going to tell me that Santa Claus was my Dad the whole time. Happy Father's Day, Dad!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Blogpost Placeholder Title
I just wanted to name one post that...
It's stuff like this that will increase people's interest in buy more off-books guns. Such a shame that I am done buying guns.
It's stuff like this that will increase people's interest in buy more off-books guns. Such a shame that I am done buying guns.
“I have NO confidence whatsoever that some sort of gun registry doesn't already exist, in light of the NSA revelation, IRS revelation, AP wiretap revelation, etc.” — Rob Olive
Friday, June 14, 2013
Stormageddon
Well, they were predicting a biggish storm for yesterday evening, and I am writing this post before that. So, right now, I may have no power. Like last year when this happened. This time I have a freezer full of nothing but ice blocks.
Thrown back into the stone age in a blink.
How will I survive? Well, I should have gotten the email sale advertisement for this a month ago. 4320 serving of food with a shelf life of 25 years. That's almost 4 years of meals for me. Plenty of time to get the crops in if I was the last man on earth.
Hmm, last man on earth... I think a better strategy if you have the planet to yourself is to move near a body of water. Except for the contamination from industrial wastes and the nuke plants that use the Bay and it's tributaries the Chesapeake would make a great, relatively easy, protein factory after 4 years of no commercial fishing pressure. But yes, lone man, get near a body of water. Fin and feather to add to your bounty.
Thrown back into the stone age in a blink.
How will I survive? Well, I should have gotten the email sale advertisement for this a month ago. 4320 serving of food with a shelf life of 25 years. That's almost 4 years of meals for me. Plenty of time to get the crops in if I was the last man on earth.
Hmm, last man on earth... I think a better strategy if you have the planet to yourself is to move near a body of water. Except for the contamination from industrial wastes and the nuke plants that use the Bay and it's tributaries the Chesapeake would make a great, relatively easy, protein factory after 4 years of no commercial fishing pressure. But yes, lone man, get near a body of water. Fin and feather to add to your bounty.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Serendipty
Webley Fosbery has been around recently, and I saw this latest treatment on Forgotten Weapons. And I am re-reading The Maltese Falcon.
Guess what pistol is use to off Sam Spades partner, Miles Archer? It'd be like me writing a detective story and someone is shot with a Medusa. And I read this on the same day I saw thw blog post. Serendipitous.
That Fosbery sure is an odd duck of a pistol. To stretch the metaphor, neither fish nor fowl. I was thinking, "why would you DO that? A Franken-Revolver monstosity." Then it occurred to me. You couldn't just select a semi-auto pistol at the time. There was none sitting around. They were all being developed concurrently. Colonel Fosbery did his tinkering on a Colt SAA. Browning and Lugers were around but they were so new they squeaked.
Just thought it interesting.
So Archie takes one in the pump from a Webley Fosbery, falls backwards over a waist high horizontally boarded fence, knocking loose the top rail. And Sam Spade doesn't normally carry a gun on him, and comes to the scene from a sound sleep wearing a thin union suit under his suit, gartered socks, tweed overcoat, and hat, of course. Only thing in his pockets is cigarette papers, Durham tobacco, and money. Not even a pen knife.
--------
Also, Hammett's detectives often smoked these Fatimas when they bought a pack. I thought he might have made them up. Hammett was no Stephen King, always name dropping brands and trademarks. A sign was an "ad for Gasoline" rather than a "Esso sign." Except for cigarettes. Those get named. Minute detail on a man's jewelry, but never the man's car. A square cut ruby with 4 surround baguette cut diamond holding his ascot? Great. A $5 gold piece from 1895 as a tie tack? Fine. Was he driving a DeSoto or a Pontiac? Dunno.
Guess what pistol is use to off Sam Spades partner, Miles Archer? It'd be like me writing a detective story and someone is shot with a Medusa. And I read this on the same day I saw thw blog post. Serendipitous.
That Fosbery sure is an odd duck of a pistol. To stretch the metaphor, neither fish nor fowl. I was thinking, "why would you DO that? A Franken-Revolver monstosity." Then it occurred to me. You couldn't just select a semi-auto pistol at the time. There was none sitting around. They were all being developed concurrently. Colonel Fosbery did his tinkering on a Colt SAA. Browning and Lugers were around but they were so new they squeaked.
Just thought it interesting.
So Archie takes one in the pump from a Webley Fosbery, falls backwards over a waist high horizontally boarded fence, knocking loose the top rail. And Sam Spade doesn't normally carry a gun on him, and comes to the scene from a sound sleep wearing a thin union suit under his suit, gartered socks, tweed overcoat, and hat, of course. Only thing in his pockets is cigarette papers, Durham tobacco, and money. Not even a pen knife.
--------
Also, Hammett's detectives often smoked these Fatimas when they bought a pack. I thought he might have made them up. Hammett was no Stephen King, always name dropping brands and trademarks. A sign was an "ad for Gasoline" rather than a "Esso sign." Except for cigarettes. Those get named. Minute detail on a man's jewelry, but never the man's car. A square cut ruby with 4 surround baguette cut diamond holding his ascot? Great. A $5 gold piece from 1895 as a tie tack? Fine. Was he driving a DeSoto or a Pontiac? Dunno.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Slightly Off Topic
You all know about Project Gutenberg, of course. Free eBooks in the public domain. I loaded up my iPhone with a bajillion of them.
I'm looking for more. I've hit the 'popular' stuff. Dr Fu Manchu, Tarzan, Quartermain, Oz, John Carter, Doc Savage, Sherlock, Kipling... but then RobertaX surpises me with this guy Piper and his body of work.
Who ELSE out there that used to write real good am I missing out on? Anyone have any forgotten gems? If there aren't a bajillion downloads on Gutenberg you might miss some really good stuff. Especially pulpy stuff from the interwar years.
I'm looking for more. I've hit the 'popular' stuff. Dr Fu Manchu, Tarzan, Quartermain, Oz, John Carter, Doc Savage, Sherlock, Kipling... but then RobertaX surpises me with this guy Piper and his body of work.
Who ELSE out there that used to write real good am I missing out on? Anyone have any forgotten gems? If there aren't a bajillion downloads on Gutenberg you might miss some really good stuff. Especially pulpy stuff from the interwar years.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Speaking of nutty
Do you think this Snowden guy that leaked that secret stuff has a full, two-handed, grasp on reality, or are you like me and think his grip might be a bit tenuous and he's a bit kookoo banananas, hanging from the fingertips of one hand?
It's just that some of the stuff he talks about doesn't quite add up to this outsider unfamiliar with his situation. $200k a year for a high school drop out? Talking like he just saw that first Tom Cruise Mission Impossible movie last night? Odd.
It's just that some of the stuff he talks about doesn't quite add up to this outsider unfamiliar with his situation. $200k a year for a high school drop out? Talking like he just saw that first Tom Cruise Mission Impossible movie last night? Odd.
What was I saying?
I spent the weekend down in almost West Virginia. Go west from my alma mater for 30 minutes and you are still in Virginia, but only just. My nephew was graduating from High School. So I was out of pocket, essentially, for a few days there, hanging with the fambly.
And... there was another mass shooting. Looks like the most pertinent detail is the shooter was as nutty as an outhouse rat. Poor guy. Poor victims. Wasn't I just talking about this last week? The victims would still be alive and perp would be getting treatment if we lived in a more perfect world.
We don't have a gun problem in this country. We have a mental health policy problem and a War on Drugs policy problem. And yet a little under half the country is wasting energy on the wrong thing.
And... there was another mass shooting. Looks like the most pertinent detail is the shooter was as nutty as an outhouse rat. Poor guy. Poor victims. Wasn't I just talking about this last week? The victims would still be alive and perp would be getting treatment if we lived in a more perfect world.
We don't have a gun problem in this country. We have a mental health policy problem and a War on Drugs policy problem. And yet a little under half the country is wasting energy on the wrong thing.
Monday, June 10, 2013
It's Monday
That must mean I've got nuthin for blog fodder...
Stream of consciousness? Hmmm. Video games with firearms in it? Been done to death. I have nothing to add to that California perhaps-sudden-jihad-syndrome shooting that hasn't been covered elsewhere. I need to do some gunsmithing and hit the range. Maybe I'll try to drag dad down there around Father's Day. That might be fun.
Stream of consciousness? Hmmm. Video games with firearms in it? Been done to death. I have nothing to add to that California perhaps-sudden-jihad-syndrome shooting that hasn't been covered elsewhere. I need to do some gunsmithing and hit the range. Maybe I'll try to drag dad down there around Father's Day. That might be fun.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
New Old Shooter
A few years back, The Beard, as I refer to him on this blog, went out and got a Ruger Mk III. Partly because I talked about guns. He was 27. Since then he has bought a shotgun and a M&P and an AR.
He now wants to get another gun.
I asked him what kind. Which new boomstick.
"I haven't even looked, I am that far out. I just know I want more. For no good reason."
Ahhhhh... Makes me smile. He gets more libertarian all the time, too. Of course it helps when the Leftists are all so very annoying. I can hear one of the gun banners that happened across this blog post thinking, "This Beard guy is probably just getting guns because he is some kind of racist redneck! He just hates black people and hates the president because he is black."
No. I am very sure The Beard is not racist.
He now wants to get another gun.
I asked him what kind. Which new boomstick.
"I haven't even looked, I am that far out. I just know I want more. For no good reason."
Ahhhhh... Makes me smile. He gets more libertarian all the time, too. Of course it helps when the Leftists are all so very annoying. I can hear one of the gun banners that happened across this blog post thinking, "This Beard guy is probably just getting guns because he is some kind of racist redneck! He just hates black people and hates the president because he is black."
No. I am very sure The Beard is not racist.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Monopoly
One of the memes I've been hearing the past half year from whinging leftists with regard to gun control is this:
And use this precept to justify the disarmament of citizens here and elsewhere. A fig leaf for their tyranny. I have an issue with that argument. It's wrong. Baloney. Poppycock. Codswallop. Bunk.
The correct phrasing is: "Government should have the monoply on the initiation of violence." Initiation. Gov't declares war. Gov't shoots looters, and execute prisoners. Gov't sends out cops to arrest people when there is a warrant for their arrest and they don't have to take no for an answer.
But self-defense is violent, and all living things exercises the right of self-defense. And self-defense is a legitimate use of violence. If Lefties want to maintain it is not, they should be made to say so. Never accept that argument from your Liberal friends when they tell you you shouldn't be allowed to have guns.
The left has lots of cliched chestnuts like this to violate people's rights. Like using:
"Government should have the monopoly on violence!"
or
"The essence of the state is its legal monopoly of force."
And use this precept to justify the disarmament of citizens here and elsewhere. A fig leaf for their tyranny. I have an issue with that argument. It's wrong. Baloney. Poppycock. Codswallop. Bunk.
The correct phrasing is: "Government should have the monoply on the initiation of violence." Initiation. Gov't declares war. Gov't shoots looters, and execute prisoners. Gov't sends out cops to arrest people when there is a warrant for their arrest and they don't have to take no for an answer.
But self-defense is violent, and all living things exercises the right of self-defense. And self-defense is a legitimate use of violence. If Lefties want to maintain it is not, they should be made to say so. Never accept that argument from your Liberal friends when they tell you you shouldn't be allowed to have guns.
The left has lots of cliched chestnuts like this to violate people's rights. Like using:
"You can't yell fire in a crowded theater"as a justification for prior restraint on one's first amendment freedom of expression rights. Bushwa! What if the theater is actually on fire?
Thursday, June 6, 2013
69 years
If you were 17 years old, this day 69 years ago, visiting France for the first time, you'd be 86 now. Fading a bit.
Seven Sisters
Which of the 50 states are the worst with regard to their civil rights record? I used to whinge about them, calling them the 'Seven Sisters' and whatnot, but seven isn't really a precise number, either way.
Lessee... California and New York are pretty bad. New Jersey and Massachusetts. You forget about other New England states, like Connecticut and Rhode Island. Maryland, of course, for having no shall-issue and gun registration and so on. Illinois was pretty bad because: Chicago, and having no issue at all, but this should be changing.
You know what state is now worse than Maryland or Illinois? Colorado. COLORADO! I'd never thought I'd say that. And in the 70's, the NRA old guard wanted to move out there and then curl up and die. Colorado worse than Maryland. Whoda thunk it? I can still possess 30 round mags in Maryland.
You people out west might want to set up checkpoints at the California border to keep the moving vans from coming East. Shoulda done that 20 years ago.
I thought about this because of that first ever in the state recall petition that garnered more signatures than its target got votes in his election. Glory.
Lessee... California and New York are pretty bad. New Jersey and Massachusetts. You forget about other New England states, like Connecticut and Rhode Island. Maryland, of course, for having no shall-issue and gun registration and so on. Illinois was pretty bad because: Chicago, and having no issue at all, but this should be changing.
You know what state is now worse than Maryland or Illinois? Colorado. COLORADO! I'd never thought I'd say that. And in the 70's, the NRA old guard wanted to move out there and then curl up and die. Colorado worse than Maryland. Whoda thunk it? I can still possess 30 round mags in Maryland.
You people out west might want to set up checkpoints at the California border to keep the moving vans from coming East. Shoulda done that 20 years ago.
I thought about this because of that first ever in the state recall petition that garnered more signatures than its target got votes in his election. Glory.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Protip
If the Death Panels or the HHS Secretary decide it is your turn to die, be sure to get famous real quick and they will spare your life for optics reasons.
Jungle Kit
Look at the contents of this WWII era jungle kit.
I found this via lileks.com and this sort of thing fascinates me. A little extra survival ditty bag for folks heading to the South Pacific vis England or Sicily.
Though I imagine the atabrine tabs and bug repellent would be appropo in the Med as well. Italy was horrible for malaria until after the war.
( Lileks is great for vintage ephemera that gets me going. He is a proto blog that has been blogging for longer than there has been the term 'blog'. My first link that I saw his page was via his section on Art Frahm, but his whole site is chockablock with interesting stuff. Regrettable foods seen in 70 year old cookbooks, 30's era matchbook covers, old advertisements, fancy document engravings like on money or stock certificates, and much much more. Check it out when you have 7 hours.)
The War Department switched to this kit during the war to achieve similar aims. It's the M2, while the above is the M1. And that M2 kit is pretty much similar to what they use today with modernized contents.
(Oh, and for Nuggan's sake, someone tell RobertaX about this mid 40's, Midwest radio station. That might be right in her wheelhouse.)
I found this via lileks.com and this sort of thing fascinates me. A little extra survival ditty bag for folks heading to the South Pacific vis England or Sicily.
Though I imagine the atabrine tabs and bug repellent would be appropo in the Med as well. Italy was horrible for malaria until after the war.
( Lileks is great for vintage ephemera that gets me going. He is a proto blog that has been blogging for longer than there has been the term 'blog'. My first link that I saw his page was via his section on Art Frahm, but his whole site is chockablock with interesting stuff. Regrettable foods seen in 70 year old cookbooks, 30's era matchbook covers, old advertisements, fancy document engravings like on money or stock certificates, and much much more. Check it out when you have 7 hours.)
The War Department switched to this kit during the war to achieve similar aims. It's the M2, while the above is the M1. And that M2 kit is pretty much similar to what they use today with modernized contents.
(Oh, and for Nuggan's sake, someone tell RobertaX about this mid 40's, Midwest radio station. That might be right in her wheelhouse.)
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Mental Illness
The country's mental health system is broken. I don't know how to fix it, preserving the civil liberties of people yet also getting dangerous people off the street and into treatment and not abusing them with bureacratic neglect. But I know that perhaps a federal program that makes things worse, in the form of SAMHSA, is not the way to go.
These are seriously mentally ill people. Not just Aunt Susie, down in the dumps and wants some more Xanax from her doctor. Facilities where are the recent spree killers belonged before their sickness spurred them to mass murder. SAMHSA is a federal org that fights hard to get these people into an outpatient setting, where monitoring of the patients is spotty and their delusions can return when medication is missed, sometimes with quite violent outcomes. The .gov sorta means well, and they are partly advocating for the patients' civil liberties which should really float a libertarian gunnie's boat... But it is a government bureacracy, and we all know how effective THEY can be in accomplishing anything like 'preserve freedom' or 'save money'.
There is bipartisan consensus to do something about this, supported by Obama and the NRA. I hope the correct effective thing is done, rather than just a thing. But I don't know what would be correct or effective.
These are seriously mentally ill people. Not just Aunt Susie, down in the dumps and wants some more Xanax from her doctor. Facilities where are the recent spree killers belonged before their sickness spurred them to mass murder. SAMHSA is a federal org that fights hard to get these people into an outpatient setting, where monitoring of the patients is spotty and their delusions can return when medication is missed, sometimes with quite violent outcomes. The .gov sorta means well, and they are partly advocating for the patients' civil liberties which should really float a libertarian gunnie's boat... But it is a government bureacracy, and we all know how effective THEY can be in accomplishing anything like 'preserve freedom' or 'save money'.
There is bipartisan consensus to do something about this, supported by Obama and the NRA. I hope the correct effective thing is done, rather than just a thing. But I don't know what would be correct or effective.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Lautenberg
New Jersey's Senator Lautenberg has died. He was not a real big supporter of our Second Amendment rights. Chris Christie will appoint a successor.
Kid Shoot
The kid shoot at Nancy's was fun. I wish there was more kids there.
I did get a chance to spend some time with one little boy. He was maybe 7? 8? There was a language barrier so instruction was hard. And his form was terrible! Nothing I could do to correct it. Being left eye dominant but right handed didn't help. But eventually he turned to a natural bench shooter stance/position, with his off hand at the base of the stock. Horrible form, but dang if he wasn't a dead eye crack shot after a handful to get used to it. Then he was hitting all the metal poppers, repeatedly, dozens of times. His sisters were pretty good. He did best with my 10/22 and it's peep sights. The semi-auto nature of it, after shooting a bunch of singles, was a big hit for him.
New things I got to shoot... Bubblehead Les's mauser with a scout sight. JD Rush's bullpup Steyr set up for lefites. OldNFO's Colt Mustang was a novelty. I shot it pretty good and it only jammed once, ftf. And I was lucky enough to shoot the flintlock musket twice. It was a oppurtunity to give JayG the remnants of the UN helmet we blew up at a Northcoast blogshoot.
I did get a chance to spend some time with one little boy. He was maybe 7? 8? There was a language barrier so instruction was hard. And his form was terrible! Nothing I could do to correct it. Being left eye dominant but right handed didn't help. But eventually he turned to a natural bench shooter stance/position, with his off hand at the base of the stock. Horrible form, but dang if he wasn't a dead eye crack shot after a handful to get used to it. Then he was hitting all the metal poppers, repeatedly, dozens of times. His sisters were pretty good. He did best with my 10/22 and it's peep sights. The semi-auto nature of it, after shooting a bunch of singles, was a big hit for him.
New things I got to shoot... Bubblehead Les's mauser with a scout sight. JD Rush's bullpup Steyr set up for lefites. OldNFO's Colt Mustang was a novelty. I shot it pretty good and it only jammed once, ftf. And I was lucky enough to shoot the flintlock musket twice. It was a oppurtunity to give JayG the remnants of the UN helmet we blew up at a Northcoast blogshoot.