29 January

1944.

75 years ago last Tuesday.

The USS Missouri was launched.

About 18 months later the war ended on her decks.  Seeing plenty of action in the meantime, starting a little over a year after the launch.

A machine that complicated I am sure they were STILL finding things that shoulda been fixed before it left the yard.  It was only 18 months.  It takes longer to fix an elevator on a new Aircraft Carrier, these days

Eyes dilated

I have a history of galucoma in my family, so I got some eye doctor checks coming.  Slight pressure rise. 

So blog post today might be thin as I can barely see to surf and get blog ideas.  Maybe I'll think of something by yesterday evening when the eyes are better. 

Price check

All presidents should know the prices of:

What a pack of smokes goes for.

A six pack. 

An F-150's tank of gas.

Fifth of sipping bourbon.

Five-Guys burger.

Sneakers.

What an electric bill for a 3 bedroom house is in July.  

I like Cheerios

I buy it all the time.  I bought it when I was young and underpaid.  I am not a billionaire now.

I have no idea how much it costs.  Five bucks-ish?  I have never used a coupon.  I never notice when it is marked down.  I don't look at the price.  You'd have to jack it up quite a bit for me to notice.  I just buy Cheerios.

I am not oblivious of all grocery store prices.  But many of them.  I am not waiting for the 2 for 1 sale.

So, I guess I can't be president, Joe and Mika.  Hacks.

What did Hillary say when you asked her how much a box oaky Chardnonnay costs?

OH NO!

Jay G is gone!!!!

His blog poofed

You have lots of guns T-Bolt

Do I?

"Yeah, rifles and shotguns and revolvers and pistols.  No where near Jay's level, but..."

Still feels like I just have one and a half.  A 1911 pistol and j-frame revolver as a smaller backup.  And a spare set in case of mechanical issues.

The others are neat and all but they fade into the background.  M1 Garand?  Where will I use that?  The Wehrmacht isn't coming.  It's just neat.

The Hudon H9?  Well, it is a bedside gun, I guess.   It's to hand. I still say it's just one and a half guns.

And the 1911 could be swapped out for something like a pair of Glock 17s and I'd still feel like it's just one and a half.  Just Glocks then, instead.

Critical?

"Court agrees to hear CRITICAL gun case."

Explain to me how this is critical. 

I've already gone over it.  There is an unlikely event that the court might make an expansive ruling.  "You may move your gun around NYC to places other than the 7 gun ranges on the list..." is the expected good ruling.  For expansive the court has to go... "And, in fact, you can carry it around just about anywhere, loaded, in your holster, all across the country.  That's what 'bear' means."  And I don't see, from here, how it get's there with that case. 

I think it's just wishcasting to even half expect this rosier outcome.  "Don't expect miracles," says Gun-Blog Eeyore, and this time I share his pessimism as realistic and not just Negative Waves.  Most likely, they don't even touch scrutiny.  And then, if this is the scrutiny case, I think it's a tossup.  50/50.  I hope for strict scrutiny, but can't connect the dots to get there, now. 

So, why this headline, Fox?  And NSSF for that matter.  Critical?  Illogical.  Please explain.

Monday Bupkis, part 9262

Sometime when I sit down and start typing a blog post things just come to me.

SHOT show is going on.  Neat stuff, but I am at that stage in my gunnie journey that getting another boomstick only rarely become an itch. I'm glad the new stuff is there, but I don't have to bring it home.

I am more into DOING things with the guns I have.  Pistols I have.  A carbine class may be fun, and the class super informative, but at my age, doing the calisthenics might be too far of a stretch.  And close quarter grappling with a gun in play?  I'm at a distinct disadvantage.  15 years ago I'd be much more eager to try it. 

We live in a golden age of gun training but it still takes considerable effort to FIND a class, then put the time in to get to it.  On this I need to do better.

There are a few instructors I would not hesitate to make the effort.  But there is a lotta chaff out there, too.  And except for the handful I know there is no way to tell which is which.  There is no directory with columns of Recommended, and It's OK, neither good nor bad, and Not Recommended for the crap.  And there can't be.  Such a list would descend into internet-comments quality in a second.  An honest comment section would be too subjective. 

Here is a for instance.  Everything I have heard about Kelly's emergency medicine shindig puts it in the Recommended colunm.  I wanna take that class.  It just hasn't happened yet.  Not exactly a gun class, but related.  I've never heard anyone that took that class say they hated it or it was just OK.  But you know those people are out there.

Same with Mas's class.  The MAG classes.  I've heard good things about Mas's training skills.  Which class tho?  Do the 20 Live Fire, then try to do the 40 later?  Either way, I'd have to get a hotel room and take a week off work.  Harrisburg PA and Rochester Indiana are the closest, for instance, for the MAG40.  MAG20 is in Connecticut, so, can't get there through New York so easy.  The other classes aren't in driving range.  

See?  We may be in the golden age of training but doing one of the better classes isn't like popping in to the gun store 5 miles away and getting a new gun.  It's challenging. 

Headache

It's probably a tumor.  More later

And this past week

Friday was the worst.

By worst, I mean busiest.

Not that I mind working, but it was a bit rough. 

I remember when working hard left me with sore feet, sore shoulders, sore back, cuts on my hands.

Now working hard means a stiff neck, strained eyes, wrist pain.  Just as rough, just as stressful, just as tiring, but very different. 

But no time to think on blog stuff. 

Guy at work wants a .22 pistol and the reviews of Oleg must have caught his eye as he had the Kel Tec CP33 or PMR30 on his mind as a snazzy pistol to get.

I haven't seen one in person, much less shot it, but I have heard rumors of reliability issues with Kel Tec and this model in particular.  Then again, it's just a fun gun.  A bigger worry is the Maryland issue.  I'd guess it is not on the state roster of acceptable guns.  Let me look.  Hmmm, the only banned Kel Tec is the tiny P32.

But the other thing to worry about is the magazines are too big for Maryland. 

I guess he could overcome the speed bumps and get one.  He'd be better off with the Ruger Mk whatever, in my opinion, but either way. 

Dagnabbit

Still no range time!

Life intervenes.

Hope to have more, later.

Oh that FB group of Mini-14s.  A bit of gun derp, yes. Those rifles do seem to bring their owners joy.  They really like their guns.  Good for them.

More guns on the streets, Atlantic?  That's excellent news!  Oh, you didn't mean it like that?  No worries, it's still good news even if you are wrong.  More freedom on the streets.  The target of the law is law abiding citizens that have already jumped through SO many hoops.  It was just passed to inconvenience THEM more.  The people with guns you least have to worry about.

164 years young

Happy Browning Day!

SCOTUS 2nd Case

New York State Rifle and Pistol Association vs New York City

It's been 2 days.  You have heard about it.

Arguments in April, ruling in June.

This case is useful for me in Maryland.  If it rules "look, you can port an unloaded gun around locked in your trunk to lawful places," then that sorta covers some similar weasel words in Maryland's gun laws that may or may not be similar.  Technically, you might get wrapped up if you stop for gas on the way to the range or back from.  Here.  In Maryland.

The case might go further, and say you can BEAR a firearm on your person for lawful purpose, and state law can't stop you.  That'd be perfect.  I doubt we are that lucky.  Baby steps. 

Or, worst case case...  rules against us and you can never leave the house with your boomstick once it crosses the threshold. 

Lesson Learned

If you are an opponent to the Jacobins and interact with people in public in any sort of political capacity, record EVERYTHING.

Rep. Steve King has said some questionable things in the past.  Probably.  He was on notice already.  Then he sat down with an interview with the New York Times in the past couple weeks.  They quoted him, and maybe out of context.  Who knows, King FAILED to record the interview.  Rookie mistake.  In context he might have successfully resisted, but because he was on notice already he didn't get the benefit of the doubt.  Lost all his committee seats, and good riddance.  I don't know if he is racist or got railroaded.  I do know he is too dumb to keep his seats because he DIDN'T RECORD AND INTERVIEW WITH THE TIMES.  They are NOT you friend, Idiot Congressman.  The Lefties earned a scalp.

The Covington kids lucked out because the Black Hebrew Israelites recorded the whole thing from before that Indian stuck his nose in.  And they let that video OUT.  The video contradicted the narrative the Left put up, and the kids escaped the worst electronic lynch mobs, and some mobsters got a bit of a comeuppance.  The Left didn't get their scalp this time.

This applies to us when doing gun advocacy.  Don't talk to journalists.  They will twist your words and make you sound like a violent gun-toting loon.  If you DO talk to a journalist, even to say good morning, RECORD IT.   I don't like it, but that's the rules you have to live by.  Oh, and while you are recording, don't say anything stupid. 

Thus endeth the lesson.  

Imagine

If this is where a leftist's head goes when haranguing innocent high school kids over a misreported 'news' story.

Imagine what they'd do to someone that dares own a gun?  Keep alert around people with those kind of bumper stickers on their car.

It only took him 3 days to apologize.  That's a lotta gristle through the mill.  You know, if I'd said that, publicly, I'd be fired right now.  But I think a different set of rules might apply to me. 

Clickbait?

Yes.  AWESOME clickbait.

Mini's

There is a Mini-14 owners group on Facebook.

Huh.

"Mini 14/ Mini 30 Group - The Best Rifle In The World."

There are over 17,000 members.  That's awesome.  Like minded people finding each other.  And over a pretty specialized single item.  I had to join, just to see.   I might not stick with it, but more power to them.


Facebook is filled with these single issue groups, I don't have to tell you.  Some are absolute slag, as bad as the worst online fora some of us have been a part of.  Others are a joy, folks that stay on topic without being harangued, supportive of each other.  Respectful.

It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Zuckerburg's fritters, I guess.

Plus:  A-Team references.

[OMG. I had another version of 'Zuckerburg' that was totally a Freudian typo.  Yikes.  I guess Farmer Francis leaked in to kludge the spelling.  Sorry about that.]

Missed the Range Again

Had it all ready to go last week, but weather intervened.  Forecast for graupel on range day.  And I had to time grocery store trips around forecasts to avoid the crowds that panic buy.  I'm not afraid of crowds, but I am inconvenienced by them.

I love that word.  Graupel  New to me the past 5 years or so.  It's German for a type of freezing rain.  The kind that accumulates and looks like snow from a distance?  But that ain't snow.  Graupel.

The snow we did get was rough.  It wasn't much, the problem was it snowed, then it stopped.  Gave you enough time to lazily clear 4 inches wet heavy stuff.  As soon as you were done it started snowing again, slow and steady, and by Monday morning you had to clear another 4 inches.  This time wet sticky stuff.  My poor back.  I miss my 20s. 

And great...

Last night I had a DREAM about disposable razors.  And firearms.   Been thinking about both for some reason...

In the dreamworld, it was in the future.  Firearms companies moved into the razor market after Gillette vacated it.  No one bought another Mach 3, it seems, after that disastrous marketing campaign insulting and alienating a huge slice of their customer base.  No, men weren't offended.  But they know when they aren't wanted, and that's fine.  FU right back.

I was assembling information for a blog post.  Look at these Springfield varieties, here is a few from Colt, Glock, of course. 

The hiccup was Smith & Wesson.  Page after page of model after model.  In typical Smith & Wesson fashion.  Very hard to keep track of.  Oh, this is the handle, the same blade cartridge fit them all. 

But all gun companies did well expanding their product line like this.  Guns and Razors.  

Last time I eat a slice of pizza after 8. 

No, no booze.  I do that thing where you don't drink for a month.  Just to give my liver a break.  Save some money.  Cut some empty calories.  Cheat before my annual physical.

Gillette is full of Lefty SJWs all of a sudden?

Naw.  They'd ALWAYS been like that.

King Camp Gillette was Utopian Socialist and wrote a book called The Human Drift, 125 years ago. 

It's about "replacing competitive corporations with a single giant publicly owned trust ("the United Company") [that] would cure virtually all social ills. One-third of the book is devoted to Gillette's plan for an immense three-level metropolis (called "Metropolis") on the site of Niagara Falls. Designed to accommodate a population of tens of millions of inhabitants, the mega-city would draw its electric power from the Falls."

About the only thing going for them is they are a slightly less murderous flavor of crank.  Sort of like Ayn Rand is a utopian capitalist, these folks like Gillette and Robert Owen. Never hear of him?  That because he didn't murder millions like welterweight socialists like Hitler or Lenin.  Or tens of million like heavyweights Stalin or Mao.

Razor technology has fascinated me for some time.  And I totally grok the evolution over the past century, through personal experience.  Safety razors require less skill to give more efficient shaves than a straight razor.  Double edge razors are better than the safety in efficiency and comfort and closeness than a safety.  Triple edge are marginally better than doubles.  Then you get into diminishing returns with your 7 blade vibrating razors with slime strip.   There is a reason to switch to new and improved through the 20th Century.  The new IS improved.  Until lately. 

I've shaved with all of them.  While I enjoy a straight razor shave, it's really not for every day.  Too slow.  Normally a safety razor is my go-to, and good replacement blades are cheap cheap compared to the more moderns.  But every now and then I shave my face with a drugstore brand plastic double edge and realize that the safety razor isn't really the most efficient.

I use the Gillette Mach 3 on my head.  I get two heads to the blade.  Expensive.

We won't get into manufacturing processes that made disposable razors possible, or the hypocrazy of a socialist in the business of planned obsolescence.  (Yes, I said hypocrazy)

---

While a straight doesn't seem to have any costs after initial investment, that's not entirely true.  And upfront costs are steep.  To get a good razor is $150 and up.   Don't drop it, you will ruin the blade beyond repair, chances are, and now you need to buy another.  Stops and badger brushes wear out.  An extrafine ceramic sharpening stone is another $100.  $100 buys a thousand weeks worth of safety razor blades.

The main reason I learned to straight razor shave is because what if I trip into a wormhole and get thrown back in time?  You need these skills.  Now I just have to get used to cellophane collars and wool in the summer

---

Update:  Stephen Green had a similar shaving journey as me.

I don't HATE the NRA

I am just a little disappointed.

I hope they start to do better again in the near future.

Emergency Fund

You work the government, directly or indirectly, eventually a shut down will get to ya.  If you are an indirect worker, that money is never coming to you.  If you are a whiny gummint worker you ALWAYS get your back pay from your enforced vacation.  Never not.

You still need to get over that hump.

And if you don't work for the gummint, you can still get laid off or the business you work for can go belly up.  And bingo, between jobs.

Been there, myself.  I was out for 4 and half months last time.

You need to get over that hump.

You need an E-Fund.

"But I don't get the big bucks like you do T-Bolt!"

My current decent salary is a new event.  It just makes building that Emergency Fund a bit easier.  But I wasn't paid good back the last time I was out of work.  Well, just before I was out of work.  I still had an Emergency Fund.  You CAN do it.

But I have always been a halfway decent saver.  I didn't contribute the max into my 401k back then.  But I did contribute enough that it hurt to.  I always figured Social Security shouldn't be counted on.

Now there are lots of rules of thumb for an E-Fund.  Save at least 1 month of expenses... 3 months... 6 months... whatever!  Of liquid money.  Money you can withdraw from a savings account or mattress and spend tomorrow without a penalty.    Save something.  Something.

Back when I was out of work I got enough from unemployment to cover the car payment and the mortgage.  It made me say "never again" to a car payment.  Or a new car.  And that was the source of further E-Fund building.  I diverted part of my salary to the credit using I had where I financed my car.  Plus a little bit.  The little bit built.  It was something like $350 a month?  Anyway, I paid the car off, but never stopped the diversion, and that money built.  I had a bank where most of my money went to pay bills.  Usually online.  That $350 just went to the other institution and never left.  I put it on the Saving side instead of the no interest checking side. And it sits there.  Building.  For emergencies.  Like a roof.  Or the next car to pay without a car loan.  That was it's primary purpose initially.  To have more than enough in there to buy the NEXT car when the current one needs replacing.  I always have a 'car payment' but I pay it to myself.  My savings account.  Instead of my banker.

It behooves me to get every last drop out of a vehicle before getting another.  I use up a truck, then throw it away.  If I get $500 on a trade in I am ecstatic.

The E-Fund for me, is for that roof every 20-25 years.  A new furnace.  A new air conditioner.  Unemployment.  A new vehicle.  Big stuff.  Stuff I don't want to have to finance.  I used it to put in a new driveway 5 years back. 

Article 2 Section 3

Nancy Pelosi vows to postpost State of the Union.

Ahem:

Article the SECOND

Section 3

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

So, address the nation, if he wants, from the Oval Office and mail the Congress a transcript.  Done and done

100 years ago

But this seem to be Quixotic

As in:  tilting at windmills.

A buddy at work says he is donating to the GOA because they are bring a suit to challenge the NFA.

Why do you need to repeal all or part of the 1934 National Firearms Act?  Like I said, it's step W or X and we are on D.  There are so many more things to do first that will help so many more people.

And actually have a chance of winning.

A Supreme Court made up of 9 Scalia clones wouldn't rule in favor of that kind of repeal now. 

Most voters will never support repealing the machine gun part.  To repeal the suppressor part...  you probably will need a legislative solution to have a hope in heck.  

Criticizing the NRA

Look...  I'm not criticizing the NRA lately because they have gone on about repealing the 1968 GCA or repealing the 1934 NFA... or hell just tweaking the Hughes out of the 1986 FOPA.

I know a magic wand isn't gonna get waved, at the prompting of the NRA, and we get gun own utopia.

My criticism is we moved the ball down field in the right direction.  We might lose some yardage for a snap, but we gain that all back the next run.

My criticism is we've ONLY been losing yardage lately.

I need to NRA, the GOP, Trump, to throw us a bone.  Don't just concede a point, fight for it.  Compromise for it.  Go for a bumpstock ban, fine, and administratively so it will be easier to overturn, but get suppressor taken off the NFA list in return.  Or something.  ANYTHING. Not nothing.

Instead, we get bupkis.  Surrender.

I am criticizing the long list of bupkis we've gotten lately.

The Leftists are patient, and are happy to tighten their ratchet a click at a time.  We need a counter ratchet.  A click for freedom.  A little at a time.  And we had that for a while.  Lately, not so much.

Change that, NRA.

Remember when I had my Epiphany?

I need to do that again.

It was less than a year ago.  19 March 2018.

My mantra, sneaking up on that was to mind three things.  To relax, to focus on the front sight, and to make the trigger go good. 

But it's really this last thing that is important.  When I have mastered that then it will just be the 'relax' part to truly master, but until my trigger pull is flawless...  And this might take more than a lifetime.

Damn Zen Bhuddists and their lifetime of practice.

I'd cut it down to just Relax and Trigger, but as soon as I do I bet I'll start inexplicably focusing on the target, so front Sight stays in there in the two spot.

Anyway.  The three things serve me well, but there is a fourth thing.  Maybe it needs to fold into 'relax' maybe it folds into 'good trigger.'  I gotta distract myself.  Get myself out of my own head.  When this is done it is MUCH easier to surprise myself.  On the 19th of last year it was embracing the wobble.  Since I was thinking about making the gun wobble, and seemingly having a horrible hold and sight picture, I was really only varying the hold on the target by an inch or three.  And that conscious varying kept me from anticipating the hammer fall and subsequent explosion.   I get good results. 

But I got used to that distraction.  Have to think of another one every other range session.  Pin the trigger?  Ok.  Sing a song?  Awright. 

You see?

Range 10 January

Being hungry really sapped my endurance and you can see!

43 shots of AE.  8 yards.  No malfs.  692 shots total through the gun since I built it.  It was #257 I last had it apart and half-assed cleaned and lubed it.

Hmmm.

I can fix 'hungry'.  I am sorta happy with the first 15 shots.  In a gunfight sorta situation the first 15 are kinda important, no?  And 15 is likely to be all I have with.  In a gunfight sorta situation Ima need the base accuracy to be good because I will really be hampered by the stress and adrenaline dump of, you know, being in a gunfight.  Even if I am not surprised by it.

Speaking of surprise, it was this session that got me thinking about the two types of surprise trigger break.

Trigger pull

We all know we when do it.  What a good trigger pull feels like.

I'm not talking a bad "Make gun go boomNOW!" just when the sights line up.  That's how I have flinches and jerks and recoil anticipations and bad shots. And I bet some of you do to.

The proverbial surprise break.  I go "Ok... draw it back easy... easy... steady...  easy... let it happen..." Bang!  And when I do that the shot is decent if slow.  And a 4 pound trigger can feel like 40.  One of the big pluses of dry fire.  If you are experiencing fake 40 pound pulls on your 1911, dry fire some.  That weight is me worried about recoil and explosions and such.  Dry fire I know it won't explode and I feel what the trigger pull really feels like

There is a second type of surprise break.  It's faster.  I've been here before.  "Simple draw the trigger back smooth without that 'NOW' bit."

Maybe that second one is what a 'compressed surprise break' is that Cooper talked about.  I dunno unless someone confirms.  Maybe.  It works for me.  When I am in that groove I like the results.  The trick is to get in that groove more and consistently.

It's a head game.  One I really want to win.  And I am a slow learner.

I was thinking on this the last time I was at the range...

Heavy Pistols

One thing about the DiFi bill that's now.  She is going after big pistols.  Like ARs and PDW and semi-auto Uzis and whatnot

"assault pistols that weigh 50 or more ounces when unloaded," a ban on pistol stabilizing braces, and a ban on "Thordsen-type grips and stocks that are designed to evade a ban on assault weapons."

50 ounces, how?  That's, what, a little over 3 pounds?  No I don't think my 1911 is that heavy.  I wonder if it could be... Or made to be.

Mixed feelings, legislatively

At least they are re-introducing the reciprocity bill in the Senate.  Would have been nice if they had tried to PASS it when they controlled both houses last Congress, but they probably wouldn't have gotten past a Schumer filibuster without a lot of big concessions to the Dems.  I am salty about that.  115th Congress felt like the best bet. 

It is heartening that it is back on the docket, even if it will go nowhere, now.  Because if you constantly re-introduce it will go somewhere someday.  I hope.

Feinstein's bill is awful.  But it, too, will probably go nowhere.  And she can't reintroduce it too many more times.  I wonder what Dem will take up the mantle when DiFi is gone?

NRA Grade

So, we are already talking presidential race 2020.

There is no way Nancy is gonna pass and legislation expanding our gun rights.  Not even as a favor to good friend Donald Trump.

Progun legislation was proposed 2 years ago and it went nowhere.  Squandered chance.  Could have attached something to something Chuck Schumer wanted passed.  Even the Hearing Protection Act, which is weak broth, by my lights.

But that hasn't stopped Trump from making gun bans by executive fiat, banning bumpstocks through arbitrary ATF justification.

Though Trump and the Senate has been good getting federal judges seated that are probably a good bet for our side when gun cases are brought before him.

So, one bad thing, one good thing, with little else and little chance of anything happening at all between now at November 2020.

So what grade will the NRA give Trump?  B?  I'd give him a B if I was being generous.  C maybe.

Well, NRA?  Gonna support him with the same ardor this time round?

---

And what grade for Rubio if he get's a gun ban bill up? D- ?  F ?

True

2-3 times a year, a couple of raving lunatics illegally obtain guns and shoot up a shopping center killing 5-10 people.
Democrats: "This is a national emergency, ban ALL assault weapons from ALL citizens!"
Each year illegals murder 2,100 US citizens (average)
Democrats: "Meh!"

— RexValachorum's Commie Impalement Services LLC (@RexValllachorum) January 9, 2019

Green New Deal

It would take the addition of EVERY other county's GDP to realize the new Pinko Congress-Critter's (and talented dancer's) vision of a Green New Deal?

Well, then, we have a strong military.  Let's just take the GDP of every other country.  That'd be fine, and wouldn't cost us a cent.  Revenue neutral.  Pays for itself.  Win win. 

The Hell...

What the hell is this?

What's it for?

"To SELL!  That's what" -The Ghost of Colonel Cooper.

Yeah, yeah, I know, but jeez.

Anyway, back to the STD gun... Yes, that's the name of the company.  Model S333, 8 rounds, .22WMR, double barrel revolver.  So four volleys.  That hook up front for a trigger guard looks like it would really get hung up on clothing in a CCW situation.

(A little tiny part of me is kinda glad this exists.  Just a little No I am not getting one.)

I like that creative people apply their energies to unique firearm designs (well, I am sure there is something similar built 100 years ago by some obscure inventer, as there is nothing new under the sun) but...  Sometime it is too much.

That Dart ShotGun the army was considering in the 60s falls under this rubric as a new/unique but sketchy idea that went too far.  See also, cased ammo.

'This hurts so much'

Poor pitiable federal workers.

‘This hurts so much’: Federal workers speak out about shutdown hardships

YOU HAVEN'T MISSED A PAYCHECK YET!  You have the EXACT SAME amount of money you would had is the gov't hadn't had a partial shut down.   Government workers have NEVER failed to get back pay when they did go back to work after a shut down.  Unlike contractors.  Contractors will lose money.  Other people will be inconvenienced.  Gov't employees have a vacation.  With lots of support from the local area and their credit unions...

This is just Union theater. 

Sit down.  STFU. 

At least have the common courtesy to yelp only AFTER you have been struck.

USMC Hoplophobe

I have a few former Marine buddies at work.

One is a Johnson libertarian.  He hates CCW, but just for himself.  If it was legal he'd OC an AR everywhere, tho.  He says.  I keep trying to get him to get a .22 pistol...  Anyway, HE'S not the problem.  He'd be fine with a rifle at work.  It's his preference.  Until he discovers how inconvenient that can be.

Lots of former Marines go full liberal.  The two nearest me... one doesn't own any guns, and never would, but is proud of his marksmanship skills.  At least he isn't afraid of them.  The other is a mortarman.  Afraid of guns.  Legit hoplophobe.  So I shouldn't own a gun either.  He says "I know what a gun can do to a person."  I asked him, what if he finds himself in a position where he needs to do that to a person?  What then?  He didn't have an answer.  And it looked like he had never considered that angle.  I bet he'd say he'd summon a gun in the form of a cop via 911.

Anyway.  Gun unfriendly.  Now I have to watch myself around him.

Nice enough guy, otherwise.  Deaf as a stone.  Mortars.

You have to self censor.  Especially in a big, security-minded, company like this.  Someone says something to HR because you had the same conversation at work that you'd have in the press room (and sober) of an NRA Annual Meeting and you can be out on your ear.  Unemployment.

At my most enthusiastic at work I still talk in code.  Hunting topics are usually safe.  It's not THAT bad here at work.  There may be hoplophobic prior-service Marines here, but they aren't weird pronoun vegans with face tattoos in this office.   

Still.  There seems to be a disportionate amount of hippified Peace/Love/Dope former marines.  At least that I run into.  I guess they all can't be lil Colonel Coopers.

Am I a Fudd?

Am I a Fudd?  I came to firearm enthusiasm late, so I am like a 30 year old in gun experience at this point.  But I am 20 year beyond that in total bodily mileage.  I look like a fat old white guy.  I LOOK like what a Fudd should look like.

I am also old fashioned and small 'c' conservative by nature.  I like old skool guns.  Preferring 1911s, still, this late in the game, and walnut-stocked battle rifles.  But the lightweight handiness of an AR appeals to me as I age just for the relative ease of physicality.  I'm too old, even if I was in shape, to hump a 100 pound ruck sack.  10 plus years ago I was more inclined to try. 

I don't go wabbit hunting.  Or duck hunting.  I've cleaned a few deer and sat in the woods to maybe shoot more than just the one, so, hardly much of a hunter.

I am thrilled that single stack guns are proliferating.  I have a few single stack guns.  They are 1911s.  But if I didn't have those and the wherewithal I'd be pleased as punch.  Why do I like them?  Comfort in an IWB holster, first.  Possibly better reliability a distant second (Glock and SIG and S&W seem to have solve the double stack low-reliability problem decades ago, so, that is why distant second.)

But Santa has noticed the youngins getting uppity and calling HIM a Fudd.  And here is a dude throwing the Fudd moniker around.


Whatevs.  No skin off my back. Just curious if I am now a Fudd.  I'm not all about "guns for me but not for these icky lower class types."  I make fun of Tactical Timmy Open Carrying his 5 guns, all at once, at people, but I don't want to outlaw OC.  I just want him to stop being a bonehead.  Nice job making your Mosin all picatinny rails and whatnot.  I'd ban duck hunting tomorrow to get rid of gun registries nationwide, but I don't want to ban hunting.   I just think that trade off is worth it.  The Glock is a fine pistol, and and this stage of my gun training arc I would not immediately trade it in for money if someone gave me one for free. 

If I am still a Fudd after all that, then the term has no meaning.  Other than an insult.  Like calling someone as azzhole or a racist.

True story at my office.  Two white dudes:

"Did you eat the last donut."

"Yes it had sprinkles."

"Racist."

"..."

Boy Genius

When I was a kid I was bright.  I mean, I didn't learn how to read and write any earlier than most, but from 1st through 5th grade I had the reputation of a brainiac.  I didn't get perfect grades, but they were good, as I didn't put in the work to make my work perfect. 

Because of this, and because of other influences like Mr. Spock, I was fascinated with brain power.  Pure logic solving any problem.  If only I could tap the secrets of logic and other mental gymnastics I would be ahead of the game.  Maybe there was something to ESP, too!  I could tap that!

There were plenty of other examples in fiction that reinforced this noting

• Sherlock Holmes 
• Encyclopedia Brown
• The Great Brain
• Batman
• The Professor
• and more recently: The Tales of the Thinking Machine and Professor Van Dusen

Alas, the teachings of such logic and reasoning were not available for me to latch onto.  And I was a wee bairn that didn't know where to self start and find same for myself.

I'm older now.  I know and know of really REALLY smart people.  But even they don't possess Holmsian-esque super-powers solving nigh unknowable problems and mysteries with pure logic and and vast recall of useful facts.  It's fiction, that sort of portrayal.  And more's the pity. 

And a semester of logic at college was a waste, but the professor was absolute shite. 

Awww

Now I am sad.

My former governor isn't going to try for the presidency again in 2020. 

Adieau, Marty O'Malley.  The star that shines brightest shines briefest.  You won't be able to tax the rain on the entire country like you did on the people of Maryland.

Marty back Bobby O'Rourke (D  - Austin) for 2020 at this point.

EZ Pass

I resisted getting one for years.  I didn't want The Man to keep tabs on me using is.  But I have finally bought a car made this millennium.  The Man is tracking me through that.  Might as well make my life easier and slightly cheaper on the toll roads.  Get an EZPass.

Besides.  The Man starts to notice if you DON'T have a footprint they can track.  Like, what do I have to hide from The Man?  So The Man steps up his other avenues.  And there are always other avenues.  For instance.  This blog. Connected to an email address.  Which is google blogspot.  They share/sell that info with Amazon and Facebook and certainly others.

"This T-Bolt guy with no cellphone sure buys a lotta personal lubricant.  Better watching HIM twice as hard.  He's up to no good.  Plus: guns"  -The Man.

So, EZPass, smartphone...  hide in plain sight.  Oh crap!  Better ditch the tactical pants, too.

That said, the do make it really complicated when you sign up.  Now will this plan work near my house?  What about in Virginia, Ohio, or Pennsylvania?  The hell?

Range 3 January

58 rounds of AE.  No malfs.

Same same.  Decent, with usual flaws and called flinches.  Slightly better stamina.  But my usual shooting mojo at least.

The bottom right is at 25 yards, the others 8 yards.

The top left the first shot is the best on, left of center near bull.

Remember when my low and right flinches were outside the narrow red circle and sometimes outside the yellow square?  Now they are on the wide red circle.

I'm not good, by any means, but I suck a lot less.

Now, the flaw is high.  And it is right.  High indicates heeling.  I 'flinch' and the lower part of my palm anticipates the recoil and pushes the muzzle up.  Ok.

But the right? 

Some think that means I am not using enough finger on the trigger face, but I've played with putting a LOT more finger on there.  Even past the knuckle ridge.  Now I thing the right drift is the same as the old LOW and RIGHT flinch.  Just I am better and there is less low. 

Ever notice that the trigger pulls a lot lighter when you dry fire and seems much harder to draw back when you know it will go boom?  I think that is among my next things to achieve to improve my trigger pull.  Get past that, because it is all mental. 

Othering

Still nuffin.  Was gonna talk about 'othering' of us poor besotted and victimized firearm enthusiasts, but SaysUncle pretty much covered everything I wanted to.

Another Gaping Hole

Where a blog post should go...

Maryland is contemplating banning 'ghost guns'.

Guess I have to by some 80% lowers while waiting for that to hash out.  Like I need that. 

How many ways are they gonna make me a felon this cycle?

But if that is all the gun control contemplated it will be a light year.

The Current Frontrunners

Choose your fighter pic.twitter.com/TlvFYHlTBJ

— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) January 1, 2019

They are, of course, in their kitchen. You have to announce you are taking on Trump for your kitchen, this cycle.

The guy has got some good points

I wonder what happened to him?




Did Rockefeller have him killed?