UH oh

 Low on fodder, high on happy pills.

Health report, I guess.

No neck brace.  Doc didn't want one on me.  "Just try not to bend or twist your neck.  Don't lift anything over 15 pounds."

I better get groceries delivered then.  I'd go crazy taking one bag in at a time.

And I can't read in bed.  Chin goes too low.  That's bending.

He warned the annoying part won't be in the neck, but in the shoulders.  And boy howdy those are stiff.

With no reading I am watching DVDs and pirated Hulu.  Saw all of Fargo Season 4.  Was good, but they could turn on a light!

So, TV, with lots of supporting pillows and naps.  Not quite enough stamina to play vidja games to pass the time.  

Kolchak!

 The Night Stalker!

I had never seen these shows, I love Darren McGavin, and I got the set for Christmas.

For those that don't know, Kolchak is a reporter for a small independent news service in Chicago in the early 70s.  He investigates strange phenomena.  X-Files type stuff for those of you alive in the 90s.

The first ep, from the fall of 1974, is The Ripper.  The theory is this homikidal maniac with superhuman strength terrorizing Chicago is the same Ripper from 1888 London.  

One of the guest stars is a lady-reporter, real name Beatrice Colen.  Everyone describes her as fat.  What?!  Maybe 1970s fat.  Maybe Hollywood fat.  Her face is kinda round. No she is not supermodel skinny.  But is all the fat people in 2020 looked like her we wouldn't have a fat problem.

"So where's the gun content, T-Bolt?"

I was just getting to that.  Dozens of Chicago cops are chasing the Ripper guy across 4th story rooftops.  At night in poor 1970s incandescent light.  And there is constant shooting.  Cops on the left shooting toward the right, cops on the right shooting toward left, a handful of shotguns shooting up to the rooftops.  Where are all those missed bullets going?  Chicago isn't known for hills, those .38s could sail quite a distance.  Or into fellow officers right there.  It's a madhouse.  Just dozens of bullets winging about, at a man armed with a sheathed sword cane.  

I guess people thought that normal enough in 1974.

Didn't get much for Xmas

 But didn't expect much.  I did get a small air fryer to play with.  My counters are full but I found a spot.

Small learning curve.

First attempt at fries:

Second:

But seriously.

The ravages of Syphilis are no laughing matter.  And there is no real cure.*

I don't have the dreaded Syph, or even the Drip, but I suspect my spine issue are congenital.  It goes a lot to explaining my lack of athletic skill, or progression in same even when I work at it.  The passaged for the nerver branching off the main trunk are more constricted than average.  And that constriction has always prevent proper enervation.  The muscle may be toned, hard, and fit, but if the signal isn't there, it can't do its job.  

It's a flaw in the electronics, not the hydraulics, in other words.  Not enough to keep me out of the military, but enough to keep my Physical Fitness scores in the basement of passing.  Similar issues probably also afflicted a bunch of other PT slugs you knew.  They weren't all just Lazy Sacks that lacked the fortitude.  

Which is no big deal.  Not everyone is destined to be a Marine, a SEAL, or a Ranger.  Some are blessed with good athletic acumen from day one, others, not so much.  But you need folks in the motorpool and watch standers aboard ship, and ATC monitoring the radars.  

* Information garnered from a 1939 Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedia.

Seymour and Philis

 Sy and Phillis

Wait, women with the clap carry?  And they like carry 1911s?

Aslo remember to never point your Floozy and anything you don't wanna get a dose, keep your finger out of the Trollop until you wanna have to get a short-arm inspection, and beware of your Doxie and the next Doxzie you chat up.

Update.

 Weaning myself off the Oxy.  I want to save it for nighttime sleeping, and there is a finite number of these glorious little things.

Throat slightly scratchy inside, partly because I was intubated.  I feel the swallows, but not painful enough to stop me. 

Incision area feels, and is, bruised.  This is the most painful area.

Motion is consciously kept to a minimum, and my upper back and shoulders are stiff.  The brain surgeon said that was expected.

Doing fine.

Song of the Lark

 

I'll just stay here

Surgery Today

 Wish me luck.  Merry Christmas. Posting might be sporadic from here on out...

I got a lotta problems with you people

 Happy Festivus!

Good News on Ammo

 Starting to become available.

Bad news, 9mm north of .70 a round.

Cured

 This season has cured me of Facebook ads.  

I must admit, the ads were good, pushing products that I found fascinating and got the wants for.  

But the slow boat from China, and the Navy style deck coat made out of thin cloth with a zipper that zips from the wrong side was the final straw.  Cheap.  Make a decent layer under something else, or I could wear it instead of a fleece pullover when the heat in the house is turned down in the winter.  So, no extra regret, but there is still buyers remorse.

Ooo, these make me wanna....

No no, back to the subject.

A wool blanket comes in the mail?  I barely remember impulse clicking that. I like wool blankets.  This one is a fine wool blanket.  Not a Woolrich, but not bad either.  The price was ok, too.  The thing is, I have more than enough of these.  I already had enough blankets for the end times when the power and gas goes out.  Including spares to give away to people.  Plus the car, cuz you never know when you might get stuck.

Even if all these social-media advertised products were top shelf in quality... I don't need the big damascus meat cleaver kitchen knife.  It is cool, but keep my pay-pal in my pocket.  Resist the ads.  

A lesson learned and relearned from as far back as adds in comic books and Boys Life.   Ooo, wait, you mean I could have muscles like Charles Atlas?

Stress?

 Am I under stress?

Assuredly.

I've been essential worker since the start.  Working in an office constantly throughout.  Didn't miss work (until RIGHT now), didn't miss a paycheck.  Been very lucky that way.  Couple dozen in my building alone have come up positive for Covide.  No bad outcomes from the recovered, a few are in transit, so to speak.  

Many folks were given the option to stay home.  Their job didn't require they touch office machines, or they could stay home while others, like me, carried the load.  Which isn't as bad as it sounds.  These folks were the ones with other health issues, or just plain scared.  

I noticed prior military service folks just rolled with it.  Generally.  Didn't take the free days off.  Folks that had already thought about their mortality at work and from work, I guess, long before they landed in a civilian office job.  At least the WuFlu virus wasn't burying explosives under their parking space, or sniping from hidey holes in the woods, or lobbing inaccurate rockets sporadically at them.   For me, I wasn't going to fall off the office unnoticed and drown or get sucked into any machinery.  

So, there is that.  Plus the stress of this surgery.  Right?  Christmas alone, after.

And the non-disease news in the paper is ugly-ugly.  

The question is, how bad?  How bad is this stress?  That I, personally, am experiencing.  Am I doing ok? 

Well, it's hard to self diagnose.  I think I am rolling with it alright.  But I am no shrink.  I could melt down into a puddle.  Do a Hawkeye from the last episode of M*A*S*H.  Fall apart.  Or get PTSD symptoms, even mild.  I'd sleep great if my back didn't ache so.  

I am not witnessing any death.  Or death of people I know.  

What am I doing instead of doomscrolling?  Reading fiction on a Kindle.  Often in setting from 100 years ago.  In the car I listen to podcasts, when I commute.  History ones, read short stories, and Old Time Radio.  I drink less, because of the pain and subsequent need to be less fat in physical therapies and be healthier in all the recent doctor visits.  So more self-care.  Unless it is a Zoom happy hour.  Then a little Basil Hayden gets savored.

You take care of yourself, too.

Before Surgery

 You have to get a Covid test.  It isn't for me, to be sure I don't have the added burden of a nasty virus while also recovering from surgery.  No, it's to sure I don't give the brain surgeon and the surgical staff the bug, knocking that avenue of treatment for other patients out of action. 

And that's fine.  Good.  

And then don't go out.  I'm on lockdown.  Awesome, no work.

I do have to say, they sent me to what they described as one of the better testing joints.  An urgent care center that just does this now.  More out of the way, less foot traffic.  But I have to say the place made me squick.  Of all the place I've been to in the past year THAT one felt the 'dirtiest'.  The biggest risk of covid was inside that place.  They did all the precautions, but it still didn't feel very clean. I touched nothing I didn't have to and used the hand sanitizer six different times in there.   Yuck.

The swabs up the nose wasn't as bad as people told me.  It was fine.  No problem.  Don't be afraid of that.  

Midway

 Anybody see this?  Is it worth renting?

So Neck Surgery is in Less than a Week

 That should fix that part.

How bout the back?

Meh. I think the steroid shot is wearing off.  The back ache isn't pain, yet.  But it is keeping me awake at night.  No bueno.  Might have to drop the meloxicam and go back to ibuprophin.  I can take the Vitamin I before bed.  Meloxicam is one pill a day sorta thing.  And it really doesn't last all day.  

But there may be other pain killers with the surgery.  While those last the back might do great and be the least of my pain management worries.  Then the back doc follow up in late January.  Where I could get scheduled for another round of the shot.  I have heard it can take a few to 'take'.  I hope that is the case.  

After that, if that doesn't work?  I dunno.  More surgeries?  I hope not.  

I'm on lockdown now.  No contact with anyone outside my home until the day of surgery.  To be sure I don't have the WuFlu and spread it to the brains surgeons, or suffer with it so soon after a neck bone operation.

But that was in Louisiana

 I wonder if the local DA would be as understanding if 4 felons home-invaded a house in Maryland suburbs of DC?  Or if a jury here would be as understanding as a jury there.

Technically, they should.  There is Castle Doctrine, even in Maryland.  But only for the past dozen years or so. We used to have a duty to retreat.  Even in our own home.  

With regards to the justice of the thing, they should.  

But you second guess em here.  I bet you wouldn't sleep at home that night.  If you were lucky, you would the next.  

Erasing The Cleveland Indians Erases American History

 Yes.

Ok, that is a bit better

 I was determined to go back after the last disastrous 2-magazine range day.

A bit better on 11 December.  Concentrate on the basics: relax, front sight, make trigger go good.  29 fired (all I wanted) no malfs.  8 yards.   1288 through the gun since I built it.  I think this 1911 is turning into one of those guns

See?  Not great, but much better than last time.

There was a big wait to get a lane.  Half capacity last wee cuz of Covid, quarter capacity starting this week.  Had 4 rifles for sale on the wall where 80 go, and a dozen pistols in the cabinets where 80 go. 

Next range day will be post neck-surgery.  Assuming I survive that.  

---

I wouldn't be 'that guy'

 If I took my 1911s to a gun class.  I was checking my shooter logs.  

You know.  'That Guy' the guy that brings a 1911 to class.  Just one.  And 4 factory magazines, and no loader.  And his gun breaks halfway through and was never reliable up till that break, and he spent all his time frantically reloading and never really kept up.  The gun was, say, a Kimber?

I'd not have that problem.  I'd bring a couple dozen after market magazine I have tested through multiple range days.  I'd bring 2 guns. Duplicate set ups.  Those are tested too.  

The T-Bolt 001 gun has over 1200 rounds logged through it.  Zero malfs.  Never cleaned, yet, either.  I have oiled it a few times.

The Springfield backup 1911 I rebuilt has over 1300 logged.  I learned not to shoot Semi-Wadcutter though it.  It doesn't feed that ammo reliably, and I don't count those as malfs in the 600s.  Self-defense stuff works fine.  I lean toward Federal HST 230g, and American Eagle FMJ.  Three malfs in 1388 for this gun.  This gun has not locked back on the last round 3 times.  #442, #544, and #1369.  I am watching the mag I used on #1369, the next thing to look at is the slide-release geometry, obviously. 

I'd bring to the log to class to allay the fears of the instructor.  If it was more of a plastic doublestack class and not geared to 1911 fossils, I'd make arrangements for the proper pistols to come with me and leave the 1911s at home.  But if it was 1911 friendly class "as long as it is reliable" then hell yeah, I'm bringin' em.

I coulda swore

 I had a post scheduled for today.  I did not.  Drat.  

I am reading a Brigadier Gerard book.  From some author named Doyle that wrote detective fiction.  Gerard is a Frenchman in the Napoleonic wars, so the gun content is on the slightly boring side.  The sabre content is exciting

I've known three

 One back in May, One in July, and one recovering now.  Two had co-morbidities. None died yet. All three lost their sense of taste as their Big Initial Clue.

It is December 13 and I still do not know of a single person that has had Covid 19.

I live is Southern California. Supposedly we are being overwhelmed.

Where is it?

— PissedOffPeasant (@mikepfingston2) December 13, 2020

I spoke too soon

 They have revised the graph on deaths.  When I first noted on the 9th I posted this

Nothing over 40 then.  

Since then Maryland has revised the numbers up a bit.  A few lines now exceed 40.  

 

You guys ready?

 We better get goin if we wanna stay head of the weather.

Got some storms coming, mebbe?  The one that might leave significant accumulation is Wednesday.  Which is rough for me, what with my spine being all jacked up, getting that cleared.  As long as I can get to the Covid Testing Center by Friday so I can get surgery on the 24th.  On my spine. 

I took care of old guys a few years back and thought about paying folks to help with shovelling their stuff.  You know how much they want?  There is no kids that go door to door offering to do it for $5 or $20 or $40.  But for $300...  The old guys would have rather let it melt.

Jutland

 It wasn't until youtube animations came around that I really got a hold of what happened at Jutland apart from the post-action conclusions.  I'd look at the charts and diagrams with lines and times and never get the proper gist one short film can show.  That's on me, and the way my head works.

Now I am on about, "exactly how useless were the ship designs leading up to Jutland?"  Not so much the Grand fleet (British) or High Seas fleet (Huns).  The better ships were all together in those groupings, for the most part. 

But ships in the navy not up to the standard of those fleets were often ineffective even when brand new.  Well ineffective unless going up against similarly ineffective opponents.  Forward gun turrets couldn't be operated at speed because too much sea was shipped over the bows.  Secondary aramaent of other ships were in barbettes or casemates on the sides of the hull.  Like old time sailing warcraft and their broadsides.  Also, in any type of speed or any type of seas because smooth as glass they were swamped and unusable.  On British ships.  German ship designs were slightly better.  And guns slightly bigger on the smaller classes of warship.  This can be attributed to the Germans starting from zero and going on a building spree, while the Brits were working with a giant legacy fleet, often adequately employed controlling their colonial empire.  You reluctantly retire older classes because they were good use in many applications besides World War.  

But there was lot of that going around in the Brit fleet; guns mounted that can't be used.  To me, a significant design flaw.  (I dunno about you.)  A flaw that they only got around to solving just a few short years before the Great War.  If they laid down the keel in 1910, then all the guns will be employed even when the ship is moving.  Ok, that may be an exaggeration, but only partly.  

I know the concept is new, but they only seemed to get a handle on what a Destroyer is, and could do, and should do, a few years before the war.  Then the submarine menace knocked that all into a cocked hat and Destroyers had to deal with that, too.  But they don't install depth charge racks at the yard until the S-Class in 1917.  I'm way back in the H classes, designed less than a decade prior.  10 years, and so much changed, including the forward turret that can work.  

Falling into Battle

It's a book.  In a series called the War to End All Wars.  Four Brit midshipmen on the St. Vincent get promoted to sub lietenant and sent off on their separate ways.  In 1914.  Well, three.  One just doesn't fit in an is not promoted. This loser leaves naval and joings the national guard, or Territorials because his father insists he make something of himself or get cut out.  One Toff gets assigned to the flagship Iron Duke, one orphan with an inherited private income gets a Destroyer, and the other gets a Cruiser in the South Atlantic, the Good Hope.

It starts a little over expository, and does a decent historical job. It's about the events surrounding in 1914, and less about the people.  I want more detail on lives from 100 years ago.  Details we are quickly losing if not lost already.  No mention of shaving brushes or brands of razor blades.  What tobacco products they use.  But that's me being picky.  There is some of that, it's not just a history book, the personal narratives are more than adequate.  

This book concentrates on the Destroyer man and the Terrier (and Army life suits him, despite being reflexively lazy until things start to go down), more than the other two.  Though the poor Cruiser guy has SO much foreshadowing...  That's a thing.  Shocking how the end come.  The Destoyer man, Sturton, watches a sister ship hit a mine and then the screws drive the ship under.  All hands, gone.  Submarines are pooh-poohed until they sink 3 combat ships in quick succession in the North Atlantic.  The Brits underestimate them because their own subs had so little luck.  So much death.  That happened.    

And ship design was awful.  The Acorn class forward 4" gun could not be used when the ship was moving at any decent speed.  So many of the older ship were obsolete, yet still put to sea to fight, filled with old reservist men and boys.  If the subs didn't sink them they stood no chance against modern combatants.  THESE were the ships tasked to patrol and sally out.  The modern British vessels were holed up in Scotland waiting to go big fleet versus big fleet against the Hun.  Just and awful way to run a war.

Thank God for Jackie Fisher or there would have been many more obsolete ships on the lists to be victimized.  

Anyway, the book itself.  It's not Otto Prohaska novel, but it is still pretty good.  I recommend to any interested in the Great War.       

ALL IN THE SAME DAY?

After the USS Hambleton was hit amidship by a torpedo, the destroyer managed to get to a port where Seabees cut her in two, removed a 40-foot damaged section and then welded the two halves together. Hambleton later sank the U-boat believed to have torpedoed her. #WarshipWednesday pic.twitter.com/tHgL2aoImb

— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) December 9, 2020

Maryland Deaths Per Day

 Well, that's a scary bit of mid-November spike that is hopefully heading in the proper direction, now.  Trending as spike over.  Too soon to really declare.  Hopeful.  I'd love a low flat Spring, even without a vax.

Witnesses

History - Pearl Harbor: The Last Word - "The Attack on Pearl Harbor: Battleship Row" from hsc.tv on Vimeo.

40mm

 I thought this was a stage shot, but there are explosion clouds at the end that didn't come 40mm ack ack shells falling back to earth.  There might be burning aircraft plummetting, but it is hard to tell. Looks like the Germans were trying to hit the logistics tail of the beach head.  The battery pointing to sea and all that.  

I was surprised the Germans has much to throw at the beaches by 1944, resources for aviation assets being shunted to the Eastern Front pyre, and all.  The Lawton B. Evans had to shoot back at some planes, tho, making my assumptions wrongheaded.  Can a Liberty ship be an ace?

My dad was 6 when this happened, but all these men sorta look like him.

Sneak Sky and Sea Raid on Pearl Harbor

"America lost 3 destroyers."

"Oklahoma and Utah"

"Here is the actual bombing of the USS Arizona" Lucky hit.

Note the newsreel doesn't mention the there other two sunk Battleships? Don't wanna give up too much to the enemy with a proper damage report... Or be too disheartening to the folks at home.

These People

 These people aren't attacking Senator Ted Cruz.  They are attacking YOU.

A beautiful day in South Texas. pic.twitter.com/QUWV9wrp7x

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 5, 2020

And man, that is a nice rack.

Sears

 Saw a Meateater article. "An Ode to Department Store Guns"

Shocking!

You could buy a gun at the same place you bought back to school clothes!  And it wasn't WalMart.

Hey, most of these are BB guns.  I thought is was a catelog of mostly GUN-guns.  Guess you gotta go further back to have em be mostly proper firearms.  There are a few .22s and...

Hey wait.  That shotgun might be the very model and price paid by my dad back in 1968 when rioting got him to buy a gun.  Just in case.  Dad got 20 gauge.  And it may have been Montgomery Wards. 

Old Eyes

Saw this article on the internet.

"Pistol sights for old eyes"

When I first started out, I liked the 3-dot sights, but my preferences evolved as I learned more and trained more.  I tried out many pistol sights over time.  But am pretty much settled on plain black rear sight with no dots or lines.  And a pretty side aperture so I can see 'light' between the notch and the post of the front sight.  And then the front sight has something.  It's not just black, there is a dot of some kind on up there.  

"Three dot sights are probable not the best pistol sights for old eyes." Yeah, I've come to the opinions they aren't the best for any eyes.

And it turns out, as my vision deteriorates as I age, (and it is...) that is a decent setup.  But hell, I'd go for that with my 30 year old 20/15 vision.  

I've always liked the idea of tritium sights for low light shooting, but if the light is low enough to need glowing sights it's too low for target ID.  'Liked,' past tense. Yes, tho, my bedside gun has a glowing front sight.  Anyone in the house besides me in the dark is a legit target.  No way my rear sights of the bedside gun are becoming part of it in low light.  They don't glow.  But my other easily accessible firearms available have flashlights on them.  A light bright enough to make the room light enough to use regular fiber optic sights.  That is probably your best bet.  That and knowledge of your home turf in the dark.

My eyes, personally, are still pretty good. I can drive ok without glasses, I just don't prefer to. I have to get too close to street signs to read them.  So, shooting without glasses is also not a problem for self-defense ranges.  I don't keep my glasses in my bedroom.  I don't normally need them when to home.  Just for TV to look good.   

"How about a red dot on your pistols, T-Bolt"

Meh...  That would require serious smithing.  None of mine are ready for a mount.  And then it would require a buncha training with the sights, and then practice to get good.  I'm not agin the idea, but it would take some doing.  But Tam believes in me!  She thinks I can do it!  And if she is for me, who can be against me?

"Training?"

Oh yeah, I still make those muzzle circles like a noob.  But I've also seen noob later get the knack, and red dot like a house afire.

"Ya know, T-Bolt, you can just BUY a pistol with the optic dovetail already cut on the slide..."

Quiet you!  That's enough of your sass.

9mm vs. .45

You know, I've heard this discussion over and over.  I've been at this gun stuff on the internet long enough to, for certain.  Every jot and tittle, ad infinitum.  So when it comes up I usually just skip right past.  

No need to waste my time going over the same tired ground.  Whipping the same zombie horse. 

But how will I ever know, now, if something fresh, new, and novel enters the argumentative fray?  I'll miss out!

For instance, I am sure this is well presented, but I didn't watch any of it:

Can someone tell me if there is something new to add to this whole thing?  

434,000,000

 That's a lotta guns.  For just one country.  

And Instapundit it right.  If they could keep the inventory up in the gun stores over the last decades panic-buys that number would be half a billion.  

Well, Crap

 Now I posted a second one yesterday instead of today.  And I am still wanting for content.

Uhhh, a buddy has a MAB Model D, which is similar to the FN 1910.  It fired one and now don't fire no more.  Broken spring?  Reassembled wrong?  Who knows!

Do I know an active competent gunsmith with his own bidness and business insurance?  No I do not.  Am I wary of doing gunsmithing FOR him?  Yes I am.  If the gun blows up in his hand after I touched it, then, well, I am in the stew.  

Solution?  Risk Covid, and have him do all the wrench turning while I observe.  A broken spring is obvious and replaceable.  A flaw in the field stripping technique could also be caught just watching.  Plus, I know my limitations.  "Yeah, that's next level stuff.  Let's look harder for a gunsmith.  Not like anyone specializes in these.  I don't have to take you to a top end 1911 custom builder for this, but, it's beyond us at this point."

Suppressor

Cool.  The Army has been improving the suppressors for a their M240 7.62x51mm machine gun.  It's doesn't make it quiet, obviously, just less annoyingly loud.  A suppressor on that machinegun has to stand up to a LOT of stress.  I wonder what wonder-improvements they included

Have your ever fired a rifle with a suppressor?  With glass on it?  Indoors.  I know a lot of you haven't had the privelege.  Suppressors are fun, but not plentiful.  Heck I have to use someone elses. I don't own one yet.  

It kinda sucks.  Well, after the first one or two shots.  The suppressor gets HOT and puts out a lotta heat waves, obscuring your target.  If you want to shoot a few mags, stick to iron sights or your red dot.  Even then you will notice the heat mirage on non-breezy ranges.  

Just something to think about.  

(And I am still thinking on the DeLisle reproduction.)  

Gun, Golden

 I had never seen The Man with the Golden Gun other than in bits and pieces over my life.  Never sat down to watch it beginning to end.  I had seen the opening, the funny spinny car jump in an AMC, but not the whole kit and kaboodle.

I noticed right off, this viewing, the belly dancer dressing room scene (Pinewood Studios?) where the dressing table mirror got bumped.  And I could see the film crew.  So that was kinda fun.

I was very jealous of the Portuguese in Macao and his gunsmith workshop.  Very nicely set up.  You gotta watch the whole scene to drink it all in.  This sample is inadequate.

On the whole, production values felt kinda low.  The 50 years since this movie...  A person with an iPhone can shoot a better one, it seems, the tech has improved that much.  HiDef from a film from this era feels like bad videotaped news productions.    

Neck Surgery

 Got it scheduled.  24 December.  ACDF.  Fix my neck.  

I have to isolate 7 days before hand (Covid precaution), and then home for 2 weeks after.  

Found out a guy at work had the exact same thing done.  He said he woke with a catheter and a collar and yet felt GREAT.  Said it was the best moment of his life.

"You have a wife you've been married to for 25 years and 3 kids, man"

"I said it was the best moment of my life!"

That's encouraging.

With the Leaves Off

 I noticed this in front of the house Archie lived in.  Yikes.

My stay in Innsmouth

 

Awful Range Results

 Now I want to go back.  Try again.  At least get my trigger pull more polished up.  

Only one or two time I liked my trigger pull.  Disappoint.  But there is a cure for that.  Take 4 full mags and go next week.  It'll come back, and it's a shame I let it go this far downhill.

14 rounds of American Eagle, no malfs, 1259 total through the gun since built.  

Not cool, Larry

 "There is no constitutional right to walk around without a mask." -- Gov. Larry Hogan.  Maryland.

Whoa, there, cowboy.  Let's break this down.

"There is no constituional right to walk around wearing a red shirt"

"There is no constituional right to walk around."

Naw.  There sure is a right to do that.  Mask mandates, if they actually work, might be for folks' own good, but they are also a rights violation.  Your statement is illuminating on what you are like, deep down.  Your default reflex is dark and wrong.  

Larry is ok.  For Maryland.  I am glad for a GOP governor to tamp down the awful Dem impulses a different governorn would bring.  That doesn't mean he doesn't show his ass and disqualify himself for higher office.

I guess he'd be good in the Senate.  Better than what we have.  A tyrant like Larry is better than the worse tyrants we already have.

Like Susan Collins.  Horrible GOP Senator.  But a choice of Collins or Elizabeth Warren?  Collins every time.

Forget the WH, Larry.  The country can do, and needs do, much better.     

You don't want him.  Don't vote for him.  Marco Rubio would be better, and he is...  not good.

Soon they’ll say this if you decline the vaccine, too.

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) November 23, 2020

Thanksgiving

 Take a break.  

Promotion

2020, man

 Keeps getting worser and worser.

Pete Davidson to lead all-star version of 'It's a Wonderful Life' https://t.co/ccMQiWdBdT pic.twitter.com/YzyRZ6fwZC

— New York Post (@nypost) November 24, 2020

mini

What if, I could invent a bullet, and it'd be the same size as the 7.62x51 we use now, but instead of effective range of 800 yards, it would have an effective range of two miles, for the average skilled user?

That would be a game changer as soon as we were able to see that far.  

But that's the game changer of the Minie Ball, which came out just before the Civil War.  An order of magnitude better than the standard spherical ball.    

I first learned about these in Civil War History, in college, of course, and it's stayed with me ever since.  Able to be loosely packed in a rifled barrel, the looseness defeated fouling from residue.  But it could still be muzzle loaded as quickly as a non-rifled musket patch/ball.  The cupped base made the round expand on firing pressures, to engage the lands and grooves and thus spin from the rifling.  Hence the performance jump for standard issue small arm.  Not small, Minie is a French guy's name.  The French were great military technologists with poor timing.  They never seemed to get their advances in and deployed late enough to be of use to only them, and not improved upon by the Germans.  Not after 1815.

Hillary Clinton is still not President

And JFK is still dead.  57y +2d.

Of course his party is closer to Lee Harvey than to him, now.  

But at least the clan is losing its luster.  The name doesn't guarantee a win in Boston anymore.  That Howdy Doordy is the son of Joe Kennedy II.  He is not the one that paralyzed the late Pam Kelley.  2 did that.

Hard to follow them without a program.   Lessee.  The Original Joe Kennedy, bootlegger, child lobotomist, and Nazi pal, had a son, Joe Jr.  Junior blowed up in a flying bomb in WWII.  

Joe Senior had another son named Bobby, who had a son he named Joe 2.  No direct relation to Joe Jr.  Not a father-son thing, I mean.  His grandad was Joe Sr.  He dead.  Joe 2.  And, well, so are all the other people mentioned so far.

Joe 'Doody' 3 is HIS kid.   Number 2 named his boy Joe 3. Joe 3 is not going to be Senator this cycle.  And is unemployed here in a month or two.

Oddly #3 has a son named Jim.  Maybe that is why he lost to Ed Markey.  Broke the chain of Joe's.  That's bad juju.  JoeJoe.  Or in your case, bad JoeJoeJoe.

This is upsetting

 Went to the range.  Didn't stay long.  My neck issues make my hold extra weak and the nerves tingly.  I don't like this one bit.

Also, only had 14 rounds with.  Forgot to reload mags, so...

Fixing this issue cannot come soon enough.  

Exhausted

 Because of the back pain I’ve been sleeping poorly, but it’s much better since Wednesday.  Still, I’ve gotten 10+ hours Friday and Saturday night but have been dead on my feet anyway all weekend.  I hope this isn’t a trend.

I doubt it’s mono.  I don’t KISS anyone.

ACDF

This is what I want done to me.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion  (gross surgery stuff. don't click if that squicks you out.)

Fuse some neck vertebra and stop disks from pressing against my spinal cord above and below C6.

The neurosurgeon has shown me with simple strength tests, "Hey that left tricep and right bicep aren't getting full enervated.  You probably can't do a pushup anymore."

Boy howdy.

The muscle is brawny enough, but the nerve signal to it is inadequate.  

You've heard me whinge about not having the stamina to do a class with a 500 round count?  50 is more my speed?  It's because of this.

10 years ago I tried to get up into my attic.  Stand on the top of the ladder and hop up into the hatch while doing a tricep dip.  Whoa!  Lucky to stick the landing and not kick the ladder out from beneath me.  I remember Dad, in similar shape, having no issue with such shenanigans at this age.  Now I know.  It's because of this.

Steroid have done wonders for my lumbar area, but the imagery there is normalish.  The neck is awful.

"Who is gonna wipe your butt, T-Bolt, while convalescing?  Better hurry up and get married."

Actually, the procedure is less than 2 hours, out patient, and I can do everything on my own immediately.  Including watch movies and surf the web.  And wipe.

"That's all you do at work, so you will just go to work T-Bolt?"

Naw.  You have to commute to the office.  That's the issue.  Neck movements driving, or, heaven forbid, in an accident.  Two weeks off.

But I should be much better after.  

Nation's Fun Show

No big gun show today in Chantilly Virginia.  The leftist AG got it throttled down to 250 attendees, effectively choking it to death.  

Excuse: Covid.  

You don't need guns right now, sez he.  

If the Covid vaccine comes out next week and works great, I wonder what excuse he will try to use next time becuase you don't need guns right now?

My state and county are much more liberal than Virginia was or is, and we used to have a decent gun show at the fair grounds here.  But guns are icky so they got that cancelled 30 years ago.  Just not welcome anymore by the powers that be, so... their will prevailed.  

How long before we have to go to West Virginia to attend a decent gun show?  

Spain and Pine

 Spine and Pain.

Got shots in my lower back.  Steroid.  Seems to help quite a bit.  I walk like a normal man my age, and not an 85 year old.  We'll see how this progresses.  A bit less neuropathy would be welcomed.

Scheduling nexk surgery.  Trying to get in before the Covid hammer falls.  It's outpatient, so that helps.  Screwing plates to my neck, with 12 screws and scraping about...  And I walk out 2 hours later.  Impressive.  

It's been a long time, so I better hit the range.  Might be a long time again, after.  

Hey, look, the founding legend/myth

 You have to get through a Babbel ad.

But it explains more, in cartoon form, than many know about the Moros.  Plus liberal use of the term 'stopping power'

COD: Cold War

 I was interested in the new Call of Duty title.  It appeals to me because it is set in 1981, and I am old.  Plus, it has the Gipper in it.  

So I watched some gameplay.  A point against it.  Reflex sights and laser sight on the rifles.  Booooo!  They didn't have the good stuff in '81. 

"But the Terminator had a .45 long slide with laser sighting, T-Bolt!"

Yeah, and Arnold had a car batter strapped to his ankle to power it in those scenes.  

"So whatcha whining about?"

It really took my head out of the story, ya know.  

I understand why they are in there.  For the multiplayer games you gotta have that stuff.  Kids today hate iron sights, even in their pixel guns, apparently.  So I'll have to suspend disbelief, and rock a .45 with a red dot on it.  And a Tritium front sight.  

Just over-pedantic gunnie whinge .

Also. Part of the story line is concern over Neutron Bombs.  That was a thing.  Yes, Neutron Bombs were in the popular culture by 1981, I remember that.  "Kills all the people but doesn't hurt the infrastructure!"  That was a thing.  A concern.  Check out the movie Repo Man.  But Time magazine was talking about em long before the movie.

Plate of shrimp.

Kinda Surpised

 I am kinda surprised gun control support ONLY plummeterd seven points in 2020.  What with actual Marxists hurting actual innocent, bystanding, ordinary citizens right there in front of you on the view screen.

And that support is still above 50%.  About 10% of the voting public bought a gun this year alone.  Accounting for some of you people buying more than one.

Grocery Report

 They were low on Paper Towels, and TP was trending down, yesterday.

Everything else seemed plentiful.

I used to find Spatini there, and don't now, tho. 

State Hospitlaizations

 Also spiking.

I'm number one!

 Top of the charts again., for Covid surge.

I wonder what the grocery stores look like?  I won't run low on terlet paper this time, and I have flour and yeast now, and I didn't even touch my emergency supplies.  Gonna swing through one today, see if there is a run on the stock.

My biggest worry?  I'll get surgery scheduled and they will kibosh it. 

"Why is your area always highest hit. T-Bolt?"

Well, decently high population density.  Plus a HUGE retirement community in the north end of the zip code, also quite dense.

I wonder if they will send all the govies home again?

How Charming

 In the nineties, a friend of mine tried to help gentrify Riverdale Maryland.  Even helped them change the name.  Riverdale Park.

It didn't take.

Body found inside Riverdale Park clothes donation bin.

Oh dear.

Three Cases

The Glorious ACB is gonna see her first 2A SCOTUS case.  Well, two, actually.

Alito talked about Covid, so the news covered that.  Cam noticed a brighter prize in that speech, like a Faberge Easter Egg.  Justice Alito seems as frustrated with recalcitrance as we are, and telegraphing he hints the distinct future possibility of finally approving cert on various 2A cases.

And finally, a baby case.  One that just started.  Well, another swing at it.  A case to make Maryland a Shall Issue state instead of may issue is just booting up.

"I live in Wyoming T-Bolt, why should I give a rat's ass what happens in Maryland?  Don't hurt me none." 

No, but it protects you.  It moves the 2A firewall in a Leftist enclave in the correct direction, so when Bloomberg is inthe legislative driver's seat, he has another obstacle to spend resources on defeating before he gets to Wyoming.

What REASON do you have for wanting a CCW in MD?

Because I wanna.

Here you go.

More Doctor

 Gonna try some SAIDs instead of just NSAIDs.  Including injections next week.  For the back pain.

I hear tow things about these.  They work great. Or.  They work horrible.  

Tonite, MRI.  For the neck.  Again.

New Fun Guns

 DoD is thinking about getting new machine guns.

Replace the M240B (.308 in Olde Timey units) with something that shoots .338 Norma Magnum.  And almost double the effective range.  

"Also get rid of the M2 Browning heavy."

Why?  

"Because it is old!"  

And?  

What's gonna stay in the inventory longer?  B52 Stratofortresses, or the Ma Deuce?

The 'replace the M2' is kinda click baitey, but it got me to click.  The article only brushes up against the concept.  It's more concentrating on the 240 Bravo.  

But they are getting into that logistics control issue.  You got 5.56, 7.62, .338, and .50, all on belts for a time.  Hard to keep track of.  Makes what you pack in the M3 for resupply kinda tricky.

Armistice

Armor

 Co-worker brought up, "I heard that Dragon Skin armor went bankrupt?  That was cool looking!  Like scale mail armor.  I wonder why it didn't do well?  And what happened to Interceptor?"

I dunno, buddy.  Not up on body armor.  Let me look and get a crappy amateur uninformed opinions for ya.

Second queation first.  Intercreptor went away when they made something better?  I have to admit, Interceptor is a good name.  Good marketing.  

Dragon Skin didn't get the big contract because the little disk fell off on hot days. 

There, now I feel dumber.  

Crud

 I totally forgot about the blog post for today.  Sorry.  Bit distracted, as I've already whinged.  Next appointment Thursday morning.

Here is good news.  For the longest time even HOLDING my knees, below the patella with any pressure would cause SEARING pain.  Kneeling was way out.  My knees are quite a bit better.  I could crawl on a mattress right now, without too much issue.  Little victories. 

Smiths

 I am really digging on Tam's fall offerings reviewing S&W auto-loaders this fall.  A whole plethora.

"Do you even know what 'plethora' means, T-Bolt?"

Yes!  Why you gotta be like this?  Could it be because you are turning 40 today?

Anyway. I missed out on 3rd Generation Smiths, not yet being interested in firearms like that.  And I missed the police department turn-ins of used S&W metal auto-loaders.  Still not in the game.  Plus Maryland.  So I know very little about these, and appreciate the learning I get.  

Now Tam is a big time super-rich gun writer, (all pro gun-writers, I don't have to tell you, light their Cuban cigars with $100 bills) but stuff for publication has to be cool and antique-ey for, say, the back page of American Rifleman, or it has to be something in production, and can be purchased at Bass Pro by the reading public.  We get these free reviews, I'd wager, because a) it is cool, and b) not something that can be monetized.  So, win for us.

Had I got into guns as soon and legally able back in 1990, I'm looking at Miami Vice and Lethal Weapon examples.  It was much harder back then to learn gun stuff, without the internet.  You had to try to learn.  Instead of simply letting all the information blast you in the face via internet firehose.  And I didn't know how to get started and no one was around to guide me.  Eventually I would have figured it out, with persistence.  And I'd have one of these in my gunsafe.  At least one.  From back then.  But I also might have fallen for the Sigma.  And I was pretty poor in the 90s.

Well now

 I am in pain and a bit inebriated and have nothing for today.   

Ridiculous.

 "We won't pay for another MRI until you do 6 weeks of physical therapy Mr. Bolt."

I just did that.

"Six more weeks."

You just sent me a letter saying you won't pay for the 7 week of the original physical therapy.  That you have paid enough for physical therapy.

"Yeah?  And?"

It costs me $30 copay without your help paying. Thirty bucks, times 6 weeks, time twice a week is $360.  I bet if I have to pay it all myself it will me more than $30 more per visit...

"Oh yes, lots more."

If I went to get the neck surgery without the new, clear, MRI imagery to guid the surgeon, you'd pay for all of that?

"Yes.  Yes, definitely."

How much does the MRI cost?

"$500"

OK!  Get the f--- out of my way.  I got a credit card in here somewhere. 

Where's the Kaboom?

I expected an earth-shattering kaboom.  

Trump's victory looks probable, but not definite.  Biden had to come from behind in a lots places.  Trump just needs one and then one more, of places he is leading.  That's why I say probable Trump.  Well, if you discount some of the cheating Shenanigans, at least.  It's all Biden if you go ahead and count them. But... question mark.

Senate won't flip.

House get's tighter.

Not but onesy twosy State races flipped, but they flipped red.

More of a national stand pat.  Even if Biden wins, stand pat.  

I expected more violence.  From the left, of course.  Convulsions inside Dem stronghold.  The right in this country only get's violent in self-defense, these days.  There are exeptions, but that's the rule.  

Less violence from the Democrats is good, but I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Not up in the air state controlled by Dems wants to be the one that confirms Trump's re-election, so... foot dragging.  A day?  A week?  Three hours before I schedule this post making this all OBE?  Dunno.

We really did need a red wave, and we didn't get it.  Something to repudiate the deadly, flawed. new-commie ideas.  To make the Dems semi-sane again.  To shift Overton back to the center.  So disaster is only staved off for another cycle, instead of for a generation.   

You know, it WOULD be if...

 

Republicans added 11 new female members to the House of Representatives last night.

I feel like this should be, ya know, newsworthy.

— Dan Isett (@DanIsett) November 4, 2020

I didn't stay up late

What will be your Purge costume?

— Chris Loesch (@ChrisLoesch) November 3, 2020

 

Did the riots start yet?  Yesterday I filled my tank, looked at the poll lines, and got some groceries.

You know the 20 years before the Russian Revolution there were tens of thousands of assassinations of Russian officials, both big and small.  I guess we should be glad the Marxists in BLM and Antifa haven't taken to that.  Imagine some Republican city councilman in small town Ohio goes out to his car with his family and KABOOM!  As well as the occasional Secretary of State or what have you.

Yeah, them Commies have always been awful sonsabitzes, even before 1917.  Much tamer now.  But rich mega donors weren't propping them up back then.  Oh sure there was some support from the wealthier folks, just not oligarchical.  I like to picture the looks on their faces when they turned on and fed into the revolutionary furnace.  

We haven't had the interest in assassinations in this country ever since the Baby Boomers got too old to be arsed.  Well, the 1960s were a bit of a bummer in this department.  I can see folks getting sick of it.  On this we can be thankful. Don't rekindle the hobby.  Leftists.   

There was NO line at my regular polling place.  There never is, usually, but they closed all the polling places for Covid except High Schools.  Liberals aren't voting very hard.  Meanwhile, in the hinterlands where the churches and gun stores and non-governmental economic activities are...  long lines.   Others noticed this as well, but after me.

Purge Costume

 Remember, after you vote, to pick out your costume.  I'm gonna honor the late Sean Connery with something like this.

Advice from Vincent

 

If about to die, be sure to take someone with you.  Good tip!!

Early Voting

 I got lots of notices from my county that there were no lines at the early voting centers.  "No waiting!"

Montgomery county is liberal.  Very.  And we have 900,000+ people here in this adjacent to DC county. 11 early voting centers.

Friend in more rural counties report long lines and wait times of 90 minutes.  Counties like Calvert and Carrol.  Slightly more conservative.  170,000 peeps served by 2 early voting centers.

So, same number of facilities per capital.  Totally different voter enthusiasm.

Interesting.  

I don't think Maryland is going Trump.  But things might be closer than 2 to 1.

MRI?

Naw, it won't be THAT easy!

Supposed to get an MRI scan this afternoon.  My insurance is balking because this is the second time in 2 weeks.  Why would I need more?  Bastards.  You paid car prices for a go-kart, insurance.  And I need the car.

I am at my wits end and am willing to pay for the re-shoot myself.  $400 - $3,500.  My guess is it is $1,500.  Just 20 minutes and no weird things added like IV contrast.

Known FBI Failures

 Where we know the FBI knew ahead of time and failed to act.  

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Boston Marathon

Nidal Hassan, Ft Hood

Carlos Bledsoe, Arkansas

Dylan Roof, Charleston, South Carolina

Omar Mateen, Orlanda

Those are just the famous ones we know about.  "Hey FBI, I know this guy and I think he's a gonna go on a spree."  "Thanks for the tip!  We'll flub or ignore it like the others."

To cover their tracks they make flashy arrests for crimes they arranged, "Hello, fellow kids!  Anyone want to do some terror crimes?  I got a lead on some 'C4' explosives and here is the instructions.  Just say the word.  What are you, chicken?" And an otherwise harmless crank or a mentally stunted person gets on the news with a perp walk. 

I think if the FBI paid even a little bit of a price for a failure like these, I'd fall out of my chair, break my coccyx.  Just a smidgen of integrity.   A scintilla of accountability.  But the FBI never has.  A semi-crappy arm of the DOJ, damned with faint praise by being marginally better than the ATF, the FBI specializes in high standard of dress codes, and having really good PR. The true legacy of Hoover, that marketing ability.  And they've been skating on an unearned rep for a long time.   

Frightenstein

 

Yes, I saw every episode they aired on Channel 20 at 4:30.  Yes this informed the platonic ideal for me of what a horror shoebox diorama should looks like.

This and Morgan Freeman's mad scientist on Electric Company.

Good old Vincent.  Thank you Canada.

TV Question

"You need to stop watching movies and lose the damfool notion that it's possible to shoot people just a little bit."

Tam said that.  You've said something similar. I know I have.  That got me to thinking...  

I remember watching re-runs of the Lone Ranger as a kid.  The Lone Ranger, being the good guy, shot the guns out of bad guys' hands.  The gun.  The hand would smart, but it looked like the LR never hit flesh.  The baddies didn't have a hole or a missing digit or anything.  And the bullet always zinged off somewhere, and never into the face of the black hat or someone else nearby.  Classic Olde Timey television. 

Other horse operas of the era had similar tropes.  Blazing Saddles had the Waco Kid do it to make fun of the concept.  I bet Roy Rogers didn't shoot to kill that often, but I haven't seen his complete body of work.  (We won't get into Matt Dillon, Marshal at Dodge City...)  

But these are all old shows.  Much younger than me, and you haven't seen these.  What shows, more recent, are people getting winged in the leg or shoulder by a good guy that wants to stop a bad guy but doesn't want to kill them?  (And, this being a show, not even hurt them real bad.  Wear a sling for a week, rub some dirt on that .45LC hit to the bones of your upper humerus and clavicle, you'll be fiiiiiiine, ya big baby.)  Is there some show, that came out after 1974, that keeps this concept alive?

--

I guess it happened to Della Reese in Harlem Nights.  Her character got shot in the pinky toe.  1989.  Kinda obscure.

In T2 the Terminator was ordered not to kill and he shot a lotta folks in the legs.  1991.  But a cyborg has much better marksmanship.

Open MRI?

 Those things take shit images.

Like a screen of a 1955 Black and White TV.  The surgeon, before he can cut on you, needs the equivalent advance to 1080P.  Minimum.  Don't waste time on Open MRI if you can help it.

Even to a layman like me those images are shite.

Hurry Up!

 Get some 2A cases before the court!  It's a 6-3 pro Second Amendment court!

Is it, though?  Will Roberts and Gorsuch now grow as jurist and squish out on us for 2A stuff, and others?  Roberts has already demonstrated squishiness.  He could dig inhis heels on every onerous law and shout stare decisis and that is that.  And Gorsuch somehow quietly goes along.  Ah well!  So it goes.  They morph into black robe David French and Jonah Goldberg.  And they always were.

Sorry.  Feeling pessimistic.  

Change gear to optimism.  Yes, worse case Dems get the Senate and start talking court packing.  My feeling is they fail at this.  They blink, on packing.  But the scare has a chilling effect on court cases.  Things still lean our way, but not vigorously.  Which is fine as long as it last and it has potential to last a while.    

Just Relax

It is very serendipitous a lot of the training I got was more of a 'relaxed shooter shoots better' variety.  Like a golfer.  No death grip on the gun.  Ride the recoil, and the sights line back up very quick.  If you relax.  I certainly understand and often admire the firm control of super-grip types.  That is another valid shooting style.  The dominant one, right now, in fact. And it works.

  

See?

Watch their grips.  Hard hard  See the muscles on their forearms?  These people are NOT relaxed.  Head hunched over, too.  Tense.  But you know what?  They are super fast and hitting their targets and rarely missing.  So, the proof is in that pudding, ya know?

There is ever a guy that about loses control of his entire body.  Still makes the shot.  

Note their elbows ware all in and downm tho.  That is vital to a relaxed shooting style.  When your elbows go out that really conducive to tensing up.  And tiring yourself out.  So even the hardcore AMU speedsters are on the same page as that.

"Who the heck taught you this sill relaxed stance T-Bolt.  Some idiot."

No, somebody that learned and trained and was trained by that same unit.  The AMU.  Army Marksmanship Unit.  

"Ok, ok, but still.  Don't you want to run hard fast and accurate like those guys?"

Well, of course I do.  And relaxed I am much more fast and accurate now, after learning that, than I was.  But I can't go hard like that.  I'm not young.  Or Jerry Miculek.  And you've heard me whining about my spine more than once.

The serendiptiy is that the this works.  For me.  Now.  Because of my limitation is it really the only way I could get more fast and accurate.  

Jerry is prolly older than me.  And his style has some relaxation to it.  His head doesn't hunch so much.  Hunching really tenses my whole body up, I don't know about you.  Head upright and natural.  Bring your sights to your sightline, not your sightline to your sights.  Elbows down.  Grip as hard as a putter.  (thought some go full relax...  EXCEPT for their forearms and hand.) And work on your trigger break.  

NOW I gotta get THREE of everything?!!

 THREE?  

Three.  Not just one is none, and two is one, but a pair and a spare?  

Ok.  Yer the boss.  Everyone is gonna think I am using this as an excuse to buy more guns, but, there is no arguing.   Gotta get a 50% bigger gun locker to start with, I guess...

Character

 Compare.  And there is evidence for all these things

Trump is:

• rude
• crude
• slippery and difficult to deal with in business transactions.  Unethical?  Get your money up front or he simply won't pay you, knowing your legal bill will be higher than what he owes ya.  Ick.
• he gropes women that came to him to get groped.

Biden is:

• crooked.  Pay for play.
• traitorous.  Some of the people he made pay him were the Enemy.  CHICOMS.  
• braggart.  He BRAGS, on camera, he made a quid pro quo with Ukraine while VP.  Pay up and fire the DA investigating the payola.
• a plagiarist.  since the 80s
• gropey to children
• maybe rapey, to that one intern, but he-said, she-said at this point
• rude.  When challenged by regular folks he get combative and insulting.  Like Trump.
• racist.  Notice he never sniffs on black girls?
• tax evader.  all those payoffs were shields from the IRS, I am sure.  You don't declare your ill-gotten booty.

What I can't comprehend is all the people that have already voted for the Crooked, Traiterous, Child-Botherer.  Trump may be an ass, but he's no crook.  Even after his tax returns were illegally leaked, they can't find any crookedness.  I'd rather have that kind of ass than a crook.  

Speaking of voting, early in person voting started yesterday, here.  Might check that out.  In case my spine gets worse.  One week...

You know someone?

 Of course.

I'm shocked that only half of Americans know someone that got the Rona.  

There have been a dozen at the office.  None I know, tho.  Don't count.

My work wife?  Her real husband tested positive.  I know him.  That was only a month and a half ago.  He didn't spread it to anyone else. 

A buddy I've camped with got it, and he had co-morbidities.  Spent half a day in the ER not breathing well.  They gave him anti-biotics to fight off pneumonia and he got better.  His missus caught it.  She got better.  They all got better.  I know no deaths from the WuFlu.

One good thing about this political season?

 Hillary will never be president.  That's what I voted for in 2016.  That.   

Still and absolute objective good.

Imagine her with Covid 19, and the temptation for her to grab power.  We'd be no better off with the disease, but we'd be worse off with our freedoms.  The foreign policy wins we'd seen would not have happened.  Nothing in her SecState activities indicated she'd get us to where we are now with wars and the positives we've seen in the Middle East.  The friendly economic environment that gave us unparalleled growth before the pandemic would not have happened.  That wasn't her plan.  No Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, ACB, either.  

 Hillary will never be president.  Phew.

Beast

Now that is the daily driver I want.

On 1700 cubic inches?  Probably get better mileage than my old Durango. Same horsepower, too.

Got nothing for today

 My physical therapist is disappointed with my lack of progress.  

Though hardly!  I am sure it does me good to work and stretch some muscles I would be working otherwise.  I am almost positive the exercise is not making anything worse.  Maybe it is making it a little harder to sleep because of sore muscles.  

I've cut way back on alcohol consumption since I started all this a month and a half ago.  So, physical activity, plus, less empty booze calories?  My belt is moved to the next hole in in the skinnier direction.  

I still drink, but it is more a nightcap of whiskey to help me sleep.  Belleit Rye right now.  

One of the surgical methods to get at my neck?  Go in through the front.  Probe a gap through the neck muscles, then insert larger and larger tubes through that gap to make room to work.  Freaky.

Got a referral

 I got a referral to a nuerosurgeon.  For my neck, not my back.  The MRI says my back is fine.  Hurts more than that tho...

I don't know how I feel about this.  I want relief, yes, but surgeons do surgery.  I have trepidations about that part.

And someone will have to explain to me how herniated disks in my neck can cause backpain in my lumbar area, sciatic issues, and neuropathy in my lower legs and feet.   

Anyway.  First appointment a week from today.  

—-

Heard at work: “When is the next Pennsylvania gun show?  I need to pick up some more AR magazines and ammo.”

Update

 Ha!

Regarding that house, below:

"He sold the house he had bought in 1975 for top dollar to — get this — the vice-chairman of MBNA, who gave Biden $1.2 million for it. MBNA has showed its gratitude to Biden’s support in a number of ways: by giving over $200,000 to his various campaigns, by hiring Hunter Biden, by flying Biden and his wife to a retreat in Maine, etc. Mother Jones dubbed Biden 'the senator from MBNA.'"

Kinda Diggin' Joe's House

 If I woke up with Biden money, that is the sort of place I'd get.  I mean, I could afford MUCH bigger, it IS a lotta money we are talking about, but this house is closer to right size.  I could have one garage bay for my lawn tractor and snowblower, another for the restored 66 Bonneville, and put the truck and daily driver in the others.  I'd stay humble.  I wouldn't turn into some kind of Franz Ferdinand.

Ooo! I'd have 2 phone booths! One outside by the garages with a 1980s style phone, and a wooden one indoors with a rotary payphone, circa 1959.

Joe Biden has been in politics for 47 years. This is his house... pic.twitter.com/hvjWIxqk3K

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 17, 2020

Speaking of Franz Ferdinand, he was my age when he died back in '14. I hope I don't catch whatever it was that killed him.

"Fake news, T-Bolt.  Snopes told me Biden doesn't live there."

Yeah?  Snopes told you the house was a rundown near-wreck in the mid 70s.  Biden bought if for $185k (900k in today's money) way back then, and that ain't cheap.  Fixed it up and sold it in the mid 90s for $1.2m (almost 2 mil in today's money).

You know what is a good way to launder graft money?  Have a lotta building contractors fixing up your place.  I've yet to meet a building contractor that didn't mind a little cash in an envelope mixed in with the payments.  Biden gets to live in a really nice place, and realizes a profit at the end.  And the IRS doesn't ask embarrassing question about extra money in his bank deposits from all the kickbacks.  I wonder if there is a class Freshmen Congress critters take to learn how to do all this? 
 

His old house is the least of his worries now that there is oodles of direct evidence he is a HUGE crook.