I just noticed something.
The Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
They ruled that it was a tax.
Since it's a tax nobody has standing until someone actually has to pay that tax. Two years from now if not repealed. A foolish delay and unneeded if they'd just did their damn jobs right the first time.
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30 June 2012
29 June 2012
28 June 2012
A Tax
I'll take "Things that aren't in the Constitution for 1000", Alex.
It seems that the government can now give itself powers that it is not delegated as long as they call it a tax.
Hey, boneheaded judges!
The entire fucking point of the objection wasn't that Congress has the power to collect monies to pay for the programs they pass. It was the constitutionality of the program itself!
Again, you read things that are clearly not there while ignoring things which clearly are.
I'll say it if nobody else will. You are all senile and that senility is exacerbated by your isolation from being first lawyers then judges for the last several decades.
I cannot wait to see how this new tax power is abused.
Of course, this really is the end result of ignoring the power grab the Supreme Court made way back in 1803. Their first ruling where they read something that was not there and applied it.
I have been assured that the court was just plan B, but I place no hope on plan A (repeal post election).
I remember the promise of repeal of two onerous laws in the 1994 mid-term elections. They never were. One is still law and the other would be had it not had a sunset provision.
And we fiddle while the republic burns.
Baaaaaaaaa!
It seems that the government can now give itself powers that it is not delegated as long as they call it a tax.
Hey, boneheaded judges!
The entire fucking point of the objection wasn't that Congress has the power to collect monies to pay for the programs they pass. It was the constitutionality of the program itself!
Again, you read things that are clearly not there while ignoring things which clearly are.
I'll say it if nobody else will. You are all senile and that senility is exacerbated by your isolation from being first lawyers then judges for the last several decades.
I cannot wait to see how this new tax power is abused.
Of course, this really is the end result of ignoring the power grab the Supreme Court made way back in 1803. Their first ruling where they read something that was not there and applied it.
I have been assured that the court was just plan B, but I place no hope on plan A (repeal post election).
I remember the promise of repeal of two onerous laws in the 1994 mid-term elections. They never were. One is still law and the other would be had it not had a sunset provision.
And we fiddle while the republic burns.
Baaaaaaaaa!
Time To Start Shooting
It's passed the Rubicon.
Time to start shooting or live as a slave.
But we're all cowards so not a shot will be fired.
The founders would weep were they here today both that we don't start shooting and that so few are even aware of the injustice.
Time to start shooting or live as a slave.
But we're all cowards so not a shot will be fired.
The founders would weep were they here today both that we don't start shooting and that so few are even aware of the injustice.
27 June 2012
Sorry, Wrong Addy
It has been posited that it is someone's own damn fault for living in the wrong neighborhood when the po-po get the wrong address and kick down your door instead of Señor Potgrower's next door.
It has also been put forth that the Potgrowers Association of America Norte will sow fields even in good neighborhoods.
Basically this means that there's no moving away from the grow-house / meth lab.
What is a law abiding citizen to do then?
I've got something that I haven't seen talked about. Do some of these commentators think we didn't notice Señor Potgrower's entry into our neighborhood? Do they think we did not call the police about all the various and numerous violations of code and law?
What did the cops do?
NOT A GODDAMNED THING!
Not.
One.
Mother.
Fucking.
Thing.
That thing you saw with your own eyes? Hearsay.
You really say you saw it? Well, they weren't doing it when I got here. (Aside: this leads me to believe that as long as a cop doesn't actually witness a crime then no crime is committed. "How could he have been murdered, officer, you didn't SEE him alive did you?")
This sort of shit does the lather-rinse-repeat until SOMEONE finally decides to bust the grow house (almost certainly because one of his buddies or competitors is doing a plea) and then the cops find the address on their own rather than calling Dominoes and following the delivery driver in.
It has also been put forth that the Potgrowers Association of America Norte will sow fields even in good neighborhoods.
Basically this means that there's no moving away from the grow-house / meth lab.
What is a law abiding citizen to do then?
I've got something that I haven't seen talked about. Do some of these commentators think we didn't notice Señor Potgrower's entry into our neighborhood? Do they think we did not call the police about all the various and numerous violations of code and law?
What did the cops do?
NOT A GODDAMNED THING!
Not.
One.
Mother.
Fucking.
Thing.
That thing you saw with your own eyes? Hearsay.
You really say you saw it? Well, they weren't doing it when I got here. (Aside: this leads me to believe that as long as a cop doesn't actually witness a crime then no crime is committed. "How could he have been murdered, officer, you didn't SEE him alive did you?")
This sort of shit does the lather-rinse-repeat until SOMEONE finally decides to bust the grow house (almost certainly because one of his buddies or competitors is doing a plea) and then the cops find the address on their own rather than calling Dominoes and following the delivery driver in.
The Problem
The problem in American politics is we no longer judge on the thing. We judge on who holds office during the thing.
If we're ever going to make headway we need to decide about if we want a thing or not and realize that it doesn't matter who is running it as long as it gets done.
We gunnies are already there. We don't care who is advocating gun control, we don't want it.
The liberals aren't there yet. Bush in Afghanistan = BAD. Obama in Afghanistan = GOOD. Identical policies, different response.
The what matters more than the who and it's time to remember that.
EDIT:
Turns out I was just channeling The Smallest Minority.
If we're ever going to make headway we need to decide about if we want a thing or not and realize that it doesn't matter who is running it as long as it gets done.
We gunnies are already there. We don't care who is advocating gun control, we don't want it.
The liberals aren't there yet. Bush in Afghanistan = BAD. Obama in Afghanistan = GOOD. Identical policies, different response.
The what matters more than the who and it's time to remember that.
EDIT:
Turns out I was just channeling The Smallest Minority.
You see, there are three groups involved in this Cold Civil War: the political Left, which is heavily engaged; the political Right, which hasn't recognized it as a war for the soul of the nation, and (I would hazard to guess) the Tea Party people who finally have. This isn't a blanket statement, there are surely people on the political Left (the useful idiots) who don't understand what "fundamentally transforming" the nation really means. There are those few on the political Right who do understand what it is, and there are Tea Party members who are completely clueless other than understanding that something is very, very wrong.
Then there's the overwhelming majority of the population that just wants to know when the next episode of Jersey Shore will air.
26 June 2012
25 June 2012
24 June 2012
Friendly Advice
Think real hard about taking advice from someone who talks about themselves in the third person and uses the imperial we in normal conversation.
Even if it's free advice, you may be overpaying.
Even if it's free advice, you may be overpaying.
Afterburner with Bill Whittle: Follow the Ideology
Fast and Furious is important, folks. Make sure others know, spread the word.
Fact Based Or Opinion Based
If you are, indeed, taking a factual position all you need to do is present your argument, show your data, make your conclusion.
It will stand.
If someone can offer data that alters your findings, you change your position because conflicting data has the ability to change the conclusions.
You can also account for the new data and why it is not relevant to the conclusion or show other data of your own that mitigates the seeming conflict.
What you don't get to do is call anyone who refuses to accept your conclusion at face value insane.
Of course your opening paragraph announced that you'd closed your mind and wouldn't be considering new data, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at the last line.
It will stand.
If someone can offer data that alters your findings, you change your position because conflicting data has the ability to change the conclusions.
You can also account for the new data and why it is not relevant to the conclusion or show other data of your own that mitigates the seeming conflict.
What you don't get to do is call anyone who refuses to accept your conclusion at face value insane.
Of course your opening paragraph announced that you'd closed your mind and wouldn't be considering new data, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at the last line.
Poignées Pour Le Pistolet Et Le Revolver
Yesterday I decided I needed a drive and there was a gun show in Fort Meyers.
Not too crowded because of the rain.
I scored some Hogue stocks for my Colt Detective Special.
It's a big improvement over the wooden stocks in both appearance and feel (Colt does some damn shiny blue don't they?).
The old stocks had been abused, victims of neglect and improper reassembly. I liked the wood stocks fine for looks and they were OK for feel, but they were falling apart and replacements for a '73 model Detective Special are, shall we say, rare collectables. There's lots of support for the earlier generations, the last iteration is kind of a red-headed step child.
Next at the show I acquired a lower parts kit in anticipation for the conclusion of a group purchase from the Arfcom Florida Home Team Forum. We've managed to convince Spike's Tactical to sell us stripped lower receivers with a Florida state outline in place of their more normal spider logo. CMMG brand LPK for those scoring at home. My other choices at the show were DPMS and the guy who has all the little pieces and parts.
The LPK came with the ubiquitous A2 pistol grip. Anyone who builds a couple of AR's ends up with a few of these things laying around (either because they used something like a Magpul grip or went retro or both). The CMMG grip is noticeably smaller than others in the parts bin. So far the best feeling A2 grip I have a genuine Colt take-off. It's the meter I judge the others by. It's a little wider and a touch longer and fills the hand better. The pistol grips that came with my Del-Ton kits back in 2007 match pretty well. DPMS is next closest. Anvil Arms and CMMG both included this smaller thing.
I think I may take the Colt off Kaylee, apply it to the new build and put an A1 back on.
UPDATE:
Brownells sells a genuine Colt A2 pistol grip for a mere $15. This is one item where I think Colt might be worth the extra money if you want to have an A2 type grip.
Not too crowded because of the rain.
I scored some Hogue stocks for my Colt Detective Special.
It's a big improvement over the wooden stocks in both appearance and feel (Colt does some damn shiny blue don't they?).
The old stocks had been abused, victims of neglect and improper reassembly. I liked the wood stocks fine for looks and they were OK for feel, but they were falling apart and replacements for a '73 model Detective Special are, shall we say, rare collectables. There's lots of support for the earlier generations, the last iteration is kind of a red-headed step child.
Next at the show I acquired a lower parts kit in anticipation for the conclusion of a group purchase from the Arfcom Florida Home Team Forum. We've managed to convince Spike's Tactical to sell us stripped lower receivers with a Florida state outline in place of their more normal spider logo. CMMG brand LPK for those scoring at home. My other choices at the show were DPMS and the guy who has all the little pieces and parts.
The LPK came with the ubiquitous A2 pistol grip. Anyone who builds a couple of AR's ends up with a few of these things laying around (either because they used something like a Magpul grip or went retro or both). The CMMG grip is noticeably smaller than others in the parts bin. So far the best feeling A2 grip I have a genuine Colt take-off. It's the meter I judge the others by. It's a little wider and a touch longer and fills the hand better. The pistol grips that came with my Del-Ton kits back in 2007 match pretty well. DPMS is next closest. Anvil Arms and CMMG both included this smaller thing.
I think I may take the Colt off Kaylee, apply it to the new build and put an A1 back on.
UPDATE:
Brownells sells a genuine Colt A2 pistol grip for a mere $15. This is one item where I think Colt might be worth the extra money if you want to have an A2 type grip.
23 June 2012
Statistics
ATF has released their 2011 numbers.
We're making more, importing more, and exporting less.
Dramatic spikes beginning in 2008 for some reason, but notice how things were tapering down in 2000 or so... Looks like the gun grabbers should support Republicans.
Also interesting is the number of NFA items registered in places where the unwashed cannot own them. It is interesting to see how small the NFA club is too.
We're making more, importing more, and exporting less.
Dramatic spikes beginning in 2008 for some reason, but notice how things were tapering down in 2000 or so... Looks like the gun grabbers should support Republicans.
Also interesting is the number of NFA items registered in places where the unwashed cannot own them. It is interesting to see how small the NFA club is too.
22 June 2012
Winning?
I wore my "Am I the only person on the planet that didn't get guns from the ATF" shirt to grab a sub for lunch at Subway.
The girl behind the counter knew what it meant and so did a fellow customer.
I think the message is out despite the media burying the story.
The girl behind the counter knew what it meant and so did a fellow customer.
I think the message is out despite the media burying the story.
21 June 2012
Wisdom
Saying that socialism will work if only the right people were in charge is a lot like saying that shit tastes wonderful if you find the right cook.
20 June 2012
My How It Burns
I recently stumbled back across Man Conquers Space.
Their main page has trailers. With a timeline.
The tagline at the end of one of the trailers is, "Not a true story. But it could have been..."
Oh the burning rage at that! Not only could it have been, it SHOULD have been.
Gods DAMN you Lyndon Baines Johnson for your budget devouring "Great Society". Also damn you and your successor Richard Milhous Nixon for cementing the impression that space exploration was something that only governments did or could afford to do.
But most of all Gods DAMN NASA for leaching the talent and consuming the funds to get us no further than Godsdamned Skylab for the last forty fucking years.
Damn you all and may you burn in the fires of the Nine Hells.
Space was the very first place where I noticed that government is a hinderance not an enabler. Yes, there are things that cannot be started unless a nation state-like level of wealth and power is applied to them, but once started the state must leave or it will die.
Their main page has trailers. With a timeline.
The tagline at the end of one of the trailers is, "Not a true story. But it could have been..."
Oh the burning rage at that! Not only could it have been, it SHOULD have been.
Gods DAMN you Lyndon Baines Johnson for your budget devouring "Great Society". Also damn you and your successor Richard Milhous Nixon for cementing the impression that space exploration was something that only governments did or could afford to do.
But most of all Gods DAMN NASA for leaching the talent and consuming the funds to get us no further than Godsdamned Skylab for the last forty fucking years.
Damn you all and may you burn in the fires of the Nine Hells.
Space was the very first place where I noticed that government is a hinderance not an enabler. Yes, there are things that cannot be started unless a nation state-like level of wealth and power is applied to them, but once started the state must leave or it will die.
19 June 2012
Contract
The Constitution is a contract between the government and the people.
If the government is not going to be bound by it any longer; neither are we.
I think that our present state is very close to losing the consent of the governed.
If the government is not going to be bound by it any longer; neither are we.
I think that our present state is very close to losing the consent of the governed.
17 June 2012
16 June 2012
Introspective
I am proud of my military service.
Knowing now what I didn't know then, I don't think I would have joined.
I was a bad fit with the Army. While I had some fun, I was in general pretty unhappy. It ultimately led to my being crippled.
The person I am today would have joined the Marines. The person I was at 18 should not have joined.
I don't feel my recruiter said anything that was untrue. There was just so damn much that was unsaid.
Knowing now what I didn't know then, I don't think I would have joined.
I was a bad fit with the Army. While I had some fun, I was in general pretty unhappy. It ultimately led to my being crippled.
The person I am today would have joined the Marines. The person I was at 18 should not have joined.
I don't feel my recruiter said anything that was untrue. There was just so damn much that was unsaid.
15 June 2012
Simple Math
Why hiring a government employee does nothing to stimulate the economy.
We will assume that everyone mentioned is single and pays their full tax rate and takes the standard deduction for simplicity.
Let's say we have a government employee who makes $50,000 a year (roughly a GS-9 step 1). Their taxable income is $44,050 and they are just into the 25% bracket and will end up paying $6,172.50 in taxes. Because money is fungible that means that they are really costing the government $43,727.50 to pay them because their taxes return to the same pile that's paying them.
So, how many $50,000 jobs does it take before we've collected enough taxes to pay one government employee the same salary? Simple math. They pay $6,172.50 each, so $43,727.50 / $6,172.50 = 7.1 (rounded).
7.1 * $50,000 = $355,022.28 in private sector income to pay enough straight taxes to make one government employee's SALARY.
Just for laughs, you have to be making $238,198.49 for a single person to be paying enough taxes to pay for one $50,000 government salary.
None of this counts the taxes the employer is paying nor the overhead costs of the government employee. The rule of thumb is that it costs three times as much as the salary for every employee. So we'd need to triple the number of workers to support each government wage. And the businesses hiring our tax payers need to have triple their salaries to pay THEIR overhead too.
So to pay one government employee it takes $3,195,200.49 in revenue that will go entirely to salary. In reality it's going to be much more since a business will also need to buy non-overhead items and will expect to make a profit.
Pretty staggering, huh?
EDIT:
How many 35 hour a week minimum wage ($7.67/hr) workers does it take to pay one $50k a year government salary? 50.261 straight up, 150.78 to account for overhead.
That's a $13,959.40 annual income, $8,009.40 taxable; $800.94 paid in taxes.
That's a lot of people flipping burgers, isn't it?
EDIT AGAIN:
Not a penny of these taxes mentioned is going towards buying anything, like paving roads, delivering mail, arming troops or launching ships.
We will assume that everyone mentioned is single and pays their full tax rate and takes the standard deduction for simplicity.
Let's say we have a government employee who makes $50,000 a year (roughly a GS-9 step 1). Their taxable income is $44,050 and they are just into the 25% bracket and will end up paying $6,172.50 in taxes. Because money is fungible that means that they are really costing the government $43,727.50 to pay them because their taxes return to the same pile that's paying them.
So, how many $50,000 jobs does it take before we've collected enough taxes to pay one government employee the same salary? Simple math. They pay $6,172.50 each, so $43,727.50 / $6,172.50 = 7.1 (rounded).
7.1 * $50,000 = $355,022.28 in private sector income to pay enough straight taxes to make one government employee's SALARY.
Just for laughs, you have to be making $238,198.49 for a single person to be paying enough taxes to pay for one $50,000 government salary.
None of this counts the taxes the employer is paying nor the overhead costs of the government employee. The rule of thumb is that it costs three times as much as the salary for every employee. So we'd need to triple the number of workers to support each government wage. And the businesses hiring our tax payers need to have triple their salaries to pay THEIR overhead too.
So to pay one government employee it takes $3,195,200.49 in revenue that will go entirely to salary. In reality it's going to be much more since a business will also need to buy non-overhead items and will expect to make a profit.
Pretty staggering, huh?
EDIT:
How many 35 hour a week minimum wage ($7.67/hr) workers does it take to pay one $50k a year government salary? 50.261 straight up, 150.78 to account for overhead.
That's a $13,959.40 annual income, $8,009.40 taxable; $800.94 paid in taxes.
That's a lot of people flipping burgers, isn't it?
EDIT AGAIN:
Not a penny of these taxes mentioned is going towards buying anything, like paving roads, delivering mail, arming troops or launching ships.
14 June 2012
Cruffler
I think it is about time for me to get an FFL.
A type 03 FFL to be exact.
$30 for three years and no transfer fees on guns I buy out of state if they're on the C&R list.
Seems like a deal; especially when you consider the discounts that some places give for any FFL.
A type 03 FFL to be exact.
$30 for three years and no transfer fees on guns I buy out of state if they're on the C&R list.
Seems like a deal; especially when you consider the discounts that some places give for any FFL.
13 June 2012
Happy Blogoversary To Me!
Eight years ago I started blogging at LiveJournal!
I'm shocked sometimes that I have been at this longer than some of the big boys in total time.
Of course, starting out at LJ kinda guaranteed obscurity. I got more hits in my first year of Blogger than I did the entire previous five at LJ...
Thanks to Weer'd for showing me the way out into the "big boy" world.
I'm shocked sometimes that I have been at this longer than some of the big boys in total time.
Of course, starting out at LJ kinda guaranteed obscurity. I got more hits in my first year of Blogger than I did the entire previous five at LJ...
Thanks to Weer'd for showing me the way out into the "big boy" world.
Bail
Something that's been bothering me about the Zimmerman proceedings has been the issue of bail.
He failed to disclose how much his legal defense fund had in it, and that caused the judge to set bail too low?
Where is it written that bail must be set at a financially ruinous level?
Near as I can tell it seems to be set at 105% of your total net worth.
Why?
Leave me with nothing and I have no reason not to walk the fuck away from it. You've got to leave me enough to want to stay while also taking enough that I will be good to get it back.
That's not 105%.
He failed to disclose how much his legal defense fund had in it, and that caused the judge to set bail too low?
Where is it written that bail must be set at a financially ruinous level?
Near as I can tell it seems to be set at 105% of your total net worth.
Why?
Leave me with nothing and I have no reason not to walk the fuck away from it. You've got to leave me enough to want to stay while also taking enough that I will be good to get it back.
That's not 105%.
Guns Are Completely Banned In Russia
Read this.
Quote: "The first-time owner must also obtain a medical certification that he or she does not have any disqualifying conditions, such as mental illness or alcoholism."
Alcoholism is a disqualifying condition in Russia for owning a firearm.
What exactly gets you called an alcoholic in Russia? Distilling the vodka into a more pure form of super alcohol?
Quote: "The first-time owner must also obtain a medical certification that he or she does not have any disqualifying conditions, such as mental illness or alcoholism."
Alcoholism is a disqualifying condition in Russia for owning a firearm.
What exactly gets you called an alcoholic in Russia? Distilling the vodka into a more pure form of super alcohol?
11 June 2012
Coriolanus
Considering the US' propensity of tossing her soldiers to the wolves once the fighting has ended, they should consider this 400+ year old play by Shakespeare.
The Ralph Fiennes version is very good.
The Ralph Fiennes version is very good.
AMC Theaters
AMC Theaters have a "No Weapons" sticker on their door.
I flagrantly ignored it.
Nothing bad happened.
I flagrantly ignored it.
Nothing bad happened.
10 June 2012
Father's Day!
A week early.
The Boy got me a new box. I love wooden boxes.
All my sundry cleaning equipment, solvents and lubricants fit nicely and really make the shelf in the closet look better.
The Boy got me a new box. I love wooden boxes.
All my sundry cleaning equipment, solvents and lubricants fit nicely and really make the shelf in the closet look better.
A Mild Bit Of Excitement
0430 Saturday morning we got a visit from a Sheriff's Deputy.
There's water in the phone lines and our line apparently dialed 911 and disconnected. The same water is preventing anyone from calling the house phone. Joy.
The Lovely Harvey comes running into where I was head-banging with my headphones on and says, ".........................................!" which I don't hear because I have headphones on.
Taking them off I hear the third repetition, "There's someone ringing the doorbell!" So I grab Kaylee, chamber a round and head for the door. I look out the peep and there's Deputy Friendly. Saying, to Harvey, but too loud, "Honey, I just answered the door with a gun and it's the cops!"
Putting the gun around the corner of the couch, I open the door and get the story.
Looks like a call to Verizon is in my future.
There's water in the phone lines and our line apparently dialed 911 and disconnected. The same water is preventing anyone from calling the house phone. Joy.
The Lovely Harvey comes running into where I was head-banging with my headphones on and says, ".........................................!" which I don't hear because I have headphones on.
Taking them off I hear the third repetition, "There's someone ringing the doorbell!" So I grab Kaylee, chamber a round and head for the door. I look out the peep and there's Deputy Friendly. Saying, to Harvey, but too loud, "Honey, I just answered the door with a gun and it's the cops!"
Putting the gun around the corner of the couch, I open the door and get the story.
Looks like a call to Verizon is in my future.
09 June 2012
Player Characters Don't
I sort of specialized in military role playing when I was playing regularly.
Twilight 2000 was my first venture, in both original and GURPS conversion.
I've run many campaigns since where the party are soldiers or mercenaries.
One constant throughout: No player makes a character with a belt-fed gun willingly. The rest of the party may force them into it, but they never do it on their own.
They are heavy, the ammo is heavy and they are expensive. So nobody wants to lug one around.
GURPS even has rules that make them a better idea than an assault rifle.
I have broken convention by making a character for a friend's SEAL game, he's carrying an M60.
Take that players!
Twilight 2000 was my first venture, in both original and GURPS conversion.
I've run many campaigns since where the party are soldiers or mercenaries.
One constant throughout: No player makes a character with a belt-fed gun willingly. The rest of the party may force them into it, but they never do it on their own.
They are heavy, the ammo is heavy and they are expensive. So nobody wants to lug one around.
GURPS even has rules that make them a better idea than an assault rifle.
I have broken convention by making a character for a friend's SEAL game, he's carrying an M60.
Take that players!
Perpendicular
If you are in the path of something falling or rolling, run at a right angle to that path not along it.
You are not Yosemite Sam. You do not have to conform the the rules established by Chuck Jones.
This advice works on trees, lamp post, telephone poles, tires and rolling alien spaceships.
You are not Yosemite Sam. You do not have to conform the the rules established by Chuck Jones.
This advice works on trees, lamp post, telephone poles, tires and rolling alien spaceships.
08 June 2012
Wrong Response
A day of silence to show some pissant what for?
Said pissant WANTS us to be silent and leave him alone, that's why he's doing the things he's done.
Spread the word farther and louder; like the other day, not go black.
Update:
THIS is how you do it!
Said pissant WANTS us to be silent and leave him alone, that's why he's doing the things he's done.
Spread the word farther and louder; like the other day, not go black.
Update:
THIS is how you do it!
07 June 2012
Predictors
In 1994 Clinton, with a Democrat majority in both houses of Congress, passed draconian gun control. Like we predicted they would.
In 2008 Obama, with a Democrat majority in both houses of Congress, passed socialist health care. Like we predicted they would.
In 2000 Bush, with a Republican majority in both houses of Congress, passed a sweeping ban on abortion. Like you predicted they would.
But wait, one of those things didn't happen. Did it?
In 2008 Obama, with a Democrat majority in both houses of Congress, passed socialist health care. Like we predicted they would.
In 2000 Bush, with a Republican majority in both houses of Congress, passed a sweeping ban on abortion. Like you predicted they would.
But wait, one of those things didn't happen. Did it?
06 June 2012
Bad Translation Theatre
He! Diese Nazi mit einer Kamera ist ein Jude!
Wie kann er eine Nazi sein, wenn er ein Jude ist?
Gut ist er bestimmt ein Jude, so möglicherweise er ist nicht eine Nazi.
Sind Sie er sind ein Jude sicher? Er ist russisch.
Russisch? Wenn er russisch ist, dass Durchschnitte sein Familienname nicht bedeutet, dass was ich dachte, bedeutete es. Kümmern Sie nie sich.
Apologies to Mr (or should I say HERR?) Volk.
h/t Tam
Wie kann er eine Nazi sein, wenn er ein Jude ist?
Gut ist er bestimmt ein Jude, so möglicherweise er ist nicht eine Nazi.
Sind Sie er sind ein Jude sicher? Er ist russisch.
Russisch? Wenn er russisch ist, dass Durchschnitte sein Familienname nicht bedeutet, dass was ich dachte, bedeutete es. Kümmern Sie nie sich.
Apologies to Mr (or should I say HERR?) Volk.
h/t Tam
05 June 2012
Sickness Update
OK, maybe I was sicker than I thought.
Second day on the anti-biotics and I definitely feel more myself.
Second day on the anti-biotics and I definitely feel more myself.
Branding Ramble
People get attached to brands.
I'm as guilty as the next guy. There're two Chevy's parked here.
I know why I chose my Chevys. My first moddable car was a '76 Camaro. I learned a lot about wrenching on that car and discovered that rodding a Chevy was a ton cheaper than Ford or MOPAR (at least at the time, it could be different now).
There's brand specific knowledge that you pick up, so my next projects were also Chevy. No need to learn new things staying in brand.
But this fails to explain why some people are so damned militant about their brand of AR.
You hear that Colt is best. OK. Quantify that.
Cue cricket.
There was a lengthy thread on Arfcom where the attempt to fuss out what breaks on lesser carbines was made. Pat Roberts even posted his observations from running carbine classes. Wanna know what breaks on a "cheap" AR? The bolt, extractor and gas key. Pages and pages of blue cursing and bile and the conclusion seems to be: Buy a cheap AR, get a complete Colt bolt from Brownells and check the staking on the gas key.
Colt does make a decent product, but cosmetically they can be quite bad. Doesn't affect the function, but it's rough. For less money I can get pretty with the same function. I mentioned it in one of the threads talking about the cosmetics, "If they don't care to bother making the outside smooth and regular, why would I develop any confidence it's any better inside?" It shows they are cheaping out on something. A $1,500+ AR had better be as cosmetically pleasing as a $800 one.
There's a lot of snobbery about kit guns too. Every single one of my ARs is a kit gun. Mostly because it's cheaper and I like configurations that aren't offered as complete rifles from the large makers. It gets amusing because they are talking up Colt quality and bad mouthing kit guns... My R604 clone is nearly all Colt parts. Just the lower receiver and lower parts kit are non-Colt; the rest is entirely Air Force surplus. It's my best shooting 5.56 AR... But it's a mere kit gun, so the Colt content is irrelevant.
Never mind the political Bullshit that never stops from Colt. There's a laundry list of things that were different on a Colt than any other AR because they kept trying to curry favor by neutering their guns. Then there was the great LE screwing where they'd go the extra mile to make sure their distributors were not selling guns to mere civilians. More obscure is the perpetual contract from the 1966 "one time buy" that just keeps getting amended that keeps the price up and ruins competition because of how the technical data package will be handled. Did you know the M16 was the first milspec item that referred to confidential data from the original maker and not just to a drawing included in the spec? There are several places that effectively say, "See Colt's drawing for the actual specification." To make a genuinely milspec AR you need to have that drawing and meet its specifications.
You could reverse engineer it, and many have, but you'd still need the drawing to confirm you'd succeeded. The '66 contract makes sure you will and you will pay Colt for it.
I'm as guilty as the next guy. There're two Chevy's parked here.
I know why I chose my Chevys. My first moddable car was a '76 Camaro. I learned a lot about wrenching on that car and discovered that rodding a Chevy was a ton cheaper than Ford or MOPAR (at least at the time, it could be different now).
There's brand specific knowledge that you pick up, so my next projects were also Chevy. No need to learn new things staying in brand.
But this fails to explain why some people are so damned militant about their brand of AR.
You hear that Colt is best. OK. Quantify that.
Cue cricket.
There was a lengthy thread on Arfcom where the attempt to fuss out what breaks on lesser carbines was made. Pat Roberts even posted his observations from running carbine classes. Wanna know what breaks on a "cheap" AR? The bolt, extractor and gas key. Pages and pages of blue cursing and bile and the conclusion seems to be: Buy a cheap AR, get a complete Colt bolt from Brownells and check the staking on the gas key.
Colt does make a decent product, but cosmetically they can be quite bad. Doesn't affect the function, but it's rough. For less money I can get pretty with the same function. I mentioned it in one of the threads talking about the cosmetics, "If they don't care to bother making the outside smooth and regular, why would I develop any confidence it's any better inside?" It shows they are cheaping out on something. A $1,500+ AR had better be as cosmetically pleasing as a $800 one.
There's a lot of snobbery about kit guns too. Every single one of my ARs is a kit gun. Mostly because it's cheaper and I like configurations that aren't offered as complete rifles from the large makers. It gets amusing because they are talking up Colt quality and bad mouthing kit guns... My R604 clone is nearly all Colt parts. Just the lower receiver and lower parts kit are non-Colt; the rest is entirely Air Force surplus. It's my best shooting 5.56 AR... But it's a mere kit gun, so the Colt content is irrelevant.
Never mind the political Bullshit that never stops from Colt. There's a laundry list of things that were different on a Colt than any other AR because they kept trying to curry favor by neutering their guns. Then there was the great LE screwing where they'd go the extra mile to make sure their distributors were not selling guns to mere civilians. More obscure is the perpetual contract from the 1966 "one time buy" that just keeps getting amended that keeps the price up and ruins competition because of how the technical data package will be handled. Did you know the M16 was the first milspec item that referred to confidential data from the original maker and not just to a drawing included in the spec? There are several places that effectively say, "See Colt's drawing for the actual specification." To make a genuinely milspec AR you need to have that drawing and meet its specifications.
You could reverse engineer it, and many have, but you'd still need the drawing to confirm you'd succeeded. The '66 contract makes sure you will and you will pay Colt for it.
04 June 2012
Lookit Me! I Almost Died!
Turns out the series of boils were an internal staph infection.
I have had my newest boils lanced and drained, got antibiotics and been admonished for not going to see the doctor sooner.
He indicated that I am lucky to have as robust an immune system as I appear to have. I merely had a mild fever, but the stuff in the boils indicated the infection was more severe than my fever was showing.
Also my blood pressure is quite good.
I have had my newest boils lanced and drained, got antibiotics and been admonished for not going to see the doctor sooner.
He indicated that I am lucky to have as robust an immune system as I appear to have. I merely had a mild fever, but the stuff in the boils indicated the infection was more severe than my fever was showing.
Also my blood pressure is quite good.
Fun With Key Fob Cameras And Suction Cup Mounts
The scraping as I back out is the air-dam; not the nose. Vettes are low to the ground.
03 June 2012
Explain
Explain to me why when I buy a gun from a FEDERAL firearms license holder and there is a NATIONAL instant check system I cannot buy that gun in a state which I do not live.
Yes, I know there are exceptions concerning long guns, but few FFLs will even when it is legal.
Yes, I know there are exceptions concerning long guns, but few FFLs will even when it is legal.
02 June 2012
New Patch New Scenery
Notice the parked Skyhawk?
It is also June 1st, 1965 in the game. Love the coincidence.
By the way, OK 3 wire.
From the previous mission.
01 June 2012
The Die Is Cast
The lowers went out to Ident this morning. Should have them back in two to three weeks. Some people are involved in this, I am committed; or should be.
05Jun12 Update: Lowers have been delivered to Ident.
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