It's sometimes remarkable what gets you to give up going to a forum.
Buh bye arfcom!
Incestual rape isn't funny and isn't a joking matter.
If the site staff isn't even going to give the asshole a time out for it, I don't think I want to be associated with the place any longer.
Which is a shame because there is some good stuff there in some of the more technically focused forums. Losing the retro section as a resource is going to suck.
31 August 2014
29 August 2014
To Put It Another Way
About resurrection-cloning.
There will be a person whose perspective is they went to sleep/blacked out and then woke up.
How they feel about who they are NOW is mostly determined by how they felt about it BEFORE.
I suspect that the people who feel strongly that the clone isn't, and can't be, them won't avail themselves of the service.
If such a service becomes even somewhat widely available I also suspect that the perspective that the clone cannot be you will be lost. Dying and waking up in a new body will simply become how things are and there won't be a philosophical divide about it.
There will be a person whose perspective is they went to sleep/blacked out and then woke up.
How they feel about who they are NOW is mostly determined by how they felt about it BEFORE.
I suspect that the people who feel strongly that the clone isn't, and can't be, them won't avail themselves of the service.
If such a service becomes even somewhat widely available I also suspect that the perspective that the clone cannot be you will be lost. Dying and waking up in a new body will simply become how things are and there won't be a philosophical divide about it.
May Day (US)
It is labor day weekend! One of the few national holidays where I say get out there and SHOP! Why? Because it's a Marxist/Leninist/Socialist holiday. The rest of the world does it on May 1st, but our native commies tried to hide its origins.
So, stick it to the working man and indulge in crass capitalistic behavior! Triple word score if you can force a union worker to work Monday.
So, stick it to the working man and indulge in crass capitalistic behavior! Triple word score if you can force a union worker to work Monday.
28 August 2014
That Whole 1911 v 1911A1 Thing
I was looking at past posts and notice that I mentioned liking the feel of the flat mainspring housing and long trigger.
My how quickly that feeling faded into a desire for it to feel familiar in my hand.
I blame my acquisition of the Hi-Power for the change.
It's kind of illustrative how fickle "feel" can be.
The constant swapping of furniture on the AR's is another indicator.
Even though there's a constant quest to get the perfect feel, it's also amazing how adaptive we can be towards ergonomics we cannot so readily change.
My how quickly that feeling faded into a desire for it to feel familiar in my hand.
I blame my acquisition of the Hi-Power for the change.
It's kind of illustrative how fickle "feel" can be.
The constant swapping of furniture on the AR's is another indicator.
Even though there's a constant quest to get the perfect feel, it's also amazing how adaptive we can be towards ergonomics we cannot so readily change.
Free Insurance
I remember when the $2,500 the NRA offers for insurance on your guns was enough to cover everything I owned...
Now...
The steady accumulation over the past 20 years really shows.
Now...
The steady accumulation over the past 20 years really shows.
Worshipping Milspec
On one hand, milspec is something that's passed stringent testing and made to a very tight tolerance.
On the other, should a genuine improvement in process or material or dimension come along; mil-spec is an inflexible barrier to change.
One need not look farther for an example than the extractor spring on the M16 series. Colt had identified a solution to the problems encountered on many rifles but the DoD determined that it wasn't happening on enough rifles to justify making a change to the supply chain. At least not for a very long time. Even so, further improvement has been made in the civilian sector, and is not (officially) allowed on the mil's guns.
It's especially amusing to watch someone extoll the virtues of mil-spec on their rifle while shunning the very much mil-spec USGI 30-round magazine.
On the other, should a genuine improvement in process or material or dimension come along; mil-spec is an inflexible barrier to change.
One need not look farther for an example than the extractor spring on the M16 series. Colt had identified a solution to the problems encountered on many rifles but the DoD determined that it wasn't happening on enough rifles to justify making a change to the supply chain. At least not for a very long time. Even so, further improvement has been made in the civilian sector, and is not (officially) allowed on the mil's guns.
It's especially amusing to watch someone extoll the virtues of mil-spec on their rifle while shunning the very much mil-spec USGI 30-round magazine.
Cracked
Tam made a post a while back talking about the 10mm's propensity to crack the frame right above the slide stop cut-out.
Colt's solution was to open up the cut-out all the way.
What I noticed today was that 10mm isn't the only place they've done it. My .38 Super came with an open cut-out too.
By way of contrast, my 2006 Springfield USGI in .45 is thus:
Marv's 1983 made .45 is from before the change.
It makes me wonder if .38 Super had the same cracking problem as 10mm or if Colt just made the change to the cut-out on all of their 1911s.
Colt's solution was to open up the cut-out all the way.
What I noticed today was that 10mm isn't the only place they've done it. My .38 Super came with an open cut-out too.
By way of contrast, my 2006 Springfield USGI in .45 is thus:
Marv's 1983 made .45 is from before the change.
It makes me wonder if .38 Super had the same cracking problem as 10mm or if Colt just made the change to the cut-out on all of their 1911s.
27 August 2014
The Way .38 Super Should Be
Because .38 Super was introduced in 1929, the guns were always 1911A1 pattern. Scalloped frame, arched mainspring housing and short trigger.
My gun has the scallops, but it's presently stylish to put the long trigger and flat mainspring housings on them. Which makes the gun feel wrong in my hand.
So I fixed it! I had it in my head that this was going to be hard. Not even a little bit difficult, even lining up the series 80 linkage was a non-event.
Obviously, I've corrected the "problem" by changing some parts around.
I'm kind of bemused at myself here. Purist enough to want it fully in an A1 configuration; but leaving the better, taller sights and not having any sort of kittens about theplastic polymer mainspring housings. Even the series 80 part doesn't bother me.
My gun has the scallops, but it's presently stylish to put the long trigger and flat mainspring housings on them. Which makes the gun feel wrong in my hand.
So I fixed it! I had it in my head that this was going to be hard. Not even a little bit difficult, even lining up the series 80 linkage was a non-event.
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| At last, my hand is complete! |
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| As she left the Colt factory. |
I'm kind of bemused at myself here. Purist enough to want it fully in an A1 configuration; but leaving the better, taller sights and not having any sort of kittens about the
How Things Work FAL Edition
Because Weer'ds comment section is malfunctioning...
Photos taken of pages from Small Arms of the World 12th Edition, Ezell (1990).
How this all works... In semi the trigger rotates, taking the sear with it and that releases the hammer. The sear pivots on the same pin as the trigger, but is slotted. When the nose of the sear is caught by the hammer, it's pushed back and the tail of the sear rests above a shelf on the trigger. It's this shelf that raises the tail of the sear, thus lowering the nose and releasing the hammer. As soon as the hammer is flying, the sear moves forward and the tail drops down into a groove in the trigger and raises the nose to catch the hammer as the bolt-carrier resets it; which shoves the sear back into the groove so you have to release the trigger to let it slide on its slot and put the tail over the shelf again.
The safety sear tries to catch the hammer every shot. When the bolt carrier locks the bolt, the rest of its movement pivots the safety sear and releases the hammer. In semi-auto mode, that lets the sear grab it, but in auto, the trigger can pivot a bit more and the nose of the sear is held too low for it to grab the hammer; it's the safety sear releasing that sets off the next round.
Military FALs which were "semi-auto-only" have a block on the selector on the outside of the gun. Inch pattern guns have a lobe that will hit the upper receiver preventing it from rotating all the way to the auto position.
Metric guns have a hook that engages a pin on the lower that prevents the same movement.
The shaft of the selector in both cases is still cut with the extra depth that lets the trigger move the nose of the sear below the notch of the hammer. As you can see, a couple of minutes with a grinder or Dremel will restore the auto-mode.
In the US, having the safety sear, or even having the upper cut to accept it, makes your FAL a machine-gun unless you have one of the very few "sear-cut" guns FN imported under the Browning imprint.
Photos taken of pages from Small Arms of the World 12th Edition, Ezell (1990).
How this all works... In semi the trigger rotates, taking the sear with it and that releases the hammer. The sear pivots on the same pin as the trigger, but is slotted. When the nose of the sear is caught by the hammer, it's pushed back and the tail of the sear rests above a shelf on the trigger. It's this shelf that raises the tail of the sear, thus lowering the nose and releasing the hammer. As soon as the hammer is flying, the sear moves forward and the tail drops down into a groove in the trigger and raises the nose to catch the hammer as the bolt-carrier resets it; which shoves the sear back into the groove so you have to release the trigger to let it slide on its slot and put the tail over the shelf again.
The safety sear tries to catch the hammer every shot. When the bolt carrier locks the bolt, the rest of its movement pivots the safety sear and releases the hammer. In semi-auto mode, that lets the sear grab it, but in auto, the trigger can pivot a bit more and the nose of the sear is held too low for it to grab the hammer; it's the safety sear releasing that sets off the next round.
Military FALs which were "semi-auto-only" have a block on the selector on the outside of the gun. Inch pattern guns have a lobe that will hit the upper receiver preventing it from rotating all the way to the auto position.
The shaft of the selector in both cases is still cut with the extra depth that lets the trigger move the nose of the sear below the notch of the hammer. As you can see, a couple of minutes with a grinder or Dremel will restore the auto-mode.
In the US, having the safety sear, or even having the upper cut to accept it, makes your FAL a machine-gun unless you have one of the very few "sear-cut" guns FN imported under the Browning imprint.
What If
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| Click To Embiggen Open In New Tab For Full Size |
I'd imagine there'd be hasta vs pilum and gladius vs spatha debates on ARXV.com and MIV.net...
Special thanks to Willard for the inspired artwork!
26 August 2014
25 August 2014
1033
Among the things that piss me off about the 1033 program is the fact the Federal Government is giving the material away.
Material that would surely sell would that an exception in 18 USC §922(o) be carved out for CMP.
For some things, they don't even need that exception. There's a passle of folks who'd love to lay hands on unmolested M16A1 uppers for their retro builds. Double infuriating here since many 1033 recipients are tossing that upper into the corner while they make an M4 out of the 1033 gun.
Unrelated to guns, my county nabbed five surplus OH-58C from this program because Bell 206 parts are relatively available only to discover that there's significant differences between the OH-58 and 206 in many important parts. They also found that the idea of cannibalizing parts might get them in trouble because they might not be able to readily restore the parts-birds to "as given" condition.
Material that would surely sell would that an exception in 18 USC §922(o) be carved out for CMP.
For some things, they don't even need that exception. There's a passle of folks who'd love to lay hands on unmolested M16A1 uppers for their retro builds. Double infuriating here since many 1033 recipients are tossing that upper into the corner while they make an M4 out of the 1033 gun.
Unrelated to guns, my county nabbed five surplus OH-58C from this program because Bell 206 parts are relatively available only to discover that there's significant differences between the OH-58 and 206 in many important parts. They also found that the idea of cannibalizing parts might get them in trouble because they might not be able to readily restore the parts-birds to "as given" condition.
Changed The Ammo
Pretty weak complaint.
The change to M855A1 in the trials was because the Army was changing over to the new round and the supplicants would have to accommodate it.
I've been reading about the new round and it wasn't "tailored for the M4", it's a replacement round for every 5.56x45mm NATO gun in the inventory.
Grumble.
The change to M855A1 in the trials was because the Army was changing over to the new round and the supplicants would have to accommodate it.
I've been reading about the new round and it wasn't "tailored for the M4", it's a replacement round for every 5.56x45mm NATO gun in the inventory.
Grumble.
Tea Leaves
Ever see someone doing DNA testing?
They squirt fluids into vials and stuff.
Then a pattern emerges.
Viola! DNA match! or not.
I am not going to pretend I understand the process, what it looks like more than in general or how it works. I do know that it's repeatable. I've seen enough of it explained that I can grasp the idea of what's going on even if I don't know the details.
Someone from the 18th century would call you a witch because what's going on is apparently no different from reading tea leaves.
What's that old line? Something about sufficiently advanced technology?
This sort of thing is what divides the Tech Levels in games.
They squirt fluids into vials and stuff.
Then a pattern emerges.
Viola! DNA match! or not.
I am not going to pretend I understand the process, what it looks like more than in general or how it works. I do know that it's repeatable. I've seen enough of it explained that I can grasp the idea of what's going on even if I don't know the details.
What's that old line? Something about sufficiently advanced technology?
This sort of thing is what divides the Tech Levels in games.
22 August 2014
Credit
To give credit, where credit is due.
When I asked Marv how often he checked to make sure his powder measure was feeding the correct amount of powder; his answer wasn't "huh?"
When I asked Marv how often he checked to make sure his powder measure was feeding the correct amount of powder; his answer wasn't "huh?"
Blame
Got linked to an article about the militarization of the cops.
Nixon and Reagan are entirely to blame it seems.
Except...
It's not JUST them.
Until recently, a president needed Congress to pass the laws they were signing and enforcing. Congress was decidedly one party from 1955 to 1994 in the house and with the exception of 1981-1987 the senate too.
That'd make it bipartisan, wouldn't it?
I also notice that while the Democrats controlled both congress and the white house they didn't rush out to repeal the laws which offend us so today. Nor did any Republican president condemn those laws.
Again, bipartisan.
I'd like to say that the Republicans didn't make things worse when they had both houses and The White House, but Patriot Act...
Do not forget, when you see this politician or that condemning the effects of this law or that; how did they vote on it? It's often surprising to see they supported the law when it was a bill and oppose it now that it's a law. It's depressing that they very seldom get called on it.
Another issue at play here, and its something I have to grudgingly give LBJ credit for, "You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered."
Too much law is passed with the idea that the people administering it agree with the authors of the bill and completely understand what the authors meant by it.
Nixon and Reagan are entirely to blame it seems.
Except...
It's not JUST them.
Until recently, a president needed Congress to pass the laws they were signing and enforcing. Congress was decidedly one party from 1955 to 1994 in the house and with the exception of 1981-1987 the senate too.
That'd make it bipartisan, wouldn't it?
I also notice that while the Democrats controlled both congress and the white house they didn't rush out to repeal the laws which offend us so today. Nor did any Republican president condemn those laws.
Again, bipartisan.
I'd like to say that the Republicans didn't make things worse when they had both houses and The White House, but Patriot Act...
Do not forget, when you see this politician or that condemning the effects of this law or that; how did they vote on it? It's often surprising to see they supported the law when it was a bill and oppose it now that it's a law. It's depressing that they very seldom get called on it.
Another issue at play here, and its something I have to grudgingly give LBJ credit for, "You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered."
Too much law is passed with the idea that the people administering it agree with the authors of the bill and completely understand what the authors meant by it.
New Toy
It's that time of every other year!
The Lovely Harvey renews her phone contract and gets a new phone.
This year they offered us a free tablet with the phone upgrade.
While most reviews are pretty negative about the freebie, it's $150 less than the one all of the reviews recommended. Sound advice if one was paying outright, but FREE.
It's a fun little toy, like my smart-phone but larger.
It's something I have zero need of, but... Hurray fun!
The Lovely Harvey renews her phone contract and gets a new phone.
This year they offered us a free tablet with the phone upgrade.
While most reviews are pretty negative about the freebie, it's $150 less than the one all of the reviews recommended. Sound advice if one was paying outright, but FREE.
It's a fun little toy, like my smart-phone but larger.
It's something I have zero need of, but... Hurray fun!
21 August 2014
Adventures In Sleep Deprivation
The pattern of late has been finally falling asleep around 0300. Then three to four hours down, POP I'm awake and alert.
Then at around 10 or 11, a rapid fade. Then four or five hours of sleep then a groggy up until about 0300, repeat.
Yesterday flat doesn't exist. I know I talked to some people online, because chat records.
I have an ephemeral impression that Willard was here, because there's a copy of Cooper's Art of the Rifle here.
It's taxing.
I sometimes wonder if I've been making soap.
Then at around 10 or 11, a rapid fade. Then four or five hours of sleep then a groggy up until about 0300, repeat.
Yesterday flat doesn't exist. I know I talked to some people online, because chat records.
I have an ephemeral impression that Willard was here, because there's a copy of Cooper's Art of the Rifle here.
It's taxing.
I sometimes wonder if I've been making soap.
19 August 2014
Worse Than 1911 VS Glock
Because fighter pilots are involved...
The Aviationist posted Hoser's gun camera pic of him embarrassing an F-15C jock at a time when embarrassing an Eagle driver was bad for sales.
This led to comments about the superiority of the F-14 over the F-15 and vice versa.
First off, that's not a Tomcat with a gun pipper painting the pilot. Second, Joe Satrapa was a Shit Hot pilot. Third, even the lowly A-4 Skyhawk can get a guns kill on an F-15 if the Eagle pilot gets into a situation where the A-4 is superior.
It's a mantra over and over in air to air. The best plane flown by the worst pilot is probably going to lose against a lesser plane flown by the best pilot. Hoser was the guy to beat at the time, if you'd bested him, you could brag.
On paper, the Eagle should be all over the Tomcat in just about any engagement where the knives come out. While things are still beyond visual range, the Tomcat has many advantages; not least of which is the radar. The AIM-54 can reach out farther than any weapon ever carried by the F-15 (assuming one wanted to use them on fighters).
They used the same medium range missiles the entire time both planes were in service with the US with the AIM-120 capability given to the F-15C and denied the F-14A and D giving an edge to the Eagle.
Sidewinder fit was identical.
Same gun, Eagle has more bullets.
The F-15C has a much better thrust to weight ratio than the F-14A, but not so much over the F-14D. Wing loading is hard to figure because the space between the engines on the Tomcat provides actual useful lift when the Phoenix pallets are left in the garage.
When things get low and slow, Navy planes shine because the handling characteristics that let you be successful around the boat help out there.
With the F-14A though, there are some serious warts in a dogfight. The TF-30 was finicky. The phrase pilots used was they had to fly the engine. It also wallowed a lot. When the F-14A+/F-14B and F-14D's came along they got to fly the plane and the B/D got improved flight control gizmos so that, "it finally went where I pointed it".
The F-15C is what is known as a "care free" handling plane. It's got lots of thrust, and doesn't bite without giving lots and lots of growling to pull your hand back. It's the kind of plane that makes a mediocre pilot good and a good pilot great.
Something that colors these comparisons is the Navy and Air Force took great pains to keep the Eagles and Tomcats separated. It appears that neither service wanted a definitive answer to which plane was better in the real world. Also the Navy imposed rather severe peacetime restrictions on the F-14 fleet so as to save the airframes and let them serve longer. The Hoser picture is from one of, if not the, first times that those restrictions were lifted.
And that's what happens when the F-14A is flown by someone whose motto is, "pull on the stick until the RIO pukes and the rivets pop; there's no kill like a GUNS kill!"
The Aviationist posted Hoser's gun camera pic of him embarrassing an F-15C jock at a time when embarrassing an Eagle driver was bad for sales.
This led to comments about the superiority of the F-14 over the F-15 and vice versa.
First off, that's not a Tomcat with a gun pipper painting the pilot. Second, Joe Satrapa was a Shit Hot pilot. Third, even the lowly A-4 Skyhawk can get a guns kill on an F-15 if the Eagle pilot gets into a situation where the A-4 is superior.
It's a mantra over and over in air to air. The best plane flown by the worst pilot is probably going to lose against a lesser plane flown by the best pilot. Hoser was the guy to beat at the time, if you'd bested him, you could brag.
On paper, the Eagle should be all over the Tomcat in just about any engagement where the knives come out. While things are still beyond visual range, the Tomcat has many advantages; not least of which is the radar. The AIM-54 can reach out farther than any weapon ever carried by the F-15 (assuming one wanted to use them on fighters).
They used the same medium range missiles the entire time both planes were in service with the US with the AIM-120 capability given to the F-15C and denied the F-14A and D giving an edge to the Eagle.
Sidewinder fit was identical.
Same gun, Eagle has more bullets.
The F-15C has a much better thrust to weight ratio than the F-14A, but not so much over the F-14D. Wing loading is hard to figure because the space between the engines on the Tomcat provides actual useful lift when the Phoenix pallets are left in the garage.
When things get low and slow, Navy planes shine because the handling characteristics that let you be successful around the boat help out there.
With the F-14A though, there are some serious warts in a dogfight. The TF-30 was finicky. The phrase pilots used was they had to fly the engine. It also wallowed a lot. When the F-14A+/F-14B and F-14D's came along they got to fly the plane and the B/D got improved flight control gizmos so that, "it finally went where I pointed it".
The F-15C is what is known as a "care free" handling plane. It's got lots of thrust, and doesn't bite without giving lots and lots of growling to pull your hand back. It's the kind of plane that makes a mediocre pilot good and a good pilot great.
Something that colors these comparisons is the Navy and Air Force took great pains to keep the Eagles and Tomcats separated. It appears that neither service wanted a definitive answer to which plane was better in the real world. Also the Navy imposed rather severe peacetime restrictions on the F-14 fleet so as to save the airframes and let them serve longer. The Hoser picture is from one of, if not the, first times that those restrictions were lifted.
And that's what happens when the F-14A is flown by someone whose motto is, "pull on the stick until the RIO pukes and the rivets pop; there's no kill like a GUNS kill!"
Everything Mosin
The Mosin-Nagant Rifle 6th Edition by Terrence W Lapin.
THIS is what a book for collectors should look like!
Since this is my first book for a collector, they might all look like this, but I suspect they don't.
His data contradicts some online sources and he backs up why he thinks as he does. There's a lot here to absorb in a very concise tome.
Thanks Willard!
THIS is what a book for collectors should look like!
Since this is my first book for a collector, they might all look like this, but I suspect they don't.
His data contradicts some online sources and he backs up why he thinks as he does. There's a lot here to absorb in a very concise tome.
Thanks Willard!
Cop Wanna Be Soldier
My oldest post I can find about police militarization.
Note: if you ever delete your blogger blog in an attempt to import your live journal, it kills the search box in the upper left from seeing the posts that were deleted then restored.
Note: if you ever delete your blogger blog in an attempt to import your live journal, it kills the search box in the upper left from seeing the posts that were deleted then restored.
Uncivilized
I am once again struck that rioting and looting is not how civilized people behave.
Is there a way to say, "these people aren't part of our culture," without it sounding racist?
I guess, just like slander and libel, truth cleanses the crime.
If they really aren't part of our culture, then it isn't racist to notice.
The next question is do we want them to be?
I do. I think things are better if everyone living in a nation is part of the same culture, at least the same base culture.
I think we're cultivating enclaves where a different base culture is the norm. Some are being active about it, some are passive.
The end is balkanization as competing cultures tend to draw lines on maps rather than merge.
The saddest part of this was we had a system in place for a very long time that blended diverse cultures into the American one.
Is there a way to say, "these people aren't part of our culture," without it sounding racist?
I guess, just like slander and libel, truth cleanses the crime.
If they really aren't part of our culture, then it isn't racist to notice.
The next question is do we want them to be?
I do. I think things are better if everyone living in a nation is part of the same culture, at least the same base culture.
I think we're cultivating enclaves where a different base culture is the norm. Some are being active about it, some are passive.
The end is balkanization as competing cultures tend to draw lines on maps rather than merge.
The saddest part of this was we had a system in place for a very long time that blended diverse cultures into the American one.
17 August 2014
Repurposed
L to R
A pen, a bottle opener and a dummy.
The bottle opener is by far the smoothest and best opener I've ever used!
The dummy round was the most expensive, it came with a donation to keep Liberty Belle flying; and we all know how that turned out.
A pen, a bottle opener and a dummy.
The bottle opener is by far the smoothest and best opener I've ever used!
The dummy round was the most expensive, it came with a donation to keep Liberty Belle flying; and we all know how that turned out.
15 August 2014
Unicorn
You'd think, as popular as the long 1911 trigger is as an aftermarket item that a blued short trigger would be easy to find as someone's discarded part.
I'd take black plastic or aluminum at this point, I simply would like a short trigger!
You know, like came in every 1911 from Colt for decades?
Update:
Apparently voicing my need caused the universe to make several appear. A guy on Gunbroker is selling "a sack full," so I nabbed one of his.
I didn't mention it here, because busy weekend; and Tam offered me one of her take-offs. Fingers crossed that I don't need to take her up on her generous offer!
I'd take black plastic or aluminum at this point, I simply would like a short trigger!
You know, like came in every 1911 from Colt for decades?
Update:
Apparently voicing my need caused the universe to make several appear. A guy on Gunbroker is selling "a sack full," so I nabbed one of his.
I didn't mention it here, because busy weekend; and Tam offered me one of her take-offs. Fingers crossed that I don't need to take her up on her generous offer!
Beginner Mistake
The Lovely Harvey is giving on-body carry a shot.
She's discovered that selecting your cover garment has some provisos.
She's discovered that selecting your cover garment has some provisos.
Officer Soldier
I didn't say much about the militarization of the cops here.
I commented here and there...
The reason I didn't say anything much here was because others were saying is so much better I had nothing meaningful to add.
I notice that they've been saying it for at least four years.
I'd ask where the press was on this, but we know that too, don't we?
I commented here and there...
The reason I didn't say anything much here was because others were saying is so much better I had nothing meaningful to add.
I notice that they've been saying it for at least four years.
I'd ask where the press was on this, but we know that too, don't we?
The Legalities Of Gold Cross
In the way back, Steve Jackson Games had a game called Car Wars.
In that game they had a mini-rpg where your "character" could die and be brought back to life via a custom grown clone body and a read of your mind into the clone body.
It was called Gold Cross. It was expensive, but worth it.
I introduced it into my Traveller campaign.
Anagathics were a staple of LBB Traveller, but if you could be resurrected, why fight getting old?
In Car Wars it was a simple matter to will your goods to your clone because you were legally the same person.
Because there's nobility in Traveller, I decided that your clone was not legally the same person, but that you could will your entire estate to your clone. No problem for most players.
One huge legal exception. Titles of nobility didn't transfer. If you were Baron of something, and you Gold-Crossed back to life, you weren't a baron anymore.
This kept the anagathics and let there be Gold Cross.
Neuyou (new you) was a competitor to Gold Cross, much cheaper.
I had an ad campaign for Gold Cross mentioning that their more costly procedure was more reliable than the "budget" option; "You'll never know what you're missing!" implying that memories could be entirely gone.
I never did confirm or deny if Newyou was an inferior service.
In that game they had a mini-rpg where your "character" could die and be brought back to life via a custom grown clone body and a read of your mind into the clone body.
It was called Gold Cross. It was expensive, but worth it.
I introduced it into my Traveller campaign.
Anagathics were a staple of LBB Traveller, but if you could be resurrected, why fight getting old?
In Car Wars it was a simple matter to will your goods to your clone because you were legally the same person.
Because there's nobility in Traveller, I decided that your clone was not legally the same person, but that you could will your entire estate to your clone. No problem for most players.
One huge legal exception. Titles of nobility didn't transfer. If you were Baron of something, and you Gold-Crossed back to life, you weren't a baron anymore.
This kept the anagathics and let there be Gold Cross.
Neuyou (new you) was a competitor to Gold Cross, much cheaper.
I had an ad campaign for Gold Cross mentioning that their more costly procedure was more reliable than the "budget" option; "You'll never know what you're missing!" implying that memories could be entirely gone.
I never did confirm or deny if Newyou was an inferior service.
13 August 2014
Practical
Willard hands me a bag... It's heavy.
"That's your spare ammo!" he says.
The thing that gets lost in the encumbrance rules is little lessons like that.
300 rounds of 7.62x51 and 100 rounds of 9mm are heavy. 19.4 lb. All by itself, it's not so bad. In addition to everything else... It's not a straw, but it could be hazardous to the spines of camels.
Picking his memories about it; going to change the gear to...
On the web gear.
FAL with loaded mag.
4 spare mags. (down from 6)
HP with loaded mag.
1 spare mag.
2 Mk II fragmentation grenades (replacing 4 M67)
In the pack.
Spare loaded FAL mag.
50 round non-disintegrating 7.62x51mm belt.
Zip-Lock bag with 26 loose 9mm rounds.
Ditching the Energa's too.
Part of the problem was designing the character for a particular scenario and ignoring historical load outs.
"That's your spare ammo!" he says.
The thing that gets lost in the encumbrance rules is little lessons like that.
300 rounds of 7.62x51 and 100 rounds of 9mm are heavy. 19.4 lb. All by itself, it's not so bad. In addition to everything else... It's not a straw, but it could be hazardous to the spines of camels.
Picking his memories about it; going to change the gear to...
On the web gear.
FAL with loaded mag.
4 spare mags. (down from 6)
HP with loaded mag.
1 spare mag.
2 Mk II fragmentation grenades (replacing 4 M67)
In the pack.
Spare loaded FAL mag.
50 round non-disintegrating 7.62x51mm belt.
Zip-Lock bag with 26 loose 9mm rounds.
Ditching the Energa's too.
Part of the problem was designing the character for a particular scenario and ignoring historical load outs.
On Mr Williams (Me Really)
Cracked has a good break down.
It hits home because I'm the insecure person who makes jokes to hide it.
It really hits home because I've had the gun in my mouth.
I've been in the dark hole looking up and pleading, "is there anyone out there who understands?" and gotten not just "no" but "hell no!" as a response. You beg for sympathy because that creates the illusion that someone sees the pain for what it is.
You get offered advice that just will not work.
You get dismissed from peoples lives because they don't want a deeper relationship than the surface humor.
You dismiss yourself from peoples lives because you're sick of that veneer. You dismiss yourself because you feel like you're taking over an inordinate amount of your friends time. You know you wouldn't like it if they were imposing on you like you're imposing on them.
Relationships start feeling like a treadmill. You never get any where.
You stop making new friends because there's no point.
I am fucking lucky!
Getting out of the hole is a DIY project. It's a massive undertaking because not only do you have to dig out of the hole, you have to build the machines that make the machines that make the tools; all on your own and without a guide. It's also frustrating that the tools and methods for escaping my personal hole do not resemble those that work for anyone else and vice versa.
For the most part, I've succeeded! The last vestiges seem to have fallen relatively recently.
I still haven't made many new friends, it's still scary out there. While it's scary here, at the edge of the hole, it's less scary than jumping back in. Now the explanation is more along the lines that I'm a bit socially isolated by being a parent of a special needs child and limited by that single income thing.
I wish that Mr Williams had found the tools he needed to get out of his hole. I wish that so many people I've known and know of would.
The only help I can really offer is to show that it's possible. That it can be done.
PS: I weighed this long and hard before deciding to hit publish. A version of this has been in drafts for weeks. Special thanks to Tam for being mean a few months ago. Although I doubt that she saw it as being so, it was the kick in the jaw I needed to assemble the tools that I'd made.
It hits home because I'm the insecure person who makes jokes to hide it.
It really hits home because I've had the gun in my mouth.
I've been in the dark hole looking up and pleading, "is there anyone out there who understands?" and gotten not just "no" but "hell no!" as a response. You beg for sympathy because that creates the illusion that someone sees the pain for what it is.
You get offered advice that just will not work.
You get dismissed from peoples lives because they don't want a deeper relationship than the surface humor.
You dismiss yourself from peoples lives because you're sick of that veneer. You dismiss yourself because you feel like you're taking over an inordinate amount of your friends time. You know you wouldn't like it if they were imposing on you like you're imposing on them.
Relationships start feeling like a treadmill. You never get any where.
You stop making new friends because there's no point.
I am fucking lucky!
Getting out of the hole is a DIY project. It's a massive undertaking because not only do you have to dig out of the hole, you have to build the machines that make the machines that make the tools; all on your own and without a guide. It's also frustrating that the tools and methods for escaping my personal hole do not resemble those that work for anyone else and vice versa.
For the most part, I've succeeded! The last vestiges seem to have fallen relatively recently.
I still haven't made many new friends, it's still scary out there. While it's scary here, at the edge of the hole, it's less scary than jumping back in. Now the explanation is more along the lines that I'm a bit socially isolated by being a parent of a special needs child and limited by that single income thing.
I wish that Mr Williams had found the tools he needed to get out of his hole. I wish that so many people I've known and know of would.
The only help I can really offer is to show that it's possible. That it can be done.
PS: I weighed this long and hard before deciding to hit publish. A version of this has been in drafts for weeks. Special thanks to Tam for being mean a few months ago. Although I doubt that she saw it as being so, it was the kick in the jaw I needed to assemble the tools that I'd made.
12 August 2014
How To Say It
It's not so much that I liked George Bush Jr, it's just knowing that the next guy would not be called to task for doing the exact same things Bush was being condemned for.
I've not heard the word "unilateral" used all week for some reason.
I've not heard the word "unilateral" used all week for some reason.
11 August 2014
Wisdom Heeded
I was a sort of professional race car driver once.
Had the NHRA license and everything. Not sure the class we raced in even exists anymore.
One piece of advice I heard over and over was, "unless the car's on fire, stay put until someone comes to get you," after a wreck.
Dad would add, "especially if the other car takes you out."
Which part of this advice did Mr Ward not heed?
I also recall my mom telling me to wear light colored clothing at night so people could see me; and that was for drivers who only had a giant sheet of glass on the front of the car not nets and cages and helmets with restricted head movement.
I'd rule it accidental suicide for running down into the path of an oncoming car.
The sanctioning body can begin to do their part by punishing drivers who do crap like this. Five race time-outs would effectively end it.
Had the NHRA license and everything. Not sure the class we raced in even exists anymore.
One piece of advice I heard over and over was, "unless the car's on fire, stay put until someone comes to get you," after a wreck.
Dad would add, "especially if the other car takes you out."
Which part of this advice did Mr Ward not heed?
I also recall my mom telling me to wear light colored clothing at night so people could see me; and that was for drivers who only had a giant sheet of glass on the front of the car not nets and cages and helmets with restricted head movement.
I'd rule it accidental suicide for running down into the path of an oncoming car.
The sanctioning body can begin to do their part by punishing drivers who do crap like this. Five race time-outs would effectively end it.
Range
I just notice something amusing.
The M16A2 rear sight is marked out to 800m. 5.56x45mm NATO is often derided for it's lack of authority at those ranges.
The FAL, whose 7.62x51mm NATO round is regarded as the panacea of long range and stopping power for the infantry, has a rear sight that only goes to 600m.
The M16A2 rear sight is marked out to 800m. 5.56x45mm NATO is often derided for it's lack of authority at those ranges.
The FAL, whose 7.62x51mm NATO round is regarded as the panacea of long range and stopping power for the infantry, has a rear sight that only goes to 600m.
OK, Candidate
I will tell you what, Mr/Ms Candidate for office: You say you're pro-gun, you even have a top rating from the NRA.
Well after taking it in the shorts about so many other things with Harry Reid, the NRA rating has been tarnished a tad. It's an imperfect predictor of future behavior, not the NRA's fault, but since so much is out of their control here...
So how do you, the candidate, assure me that you're pro-gun?
Simple.
You put on your web page, no matter how small, a statement that you oppose 922(o), 922(r) and support the removal of short barrel rifles and sound suppressors from the National Firearms Act.
That tells me you know what we're talking about.
Next, when the press inevitably discovers this, you vigorously defend the position.
Gold star bonus points for actually submitting bills that lead to the changes mentioned.
Notice also that I don't care that you're not running for a federal office. So many of you do after a short stint at the state and local levels that I want this to be a position you take when it could cost you with the media and you can't affect directly.
Being pro-gun here is not going to hurt you with gun owners, so what have you to lose? Your NRA rating?
Well after taking it in the shorts about so many other things with Harry Reid, the NRA rating has been tarnished a tad. It's an imperfect predictor of future behavior, not the NRA's fault, but since so much is out of their control here...
So how do you, the candidate, assure me that you're pro-gun?
Simple.
You put on your web page, no matter how small, a statement that you oppose 922(o), 922(r) and support the removal of short barrel rifles and sound suppressors from the National Firearms Act.
That tells me you know what we're talking about.
Next, when the press inevitably discovers this, you vigorously defend the position.
Gold star bonus points for actually submitting bills that lead to the changes mentioned.
Notice also that I don't care that you're not running for a federal office. So many of you do after a short stint at the state and local levels that I want this to be a position you take when it could cost you with the media and you can't affect directly.
Being pro-gun here is not going to hurt you with gun owners, so what have you to lose? Your NRA rating?
10 August 2014
Load Out
Reading about soldiers loads has got me looking hard at several characters.
My Rhodesian snake-chimera in particular. Gotta pick Willards brain over that...
He's got an FAL Para, mag in the gun, five spare mags, 100 spare rounds in a fanny pack and 200 more in his ruck. A Browning Hi-Power with one spare mag with 100 rounds in the ruck. Plus several grenades and three Energa rifle grenades. Plus several days of food, water and shelter.
The reason player characters end up over ordnanced is because Gamemasters do so love cutting off the supply lines. The very rationale that drives armies to load everything including the kitchen sink onto a grunt is present during character creation.
One thing you get in the game is an ability to carry more easily with just a couple more points of Strength. This is not borne out by reality where being stronger doesn't seem to add much extra ability to carry a weight over marching distances.
An RPG character is an idealized simulacrum of the soldier that the General Staff has been equipping for centuries!
With GURPS and Twilight 2000 both, there are benefits to offloading all that junk. You move faster and have fewer penalties for fighting and fatigue. The down side, of course, is when the GM creates a situation where all of the 7.62x51mm in the world is literally in your pack.
It's a balancing game full of compromise.
Expectations are corrupted by earlier experience with high-fantasy games where the armor you need to stay alive puts you well into medium encumbrance. The player gets used to the idea that medium is normal and desirable.
My research on what the SEALs were carrying in Vietnam kind of puts lie to that idea. They emphasized traveling light, but also put a premium on moar dakka! But when you add up the weight, they end up in light encumbrance. What they lack is anything resembling staying power because they eschew the camping equipment that most normal infantrymen carry as a matter of course. The amount of food they carry can best be described as "snacks".
So, how much to carry?
My Rhodesian snake-chimera in particular. Gotta pick Willards brain over that...
He's got an FAL Para, mag in the gun, five spare mags, 100 spare rounds in a fanny pack and 200 more in his ruck. A Browning Hi-Power with one spare mag with 100 rounds in the ruck. Plus several grenades and three Energa rifle grenades. Plus several days of food, water and shelter.
The reason player characters end up over ordnanced is because Gamemasters do so love cutting off the supply lines. The very rationale that drives armies to load everything including the kitchen sink onto a grunt is present during character creation.
One thing you get in the game is an ability to carry more easily with just a couple more points of Strength. This is not borne out by reality where being stronger doesn't seem to add much extra ability to carry a weight over marching distances.
An RPG character is an idealized simulacrum of the soldier that the General Staff has been equipping for centuries!
With GURPS and Twilight 2000 both, there are benefits to offloading all that junk. You move faster and have fewer penalties for fighting and fatigue. The down side, of course, is when the GM creates a situation where all of the 7.62x51mm in the world is literally in your pack.
It's a balancing game full of compromise.
Expectations are corrupted by earlier experience with high-fantasy games where the armor you need to stay alive puts you well into medium encumbrance. The player gets used to the idea that medium is normal and desirable.
My research on what the SEALs were carrying in Vietnam kind of puts lie to that idea. They emphasized traveling light, but also put a premium on moar dakka! But when you add up the weight, they end up in light encumbrance. What they lack is anything resembling staying power because they eschew the camping equipment that most normal infantrymen carry as a matter of course. The amount of food they carry can best be described as "snacks".
So, how much to carry?
09 August 2014
.308 or 7.62x51mm NATO
An important consideration.
Which one is your rifle chambered for?
If you built your gun from a surplus kit, you're probably running the 7.62x51mm NATO chamber. There are a lot of kit built FAL's out there not to mention the BM59s, G3s, CETMEs...
My DSA made FAL has a .308 chamber. They mention it several times in the booklet and it's on their web page.
Springfield Armory says "7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Win)." Well, which one?
PTR says ".308 or 7.62 NATO". Does that mean I get a choice?
This also gets me to wondering how many kits were put together with .308 headspace gauges instead of the correct 7.62, because that difference will matter a lot!
Which one is your rifle chambered for?
If you built your gun from a surplus kit, you're probably running the 7.62x51mm NATO chamber. There are a lot of kit built FAL's out there not to mention the BM59s, G3s, CETMEs...
My DSA made FAL has a .308 chamber. They mention it several times in the booklet and it's on their web page.
Springfield Armory says "7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Win)." Well, which one?
PTR says ".308 or 7.62 NATO". Does that mean I get a choice?
This also gets me to wondering how many kits were put together with .308 headspace gauges instead of the correct 7.62, because that difference will matter a lot!
08 August 2014
Murder?
James Brady death ruled homicide.
I wonder if this means we're going to test double jeopardy.
It seems unseemly to me to come back 33 years and charge him with murder after finding him not-guilty for the attempt because he was insane.
I wonder if this means we're going to test double jeopardy.
It seems unseemly to me to come back 33 years and charge him with murder after finding him not-guilty for the attempt because he was insane.
07 August 2014
Disservice
There's an infographic going around talking about the interchange between .308 Winchester and 7.62x51mm NATO.
The max pressure for 7.62x51mm NATO is not 50,000 psi, it is 50,000 CUP. 50,000 CUP, in this case, is equivalent to 60,000 psi.
Next, every weapon designed for NATO that fires 7.62x51mm NATO gets proofed with a 140% pressure charge. That's 84,000 psi and the gun must not break to be accepted. That's a pretty sizable safety margin.
The 62,000 psi max pressure for SAAMI is intended to the the absolute limit with a 52,000 psi maximum average pressure.
The differences in headspace has resulted in ruptured cases in some rare instances when .308 is fired in a NATO spec chamber.
Another important difference between .308 and NATO is the leade. Mil guns tend to have longer leades and that tends to lower the actual chamber pressure in the gun. This is for reliability when the gun gets really hot.
I guess the good news is with the ban on importing parts kits with intact barrels, most "7.62x51mm" battle rifles you'll encounter are actually going to have .308 chamber dimensions.
Anecdotally, when was the last time you heard of someones battle rifle blowing up where it wasn't sketchy surplus ammo (which should nominally have been NATO spec to begin with) or a gross error on the reloading bench?
If this was actually a real problem there'd be a lot more broken gun stories out there on the internet because every negative thing in the world gets a thread.
The max pressure for 7.62x51mm NATO is not 50,000 psi, it is 50,000 CUP. 50,000 CUP, in this case, is equivalent to 60,000 psi.
Next, every weapon designed for NATO that fires 7.62x51mm NATO gets proofed with a 140% pressure charge. That's 84,000 psi and the gun must not break to be accepted. That's a pretty sizable safety margin.
The 62,000 psi max pressure for SAAMI is intended to the the absolute limit with a 52,000 psi maximum average pressure.
The differences in headspace has resulted in ruptured cases in some rare instances when .308 is fired in a NATO spec chamber.
Another important difference between .308 and NATO is the leade. Mil guns tend to have longer leades and that tends to lower the actual chamber pressure in the gun. This is for reliability when the gun gets really hot.
I guess the good news is with the ban on importing parts kits with intact barrels, most "7.62x51mm" battle rifles you'll encounter are actually going to have .308 chamber dimensions.
Anecdotally, when was the last time you heard of someones battle rifle blowing up where it wasn't sketchy surplus ammo (which should nominally have been NATO spec to begin with) or a gross error on the reloading bench?
If this was actually a real problem there'd be a lot more broken gun stories out there on the internet because every negative thing in the world gets a thread.
Process
I will accept that the the no subsidies for those on the Federal Obamacare exchanges is a typo and that everyone was supposed to be subsidized regardless of where they bought their insurance.
We'll call that a given.
What I don't accept is the courts need to correct the typo when we have a process in place that can fix that in just a couple of days.
Congress passes a law inserting the correction to the typo so that the law now says what they meant and the President signs it.
SIMPLE!
Of course if they'd read the Constitution where this process is explained, they might not have tried passing this leviathanesque monstrosity in the first place...
We'll call that a given.
What I don't accept is the courts need to correct the typo when we have a process in place that can fix that in just a couple of days.
Congress passes a law inserting the correction to the typo so that the law now says what they meant and the President signs it.
SIMPLE!
Of course if they'd read the Constitution where this process is explained, they might not have tried passing this leviathanesque monstrosity in the first place...
Exceeding Our Mandate
Knocking almost a pound off FuzzyGeff's Sigma and an unmeasured but similar amount off Willard's wasn't enough!
The grit was appalling!
So Marv and I (mostly Marv, blame Marv) took apart the sear housing and polished up the poorly faced parts.
There's a helper spring that this video says you don't need so we omitted it from Willards and retained on Geff's.
The reason we kept it on Geff's was his sear spring is a single unit and Willard's is a double.
When all was said and done:
Geff's is down to a SMOOTH 7 lb. 0 oz. from 7 lb. 8 oz. with just the Apex kit. Without the little helper spring it was 6 lb. 8 oz., but the reset became vague.
Willards needed a lot more smoothing out to get it to stop being choppy. No helper spring and the nested springs gave us 9 lb. 0 oz. and it's nice, smooth and crisp. Just a 2 oz. improvement from the Apex only change, but so much more pleasant to pull the trigger on.
The grit was appalling!
So Marv and I (mostly Marv, blame Marv) took apart the sear housing and polished up the poorly faced parts.
There's a helper spring that this video says you don't need so we omitted it from Willards and retained on Geff's.
The reason we kept it on Geff's was his sear spring is a single unit and Willard's is a double.
When all was said and done:
Geff's is down to a SMOOTH 7 lb. 0 oz. from 7 lb. 8 oz. with just the Apex kit. Without the little helper spring it was 6 lb. 8 oz., but the reset became vague.
Willards needed a lot more smoothing out to get it to stop being choppy. No helper spring and the nested springs gave us 9 lb. 0 oz. and it's nice, smooth and crisp. Just a 2 oz. improvement from the Apex only change, but so much more pleasant to pull the trigger on.
06 August 2014
Apex Spring Kit For S&W Sigma
Because Willard is such a nice guy, I bought him an APEX Sigma Spring Kit. I got a second kit as well since both The Lovely Harvey and FuzzyGeff have Sigmas as well. Harvey refused the kit, citing her old SW357V as a "rare collectable" and would keep it original. She even said it with a straight face.
I offered it to FuzzyGeff and he accepted. There is geographic strangeness with his guns being here. His mom forbids him to keep guns in their home and when I moved to Florida; his guns, which had been stored at my house, moved with me.
That video does make it look easier than it is! Well, it is super simple, but getting the trigger pin past the slide locking bar is very fiddly; both for removal and installation. It's all by wobble and hope it works rather than a "pull this way every time". I am not sure the slave pin provided is much help since it's undersized for the hole and lets you move things around a lot. I think I'll use a normal 1/8" pin punch for the slave if I ever have to do this again.
Once installed, Geff's atrocious trigger was very much lighter. It started at 8 lb. 6 oz. and has been reduced to 7 lb. 8 oz. It's gone from dragging a safe over gravel to merely being slightly gritty with a sharp break. Reset is less vague as well.
Willard's trigger is also improved, but sadly not by as much. I didn't take a before measure of the trigger pull, but it's definitely lighter at 9 lb. 2 oz. (I KNOW!) and smoother. The break is still mushy, better, but mushy. Reset is also still "just let completely go of the trigger to be sure". There's a very slight click almost at the very end of forward travel.
The differences might be because Geff's is a SW40F and Willard's is a SW40VE. I've read the VE trigger was deliberately tuned to simulate a J-Frame for some reason after complaints about the F and V series had been considered by S&W. Hearsay.
Overall, I am still pleased with Apex Tactical. They greatly improved Marv's M&P9, my J-Frame and now two Sigmas.
I offered it to FuzzyGeff and he accepted. There is geographic strangeness with his guns being here. His mom forbids him to keep guns in their home and when I moved to Florida; his guns, which had been stored at my house, moved with me.
That video does make it look easier than it is! Well, it is super simple, but getting the trigger pin past the slide locking bar is very fiddly; both for removal and installation. It's all by wobble and hope it works rather than a "pull this way every time". I am not sure the slave pin provided is much help since it's undersized for the hole and lets you move things around a lot. I think I'll use a normal 1/8" pin punch for the slave if I ever have to do this again.
Once installed, Geff's atrocious trigger was very much lighter. It started at 8 lb. 6 oz. and has been reduced to 7 lb. 8 oz. It's gone from dragging a safe over gravel to merely being slightly gritty with a sharp break. Reset is less vague as well.
Willard's trigger is also improved, but sadly not by as much. I didn't take a before measure of the trigger pull, but it's definitely lighter at 9 lb. 2 oz. (I KNOW!) and smoother. The break is still mushy, better, but mushy. Reset is also still "just let completely go of the trigger to be sure". There's a very slight click almost at the very end of forward travel.
The differences might be because Geff's is a SW40F and Willard's is a SW40VE. I've read the VE trigger was deliberately tuned to simulate a J-Frame for some reason after complaints about the F and V series had been considered by S&W. Hearsay.
Overall, I am still pleased with Apex Tactical. They greatly improved Marv's M&P9, my J-Frame and now two Sigmas.
04 August 2014
Jim Brady, Yes THAT Brady Is Dead
Poor guy. To be married to his wife and then get shot. You have to wonder what he did in a past life to deserve that.
Speaking of karma, Sarah gets points for the next life if she does Sati.
I've never been angry with Jim, he seemed a victim of his wife in the anti-gun campaign rather than a prime mover there.
Speaking of karma, Sarah gets points for the next life if she does Sati.
I've never been angry with Jim, he seemed a victim of his wife in the anti-gun campaign rather than a prime mover there.
Interesting
"We were surprised to find that we had suddenly gone weak, and we were surprised to discover how much fire men can move through without getting hit."
--S/Sgt Thomas B Turner quoted in The Soldiers Load and The Mobility of a Nation by SLA Marshall
I'm constantly trying to find out stuff that explains my experiences. And often surprised to see that I wasn't the only one who had them.
I've sometimes thought I was a puny coward when my reaction appears to have been merely typical.
I also oscillate wildly between not caring if anyone believes my reminisces and wanting the evidence to prove they were real.
I'm the only person I can find who was there doing them, the others seem to have dried up and blown away. Their names lead to dead ends and their supposed comrades have never heard of them. I have a clearer idea today of who they weren't than who they were.
It's enough to make you doubt sometimes.
Maybe the answer is buried in a file in some needlessly classified vault someplace.
On the gripping hand, not knowing for sure doesn't impede my life much at all.
--S/Sgt Thomas B Turner quoted in The Soldiers Load and The Mobility of a Nation by SLA Marshall
I'm constantly trying to find out stuff that explains my experiences. And often surprised to see that I wasn't the only one who had them.
I've sometimes thought I was a puny coward when my reaction appears to have been merely typical.
I also oscillate wildly between not caring if anyone believes my reminisces and wanting the evidence to prove they were real.
I'm the only person I can find who was there doing them, the others seem to have dried up and blown away. Their names lead to dead ends and their supposed comrades have never heard of them. I have a clearer idea today of who they weren't than who they were.
It's enough to make you doubt sometimes.
Maybe the answer is buried in a file in some needlessly classified vault someplace.
On the gripping hand, not knowing for sure doesn't impede my life much at all.
03 August 2014
Racist
Let's take illegal immigration from first principles. First we must dispense with a couple of arguments. If a person is fleeing their native land because of political strife or war with no intention of assimilating into the nations they are fleeing TO; they are a refugee not an immigrant. If a person moves from their native land to a foreign on with no intention of becoming assimilated and becoming a citizen of their new land; they are a colonist not an immigrant.
Words mean something. Otherwise the USMC recently emigrated to Afghanistan.
Just as the smallest minority is the individual, that which is immoral for an individual is immoral for the group. It's immoral for me to break into your house and demand you let me live there and that you support me. Nothing about breaking into a sovereign nation makes it moral.
It is moral for me to shoot someone who's broken into my home. It would, likewise, be moral to shoot anyone illegally crossing a nation's borders. Declare it a prima facie case of espionage and shoot them as spies. Legal under several international agreements the US is a signatory to. Any lesser response is an example of our charitable natures and kindness. But note, that even if I decide to not shoot the person who's invaded my home, I'm still under no obligation to shelter and feed them. I may evict or eject them from my home at whim.
Let's go back a bit. A refugee is in exile, effectively. It is compassionate to help them out until they can return home. They likely want to as well. There's nothing immoral or racist about placing them in centralized locations (camps). There is also nothing immoral about noticing and deciding that you cannot survive supporting such a population and closing your home/border to them. It is important to note that once the conflict that drives the refugee to flee ends, they go home.
None of this is racist. When the group self selects the response to it is not and cannot be racial. If a black man breaks into my house and I shoot him, it's not because he was black that he was shot!
Now let us discuss the colonist. They move into a foreign land with the intent of remaining a citizen of their former land and force changes onto the natives of that land. Special consideration is demanded and through threats of violence the natives are coerced into compliance until the natives are absorbed or displaced by the colonists.
Now that we have the basic principles addressed. A nation has the right to seal its borders and refuse entry to anyone for any or no reason. A nation also has a right to allow a defined number of people enter to become citizens, to visit to see the sights to conduct business, etc... Those rights all stem from the same rights a home-holder has to allow or disallow people into their home.
The main reason that there are limits assigned to the number of people who can enter a nation to emigrate is the speed of assimilation. Because it's no longer permitted to be rude to people assimilation is even slower. Notice that in less than two generations the only way to tell someone was Irish or Italian descended is their last name. Can we say that of Mexicans as a whole? Something that caused the Micks and the WOPs to assimilate was the only route out of their squalor ridden enclaves was to become like the surrounding natives, and they were forced to. Immigrants are rarely so forced today because of cries of racism and bigotry. The foreigners trespassing have all the rights and powers in the interactions with them.
Most of the time I am not asking for anything worse than happened to my ancestors.
Finding a Mexican-American who's fully assimilated today is no more a proof that there isn't a problem with the massive numbers pouring over the border than finding a hold-out Italian in a ghetto in early 20th century New York proves that assimilation doesn't work.
This is why I predict a violent response sooner rather than later. Predicting it is not wishing it were so. I often say that I am Cassandra. I suggest lesser actions which will lead to a solution to the problem and am castigated for it. I am insulted for looking at the problem for what it is rather than what I wish it to be, for blaming those at fault and not reviling the actual victims.
Words mean something. Otherwise the USMC recently emigrated to Afghanistan.
Just as the smallest minority is the individual, that which is immoral for an individual is immoral for the group. It's immoral for me to break into your house and demand you let me live there and that you support me. Nothing about breaking into a sovereign nation makes it moral.
It is moral for me to shoot someone who's broken into my home. It would, likewise, be moral to shoot anyone illegally crossing a nation's borders. Declare it a prima facie case of espionage and shoot them as spies. Legal under several international agreements the US is a signatory to. Any lesser response is an example of our charitable natures and kindness. But note, that even if I decide to not shoot the person who's invaded my home, I'm still under no obligation to shelter and feed them. I may evict or eject them from my home at whim.
Let's go back a bit. A refugee is in exile, effectively. It is compassionate to help them out until they can return home. They likely want to as well. There's nothing immoral or racist about placing them in centralized locations (camps). There is also nothing immoral about noticing and deciding that you cannot survive supporting such a population and closing your home/border to them. It is important to note that once the conflict that drives the refugee to flee ends, they go home.
None of this is racist. When the group self selects the response to it is not and cannot be racial. If a black man breaks into my house and I shoot him, it's not because he was black that he was shot!
Now let us discuss the colonist. They move into a foreign land with the intent of remaining a citizen of their former land and force changes onto the natives of that land. Special consideration is demanded and through threats of violence the natives are coerced into compliance until the natives are absorbed or displaced by the colonists.
Now that we have the basic principles addressed. A nation has the right to seal its borders and refuse entry to anyone for any or no reason. A nation also has a right to allow a defined number of people enter to become citizens, to visit to see the sights to conduct business, etc... Those rights all stem from the same rights a home-holder has to allow or disallow people into their home.
The main reason that there are limits assigned to the number of people who can enter a nation to emigrate is the speed of assimilation. Because it's no longer permitted to be rude to people assimilation is even slower. Notice that in less than two generations the only way to tell someone was Irish or Italian descended is their last name. Can we say that of Mexicans as a whole? Something that caused the Micks and the WOPs to assimilate was the only route out of their squalor ridden enclaves was to become like the surrounding natives, and they were forced to. Immigrants are rarely so forced today because of cries of racism and bigotry. The foreigners trespassing have all the rights and powers in the interactions with them.
Most of the time I am not asking for anything worse than happened to my ancestors.
Finding a Mexican-American who's fully assimilated today is no more a proof that there isn't a problem with the massive numbers pouring over the border than finding a hold-out Italian in a ghetto in early 20th century New York proves that assimilation doesn't work.
This is why I predict a violent response sooner rather than later. Predicting it is not wishing it were so. I often say that I am Cassandra. I suggest lesser actions which will lead to a solution to the problem and am castigated for it. I am insulted for looking at the problem for what it is rather than what I wish it to be, for blaming those at fault and not reviling the actual victims.
Solutions
We have problems.
Lots of them.
What I've noticed about many of them is a flat refusal to even consider the measures that worked previously, that when suspended, allow the problem to reoccur.
When confronted with this refusal there seems to me lots of mealy mouthed evasions and justifications why we cannot use the previously time tested solution.
Lots of them.
What I've noticed about many of them is a flat refusal to even consider the measures that worked previously, that when suspended, allow the problem to reoccur.
When confronted with this refusal there seems to me lots of mealy mouthed evasions and justifications why we cannot use the previously time tested solution.
Astonishing
Tam reminded me...
My beloved '79 Camaro Berlinetta was a real hot rod.
Swapped in a 355 from a truck, new cam, intake, 750 cfm (vacc secondaries for drivability).
Changed the rear from the factory 2.56 open diff to a posi-3.08.
Sub-frame connectors, coil rear springs and 4-link. Stiffer front springs.
Biggest sway bars I could lay hands on.
4-wheel disc conversion from a 1st Gen Camaro repop kit.
Lowered about 2".
Ran a mere 14.0 in the 1/4 and cornered well, never did get it to a skid pad.
This is the car where I was certain I was about to die on Pike's Peak. Long hood, facing uphill, I couldn't see the hair-pin turn. Good brakes and we put putted the rest of the way up.
The '91 Caprice cum Biscayne SS can do that 14.0 as well! This performance is also due to an engine swap, a 5.7l LT1 from a '96 Impala SS. Doesn't corner as well, but it's sure a lot more comfortable.
What the Biscayne has going for it is mileage. It gets 20 mpg highway all day and can sit in stop and go traffic as long as there's gas. The Camaro would overheat if you sat more than 45 minutes in that and never broke 16 mpg.
And they both pale compared to the '08 Corvette in everything except rear seat room! The Vette gets 30 highway regularly!
For perspective. The Vette dyno'd at 461 hp (12.7 1/4 mile!). The Biscayne at 331 hp. The Camaro a mere 259 hp. The Vette weighs more than the Camaro did too, and is SAFER!
Gods technology rocks!
Update: The 1979 2 bbl 305 ci engine made a "staggering" 145 ponies. The 1991 TBI 305 ci engine make a whopping 135 (and was expected to drag 800 more pounds around).
My beloved '79 Camaro Berlinetta was a real hot rod.
Swapped in a 355 from a truck, new cam, intake, 750 cfm (vacc secondaries for drivability).
Changed the rear from the factory 2.56 open diff to a posi-3.08.
Sub-frame connectors, coil rear springs and 4-link. Stiffer front springs.
Biggest sway bars I could lay hands on.
4-wheel disc conversion from a 1st Gen Camaro repop kit.
Lowered about 2".
Ran a mere 14.0 in the 1/4 and cornered well, never did get it to a skid pad.
This is the car where I was certain I was about to die on Pike's Peak. Long hood, facing uphill, I couldn't see the hair-pin turn. Good brakes and we put putted the rest of the way up.
The '91 Caprice cum Biscayne SS can do that 14.0 as well! This performance is also due to an engine swap, a 5.7l LT1 from a '96 Impala SS. Doesn't corner as well, but it's sure a lot more comfortable.
What the Biscayne has going for it is mileage. It gets 20 mpg highway all day and can sit in stop and go traffic as long as there's gas. The Camaro would overheat if you sat more than 45 minutes in that and never broke 16 mpg.
And they both pale compared to the '08 Corvette in everything except rear seat room! The Vette gets 30 highway regularly!
For perspective. The Vette dyno'd at 461 hp (12.7 1/4 mile!). The Biscayne at 331 hp. The Camaro a mere 259 hp. The Vette weighs more than the Camaro did too, and is SAFER!
Gods technology rocks!
Update: The 1979 2 bbl 305 ci engine made a "staggering" 145 ponies. The 1991 TBI 305 ci engine make a whopping 135 (and was expected to drag 800 more pounds around).
02 August 2014
Out Of Production
Today was no longer made wheelgun day.
Willard generously provided a couple of guns I'd never fired.
First was a Ruger Security Six, 2" in .357 Magnum. Very pleasant gun to shoot. Substantial fireball, lots of fun! One of the few double actions that didn't change point of impact for me between single and double mode.
Second was a S&W Model 32 or Terrier. Smaller than a J-Frame. It's an I-Frame, which I'd never heard of before (dunno why since I had books mentioning it). Cute little thing with five shots of .38 S&W. Yuck. It's nearly recoilless and still manages to hurt to shoot. Decently accurate though.
If we accept that the Gen 2 Glock 17 is no longer made it was an ALL Out-Of-Production handgun day.
Also fired was the stubby but not SBR Marlin...
Willard generously provided a couple of guns I'd never fired.
First was a Ruger Security Six, 2" in .357 Magnum. Very pleasant gun to shoot. Substantial fireball, lots of fun! One of the few double actions that didn't change point of impact for me between single and double mode.
Second was a S&W Model 32 or Terrier. Smaller than a J-Frame. It's an I-Frame, which I'd never heard of before (dunno why since I had books mentioning it). Cute little thing with five shots of .38 S&W. Yuck. It's nearly recoilless and still manages to hurt to shoot. Decently accurate though.
If we accept that the Gen 2 Glock 17 is no longer made it was an ALL Out-Of-Production handgun day.
Also fired was the stubby but not SBR Marlin...
Holding It Wrong
The Glock 17 shot very low and left out at Hernando.
It shoots fine today at Florida Firearms Academy.
The way I had been holding it was causing me to pull it left as I was pulling the trigger. Moving my strong hand thumb down cured it.
Near as I can tell, all of my other autos have something for my strong thumb to bear on shooting the old way. That keeps the sympathetic clench from moving the muzzle off target. The Glock is unsupported there. Moving the thumb to bear on the other hand a bit cured it!
Happy dance!
I am now content with the relentlessly mediocre plastic fantastic.
It's also slowly dawning on my that since there's a Glock 17 in the house that a Kel-Tec Sub-2000 would be fun. That's a whole lot cheaper than a 9mm AR and I already have magazines thing comes to bear pretty hard.
It shoots fine today at Florida Firearms Academy.
The way I had been holding it was causing me to pull it left as I was pulling the trigger. Moving my strong hand thumb down cured it.
Near as I can tell, all of my other autos have something for my strong thumb to bear on shooting the old way. That keeps the sympathetic clench from moving the muzzle off target. The Glock is unsupported there. Moving the thumb to bear on the other hand a bit cured it!
Happy dance!
I am now content with the relentlessly mediocre plastic fantastic.
It's also slowly dawning on my that since there's a Glock 17 in the house that a Kel-Tec Sub-2000 would be fun. That's a whole lot cheaper than a 9mm AR and I already have magazines thing comes to bear pretty hard.
A Thought
I found this article.
A thought that occurs is what portion of each state's budget is mandatory Federal spending?
I don't know.
I am aware that states are required to spend a lot of money simply to keep those federal funds flowing.
A thought that occurs is what portion of each state's budget is mandatory Federal spending?
I don't know.
I am aware that states are required to spend a lot of money simply to keep those federal funds flowing.
Watchmen
The most compelling thing for me from both the graphic novel and movie is the bit where Doctor Manhattan is flashing back and forth in his memories and present day.
I think they captured his sense of simultaneity well.
I think they captured his sense of simultaneity well.
Bubbafied
Before a certain date a Krag in original condition was worthless.
During this time in history, to eek out some value from one you'd have to have had converted it into a hunting rifle.
Past a certain date, though, the values invert.
In some ways, it's a pity because the quality of the work is often outstanding.
Crawling through the local pawn-shops lately has revealed that skilled modifications to guns was relatively common way back.
Modifications that certainly cost good money to perform back in the day, but destroy the value today.
Again, sometimes it's a pity because many of these guns are still quite functional and often chambered in readily available cartridges.
During this time in history, to eek out some value from one you'd have to have had converted it into a hunting rifle.
Past a certain date, though, the values invert.
In some ways, it's a pity because the quality of the work is often outstanding.
Crawling through the local pawn-shops lately has revealed that skilled modifications to guns was relatively common way back.
Modifications that certainly cost good money to perform back in the day, but destroy the value today.
Again, sometimes it's a pity because many of these guns are still quite functional and often chambered in readily available cartridges.