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30 November 2015
28 November 2015
It Took A Facebook Meme
To get me to realize...
The people who tax cigarettes and alcohol with the expectation that those taxes will make me smoke and drink less...
...are the same people who tax our wages with the expectation that I will work harder and earn more money.
The people who tax cigarettes and alcohol with the expectation that those taxes will make me smoke and drink less...
...are the same people who tax our wages with the expectation that I will work harder and earn more money.
Saving Money Hand Over Fist
Went to a gun show last weekend.
Didn't buy anything. Including a $600 Yugo AKS.
Went to the gun shop yesterday, didn't buy a Beretta 92FS. Saved $425!
Going to a gun show Sunday. Not going to buy anything there either.
So far I've saved $1,025 so I should be able to buy most anything I want!
What do you mean I have to actually have the money for the saving to count?
Well dang it!
Didn't buy anything. Including a $600 Yugo AKS.
Went to the gun shop yesterday, didn't buy a Beretta 92FS. Saved $425!
Going to a gun show Sunday. Not going to buy anything there either.
So far I've saved $1,025 so I should be able to buy most anything I want!
What do you mean I have to actually have the money for the saving to count?
Well dang it!
27 November 2015
T+ 18 Years
18 years ago the third world war went nuclear.
According to GDW's Twilight: 2000.
I am thrilled that it didn't come off like the game said it would.
I didn't write this today, I wrote it back in August after reading about the organizer of a prepper seminar being "disappointed" that Y2K didn't come off in a disaster.
I am sure there's lots of prepper types that prepare for the same reason I have my hurricane supplies, to be ready for a disaster while hoping it never comes.
Because it's better to be prepared than not.
But even though it's better to be prepared; it's FAR better to never need to put your preparations to use for real.
According to GDW's Twilight: 2000.
I am thrilled that it didn't come off like the game said it would.
I didn't write this today, I wrote it back in August after reading about the organizer of a prepper seminar being "disappointed" that Y2K didn't come off in a disaster.
I am sure there's lots of prepper types that prepare for the same reason I have my hurricane supplies, to be ready for a disaster while hoping it never comes.
Because it's better to be prepared than not.
But even though it's better to be prepared; it's FAR better to never need to put your preparations to use for real.
No Turkey Day
With The Lovely Harvey up north in the Frigid Wasteland of Iwegia™ I was left to my own devices for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Summoning my Italian heritage, I made a couple of Lasagnas!
FuzzyGeff is down visiting and Marv's relatives are scattered to the winds since their patriarch passed on; so we had dinner here!
Marv contributed one of his excellent apple pies and we ate like pigs.
Once we'd eaten, to the back yard to enjoy the outdoors and a nice fire.
Summoning my Italian heritage, I made a couple of Lasagnas!
FuzzyGeff is down visiting and Marv's relatives are scattered to the winds since their patriarch passed on; so we had dinner here!
Marv contributed one of his excellent apple pies and we ate like pigs.
Once we'd eaten, to the back yard to enjoy the outdoors and a nice fire.
26 November 2015
Hope Sustained
Looks like we're going to be getting CMP M1911A1s!
M1911A1 Cal .45 Pistol, 1005-00-726-5655, Serial # 1164935
Could be reunited with me!
Could be reunited with me!
Now, like Garands, we have to navigate past the people who're going to buy them 12 at a time to mark up 100% and resell.
Ancient Family Secret
Lasagne doesn't take that long to prepare, if you have the sauce on hand.
For years and years we made the sauce from raw tomatoes.
Then one year, we started with the short cuts. Buying canned tomato paste and stuff.
Then one year Mom discovered that great grandma's sauce tasted exactly like the canned Hunt's spaghetti sauce.
Guess what I've never done again, except to show up a Godless Heathen New (SPIT) Yorker about how it's really done?
Yup. Make the sauce from raw tomato.
Great grandma would also roll out the pasta made from scratch too. I buy Barilla.
In the end it comes out the same and everyone enjoys it.
By the way, if you put egg in your lasagne, you are wrong and should feel bad.
For years and years we made the sauce from raw tomatoes.
Then one year, we started with the short cuts. Buying canned tomato paste and stuff.
Then one year Mom discovered that great grandma's sauce tasted exactly like the canned Hunt's spaghetti sauce.
Guess what I've never done again, except to show up a Godless Heathen New (SPIT) Yorker about how it's really done?
Yup. Make the sauce from raw tomato.
Great grandma would also roll out the pasta made from scratch too. I buy Barilla.
In the end it comes out the same and everyone enjoys it.
By the way, if you put egg in your lasagne, you are wrong and should feel bad.
25 November 2015
Ignoring The Problem
Problems don't go away if you ignore them.
Vowing to ignore the problem assures it will continue.
Sadly I don't think the American voter is smart enough to see that.
I am not sad but furious that our elected officials have chosen to represent the interests of foreigners over the interests of their fellow citizens.
Vowing to ignore the problem assures it will continue.
Sadly I don't think the American voter is smart enough to see that.
I am not sad but furious that our elected officials have chosen to represent the interests of foreigners over the interests of their fellow citizens.
23 November 2015
Silver Lining Of Idiocracy
When Joe is in the hospital and the Doctor diagnoses him he says, "Right, kick ass. Well, don't want to sound like a dick or nothin', but, ah... it says on your chart that you're fucked up. Ah, you talk like a fag, and your shit's all retarded. What I'd do, is just like... like... you know, like, you know what I mean, like..." followed by, "Don't worry, scrote. There are plenty of 'tards out there living really kick-ass lives. My first wife was 'tarded. She's a pilot now."
She's a pilot now.
You're given to worry because you see all the idiots and figure a pilot is going to crash into something.
Think about it, though.
Joe is a normal person of average intelligence and they diagnose him the same as someone they send to be a pilot.
If he'd sat tight when they discovered he didn't have the ID tattoo, he might have discovered the society of smarter people living apart from the idiocratic dystopia.
I've pondered that there must be such a group of people out there, otherwise so much of what's shown really can't exist.
Someplace in Idiocracy there's a Galt's Gulch. They keep things running just enough that the idiots remain trapped and have no incentive to escape. It's not a true dystopia, it's a prison.
Hat In The Ring
I'm formally throwing my hat in the ring to run for president!
My slogan: "I don't golf."
My slogan: "I don't golf."
Moar Links
Readen Zie!
Of course, the person who need to read this most won't bother to click on that link, read the post and click on the links therein.
Doesn't fit the narrative, nor let him point at me to make fun of me to his friends.
Of course, the person who need to read this most won't bother to click on that link, read the post and click on the links therein.
Doesn't fit the narrative, nor let him point at me to make fun of me to his friends.
22 November 2015
Say It With Me
Cyclic is pronounced "sigh click" not "sick lick".
Like cycle and cyclone. Same root word.
Like cycle and cyclone. Same root word.
That's Odd
Seems like there's been a run on criminals named Moreno lately.
Is Moreno Spanish for Smith?
Is Moreno Spanish for Smith?
Lacking
There's a dearth of positive reviews of a lot of things out there.
I think it's human nature.
When you've something to complain about, you want everyone to know and it seems like everyone wants to listen.
When you find something that works, everyone acts like they want the religious nut to shut up already.
I try to leave honest, positive reviews when I am happy with a product or service and really really try to keep that honesty when a product, service or vendor has disappointed me.
It's frustrating when you leave your feedback in some places and your experience is not the same as the majority. You're basically accused of lying if negative or shilling if positive.
I think it's human nature.
When you've something to complain about, you want everyone to know and it seems like everyone wants to listen.
When you find something that works, everyone acts like they want the religious nut to shut up already.
I try to leave honest, positive reviews when I am happy with a product or service and really really try to keep that honesty when a product, service or vendor has disappointed me.
It's frustrating when you leave your feedback in some places and your experience is not the same as the majority. You're basically accused of lying if negative or shilling if positive.
Types
There's everyday wholesome people who like mayonnaise.
There's strange people who like salad dressing (ie Miracle Whip®).
There's benighted people who cannot taste the normal human range of flavors who don't have a preference.
Then there's degenerates who think that they're the same.
Find out someone's opinion on mayo and you find out a lot of things about them.
There's strange people who like salad dressing (ie Miracle Whip®).
There's benighted people who cannot taste the normal human range of flavors who don't have a preference.
Then there's degenerates who think that they're the same.
Find out someone's opinion on mayo and you find out a lot of things about them.
Actual Real Scientist
Does what every scientist should do in the face of consensus.
The internet abounds with this kind of story, they're easy to find. Yet somehow only the narrative is produced when I tried to point it out.
In some cases the linked piece of narrative was on the third page of results and several articles that agreed with my position were skipped over.
Almost as if it were deliberate.
The internet abounds with this kind of story, they're easy to find. Yet somehow only the narrative is produced when I tried to point it out.
In some cases the linked piece of narrative was on the third page of results and several articles that agreed with my position were skipped over.
Almost as if it were deliberate.
21 November 2015
Comparison
Got three Mosin 91/30 here.
The 1941 Izhevsk is an unrestored, pre-Barbarossa gun. Clearly issued to a supply sergeant or other REMF who took great care of it.
It is far and away the best made of the three.
The 1943 Tula is the worst made and has all of the short cuts of war-time expediency. It's also been rebuilt and counterbored.
The "1922" Izhevsk ex-Dragoon is also a product of rebuilding. The quality of the much earlier parts shows, especially in the Chatellerault hex-receiver. This gun was rebuilt at least twice. In 1896 or so it was a new-made in France Model 1891. In 1922 the receiver was recycled into an 1891 Dragoon rifle and then converted into a more pedestrian 91/30 long after Germany was defeated.
You'd think that three near identical rifles would feel more similar in the hand to each other. For no reason at all the 41 Izzy feels lighter in the hand and is more "pointable". All three have slightly different contours to the stock, and it's likely what I'm feeling is one fitting my support hand better than the others.
The 1941 Izhevsk is an unrestored, pre-Barbarossa gun. Clearly issued to a supply sergeant or other REMF who took great care of it.
It is far and away the best made of the three.
The 1943 Tula is the worst made and has all of the short cuts of war-time expediency. It's also been rebuilt and counterbored.
The "1922" Izhevsk ex-Dragoon is also a product of rebuilding. The quality of the much earlier parts shows, especially in the Chatellerault hex-receiver. This gun was rebuilt at least twice. In 1896 or so it was a new-made in France Model 1891. In 1922 the receiver was recycled into an 1891 Dragoon rifle and then converted into a more pedestrian 91/30 long after Germany was defeated.
You'd think that three near identical rifles would feel more similar in the hand to each other. For no reason at all the 41 Izzy feels lighter in the hand and is more "pointable". All three have slightly different contours to the stock, and it's likely what I'm feeling is one fitting my support hand better than the others.
Distrust
By the way, Officer Friendly, this is one of the reasons that the average citizen doesn't trust you.
Almost four times as much is confiscated in civil forfeiture than is stolen in burglaries.
Taken from people who often aren't even arrested, let alone charged with a crime. This is the true culmination of the deodand mentality in American "law" enforcement.
h/t Coyote
Almost four times as much is confiscated in civil forfeiture than is stolen in burglaries.
Taken from people who often aren't even arrested, let alone charged with a crime. This is the true culmination of the deodand mentality in American "law" enforcement.
h/t Coyote
Utah CWP
Because I've been invited to attend an old friend's wedding in Seattle, I needed a carry permit that works in Washington.
Florida's permit, she is no good. Washington's permit is no good here, that will show them! Reciprocity with Florida is "you take ours, we take yours" and we don't accept non-resident permits from out of state, but we shall-issue to non-residents no problem.
What I needed was a permit Washington recognized with the same happy "issue to out of staters" as home.
My first thought was to simply get a Washington non-resident permit. It's relatively cheap and simple. Except you have to apply in person (and renew in person) making it the most expensive permit on the list because of transportation costs.
Most of the permits that Washington accepts don't have a non-resident permit, and nearly all that do have a similar apply in person problem (or require a class that's only available in-state).
Utah is on a very short list here. While they do require a class that teaches their specific curricula, they're happy to license instructors from out of state to teach it out of state.
For my local instruction I chose Equip2Conceal out of Clearwater.
The class was far more thorough than the Florida version with regards to the laws involved and the class included comparisons with Florida laws. It's a stark contrast between South-Infected-With-Damnyankee and The-West. Many of Utah's carry laws are simply saner than Florida's.
I am very well prepared to carry a gun in Utah.
Ironically I have no intention of stepping foot there in the near future. The class does nothing to prepare the student to carry in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, or Wyoming. Bold for a state that I could carry in without the Utah permit...
The new permit, of course, allows me to carry in Utah; but so does my resident Florida permit. My home-state permit lets me carry in Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina too; which are off limits to the non-resident Utah CWP.
Florida's permit, she is no good. Washington's permit is no good here, that will show them! Reciprocity with Florida is "you take ours, we take yours" and we don't accept non-resident permits from out of state, but we shall-issue to non-residents no problem.
What I needed was a permit Washington recognized with the same happy "issue to out of staters" as home.
My first thought was to simply get a Washington non-resident permit. It's relatively cheap and simple. Except you have to apply in person (and renew in person) making it the most expensive permit on the list because of transportation costs.
Most of the permits that Washington accepts don't have a non-resident permit, and nearly all that do have a similar apply in person problem (or require a class that's only available in-state).
Utah is on a very short list here. While they do require a class that teaches their specific curricula, they're happy to license instructors from out of state to teach it out of state.
For my local instruction I chose Equip2Conceal out of Clearwater.
The class was far more thorough than the Florida version with regards to the laws involved and the class included comparisons with Florida laws. It's a stark contrast between South-Infected-With-Damnyankee and The-West. Many of Utah's carry laws are simply saner than Florida's.
I am very well prepared to carry a gun in Utah.
Ironically I have no intention of stepping foot there in the near future. The class does nothing to prepare the student to carry in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, or Wyoming. Bold for a state that I could carry in without the Utah permit...
The new permit, of course, allows me to carry in Utah; but so does my resident Florida permit. My home-state permit lets me carry in Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina too; which are off limits to the non-resident Utah CWP.
20 November 2015
Had A Dream
I was out of ammo for my carry gun because I'd just been in a self defense shooting.
I dreamt this shooting too, but I can't recall it.
I got home and someone had broken in while I was in the bathroom.
I discovered them in the other bathroom shower and there was an exchange of gunfire. Knowing I wouldn't be able to unlock any guns or ammo before he finished reloading, I grabbed my claymore off the wall and stabbed him through the throat.
Dream logic, being what it is, the dying perp complimented me on my thrust and criticized my choice of the blued basket hilt instead of brass.
I dreamt this shooting too, but I can't recall it.
I got home and someone had broken in while I was in the bathroom.
I discovered them in the other bathroom shower and there was an exchange of gunfire. Knowing I wouldn't be able to unlock any guns or ammo before he finished reloading, I grabbed my claymore off the wall and stabbed him through the throat.
Dream logic, being what it is, the dying perp complimented me on my thrust and criticized my choice of the blued basket hilt instead of brass.
How To Win
He's got a lot to answer for, but he's right more often than he was wrong.
h/t Cold Fury for the pic.
Refuge
The Boston marathon bombers, in addition to being welfare sponges, were refugees.
I'm getting fed up with "people" trying to equate vetting Syrian refugees against terrorist ties with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt's DEMOCRAT administration's refusal to admit Jewish refugees from National Socialist Germany.
And blaming the demand on the Republicans? You've misspelled "c-o-n-s-t-i-t-u-e-n-t-s" again. I am also sick of the Democrats getting a pass on their racist communist and fascist (but I repeat myself) roots and continued racism, communism and fascism.
Back to refugees...
MS St Louis is often cited.
Fine, let's play.
In 1939 how many people had been murdered by Jewish refugees? How many massacres worldwide by people claiming to be Jews by 1939?
The worst of the worst for murdering Jews I've been able to find is the Jewish mobs of prohibition. For the record, they're pikers compared to the, still standing, Italian and Irish gangsters.
Oh, These charming fellows were already in the country (and many of them already dead) in 1939.
But we're dancing around the gorilla in the room.
In 1939 its a case of fascists wanting there to be no Jews in their country. One nation expelling theirs, and another refusing them. In 1939 it's provably racism.
Today it's two-fold. First and foremost, and virtually unreported, is Americans are fed up with enclaves of unassimilated foreigners. Thank Mexico for this one. Second, a small percentage of the refugee population, everywhere it lands, goes off and murders their hosts!
The Boston Marathon bombers were refugees.
I'm getting fed up with "people" trying to equate vetting Syrian refugees against terrorist ties with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt's DEMOCRAT administration's refusal to admit Jewish refugees from National Socialist Germany.
And blaming the demand on the Republicans? You've misspelled "c-o-n-s-t-i-t-u-e-n-t-s" again. I am also sick of the Democrats getting a pass on their racist communist and fascist (but I repeat myself) roots and continued racism, communism and fascism.
Back to refugees...
MS St Louis is often cited.
Fine, let's play.
In 1939 how many people had been murdered by Jewish refugees? How many massacres worldwide by people claiming to be Jews by 1939?
The worst of the worst for murdering Jews I've been able to find is the Jewish mobs of prohibition. For the record, they're pikers compared to the, still standing, Italian and Irish gangsters.
Oh, These charming fellows were already in the country (and many of them already dead) in 1939.
But we're dancing around the gorilla in the room.
In 1939 its a case of fascists wanting there to be no Jews in their country. One nation expelling theirs, and another refusing them. In 1939 it's provably racism.
Today it's two-fold. First and foremost, and virtually unreported, is Americans are fed up with enclaves of unassimilated foreigners. Thank Mexico for this one. Second, a small percentage of the refugee population, everywhere it lands, goes off and murders their hosts!
The Boston Marathon bombers were refugees.
19 November 2015
Beboppin'
Stopped by Advance Auto Parts to grab some oil and a filter.
Pat Benatar's Heartbreaker is on the piped in music.
I kind of start bopping my head to the tune and realize that everyone in the place is jammin' too!
Very cool.
Pat Benatar's Heartbreaker is on the piped in music.
I kind of start bopping my head to the tune and realize that everyone in the place is jammin' too!
Very cool.
FFS
When you're selling a gun don't say, "X pictured does not come with the gun..."
Take a new picture you lazy bastard!
It's only a couple of electrons!
Take a new picture you lazy bastard!
It's only a couple of electrons!
18 November 2015
Mix-N-Match
Galco shoulder holsters are modular.
The magazine carrier for the M&P is the same part number for pretty much every double stack magazine. Glock 17 and FN Hi-Power fit no problem.
The holster for the M&P fits the Glock 17 well enough.
The 1911 holster fits the FN like it was made for it.
So you could take your 1911 holster and hang it with the double stack carrier and for the price of two rigs you have a rig for one gun!
But between the parts I have here I can carry four different guns readily. The Star B works in the 1911 holster, but it's sloppy loose.
The magazine carrier for the M&P is the same part number for pretty much every double stack magazine. Glock 17 and FN Hi-Power fit no problem.
The holster for the M&P fits the Glock 17 well enough.
The 1911 holster fits the FN like it was made for it.
So you could take your 1911 holster and hang it with the double stack carrier and for the price of two rigs you have a rig for one gun!
But between the parts I have here I can carry four different guns readily. The Star B works in the 1911 holster, but it's sloppy loose.
All Fixed
The rear barrel band retainer on the Tula 91/30 has been replaced with an ebay sourced spare.
I have a forward retainer as a spare now because it seems that most everyone sells them in pairs now.
If that had been true when I broke a front one a while ago, I wouldn't have needed to buy this one.
C'est la vie.
I have a forward retainer as a spare now because it seems that most everyone sells them in pairs now.
If that had been true when I broke a front one a while ago, I wouldn't have needed to buy this one.
C'est la vie.
Chain Email
The following is from an email I keep getting. Bracketed text is added by me.
If it's all true, and that would be unusual for a chain letter, it's kinda scary.
An article and video essentially saying the same thing as the chain letter.
This whole meme kind of falls into the "if there's nothing to cover up, why are they working so hard to cover things up (or appear to be)?"
It's along the same line as the birther meme. I stopped caring about where Obama was born a long time ago, the thing I care about now is the millions of dollars he spent preventing the release of any of his records from anywhere he says he's been. You just don't spend millions of dollars concealing nothing, and if you DO, it makes it SEEM like there's something worth hiding.
This is what Obama has done to us. All Americans should read this short article. It is sad and scary that our government (our senators and congressman) have allowed this to happen.I've gotten this list in my in-box about ten times now. I'd done nothing to confirm or deny any of it until today and I added some links to the quoted text. Some (many?) of those links are kind of on the fringe, but since the mainstream press won't do any investigation on Democrats, the fringe is all that's left.
We elected them so it is partly our fault . They are giving away our country. Also, not a well known fact, but John Kerry's daughter is married to a man from Iran and she is now a muslim. The Iranian that was Kerry's counterpart during the Iranian nuclear talks earlier this year, is the father of the best man at her wedding.
Never has there been, in our government, so many individuals who belong to a religion that you either join or you will be killed? When you read this you will understand why Obama refuses to say the words "radical Islam."
Did you know that we now have a Muslim government?
John Brennan, current head of the CIA converted to Islam while stationed in Saudi Arabia. [Snopes says unconfirmed. Which is sort of like pleading the 5th.]
Obama's top advisor, Valerie Jarrett, is a Muslim who was born in Iran where her parents still live. [She was born in Iran, and moved to the US, long before the Islamic Revolution. Regardless of her religious beliefs, she IS a commie.]
Hillary Clinton's top advisor, Huma Abedin is a Muslim, whose mother and brother are involved in the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. [Press response to the question of her relatives activities affecting her security clearances was sadly typical.]
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development for Homeland Security, Arif Aikhan, is a Muslim.
[FORMER] Homeland Security Advisor, Mohammed Elibiary, is a Muslim. [Not directly confirmed, but...]
Obama advisor and founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Salam al-Marayati, is a Muslim. [Gee, you think?]
Obama's Sharia Czar, Imam Mohamed Magid, of the Islamic Society of North America is a Muslim. [Why would you think that an Imam would be a Muslim?]
Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships, Eboo Patel, is a Muslim. [His own book.]
It's questionable if Obama ever officially took the oath of office when he was sworn in. He didn't repeat the oath properly to defend our nation and our Constitution. [I'm going to call this a red herring, especially since I don't think a single politician actually takes their oaths seriously.]
Later the Democrats claimed he was given the oath again in private?
CIA director John Brennan took his oath on a copy of the Constitution, not a Bible. [As an atheist I'd do the same, actually]
Congressman, Keith Ellison took his oath on a copy of the Qur'an. [Dur! He's openly Muslim!]
Congresswoman Michele Bachman was vilified and almost tarred and feathered by Democrats when she voiced her concern about Muslims taking over our government.
Considering all these appointments, it would explain why Obama and his minions are systematically destroying our nation, supporting radical Muslim groups worldwide, opening our southern border, and turning a blind eye to the genocide being perpetrated on Christians all over Africa and the Middle East.
The more damage Obama does, the more arrogant he becomes!
Our nation and our government has been infiltrated by people who want to destroy us. It can only get worse!
(If you fail to pass this one on, there's something wrong ... somewhere!)
If it's all true, and that would be unusual for a chain letter, it's kinda scary.
An article and video essentially saying the same thing as the chain letter.
This whole meme kind of falls into the "if there's nothing to cover up, why are they working so hard to cover things up (or appear to be)?"
It's along the same line as the birther meme. I stopped caring about where Obama was born a long time ago, the thing I care about now is the millions of dollars he spent preventing the release of any of his records from anywhere he says he's been. You just don't spend millions of dollars concealing nothing, and if you DO, it makes it SEEM like there's something worth hiding.
17 November 2015
Variate The Ammo
Ammo in GURPS is not a fixed stat item...
There's actually rules for things you encounter everyday.
Normal everyday 9x19mm ball ammo is:
2d+2 pi Damage.
160/1,800 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.30 CPS.
Hollow-Points are:
2d+2(0.5) pi+ Damage.
160/1,800 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.30 CPS.
+P ball is:
2d+2 pi Damage.
176/1,980 Range.
9 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.45 CPS.
There's actually rules for things you encounter everyday.
Normal everyday 9x19mm ball ammo is:
2d+2 pi Damage.
160/1,800 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.30 CPS.
Hollow-Points are:
2d+2(0.5) pi+ Damage.
160/1,800 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.30 CPS.
+P ball is:
2d+2 pi Damage.
176/1,980 Range.
9 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.45 CPS.
You can combine some upgrades.
+P HP is:
2d+2(0.5) pi+ Damage.
176/1,980 Range.
9 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.45 CPS.
Anything can be made match ammo too! Multiply cost by 1.25 and you get a +1 to Acc.
So match +P HP would be $0.56 per shot.
Going subsonic changes ball to:
2d+2 pi Damage.
128/1,440 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.39 CPS.
and adds a -1 to hearing rolls.
Subsonic hollow points:
2d+2(0.5) pi+ Damage.
128/1,440 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.39 CPS.
Frangible rounds are:
2d+2(0.5) pi+ Damage. No overpenetration if target has DR (p. B408).
144/1,620 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.45 CPS.
+P HP is:
2d+2(0.5) pi+ Damage.
176/1,980 Range.
9 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.45 CPS.
Anything can be made match ammo too! Multiply cost by 1.25 and you get a +1 to Acc.
So match +P HP would be $0.56 per shot.
Going subsonic changes ball to:
2d+2 pi Damage.
128/1,440 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.39 CPS.
and adds a -1 to hearing rolls.
Subsonic hollow points:
2d+2(0.5) pi+ Damage.
128/1,440 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.39 CPS.
Frangible rounds are:
2d+2(0.5) pi+ Damage. No overpenetration if target has DR (p. B408).
144/1,620 Range.
8 ST
0.026 WPS.
$0.45 CPS.
16 November 2015
Weight
Colt Government Model in .38 Super. Two spare magazines. Galco Miami Classic II.
4 lb. 2.3 oz. 28 shots.
S&W M&P 9 in 9x19mm. Two spare magazines. Galco Miami Classic.
4 lb. 3.4 oz. 52 shots.
Almost double the number of rounds for just over an ounce more?
To think, I hesitated.
I used to carry a Springfield M1911A1 GI in .45 ACP. Two spare magazines. Galco Miami Classic II.
4 lb. 9.6 oz. 22 shots.
More than double the shots now with more than a 1/3 of a pound saved.
Modern guns are amazing.
Because all roads lead to GURPS...
If each die is 3.5 points on average...
Modern hollow point ammo changes pi to pi+ and pi+ to pi++ and adds an armor divisor of (0.5).
The .45 would lob 308 points.
The .38 Super would sling 399.
The 9mm would launch 702!
Since an unarmored opponent gets DR1 with this armor divisor...
.45 shrinks to 264.
.38 Super becomes 357.
9mm drops to 624.
Break In
I forgot how TIGHT an new shoulder holster could be.
This one is easily as tight as the old Executive I bought for my P232 way back.
The Executive didn't have a thumb strap, so you expected it to adhere better to the gun.
The Miami Classic has a thumb strap, so I expected it to be looser. Like the 1911 Classic II was.
I also see that the Miami Classic II is available for M&P now.
I think I might get the ammo carrier since I prefer it horizontal. Update: Or not, it's almost as much as the complete holster!
This one is easily as tight as the old Executive I bought for my P232 way back.
The Executive didn't have a thumb strap, so you expected it to adhere better to the gun.
The Miami Classic has a thumb strap, so I expected it to be looser. Like the 1911 Classic II was.
I also see that the Miami Classic II is available for M&P now.
I think I might get the ammo carrier since I prefer it horizontal. Update: Or not, it's almost as much as the complete holster!
Amazon Yesterday Shipping
I ordered a Galco Miami Classic from Amazon.
I got an email this morning telling me that it had shipped today. Shipped TODAY with an expected arrival time of "tomorrow, Nov 17, before 8pm."
It arrived today. Just a moment ago, in fact.
I don't even have Prime.
Amnesty Plan
I have a plan!
In keeping with the jobs that Americans won't do theme...
12 million draft notices.
12 years of service overseas rooting out our enemies wherever we send them and they're citizens!
It's past time our casualty sensitive selves had a Foreign Legion. Use citizens for the officer corps and NCO cadre. Don't bar citizens from serving if they're feeling adventurous.
If even one in twelve serves we've got the troops to do most anything an army can do.
In keeping with the jobs that Americans won't do theme...
12 million draft notices.
12 years of service overseas rooting out our enemies wherever we send them and they're citizens!
It's past time our casualty sensitive selves had a Foreign Legion. Use citizens for the officer corps and NCO cadre. Don't bar citizens from serving if they're feeling adventurous.
If even one in twelve serves we've got the troops to do most anything an army can do.
Conspiracy Theory
Glock 17 holds 17 rounds of 9x19mm.
S&W M&P9 holds 17 rounds of 9x19mm.
The most common loadout is one magazine in the gun and two in a pouch.
52 rounds with one in the pipe.
Boxes of self defense ammo come with 25 rounds each.
It's a conspiracy to sell you three boxes!
Hammer fired wonder-nines like Berettas, High-Powers and SIGs only make you buy two boxes.
Teach The Conspiracy.
S&W M&P9 holds 17 rounds of 9x19mm.
The most common loadout is one magazine in the gun and two in a pouch.
52 rounds with one in the pipe.
Boxes of self defense ammo come with 25 rounds each.
It's a conspiracy to sell you three boxes!
Hammer fired wonder-nines like Berettas, High-Powers and SIGs only make you buy two boxes.
Teach The Conspiracy.
Inflation
Seems that single vendor at the gun show is not alone in asking $300 for a 91/30.
Gunbroker is asking that too.
Pretty soon we're going to be hearing regrets from people for tearing apart their $70 "oh there's millions of them!" rifle to make an ersatz sporting gun.
Especially from those who made irreversible changes or have lost the original parts needed to reverse the change.
Gunbroker is asking that too.
Pretty soon we're going to be hearing regrets from people for tearing apart their $70 "oh there's millions of them!" rifle to make an ersatz sporting gun.
Especially from those who made irreversible changes or have lost the original parts needed to reverse the change.
Great Gun
...but it sucks to own one.
High Standard .22.
The reason owning one sucks is you absolutely cannot blame the gun.
If you miss it's you.
It reveals that every reason you give for a miss is merely an excuse.
High Standard .22.
The reason owning one sucks is you absolutely cannot blame the gun.
If you miss it's you.
It reveals that every reason you give for a miss is merely an excuse.
Knowing The Why
As a former psych student... near graduate...
Did you know that the way a drill sergeant behaves is carefully calculated?
It's an act.
An act calculated to mold the minds of the typical customer they're given to train.
There's lots of other things they do to recruits to encourage they conform to the mold, but the drill's act is key.
The thing that occurs, of late, is how many firearms instructors I've seen conforming to this teaching model. I guess it makes sense that they'd use a system they'd seen working first hand; since being a veteran is de riguer for running a training center.
The problem is that this methodology only works on specific kinds of people if you skip all the other conformity items that come with basic training. Without the other trappings, it's worthless to the others, especially people who're veterans. Ever wonder why the environment at AIT is so different from basic?
Oddly, it's worth is restored when teaching cops who are veterans if there's a group because it restores some of the motivators from basic which won't be present for an individual customer.
Obscenities and codified humiliations only work with a relatively small portion of the population and harden the minds of most others against the teaching; wasting their time and money.
I'm not sure it's related, but there's another stream running in trainers concerning the durability of your gun. The round count for the class is high because?
It's not a gun test! It's repetition of what the student has learned and getting that teaching cemented so they can practice it later. It's a learning retention technique.
There's a couple three trainers who don't seem to get that. The round count and gun endurance attitude are indications that they're teaching repetition by rote and don't know why they're doing it and weren't taught the 'why' of what they're teaching. If I bring five guns out and destroy three in the class, I'll still learn the techniques.
Many self-taught people don't know why what they're doing is working, they just know it does work. But it can lead to superfluous actions that aren't aiding the skill-set.
The gun endurance test really comes from the delay to the class when a student's ONLY gun goes down. If the students bring guns that can go the entire class without breaking with zero maintenance, then the class doesn't have to stop to help anyone get their gun working again. Time is limited and it's often drinking from a fire-hose paced. I'll be damned if I can find more than a handful of instructors who seem to know that's WHY you want guns that will tolerate that kind of abuse. (By the way, they KNOW it's abuse. Ever notice they almost never provide the guns for class?)
I am also bemused at how several of the instructors who use the basic training template have also missed something taught at drill sergeant school. "If the student has failed to learn, it is because you failed to teach."
Did you know that the way a drill sergeant behaves is carefully calculated?
It's an act.
An act calculated to mold the minds of the typical customer they're given to train.
There's lots of other things they do to recruits to encourage they conform to the mold, but the drill's act is key.
The thing that occurs, of late, is how many firearms instructors I've seen conforming to this teaching model. I guess it makes sense that they'd use a system they'd seen working first hand; since being a veteran is de riguer for running a training center.
The problem is that this methodology only works on specific kinds of people if you skip all the other conformity items that come with basic training. Without the other trappings, it's worthless to the others, especially people who're veterans. Ever wonder why the environment at AIT is so different from basic?
Oddly, it's worth is restored when teaching cops who are veterans if there's a group because it restores some of the motivators from basic which won't be present for an individual customer.
Obscenities and codified humiliations only work with a relatively small portion of the population and harden the minds of most others against the teaching; wasting their time and money.
I'm not sure it's related, but there's another stream running in trainers concerning the durability of your gun. The round count for the class is high because?
It's not a gun test! It's repetition of what the student has learned and getting that teaching cemented so they can practice it later. It's a learning retention technique.
There's a couple three trainers who don't seem to get that. The round count and gun endurance attitude are indications that they're teaching repetition by rote and don't know why they're doing it and weren't taught the 'why' of what they're teaching. If I bring five guns out and destroy three in the class, I'll still learn the techniques.
Many self-taught people don't know why what they're doing is working, they just know it does work. But it can lead to superfluous actions that aren't aiding the skill-set.
The gun endurance test really comes from the delay to the class when a student's ONLY gun goes down. If the students bring guns that can go the entire class without breaking with zero maintenance, then the class doesn't have to stop to help anyone get their gun working again. Time is limited and it's often drinking from a fire-hose paced. I'll be damned if I can find more than a handful of instructors who seem to know that's WHY you want guns that will tolerate that kind of abuse. (By the way, they KNOW it's abuse. Ever notice they almost never provide the guns for class?)
I am also bemused at how several of the instructors who use the basic training template have also missed something taught at drill sergeant school. "If the student has failed to learn, it is because you failed to teach."
15 November 2015
Say Again
At the funshow today...
Izhevsk Mosin-Nagan 91/30.
Wartime production high-wall round receiver.
As refurbished, great condition.
$299.00.
Two in the display, one in a customer's mitts.
A year ago, if you'd told me that a bogg-standard Mosin 91/30 was going to double in value by now, I'd have said you were high.
That said, this was a single show and a single vendor. Those three Mosins were the only Mosins at the whole show.
I saw an almost as nice Tula sell for about $200 last week, so this $300 stuff could be isolated as show-fever.
Izhevsk Mosin-Nagan 91/30.
Wartime production high-wall round receiver.
As refurbished, great condition.
$299.00.
Two in the display, one in a customer's mitts.
A year ago, if you'd told me that a bogg-standard Mosin 91/30 was going to double in value by now, I'd have said you were high.
That said, this was a single show and a single vendor. Those three Mosins were the only Mosins at the whole show.
I saw an almost as nice Tula sell for about $200 last week, so this $300 stuff could be isolated as show-fever.
Nebulous
I've noticed that I accumulated more than a couple of persons who never seem to have a position on any matter until I have an opinion on it.
Then I am wrong.
Hey, I've been wrong a lot and I try to learn.
It's just uncanny how some people never venture an opinion of their own until I've said something and their position is always contrary to mine, never agreement.
Since at least one of them has shown that they keep logs of things to show what a fool the person they are "debating" is... I guess I have been the fool all along.
It's really rather sad.
But I guess they need to make fun of people to feel better about themselves. Sucks to be them.
Then I am wrong.
Hey, I've been wrong a lot and I try to learn.
It's just uncanny how some people never venture an opinion of their own until I've said something and their position is always contrary to mine, never agreement.
Since at least one of them has shown that they keep logs of things to show what a fool the person they are "debating" is... I guess I have been the fool all along.
It's really rather sad.
But I guess they need to make fun of people to feel better about themselves. Sucks to be them.
14 November 2015
Late To The Party
[Joaquin] Jackson once conducted an interview with Texas Monthly where he suggested that civilian assault rifles be limited to a five-round capacity. After receiving angry criticism from gun rights activists, Jackson backpedalled and claimed that he was referring to fully automatic rifles (i.e., machine guns) as opposed to the semiautomatic assault rifles available on the civilian market in the U.S.That's not really a substantively different position, Mr Jackson.
I am starting to see why the NRA is so silent on NFA reform.
Consensus
The next time someone brings up scientific consensus and uses it as a club to beat your position...
Remind them of epicycles, luminiferous aether and the sound barrier.
Remind them of epicycles, luminiferous aether and the sound barrier.
Fascinating Exercise
Six different portraits.
In each case what changed was the narrative.
Extrapolate this out and you can see why the media is so effective at influencing people.
This is also how advertising works.
In each case what changed was the narrative.
Extrapolate this out and you can see why the media is so effective at influencing people.
This is also how advertising works.
13 November 2015
Old Joke
Something reminded me of this...
We're in the motor pool and a Crescent wrench has given up the ghost.
One of the sergeants says...
"Crescent wrench, a tool barely alive. We can rebuild it. Make it better than it was. Better, stronger, faster. We have the technology," CLUNK as the wrench hits the bottom of the trash can, "We just don't have the money."
We're in the motor pool and a Crescent wrench has given up the ghost.
One of the sergeants says...
"Crescent wrench, a tool barely alive. We can rebuild it. Make it better than it was. Better, stronger, faster. We have the technology," CLUNK as the wrench hits the bottom of the trash can, "We just don't have the money."
Rust Never Sleeps
Cleaning up a Tula Mosin today...
When I went to remove the rear barrel band, the retainer went "tink".
Looks like a trip to Clearwater next week to Mark Kubes to get a replacement. Or not since he shows out of stock on them.
When I went to remove the rear barrel band, the retainer went "tink".
Actual Scientists Science
Fake Scientists Lobby
Interesting development from Australia.
Remember, there is no such thing as settled science as long as there is new data coming in.
Interesting development from Australia.
Remember, there is no such thing as settled science as long as there is new data coming in.
Hogged
I posit that you really haven't owned a Mosin-Nagant 91/30 until you've hogged out the inside of a bayonet to fit the barrel and don't just swap it for a different bayonet because this one is numbers matching.
Same Same
The Republican concern about the wants, needs and feelings of illegal aliens is nothing new.
When any politician chooses to worry about the rights of a criminal over the rights of the law-abiding, it's a bad thing.
But scorning the rights of their fellow citizens in favor of foreigners who were never in our country legally?
There's a reason I often called 'W' El Presidente de Mexico Norte Jorge Arbusto.
We don't even need to revive Operation Wetback.
Proof of citizenship to receive any welfare benefit. This disincentivizes the illegals who come here to mooch.
Put a mandatory 25 year sentence on hiring an illegal alien. This disincentivizes the illegals to come here to work.
Officially change "natural born" citizenship to mean a child born from parents in the nation legally. This disincentivizes anchor babies. This also addresses a key problem with the illegal population in that the parents are here to work and are working hard, the kids are trending to crime and gang affiliation in many places.
Three things that would cause nearly all of the illegals to self-deport. You can't prove I'm wrong because this has never been tried.
On the deportation side...
Third time you get caught after being deported, gallows. Hang them at the border with a "Atrapados colarse de nuevo." sign around their now stretched neck.
I've long felt that the legal protections of this nation are primarily for its citizens and should be extended to our guests. Coming into the country illegally forfeits your claim to those protections.
It's the same idea as, "don't want me to shoot you; don't break into my house," expanded to the national level.
When any politician chooses to worry about the rights of a criminal over the rights of the law-abiding, it's a bad thing.
But scorning the rights of their fellow citizens in favor of foreigners who were never in our country legally?
There's a reason I often called 'W' El Presidente de Mexico Norte Jorge Arbusto.
We don't even need to revive Operation Wetback.
Proof of citizenship to receive any welfare benefit. This disincentivizes the illegals who come here to mooch.
Put a mandatory 25 year sentence on hiring an illegal alien. This disincentivizes the illegals to come here to work.
Officially change "natural born" citizenship to mean a child born from parents in the nation legally. This disincentivizes anchor babies. This also addresses a key problem with the illegal population in that the parents are here to work and are working hard, the kids are trending to crime and gang affiliation in many places.
Three things that would cause nearly all of the illegals to self-deport. You can't prove I'm wrong because this has never been tried.
On the deportation side...
Third time you get caught after being deported, gallows. Hang them at the border with a "Atrapados colarse de nuevo." sign around their now stretched neck.
I've long felt that the legal protections of this nation are primarily for its citizens and should be extended to our guests. Coming into the country illegally forfeits your claim to those protections.
It's the same idea as, "don't want me to shoot you; don't break into my house," expanded to the national level.
12 November 2015
No LAV Endorsement
Magpul is selling a belt.
Not only are they turning their backs on half the market by making the longest size 44"; they are skipping an endorsement from Larry Vickers.
Short sighted!
Not only are they turning their backs on half the market by making the longest size 44"; they are skipping an endorsement from Larry Vickers.
Short sighted!
How Fact Check Sites Work
They'll have a headline, "Ten Billion Jews Murdered By Hitler."
They'll have a sub-head, "Claims of Holocaust Overblown."
They'll quote a claim, "Professor R. E. Searcher says 10 billion Jews killed by Hitler."
Then they conclude that the claim is FALSE.
If you read the large accompanying article they'll show that it was "just" six million Jews killed.
Yes, claiming that 10 billion Jews were killed is overblowing the holocaust. It does not mean there was no holocaust.
The format used though will give the impression that there was no holocaust, you have to care enough to read the whole thing and follow some citations.
They'll have a sub-head, "Claims of Holocaust Overblown."
They'll quote a claim, "Professor R. E. Searcher says 10 billion Jews killed by Hitler."
Then they conclude that the claim is FALSE.
If you read the large accompanying article they'll show that it was "just" six million Jews killed.
Yes, claiming that 10 billion Jews were killed is overblowing the holocaust. It does not mean there was no holocaust.
The format used though will give the impression that there was no holocaust, you have to care enough to read the whole thing and follow some citations.
Thank You
Thanks to Chili's, Applebee's and Hooters for the free food yesterday.
To Applebee's especially for having The Empty Chair. While I go on and on about Veteran's Day not being Memorial Day...
Absent friends are keenly felt when we who grow old are gathered.
To Applebee's especially for having The Empty Chair. While I go on and on about Veteran's Day not being Memorial Day...
Absent friends are keenly felt when we who grow old are gathered.
11 November 2015
Veterans Day
97 years, nine hours ago, the armistice ending The Great War took effect.
It is Armistice Day, Remembrance Day and Veteran's Day; depending on where you live.
For Veteran's Day: Take one out to dinner, movie, get laid; whatever. Especially the vets who stood the watch when nobody was shooting, but if it started the world would burn.
Of course, at one time, if you had not seen the elephant, you weren't a veteran; however, "They also serve who only stand and wait."
This day is for those who served, not for those who are serving. That's Armed Forces Day.
This day is for the living vets, not the dead ones. That's Memorial Day.
It cheapens the other days to attempt to consolidate them all today.
It is Armistice Day, Remembrance Day and Veteran's Day; depending on where you live.
For Veteran's Day: Take one out to dinner, movie, get laid; whatever. Especially the vets who stood the watch when nobody was shooting, but if it started the world would burn.
Of course, at one time, if you had not seen the elephant, you weren't a veteran; however, "They also serve who only stand and wait."
This day is for those who served, not for those who are serving. That's Armed Forces Day.
This day is for the living vets, not the dead ones. That's Memorial Day.
It cheapens the other days to attempt to consolidate them all today.
Who Is That In The Picture
Applebee's allows you to show a picture of yourself in uniform as proof of service for their free grub on Veteran's Day.
Uh...
Who _IS_ that person in the private first class uniform?
He's wearing my nametag, but bears no resemblance to the man in the mirror.
I've also noticed that I don't have a single picture of me as a sergeant. Odd that.
Uh...
Who _IS_ that person in the private first class uniform?
He's wearing my nametag, but bears no resemblance to the man in the mirror.
I've also noticed that I don't have a single picture of me as a sergeant. Odd that.
Just Noticed Something
On the basis of material that I have located on the internet.
I did not attend basic training at Fort Knox.
There is no basic or one station unit training at Fort Knox according to the internet, therefore, despite what I remember it is impossible for me to have been there.
OR...
Just because the internet doesn't corroborate with my recollection doesn't mean the information on the internet is true and my recollection is false.
I am fed up with a certain type of person who pays zero attention to the world around them becoming confrontational and demanding proof that what happened did happen in the way that I watched it happen.
They don't remember it happening differently, they only have the internet to source their rebuttal.
I am not a lawyer.
I am not defending my doctoral thesis.
I will not have documentation supporting my claim on hand to be produced at their demand.
I only have "I was there and you weren't." Because I was there I can see that the "facts" from the internet don't match what I observed. Had I known that I'd have to prove I was there to the same level a mafia don has to verify their alibi in court, I'd have probably taken some screen shots.
The real problem isn't really that I am wrong and the internet is right. It's that ignorant people like to fight and think that winning a debate is proof that their facts are stronger.
No, winning a moderated debate far more often means that you're better at using the rules of the format to manipulate the argument until you've won. Moderated debates, like all sports, have rules.
Winning an unmoderated debate often means that the other side has realized that you're not having the discussion in anything resembling good faith and they give up so you shut up.
The information you can find on the internet is properly called encyclopedic. It has a lot of information, much of it very detailed, but it's also the product of the author.
One example of the realization that the discussion is not happening in good faith is the repeated refusal to accept that many sources have an agenda. That the authors of much of the cited links are part of a community that has a vested interest in skewing the information a certain way and putting it in certain light. They have been caught doing it many times. Another example of bad faith is having to remind them that we've had this discussion before and I don't feel like I have to prove it anew every time I disagree with a biased national media.
Because of this, it's extremely hard for my side to even begin to refute the bias because the bias agrees with the general buzz that penetrates the bubble of apathy.
Ultimately I think that they are afraid that the world is not the happy place they want it to be and are ashamed that their refusal to participate in even the smallest way actively. This causes them to lash out at the people who are actually trying to make a shitty world better. Or they are cowards who will only stand up to someone when they have strength in numbers as shown by consensus with mass media.
I did not attend basic training at Fort Knox.
There is no basic or one station unit training at Fort Knox according to the internet, therefore, despite what I remember it is impossible for me to have been there.
OR...
Just because the internet doesn't corroborate with my recollection doesn't mean the information on the internet is true and my recollection is false.
I am fed up with a certain type of person who pays zero attention to the world around them becoming confrontational and demanding proof that what happened did happen in the way that I watched it happen.
They don't remember it happening differently, they only have the internet to source their rebuttal.
I am not a lawyer.
I am not defending my doctoral thesis.
I will not have documentation supporting my claim on hand to be produced at their demand.
I only have "I was there and you weren't." Because I was there I can see that the "facts" from the internet don't match what I observed. Had I known that I'd have to prove I was there to the same level a mafia don has to verify their alibi in court, I'd have probably taken some screen shots.
The real problem isn't really that I am wrong and the internet is right. It's that ignorant people like to fight and think that winning a debate is proof that their facts are stronger.
No, winning a moderated debate far more often means that you're better at using the rules of the format to manipulate the argument until you've won. Moderated debates, like all sports, have rules.
Winning an unmoderated debate often means that the other side has realized that you're not having the discussion in anything resembling good faith and they give up so you shut up.
The information you can find on the internet is properly called encyclopedic. It has a lot of information, much of it very detailed, but it's also the product of the author.
One example of the realization that the discussion is not happening in good faith is the repeated refusal to accept that many sources have an agenda. That the authors of much of the cited links are part of a community that has a vested interest in skewing the information a certain way and putting it in certain light. They have been caught doing it many times. Another example of bad faith is having to remind them that we've had this discussion before and I don't feel like I have to prove it anew every time I disagree with a biased national media.
Because of this, it's extremely hard for my side to even begin to refute the bias because the bias agrees with the general buzz that penetrates the bubble of apathy.
Ultimately I think that they are afraid that the world is not the happy place they want it to be and are ashamed that their refusal to participate in even the smallest way actively. This causes them to lash out at the people who are actually trying to make a shitty world better. Or they are cowards who will only stand up to someone when they have strength in numbers as shown by consensus with mass media.
2nd 1st Farewell Their Fallen Comrades With A Huge Haka
You have to admit, the Kiwis give a send off with style.
Armistice Day for the Commonwealth.
Veteran's Day for the US.
More F-35 Defense
Being a youtube junky I've been looking at USAF F-16C's.
A common warload I see is 2x AIM-120. 2x AIM-9. 2x 370-gal. drop-tanks on the wings. 2 stations with the bombs for the attack. Centerline is a jamming pod. Sensor pods on the sides of the intake.
Not a clean load-out at all.
The air-to-ground stores being on stations 3 and 7 are a limit, 3 per station max. 2,000 lb. per station max.
This is not stealthy and very dirty. To do more than a head on-pass air-to-air it's going to have to dump the tanks and the AtG ordnance down to the parent station.
THIS is the plane the F-35A should be compared to. Not a stripped F-16D chase plane.
Fully stealthy it seems to give up a lot. 2 air-to-ground stores and 2 AIM-120. The air to ground station has a 2,500 lb. limit. In the future there should be a double rack for two bombs per station, but for now it's a single weapon.
F-16's have mostly been carrying singles on their wings too. Often a Maverick on one side an a JDAM on the other. F-35 can do this too.
The F-16C all decked out as above, even if we go max load and have 6x 500 lb JDAM on board. It's maxed out.
Giving up on Stealth the F-35A can hang another 7,500 lb of attack stuff under each wing and add an AIM-9 to the outermost station too.
The F/A-18C is almost worse.
2x AIM-9 on the wingtips. 2x 330-gal. drop tanks. Sensor pods on the fuselage side stations. Often the centerline is empty, but another 330-gal. tank can be here. That leaves just two stations for air-to-ground. Is this sounding familiar?
The F-35C has the same loadout as the F-35A, except it's missing the gun all stealthed up. There's going to be a gun pod, someday, for the centerline station.
AV-8B is a real light weight for weapons carry when flying off the boat.
2x AIM-9 and 4x air-to ground weapons with a podded gun, sometimes. The stations are rated to near 2,000 lb. each, but rarely is more than a single weapon per station carried. More like 4x 500 lb. JDAM or 4x Maverick.
The F-35B carries less than it's sisters when doing STOVL. The internal bomb station is limited to 1,500 lb. and just 6,500 can be carried on the wings. The optional future gun-pod will be available here too.
When theteeny-tiny guided small diameter bombs are available for the internal bay 8 weapons can be carried with the stealth intact in all three variants. Even more fun is the GBU-53/B is a glide type bomb so it's stand-off.
Racks for up to 16 more can be carried externally.
A common warload I see is 2x AIM-120. 2x AIM-9. 2x 370-gal. drop-tanks on the wings. 2 stations with the bombs for the attack. Centerline is a jamming pod. Sensor pods on the sides of the intake.
Not a clean load-out at all.
The air-to-ground stores being on stations 3 and 7 are a limit, 3 per station max. 2,000 lb. per station max.
This is not stealthy and very dirty. To do more than a head on-pass air-to-air it's going to have to dump the tanks and the AtG ordnance down to the parent station.
THIS is the plane the F-35A should be compared to. Not a stripped F-16D chase plane.
Fully stealthy it seems to give up a lot. 2 air-to-ground stores and 2 AIM-120. The air to ground station has a 2,500 lb. limit. In the future there should be a double rack for two bombs per station, but for now it's a single weapon.
F-16's have mostly been carrying singles on their wings too. Often a Maverick on one side an a JDAM on the other. F-35 can do this too.
The F-16C all decked out as above, even if we go max load and have 6x 500 lb JDAM on board. It's maxed out.
Giving up on Stealth the F-35A can hang another 7,500 lb of attack stuff under each wing and add an AIM-9 to the outermost station too.
The F/A-18C is almost worse.
2x AIM-9 on the wingtips. 2x 330-gal. drop tanks. Sensor pods on the fuselage side stations. Often the centerline is empty, but another 330-gal. tank can be here. That leaves just two stations for air-to-ground. Is this sounding familiar?
The F-35C has the same loadout as the F-35A, except it's missing the gun all stealthed up. There's going to be a gun pod, someday, for the centerline station.
AV-8B is a real light weight for weapons carry when flying off the boat.
2x AIM-9 and 4x air-to ground weapons with a podded gun, sometimes. The stations are rated to near 2,000 lb. each, but rarely is more than a single weapon per station carried. More like 4x 500 lb. JDAM or 4x Maverick.
The F-35B carries less than it's sisters when doing STOVL. The internal bomb station is limited to 1,500 lb. and just 6,500 can be carried on the wings. The optional future gun-pod will be available here too.
When the
Racks for up to 16 more can be carried externally.
10 November 2015
Outbid
And thank goodness!
I didn't really want to spend what I had bid on that bayonet, but to get it for that bid would have been quite a deal.
I didn't really want to spend what I had bid on that bayonet, but to get it for that bid would have been quite a deal.
All Tank Videos All The Time
I was kind of surprised at the Sherman. I'd always thought it was a billy-goat.
White On Black
People who blog with white on black text should prepare themselves for the Special Hell the Gods have set aside for them.
Pray all you want, you will not be saved unless you atone and change your color scheme.
Pray all you want, you will not be saved unless you atone and change your color scheme.
Fudge
In whose interest is it to foment a race war?
From where I'm sitting it sure doesn't look like it's in the minority's interest to get it going for reals.
A real race war would be brutal, but once it gets going it's best to have numbers and whitey sure got that. Being slow to anger, the casualties on the white side would be pretty steep; but once the push-back began it would not stop until the war was done for good.
There's folks who are otherwise neutral about race who're damn sick and tired of being called racists and once it comes to violence will roll up their sleeves and start slitting throats with the worst the KKK has to offer.
If it comes to violence, what does one do? Surely self defense apply, but at what cost?
It'd be far better to actually have that talk on racism, the serious one that nobody really seems to want.
I can see an aftermath where minorities would pine for the halcyon days of Jim Crow.
I don't want that. It's not in my interests to foment or have a race war. The stakes are too damn high and fascism lies along too many of the likely paths.
From where I'm sitting it sure doesn't look like it's in the minority's interest to get it going for reals.
A real race war would be brutal, but once it gets going it's best to have numbers and whitey sure got that. Being slow to anger, the casualties on the white side would be pretty steep; but once the push-back began it would not stop until the war was done for good.
There's folks who are otherwise neutral about race who're damn sick and tired of being called racists and once it comes to violence will roll up their sleeves and start slitting throats with the worst the KKK has to offer.
If it comes to violence, what does one do? Surely self defense apply, but at what cost?
It'd be far better to actually have that talk on racism, the serious one that nobody really seems to want.
I can see an aftermath where minorities would pine for the halcyon days of Jim Crow.
I don't want that. It's not in my interests to foment or have a race war. The stakes are too damn high and fascism lies along too many of the likely paths.
09 November 2015
Found!
When assisting Willard's assembly of his last most recent AR...
I fumbled and dropped the roll pin for the bolt-stop.
Today while cleaning up around my work bench, I found it sitting on the book shelf that's below my work surface. It didn't even make the floor.
Back when it happened we just went to Ace Hardware and bought several of the correct diameter pins and we had Ian grind a couple to length.
Now we have spares! Huzzah!
I fumbled and dropped the roll pin for the bolt-stop.
Today while cleaning up around my work bench, I found it sitting on the book shelf that's below my work surface. It didn't even make the floor.
Back when it happened we just went to Ace Hardware and bought several of the correct diameter pins and we had Ian grind a couple to length.
Now we have spares! Huzzah!
Look For The Little Label
At the bottom of each post is a little label.
For example, the Panther post below has history and military.
Those aren't just superfluous.
Things marked with humor or mindless amusement really should be read with tongue in cheek.
They are clues. Insight into the tone of the post because there's no inflection to my written voice that would surely be evident in my speaking voice.
But if you're taking it serious with your feathers all brushed out in full display, I'm happy to make a serious sounding reply waving a feather duster right back at you.
For example, the Panther post below has history and military.
Those aren't just superfluous.
Things marked with humor or mindless amusement really should be read with tongue in cheek.
They are clues. Insight into the tone of the post because there's no inflection to my written voice that would surely be evident in my speaking voice.
But if you're taking it serious with your feathers all brushed out in full display, I'm happy to make a serious sounding reply waving a feather duster right back at you.
Racin'
I get a giggle when I think that NASCAR rarely runs at night and never in the rain.
Conditions that bootleggers sought to escape notice from the authorities.
Conditions that bootleggers sought to escape notice from the authorities.
A For Allergic
The A-10 is the last "Attack" plane accepted for service.
A-12 is the last type classified "Attack" plane designated.
The services are allergic to the A designation.
It's an honest niche, tactical bomber.
I am starting to think that nearly all of the F-35 sturm und drang comes from pasting it with an F or "fighter" designation when nearly everything about it screams A...
In the Air Force the role it's intended to fill is one that used to be served by the A-7D Corsair II. The A-7D was supplanted by the F-16. The F-16A was never intended to be a multi-role aircraft, it simply proved capable of the mission. The deliberately made it very tightly packaged to prevent the addition of things that would detract from it's pure air-to-air role as a day-fighter.
F-16C really happens because the attack mission needed more substantial upgrades than could be applied to the A model. Look hard, nearly every mod to get to the C model makes it a better bomber and not much makes it better air to air. Even the bigger engine is to compensate for the weight increase and it doesn't recover the thrust to weight ratio of the original F-16A. AIM-120 integration comes long after the C has been in service, so just don't go there.
In the Navy, F-35C replaces "legacy" Hornets, which were the multi-role replacement for the A-7E Corsair II. It probably wouldn't be multi-role at all if it weren't for there being a couple of carriers that could not embark Tomcats because of weight and or size restrictions. [Edit]
Then there's the Marines. Their F-35B replaces the AV-8B and some "legacy" Hornets. The Jarheads are most honest about what they wanted and are getting exactly that. The entire goat-rope centers around their plane really, but it doesn't change...
The job is to drop bombs and have decent air-to-air. It should be noted that even the lowly SLUF carried two sidewinders. The A-7 is not unmaneuverable, it's just got a teeny little engine so once it gets slow it stays there.
The F-35 has been the wrong designation for a long time. In the first place, 35 was the next X not the next F. It should be F-24 if it's going to be a fighter. Next, since it's a fighter-like bomber rather than a true fighter, it should be A. The next in line A is 14... (we skip 13 because superstition).
So the Air Force should have A-14A. Marines AV-14B. Navy A-14C.
With an A designation it suddenly doesn't seem so horrid that it can't dogfight, and when it does win air-to-are we're giddy!
If we want to be REALLY honest about the designation system...
The Marines should have the AV-14A, Air Force A-14B and Navy A-14C... The variant suffix goes in order of design and since the Lightning II was designed as a VTOL Marine attack plane from the get go, the A model should be theirs.
Also, normally a modification in role is applied before the primary role. For example the electronic warfare Super Hornet is an EF-18G. Recon versions of the Crusader were RF-8's.
The reason the AV-8 isn't an VA-8 is to prevent confusion with carrier squadron designations.
A-12 is the last type classified "Attack" plane designated.
The services are allergic to the A designation.
It's an honest niche, tactical bomber.
I am starting to think that nearly all of the F-35 sturm und drang comes from pasting it with an F or "fighter" designation when nearly everything about it screams A...
In the Air Force the role it's intended to fill is one that used to be served by the A-7D Corsair II. The A-7D was supplanted by the F-16. The F-16A was never intended to be a multi-role aircraft, it simply proved capable of the mission. The deliberately made it very tightly packaged to prevent the addition of things that would detract from it's pure air-to-air role as a day-fighter.
F-16C really happens because the attack mission needed more substantial upgrades than could be applied to the A model. Look hard, nearly every mod to get to the C model makes it a better bomber and not much makes it better air to air. Even the bigger engine is to compensate for the weight increase and it doesn't recover the thrust to weight ratio of the original F-16A. AIM-120 integration comes long after the C has been in service, so just don't go there.
In the Navy, F-35C replaces "legacy" Hornets, which were the multi-role replacement for the A-7E Corsair II. It probably wouldn't be multi-role at all if it weren't for there being a couple of carriers that could not embark Tomcats because of weight and or size restrictions. [Edit]
Then there's the Marines. Their F-35B replaces the AV-8B and some "legacy" Hornets. The Jarheads are most honest about what they wanted and are getting exactly that. The entire goat-rope centers around their plane really, but it doesn't change...
The job is to drop bombs and have decent air-to-air. It should be noted that even the lowly SLUF carried two sidewinders. The A-7 is not unmaneuverable, it's just got a teeny little engine so once it gets slow it stays there.
The F-35 has been the wrong designation for a long time. In the first place, 35 was the next X not the next F. It should be F-24 if it's going to be a fighter. Next, since it's a fighter-like bomber rather than a true fighter, it should be A. The next in line A is 14... (we skip 13 because superstition).
So the Air Force should have A-14A. Marines AV-14B. Navy A-14C.
With an A designation it suddenly doesn't seem so horrid that it can't dogfight, and when it does win air-to-are we're giddy!
If we want to be REALLY honest about the designation system...
The Marines should have the AV-14A, Air Force A-14B and Navy A-14C... The variant suffix goes in order of design and since the Lightning II was designed as a VTOL Marine attack plane from the get go, the A model should be theirs.
Also, normally a modification in role is applied before the primary role. For example the electronic warfare Super Hornet is an EF-18G. Recon versions of the Crusader were RF-8's.
The reason the AV-8 isn't an VA-8 is to prevent confusion with carrier squadron designations.
Happy Birthday Lex!
No Guinness this year, can't support Planet Vega.
But plenty of COURAGE from the Jameson.
We've a chair set for you.
But plenty of COURAGE from the Jameson.
We've a chair set for you.
Did You Know
The Star B is one of the most powerful handguns ever made?
When loaded with mere blanks it's capable of dropping a horse where it stands.
You don't even have to point it at the horse!
When loaded with mere blanks it's capable of dropping a horse where it stands.
You don't even have to point it at the horse!
08 November 2015
Not Insulted
Way back in January...
Tam told me that I took all the wrong things from a post.
It wasn't really my take-away from it I was writing about.
The article she was referencing that got me typing simply knocked my brain cells together and reminded the muse it was on the clock.
Over and over I've noticed that I don't think like other people.
Astonishingly, I've managed to come to the correct conclusion in a totally wrong manner, from the wrong direction with data that should not have added up to the destination.
I literally do not live in the same world you do.
I get by though.
But what you're going to get here from time to time is a polite reference to what knocked the brain-cells together and then the non-linear results.
A+B=C but infers if B+D=C then D=A. And what if E=B?
What if I saw that E=B without noticing D=A?
A+E= what again?
See?
Something else that's happened over and over is an inability to explain to a LOT of people what I am on about. Blogging has helped a lot. I am communicating better than ever.
Better than ever does not mean well.
If you have a question, comment! If I am wrong, and an explanation is short; comment! If I am wrong and an explanation is long; link me to the correct answer!
Do not attempt to engage me with someone else's argument, make your own.
But always remember this is where the pressure vents. This is where the waste steam is collected from the blow-off. The engine is elsewhere.
PS:
This post made on two shots of Oban and two shots of Jameson.
Tam told me that I took all the wrong things from a post.
It wasn't really my take-away from it I was writing about.
The article she was referencing that got me typing simply knocked my brain cells together and reminded the muse it was on the clock.
Over and over I've noticed that I don't think like other people.
Astonishingly, I've managed to come to the correct conclusion in a totally wrong manner, from the wrong direction with data that should not have added up to the destination.
I literally do not live in the same world you do.
I get by though.
But what you're going to get here from time to time is a polite reference to what knocked the brain-cells together and then the non-linear results.
A+B=C but infers if B+D=C then D=A. And what if E=B?
What if I saw that E=B without noticing D=A?
A+E= what again?
See?
Something else that's happened over and over is an inability to explain to a LOT of people what I am on about. Blogging has helped a lot. I am communicating better than ever.
Better than ever does not mean well.
If you have a question, comment! If I am wrong, and an explanation is short; comment! If I am wrong and an explanation is long; link me to the correct answer!
Do not attempt to engage me with someone else's argument, make your own.
But always remember this is where the pressure vents. This is where the waste steam is collected from the blow-off. The engine is elsewhere.
PS:
This post made on two shots of Oban and two shots of Jameson.
Ugh
Finnish Mosin bayonets are astonishingly expensive.
But I found good news!
The m/39 bayonet was just a Civil Guard item, so my Army kiv/39 would be appropriately trimmed with the earlier, far more common and much cheaper m/27 bayonet.
The m/27 should also fit on the kiv/28-30, but I'll keep an eye out for a m/28 bayo too. They're about the same as the m/27 but are SKY marked; like the rifle.
But I found good news!
The m/39 bayonet was just a Civil Guard item, so my Army kiv/39 would be appropriately trimmed with the earlier, far more common and much cheaper m/27 bayonet.
The m/27 should also fit on the kiv/28-30, but I'll keep an eye out for a m/28 bayo too. They're about the same as the m/27 but are SKY marked; like the rifle.
Batting At The Bare Bulb
The Lovely Harvey shot me a page with a listings for all the Veteran's Day promotions this year.
Lots of free grub out there for those who've served.
Once again, though, there's some stand-outs that don't seem to grasp the idea of veteran.
First, they could save a lot of money going by the original definition of veteran. Someone who's been in the fight and seen the elephant.
But in America when we mean veteran we mean someone who has an honorable discharge.
So a give-away for active duty with military ID kind of misses who Nov 11 is for.
If we didn't have Armed Forces Day, (third Saturday in May), I could see rolling them together.
Lots of places, like Golden Corral, do roll their armed forces appreciation together with veterans appreciation.
Several, though, are excluding vets on veterans day.
Bonefish Grill, Cheeseburger in Paradise, IKEA, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, and Twin Peaks (no links).
It's a small slight, but the smallest slights, like papercuts, are most irritating.
Don't misunderstand me, I think those presently serving should get a free burger or three, but not on veteran's day. Give them their goodies in May.
Lots of free grub out there for those who've served.
Once again, though, there's some stand-outs that don't seem to grasp the idea of veteran.
First, they could save a lot of money going by the original definition of veteran. Someone who's been in the fight and seen the elephant.
But in America when we mean veteran we mean someone who has an honorable discharge.
So a give-away for active duty with military ID kind of misses who Nov 11 is for.
If we didn't have Armed Forces Day, (third Saturday in May), I could see rolling them together.
Lots of places, like Golden Corral, do roll their armed forces appreciation together with veterans appreciation.
Several, though, are excluding vets on veterans day.
Bonefish Grill, Cheeseburger in Paradise, IKEA, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, and Twin Peaks (no links).
It's a small slight, but the smallest slights, like papercuts, are most irritating.
Don't misunderstand me, I think those presently serving should get a free burger or three, but not on veteran's day. Give them their goodies in May.
07 November 2015
Murderhobo Style
Back in the day...
.32 caliber pistols were considered "enough" for "social" occasions. Today they are not.
Why?
Because back in the day, there were no antibiotics. Getting shot with anything that could pierce clothing and skin gave an excellent chance of starting a fatal infection that no doctor in the world could treat.
I think most everyone knew that the .32 wasn't going to kill someone dead-right-there most of the time, but it was still a deterrent. Knowing you'd die days later in excruciating pain probably made one hesitant to start stuff.
Back in the day also didn't have much for laws forbidding people from carrying guns (or very little enforcement if they did). Well... if you were white, but that's a different topic.
Is .32 still considered viable in a world with mages who can cast healing and cure disease spells? Magical healing is far superior to anything available today in the real world; where antibiotics, imagery and surgery mean that for many gun shots as long as you don't bleed out before getting to the emergency room, you've got a good chance of living through it (assuming you're not dead-right-there).
The emphasis today is more along the lines of a gun that can stop the fight immediately, because the criminal knows how good trauma medicine has gotten. And it's not as good as magic! Even someone who survives and recovers from a gunshot today is likely to have lasting impairments.
Magic cures injuries like they never happened.
I might also add that magic in nearly every game world is normally cheap and readily available.
If you're rich you can have your underwear enchanted to give it the same DR as 14ga hardened steel. That's DR 5 and that stops pretty much any 1d attack and is excellent protection from most 2d attacks!
.32 caliber pistols were considered "enough" for "social" occasions. Today they are not.
Why?
Because back in the day, there were no antibiotics. Getting shot with anything that could pierce clothing and skin gave an excellent chance of starting a fatal infection that no doctor in the world could treat.
I think most everyone knew that the .32 wasn't going to kill someone dead-right-there most of the time, but it was still a deterrent. Knowing you'd die days later in excruciating pain probably made one hesitant to start stuff.
Back in the day also didn't have much for laws forbidding people from carrying guns (or very little enforcement if they did). Well... if you were white, but that's a different topic.
Is .32 still considered viable in a world with mages who can cast healing and cure disease spells? Magical healing is far superior to anything available today in the real world; where antibiotics, imagery and surgery mean that for many gun shots as long as you don't bleed out before getting to the emergency room, you've got a good chance of living through it (assuming you're not dead-right-there).
The emphasis today is more along the lines of a gun that can stop the fight immediately, because the criminal knows how good trauma medicine has gotten. And it's not as good as magic! Even someone who survives and recovers from a gunshot today is likely to have lasting impairments.
Magic cures injuries like they never happened.
I might also add that magic in nearly every game world is normally cheap and readily available.
If you're rich you can have your underwear enchanted to give it the same DR as 14ga hardened steel. That's DR 5 and that stops pretty much any 1d attack and is excellent protection from most 2d attacks!
'Merica!
Reading Peter...
Of course we spend hundreds on a knife that's ultimately not much better than the $20 example.
This is the culture that took the M1911A1, a pistol with an international reputation for toughness and reliability, and made a gun that's renowned for accuracy if you can accept fragility and stoppages for "just" ten times (or more) the price of a Glock.
It underscores the question, "What is that tool for?"
There are times I swear that Americans would pay hundreds for the best wrench ever made then complain that it came in inch sizes only when every nut and bolt they have is metric.
But there's lots of times when something is demonstrably better. Sometimes just a wee bit better.
What we're often no good at is assessing the cost to value ratio for that improvement.
Wrenches are a good example. A $20 set isn't going to last like a $100 set. But it will likely survive one use. Why spend the extra $80 if you're not going to use it again? On the other hand, the $100 set will definitely survive the single use and nearly every wrench at this price point has a lifetime guarantee. I've broken wrenches, even good ones, and it's nice to be able to say, "gimme a new one," instead of having to pay for one.
This is why I get kind of mocking about thousands of rounds fired in no maintenance situations. How much ammo are you carrying again? Considering I have hundred year old guns that shoot fine and not make it to the end of a box of ammo; but would make it to the end of all the ammo I'd actually carry... if I started from a clean gun... The endurance testing is like a high-pressure proof round: good to know it can survive it, never going to happen unless you fuck up bad or deliberately decide to do it.
But a gun that goes off like a pineapple grenade on a HP test round or starts choking from dirt after ten magazines isn't necessarily a bad gun. If you're going to carry two spare magazines; you're out of ammo seven magazines short of the dirt hazard. If you don't reload you're never going to see the round that will explode your gun (statistically speaking).
And while we're on ammo... There's two states. The first is where what you had on you was plenty. The second is where it's all gone and a constant stream of trucks bringing more is what you need. The in-between is vanishingly rare. We hear about every case because they stand out!
A $500 knife might stay sharp a whole day longer than a $20. Two of the cheap knives and a stone are 1/10 the price and like Peter says if you break the $20 knife it's a shrug instead of FUCK. Of course if you break your ONLY knife... FUCK. In the mind-set that two is one, I'm a ton more likely to have two $20 knives than one $500 just because I can get $40 together easily, but $500 once is a struggle, twice is a real pain. What I'll really do, though, is score two $50 knives; just a bit better than the $20 and just a bit worse than the $500.
It's why I own and carry a pistol that's been shown to handle the insane endurance tests, but I don't shoot like that and I bought it used. Letting someone else take the initial depreciation suits me fine.
Sometimes life is compromise.
Of course we spend hundreds on a knife that's ultimately not much better than the $20 example.
This is the culture that took the M1911A1, a pistol with an international reputation for toughness and reliability, and made a gun that's renowned for accuracy if you can accept fragility and stoppages for "just" ten times (or more) the price of a Glock.
It underscores the question, "What is that tool for?"
There are times I swear that Americans would pay hundreds for the best wrench ever made then complain that it came in inch sizes only when every nut and bolt they have is metric.
But there's lots of times when something is demonstrably better. Sometimes just a wee bit better.
What we're often no good at is assessing the cost to value ratio for that improvement.
Wrenches are a good example. A $20 set isn't going to last like a $100 set. But it will likely survive one use. Why spend the extra $80 if you're not going to use it again? On the other hand, the $100 set will definitely survive the single use and nearly every wrench at this price point has a lifetime guarantee. I've broken wrenches, even good ones, and it's nice to be able to say, "gimme a new one," instead of having to pay for one.
This is why I get kind of mocking about thousands of rounds fired in no maintenance situations. How much ammo are you carrying again? Considering I have hundred year old guns that shoot fine and not make it to the end of a box of ammo; but would make it to the end of all the ammo I'd actually carry... if I started from a clean gun... The endurance testing is like a high-pressure proof round: good to know it can survive it, never going to happen unless you fuck up bad or deliberately decide to do it.
But a gun that goes off like a pineapple grenade on a HP test round or starts choking from dirt after ten magazines isn't necessarily a bad gun. If you're going to carry two spare magazines; you're out of ammo seven magazines short of the dirt hazard. If you don't reload you're never going to see the round that will explode your gun (statistically speaking).
And while we're on ammo... There's two states. The first is where what you had on you was plenty. The second is where it's all gone and a constant stream of trucks bringing more is what you need. The in-between is vanishingly rare. We hear about every case because they stand out!
A $500 knife might stay sharp a whole day longer than a $20. Two of the cheap knives and a stone are 1/10 the price and like Peter says if you break the $20 knife it's a shrug instead of FUCK. Of course if you break your ONLY knife... FUCK. In the mind-set that two is one, I'm a ton more likely to have two $20 knives than one $500 just because I can get $40 together easily, but $500 once is a struggle, twice is a real pain. What I'll really do, though, is score two $50 knives; just a bit better than the $20 and just a bit worse than the $500.
It's why I own and carry a pistol that's been shown to handle the insane endurance tests, but I don't shoot like that and I bought it used. Letting someone else take the initial depreciation suits me fine.
Sometimes life is compromise.
Conversion
I've returned to converting the GURPS 3eR Fantasy Bestiary to the 4e rules.
I'd made it to Sea Serpent last time I took a break.
I'm remembering why this is so hard. While the rules are simple enough, these creatures are stupid.
And the very first one I came back to, the Senmurv, is a race not a creature. The Senmurv is actually pretty cool, but the Shamir is lame.
The Shika...
Giant Shrew? Giant SHREW? GIANT shrew? Really?
I'd made it to Sea Serpent last time I took a break.
I'm remembering why this is so hard. While the rules are simple enough, these creatures are stupid.
And the very first one I came back to, the Senmurv, is a race not a creature. The Senmurv is actually pretty cool, but the Shamir is lame.
The Shika...
Giant Shrew? Giant SHREW? GIANT shrew? Really?
06 November 2015
Loss
What did we lose with all the duplications in Pulp Guns and Adventure Guns?
We have published stats for a potato digger in 6x60mmSR Lee Navy, but we don't have published stats for the M1895 Lee Navy rifle.
We don't have stats for the Spanish M1893. If we're going to have most of the Rough Riders stuff, we need the opposition's stuff too.
The Spanish Hornet is different enough from the Gew98 that it deserves its own write-up.
You could even say that the 98 is a product improved version of the Spanish guns!
Rather than repeating the Winchester '94 for the third time we could have gotten both guns.
We have published stats for a potato digger in 6x60mmSR Lee Navy, but we don't have published stats for the M1895 Lee Navy rifle.
We don't have stats for the Spanish M1893. If we're going to have most of the Rough Riders stuff, we need the opposition's stuff too.
The Spanish Hornet is different enough from the Gew98 that it deserves its own write-up.
You could even say that the 98 is a product improved version of the Spanish guns!
Rather than repeating the Winchester '94 for the third time we could have gotten both guns.
Conjunction Junction What's Your Function
While there's a LOT of wisdom in leaving lawyering to lawyers...
I'm one of those weirdos who thinks that GovTalk should be in plain, commonly understandable English.
Documents should say what they mean and mean what they say.
If I read the question six times and come up with at least eight meanings, transmission of the message has failed.
If I need to hire a translator (a lawyer) to suss out the meaning of a document; and the hiring of the lawyer doesn't grant any indemnity for getting the meaning wrong, the document is a trap by design.
The 4473 question I commented on.
Lots of 'or' in there. There are zero 'and/or'.
Can I break this down? Maybe not, but I'm gonna try!
"Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance?"
As written the question asks:
Are you an unlawful user of marijuana?
Are you an unlawful user of any depressant?
Are you an unlawful user of any stimulant?
Are you an unlawful user of any narcotic drug?
Are you an unlawful user of any other controlled substance?
Are you addicted to marijuana?
Are you addicted to any depressant?
Are you addicted to any stimulant?
Are you addicted to any narcotic drug?
Are you addicted to any other controlled substance?
I think what they mean is "Are you illegally using or addicted to any controlled substance?" I think a lawyer would agree.
Oh as written one could take the tack that if you're illegally using it AND addicted the proper answer is "No." They're asking or...
It is, like so many government forms, phrased in the most convoluted manner because it's written in Lawyer and not English.
As written lots and lots of smokers are lying when they say "no" on a 4473 because they're addicted to a stimulant, nicotine. Alcoholics are addicted to a depressant.
And all it takes is some ass in charge of ATF to read it the way I have broken it down and start enforcing.
Rule of Lawyer is Rule of Man.
I'm one of those weirdos who thinks that GovTalk should be in plain, commonly understandable English.
Documents should say what they mean and mean what they say.
If I read the question six times and come up with at least eight meanings, transmission of the message has failed.
If I need to hire a translator (a lawyer) to suss out the meaning of a document; and the hiring of the lawyer doesn't grant any indemnity for getting the meaning wrong, the document is a trap by design.
The 4473 question I commented on.
Lots of 'or' in there. There are zero 'and/or'.
Can I break this down? Maybe not, but I'm gonna try!
"Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance?"
As written the question asks:
Are you an unlawful user of marijuana?
Are you an unlawful user of any depressant?
Are you an unlawful user of any stimulant?
Are you an unlawful user of any narcotic drug?
Are you an unlawful user of any other controlled substance?
Are you addicted to marijuana?
Are you addicted to any depressant?
Are you addicted to any stimulant?
Are you addicted to any narcotic drug?
Are you addicted to any other controlled substance?
I think what they mean is "Are you illegally using or addicted to any controlled substance?" I think a lawyer would agree.
Oh as written one could take the tack that if you're illegally using it AND addicted the proper answer is "No." They're asking or...
It is, like so many government forms, phrased in the most convoluted manner because it's written in Lawyer and not English.
As written lots and lots of smokers are lying when they say "no" on a 4473 because they're addicted to a stimulant, nicotine. Alcoholics are addicted to a depressant.
And all it takes is some ass in charge of ATF to read it the way I have broken it down and start enforcing.
Rule of Lawyer is Rule of Man.
05 November 2015
Clear The Passing Lane
George Barris has passed.
Everyone mentions the Batmobile.
Why don't they ever mention The Munsters?
Everyone mentions the Batmobile.
Why don't they ever mention The Munsters?
Repeat Purchase
In three Steve Jackson Games GURPS titles... High-Tech, High-Tech: Pulp Guns (two volumes), and High-Tech: Adventure Guns...
First things first. Pulp Guns and Adventure Guns require High-Tech to explain many of the stats, lots of things aren't explained in the Basic Set. They are not stand alone products.
Yet... going off the main weapon description and not a sub-variation described in the text...
For "Non-Repeating Pistols"
Remington Model 95: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
For Revolvers
Allen Pepperbox: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt No. 5: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt M1848 Dragoon: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt M1851 Navy: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Beaumont-Adams Mk I: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Lefaucheux Mle 1854: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
S&W Number 1: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
LeMat: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Remington New Model Army: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Webley RIC No 1: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
S&W No. 3: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt M1873 SAA: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
S&W Safety Hammerless: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
Nagant R-1895: High Tech, and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Webley-Fosbery Mk I: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
S&W Model 10/M&P: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
S&W .44 Hand-Ejector: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Webley Mk VI: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
S&W Model 27 / .357 Magnum: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
For Semi-Automatic Pistols:
Mauser C96: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
FN-Browning Mle 1900: Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns. (* Dupe that isn't in the prerequisite High Tech!)
Luger P08: High Tech, and Pulp Guns Vol 1. Adventure Guns lists the Luger in its P04 version. The text entry is largely redundant and the entry in High-Tech will suffice.
Colt Government (1911): High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Nambu 14 Shiki: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Walther PPK: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
FN-Browning HP: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
For Shotguns:
Colt Model 1855: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Remington-Whitmore Hammer Lifter: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
H&H Paradox Gun: Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.*
Winchester 1887: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
Winchester 97: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
FN-Browning Auto-5: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Ithaca Auto & Burgler: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
For Rifles:
Enfield P/1853: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Spencer 1860: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Remington Rolling Block: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Martini-Henry Mk I: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Winchester 1873: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Sharps 1874: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Greener Elephant Gun: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Lebel Mle 1886: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.
Mannlicher-Carcano M91: Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.*
Winchester 92 / 1892: Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.*
Winchester 1894: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.
Mauser Gew98: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.
H&H Royal Double-Express: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Remington Model 8: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.
Springfield M1903: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Arisaka Meiji 38 Shiki: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Enfield SMLE Mk III: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Mauser T-Gew: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Browning M1918 BAR: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
For Submachineguns:
Bergmann MP18/I: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Auto-Ordnance M1921: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Tikkakoski KP/31: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
For Mechanical Machine Guns
Gatling M1874: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Hotchkiss 1-pdr: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
For Machine Guns:
Maxim 1-pdr: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Maxim Mk I: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt 1895: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Maxim MG08: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Vickers Mk I: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Hotchkiss Mle 1914: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Browning M1917: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Madsen M/03: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Lewis Mk I: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
ZB ZB26: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
ZiD DP: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
It would not be so bad if the stats were identical. There's some variance between books and no guidance as to which is best used where.
There's just no excuse for requiring we buy High Tech and then repeating a weapon listed there. Maybe if the repeated entry expanded on the weapon, like the Luger entry in Adventure Guns, I'd be more sanguine.
Since Steve Jackson has gone to an all-pdf format for their new GURPS releases, I can't even browse the book in the store to see if it's all repeat.
Another quibble about Pulp Guns and Adventure Guns... Some of the new entries are extra esoteric. The scarcity is not stressed on some guns and it would be unusual for a single party to have more than one.
Or like the case that happened with my SEALs in Vietnam game: Every player took a gun that was only observed singly in the teams in the time-frame the game was set. No platoon went to the field with all of them at once, but my players...
First things first. Pulp Guns and Adventure Guns require High-Tech to explain many of the stats, lots of things aren't explained in the Basic Set. They are not stand alone products.
Yet... going off the main weapon description and not a sub-variation described in the text...
For "Non-Repeating Pistols"
Remington Model 95: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
For Revolvers
Allen Pepperbox: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt No. 5: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt M1848 Dragoon: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt M1851 Navy: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Beaumont-Adams Mk I: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Lefaucheux Mle 1854: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
S&W Number 1: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
LeMat: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Remington New Model Army: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Webley RIC No 1: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
S&W No. 3: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt M1873 SAA: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
S&W Safety Hammerless: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
Nagant R-1895: High Tech, and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Webley-Fosbery Mk I: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
S&W Model 10/M&P: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
S&W .44 Hand-Ejector: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Webley Mk VI: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
S&W Model 27 / .357 Magnum: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
For Semi-Automatic Pistols:
Mauser C96: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
FN-Browning Mle 1900: Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns. (* Dupe that isn't in the prerequisite High Tech!)
Luger P08: High Tech, and Pulp Guns Vol 1. Adventure Guns lists the Luger in its P04 version. The text entry is largely redundant and the entry in High-Tech will suffice.
Colt Government (1911): High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Nambu 14 Shiki: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Walther PPK: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
FN-Browning HP: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
For Shotguns:
Colt Model 1855: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Remington-Whitmore Hammer Lifter: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
H&H Paradox Gun: Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.*
Winchester 1887: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
Winchester 97: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 1 and Adventure Guns.
FN-Browning Auto-5: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Ithaca Auto & Burgler: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
For Rifles:
Enfield P/1853: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Spencer 1860: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Remington Rolling Block: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Martini-Henry Mk I: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Winchester 1873: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Sharps 1874: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Greener Elephant Gun: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Lebel Mle 1886: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.
Mannlicher-Carcano M91: Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.*
Winchester 92 / 1892: Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.*
Winchester 1894: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.
Mauser Gew98: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.
H&H Royal Double-Express: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Remington Model 8: High Tech, Pulp Guns Vol 2 and Adventure Guns.
Springfield M1903: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Arisaka Meiji 38 Shiki: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Enfield SMLE Mk III: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Mauser T-Gew: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Browning M1918 BAR: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
For Submachineguns:
Bergmann MP18/I: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Auto-Ordnance M1921: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
Tikkakoski KP/31: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 1.
For Mechanical Machine Guns
Gatling M1874: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Hotchkiss 1-pdr: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
For Machine Guns:
Maxim 1-pdr: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Maxim Mk I: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Colt 1895: High Tech and Adventure Guns.
Maxim MG08: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Vickers Mk I: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Hotchkiss Mle 1914: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Browning M1917: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Madsen M/03: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
Lewis Mk I: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
ZB ZB26: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
ZiD DP: High Tech and Pulp Guns Vol 2.
It would not be so bad if the stats were identical. There's some variance between books and no guidance as to which is best used where.
There's just no excuse for requiring we buy High Tech and then repeating a weapon listed there. Maybe if the repeated entry expanded on the weapon, like the Luger entry in Adventure Guns, I'd be more sanguine.
Since Steve Jackson has gone to an all-pdf format for their new GURPS releases, I can't even browse the book in the store to see if it's all repeat.
Another quibble about Pulp Guns and Adventure Guns... Some of the new entries are extra esoteric. The scarcity is not stressed on some guns and it would be unusual for a single party to have more than one.
Or like the case that happened with my SEALs in Vietnam game: Every player took a gun that was only observed singly in the teams in the time-frame the game was set. No platoon went to the field with all of them at once, but my players...
04 November 2015
Taking The Fifth
I want a nice, simple, change.
If you are an appointed or elected government official and you plead the fifth, you're also resigning and forfeiting all of the post-employment benefits of your post.
Further, you are barred from being a lobbyist or being employed by anyone who employs a lobbyist.
Government should be held to a higher standard than theeveryday noble citizen.
PS:
I just noticed. In a nation where every citizen has a sovereign franchise, none of them are common by the old sense of the word. The everyday citizen of America IS the nobility of the nation. The government behaving the way it is is actually a peasants revolt against its leaders.
It might be time to put this revolt down.
If you are an appointed or elected government official and you plead the fifth, you're also resigning and forfeiting all of the post-employment benefits of your post.
Further, you are barred from being a lobbyist or being employed by anyone who employs a lobbyist.
Government should be held to a higher standard than the
PS:
I just noticed. In a nation where every citizen has a sovereign franchise, none of them are common by the old sense of the word. The everyday citizen of America IS the nobility of the nation. The government behaving the way it is is actually a peasants revolt against its leaders.
It might be time to put this revolt down.
Is There Nothing Sacred
Guinness is going vegan.
This is the final straw.
The 11.2 oz instead of 12 oz small cans.
The 14.9 oz instead of a pint...
Now this.
I hate to break this to you Diageo, but you're not the only game in town.
Not only do I have my choice of local micro-breweries; there's twice as many pico-breweries!
I think I shall have something from Escape to ease the pain of the loss.
The funny thing is I don't care if your beer is vegan compliant. I really don't. The fact that you're making a change to make things vegan compliant and bragging about it bothers me. Perhaps if I'd ever encountered a single person from Vega who wasn't a SJW, it wouldn't rankle me so.
Giving in to their demands is just like any concession to any SJW. It doesn't end there.
This is the final straw.
The 11.2 oz instead of 12 oz small cans.
The 14.9 oz instead of a pint...
Now this.
I hate to break this to you Diageo, but you're not the only game in town.
Not only do I have my choice of local micro-breweries; there's twice as many pico-breweries!
I think I shall have something from Escape to ease the pain of the loss.
The funny thing is I don't care if your beer is vegan compliant. I really don't. The fact that you're making a change to make things vegan compliant and bragging about it bothers me. Perhaps if I'd ever encountered a single person from Vega who wasn't a SJW, it wouldn't rankle me so.
Giving in to their demands is just like any concession to any SJW. It doesn't end there.
03 November 2015
Well Go Home Then
CCW carrier fails to properly secure his gun.
“This is ridiculous what they’re doing and this is a priority they should take away the guns,” said Ashok Soni, a businessman in the area, “This is a very serious issue. I mean I am from Canada originally and nobody has guns over there … So it’s much more peaceful than here."
I keep hearing about how "back home" was so much better than here in Florida.
We get this from people from New York and New Jersey a lot too.
Then why did you move here, fuckstick?
Gotta be some reason. A compelling reason to move from Canada all the way down here.
Are you even a citizen, Mr Soni? Because I really love to hear from foreigners who've moved here but can't be bothered to join the tribe.
If you have bothered to naturalize, then you might have noticed that the US is like a whole different country.
But hey, don't like Florida? There's 56 49 other states you can move your ass to, bound to be at least one that has the gun laws you're so nostalgic for.
Divide By Zero
If Jerry Miculek put on Stormtrooper armor, would he still be able to hit the target?
I Should Apply
Cold Fury writes: "I’ve long seen government, federal especially, as a basic con game: a jobs-n-welfare program for people too stupid, lazy, or incompetent to hold real, productive jobs in any kind of free market economy."I'm stupid, lazy, incompetent and have no productive job in the free market.
I just missed my calling it seems.
Expanded
GURPS: High-Tech: Adventure Guns lists firearms from about 1850 to the turn of the century.
There are 43 guns given stats on the Revolvers table.
If you expand the table to give stats on the sub-variations mentioned in the text, you get 114 entries.
I've observed over and over that if something isn't on the weapons table, the players don't buy it.
So I go through the texts and add lines for the versions mentioned in the text alone.
Between the Basic Set, High-Tech, the two volumes of Pulp Guns, Infinite Worlds, SEALs in Vietnam and Adventure Guns I've got a 54 page ODT in 8pt single spaced lines; and I am only about half done with Adventure Guns.
I haven't even started on Low Tech and Ultra Tech!
Once this is done I'll be able to cut and paste line from these official tables to conversion of 3e things like WW2 and my own Twilight 2000 conversion. Might even get around to doing Traveller again.
There are 43 guns given stats on the Revolvers table.
If you expand the table to give stats on the sub-variations mentioned in the text, you get 114 entries.
I've observed over and over that if something isn't on the weapons table, the players don't buy it.
So I go through the texts and add lines for the versions mentioned in the text alone.
Between the Basic Set, High-Tech, the two volumes of Pulp Guns, Infinite Worlds, SEALs in Vietnam and Adventure Guns I've got a 54 page ODT in 8pt single spaced lines; and I am only about half done with Adventure Guns.
I haven't even started on Low Tech and Ultra Tech!
Once this is done I'll be able to cut and paste line from these official tables to conversion of 3e things like WW2 and my own Twilight 2000 conversion. Might even get around to doing Traveller again.
02 November 2015
Heck With It Then
Can't find the whole episode without some otaku blathering over it.
I guess I just won't watch it.
C'est la vie.
I guess I just won't watch it.
C'est la vie.
01 November 2015
Boys Will Be Boys Or Will They
If you're born with a Y chromosome, you grow up to be a man.
If you're born with an X chromosome, you grow up to be a woman.
That's the norm. The baseline.
But what if your own brain rejects this?
No matter the genetic and physical evidence of sex, it doesn't match your gender? What if the genetics just confuse matters?
Now what?
We're not good at making life easy for people caught in this fine little trap. If anything we make it harder on them than it has to be.
Don't have to tell Erin this, I'm sure.
What can we do now? Out of basic politeness we could just go along with treating them as the gender they ID with. That'd cure so many ills. Essentially ignore the deviation from the norm because a guy in a dress isn't hurting you. Even if that guy is in a dress simply because he likes dressing that way doesn't hurt you.
Being bothered by something is not at all the same thing as being harmed by something.
How do we cure such deviancy? That's a deliberately loaded way to say it.
Especially so since abnormal and deviate mean whatever condition in its most negative light. We never say Albert Einstein had a deviant intelligence, for example.
In a strict sense they only mean the subject does not match the baseline and assign no direction to the difference. The terms have come to be assigned a negative direction to the difference from the norm.
A cure can be one of several things; but the big two are...
We can get the brain to accept the same gender as the sex.
We can change the body to match the brain's expectations.
Getting the brain to agree with the genetics would seem to be preferable option since it's much less invasive and poses fewer health risks. But... thanks to a lack of understanding and some religious evangelical types, actual therapy in this direction is ineffective in many cases and downright traumatic as well. Even the successful treatments are not certain and require some finagling to be counted as successes.
Making the body match the brain isn't really any more successful. First there's the invasive surgery and hormone treatments. Then when everything is "done" (and it's never all done) there's often years and years of feeling less than a whole member of the new sex. Particularly in the case of male-to-female sex changes where the hormone therapy is screaming "GO GET PREGNANT!!" and it's just impossible. There's a lot of post op depression and suicide. A lot of "I went through all of that and I'm STILL not better?"
As it stands we're kind of offering a choice between Hells.
It's so much easier with science fiction. Places like Ghost in the Shell, where you just move your mind into a fully cyberized shell of the appropriate sex to your liking.
Places where genetic medicine is such that you can have that X or Y chromosome edited to change sex.
Places where you stick you head into the therapy machine and your mind is altered and you emerge with your thoughts matching your genitalia.
Places where there's no gender, even if there are sexes.
There's a ton about gender that's just fashion. A man wearing a skirt, is a cross dresser. Make the skirt plaid and call it a kilt, however... A man wearing a dress is also a cross dresser. Make it white and put an agal on his head and it's not a dress, it's a thawb.
When you remember that the bearded lady in the flower print sun dress is not hurting you, why hurt them by being rude?
If you're born with an X chromosome, you grow up to be a woman.
That's the norm. The baseline.
But what if your own brain rejects this?
No matter the genetic and physical evidence of sex, it doesn't match your gender? What if the genetics just confuse matters?
Now what?
We're not good at making life easy for people caught in this fine little trap. If anything we make it harder on them than it has to be.
Don't have to tell Erin this, I'm sure.
What can we do now? Out of basic politeness we could just go along with treating them as the gender they ID with. That'd cure so many ills. Essentially ignore the deviation from the norm because a guy in a dress isn't hurting you. Even if that guy is in a dress simply because he likes dressing that way doesn't hurt you.
Being bothered by something is not at all the same thing as being harmed by something.
How do we cure such deviancy? That's a deliberately loaded way to say it.
Especially so since abnormal and deviate mean whatever condition in its most negative light. We never say Albert Einstein had a deviant intelligence, for example.
In a strict sense they only mean the subject does not match the baseline and assign no direction to the difference. The terms have come to be assigned a negative direction to the difference from the norm.
A cure can be one of several things; but the big two are...
We can get the brain to accept the same gender as the sex.
We can change the body to match the brain's expectations.
Getting the brain to agree with the genetics would seem to be preferable option since it's much less invasive and poses fewer health risks. But... thanks to a lack of understanding and some religious evangelical types, actual therapy in this direction is ineffective in many cases and downright traumatic as well. Even the successful treatments are not certain and require some finagling to be counted as successes.
Making the body match the brain isn't really any more successful. First there's the invasive surgery and hormone treatments. Then when everything is "done" (and it's never all done) there's often years and years of feeling less than a whole member of the new sex. Particularly in the case of male-to-female sex changes where the hormone therapy is screaming "GO GET PREGNANT!!" and it's just impossible. There's a lot of post op depression and suicide. A lot of "I went through all of that and I'm STILL not better?"
As it stands we're kind of offering a choice between Hells.
It's so much easier with science fiction. Places like Ghost in the Shell, where you just move your mind into a fully cyberized shell of the appropriate sex to your liking.
Places where genetic medicine is such that you can have that X or Y chromosome edited to change sex.
Places where you stick you head into the therapy machine and your mind is altered and you emerge with your thoughts matching your genitalia.
Places where there's no gender, even if there are sexes.
There's a ton about gender that's just fashion. A man wearing a skirt, is a cross dresser. Make the skirt plaid and call it a kilt, however... A man wearing a dress is also a cross dresser. Make it white and put an agal on his head and it's not a dress, it's a thawb.
When you remember that the bearded lady in the flower print sun dress is not hurting you, why hurt them by being rude?
Still Not Shipping?
Has Remington fixed the R51 and started shipping it yet?
Have they fixed the guns that were messed up and already sold?
Wikipedia says they're still not shipping as of October 2015.
It's still listed on Big Green's web page, so there must be some plan to keep offering it.
It's really tugged at my imagination since it was first announced and I'd love to see it be successful. John Pederson was extremely talented and is underrated in so many ways.
Have they fixed the guns that were messed up and already sold?
Wikipedia says they're still not shipping as of October 2015.
It's still listed on Big Green's web page, so there must be some plan to keep offering it.
It's really tugged at my imagination since it was first announced and I'd love to see it be successful. John Pederson was extremely talented and is underrated in so many ways.
Be Careful
ATF Form 4473...
Line 11.e...
"Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance?"
Caffeine is a stimulant.
Nicotine is a stimulant.
Just sayin'...
And notice the 'or'.
Being addicted to, and lawfully using is the same as unlawfully using.
Good thing I can quit anytime I want, it's just 12 steps is such a LONG walk. Don't wanna replace caffeine with a runners high or something.
Line 11.e...
"Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance?"
Caffeine is a stimulant.
Nicotine is a stimulant.
Just sayin'...
And notice the 'or'.
Being addicted to, and lawfully using is the same as unlawfully using.
Good thing I can quit anytime I want, it's just 12 steps is such a LONG walk. Don't wanna replace caffeine with a runners high or something.
Scripts
I've been using Script Safe with Chrome for a few now.
Teaching it what content you allow and what you forbid from a "forbid all" default state has been illuminating.
The first thing you notice is how many sites just flat don't load at all unless you allow the sites own javascripts to run.
Then you start to see how dependent the sites are on third party Javascript.
To the point that you're left with two choices for the site. Quit trying to filter out the essential from the non-essential and unwanted and view the site unfiltered. Or just stop going to that site.
I'm trending towards the latter.
If the entire site is third party Javascript, is there really anything I need to see there?
Probably not.
Especially since you can make click-bait sites like answers.com or cracked.com behave after allowing very few scripts to run...
On a couple I experimented with "allow all temporarily"... That just allows all of the pending scripts to run. Once run, there's always more to allow. One several sites I've never actually gotten the page to load even after five or more "allow all" cycles.
Teaching it what content you allow and what you forbid from a "forbid all" default state has been illuminating.
The first thing you notice is how many sites just flat don't load at all unless you allow the sites own javascripts to run.
Then you start to see how dependent the sites are on third party Javascript.
To the point that you're left with two choices for the site. Quit trying to filter out the essential from the non-essential and unwanted and view the site unfiltered. Or just stop going to that site.
I'm trending towards the latter.
If the entire site is third party Javascript, is there really anything I need to see there?
Probably not.
Especially since you can make click-bait sites like answers.com or cracked.com behave after allowing very few scripts to run...
On a couple I experimented with "allow all temporarily"... That just allows all of the pending scripts to run. Once run, there's always more to allow. One several sites I've never actually gotten the page to load even after five or more "allow all" cycles.
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