A week and a half ago, I replaced the wheel-hubs on The Precious.
Starting last night, the rear started feeling loose. Like the rear suspension was steering the car a little bit. On the way to take The Boy to meet Harvey for Zumba it was getting very bad, especially under acceleration.
Since my friend, JT, was closer to where I was than home I took it to his place. My theory was that the rear tie-rods hadn't been tightened enough and he has the big metric wrench for those I don't.
That theory was proven false when the hub was moving and the knuckle wasn't.
Panic began to set in as I worried about making a warranty claim and how long I'd be without a car while that was processed. Grasping for any straw, I wondered about the axle nuts being loose since they're mentioned about 18 times on the manufacturer's warranty page.
The axle-nuts on The Precious, according to my service manual, require 151 ft-lb. of torque.
My torque wrench, set to 151 ft-lb. does not apply that much torque to the fasteners. They were even more loose than when the UAW had done them.
JT has a much newer wrench and we added a whole turn and a half to the nuts to get to 151 ft-lb.
The movement is gone and all appears to again be well.
31 May 2017
Aviation Trivia
How can you tell a T-38 from an F-5B or F-5F?
Leading edge slats.
Although the Talon and Freedom Fighter/Tiger are closely related, they diverged quickly from their common N-156 starting point.
Leading edge slats.
Although the Talon and Freedom Fighter/Tiger are closely related, they diverged quickly from their common N-156 starting point.
Appropriation
I think if we're going to go all out on shaming the misappropriation of cultures...
There's fuck all you can do without the contribution of MY people.
Driven on a MacAdam road using inflated tires today? Did you use anything but a flat-head?
Used a percussion cap?
Exulted in capitalism?
Eat something made from wheat or barley?
Get money out of an ATM?
There's fuck all you can do without the contribution of MY people.
Driven on a MacAdam road using inflated tires today? Did you use anything but a flat-head?
Used a percussion cap?
Exulted in capitalism?
Eat something made from wheat or barley?
Get money out of an ATM?
What Happened To Uncle Jay?
He was posting dog pics one day, then nothing the next...
I'd email him, but I cannot find his contact information (again).
I'd email him, but I cannot find his contact information (again).
Someone Should Say It
Begs for money because of some unforeseen tragedy.
Reveals actual need for funds not actually for the expenses of the tragedy.
Goes to Europe for an extended vacation.
I can't be the only one who's noticed the pattern, this will be the third occurrence.
I can't help but wonder why they're still held in such high regard.
Reveals actual need for funds not actually for the expenses of the tragedy.
Goes to Europe for an extended vacation.
I can't be the only one who's noticed the pattern, this will be the third occurrence.
I can't help but wonder why they're still held in such high regard.
Missed It By That Much
Willard is almost a shrewd evaluator of firearm values.
He's missed two auctions recently by a mere $5.
Or he is doing a perfect job of driving up the price to the real value for the seller, but not so far as to have to actually buy the things.
He's missed two auctions recently by a mere $5.
Or he is doing a perfect job of driving up the price to the real value for the seller, but not so far as to have to actually buy the things.
Reading
One "drawback" to reading history as opposed to fiction is there's no smarmy condensed version on wikipedia keeping track of the names and places for you.
I'm presently reading "Victory Point" by Ed Darack. I'm encountering the odd phenomenon of already understanding what the author is explaining because I was in the military; but understanding that lots of people won't understand without that exposition.
I'm presently reading "Victory Point" by Ed Darack. I'm encountering the odd phenomenon of already understanding what the author is explaining because I was in the military; but understanding that lots of people won't understand without that exposition.
30 May 2017
What Happened To Your Hair
Willard has a learning disability.
After discovering that .44 Magnum was a "bit" much in a Model 329PD...
He went out and bought a 4" Model 29-3.
"What happened to your hair?"
"Stuck my finger in the light socket."
"Where are you going with that fork?"
"No comment!"
After discovering that .44 Magnum was a "bit" much in a Model 329PD...
He went out and bought a 4" Model 29-3.
"What happened to your hair?"
"Stuck my finger in the light socket."
"Where are you going with that fork?"
"No comment!"
Burst Reset
The M16A2 is kind of famous for its three-round burst not resetting when the fire mode is changed.
It's counting off three rounds all the time, even in semi-auto mode.
In GURPS you denote a limited burst (High Tech p. 83) with a number before a slash in the RoF column.
This number will be the number of rounds in the limited burst times 3. So a three round burst is noted as 9/...
The number after the slash is the full-auto RoF.
Because there is no full auto position on an M16A2, we note it as 9/-.
But the burst counter could be anywhere between 1 and 3 shots before the limiter kicks in on that first shot.
One could keep track of the number of rounds fired, of course, and know when the limiter will kick in...
... or you could just roll 1d and on a 1-2, you get a single round, 3-4 you get two and 5-6 you get all three for that burst. Then the remaining two bursts will have all three since the limiter does reset at the end of its cycle.
This random determination really only applies when the rifle has been fired semi-auto for a while and the character really shouldn't know where in the cycle the limiter is.
It's counting off three rounds all the time, even in semi-auto mode.
In GURPS you denote a limited burst (High Tech p. 83) with a number before a slash in the RoF column.
This number will be the number of rounds in the limited burst times 3. So a three round burst is noted as 9/...
The number after the slash is the full-auto RoF.
Because there is no full auto position on an M16A2, we note it as 9/-.
But the burst counter could be anywhere between 1 and 3 shots before the limiter kicks in on that first shot.
One could keep track of the number of rounds fired, of course, and know when the limiter will kick in...
... or you could just roll 1d and on a 1-2, you get a single round, 3-4 you get two and 5-6 you get all three for that burst. Then the remaining two bursts will have all three since the limiter does reset at the end of its cycle.
This random determination really only applies when the rifle has been fired semi-auto for a while and the character really shouldn't know where in the cycle the limiter is.
Fascination
Am I the only one fascinated that court after court is striking President Trump's order about immigration, but not striking the statute he made the order under?
It makes one think that the order is actually Constitutional, doesn't it?
It makes one think that the order is actually Constitutional, doesn't it?
Name Game
Make Champagne Popsicles To Toast The Fallen!
Be honest, if it'd been Chelsea Clinton saying to make those popsicles, you'd have never stirred.
But since it's the daughter of the "wrong" president, NOW you give a fuck about the memory of the fallen?
NOW you care?
Fuck you!
Really, fuck you.
This sort of hypocrisy is what gets my goat the most.
If something is wrong, then it's wrong. It's wrong for me to do it, then it's wrong for you to do it.
If it's OK for you to do it, then it's OK for anyone to do it.
If you condemn a politician's dumbass rich daughter for her behavior, be sure that we're paying attention for when the "correct" politician's rich daughter does the same thing and making note of if you condemn her.
The reportage on Ivanka Trump says far more about the reporters than it does about Ivanka. The people agreeing with that reporter are also revealing more about themselves than they think they are.
Be honest, if it'd been Chelsea Clinton saying to make those popsicles, you'd have never stirred.
But since it's the daughter of the "wrong" president, NOW you give a fuck about the memory of the fallen?
NOW you care?
Fuck you!
Really, fuck you.
This sort of hypocrisy is what gets my goat the most.
If something is wrong, then it's wrong. It's wrong for me to do it, then it's wrong for you to do it.
If it's OK for you to do it, then it's OK for anyone to do it.
If you condemn a politician's dumbass rich daughter for her behavior, be sure that we're paying attention for when the "correct" politician's rich daughter does the same thing and making note of if you condemn her.
The reportage on Ivanka Trump says far more about the reporters than it does about Ivanka. The people agreeing with that reporter are also revealing more about themselves than they think they are.
29 May 2017
The Sadness Of The Boy
All The Boy wanted for his birthday was to hang out with his friends.
Over the years, he's kind of stayed in place while they all grew up and moved away.
There's nobody to hang out with but Mom and me.
I want better for him.
Over the years, he's kind of stayed in place while they all grew up and moved away.
There's nobody to hang out with but Mom and me.
I want better for him.
New Gat
New Gat... new gat... newgat...
Hmmmmmmm Nougat...
AGHGHGAHUAGHGAUGHAUGH
Someone I know has a "new" Glock 17.
With Ameriglo ghost ring sights. The jury is still out on those.
Hmmmmmmm Nougat...
AGHGHGAHUAGHGAUGHAUGH
Someone I know has a "new" Glock 17.
With Ameriglo ghost ring sights. The jury is still out on those.
For The Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
-- Laurence Binyon
Today is not about sales. It is not about summer starting. It is not about grandma.
It's is about those who served and have passed beyond the vale.
I want them all back.
To Bear, Bernie, Bob, Davy, Fred, Hognose, Lex, Rabbi, Rich, and Robert. The world is better that you were in it and worse that you have left.
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
-- Laurence Binyon
Today is not about sales. It is not about summer starting. It is not about grandma.
It's is about those who served and have passed beyond the vale.
I want them all back.
To Bear, Bernie, Bob, Davy, Fred, Hognose, Lex, Rabbi, Rich, and Robert. The world is better that you were in it and worse that you have left.
28 May 2017
Interchange
Good News! JT's powdercoated calipers and brackets look great!
Bad News! They're for a C6 not a C5.
Good News! The C6 caliper and bracket is backwards compatible with the C5.
Bad News! The brackets are for Z51 rotors.
Good News! The C6 Z51 rotors are also backwards compatible!
Bad News! JT had just, less than 1,000 miles ago replaced all four rotors.
Bad News! They're for a C6 not a C5.
Good News! The C6 caliper and bracket is backwards compatible with the C5.
Bad News! The brackets are for Z51 rotors.
Good News! The C6 Z51 rotors are also backwards compatible!
Bad News! JT had just, less than 1,000 miles ago replaced all four rotors.
Every Year
As proud as I am to have picked up cigarette butts in the quad for you all...
I cannot help but notice you didn't say fuck-all on Armed Forces Day and get all weepy about the men and women presently serving when we get near Memorial Day.
I say this every year too.
Memorial Day is for the fallen.
Tomorrow is for Bernie, Davey, Fred, Hognose, Lex, Rabbi, Robert, Rich, and Standing Bear and I would thank you to remember it for longer than it takes to burn the hot dogs on the grill this year.
27 May 2017
Good Pairing
There's a story as to how these two guns relate.
Someday I'll get be brave enough to tell it.
It starts with a Van Halen song, so you know it is not a tale of pride but of shame.
Suffer The Slings And Magnums
A neat article about ancient projectile weapons.
Shall we reality check with GURPS?
.44 Magnum from a 6" barrel gets 3d+2 pi+ for ball. 5-20 points of raw damage that is multiplied by 1.5 for 7 to 30 points (or 18 on average). That's a lot of damage!
According to GURPS: Low Tech, a heavy sling does sw+2 cr damage.
The average schmo (by definition) has a ST of 10 which gives a swing of 1d. So a ST 10 person using a heavy sling delivers 1d+2 cr, for a range of 3-8 points of damage and an average of 5.
ST 11 and ST 12 would only add a point of damage each, and 12 is about the limit of what we'd expect from a common soldier.
So the most we're going to see here is a swing of 1d+2 plus 2 or 1d+4 or 2d crushing. 2-12 points with an average of 7.
7 is the least the magnum can do!
Let's do some math! 50 grams is about 775 grs. 100 mph is just 146.7 fps.
Um, that's just 36.7 ft-lb. of energy. .44 usually delivers more than 1,000 ft-lb.!
So, no; a sling stone does not have the stopping power of a .44 magnum slug.
Also, using Douglas Cole's interior and terminal ballistics calculator, giving a heavy sling sw+2 damage is rather generous. The aforementioned stone calculates out to a mere 1d-2 pi++ (1-8 with an average of 2).
Update:
To get an average 18 damage from a crushing attack you need to do 5d+1 cr. For that you need your sw damage to be 4d-1 that requires a ST of 35 or 36. Someone with a ST36 can also lug around, very slowly, more than a ton (2,592 lb.) on their back.
Shall we reality check with GURPS?
.44 Magnum from a 6" barrel gets 3d+2 pi+ for ball. 5-20 points of raw damage that is multiplied by 1.5 for 7 to 30 points (or 18 on average). That's a lot of damage!
According to GURPS: Low Tech, a heavy sling does sw+2 cr damage.
The average schmo (by definition) has a ST of 10 which gives a swing of 1d. So a ST 10 person using a heavy sling delivers 1d+2 cr, for a range of 3-8 points of damage and an average of 5.
ST 11 and ST 12 would only add a point of damage each, and 12 is about the limit of what we'd expect from a common soldier.
So the most we're going to see here is a swing of 1d+2 plus 2 or 1d+4 or 2d crushing. 2-12 points with an average of 7.
7 is the least the magnum can do!
Let's do some math! 50 grams is about 775 grs. 100 mph is just 146.7 fps.
Um, that's just 36.7 ft-lb. of energy. .44 usually delivers more than 1,000 ft-lb.!
So, no; a sling stone does not have the stopping power of a .44 magnum slug.
Also, using Douglas Cole's interior and terminal ballistics calculator, giving a heavy sling sw+2 damage is rather generous. The aforementioned stone calculates out to a mere 1d-2 pi++ (1-8 with an average of 2).
Update:
To get an average 18 damage from a crushing attack you need to do 5d+1 cr. For that you need your sw damage to be 4d-1 that requires a ST of 35 or 36. Someone with a ST36 can also lug around, very slowly, more than a ton (2,592 lb.) on their back.
552 Hours
The PK-01VS has now gone 552 hours without being shut off.
38% longer than the manufacturer says it will last on an AA battery.
The test carries on!
38% longer than the manufacturer says it will last on an AA battery.
The test carries on!
26 May 2017
Fruit Fruit
Except for "revolver" and double-action, there's just about nothing in common between them.
Guts
I don't know enough about revolvers to say if this conforms to anyone's style.
I do know it's simple and that they designer gave me ways to access everything should it need repaired or adjusted.
So Very Wrong
While one should not identify with any character from Archer...
I do seem to grok Krieger.
I do seem to grok Krieger.
Slightly Sillier
Since the Z-Max comes in 20 round boxes and filling the AK magazine left me with 10 leftover rounds... and I had a spare clip for the M59/66A1...
Two mags for an AR, one for an AK and a clip for an SKS, plus a pistol bayonet; all stored in a special box to concentrate the anti-zombie energies to make them all more effective!
PS, I think that my getting all this together proves I'm safe from zombies, they crave brains. Clearly I don't have any!
Racist By Design
But the designers aren't who you think they are...
Dug more into this convoluted mess of voter ID. People become concerned that foreign nationals are voting in sanctuary cities and places like that. So they demand that ID be produced to vote to stop ineligible persons from voting.
The press, whom are walking lockstep with one party do not report on instances of voter fraud, especially in places controlled by that party.
Prosecutorial discretion is exercised heavily about voter fraud because the default cry of the press and party when they are caught/thwarted is ALWAYS racism.
The requirement for this ID is discovered to be racist because the party that benefits the most from said fraud has made it difficult for minorities to obtain the requisite supporting documentation to get the ID. Yet the requirement to get this ID is racist and not the manner in which the ID is being denied?
Judges appointed by the benefitting party block the law.
The people still don't have what they're asking for. That only eligible voters vote and only vote once per person per election.
If we're going to talk about racism, lets make sure that we put out there WHICH party has been consistently racist since Reconstruction.
The 13th Amendment (Abolished Slavery) was passed with 100% Republican and 24% Democrat support. The 14th Amendment (applies Bill of Rights to States) was passed with 94% Republican and 0% Democrat support. The 15th Amendment (Gives Blacks The Vote) was passed with 100% Republican and 0% Democrat support.
Jim Crow is a product of Democrat controlled state legislatures. This includes gun control laws intended (for reals) to never be applied to whites.
Modern gun control is a product of racist AND antisemitic Democrat authors. Purportedly in response to fellow Democrats assassinating their leadership...
The Democrats had a high ranking member of the KKK as a celebrated Senator for nearly half a century. After admitting that was wrong of him, he was a Senator for another 20 years, until his death. Where were the calls for his resignation from the press? What Republican would get a moments peace if they'd been discovered as a Grand Wizard?
Which recent President ran in the south using Confederate Battle Flags (and we just got told that ANY use of this flag is ALWAYS racist) as a back-drop to their names on buttons, and what party were they affiliated with? Hint, "Mr Civil Rights Act" Lyndon Baines Johnson did the same thing (he also signed that racist/antisemitic gun control bill into law).
What party was President Lincoln from?
What party was President Eisenhower from?
What party was Dr Rev Martin Luther King registered with?
Do you know why those last three are significant?
But, please, continue to explain to me why I'm a racist because I want voting to be fair, honest and legal.
Dug more into this convoluted mess of voter ID. People become concerned that foreign nationals are voting in sanctuary cities and places like that. So they demand that ID be produced to vote to stop ineligible persons from voting.
The press, whom are walking lockstep with one party do not report on instances of voter fraud, especially in places controlled by that party.
Prosecutorial discretion is exercised heavily about voter fraud because the default cry of the press and party when they are caught/thwarted is ALWAYS racism.
The requirement for this ID is discovered to be racist because the party that benefits the most from said fraud has made it difficult for minorities to obtain the requisite supporting documentation to get the ID. Yet the requirement to get this ID is racist and not the manner in which the ID is being denied?
Judges appointed by the benefitting party block the law.
The people still don't have what they're asking for. That only eligible voters vote and only vote once per person per election.
If we're going to talk about racism, lets make sure that we put out there WHICH party has been consistently racist since Reconstruction.
The 13th Amendment (Abolished Slavery) was passed with 100% Republican and 24% Democrat support. The 14th Amendment (applies Bill of Rights to States) was passed with 94% Republican and 0% Democrat support. The 15th Amendment (Gives Blacks The Vote) was passed with 100% Republican and 0% Democrat support.
Jim Crow is a product of Democrat controlled state legislatures. This includes gun control laws intended (for reals) to never be applied to whites.
Modern gun control is a product of racist AND antisemitic Democrat authors. Purportedly in response to fellow Democrats assassinating their leadership...
The Democrats had a high ranking member of the KKK as a celebrated Senator for nearly half a century. After admitting that was wrong of him, he was a Senator for another 20 years, until his death. Where were the calls for his resignation from the press? What Republican would get a moments peace if they'd been discovered as a Grand Wizard?
Which recent President ran in the south using Confederate Battle Flags (and we just got told that ANY use of this flag is ALWAYS racist) as a back-drop to their names on buttons, and what party were they affiliated with? Hint, "Mr Civil Rights Act" Lyndon Baines Johnson did the same thing (he also signed that racist/antisemitic gun control bill into law).
What party was President Lincoln from?
What party was President Eisenhower from?
What party was Dr Rev Martin Luther King registered with?
Do you know why those last three are significant?
But, please, continue to explain to me why I'm a racist because I want voting to be fair, honest and legal.
Base 30 Perhaps?
Remember our experiment?
5-10 business days is 30 business days in Botachland. They called yesterday saying they were ready to process the order.
You might notice that I posted pictures of the M9 Horse and Cavalry Pistol we'd gotten instead of the backorder from Botach way back on May 10th.
We gave up on Botach on May 8, which would have been business day 17 of "five to ten". On business day 19 we'd gotten the pistols from Ed's Public Safety.
It's been said, over and over, that things are either fine with Botach, or they're as messed up as they can get from Botach.
That said, we'd have happily waited the 30 business days if there'd be ANY form of communication from them indicating that the wait would be longer than their last communication indicated it would be.
They did not respond to phone calls, emails or messages in their embedded ordering system.
Complete silence.
5-10 business days is 30 business days in Botachland. They called yesterday saying they were ready to process the order.
You might notice that I posted pictures of the M9 Horse and Cavalry Pistol we'd gotten instead of the backorder from Botach way back on May 10th.
We gave up on Botach on May 8, which would have been business day 17 of "five to ten". On business day 19 we'd gotten the pistols from Ed's Public Safety.
It's been said, over and over, that things are either fine with Botach, or they're as messed up as they can get from Botach.
That said, we'd have happily waited the 30 business days if there'd be ANY form of communication from them indicating that the wait would be longer than their last communication indicated it would be.
They did not respond to phone calls, emails or messages in their embedded ordering system.
Complete silence.
Only A Slight Exaggeration
When I call .25 ACP a proven manstopper, I am not entirely unserious.
The lowly .25 has killed lot of people.
This is mostly because of whom carried the things and where they carried them.
.25 ACP guns in the USA have a reputation for being the guns that criminals carried in their pockets, and had that reputation for decades. Unlike a lot of reputations, this one was somewhat earned.
It's proof that shot placement matters and that medical care for traumatic injuries has improved by orders of magnitude since the .25 was a light, but serious, self-defense cartridge.
The lowly .25 has killed lot of people.
This is mostly because of whom carried the things and where they carried them.
.25 ACP guns in the USA have a reputation for being the guns that criminals carried in their pockets, and had that reputation for decades. Unlike a lot of reputations, this one was somewhat earned.
It's proof that shot placement matters and that medical care for traumatic injuries has improved by orders of magnitude since the .25 was a light, but serious, self-defense cartridge.
25 May 2017
Is The Recoil From .22 Magnum Too Much For You?
If so, consider a Velo-Dog style revolver of unknown provenance chambered in the proven manstopper; .25 ACP!
A half pound and five shots of double-action-only hammerless terror! It even has a useless lever hanging on the side! The lug on the safety is worn to a nub and doesn't block the trigger anymore.
It's gate loaded and has a built-in ejector rod system that stores through the center pin.
It is COVERED in proofmarks!
It appears to be Spanish in origin, but has what appears to be German nitro-proofs on the left side.
Readiness
Special anti-zombie Z-Max ammo from Hornady.
Special zombie-green dyed PMAG.
Special zombie apocalypse storage box.
I'm ready, are you?
I think it's possible that I've taken this joke as far as I can.
Special zombie-green dyed PMAG.
Special zombie apocalypse storage box.
I'm ready, are you?
I think it's possible that I've taken this joke as far as I can.
Which Part Is Racist
I shared this meme on my Facebook page:
I got told that, "but voting is a constitutionally guaranteed right."
Like buying a gun or peaceably assembling?
The person I was debating is a doctor of Astrophysics, and formerly a player of my Traveller game, he's not stupid.
A friend of mine who works for a nearby forensics unit, also not stupid, replied with this video.
His department of the agency he works for does the investigations into voter fraud... he's seen more fraud than was published in the news in his county.
I will concede that there is very little actual fraud. I refuse to concede that demanding that we make people prove that they are the person they are claiming to be so as to vote is racist in its intent.
It might be useless, but it's not racist.
But is isn't useless; the margin of victory for Senator Franken was smaller than the number of ineligible felons who voted in that election. If Minnesota had a robust voter identification system then there'd be a Senator Coleman today.
When you start tracing why it's so difficult and expensive for affected minorities to obtain the requisite identification in some areas, we start seeing the hand of the same folks who brought us Jim Crow. Again. Just like gun control.
What is racist here, denying someone the identification they need to function in our society by placing the place they need to get it far from where they live? Making getting the documentation for proof of identity so hard that it requires a lawyer and a couple thousand dollars?
It's noteworthy that the people who claim that voter ID laws are racist hardly ever admit that everything on the left side of that list would be racist too, for the same reasons.
Much of that list is centered on something else I have a right to do, engage in commerce and travel freely.
As the video says, if Democrats can afford to bus people to the polls, why aren't they bussing people to the DMV and paying for all supporting documents to get these poor benighted, oppressed people their ID's to let them vote?
I got told that, "but voting is a constitutionally guaranteed right."
Like buying a gun or peaceably assembling?
The person I was debating is a doctor of Astrophysics, and formerly a player of my Traveller game, he's not stupid.
A friend of mine who works for a nearby forensics unit, also not stupid, replied with this video.
His department of the agency he works for does the investigations into voter fraud... he's seen more fraud than was published in the news in his county.
I will concede that there is very little actual fraud. I refuse to concede that demanding that we make people prove that they are the person they are claiming to be so as to vote is racist in its intent.
It might be useless, but it's not racist.
But is isn't useless; the margin of victory for Senator Franken was smaller than the number of ineligible felons who voted in that election. If Minnesota had a robust voter identification system then there'd be a Senator Coleman today.
When you start tracing why it's so difficult and expensive for affected minorities to obtain the requisite identification in some areas, we start seeing the hand of the same folks who brought us Jim Crow. Again. Just like gun control.
What is racist here, denying someone the identification they need to function in our society by placing the place they need to get it far from where they live? Making getting the documentation for proof of identity so hard that it requires a lawyer and a couple thousand dollars?
It's noteworthy that the people who claim that voter ID laws are racist hardly ever admit that everything on the left side of that list would be racist too, for the same reasons.
Much of that list is centered on something else I have a right to do, engage in commerce and travel freely.
As the video says, if Democrats can afford to bus people to the polls, why aren't they bussing people to the DMV and paying for all supporting documents to get these poor benighted, oppressed people their ID's to let them vote?
24 May 2017
I Can't Debate
I can't.
I suspect it's more because I'm impatient and get mad rather than any weakness of my position.
It could be I'm not that smart, of course.
I suspect it's more because I'm impatient and get mad rather than any weakness of my position.
It could be I'm not that smart, of course.
More Drama
It's a little drama.
I've started the process of getting my arrest record expunged and sealed.
It's small since, ultimately, I was never charged with anything.
But getting this done means I will not have to explain, over and over to potential employers.
It also gives me a something to take after those people who aggregate mugshots and demand they take my entry down.
If they refuse, oddly enough, it's defamation of character.
The process of getting the expungement is tedious, but relatively inexpensive.
I've started the process of getting my arrest record expunged and sealed.
It's small since, ultimately, I was never charged with anything.
But getting this done means I will not have to explain, over and over to potential employers.
It also gives me a something to take after those people who aggregate mugshots and demand they take my entry down.
If they refuse, oddly enough, it's defamation of character.
The process of getting the expungement is tedious, but relatively inexpensive.
Why, Bush, Why?
Why should we prevent Italians from purchasing glycerine?
It's there in the lyrics, "Don't let the Dago buy..."
It's racism it is!
It's there in the lyrics, "Don't let the Dago buy..."
It's racism it is!
Depressed
The boy is in the mental ward.
Too many former friends have become social justice warriors.
My legs are still bugging me.
Just not having a good 2017.
Too many former friends have become social justice warriors.
My legs are still bugging me.
Just not having a good 2017.
23 May 2017
Lather Rinse
The Boy is back in the warm embrace of the psych ward.
I hate calling the cops to get him Baker Act'd.
His meds are obviously off.
I am still confident that there's a combination that will allow him to continue to live outside institutionalization.
I hate calling the cops to get him Baker Act'd.
His meds are obviously off.
I am still confident that there's a combination that will allow him to continue to live outside institutionalization.
22 May 2017
Modernized
The incessant creep of technology allows a normal AKM to accept a folding stock.
Not only that, it's a comfortable, stable folding stock that doesn't attempt to depilate.
Underrated
The PK-01VS has passed a bench mark.
At 1:50 pm, May 4, 2017 I turned the switch to setting #4. It has been turned down to #2 at the indoor range and up to #6 for about the same length of time aiming at things in bright light to see if I can see the dot under "outside" conditions.
It's been on for 17 days 18 hours 52 minutes; or almost 427 hours.
BelOMO's specifications state that it's good for 400 hours of continuous use.
Presently it's just as bright as the moment I turned it on.
At 1:50 pm, May 4, 2017 I turned the switch to setting #4. It has been turned down to #2 at the indoor range and up to #6 for about the same length of time aiming at things in bright light to see if I can see the dot under "outside" conditions.
It's been on for 17 days 18 hours 52 minutes; or almost 427 hours.
BelOMO's specifications state that it's good for 400 hours of continuous use.
Presently it's just as bright as the moment I turned it on.
20 May 2017
Bearing
Did the wheel hubs on The Precious today.
Pics of the right-rear to show what happened on all four.
It's straight forward, but tedious. You've got to separate the lower ball joints to gain access to one of the T-55 bolts holding the hub to the knuckle, and it becomes simpler to just take the whole knuckle off to get more room to work.
Gods, did the lower fight on all four hubs, despite using the proper J-tool for the job.
The axle nuts were barely snugged down by the UAW at Bowling Green. A known issue, but Jeebus... Now they're torqued properly.
It's kind of astonishing how small vibrations become big vibrations before you notice them and you don't really realize HOW big until you repair the part causing the issue.
Pics of the right-rear to show what happened on all four.
It's straight forward, but tedious. You've got to separate the lower ball joints to gain access to one of the T-55 bolts holding the hub to the knuckle, and it becomes simpler to just take the whole knuckle off to get more room to work.
Gods, did the lower fight on all four hubs, despite using the proper J-tool for the job.
The axle nuts were barely snugged down by the UAW at Bowling Green. A known issue, but Jeebus... Now they're torqued properly.
It's kind of astonishing how small vibrations become big vibrations before you notice them and you don't really realize HOW big until you repair the part causing the issue.
19 May 2017
Sense Of Scale
Nobody has ever accused a model 29 of being a small gun, but surely a 9mm should be much smaller, right?
Uh...
Damn the M9 is a large gun.
Uh...
Damn the M9 is a large gun.
Top Shelf Hand Cannon
Blued, wood stocks, .44 Magnum, 4", Smith and Wesson; 3 lb. loaded.
Stainless, rubber stock, .45 Colt, 4", Colt; 3.3 lb. loaded.
As different as you can make two guns and still have them come out almost the same.
I still think Colt is the better looking gun, but that's because I like vent-ribs and full length under-lugs.
Both have a nigh-telepathic single action trigger. Both have a smooth as glass double action trigger, with the S&W edging out the Colt because it's slightly lighter.
Stainless, rubber stock, .45 Colt, 4", Colt; 3.3 lb. loaded.
As different as you can make two guns and still have them come out almost the same.
I still think Colt is the better looking gun, but that's because I like vent-ribs and full length under-lugs.
Both have a nigh-telepathic single action trigger. Both have a smooth as glass double action trigger, with the S&W edging out the Colt because it's slightly lighter.
Chillin
The primary cooling fan on the Civic decided that it wasn't loved and took its own life on Harvey's commute home.
The night before Special Olympics in Orlando.
Thag to the rescue!
Honda sure didn't leave much room to extract the fan, motor and shroud.
DO NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE SERVICE MANUAL!
These instructions work. He doesn't have an airbox in his way, but that was just an irritation.
Thanks to JT for being a third and fourth hand when needed.
Thanks to Marv for soldering the wires because the Autozone brand fan we could get tonight had two leads, but no plug. If I'd had time to wait for delivery, I could have gotten a whole shroud and fan assembly for not all that much more that had the correct plug.
The night before Special Olympics in Orlando.
Thag to the rescue!
Honda sure didn't leave much room to extract the fan, motor and shroud.
DO NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE SERVICE MANUAL!
These instructions work. He doesn't have an airbox in his way, but that was just an irritation.
Thanks to JT for being a third and fourth hand when needed.
Thanks to Marv for soldering the wires because the Autozone brand fan we could get tonight had two leads, but no plug. If I'd had time to wait for delivery, I could have gotten a whole shroud and fan assembly for not all that much more that had the correct plug.
18 May 2017
SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT
This is the correct lead for this range. Why don't I see tracers, Flying Officer?
PS:
Mr Nolan, you had me at this shot: 3:56 at this link
PPS: Still using those Spanish "Messerschmidts" I see.
Nite Bright
Radioactive materials arrived from Taiwan today. 1.5x6mm vials.
I immediately set about to weaponize them!
The Zastava M-70 once again has glowing tritium sights! At least for the next ten years or so....
I immediately set about to weaponize them!
The Zastava M-70 once again has glowing tritium sights! At least for the next ten years or so....
At This Point
At this point I kind of hope that Trump colluded with the Russians to...
to...
Who fucking cares?
There's worse places he could go to get pointers on how to protect your nation's national interests than Putin.
In fact, there's few better.
If there's one thing Putin has nailed down so hard he could retire the trophy is working for his own nation's interests.
I don't expect there will be anything connecting Trump with Russia because there hasn't been a wolf, despite the repeated cries, since November 2000.
to...
Who fucking cares?
There's worse places he could go to get pointers on how to protect your nation's national interests than Putin.
In fact, there's few better.
If there's one thing Putin has nailed down so hard he could retire the trophy is working for his own nation's interests.
I don't expect there will be anything connecting Trump with Russia because there hasn't been a wolf, despite the repeated cries, since November 2000.
Dear General Scales
It is no longer 1969.
48 years is a long time to hold a grudge.
Some things you missed:
The M16A1 and its M193 ammunition stopped being the standard more than thirty years ago and was replaced with the M16A2 and M855.
The M16A2, where almost every part was revised, isn't even the standard today; that'd be the M4A1.
M855, even, is on its way out with the advent of M855A1.
In a nutshell, everything that was causing problems in 1969 has been revised and replaced. The bore diameter didn't cause those three guys you constantly cite to die with broken rifles.
It's far more likely the lackluster quality control from the mighty UAW workforce at Colt had more to do with it than the design.
To former Major Ehrhart; the infantry half kilometer was "lost" to artillery.
Remember combined arms?
Well, the max effective range of the small arms overlaps the normal range of artillery. So, yes, the infantry half kilometer demands a larger bore size, I suggest 60mm for starters. Willard even posits that the reason we're having problems in Afghanistan is the enemy has figured out where our small arms peter out and won't close; because to close is to die. If to close is to die, then it means our weapons do work.
Do Scales and Ehrhart think that the bad guys won't learn the max effective ranges of the new weapons? "Primitive as they are, [they] have learned to keep out of rifle range."
The problem isn't our small arms, it's our tactics and strategy.
If they're still in contact, but out of our rifle range, then they're still in mortar range.
Again, combined arms! Where are our mortars? Where are the heavier tubes? Our weapons were intended to have overlapping ranges, and as one range ended, another would pick up the job. But we need the will to use them like they were intended.
Why yes, that will mean leveling the shitty little village the bad guys are hiding in. Yes, that also means that the villagers will die too. I don't care. Maybe they'd start attacking the bad guys on sight out of desperation if they knew that those guys attracted death as surely as the sun comes up?
We're also not fighting the war like a war, we're not taking and holding more than stationary outposts. We're not even patrolling enough to keep them from surrounding and attacking our outposts.
We're in a situation that's repeated several times in history. If we kill 1,000 bad guys for every one of our guys, it's still a net-loss for us. Our people are simply more precious than theirs, and we should start acting like it.
48 years is a long time to hold a grudge.
Some things you missed:
The M16A1 and its M193 ammunition stopped being the standard more than thirty years ago and was replaced with the M16A2 and M855.
The M16A2, where almost every part was revised, isn't even the standard today; that'd be the M4A1.
M855, even, is on its way out with the advent of M855A1.
In a nutshell, everything that was causing problems in 1969 has been revised and replaced. The bore diameter didn't cause those three guys you constantly cite to die with broken rifles.
It's far more likely the lackluster quality control from the mighty UAW workforce at Colt had more to do with it than the design.
To former Major Ehrhart; the infantry half kilometer was "lost" to artillery.
Remember combined arms?
Well, the max effective range of the small arms overlaps the normal range of artillery. So, yes, the infantry half kilometer demands a larger bore size, I suggest 60mm for starters. Willard even posits that the reason we're having problems in Afghanistan is the enemy has figured out where our small arms peter out and won't close; because to close is to die. If to close is to die, then it means our weapons do work.
Do Scales and Ehrhart think that the bad guys won't learn the max effective ranges of the new weapons? "Primitive as they are, [they] have learned to keep out of rifle range."
The problem isn't our small arms, it's our tactics and strategy.
If they're still in contact, but out of our rifle range, then they're still in mortar range.
Again, combined arms! Where are our mortars? Where are the heavier tubes? Our weapons were intended to have overlapping ranges, and as one range ended, another would pick up the job. But we need the will to use them like they were intended.
Why yes, that will mean leveling the shitty little village the bad guys are hiding in. Yes, that also means that the villagers will die too. I don't care. Maybe they'd start attacking the bad guys on sight out of desperation if they knew that those guys attracted death as surely as the sun comes up?
We're also not fighting the war like a war, we're not taking and holding more than stationary outposts. We're not even patrolling enough to keep them from surrounding and attacking our outposts.
We're in a situation that's repeated several times in history. If we kill 1,000 bad guys for every one of our guys, it's still a net-loss for us. Our people are simply more precious than theirs, and we should start acting like it.
17 May 2017
Tell You What
We can have a tizzy about Trump talking to the Russians when ever someone from ATF finally gets punished for reals for Project Gunwalker.
George Washington's AK
"1969 Dated Russian Izhmash AKM" Link will eventually be dead as Gunbroker scrolls.
1969 Russian...
Except for the Romanian barrel.
The US made, brand new G2 trigger.
US made slant brake.
Oh, and the Childers receiver. They dropped that name like I'm supposed to recognize them. I don't but google says they're well thought of.
Nitrided finished just like the real thing! Oh wait...
The parts kit might have been 1969 Izhmash, but...
Don't you love how he equates the $18,000 price tag of a real AKM to this one?
It IS a well put together gun, but I don't think it's worth the $2,025 starting bid or the $2,250 buy it now price.
1969 Russian...
Beautiful new old stock 1969 dated Russian Izhmash arsenal AKM parts kit assembled on an authentic high quality serial number matched Childers receiver. A virgin chrome lined hammer forged Romanian barrel was used to complete this gun! This is about as close as you can legally get to an original Russian AKM for less then around $18,000.
Features a custom tuned US G2 trigger group with retainer plate, original OTK marked Russian sling and a US slant brake. This receiver has all of the authentic spot welds, selector markings and X and Y stamps.
Rifle was test fired only and it functioned flawlessly. As you can see in the pictures there are numerous original Russian proof and arsenal markings on the metal and furniture .As usual I was tempted to keep this one for my personal collection.
Except for the springs and a couple pins all of the steel on this gun was finished with the black nitride metal process! Black Nitride goes by a few names, Ferritic Nitrocarburizing, Melonite, SBN "salt bath nitriding" and QPQ.
Here are a few manufacturers that use this process;DS Arms (most ZM4 models and ZM4 uppers)BarrettSIGFNLWRCPOF-USAS&W M&P15CMMG - LE Series with WASP treatmentAACAdams Arms (uppers)Huldra Arms (rifles and uppers with chrome-moly barrels {not stainless})Bushmaster ACRSpikes TacticalBerettaKRISSRobinson armsSig - 550-556Superior Barrels with "hard blue" (uppers and barrels) {http://www.superiorbarrels.com/}
The added value of this service can't be measured in dollars!I believe it is so much better then any other finish that I have been sending off weapons from my personal collection for professional black nitride by H&M Metal Processing.
The kit used for this rifle was completely serial number matching.It will come with a new old stock Russian Izzy steel 30 round magazine, a cleaning kit, an oil bottle and a mag pouch.
The ammo madness has slowed down and you can currently find good bulk 7.62x39 at reasonable prices so stock up while you still can!
Features a custom tuned US G2 trigger group with retainer plate, original OTK marked Russian sling and a US slant brake. This receiver has all of the authentic spot welds, selector markings and X and Y stamps.
Here are a few manufacturers that use this process;DS Arms (most ZM4 models and ZM4 uppers)BarrettSIGFNLWRCPOF-USAS&W M&P15CMMG - LE Series with WASP treatmentAACAdams Arms (uppers)Huldra Arms (rifles and uppers with chrome-moly barrels {not stainless})Bushmaster ACRSpikes TacticalBerettaKRISSRobinson armsSig - 550-556Superior Barrels with "hard blue" (uppers and barrels) {http://www.superiorbarrels.com/}
The added value of this service can't be measured in dollars!I believe it is so much better then any other finish that I have been sending off weapons from my personal collection for professional black nitride by H&M Metal Processing.
The ammo madness has slowed down and you can currently find good bulk 7.62x39 at reasonable prices so stock up while you still can!
Except for the Romanian barrel.
The US made, brand new G2 trigger.
US made slant brake.
Oh, and the Childers receiver. They dropped that name like I'm supposed to recognize them. I don't but google says they're well thought of.
Nitrided finished just like the real thing! Oh wait...
The parts kit might have been 1969 Izhmash, but...
Don't you love how he equates the $18,000 price tag of a real AKM to this one?
It IS a well put together gun, but I don't think it's worth the $2,025 starting bid or the $2,250 buy it now price.
Difficult To Photograph
The PK-01VS is not actually centered over the rifle, it's offset to the left just a small amount.
I also discovered that the old M3 bipod fits an AK if you remove the cleaning rod.
Yes, I took pictures on my messy bed.
A Rare Survivor Of Childhood Nostalgia
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon actually held up OK.
It's not any cornier than the original comics or movie serials at any rate.
It's far less campy than FLASH! AH AAAAAAH!
The voice acting suffers a bit from being drawn from the normal pool of Saturday morning cartoon voice actors (Ming is voiced by the same guy as would later do Skeletor), but overall the stories aren't that bad and it's a good serial.
It's not any cornier than the original comics or movie serials at any rate.
It's far less campy than FLASH! AH AAAAAAH!
The voice acting suffers a bit from being drawn from the normal pool of Saturday morning cartoon voice actors (Ming is voiced by the same guy as would later do Skeletor), but overall the stories aren't that bad and it's a good serial.
Illustrative
Today illuminates why it's so damn hard for me to find gainful employment.
The morning is going fine, everyone is doing their thing.
The Boy's bus arrives and he goes off.
I get him calmed down, but no school today.
If I had been expected at work, what then?
Someone has to stay here with his random and capricious self.
The morning is going fine, everyone is doing their thing.
The Boy's bus arrives and he goes off.
I get him calmed down, but no school today.
If I had been expected at work, what then?
Someone has to stay here with his random and capricious self.
You'd Think
You would think that after more than 100 years of trying that they'd get it through their thick skulls that perhaps the reason that the various forms of socialism haven't worked is because all the various forms of socialism don't work.
16 May 2017
How Powerful Is Nostalgia
I recalled this stinker of a "game".
Watching this youtube:
The video isn't really important to what I'm talking about.
I read Fantasy Wargaming on the bus between Minneapolis and Ames.
This review sums it up very well.
I am tempted to drop the $9 on a copy just so that I can prove that it exists.
Watching this youtube:
The video isn't really important to what I'm talking about.
I read Fantasy Wargaming on the bus between Minneapolis and Ames.
This review sums it up very well.
I am tempted to drop the $9 on a copy just so that I can prove that it exists.
Lanyard Of The Zombie Apocalypse
Zombie-Green camouflage, guaranteed to be impossible for zombies to see, or your money back!
Casus Belli?
The recent blast of ransomware has indications of North Korean origins?
Weren't we already ticked off at them and looking for excuses?
Weren't we already ticked off at them and looking for excuses?
Pants Shitting Hysteria
If I, or many of my readers found this cache, we'd celebrate.
There's nothing ominous about someone with a large stash of ammo.
There's nothing ominous about someone with a large stash of ammo.
PSAK-47
Palmetto State Armory's brand name for their AK sets off my pedantic alert system.
Their receiver is sheet-metal.
That makes it an AKM, not an AK-47.
Of course, even AK-47 is wrong. The Soviet designation for the milled guns they issued at first was simply AK.
Their receiver is sheet-metal.
That makes it an AKM, not an AK-47.
Of course, even AK-47 is wrong. The Soviet designation for the milled guns they issued at first was simply AK.
Just Say "We Don't Patch Tires"
I got a screw in my right rear on The Precious.
The hole is dead center in the tread, no where near the sidewall.
To get home I used a tire plug to stop the air loss.
I took the car to Tires Plus, 3732 Us Highway 19, New Port Richey, FL 34652.
I was informed that because I used a plug, they cannot patch it.
"Why?" I ask.
Because the plug pushes the belts aside.
"You mean like the screw that made the hole did?"
Sort of.
"But HOW the belts get pushed aside matters?"
What?
"You just told me that you'd fix it if there was a screw still in the tire, leaking air, that had pushed the belts aside; but you won't fix it if a soft piece of rubber impregnated rope is doing that."
"That's not what I..."
Yes, it is what you said. It's not what you mean. What you mean is you don't patch tires. What you're told to say doesn't make sense, but your industry created a group that lets you hide behind their proclamations to sell tires rather than repair them. If you're going to come up with a line of bullshit, at least have the courtesy to admit it when someone who knows more than your script comes in.
And they wonder why I own tools.
I keep running into this problem from shops. They have reason after reason to not do what I want/need done, and propose a different fix that costs a lot more. Costs I invariably cannot bear. So I get desperate and learn how to do what I want done.
Guess what?
The thing they won't do fixes the problem.
Guess what else?
They got 100% of $0 for the repair.
So I still have a plug that holds air in the tire, rather than the patch I wanted.
The hole is dead center in the tread, no where near the sidewall.
To get home I used a tire plug to stop the air loss.
I took the car to Tires Plus, 3732 Us Highway 19, New Port Richey, FL 34652.
I was informed that because I used a plug, they cannot patch it.
"Why?" I ask.
Because the plug pushes the belts aside.
"You mean like the screw that made the hole did?"
Sort of.
"But HOW the belts get pushed aside matters?"
What?
"You just told me that you'd fix it if there was a screw still in the tire, leaking air, that had pushed the belts aside; but you won't fix it if a soft piece of rubber impregnated rope is doing that."
"That's not what I..."
Yes, it is what you said. It's not what you mean. What you mean is you don't patch tires. What you're told to say doesn't make sense, but your industry created a group that lets you hide behind their proclamations to sell tires rather than repair them. If you're going to come up with a line of bullshit, at least have the courtesy to admit it when someone who knows more than your script comes in.
And they wonder why I own tools.
I keep running into this problem from shops. They have reason after reason to not do what I want/need done, and propose a different fix that costs a lot more. Costs I invariably cannot bear. So I get desperate and learn how to do what I want done.
Guess what?
The thing they won't do fixes the problem.
Guess what else?
They got 100% of $0 for the repair.
So I still have a plug that holds air in the tire, rather than the patch I wanted.
15 May 2017
Hipsterism
The worst part, to me, about becoming a hipster would be the having to stop liking the things you like because other people started liking them as well.
As if the only enjoyment you derived from anything was that hardly anyone knew about how fun it was.
Me, I want to share the things I enjoy and have others enjoy them as well.
My only worry about something I enjoy being popular is my dislike of crowds.
As if the only enjoyment you derived from anything was that hardly anyone knew about how fun it was.
Me, I want to share the things I enjoy and have others enjoy them as well.
My only worry about something I enjoy being popular is my dislike of crowds.
He's An Oak
Despite the temptation of EIGHT magazines, a bayonet, bipod, cleaning kit and two stripper clips...
Willard is able to resist the siren's call of a Polish wz.88.
It turns out magazines aren't the only thing that attracts him to a rifle.
Willard is able to resist the siren's call of a Polish wz.88.
It turns out magazines aren't the only thing that attracts him to a rifle.
14 May 2017
Intermediate Comparison
I did that comparison with the post-war rifle rounds in GURPS stats and thought that I should talk about the rounds some more.
Left to right in chronological order:
7.62x54mmR; 1891. The oldest regularly issued service round still in service!
7.62x39mm; 1944.
7.62x51mm NATO; 1954.
5.56x45mm M193; 1963.
5.45x39mm; 1974.
5.56x45mm NATO M855; 1977 for NATO, 1984 for M855.
6.8x43mm Remington Special Purpose Cartridge; 2002. The only round here not adopted as the standard rifle cartridge.
I was going to chide the Soviets for it taking two attempts to get at their final intermediate round, but then I realized we took two tries as well; we just kept the same case.
The Russian / Soviet rounds:
The US / NATO rounds:
Left to right in chronological order:
7.62x54mmR; 1891. The oldest regularly issued service round still in service!
7.62x39mm; 1944.
7.62x51mm NATO; 1954.
5.56x45mm M193; 1963.
5.45x39mm; 1974.
5.56x45mm NATO M855; 1977 for NATO, 1984 for M855.
6.8x43mm Remington Special Purpose Cartridge; 2002. The only round here not adopted as the standard rifle cartridge.
I was going to chide the Soviets for it taking two attempts to get at their final intermediate round, but then I realized we took two tries as well; we just kept the same case.
The Russian / Soviet rounds:
The US / NATO rounds:
Almost
Ian's series on what becomes the L85A1 rifle reminds me of a time where I had a character who carried one.
It was some kind of post apocalypse world where the UN had lots of troops in the USA, so I made a British soldier who carried the issue British gun.
The GM and I coordinated with my character creation to hand one of our struggling characters a win. Because I was the GM most of the time, and take on force of nature aspects sometimes at the gaming table, many players were afraid to confront or oppose me.
So I made this British dude a raving anti-semite so everyone would be OK with hating him and then acting against him when they could.
Our struggling player with low confidence needed a win against Thag because he kept getting nailed in my worlds from making silly, if not stupid, errors that kept getting him killed.
Our mission was to raid a college library for engineering and chemistry books to help rebuild our society.
My character made a bee line to the religion section and started a bonfire. Our struggler was steered into discovering my fire and led to confront me.
And he needed the whole rest of the party to arrest me. Not to roll the physical confrontation, but to tell him what to do, what to say and how to say it.
Then, at my character's trial, I had to make an ad hoc character to play the prosecutor so that I could ask our struggler the right questions to get the right answers to send my British hate-monger to the gallows.
This one of many such scenarios we contrived to get him past the wall he was hitting so that he could become an equal at the table.
There was a lot of potential there, and he never quite lived up to it. He self sabotaged a lot.
It was some kind of post apocalypse world where the UN had lots of troops in the USA, so I made a British soldier who carried the issue British gun.
The GM and I coordinated with my character creation to hand one of our struggling characters a win. Because I was the GM most of the time, and take on force of nature aspects sometimes at the gaming table, many players were afraid to confront or oppose me.
So I made this British dude a raving anti-semite so everyone would be OK with hating him and then acting against him when they could.
Our struggling player with low confidence needed a win against Thag because he kept getting nailed in my worlds from making silly, if not stupid, errors that kept getting him killed.
Our mission was to raid a college library for engineering and chemistry books to help rebuild our society.
My character made a bee line to the religion section and started a bonfire. Our struggler was steered into discovering my fire and led to confront me.
And he needed the whole rest of the party to arrest me. Not to roll the physical confrontation, but to tell him what to do, what to say and how to say it.
Then, at my character's trial, I had to make an ad hoc character to play the prosecutor so that I could ask our struggler the right questions to get the right answers to send my British hate-monger to the gallows.
This one of many such scenarios we contrived to get him past the wall he was hitting so that he could become an equal at the table.
There was a lot of potential there, and he never quite lived up to it. He self sabotaged a lot.
Sign Of Age
I've been settled in one spot in FL long enough to bump into something I've never bumped into before.
Little girls who live around here are turning into little women.
Friends with daughters aren't entirely unaware that their daughters are making that transition, an increased interest in shotguns develops in parallel.
Daughter "Daddy, where's Steven?"
Father "Your boyfriend?"
Daughter "Yes, where's my boyfriend."
Father "He broke my shovel."
Daughter "WHAT?!?"
Mother "We really thought the shotgun had finished him off, but when he woke up, your father hit him with the shovel..."
Little girls who live around here are turning into little women.
Friends with daughters aren't entirely unaware that their daughters are making that transition, an increased interest in shotguns develops in parallel.
Daughter "Daddy, where's Steven?"
Father "Your boyfriend?"
Daughter "Yes, where's my boyfriend."
Father "He broke my shovel."
Daughter "WHAT?!?"
Mother "We really thought the shotgun had finished him off, but when he woke up, your father hit him with the shovel..."
AK Day
I verified that the BelOMO PK-01VS retains its zero even after being removed and reattached.
It's been off and on several times during coon-fingering since I first zeroed it.
Marv zeroed his BelOMO PO3.5x21P. 2.3 lb. of glass and aluminum with a 5.45x39mm bullet drop compensator. He confirmed that his scope retains its zero from being removed and reinstalled as well. We hit a snag on that, how long are you supposed to leave it off before putting it back on? What's the milspec on that?
He's kind of going sniper/RPK here.
He's "discovered" that the folding stock can be used as a ghetto corner-shot!
Speaking of ghetto...
Side mounted bipod!
We also noticed a distinct lack of Combloc content on our AK's. PSA claims all US make on their parts. Magpul is in Wyoming. Our scopes are from Belarus, and the ammo is Tula from Russia. Marv's bipod is Champion brand and that might be made in China, we don't remember what the box said.
It's been off and on several times during coon-fingering since I first zeroed it.
Marv zeroed his BelOMO PO3.5x21P. 2.3 lb. of glass and aluminum with a 5.45x39mm bullet drop compensator. He confirmed that his scope retains its zero from being removed and reinstalled as well. We hit a snag on that, how long are you supposed to leave it off before putting it back on? What's the milspec on that?
He's kind of going sniper/RPK here.
He's "discovered" that the folding stock can be used as a ghetto corner-shot!
Speaking of ghetto...
We also noticed a distinct lack of Combloc content on our AK's. PSA claims all US make on their parts. Magpul is in Wyoming. Our scopes are from Belarus, and the ammo is Tula from Russia. Marv's bipod is Champion brand and that might be made in China, we don't remember what the box said.
13 May 2017
Magazines By The Nines
Left to right in chronological order.
FN/Browning High-Power (13 rounds)
Beretta M1951 (8 rounds)
Beretta M92F/FS/M9 (15 rounds)
Glock 17 (17 rounds)
Smith and Wesson M&P 9 (17 rounds)
There are 15 round magazines for the High-Power and 17 round magazines for the M9 readily available and no more expensive that you cannot tell from their lower capacity versions without checking the witness holes. Genuine high capacity magazines where the standard capacity ones are still "high" capacity...
Happy Disappoint
Just saw the Scarlet Johansen Ghost In The Shell.
It's a deja vu film.
Like all remakes, it's got too much of earlier versions in it.
They did a good job, but it suffers from a severe lack of original content.
Some changes appear to have been made just to change things and thus give fans of the older material something new.
But the changes aren't really required of the plot or character arcs.
The Puppet Master, Individual 11 and Laughing Man elements don't blend very well; and I've long considered the Individual Eleven plot to be one of the weaker storylines.
Not a Kuze fan.
I don't like the re-imagining of Major Kusanage Motoko into Mira Killian. The Major knew who she was.
The making her the "first" full cyberization really dumb downs the setting and eliminates a lot of potential sequal material. Batou is famously fully cyberized and juxtapositioned to against the baseline human Togusa in most adaptations of the manga where they both appear.
It's even funny because Togusa despite being "all human" still has cyber-brain implants because you need them just to be part of the GITS world. Those implants have replaced pretty much all portable electronics in this universe.
It's a deja vu film.
Like all remakes, it's got too much of earlier versions in it.
They did a good job, but it suffers from a severe lack of original content.
Some changes appear to have been made just to change things and thus give fans of the older material something new.
But the changes aren't really required of the plot or character arcs.
The Puppet Master, Individual 11 and Laughing Man elements don't blend very well; and I've long considered the Individual Eleven plot to be one of the weaker storylines.
Not a Kuze fan.
I don't like the re-imagining of Major Kusanage Motoko into Mira Killian. The Major knew who she was.
The making her the "first" full cyberization really dumb downs the setting and eliminates a lot of potential sequal material. Batou is famously fully cyberized and juxtapositioned to against the baseline human Togusa in most adaptations of the manga where they both appear.
It's even funny because Togusa despite being "all human" still has cyber-brain implants because you need them just to be part of the GITS world. Those implants have replaced pretty much all portable electronics in this universe.
Dem Odds
Just a reminder to the innumerate or people who actively destroyed their education with subtle drugs...
A 10 or less on 3d6 is a 50% chance.
So in our discussion of death and consciousness rolls a HT 10 person has a 50% of remaining conscious or surviving with a single roll.
Multiple rolls make it more deadly.
The chance of surviving two death rolls is 25%, three is 12.5%, four is 6.25% and five is auto-death.
This is why you want your damage to get multiple rolls against death.
By the way, I've seen at the table someone who needed to make five rolls of 5 or less (4.62% chance each roll, or 0.000021048% chance total) make the rolls! So as long as a roll(s) is(are) allowed, there's a chance that it(they) will succeed.
A 10 or less on 3d6 is a 50% chance.
So in our discussion of death and consciousness rolls a HT 10 person has a 50% of remaining conscious or surviving with a single roll.
Multiple rolls make it more deadly.
The chance of surviving two death rolls is 25%, three is 12.5%, four is 6.25% and five is auto-death.
This is why you want your damage to get multiple rolls against death.
By the way, I've seen at the table someone who needed to make five rolls of 5 or less (4.62% chance each roll, or 0.000021048% chance total) make the rolls! So as long as a roll(s) is(are) allowed, there's a chance that it(they) will succeed.
Body Shots
This is, of course, a GURPS post.
The average person has a ST of 10, therefore 10 HP.
Ten points of damage causes the victim to roll to remain conscience. This is a roll against HT and the average person has a HT of 10. On average, people make this roll because the average roll on 3d is 10. More rolling means more chances to fail.
Going to negative HP, or 20 points of damage means the victim has to roll to remain alive, there's an additional check against death for each increment of HP you take, so more rolls at 30, 40, 50...
If you go 5x your HP negative or 60 hits for a 10 HP victim, you're automatically dead.
It's important to remember that the wound/damage system in GURPS is not modeling a specific shot to a specific place in a hit-location but to create a random approximation that approaches the average of injuries to an area.
Also, hits to the torso/body specifically exclude hits to the vital organs and central nervous system.
Are modern rifles and their rounds enough to snuff that bad guy?
Let's start with everyone's favorite: 7.62x51mm NATO.
From a 22" barreled FAL that does 7d pi. Against the torso, or body, that gives a damage range of 7 to 42 points and an average hit of 24. On average a torso hit gets a death roll, and has the potential to get three of them.
The 18" barrel of a G3 drops to 6d+2 pi. Potential damage is now 8-38 with an average roll getting 23. On average the target is dead and might have to make two death rolls.
Shortening the barrel still further to 16", like a SCAR-H reduces the damage to 6d pi. Range is now 6-36 points with an average of 21. Still getting death rolls on average, but only maxes out with two.
The much maligned 5.56x45mm M193 that didn't manage to kill any enemy soldiers in Vietnam fired from a 20" barreled M16A1 does 5d pi. 5-30 points of damage will get one or two death rolls and the average hit of 17 just misses getting one.
The ultra-deadly because it's Israeli, Galil ARM with its 18" barrel slugs out a mere 5d-1 pi doing 4-29 points of damage with the average falling in at 16.
This same round fired from the, very sexy, 11.5" barreled XM177E2 gets 4d+1 pi. 5-25 points just barely gets someone dead with near max rolls and on average, with 15, doesn't kill at all.
The 5.56x45mm M855 which everyone saw as a vast killing improvement in the streets of Mogadishu fired from a 20" barreled M16A2 does 5d+1 pi. 6-31 points of damage still has the potential for two death rolls, but the average still falls short with 18.
Shortening the barrel to 14.5" with the M4 is more humane, doing 4d+2 pi for a spread of 6 to 26. It's capable of killing with one shot, but on average, 16, it's not going to.
That's disappointing, isn't it?
Let's look at how the Warsaw Pact fared.
7.62x54mmR from a PKM or SVD does the same 7d as 7.62x51mm NATO. See above.
7.62x39mm from an SKS or the vaunted AKM do 5d+1 pi... hey that's the same as an M16A2!
5.45x39mm, such as from an AK-74 does 4d+2 pi... the same as an M4.
What about new rounds?
6.5 Grendel should do 6d+2 pi giving a range of damage from 8 to 38, just like a G3.
6.8 SPC with a 16" barrel should do 6d pi, just like a SCAR-H. From a 12" barreled Barrett REC7 it retains 5d+1 pi, just like an AKM... (Hey, didn't I repeatedly read how 6.8 was the same as an AK?)
.300 Blackout, in a supersonic load, should do 5d+1 pi, just like an AKM.
Just for history's sake did the 7.92x33mm Kurz round do any better? No, it's 5d just like an M16A1 but heavier than a full-length FAL.
The utterly pathetic and unusable in combat .30 Carbine gets 4d+1 pi. See the XM177E2 for results.
ALL of these rounds, at max damage, will get the average 10 HP to a death roll and all of them, with an average roll, will get that person to check for consciousness.
Multiply all those damages by 3 for a hit to the vitals and even the average hit is getting death rolls with the weakest round. 4d+1 pi does 15 to 75 to the vitals with an average hit getting 45, or three death rolls.
The average person has a ST of 10, therefore 10 HP.
Ten points of damage causes the victim to roll to remain conscience. This is a roll against HT and the average person has a HT of 10. On average, people make this roll because the average roll on 3d is 10. More rolling means more chances to fail.
Going to negative HP, or 20 points of damage means the victim has to roll to remain alive, there's an additional check against death for each increment of HP you take, so more rolls at 30, 40, 50...
If you go 5x your HP negative or 60 hits for a 10 HP victim, you're automatically dead.
It's important to remember that the wound/damage system in GURPS is not modeling a specific shot to a specific place in a hit-location but to create a random approximation that approaches the average of injuries to an area.
Also, hits to the torso/body specifically exclude hits to the vital organs and central nervous system.
Are modern rifles and their rounds enough to snuff that bad guy?
Let's start with everyone's favorite: 7.62x51mm NATO.
From a 22" barreled FAL that does 7d pi. Against the torso, or body, that gives a damage range of 7 to 42 points and an average hit of 24. On average a torso hit gets a death roll, and has the potential to get three of them.
The 18" barrel of a G3 drops to 6d+2 pi. Potential damage is now 8-38 with an average roll getting 23. On average the target is dead and might have to make two death rolls.
Shortening the barrel still further to 16", like a SCAR-H reduces the damage to 6d pi. Range is now 6-36 points with an average of 21. Still getting death rolls on average, but only maxes out with two.
The much maligned 5.56x45mm M193 that didn't manage to kill any enemy soldiers in Vietnam fired from a 20" barreled M16A1 does 5d pi. 5-30 points of damage will get one or two death rolls and the average hit of 17 just misses getting one.
The ultra-deadly because it's Israeli, Galil ARM with its 18" barrel slugs out a mere 5d-1 pi doing 4-29 points of damage with the average falling in at 16.
This same round fired from the, very sexy, 11.5" barreled XM177E2 gets 4d+1 pi. 5-25 points just barely gets someone dead with near max rolls and on average, with 15, doesn't kill at all.
The 5.56x45mm M855 which everyone saw as a vast killing improvement in the streets of Mogadishu fired from a 20" barreled M16A2 does 5d+1 pi. 6-31 points of damage still has the potential for two death rolls, but the average still falls short with 18.
Shortening the barrel to 14.5" with the M4 is more humane, doing 4d+2 pi for a spread of 6 to 26. It's capable of killing with one shot, but on average, 16, it's not going to.
That's disappointing, isn't it?
Let's look at how the Warsaw Pact fared.
7.62x54mmR from a PKM or SVD does the same 7d as 7.62x51mm NATO. See above.
7.62x39mm from an SKS or the vaunted AKM do 5d+1 pi... hey that's the same as an M16A2!
5.45x39mm, such as from an AK-74 does 4d+2 pi... the same as an M4.
What about new rounds?
6.5 Grendel should do 6d+2 pi giving a range of damage from 8 to 38, just like a G3.
6.8 SPC with a 16" barrel should do 6d pi, just like a SCAR-H. From a 12" barreled Barrett REC7 it retains 5d+1 pi, just like an AKM... (Hey, didn't I repeatedly read how 6.8 was the same as an AK?)
.300 Blackout, in a supersonic load, should do 5d+1 pi, just like an AKM.
Just for history's sake did the 7.92x33mm Kurz round do any better? No, it's 5d just like an M16A1 but heavier than a full-length FAL.
The utterly pathetic and unusable in combat .30 Carbine gets 4d+1 pi. See the XM177E2 for results.
ALL of these rounds, at max damage, will get the average 10 HP to a death roll and all of them, with an average roll, will get that person to check for consciousness.
Multiply all those damages by 3 for a hit to the vitals and even the average hit is getting death rolls with the weakest round. 4d+1 pi does 15 to 75 to the vitals with an average hit getting 45, or three death rolls.
Home Based Business
Corrective Phrenology Performed Here.
Reasonable Rates.
No Appointment Necessary!
Reasonable Rates.
No Appointment Necessary!
Inevitable Since Disney Owns Star Wars
I also wonder, they found and saved Anakin/Luke's light saber from some air filter on Bespin... but nobody saved the hand?
If We Can't Drill Our Way Out
If we cannot drill our way to energy independence, why is oil below $50 a barrel?
Just askin'.
IANAL like all those politicians, I'm just a mechanical designer with a business degree.
I've got an explanation that accounts for all the facts.
Why don't people who are supposed to be educated and trained to win arguments?
Just askin'.
IANAL like all those politicians, I'm just a mechanical designer with a business degree.
I've got an explanation that accounts for all the facts.
Why don't people who are supposed to be educated and trained to win arguments?
OPSEC
I discovered there's entire web pages dedicated to report on each and every arrest made in a given area.
That's not surprising, the police blotter is as old as news.
The interesting part is people who've nothing better to do but comment on every arrest, secure in their righteousness that the accused is guilty from the safety of anonymity and being out of range...
Except... they post under their real names.
For fuck's sake, they've got facebook, twitter and other accounts and don't know that google exists?
Some of the people they're commenting on are guilty and vindictive. And since the doors of the jail are practically on spinners...
I am actually most surprised that nobody has done anything.
Actually, it's not surprising. The criminal types that would do something probably don't get curious enough to search their name and arrest.
Those who're innocent and do the search out of curiosity, well we don't DO shit like harass idiots without lives.
Honestly, as long as they're commenting on every arrest, they're not out there driving.
That's not surprising, the police blotter is as old as news.
The interesting part is people who've nothing better to do but comment on every arrest, secure in their righteousness that the accused is guilty from the safety of anonymity and being out of range...
Except... they post under their real names.
For fuck's sake, they've got facebook, twitter and other accounts and don't know that google exists?
Some of the people they're commenting on are guilty and vindictive. And since the doors of the jail are practically on spinners...
I am actually most surprised that nobody has done anything.
Actually, it's not surprising. The criminal types that would do something probably don't get curious enough to search their name and arrest.
Those who're innocent and do the search out of curiosity, well we don't DO shit like harass idiots without lives.
Honestly, as long as they're commenting on every arrest, they're not out there driving.
12 May 2017
The Lamentations
I guess that The House of Saud is upset they're not able to dictate terms without any leverage.
Please allow me to extend howls of laughter in sympathy to their plight.
انخفاض أسعار النفط ليست علة. فهي ميزة!
Energy independence is the road to being able to ignore the middle east and its attendant toxic imaginary friends.
The hilarious thing about it is they brought it on themselves.
By dicking with the supply of something with inelastic demand it created an impetus to find new ways to get the product.
There's a lot of innovation with this kind of story.
Please allow me to extend howls of laughter in sympathy to their plight.
انخفاض أسعار النفط ليست علة. فهي ميزة!
Energy independence is the road to being able to ignore the middle east and its attendant toxic imaginary friends.
The hilarious thing about it is they brought it on themselves.
By dicking with the supply of something with inelastic demand it created an impetus to find new ways to get the product.
There's a lot of innovation with this kind of story.
Propagation
A couple of places have made note that groups like Antifa and Some Black Lives Matter More Than Others have already made the decision to use violence against anyone who opposes them.
The Rubicon, as it were, is at their backs.
I submit that they are forgetting something important about some of their opposition.
There's a few of us for whom the, "can I kill someone?" question has already been answered with, "yes."
It really doesn't matter if they enjoyed it or not. It doesn't matter if there's a few provisos, modifiers or conditions to the answer.
That there are people who know that they can if they must means that using violence on or at them is very dangerous.
The knowing if you can or not is a massive advantage. Especially if you know you can, because there will be less hesitation at the proverbial moment of truth.
This is the original moment of truth, by the way.
Also, just for the people worried about that rabble firing together in the desert, lots of the people who can answer yes have been under fire from folks who were entirely too professional about it.
The Rubicon, as it were, is at their backs.
I submit that they are forgetting something important about some of their opposition.
There's a few of us for whom the, "can I kill someone?" question has already been answered with, "yes."
It really doesn't matter if they enjoyed it or not. It doesn't matter if there's a few provisos, modifiers or conditions to the answer.
That there are people who know that they can if they must means that using violence on or at them is very dangerous.
The knowing if you can or not is a massive advantage. Especially if you know you can, because there will be less hesitation at the proverbial moment of truth.
This is the original moment of truth, by the way.
Also, just for the people worried about that rabble firing together in the desert, lots of the people who can answer yes have been under fire from folks who were entirely too professional about it.
Exclusionary Features
Coon fingering the M9 has got me to thinking.
I notice that the XM17 trials had mandated a lot of features that appear to steer the selection to a pre-ordained conclusion.
Then I look at the pistols available when the XM9 trials began, I wonder if there were features specified to eliminate guns from the competition, rather than being features that made the gun actually better.
Double action was specified as a must have feature for the new pistol. For a second strike capability on a dud primer. This effectively eliminated the proven FN High Power and the, then new, Glock 17.
Did you ever notice that the only small arm in the entire US inventory that mandated double action was the pistol?
The double strike thing only comes up again with the M320 trials and the M17...
It's very strange to me.
Especially since it's been a very long time since I had to re-tap a round that wasn't 7.62x54mmR.
It would make me very sad to learn that we'd specified features to steer a contract away from an unfavored vendor to a favored one.
Sad, but not surprised.
I notice that the XM17 trials had mandated a lot of features that appear to steer the selection to a pre-ordained conclusion.
Then I look at the pistols available when the XM9 trials began, I wonder if there were features specified to eliminate guns from the competition, rather than being features that made the gun actually better.
Double action was specified as a must have feature for the new pistol. For a second strike capability on a dud primer. This effectively eliminated the proven FN High Power and the, then new, Glock 17.
Did you ever notice that the only small arm in the entire US inventory that mandated double action was the pistol?
The double strike thing only comes up again with the M320 trials and the M17...
It's very strange to me.
Especially since it's been a very long time since I had to re-tap a round that wasn't 7.62x54mmR.
It would make me very sad to learn that we'd specified features to steer a contract away from an unfavored vendor to a favored one.
Sad, but not surprised.
Floppy Covers
These Belarus are clever people.
The lens caps nest into one another and they hold each other out of the way better. Plus, they nest with the lens-side facing each other, so debris is less likely to be cupped by the cover and transferred to the lens.
I'm going to give them credit for this being deliberate.
The lens caps nest into one another and they hold each other out of the way better. Plus, they nest with the lens-side facing each other, so debris is less likely to be cupped by the cover and transferred to the lens.
I'm going to give them credit for this being deliberate.