Today the display for the climate control didn't come on in The Precious.
The AC came on and the knob changed the temperature, but no display.
While playing with the knob, the display came back on.
I bought this thing from ebay last May to fix a problem that turned out to be in the Body Control Module; so the take-out unit from then is likely still good.
I just wish I didn't have to worry about it.
The no computer involved at all climate control in The Biscayne, with the exception of a dead AC compressor, works just fine. Slide the temp lever and a cable moves the blend door. Slide the other selector and a cable moves a door that pushes air out the selected vent.
I yearn for this simplicity in the Vette.
30 April 2019
Anyone Hazard A Guess (Updated)
Cuban Picadillo Recipe I linked to by mistake.
Wanna bet it's booger hook on bang switch interaction?
Link to actual article!
Wanna bet it's booger hook on bang switch interaction?
Link to actual article!
Chest Rig, Plate Carrier Or...
I like having appropriate web gear in the shot with the weapon when I take pics.
That has me wanting to set up a chest rig or a plate carrier for pics with Kaylee.
I kind of insist on having a good one, so...
What's a decent one that doesn't need DoD budgeting to buy?
Plus, since this is a web gear substitute it's got to have a place for a canteen and holster too.
That has me wanting to set up a chest rig or a plate carrier for pics with Kaylee.
I kind of insist on having a good one, so...
What's a decent one that doesn't need DoD budgeting to buy?
Plus, since this is a web gear substitute it's got to have a place for a canteen and holster too.
The New Normal
Despite the 5¢ bet now standing at $209,715.20 due to "double or nothin'" every time the sale at Palmetto State Armory is extended...
The sale continues.
I'm starting to think that despite it being listed as a "daily deal" $249.99 is now the new normal price for the M&P 9 Shield at PSA. A "daily" sale that lasts a month and a half is hardly a day event.
AIM is running close behind at $279.99.
The sale continues.
I'm starting to think that despite it being listed as a "daily deal" $249.99 is now the new normal price for the M&P 9 Shield at PSA. A "daily" sale that lasts a month and a half is hardly a day event.
AIM is running close behind at $279.99.
Farscape
I had fond memories of this show too.
It's on Amazon Prime, so I decided to watch it.
The soundtrack is AWFUL!
It's making it hard to watch the rest of the show, which isn't suffering from age as bad as other shows I've binge watched recently.
It's on Amazon Prime, so I decided to watch it.
The soundtrack is AWFUL!
It's making it hard to watch the rest of the show, which isn't suffering from age as bad as other shows I've binge watched recently.
Continuing Adventures
I admit, I accepted the default settings with Win7 in my Bootcamp installation.
I am attempting to rectify this oversight.
Right now I am waiting for the "Turn Windows features on or off" dialog box to generate an actual list of things I can disable.
Things like the TV Tuner registration app, and Windows Media Center.
I am attempting to rectify this oversight.
Right now I am waiting for the "Turn Windows features on or off" dialog box to generate an actual list of things I can disable.
Things like the TV Tuner registration app, and Windows Media Center.
Balance
I'm often accused of being too negative.
I have a reply.
If you have nothing but positive hooked to the motor, nothing happens.
You need the negative, the grounding, to make the motor spin.
Now I need a inspirational picture to put this on and to sell copies.
I have a reply.
If you have nothing but positive hooked to the motor, nothing happens.
You need the negative, the grounding, to make the motor spin.
Now I need a inspirational picture to put this on and to sell copies.
29 April 2019
Rodney King!
It's been 27 years since the King verdict and the start of the riots.
I recall keeping my Mini-14 and a lot of 30-rounders close to hand even in provincial West Des Moines.
I recall keeping my Mini-14 and a lot of 30-rounders close to hand even in provincial West Des Moines.
Age Like Vinegar
Science Fiction from television from my youth has failed to stand the test of time.
Space: 1999 is so disjointed.
It's so strange that a series which has ship designs that look like they'd actually WORK in space has such horrid physics, and it starts from the first episode.
2:30 seconds at enough G to pin them to the deck, but not make anyone pass out. The Commander is even crawling slowly. Call it 6G.
That changes the velocity of the moon 8.83 km/s. Not quite enough to get to 11.186 km/s from its start speed of 1.022 km/s.
That assumes that the thrust is pushing the right direction to add to the moon's velocity.
What the new speed of 9.852 km/s means is the moon is in a much higher orbit, and probably in far less circular one.
But wait, there's MORE!
The radioactive waste which all goes critical and creates all that thrust is shown to be on the "dark side" of the moon. That means the thrust should really push the moon INTO the earth.
Short series, huh?
Update: To get 6g out of the moon you need 4.32175×1021 kN of thrust. That's a lot.
Space: 1999 is so disjointed.
It's so strange that a series which has ship designs that look like they'd actually WORK in space has such horrid physics, and it starts from the first episode.
2:30 seconds at enough G to pin them to the deck, but not make anyone pass out. The Commander is even crawling slowly. Call it 6G.
That changes the velocity of the moon 8.83 km/s. Not quite enough to get to 11.186 km/s from its start speed of 1.022 km/s.
That assumes that the thrust is pushing the right direction to add to the moon's velocity.
What the new speed of 9.852 km/s means is the moon is in a much higher orbit, and probably in far less circular one.
But wait, there's MORE!
The radioactive waste which all goes critical and creates all that thrust is shown to be on the "dark side" of the moon. That means the thrust should really push the moon INTO the earth.
Short series, huh?
Update: To get 6g out of the moon you need 4.32175×1021 kN of thrust. That's a lot.
Need More Rum!
Florida is not exceptional in the nation in its liquor laws being odd and quirky.
One such example is how much you can buy from the site of a distiller.
An individual is limited to six bottles of a given label per year.
I am sure, to some, this seems like a lot of booze...
And it is if you intend to drink it all in one setting.
This limit is in place mainly to protect the distributors from the distillers selling directly to the customer and eliminating the middle man; you can buy as much as you can pay for from a state licensed liquor store.
It fails to account for the recent phenomenon of craft distilleries. These distilleries are sized too small to get distribution of their entire product line, let alone experiments and limited editions; but they are often becoming large enough to supply a lot more product to a demand that exceeds six bottles a year.
The Florida House has already passed a bill lifting that limit. HB-1219.
The Florida Senate is doing nothing.
With just a week left in the session, they need to get a move on. Getting them moving on this will also keep them from doing any anti-gun work, so win-win!
In addition to your senator, these other four Senators need to be called as well.
Benaquisto: 850-487-5027
Simpson: 850-487-5010 <- This is the key player!
Gibson: 850-487-5006
Bracy: 850-487-5011
Give 'em a call and demand more booze!
One such example is how much you can buy from the site of a distiller.
An individual is limited to six bottles of a given label per year.
I am sure, to some, this seems like a lot of booze...
And it is if you intend to drink it all in one setting.
This limit is in place mainly to protect the distributors from the distillers selling directly to the customer and eliminating the middle man; you can buy as much as you can pay for from a state licensed liquor store.
It fails to account for the recent phenomenon of craft distilleries. These distilleries are sized too small to get distribution of their entire product line, let alone experiments and limited editions; but they are often becoming large enough to supply a lot more product to a demand that exceeds six bottles a year.
The Florida House has already passed a bill lifting that limit. HB-1219.
The Florida Senate is doing nothing.
With just a week left in the session, they need to get a move on. Getting them moving on this will also keep them from doing any anti-gun work, so win-win!
In addition to your senator, these other four Senators need to be called as well.
Benaquisto: 850-487-5027
Simpson: 850-487-5010 <- This is the key player!
Gibson: 850-487-5006
Bracy: 850-487-5011
Give 'em a call and demand more booze!
28 April 2019
You Can't Hide From Me
I set special ringtones in my contacts so I can tell who's calling without looking.
With my Moto X2, Willard's was "moto".
"Moto" is a completely different ringtone with the Moto Z3.
The default ringtones are also concealed in the hidden system directory.
The easy way of getting to those files, plugging the phone into a computer, is eliminated by the hiding.
But one of the file manager apps I put on the phone can see that directory.
Select all, share to email, email them to myself.
Plug the Z3 into the computer and put the ringtones I want into user accessible ringtone folder...
VOILÀ!
One oddity is I changed the name from "moto" to "chomps" and I have two "moto" listed in the ringtone list; but it shows as "chomps" in the folder.
With my Moto X2, Willard's was "moto".
"Moto" is a completely different ringtone with the Moto Z3.
The default ringtones are also concealed in the hidden system directory.
The easy way of getting to those files, plugging the phone into a computer, is eliminated by the hiding.
But one of the file manager apps I put on the phone can see that directory.
Select all, share to email, email them to myself.
Plug the Z3 into the computer and put the ringtones I want into user accessible ringtone folder...
VOILÀ!
One oddity is I changed the name from "moto" to "chomps" and I have two "moto" listed in the ringtone list; but it shows as "chomps" in the folder.
Me And The NRA
Until I knuckled down and subscribed to get a lifetime membership, I was an on-again/off-again member of the NRA since 1994.
A couple times I kept it up long enough to get voting rights.
I grew to loathe the ring of the phone because twice a week it was the NRA/ILA asking for money.
Considering I let my membership lapse several times from lack of money, I didn't have anything to spare for the ILA.
It hardened my heart against donating to them because I clearly told them that being a member was all I could afford and they'd know my finances had changed when I mailed them a check. And I would!
When they didn't get the message I changed my position.
When Brady is repealed, I will consider donating.
Remember, Wayne, you promised. I remember.
I read about other promises too. I read about accepting the bitter pill of no new MG's to get the rest of FOPA passed. That's never been addressed.
AWB was going to be repealed just as soon as we voted for and elected a list of Republican candidates. They were elected and... AWB expired ten years and five elections later, it was never repealed.
Near as I can tell, if there's been a repeal for Brady or AWB submitted, it didn't get far or many co-sponsors.
It became apparent to me that the NRA's true value was to suck up fire from the anti-gunners while other groups worked for gun rights from a lower profile.
But that value is undermined when they fight against us at the state level here in Florida. Just hit the "Marion" tag for some examples of their spokescatperson either selling us out or leaving us high and dry.
I cannot help but think that if they'd spent the money trying to get me to join a wine bottle club on lobbying we'd be further along.
I cannot help but think that if Unified Sportsmen of Florida was an actual organization rather than Marion's front for the NRA to buy cat food we'd have an organized grass-roots presence in Tallahassee rather than just the occasional visit from Marion.
I am unhappy about how the organization is run and I have wanted it to change for a long time.
Sadly, the changes that are coming are from outside forces who wish to destroy it (and cannot be ignored) than from within (who have systematically been ignored and disenfranchised) who wish to save it.
A couple times I kept it up long enough to get voting rights.
I grew to loathe the ring of the phone because twice a week it was the NRA/ILA asking for money.
Considering I let my membership lapse several times from lack of money, I didn't have anything to spare for the ILA.
It hardened my heart against donating to them because I clearly told them that being a member was all I could afford and they'd know my finances had changed when I mailed them a check. And I would!
When they didn't get the message I changed my position.
When Brady is repealed, I will consider donating.
Remember, Wayne, you promised. I remember.
I read about other promises too. I read about accepting the bitter pill of no new MG's to get the rest of FOPA passed. That's never been addressed.
AWB was going to be repealed just as soon as we voted for and elected a list of Republican candidates. They were elected and... AWB expired ten years and five elections later, it was never repealed.
Near as I can tell, if there's been a repeal for Brady or AWB submitted, it didn't get far or many co-sponsors.
It became apparent to me that the NRA's true value was to suck up fire from the anti-gunners while other groups worked for gun rights from a lower profile.
But that value is undermined when they fight against us at the state level here in Florida. Just hit the "Marion" tag for some examples of their spokescatperson either selling us out or leaving us high and dry.
I cannot help but think that if they'd spent the money trying to get me to join a wine bottle club on lobbying we'd be further along.
I cannot help but think that if Unified Sportsmen of Florida was an actual organization rather than Marion's front for the NRA to buy cat food we'd have an organized grass-roots presence in Tallahassee rather than just the occasional visit from Marion.
I am unhappy about how the organization is run and I have wanted it to change for a long time.
Sadly, the changes that are coming are from outside forces who wish to destroy it (and cannot be ignored) than from within (who have systematically been ignored and disenfranchised) who wish to save it.
26 April 2019
Spreading A Rumor
From an unconfirmed and often unreliable source, second hand, (Arfcom) I have heard that the NRA board asked for Wayne LaPierre's resignation.
The same source said he stormed out and refused.
Can anyone at the convention confirm or deny?
The same source said he stormed out and refused.
Can anyone at the convention confirm or deny?
Crutched Along
Finishing the setup of Crispy and for the first time, ever, the interface to connect to it from the Mac Pro worked like it was supposed.
Getting these two machines to talk to each other used to be like pulling teeth and I had to employ several work-arounds.
It would appear that the OS on Crispy was busted from day one and little things weren't working despite MOST things working.
Getting these two machines to talk to each other used to be like pulling teeth and I had to employ several work-arounds.
It would appear that the OS on Crispy was busted from day one and little things weren't working despite MOST things working.
Up And Running
A fresh install of Win7 is in Crispy the Lenovo Thinkpad T420S.
We went Win7-64 Pro because already paid for. Win10 would have cost something.
With the broken copy of Win7 out of the way, the performance gains I'd hoped to get are present.
Really perked the old girl up!
We went Win7-64 Pro because already paid for. Win10 would have cost something.
With the broken copy of Win7 out of the way, the performance gains I'd hoped to get are present.
Really perked the old girl up!
25 April 2019
Pain
While the doc was moving my legs for the initial range of motion tests before agreeing I needed a consult I discovered something about me and pain.
I can tolerate rather a lot when I'm expecting it. Ankles and knees, I knew this was gonna hurt and I just braced, gritted my teeth and winced.
When it came time to move my hips around, with the left hip I was trying to crawl away from the angle she had my leg at! The amount of pain was surprising because she was moving my leg past where I can move it with my leg muscles.
Unexpected pain is worse!
I can tolerate rather a lot when I'm expecting it. Ankles and knees, I knew this was gonna hurt and I just braced, gritted my teeth and winced.
When it came time to move my hips around, with the left hip I was trying to crawl away from the angle she had my leg at! The amount of pain was surprising because she was moving my leg past where I can move it with my leg muscles.
Unexpected pain is worse!
Leech Satiated
Saw my doc at the VA.
Gave her the paperwork the DAV gave me to give to "a doctor".
She said she needed to run a consult with a range of motion doc.
Her moving my legs around was very painful.
Consult will happen.
The Rubicon is at my back, even if my sore, throbbing ankles are still damp from the crossing.
She remarked that the Army marking me 10% skeletal and not specific to the actual injury sustained (bilateral tibia and fibia breaks) means they left themselves open to ANY skeletal issue I have and increases in disability from them.
My service connected status also seems to give me access to more care than I realized, so a colonoscopy is in my immediate future. Ick.
Gave her the paperwork the DAV gave me to give to "a doctor".
She said she needed to run a consult with a range of motion doc.
Her moving my legs around was very painful.
Consult will happen.
The Rubicon is at my back, even if my sore, throbbing ankles are still damp from the crossing.
She remarked that the Army marking me 10% skeletal and not specific to the actual injury sustained (bilateral tibia and fibia breaks) means they left themselves open to ANY skeletal issue I have and increases in disability from them.
My service connected status also seems to give me access to more care than I realized, so a colonoscopy is in my immediate future. Ick.
Motherfucking Computers
JT stopped by to attack the mystery.
With much diagnosis skill and drive swapping...
It has been determined that the 160gb drive that came with the machine when I got it has something wrong on it and I faithfully copied it to the SSD when I cloned it.
This same flaw is likely what caused the install on the 750gb drive to stop accepting updates from MS.
A different manifestation of the same error since the 750 was once cloned from this same 160 drive four years ago.
He has determined that it's not worth trying to figure out where it went wrong considering that a fresh install on the SSD is so much easier and I don't keep any data on the laptop that isn't backed up on the Drobo.
With much diagnosis skill and drive swapping...
It has been determined that the 160gb drive that came with the machine when I got it has something wrong on it and I faithfully copied it to the SSD when I cloned it.
This same flaw is likely what caused the install on the 750gb drive to stop accepting updates from MS.
A different manifestation of the same error since the 750 was once cloned from this same 160 drive four years ago.
He has determined that it's not worth trying to figure out where it went wrong considering that a fresh install on the SSD is so much easier and I don't keep any data on the laptop that isn't backed up on the Drobo.
24 April 2019
Fucking Computers
I bought an SSD drive for my laptop.
SSD drives are supposed to be faster than spinning disk hard drives.
The 750gb drive that was in the machine had an uncorrectable error from a crash during an update to Windows, but the 160gb drive that came with it originally was still OK.
So I yanked the 750 and installed the 160 then ran all the updates.
Five hours later... I waited another four hours for Marv to get home to use his copy of Acronis True Image and cables.
Attached the 1tb SSD to the cables and began to clone away.
When it said it was done, tried to install the SSD into the laptop, Crispy.
No drive.
WTF!
After much wiggling discover that since the SSD is thinner than the HDD, it can flop down and lose connection.
Shimming one end keeps the drive in contact with the mobo and we're in business!
No sound card, or rather no audio hardware detected.
No video, sound and game controllers section in the device manager.
Finally locate the three things that have, for some reason, been disabled and reactivate their drivers.
We have sound!
Put the old 750gb into the Ultrabay HDD Caddy. Move my files.
Try to play a movie with VLC, works great!
Try to play any video with iTunes. Stutterwarp activated. Resolution doesn't matter, file size doesn't matter. Video is now unwatchable. There were some little skips before, now it's like a '20's film. BUT only if it's on the hard drive! If I play off the cloud, it's fine. Fuck you Apple!
No apparent cure and no care from Apple. Lots of complaints.
Music still works, so there's that.
Boot times are WAY faster.
SSD drives are supposed to be faster than spinning disk hard drives.
The 750gb drive that was in the machine had an uncorrectable error from a crash during an update to Windows, but the 160gb drive that came with it originally was still OK.
So I yanked the 750 and installed the 160 then ran all the updates.
Five hours later... I waited another four hours for Marv to get home to use his copy of Acronis True Image and cables.
Attached the 1tb SSD to the cables and began to clone away.
When it said it was done, tried to install the SSD into the laptop, Crispy.
No drive.
WTF!
After much wiggling discover that since the SSD is thinner than the HDD, it can flop down and lose connection.
Shimming one end keeps the drive in contact with the mobo and we're in business!
No sound card, or rather no audio hardware detected.
No video, sound and game controllers section in the device manager.
Finally locate the three things that have, for some reason, been disabled and reactivate their drivers.
We have sound!
Put the old 750gb into the Ultrabay HDD Caddy. Move my files.
Try to play a movie with VLC, works great!
Try to play any video with iTunes. Stutterwarp activated. Resolution doesn't matter, file size doesn't matter. Video is now unwatchable. There were some little skips before, now it's like a '20's film. BUT only if it's on the hard drive! If I play off the cloud, it's fine. Fuck you Apple!
No apparent cure and no care from Apple. Lots of complaints.
Music still works, so there's that.
Boot times are WAY faster.
23 April 2019
Say The Words
I am becoming amazed at how hard the left works to avoid just saying things.
They cannot say that Christians are the victims of the Sri Lanka Easter bombings.
They cannot say that Moslems are the perpetrators of the Sri Lanka Easter bombings.
I was going to add that they cannot condemn antisemitism in their ranks... but that's not the same thing.
They cannot say that Christians are the victims of the Sri Lanka Easter bombings.
They cannot say that Moslems are the perpetrators of the Sri Lanka Easter bombings.
I was going to add that they cannot condemn antisemitism in their ranks... but that's not the same thing.
22 April 2019
Urf Day
I am so happy I got The Biscayne running in time for Earth Day!
With a leaking fuel tank vent hose, she's pulling a solid 12.7 miles per gallon.
I just love tooling around emitting enough carbon per minute to grill a steak.
Hmmmmm, speaking of Steak! That's what's for dinner! Because I read that beef takes more resources than any other food to get to market. It doesn't even have to be true!
I have the beeleeves and teh feels that it's worse for the planet than tofu.
If Earth Day tells us anything it's that beliefs and feels are vastly more important than facts.
With a leaking fuel tank vent hose, she's pulling a solid 12.7 miles per gallon.
I just love tooling around emitting enough carbon per minute to grill a steak.
Hmmmmm, speaking of Steak! That's what's for dinner! Because I read that beef takes more resources than any other food to get to market. It doesn't even have to be true!
I have the beeleeves and teh feels that it's worse for the planet than tofu.
If Earth Day tells us anything it's that beliefs and feels are vastly more important than facts.
Frigid Florida Gulf Coast
We have a firepit because it's just fun with a social beverage and friends.
It also staves off the cold and wolves.
They're also handy for getting rid of yard waste and dead branches.
It also staves off the cold and wolves.
They're also handy for getting rid of yard waste and dead branches.
21 April 2019
Slow Fade
It's fast becoming time to replace my Mac Pro.
This is a sad day because the machine is still up and running as well as the day I opened the box.
What's pressing it into obsolescence is the standards of current browsers make the browsers I can still run fail to work.
Soon I will not even be able to log into Flickr to upload or download pics for this blog.
I do still have the Bootcamp install of Win7 Ultimate that lets the machine keep working, but that side cannot even see the 3tb internal RAID and cannot write to the Drobo.
The Drobo thing can be fixed by reformatting it to a PC standard, but I need to find a place to put the data in the meantime. That will also mean that there will be no writing to it from the Mac side.
SIGH.
Looking at the options brings the specter of gaming again. DCS is a fine flight simulator and making a new machine means considering enough hardware to play it.
Looks like $700 will get me there.
Anyone wanna buy some Mosins?
This is a sad day because the machine is still up and running as well as the day I opened the box.
What's pressing it into obsolescence is the standards of current browsers make the browsers I can still run fail to work.
Soon I will not even be able to log into Flickr to upload or download pics for this blog.
I do still have the Bootcamp install of Win7 Ultimate that lets the machine keep working, but that side cannot even see the 3tb internal RAID and cannot write to the Drobo.
The Drobo thing can be fixed by reformatting it to a PC standard, but I need to find a place to put the data in the meantime. That will also mean that there will be no writing to it from the Mac side.
SIGH.
Looking at the options brings the specter of gaming again. DCS is a fine flight simulator and making a new machine means considering enough hardware to play it.
Looks like $700 will get me there.
Anyone wanna buy some Mosins?
Bad Timing
Finally unloading that East German AKM bayonet I had laying around.
The Gunbroker auction ended at noon yesterday.
Which means the buyer isn't likely to do anything about winning it until Easter is over.
Kudos to me for realizing that before getting miffed at the zero communication.
The Gunbroker auction ended at noon yesterday.
Which means the buyer isn't likely to do anything about winning it until Easter is over.
Kudos to me for realizing that before getting miffed at the zero communication.
20 April 2019
Let The Insurance Company Deal With It
That's another way of saying, "I'm going to make you deal with it."
How is that?
The way insurance works is to create a large pool from many small payments to pay for damages.
If a certain kind of claim keeps happening, then they raise the cost to contribute to that pool for everyone covered.
Even if they never make a claim.
This is why it's so important to find the asshole at fault and punish them.
How is that?
The way insurance works is to create a large pool from many small payments to pay for damages.
If a certain kind of claim keeps happening, then they raise the cost to contribute to that pool for everyone covered.
Even if they never make a claim.
This is why it's so important to find the asshole at fault and punish them.
20 Years Of Safety
One of the crowning achievements of the Clinton administration was the Gun Free School Zones laws.
The administration and legislators must be particularly proud of how two crazed teenagers were unable to bring firearms and improvised explosives into a high school due to this law.
Credit is also due to the Johnson administration for signing into law a prohibition on making "destructive devices", such as pipe bombs, without first obtaining permission from ATF and paying a $200 tax. This same law also makes it impossible for someone to purchase a firearm for someone else who cannot buy it for themselves, thus denying the teens of several firearms they wished to use in their thwarted attack.
Many lives were saved that day, as many as 15 and perhaps 24 additional injuries from gunfire were prevented.
Bravo! President William Jefferson Clinton, for your courage in doing something effective to stop gun violence.
You really made a difference.
The administration and legislators must be particularly proud of how two crazed teenagers were unable to bring firearms and improvised explosives into a high school due to this law.
Credit is also due to the Johnson administration for signing into law a prohibition on making "destructive devices", such as pipe bombs, without first obtaining permission from ATF and paying a $200 tax. This same law also makes it impossible for someone to purchase a firearm for someone else who cannot buy it for themselves, thus denying the teens of several firearms they wished to use in their thwarted attack.
Many lives were saved that day, as many as 15 and perhaps 24 additional injuries from gunfire were prevented.
Bravo! President William Jefferson Clinton, for your courage in doing something effective to stop gun violence.
You really made a difference.
19 April 2019
What The Heck
I must open by saying, I get the joke.
Sharps in .17 HMR.
I'm just tickled by a rifle that is so famous for large caliber, long cartridges being chambered in a tiny rimfire.
Sharps in .17 HMR.
Condition Is Conditional
When I reported to my unit in Germany, this 19K was disappointed to discover there were M60A3 (TTS) tanks in the motorpool.
They weren't there for long.
We replaced them with brand new M1(IP) very shortly after I arrived.
I remember the '60's being all used up.
The Cav Squadron across the way took the cream of our crop and turned in their worst with the rest of ours.
I remember them exclaiming in joy how wonderful it was to have good tanks again.
They then spend a year beating more shit out of them until the vehicles were replaced with M3 Devers and the crews were transferred to us.
I don't know, specifically, what happened to our '60's, but I've heard stories about the USMC getting threadbare Army tanks and just GUSHING at how well maintained and NEW they were.
They weren't there for long.
We replaced them with brand new M1(IP) very shortly after I arrived.
I remember the '60's being all used up.
The Cav Squadron across the way took the cream of our crop and turned in their worst with the rest of ours.
I remember them exclaiming in joy how wonderful it was to have good tanks again.
They then spend a year beating more shit out of them until the vehicles were replaced with M3 Devers and the crews were transferred to us.
I don't know, specifically, what happened to our '60's, but I've heard stories about the USMC getting threadbare Army tanks and just GUSHING at how well maintained and NEW they were.
Because I Am Not Batman
I stumbled across a thread discussing people's everyday carry.
The piles of stuff some people were lugging around would put Batman's utility belt to shame.
I don't know about you, but my name isn't Bruce Wayne and, as much as I wish it were otherwise, I am not a billionaire playboy.
It's playing the odds.
Do I need to have a gunshot first aid kit with me at all times?
Probably not.
At the range?
Probably not. But adding one to the gun bag is less cumbersome than everyday.
Because of The Precious I am more bulk sensitive than others.
Because of my shattered legs and the consequences I am also more weight sensitive.
Lord knows that if I could lose about 100 lb. I'd take care of much of both problems. A consequence of living with my injury is an inability to do much that gets my metabolism going. Recent adventures in wrenching demonstrated how much slower I have to go than when I was young.
That same crippling is why I carry a gun, at least. I'm not running very fast or very far to get away from circumstances where I might need a gun. Interestingly, that's led to being a lot more selective about where I go in the first place.
Better to not need to run, right? Better to not need a full trauma kit in the first place.
The piles of stuff some people were lugging around would put Batman's utility belt to shame.
I don't know about you, but my name isn't Bruce Wayne and, as much as I wish it were otherwise, I am not a billionaire playboy.
It's playing the odds.
Do I need to have a gunshot first aid kit with me at all times?
Probably not.
At the range?
Probably not. But adding one to the gun bag is less cumbersome than everyday.
Because of The Precious I am more bulk sensitive than others.
Because of my shattered legs and the consequences I am also more weight sensitive.
Lord knows that if I could lose about 100 lb. I'd take care of much of both problems. A consequence of living with my injury is an inability to do much that gets my metabolism going. Recent adventures in wrenching demonstrated how much slower I have to go than when I was young.
That same crippling is why I carry a gun, at least. I'm not running very fast or very far to get away from circumstances where I might need a gun. Interestingly, that's led to being a lot more selective about where I go in the first place.
Better to not need to run, right? Better to not need a full trauma kit in the first place.
18 April 2019
Pocket Packing
Summer is fast approaching in the Gunshine State.
It's been shorts weather here for about a week, and that means losing the cover garments which hide bigger guns.
The M&P-9 Shield is a bit heavier than the SIG P238 it's replacing, but it also gets more puissance from 9x19 instead of 9x17.
It's no more a bother than the S&W 640 I used to carry.
It's been shorts weather here for about a week, and that means losing the cover garments which hide bigger guns.
The M&P-9 Shield is a bit heavier than the SIG P238 it's replacing, but it also gets more puissance from 9x19 instead of 9x17.
It's no more a bother than the S&W 640 I used to carry.
Perhaps A Combination Of Things
The fresh R134a in the system got its first real workout today.
The HVAC panel indicated 91˚ F outside and the selected inside temperature of 74˚ F was attained.
It's an improvement over a few weeks ago when the system appeared to be hunting the temperature and moving the blend door a lot.
It could be I have the correct amount of R134a now.
It could be that the condenser is now clear of debris.
It could be that having the condenser flat instead of bowed allows for better air flow.
It could be all of those things.
The HVAC panel indicated 91˚ F outside and the selected inside temperature of 74˚ F was attained.
It's an improvement over a few weeks ago when the system appeared to be hunting the temperature and moving the blend door a lot.
It could be I have the correct amount of R134a now.
It could be that the condenser is now clear of debris.
It could be that having the condenser flat instead of bowed allows for better air flow.
It could be all of those things.
English, Motherfucker, Do You Speak It
Quote of the day:
Verily, the definition of the word...
Reporter: “Why do you say that is unprecedented?”
Barr: “Has it happened before?”
Reporter: “No.”
Barr: “Then it’s unprecedented.”
Verily, the definition of the word...
Style Note
Dear Mass Media:
If it can be carried and employed by an individual infantryman, it is not a weapon of mass destruction (WoMD).
Please note that individual infantrymen carry genuine assault rifles and hand grenades.
Even conventional artillery doesn't rise to the standard of WoMD.
Mass destruction is reserved for chemical, biological and nuclear stuff.
Weapons which cause damage disproportionately larger than the effort it takes to employ them.
If it can be carried and employed by an individual infantryman, it is not a weapon of mass destruction (WoMD).
Please note that individual infantrymen carry genuine assault rifles and hand grenades.
Even conventional artillery doesn't rise to the standard of WoMD.
Mass destruction is reserved for chemical, biological and nuclear stuff.
Weapons which cause damage disproportionately larger than the effort it takes to employ them.
17 April 2019
Living In The Future Has Some Drawbacks
There was once a time when you needed a hunk of rubber hose to bridge between the fuel filler pipe and the gas tank; you simply bought some from the local auto store.
Now...
It's unclear if they even stock such things from looking at their web pages.
From measuring at the filler, I think I need 1-3/4" for the filler and 5/8" for the vent.
I need, maybe a foot of the larger and about 18" of the smaller.
Amazon will sell me 3' of the larger and 10' of the smaller. For about $33 each.
And a wait of a few days.
I will end up with way too much after a delay.
The leak isn't too severe, so it can wait a good long time on this secondary vehicle.
Now...
It's unclear if they even stock such things from looking at their web pages.
From measuring at the filler, I think I need 1-3/4" for the filler and 5/8" for the vent.
I need, maybe a foot of the larger and about 18" of the smaller.
Amazon will sell me 3' of the larger and 10' of the smaller. For about $33 each.
And a wait of a few days.
I will end up with way too much after a delay.
The leak isn't too severe, so it can wait a good long time on this secondary vehicle.
Dry Rot
One of the hoses that connect the metal fuel filler pipe to the tank is leaking on The Biscayne.
Huge shock that after 29 years some dry rot might have set in.
What actually surprises me is that nobody seems to know what size these hoses are. I've found posts from 2011 where people are complaining that GM discontinued the parts (10228630 and 10228632) but nobody chiming in, "It's just a x" long hunk of y" fuel line."
Of course, the leak did not present itself until the tank had all 23 gallons of gas in it.
Got to drive off a few pounds of gas before I drop the tank to yank the hoses and take them to the parts store to get a couple hunks.
I'll post those sizes when I have them.
Huge shock that after 29 years some dry rot might have set in.
What actually surprises me is that nobody seems to know what size these hoses are. I've found posts from 2011 where people are complaining that GM discontinued the parts (10228630 and 10228632) but nobody chiming in, "It's just a x" long hunk of y" fuel line."
Of course, the leak did not present itself until the tank had all 23 gallons of gas in it.
Got to drive off a few pounds of gas before I drop the tank to yank the hoses and take them to the parts store to get a couple hunks.
I'll post those sizes when I have them.
16 April 2019
Early Capacity
Early on the plan at Armalite was for their new 5.56 rifle to have a 25-round magazine.
Because of round taper, this plan didn't work out and 20-rounds was settled on until the late-60's.
Thanks to Brownell's, I can now compare the pre-'67 AR magazines.
From left to right:
25-round straight magazine, 20-round "waffle" magazine, 20-round USGI magazine, early 30-round USGI magazine.
Word has it that the 25-round reproduction is a bit long compared to the original and that a USGI 30-round spring is stuffed in there.
Rumor confirmed! A USGI spring wouldn't fit into an OG 25-rounder without cutting a couple coils. Also notice the center spike of the follower is shortened from the old all-tilt black follower.
It looks decidedly odd in a mag-well though.
The next development was what is now known as the "waffle" magazine, based on scaling down the "waffle" pattern magazine of the AR-10.
The reputation of the waffle mag is bad. It earned an unenviable reputation for being unreliable because of an early design decision. Armalite anticipated that these thin,steel aluminum magazines would be shipped, loaded, in the crates and discarded when empty.
The Air Force and Army don't do things like that and so reused the magazines.
Because they weren't designed to be durable, they didn't work well for long.
By the time Vietnam rolls around, the Army was aggressively pursuing extant waffle mags for destruction and getting the new, aluminum, 20-rounders into the hands of the troops.
The 20-rounder wasn't a complete cure. You can stuff 21 rounds into one easily, and 22 if you really try. This over compresses the spring and weakens it, making the mag unreliable. If you never ever load more than 20 it's pretty solid, and you only load 18, it will last a lifetime. Well, until the feed lips wear out...
It wasn't long before the troops wanted the same number of rounds the bad guys had, which leads to the 30-rounder I've yapped about before.
Because of round taper, this plan didn't work out and 20-rounds was settled on until the late-60's.
Thanks to Brownell's, I can now compare the pre-'67 AR magazines.
From left to right:
25-round straight magazine, 20-round "waffle" magazine, 20-round USGI magazine, early 30-round USGI magazine.
Word has it that the 25-round reproduction is a bit long compared to the original and that a USGI 30-round spring is stuffed in there.
Rumor confirmed! A USGI spring wouldn't fit into an OG 25-rounder without cutting a couple coils. Also notice the center spike of the follower is shortened from the old all-tilt black follower.
It looks decidedly odd in a mag-well though.
The next development was what is now known as the "waffle" magazine, based on scaling down the "waffle" pattern magazine of the AR-10.
The reputation of the waffle mag is bad. It earned an unenviable reputation for being unreliable because of an early design decision. Armalite anticipated that these thin,
The Air Force and Army don't do things like that and so reused the magazines.
Because they weren't designed to be durable, they didn't work well for long.
By the time Vietnam rolls around, the Army was aggressively pursuing extant waffle mags for destruction and getting the new, aluminum, 20-rounders into the hands of the troops.
The 20-rounder wasn't a complete cure. You can stuff 21 rounds into one easily, and 22 if you really try. This over compresses the spring and weakens it, making the mag unreliable. If you never ever load more than 20 it's pretty solid, and you only load 18, it will last a lifetime. Well, until the feed lips wear out...
It wasn't long before the troops wanted the same number of rounds the bad guys had, which leads to the 30-rounder I've yapped about before.
Massive
Looking up the weights of cars gives some interesting realizations.
Cars are heavier today than they've ever been.
A 2016 Taurus (3,964 lb.) weighs more than a much larger 1964 Impala (3,514 lb.).
Cars make more power today than they ever have.
Cars get better mileage today than ever, especially considering they are more powerful and heavier.
They are safer than ever too. It's the number one reason that a Taurus is more massive than a Six-Four. While you might get hurt, you probably won't get dead, in an accident. There's entire new fields of medicine which have arisen to treat injuries in car accidents where previously such impacts would have needed the services of a coroner.
Living in the future is kinda neat.
Keeping up the performance and mileage with the extra weight of the safety equipment is the number one driver of cost on a car, followed closely by labor.
Cars are heavier today than they've ever been.
A 2016 Taurus (3,964 lb.) weighs more than a much larger 1964 Impala (3,514 lb.).
Cars make more power today than they ever have.
Cars get better mileage today than ever, especially considering they are more powerful and heavier.
They are safer than ever too. It's the number one reason that a Taurus is more massive than a Six-Four. While you might get hurt, you probably won't get dead, in an accident. There's entire new fields of medicine which have arisen to treat injuries in car accidents where previously such impacts would have needed the services of a coroner.
Living in the future is kinda neat.
Keeping up the performance and mileage with the extra weight of the safety equipment is the number one driver of cost on a car, followed closely by labor.
15 April 2019
Lie Back And Think Of England
Red flag laws are an infringement of all of our rights that are supposed to be protected by The Constitution.
You will never be allowed to face your accuser.
You are denied due process before you receive the punishment.
You are guilty until proven innocent.
You are not secure in your person, papers and effects.
It is prior restraint on your free speech because it creates a chilling effect on expressing innocent thoughts which can be taken out of context.
To stand there and say, "submit meekly and let the court sort it."
It's cowardly submission suggested by someone who will get a special consideration because of whom they are.
I do not like it.
It is not how things should be.
I do not want to burn in the camps later regretting that I didn't do anything.
These laws need repealed.
The agents who carry out these seizures need to be prosecuted for denying civil rights under the color of law.
Someone is going to get shot.
The really sad thing is these are a goad. They are deliberately creating an intolerable situation to see if they can get a "revolutionary" reaction to show the public that guns need to be banned completely; and/or to see if we will submit to the intolerable, meekly and without physical resistance.
Submitting, meekly and without physical resistance is what is suggested by the "experts".
Funny, they don't seem to be saying much against the laws or demanding they be repealed. They just tell us how we should submit.
Even more intolerable is the process of submission and supplication to regain your rightful property is, in fact, the punishment. Punishment for committing no crime.
Punishment without conviction.
You will never be allowed to face your accuser.
You are denied due process before you receive the punishment.
You are guilty until proven innocent.
You are not secure in your person, papers and effects.
It is prior restraint on your free speech because it creates a chilling effect on expressing innocent thoughts which can be taken out of context.
To stand there and say, "submit meekly and let the court sort it."
It's cowardly submission suggested by someone who will get a special consideration because of whom they are.
I do not like it.
It is not how things should be.
I do not want to burn in the camps later regretting that I didn't do anything.
These laws need repealed.
The agents who carry out these seizures need to be prosecuted for denying civil rights under the color of law.
Someone is going to get shot.
The really sad thing is these are a goad. They are deliberately creating an intolerable situation to see if they can get a "revolutionary" reaction to show the public that guns need to be banned completely; and/or to see if we will submit to the intolerable, meekly and without physical resistance.
Submitting, meekly and without physical resistance is what is suggested by the "experts".
Funny, they don't seem to be saying much against the laws or demanding they be repealed. They just tell us how we should submit.
Even more intolerable is the process of submission and supplication to regain your rightful property is, in fact, the punishment. Punishment for committing no crime.
Punishment without conviction.
I've No Words
Notre Dame burning down.
I've been there, I've stood inside and marveled at how big it is in relation to how old and how it must have been constructed.
All gone.
Lots of history happened there and you can almost feel the loss from here.
I've been there, I've stood inside and marveled at how big it is in relation to how old and how it must have been constructed.
All gone.
Lots of history happened there and you can almost feel the loss from here.
Stainless Conversion
Took out the stop-gap brass tee and replaced it with the food-grade stainless (thanks for finding me that ebay link, Terrapod!). Yes, I took the time to clean up all that dirt that's been in a couple of these pictures before putting the intake trunk back on.
A comparison study of the various tees I've accumulated along with the broken original:
I think the poly would have been a bit snug. As it is, the barbs hold things tight enough.
Long Delayed
When you put less than 4,000 miles a year on a car, oil changes lose their urgency.
Nonetheless, they do need done.
Today, it is done.
Huzzah!
Nonetheless, they do need done.
Today, it is done.
Huzzah!
Wait Weight
A friend on Facebook is incredulous about the upcoming 2020 Mustang Ecoboost Performance Package.
330 hp dragging around 4,225 lb. 12.8 lb. to hp.
What the actual fuck?
The Biscayne curbs at 3,951 lb. and the '96 Impala sourced LT1 gives 260 hp. 15.2 lb. to hp.
My ancient beater can give a brand new "performance" model a run for its money?
And since when did a such a small car start out-massing a land yacht?
A Mustang, any Mustang, shouldn't outweigh a B-Body.
This trend is not limited to Fords. The current Camaro and Challenger are likewise heavy.
I am sitting here contemplating how sprightly The Biscayne would be if I dropped a LQ4 or LQ9 6.0L from a truck or van in her svelte chassis. Even a 5.3L LMF would be competitive with its 310 horses changing the ratio to 12.7:1!
Edit to add:
The Precious is a mere 3,216 lb. With 436 hp on tap (or more) that gives 7.4:1.
330 hp dragging around 4,225 lb. 12.8 lb. to hp.
What the actual fuck?
The Biscayne curbs at 3,951 lb. and the '96 Impala sourced LT1 gives 260 hp. 15.2 lb. to hp.
My ancient beater can give a brand new "performance" model a run for its money?
And since when did a such a small car start out-massing a land yacht?
A Mustang, any Mustang, shouldn't outweigh a B-Body.
This trend is not limited to Fords. The current Camaro and Challenger are likewise heavy.
I am sitting here contemplating how sprightly The Biscayne would be if I dropped a LQ4 or LQ9 6.0L from a truck or van in her svelte chassis. Even a 5.3L LMF would be competitive with its 310 horses changing the ratio to 12.7:1!
Edit to add:
The Precious is a mere 3,216 lb. With 436 hp on tap (or more) that gives 7.4:1.
14 April 2019
Truly International
Miguel noticed that my upper radiator hose was Hecho en Mexico.
That's not the only part!
The Tremec TR-6060Manuel manual transmission is also made in Pedro Ecobedo, Mexico.
The LS3 engine was assembled in St Catharines, Canada.
The brake calipers are from Elizabeth, Australia.
The electronics are from all over the world, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan...
There's even some US made content.
Then it was all assembled in Kentucky.
This is the norm for all cars made these days.
Marv's "Japanese" pick-up was made in Tennessee.
My Mom's Civic was made in Ohio.
The Biscayne was made in Willow Run, Michigan and even back in March 1990 a Chevy was chock full of international parts. Some even imported from Socialist nations like California.
That's not the only part!
The Tremec TR-6060
The LS3 engine was assembled in St Catharines, Canada.
The brake calipers are from Elizabeth, Australia.
The electronics are from all over the world, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan...
There's even some US made content.
Then it was all assembled in Kentucky.
This is the norm for all cars made these days.
Marv's "Japanese" pick-up was made in Tennessee.
My Mom's Civic was made in Ohio.
The Biscayne was made in Willow Run, Michigan and even back in March 1990 a Chevy was chock full of international parts. Some even imported from Socialist nations like California.
It Is Done
The Precious is repaired.
It cost a lot more than I wanted because I had to buy the genuine GM upper and lower radiator hoses because the Dayco brand ones from AutoZone just don't fit.
That's because I have the RPO: KPS extra cooling. The radiator is different from the base Corvette, so needs special hoses.
Apparently there aren't enough Z51's out there for the aftermarket to make hoses for them.
I prolly could have gotten them $40 cheaper if I was willing to wait yet more days, but...
The AC held pressure and is blowing cold air. We think we got the pressures right, but we'll have to wait for a good cold day to be sure.
Having The Biscayne up at the same time makes this such a winning week despite all the angst.
I also managed to get the oil changed in The Nox for Harvey too!
It cost a lot more than I wanted because I had to buy the genuine GM upper and lower radiator hoses because the Dayco brand ones from AutoZone just don't fit.
That's because I have the RPO: KPS extra cooling. The radiator is different from the base Corvette, so needs special hoses.
Apparently there aren't enough Z51's out there for the aftermarket to make hoses for them.
I prolly could have gotten them $40 cheaper if I was willing to wait yet more days, but...
The AC held pressure and is blowing cold air. We think we got the pressures right, but we'll have to wait for a good cold day to be sure.
Having The Biscayne up at the same time makes this such a winning week despite all the angst.
I also managed to get the oil changed in The Nox for Harvey too!
13 April 2019
I Got Brass
Brass tee-fitting installed.
Got it all put back together except for charging the AC and doing the coolant flush.
And checking the trans fluid.
Got it all put back together except for charging the AC and doing the coolant flush.
And checking the trans fluid.
The World Is Running Out Of Phantoms
Phuck!
Japan is giving theirs a better send off than the Brits, that's for sure.
Japan is giving theirs a better send off than the Brits, that's for sure.
Condensed
Because we had to dump the R134 from the system to get the fan/radiator/condenser assembly back in the car...
We took the opportunity to flatten the bow that had formed in the condenser.
This created a chance for additional worry that I'd broken it.
Last night we attached the vacuum pump to the now resealed AC system.
Dragged it down to -30 psi and gave it a five minute wait.
Gauge had fallen back to -25 psi.
PANIC PANIC PANIC
Happily I have a supply of strong drink to shut The Hated Brain up to allow sleep.
Marv's the AC guy here, so I've been blindly watching him run his gauges.
Duck-Duck-Go to the rescue.
I read up on how the gauges work and what readings you're supposed to be seeing.
Turns out, when there's moisture in the system, it's not unusual to see a dramatic drop in vacuum on the first go as the water is evaporated out.
So, I hooked up the gauges and pump again and cranked it down to -30 psi again. After 20 minutes, still showing 30.Ten minutes to go on this initial run. After 30 minutes, still holding!
We took the opportunity to flatten the bow that had formed in the condenser.
This created a chance for additional worry that I'd broken it.
Last night we attached the vacuum pump to the now resealed AC system.
Dragged it down to -30 psi and gave it a five minute wait.
Gauge had fallen back to -25 psi.
PANIC PANIC PANIC
Happily I have a supply of strong drink to shut The Hated Brain up to allow sleep.
Marv's the AC guy here, so I've been blindly watching him run his gauges.
Duck-Duck-Go to the rescue.
I read up on how the gauges work and what readings you're supposed to be seeing.
Turns out, when there's moisture in the system, it's not unusual to see a dramatic drop in vacuum on the first go as the water is evaporated out.
So, I hooked up the gauges and pump again and cranked it down to -30 psi again. After 20 minutes, still showing 30.
12 April 2019
Looking Like An Engine Again
This is as far as I can take it until I have a tee-fitting, any tee-fitting.
Brass is supposed to be here tomorrow.
Then the fan shroud can go back on, then fill and flush the cooling system and charge the AC.
I see a light at the end of the tunnel and I don't hear a train.
To A Tee
Because they weren't really expensive... individually, I've got several 3/8 x 1/4 x 3/8 reducing tees on the way.
Polypropylene, brass and stainless steel plus the expensive GM assy that someone put on ebay for half price new in wrap.
The poly looks closest to the GM part, but I am nervous about the spec sheet at McMaster-Carr saying the material is only good from 32° F to 250° F. How hot does that line get? While it's been a while, I have had The Precious in freezing weather overnight before.
Brass was easiest to find and will arrive first. Brass raises the specter of electrolysis in the cooling system because DexCool™ has a reputation of being hard on brass, bronze and copper. That reputation was earned years ago and there's been at least one reformulation to deal with the issue since.
Stainless appears to be the ideal here. No corrosion or temperature problems.
The genuine GM part... I think I might take it apart and dimension the plastic tee and see about having some made in stainless and see if the Vette stores will carry it. Might be a money maker if I can get the price well below the GM assy.
Polypropylene, brass and stainless steel plus the expensive GM assy that someone put on ebay for half price new in wrap.
The poly looks closest to the GM part, but I am nervous about the spec sheet at McMaster-Carr saying the material is only good from 32° F to 250° F. How hot does that line get? While it's been a while, I have had The Precious in freezing weather overnight before.
Brass was easiest to find and will arrive first. Brass raises the specter of electrolysis in the cooling system because DexCool™ has a reputation of being hard on brass, bronze and copper. That reputation was earned years ago and there's been at least one reformulation to deal with the issue since.
Stainless appears to be the ideal here. No corrosion or temperature problems.
The genuine GM part... I think I might take it apart and dimension the plastic tee and see about having some made in stainless and see if the Vette stores will carry it. Might be a money maker if I can get the price well below the GM assy.
11 April 2019
Nothing Else To Do So Pictures
The offending tee fitting:
When it's finally all buttoned up, it needs to be level. And it needs to be raised so you can get under it.
Real mechanics have lifts that do this naturally.
I am not a "real" mechanic.
The two reasons it needs to be in the air and level is to check the transmission fluid level (because some leaked out the cooler line) and because I plan on flushing out all the old fluid. Rather than raise and lower it several times, I'm just going to leave it up.
When it's finally all buttoned up, it needs to be level. And it needs to be raised so you can get under it.
Real mechanics have lifts that do this naturally.
I am not a "real" mechanic.
The two reasons it needs to be in the air and level is to check the transmission fluid level (because some leaked out the cooler line) and because I plan on flushing out all the old fluid. Rather than raise and lower it several times, I'm just going to leave it up.
It's A Reducing Tee
There's a hose that goes from the pressure tank, tees into the throttle-body and keeps going to a nipple on the radiator.
The tee is plastic.
The tee is fragile.
The tee is broken.
GM does not sell the tee. They sell the entire hose assembly. P/N 10305352, $103.68.
$103.68 because a plastic fitting broke, and appears to be made from a plastic which is destined to fail.
99¢ nylon barbed union and bypass the throttle-body; here we come.
I've found a 10mm x 6mm x 10mm brass fitting which would replace the broken tee, but I'm getting conflicting reports about how bad this is with the DexCool and aluminum in the system from electrolysis.
Eyes crossed.
Update: The tee fitting is required since they plumbed it into the steam-pipe crossover for the heads.
I'm getting sick of this project.
Every step forward has encountered a step back. A week in and I'm not any closer to getting done.
As much as I love Amazon, the retail apocalypse means that simple projects now have built in wait times.
The tee is plastic.
The tee is fragile.
The tee is broken.
GM does not sell the tee. They sell the entire hose assembly. P/N 10305352, $103.68.
$103.68 because a plastic fitting broke, and appears to be made from a plastic which is destined to fail.
99¢ nylon barbed union and bypass the throttle-body; here we come.
I've found a 10mm x 6mm x 10mm brass fitting which would replace the broken tee, but I'm getting conflicting reports about how bad this is with the DexCool and aluminum in the system from electrolysis.
Eyes crossed.
Update: The tee fitting is required since they plumbed it into the steam-pipe crossover for the heads.
I'm getting sick of this project.
Every step forward has encountered a step back. A week in and I'm not any closer to getting done.
As much as I love Amazon, the retail apocalypse means that simple projects now have built in wait times.
I Was Afraid Of That
It turns out that you cannot get the condenser back on the clips on the radiator with the condenser still in the car.
You've got to dump the R134 and clip it to the radiator outside the car, making an assembly of the fan, radiator and condenser.
We took the opportunity to take the bow out of the condenser and give it a really thorough cleaning.
The combined assembly drops right in, like it was made to.
Tomorrow I'm going to jack it up and start attaching lines.
Friday Marv is bringing up his AC tools and we're going to recharge the system and hope the condenser is still good after straightening. Arms crossed.
This is a poor design for servicing. I am not happy.
You've got to dump the R134 and clip it to the radiator outside the car, making an assembly of the fan, radiator and condenser.
We took the opportunity to take the bow out of the condenser and give it a really thorough cleaning.
The combined assembly drops right in, like it was made to.
Tomorrow I'm going to jack it up and start attaching lines.
Friday Marv is bringing up his AC tools and we're going to recharge the system and hope the condenser is still good after straightening. Arms crossed.
This is a poor design for servicing. I am not happy.
10 April 2019
Quick Clip
The quick-detach tool I bought on ebay is still missing in action.
Seeing that the new radiator came with new clips, I got brave yesterday and used my smallest precision flat-blade to pry out the clips. One went flying to parts unknown, probably coming to rest near an AR front take-down pin detent.
This retainer clip is kind of elegant in its simplicity. The three indentations snap over a flare in the cooler line and hold it against an o-ring in the radiator's trans cooler.
It's also fiddly as all get-out.
The proper tool has three teeth which go into the wider sections and the gap, then you rotate it to lift the clip by the indents. Then you can remove the line without removing the clips from the fitting. In fact, there are rubber sleeves over the clips to help retain them when using this tool.
Ready For Reassembly
I cleaned out near a pound of debris off the condenser. Ick.
Found the crack in the driver's side tank that started this week long adventure.
Transferred the fan assembly to the new radiator.
Just need a mechanically inclined helper to guide it into the engine bay. One hand on the radiator, one moving the hoses and wiring out of the way. FUN!
Found the crack in the driver's side tank that started this week long adventure.
Transferred the fan assembly to the new radiator.
Just need a mechanically inclined helper to guide it into the engine bay. One hand on the radiator, one moving the hoses and wiring out of the way. FUN!
Tear Down Complete
Every single thing on this removal is made more difficult by design decisions which make it easier to put together on the assembly line.
There is virtually no consideration to fixing it later without access to a very complete shop.
The condenser, radiator and fan assembly are supposed to come out as a single unit.
Except... The shade-tree mechanic doesn't have the expensive AC refrigerant recovery system so the condenser needs to remain in the car.
Then all of the hoses are retained by the bane of my mechanic existence, spring clamps.
Then, there's the hard to reach wiring harness retainers which you cannot free.
Plus the special tool needed to detach the transmission cooler lines from the radiator.
Nevertheless, I have persevered!
There was a whole forest of leaves between the condenser and radiator, and the fan appears to have sucked on the condenser so hard as to have bowed it in.
I'm going to be doing some foliage removal tomorrow before I even consider putting the new radiator in.
There is virtually no consideration to fixing it later without access to a very complete shop.
The condenser, radiator and fan assembly are supposed to come out as a single unit.
Except... The shade-tree mechanic doesn't have the expensive AC refrigerant recovery system so the condenser needs to remain in the car.
Then all of the hoses are retained by the bane of my mechanic existence, spring clamps.
Then, there's the hard to reach wiring harness retainers which you cannot free.
Plus the special tool needed to detach the transmission cooler lines from the radiator.
Nevertheless, I have persevered!
There was a whole forest of leaves between the condenser and radiator, and the fan appears to have sucked on the condenser so hard as to have bowed it in.
I'm going to be doing some foliage removal tomorrow before I even consider putting the new radiator in.
08 April 2019
Double Or Nothing Progression
Over and over getting my business degree it was repeated that the target inflation was 3%.
It was also stated that deflation, stasis and inflation were all bad.
Currency value is going to do one of those three.
How long until 3% inflation halves the value of your money?
It's not very hard math, but every 23.5 years it takes twice as much money to buy the same thing with 3% inflation.
This is why the surge in property values and box-office receipts are illusory. The money to buy them became less valuable, not they became worth more.
There's a fun little chart showing how much an ounce of gold would buy back when as compared to today. They're remarkably similar lists. Like the value of gold did, pretty much, stay put.
Except for its dollar value. It takes a lot more dollars to buy that ounce now.
It was also stated that deflation, stasis and inflation were all bad.
Currency value is going to do one of those three.
How long until 3% inflation halves the value of your money?
It's not very hard math, but every 23.5 years it takes twice as much money to buy the same thing with 3% inflation.
This is why the surge in property values and box-office receipts are illusory. The money to buy them became less valuable, not they became worth more.
There's a fun little chart showing how much an ounce of gold would buy back when as compared to today. They're remarkably similar lists. Like the value of gold did, pretty much, stay put.
Except for its dollar value. It takes a lot more dollars to buy that ounce now.
3M For The Win
There's a reason Permatex is $1.50 at Wal Mart and the 3M stuff is $7.92 at Advance-Auto.
Mirror mounted!
Edit:
You have no idea how much situational awareness you lose without that center inside mirror with the teeny-tiny outside mirrors on a 91-94 B-Body.
Mirror mounted!
Edit:
You have no idea how much situational awareness you lose without that center inside mirror with the teeny-tiny outside mirrors on a 91-94 B-Body.
What About Mak?
One thing you can say about many 9x18mm Makarov chambered pistols is they're cheap affordable.
On the surface you'd think they'd compare well with The Shield.
GURPS stats:
The Shield gets more shots and does more damage for the same weight. Plus you get better sights and an easier safety to operate (unless you count the 20 lb. double action trigger on the P-64 as a safety.)
Average of 8 per shot and 64 per load with the Smith, 7 per shot and 49 per load with the Pole.
Changing to hollow points gets the same sort of spread with 10.5 per shot and 84 per load for the Shield and 9 per shot and 63 per load with the Łucznik.
On the surface you'd think they'd compare well with The Shield.
GURPS stats:
The Shield gets more shots and does more damage for the same weight. Plus you get better sights and an easier safety to operate (unless you count the 20 lb. double action trigger on the P-64 as a safety.)
Average of 8 per shot and 64 per load with the Smith, 7 per shot and 49 per load with the Pole.
Changing to hollow points gets the same sort of spread with 10.5 per shot and 84 per load for the Shield and 9 per shot and 63 per load with the Łucznik.
Double Or Nothin'
Marv and I have a fake bet running.
Palmetto still has M&P-9 Sheilds on sale for $249.99.
Joking around when I'd ordered mine, I told him to hurry and order one for himself because the sale ended at noon the next day.
He "bet" me a nickel that it would be extended.
It was, and he "demanded" his nickel.
"Double or nothin'!" I cried in reply.
Day 1 I "owe" 5¢.
Day 2 I "owe" 10¢
Day 3 I "owe" 20¢
Day 4 I "owe" 40¢
Day 5 I "owe" 80¢
Day 6 I "owe" $1.60
Day 7 I "owe" $3.20
Day 8 I "owe" $6.40
Day 9 I "owe" $12.80
Day 10 I "owe" $25.60
Day 11 I "owe" $51.20
Day 12 I "owe" $102.40
My, that escalated quickly.
Palmetto still has M&P-9 Sheilds on sale for $249.99.
Joking around when I'd ordered mine, I told him to hurry and order one for himself because the sale ended at noon the next day.
He "bet" me a nickel that it would be extended.
It was, and he "demanded" his nickel.
"Double or nothin'!" I cried in reply.
Day 1 I "owe" 5¢.
Day 2 I "owe" 10¢
Day 3 I "owe" 20¢
Day 4 I "owe" 40¢
Day 5 I "owe" 80¢
Day 6 I "owe" $1.60
Day 7 I "owe" $3.20
Day 8 I "owe" $6.40
Day 9 I "owe" $12.80
Day 10 I "owe" $25.60
Day 11 I "owe" $51.20
Day 12 I "owe" $102.40
My, that escalated quickly.
Dear Florida Carry
I know you're all excited to be participating in the suit to reverse what amounted to an executive order to redefine bumpstocks as machineguns...
But let me point something out.
The Federal redefinition has zero effect on Florida.
Florida banned them by law in overreaction to Parkland.
So, even if you win the suit, bumpstocks are still banned in Florida.
Thanks for all your hard work in the other 49 states FLORIDA Carry.
But let me point something out.
The Federal redefinition has zero effect on Florida.
Florida banned them by law in overreaction to Parkland.
So, even if you win the suit, bumpstocks are still banned in Florida.
Thanks for all your hard work in the other 49 states FLORIDA Carry.
Rearview Mirror Glue
The inside mirror on The Biscayne has fallen and can't get up.
Two different applications of the Permatex brand adhesive have released the button while trying to get he mirror to click back into place.
Mutter mutter mutter.
Going to try the 3M brand this evening.
Eyes crossed.
Two different applications of the Permatex brand adhesive have released the button while trying to get he mirror to click back into place.
Mutter mutter mutter.
Going to try the 3M brand this evening.
Eyes crossed.
07 April 2019
On Top Gun Maverick
I will petition Cinema Sins to take off 1,000 sins if Maverick's back seater yells word to the effect of, "Shut your stick-monkey pie hole and let me concentrate!"
Additional 500 for muttering under their breathe in a close-up, "Goddamned chatty nose-gunners."
Additional 500 for muttering under their breathe in a close-up, "Goddamned chatty nose-gunners."
Poetic Justice
Rhino poacher trampled by elephants and eaten by lions.
I quote:
No Darwin, he's bred already. His kids should consider getting their tubes tied.
I quote:
(FOX 13) - A poacher who was hunting rhinos in a South African park was reportedly trampled to death by an elephant, and his remains were then eaten by lions.HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!
and
“Entering Kruger National Park illegally and on foot is not wise, it holds many dangers and this incident is evidence of that," Glen Phillips, Kruger National Park's Managing Executive, told the Letaba Herald. "It is very sad to see the daughters of the deceased mourning the loss of their father, and worse still, only being able to recover very little of his remains."
No Darwin, he's bred already. His kids should consider getting their tubes tied.
Of MiG-28's And Exocets
Now that the F-14B is in early release for DCS, people are doing recreations of various scenes from Top Gun.
The end scene is sticking in my craw. It has been for decades.
The big deal about the Hollywood/Wolfman, Iceman/Slider fight against the six MiG-28's is the concern about them carrying Exocet missiles, thus if they break a certain distance the carrier is vulnerable.
First off, all of the carrier aircraft for the AM39 I've been able to find are NATO spec, and nearly all of those French.
The Soviets would have sold their own anti-ship missiles to a MiG customer rather than trying to integrate a NATO missile. The Soviets never really developed an equivalent to the Exocet.
So, Exocets and...
Why not Mirages?
The Mirage was widely exported.
Mirage III and V both have been adapted to carry the AM39. The F-5E is used to simulate a MiG-21 at TOPGUN and the Mirage III is kinda in that same envelope.
So from now on when they say "MiG-28" in the movie, think Mirage III or Mirage V.
Second: The "MiGs" are dogfighting Hollywood and Iceman, who have closed to visual ID ranges before the fight starts. They can see that the enemy aircraft aren't carrying air to ground stores, and the dogfight kind of proves it as well. The Exocet is a fairly large missile and you don't want to bring it to a dogfight, you'd jettison it before the merge.
So our bad guys are pure air to air.
What Hollywood and Iceman will want to do is get the fight moving back to the carrier to shorten the alert-5 response time to their location, this appears to be happening because of the concern about the range to the boat.
Third:
Just two planes up for the CAP? In a place where they've been warned if they see a hostile act they will respond?
Fourth:
The loadout of all three F-14A is two AIM-9 and two AIM-7. Obviously the E-3 is airborne because Enterprise has an excellent picture of what's going on. That means the LINK-4 is up. That means that Maverick/Merlin know what's friendly and what's bandit. From BVR ranges. This means that they could have taken two Sparrow shots long before Maverick gets all emo from some jet-wash at the merge. Actually, it'd be Merlin who fired those at that range.
I feel better.
The end scene is sticking in my craw. It has been for decades.
The big deal about the Hollywood/Wolfman, Iceman/Slider fight against the six MiG-28's is the concern about them carrying Exocet missiles, thus if they break a certain distance the carrier is vulnerable.
First off, all of the carrier aircraft for the AM39 I've been able to find are NATO spec, and nearly all of those French.
The Soviets would have sold their own anti-ship missiles to a MiG customer rather than trying to integrate a NATO missile. The Soviets never really developed an equivalent to the Exocet.
So, Exocets and...
Why not Mirages?
The Mirage was widely exported.
Mirage III and V both have been adapted to carry the AM39. The F-5E is used to simulate a MiG-21 at TOPGUN and the Mirage III is kinda in that same envelope.
So from now on when they say "MiG-28" in the movie, think Mirage III or Mirage V.
Second: The "MiGs" are dogfighting Hollywood and Iceman, who have closed to visual ID ranges before the fight starts. They can see that the enemy aircraft aren't carrying air to ground stores, and the dogfight kind of proves it as well. The Exocet is a fairly large missile and you don't want to bring it to a dogfight, you'd jettison it before the merge.
So our bad guys are pure air to air.
What Hollywood and Iceman will want to do is get the fight moving back to the carrier to shorten the alert-5 response time to their location, this appears to be happening because of the concern about the range to the boat.
Third:
Just two planes up for the CAP? In a place where they've been warned if they see a hostile act they will respond?
Fourth:
The loadout of all three F-14A is two AIM-9 and two AIM-7. Obviously the E-3 is airborne because Enterprise has an excellent picture of what's going on. That means the LINK-4 is up. That means that Maverick/Merlin know what's friendly and what's bandit. From BVR ranges. This means that they could have taken two Sparrow shots long before Maverick gets all emo from some jet-wash at the merge. Actually, it'd be Merlin who fired those at that range.
I feel better.
06 April 2019
Why Would I Want It
Watching Mr Bartocci talk about the differences between the P320-M17 and M17 Commemorative and I am struck...
Lacking a collector motive to buy one, if I have a Glock 17 or a S&W M&P-9; do I need one?
Odds are, you don't.
Odds are, I don't; I have both a Glock 17 and a S&W M&P-9.
I only have a Beretta M9 because I was, briefly, issued one.
I've never been issued an M17 and I never will be. The urge to own one is much lower.
It's got no service history to make me want one. No cachet of, "what has this gun seen in its life?"
My M1911A1 has both the issued to me and service history cachet to get me to buy one.
My semi-auto M16A2 clone has the issued cachet. The M16 and M16A1 clones have the history...
I do, kinda, wanna shoot a 320 to see if I like it so much I'd sell all my other plastic fantastic 9mm's...
Except the Glock 17 is in the pile from "issue" nostalgia too. I bought one when our M9's got held up after we'd turned in our M1911A1's and ammo but had drawn 9mm NATO already. I carried one for our one trip to the Czech-German border.
Lacking a collector motive to buy one, if I have a Glock 17 or a S&W M&P-9; do I need one?
Odds are, you don't.
Odds are, I don't; I have both a Glock 17 and a S&W M&P-9.
I only have a Beretta M9 because I was, briefly, issued one.
I've never been issued an M17 and I never will be. The urge to own one is much lower.
It's got no service history to make me want one. No cachet of, "what has this gun seen in its life?"
My M1911A1 has both the issued to me and service history cachet to get me to buy one.
My semi-auto M16A2 clone has the issued cachet. The M16 and M16A1 clones have the history...
I do, kinda, wanna shoot a 320 to see if I like it so much I'd sell all my other plastic fantastic 9mm's...
Except the Glock 17 is in the pile from "issue" nostalgia too. I bought one when our M9's got held up after we'd turned in our M1911A1's and ammo but had drawn 9mm NATO already. I carried one for our one trip to the Czech-German border.
Damn Cryptids!
So, in the midst of financial distress from car repairs, I try to distract myself by seeing what it would take to get a machine that will run VR with DCS...
The fookin' video card that's recommended runs $500!
I do recall when a top of the line vid card was a mere $150. Damn! I got old and inflation got past me.
I am reliably informed that the reason video cards are running pricy is these are what crypto-currency farmers use to work on the Al Gore Rhythms. Music is important to cryptic dollars, apparently.
The fookin' video card that's recommended runs $500!
I do recall when a top of the line vid card was a mere $150. Damn! I got old and inflation got past me.
I am reliably informed that the reason video cards are running pricy is these are what crypto-currency farmers use to work on the Al Gore Rhythms. Music is important to cryptic dollars, apparently.
I Wasn't Tony Stark
In the way-back I played Champions quite a bit, all the way through 4th Edition.
My principle character was a powered suit guy.
He could fly, teleport, and shoot energy blasts in every iteration. Some had claws for a hand-to-hand killing attack, some had a prehensile tail.
My inspiration was Alpha Flight's Guardian, not Iron Man; but my constant tinkering with the suit led to an arc more reminiscent of Stark's various marks.
The public ID started as a research scientist for the in-game equivalent to Stark Industries, he basically embezzled the tech he used to make his first couple suits. The GM was learning stock options and stuff in college, so my guy took some and got rich. Then he founded a competing company for consumer "super" gear and got richer.
Being an aviation buff, I named the suits (and the character) after the 'Cat' series of fighters from Grumman.
Wildcat was the starting point.
Hellcat was the Wildcat updated with experience. Just more of everything.
Bearcat scaled back a little on the firepower and upped the Speed stat.
Tigercat was really fast, had powerful attacks and could see in the dark.
Tomcat was the pinnacle of the series. A flying energy projecting brick at this point.
At some point my character's son became a costumed hero too. Alley Cat.
Later on we had to reboot the world somewhat with a lower point level. My character's public ID had lost everything fighting criminal charges... industrial espionage from adapting tech from a defeated villain. It was either go through the legal drama or admit where he'd really gotten it. The other side wasn't eager to admit they were funding a powered suit villain than I was willing to admit to being a powered suit hero.
So a stealth, infiltration version got made... Prowler.
Prowler has even been converted to GURPS. The others? I don't seem to have the character sheets anymore. I could probably recreate the whole character.
My principle character was a powered suit guy.
He could fly, teleport, and shoot energy blasts in every iteration. Some had claws for a hand-to-hand killing attack, some had a prehensile tail.
My inspiration was Alpha Flight's Guardian, not Iron Man; but my constant tinkering with the suit led to an arc more reminiscent of Stark's various marks.
The public ID started as a research scientist for the in-game equivalent to Stark Industries, he basically embezzled the tech he used to make his first couple suits. The GM was learning stock options and stuff in college, so my guy took some and got rich. Then he founded a competing company for consumer "super" gear and got richer.
Being an aviation buff, I named the suits (and the character) after the 'Cat' series of fighters from Grumman.
Wildcat was the starting point.
Hellcat was the Wildcat updated with experience. Just more of everything.
Bearcat scaled back a little on the firepower and upped the Speed stat.
Tigercat was really fast, had powerful attacks and could see in the dark.
Tomcat was the pinnacle of the series. A flying energy projecting brick at this point.
At some point my character's son became a costumed hero too. Alley Cat.
Later on we had to reboot the world somewhat with a lower point level. My character's public ID had lost everything fighting criminal charges... industrial espionage from adapting tech from a defeated villain. It was either go through the legal drama or admit where he'd really gotten it. The other side wasn't eager to admit they were funding a powered suit villain than I was willing to admit to being a powered suit hero.
So a stealth, infiltration version got made... Prowler.
Prowler has even been converted to GURPS. The others? I don't seem to have the character sheets anymore. I could probably recreate the whole character.
05 April 2019
Bite Me
The CMP has posted:
Red and bold in the original.
Sorry, guys, but it's MY property now; you don't get to decide what I do with it.
It's bad enough to essentially force everyone to prove they're not criminals three times before taking our money and giving us the guns; now you seek to dictate what we do with them?
What if I wanted a gun that was all Colt? What if I insisted that I get the same Colt/RemRand mix I had in the service?
What if I was simply unhappy about the amount of sandblasting present?
Marv's is a lot more blasted than mine, and the proceeds from selling it would go a long way towards getting a less worked over gun.
But if he does, and they catch him, then he can't buy a Garand later?
Bullshit.
Some have commented that the paperwork we signed in requesting these guns says we agreed to not resell them. That same language is in the paperwork with Garands, and there are a couple guys in the local show circuit who're definitely buying the annual limit and selling them on rather than using them as agreed.
This ain't going to affect me. My CMP M1911A1 is part of my estate.
As soon as the cars are all fixed, I might just wander up to Anniston and see if there's a Garand with my name on it. I kinda miss Rosie.
It has been brought to our attention that some customers are receiving their 1911 and posting on Gun Broker and other such sites for resale. This was not the intention of the program. If you are found to be reselling these pistols you will be banned from purchasing from the CMP for an indefinite period.
Red and bold in the original.
Sorry, guys, but it's MY property now; you don't get to decide what I do with it.
It's bad enough to essentially force everyone to prove they're not criminals three times before taking our money and giving us the guns; now you seek to dictate what we do with them?
What if I wanted a gun that was all Colt? What if I insisted that I get the same Colt/RemRand mix I had in the service?
What if I was simply unhappy about the amount of sandblasting present?
Marv's is a lot more blasted than mine, and the proceeds from selling it would go a long way towards getting a less worked over gun.
But if he does, and they catch him, then he can't buy a Garand later?
Bullshit.
Some have commented that the paperwork we signed in requesting these guns says we agreed to not resell them. That same language is in the paperwork with Garands, and there are a couple guys in the local show circuit who're definitely buying the annual limit and selling them on rather than using them as agreed.
This ain't going to affect me. My CMP M1911A1 is part of my estate.
As soon as the cars are all fixed, I might just wander up to Anniston and see if there's a Garand with my name on it. I kinda miss Rosie.
How Many Miles On Your Car?
Those are actual miles on my 29 year old Biscayne SS.
It's been an amazingly reliable car and if I'd just kept driving it, there'd be fewer things wrong from sitting around.
The oil pressure guage is marked wrong. The sender for my engine is a 0-80 psi calibrated sender, so 30 = 40 and 60 = 50. So it's actually reading 35 psi here not 20-something.
In Common
Florida, unfortunately, had three mass shootings in a relatively short period of time.
The Pulse Nightclub shooting.
The Fort Lauderdale airport shooting.
Mary Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
It needs to be hammered home, hard, that these three places have something in common.
Two things, really.
First, they are gun free zones. The common citizen is forbidden, by law, to have a firearm on the premises.
Second, law enforcement completely fucked up their response. They are far more interested in their own skins than ours and made damn sure they were completely safe before they advanced on the situation.
In the case of the Pulse Nightclub, they might even have been the ones who shot some of the injured and deceased.
It's morally wrong to be forced to depend on the protection of a group who has no legal requirement to offer that protection and cannot be punished for failing to do so.
Let that sink in.
When you call 911, they don't have any obligation whatsoever to even pick up the phone, let alone send anyone. The courts have ruled on this over and over.
Your only sensible recourse is to not go anyplace where you cannot provide your own security.
The Pulse Nightclub shooting.
The Fort Lauderdale airport shooting.
Mary Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
It needs to be hammered home, hard, that these three places have something in common.
Two things, really.
First, they are gun free zones. The common citizen is forbidden, by law, to have a firearm on the premises.
Second, law enforcement completely fucked up their response. They are far more interested in their own skins than ours and made damn sure they were completely safe before they advanced on the situation.
In the case of the Pulse Nightclub, they might even have been the ones who shot some of the injured and deceased.
It's morally wrong to be forced to depend on the protection of a group who has no legal requirement to offer that protection and cannot be punished for failing to do so.
Let that sink in.
When you call 911, they don't have any obligation whatsoever to even pick up the phone, let alone send anyone. The courts have ruled on this over and over.
Your only sensible recourse is to not go anyplace where you cannot provide your own security.
It's Unfair?
Mark Wahlberg got paid a shitload more for reshoots than Michelle Williams.
It's got to sting to find out that Marky Mark is smarter than you are.
Why did he get paid more? Because he put an extortionate price in his contract in case of reshoots in an attempt to not have to do them.
Why didn't you think of that, Michelle?
I have a theory as to why Mr Wahlberg thought of it. He came up from the music industry, where you get a hard lesson on contracts shoved up your ass dry every day until that first contract is finally fulfilled.
In essence, he got more money because he's more experienced, just not more experienced with acting.
It's not because he's a man and you're a woman. It so very rarely is.
It's got to sting to find out that Marky Mark is smarter than you are.
Why did he get paid more? Because he put an extortionate price in his contract in case of reshoots in an attempt to not have to do them.
Why didn't you think of that, Michelle?
I have a theory as to why Mr Wahlberg thought of it. He came up from the music industry, where you get a hard lesson on contracts shoved up your ass dry every day until that first contract is finally fulfilled.
In essence, he got more money because he's more experienced, just not more experienced with acting.
It's not because he's a man and you're a woman. It so very rarely is.
Mostly Dead
Put the charger on The Biscayne.
Managed to ignore her and had dinner with Marv while we watched a couple movies on his gotta-be-compensating-for-something big TV.
Got home and she sluggishly turned over and fired up.
Drove around for about an hour on the dry-rotted tires, doing laps around the area.
Leaving the car sit for so long flat spotted the tires pretty bad too, but that cleared up after a couple miles.
It acted like a couple of valves weren't closing all the way until it got warm, but that cleared up too.
Steering is still sloppy, but that's to be expected with the idler out. Last generation B-Bodies eat idler arms and center links.
Managed to ignore her and had dinner with Marv while we watched a couple movies on his gotta-be-compensating-for-something big TV.
Got home and she sluggishly turned over and fired up.
Drove around for about an hour on the dry-rotted tires, doing laps around the area.
Leaving the car sit for so long flat spotted the tires pretty bad too, but that cleared up after a couple miles.
It acted like a couple of valves weren't closing all the way until it got warm, but that cleared up too.
Steering is still sloppy, but that's to be expected with the idler out. Last generation B-Bodies eat idler arms and center links.
04 April 2019
But Wait There's More
I can't even do disassembly of the Vette yet.
The transmission cooling lines and the oil cooler lines both use a quick-detach fitting.
This is GM code for "you need an expensive special tool" to take them apart.
A tool that absolutely nobody stocks.
The front shroud is captured by the oil cooler until the lines are disconnected and the radiator by the trans cooler lines...
UGH.
Can't get the tool here before Wednesday so I am without wheels until then, at least.
I remember when a radiator was a simple chore which just needed some wrenches.
The transmission cooling lines and the oil cooler lines both use a quick-detach fitting.
This is GM code for "you need an expensive special tool" to take them apart.
A tool that absolutely nobody stocks.
The front shroud is captured by the oil cooler until the lines are disconnected and the radiator by the trans cooler lines...
UGH.
Can't get the tool here before Wednesday so I am without wheels until then, at least.
I remember when a radiator was a simple chore which just needed some wrenches.
The Joy Of Two Dead Cars
The driver's side tank on the Vette's radiator split today.
162k miles... $225.
The Biscayne has been yard art for a while.
This is not a small revival.
There's a part of me that screams that I can get a mini-van for what getting it running would cost.
I like to work on her, but I need the time and the money. Those are not forthcoming.
162k miles... $225.
The Biscayne has been yard art for a while.
It's needed tires for a while. $540.
The steering linkage is worn. $200.
Probably needs new control arms. $400.
The AC compressor is locked up. $300.
The paint is shot. $ let's not talk about it.
The carpet needs replaced, but I have new carpet in the closet.
The seats need reupholstered. No idea on that.
The tach needs calibrated. Got the stuff, need to get up Marv's ass to do it.
The dash is apart because the tach needs calibrated. The dash bezel needs lots of fixing because the plastic is ancient and brittle.
The gas that's in it has been there for at least a year.
This is not a small revival.
There's a part of me that screams that I can get a mini-van for what getting it running would cost.
I like to work on her, but I need the time and the money. Those are not forthcoming.
03 April 2019
Thag Hub!
My blog is marked as porn on several DNS filters of the sort used by workplaces.
I didn't even post any pics of dicks or tits. Could it be my fucking potty mouth?
This is interesting.
I wonder how one appeals this decision.
I didn't even post any pics of dicks or tits. Could it be my fucking potty mouth?
This is interesting.
I wonder how one appeals this decision.
Yes, Helen, I Know
“There is nothing like sitting in the cinema.” Dame Helen Mirrin.
I am aware of this, that's why I simply don't go.
The last new release I saw in a cinema was Moana. I saw it on a weekday matinee when The Boy and I had the run of the theater.
I have walked out of movies I'd paid for because my fellow patrons were simple insufferable.
Super-tolerant Marv has followed me on occasion. It's not just that I'm more sensitive because of my misophonia.
Going to the movies can be fun.
I saw Blazing Saddles at The Tampa Theater last year and it was great fun. But the audience wasn't the normal crowd.
There's a bar in Safety Harbor that has a teeny dinner-theater setting that's great fun. Die Hard on Christmas Eve rocked!
But go to the theater for a new release?
No.
Last time I tried was Ghost In The Shell and the affrontery of assigned seating, followed by the asshole bringing the entire snack bar with him... With assigned seats you can't just move.
I left before I got so angry I couldn't drive. Marv gutted it out to the end, but expressed a great deal of anger at the amount of noise coming from him.
The cinema experience has been intolerable to me for a long time, so I love the fact that I can get a TV that's the same angular size as a movie screen in my living room.
In my living room where I can eat anything I'd like, drink whatever I want, pause it for potty breaks and rewind if I missed something (or just want to see it again). Where I can say, "Marv, can you be quieter?" and know that he'll at least try to make less noise and not assault me for it.
I am aware of this, that's why I simply don't go.
The last new release I saw in a cinema was Moana. I saw it on a weekday matinee when The Boy and I had the run of the theater.
I have walked out of movies I'd paid for because my fellow patrons were simple insufferable.
Super-tolerant Marv has followed me on occasion. It's not just that I'm more sensitive because of my misophonia.
Going to the movies can be fun.
I saw Blazing Saddles at The Tampa Theater last year and it was great fun. But the audience wasn't the normal crowd.
There's a bar in Safety Harbor that has a teeny dinner-theater setting that's great fun. Die Hard on Christmas Eve rocked!
But go to the theater for a new release?
No.
Last time I tried was Ghost In The Shell and the affrontery of assigned seating, followed by the asshole bringing the entire snack bar with him... With assigned seats you can't just move.
I left before I got so angry I couldn't drive. Marv gutted it out to the end, but expressed a great deal of anger at the amount of noise coming from him.
The cinema experience has been intolerable to me for a long time, so I love the fact that I can get a TV that's the same angular size as a movie screen in my living room.
In my living room where I can eat anything I'd like, drink whatever I want, pause it for potty breaks and rewind if I missed something (or just want to see it again). Where I can say, "Marv, can you be quieter?" and know that he'll at least try to make less noise and not assault me for it.
Even You
In the way back...
I was going to be a psychologist.
One of the neat things, for a starving college student, is psych students get asked to participate in all kinds of studies and experiments. They pay you!
I signed up for one which, to my disappointment, had me attend a series of lectures.
It's easier to skip to the end rather than trying to keep you in suspense.
The experiment was about influencing groups of people and the lectures were translated and repackaged Hitler.
They hired an excellent speaker to give us that lecture and we got caught in the moment and were ready to do his bidding!
The last lecture had us a bit nervous because they brought the cops. Not campus cops, real State Troopers.
There was no last lecture. It was the reveal.
They explained what the experiment was and how we'd be influenced and if we needed counseling it would be provided for free.
It was a jarring experience.
One interesting thing, that led to my political awakening, was the part about how the people we were being riled up to hate was chosen. At random. It didn't matter whom, as long as they were different from the carefully vetted audience. The difference didn't even have to be very big.
The explanation stuck with me, and it's very scary shit. Be extra wary of anyone sowing division among the citizenry.
Because anyone can be the Jew.
I was going to be a psychologist.
One of the neat things, for a starving college student, is psych students get asked to participate in all kinds of studies and experiments. They pay you!
I signed up for one which, to my disappointment, had me attend a series of lectures.
It's easier to skip to the end rather than trying to keep you in suspense.
The experiment was about influencing groups of people and the lectures were translated and repackaged Hitler.
They hired an excellent speaker to give us that lecture and we got caught in the moment and were ready to do his bidding!
The last lecture had us a bit nervous because they brought the cops. Not campus cops, real State Troopers.
There was no last lecture. It was the reveal.
They explained what the experiment was and how we'd be influenced and if we needed counseling it would be provided for free.
It was a jarring experience.
One interesting thing, that led to my political awakening, was the part about how the people we were being riled up to hate was chosen. At random. It didn't matter whom, as long as they were different from the carefully vetted audience. The difference didn't even have to be very big.
The explanation stuck with me, and it's very scary shit. Be extra wary of anyone sowing division among the citizenry.
Because anyone can be the Jew.
No More WWSD?
GWACS Armory, maker of the CAV-15 Mk II polymer lower has dropped off the face of the earth.
There's nothing listed in stock.
Their Facebook page was "Mk III and IV coming soon" until 17Jan19 when they say, "Interesting developments, we have had to vacate our location. We are in the process of finding new space and will be transferring our FFL license's. We will be off grid until we get set back up."
Two and a half months without a peep?
There's a couple of messages from people who apparently ordered something from the web page and didn't get their stuff and can't reach them.
Bad sign.
Fingers crossed that they come back, I kinda wanted one.
There's nothing listed in stock.
Their Facebook page was "Mk III and IV coming soon" until 17Jan19 when they say, "Interesting developments, we have had to vacate our location. We are in the process of finding new space and will be transferring our FFL license's. We will be off grid until we get set back up."
Two and a half months without a peep?
There's a couple of messages from people who apparently ordered something from the web page and didn't get their stuff and can't reach them.
Bad sign.
Fingers crossed that they come back, I kinda wanted one.
Nearly Sold Out
Palmetto State Armory and Rainier Arms will both ship normal capacity magazines to California.
Apparently, there's been something of a run on them and, Palmetto at least, shows many makes out of stock.
Go freedom and capitalism!
Apparently, there's been something of a run on them and, Palmetto at least, shows many makes out of stock.
Go freedom and capitalism!
02 April 2019
Like So Many Democrat Shibboleths
Minimum wage has its roots in racism.
How is that?
You see, recently emancipated slaves would work at a far lower rate than their white counterparts.
Can't have that!
So you pass a law that establishes the salary the white workers draw as the floor.
Add in other Jim Crow bullshit and you squeeze black workers from the labor market for anything but the most unskilled jobs.
How is that?
You see, recently emancipated slaves would work at a far lower rate than their white counterparts.
Can't have that!
So you pass a law that establishes the salary the white workers draw as the floor.
Add in other Jim Crow bullshit and you squeeze black workers from the labor market for anything but the most unskilled jobs.
Privilege My Ass
If a straight, white man had hired a couple of buddies from his apartment complex to pretend they were black and beat him up and called the police...
The straight white man would be in jail for false report at a minimum and probably more.
But a gay black man?
You can talk to me about privilege when the above is not true.
The straight white man would be in jail for false report at a minimum and probably more.
But a gay black man?
You can talk to me about privilege when the above is not true.
If You Had Told Me
Even ten years ago, if you had told me that they would take the characters from The Super Friends and make live action movies that didn't suck.
I would not have believed you.
If you went on to tell me that the best two films of this group were Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
I would have called you dangerously insane.
Yet; here we are.
I would not have believed you.
If you went on to tell me that the best two films of this group were Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
I would have called you dangerously insane.
Yet; here we are.
Just Relax And Let The Hooks Do Their Work
With my new 2/3 scale pockets...
Pocket carry of the Shield is out.
Strong side IWB is the most comfortable and easiest to get to overall.
Cross-draw IWB is best for the car, but is awkward otherwise because fat-fuck.
Both IWB modes require some sort of cover garment, and if it's cool enough for that; it's cool enough for a full-size pistol in the Miami Classic.
So the Shield will be delegated to summer carry, replacing the SIG P238. At least I'm moved up from .380 all year now!
Pocket carry of the Shield is out.
Strong side IWB is the most comfortable and easiest to get to overall.
Cross-draw IWB is best for the car, but is awkward otherwise because fat-fuck.
Both IWB modes require some sort of cover garment, and if it's cool enough for that; it's cool enough for a full-size pistol in the Miami Classic.
So the Shield will be delegated to summer carry, replacing the SIG P238. At least I'm moved up from .380 all year now!
01 April 2019
Great Minds
It would appear that Leatherneck Simulations is going to be making an F-8 module for DCS!
Excellent!
Excellent!
Fail
Ordered two pair of jeans from Amazon.
I thought I was ordering the same size and brand I was already wearing, except without stains and holes.
Apparently not.
The front pockets are 2/3 the size of the old jeans. I'm having trouble getting my wallet in there.
So I look hard at the labels.
Amazon stocks Wrangler Authentic.
The jeans I was seeking to replace were simply Wrangler.
The Authentics lack the wee little red tag and have a different back pocket stitching as well.
I thought I was ordering the same size and brand I was already wearing, except without stains and holes.
Apparently not.
The front pockets are 2/3 the size of the old jeans. I'm having trouble getting my wallet in there.
So I look hard at the labels.
Amazon stocks Wrangler Authentic.
The jeans I was seeking to replace were simply Wrangler.
The Authentics lack the wee little red tag and have a different back pocket stitching as well.