Seafoam

Seafoam has been around for decades.

It's an additive that mechanics have been using just as long.

There's a technique to remove carbon and oil deposits from the positive crankcase ventilation system from the intake.

Get the car to operating temperature.

You find a handy vacuum line leading into the intake, like a brake booster line, then pour 2/3 to 3/4 of a can SLOWLY into the intake with the car revving at about 2 grand.

Then dump the last 1/4 to 1/3 in quickly and shut off the engine.  This part is terrifying!  The engine will run on for several seconds to a minute.

Wait at least 30 minutes.

Restart.  It will run rough and cough white smoke from burning the Seafoam and deposits that were liberated.  Keep it running until there's no more smoke.

Viola!

I'm seeing better throttle response and it's picked some lost miles per gallon back up.

Drive Your Vette To Work Day

I don't have a job to drive to...

But I went to help a friend with his Vette, and drove home.

That counts, right?

This Is Great

This movie really hit my mom hard.

I was like, "Mother, that's D&D, we're playing Traveller.  That's a space game, like Star Wars."

Fuck Off Eh

Canada is feeling big for her britches.

I hate to break it to you, but your authority ends at your borders.

New York City has this same idiotic idea of jurisdiction.

I'm thinking Google should just shut down all their stuff for Canada.

"We're sorry but you cannot access your gmail account..."

Redirect google.com to excite!  Or Yahoo! from any Canadian ISP address...  Or send them to Bing!

I am curious what grounds Canada would have over the termination of free services.

What About The Children

White Guy War Movie

If the movie Dunkirk offends you because of all the white faces...

I can think of some WW2 movies with minority staring roles.

How about "The Rape of Nanking"?  That'd be almost an entirely Asian cast!

Update:

Did you notice that they're not complaining that the Nazis are not being portrayed by minorities?

The Day I Lost Interest In Chess

I had a friend who was really into chess.

I knew the rules and enjoyed friendly games, so decided to accept the challenge to play him.

He mopped the floor with me.

This happened several times.  Many times.  I never came close to winning.

I asked how to improve my game.

He loaned me a book on chess.

Winning at chess is best described as rote memorization and pattern recognition.  Then an if/then chart from there.

It's why computers can finally beat people, they have enough memory to store every combination and run the if/then too fast for the human to access the same information.

If you've an excellent memory and an eye for the patterns, then you're going to win.  Every time.

It's hard for me to think of it as strategy any more.

Quote Of The Random Interval

Maybe we should expand the Court to 15, so as to ease the workload on its older members. You’d only need a simple majority in both houses to do it. And there’s Democratic precedent. . . .

-- Glenn Reynolds

Settled Science Denier

Maybe the reason I doubt Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Climate Change so hard is...

I am old enough to remember...

The Population Bomb.

I've watched the date for peak oil come and go so many times I've lost count.

I've calculated the "there is X oil and we're using Y oil per year" several times and watched the "that's it, all gone!" date slip past several times as well.

So call me skeptical when the same people who've been pressuring me about the above topics add a new one with the same solution set.

It's not that we deny science, it's that we can recognize a narrative and agenda when we see one and are aware that narrative and agenda do not a falsifiable hypothesis make.

The most gracious I can possibly be about those agenda is to concede that they are potential crises.

You might note that the solutions to the problems never do come from conforming to the agenda and narrative.

I'll take the green revolution over draconian birth regulation and famine.

I'll take fracking over energy rationing.

Why?  Because the people who push these agendas are never affected by the outcomes of their plans.

How many palatial homes does Al Gore own again?  It's off topic, but how many millions of dollars has Socialist Bernie Sanders accumulated?

They're lying to your face about everything and you suck up as fact because it's been sanctified by a media that's increasingly controlled by a smaller and small pool of billionaires who will also be insulated from the effects of these policies.

You've nothing to lose but your chains, Comrade!  Cast them off!

Choose science.  Choose capitalism.  Choose LIBERTY!

Record Temperatures

102 years ago, in Fort Yukon, Alaska, a record high of 100° F was recorded.

Today's expected high is 73° F.

While the weather isn't the climate, this is what we, in the intelligence community, call an indicator.

Tab A Into Slot A

Straight folks not into sex with trans folks.

It's a plumbing problem.

Again.

I'm surprised that it needs pointed out, but a straight man is looking for a vagina.  If their partner lacks a vagina, then the sex is not heterosexual, and that matters.

A straight woman is looking for a penis.  If their partner lacks a penis, then the sex is not heterosexual, and that matters.

I'm very open and accepting of LGBT issues, but like so many things championed by the liberals; there has to be an allowance for the "baseline" norms.

Demanding that straight people have gay sex because the person with the incompatible plumbing identifies as someone with compatible plumbing denies the straight person the right to choose their own sexual partners.

I remember when that was a core tenant of LGBT activism; the right to love whom you love and not be forced into relationships "unnaturally".

As an aside: even if the person depicted in that photo had compatible plumbing; they're still not sexually attractive to me.  Personal taste will always be part of the equation, and it needs to be accounted for.

Lebensraum

Dear Media...

For President Trump's foreign policy to be that of Nazism, there'd be some mention of conquering territory for our own use.

Everything we're doing in Syria points to us handing it to the people who already live there when we go home.

If our policies were that of National Socialist Germany, Mexico and Canada would be taking the roles of Poland and France, respectively.

It Will Describe An Arc

Indianapolis People

There's a B-17 in your hood this week!

Worth the coin for the ride if you've never.

Just sayin'!

Minimum Wage

In 1938 the Federal minimum wage was set at $0.25 an hour.

That's $4.34 in today's dollars.

In 1938 an ounce of gold was $35.

That's $607.49 in today's dollars.

Today the Federal minimum wage is $9.20.

That's $0.53 in 1938 dollars.

Today an ounce of gold is $1,241.60.

That's $71.53 in 1938 dollars.

In 1938 the fedmin was 0.71% an ounce of gold.  Today it's 0.74%.

0.71% of today's gold prices is $8.87 an hour.

See, the minimum wage has kept pace with inflation!

Addendum:

$15 an hour today is $0.86 an hour in 1938 dollars.

It's 1.21% an ounce of gold today, 2.46% an ounce of gold in 1938.

It's important to remember that an ounce of gold has about the same absolute buying power today as it did in 1938 for many key goods.  It's astonishing how steady its value has been, actually.

Double Down

During Jim Crow, although you couldn't get a Klansman to admit that racism was wrong, he'd at least acknowledge his position on the matter and tell you about the hows and whys.  They knew they were racists (though they did not use the term), were proud of it, and felt it was right.

Today's racists also do not admit that it's wrong.  The new part is they don't even admit their position.

They don't know that they're racists.  They sure think they're right and exhibit pride in it, but have become convinced that the racism they exhibit is no such thing.

And it's always so very refreshing to hear how my paycheck to paycheck household is oppressing a millionaire.

Perhaps It's Time

I am thinking it's been entirely too long since I've had yellow curry or masamune.

I know of a place that's got them both that's very good.

I Should Amend My Support

Or rather rescind support.

No, actually it's no change in support.

I don't support you if you're living here and you hate America.

There's a whole world for you to flee to.  Go!

You want to burn the American flag in the name of LGBT rights, I'm not hating on you because you're gay.  I'm disliking you because you hate me and my country.

It's trite, but the list of nations where you can, with impunity and the protection of law, burn the national flag while professing openly you're LGBT is very, VERY short.

The list of nations where doing that will get you killed for one or the other is pretty long.

There's an old saying, "don't shit where you eat," ponder that.

No Two Gun Today

I didn't want to go alone and everyone else ended up busy.

Happens.

Maybe next month!

Broke

What the internet needs is a subroutine for news sites that removes the BREAKING from the headline once the news is long broke.

Thinking Two Gun

The 25 yard indoor range we go to most often has a 2-gun tomorrow.

Bowling pins were fun!

Two gun has been fun for me before, but the place that I shot them at is a LONG ways away and I'm not very spry.

With the much smaller space to do the match in, it could be a lot more fun.

I'm thinking it'd be hilarious to run an M16A1 clone with an M1911A1.

Or my XM177E2 clone.

With my M1951 web gear.

I'd score style points, I'll bet.

You Know You're A Car Guy When

The first thing you notice in this picture is the truck has a flat and is missing two lug nuts.

And the gas tank has been relocated...

Still Better Than A Mosin

The $100 Rifle has returned from the range again.

I confirmed that the ammo that Willard gave me in the Winchester box was definitely HOT.

The stuff in the Remington box was much easier on the shoulder, made much less flame and, most importantly, didn't swell the brass so the action was as hard as a dirty Mosin to open.  Hardly a sign of pressure on the primers either.

Marv just got an Apex Tactical forward reset trigger kit for his M&P 9.  It's very nice, mimics a 1911 trigger very well.

I doesn't make me shoot any better than the stock trigger in mine.

I'm trying to speed up my shooting a bit, so I did some Mozambique drills.  I'm still not quick, but I'm getting faster.

The shots aimed at the 1 in the target's left shoulder were done left handed.  My left eye has less correction on it and hardly any astigmatism compared to the right.  Seeing better helps, but I really REALLY had to focus on the fundamentals shooting sinister.

RISE Again

RISE replaced Marv's RA-140!

They explained that it was one of their earliest made units and obviously they had not yet mastered the heat-treating.

Marv is a happy customer, but has not yet installed it in anything.

Nobody Died

But gun-free zone strikes again.

Gun free zones are honey-pots of felonious activity where criminals know they can ply their trade with impunity.

Lots Of Jet Fuel Into Noise

A normally loaded B-1B just barely out accelerates a max-takeoff-loaded Boeing 737 MAX 9.

Each of the four engines on the Bone only makes a bit more thrust in burner than each of the two engines on the Max 9.

Of course, the B-1B can outperform 737 in several other ways.  It just looks so sluggish taking off.

Poor People

I found a rather snobby "habits of poor people" on youtube.

I'll save you some time.

If you do anything BUT increase your material wealth, you have poor people habits.

Becoming rich to the exclusion of all else is the way to get rich!

I submit that they're missing a great deal of life while they amass their fortune.

Bowling Pins With GURPS

My best run, round 4, was a whopping 6 seconds.

That's six turns in GURPS.

Let's look at the givens.

The range was 5 yards; -2 to hit.

They're smaller than a torso and skinny; let's say -7 to hit.

All-Out Attack (Determined); +1.

No risk to self; +1.

No risk to others; +1.

Moderately well lit indoor range; +3.

-3 to skill in the first round.

We add an additional +3 for later rounds because now the range and speed are known (determined by seeing what missed and what hit).

-0 to skill for rounds 2 through 4.

Of course, we have no idea what my Guns/TL8 (Pistol) is.

And we don't know if a hit that knocked a pin over, but left it on the table is a function of damage or a missed hit.  It could be represented as a miss by one, or it could be just a crappy damage roll.

Let's call knocked over a miss by one.

In round one I fired 9 shots, two misses and two missed by ones.  Five of the shots were slow enough that I should get the +2 for the pistol's Acc (first shot and last four).

Timer goes off and I aim for 1 second.
Shot 1: Skill -1, hit.
Shot 2: Skill -3, miss by 1.
Shot 3: Skill -3, miss.
Shot 4: Skill -3, miss by 1.
Shot 5: Skill -3, miss.
I slow down start aiming between shots.
Shot 6: Skill -1, hit.
Shot 7: Skill -1, hit.
Shot 8: Skill -1, hit.
Shot 9: Skill -1, hit.

In round 2 I fired 6 shots 8 seconds.

Again I aim before my first shot.

Shot 1: Skill +2, hit.

Shot 2: Skill +0, miss by one.

Shot 3: Skill +0, hit.

Shot 4: Skill +0, hit.

Shot 5: Skill +0, hit.

I pause to aim.

Shot 6: Skill +2, hit.

Rounds 3 and 4 are about identical.  5 shots, 6 seconds.

I aim before my first shot.
Shot 1: Skill +2, hit.
Shot 2: Skill +0, hit.
Shot 3: Skill +0, hit.
Shot 4: Skill +0, hit.

Shot 5: Skill +0, hit.

What are the probabilities and statistics?  Hey, FuzzyGeff!  You're good with stats!

I have 25 shots fired.  No misses at from 4 at +2 to hit.  One miss by one and 11 hits at +0 to hit.  5 hits at -1 to hit and two misses by 1 and two misses with a -3 to hit.

Update:

If we count the knocked down, but not off as bad damage rolls, my Guns/TL8 (Pistol) skill is 15.

Now I wonder what my DX is!

Champions Of Free Speech That They Are

I think it helps to keep a long memory of petty offenses.

Do you remember way back when?  When Tipper Gore was in charge of the Parental Music Resource Center (PMRC)?

Remember who chaired the hearings?

It was Mr Ozone himself, Al Gore!

The actual effect of the warning labels the PMRC managed to get attached "voluntarily" to music with "objectionable" content DID have a censoring effect on the music, how many stores stopped carrying music with such labels?

I know Wal Mart did.  Wal Mart had the market share to force non-objectionable versions to be made.

So much for artistic integrity.

Yet, Democrats are thought of as the ones who're for free speech and expression.

Speaking of chilling expression by limiting the market...  Jack Valenti, former head of the secretive MPAA and their rating system, Democrat.

They're consistent, you just have to pay attention and REMEMBER.  And hold grudges, they do.

My Paradigm Was Shifted

My Remington 341 does hold 22 rounds of .22 Short.

You just have to accept that the last round will not be below the loading port before you shove the magazine's inner tube and follower down on the rounds.

1997 Was A Busy Year

I just noticed that 1997 was a busy year for nuclear war.

The Terminator series picked August.

Twilight 2000 picked Thanksgiving.

Both are 1984 releases!

Both have become alternate history.

War On

Tam's post about Ohio's overdose deaths reminds me...

We declared war on poverty... there's still poverty.

We declared war on drugs... there's still drugs, and how.

We declared war on terror... OH FUCK.

With a track record like this, maybe we'd be better off if the government declared war on something we want.

Lern Maffs

It's occurred to me that in many of the tiresome cartridge debates that many of the most obnoxious advocates of one or another round simply cannot do math.

Or can't do math past a very simple point.

While that might be true, what many of them are lacking is scientific method.

They've no means to state an hypothesis, conduct an experiment and make a conclusion.

Bowling Pins

Bowling pins are a lot easier than biathlon, you're not gasping for air!

Since we'd gone to the range to confirm that Marv's SBR was repaired and to play with subsonic ammo, we'd not brought a suitable gun for the match with us.

The gun we shared was the range's M&P 9, because we're both familiar with the model.

It had a noticeably better trigger than mine, and I asked about that.  Just lots and lots of rounds smoothing out the burrs.

I apologize to Marv for taking away the. "it's the gun" excuse.  But this is illustrative of how mechanical zero and personal zero can differ.  The sights were dead on for me, Marv felt they were shooting low.

I've seen this before.  Sights that are dialed in for me shoot left for Willard.

Why Did I Love It So?

Babylon 5 was chock full of great lines.

One I use frequently is, "If you cannot say what you mean, you cannot mean what you say."

But another line that might have meaning soon, "The avalanche has already started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote."

Is London Fighting Back?

I have to wonder.

Is this the first shot in reply to Islamic violence where Great Britain used to be?

Interesting that the driver chose the same methods used by the Islamists in other attacks.

Of course, nobody hates Muslims like other Muslims so it could very well turn out to be an attack of one sect on another.

Subsonic Testing

The normal 5.56 is Silver State Armory M193.

The subsonic is Beck Ammunition Silent Operator™ 52gr JHP.  Advertised at 1,010 feet per second from a 16" barrel.  Marv is using a 10.5" barrel here.

Take The Skin Head Bowling

The rules for this match were 10 shots per round.  1 second penalty for knocked-down but still on the table, 2 second penalty for still standing.

I'd never done one of these before and it was happenstance that we signed up.





Actually round 2, round 3 got lost because Marv's phone decided to take a vacation.



I won the match with an average of 9.055 seconds.

Marv did not do as well... :(









16.320 seconds average.

Also Known As An Indicator

My fugue is clearing somewhat about my arrest.

A clue, in case you did not know, that you're about to be arrested is when the officers start getting your pockets empty of potential weapons.

This is when you need to shut up and not say things that taken out of context create probable cause for them to finish arresting you.

A long expensive road later applied context to what I had said, but the arresting deputy isn't required to sort through that shit.

There's yet more expense on the horizon from this adventure in getting my name cleared and the records sealed and expunged and my happy face removed from the "look who got arrested" web pages.

That's another thousand buck that goes away because the county I live in has basically made the near boilerplate pro se application into a "you need a lawyer" hearing process.

M16 Bayonet Collecting

For M7's I have:

BOC - Ninth rarest (≈ 1.8 million made), also most common.
Milpar.  Eighth rarest (≈ 650 thousand).
Conetta.  Sixth rarest (≈ 130 thousand).
and
Gen Cut.  Fifth rarest (≈ 127 thousand).

What I am missing:

Colt made green handled 62316 marked on blade.  Rarest of the issued models (≈ 20 thousand).

Imperial Knife Company made, black handled, 62316 marked on blade.  This is the one that Apex wants $100 for.  Second rarest (≈ 30 thousand).

Frazier Manufacturing Company "FZR US M7".  Third rarest (≈ 40 thousand).

Ontario Knife Company "ONTARIO US M7" marked.  Fourth rarest (≈ 58 thousand).

Imperial Knife Company unmarked.  Seventh rarest (≈ 350 thousand).

Ontario Knife Company "ONTARIO US M7" marked, solid hard rubber handle M7-B.  Not sure if ever actually issued, but cheap and readily available.

Update:

Added quantities.

The hardest one to find an actual example of is the green handled Colt.  The FZR marked one is neigh impossible to find, despite twice as many made as the Colt.

At one time the Conetta was the most desirable and expensive version.  I really regretted giving one to Marv before I realized there was an actual difference in value for different makers.