Marv and I poked our noses into the local American Legion post.
Very busy, very friendly.
Now to lure Bubba into visiting and rejoining.
He needs some people his age to hang out with.
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12 January 2020
11 January 2020
Florida Off To A Slow Start
The 2nd Amendment Sanctuary Movement is taking root in Florida too!
Red for counties with passed resolutions.
Hope to see more added to this list.
Hope to see more added to this list.
Ineffective
What's an ineffective law?
Defining it as something which fails to eliminate a crime is deciding to fail.
There are people who will commit a given crime regardless of their likelihood of being caught and being punished.
There are people whom will commit a crime even when being caught is certain, because they don't fear the sentence which will be imposed.
That they are breaking the law is irrelevant to them.
Does this mean a law is ineffective because there are still people who will perform the crime?
I don't think so.
To me, an effective law is one which reduces the incidence of a given crime because most people don't want to be punished for committing it.
BUT!
I don't think that any crime that lacks a victim should be a crime at all.
I don't think that any law that's supposed to influence criminal behavior but puts all the burden on the law-abiding should be a law.
To put it in a gun owning context:
Who is victimized if I cut the barrel of a shotgun down to less than 18" and the stock to make it shorter than 26"?
How is a criminal burdened by making me fill out a 4473 when the damn background check only needs my name and address? Never mind, how is a criminal burdened by making ME pass a background check?
We law abiding folks are definitely deterred from cutting down our shotguns by this law. We even submit to the kabuki theatre of further background checks and expenditures to remain law abiding when we feel we cannot live without a short barreled shotgun.
We expose ourselves to prosecution for "lying on an official document" from checking the wrong box on a form (or forgetting to answer one).
These things do not burden the criminal. They interfere in the lives of everyday citizens and are doing so in an ever increasingly intrusive manner.
So far the only beneficiaries are the people collecting our wages as taxes and spending them to make sure we're properly controlled.
It's also stupefying to realize that we're extremely unregulated and free even when compared to other "free" nations.
There's still time to let the soap and ballot boxes work, but we must decide we want to be more free and have more liberty.
It will mean giving up the power to interfere with so many things in others lives from what they eat, to who they fuck to how they raise their kids.
For a long time, we didn't care as a matter of law what everyone else did. But once you can force your whims about one thing, there's a temptation to go for more, and other will follow your example.
Ever notice how many people chose to live where there's no homeowners association?
Government is like an HOA you cannot move away from and didn't agree to live under.
Defining it as something which fails to eliminate a crime is deciding to fail.
There are people who will commit a given crime regardless of their likelihood of being caught and being punished.
There are people whom will commit a crime even when being caught is certain, because they don't fear the sentence which will be imposed.
That they are breaking the law is irrelevant to them.
Does this mean a law is ineffective because there are still people who will perform the crime?
I don't think so.
To me, an effective law is one which reduces the incidence of a given crime because most people don't want to be punished for committing it.
BUT!
I don't think that any crime that lacks a victim should be a crime at all.
I don't think that any law that's supposed to influence criminal behavior but puts all the burden on the law-abiding should be a law.
To put it in a gun owning context:
Who is victimized if I cut the barrel of a shotgun down to less than 18" and the stock to make it shorter than 26"?
How is a criminal burdened by making me fill out a 4473 when the damn background check only needs my name and address? Never mind, how is a criminal burdened by making ME pass a background check?
We law abiding folks are definitely deterred from cutting down our shotguns by this law. We even submit to the kabuki theatre of further background checks and expenditures to remain law abiding when we feel we cannot live without a short barreled shotgun.
We expose ourselves to prosecution for "lying on an official document" from checking the wrong box on a form (or forgetting to answer one).
These things do not burden the criminal. They interfere in the lives of everyday citizens and are doing so in an ever increasingly intrusive manner.
So far the only beneficiaries are the people collecting our wages as taxes and spending them to make sure we're properly controlled.
It's also stupefying to realize that we're extremely unregulated and free even when compared to other "free" nations.
There's still time to let the soap and ballot boxes work, but we must decide we want to be more free and have more liberty.
It will mean giving up the power to interfere with so many things in others lives from what they eat, to who they fuck to how they raise their kids.
For a long time, we didn't care as a matter of law what everyone else did. But once you can force your whims about one thing, there's a temptation to go for more, and other will follow your example.
Ever notice how many people chose to live where there's no homeowners association?
Government is like an HOA you cannot move away from and didn't agree to live under.
Prohibited People
How many years have felons been prohibited from possessing firearms under Federal law?
Almost 52.
Most people think it's a lot longer.
Because the list of whom was prohibited was made illegal again under Brady in 1993, some people think it was a lot less than 51 years.
But what good has it done?
Has it really prevented firearms from falling into the hands of the people who are forbidden to own them?
How is a person convicted of felony tax evasion more of a danger with a firearm than someone who's paid their taxes?
It seems routine to hear the news mention that someone who's just shot someone was not only a felon in possession, but their previous conviction(s) contain felonious violence.
I know we've said it before: Maybe it's time to figure out a means of "if you're not actively institutionalized, you can own a gun," and, "if you're unsafe with a gun, or any weapon for that matter, you should be institutionalized until you ARE safe."
What we have now is an infringement on honest, every day law abiding citizens and worse, it's doing no good.
Heck, we should really be focusing on the repeal of every obsolete or ineffective law.
For example, when was the last time you heard about a mobster getting charged with RICO?
Almost 52.
Most people think it's a lot longer.
Because the list of whom was prohibited was made illegal again under Brady in 1993, some people think it was a lot less than 51 years.
But what good has it done?
Has it really prevented firearms from falling into the hands of the people who are forbidden to own them?
How is a person convicted of felony tax evasion more of a danger with a firearm than someone who's paid their taxes?
It seems routine to hear the news mention that someone who's just shot someone was not only a felon in possession, but their previous conviction(s) contain felonious violence.
I know we've said it before: Maybe it's time to figure out a means of "if you're not actively institutionalized, you can own a gun," and, "if you're unsafe with a gun, or any weapon for that matter, you should be institutionalized until you ARE safe."
What we have now is an infringement on honest, every day law abiding citizens and worse, it's doing no good.
Heck, we should really be focusing on the repeal of every obsolete or ineffective law.
For example, when was the last time you heard about a mobster getting charged with RICO?
I Love A Happy Ending
Home invader brings home owner a gun to shoot them with.
By the time the cops found the perp, he'd bled out.
Obey the law kids. You'll live longer.
Remember, a criminal is three times as likely to be shot with their own gun.*
* Totally not a made up "fact"! I researched this! Both cats agree.**
** OK I totally made it up, just like the line I was basing it on.
By the time the cops found the perp, he'd bled out.
Obey the law kids. You'll live longer.
Remember, a criminal is three times as likely to be shot with their own gun.*
* Totally not a made up "fact"! I researched this! Both cats agree.**
** OK I totally made it up, just like the line I was basing it on.
10 January 2020
Hurry Up And Wait
Called the VA about my back pain.
I expressed urgency, but not emergency.
I am not eager to test the "you went to a non-VA emergency room" system.
I expressed urgency, but not emergency.
I am not eager to test the "you went to a non-VA emergency room" system.
It's Not All Negative
The local law enforcement does a shit ton correctly and would do Robert Peel proud.
The Boy triggered a training program to deal with people like him.
His second interaction with them was far better handled than his first.
The sheriff was attentive and proactive about what needed to be done with regards to this special segment of the population.
The deputies who arrested me were nice about it. I am sure my being dazed and cooperative helped with that.
So far there's only been a couple of messed up things with our SWAT team, but I don't think the sheriff's office made it worse. It's just messed up that the cops come out because someone is threatening to kill themselves and the situation can be forced so the cops kill them.
Ain't much to do about that, unless you want to test that expensive body armor.
There haven't been any no-knock searches with the current sheriff. They've adopted the "they have to come out sometime" method and have been serving warrants when the suspect isn't barricaded.
Crime is actually pretty low in Pasco.
The Boy triggered a training program to deal with people like him.
His second interaction with them was far better handled than his first.
The sheriff was attentive and proactive about what needed to be done with regards to this special segment of the population.
The deputies who arrested me were nice about it. I am sure my being dazed and cooperative helped with that.
So far there's only been a couple of messed up things with our SWAT team, but I don't think the sheriff's office made it worse. It's just messed up that the cops come out because someone is threatening to kill themselves and the situation can be forced so the cops kill them.
Ain't much to do about that, unless you want to test that expensive body armor.
There haven't been any no-knock searches with the current sheriff. They've adopted the "they have to come out sometime" method and have been serving warrants when the suspect isn't barricaded.
Crime is actually pretty low in Pasco.
It's Become Amusing
The cops don't use the spot reserved for them.
They don't have to.
It's better they don't, in fact.
The spot should be given back to the customers.
Demonitized
C&Rsenel has been demonitized by YouTube.
They've also discovered at least one old video has been removed.
I think they're on their way to being deplatformed.
This is an example of the hate I mentioned earlier.
We're never going to get them to not hate us.
The best we can hope for is to get enough power to keep them from silencing us.
We've entered a world where we can be censored because the public square is no longer publicly owned.
"See! It's not the government shutting you up and perfectly legal!"
It's often said as if it's OK.
They've also discovered at least one old video has been removed.
I think they're on their way to being deplatformed.
This is an example of the hate I mentioned earlier.
We're never going to get them to not hate us.
The best we can hope for is to get enough power to keep them from silencing us.
We've entered a world where we can be censored because the public square is no longer publicly owned.
"See! It's not the government shutting you up and perfectly legal!"
It's often said as if it's OK.
Wrapped In The Mantle
Dear First Responders:
You play the hero card a lot.
You rarely do anything heroic.
While heroism is exhibited and virtue displayed by some exceptional officers.
How many times have you dodged the expectations of your communities in the name of "officer safety".
How many citizens are dead because of those two words?
A profession with some shreds of decency and honor would never have gone to court to create a ruling that they had no obligation to do the job that The People want done.
Yes, I am bitter about this.
What you get paid is a matter of record, I can go look it up.
Pasco pays $39 to $41 thousand a year for a deputy sheriff, the lowest rank. That doesn't seem like much, does it?
Full medical, zero out of pocket. The value of this is jello with a nail in it. This is, on average, a $40k a year benefit.
No employee contribution pension plan which will pay the full salary and medical upon retirement in as few as 15 years. This is a near $100k a year benefit if you try matching it with doing the same with a 401k.
So our hapless deputy is really making $179 to $181 thousand a year.
Pasco is also well known for "grossly underpaying" the officers compared to the two counties to the south and has a retention problem because of it.
As far as the dangers of the job go, since its founding in 1887, the Pasco County Sheriff's Department has suffered FIVE deaths in the line of duty. That's nearly 0.04 deaths per year!
You play the hero card a lot.
You rarely do anything heroic.
While heroism is exhibited and virtue displayed by some exceptional officers.
How many times have you dodged the expectations of your communities in the name of "officer safety".
How many citizens are dead because of those two words?
A profession with some shreds of decency and honor would never have gone to court to create a ruling that they had no obligation to do the job that The People want done.
Yes, I am bitter about this.
What you get paid is a matter of record, I can go look it up.
Pasco pays $39 to $41 thousand a year for a deputy sheriff, the lowest rank. That doesn't seem like much, does it?
Full medical, zero out of pocket. The value of this is jello with a nail in it. This is, on average, a $40k a year benefit.
No employee contribution pension plan which will pay the full salary and medical upon retirement in as few as 15 years. This is a near $100k a year benefit if you try matching it with doing the same with a 401k.
So our hapless deputy is really making $179 to $181 thousand a year.
Pasco is also well known for "grossly underpaying" the officers compared to the two counties to the south and has a retention problem because of it.
As far as the dangers of the job go, since its founding in 1887, the Pasco County Sheriff's Department has suffered FIVE deaths in the line of duty. That's nearly 0.04 deaths per year!
09 January 2020
Not Just Tariffs
"Tariffs are a tax on consumers."
All taxes levied on businesses are taxes on consumers. There is no way of assigning increased costs to a supplier of goods that cannot be passed on to the consumer and end user.
Tariffs are just a tax on imported goods.
Buy domestic and you avoid the tariff.
The founders were very keen on them, in fact.
Steep tariffs on imported goods and virtually none on domestic business encouraged business to make all the goods that the nation needed without reliance on a foreign nation's goodwill towards ours.
We're already seeing the wisdom of such self sufficiency with gas prices barely nudging up when Iran got stroppy.
Lower corporate taxes would, likewise, make it more profitable to make stuff here. Fixing labor and environmental laws would help too.
All taxes levied on businesses are taxes on consumers. There is no way of assigning increased costs to a supplier of goods that cannot be passed on to the consumer and end user.
Tariffs are just a tax on imported goods.
Buy domestic and you avoid the tariff.
The founders were very keen on them, in fact.
Steep tariffs on imported goods and virtually none on domestic business encouraged business to make all the goods that the nation needed without reliance on a foreign nation's goodwill towards ours.
We're already seeing the wisdom of such self sufficiency with gas prices barely nudging up when Iran got stroppy.
Lower corporate taxes would, likewise, make it more profitable to make stuff here. Fixing labor and environmental laws would help too.
And It Was Constantly Predicted
It seems like all of the issues that liberals sell always, ultimately, end up at the most extreme version of whatever the topic is.
Abortion has gotten all the way to killing a child where there's just not much disagreement that it's a child now.
Treating homosexuals like the people they are is becoming the groundwork to normalize child molestation.
Helping people out with their medical bills is leading to the complete elimination of any choices about your health at all.
Wanting people to be safe with their firearms is always moving towards a complete ban.
There are countless other examples.
And they have the temerity to tell us that slippery slopes are fallacies?
WTF?
And lest we get too haughty as conservatives clucking at the excesses of liberals.
I remember when you could make anonymous deposits into anyone's account. Thanks drug war!
The puritanical streak that comes from currying favor with religious conservatives is ever present.
Abortion has gotten all the way to killing a child where there's just not much disagreement that it's a child now.
Treating homosexuals like the people they are is becoming the groundwork to normalize child molestation.
Helping people out with their medical bills is leading to the complete elimination of any choices about your health at all.
Wanting people to be safe with their firearms is always moving towards a complete ban.
There are countless other examples.
And they have the temerity to tell us that slippery slopes are fallacies?
WTF?
And lest we get too haughty as conservatives clucking at the excesses of liberals.
I remember when you could make anonymous deposits into anyone's account. Thanks drug war!
The puritanical streak that comes from currying favor with religious conservatives is ever present.
You Know A Gun Is A Ranged Weapon Right?
I swear I could write an entire series of posts on people who insist that a gun must only be used at knife-fight ranges.
The entire point of ranged weapons is to keep out of range of bigger and stronger assailants.
There are several videos of Krav Maga experts taking out an assailant with a handgun. Range weapon fail. Don't get into hand to hand distance with your gun!
Don't let the assailant get that close!
Some of these people who're engaged in health-shaming the old and broken are in for one hell of a surprise someday.
Age does not let anyone escape.
I've a list of friends who were big exercise buffs, working out and keeping fit. Over and over the story is the same; "I was at the gym and 'something' popped!" After that pop, they were never able to get back to the level they were at before the popping. Trying to often led to more "pops".
Now they're just like me!
Also note that when you stop doing a workout that requires 6k calories a day, you need to stop eating 6k calories or you get fat fast.
I'd also like to mention that I'm the culmination of millions of years of evolution that selected for tool using. To revert to tooth and claw in a fight after becoming a tool-using species is just being stupid.
Thanks to a relatively rough upbringing I've seen lots of fights. They never go like the person selling the martial arts training says.
The entire point of ranged weapons is to keep out of range of bigger and stronger assailants.
There are several videos of Krav Maga experts taking out an assailant with a handgun. Range weapon fail. Don't get into hand to hand distance with your gun!
Don't let the assailant get that close!
Some of these people who're engaged in health-shaming the old and broken are in for one hell of a surprise someday.
Age does not let anyone escape.
I've a list of friends who were big exercise buffs, working out and keeping fit. Over and over the story is the same; "I was at the gym and 'something' popped!" After that pop, they were never able to get back to the level they were at before the popping. Trying to often led to more "pops".
Now they're just like me!
Also note that when you stop doing a workout that requires 6k calories a day, you need to stop eating 6k calories or you get fat fast.
I'd also like to mention that I'm the culmination of millions of years of evolution that selected for tool using. To revert to tooth and claw in a fight after becoming a tool-using species is just being stupid.
Thanks to a relatively rough upbringing I've seen lots of fights. They never go like the person selling the martial arts training says.
Starting Place
I will admit that I am bitter about the ruling that the police are under no obligation to actually do what most of us expect them to do.
Maybe that's where this conversation should start.
What do I, the citizen, expect of the police/sheriff/law enforcement?
First thing I want to make clear. Law enforcement agencies in the USA are, and must be, the creation of the citizenry. This may not be true of other nations, but it's certainly true of the US.
The US was supposed to be a bottom-up entity and that was supposed to be at every level on down.
Ironically it's a Brit who coined the core of this for us, and long after the founding.
There's a Libertarian concept that applies to the police, because the police are a creation of and employees of The People.
Because law enforcement is a delegation of civic power to these full time employees, it means the power comes from The People. Delegate is not the same word as abdicate. We did not abdicate this power, we delegated it.
A founding principle of The USA is that the government cannot have any powers that its citizens don't have as individuals.
Why would I delegate my arrest power to an employee of The State? That employee might be better at it. That doesn't mean I no longer possess that power.
Maybe that's where this conversation should start.
What do I, the citizen, expect of the police/sheriff/law enforcement?
First thing I want to make clear. Law enforcement agencies in the USA are, and must be, the creation of the citizenry. This may not be true of other nations, but it's certainly true of the US.
The US was supposed to be a bottom-up entity and that was supposed to be at every level on down.
Ironically it's a Brit who coined the core of this for us, and long after the founding.
To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.In how many places are the public now forbidden by law from assuming their, rightful, duty?
--Policing Principles #7
There's a Libertarian concept that applies to the police, because the police are a creation of and employees of The People.
"If it is illegal, immoral or unethical for me to do something, it is likewise illegal, immoral or unethical to hire someone else to do it for me."
Because law enforcement is a delegation of civic power to these full time employees, it means the power comes from The People. Delegate is not the same word as abdicate. We did not abdicate this power, we delegated it.
A founding principle of The USA is that the government cannot have any powers that its citizens don't have as individuals.
Why would I delegate my arrest power to an employee of The State? That employee might be better at it. That doesn't mean I no longer possess that power.
Word Of Mouth
The reason I went with a shift ball from Twisted ShifterZ rather than the RPI brand model is strongly related to the experience of a friend.
Both companies use a rubber o-ring to provide friction to keep the trim-ring at the top of the shift boot from rotating out of the groove at the top and falling down.
Twisted uses a 2-1/8" ball. Nakid/RPI a 2-1/4".
This might not seem critical, but it makes a huge clearance difference where the trim-ring meets the ball. The smaller ball leaves a bit more space for "squish" of the o-ring and allows the groove to be closer to the ball.
Both companies use the same sized, cheap and readily available o-rings.
The larger ball has to put the ring a little lower, and that changes the relationship of the ball to the ring enough that different size o-rings should be specified.
It also seems apparent that Nakid/RPI is failing to account for tolerances and where a single customer is having an issue and many others aren't: that means they made one wrong. The solution is to exchange it cheerfully and promptly. Business 101.
Insisting that the customer is missing something when the product isn't working... Well, I guess there's a reason that RPI was able to purchase Nakid, huh?
After such a horrible experience with Nakid, I don't think I'd easily risk the near $100 for an RPI knob without a return label and money back guarantee in the box with the second attempt.
They should also take note that the bad experience they describe on the forum caused me to look for a different vendor. Now they're out two sales from one bad part. Possibly more. I certainly wouldn't recommend RPI.
Their experience also got me looking for other dissatisfied customers, and spontaneous fall-apart is a recurring RPI knob problem in the C6. Something I would relay to anyone asking me about after-market knobs for the car.
Both companies use a rubber o-ring to provide friction to keep the trim-ring at the top of the shift boot from rotating out of the groove at the top and falling down.
Twisted uses a 2-1/8" ball. Nakid/RPI a 2-1/4".
This might not seem critical, but it makes a huge clearance difference where the trim-ring meets the ball. The smaller ball leaves a bit more space for "squish" of the o-ring and allows the groove to be closer to the ball.
Both companies use the same sized, cheap and readily available o-rings.
The larger ball has to put the ring a little lower, and that changes the relationship of the ball to the ring enough that different size o-rings should be specified.
It also seems apparent that Nakid/RPI is failing to account for tolerances and where a single customer is having an issue and many others aren't: that means they made one wrong. The solution is to exchange it cheerfully and promptly. Business 101.
Insisting that the customer is missing something when the product isn't working... Well, I guess there's a reason that RPI was able to purchase Nakid, huh?
After such a horrible experience with Nakid, I don't think I'd easily risk the near $100 for an RPI knob without a return label and money back guarantee in the box with the second attempt.
They should also take note that the bad experience they describe on the forum caused me to look for a different vendor. Now they're out two sales from one bad part. Possibly more. I certainly wouldn't recommend RPI.
Their experience also got me looking for other dissatisfied customers, and spontaneous fall-apart is a recurring RPI knob problem in the C6. Something I would relay to anyone asking me about after-market knobs for the car.
Because They Will Never Like Us
The picture from this post is why open carry should be legal everywhere.
I noticed the "compliance" with NY's SAFE act in that picture too.
"Oh noes! We're going to scare people!" In the case of that photo, scaring people is the entire point.
Deterrence is another way to say "scare someone into inaction".
The thing is:
The anti-gun people will never ever like us. No matter how low we lay. No matter how polite we are. No matter how well we dress.
They will hate us forever.
The Jewish folks in that picture are also dealing with such perpetual hate.
An older hate, but still hate.
It's still astonishing to me how hate consistently gains power.
Hate gives power too. Gives it away to those who hate better and more fully.
I noticed the "compliance" with NY's SAFE act in that picture too.
"Oh noes! We're going to scare people!" In the case of that photo, scaring people is the entire point.
Deterrence is another way to say "scare someone into inaction".
The thing is:
The anti-gun people will never ever like us. No matter how low we lay. No matter how polite we are. No matter how well we dress.
They will hate us forever.
The Jewish folks in that picture are also dealing with such perpetual hate.
An older hate, but still hate.
It's still astonishing to me how hate consistently gains power.
Hate gives power too. Gives it away to those who hate better and more fully.
Low Value
"He might not be the most worthless person I've ever met, but he's a child pornography conviction away from tying for the title."
Lest I Be Misunderstood
I am NOT itching for a fight with the powers that be.
What the powers that be, and many on our side, refused to do for far too long was to listen to anyone outside their made-up-their-mind-zone.
Our side avoided the conversation for two main reasons.
First was a hope that if we didn't appear to be extremists, we could open a dialog with the powers and get them to back off and listen.
Second was to not stir up the actual extremists by encouraging them.
The powers that be refused to listen because they don't believe it's ever going to be more than talk.
Well.
I think its time that talk happened because I don't think it was just talk.
What the powers that be, and many on our side, refused to do for far too long was to listen to anyone outside their made-up-their-mind-zone.
Our side avoided the conversation for two main reasons.
First was a hope that if we didn't appear to be extremists, we could open a dialog with the powers and get them to back off and listen.
Second was to not stir up the actual extremists by encouraging them.
The powers that be refused to listen because they don't believe it's ever going to be more than talk.
Well.
I think its time that talk happened because I don't think it was just talk.
08 January 2020
Overdone
After we got home from bike practice the soreness in my left hip changed into full blown stabbing pain.
It's radiating from my lower back just below my belt-line and going at a 35 degree angle to the outside of my hip on the leg.
It's most prominent when walking or lifting my left leg into the car.
I'm slathered in my topical pain gel and two drinks into self meds.
If it's just a pulled muscle from moving heavy boxes and doing two doors, this should subside soon if I keep somewhat active.
The joint appears to have no problems moving, so I don't think its the ball and socket.
It's radiating from my lower back just below my belt-line and going at a 35 degree angle to the outside of my hip on the leg.
It's most prominent when walking or lifting my left leg into the car.
I'm slathered in my topical pain gel and two drinks into self meds.
If it's just a pulled muscle from moving heavy boxes and doing two doors, this should subside soon if I keep somewhat active.
The joint appears to have no problems moving, so I don't think its the ball and socket.
Brought To You By Your Generousity
This is The Boy's first practice with the trike with the trike that Damocles bought for him.
He's now lapping a girl whom used to proceed at the same pace with his old trike.
He's very pleased with it!
Once again, THANKS! Damocles!
Eeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwuuuuuuuu
Willard: I'm off to use the men's room.
Me: The women's room is probably cleaner.
FuzzyGeff: What else is new?
Me: Well, he could fix the disparity in cleanliness...
FuzzyGeff: Ick!
Me: The women's room is probably cleaner.
FuzzyGeff: What else is new?
Me: Well, he could fix the disparity in cleanliness...
FuzzyGeff: Ick!
Idle Speculation
Is the Liberal problem with fundamental rights entirely because they're called "rights" and not "lefts"?
Impossibility
That is a Stanley brand 3/8 drive, 12 point, 10mm socket.
10mm sockets are ONLY lost! 10mm sockets are never found!
Yet... FuzzyGeff found this one in the street.
I'm not going to say it was aliens; but it was aliens.
A Fracking Dime
The threat of war in the Persian Gulf with Iran has raised the price of gas...
10¢.
One thin dime.
Thanksgiving's travel demand increase did more to the prices than Iran threatening war does.
I don't remember where I read it, "Once our foreign policy hinged on being able to keep the Straits of Hormuz open; now we only have to be able to keep them closed."
I also have to say that after reading about only 11 of 15 missiles even hitting the zip code of an American base and killing only Iraqis... Iran's mullahs saying they will stop retaliating if we stop retaliating sounds impotent as fuck.
I'm not too worried about war with Iran, we've been at war with them (rather they've been at war with us) since November 4, 1979.
We spanked them decently for Operation Preying Mantis and that was with ordinance that had an alarming tendency to drop off the aircraft and act like a rock.
Their capability to reply has not substantially improved in the past 32 years.
Sure, they can resort to terrorism, but they can ask Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein how that worked out for them once we got moved to do something about their bullshit.
10¢.
One thin dime.
Thanksgiving's travel demand increase did more to the prices than Iran threatening war does.
I don't remember where I read it, "Once our foreign policy hinged on being able to keep the Straits of Hormuz open; now we only have to be able to keep them closed."
I also have to say that after reading about only 11 of 15 missiles even hitting the zip code of an American base and killing only Iraqis... Iran's mullahs saying they will stop retaliating if we stop retaliating sounds impotent as fuck.
I'm not too worried about war with Iran, we've been at war with them (rather they've been at war with us) since November 4, 1979.
We spanked them decently for Operation Preying Mantis and that was with ordinance that had an alarming tendency to drop off the aircraft and act like a rock.
Their capability to reply has not substantially improved in the past 32 years.
Sure, they can resort to terrorism, but they can ask Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein how that worked out for them once we got moved to do something about their bullshit.
Moar Door
Now our back patio has a door!
It keeps out Marvyns.
It keeps in Dingus'!
This is another "much harder than it should have been" job.
It's entirely to blame on the standard door size not actually being standard.
My door is a nominal 36" wide, 81" tall.
One standard defines that as 35-7/8" to 36" openings.
Another defines that as 35-1/2" to 36-1/4".
My opening is 35-5/8"
Lowe's does not carry doors for my opening. Home Depot does.
Go figure.
Bought a different door from Home Depot because the Lowe's model didn't fit my opening.
Very frustrating and time consuming thing. It's printed on the boxes, in small print that need the reading portion of my glasses to see, and positioned so I can't really get my neck bent that far.
Easy to miss unless you're aware of the issue and are looking for it.
This is another "much harder than it should have been" job.
It's entirely to blame on the standard door size not actually being standard.
My door is a nominal 36" wide, 81" tall.
One standard defines that as 35-7/8" to 36" openings.
Another defines that as 35-1/2" to 36-1/4".
My opening is 35-5/8"
Lowe's does not carry doors for my opening. Home Depot does.
Go figure.
Bought a different door from Home Depot because the Lowe's model didn't fit my opening.
Very frustrating and time consuming thing. It's printed on the boxes, in small print that need the reading portion of my glasses to see, and positioned so I can't really get my neck bent that far.
Easy to miss unless you're aware of the issue and are looking for it.
07 January 2020
Busy Busy
Everything is taking longer than expected.
During our Road-Kill emulation segment, there was a trailer left behind by a friend who's since passed on.
We had to force entry into the trailer and inventory the contents for distribution and sale.
Florida is hard on things which have no climate control.
Ian had thousands of dollars in precision measuring equipment, carefully arranged in plastic bins.
Now there's a couple dollars of scrap metal because of rust.
It's very sad.
Ian was, apparently, unaware of the concept of a sunk cost fallacy.
Many of his power tools, while fine quality and fully functional... aren't usable in the USA because they're made for British power. Everything has a BS1363 plug and is rated for their 230v 50hz instead of the (obviously) far superior 120v 60hz power.
Unloading this stuff and making piles of keep, pawn and toss took far longer than expected...
This constant repeating myself does nothing to speed the endeavor.
During our Road-Kill emulation segment, there was a trailer left behind by a friend who's since passed on.
We had to force entry into the trailer and inventory the contents for distribution and sale.
Florida is hard on things which have no climate control.
Ian had thousands of dollars in precision measuring equipment, carefully arranged in plastic bins.
Now there's a couple dollars of scrap metal because of rust.
It's very sad.
Ian was, apparently, unaware of the concept of a sunk cost fallacy.
Many of his power tools, while fine quality and fully functional... aren't usable in the USA because they're made for British power. Everything has a BS1363 plug and is rated for their 230v 50hz instead of the (obviously) far superior 120v 60hz power.
Unloading this stuff and making piles of keep, pawn and toss took far longer than expected...
This constant repeating myself does nothing to speed the endeavor.
06 January 2020
Are We Really Still Debating This?
There's a thread on Arfcom where someone asked why did we replace the M1911A1 with the M9 and if it was really necessary.
It's going on 30 pages now.
It's simple, really.
The very last M1911A1 left the factory in 1945.
In 1954 the military tried to replace them (S&W's model 39 dates from this) with a 9mm for NATO standardization and because they were already showing some signs of being long in the tooth. Never mind that Korea had expended a noticeable number of the, once, huge supply.
Vietnam, likewise, also depleted the stocks of serviceable pistol.
It was only the "happy" circumstance of the military downsizing that allowed the remaining guns to fill demand.
President Reagan reversed that trend and suddenly, with more demand, there would not be enough pistols left to issue one to everyone who was supposed to have one according to the TO&E.
In the early 1980's a new M1911A1 would not have been a cheap gun to manufacture. Keeping on with the M1911A1 would have meant paying for processes specified in the milspec that were no longer being practiced by anyone still making them.
The M1911A1 is a product of an era where labor was cheap and machinery was expensive.
That had inverted by the time the pistol trials which resulted in the Beretta M9 were held.
Simply, getting new .45's would have cost a great deal more than any 9mm and would also come at the cost of continuing to flaunt NATO standardization in a time period where we'd just shoved 5.56 down Europe's throats after already forcing them to eat 7.62x51mm.
It should also be remembered that the M9 and SIG-Sauer's M11 did not just replace the M1911A1.
They replace ALL the pistols and revolvers in all the services from top to bottom.
In many cases, the M1911A1 wasn't replaced here because it was already found to be unsuitable for the role decades before.
It's going on 30 pages now.
It's simple, really.
The very last M1911A1 left the factory in 1945.
In 1954 the military tried to replace them (S&W's model 39 dates from this) with a 9mm for NATO standardization and because they were already showing some signs of being long in the tooth. Never mind that Korea had expended a noticeable number of the, once, huge supply.
Vietnam, likewise, also depleted the stocks of serviceable pistol.
It was only the "happy" circumstance of the military downsizing that allowed the remaining guns to fill demand.
President Reagan reversed that trend and suddenly, with more demand, there would not be enough pistols left to issue one to everyone who was supposed to have one according to the TO&E.
In the early 1980's a new M1911A1 would not have been a cheap gun to manufacture. Keeping on with the M1911A1 would have meant paying for processes specified in the milspec that were no longer being practiced by anyone still making them.
The M1911A1 is a product of an era where labor was cheap and machinery was expensive.
That had inverted by the time the pistol trials which resulted in the Beretta M9 were held.
Simply, getting new .45's would have cost a great deal more than any 9mm and would also come at the cost of continuing to flaunt NATO standardization in a time period where we'd just shoved 5.56 down Europe's throats after already forcing them to eat 7.62x51mm.
It should also be remembered that the M9 and SIG-Sauer's M11 did not just replace the M1911A1.
They replace ALL the pistols and revolvers in all the services from top to bottom.
In many cases, the M1911A1 wasn't replaced here because it was already found to be unsuitable for the role decades before.
Bull Headed Determination
Bridged the gap with a 1x4 and much shims.
The in-laws now have a new storm door!
This fought all the way to the end, and we prevailed!
Dinner at a new place for FuzzyGeff and Marv, Craft Street Kitchen, and celebratory beers at Escape Brewing!
05 January 2020
From Facebook
The Lovely Harvey relays:
Iran now has an opening for a general.
You have to hand it to Trump, he's even creating jobs in Iran!
Iran now has an opening for a general.
You have to hand it to Trump, he's even creating jobs in Iran!
Every Single Project
The In-Laws need a new storm door.
Screen and storm doors are simple work, so Marv and I set out to install the chosen door.
A problem occurred in that we couldn't get accurate measurements of the opening with the existing door in place.
They have a 40" door on their place, not the standard 36".
In the no stated dimension is the actual measurement world of carpentry, the 4" difference means the opening for the storm door is 1-1/8" too wide for a normal, everyday 36" storm door.
So we have to fill that gap with something...
Wood seems so obvious.
Except there's not a stick of lumber that's 1-1/8" in any dimension. Nor is there any combination of stacking boards that gets us where we need to be.
And it's not just THIS project.
Every thing I touch of late goes into this pear shaped valley with some oddity that takes far too long to solve.
Screen and storm doors are simple work, so Marv and I set out to install the chosen door.
A problem occurred in that we couldn't get accurate measurements of the opening with the existing door in place.
They have a 40" door on their place, not the standard 36".
In the no stated dimension is the actual measurement world of carpentry, the 4" difference means the opening for the storm door is 1-1/8" too wide for a normal, everyday 36" storm door.
So we have to fill that gap with something...
Wood seems so obvious.
Except there's not a stick of lumber that's 1-1/8" in any dimension. Nor is there any combination of stacking boards that gets us where we need to be.
And it's not just THIS project.
Every thing I touch of late goes into this pear shaped valley with some oddity that takes far too long to solve.
Gonna Be Like An Episode Of Road-Kill
Motor Trend had a YouTube channel called Road-Kill.
Two magazine writers traveled the country looking for dead cars to resurrect to make a road trip.
It rarely went well.
On Monday, we're going to make our own version with a late '90's Accord.
Wish us luck!
Two magazine writers traveled the country looking for dead cars to resurrect to make a road trip.
It rarely went well.
On Monday, we're going to make our own version with a late '90's Accord.
Wish us luck!
03 January 2020
Living In Florida
FuzzyGeff and I are hanging out back on the porch... effectively outside.
We're both enjoying the idea that we can do this comfortably in January.
Caught the moon:
We're both enjoying the idea that we can do this comfortably in January.
Caught the moon:
Never In The History
Chuckie is upset that Cocaine Mitch isn't going to let The Speaker of the House be in charge of The Senate's portion of the impeachment process.
Chuck has even intoned the phrase, "never before in the history of impeachment, has The Senate been forbidden to call witnesses."
In the entire two previous times?
Chuck, you make it seem like this happens everyday rather than once a century or so.
But I can play this game too!
Never before in the history of impeachment has The House not accused The President of an actual crime.
But, Chuck, Nancy, what you're complaining about is akin to "never in the history of legislation has The Senate been forbidden to pass a bill." Because it was this self-same upper chamber which voted to disallow witnesses.
Or are we no longer for democracy again this year? I have trouble keeping track you guys waffle on the value of the democratic process so much.
Chuck has even intoned the phrase, "never before in the history of impeachment, has The Senate been forbidden to call witnesses."
In the entire two previous times?
Chuck, you make it seem like this happens everyday rather than once a century or so.
But I can play this game too!
Never before in the history of impeachment has The House not accused The President of an actual crime.
But, Chuck, Nancy, what you're complaining about is akin to "never in the history of legislation has The Senate been forbidden to pass a bill." Because it was this self-same upper chamber which voted to disallow witnesses.
Or are we no longer for democracy again this year? I have trouble keeping track you guys waffle on the value of the democratic process so much.
Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
Tampa version:
Registered SBR M4gery I made myself, S&W M&P 9, Big Top Brewing Big Life tropical lager, Arturo Fuente Hemingway. Local brewery glassware and hat!
Cuba version:
Sportified Springfield M1893 rifle, Armi San Marco New Dakota, Siesta Key Distiller's Reserve (Batch 6), Arturo Fuente Hemingway and my old "Cavalry" hat.
This is officially a meme, so play along on your own blog and or Facebook!
Registered SBR M4gery I made myself, S&W M&P 9, Big Top Brewing Big Life tropical lager, Arturo Fuente Hemingway. Local brewery glassware and hat!
Cuba version:
Sportified Springfield M1893 rifle, Armi San Marco New Dakota, Siesta Key Distiller's Reserve (Batch 6), Arturo Fuente Hemingway and my old "Cavalry" hat.
This is officially a meme, so play along on your own blog and or Facebook!
02 January 2020
Torque Tube Bearing
The Precious has a buzz coming from the "clutch area" when it's cold.
With the clutch out, in neutral, buzz with the rpm.
With the clutch out, in gear, buzz with speed.
With the clutch in, in neutral, no buzz.
With the clutch in, in gear, buzzes with the speed.
Following this page: It's an input shaft bearing. There's, in effect, four of them on a C6.
One at the input end of the torque tube, two at the output end and one at the input side of the transmission.
The sound appears to be coming from the front bearing.
Unfortunately, it requires nearly all the steps to change the clutch to get at the damn things.
I can't find a reliable listing for the parts I need either. I hate asking the dealer for part numbers.
With the clutch out, in neutral, buzz with the rpm.
With the clutch out, in gear, buzz with speed.
With the clutch in, in neutral, no buzz.
With the clutch in, in gear, buzzes with the speed.
Following this page: It's an input shaft bearing. There's, in effect, four of them on a C6.
One at the input end of the torque tube, two at the output end and one at the input side of the transmission.
The sound appears to be coming from the front bearing.
Unfortunately, it requires nearly all the steps to change the clutch to get at the damn things.
I can't find a reliable listing for the parts I need either. I hate asking the dealer for part numbers.
01 January 2020
Virginia Isn't An Anomoly?
While checking to see if an openly carried AR with a USGI 30-rounder was illegal in New York, I stumbled across this picutre:
That looks remarkably like Virginia's map:
This is exactly why The Founders had The Senate divided by geography rather than population; so that the less populous parts of the nation would get some effective representation.
This is also exactly why the Democrats and liberals (did I repeat myself) are so Hell Bent on eliminating the Electoral College.
Update:
Add Kentucky.
Thanks to Tim in the comments.
That looks remarkably like Virginia's map:
This is exactly why The Founders had The Senate divided by geography rather than population; so that the less populous parts of the nation would get some effective representation.
This is also exactly why the Democrats and liberals (did I repeat myself) are so Hell Bent on eliminating the Electoral College.
Update:
Add Kentucky.
Thanks to Tim in the comments.
Otherwise
Why do I put cheese, butter and sour cream on my baked potato?
Because, otherwise, it'd be vegan.
Because, otherwise, it'd be vegan.
I think I just put my finger on why I loathe Facebook so damn much.
In meatspace, if a friend of a friend is a prick to me; my friend will intervene and tell their friend to back off or have them apologize.
On Facebook, they tacitly endorse the attack with silence. In effect, joining in on being a prick by saying nothing.
In meatspace, if a friend of a friend is a prick to me; my friend will intervene and tell their friend to back off or have them apologize.
On Facebook, they tacitly endorse the attack with silence. In effect, joining in on being a prick by saying nothing.
Same Wal Mart
Nobody in the special, reserved for their law enforcement partners, parking space.
But mere yards away...
At least they cleared the carts out of the space so our deputy could park someplace else.
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