Low-Speed High-Drag

When assessing the wisdom of going after someone who's low-speed and high-drag remember this:

The Warthog and BUFF are both such.

It's Genetic

I have the Scottish resistance to getting into fights.

The Italian reluctance to take the fight to blood.

And the Japanese delicacy about how to treat an opponent once the game is afoot.

Plan accordingly.

Can We Talk About Prosecutorial Incompetence Now

Or is it simple corruption?

Alec Baldwin walks because the prosecution suppressed evidence.

I'm no fan of his, but... Good!

When the government lies, the accused should walk even if caught red handed.

Justice should be an unimpeachable neutral party in every case.

The accused should be putting all the weight needed on the scales, no additional thumbs necessary.

It Never Ends

Mission:  Find out why the washing machine was pissing like a drunk racehorse.

My first theory was the spring that centered the drum was broken loose from the cabinet and the spout was dumping water outside the drum.

It was.

With Marv precariously balancing the thing, I drilled a new hole for the spring and that was that!

Nope.

The fill hose, a nylon thing looking like a giant flexie soda straw was split.

$5 got an upgraded rubber version.

All fixed!

Nope.

It filled just fine without leaking, but it wouldn't agitate.

Lid switch thinks it's open at all times.

New switch will be here tomorrow.

Splash Of Red

Marv has painted his calipers!

 

Colored calipers are a time honored hot-rodder tradition.

And if you have rims where they can be seen, a flash of color really sets off the car.

All Better

The locksmith got me into the car where I finished programming the RFA module and got all four of my fobs working.

Then I went a couple rounds figuring out why the remote start was not working and found that there's a setting in the dash to change under Security.

The results:

Keyfob Program

When you enable the remote start with OBDSynch, it resets all your keyfobs and the tire pressure system.

Two of my fobs will program through the normal procedure.  Two, including the new one with the remote start button, will not.  One of the two that isn't programming used to work.

There's a way to program them with the OBDSynch software, but I found that the module I'd just used to enable remote start was no longer accepting my purchase.

When I successfully programmed the first two fobs, it locked the doors.

When you close the door to get around it to log in to complain to the maker of the OBDSynch software...

When you had all the keys and fobs on the center console...

You are locked out of your car.

The sad thing is I'd read about people doing this.

I am now one of them.

AAA is on the case.

Wheels

Marv's new 9C3 has new shoes.

His are the other base Camaro wheel.

Like me, he got a scorching good deal.

While I'm giving him crap over how small his calipers are, the rotors on the front are the same diameter.

A splash of red paint will make those pop!

Mine, for comparison purposes:

 I need to get lug nuts more in keeping with the upgrade.

Know When To Eject

The guy I bought The Beast from is the same person whom I sold the Biscayne SS to.

From the litany of issues he's had since...

I got out from under that car just in time.

I feel bad for him, but I didn't misrepresent what he was getting and I've tried to help as much as I can with the "why did you do it this way?" questions from his mechanic.

BUT!

His current run of bad luck ain't my fault!

He replaced the drum brake rear axle for a disc brake unit and has had serial problems with the calipers falling off.

Last night his issue was the fourth of four tires of a particular brand blowing up.  I'd be looking at different brand and model tire after two of them bulged out.

Rebuttal

I don't think he's intending to rebut John Stossel directly, but this article does the job of explaining why tariffs aren't unalloyed badness.

The globalism that Stossel is championing is the same centralization process that Wilder Wealthy and Wise is talking about.

Watch the vid then read the article at the link.

Rig For Red

 

The Beast all cleaned up and shiny for the car club meeting!

She's a pretty nice ten-footer.

Blaming The Wrong Party

Another Boeing plane has lost a wheel on take-off.

The news is sure focusing on it being Boeing too.

The two incidents have something else in common: United Airlines.

I'm thinking it's more likely that UAL needs to have a lugnut-day than Boeing screwed up the design of the wheels.

Throw It Away?

Some egg product was mislabeled.  It contains dairy, but the label doesn't say so.

They say to throw it away.

I says to make note that it has dairy and use it.

If you don't have a dairy allergy, it's fine.

Throwing away perfectly good food because a small percentage of people can't eat it is fucking stupid.

Yes, that small percentage could have died if they'd gotten the mislabeled product; but for everyone else this is still perfectly edible.

Now that we're aware of the problem, we make sure that it doesn't go to the people who can't eat it and let those who can go ahead and scarf.

There has to be some needy person who could use it.

No I Think Not

MRS Biden will be in town today to convince us veterans that we need to vote for the only thing about her that matters: Keeping her husband in office so she retains access to the perks of being Mrs The President.

Nah.

I rather like my chances with the felon.

Having to deal with the VA for three years of COVID bullshit in a state that only did it for about five months guaranteed that I'd not be voting Biden.

We vets didn't get good care from the Wu Ping Cough era and I, for one, remember.

Lego Star Wars Bounty Hunters

Because my Kenner action figure collection was missing 4-LOM and Zuckuss I was thrilled when they became available in LEGO.

L->R Top row:

Dengar, Bossk, Zuckuss, 4-LOM, IG-88, Din Jarin (original) Din Djarin (beskar), Boba Fett (BoBF), IG-11.

L->R Bottom row:

Jango Fett, Boba Fett (AotC), Boba Fett (ESB), Cad Bane, Todo 360, Fennec Shand, spare Din Djarins from other points in the story.

Is It Time For You To Try A 20 Year Old TTRPG System?

Obviously, I say yes.  What are you waiting for?

Memba Dis

I am old enough to remember when 922(r) compliance was simply to use an American made receiver.

Inch pattern FAL kit?  American made with an Entrèprise receiver!

This was because ATF ruled that, since the registered component was the firearm, the origin of the receiver determined if the gun was domestic or imported.

With the proliferation of AK parts kits flooding the market, ATF promulgated the idea that, to be domestically made it had to have a certain percentage of US made parts, and just a majority of named components.  They made a list and you picked and chose from the list to make sure your parts kit was domestic enough to own.

The serialized part is the gun doesn't appear in law.

The list of components that count towards domesticity doesn't appear in law.

922(r) can be read to mean that you can't use ANY foreign made parts to make a gun that wouldn't be possible to import like that.

We're in an awkward place.

Because I Keep My Toe Dipped In The Hobby

Decent 7.5/10 rant.

Something Hasbro and a lot of pundits are forgetting is, unlike a video game, when the new version comes out it doesn't cripple or disable the previous version.

I can play 47 year old OG Little Black Book Traveller tomorrow.  It still works just like it did in 1977 despite there being four succeeding editions and versions by other companies.

Same same AD&D.

Even more fun, you don't even have to own the books right now!

DriveThruRPG has you covered!

The situation is somewhat underscored by my love of GURPS.  The 4th Edition I prefer came out in 2004.  There is no 5th edition.

The 3rd Edition (Revised) came out in 1994; and there is still a large community of people who've refused to move to 4e.

So many that Steve Jackson Games rebranded 3e(r) as GURPS Classic and they still publish nearly the entire 3e lineup in pdf format.

When my 47, 30 and 20 year old books still work; I don't need these companies to stay in business to play.

We should remind them of that.

Without Cheveron

922(r) compliance is going to get sporty.

The law says:

(r) It shall be unlawful for any person to assemble from imported parts any semiautomatic rifle or any shotgun which is identical to any rifle or shotgun prohibited from importation under section 925(d)(3) of this chapter as not being particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes except that this subsection shall not apply to—

(1) the assembly of any such rifle or shotgun for sale or distribution by a licensed manufacturer to the United States or any department or agency thereof or to any State or any department, agency, or political subdivision thereof; or

(2) the assembly of any such rifle or shotgun for the purposes of testing or experimentation authorized by the Attorney General.

 I don't see a list of parts or a minimum domestic content that changes it to American made instead of foreign made.

Asking For A Friend?

An estranged friend texted me asking for advice on what kind of ammo to buy.

I gave the advice and then asked their SO what had prompted the sudden interest in ammo.

She's worried about politics.

Fair enough, but knowing her, she's worried about people like me and not people like her.

We know about Antifa and BLM being violent and burning shit down.

Is there something similar on the right side of the aisle?

Even threats of doing violence?

Real threats, not the normal blowhard kooks.

That Will Be Strange

For the first time in over seventy years people will be able to vote for an individual presidential candidate for a third time.

The most people have, normally, gotten was twice.  Election and immediate reelection.

Candidates that lost, typically, do not run again regardless of it being their first try or failing to be reelected.

If Trump wins, he's going to be just the second person to win a non-consecutive term in the White House; after Grover Cleveland.

That's Not Good

CMP has suspended sales of M1911A1's and this appears to be why:

If you recently got a smoking deal on a USGI M1911A1...  You might wanna give them a call.

And, once again, stupid fucking law enforcement wonks:  You're looking for 98 specific stolen guns, serial numbers would go a long ways for someone who'd innocently bought one to get you closer to the thief.

And we know you know the serial numbers or you wouldn't know any were missing.

Lost On Me

I have significant hearing loss.

I have tinnitus.

I am upgrading the speakers in The Beast.

Despite my disabilities, I can hear the difference to a degree.  Cleaner sound is cleaner sound.

But something about this journey makes me laugh.

Videos of "how to" in my car with before and after results.

They do sound different.

Through my hearing loss.

Through my tinnitus.

Through the tinny little speakers on my laptop...

From the crappy little mic on their cell phone they're using to record the video for YouTube.

Through the sound compression from uploading to YouTube.

There's no way you're getting the full impression of what's changed, you just get that it sounds different.

I am not dissuaded.  The 3.5" coax speaker for the center channel should arrive today.

I'll order the other 4 in pairs here and there.  I'm in no rush.

99% Of Facebook Car Group "Help Needed" Posts

"My car is doing something.  What's wrong?"

Kids, we need more information than that.

Most of the groups I'm in are cars that have significant diagnostic ability and a cheap, simple, scan-tool will tell us what trouble codes the engine is throwing.

More expensive scanners will also tell us what's wrong in other systems too.

Without those codes on a fully computer managed engine, we cannot help you.

Thanks in advance.

Not An Official Act

The President is likely not immune if they have SEAL Team Six snuff the Supreme Court.

He's only immune while performing official acts.

Acts that are sanctioned by the Constitution.

Commentators are getting absolute and presumed immunity confused.

Presumed is used the same way as "presumed innocent" here.

Happy Independence Day!

I'm getting as sick of people saying, "Happy Fourth of July" as I am of "Happy Holidays!"

It's Independence Day.

Saying "Happy Fourth of July" is like saying "Happy Eleventh of November!" or "Happy First Monday in September!"

It's not the name of the Gorram holiday.

So, be a rebel, call it Independence Day.

Two Years And Some Change

I wondered how long it would take before Glock switches would change the semi-auto pistols into readily restored machine guns.

Cam Edwards speculates too.

AR15 News mentions Mr Edwards article in the attached video.

Though I think that "restored" requires that it had to have once been made as a machine gun and isn't any more.  Without Chevron to let them lawyerize the word "restored" to mean "converted" we might just skate.

I think that "once a machine gun always a machine gun" is very vulnerable now since they pulled that right out of their asses.

It's Not LIKE They Cannot Read

They really can't read.

The Democrat floating the theory that the president could order a SEAL hit on the supreme court and be immune is missing something very important.

Impeachment.  Impeachment can carry more punishment than simply removing them from office.

Wiping out an entire branch of the government would seem to meet the "high crime" section of the prerequisites, no?

One might also hope for the SEAL team to say, "These are unlawful orders, aren't they?"

Even if El Presidente is immune from criminal proceedings for ordering a hit on SCOTUS, the SEAL team is not.

It's definitely a constitutional crisis level of speculation.

All of the above ignores an important factor.

If the president orders a hit on the supremes and it is carried out; immunity from prosecution is likely the least of their worries because it will be a signal that "it is on."

Break out the Hawaiian shirts and cue the "Boogaloo It Is" soundtrack.

Kitty Détente

Shadow does not flee at the mere sight of Beeper being carried past her now.

She did seek the place she sleeps as a shelter when Beeper was placed on the other side of a glass door, though.

Once she'd sheltered there, I opened the door and Beeper is roaming the house with all the doors open.

I expect some fur to still fly, but this is feeling more like normal kitty politics than the "You will DIE!" stuff we had for a while.

Beeper is very neurotic about Shadow.

We theorize that she was kicked out of her previous home because she couldn't adapt to a new pet and she's still carrying the trauma of being abandoned.

Bear?  The Bear abides.

When Beeper and Shadow get too serious, he will utter a growl that sounds like a GAU-8 and the girls STOP.

Bear does not want justice.  Bear wants peace.

The Plot Thickens

That air carried Standard SM-6 I mentioned a month ago?

It's got a designation.  AIM-174B.  That's an air-to-air missile.  The one pictured is inert, no warhead, no motor; you can tell from the blue bands.  I think this one is for separation testing.

The War Zone has a whole article on it.

Phoenix 2.0?

Primed

Stumbled across this link in a debate about .45-55 being a rimfire round.

The internal primer just makes them look like rimfire rounds.

But read that link, it's fascinating.

We Fear Change

Basic poverty keeps me from being an early adopter.

This has saved me from a thing or three.

Occasionally, I'm just late to the party.

I'd have bought a Colt 2000 or a Remington R51 the day they hit the shelves if I'd had any money at the time.

Happily...

Well, the gun rags are all a quiver about this new Rost Martin RM1C.

It's a plastic framed striker fired 9mm.

Again.

How many is it now?

It looks like a screaming deal with a sub-$500 MSRP.

But so's a S&W SD9 2.0, it's sub $400.

I'm jaded.

I've watched the new hotness come and go too many times.

I got a S&W M&P because they were the hotness, just in time for all the gunwriters to switch back to Glocks.

Nothing wrong with either.

There's prolly nothing wrong with the RM1C.

But I can also remember when the P320 was teh hawtness.  Then they started going off on their own.  Bet the Army is happy they skipped field trials, huh?

But I want this new gun to make it.  We need more successful American companies, not fewer.

We don't need American companies importing rebranded foreign guns neither.

Unnecessary Tech

I spent far too long trying to figure out why the shutter sound on my phone's camera wasn't working.

There's a switch for shutter sound that did nothing.

In the Multi-Volume tab there's a switch for "Auto-Mute" which "automatically mutes apps based on usage patterns."

What fucking usage pattern indicates that I want the shutter sound off when I have selected it to be on in the camera app?

I hate this trend of putting the settings for a single thing in 15 places.

Practical

Going from regulation to law is going to make some interesting practical changes.

The law says that the FFL cannot sell to a prohibited person.

The law says that a prohibited person cannot purchase or possess a firearm.

The law says that NICS has to be done 922(t).

The laws don't say what information has to be collected from the buyer.

The law would be satisfied with attesting that, "I am not a prohibited person," and submitting to NICS.

Here's where the wheels come off.

The law doesn't tell us how to tell one person from another when we submit to NICS.

Congress punted this to the regulatory agencies to figure out.

Now that punt is invalid.

They've got some work to do if they wanna keep their intrusive threads in the purchase of firearms.

Deregulated

With Chevron repealed and the wave of lawsuits coming...

It removes a lot of power from being concentrated in and around DC.

I wonder if this will cause the people snuggled up to the Federal teat to seek other centers of power.

It'd warm the cockles of my heart to see them get real jobs.

I'm Old Enough

I am old enough to remember the attacks against President Reagan because of his age and presumed mental decline.

Accusations that Nancy was really in charge.  Or VP Bush.

Where are these voices now concerning President Biden?  Where are the accusations against Jill?  Or Kamala?

I can see them here and there, but they're different voices.

They are not skits on Saturday Night Live.

They are not full page editorials in Newspapers.

They are not given significant air time on shows like 20/20 or 60 Minutes (are those shows even still on?).

Never mind that Ronnie's decline happened after he left office, it didn't happen noticeably while he was still president.

I had my doubts about Joe back in 2020, but footage of him talking then compared to now is stark.

A case could be made that the people putting him forward to run are committing abuse of the elderly and infirm.  A felony in Florida.

It staggers the mind.

Good!

"Against this backdrop, our coequal branches will be surprised to learn that the rule they thought long settled, and which remained unchallenged for half a century, is one that, according to the majority and the concurrence, my dissent just announced today. Unfortunately, that mistaken view means that the constitutionality of hundreds of statutes may now be in peril, and dozens of agencies could be stripped of their power to enforce laws enacted by Congress."

-S. Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America

Allow me to concur.

And dissent.

The Constitutionality of hundreds of statutes SHOULD be in peril.  It's been obvious to a lot of us for a long time, and we're not even lawyers.

I've talked before about how it shouldn't be possible for regulations to have the power of law because the executive branch is granted no legislative power.  Without that power, they cannot create what are laws in all but name.

Congress has no authority to grant these powers to the executive branch.

So any law that says to let the agency sort it out is unconstitutional.

I think we're going to see a lot of that sentence in the coming years.

I Only Just Put It Together

The heart of our increasingly Orewellian government is the administrative state.

The administrative state drew most of its power from the Chevron Deference decision.

In 1984.

Someone has a sense of humor.

Doing The Maintenance

Gotta take 'em apart and give 'em some love every once and a while.

Doing Willard's Model 69 .44 Combat Magnum because I have the tools and a "clean" workspace.

Also done was the bear slayer, 329PD.

WARNING Light Is Indicated - Life Support

It's amazing how much difference 3 degrees makes in comfort.

AC is set to 76 and I woke up thinking, "it's a little warm in here."

Thermostat says 79 and the compressor is on.

Uh oh.

Check the drain line.  Clear.

Check the capacitor.  Good.

FUCK!

Call in The Man.

He gets here and checks the fuse panel.

We'd lost a fuse.

I should have checked that myself, dammit.