Here's what you can do with two AR pattern rifles, some hydraulic brake line, several beers, and time on your hands. Think of it as the AR 2-step.
Here's what you can do with your 10-22 if you fancy the roaring 20's look or the WW2 GI fashion.
Which makes me wonder if one couldn't mount multiple 10-22's in a row, with the bolt of the first connected to the trigger of the next down the line. Each pull of the first trigger would fire the succession of rifles one time each, and depending on the delay from one gun to the next, a modest repetition rate on the first gun would be indistinguishable from a really high-rate machine gun, although no gun in the assembly fires more than once from a single pull of the trigger of the first gun.
Any semi-auto rifle with an exposed bolt would work for this, and they don't even have to be the same make or model, although some would empty their magazines sooner than others.
Somebody build one of these! Or if you have 3 or more vaguely similar .22's, send them along to me, and I'll put it together in my copious spare time.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Federal Pay Freeze
I've sussed it. It just came to me why there's a federal pay freeze, and it has nothing to do with saving money.
Remember the story about the fellow who left the factory every evening with a wheelbarrow full of straw? The guards suspected him of stealing, and searched the straw carefully, but found nothing. Eventually they offered him amnesty if he would tell them what his plan was. He said:"You fools, don't you see? I'm stealing wheelbarrows!".
So here we are again, after story after story mentions the mind-boggling increase in federal workers making six-figure incomes, and by implication, the even greater numbers of federal employees enjoying unprecedented fat paychecks.
You fools, the pay freeze is to prevent their pay from being cut!
Remember the story about the fellow who left the factory every evening with a wheelbarrow full of straw? The guards suspected him of stealing, and searched the straw carefully, but found nothing. Eventually they offered him amnesty if he would tell them what his plan was. He said:"You fools, don't you see? I'm stealing wheelbarrows!".
So here we are again, after story after story mentions the mind-boggling increase in federal workers making six-figure incomes, and by implication, the even greater numbers of federal employees enjoying unprecedented fat paychecks.
You fools, the pay freeze is to prevent their pay from being cut!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Political Science
That and your MBA. If you read Machiavelli's book, The Prince, you'll find it contains everything you would expect to learn getting your MBA with the exception of the finer points of accounting.
If you have higher ambitions than just becoming a captain of industry, give this a read. In 14 pages, it covers the bases fairly well. Don't worry, the print is big, and in several cases, it doesn't cover the whole page. No names are mentioned, but the actions called for may strike a familiar note.
It brings to mind a book by Mack Reynolds called Trample An Empire Down, published in the 60's I think. Worth a read, and available for under $2, about the founders of a political movement whose slogan was "What's in it for me?". Imagine the Tea Party going over to the dark side. Quite humorous.
If you have higher ambitions than just becoming a captain of industry, give this a read. In 14 pages, it covers the bases fairly well. Don't worry, the print is big, and in several cases, it doesn't cover the whole page. No names are mentioned, but the actions called for may strike a familiar note.
It brings to mind a book by Mack Reynolds called Trample An Empire Down, published in the 60's I think. Worth a read, and available for under $2, about the founders of a political movement whose slogan was "What's in it for me?". Imagine the Tea Party going over to the dark side. Quite humorous.
Black Friday Deal Of The Week
The Brits are selling one of their aircraft carriers, this one a small one set up to launch STOL fighters like the Tornado. The ad describes it as complete except for engines and generators. Here you are, 17.000 tons of pure class.
Be the envy of your yacht club or other social group.
Maybe the Argentinians could buy it.
A quick check values the boat at $336/ton or $5,712,000.
Be the envy of your yacht club or other social group.
Maybe the Argentinians could buy it.
A quick check values the boat at $336/ton or $5,712,000.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Golf
I'm not a big fan of golf in general in spite of having built a mortar chambered to fit a golf ball, but here's a story. In New Hampshire, some duffer hit one from a questionable lie, bounced the ball off a yard marker, struck himself in the eye, and lost the eye.
Now this is indeed unfortunate, but he sued the golf course for having a yard marker in front of his badly-hit ball. He lost.
And here I thought the only thing that could make golf interesting would be to stock the water hazards with alligators and insist that players retrieve their own balls. Besides, waiting 4 years for a court decision lacks the immediacy of watching someone get dragged under on the back nine.
Now this is indeed unfortunate, but he sued the golf course for having a yard marker in front of his badly-hit ball. He lost.
And here I thought the only thing that could make golf interesting would be to stock the water hazards with alligators and insist that players retrieve their own balls. Besides, waiting 4 years for a court decision lacks the immediacy of watching someone get dragged under on the back nine.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Shooting
Getting in some trigger time with temps ranging from 45 to 60, and no wind. Humming to myself some tunes from CZ Top and Buffalo Springfield Armory.
Don't know how I did, but I had a good time doing it.
The Winter Storm Warning* kicks in at noon tomorrow. "'tis a privilege to live in Colorado".
*Second and third opinions are readily available ranging from scattered flurries to 1-3 inches. It's enough to shake your faith in the quality of information you get from the government.
Don't know how I did, but I had a good time doing it.
The Winter Storm Warning* kicks in at noon tomorrow. "'tis a privilege to live in Colorado".
*Second and third opinions are readily available ranging from scattered flurries to 1-3 inches. It's enough to shake your faith in the quality of information you get from the government.
Global Warming
The last vestiges of the great climate hoax are at last unmasked.
Ottmar Edenhofer is one of the really big cheeses with the IPCC, and in an unguarded moment, committed a gaffe (he told the truth) that exposes the climate doomsayers as frauds and thieves.
H/T to Power Line read the whole thing there.
Ottmar Edenhofer is one of the really big cheeses with the IPCC, and in an unguarded moment, committed a gaffe (he told the truth) that exposes the climate doomsayers as frauds and thieves.
First of all, developed countries have basically expropriated the atmosphere of the world community. But one must say clearly that we redistribute de facto the world's wealth by climate policy.The next time you hear someone wailing that the sky is falling and the earth is warming, the proper response will be to begin looking for a rope and a tree.
H/T to Power Line read the whole thing there.
Friday, November 26, 2010
On Holiday
Work has been stressful of late. I've been on vacation this last week, doing some tinkering and puttering. Look for something on the Lockheed Mouse Trap, and a bit on the internal workings of the 4095 carbine.
IDPA-type shoot tomorrow. Should be around 30F at the start and 55F when we get done. I'll see if the rest improves my standing.
IDPA-type shoot tomorrow. Should be around 30F at the start and 55F when we get done. I'll see if the rest improves my standing.
Immigration
A newly-elected state senator,Kent Lambert will be introducing an Arizona 1070-type bill in the upcoming session. I applaud the sentiment, although I have doubts it will get very far. The senate here is still controlled by the Dems, and the new Governor is the former mayor of a sanctuary city.
Still, it won't hurt to call your Senator, as soon as the new batch gets seated, and ask for their support on this.
Still, it won't hurt to call your Senator, as soon as the new batch gets seated, and ask for their support on this.
Thanksgiving
Stuff your gut with tons of food,
Then collapse while muscles pound.
Don't say Thanksgiving is the reason,
You eat this way all year 'round.
Mad Magazine, late 50's
Mad Magazine, a major literary influence on many of us when we were impressionable kids, published the above bit of doggerel as part of a longer piece, sort of a set of calendar headings, minus the actual calendar. Today I remember only two of them, October and November. The rest must have been less inspiring.
Then collapse while muscles pound.
Don't say Thanksgiving is the reason,
You eat this way all year 'round.
Mad Magazine, late 50's
Mad Magazine, a major literary influence on many of us when we were impressionable kids, published the above bit of doggerel as part of a longer piece, sort of a set of calendar headings, minus the actual calendar. Today I remember only two of them, October and November. The rest must have been less inspiring.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Decline of Western Civilization
Or as goes Egypt, so goes everybody else. Found this piece at Sandmonkey some time back, and just re-discovered it.
Sandmonkey is a great source of observed wisdom about the middle east.
I for one think it’s the worst thing that ever happend to us, because it deprived us of a whole generation of “Old wise men”. You see, men go through life thinking with their penis, and when they hit a certain age where their “drill sargent” doesn’t “stand at attention”, they start using their other brain, you know, the one above their necks. That’s why we used to have old wise men to counsel us; and now we have Viagra dads.The drug that destroys the wise men whom we used to rely on for leadership and, well, wisdom.
Sandmonkey is a great source of observed wisdom about the middle east.
North v South
Before the dustup starts, here are the pre-game statistics.
Found at conservativerefocus.com
Not mentioned here are artillery tubes. I have been led to believe that the Norks have a large number of them, dug in to hardened positions, and many of them aimed at Seoul.
Be a shame if some of those 63 subs started not coming back from missions though.
Found at conservativerefocus.com
Not mentioned here are artillery tubes. I have been led to believe that the Norks have a large number of them, dug in to hardened positions, and many of them aimed at Seoul.
Be a shame if some of those 63 subs started not coming back from missions though.
All The World Is Crazy...
Saving only Thee and Me, and of thee I have some misgivings. As the saying goes.
I'm sure you've all seen the article decrying that one in five of American citizens has a mental disorder. Of course when you read the article, it turns out the definition of "mental disorder" is pretty darn broad, to the point you wonder how anyone escapes the stigma.
Now here's a study that gets a bit more narrowly focused, specifically on sociopathy.
H/T RKBA DUF Daily mailing.
I'm sure you've all seen the article decrying that one in five of American citizens has a mental disorder. Of course when you read the article, it turns out the definition of "mental disorder" is pretty darn broad, to the point you wonder how anyone escapes the stigma.
Now here's a study that gets a bit more narrowly focused, specifically on sociopathy.
…Four percent of the global population is made up of sociopaths, Dr. Martha Stout, psychologist and clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, tells us in her book "The Sociopath Next Door." That means one out of every 25 human beings has no conscience, no sense of right or wrong, no empathy, no ability to understand emotion – no soul. Worse, while they can mimic emotion, they see other humans as mere pawns or saps, to be used for their benefit or amusement, or both. Add that to the fact that science now is questioning whether there is any difference at all between sociopaths and psychopaths, and that those with narcissistic personality disorder also have some of the same characteristics (an inability to care about anyone but themselves), it means that "evil" is all around us, even at work…There's a support group for people like this. To join, look in the phone book under "Government"
H/T RKBA DUF Daily mailing.
Getting On The List
As easy as it is to get on to a government "list" of suspect people, I would think that anyone who hasn't by now has no call at all to call himself a "free thinker", or whatever people who disagree with the government call themselves nowadays.
Reputedly, a memo has come down, from J-Nap herself stating:
*An SNL reference. Look it up.
Reputedly, a memo has come down, from J-Nap herself stating:
It labels any person who “interferes” with TSA airport security screening procedure protocol and operations by actively objecting to the established screening process, “including but not limited to the anticipated national opt-out day” as a “domestic extremist.” The label is then broadened to include “any person, group or alternative media source” that actively objects to, causes others to object to, supports and/or elicits support for anyone who engages in such travel disruptions at U.S. airports in response to the enhanced security procedures.So quit complaining, drop your pants, and do the antler dance* through the gate.
*An SNL reference. Look it up.
I Was Right
Since forever I've been telling people that they should let their kids go out and play in the dirt. In the case of very young kids, this will likely include ingesting some of it. My position is that the immune system is like any other system in that you either use it or you lose it, which manifests itself in the form of asthma and other diseases of the habitually sterile.
Now there's a research study from Australia suggesting that a bacteria commonly found in dirt can actually make you smarter as well.
Little girl: "Have one of these cookies I just baked."
Little boy:" This cookie tastes like dried mud."
Older child, to boy: "See, you're getting smarter."
H/T to Bayou Renaissance Man for this one. The rest of his article describes a technique from Africa to 'replant the garden' as it were, of a depleted supply of intestinal flora.
Now there's a research study from Australia suggesting that a bacteria commonly found in dirt can actually make you smarter as well.
Little girl: "Have one of these cookies I just baked."
Little boy:" This cookie tastes like dried mud."
Older child, to boy: "See, you're getting smarter."
H/T to Bayou Renaissance Man for this one. The rest of his article describes a technique from Africa to 'replant the garden' as it were, of a depleted supply of intestinal flora.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Global Warming
Scientific American has run a survey on global warming among its readers.
Most of them think it's bunk.
The survey has disappeared from S.A.'s pages, but it's here.
Most of them think it's bunk.
The survey has disappeared from S.A.'s pages, but it's here.
Gun Fun 5
If you could only have one gun, and you wanted to be sure it was the right gun for everything from plinking tin cans to dealing with rabid zombie elephants on crack, what would you choose.
Stymied? Fret no more, Smith and Wesson has the answer to your problem here.
Click the link and get the whole skinny. Then go get your eyes checked.
Turkey Day
Here's a bunch of Mad Scientists out to cook a turkey in record short time. 30 seconds to be exact.
And what do you know? Parts of the bird were, in fact, edible. It's important to know just how much thermite to use.
And what do you know? Parts of the bird were, in fact, edible. It's important to know just how much thermite to use.
Korea
So the North Koreans shelled a South Korean island, for no apparent reason and are declaring this to be a great victory. As there is no actual response from the South, I guess it is. The usual reason for the irregular fits of childlike behavior from the Norks is that they're out of food and/or fuel. The multi-nation conference that inevitably follows such an outrage usually ends with the Norks promising not to do whatever it was again without provocation, and everybody else giving them large quantities of food and fuel.
In the somewhat further distant past, having your neighbor lob artillery shells over your border was the clarion call to call up your reserves and break out the plans for rectification of the border. I distinctly remember the ROK marines in Viet-Nam as being among the baddest bears in the woods there to the point that the Cong went out of their way to avoid them.
The current leadership in South Korea has announced official outrage and has promised quick and harsh retribution.
If the North does this again.
The current leadership in the South is evidently not an ex-ROK marine.
In the somewhat further distant past, having your neighbor lob artillery shells over your border was the clarion call to call up your reserves and break out the plans for rectification of the border. I distinctly remember the ROK marines in Viet-Nam as being among the baddest bears in the woods there to the point that the Cong went out of their way to avoid them.
The current leadership in South Korea has announced official outrage and has promised quick and harsh retribution.
If the North does this again.
The current leadership in the South is evidently not an ex-ROK marine.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Constitutional Amendment
Yet another one is proposed, and to make sure it goes nowhere, it's being proposed in the lame-duck session. This one would allow the states to repeal federal legislation bu having 2/3 of the state legislatures pass a resolution calling for the repeal of the legislation in question.
I believe I can see another problem. Let's say the congress passes the Onerous Imposition Act of 2011, and the people begin a run on pitchforks, torches and rope. The state legislatures immediately begin passing resolutions: Be it resolved; the OIA of 2011 should be repealed. When the count gets close to 30 states, the Act's sponsor introduces legislation amending the Act called the Onerous Imposition Act Reform bill of 2012 which replaces the 2011 act with the 2012 act, and the states efforts are back to square one.
The efforts of conservatives would be better spent circulating petitions at the state levels to get an amendment limiting congressional terms enacted.
The proposed amendment reads: “Any provision of law or regulation of the United States may be repealed by the several states, and such repeal shall be effective when the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states approve resolutions for this purpose that particularly describe the same provision or provisions of law or regulation to be repealed.”This one is particularly innocuous in that getting 2/3 of the state legislatures to agree that the sun rises in the east is difficult enough.
I believe I can see another problem. Let's say the congress passes the Onerous Imposition Act of 2011, and the people begin a run on pitchforks, torches and rope. The state legislatures immediately begin passing resolutions: Be it resolved; the OIA of 2011 should be repealed. When the count gets close to 30 states, the Act's sponsor introduces legislation amending the Act called the Onerous Imposition Act Reform bill of 2012 which replaces the 2011 act with the 2012 act, and the states efforts are back to square one.
The efforts of conservatives would be better spent circulating petitions at the state levels to get an amendment limiting congressional terms enacted.
Ethanol
You know the policy's bad when it's principal supporter finally admits it. In an era when the obvious solution to failure of a government policy is to raise taxes and try it again, only harder, here's no less a celebrity than pope Al admitting defeat:
Sure ethanol has only about half the energy content as refined petroleum, and sure, diverting 40% of a basic food staple to produce it causes food prices to skyrocket ( about 8%/year depending on what it is) and taking money away from people to subsidize this leaves people with even less money to spend on increasingly expensive groceries, but if it keeps a politician in office, it's worth it, no?* U.S. ethanol consumes about 40 pct corn crop
* Impact on food prices "real"
U.S. blending tax breaks for ethanol make it profitable for refiners to use the fuel even when it is more expensive than gasoline. The credits are up for renewal on Dec. 31.
Total U.S. ethanol subsidies reached $7.7 billion last year according to the International Energy Industry, which said biofuels worldwide received more subsidies than any other form of renewable energy.
"It is not a good policy to have these massive subsidies for (U.S.) first generation ethanol," said Gore, speaking at a green energy business conference in Athens sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Had Enough Yet?
Ambrose Bierce defined grapeshot as the only proper counter argument to socialism, and this was a long while back. He was right then, and is right now. Here's a rant, a shout to the heavens of "Enough!", that should be an inspiration to us all, complete with links and references.
I am tired of being told to sit down and shut up.It goes on at some length, and is well worth reading. Remember this one the next time the left demands discourse or compromise. Remember too that when a socialist is down is when you get the best leverage from your foot when you kick him.
I am tired of being told what I can and can not say.
What is “acceptable”, while my ideas and values are mocked and trampled.
Enough. I have had enough.
Pope Condones Condoms
Under certain narrowly defined circumstances, the details of which I have no interest in.
Way back when, following the introduction of the birth control pill the Pope opined that it would be forbidden under some strict reading of the official Vatican party line. A woman of Italian extraction was interviewed, on the streets of New York about this, and was quoted as saying "He's-a no play-a da game, he's-a no make-a da rules!"
I could have the details wrong, but I remember the line quite clearly.
Way back when, following the introduction of the birth control pill the Pope opined that it would be forbidden under some strict reading of the official Vatican party line. A woman of Italian extraction was interviewed, on the streets of New York about this, and was quoted as saying "He's-a no play-a da game, he's-a no make-a da rules!"
I could have the details wrong, but I remember the line quite clearly.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Suppressors
Oleg Volk is trying to acquire another suppressor. He already has two, but the government wants him to jump through the same hoops, and pay the same (exorbitant) fees as before. He thinks this makes no sense.
The rules make perfect sense. They keep the peasants down, and they bring in money for the government. What else did he think they were for?
H/T to Robert.
The rules make perfect sense. They keep the peasants down, and they bring in money for the government. What else did he think they were for?
H/T to Robert.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Compare and Contrast
On the right, you sometimes hear a discussion over when it's finally acceptable to take up arms against the oppressor.
On the left, you sometimes hear a discussion over when the army should be used to impose utopia.
On the left, you sometimes hear a discussion over when the army should be used to impose utopia.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Entertainment
I am not anti-religious. I think most religions provide a genuine service to humanity by teaching morals and ethics to a level currently forbidden in, say, the public schools. Additionally, many of them sometimes provide us with much-needed, uplifting entertainment in the form of esoteric doctrine.
Sometimes one of them will go above and beyond the call of duty in the entertainment department, sometimes for better, and sometimes for worse.
In an example of "Crusading by Proxy" the pastor of an otherwise unremarkable Baptist church announced he was going to publicly burn a Koran, and in the ensuing riots, Muslims killed some 20 of their own coreligionists. Had the pastor killed 20 Muslims himself, he'd have gone to jail.
Fred Phelps and his flock at the Westboro Baptist Church are:
1) Independently wealthy and able to travel all over the country.
2) Deeply religious, as far as pastor Phelps' teachings go and
3) Batshit crazy.
Bring popcorn, beer, and brats, it has the potential to become quite entertaining.
Sometimes one of them will go above and beyond the call of duty in the entertainment department, sometimes for better, and sometimes for worse.
In an example of "Crusading by Proxy" the pastor of an otherwise unremarkable Baptist church announced he was going to publicly burn a Koran, and in the ensuing riots, Muslims killed some 20 of their own coreligionists. Had the pastor killed 20 Muslims himself, he'd have gone to jail.
Fred Phelps and his flock at the Westboro Baptist Church are:
1) Independently wealthy and able to travel all over the country.
2) Deeply religious, as far as pastor Phelps' teachings go and
3) Batshit crazy.
Bring popcorn, beer, and brats, it has the potential to become quite entertaining.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Winter Motorcycling
Harry's Roamers Turkey Run was not as well attended as it had been, probably due to the early morning temps in the low 30's. My daughter gamely decided to give it a shot anyway, and showed up wearing tight, low-cut jeans, to go with her 2-layer jacket. Turned out her gloves were perforated leather, too. Fortunately, I had noticed some of this and had tossed a pair of sweatpants into my saddlebags.
14 miles later, we're at the start, and she decides that this will be way too cold on her sport bike, but probably tolerable behind me, behind a big touring windscreen and engine radiator, and decides to participate as a passenger. I tape the directions to my tank, and off we go.
Try to imagine how hard it is to read directions while riding a big bike up a winding road, with a passenger poking you in the ribs every time she thinks I'm getting too close to the edge or something. Cheeze! you'd think I'd never done this before.
Some 60 miles later, we found that while the turkeys had eluded us, she had won a size petite, lavender-ish rain / weather suit, which she said was warmer than the sweats on the trip home. She finds the color tolerable, and as it happens, it's her size, too. It helped, I suppose, that by the time we started home, the temp was up to a balmy 44F. Overall, a good time.
14 miles later, we're at the start, and she decides that this will be way too cold on her sport bike, but probably tolerable behind me, behind a big touring windscreen and engine radiator, and decides to participate as a passenger. I tape the directions to my tank, and off we go.
Try to imagine how hard it is to read directions while riding a big bike up a winding road, with a passenger poking you in the ribs every time she thinks I'm getting too close to the edge or something. Cheeze! you'd think I'd never done this before.
Some 60 miles later, we found that while the turkeys had eluded us, she had won a size petite, lavender-ish rain / weather suit, which she said was warmer than the sweats on the trip home. She finds the color tolerable, and as it happens, it's her size, too. It helped, I suppose, that by the time we started home, the temp was up to a balmy 44F. Overall, a good time.
TSA Theater
Here the Japanese release their inner Benny Hill:
Feel safer now? H/T to Viral footage, who got it from Ace.
Feel safer now? H/T to Viral footage, who got it from Ace.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Irony
A lawmaker in Virginia is proposing to release a new license plate dedicated to the Tea Party:
A nice effort actually, as it colors the whole plate as the Gadsden flag, the unofficial banner of the Tea Party.
I don't know how they do it in Virginia, but in Colorado, if you get a vanity plate of any sort, you get to pay $25 extra up front, and $25 extra every year at renewal time. It's like paying the people you disapprove of the most for taking too much of your money $25/yr to say you disapprove of them.
I'll stick with the little bumper sticker.
A nice effort actually, as it colors the whole plate as the Gadsden flag, the unofficial banner of the Tea Party.
I don't know how they do it in Virginia, but in Colorado, if you get a vanity plate of any sort, you get to pay $25 extra up front, and $25 extra every year at renewal time. It's like paying the people you disapprove of the most for taking too much of your money $25/yr to say you disapprove of them.
I'll stick with the little bumper sticker.
New Epidemics
Actually these are old epidemics, but why now?
In England, they're having a resurgence of Rickets, caused by a lack of sunshine, brought about not by global warming, which might be expected to prevent this, but by overly protective mommies who won't let the kids out of the house without a generous soaking in SPF 10,000.
I blame overly protective mommies for the increasing number of asthma cases as well. You moms need to toss your kids outdoors early and often, with the admonition not to come back until dinner time. Let the 6-year-old be the 2-year-old's overseer. This will insure that everybody will be exposed to, or ingest their MDR of dirt, which will serve to strengthen the immune systems. Immune systems are like any other system: Use it or lose it.
Of course there are exceptions to this. There is an ongoing movement among the tinfoil-hat brigades that insists that vaccinations cause autism. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. Still, if you put on a lab coat, your credibility goes way up with graduates of the public schools, and you get people to go along with this. Coincidentally, we have a budding outbreak of whooping cough in California. I had sort of been hoping that some sort of disease would break out that targeted people with a tenuous hold on reality, which would be devastating on the coasts, but I suppose if the contagion gets bad enough, people will start asking questions.
In England, they're having a resurgence of Rickets, caused by a lack of sunshine, brought about not by global warming, which might be expected to prevent this, but by overly protective mommies who won't let the kids out of the house without a generous soaking in SPF 10,000.
I blame overly protective mommies for the increasing number of asthma cases as well. You moms need to toss your kids outdoors early and often, with the admonition not to come back until dinner time. Let the 6-year-old be the 2-year-old's overseer. This will insure that everybody will be exposed to, or ingest their MDR of dirt, which will serve to strengthen the immune systems. Immune systems are like any other system: Use it or lose it.
Of course there are exceptions to this. There is an ongoing movement among the tinfoil-hat brigades that insists that vaccinations cause autism. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. Still, if you put on a lab coat, your credibility goes way up with graduates of the public schools, and you get people to go along with this. Coincidentally, we have a budding outbreak of whooping cough in California. I had sort of been hoping that some sort of disease would break out that targeted people with a tenuous hold on reality, which would be devastating on the coasts, but I suppose if the contagion gets bad enough, people will start asking questions.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Mens Health
It now appears that soaking up the sun, drinking red wine, having frequent sex, and eating big juicy steaks is the key to a long and happy life. At least up to the point where you die of a massive coronary while boffing your partner. In any case, it seems like an improvement over kicking the bucket malnourished and unappreciated.
I'd volunteer for the research study, but with my luck, I'd be assigned to the control group.
I'd volunteer for the research study, but with my luck, I'd be assigned to the control group.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Inflation
Here's a piece from F.T. suggesting that we can expect higher food prices soon, on account of bad weather.
Now this brings back memories of the cold war era, when no amount of covering up could hide the fact that the usual state of grocery shelves in the Soviet Union was: Empty. Being unable to hide the fact, the Russians would blame the recent bad weather. This led to jokes about the Soviets ability to control the weather as they had had up to 70 years, depending on when you heard this joke, of "bad weather".
Yesterday I saw a graph showing the change in price of several commodities, from soybeans and corn to silver and gold. Today, of course, I can't find it. Rates varied, but the average for the past year was in the 8-10% range. Looks like that there "global cooling" is really hitting us hard.
Or it could be that the governments fiscal policies are causing the money to become worth less and less. Quantitative Easing is highfalutin economist speak for paying your debts by printing more money. Unfortunately, this has the effect of making the money worth less, and since prices go up much faster than your paycheck, the effect is equivalent to a big tax increase.
Looks like it's going to be a long cold winter. La Nina, or QE2?
Now this brings back memories of the cold war era, when no amount of covering up could hide the fact that the usual state of grocery shelves in the Soviet Union was: Empty. Being unable to hide the fact, the Russians would blame the recent bad weather. This led to jokes about the Soviets ability to control the weather as they had had up to 70 years, depending on when you heard this joke, of "bad weather".
Yesterday I saw a graph showing the change in price of several commodities, from soybeans and corn to silver and gold. Today, of course, I can't find it. Rates varied, but the average for the past year was in the 8-10% range. Looks like that there "global cooling" is really hitting us hard.
Or it could be that the governments fiscal policies are causing the money to become worth less and less. Quantitative Easing is highfalutin economist speak for paying your debts by printing more money. Unfortunately, this has the effect of making the money worth less, and since prices go up much faster than your paycheck, the effect is equivalent to a big tax increase.
Looks like it's going to be a long cold winter. La Nina, or QE2?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Phoning It In
The Brits are working on an app for your cell phone that can detect bacterial infections. They're starting out setting it up for STD's but if you can detect one sort of infection, you should be able to test for many others.
Just lick the touch pad, and if it's really Dengue fever, the phone automatically calls an ambulance. Or if it's something more interesting, it calls a haz-mat team and notifies the morgue.
Next up, obviously, will be genetic screening. You lick the touch pad, and your info is stored. Someone else licks the touch pad, and you know right away if you really should be making those child-support payments, or if you're too closely related to be dating. This could be especially helpful in places like rural Arkansas.
The possibilities boggle the mind.
Just lick the touch pad, and if it's really Dengue fever, the phone automatically calls an ambulance. Or if it's something more interesting, it calls a haz-mat team and notifies the morgue.
Next up, obviously, will be genetic screening. You lick the touch pad, and your info is stored. Someone else licks the touch pad, and you know right away if you really should be making those child-support payments, or if you're too closely related to be dating. This could be especially helpful in places like rural Arkansas.
The possibilities boggle the mind.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Bowling Pin Shoot
I love it when we can go out to the range in early November and enjoy 78 degree temps, no wind (for a change) and hunt the wily wild bowling pin.
One of the shooters was 10 years old. His dad had fixed him up with a Beretta 9mm which demonstrated a predeliction to not cycle. It either needs a softer spring or livelier ammo, but the easiest fix, and probably the best one was to fit the kid out with daddy's .45. It was a bit of a handful for a small kid, but you could see him getting better with each table. By this time next year, he'll have his own .45, and the rest of us will be toast, except for our resident Finn, who can clear a table of 5 pins in under 5 seconds.
After the match, we got out the pin tops and let the kids have a go at them with .22's.
Here he is with the Ruger Mk 1, which is almost as old as the geezer behind him. He finds the pin tops to be great fun. Not surprising considering the big recoil drop from the .45. I suggested letting the kids shoot pin tops with .22's against the adults, but got overruled. Probably just as well as I believe he would have embarrassed several of us doing this.
The other youth was a cute little pixie, 9 years old, who helped me keep score and acted as my gun moll, refilling my speed loaders for me. She had shot a .22 rifle, but had never handled a pistol. The Mk 2 was a bit of a handful for her, but she gave it her best shot (!) and picked off her first pin top.
All together now: Awwww...
She'll grow into the grip size and gun weight, I'm sure.
BTW: Neither of the kids is that tall. In order to prevent ricochets from going over the berm, we set them up with a platform made from a couple of cinder blocks for them to shoot off of. It makes them about 9 inches taller.
Thanks to Don for the nice pictures.
One of the shooters was 10 years old. His dad had fixed him up with a Beretta 9mm which demonstrated a predeliction to not cycle. It either needs a softer spring or livelier ammo, but the easiest fix, and probably the best one was to fit the kid out with daddy's .45. It was a bit of a handful for a small kid, but you could see him getting better with each table. By this time next year, he'll have his own .45, and the rest of us will be toast, except for our resident Finn, who can clear a table of 5 pins in under 5 seconds.
After the match, we got out the pin tops and let the kids have a go at them with .22's.
Here he is with the Ruger Mk 1, which is almost as old as the geezer behind him. He finds the pin tops to be great fun. Not surprising considering the big recoil drop from the .45. I suggested letting the kids shoot pin tops with .22's against the adults, but got overruled. Probably just as well as I believe he would have embarrassed several of us doing this.
The other youth was a cute little pixie, 9 years old, who helped me keep score and acted as my gun moll, refilling my speed loaders for me. She had shot a .22 rifle, but had never handled a pistol. The Mk 2 was a bit of a handful for her, but she gave it her best shot (!) and picked off her first pin top.
All together now: Awwww...
She'll grow into the grip size and gun weight, I'm sure.
BTW: Neither of the kids is that tall. In order to prevent ricochets from going over the berm, we set them up with a platform made from a couple of cinder blocks for them to shoot off of. It makes them about 9 inches taller.
Thanks to Don for the nice pictures.
Musical Interlude
Here, this is sort of like Bullwinkles "Poetry Corner" where you knew in advance that some great work of prose was about to get the verbal equivalent of mag wheels and a quick flame job.
I like M4GW. The Weird Al's of climate change. Besides I liked the original song, too.
H/T to Moonbattery.
I like M4GW. The Weird Al's of climate change. Besides I liked the original song, too.
H/T to Moonbattery.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Tea Party Platform
David over at Blue Carp has a post defending Libertarians, in advance, just in case a Big-L candidate draws off enough votes from a Republican to give the election to the Donk. Until the Libertarians become big enough to field a serious candidate, they would be better served by working within the Republican party to pick more acceptable candidates at the primary level. This is the position the Tea Party finds itself in, and who do you think went further towards realizing the Libertarian agenda of small, limited government?
That said, the Republicans owe it to their constituents to support the popularly selected candidates wholeheartedly. As the line went:"Sure she's a witch, but she's our witch, and we want her in office." Yes, I know, fliers happen, as when David Duke, a lifelong Democrat and Klansman, couldn't get the party to back him in the governors race in Louisiana, so he ran as a Republican, the party having no significant presence in the state to stop him at that time. Someone has to make the call whether to strongly support someone who might be a weak candidate, or to let a whack job sink or swim on his own. Michael Steele? Hah!
If ever there was a chance to get amendments passed, or at least on the ballot, for things like a runoff between the two top vote-getters in the event no one draws over 50% (state level), federal congressional term limits, or a federal TABOR, now would be it.
Is there a window for circulation of petitions, or can we start now and turn them in in July of 2012? Not being much of an activist, I'm not familiar with the procedure.
Any Libertarian, or starting now, Tea Partier worthy of his rhetoric should be out there, clipboard in hand, gathering signatures. Polls indicate that federal term limits are favored by some 75% of the voting population, so this should be easy, yet I never see such a proposal. Certainly the public is ready to impose some limits on the government.
That said, the Republicans owe it to their constituents to support the popularly selected candidates wholeheartedly. As the line went:"Sure she's a witch, but she's our witch, and we want her in office." Yes, I know, fliers happen, as when David Duke, a lifelong Democrat and Klansman, couldn't get the party to back him in the governors race in Louisiana, so he ran as a Republican, the party having no significant presence in the state to stop him at that time. Someone has to make the call whether to strongly support someone who might be a weak candidate, or to let a whack job sink or swim on his own. Michael Steele? Hah!
If ever there was a chance to get amendments passed, or at least on the ballot, for things like a runoff between the two top vote-getters in the event no one draws over 50% (state level), federal congressional term limits, or a federal TABOR, now would be it.
Is there a window for circulation of petitions, or can we start now and turn them in in July of 2012? Not being much of an activist, I'm not familiar with the procedure.
Any Libertarian, or starting now, Tea Partier worthy of his rhetoric should be out there, clipboard in hand, gathering signatures. Polls indicate that federal term limits are favored by some 75% of the voting population, so this should be easy, yet I never see such a proposal. Certainly the public is ready to impose some limits on the government.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Gunney Report
The October postal match results are up.
First in class, 4th overall. Could have done better, I'm sure, but sometimes you have an extraordinary long and tiring day, then you get to shoot a bulls eye match.
This was also one of those targets that after putting forth your best effort, you discover your scores are wayyy lower than you thought they should be, and wonder if you should embarrass yourself by sending it in. The theoretical perfect score on this one was 60. Best score entered was 17. Think you can do better? Give it a shot.
Next, and last match of the year is at Cheaper Than Dirt. Zombies!
First in class, 4th overall. Could have done better, I'm sure, but sometimes you have an extraordinary long and tiring day, then you get to shoot a bulls eye match.
This was also one of those targets that after putting forth your best effort, you discover your scores are wayyy lower than you thought they should be, and wonder if you should embarrass yourself by sending it in. The theoretical perfect score on this one was 60. Best score entered was 17. Think you can do better? Give it a shot.
Next, and last match of the year is at Cheaper Than Dirt. Zombies!
The Morning After
So how did the elections go? Depends on who and where you are, I guess. Did the Republicans kick ass? Sometimes. Did the Republicans live up to the tag "The Stupid Party"? Yes, and they lost in places they didn't have to on that account.
Voters didn't seem to be overly interested in candidate Heffalump's assertion that he could run Sen. Donkmeyer's bazillion-dollar boondoggle better than Donkmeyer. That said, keep in mind that Repub promises to repeal anything the Donks have passed in the last 4 years, is so much smoke. To repeal anything at all, a party needs a majority in the house (check) a 60-vote majority in the Senate (Bzzzt!) and a sympathetic president (Bzzzt!). Absent a sympathetic president, they need 66 votes in the Senate to override the veto (Bzzzt!).
The very earliest those stars could possibly align will be January, 2013. There's also the assumption the Repubs can grow a real spine and keep it until then. I'm not holding my breath.
Are they knights in shining armor, riding to our defense? Maybe. As far as I'm concerned, they're on probation. If I don't see some real effort in the next six months, the Tea Party can begin making plans for a real convention, with real candidates, running on real issues, with a take-no-prisoners attitude.
SIL, who is a Republican of sorts, has been complaining that she couldn't vote for some conservative candidates who really could have used the support, because they came across as less than perfect in some way or another. I have informed her that in 40+ years of voting, I believe I've voted FOR a candidate exactly once. The rest of the time you have to pick the weasel you expect will do you the least damage, hold your nose, and pull the lever.
Colorado is still a blue state, notwithstanding a 1-seat republican majority in the State house, and having flipped 2 U.S. House seats. We have a solidly Democratic majority in the State Senate, and a pro-illegal alien, anti-gun governor. Who, by the way, gets to pick the replacement for a recently retired liberal Supreme court justice. If anyone out there is looking for work, may I recommend Texas?
Voters didn't seem to be overly interested in candidate Heffalump's assertion that he could run Sen. Donkmeyer's bazillion-dollar boondoggle better than Donkmeyer. That said, keep in mind that Repub promises to repeal anything the Donks have passed in the last 4 years, is so much smoke. To repeal anything at all, a party needs a majority in the house (check) a 60-vote majority in the Senate (Bzzzt!) and a sympathetic president (Bzzzt!). Absent a sympathetic president, they need 66 votes in the Senate to override the veto (Bzzzt!).
The very earliest those stars could possibly align will be January, 2013. There's also the assumption the Repubs can grow a real spine and keep it until then. I'm not holding my breath.
Are they knights in shining armor, riding to our defense? Maybe. As far as I'm concerned, they're on probation. If I don't see some real effort in the next six months, the Tea Party can begin making plans for a real convention, with real candidates, running on real issues, with a take-no-prisoners attitude.
SIL, who is a Republican of sorts, has been complaining that she couldn't vote for some conservative candidates who really could have used the support, because they came across as less than perfect in some way or another. I have informed her that in 40+ years of voting, I believe I've voted FOR a candidate exactly once. The rest of the time you have to pick the weasel you expect will do you the least damage, hold your nose, and pull the lever.
Colorado is still a blue state, notwithstanding a 1-seat republican majority in the State house, and having flipped 2 U.S. House seats. We have a solidly Democratic majority in the State Senate, and a pro-illegal alien, anti-gun governor. Who, by the way, gets to pick the replacement for a recently retired liberal Supreme court justice. If anyone out there is looking for work, may I recommend Texas?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)