There may be some kind of explanation for this:
Note that the "Green Plague" that affects Florida also seems to be affecting Wisconsin.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Vote Fraud
In Florida there seems to be a big shortage of Democrats:
Also in Wisconsin, where 3/5 of the black voter population seems to have mysteriously vanished.
There may be some kind of explanation for this:
Keeping in mind that what Liberals Unite calls voter restrictions is what the rest of us call photo I.D.
Note that the "Green Plague" that affects Florida also seems to be affecting Wisconsin.
There may be some kind of explanation for this:
Note that the "Green Plague" that affects Florida also seems to be affecting Wisconsin.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Unemployment
We all understand that the government has an interest in minimizing the impact of unemployment as it relates to its own re-electability. We understand that the monthly unemployment numbers have been tenderized, marinated, dry-rubbed, seared,slow cooked and vulcanized.
It's when an organization like Gallup goes so far as to drop a hint that unemployment as will be reported in early September WILL be going up:
FWIW, Billlls informal freeway employment survey has noted that the daily commute has gotten easier this month.
It's when an organization like Gallup goes so far as to drop a hint that unemployment as will be reported in early September WILL be going up:
Regardless, barring heroic adjustments or a sharp change in direction, Gallup data suggest the seasonally adjusted U.S. unemployment rate for August will increase -- possibly substantially -- when announced in early September.And with an election staring them in the face the government sues, if anyone had any doubts about the veracity of the BLS numbers they should be well and truly dispelled by now.
FWIW, Billlls informal freeway employment survey has noted that the daily commute has gotten easier this month.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Musical Interlude
Found this on Legal Insurrection, who is wondering why it hasn't gone viral. O.K. I'm helping spread the virus.
Obama Has a Plan to Rebuild America From the Ground Up
It Goes like this:
1. Bulldoze America as we know it to the ground.
2. Rebuild it in His image.
3. Utopia.
This plan was tried in Russia in 1918. As I recall, it didn't work out all that well. It was also tried in China in 1948, and later in Cambodia, with similar results.
Article at Say Anything.
1. Bulldoze America as we know it to the ground.
2. Rebuild it in His image.
3. Utopia.
This plan was tried in Russia in 1918. As I recall, it didn't work out all that well. It was also tried in China in 1948, and later in Cambodia, with similar results.
Article at Say Anything.
Growing The Government
The FCC is suggesting that a "modest" tax hike on internet users would be profitably put to use helping to provide the last 5% of the American population with access to broadband connectivity.
Keeping in mind the principle that the only way for a government bureau to expand is to fail in its mission, imagine if the Commerce department were to ask for a "modest" per mile driven tax on users of the interstate highway system to allow them to expand the network to insure that the last 5% of America was never more than 10 miles from an interstate highway.
Set the goal high enough and it will never be achieved, proving for the forseeable future that more money is required.
In the case of the internet scam, the last 5% of the country without such coverage does not seem like the critical 5% holding the U.S. back from commercial world domination. I'm thinking that most of them do not have/do not want/cannot afford a computer in the first place.
The unemployment office here has broadband access for anyone wishing to use it, and adding an internet cafe to the welfare office and charging by the hour on the EBT card would probably recoup some of the money we put into it. The Nigerian economy runs on internet cafes, which are far more cost effective than individual connections, so why not?
Money quote:
Keeping in mind the principle that the only way for a government bureau to expand is to fail in its mission, imagine if the Commerce department were to ask for a "modest" per mile driven tax on users of the interstate highway system to allow them to expand the network to insure that the last 5% of America was never more than 10 miles from an interstate highway.
Set the goal high enough and it will never be achieved, proving for the forseeable future that more money is required.
In the case of the internet scam, the last 5% of the country without such coverage does not seem like the critical 5% holding the U.S. back from commercial world domination. I'm thinking that most of them do not have/do not want/cannot afford a computer in the first place.
The unemployment office here has broadband access for anyone wishing to use it, and adding an internet cafe to the welfare office and charging by the hour on the EBT card would probably recoup some of the money we put into it. The Nigerian economy runs on internet cafes, which are far more cost effective than individual connections, so why not?
Money quote:
Turner said it is unlikely that the FCC will make any controversial moves before November's election.Save that tax hike until after.
"I don't anticipate that the chairman would move to adopt a drastic overhaul ahead of the election," he said.
Financial Advice
It's always worth at least what you pay for it, so keep that in mind but;
Here's a reader comment on the price of meat over at Insty. It goes along with some cooking wisdom which of itself is probably worth thinking about. This fellow makes large quantities of food for the family on Sunday which they eat all week. The diet varies weekly rather than daily, but cooking and cost is reduced.
He notes that hamburger on sale is running $5/lb which seems rather high to me. Glen Reynolds observes that between the drought and federal ethanol mandates, ranchers are selling off livestock they can no longer afford to feed, driving down the price of meat. Next year we can expect very high meat prices and short supply.
All this suggests that a modest freezer might be one of the better investments out there right now. Fill it with meat now, and avoid paying $10/lb or more for burger next year. Of course this may not work if the rolling blackouts caused by the shutdown of coal-fired power plants hit your particular area.
This brings up the next logical step; a generator. Of course you'll want a supply of ethanol-free gas to keep it running, so scroll down to the previous ethanol post and read it and the comments on how to avoid having federally mandated alcohol-added gas ruin your generator so that the federally mandated power outages don't cause your federally price-enhanced meat to spoil.
Good Luck all!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Crime And Gun Sales
Perusing an article at Alphecca about the Norwegian mass killer getting 3-1/2 months per victim, and recalling the usual run on guns following various mass killings here, I'm wondering if the surge in sales is a 50-50 proposition in which people see both the ineffectiveness of the police when time is critical, and the government predilection towards disarming the potential victims of the next mass killer or crime victim.
QOTD
As only Frank J. can do it:
Thanx to Insty for this one.
BREAKING: Romney has issued an apology. "It was wrong of me to point out how foreign and divorced from basic American values Obama is."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that dog-eating weirdo was from another country."
Thanx to Insty for this one.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Akin Opportunity
Rasmussen has Mr. Akin losing to the Dem Claire McCaskill by some 10 points currently. He has never been considered a serious candidate in this race, so it made perfect sense for Ms. McCaskill to put $1.7M into Mr. Akin's campaign to see to it that he got the nomination. After Mr. Akin compounded the effort to keep Ms. McCaskill in office by publicly proving he shouldn't be allowed in government at any level. a PPP poll, which is famous for giving Dems outsized margins, suddenly gave Mr. Akin a big predictive margin by assuming a 12 point tilt to the conservative.
Akin, buoyed by the PPP poll refuses to step down. There is an opportunity here for the Libertarians or the Tea Party, or anyone who can prove quick on their feet. Simply persuade either of the other two Republican candidates to switch parties and run under their banner.
Reliable polls show either of the other Republicans beating McCaskill however with Akin making it a 3-way race and a lot of people who simply vote the party no matter what, McCaskill is still likely to win, but not with the big margin she would have gotten against Akin, and the other party would see their stature improve by virtue of having a viable candidate running under their banner.
Jack be nimble anyone?
Akin, buoyed by the PPP poll refuses to step down. There is an opportunity here for the Libertarians or the Tea Party, or anyone who can prove quick on their feet. Simply persuade either of the other two Republican candidates to switch parties and run under their banner.
Reliable polls show either of the other Republicans beating McCaskill however with Akin making it a 3-way race and a lot of people who simply vote the party no matter what, McCaskill is still likely to win, but not with the big margin she would have gotten against Akin, and the other party would see their stature improve by virtue of having a viable candidate running under their banner.
Jack be nimble anyone?
A Republican Plot
It has been reported* that tropical storm Isaac heading toward Tampa, which with suspiciously good timing will arrive at the same time as the Republican convention, was in fact created for that very purpose by climate-change deniers supporting the Republicans.
Knowing that the left would like to set Tampa on fire during the convention to try to embarrass the Republicans, the heavy rains are intended to literally dampen the enthusiasm of anyone looking to spend much time outdoors throwing things at cops.
*Some guy told me. Once this gets mentioned in a second blog, it will then be widely reported and thus have even more credibility. Bonus points if you know where this sort of thing got its start.
Knowing that the left would like to set Tampa on fire during the convention to try to embarrass the Republicans, the heavy rains are intended to literally dampen the enthusiasm of anyone looking to spend much time outdoors throwing things at cops.
*Some guy told me. Once this gets mentioned in a second blog, it will then be widely reported and thus have even more credibility. Bonus points if you know where this sort of thing got its start.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
End Of Gun Control?
The folks at defensedistributed have a plan to end gun control as we know it. They plan to make the code to drive a 3D printer to print a single-shot .22 pistol publically available. This will, they say, make a $25 gun available to anyone with a $3000 3D printer.
Guys, the idea is swell but I seem to remember back in the '50s that a .38 round would fit into a piece of 3/8" galvanized pipe, and a nail could be driven into the primer with a rubber-band driven hammer. Tape the whole thing together to a piece of 2x4, and you were cutting edge in the back ally confrontations between the Rockets and the Jets.
Likewise a 12ga shell will fit into 3/4" pipe and the whole shebang will fit neatly enough into a piece of 1-1/4" pipe with a cap on it and a bolt through the cap for a slide-action shotgun. Harder to conceal, but works on Zombies when you've nothing else.
Neither of these rigs will cost you over $15 even at todays inflated rates, and fabrication involves little more than a hacksaw and a drill.
Modern technology has eliminated the quick and dirty .22 as the most popular material for the barrels was a chunk of car antenna, something you don't see very often any more, at least not the tubular kind.
WARNING!!: DO NOT attempt any of the above at home. Go to someone elses home first. And don't come crying to me if any of this doesn't work out the way you thought is should because I left out some inside tips or information.
Of course you don't actually have to shoot one of these. Build one, do a nice job of it, take pictures of it without yourself in the frame, and turn it in to the next gun buyback for $75-$100 or whatever they're offering.
Guys, the idea is swell but I seem to remember back in the '50s that a .38 round would fit into a piece of 3/8" galvanized pipe, and a nail could be driven into the primer with a rubber-band driven hammer. Tape the whole thing together to a piece of 2x4, and you were cutting edge in the back ally confrontations between the Rockets and the Jets.
Likewise a 12ga shell will fit into 3/4" pipe and the whole shebang will fit neatly enough into a piece of 1-1/4" pipe with a cap on it and a bolt through the cap for a slide-action shotgun. Harder to conceal, but works on Zombies when you've nothing else.
Neither of these rigs will cost you over $15 even at todays inflated rates, and fabrication involves little more than a hacksaw and a drill.
Modern technology has eliminated the quick and dirty .22 as the most popular material for the barrels was a chunk of car antenna, something you don't see very often any more, at least not the tubular kind.
WARNING!!: DO NOT attempt any of the above at home. Go to someone elses home first. And don't come crying to me if any of this doesn't work out the way you thought is should because I left out some inside tips or information.
Of course you don't actually have to shoot one of these. Build one, do a nice job of it, take pictures of it without yourself in the frame, and turn it in to the next gun buyback for $75-$100 or whatever they're offering.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Go Topless Day
August 26 is National Go Topless Day, timed to supplement Women's Equality Day.
Somehow I get a vision of the 300 lb Homer Simpson lookalike ripping off his shirt and challenging the women to do better.
Somehow I get a vision of the 300 lb Homer Simpson lookalike ripping off his shirt and challenging the women to do better.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Vote Fraud
First I hear that True The Vote has checked census information against listed numbers of voters in various counties and found some 160 counties nationwide that have more registered voters than voting age people.
Next I hear that Colorado is among the offenders.
Next, the Secretary of State, Scott Geissler, has announced that due to a shortcoming in the procedure, pretty much everyone in the state to get a drivers license was also registered to vote at the same time. This includes a large number of legal aliens who used their green cards as ID when getting a CO drivers license.
He has sent out letters informing them that they are being removed from the voter rolls. My contact at the county elections commission figures that Monday should be an interesting time on the phones there. Many of them have voted in past elections, and my county has the highest number of them.
Next I hear that Colorado is among the offenders.
Next, the Secretary of State, Scott Geissler, has announced that due to a shortcoming in the procedure, pretty much everyone in the state to get a drivers license was also registered to vote at the same time. This includes a large number of legal aliens who used their green cards as ID when getting a CO drivers license.
He has sent out letters informing them that they are being removed from the voter rolls. My contact at the county elections commission figures that Monday should be an interesting time on the phones there. Many of them have voted in past elections, and my county has the highest number of them.
Science Experiment
Noting that Ethanol-flavored gasoline and yard equipment don't get along together, reputedly shortening the life of your mower to as little as 3 years, and also noting the complaint that some car drivers have that if the water content in their gas tanks gets over some critical mass, the ethanol and water simply fall out, there may be a solution to problem #1 here.
Ethanol in gas, while reducing the energy content of the fuel, does have the virtue of removing condensate water from the tank as it will mix with the alcohol and be passed through your engine. One would think that deliberately adding water to the gallon of E10 you bought for your mower and shaking it vigorously until the water and alcohol come back out of solution might be a way to remove at least part of the alcohol from the fuel.
The alcohol-laden water will sink to the bottom of the container, and the remaining fuel can be poured or siphoned off into another container. A gallon of gas and 2 quarts of water in a 2-gallon container seems like a good starting point. Any takers?
My mower is approaching 10 years old and still runs fine, so I have no incentive to try this. FWIW I also make it a point to run the tank dry at the end of mowing season. It makes for easy starting the next year.
Ethanol in gas, while reducing the energy content of the fuel, does have the virtue of removing condensate water from the tank as it will mix with the alcohol and be passed through your engine. One would think that deliberately adding water to the gallon of E10 you bought for your mower and shaking it vigorously until the water and alcohol come back out of solution might be a way to remove at least part of the alcohol from the fuel.
The alcohol-laden water will sink to the bottom of the container, and the remaining fuel can be poured or siphoned off into another container. A gallon of gas and 2 quarts of water in a 2-gallon container seems like a good starting point. Any takers?
My mower is approaching 10 years old and still runs fine, so I have no incentive to try this. FWIW I also make it a point to run the tank dry at the end of mowing season. It makes for easy starting the next year.
Appleseed - Guest Post
And now, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story on the Appleseed event from the actual shooter:
I
do like my Savage, getting to know my gun before the
event would have helped alleviate much of the frustration and mishaps I
experienced and maintain my ‘ladylike demeanor’ as Bill so
diplomatically
stated, (ROFLMAO). As far as for all of Step 6, there were at least 2 or
3
times I managed to follow all the intermediary steps correctly, with
seconds to
spare--handling the rifle like a pro, and deftly inserting and unloading
magazine cartridges with ease. The biggest challenge was muscling the
bolt back completely to load the chamber, hence, a huge part of my
frustration. That, and needing a cheek rest. That would go a long way
to doing even better next time.
Paula
So you see she's getting better. I think she'll be surprised at how quickly she gets the patch. Now to see if someone makes an adjustable rear sight for the gun.
Hmmm…overwhelming and exhausting--but still an amazing
experience that offered more than enough practical application, top notch instruction, and
individual attention that by the second day even I was starting to catch on to
how things were done. I’m looking forward to attending more events. Being a
realist, it might be
closer to 7 or 8 more
events before I get
my patch.
Paula
So you see she's getting better. I think she'll be surprised at how quickly she gets the patch. Now to see if someone makes an adjustable rear sight for the gun.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Regulation
Power Line has an article describing several regulations it thinks the Obama administration might push in a second term. Most are quite draconian, and would only confirm that the administration is not actually interested in economic recovery, but rather in imposing some economic retribution for the past crimes of colonialism and/or capitalism.
It occurs to me that a truly vindictive lame duck Obama might attempt to impose them in the time frame between November 6 and Jan 20. It wouldn't be the first time. The Clinton administration in its final days imposed a limit on Arsenic in drinking water so far below the existing limits that large areas of the southwest would have had to import bottled water for all their commercial, agricultural, and personal needs. When the Bush administration removed this they were roundly accused of "poisoning the people with Arsenic", which was duly reported in the press. It was months before the underlying story was widely enough spread to debunk the accusations.
It occurs to me that a truly vindictive lame duck Obama might attempt to impose them in the time frame between November 6 and Jan 20. It wouldn't be the first time. The Clinton administration in its final days imposed a limit on Arsenic in drinking water so far below the existing limits that large areas of the southwest would have had to import bottled water for all their commercial, agricultural, and personal needs. When the Bush administration removed this they were roundly accused of "poisoning the people with Arsenic", which was duly reported in the press. It was months before the underlying story was widely enough spread to debunk the accusations.
Gun Law
Sen. Lautenburg's proposal to ban online ammo sales and to effectively register anyone buying more than modest amounts of ammo has been sent to the Senate judiciary committee. In committee, it might be discussed or not depending on the chairman's position on the legislation.
The committee chairman is Patrick "leaky" Leahy of Vermont who probably wants to get re-elected. Gun control is a hot button issue in Washington and anyone who wants to get re-elected does well to stay well away from it unless they have a Gerrymandered district that eliminates the problem. The reason the issue id "hot button" is because people like us begin bugging our congressanimals as soon as something like this gets submitted. If you click the above link, you get the text of the bill. It's worth taking a look at since it would be impossible to understand by reading the one-page item. It goes on at some length about deleting "vicious animals" from subparagraph B and inserting "cute puppies" without ever presenting the whole context of the proposed final rewrite so that without a copy of the statute in front of you you can't tell if this is anti-defamation legislation or Obama's cookbook.
It's why we have people in Washington whose job it is to read this stuff and provide a translation for the people who will be affected. Also keep in mind that amending line 422, section (k), subparagraph F, line 2 from "guns or ammunition." to "guns, ammunition, or anything else." is a relatively simple task.
So drop an e-mail to your Senators with "No on S. 3458" in the subject line urging them to oppose this "job-killing infringement on lawful commerce", and don't forget to demand that the ATF be completely defunded, the agency abolished, and anyone in it without a damn fine alibi or a note from Sen. Issa be jailed.
O.K. that last line might be just a bit over the top. After the word "abolished" everything following is strictly optional.
The committee chairman is Patrick "leaky" Leahy of Vermont who probably wants to get re-elected. Gun control is a hot button issue in Washington and anyone who wants to get re-elected does well to stay well away from it unless they have a Gerrymandered district that eliminates the problem. The reason the issue id "hot button" is because people like us begin bugging our congressanimals as soon as something like this gets submitted. If you click the above link, you get the text of the bill. It's worth taking a look at since it would be impossible to understand by reading the one-page item. It goes on at some length about deleting "vicious animals" from subparagraph B and inserting "cute puppies" without ever presenting the whole context of the proposed final rewrite so that without a copy of the statute in front of you you can't tell if this is anti-defamation legislation or Obama's cookbook.
It's why we have people in Washington whose job it is to read this stuff and provide a translation for the people who will be affected. Also keep in mind that amending line 422, section (k), subparagraph F, line 2 from "guns or ammunition." to "guns, ammunition, or anything else." is a relatively simple task.
So drop an e-mail to your Senators with "No on S. 3458" in the subject line urging them to oppose this "job-killing infringement on lawful commerce", and don't forget to demand that the ATF be completely defunded, the agency abolished, and anyone in it without a damn fine alibi or a note from Sen. Issa be jailed.
O.K. that last line might be just a bit over the top. After the word "abolished" everything following is strictly optional.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Food And Energy
The drought currently afflicting the midwest is causing corn production to suffer. Corn is a primary animal feed thus the price of feeding your future burgers, chops and Chick-Fil-A's is going up. Farmers are selling off livestock which should bring the price of meat down, but the government is offering price supports for meats.
O.K. this has me wondering what the government is going to do with all that meat. When they buy milk, they process it into cheese and store it in refrigerated warehouses for use at some point in the future. One can imagine the processing of all that meat which would be pureed, commingled, canned, and labeled MEAT.
Meantime the corn shortage is causing the price of gas to go up as it must be mixed into gas in the form of ethanol. Ethanol requires the expenditure of a bit more than 1 gallon of diesel per gallon produced so it's not cost-efficient, plus it reduces your mileage. But look here:
O.K. this has me wondering what the government is going to do with all that meat. When they buy milk, they process it into cheese and store it in refrigerated warehouses for use at some point in the future. One can imagine the processing of all that meat which would be pureed, commingled, canned, and labeled MEAT.
Meantime the corn shortage is causing the price of gas to go up as it must be mixed into gas in the form of ethanol. Ethanol requires the expenditure of a bit more than 1 gallon of diesel per gallon produced so it's not cost-efficient, plus it reduces your mileage. But look here:
Obama could solve this problem instantly by suspending the federal ethanol mandate -- something his EPA actually can do unilaterally and legally. Instead, Obama will buy up meat -- a move that meat producers say won't help them much anyway. "It doesn't solve the problem of having enough affordable corn next summer," industry analyst Steve Meyer told Reuters. "Without changing the ethanol program, nothing can be done," he said.I had no idea it was that easy.
Wasabi Grilled Cheese Sandwich
AKA "Tojo's Revenge"
I'd give it a try although I don't remember seeing any wasabi cheese at the supermarket.I'm sure if it existed the wife would have brought some home by now.
This and other gustatory delights here.
This and other gustatory delights here.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
More Gun Stuff
Government agencies are arming themselves at a great rate. The BATFEIEIO has ordered a bazillion rounds which I'm hoping will wind up on the surplus market after the agency is dissolved under president Romney.
The latest agency to arm themselves is the National Weather Service, which suggests to me that the survivalist meme has gotten well out of hand. How much ammo does a person need to shoot the breeze after all.
Of course they could be just a bunch of gun fanciers who've figured out how to get some trigger time in at the taxpayers expense.
The latest agency to arm themselves is the National Weather Service, which suggests to me that the survivalist meme has gotten well out of hand. How much ammo does a person need to shoot the breeze after all.
Of course they could be just a bunch of gun fanciers who've figured out how to get some trigger time in at the taxpayers expense.
Appleseed
I attended an Appleseed event last weekend, and frankly was a bit overwhelmed by it. This organization supports basic training in riflery mixed with a generous dollop of American history from the early days of the revolution, going into some detail as to what motivated rthe rebellious colonists and at the same time demoralized the British army.
It was a 2-day event that specialized in, but was not limited to .22 rimfire rifles and how to get the most from them. I was not a participant. My sometime student was the official attendee. Both of us learned a lot.
For myself, I listened to the lectures on history and the mechanics of shooting and refilled magazines. Paula did all the shooting. The shooting tips covered everything everyone had ever taught me from the Boy Scouts to the present.What I noticed most was that I did a lot of things so automatically that the thought that anyone would ever do anything else doesn't cross my mind. This does not help when you're trying to teach someone, so I'm glad Paula got the breadth of exposure she did.
Which is not to say it couldn't have been better. Paula had gotten enthusiastic about this a couple months ago, and finally bought her own rifle for the event 2 weeks before.She has shot my rifle and a couple of loaners, but not this one. For the record, she got a Savage model 62F from Wal-Mart. This is a magazine-fed semi-auto. Her first shots through it were the day of the event when we tried it out to check the sights. For me it put 3 holes in the target that could be covered with a dime about 1" high and 1" to the right at 25 yards.This with the very basic iron sights the gun comes with and my mediocre eyesight.. For her, not so much. For the record, I like this gun. It's light, easy to handle, and shoots quite accurately.
Notes:
1. The Savage company is unaware that anyone would ever want to put a magazine into their rifle without turning the gun over and pulling the release out of the way first. The mags fit with the precision of a Swiss watch, and need to be installed with watchmakers tools.
2. The gun doesn't like ammo with large hollow points and squarish nose profiles. The pointy stuff works much better. We figured this out on day 2.
3. Throwing ammo into a plastic snap-cover food container really speeds up the loading and ammo handling process. Probably not such a good idea to mix ammo from 3 different sources into one container though. Makes it hard to notice which ones don't feed right.
4. Paula is right handed and left-eye dominant. On day 2 she switched to left handed shooting and the groups got noticeably smaller. Loading the close-fitting magazines however.... This is going to take some practice.
5. The trigger on the brand-new gun is a bit scratchy. O.K. it's a bit more than a bit scratchy. This may smooth out later, or it may smooth out after I've had a chance to polish some of the mating parts therein.
6. Being under a time constraint on some of the stages, when coupled with trying to remember a long set of brand new instructions, plus otherwise minor malfunctions makes for a frustrating time. The sequence is:
a. Start from standing with 2 magazines, one with 2 rounds, one with 8.
b. drop to sitting, kneeling or prone, depending on the stage.
c. Load the 2-round magazine. Try again. Turn gun over and load magazine. Turn gun back over and assume the proper position.
d. Sight target and gently squeeze trigger.
e. Reach over gun with left hand and jack a round.
f. Sight target and gently squeeze trigger.
g. reach over gun with left hand and release the safety.
h. Sight target and gently squeeze trigger. Hear satisfying bang.
i. Forget that at this point you're supposed to change mags, repeat step h.
j. Repeat step f. Note no bang.
k. Remove magazine and replace with 8-round mag, see step c.
l. See steps d, e, and h.
m. Repeat step h until pulling the trigger gets you a quiet click. Unless you get a blunt-nosed hollow point. Savage mags are as tight inside as they are outside. Clearing a round jammed into the feed ramp is not easy. By the time you get it cleared, your time is up.
At the end of step 6, the ladylike demeanor is pretty much gone.
Still, by the end of day 2, all the BNHP ammo had been quarantined and her qualifying score had nearly doubled. She's going back. The qualifying target has a potential best score of 250. If you get 210 or more you get the coveted rifleman patch. This is harder than you'd think. Paula thinks it will take 2-3 more Appleseeds to get her Rifleman patch, but she will get it. Instilling enthusiasm. I love it.
Early on I made a concerted effort to quit trying to give advice. After all that's what the organizers are there for. This is also harder than you'd think.
I will have to formally attend one of these myself.
It was a 2-day event that specialized in, but was not limited to .22 rimfire rifles and how to get the most from them. I was not a participant. My sometime student was the official attendee. Both of us learned a lot.
For myself, I listened to the lectures on history and the mechanics of shooting and refilled magazines. Paula did all the shooting. The shooting tips covered everything everyone had ever taught me from the Boy Scouts to the present.What I noticed most was that I did a lot of things so automatically that the thought that anyone would ever do anything else doesn't cross my mind. This does not help when you're trying to teach someone, so I'm glad Paula got the breadth of exposure she did.
Which is not to say it couldn't have been better. Paula had gotten enthusiastic about this a couple months ago, and finally bought her own rifle for the event 2 weeks before.She has shot my rifle and a couple of loaners, but not this one. For the record, she got a Savage model 62F from Wal-Mart. This is a magazine-fed semi-auto. Her first shots through it were the day of the event when we tried it out to check the sights. For me it put 3 holes in the target that could be covered with a dime about 1" high and 1" to the right at 25 yards.This with the very basic iron sights the gun comes with and my mediocre eyesight.. For her, not so much. For the record, I like this gun. It's light, easy to handle, and shoots quite accurately.
Notes:
1. The Savage company is unaware that anyone would ever want to put a magazine into their rifle without turning the gun over and pulling the release out of the way first. The mags fit with the precision of a Swiss watch, and need to be installed with watchmakers tools.
2. The gun doesn't like ammo with large hollow points and squarish nose profiles. The pointy stuff works much better. We figured this out on day 2.
3. Throwing ammo into a plastic snap-cover food container really speeds up the loading and ammo handling process. Probably not such a good idea to mix ammo from 3 different sources into one container though. Makes it hard to notice which ones don't feed right.
4. Paula is right handed and left-eye dominant. On day 2 she switched to left handed shooting and the groups got noticeably smaller. Loading the close-fitting magazines however.... This is going to take some practice.
5. The trigger on the brand-new gun is a bit scratchy. O.K. it's a bit more than a bit scratchy. This may smooth out later, or it may smooth out after I've had a chance to polish some of the mating parts therein.
6. Being under a time constraint on some of the stages, when coupled with trying to remember a long set of brand new instructions, plus otherwise minor malfunctions makes for a frustrating time. The sequence is:
a. Start from standing with 2 magazines, one with 2 rounds, one with 8.
b. drop to sitting, kneeling or prone, depending on the stage.
c. Load the 2-round magazine. Try again. Turn gun over and load magazine. Turn gun back over and assume the proper position.
d. Sight target and gently squeeze trigger.
e. Reach over gun with left hand and jack a round.
f. Sight target and gently squeeze trigger.
g. reach over gun with left hand and release the safety.
h. Sight target and gently squeeze trigger. Hear satisfying bang.
i. Forget that at this point you're supposed to change mags, repeat step h.
j. Repeat step f. Note no bang.
k. Remove magazine and replace with 8-round mag, see step c.
l. See steps d, e, and h.
m. Repeat step h until pulling the trigger gets you a quiet click. Unless you get a blunt-nosed hollow point. Savage mags are as tight inside as they are outside. Clearing a round jammed into the feed ramp is not easy. By the time you get it cleared, your time is up.
At the end of step 6, the ladylike demeanor is pretty much gone.
Still, by the end of day 2, all the BNHP ammo had been quarantined and her qualifying score had nearly doubled. She's going back. The qualifying target has a potential best score of 250. If you get 210 or more you get the coveted rifleman patch. This is harder than you'd think. Paula thinks it will take 2-3 more Appleseeds to get her Rifleman patch, but she will get it. Instilling enthusiasm. I love it.
Early on I made a concerted effort to quit trying to give advice. After all that's what the organizers are there for. This is also harder than you'd think.
I will have to formally attend one of these myself.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Energy Policy
Townhall Finance has a piece suggesting that the president would like to make more of our energy dependent on foreign sources:
During a recent trip to Washington DC, I heard that “by the end of his second term, President Obama wants 40% of our natural resources to be imported.” Like Harry Reid’s “Bain Capital investor,” my source is reliable: a Capitol Hill staffer. While I do not have a secret White House memo to validate the premise, it explains a lot..Myself, I'm not buying this. I'm convinced he simply wants to cut our available energy by 40% period. The paragraphs in the article mention land grabs in the form of new wilderness areas, which some research will disclose include known deposits of Uranium, clean coal, rare earth metals, and oil and gas, recoverable by fracking. The loss of these resources is of course "for the children".
Presidential Debates
The schedule has been released and the moderators have been picked and no doubt as you read this, the questions are being formulated over at the Obama campaign headquarters.
The formula is tobe a re-run of last election with shills for the DNC asking the questions and setting them up to make the Republicans look as bad as possible.
Mr. Lehrer: Mr Romney, to address foreign policy, can you name the current president of East Doublecrossia?
Mr. Romney: If that actually becomes necessary, I'm sure my State secretary will have briefed me on the situation there...
Mr. Lehrer: So you don't know and would rely on briefings. O.K., Mr Obama, in that same line, boxers or briefs?
Mr. Obama: Someone like me who has the big brass ones to kill Osama Bin Ladin with his bare hands, wears boxers, of course.
The annoying thing is that the RNC will probably not object to the format or the questioners, further confirming the reputation of the Stupid Party.
The formula is tobe a re-run of last election with shills for the DNC asking the questions and setting them up to make the Republicans look as bad as possible.
Mr. Lehrer: Mr Romney, to address foreign policy, can you name the current president of East Doublecrossia?
Mr. Romney: If that actually becomes necessary, I'm sure my State secretary will have briefed me on the situation there...
Mr. Lehrer: So you don't know and would rely on briefings. O.K., Mr Obama, in that same line, boxers or briefs?
Mr. Obama: Someone like me who has the big brass ones to kill Osama Bin Ladin with his bare hands, wears boxers, of course.
The annoying thing is that the RNC will probably not object to the format or the questioners, further confirming the reputation of the Stupid Party.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The Future Of Transportation - Fuel
In the face of drought, rising food prices, lower fuel economy and easily recovered domestic oul, the EPA will be requiring gas stations to begin vending E15 soon. In addition to all the above reasons not to burn ethanol as a fuel in the first place, there is the potential for damage to older engines, and the added feature of the ethanol suddenly falling out of solution when condensate water gets mixed into the fuel.
That last bit doesn't happen around here where 30% humidity is considered oppressively muggy, but I'm told it regularly reaches higher levels in other parts of the country.
The EPA's clever solution is to set a minimum sale of 4 gallons of E10 from pumps where the hose is common to multiple grades of fuel.
Most people I know fill a 15 gallon tank when it gets down to 1/4 full, so this shouldn't be much of a problem. I already deal with this when I fill my motorcycle, which prefers premium. I wait until the 6-gallon tank is down to 1-2 gallons, then top off. Figuring the fuel line at the pump runs from the bottom of the pump, where the grade is switched, to the top, then back down the hose, this is about 5 yards of 1" ID hose containing about .6 gallons of whatever the fellow before me used, probably sub-grade rotgut regular. I figure my 4-gallons of premium is 85% good stuff and 15% swill.
Happy motoring tip: Fill up in the better neighborhoods. Check out the clientele at the pumps when you pull up. Get in behind the fellow filling his 7xx BMW and wait for him to finish. You get better gas that way.
Of course if you don't have an upscale neighborhood handy, just remember, the hose only holds .6 gallon. You can pump this out on the pavement first then top off your tank with 100% good stuff. If the station owner or the other customers object, tell them the EPA made you do it.
That last bit doesn't happen around here where 30% humidity is considered oppressively muggy, but I'm told it regularly reaches higher levels in other parts of the country.
The EPA's clever solution is to set a minimum sale of 4 gallons of E10 from pumps where the hose is common to multiple grades of fuel.
Most people I know fill a 15 gallon tank when it gets down to 1/4 full, so this shouldn't be much of a problem. I already deal with this when I fill my motorcycle, which prefers premium. I wait until the 6-gallon tank is down to 1-2 gallons, then top off. Figuring the fuel line at the pump runs from the bottom of the pump, where the grade is switched, to the top, then back down the hose, this is about 5 yards of 1" ID hose containing about .6 gallons of whatever the fellow before me used, probably sub-grade rotgut regular. I figure my 4-gallons of premium is 85% good stuff and 15% swill.
Happy motoring tip: Fill up in the better neighborhoods. Check out the clientele at the pumps when you pull up. Get in behind the fellow filling his 7xx BMW and wait for him to finish. You get better gas that way.
Of course if you don't have an upscale neighborhood handy, just remember, the hose only holds .6 gallon. You can pump this out on the pavement first then top off your tank with 100% good stuff. If the station owner or the other customers object, tell them the EPA made you do it.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
No Drivers Licenses For Illegals
An initiative to allow drivers licenses to illegal aliens will not appear on the ballot here this fall due to lack of petition signatures.
Since we have a Motor Voter project that registers new drivers to vote, this may affect the outcome of the upcoming elections.
Since we have a Motor Voter project that registers new drivers to vote, this may affect the outcome of the upcoming elections.
Polls
Two polls recently released show Colorado going strongly in both directions. The CBS / Quinnipac poll showed Romney winning 50/45, but take heart libs, the PPP poll rather unsurprisingly shows the Bamster walking away at 49/43.
An 11 point difference? Someone is either cooking the books or screwing the pooch big time.
I was unable to immediately locate either polls methodology, but it's probably safe to assume that PPP thinks Colorado will vote in '12 just like it did in '08 as though '10 didn't exist. The CBS poll probably took the '10 elections as its base when the GOP took the house and nearly the Senate.
Interesting to note from the PPP poll was the question asked of all the people polled as to how they saw themselves:
Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ...................................................... 14%
Somewhat liberal ............................................ 16%
Moderate......................................................... 27%
Somewhat conservative.................................. 21%
Very conservative ........................................... 22%
Ignore the center. Everybody is a moderate, just ask them. As the pastime of conjugating adjectives goes: I am a moderate. You are partisan. He, she, or it is an extremist.
Even so, note the big bias toward the conservative side. If the phone numbers were randomly dialed, this is not a good omen for the left.
An 11 point difference? Someone is either cooking the books or screwing the pooch big time.
I was unable to immediately locate either polls methodology, but it's probably safe to assume that PPP thinks Colorado will vote in '12 just like it did in '08 as though '10 didn't exist. The CBS poll probably took the '10 elections as its base when the GOP took the house and nearly the Senate.
Interesting to note from the PPP poll was the question asked of all the people polled as to how they saw themselves:
Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ...................................................... 14%
Somewhat liberal ............................................ 16%
Moderate......................................................... 27%
Somewhat conservative.................................. 21%
Very conservative ........................................... 22%
Ignore the center. Everybody is a moderate, just ask them. As the pastime of conjugating adjectives goes: I am a moderate. You are partisan. He, she, or it is an extremist.
Even so, note the big bias toward the conservative side. If the phone numbers were randomly dialed, this is not a good omen for the left.
Gun Control
The Brady Bunch is proposing, in the wake of the two recent mass shootings, that greater effort be put into "preventing dangerous people from buying guns on their own".
They're pretty nebulous as to who exactly shouldn't be allowed to buy a gun since including everybody right up front gets you laughed at. The suggestions they do make include people who are already prohibited, so no gain there.
The DHS has a list of qualifiers that includes military vets, constitutionalists, Tea Partiers and the like, but the list lacks provenience. What is needed here is a study of the political beliefs of all the mass shooters since 1950 to see what really should be looked at. Most of the ones that I remember who actually had any expressed political beliefs were leftists. Oswald, Fromme, etc. Based on this, we should probably prohibit registered Democrats and anyone expressing political beliefs to the left of the party platform from owning guns. Given the very modest amount of light between Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Joseph Stalin, this should inconvenience the smallest number of people.
Of course the quickest way to eliminate gun violence would be to make violent crime illegal. In the ensuing pax judicus* guns would have no use and therefore be peacefully abandoned, right?
*I don't care what my friends say, when I was younger, Latin was NOT the language of the army, and it was not necessary to learn it. That was from my fathers time.
They're pretty nebulous as to who exactly shouldn't be allowed to buy a gun since including everybody right up front gets you laughed at. The suggestions they do make include people who are already prohibited, so no gain there.
The DHS has a list of qualifiers that includes military vets, constitutionalists, Tea Partiers and the like, but the list lacks provenience. What is needed here is a study of the political beliefs of all the mass shooters since 1950 to see what really should be looked at. Most of the ones that I remember who actually had any expressed political beliefs were leftists. Oswald, Fromme, etc. Based on this, we should probably prohibit registered Democrats and anyone expressing political beliefs to the left of the party platform from owning guns. Given the very modest amount of light between Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Joseph Stalin, this should inconvenience the smallest number of people.
Of course the quickest way to eliminate gun violence would be to make violent crime illegal. In the ensuing pax judicus* guns would have no use and therefore be peacefully abandoned, right?
*I don't care what my friends say, when I was younger, Latin was NOT the language of the army, and it was not necessary to learn it. That was from my fathers time.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Concealed Carry Info
Someone asked me the other day if a Colorado permit was good in Nebraska.
For the answer to this and a ton of other useful information, such as how to get a permit in your state, if you can, and a reciprocity index, go here.
For the answer to this and a ton of other useful information, such as how to get a permit in your state, if you can, and a reciprocity index, go here.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Gun Show Report
Interesting changes as the show was booked to the walls and the cafeteria had to be moved moved to another room. Business seemed good all around.
One of our CSSA members dropped off the remains of a box of Aquila 12 ga mini-slugs. They seemed like a good idea at the time, but they're too short to feed properly in a pump action. Cutest little micro shotgun shells you ever saw.
Testing suggests that an elevator plug will solve the feeding problem if you think you need to up your guns capacity from 6 to 12 rounds, at the expense of some muzzle velocity and long-range accuracy. OTOH, they look like they'd work fine in a double.
One of our CSSA members dropped off the remains of a box of Aquila 12 ga mini-slugs. They seemed like a good idea at the time, but they're too short to feed properly in a pump action. Cutest little micro shotgun shells you ever saw.
Testing suggests that an elevator plug will solve the feeding problem if you think you need to up your guns capacity from 6 to 12 rounds, at the expense of some muzzle velocity and long-range accuracy. OTOH, they look like they'd work fine in a double.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Interesting Quote
Not quite QOTD material, but thought-provoking anyway:
Cali is currently working overtime to prohibit the carry of any weapons at all by anyone for any reason. This kind of thinking could elevate shall-issue to a constitutional right.
Carrying a gun, which is a Second Amendment right, also cannot legally lead to a finding that the individual is likely to murder someone; if it could, half or even more of the people in some of our states would qualify as likely murderers.This from Judge Reinhardt of the 9th circuit. The case wasn't about gun rights but rather about extended responsibility for a killing that occurred in conjunction with another crime. It makes for some interesting implications to the Miller and MacDonald cases, no?
Cali is currently working overtime to prohibit the carry of any weapons at all by anyone for any reason. This kind of thinking could elevate shall-issue to a constitutional right.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Unemployment
The official number is now 8.3% which the Obama administration is quick to note is actually 8.256% with the rounding removed. Now we all know that the unemployment numbers bear little enough resemblance to reality normally, but Zero Hedge is calling BS on this one big time. Found here at Wizbang, is the suggestion that the BLS simply added some 377,000 jobs because it felt like it, and came up with the 163,000 jobs allegedly created. This kept the unemployment (U3) down to non-panic levels.
Actual unemployment, as you and I would experience it is somewhere between 16 and 20%, (U6).
Welcome to the third annual Summer Of Recovery. This year, at the rate the numbers are being fudged, by the November elections we will all have two jobs and the borders will have to be opened to thousands of guestvoters workers to ease the strain on the American workforce.
Actual unemployment, as you and I would experience it is somewhere between 16 and 20%, (U6).
Welcome to the third annual Summer Of Recovery. This year, at the rate the numbers are being fudged, by the November elections we will all have two jobs and the borders will have to be opened to thousands of guest
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
More Guns, Less Massacres
Here's an interesting study done by someone with more interest in the math than the guns. The conclusion:
The average number of people killed in mass shootings when stopped by police is 14.3Not only is it better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it, it could save up to 12 lives.
The average number of people killed in a mass shooting when stopped by a civilian is 2.3.
More Gun Regulation
Gun regulation is a popular sport among liberals, especially following the Supreme court decicions stating that the second amendment means pretty much exactly what it says. The position that no one should be allowed to own a gun is pretty much untenable now, and the battle is over where it all ends.
The most popular position is that the individual should be allowed anything an infantry soldier would normally carry, which would include grenade launchers, squad automatic weapons, grenades and the like, but wait! There's more!
That pesky constitution includes in the part that describes the duties of the congress:
There is also a supply of used warships rusting in San Francisco Bay. Wouldn't an old destroyer make just the rig for trolling for Somali pirates? Sure you'd have to be Bill Gates to buy one, refurbish it and fuel it for a trip essentially around the world, but we can dream, no?
The most popular position is that the individual should be allowed anything an infantry soldier would normally carry, which would include grenade launchers, squad automatic weapons, grenades and the like, but wait! There's more!
That pesky constitution includes in the part that describes the duties of the congress:
[Congress shall have Power...] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;Letters of Marque and Reprisal are issued to private citizens to allow them to prosecute a war in support of the government. In order to do this with any credibility, the private citizen would need something resembling a warship, or at least a heavily armed merchantman. Since both land and water are cited, one supposes that a tank or artillery piece might also not be out of order. Want a tank? There's a place right down the road from me that sells them.
There is also a supply of used warships rusting in San Francisco Bay. Wouldn't an old destroyer make just the rig for trolling for Somali pirates? Sure you'd have to be Bill Gates to buy one, refurbish it and fuel it for a trip essentially around the world, but we can dream, no?
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