New Shooter

Took my daughters fiancee out shooting today. He's a newbie having never fired a gun before. Started out with the .22 rifle

Which he took to easily

Nice groups, no?
We worked our way through my collection of handguns up to the .357 mag

which he liked using the .38 ammo. And a good time was had by all.

New York Approach To Crime?

Here is a couple of approaches which should work well together: First make bail proportionate to your ability to pay. Thus if you are an otherwise destitute criminal, and you get caught committing a crime, you'll be released on your own recognizance the same day so you can quickly get back to work.

Second up is a law that makes information on anyone who calls 911 available to the defense attorney for the criminal who was caught doing something naughty. Thus the criminal will have the name, phone number, and home address of whomever called 911 and ratted him or her out. This should help immeasurably in putting together a strong defense a la H. Clinton. If you can't find the witness, you won't get convicted.

Sounds delightful.

Gun Fun

IDPA; What you do until you master the force.

Happy New Year 2

Over and above the young lady in the previous pose, It seems that 2019 was pretty damn good. The U.S. economy has moved from being 20% of the whole worlds economy to being 25%. My 401k, if it could vote, would support making Trump President For Life.

I wouldn't, although as of right now and subject to change, I'd support Ted Cruz in 2024. I was wondering why, if the market was taking off like a Nork rocket, was GDP growth down at 2.1%, but I'm told the whole world has been taking a bit of a beating last year and the US is the only G7 country to show better than 2% so we're still #1.

Guns: My Hi Point finally had a failure that all have agreed is non-repairable so it looks like I'm getting a new one in about 3 weeks. Go Team Hi-Point! For you folks in Virginia, mass demonstrations are a tool of the left. The only mass demo that matters is the one at the ballot box and it looks like the left has imported enough refugees to swing the last 2 seats they needed to take the trifecta. The newly empowered El Puerco Grande, as we call him, is taking the opportunity to attempt to disarm his citizens just like several other South American dictators. This is causing some firebrands to use words like bugaloo. Stay away from that. Those sorts of things are messy and usually more drawn out than anyone expects. I recommend targeted assassinations. Saves on ammo and causes less collateral damage.

Advice:
To the College of Cardinals (hey, go big or go home, right?) Next time elect someone who is arguably Catholic. You want an economist? Hire one from the University of Chicago who knows what he's talking about.

To Greta the Grinch: Great timing, leaving the U.S. to vacation in a Mediterranean country. You could be here helping me move 3-1/2" of Global Warming from my drive and walk. Probably wouldn't pay as well though.

To the Ayatollah Hominy: Give it up. Admit you've been wrong all those years, and convert to Zoroastrianism like your forebears.

To Fat Kim: Let the Donald build a nice hotel on the coast and maybe he'll get you a Pelloton for your birthday.

Happy New Year

Looks pretty happy to me.

One More Toast

If you happen to have a bit of tipple left over from Christmas, today, raise a glass to the end of the Evil Empire, the Soviet Union which voted itself out of existence on this date in 1991. Consider also a second toast to the 40 million or so they murdered to keep the idea that communism worked alive. Numbers are sketchy since even though most of the slave states have fled the coop, Russia is ruled by leftovers from the ancien regime.

This also represents a major turning point in the Cold War which started with the end of WWII with the refusal of Russia to withdraw its troops from eastern Europe and included Korean war, the Vietnam War, and numerous other on again off again conflicts. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the torch was picked up by the Chinese who seem to have the idea that China should include every piece of land on which a Chinese ever set foot and any expanse of ocean over which a Chinese junk ever sailed.

Soy Boys?

It seems there's more to Burger Kings Impossible Burger than meets the eye. The amount of gene splicing/mixing involved results in some characteristics you might want to think about.

It seems there's enough estrogen in an Impossible Burger to begin stimulating boob development in men. Of course they also mention

Just six glasses of soy milk per day has enough estrogen to grow boobs on a male. That’s the equivalent of eating four impossible whoppers per day.

That alone sounds like enough to keep the men away from the things, but I could see a sudden influx of women adding an Impossible burger and a glass of soy milk to their diet in hopes of a figure enhancement.

The link above also serves as a great example of Bills law of election year* statistics.

....and that it has a whopping 18 million times more estrogen than a standard Whopper.

 The red flag that immediately pops up is weather this number is, in fact, statistically significant. The amount of estrogen in a standard Whopper is as close to zero as not to matter. 18 million times a number that small is still pretty small.

*When you are given a number in a conversation, the real story is frequently in the percentage, and vice versa. This is true pretty much at all times although more so in an election year. Hearing about a 100% increase in the crime rate sounds awful until you find out that this means the cops issued 2 parking tickets this year as opposed to only one last year.

Fearless Predictions

It's that time of year again and since I've been mostly wrong in the past, let's see how well my record holds up.

#1a for 2020: Pelosi will time her transmission of the articles of impeachment to the Senate so that the trial will coincide with the presidents SOTU address in a last ditch attempt to embarrass him.

#1b: This will inspire the Senate to reject the articles outright.

Nuclear Power Moving Forward

From Marc Schneider here. Check # 6 thru 10 especially. I doubt very much that I'll live to see a Gen 4 reactor up and running but at least we're headed in the right direction.

Impeachment - The Edwards Bar

At this point I'm inclined to think that President Trump has cleared the Edwards bar to re-election.

The only way I can lose is if I'm caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy.

This from Edwin Edwards more than slightly notorious Governor of Louisiana.

Impeachment - The Ginsburg Solution

Notorious RBG has come up with the solution to frivolous impeachment proceedings. When the issue goes to the senate:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Suggests Senators Can be Disqualified from Upcoming Impeachment Trial if they are Not Impartial

The entire Senate is thus disqualified from voting on the issue. No vote, case dismissed. This has the salubrious effect of effectively limiting impeachments to cases in which there is solid evidence of an actual crime having been committed. There must be video of Trump machine-gunning Pelosi and Schumer in Times square with certified time stamps and no evidence of tampering whatsoever or it didn't happen and their unfortunate demises are attributed to suicide.

Science Marches On

I mean, how do they make this?

Found this on the kitchen counter top, presumably brought in by D'wife for some purpose.

I suppose they take soy or almond milk, and put it in the butter churn, then have enslaved women work the churns until voila! it becomes butter.

I'm sure the churns were made to order by Peloton and come complete with a 14" screen showing some sort of inspiring video.

Just An Idle Thought

In light of the VA governors announced intent to confiscate guns he doesn't like, how about this:

DD sells a small CNC machine that comes complete with the software to make lower receivers for rifles and frames for several pistols for about $2000. A group of 20 thus could throw a C-note into the hat and have one delivered. The group could then take turns making receivers for their evil black rifles and whatever else they might own that has made the governor's naughty list and swap the new parts onto their weapons. When the Nat Guard shows up to demand your weapons, you turn over the original lowers, which legally are the firearm, and tell them to go away. Cost = $100 plus aluminum (about $20/receiver) which can be put on your tax deduction list as hobby costs. Or maybe you could put the whole $120 down as a property tax.

Sad to think a gun control measure would end up putting large numbers of the dreaded “ghost Guns” out there, but probably unsurprising.

QOTD - Gun Control

From Law Enforcement today:

“If you have firearms in your home and you do not secure them and you don’t secure them in a manner that can preclude someone from grabbing them and taking them and carrying out this carnage, [there] is a criminal liability that attaches,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo

Let me suggest that there should be some sort of liability attached to law enforcement, governing authority, or property owners if disarmament rules are enforced resulting in injury or death from which the disarmers didn't protect us.

Grandmaster Class Chain Yanking

If ever I saw it, this is it. Mike Huckabee is setting himself up as chairman of the Trump 2024 committee on the premise that all the interference from the Dems essentially deprived Trump of a meaningful first term which therefore doesn't count.

I'm expecting a thermonuclear level explosion of heads from the left and screams so loud you'll hear them from inside your dwellings without turning on the TV or your computer.

Of course if one considers Trumps first term to be significantly cramped, one can only speculate about the Dow 50,000 and doubled average wages we'd be seeing if he had a cooperative legislature.

Helping The Handicapped?

Well, maybe. I saw a video of an attachment to a wheelchair that snapped on an electric front wheel which made the basic chair quick and agile. Looked like a swell idea. Priced at about $700 or about what you would pay for one of those kits to electrify your bicycle. Sounded about right as it included all the same parts.

Later I was visiting downtown and got to see myriad people using the Lyme electric scooters, tearing up and down the sometimes steep hills there. Get on, wave your credit card, and take off. Quick transport and no long term investment.

Put the two together and suddenly a person in a conventional wheelchair can get to the 16th st food court and back on a corporate lunch hour. I happened to have a couple of Razor scooters, and with a bit of scavenger hunting, I rustled up a chair:

The attachment includes a spring since you want some down force on the scooter. With a driver, the chairs front wheels barely touch the ground and there's enough travel to avoid getting high centered.

Scoot up to a scooter, wheelie over it, and use the clamps to get attached. This scooter has lawnmower batteries installed and sits about 1-1/2" higher than normal.

And off you go. Top speed depends on the scooter, but mine top out at 15 mph. I understand that the Lymes will make 20 and the city is trying to get them off the sidewalks as a menace to pedestrians. Maybe the scooters should have horns. Like the kind Texans like to put on the hoods of their Cadillacs.

The rig is fairly agile with a 4 or 5 ft turn radius. Since the chair is attached as a 5th wheel, backing is tricky but not impossible. OTOH scooters don't come with a reverse setting so be careful about taking one of these indoors. Not impossible, but really intended for outdoor use.

Having built this and tried it out, I notice that no 2 chair makers use a common frame layout which means that the adapter needs to be peculiar to your chair. Again, I don't know enough about the wheelchair market to say, but I would guess that 2 or 3 makers account for most of the market so maybe modest mass production is possible.

NICS checks - Another Record

November is in and is edging out November 2016 by some 14,000.

I didn't buy anything requiring a check this year, but I did get some fun stuff. How much fun remains to be seen, but I'll be reporting on it before too long.

Healthy Beer - It's Good For You

Remember they say this about everything from Yogurt to Camel cigarettes at some point.

Joe Bidens Worst Nightmare

Behold the 100 clip magazine:

It even includes some high-capacity clips. No serial numbers, no registration, no background check and there's even room for more and larger clips.

Widdle yer britches, snowflakes!

Fun With Headlines - Impeachment Circus

Found at Drudge:

• Sondland Affirmed That ‘No One on This Planet’ Told Him Trump Was Tying Ukraine Aid to Investigating Bidens

See? Proof that the world is controlled by aliens from outer space!

QOTD - Elections

Found at Theo Spark:

This would be a disaster. They interfered in 2016 and look how that turned out.

Actually they have nothing to worry about. Even though the big fish all seem to be Democrats, no one above the level of dog catcher has gone to jail for anything worse than the equivalent of a parking ticket.

Colorado Supreme Court Considers Magazine Capacity Law

Colorado has a 15 round limit on new magazines sold in this state. Magazines acquired before 1 Jul 2013 are grandfathered and since Mags don't generally have their birthdate marked on them, and since repair kits are not magazines, there is a healthy trade in repair kits. It also helps that most of the county sheriffs have stated that they have better things to do than to go about inspecting magazines.


The magazine law is certainly an infringement on the second amendment, and like all gun laws, redounds to the benefit of the criminal class rather than providing any protection to the law abiding. As we also know, judges are impartial, and supreme court judges only take into consideration the constitutionality of a statute without regard to any other considerations.

So what are the odds this law will be struck down or limited in any manner at all? I'm putting it as somewhere in between the appearance of flying pigs and the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Clinton Considers Presidential Bid

With a brand new all graphite form fitting exoskeleton that can support a corpse and make it wave its arms and walk from Boston Robotics, this thing fits under a pantsuit with hardly any embarrassing lumps or bulges. Easily guided by 2 "bodyguards" and powered by small, flat, battery packs from otherwise unserviceable Blackberrys supplemented by discreet power connections in the soles of the shoes to hot spots behind the podium.

My Homeland Security

Took delivery on a trail game camera and mounted it up high under the eave where it has a nice view of the drive, including my car, and hopefully isn't too conspicuous.

Priced in the low 40's, it comes with light weight mounting hardware, limited instructions, and nothing else. You need a sim card and 4 AA batteries to get started, and if you're like me, using it for home security, a 6VDC power supply for extended period use.

I've mounted it and checked the function, and so far so good. My original plan was to mount it indoors and let it look through a window, but the motion sensor seems to be of the ultrasonic variety which won't work through a glass window. So far my biggest complaint is the color scheme which while fine for out in the woods, is not so good against a beige house. Mounted up in a corner, it's 4 in high and 3 in wide and isn't as conspicuous as I had feared, still it would open up markets for Letscom to make the thing in beige so as not to stand out so much against a suburban house. In fact, they could probably make the front look like a birdhouse without trying too hard. Maybe just a snap-on cover.

I'll see how long it takes the wife to notice it.

The Mexican Border and the upcoming election

President trump recently offered President Lopez-Obridor of Mexico military assistance in dealing with the drug cartels that currently run the country, and the offer was refused. Why, do you suppose? Well it's like this; The cartels do in fact control Mexico much like the many little duchies used to control Europe, each one with its own borders, army, and prince. AMLO knows this as does everyone else, presumably including all the Dem candidates who are advocating for an open southern border. The cartels are willing to let him claim to be president of all Mexico as long as he doesn't think he's actually in charge of any of it.

Thus, AMLO is in bed with the cartels, whether he wants to be or not, and he understands that if he tries to get out of bed with them, he won't make it to the door. When El Chapos sons were recently arrested and turned over to the army, the cartel immediately rolled out their own armor and troops, better armed and equipped than the national army and attacked on two fronts, first pinning down the regular army, and at the same time opening a second front which visited the soldiers homes and began killing their families. The army anticipated this and had begun moving the families from on-base housing to more secure locations but not before significant casualties were inflicted.

This seems to be the current state of the state in Mexico. New cartels have sprung up specializing in people smuggling, which the narcos allow to exist as long as they don't try to expand into drugs. As the "refugees from Africa, the Middle East, China, and how could I forget, South and Central America arrive at the U.S. border, they are taken in by the cartel controlling the section of border they happen to bump up against, and hustled across the line.

Effective closure of the border to this sort of thing, possibly along with a reduction in the drug flow will probably result in more aggressive techniques for moving things, possibly involving use of the cartel armies to breach the border and deposit their products deeper inside the U.S. The last time something like this happened, the end result was the Treaty of Guadelupe-Hildago which established the current U.S. -Mexican border. The next time I suppose we might wind up owning all of Mexico, which at this point we could probably do with out. Perhaps we could just inform Mexico that the border was now 200 yards south of its present location, and the strip of land we take will be used to build a roadway with a big wall/fence on the south side of it, thus eliminating the requirement to buy or appropriate any land from American citizens.

Someone should ask the Dem candidates which of the cartels they would turn over control of their newly erased border to and how far north they will tolerate the advance of the narco armies.

Polling Bias - What they don't tell you

Everyone has seen the headlines blaring Trumps approval rating being in the low 40's and making you think he'll be gone by Friday. Now here's the rest of the story: All the leading Dem candidates are doing worse than the president:

Keep in mind that this a poll of 835 registered voters taken between October 30 and November 2, 2019 — or while Democrats and their media allies are on a 24/7 crusade to impeach Trump.

Favorable / Unfavorable

Donald Trump: 44 / 54 percent

Quid Pro Joe Biden: 43 / 50 percent

Bernie “The Fossil” Sanders: 41 / 54 percent

Cherokee Princess Elizabeth Warren: 42 / 44 percent

Dingbat Kamala Harris: 27 / 46 percent

Mean Little Mayor Pete Buttigieg: 27 / 34 percent

One other thing is that at this time in his first term, Obama was 3 points lower than Trump is now even with the 24/7 butt kissing Obie was getting from the press.

Fun With Headlines

From Liberty Daily:

Democrats Propose New Federal Agency To Enforce Big Tech Privacy Invasion

Why? Were they thinking of cutting back on it?

Oct NICS Checks

We just keep buying those guns, and at a slightly higher rate than the population increase.

Happy Halloween

We will worship great Cthulhu

I know I do I hope You do

He will eat us last if we do

and that's good enough for me.

UPDATE 11/1: Great Cthulhu has enough leftover small candy bars to keep him sleeping until next year. At least.

Fun With Headlines - Impeachment

From the WaPo:

A divided House passes resolution on impeachment inquiry, setting stage for televised hearings and release of witness testimony. The resolution allows participation by the minority party only upon approval by the majority and you know that won't happen. This just codifies what's been going on all along. Bottom line is that the Dems got nothing but as long as the media avoid mentioning this, they keep the noise up to distract from the actual criminal investigations.

In Court For A Crime Not Yet Committed

This belongs in the Florida Man file, but since it's happening in Great Britain, it rises above that. Since the defendant is PM, it rises a bit higher. Since the court agreed to hear the case one might begin to wonder just how high the plaintiff and Judge might actually be. Since it's the Scottish High Court, you gotta read this.

The upshot is that a sitting politician is being hauled into court for a crime that, even though he hasn't committed it yet, the plaintiff thinks he will and should therefore be sanctioned in advance. An interesting concept which if applied here would make it possible to jail our elected officials as soon as they take their respective oaths of office. One supposes that the legislatures could meet in the exercise yard for one hour each day to take care of business as long as state laws allow interred legislators to vote from their cells.

Building A Wall In Colorado

Let me state up front that I think this is a great idea. Let me also state that it's about 20-30 years too late. The damage has been done and there's probably no recovering from the massive influx of Californians fleeing their failed state and coming here only to vote for the same people and policies that destroyed California.

We're building our own wall. Here it is under construction:

hat'll slow them down.

How Real Is The Sci Fi?

Found this in the comments at Insty:



In light of the science fiction convention this weekend, I found it especially amusing.

Robots That Say No

A couple of professors from Oz with seemingly little useful to do are advancing the notion that sex bots include a module that makes them refuse their owners advances. This, they say will promote better human interactions.

Sure it will. The owners probably didn't spend $10K+ on a sex bot to have it turn them down from time to time for no reason or even maybe to demand an oil change or something.

Owner: "Look, dear, I got you Mobil 1 Synthetic!"
Robot: "Oh darling, you shouldn't have!"

 You don't buy a car that refuses to take you to the store if it hasn't been washed recently or want's it's stereo upgraded. Nor would you buy a refrigerator that might randomly decide not to keep your food cold.

They suggest that these randomly refusing robots be installed on college campuses where the socially inept might check one out from the library to get some tips on interacting with women. Sure, and then take your homework back to the dorm with you and hope your studies don't bother your roommate too much.

There is also an American law professor demanding that the congress begin writing regulations for sex bots. He has already gotten laws written that make the states part of the tobacco industry, so don't discount him.

Next up: Industrial robots that go on strike shut down for no reason every 2 years or so until the owner pays the AFL-CIO ransom to get the program un-encrypted so the machine can go back to work.

California Politics

Normally I wouldn't get involved as Cali is beyond human comprehension already but 2 days ago I saw Scott Adams of Dilbert fame announce in no uncertain terms that Cali needed a new governor. My reaction: You just now noticed?

Anyway today James Dellengpole published a piece on  Mike Shellenberger which he describes as the worlds only sensible Greenie. Mr S is one of the inventors of the Green Nude Eel but unlike the rest of the mob, he actually found time to sit down and do some math. Admittedly he may well be the only Greenie capable of adding 2+2 and getting 4, but there he is, noting that most of the green/renewable power proposals don't work. In addition they are more expensive and dirtier than this new invention, nuclear.

Mr S has expressed an interest in running for governor and has fully endorsed the use of Gen 4 nukes as a complete replacement for pretty much everything else which should get him the Scott Adams endorsement as long as he doesn't also endorse anything too far out, like say human sacrifice.

There's A Word For This

I'm pretty sure. When you neglect your states energy infrastructure in order to be seen as "Green", then announce rolling blackouts in order to prevent wildfires due to neglected energy infrastructure upkeep, then note that some people may not be able to escape the wildfires that start for this very reason anyway as they have been unable to keep their "green" electric vehicles fully charged due to the rolling blackouts.....

Sometimes the green movement can turn out to be a self-correcting problem.

There was a strip in the Wizard of Id which describes a combination of problems starting with a drought that impacted the peasant farmers coupled with the monsters in the kings moat starving due to a food shortage. The King observed that sometimes problems can be self-correcting.

Gun Laws And The Next Election

The next election is upon us like the locusts of Egypt, and the Dems are trying not to identify as such in the locals. Keep 'em jumping up and down with fun bumper stickers you can print out in landscape format, fold in thirds, and tape to a window until after the brouhaha is over.

Here's one now:

I've not yet seen a gun law that ultimately didn't redound to the benefit of the criminal class.

Bill Gates, Scott Adams, and Clean Power

When I can, I listen to Scott Adams Periscopes which appear at 8AM Mountain time Here. There's supposed to be a way to get notifications of when he starts one of these but Google hates him so the notifications don't seem to work, at least not on my desktop. Thus the link will send you to the right page for the article I'm talking about here, but you will likely have to select the current periscope when it comes up as live to catch them on a daily basis.

The one I'm citing at the link has a segment in it regarding Bill Gates, China, the U.S. Bureaucracy, President Trump, and clean, cheap, safe nuclear power. All this in one segment along with a plaintive cry that Mr. Adams in apparently in a zone slated for a possible power cutoff around noon today due to wildfire dangers due to state mismanagement of various resources.

Mr Adams notes that Bill Gates has sponsored/assisted/obtained a complete set of plans for a Gen 4 nuclear power plant using "spent" nuclear fuel rod material as at least part of the fuel. These things are idiot proof*, pretty much walk-away safe, and when freed of NIMBY type interference, notably cheaper to build and operate than existing generating facilities of similar output. Gates was ready to sponsor the construction of a demonstration plant in the U.S. but couldn't get the regulatory approvals so he went to China where he got them. Of course next, a bit of a trade kerfuffle broke out so his China plant is now on indefinite hold.

In an election year (every year) it would be worthwhile to ask the candidates where they stand on the issue of making America a 3rd world country with rolling blackouts and outdated generating systems or outrageously expensive and inefficient "renewable" based stuff when the solution is ready to be implemented now.

*Yes I know, the more you try to make things fool proof, the more nature produces better fools. I used to design consumer products.

WARREN/CLINTON 2020

The two most powerful figures the Dems have got.


(Would you sell Mrs Warren a life insurance policy if this team wins?)

TEOTWAWKI - Weather

Fall and spring are when mother nature takes the switch between summer and winter and bangs it up and down a few times just to keep us on our toes. Wednesdays high is predicted at 79, Thursdays high is to be 32.

The WU report gets worse and worse every time I check it. 3 days ago it called for a trace of snow overnight. 2 days ago it called for snow overnight, yesterday it said 2-4 inches, this morning it's calling for 3-6. None of the trees have lost significant leaves so I'm going to be frantically trimming my plums today and tomorrow and shutting off the sprinklers. 32 degrees is pretty mild so 3-6 inches would be heavy, wet, stuff, the sort that generates heart attacks in people trying to shovel it.


I'm thinking widespread power outages as limbs come down, food shortages in the markets as people rush to stock up the day before (Wednesday) and uncountable traffic accidents on Thursday as people discover that prepping for global warming by leaving their summer tires on until December isn't working out well.

Not to be spreading panic or anything you understand.

Gun Sales - Still On Track

The September numbers are in and it's another 2M+ month:

Following the predictable ups and down and adding a bit every year.

Gun Safety Forum

The Dem candidates held their  2020 Gun Safety Forum co-hosted by March For Our Lives a couple days ago, and predictably the topic of actual gun safety never came up. Unsurprisingly it was all about how soon all guns could be confiscated from the public to give the criminal class a safe working environment.

I suppose the thinking here goes that if the public takes up using firearms against common criminals and finds that common crime decreases, before you know it they'll begin looking at politicians and getting ideas.

Motorcycles - Change Now Official

Two days ago I parted company with my old friend of several years:

 The 84 Honda Sabre 1100 was a real workhorse, blowing the commuting traffic away and generally being as reliable as a refrigerator. Push button = start, twist throttle = go like bat outta hell.

On the commuter trips you didn't notice the weight so much as most of that was on the freeway. For running local errands however, the weight really makes itself known and the horsepower isn't really needed. The Yamaha 535 is 225 lb lighter and several inches lower to the point that I can sit the bike with both feet flat on the ground and my knees bent. At this point I think my biggest complaint is the acoustic resonance from the intake system at certain engine speeds that whistles very annoyingly usually exactly at the posted speed limits or just before I want to shift gears.

I'm going to miss all that horsepower though.

Clinton Now Leads Harris

As far as the punters are concerned anyway. I ascribe greater credibility to them then the pollsters since the people on Predictit.org are betting their own money on the outcomes and not taking someone elses to provide a desired result.

Improvised Transportation

Walking down the Highline Canal yesterday I noticed what seems to be a home made "houseboat" made from 3 plastic barrels topped with a mattress and box springs. Accompanying were a couple of couch cushions and what might be a domestic cable box or DVD player. Hard to tell from my vantage point. All this is located in the canal about 50 ft east of the trash can at the canal at Broadway and Caley. On shore on the South bank is a red wagon, a stack of bicycle tires and tubes, and bits of an encampment. The "houseboat" is rather large to be down in the canal and may have washed down there from further up stream. Anybody missing some household electronics? Lock your cars.

Quite the contraption, no?

You Don't Need A Lawyer If...

It is said that if the government tells you you don't need a gun, then you probably need a gun.

Latest update: If the government tells you you don't need a lawyer, then you most assuredly need a lawyer. Probably a couple of them.

Happy Anniversary

It's the 70th anniversary of the Communist regime in China, so raise a glass and observe a moment of silence for the (approximately) 70 million they had to kill to establish and maintain the regime.

Tastes Great AND Less Filling

Presumably the best of all worlds and it's compatible with ALL blood types.

Read all about it!

And just in time for Halloween.

Red Flag Law - How well does it work?

If you live in Florida, not very well at all. The statistics on the first year of effect are in and it looks like they have about a 3.5% increase in homicides, gun deaths, and suicides in spite of some 1300 people having been disarmed.

Like nearly all gun laws, the target is not the criminal or the mentally unbalanced, it's the otherwise normal gun owner. New York, I believe, wants to include using "hate speech" as an excuse to disarm its citizens. I suppose putting a Trump sign in your yard for the election will get you listed.

(Not) Arguing With Anti-Gunners

A friend referred me to this article from Armed and Dangerous on the topic of persuading the anti-gunners. Money quotes:

The need, here, was to undermine that substructure. And I saw the way to do it. This is what I said:
“You speak, but I hear only the bleating of a sheep. Your fear gives power to your enemies.”
Ignoramus typed another sentence of historical ignorance. My reply was “Baa! Baa! Baaaaa!”
And another. My reply was more sheep noises, more deliberate mockery. And you know what? A few rounds of this actually worked. Ignoramus protested that he wasn’t a sheep. At which point I asked him “Then why are you disarmed?”
*CRACK*

Never argue facts and figures with a lefty This is a defensive tactic. They have their own facts and they are not negotiable. They will change their minds only when they decide to and the quickest way to get them to do that is to ask questions, which puts you on the offensive. Mockery also works well which may explain why so many of them seem to have no sense of humor.

Little Red Motorbike

Thought I had this sorted out, but no. Took it out to a dinner last night and it decided to not start for the return trip. The battery that came with the bike was obviously far undersized and barely able to start the thing anyway so a new battery today.

Normally this is an easy job, but no. Previous owner had replaced the fuel pump with a non-stock unit that was placed in some of the volume required for a stock battery, so relocate the fuel pump, re-arrange the fuel lines, discover a broken wire (probably the reason it didn't want to start or charge the battery), and wonder how the wires were originally routed with no spare space. Took all day, but it starts and runs well now.

Earlier I cut 2-1/2 inches off a pair of kids bike handlebars and used that as a mold to make a couple of lead slugs. Turned them down a tad to make them a light press fit into the Yamaha bars, and thus did away with most of the handlebar vibration. They weigh .45 lb/each if anyone cares.

Treating Women Like Guns

Someone found a picture of a young lady expressing some anti-gun sentiments. They added some commentary:

Let me try my view:

1. You need to pass a background check and wait 3 days before you can take her out on a date. NOTE: Whether or not she want's to go with you does not enter into the discussion.

2. She can't enter K-12 schools but she can visit state college campuses if accompanied by a licensed escort.

3. She cannot enter a polling place on election day regardless.

4. With the right permit, you can date women without getting a background check every time.

5. OK let's face it, some women are scary enough to be outright banned.

6. She is not permitted in the airport unless completely disguised, say in a burqua, and accompanied by a holder of the right kind of permit, and even then only in the non-secure areas.

7. She wants all women to be locked up when not in use. Locking them up when in use is optional I suppose.

8. In this state "large capacity magazines" are forbidden, so breast sizes larger than "A" are illegal unless acquired/developed prior to 2013. This story will become more and more common as time goes on if progressively less believable.

An  18-year-old, obviously an early bloomer.

Automotive Entertainment

Lake County PD busted a fellow for driving like an idiot:

When the trooper was finally able to make him come to a stop, he learned that Gagliano was worried about his license and stated that because state police cruisers had V6 engines, he was surprised the trooper was able to catch up to him.
However, before he arrested Gagliano, the trooper informed him that his police vehicle had a V8 Hemi, not a V6.

File under "The (not) Fast (Enough) and the Incredulous. Local police frequently use the more economical vehicles but state troopers usually get the real interceptors. Also Mr Gagliano will likely not have to worry about a drivers license for the foreseeable future.

In Memorium

Last night my friend and companion of the last 14 years was diagnosed with cancer which had advanced to massive internal bleeding.

Friday she could barely make it around my block. Saturday she did about a mile and seemed to be improving, Sunday she collapsed and couldn't get up. The vet said she likely would not make it through today so last night we had her put down. She was everybodys friend and will be greatly missed.

Now I have to walk myself those 600-800 miles/year and completely wash my own dishes.

Little Red Motorbike

Mounted a set of leather bags. Nice bags. You'd think this would be an easy job. You'd be wrong. Turned into a 15 step process involving relocating the turn signals and fabricating some support structures. Came out nice though:

One other thing I've found is that carburetor cholesterol* can be treated with judicious application of Mineral spirits at a rate of about 80:1 in the gasoline. A 35mm film can of the stuff in 2.3 gallons of gas seems to work a treat.  Slowly but surely, the bike is running better and better with the last tank of gas getting me just over 50 mpg.

Next up will be dealing with handlebar vibration.

*Buildup of glop in the carb as old gas evaporates. The issue here is quite like the same problem in people with treating cholesterol with a drug to dissolve it and getting chunks of now free-floating stuff causing clots which then cause strokes. In the bike this freed up some amber-colored sludge in the aft carb which got under the float needle and caused uncontrolled peeing of gasoline down over a hot engine.

QOTD - Gun Bans

Sen John Kennedy (R-LA) (not those Kennedys) responding to a letter signed by numerous CEOs anxious not to see calls for boycotts of their goods by the noisy left:

"And about that poll, first, I have got to see the poll that say what folks say they say. I know how to write a poll question. I can make a poll walk, talk, and whistle the Battle Hymn of the Republic."

 Most of us have figured that part out by now and see polls saying that 92% of everyone favors stricter gun control while also seeing reports that New Jerseys magazine turn in law has netted a total of zero magazines.

The disconnect here is right up there with Hillarys 95% chance of winning the presidency, and as someone else observed; Trump hasn't had unfavorable poll results this bad since election night 2016.

Scenes We'd Like To See

Shades of the old Mad magazine:

https://www.imao.us/index.php/2019/09/in-surprise-5-4-ruling-supreme-court-holds-that-second-amendment-requires-mandatory-gun-ownership/

Got to be careful what you wish for. There are people out there who shouldn't have sharpened crayons.

Warning Labels

Since they worked so well when attached to things like cigarettes, a Cali (where else) lawmaker is proposing they be stamped onto guns:

It would read: “WARNING: IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE, PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE,” said the lawmaker.

Sure, that'll help. Somewhere between 66% and 75% of gun deaths are suicides So that should reduce the total of gun deaths significantly. But why stop there? Print this warning on tape and require every hardware store to attach it as a tag to every piece of rope over 1/4" in diameter and longer than 10 feet.

Make the warning tape adhesive, and require it to be attached to every bottle of sleep aids containing more than 10 pills. Ban the sale of large capacity magazines of such medications containing more than 10 pills while we're at it. 

Respondents to the survey at the link think neglect of the mental health system is the biggest factor in the number of gun deaths, although this would primarily address only the occasional mass shooting. Those get the headlines even though they don't account for the bigger part of the deaths. More to the point would be thug control but this would affect certain privileged groups more than others so that's likely a non-starter.

Colo Dems Push Gun Control, Defend Thugs

It looks like Colorado Dems, DeGette and Neguse, are pushing a national Red Flag bill which would allow pretty much anyone to SWAT pretty much anyone they didn't like. Due Process? What's that?

(Ken) Buck introduced an amendment to the bill that would make the law apply specifically to known gang members, who he says are responsible for 80% of all gun homicides. But Democrats killed that amendment.
“We need to get guns out of the hands of violent criminals. That starts with law enforcement another tool to disarm gang members. We should target red flags against known criminals, especially gang members. This approach will have the most meaningful impact in reducing gun violence,” Buck said.

The problem here is that the thugs work and vote for Democrats, and wouldn't be able to do that if they are currently in jail, so no, the law cannot be specifically applied to thugs.

NICS Checks - Heading For A Record

Although the actual increase isn't all that large, it looks like we're heading for an all 2M+ checks year. Also remember that gun sales account for only about 70% of the totals:

Click for full size.

Gun Control "Compromise"?

An interesting proposition from Wayne Root:

But nonetheless, I’m willing to compromise. I’m willing to give Democrats a crown jewel of what they’ve crusaded for, for decades.
I want President Trump to call their bluff. Democrats want “universal background checks” on all gun sales. Let’s give it to them…
As soon as Democrats agree to Federal Government-Issued Photo and Fingerprint ID for every voter in America.

Universal background checks don't actually work unless accompanied by universal gun registration which nobody on our side likes but cheat-proof voter ID is something that can work but would likely cut in to the Donk voter base which means they won't go for it unless the ID card is not required to actually vote.

While we're at it, let's eliminate mail-in voting which is far too easy to cheat on.

Conspiracy Theory

I had always thought that this might be just a bit too much for the mainstream, but then again;

Winston Smith, Call Your Office.

The city council in San Fran has unanimously voted to declare the NRA to be a domestic terrorist organization.


If the NRA is a terrorist organization, then membership in it will reduce your social score to the point that you are not allowed to purchase a firearm. Thus the NRA becomes the most potent gun control organization in the country and membership in it will raise your social score to the point that you are permitted to buy a firearm.  If you can believe both of these propositions at the same time, you qualify for high political office.

Gun Debates

Every culture in the world has a homily in its lore about entering into debates with crazy people. Notably they all say the same thing: Don't.

Sometimes the crazies get together outside the asylums and form political parties and even though any knowledgeable person would recognize the insanity immediately, the arguments can have a superficial persuasiveness that can get them into office.

They offer "reasoned discourse". They lie, but here at Red State is a set of standards for any discourse involving guns. Again, any knowledgeable person will know in advance that they will never be met.

Executive summary:

• If you can show how any law you propose will only effect future mass shooters, we’re willing to talk.

• If you want to make it illegal for weapons to be sold privately, nice try.

• If you demand limiting the availability of a model of weapon based on extrinsic characteristics, dude, you are a clown.

• If you want the same people who get you banned on Twitter deciding if you can own a firearm, we don’t want to hear it (here | here).

• If you want gun ownership restricted so you can feel safer, buy an nightlight and comfort blankie, check under your bed for the boogie man and leave us alone.

There's more. RTWT.

Out of Town

I was out of town shooting this weekend at the Cameo Shooting and educational facility in Palisade CO. Did anything happen?
The hotel owner was one of the participants:

The Cameo range facility is the biggest and fanciest in the country. Here's part of the backstop.

As a by product of the location surrounded by rock walls like this one, every shot would echo several times off the various formations. You gotta be there to appreciate it. Definitely worth the trip.

You also get to meet the nicest people:

 Offer him a banana:

Lots of scenery

This is Glenwood Canyon

And the trees stop growing at about 11.200 ft altitude:

To put the best possible spin on it, I finished 2nd in my class Most of the points I lost were due to brain farts rather than anything related to my shooting. More pics at the Cameo facebook page. As I'm not on Facebook. I can't get there from here.

Safe-2-Swat Law Used In Loveland

Loveland has a policy, “Safe-2-Tell”, that allows anyone to anonymously report anyone else for doing anything that "bothers" them. This results in a police visit and a suspension from school with no contacts to allow a student to keep up with lessons.

The students refer to this as the "Safe-2-Swat" rule as judgement is passed and penalties assessed with no due process. The victim is required to prove to a board of 6 school board officials that they are definitively NOT a threat to anyone.

A student at a Loveland high school is now being forced to go through this process for going to a shooting range with his mother.

UPDATE: The bad publicity seems to have gotten to the school administration.

Someone called the anonymous line “Safe2Tell,” and reported they feared Nathan was threatening the school. “Safe2Tell” is designed for youth to be able to give tips to their school and police about threatening situations. However, Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said the line has been dubbed “Safe2Swat,” by kids who use the line for both practical jokes and to get even with other students they may have a conflict with.
Swatting is a term that is used when someone deceptively sends police and other emergency services to another person’s address through false reporting of an emergency or criminal action.

Ammo Testing

Nothing exciting here but this coming weekend I'm going to the IDPA stste championship match at Palasade and this being a level 4 match, they're doing everything by the book including checking everyone's ammo through the chroney. I decided to check mine just in case.

This being a lost brass match I didn't want to use my reloads but it turns out I have 250 rds of Blazer 155 gr and 100 red of Tul 180 gr.

Results:
My reloads, 180 gr RNFP over 4 gr Titegroup - about 1000 fps
Tul 180 gr RN over Russki powder                  - about 800 fps
Blazer 155 gr over something. Hot Damn!       - avg 1375 fps

All of these qualify  but the blazer is super hot. Tul and Blazer are both Aluminum cased so I won't miss that "brass". I'd prefer something a bit less lively than the Blazer, that or a muzzle brake but oh well, I don't expect to make any exalted level there so I run what I've got.

Everybody Talks About The Weather...

Some people use it as an excuse to raise taxes, others simply change their dress to match. Trump denies considering using nukes on hurricanes although someone suggested that back in the Eisenhower administration where it was roundly dismissed.

Meantime T.S. Dorian is heading toward southern Florida.

I suppose Trump might consider giving this a try if the eye of the storm passes over the liberal enclave of Miami ostensibly as an effort to save the more conservative rest of the state. Anything might be possible in an election year.

Little Red Motorcycle

Topped off the tank today to discover that I seemed to be getting about 32 mpg. This is about half of what I was expecting but I'm optimistic that this will improve as I start using the bike to actually go places rather than just going around the block in the lower gears to check how things are working.

Didn't come out half bad I think.

Smackdown of the Week

Or, if the questioner is female, before you cut off your S.O.s dick?

Found at The Daily Gator.

When Technology Fails - Facial Recognition

Some facial recognition software was recently tested in California which identified a bunch of legislators there as criminals. The criminals legislators objected to this for some reason and now insist that the software not be included on police body cams.

Gun Laws - How Well Do They Work

Mr T 2's twitter feed is reporting that Colorado's violent crime rate took a big jump after we got universal background checks, magazine capacity limits and other feel-good laws in 2013:

Source is Colo Bureau of Investigation according to him. Looks like violent crime was in decline until the legislators stepped in to save us.

Others have noticed.

Will It Run - 10.1 Details

One of my friends mentioned that I had left out the steps between step 8 and step 10. Not so, step 9 was back in early July featuring me bitching about the stock carbs being really bunged up. Step 1 involved me throwing up the hands and fabricating an intake manifold to accept a single side draft carb of the same size as the originals.

Found a Mikuni knock-off that came with 2 spare jets and a rubber adapter to attach it to whatever engine you want. This thing also came with a page of instructions written in Chinese with translations that sometimes resembled English.

Click to enlarge. From what was readable, the jetting that came with the carb was the richest and was intended to work on a 125cc 2-stroke. Swapping to the smaller jets and dropping the needle one notch has the 535 running like a normal motor and the plugs show no soot deposits any more.

The carb has a raised lip that attaches firmly to the rubber adapter provided, which BTW has a spacer feature in the middle that reduces the port from 32mm to 28mm. The adapter was replaced with a piece of radiator hose with an Oring spacer that has no restrictions at all. The manifold has no engagement features so the hose needed to be as long as I could make it and some punch dimples added to the manifold spigot for traction. This works.

The engine is a 90 degree twin. There's a fellow selling a cast Aluminum manifold with gentle curves and a real Mikuni carb for about $600 which I'm sure works a treat. This one cost $28 for the carb plus some sweat. The perfect is the enemy of the good enough as they say.

The ChiCom carb was intended to work from a gravity feed fuel tank, so reducing the fuel pump pressure seemed prudent. The above Delrin block has a hole thru it on the bottom from fuel pump on the right to the carb on the left. The passage in the middle is drilled about halfway through and is connected back to the fuel tank. Down from the top is a small hole through to the lower passage with a check ball and spring. Excess fuel is passed up to the return line and the pressure is adjusted with the set screw at the top, barely visible. This reduces the delivered fuel pressure to 2 psi which the carb can handle. Crude, but effective.

Meantime I had a pair of carbs from a newer 535 fall into my lap from an unlikely source. They seem to be all there and not bunged up. The only thing holding me back is that the aft carb has coagulated gas holding the float needle in to the seat with the tenacity of Super Glue. At some point the  needle will loosen up and I'll finish the cleaning and try them out. Who knows, they may work. 6 years, a model change and 3-6 revisions so they must be better, no?

Will It Run - 10 - Final?

Looks like it. Minor mods to the carb mount and some tweaking of the jets and the thing seems to be running well. Slightly sticky throttle leading to fast idle, but that's most likely a lack of lube on the cable. Drove it up to the bank just now and the rear spark plug looks like it's never been in an engine. Nice.

Spent today fitting a small faring to it. PITA to get on or off, and yes I should have painted it first, but I wasn't sure it would actually fit so I've got a blue faring on a burgandy bike. I'll fix that later. Looks like I put about 90 miles on it just getting it to run.

 Fuel pressure regulator and ChiCom carb. That line from the bottom leading up is an overflow. Any other place I point it would drool gas onto a hot engine.

It had 7382 when I started. Lotta trips around the block.