Hard to argue with....
There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all... The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic... There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.
Teddy Roosevelt
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
100 years ago....
1911.....3/29...
The M1911 was adopted by the United States Army.
A good thing.
There may be more modern pistols available, but the 1911 has existed for 100 years....for a reason.
I own 4 examples of the design, and several variations...I carry one nearly every day.
Thank you, Mr. Browning.
The M1911 was adopted by the United States Army.
A good thing.
There may be more modern pistols available, but the 1911 has existed for 100 years....for a reason.
I own 4 examples of the design, and several variations...I carry one nearly every day.
Thank you, Mr. Browning.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Should I call her " Vera"?
At the gunshow on Sat. I sold one, and bought another....Traded a handgun for FRN's and then, before they devalued too much farther while I was holding them...., I used them to buy a longgun. (gotta love a state where FTF purchases are legal)
"She's a 26" heavy barrelled Savage 112 in .223 with a Timney trigger topped with a Weaver "classic" scope...."
I may well have to call her "Vera".
Or something.
Claimed accuracy is 1.1" at 100 yds....Said claim made after I had purchased it, so I have little reason to doubt the man. Said he was selling it to generate cash for Cowboy Action firearms...
The stock needs a bit of work (dents and scratches), but the metal is pristine. The trigger is SWEET!.... Rifling is clean and sharp, and the crown is either recently turned or it has less than a thousand rounds through it......Bluing is even and has no scratches. The scope is clean and sharp.
Likely the rifle will shoot better than I will be able to.My hands are not as steady as they were when I learned to shoot 25+ years ago.
We shall see.
"She's a 26" heavy barrelled Savage 112 in .223 with a Timney trigger topped with a Weaver "classic" scope...."
I may well have to call her "Vera".
Or something.
Claimed accuracy is 1.1" at 100 yds....Said claim made after I had purchased it, so I have little reason to doubt the man. Said he was selling it to generate cash for Cowboy Action firearms...
The stock needs a bit of work (dents and scratches), but the metal is pristine. The trigger is SWEET!.... Rifling is clean and sharp, and the crown is either recently turned or it has less than a thousand rounds through it......Bluing is even and has no scratches. The scope is clean and sharp.
Likely the rifle will shoot better than I will be able to.My hands are not as steady as they were when I learned to shoot 25+ years ago.
We shall see.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
We'll give 'em to them anyway
Interesting viewpoint from a Democrat:
The Tea Party Republicans in Washington claim they’re concerned about the budget balance, but it’s a disguise! It’s not true! It’s a lie! That’s not what they want. They want — they want other people not to be able to have their own opinions. They don’t deserve the freedoms that are in the Constitution! But we’ll give them to them anyway.
Interesting how these folks think, innit?
The Tea Party Republicans in Washington claim they’re concerned about the budget balance, but it’s a disguise! It’s not true! It’s a lie! That’s not what they want. They want — they want other people not to be able to have their own opinions. They don’t deserve the freedoms that are in the Constitution! But we’ll give them to them anyway.
Interesting how these folks think, innit?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Bacon!
Went to the Nappannee gunshow today. Bought and sold some guns too....But that is another post, for later, when I can take a few pictures for posting.....
Today's topic is bacon....
A bit of background:
Midwest Chick and I convinced Og and his friend to go with us, as they are serious collectors and this a show for serious collectors....
Of course, we had promised them that there would be, nearby, an Excellent Breakfast. And, I think, that he will agree.
So we went to get food before entering the gunshow.
I so love watching someone find their Happy Bacon Moment. The smiles on their faces were gratifying.....
Bacon! (this was, I believe, the third trip past the buffet..)
Amish Bacon. Not sure of it is made with real Amish. but it sure tastes GOOD.
I, of course, only ate 0.93 lbs of bacon (as well as some biscuits and gravy and assorted potato bits and such) 'cause I are on a diet.....
Today's topic is bacon....
A bit of background:
Midwest Chick and I convinced Og and his friend to go with us, as they are serious collectors and this a show for serious collectors....
Of course, we had promised them that there would be, nearby, an Excellent Breakfast. And, I think, that he will agree.
So we went to get food before entering the gunshow.
I so love watching someone find their Happy Bacon Moment. The smiles on their faces were gratifying.....
Bacon! (this was, I believe, the third trip past the buffet..)
Amish Bacon. Not sure of it is made with real Amish. but it sure tastes GOOD.
I, of course, only ate 0.93 lbs of bacon (as well as some biscuits and gravy and assorted potato bits and such) 'cause I are on a diet.....
Halfway through "Earth Hour"
Yeah, right, like I was gonna bother....
I don't do symbolic shit.
I actually live it.
And any of you fools who think that one hour of behavior change out of 8,766 does anything (besides increase your level of self- induced smugness) significant needs your ass kicked.
Just on general principles.
I don't do symbolic shit.
I actually live it.
And any of you fools who think that one hour of behavior change out of 8,766 does anything (besides increase your level of self- induced smugness) significant needs your ass kicked.
Just on general principles.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Welcome to the Global economy
Wonder how many plants will shut down until Japan gets their shit together.
Lotta people gonna be out of work. And so Japan's troubles become our troubles.
Lotta people gonna be out of work. And so Japan's troubles become our troubles.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
In any organization
there is about 10% that actually do something to help or promote or raise funds for that organization. The rest never show when there is work to be done. And 20% of that sub-group complain about the work done.
That was the case this weekend:
At the range which I belong to, there is a barn for storage of targets for the outdoor range. The roof has needed work for YEARS, and this weekend some of the more active members got together to re-roof the thing.
Out of 100 members, 9 showed up. All worked for at least 6 hours, clearing brush and trees, tearing off the old roof, and rebuilding the structure prior to the actual re-roofing.
10.5 hours for some of us. And I found out that I was REALLY out of shape. I still hurt today, even though the work party was on Saturday.
The sad part is that few, if any of the rest of the members will appreciate the work those people put in. And they'll likely complain about the color of the new roof. If they do, I hope anyone who worked on the barn doesn't kneecap them. Even though the kneecapping will be most richly deserved.
But they'll store their stuff there anyway.
And my thanks to those who worked with me to improve our club.
That was the case this weekend:
At the range which I belong to, there is a barn for storage of targets for the outdoor range. The roof has needed work for YEARS, and this weekend some of the more active members got together to re-roof the thing.
Out of 100 members, 9 showed up. All worked for at least 6 hours, clearing brush and trees, tearing off the old roof, and rebuilding the structure prior to the actual re-roofing.
10.5 hours for some of us. And I found out that I was REALLY out of shape. I still hurt today, even though the work party was on Saturday.
The sad part is that few, if any of the rest of the members will appreciate the work those people put in. And they'll likely complain about the color of the new roof. If they do, I hope anyone who worked on the barn doesn't kneecap them. Even though the kneecapping will be most richly deserved.
But they'll store their stuff there anyway.
And my thanks to those who worked with me to improve our club.
Questions
So now that our Dear Leader has decided to follow the lead of the us, and France (France!) and the UK in arming up to remove Qaddafi enforce the no-fly zone above Libya, I have to ask a few questions:
One: Isn't this really a war for oil? Should we expect all the liberal anti-war groups to get themselvessober enough to protest organized and begin chanting "no blood for oil!" like they did when Bush was working towards regime change in Iraq? Of course, that argument falls flat when it is a war for Europe's oil, not oil for the US......Doesn't it? Will Code Pink and their ilk soon be staging sit-ins and such everywhere the president goes....or they can get someone to point a camera at them?
2. Why are we the point country this time? We really get very little oil from Libya. Last time I checked it was something like 1.6%. Shouldn't the Europeans be taking the point on this? Oh, yeah, none of them have any military to speak of anymore. They hid behind NATO so they could spend their military money on socialist programs. So now they only have a token military force, therefore need the US to do their dirty work.
III. Who is paying for all of the hardware, like missiles and Tomahawks and the F-15 that just got shot down? Should we bill France? Or Spain? Perhaps take the cost out of the duesmandated by paid to the UN?
IV. Once the UN acted (took them long enough!) why was there no mandated waiting period for Qaddafi to implement the restrictions which he had promised to abide by? When the situation in Iraq was happening, everyone pushed for patience. Why not the same now?
Five. Any argument used against the war in Iraq, or Afghanistan (or Vietnam, for that matter) could be used in today's actions against Libya. So why is it now a good idea, and not when a Republican is pushing for "regime change"?
6. Do our actions today, at the bequest of the UN, make our country (and therefore it's military) an extension of the UN? Are we now the enforcement arm of the United Nations? Since we are the only country with a military able to do this (besides Russia) are we, therefore, lapdogs of the UN? Will this be precedent setting.....Will we invade (or at least bomb) any country which has sufficiently offended the folks at the UN at the request of the UN? Or will there continue to be a double standard after 2012 when our next president is a Republican (or at least a conservative), with continued protests next time the US decides to unilaterally remove a threat or to prevent a leader from massacring his own citizens?
VII. Will the Nobel Committee revoke Mr. Obama's Peace Prize? (Not that he had actually earned one or anything, but that is another discussion for anther time) I mean, now HE is the warmonger, on a par with the EEEVIL BUSH.
One: Isn't this really a war for oil? Should we expect all the liberal anti-war groups to get themselves
2. Why are we the point country this time? We really get very little oil from Libya. Last time I checked it was something like 1.6%. Shouldn't the Europeans be taking the point on this? Oh, yeah, none of them have any military to speak of anymore. They hid behind NATO so they could spend their military money on socialist programs. So now they only have a token military force, therefore need the US to do their dirty work.
III. Who is paying for all of the hardware, like missiles and Tomahawks and the F-15 that just got shot down? Should we bill France? Or Spain? Perhaps take the cost out of the dues
IV. Once the UN acted (took them long enough!) why was there no mandated waiting period for Qaddafi to implement the restrictions which he had promised to abide by? When the situation in Iraq was happening, everyone pushed for patience. Why not the same now?
Five. Any argument used against the war in Iraq, or Afghanistan (or Vietnam, for that matter) could be used in today's actions against Libya. So why is it now a good idea, and not when a Republican is pushing for "regime change"?
6. Do our actions today, at the bequest of the UN, make our country (and therefore it's military) an extension of the UN? Are we now the enforcement arm of the United Nations? Since we are the only country with a military able to do this (besides Russia) are we, therefore, lapdogs of the UN? Will this be precedent setting.....Will we invade (or at least bomb) any country which has sufficiently offended the folks at the UN at the request of the UN? Or will there continue to be a double standard after 2012 when our next president is a Republican (or at least a conservative), with continued protests next time the US decides to unilaterally remove a threat or to prevent a leader from massacring his own citizens?
VII. Will the Nobel Committee revoke Mr. Obama's Peace Prize? (Not that he had actually earned one or anything, but that is another discussion for anther time) I mean, now HE is the warmonger, on a par with the EEEVIL BUSH.
Para update #3
So the new extractor arrived today via Fed-Ex.
No springs though.
So I am both happy with their service, and kinda disappointed that they only did half of what they promised.
I'll install it in the next few days and test it out at the range shortly after that.
more as available.
No springs though.
So I am both happy with their service, and kinda disappointed that they only did half of what they promised.
I'll install it in the next few days and test it out at the range shortly after that.
more as available.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Y'know
As the tragedy in Japan plays out, I grow more and more disgusted with people, and especially the MSM.
Total people likely to die from direct or indirect issues with the nuclear power plants will be .01% of the already dead and missing that we know about from the earthquake and tsunami which precipitated the incident. Yet they harp on the "pending meltdown" with a gleam in their eyes, as if such a disaster would be a good thing for anyone, were it to happen,
And it appears that if you say "nuclear" or "radioactive" to most people, and especially a reporter, they immediately go into this wild eyed pants-shitting hysteria. If you say the word "contamination" then they immediately add a puddle of urine to their already messy pants.
And it isn't like there is no information available about radiation. For gods sake, folks, use those wonderful tools we have available on the Internet: Google, Yahoo, etc. For quick information, and at least a place to start, you can use Wikipedia. It's not like there is any cost for their use (assuming your Internet access already exists....if not, go to your local library or Starbucks).
'Take an hour to learn to understand what the numbers mean. The background radiation in most European cities is higher right now that it is in most paces in Japan, even close to the plant.
I realize that most reporters are not chosen for their high level of intelligence, but rather for their ability to look handsome in a suit (or to fill out a blouse) in order to be more attractive to their viewers, and to be able to read a teleprompter without squinting, but for chrissake, take a little time to learn enough about your subject to be able to speak intelligently.
I understand that if you have no training in anything besides speaking and your main goal in life is to look good, not actually be more intelligent than the average dachshund, that the science parts can be hard, what with all those confusing numbers and units like microsieverts (which sound an awful lot like, you know, millisieverts) rads, millirads, microrads, grays, becquerel, curies, etc.
Perhaps you should have someone just convert the units and measurements to the Banana Equivalent * so you can more easily understand.
Unless, of course, you really just want to either look stupid, or just breathlessly sensationalize what is really not that big of a deal.
If instead, you spent some time generating real sincere sympathy for those funny looking yellow-skinned slant-eyed people, you'd actually do some good instead of wasting airspace and oxygen.
BTW, where are the fund raisers and demands for the US to send billions of dollars of foreign aid to the Japanese people.....you know, like there were for Haiti.....
*thanks to Og for reminding me
Total people likely to die from direct or indirect issues with the nuclear power plants will be .01% of the already dead and missing that we know about from the earthquake and tsunami which precipitated the incident. Yet they harp on the "pending meltdown" with a gleam in their eyes, as if such a disaster would be a good thing for anyone, were it to happen,
And it appears that if you say "nuclear" or "radioactive" to most people, and especially a reporter, they immediately go into this wild eyed pants-shitting hysteria. If you say the word "contamination" then they immediately add a puddle of urine to their already messy pants.
And it isn't like there is no information available about radiation. For gods sake, folks, use those wonderful tools we have available on the Internet: Google, Yahoo, etc. For quick information, and at least a place to start, you can use Wikipedia. It's not like there is any cost for their use (assuming your Internet access already exists....if not, go to your local library or Starbucks).
'Take an hour to learn to understand what the numbers mean. The background radiation in most European cities is higher right now that it is in most paces in Japan, even close to the plant.
I realize that most reporters are not chosen for their high level of intelligence, but rather for their ability to look handsome in a suit (or to fill out a blouse) in order to be more attractive to their viewers, and to be able to read a teleprompter without squinting, but for chrissake, take a little time to learn enough about your subject to be able to speak intelligently.
I understand that if you have no training in anything besides speaking and your main goal in life is to look good, not actually be more intelligent than the average dachshund, that the science parts can be hard, what with all those confusing numbers and units like microsieverts (which sound an awful lot like, you know, millisieverts) rads, millirads, microrads, grays, becquerel, curies, etc.
Perhaps you should have someone just convert the units and measurements to the Banana Equivalent * so you can more easily understand.
Unless, of course, you really just want to either look stupid, or just breathlessly sensationalize what is really not that big of a deal.
If instead, you spent some time generating real sincere sympathy for those funny looking yellow-skinned slant-eyed people, you'd actually do some good instead of wasting airspace and oxygen.
BTW, where are the fund raisers and demands for the US to send billions of dollars of foreign aid to the Japanese people.....you know, like there were for Haiti.....
*thanks to Og for reminding me
Sunday, March 20, 2011
aid?
So how many billions of aid are we going to provide to the Japanese to rebuild their country (or at least the part that was washed away by the tsunami after the earthquake loosened everything up)?
If we improve things there as much percentage wise as we did Haiti, then exactly how good will it be....A paradise?
I don't see any telethons or other fundraisers for the stricken Japanese prefectures....Why not?
If we improve things there as much percentage wise as we did Haiti, then exactly how good will it be....A paradise?
I don't see any telethons or other fundraisers for the stricken Japanese prefectures....Why not?
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Calling out the liars
Yes, they do that. Debunking a debunker.
Worth the read. Interesting how some folks twist things to make themselves look good, innit?
Worth the read. Interesting how some folks twist things to make themselves look good, innit?
Underwhelmed/Para update #2
I called Para again at 11:45 am Central time, since they did not call me back.
This time, I spoke to an actual person. This time my experience was actually good.
He offered to send me a new extractor. I accepted, as this is the easiest and fastest way for me to return the pistol to operation. He apologized for the failure, and also offered to send me new springs for my other LDA carry.
This is the sort of service one would expect. No issues, no problems, and no hassles. Helpful and friendly. Beyond the minimum.
Sadly though, it took 3 phone calls to get it. He did apologize for the failure to return my call, and said that they (Para) were training new customer service reps. IMO, I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO CLL THEN MORE THAN ONCE. But I did. Hopefully, this is the end of things.
Hopefully, having given him model and serial number, they will send me the correct part.
Updates as appropriate. But you can bet that this WILL have an influence on my next purchase. (and I buy 2+ pistols and rifles a year, on average....)
Now if only they would give precise instructions as to the takedown of the LDA system, life would be perfect.
This time, I spoke to an actual person. This time my experience was actually good.
He offered to send me a new extractor. I accepted, as this is the easiest and fastest way for me to return the pistol to operation. He apologized for the failure, and also offered to send me new springs for my other LDA carry.
This is the sort of service one would expect. No issues, no problems, and no hassles. Helpful and friendly. Beyond the minimum.
Sadly though, it took 3 phone calls to get it. He did apologize for the failure to return my call, and said that they (Para) were training new customer service reps. IMO, I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO CLL THEN MORE THAN ONCE. But I did. Hopefully, this is the end of things.
Hopefully, having given him model and serial number, they will send me the correct part.
Updates as appropriate. But you can bet that this WILL have an influence on my next purchase. (and I buy 2+ pistols and rifles a year, on average....)
Now if only they would give precise instructions as to the takedown of the LDA system, life would be perfect.
y'know
Now that things are "settling" in Japan...That is to say that the situation is stabilising....Those who are homeless have been brought to/found shelter and those who still have a home or shelter are learning to deal with no or intermittent electrical power and other utilities... All while the nights are below freezing.
Anyway, one thing I am reading reports of is that stores, even stores in the areas which are not housing refugees from the tsunami affected areas, are beginning to run low on food. Gasoline is, by all accounts hard to come by.Emergency rations are being...rationed. Only children and elderly are getting food right now in some shelters.
This is the reason that preps such as a weeks worth of food. and perhaps a few days worth of water are important. The Japanese society and government are well organized and will soon, no doubt, have the distribution of food and water and fuel quickly reorganized. Major roads will soon be passable. People in shelters will no doubt be clothed and fed very soon. Stores will soon be stocked. Gasoline will soon be available, even if it is rationed. But this sort of disaster recovery takes time: days, even weeks.
But in the meantime, those "lucky" folks not in shelters without food in the house or water stored, or a supplemental means of heating their house will be having issues. What do you do when your food runs out and the stores are empty? Or when the water distribution system is damaged by the earthquake and you are thirsty? I guess you just wait in misery until the system is fixed.
Or, you open your previously stocked emergency supplies and are comfortable until the system returns. If nothing else, you can help others until the authorities get organized and up to speed.
Or you can wait and be miserable until the stores are restocked. If they are.
You are stocked for a week or so, aren't you?
If not, why not?
Anyway, one thing I am reading reports of is that stores, even stores in the areas which are not housing refugees from the tsunami affected areas, are beginning to run low on food. Gasoline is, by all accounts hard to come by.Emergency rations are being...rationed. Only children and elderly are getting food right now in some shelters.
This is the reason that preps such as a weeks worth of food. and perhaps a few days worth of water are important. The Japanese society and government are well organized and will soon, no doubt, have the distribution of food and water and fuel quickly reorganized. Major roads will soon be passable. People in shelters will no doubt be clothed and fed very soon. Stores will soon be stocked. Gasoline will soon be available, even if it is rationed. But this sort of disaster recovery takes time: days, even weeks.
But in the meantime, those "lucky" folks not in shelters without food in the house or water stored, or a supplemental means of heating their house will be having issues. What do you do when your food runs out and the stores are empty? Or when the water distribution system is damaged by the earthquake and you are thirsty? I guess you just wait in misery until the system is fixed.
Or, you open your previously stocked emergency supplies and are comfortable until the system returns. If nothing else, you can help others until the authorities get organized and up to speed.
Or you can wait and be miserable until the stores are restocked. If they are.
You are stocked for a week or so, aren't you?
If not, why not?
Monday, March 14, 2011
Underwhelmed
Called Para at 8:35 AM central time. Their system is set up so you have to leave a message and they will call you back. :-( ....I left a detailed message and a phone number.
Now they don't promise you when they will call back, and so at 4:30 central time I called them back...same message. Perhaps tomorrow.
I am underwhelmed. It would have been nice to get a real person to speak to the first time......Failing that, a return phone call would have been nice...Perhaps they have had a great deal of calls as this is a Monday.
Either way, it strikes me as less than desirable levels of customer service.
Now I have to expect them to call back when I will not be able to answer. I do, after all, sometimes have to work and all that.
This, again, sucks.
Now they don't promise you when they will call back, and so at 4:30 central time I called them back...same message. Perhaps tomorrow.
I am underwhelmed. It would have been nice to get a real person to speak to the first time......Failing that, a return phone call would have been nice...Perhaps they have had a great deal of calls as this is a Monday.
Either way, it strikes me as less than desirable levels of customer service.
Now I have to expect them to call back when I will not be able to answer. I do, after all, sometimes have to work and all that.
This, again, sucks.
On Penetration:
Once upon a time......many years ago, someone, I will not use his name (I promised), had an ND (Negligent Discharge*) happen in my house. Luckily, no one was hurt, nothing was damaged, and things went forward....
This Sunday, I finished removing the old carpeting from that room. As the bullet from the ND had never been found, and no exit or other bullet hole had ever been found, it was assumed that it was somewhere in the floor......I found it today.
The bullet, which was a 200 grain lead semi-wadcutter, was lodged in the particle board underlayment, beneath the carpeting and padding. I was actually surprised to find that the bullet had not penetrated farther.
Actual penetration (at a very shallow angle) was just under 3/4 of an inch.
This was a reload, 200g LSWC, loaded to about 750 FPS. I would have thought that it would be able to penetrate the floor, even at this angle....
But nope. just made it to the layer of plywood under the particle board....and it was between the joists. The plywood backing the particle board is also 3/4 inch... I really would have expected the bullet to have penetrated the flooring and gone into the basement.
The bullet was surprisingly un-deformed. I could load it and shoot it again, I think.
But I'll keep it instead, as a reminder to be careful and always follow the Rules...Or I might send it to that person, perhaps cast in acrylic, just as a memento... and as a reminder of howstupid lucky we were that day that no one was hurt.
Lesson learned that day. One neither of us will ever forget.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* ND (Negligent) rather than AD (Accidental) because the person, could have been anyone, even me....was field stripping an XD and when they pulled the trigger to get the slide off the frame, found out that they had not checked the chamber enough times.....
This Sunday, I finished removing the old carpeting from that room. As the bullet from the ND had never been found, and no exit or other bullet hole had ever been found, it was assumed that it was somewhere in the floor......I found it today.
The bullet, which was a 200 grain lead semi-wadcutter, was lodged in the particle board underlayment, beneath the carpeting and padding. I was actually surprised to find that the bullet had not penetrated farther.
Actual penetration (at a very shallow angle) was just under 3/4 of an inch.
This was a reload, 200g LSWC, loaded to about 750 FPS. I would have thought that it would be able to penetrate the floor, even at this angle....
But nope. just made it to the layer of plywood under the particle board....and it was between the joists. The plywood backing the particle board is also 3/4 inch... I really would have expected the bullet to have penetrated the flooring and gone into the basement.
The bullet was surprisingly un-deformed. I could load it and shoot it again, I think.
But I'll keep it instead, as a reminder to be careful and always follow the Rules...Or I might send it to that person, perhaps cast in acrylic, just as a memento... and as a reminder of how
Lesson learned that day. One neither of us will ever forget.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* ND (Negligent) rather than AD (Accidental) because the person, could have been anyone, even me....was field stripping an XD and when they pulled the trigger to get the slide off the frame, found out that they had not checked the chamber enough times.....
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Para update
It's broke.
As I wrote here, it died at 437 rounds.
The end (claw) of the extractor broke off. I am hoping that Para will just send me a new one. It'll be easier (and likely faster) to strip the slide and repair/replace the thing than to send it back to them and wait for them to decide to fix it. It's not like replacing the part will be hard to do or anything. This is a part of normal cleaning after every 300-500 rounds or so anyway...
I am disappointed though. I had expected better from Para. I own several other firearms from them, and some of these have round counts nearing 10,000, with nothing breaking, and only new recoil springs after 5,000 rounds or so.
This is a failure that should not have happened. And it shakes my belief that Para makes a good firearm. Perhaps the complaints about Para letting quality slide have some merit. Then again, maybe this was a fluke.... I dunno.... I have the alloy framed brother of this pistol, and it has 5,800 rounds through it with no issues, and no parts besides the aforementioned recoil spring(s). Below is the broken extractor, still in the slide:
and another view:
And here is the extractor from the other LDA, unbroken...Just so you can see what it should look like (this one has extracted over 5800 rounds with no issues):
This is why we should shoot our carry firearms. Not only practice......Find the weak link, and either get it fixed, or replace the pistol...or learn when to change parts that break regularly BEFORE they break when you really really need them (such as recoil springs).
The issue is that had this broken anywhere outside of the range, this could have been very serious. This was not something that could be fixed with "tap, rack, bang". Failure drills do not fix this sort of issue. Essentially, this is (right now) an expensive single shot firearm until I get it fixed.
I hope I never need my firearm...I hope I never shoot it except on a range of some sort, and only in practice. But should I need it to, I want it to go Bang every time I pull the trigger....Not fail like this one did.
This sucks. And then I gotta shoot it some more (and then some more after that) to verify reliability after it is fixed.
As I wrote here, it died at 437 rounds.
The end (claw) of the extractor broke off. I am hoping that Para will just send me a new one. It'll be easier (and likely faster) to strip the slide and repair/replace the thing than to send it back to them and wait for them to decide to fix it. It's not like replacing the part will be hard to do or anything. This is a part of normal cleaning after every 300-500 rounds or so anyway...
I am disappointed though. I had expected better from Para. I own several other firearms from them, and some of these have round counts nearing 10,000, with nothing breaking, and only new recoil springs after 5,000 rounds or so.
This is a failure that should not have happened. And it shakes my belief that Para makes a good firearm. Perhaps the complaints about Para letting quality slide have some merit. Then again, maybe this was a fluke.... I dunno.... I have the alloy framed brother of this pistol, and it has 5,800 rounds through it with no issues, and no parts besides the aforementioned recoil spring(s). Below is the broken extractor, still in the slide:
 | |||||
| Broken extractor (click to embiggenize) |
 |
| broken extractor 2 (click to embiggenize) |
And here is the extractor from the other LDA, unbroken...Just so you can see what it should look like (this one has extracted over 5800 rounds with no issues):
 |
| unbroken extractor (klick to make big) |
The issue is that had this broken anywhere outside of the range, this could have been very serious. This was not something that could be fixed with "tap, rack, bang". Failure drills do not fix this sort of issue. Essentially, this is (right now) an expensive single shot firearm until I get it fixed.
I hope I never need my firearm...I hope I never shoot it except on a range of some sort, and only in practice. But should I need it to, I want it to go Bang every time I pull the trigger....Not fail like this one did.
This sucks. And then I gotta shoot it some more (and then some more after that) to verify reliability after it is fixed.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Just got back
.......And re-tuned into the news cycle. Was out of decent contact with any real news except for radio, which was somewhat less than overwhelming in its coverage of....well, anything really useful. (All I had was net news via a cell phone, and I was driving, so reading news wasn't really an option).
I am watching coverage as to just how badly the forces of nature have kicked the Japanese people in the testicles.
I hope they find most of the missing and that they don't starve nor end up glowing in the dark due to the ever escalating issues at their nuclear power plants. The fact that they are flooding the reactor(s) with seawater (and by some reports, seawater deliberately contaminated with boron) tells me that they have a real emergency and are willing to write off the plants in order to prevent a catastrophe. This could be bad. Even for us in a few days.
This incident (yeah, I know to them it is a catastrophe, but to the rest of the world, it is just an incident) shows exactly why I preach (and practice) preparation for emergencies. Yeah, some folks have had their homes washed away, and therefore even if they had prepped, they would have none at this time. But many (most) still have homes, even if they are filled with foul smelling mud and water. Had those folks had preps, they'd be able to dig them out and open them and would at least have food and water for a few days or weeks. It's better than starving or dying from dehydration.You have to be alive in order to be miserable.
Which kind of person would you rather be? one with options, or without?
How about if after that you had the additional fear of radiation? Just the not knowing (even if you were not directly affected by the destruction of the quake or were high enough that the following tsunami didn't directly affect your home) if there was life threatening levels of radiation would affect your performance. Would you be as willing to help others?
Do you have a weeks worth of food and water? Do you have a means to detect radiation? How about durable storage of supplies? A tent or other shelter? KI/KIO3?
Bet that many folks in Japan would give you 50 times what you would pay for those things today, just to have them. Think about it.
And while you are thinking about it, thank whatever higher power(s) you believe in that it isn't you, and that you have time to make better choices in your preps....and ask him/her/it/them to give the Japanese a bit of mercy.
I am watching coverage as to just how badly the forces of nature have kicked the Japanese people in the testicles.
I hope they find most of the missing and that they don't starve nor end up glowing in the dark due to the ever escalating issues at their nuclear power plants. The fact that they are flooding the reactor(s) with seawater (and by some reports, seawater deliberately contaminated with boron) tells me that they have a real emergency and are willing to write off the plants in order to prevent a catastrophe. This could be bad. Even for us in a few days.
This incident (yeah, I know to them it is a catastrophe, but to the rest of the world, it is just an incident) shows exactly why I preach (and practice) preparation for emergencies. Yeah, some folks have had their homes washed away, and therefore even if they had prepped, they would have none at this time. But many (most) still have homes, even if they are filled with foul smelling mud and water. Had those folks had preps, they'd be able to dig them out and open them and would at least have food and water for a few days or weeks. It's better than starving or dying from dehydration.You have to be alive in order to be miserable.
Which kind of person would you rather be? one with options, or without?
How about if after that you had the additional fear of radiation? Just the not knowing (even if you were not directly affected by the destruction of the quake or were high enough that the following tsunami didn't directly affect your home) if there was life threatening levels of radiation would affect your performance. Would you be as willing to help others?
Do you have a weeks worth of food and water? Do you have a means to detect radiation? How about durable storage of supplies? A tent or other shelter? KI/KIO3?
Bet that many folks in Japan would give you 50 times what you would pay for those things today, just to have them. Think about it.
And while you are thinking about it, thank whatever higher power(s) you believe in that it isn't you, and that you have time to make better choices in your preps....and ask him/her/it/them to give the Japanese a bit of mercy.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
wonder what he'd think of things today?
Mr. Bell. What might he think of what the world has done with his invention?
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
It is a good thing
That the Tea Party folks don't act this childish, or with this sort of callous disregard for the rule of law.
As many of us tea partiers have (and carry) firearms, there would likely have been blood, except for the fact that we all acted like responsible, adult, law abiding citizens.
Not to mention the property damage we could have done with all of our pickups.
I wonder how many of theriotersdemonstrators are from Wisconsin?
Via Insty
ETA: From the comments : "Remember the riots by the Tea Party folks when the Obamacare bill passed?.....nah, me either"
As many of us tea partiers have (and carry) firearms, there would likely have been blood, except for the fact that we all acted like responsible, adult, law abiding citizens.
Not to mention the property damage we could have done with all of our pickups.
I wonder how many of the
Via Insty
ETA: From the comments : "Remember the riots by the Tea Party folks when the Obamacare bill passed?.....nah, me either"
437 rounds
Took the new Para to the range again tonight.
At the start of the evening, the round count was 400.
37 rounds later, had my first failure to extract. As I was shooting reloads, I thought that it might be my handiwork causing the failure, so I cleared the malf and continued. Round 438 fired and ejected cleanly, but round 439 failed to extract. The slide would move back, but leave the empty cartridge in the chamber.
After clearing that malf, I had 2 rounds fire and eject properly then failure after failure to extract after that. I swabbed the bore, but no joy. The extractor is either broken or just gunked up (a technical term, for you non gunnies).
I dunno....might just be dirt. The firearm has fired 400+ rounds (some reloads with extremely dirty powder (Winchester 231)) with absolutely ZERO maintenance, so I'll detail strip the slide and clean it and see what is what.
If it is only dirt, and cleaning fixes the issue, then its off to the gunsmith for tritium sights and then onto my belt for daily carry. If it is something else, like a broken extractor or whatever, then off to Para for a fix, and then the whole process starts over.
We shall see.
Either way, I got more range time. Turning money into smoke, noise, and tattered paper is always good for my blood pressure. And that is never bad.
At the start of the evening, the round count was 400.
37 rounds later, had my first failure to extract. As I was shooting reloads, I thought that it might be my handiwork causing the failure, so I cleared the malf and continued. Round 438 fired and ejected cleanly, but round 439 failed to extract. The slide would move back, but leave the empty cartridge in the chamber.
After clearing that malf, I had 2 rounds fire and eject properly then failure after failure to extract after that. I swabbed the bore, but no joy. The extractor is either broken or just gunked up (a technical term, for you non gunnies).
I dunno....might just be dirt. The firearm has fired 400+ rounds (some reloads with extremely dirty powder (Winchester 231)) with absolutely ZERO maintenance, so I'll detail strip the slide and clean it and see what is what.
If it is only dirt, and cleaning fixes the issue, then its off to the gunsmith for tritium sights and then onto my belt for daily carry. If it is something else, like a broken extractor or whatever, then off to Para for a fix, and then the whole process starts over.
We shall see.
Either way, I got more range time. Turning money into smoke, noise, and tattered paper is always good for my blood pressure. And that is never bad.
y'know
The Constitution isn't perfect, but it is a hell of a lot better than the system we are using today.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
fast ammo
Gotta say, I was impressed with the pricing and speed of shipping from Lucky Gunner.
your mileage may vary.
(they gave me nothing for this testimonial. FTC goods: go fuck yerself)
your mileage may vary.
(they gave me nothing for this testimonial. FTC goods: go fuck yerself)
Not Rodney....
But another kind of Carrington....
A Carrington event would be Bad. How bad?
Think no power or communication. Think of the consequences of that loss.
While likely not as bad as depicted in "One Second After", It would likely be bad. Very Bad. No one knows for sure. Could be only an inconvenience. Could be worse that we think.
If you live in an area where Ice Storms are common, you've likely been inconvenienced by power outages for hours/days/weeks. Most people get their power back in a few hours or at worst a few days. Imagine that squared. No power for your TV/internet or your fridge. (and no internet, period, but we'll get to that later), no power for your heater. No way to get fuel for your generator (if you even have one). No resolution after weeks or months.
Your home is likely similar to mine. You need AC power to run your fridge, your oven, your furnace. You need gas or electric power for your water heater and/or your furnace. You need AC to run your well (if you have one) or your water company needs it for their pumps (they may have backup, diesel powered pumps, but for how long do they store fuel? Enough to power the pumps for WEEKS??) What about if you live in the south? Can you survive without air conditioning? If not, you'd better have a plan.
Every service needs power. Even if only 10% of the power distribution infrastructure is damaged, it could take years to repair. Many transformers are built to specific need, and are not stocked in quantity. Several years ago, due to an ice storm, many power poles in my area were broken due to the weight of ice and snow (and wind). The utilities ran out of replacement poles, and restoration of power to many homes was delayed for a week or so while additional sources for the 3000+ poles were found and said poles were trucked to the area. Now think about transformers which have 3-5 week lead times, maybe 3-4 months....Multiplied by the thousands. And trucks which have no fuel and therefore cannot move said equipment to the areas needed, even if they could be produced without power to begin with. How do we find enough people with the knowledge to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again quickly?
How about your local stores? With no computerized registers, how are they going to be able to take your money for the food you need? How about ordering? How will the trucks get there to bring food, even if they have a way to reorder? What about the meat that you need....and milk? Not going to last long in the summer without refrigeration. No bread either, because the bakery is down without power, and they only keep 2 days (if that) of flour on hand.
Now add in the failure of most communications devices. No telephone for weeks/months. No cell phones. No internet/cable. Not that it matters, because many folks won't have any power to run those devices. No internet/digital lines for communication. No working (or at least only partially working) switching centers for the internet and phone lines. Likely no satellite communication either. Even if you can power these devices with generators, the surge will likely have damaged the equipment. And again, where do all these generators come from? How about the fuel to run them?
So if you have no AC and no communications, how do you distribute food ? How do you move the fuel needed to transport all the repair parts (and technicians), the food and other supplies we need in order to survive? How many people have more than a few days of food on hand, or the means to store or or acquire it without a working transportation infrastructure?
Lets not forget that with no communications, there is no banking as we know it today. Few actual dollars are transported, compared to the real amounts of "money" we move with ones and zeros, passed from computer to computer, with little actual cash passed from bank to bank. How do stores pay for the food and supplies that they want to order (but can't because there is no communication). How do YOU get paid, in order that you can pay the store for the food? (that they don't have, and cannot order, and are unable to have delivered....)
With no working phone system, how do you call for the police (who can't get there because they have no fuel for their vehicles) when someone decides that your meager supply of food would be better used by him and his family/group rather than by you and yours? The thin veneer of civilization will not last when people are faced with hunger (especially when THEIR children are crying because their stomachs are empty).
There is no place to go, as your choices are either bad, or worse locations in which to live. Few areas will want refugees, because they have the same issues from which you were retreating. Few are going to want to share what little food and shelter they have, as this is no short term thing. Many folks will be forced to make hard choices between their sense of charity and compassion and feeding their families. Likely, you, as an outsider, will find yourself unwelcome should you try to find a better place to take your family.
I'm not saying that this will happen, nor am I saying that everyone will go "Mad Max" and our society will break down. Nor am I saying that the US will end. But for a few months, maybe a year or two, things will be very different from the reality we now experience. The US is strong, and the people (for the most part) resilient. Rebuilding would likely happen quickly.
HOWEVER: While there are those in this society who will work hard to make things better, there are also those who expect things to be handed to them in today's society, and who will be willing to take what is yours with very little thought or remorse if things go "SMASH". If you think everyone is going to be nice in such a situation, you are a fool. Right now, there are criminals. People with moralities and values which bear little resemblance to yours or mine. And let's face it, right now things are relatively good, and relatively prosperous. Wait until things get hard. If the luxury of AC power goes away.... if the work done by coal and atoms and hydropower ceases to exist, then there will be many more whose morality will crumble. A higher concentration, perhaps, in the inner cities, but many are living not too far from your home right now. Many are held in check and behave only because the federal and state government essentially provide them with enough food and other basics... they are bribed to behave. And many of the people you meet on the street and in stores will follow their lead, once they lose THEIR jobs (and the support/comfort/food/shelter that they gain from those jobs). That nice guy who lives on the corner? He works, and he is happy, and comfortable, and law abiding. But take away the job, and the income, and the supplies and food and comfort which they supply, and see if he is still a nice guy when he is cold, and hungry, and his kids haven't eaten in a week. Bet he isn't that nice guy you thought he was. You'd better not be a nice guy either. Doesn't mean you should become an animal, but you'd better be careful, and you'd better not trust him. You really don't know him that well. Likely he won't trust you either.
I'd like to believe that most of us are moral, hard working people. And likely most of us would continue to be. But enough folks won't be that things will be different. No police to help. Most cities will empty, as people attempt to find food and water and shelter that doesn't require electrical power to make it habitable. People will likely follow roads to areas that are perceived to be better. If you think I am wrong, look at what happened during Katrina. Most people that were affected waited for help. Some, however, took the opportunity to loot what they could, and then when they became hungry and thirsty they began moving to other areas. IIRC, the Police Chief of Gretna, which is a municipality outside of New Orleans, set up a roadblock to keep people out of the town, and made them wait for aid. Probably not a bad idea. But what happens after a few weeks? Who is going to stop people like them then?
FEMA plans on having private contractors (truckers) bring the materials they need to help rebuild. Again, where are the truckers going to find fuel? And, while FEMA and the Army and other government folks did an adequate job post Katrina, they were stretched to the limit.
Multiply Katrina by a factor of 50. Subtract fuel. Subtract the idea of moving people to areas not damaged. Add in the chaos caused by little or no communication. Subtract electrical power...Add in a bit of hunger after 2 or more weeks. Subtract police presence. You do the math here.
The result? I really hope that what I see is wrong. But if you are smart, you'll look at the above equation and come up with a plan for it. Can you plan for everything? NOPE. But you can plan for many of the issues. Have a plan to feed your family for a month or two. Have a plan to keep the food that you have prepared and your shelter in YOUR possession. Have a plan for keeping your house habitable. Know where there is a source of water, and how to get it safely, and make it safe to drink. Plan on an alternate source of heat, if you live in an area where you need heat in the winter. Figure out what to do when there is no water for waste disposal. If you have no skills, then think about acquiring some.
Plan for, and PREPARE for these things now. THEN is too late. NOW is the time. How to prepare depends on your location, your circumstances, and your abilities.
Yeah, I know I sound like I am nuts. Maybe I am. But : 'tis better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it". A few dollars and a bit of forethought now might make a HUGE difference then.
Will it be as bad as discussed in the article and above? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe only in some areas. Maybe it'll be worse. Maybe we won't notice it at all. But if we have an event as suggested above you choices to prepare or not, to spend money on some supplies or on a new flat screen TV might well decide which part of the Darwinian sorting you find yourself and your family on.
Your choice.
Think about it.
A Carrington event would be Bad. How bad?
Think no power or communication. Think of the consequences of that loss.
While likely not as bad as depicted in "One Second After", It would likely be bad. Very Bad. No one knows for sure. Could be only an inconvenience. Could be worse that we think.
If you live in an area where Ice Storms are common, you've likely been inconvenienced by power outages for hours/days/weeks. Most people get their power back in a few hours or at worst a few days. Imagine that squared. No power for your TV/internet or your fridge. (and no internet, period, but we'll get to that later), no power for your heater. No way to get fuel for your generator (if you even have one). No resolution after weeks or months.
Your home is likely similar to mine. You need AC power to run your fridge, your oven, your furnace. You need gas or electric power for your water heater and/or your furnace. You need AC to run your well (if you have one) or your water company needs it for their pumps (they may have backup, diesel powered pumps, but for how long do they store fuel? Enough to power the pumps for WEEKS??) What about if you live in the south? Can you survive without air conditioning? If not, you'd better have a plan.
Every service needs power. Even if only 10% of the power distribution infrastructure is damaged, it could take years to repair. Many transformers are built to specific need, and are not stocked in quantity. Several years ago, due to an ice storm, many power poles in my area were broken due to the weight of ice and snow (and wind). The utilities ran out of replacement poles, and restoration of power to many homes was delayed for a week or so while additional sources for the 3000+ poles were found and said poles were trucked to the area. Now think about transformers which have 3-5 week lead times, maybe 3-4 months....Multiplied by the thousands. And trucks which have no fuel and therefore cannot move said equipment to the areas needed, even if they could be produced without power to begin with. How do we find enough people with the knowledge to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again quickly?
How about your local stores? With no computerized registers, how are they going to be able to take your money for the food you need? How about ordering? How will the trucks get there to bring food, even if they have a way to reorder? What about the meat that you need....and milk? Not going to last long in the summer without refrigeration. No bread either, because the bakery is down without power, and they only keep 2 days (if that) of flour on hand.
Now add in the failure of most communications devices. No telephone for weeks/months. No cell phones. No internet/cable. Not that it matters, because many folks won't have any power to run those devices. No internet/digital lines for communication. No working (or at least only partially working) switching centers for the internet and phone lines. Likely no satellite communication either. Even if you can power these devices with generators, the surge will likely have damaged the equipment. And again, where do all these generators come from? How about the fuel to run them?
So if you have no AC and no communications, how do you distribute food ? How do you move the fuel needed to transport all the repair parts (and technicians), the food and other supplies we need in order to survive? How many people have more than a few days of food on hand, or the means to store or or acquire it without a working transportation infrastructure?
Lets not forget that with no communications, there is no banking as we know it today. Few actual dollars are transported, compared to the real amounts of "money" we move with ones and zeros, passed from computer to computer, with little actual cash passed from bank to bank. How do stores pay for the food and supplies that they want to order (but can't because there is no communication). How do YOU get paid, in order that you can pay the store for the food? (that they don't have, and cannot order, and are unable to have delivered....)
With no working phone system, how do you call for the police (who can't get there because they have no fuel for their vehicles) when someone decides that your meager supply of food would be better used by him and his family/group rather than by you and yours? The thin veneer of civilization will not last when people are faced with hunger (especially when THEIR children are crying because their stomachs are empty).
There is no place to go, as your choices are either bad, or worse locations in which to live. Few areas will want refugees, because they have the same issues from which you were retreating. Few are going to want to share what little food and shelter they have, as this is no short term thing. Many folks will be forced to make hard choices between their sense of charity and compassion and feeding their families. Likely, you, as an outsider, will find yourself unwelcome should you try to find a better place to take your family.
I'm not saying that this will happen, nor am I saying that everyone will go "Mad Max" and our society will break down. Nor am I saying that the US will end. But for a few months, maybe a year or two, things will be very different from the reality we now experience. The US is strong, and the people (for the most part) resilient. Rebuilding would likely happen quickly.
HOWEVER: While there are those in this society who will work hard to make things better, there are also those who expect things to be handed to them in today's society, and who will be willing to take what is yours with very little thought or remorse if things go "SMASH". If you think everyone is going to be nice in such a situation, you are a fool. Right now, there are criminals. People with moralities and values which bear little resemblance to yours or mine. And let's face it, right now things are relatively good, and relatively prosperous. Wait until things get hard. If the luxury of AC power goes away.... if the work done by coal and atoms and hydropower ceases to exist, then there will be many more whose morality will crumble. A higher concentration, perhaps, in the inner cities, but many are living not too far from your home right now. Many are held in check and behave only because the federal and state government essentially provide them with enough food and other basics... they are bribed to behave. And many of the people you meet on the street and in stores will follow their lead, once they lose THEIR jobs (and the support/comfort/food/shelter that they gain from those jobs). That nice guy who lives on the corner? He works, and he is happy, and comfortable, and law abiding. But take away the job, and the income, and the supplies and food and comfort which they supply, and see if he is still a nice guy when he is cold, and hungry, and his kids haven't eaten in a week. Bet he isn't that nice guy you thought he was. You'd better not be a nice guy either. Doesn't mean you should become an animal, but you'd better be careful, and you'd better not trust him. You really don't know him that well. Likely he won't trust you either.
I'd like to believe that most of us are moral, hard working people. And likely most of us would continue to be. But enough folks won't be that things will be different. No police to help. Most cities will empty, as people attempt to find food and water and shelter that doesn't require electrical power to make it habitable. People will likely follow roads to areas that are perceived to be better. If you think I am wrong, look at what happened during Katrina. Most people that were affected waited for help. Some, however, took the opportunity to loot what they could, and then when they became hungry and thirsty they began moving to other areas. IIRC, the Police Chief of Gretna, which is a municipality outside of New Orleans, set up a roadblock to keep people out of the town, and made them wait for aid. Probably not a bad idea. But what happens after a few weeks? Who is going to stop people like them then?
FEMA plans on having private contractors (truckers) bring the materials they need to help rebuild. Again, where are the truckers going to find fuel? And, while FEMA and the Army and other government folks did an adequate job post Katrina, they were stretched to the limit.
Multiply Katrina by a factor of 50. Subtract fuel. Subtract the idea of moving people to areas not damaged. Add in the chaos caused by little or no communication. Subtract electrical power...Add in a bit of hunger after 2 or more weeks. Subtract police presence. You do the math here.
The result? I really hope that what I see is wrong. But if you are smart, you'll look at the above equation and come up with a plan for it. Can you plan for everything? NOPE. But you can plan for many of the issues. Have a plan to feed your family for a month or two. Have a plan to keep the food that you have prepared and your shelter in YOUR possession. Have a plan for keeping your house habitable. Know where there is a source of water, and how to get it safely, and make it safe to drink. Plan on an alternate source of heat, if you live in an area where you need heat in the winter. Figure out what to do when there is no water for waste disposal. If you have no skills, then think about acquiring some.
Plan for, and PREPARE for these things now. THEN is too late. NOW is the time. How to prepare depends on your location, your circumstances, and your abilities.
Yeah, I know I sound like I am nuts. Maybe I am. But : 'tis better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it". A few dollars and a bit of forethought now might make a HUGE difference then.
Will it be as bad as discussed in the article and above? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe only in some areas. Maybe it'll be worse. Maybe we won't notice it at all. But if we have an event as suggested above you choices to prepare or not, to spend money on some supplies or on a new flat screen TV might well decide which part of the Darwinian sorting you find yourself and your family on.
Your choice.
Think about it.
Monday, March 7, 2011
San Francisco is full of crap
Or: How unthinking environmentalist whackos activists fail to consider the law of unintended consequences.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
even the liberals have bailed on the UN
See HERE.
So this would lead one to ask.....If the Liberal driven UK chooses to defund (at least their portion) the UN, can it really be that important? (We all know the answer to that, but to the liberals, it was a Big Thing).
One would wonder why the loss of funding, unless it was because they needed the money for their pet liberal projects inside the country, and the darkies, wogs, slant-eyes and furriners be damned.
But maybe I am just cynical.....
Now if we can only get the US folks to do the same: defund the UN, and maybe then begin choppingBribes to Despots"foreign aid".
Sometimes I think those followers of John Birch weren't so crazy after all.
So this would lead one to ask.....If the Liberal driven UK chooses to defund (at least their portion) the UN, can it really be that important? (We all know the answer to that, but to the liberals, it was a Big Thing).
One would wonder why the loss of funding, unless it was because they needed the money for their pet liberal projects inside the country, and the darkies, wogs, slant-eyes and furriners be damned.
But maybe I am just cynical.....
Now if we can only get the US folks to do the same: defund the UN, and maybe then begin chopping
Sometimes I think those followers of John Birch weren't so crazy after all.
"You can have my DNA
When you pry it from my cold, dead body."
Seriously....
At least, that is what I expect to soon have to tell the TSA and other DHS departments.
They would like to have THIS machine to collect and analyze you DNA quickly.
Of course, they would never, ever keep a database of any citizen's DNA, would they? I mean, they have never ever kept illegal databases (databasi?) before, have they?
And you thought the porno scanners were invasive.
Seriously....
At least, that is what I expect to soon have to tell the TSA and other DHS departments.
They would like to have THIS machine to collect and analyze you DNA quickly.
Of course, they would never, ever keep a database of any citizen's DNA, would they? I mean, they have never ever kept illegal databases (databasi?) before, have they?
And you thought the porno scanners were invasive.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
" 'cause we deserve the free ice cream!"
seems that when budget cuts might affect people who get a proportionately larger slice of the pie, then it is time to cry racism.
For how long should these folks be propped up? When will they take steps to become self sufficient?
For how long should these folks be propped up? When will they take steps to become self sufficient?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
It all be 'cause they lowlifes
no one wants lowlife, ghetto thugs living in their neighborhood.
No One.
It's not that these people are racist. Some are, after all, black. But they don't want bad people fleeing a place where they helped to make a ghetto moving into their neighborhoods, where they will make the new place a new ghetto.
What we see here is class issues. People moved to middle class suburbs for a reason. And they don't want lowlifes to invade their neighborhoods and bring crime or blight to their homes and schools.
That is not racism, it is realism.
No One.
It's not that these people are racist. Some are, after all, black. But they don't want bad people fleeing a place where they helped to make a ghetto moving into their neighborhoods, where they will make the new place a new ghetto.
What we see here is class issues. People moved to middle class suburbs for a reason. And they don't want lowlifes to invade their neighborhoods and bring crime or blight to their homes and schools.
That is not racism, it is realism.
Issues:
Cops are helping the unions in Wisconsin.
Now, while I am all for free speech, and I support the police choosing to support the union folks in their protest, I have several issues:
1. They were in full anti riot kit. IMO, this is a uniform. Had they been wearing civilian clothing, and not identifying themselves as police, then I would have few issues (although one might wonder about their loyalties, but that is another matter for another time).
B. Any time the police refuse to implement a lawful order...I.E :
"We have been ordered by the legislature to kick you all out at 4:00 today. But we know what’s right from wrong. We will not be kicking anyone out, in fact, we will be sleeping here with you!"
then they have broken their oaths and they should be subject to disciplinary action and/or terminated. While I am sympathetic to their dilemma, they have to choose their sides. (and this is a LAWFUL order, not an unlawful one that they could legally decide to ignore).
III. If they choose to abrogate their responsibilities in support of the union, then that is indeed a choice that they have the right to make, they are free citizens after all, and can make the choice to side with the unions. They have a right to their opinions, and the right to support anyone they choose. BUT THEY CANNOT DECIDE WHICH LAWS THEY WILL ENFORCE AND WHICH THEY WILL NOT. It is an "all or nothing" thing here. There are no illegal or unconstitutional orders being given. It's not like anyone can occupy the capitol at any time. Had I chosen to "occupy" the capitol 2 months ago, I would have been asked to leave, and then removed, had I chosen to ignore that order, possibly with trespassing charges thrown in for good measure.
What we have here is people with conflicting loyalties who have shown us that they will not uphold the laws nor the (lawful) orders of their superiors. And this makes them unreliable, and unsuitable to be police. In any fashion. If the police cannot be depended upon to enforce order, no matter what their leanings, then they cannot be police.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
HT: WRSA
Now, while I am all for free speech, and I support the police choosing to support the union folks in their protest, I have several issues:
1. They were in full anti riot kit. IMO, this is a uniform. Had they been wearing civilian clothing, and not identifying themselves as police, then I would have few issues (although one might wonder about their loyalties, but that is another matter for another time).
B. Any time the police refuse to implement a lawful order...I.E :
"We have been ordered by the legislature to kick you all out at 4:00 today. But we know what’s right from wrong. We will not be kicking anyone out, in fact, we will be sleeping here with you!"
then they have broken their oaths and they should be subject to disciplinary action and/or terminated. While I am sympathetic to their dilemma, they have to choose their sides. (and this is a LAWFUL order, not an unlawful one that they could legally decide to ignore).
III. If they choose to abrogate their responsibilities in support of the union, then that is indeed a choice that they have the right to make, they are free citizens after all, and can make the choice to side with the unions. They have a right to their opinions, and the right to support anyone they choose. BUT THEY CANNOT DECIDE WHICH LAWS THEY WILL ENFORCE AND WHICH THEY WILL NOT. It is an "all or nothing" thing here. There are no illegal or unconstitutional orders being given. It's not like anyone can occupy the capitol at any time. Had I chosen to "occupy" the capitol 2 months ago, I would have been asked to leave, and then removed, had I chosen to ignore that order, possibly with trespassing charges thrown in for good measure.
What we have here is people with conflicting loyalties who have shown us that they will not uphold the laws nor the (lawful) orders of their superiors. And this makes them unreliable, and unsuitable to be police. In any fashion. If the police cannot be depended upon to enforce order, no matter what their leanings, then they cannot be police.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
HT: WRSA
another instance
of the media playing Baghdad Bob. (look it up on wikipedia if you don't remember the Iraq war)
"the majority of US citizens support the unions!"
HERE and HERE . They were trumpeting it on CBS news this morning as well.
The sad part is that they fail to realize how they undermine their credibility. And the part that angers me is that they think that you, and I, and our fellow citizens are dumb enough to believe whatever they say.
And that should anger you too.
I cannot believe that anyone will willingly support even higher taxes for someone else's paycheck, especially municipal workers and teachers. (maybe for the military folks paychecks)
Were one to believe in conspiracy theories one might think that the MainStream Media were the propaganda department for theDemocrats Socialist Party and their supporters, the unions.
I think that the real poll will come in 2012, when we find out where the support really lies.
ETA: good questions about this issue HERE
"the majority of US citizens support the unions!"
HERE and HERE . They were trumpeting it on CBS news this morning as well.
The sad part is that they fail to realize how they undermine their credibility. And the part that angers me is that they think that you, and I, and our fellow citizens are dumb enough to believe whatever they say.
And that should anger you too.
I cannot believe that anyone will willingly support even higher taxes for someone else's paycheck, especially municipal workers and teachers. (maybe for the military folks paychecks)
Were one to believe in conspiracy theories one might think that the MainStream Media were the propaganda department for the
I think that the real poll will come in 2012, when we find out where the support really lies.
ETA: good questions about this issue HERE