I went to get some productivity-enhancing drink (a.k.a. coffee) this morning and Listing Buddy was in the breakroom, pondering.
He was pondering what he should do to IT Guy, who was sleeping in his truck in the parking lot.
LB had tried to rouse ITG without much success, and was wondering how to take advantage of his apparent vulnerability.
~later~
I asked LB if he thought ITG might be having a diabetic event, and LB said he didn't think so. LB went to write on ITG's face as he slept in the truck, and ITG woke up and batted LB's hand away. So ITG has a pink streak on his arm, and is apparently awake now.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sure, Why Not: Cuban Embargo Ends.
From Yahoo! News:
Castro's Your boy Obama's Treasury Dept. has just ended the embargo of Cuba.
What's the worst that could happen?
God what a light weight empty suit this one is!
What's the worst that could happen?
God what a light weight empty suit this one is!
Gun Porn: Taurus Model 66 .357 Magnum Revolver
As always, click an image to see it full size.
This h'yer is your basic Taurs Model 66.
It was purchased new by the current owner from a local gun shop and it's done its share of killing paper people, but it still looks pretty nice to me.
How can I tell it's a 66? Well, there's the frame size, the sights, the caliber, the barrel length . . . and when you swing the crane out, it's right here, stamped on the frame:
a.k.a. "The Mule" to anyone who's ever fired a .357Mag snubbie . . .
This pistol has been fitted with a Hogue stock which probably helps a LOT with the recoil of full-power .357 rounds. I found it amusing that Hogue and Taurus were competing for Logo Display Land real estate, and that Taurus lost the battle.
The sights, as I mentioned, are a feature of the Model 66. The top strap is serrated along its length and the front sight is serrated across the back.
The rear sight is a nice example, if you like this sort of rear sight. The adjustments are plainly marked with deep stampings, right on the body of the sight, WITH arrows to indicate which way to turn for what effect.
This revolver has some honest wear on it, but it is still pretty well fitted together. I measured well under 0.006" cylinder end gap (between the chambers and the barrel) on all six chambers.
The chambers themselves look in good condition.
The bore, however, is an area of minor concern. I'm not sure yet if this is rust or copper fouling, but it doesn't look good where the grooves and lands meet.
You can tell it's been shot. There is typical wear on the frame, where a cartridge slams back. Also the hand is wearing around the edges from rubbing on the cylinder. It still locks up tight enough, and the timing is right-on, so this doesn't bother me too much. Yes, the action is partially cocked to make the hand stay in this position.
What does bother me, and what surprised me a great deal, was the trigger spring center pin. It came out broken. Fortunately this seems not to affect functioning of the gun at all, but it slightly complicates disassembly.
I told the owner of this arm about Taurus' lifetime warranty, and suggested he might want to show this to them, and see what they have to say about it.
I also suggested he show them this:
The extractor has a bunch of little chips and dings where there should probably be hard corners. I don't know how this would happen unless somebody was playing cowboys and indians, but there it is.
I like this piece, but then I like most of the guns I've ever met. I aim to take this revolver with me to my next gun class. Let's see if it shoots as nice as it looks when it's just been wiped down with an oily rag.
Photographers, take note: use a cotton rag to wipe off fingerprints right before a shoot, not a paper towel. Unless you like white flecks all over the bluing. Doh.
********
Update after I processed the next batch of photos:
The stuff did out of the barrel, and it looks like the bluing is worn out of the corners of the grooves:
After a little scrubbing, the rifling came smooth as well:
This h'yer is your basic Taurs Model 66.
It was purchased new by the current owner from a local gun shop and it's done its share of killing paper people, but it still looks pretty nice to me.
How can I tell it's a 66? Well, there's the frame size, the sights, the caliber, the barrel length . . . and when you swing the crane out, it's right here, stamped on the frame:
a.k.a. "The Mule" to anyone who's ever fired a .357Mag snubbie . . .
This pistol has been fitted with a Hogue stock which probably helps a LOT with the recoil of full-power .357 rounds. I found it amusing that Hogue and Taurus were competing for Logo Display Land real estate, and that Taurus lost the battle.
The sights, as I mentioned, are a feature of the Model 66. The top strap is serrated along its length and the front sight is serrated across the back.
The rear sight is a nice example, if you like this sort of rear sight. The adjustments are plainly marked with deep stampings, right on the body of the sight, WITH arrows to indicate which way to turn for what effect.
This revolver has some honest wear on it, but it is still pretty well fitted together. I measured well under 0.006" cylinder end gap (between the chambers and the barrel) on all six chambers.
The chambers themselves look in good condition.
The bore, however, is an area of minor concern. I'm not sure yet if this is rust or copper fouling, but it doesn't look good where the grooves and lands meet.
You can tell it's been shot. There is typical wear on the frame, where a cartridge slams back. Also the hand is wearing around the edges from rubbing on the cylinder. It still locks up tight enough, and the timing is right-on, so this doesn't bother me too much. Yes, the action is partially cocked to make the hand stay in this position.
What does bother me, and what surprised me a great deal, was the trigger spring center pin. It came out broken. Fortunately this seems not to affect functioning of the gun at all, but it slightly complicates disassembly.
I told the owner of this arm about Taurus' lifetime warranty, and suggested he might want to show this to them, and see what they have to say about it.
I also suggested he show them this:
The extractor has a bunch of little chips and dings where there should probably be hard corners. I don't know how this would happen unless somebody was playing cowboys and indians, but there it is.
I like this piece, but then I like most of the guns I've ever met. I aim to take this revolver with me to my next gun class. Let's see if it shoots as nice as it looks when it's just been wiped down with an oily rag.
Photographers, take note: use a cotton rag to wipe off fingerprints right before a shoot, not a paper towel. Unless you like white flecks all over the bluing. Doh.
********
Update after I processed the next batch of photos:
The stuff did out of the barrel, and it looks like the bluing is worn out of the corners of the grooves:
After a little scrubbing, the rifling came smooth as well:
Somebody Buy Me This Book!
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell
Convenient link for you to purchase the book: Amazon.com
Why do I want it more than I did 2 days ago? Because I read this.
Convenient link for you to purchase the book: Amazon.com
Why do I want it more than I did 2 days ago? Because I read this.
Tax Cheat Rangel Says: Punish Tax Cheats (?!)
As part of the "healthcare" bill (a.k.a. the health care system destruction bill) Charlie Rangel wants to punish citizens to the maximum extent of the law, including penalties, for making honest mistakes. You know, not like the intentional ones he has a habit of making.
Hold on there.
Why?
Because Obamacare is 100% guaranteed to blindside a preponderance of the People. "What do you mean, I have to pay $12,000 for health insurance? Why? I'm 10 feet tall and bulletproof! What do you mean, it's the law?"
AND
Because Obamacare is going to CRUSH the federal budget. The more penalties you can wring out of people who make honest mistakes, the less-terrible the budget deficit is going to be. But if you just let people make honest mistakes out of ignorance, the right-wing mobs are going to start complaining again about how much we can't afford it.
Because of course, nobody ever had a peek at Medicare's books and saw that the government can't keep health care costs under budget for sh*t.
Hold on there.
Why?
AND
Because of course, nobody ever had a peek at Medicare's books and saw that the government can't keep health care costs under budget for sh*t.
What To Wear and Bring To Gun Class
Here is a short list of what I want to see when my students show up to one of my gun safety/familiarization/marksmanship/etc. training classes.
Respect: no cussing, no fighting, no shooting people. Obey the Four Rules. Make a nuisance out of yourself and you may be asked to leave.
Food: bring enough lunch for you and maybe a little extra. Sandwiches are an easy and quick meal, well suited to eating out of doors (which you might want to do here).
Guns: bring yours if you have any. If not, you have to at least bring yourself (or get a ride). Bringing ammunition for other peoples' guns keeps the classes free -please bring ammunition unless you are dead flat BROKE.
Eye & Hearing protection: if you have impact-resistant glasses or earmuffs, bring them. If not, I can lend you a set.
Hat: a boonie hat or cowboy hat are preferable because they have a brim all the way 'round. A baseball cap will work, but your ears and neck stand a good chance of getting sunburnt. Also a brim behind your head can prevent hot brass going down the back of your shirt
Shirt: something with a high collar. A button-up shirt that buttons all the way up, a polo shirt, a non-stretched-out T-shirt, are acceptable. A V-neck or stretched-out collar are not. It is entirely possible to get a burn on your . . . well, on what a low-necked shirt doesn't cover. Guns sometimes send hot casings out faster than you can see, and when I say hot, I mean 2nd degree burn hot. I usually wear long sleeves but you don't strictly have to.
Pants: the shooting range has scrub mesquite on the grounds. You do NOT want to catch a scratch or puncture from a 2 inch long thorn. Also some firing positions call for lying on the dirt (these positions are optional).
Shoes: closed toes, for the same reasons as you want a proper shirt and pants. Wear some shoes you don't mind getting dusty or dirty.
Sunscreen. Texas summer, 'nuff said. Be sure to get your hands ears, and neck, especially.
Ammunition: Please bring, at a minimum -if you can afford it-
a box of .40 Smith & Wesson a.k.a. 40-caliber,
a couple of boxes of 7.62x39mm, and
a box of .22 Long Rifle a.k.a. 22LR.
Tell the guy at the gun store counter you want plinking ammunition, not specialty, hunting, or self-defense ammunition, unless you plan to use it for that, later.
It is not uncommon to have a few rounds left over at the end of class, and leaving these with the instructor is always appreciated and helps out for the next class. It also happens sometimes that the instructor will have to dig into his own ammo stores. Bringing your own ammunition keeps class fees to $0.
Feel free to bring as much ammunition as you want in any of the following calibers:
7.62x39mm <-- Men tend to like this one; we burned up 5 boxes last class
.40 S&W <-- Goes pretty fast sometimes
.38 Special <-- A favorite for beginners
.380 ACP
.22LR
12 Gauge
If there are other guns at class, there may be a limited supply of ammunition for them. If you are bringing a gun, please bring a box or two of ammunition for it.
This page is for me, so I can just send students coming to my classes a link instead of having to type up an email for everybody. It's also for you, if you found it by accident ;)
Respect: no cussing, no fighting, no shooting people. Obey the Four Rules. Make a nuisance out of yourself and you may be asked to leave.
Food: bring enough lunch for you and maybe a little extra. Sandwiches are an easy and quick meal, well suited to eating out of doors (which you might want to do here).
Guns: bring yours if you have any. If not, you have to at least bring yourself (or get a ride). Bringing ammunition for other peoples' guns keeps the classes free -please bring ammunition unless you are dead flat BROKE.
Eye & Hearing protection: if you have impact-resistant glasses or earmuffs, bring them. If not, I can lend you a set.
Hat: a boonie hat or cowboy hat are preferable because they have a brim all the way 'round. A baseball cap will work, but your ears and neck stand a good chance of getting sunburnt. Also a brim behind your head can prevent hot brass going down the back of your shirt
Shirt: something with a high collar. A button-up shirt that buttons all the way up, a polo shirt, a non-stretched-out T-shirt, are acceptable. A V-neck or stretched-out collar are not. It is entirely possible to get a burn on your . . . well, on what a low-necked shirt doesn't cover. Guns sometimes send hot casings out faster than you can see, and when I say hot, I mean 2nd degree burn hot. I usually wear long sleeves but you don't strictly have to.
Pants: the shooting range has scrub mesquite on the grounds. You do NOT want to catch a scratch or puncture from a 2 inch long thorn. Also some firing positions call for lying on the dirt (these positions are optional).
Shoes: closed toes, for the same reasons as you want a proper shirt and pants. Wear some shoes you don't mind getting dusty or dirty.
Sunscreen. Texas summer, 'nuff said. Be sure to get your hands ears, and neck, especially.
Ammunition: Please bring, at a minimum -if you can afford it-
a box of .40 Smith & Wesson a.k.a. 40-caliber,
a couple of boxes of 7.62x39mm, and
a box of .22 Long Rifle a.k.a. 22LR.
Tell the guy at the gun store counter you want plinking ammunition, not specialty, hunting, or self-defense ammunition, unless you plan to use it for that, later.
It is not uncommon to have a few rounds left over at the end of class, and leaving these with the instructor is always appreciated and helps out for the next class. It also happens sometimes that the instructor will have to dig into his own ammo stores. Bringing your own ammunition keeps class fees to $0.
Feel free to bring as much ammunition as you want in any of the following calibers:
7.62x39mm <-- Men tend to like this one; we burned up 5 boxes last class
.40 S&W <-- Goes pretty fast sometimes
.38 Special <-- A favorite for beginners
.380 ACP
.22LR
12 Gauge
If there are other guns at class, there may be a limited supply of ammunition for them. If you are bringing a gun, please bring a box or two of ammunition for it.
This page is for me, so I can just send students coming to my classes a link instead of having to type up an email for everybody. It's also for you, if you found it by accident ;)
If You Drive Like This, You STINK!
In heavy traffic, tailgating is a prim cause of chain reaction rear-end collisions. The car in front slows or stops. The cars behind are so close that the driver never has time to lift off the accelerator pedal, much less brake. Rear-end #1. Lather rinse repeat and I've seen 3 cars in a row, rear-end chain reacting.
The street is not a racetrack. Nobody knows when some moron on a call is going to slow, stop, change lanes, or turn. On the track, everyone brakes and turns in the same spots, and all the drivers know where they are. Even so, there are horrendous accidents due to following very close.
So you STINK at driving if, in traffic, you zoom up behind somebody, tailgate them for a little while, then zoom around and cut them off, only to be tailgating the car in front of the first somebody. You stink TWICE if you pull this boneheaded stunt in a tall truck, and you can look right over the top of the small car in front of you and see they are traveling at a speed dictated by the car in front of THEM.
The street is not a racetrack. Nobody knows when some moron on a call is going to slow, stop, change lanes, or turn. On the track, everyone brakes and turns in the same spots, and all the drivers know where they are. Even so, there are horrendous accidents due to following very close.
So you STINK at driving if, in traffic, you zoom up behind somebody, tailgate them for a little while, then zoom around and cut them off, only to be tailgating the car in front of the first somebody. You stink TWICE if you pull this boneheaded stunt in a tall truck, and you can look right over the top of the small car in front of you and see they are traveling at a speed dictated by the car in front of THEM.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Big Brother To Address Students!
Big Brother Himself is to address the children in government schools all across the nation, September 8th 2009! They will all be exposed to the personal presence of our Dear Leader via the television monitors in each classroom. Teachers will encourage the students to ponder the wisdom of the Blessed Obama using lesson plans created by the U.S. Department of Education.
Surely, once they see how wonderful Himself is, they will want to help further his plans! Maybe, dare we hope, the older high-school students will be encouraged to sign up with Organizing For America!
Homeschool or indoctrination. It's your choice.
As one caller to the Laura Ingraham said, "If President Obama wants to say anything to my kids, he can filter it through me." Another caller said he called his kid's school and they didn't know anything about the President's plan, and put him on hold. A couple of minutes later, when they got him off-hold, there were 15 other callers about it. I am happy to say, there is huge potential for grassroots backlash from this misguided effort.
Obama: trying to change the world by making one fawning, unthinking convert to HIMSELF at a time. Because it's all about Him.
********
Update, the next day: Local school district (Leander) says they do not have the resources to push a webcast into all the classrooms. They figured out this was a potential problem when concerned parents started calling their childrens' schools. LISD says they might put the webcast & curriculum online for students to get around to later.
BHO: Fail.
Surely, once they see how wonderful Himself is, they will want to help further his plans! Maybe, dare we hope, the older high-school students will be encouraged to sign up with Organizing For America!
Homeschool or indoctrination. It's your choice.
As one caller to the Laura Ingraham said, "If President Obama wants to say anything to my kids, he can filter it through me." Another caller said he called his kid's school and they didn't know anything about the President's plan, and put him on hold. A couple of minutes later, when they got him off-hold, there were 15 other callers about it. I am happy to say, there is huge potential for grassroots backlash from this misguided effort.
Obama: trying to change the world by making one fawning, unthinking convert to HIMSELF at a time. Because it's all about Him.
********
Update, the next day: Local school district (Leander) says they do not have the resources to push a webcast into all the classrooms. They figured out this was a potential problem when concerned parents started calling their childrens' schools. LISD says they might put the webcast & curriculum online for students to get around to later.
BHO: Fail.
Still Recovering, By The Way.
Right now I'm a Hungry Mungry. I had some water and a couple of pieces of toast for breakfast. Anything more than that would make my poor widdle tummy feel icky. Anything less and my body chemistry goes sour. I'm on the frequent small meals plan because I have to, not because I want to. Thank God I can at least eat from the normal menu again, even if I can't fill 'er up all at once.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
When Things Go Bump In The Night
I was awakened by a loud clattering/sliding noise this morning. I immediately recognized it as something small, hard, and plastic, being batted across the coffee table by VFDKitty#1. I gave out a sigh, thought "that stupid cat" and rolled over in bed to check the time (02:21). I listened, myself still and quiet, for any other noises that would indicate it were not the cat. I almost went to sleep again, but decided it was awfully bumpy for things in the night around here.
Glock: Check
MagLite: Check
Creep & Peep: Check
Doors & windows all secure: Check
Cat awake, all others sleeping: Check
VFDKitty's explanation was as follows (and I quote): "grrreow".
Stupid cat. Oh well. No harm, nofelony foul, I guess. Back to bed.
Glock: Check
MagLite: Check
Creep & Peep: Check
Doors & windows all secure: Check
Cat awake, all others sleeping: Check
VFDKitty's explanation was as follows (and I quote): "grrreow".
Stupid cat. Oh well. No harm, no
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