Economics: The Dismal Science

Nobody likes the guy who says "You're all [deleted]" but that's what they say, who are looking at what is happening around the world. I maintain my position that we are in the middle of a dead cat bounce. It is a long bounce and looks rather convincing, but unless major changes are implemented everywhere around the world, soon, the bounce will have been off an awning high on the building, not the ground. The global economy, she is not looking too good.

Daddy Like This One Also: Wilson Combat 7.62x40mm WT for the AR

I've said before that I want an AR chambered in .30-06 but the same size as its poodle-shooter brethren. Well, at least this one is .30 caliber. It has a slight power edge (theoretically) over 6.8x45 Kramer, but both of them hang their heads in shame at the powder capacity of the .30-06. Power from the new 7.62x40mm WT is just over half what you get out of "God's Own Cartridge" but (like the Kramer round) another third again higher than 5.45 NATO.

The weapons platform is mature and reliable. Still we are shooting needles from it, because it's easier than changing and the .223 is "good enough" for most social work. Meh. If I was kingudawoild . . . oh, well. Fortunately, this Wilson round is likely to have lots of support and a small-but-enthusiastic mainstream following, unlike the Kramer round which remains a wildcat.

Melting Sea Ice _______ The Sea Level

Fill in the blank. It's a one question quiz that the reporters at Yahoo failed totally to pass. Kick them back to middle school science class.

If you have an ice cube in a glass of water and let it sit and melt, does the water level in the glass rise, fall, or remain exactly the same? Those of you who paid attention in school (or at the bar) will know that the level of the water in your glass will stay the same.

If you have a sheet of ice that covers 1/30th of the earth's surface and it is floating on the Arctic ocean, and it melts, what happens to the sea levels around the world? Bubkis. The ANTARCTIC, if it melted, would be a problem - THAT ice is not floating, it is on land. The ARCTIC, if it melts (as it does every year) is NOT a harbinger of doom. It is weather.

Don't worry. Be happy. Yahoo! story not dignified with a link out of sheer disdain for the appalling lack of scientific editorial oversight.

Set Thine Affairs In Order

I just opened our credit card statement for last month. This card is what we use for daily purchases, and we pay it off in full every month. We earn something like 1% cash back. Thanks to new Federal law, they print on the statement a handy table telling us how much we could pay per month to pay off the balance. We could pay the minimum payment and have it paid off in one generation, paying more than double the total balance in interest, or we could pay about 120% of the balance in interest if we pay a paltry sum every month, and pay it off in three years. That, plus the principal.

This balance will be paid off in about an hour or so, at a cost of $0 interest. By not spending more than we can afford, we are saving several thousands of dollars every month.

Explain that to a student about to graduate government high school in America. Moral of the story: Don't spend money you don't have, and you end up not-spending WAY more money in the long run.

If You Do Not Speak Now . . .

Do you think your gun dealer needs to tell the ATF when you buy two rifles? Then comment against it, or they will be required to do so.

Hat tip: Uncle

You know who else liked to keep lists of gun owners?

Used Dehumidifier

Ugh. My Darling Wife said there was something inside that needed to be cleaned before she allowed the second-hand humidifier to be operated a second time in the house.

I cleaned it out tonight. She was right and then some. Let me just tell you: if you don't like the sight of caked-on dust, a second-hand dehumidifier is NOT something you want to clean.

Madness @ Work

It takes a certain sort of person to stay working where I work. Turnover is high enough that it can be a waste of effort to try to get to know someone we just got from the temp. agency. We would like to have a solid crew of permanent staff, but some people just can't cut it.

So we have a new Front Office Girl. A week or so after she came to work here, she said I hadn't introduced myself. I explained the above to her. She thought it was funny, which was a good sign she might stick around for a while. Fast forward a month.

FOG: So I've officially been here 5 weeks and you haven't introduced yourself.
VFD: I totally did! Like weeks ago!
FOG: You totally didn't!
VFD: Okay, "HI', I"m VFD." ::extends hand to shake hands::
FOG: AAH! It's all soapy!
VFD: LOL!
FOG: ::goes back to desk::

She accosted me and wanted an introduction when I was washing my hands. What was I to do, be rude and not introduce myself?

Herman Cain Can Win. Vote For Him. Support Him.

THIS is who should be the next President of the USA. If you don't know who he is, blame the MSM and do your homework. If you don't think a relative unknown can win the office, consider the 2012 Presidential Forum in Manchester, which voted 62% for Cain and the nearest contender was 17% Pawlenty.

Hat tip: Instapundit

(homework: begin with the links in the theothermccain.com article)

Communism Makes Me Sick

May Day 2011: I got a splitting headache this morning, and made it mostly go away by sleeping through church (in bed, not in church) this evening after dropping four pills. It's coming back; time for more pills and sleep. But that's small potatoes. May Day just took on a new meaning for me, and I hope it will for you also.

To celebrate May 1st Instapundit refers us to Prof. Volokh's idea: Steal their day. So this is my first-annual observance of Victims of Communism Day.

Communism kills: 100,000,000 dead innocents can't be wrong!

Volokh explains:

May Day began as a holiday for socialists and labor union activists, not just communists. But over time, the date was taken over by the Soviet Union and other communist regimes and used as a propaganda tool to prop up their regimes. I suggest that we instead use it as a day to commemorate those regimes’ millions of victims. The authoritative Black Book of Communism estimates the total at 80 to 100 million dead, greater than that caused by all other twentieth century tyrannies combined. We appropriately have a Holocaust Memorial Day. It is equally appropriate to commemorate the victims of the twentieth century’s other great totalitarian tyranny. And May Day is the most fitting day to do so. I suggest that May Day be turned into Victims of Communism Day....

When the Kids Grow Up

Once there are no more curious little fingers poking around, it will be nice to have a few well-placed shotguns in Condition 1 around the house.

Just sayin'.