So, is this the change you were hoping for?
Cliff's: The who voted for the following jack-holes in Congress make me ashamed to have them in my country: Ms. Sanchez, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Yarmuth, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Braley, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Hare, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Clay, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Davis, Mr. Courtney, and Mr. Kirk. They are the sponsor or co-sponsors of H. R. 1966 the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act. This act is both evil and unconstitutional.
Also it makes the above listed persons feeeeeeel as if they have done something to fix a problem they know [deleted] about.
If this act were to pass, and you got your panties in a twist over something you see via"email, instant messaging, blogs, websites, telephones, [or] text messages," then you can try to get somebody "fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."
That is to say, if your speech is unpopular, it is banned. Hello? I know these people were probably government-educated, but can you all at least contact your congresscritters and tell them to put the crack pipe down before they submit legislation?
Repeat after me: "The First Amendment is there to protect unpopular speech."
Friday, May 8, 2009
This Is Not The Change You Were Hoping For.
News Flash: The Bush Administration's policies for not being the best buddy a terrorist ever had during interrogation continue unabated, with the full knowledge and blessing of the Obama Administration.
This is a Good Thing, by the way, but don't expect a Rendition- (and America-) hater to tell you that.
This is a Good Thing, by the way, but don't expect a Rendition- (and America-) hater to tell you that.
Nitrogen Tire Inflation for Street Cars: Stupid
Unless you have a bottle of N2 laying around, or you get Nitrogen free without an increased price somewhere else (like higher valve stem prices), don't bother putting nitrogen in the tires of your daily driver.
Why?
Argument 1: Oxygen leaks out because it's a smaller molecule. Then your tire is under-inflated
Counter: Check your frikken tire pressure!
Bonus counter argument: When the O2 leaks out, you refill the tire with . . . 78% N2 (air). Over time, the concentration of Nitrogen inside your tire increases because you replace missing Oxygen with Nitrogen-rich compressed air.
Argument 2: N2 does not damage the insides of your tires/wheels/etc. like Oxygen does.
Counter: The outside of a tire is subjected to more Oxygen than the inside (see Argument 1) as well as Ultraviolet radiation. The outside of your tire is going to break down WAY faster than the inside. Unless you are filling your tires from an OXYGEN bottle, don't worry about it.
Argument 3: The water content of compressed air, even with a moderately-efficient dryer on the lines, is putting liquid water in your tires. This causes pressure variations with temperature, potentially causes corrosion in the valve stem, and is generally Bad.
Counter: See Counter-argument for Argument 1. In addition, the amount of water vapor in your tires is miniscule. If you did somehow manage to end up with liquid water in your tire, it would actually tend to help balance the wheel/tire combination.
Counter: If you don't replace your valve stem when you replace the tire, you are asking for trouble anyway. The amount of corrosion build up in the valve stem during the service life of your tires is nothing to worry over. If you have so much water in your air that it causes rim corrosion, you are doing something pretty drastically wrong (like using gas station air pumps).
Argument 4: NASCAR and IndyCar teams use Nitrogen in their tires because it helps them more accurately predict tire inflation.
Counter: They also run engines for several hours at a speed that would make your engine explode, if it ever spun that fast for a second. They also drive 200MPH and those drivers can feel a 1 PSI change in tire pressure. You can't feel the 10PSI missing from your left-rear tire right now. This is not an argument that applies to street driven cars.
Argument 5: Airliners use nitrogen so their tires don't have ice in them.
Counter: You will break up any significant ice in your tires when you are leaving your driveway. If your tires have ice in them, then weather and road conditions will be such that the ice on the road should be 1000 times more worrisome.
With proper tire inflation, you will have increased fuel efficiency, better handling, longer tire service life, and increased safety. This is not an argument for or against refined N2 in your car's tires. It is a set of good reasons to check your tire pressure every month, at least, like your car's manual says to do.
If your tire shop makes a Great Big Fuss over how they can sell you Nitrogen in your car tires, smile at them and say "no thanks."
Why?
Argument 1: Oxygen leaks out because it's a smaller molecule. Then your tire is under-inflated
Counter: Check your frikken tire pressure!
Bonus counter argument: When the O2 leaks out, you refill the tire with . . . 78% N2 (air). Over time, the concentration of Nitrogen inside your tire increases because you replace missing Oxygen with Nitrogen-rich compressed air.
Argument 2: N2 does not damage the insides of your tires/wheels/etc. like Oxygen does.
Counter: The outside of a tire is subjected to more Oxygen than the inside (see Argument 1) as well as Ultraviolet radiation. The outside of your tire is going to break down WAY faster than the inside. Unless you are filling your tires from an OXYGEN bottle, don't worry about it.
Argument 3: The water content of compressed air, even with a moderately-efficient dryer on the lines, is putting liquid water in your tires. This causes pressure variations with temperature, potentially causes corrosion in the valve stem, and is generally Bad.
Counter: See Counter-argument for Argument 1. In addition, the amount of water vapor in your tires is miniscule. If you did somehow manage to end up with liquid water in your tire, it would actually tend to help balance the wheel/tire combination.
Counter: If you don't replace your valve stem when you replace the tire, you are asking for trouble anyway. The amount of corrosion build up in the valve stem during the service life of your tires is nothing to worry over. If you have so much water in your air that it causes rim corrosion, you are doing something pretty drastically wrong (like using gas station air pumps).
Argument 4: NASCAR and IndyCar teams use Nitrogen in their tires because it helps them more accurately predict tire inflation.
Counter: They also run engines for several hours at a speed that would make your engine explode, if it ever spun that fast for a second. They also drive 200MPH and those drivers can feel a 1 PSI change in tire pressure. You can't feel the 10PSI missing from your left-rear tire right now. This is not an argument that applies to street driven cars.
Argument 5: Airliners use nitrogen so their tires don't have ice in them.
Counter: You will break up any significant ice in your tires when you are leaving your driveway. If your tires have ice in them, then weather and road conditions will be such that the ice on the road should be 1000 times more worrisome.
With proper tire inflation, you will have increased fuel efficiency, better handling, longer tire service life, and increased safety. This is not an argument for or against refined N2 in your car's tires. It is a set of good reasons to check your tire pressure every month, at least, like your car's manual says to do.
If your tire shop makes a Great Big Fuss over how they can sell you Nitrogen in your car tires, smile at them and say "no thanks."
Gun Porn: Walther PPK/S
This is a Walther PPK/S, made in (France) West Germany in 1970. Aside from the missing extractor (!), some minor corrosion here and there, as well as marks from where it was dropped once or twice, it looks pretty good. From a couple of feet away, it looks really good.
The barrel is in the same condition inside as the rest of the gun. Smooth finish except where it's pitted, but the working surfaces (rifling edges) are in serviceable condition.
It's like that everywhere you look. This pistol is nothing special, but if you can get an extractor on it, it might be a good place-filler in a collection until you could get a nicer example.
The magazine is really the best-looking part of the whole thing.
Like I mentioned before, this is one of the older (imported) originals, not a more recent American-made copy. Moderately obscure trivia: ALL of these that are marked Made in W. Germany were manufactured in France. Then they were proof-fired and finished in West Germany and marked as having been made in the latter country. If you squint at the top photo, you can just make out the "70" on the side of the firing chamber next to a cartouche. That's where this vintage of PPK/S is marked with the year of manufacture.
Interarms deserves credit for having a classy stamp instead of some of the hand-etched importer marks you might find on, say, an SKS from China.
Considering the condition and chambering (9mm kurz = .380ACP) I would give this one a pass, even if I did have the money for it. Which I don't. If this sort of thing is your bag, however, this pistol is currently available on Gunbroker with no reserve price.
The barrel is in the same condition inside as the rest of the gun. Smooth finish except where it's pitted, but the working surfaces (rifling edges) are in serviceable condition.
It's like that everywhere you look. This pistol is nothing special, but if you can get an extractor on it, it might be a good place-filler in a collection until you could get a nicer example.
The magazine is really the best-looking part of the whole thing.
Like I mentioned before, this is one of the older (imported) originals, not a more recent American-made copy. Moderately obscure trivia: ALL of these that are marked Made in W. Germany were manufactured in France. Then they were proof-fired and finished in West Germany and marked as having been made in the latter country. If you squint at the top photo, you can just make out the "70" on the side of the firing chamber next to a cartouche. That's where this vintage of PPK/S is marked with the year of manufacture.
Interarms deserves credit for having a classy stamp instead of some of the hand-etched importer marks you might find on, say, an SKS from China.
Considering the condition and chambering (9mm kurz = .380ACP) I would give this one a pass, even if I did have the money for it. Which I don't. If this sort of thing is your bag, however, this pistol is currently available on Gunbroker with no reserve price.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Madness @ Work!
You know it's bad (where "it" is the new employee's quality of work, as well as his outlook for continuing employment with the company) when, as one of the men comes to mention to you something the FNG has done, the conversation starts of as follows:
"So, Dumbass ________ . . . ."
(fill in the blank with another dumb action)
"So, Dumbass ________ . . . ."
(fill in the blank with another dumb action)
First They Came For Dr. Savage. . .
. . . and I said nothing because he is syndicated on a competing network.
Crickets. Crickets is what you hear from all the other news networks.
American with controversial opinions placed on UK's Least Wanted list, banned from entry to Britain. For words advocating his pet issues of "Borders, Language, Culture" and urging America to return to defense of its own examples of all three.
They lump him in with murderers and terrorists, claiming his words will incite violence, etc. and all the while make no great shakes about the muslim radicals INSIDE UK, living on the public dole, actually TRYING to incite violence.
Oh well, ho hum, move along, nothing to see here. . . .
Crickets. Crickets is what you hear from all the other news networks.
American with controversial opinions placed on UK's Least Wanted list, banned from entry to Britain. For words advocating his pet issues of "Borders, Language, Culture" and urging America to return to defense of its own examples of all three.
They lump him in with murderers and terrorists, claiming his words will incite violence, etc. and all the while make no great shakes about the muslim radicals INSIDE UK, living on the public dole, actually TRYING to incite violence.
Oh well, ho hum, move along, nothing to see here. . . .
Gun Porn: Llama Miniature 1911
This is a cute little piece. I was amused by the way the people at Llama apparently left a Government Model heater in the dryer too long and it shrunk all the way down from .45ACP to the miniscule .32ACP. I'd never seen one of these before, and this one tickled my funny bone.
Overall this one looks like a shooter. The amount of finish left inside and out (it's mostly "patina'd" now) lead me to believe this piece was kicking around in a pocket or a nightstand drawer WAY more than it was fired.
Physical condition is "old but probably works great" and it looks to me like it would be a great carry piece. . . if .32 were a suitable caliber for self-defense, and the Kel-Tek line hadn't been invented yet, that is.
A lot of the places that are not covered in patina are getting close to "in the white," but check out the exterior of the barrel. This thing isn't covered in GSR. That's most of the original finish you're seeing on the barrel.
Original grips are showing some shelf wear and maybe a couple of minor drop-checks.
The barrel is bright, with sharp rifling. A little cleaning wouldn't hurt it though.
This last set of images shows what you will see on all the metal, if you examine the piece under very bright lighting: the bluing, she is mostly gone. Also, the included magazine is pitted all to heck on the outside but it would surprise me if it took more than some feedlip tweaking to make it run right.
Available until it's not. Get it while it lasts.
Overall this one looks like a shooter. The amount of finish left inside and out (it's mostly "patina'd" now) lead me to believe this piece was kicking around in a pocket or a nightstand drawer WAY more than it was fired.
Physical condition is "old but probably works great" and it looks to me like it would be a great carry piece. . . if .32 were a suitable caliber for self-defense, and the Kel-Tek line hadn't been invented yet, that is.
A lot of the places that are not covered in patina are getting close to "in the white," but check out the exterior of the barrel. This thing isn't covered in GSR. That's most of the original finish you're seeing on the barrel.
Original grips are showing some shelf wear and maybe a couple of minor drop-checks.
The barrel is bright, with sharp rifling. A little cleaning wouldn't hurt it though.
This last set of images shows what you will see on all the metal, if you examine the piece under very bright lighting: the bluing, she is mostly gone. Also, the included magazine is pitted all to heck on the outside but it would surprise me if it took more than some feedlip tweaking to make it run right.
Available until it's not. Get it while it lasts.
Oil Prices (and Gas Prices): Setting Up For A Fall
The price of oil has been trending slightly higher lately, taking the price of gasoline up with it (search my blog for "rule of thumb" if you don't know why they are related).
What you didn't know is that the world's capacity for storing unprocessed oil (excess inventory) is approaching chock-a-block FULL.
When there is nowhere else to store the oil above ground, they will store it in tankers.
When the tankers are full, they will (largely) stop pumping the oil. There will, very soon, be a glut of oil on the world's markets. The price will fall accordingly. Put your Sale order in now, speculator.
This is (again, like every other result of a Depression), good news if you can keep your job. Gasoline (and everything) else is about to get still cheaper.
What you didn't know is that the world's capacity for storing unprocessed oil (excess inventory) is approaching chock-a-block FULL.
When there is nowhere else to store the oil above ground, they will store it in tankers.
When the tankers are full, they will (largely) stop pumping the oil. There will, very soon, be a glut of oil on the world's markets. The price will fall accordingly. Put your Sale order in now, speculator.
This is (again, like every other result of a Depression), good news if you can keep your job. Gasoline (and everything) else is about to get still cheaper.
Mourning.
I got in late from church last night.
One of the men, before church, put out word that his father wasn't expected to live out the night. He was there alone, his wife and other family electing to stay on the death watch.
After the meeting was ended, we wound up together talking. Talking guns. He has a funny idea about using a .22 HMR against tank drivers. He also has a lovely new Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum revolver that keeps him company in the glove box. He reviewed some of the guerillas that have taken place (he's a student of underground resistance movements).
We talked about specifically not his dying father for almost an hour, and he was at least temporarily distracted from what he would be driving back to.
It's a sad job in a way and a pleasure in a way, but in both ways, I was happy to help.
One of the men, before church, put out word that his father wasn't expected to live out the night. He was there alone, his wife and other family electing to stay on the death watch.
After the meeting was ended, we wound up together talking. Talking guns. He has a funny idea about using a .22 HMR against tank drivers. He also has a lovely new Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum revolver that keeps him company in the glove box. He reviewed some of the guerillas that have taken place (he's a student of underground resistance movements).
We talked about specifically not his dying father for almost an hour, and he was at least temporarily distracted from what he would be driving back to.
It's a sad job in a way and a pleasure in a way, but in both ways, I was happy to help.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Cash For Guzzlers Program: I'm Against It!
I can't dig up the bill number (yet) but supposedly Speaker Pelosi (spit) has already introduced legislation enabling a federal "(your)Cash for (someone else's gas) Guzzlers program.
This is supposed to makeunicorns grow out your the environment cleaner and decrease national fuel consumption, as well as stimulate the car manufacturing industry.
The actual effects of the program would be not so great. The effects of the program are actually harmful to the "working poor" among us.
Cars are destroyed before their usefulness is done. You know how much precious carbon goes into making a new car from raw materials? About a thousand gallons of gas worth for every Prius.
Old cars that pollute the most are often rarely-driven collectors pieces. They don't pollute as much because they aren't driven as much. Duh?
For the same reason they pollute less, old cars don't use as much gas as you might think.
They want to pay thousands of dollars of monopoly money for single-digits increases in Miles Per Gallon ratings. How is that an effective use of my money, again? Scrapping an old car means it won't be available for sale, cheap, to someone who desperately needs at least a "beater" so they can get to work
Scrapping an old car means the parts won't be available in the junkyards, driving up price of auto repairs for:
Besides which this kind of program does not affect the worst of the worst: really ratty old cars owned by people who can only afford really ratty old cars. If you can't afford ANY new car, regardless of discounts off MSRP, this program shoots right over your head.
This type of program ONLY helps those wealthy enough to afford a new car. It hurts the environment, hobbyists (voters) and poor people. For those reasons, SEMA SAN has been successful pretty much everywhere (and repeatedly in California) in getting legislators to vote these programs down.
I just called the offices of my Elected Heroes to register my opinion.
Will you?
This is supposed to make
The actual effects of the program would be not so great. The effects of the program are actually harmful to the "working poor" among us.
- poor people
- hobbyists and restorers
- mechanics
Besides which this kind of program does not affect the worst of the worst: really ratty old cars owned by people who can only afford really ratty old cars. If you can't afford ANY new car, regardless of discounts off MSRP, this program shoots right over your head.
This type of program ONLY helps those wealthy enough to afford a new car. It hurts the environment, hobbyists (voters) and poor people. For those reasons, SEMA SAN has been successful pretty much everywhere (and repeatedly in California) in getting legislators to vote these programs down.
I just called the offices of my Elected Heroes to register my opinion.
Will you?
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