The Armed American

Welcome to the Blogroll: Red State Witch

2012-01-16T11:55:00.002-05:00

OK folks- front and center, cover down- Listen up:

We run a respectful joint 'round here. Yes, even with the sidelong nude of the kneeling woman with the 3' long sword I posted some time ago, and similar. (Have I mentioned, Yumm?)

:makes note to post more eye candy:

That said- we run a respectful site here. There will be things that I post that you disagree with. There will be things that you say, I disagree with. It's an oft-misatributed quote (and correct me if I misattrib), but:

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -(random Googleness by way of accuracy: This quote is widely attributed to Voltaire, but cannot be found in his writings. With good reason. The phrase was invented by a later author as an epitome of his attitude. It appeared in The Friends of Voltaire (1906), written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym Stephen G. Tallentyre.)
So in short, and with the utmost respect:
-Welcome to the blogroll, Red State Witch. Stealing their tagline: "Pagan AND Conservative. Yes, really". It's something I've long said about myself- and as it happens, it's not terribly rare.

-Don't mistake those that don't follow the same god you do, as being Occupy Wall Street types.

-Each their own, and "Judge not lest ye be judged", ring a bell?

-If you cannot respect the above, noone's making you post a comment... and you might as well save us both the time, because your comment will be sent to \dev\null if it doesn't contribute to a rational, respectful conversation.

Now- I just have to poke about in the undercarriage here and figure out where I add a hyperlink in the new interface...

You'd think I'd remember this shi... stuff...

2012-01-16T11:30:00.001-05:00

So maybe it's psychosomatic (and maybe I horribly misspelled that, but not feeling like caring right now), but every time I stop and think "hey, you know- I've not been sick in quite a while. Cool!"... I soon come down with a nasty bug.

I'm not given to being sick often, even with my wife working with young children and coming home with all manner of interesting bugs all the time.

It's just like the last time I took a plane ride with the wife- I looked out the window at the baggage handlers and remarked "you know, it really is amazing how they've never lost my bags."

She just looked at me, shook her head dismissively, and said "You just HAVE to tempt fate, don't you?"

Sure as shit- they lost EVERY damned one of our bags. Mine. The wife's. The BSE bag for our then 6-month old child.

Did I mention this was also the weekend of the big reception shindig her family was throwing for our recent marriage? (honestly, they might as well have saved the money and we might as well not have gotten married, but that's an entirely OTHER discussion!)

So, yes- I seem to have the uncanny ability to make stuff happen, just by remarking how it's never happened. Fate, much?

I remarked to myself back in late December, right after Christmas, that I hadn't been sick in a long time- and how fortunate it was, since I'd just started with a new company after having done 6 months on a contract-to-hire "audition" for my new IT gig.

sure enough- 3 days later on the way back to work after picking up the wife and kid at her work and shuttling them home- I start coming down with this massive stomach and backache, and then spend the next week and a half with a stomach flu. Thankfully, it was light on the "stomach" part, but tripled down on the body aches. I was literally taking 4 ibuprofen every 6 hours just so I could stand up. Yes, I know that's not healthy. I literally felt like I'd been kicked by a mule- I'd have considered drinking heavily had I thought it would have helped.

Got over that, finally, Friday last. Felt ok till abotu wednesday, and now I've got a damned head cold. Sneezing/wheezing/coughing my head off, but it's not gotten into my lungs and there's no sign of actual infection, so I'm just OTC'ing it.

Yes, probably all TMFI, but explains why I'm not getting as much done as I would like. I've been trying to turn over a new leaf with regard to tasks around the house, but it's difficult to do when you're ill. Yes, I know the wife troops on and does her stuff round the house when she's ill. I admit I'm a big baby when I'm sick. Shut up. ;P

On top of it all, I need to have dental surgery soon, as I have a broken and impacted wisdom tooth. It's not hurting, and I am fresh out of leave on the books, so it has to wait- the new company doesn't have a policy in place to let you go arrears on leave, and I'll only be out 3 days so it's not even long enough for STD to kick in. I'd had everything in place to have it done 31JAN, take that Wed-Fri off and have a weekend buffer in place, but that's not going to fly now. Next holiday weekend when I'll have sufficient leave is Memorial Day. I had planned to have The Big Snip that weekend, but it'll have to wait. I'm understandably not too upset about that. (Ladies, if you're wondering what The Big Snip is, read that sentence out to your 40-something male friends, and watch them cringe. Got it?)

Hopefully Fate's had her fun here, and I can get back to feeling well soon. Does the inverse work?

"Wow, it's been a long time since I felt great!"

Getting my home cookin on...

2012-01-06T00:48:00.003-05:00

So due to having the flu, I wasn't able to participate in a noble Southern Tradition-

Hoppin' John, collard greens, and barbeque for New Years' Day.

It's been entirely too long since I used the barbeque for anything more than a fire pit, let alone used black iron to cook more than a grilled cheese sandwich, and now I'm feeling better I think I will split my time outside this weekend with going through the truck project and cooking up some good food.

I made two loaves of Irish soda bread a couple days ago (while I was still sick, even- promises to keep to my kid!)- one white, one wheat. Both are excellent, and were super easy. I really need to bake more often, I haven't even got the cast pans I was given by a dear friend last year properly broken in yet... :/

I am thinking the menu this weekend will consist of hoppin' John, greens (though I may wimp out and do frozen), and maybe a couple steaks for the wife and I. At the very least I am looking for some reason to cook over campfire- the hoppin john can be done in a dutch oven, and the steaks will cook nicely on my lodge Sportsman's grill, as I need to get some more oil into the exterior of it since I left it out a few months back.

Pics will follow...

Regarding recent legislation...

2012-01-05T23:09:00.001-05:00

I'm referring to the bill that was signed by Barack Obama over the last weekend, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012.

Among other things, it gives the Military carte blanche to detain American citizens on American soil, without charging them, trying them, etc. The mind just boggles at the "unintended" consequences...

.. but, in an accompanying Signing Statement, Barry "promises not to use it". After all, "if one Muslim is taken off the street in the dead of night, none of us are free" (if you can find the quote from Obama's speech a few years back I am paraphrasing here, please provide link in comments!). Perhaps the same thing doesn't apply if you're white, Veteran, believe in the Constitution, the Bible, and such silly little things?

Pardon this- but WHAT. THE. FUCK, OVER? If Bush had done this (yes, I realize Extraordinary Rendition has been done to non-US citizens, on foreign territory, when they're captured in a war zone. NOT near the same, ok?) the lefties would have had a joygasm with the gnashing of teeth and so on.

ACLU: Stand-the-fuck-TO! If ever you people wanted to stand up and be counted as defending Civil Liberties (yaknow, since it's in the damned name of your organization and all), the time is now. Of course, I doubt you will- you haven't served as more than a shit-stirrer for the left for quite some time now... and Barack's one of yours, right? (EDIT: ok, I found this, and it seems the ACLU's found some scrot after all..)

And to top it all off- go google for "H.R 3166". Here's a hint: Congresscritter Dent comments on the act he introduced.

(pardon the language and vehemence, folks- I'm just really sick of what the present "leadership" is doing to our country. I wasn't a huge fan of the previous few leaders either- but I am really starting to wonder if the present administration just simply has it in for us)

The American Mercenary recently pondered a simple question: Wouldn't it be nice if there were one set of rules that applied equally?

I copy his post here, with full admission it is not my work- I just can't improve on it, and it would be a shame to see it disappear from the web:

28 December 2011

Wouldn't it be nice if there were one set of rules that applied equally?

Senator Bacon felt the hood coming off of his head, and a single bare lightbulb, not CFL he noted airily, swung overhead.

The idea that a sitting US Senator would be kidnapped by terrorists was something that they all had to prepare for, but Senator Bacon wasn't prepared for the reality, his bodyguards going down with the muffled flashes of sub-machine guns, the black masked bad guys kicking him down and flex cuffing his hands behind his back. The hood over his head was the part where he knew that it had to be terrorists.

"Do you know who I am?" Senator Bacon demanded, sensing a presence behind him.

"Yes, we do." A cold voice said. A folder slapped down on the table in front of the Senator and pages of correspondence and photos of meetings with Saudi princes came out. "You are a terrorism supporter. There is no use denying it."

But Senator Bacon couldn't NOT deny it, his meetings with a Prince of the house of Saud was purely business! "I met with Prince Saud as part of official business! I was part of the envoy to Saudi Arabia for the last energy deal!" The Senator's voice held plenty of righteous indignation. "What are you? Some sort of fringe homeland group? Let me go now and I won't press charges."

There was nothing but laughter from multiple voices now.

"So you admit to having correspondence with a known terrorism support, you admit that the correspondence in front of you is actually yours?" The voice held a hint of bitter humor.

"Of course it is, I was doing my job! Let me go and I promise you immunity." Senator Bacon began to feel that something wasn't right. The desk in front of him was a simple field desk painted olive drab. The bare light above him was powered by a faint generator noise he heard in the distance. The room he was in wasn't a room at all, but a field tent. The sound of helicopters in the distance told him he was close to an airport.

"We can't do that Senator, you've made yourself an enemy of the state and will be held without counsel until we decide what to do with you." The voice was calm.

"Screw You, I AM the state!" Senator Bacon yelled, angry beyond reason. "Nothing gets done in this town without my hand in it, NOTHING!"

"No one is above the law" The voice replied. Silence followed. Minutes ticked by.

"What do you want?" Senator Bacon realized that bargaining and anger didn't affect his captors.

"Simply to do the job that you gave us to do." The voice said.

"What job did I give you to do?" The Senator asked, bewildered. He may have known the Prince wasn't entirely a savory character, but that is just the cost of doing business in the Middle East right? The Senator couldn't recall hiring the services of a terrorist cell or mercenary group to do anything....

Footsteps came slowly around until a man in uniform, three stars on his chest came into the light of the single bulb.

"We are to detain all who are suspected of terrorism and supporting terrorism." The Lieutenant General smiled a weary smile. "And you have already admitted to supporting terrorism. Unfortunately I cannot let you have a phone call or access to a lawyer since it would tip of your terrorist buddies. The good news is that this is all perfectly legal. You made it so."

"I demand to see an attorney." Senator Bacon felt dead calm.

"That is impossible Mr. Bacon." The 3 Star replied. "You will be held until we feel we have a case strong enough to go to trial."

"But that could take YEARS!" the Senator wailed.

"It took us years to get Jose Padilla, but we got him."

"But I'm up for re-election in 18 months!" The senator couldn't imagine what was happening to him. The law was supposed to PROTECT people from bad guys who wanted to blow them up, not a crooked politician who threw some business to a Saudi Prince who had arranged for several boys to entertain him on his last trip to Riyad...

"You are a terrorist supporter, not a sitting US Senator." The 3 Star walked back into the shadows behind the former Senator Bacon.

"Stop Tape" The 3 Star said. "Seriously Ben, what the heck did you think would happen when you turned the military into your personal attack dogs? I told you it was a bad idea two years ago. I'll let Melinda and the kids know you are all right but will be incommunicado for a while. It is the best I can do. Start Tape"

The 3 Star walked out. Ben Bacon knew where he was now, in a field outside Fort Lee, in an impromptu detainee camp where thousands of others had already been processed. Taken into custody and whisked away to Gitmo or some foreign country for interrogation. Ben Bacon knew for the first time in his life true powerlessness.

The truth of the matter stunned Senator Bacon into silence. The light went out, and Senator Bacon was thankful for the darkness so he could weep unobserved. Unobserved save for the IR camera recording his every tear.

Drilling leaf springs, made easy

2012-01-03T15:27:00.002-05:00

Welcome to 2012, folks.

Those of you counting down to "ZOMG!! TEH END OF TEH YEAR ON DECEMBER 21, 2012" Should go right ahead and leave. Now. Quietly... or there will be no apologies. ;)

I hope all are doing well after the holiday season. I, for one, feel MUCH better, having it aft of us. I HATE that time of the year, not for philosophical reasons, more for familial stressors and the overarching fact that just about everyone has forgotten the meaning of the season- and no, I'm not referring to strictly the Christian mythos, either... most belief systems have a common goal for the November/December timeframe... but I'm off-mission, there... ;)

So I am STILL working on this darn truck. It pains me to admit I am looking at about 7 months since I've driven it. Long story short, the axle ripped out about June, I wasted a month and a half while a buddy was insisting he'd "get it out in a day or two" while adapting one of my Dana 44 solid axles to replace the back Corporate 10 bolt, I finally said hell with it and decided to just dive in and do the solid axle swap (ie: cut off the factory IFS (Independent Front Suspension)) and convert the whole damn thing to oldschool solid axles out of a Wagoneer) myself.

"Couldn't take more than a month or two, longest".Pfft. Well, yeah- if I'd had bank to back up the goal, no job, more tools, etc, etc...I am wrapping up the project now, though.

One of the things I found after mounting the springs as far forward as I could without fabricating a frame extension, was that I needed to still move the axle 2" forward to clear the back of the fenderwell- I couldn't cut the fenderwell because on this truck the back of the fenderwell is actually the firewall, and if I didn't move the axle forward I'd actually have shortened the overall wheelbase- not something you want to do on this truck, given my goals.

The easy solution would be to completely rework the entire front so I could use different springs off of a YJ (about $400 for springs, plus all my wasted time, etc). No.

Or, I could order some custom springs with the spring pin moved 2" forward. I checked into that and it's about $400 or so, and would bolt in... but might provide it's own problems by way of addressing lift discrepancies front/rear.

Or, I could just drill a hole 2" forward on the springs I have built. Gee, how hard could that be, after all I own a drill press... Go google "drilling leaf springs" and you'll find the following "advice" (all of which proves to take anything you see on the Internet with a VERY big grain of salt...)

-don't EVER drill springs, if you do the stress risers induced in the metal will make the springs fail in short order, and you'll die when the axle comes out from under the truck
>(I should note, I actually saw a highly-degreed fellow (at least, he claimed to be) espousing this approach. Now, I respect the man's education and qualifications- but I feel the need to wax Heinleinian here: "Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it. - Robert Heinlein. Yes, I am a bit partial to just about anything Heinlein said or did, as I basically consider myself a Heinleinian Libertartian, but that is Another Discussion Entirely(tm).. and requires alcohol, steak, and a fine cigar). I should note I've actually seen this attitude invoked by people whose rigs look like company advertisements for Rusty's Offroad Products, and anyone who's had a chance to inspect the aftermath of when those products fail should realize that's a pretty big freaking joke. I had a friend (mumbles something about "Absent Companions") whose XJ's lower control arm actually broke at the weld- while backing out of the driveway. Anyway- enough said about that at the moment...

-heat the spring with a oxy-acetylene torch to detemper it, drill the hole in the now unhardened steel, and retemper it. Use your barbeque and a 5 gallon bucket of water to do this.
>Gods, where to begin! First off- your barbeque grill is NOT going to get the steel hot enough to properly detemper/retemper the steel, even if you can get the damn spring to fit into it (how many of you have a 5' long barbeque, hmm?). Likewise, that 5 gallon bucket of water isn't going to quench the red-hot steel, either- quenching steel requires IMMERSING it in a liquid, entirely, and usually oil to boot so you get some carbon transfer from said oil. Thirdly, tempering/detempering steel properly is a rather exacting operation involving heating the steel to a specific temperature and doing so in a uniform matter. While yes, it is done in primitive conditions (notably by Nepalese blacksmiths- see the Gurkhas and their distinctive khukuri blades), those folks aren't depending on the product to maintain safe operation while several tons of force are regularly conspiring against the integrity of said product.

-cut the hole with a plasma cutter
>yes, because everyone owns a plas. Nevermind that the plasma operation doesn't transfer *as much* heat into the spring, it is still transferring LOADS of heat into a spot on the spring- to the tune of several thousand degrees.... it's *plasma*, folks. Not real wise.

-cut the hole with a oxy torch
>I'm suddenly glad I have no hair, as it would really suck to be ripping it out right now.

-can't be done, don't even try, you'll induce stress risers into the spring and it will fail
>Yes, if you cut the hole with the wrong sort of bit, with no lube, and "just go at it" on high-speed. NEVER cut steel on a high speed, particularly tempered steel. First off, you'll just harden the steel as you're trying to cut it- you're working against yourself.

-use a carbide/titanium/unobtainium bit. Replace often.. even if you can resharpen the bits yourself.>expensive, and seems a rather "hack" method of operating. Anytime you're using a tool for its intended purpose and then throwing it away immediately, you're probably doing it wrong.

-use a hammer and a punch, do it with the spring at room temperature
>:crickets: Really? Look, if you've done this, I will NEVER give you any trouble, lest you smite me mightily...

-use a step-drill in a drillpress, and it's no problem.
>this sounded like utter bunk to me- my experience with uni-bits (step drills) always seemed to end up regarding them as the adjustable wrench of the drill world. It'll work, kinda, but will cause more damage than it's worth, because it's not the proper tool... plus they're expensive. I did grab a pack of 3 a few months back at Harbor Freight for $10, as a gamble.

Please note, I say it "sounded" like BS. As in, past tense...

Since I am trying to keep this build as inexpensive (read: "Best bang for the buck") as possible, I elected to drill the spring. Read on...

I've been sick with a low-grade stomach flu since Thursday, so the past weekend has sucked to say the least... even so, I managed to pull the spring on Thursday after work and attempt to drill the hole 2" forward of stock. I used a 1/8" drillbit, and even with it being a high-grade TiNitride bit, still had to sharpen it 4 times. I stepped up a couple sizes- and about 1/4 of the way through the pack (of 7 leaves, so not even getting 2 leaves) I hit the wall. I'd been using plenty of oil, moderate pressure, and still it work hardened and I could go no further. I tried for two hours, numerous bits, all freshly sharpened with my Drill Doctor (BUY one, now, if you haven't!) and it was an act of desperation.I tried the step-drill thing yesterday- disassembled the pack, got one of those cheapo step drills, expecting to frag it immediately... setup the drillpress (again, Harbor Freight*, and the second-best $50 item in my shop) shrugged, and spun the feed wheel around- and the damn bit sunk through the steel like it wasn't even there. I am EXTREMELY impressed.

So, long story short- need to drill holes in a leaf spring? Use a good step drill, a drill press set to slowest speed (sub 700RPM), lots of oil. Cut each spring individually. Easy.

*BTW- yes, I know they're cheap tools, made in China, and no I'm not real happy about it. But when I can spend $50 on a chopsaw that will cost easily 4 times the price if it's "made in the USA" (and that's likely a lie- it's likely made in... China) and it lasts me 9 years of just beating the hell out of it while building several jeeps and projects, and then only needs a new set of brushes, I don't mind saying I got my money's worth. Conversely- I bought American- a Hobart (aka Miller) plasma cutter (AC250i, I think it was?) for $800, using it occasionally, and the damn thing flat-out DIED after less than 2 hours' runtime... to the tune of needing a new $670 mainboard which the company would not honor warranty on, and told me "you can't let them sit, they have to be used often to maintain them (unbelievable levels of bullshit, that- and yes I am qualified to judge)... well hell, no "Made in America" for me, thanks. I have a jeeping buddy who uses a cheap Chinese plasma cutter (I want to say the Cut250?) in his shop all the time and it's not given him any problems- and cost less than half of what I wasted. Well, he's using that tool to put food on the table and it's not even hiccupped. I bought mine as a hobby/very occasional use tool, and I now have a $800 paperweight. How smart was "buying American", again?

Happy New Year, 4X4 Edition

2012-01-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2012, folks. Those of you counting down to "ZOMG!! TEH END OF TEH YEAR ON MAY 21, 2012" Should go right ahead and leave. Now. Quietly... or there will be no apologies. ;)... I just spent a half hour composing a post, only to have google's "autosave" feature delete the bulk of it. NOT happy. Looks like I'll be composing offline going forward, so as to avoid this issue.I will re-type and post later, the post regarding travails encounterd when trying to move the front axle 2" forward on The Beast so I can get it back on the road. Blogger/Google- get stuffed. Dry.

It's amazing how people change...

2011-12-18T19:49:00.000-05:00

(this was stuck in my "Draft" folder for months owing to the previous issues I had with Blogger.... I'll post it now)I've had this on my mind for a while now... it won't be long, but perhaps too boring and offputting to post here. No matter, it's my "house"... but I will keep it brief, thanks in large part to a screwy "f" key...

About 2 years ago, when I started this blog, I said that among other things, I support the right of a woman to choose, meaning I supported an individual woman's right to abort her unwanted or imperfect fetus.

I do still support a woman's right to choice - however, there's more to it than I thought...

...shortly after I began this blog I started looking into various and sundry other interests, which I'll not go into in depth. Let's just say, I am VERY eclectic. Getting down the rabbithole on a wikipedia and google search session on some topic or other, I came across a turn o phrase which I think can be parlayed into the above - "safe, sane, and consentual". Something "clicked" and I've been mulling over the repurcussions of those words for quite some time now, in varying applications.

Abortion? SSC check:
-Safe? Well, at the very basis of it all, someone's dieing during it, so that's a fail...
-Sane? Again- while you're not mowing down toddlers, you ARE killing a creature. Some make the distinction that it's not sentient, not truly homo sapiens sapiens... so, my sleep-addled brain comes back with "so then, it's ok to mow down a random animal that will never be sentient? No? Fail..."
-Consentual? See above, re: sentience. This is required for informed consent. Just as you can't ask a prairie dog to give an inormed opinion on anything (animal brains versus human brains notwithstanding), you can't get informed consent from a fetus... honestly I am too tired to go too deeply into this part now- but since we've already failed the other two, I'm thinking that's worthy of a full sop on the abortion thing.

So yeah- I've changed my mind. Pro-lifers, though we share a drastically different view o the world in many ways (church among them, though I have a respect for several churches and in fact have even been reading scripture)... gonna have to say I am on the pro-life side of this, with some select reservations I am still mulling over. More on that at some point in the future, in case I haven't run you all off. For now, I need sleep, and this keyboard sucks.

I will add that, though I still identiy as pagan(ish), I have no love for liberals, gun-grabbers (hey, used to be in their camp, too!), the scent of patchouli, unwashed/shaved hippie women, or Ron Paul.

That is all. Presently....

Problems posting? Try this

2011-12-18T19:46:00.001-05:00

As a note, folks: (let me put on my IT Help Desk guy hat)If you've been having trouble posting to Blogger as I have, try updating to the new interface- it's down in the lower right corner, probably flashing irritatingly at you. I did, problems are gone. So now I have no excuse not to spout more dribble into the Ether... because if it's one thing the Internet needs, it's another opininionated asshole.Hey, my place, my rules, right? ;)

S-10 Solid axle conversion finally near completion!

2011-12-18T18:56:00.004-05:00

Well, the "couple weeks" I thought this project would take, turned into half a year owing to several things- money, studying, weather, and so on...

But I am glad to finally note that as of yesterday I finalized configuration of the crossmembers, testfitted everything, and am ready to finalize the fitment by way of MIG welding it all together.

Long story short- the crossmember that was sold to me years ago was not the correct one I ended up needing- *my* fault on that one, as I changed plans in the intervening years. The crossmember was built for use of YJ springs and Dana 30 - and I ended up going with doubled S10 springs and a Wagoneer (fullsize Jeep, circa 82) Dana 44. So my spring perches ended up moving out about 1"- just enough to bugger the works.

Of course I forgot this when Iw as planning the final build so it ended up putting me behind by a month, as I had to find time to source the materials, while making very little money on my 6-month "audition" at the new facility, and time to actually measure, cut, weld, etc- during which time my chop saw died (another $100 to replace), and nevermind that my plasma cutter died after only 2 hours' total runtime.. and just out of warranty. I will NOT buy anything made by Hobart, ever again, for the record...

.. and let's not even start about the "daylight savings" thing I forgot to take into account. I'd been making great progress when I could come home from work and still have 4 hours' daylight... now it's dark when I go to work and dark when I get home. Not so fun, that.

I'd intended to do the finish welding today- did the trial fitment yesterday, which required no small amount of hammering, grinding, levering the piece back out from between the framerails, pressing it back up, lather, rinse, repeat. Sure, it only weighs about 30 pounds- but when you're laying downhill on a 15 degree grade, head down with a pounding headache, and you've been holding the damn thing while trying to adjust it and yet keep it from slamming into your face- yeah, gets a bit tiring! To say nothing of trying to keep a snug fit for a good weldment, and to facilitate NOT having to hold it in place while you snug the spring hanger beneath it. Iritating, much? But it's done. All bolted together, truck doesn't have a jackstand under it now for the first time in 6 months. I was a tad concerned when I noted the rear end was still 3" higher than the front- something I'd have been ok with on a longbed truck, but this is a mid-length SUV- but then I remembered long ago I put in a set of those el-cheapo 8" long lift shackles, and I recently acquired a couple pair of stock shackles when I bought the springs for the front. Swapped those out (my 60" hilift was JUST long enough to get enough tension off the hanger bolts, almost)and now there's about a 1/2" difference in favor of the front. I won't worry about it just yet- there's going to be a bumper and winch mounted up front, as well as a 50 pound hilift jack- so I may well find that I'm a quarter inch low when all is said and done- I'd be fine with that. I still have a set of main leafs from the second pack I worked in, with the eyes cut off- they should do nicely as an add-a-leaf lift if need be.
Anyway- I'd intended to finish weld this all today- but apparently my tendency to operate on 4 hours' sleep a night decided to catch up with me this weekend. I slept from 1930 Friday to 0800 Saturday, and much the same last night and part of today- and am feeling a bit "off" - probably fighting off the cold bug my wife and son brought home. Yay.

Things remaining to do:
-bolt up the rear shocks, brake hose, breather hose. This has been staring me in the face for 5 months, I've been lazy about it, saying again and again I was going to address it this weekend. Luckily I never did- it would have been wasted effort now that the read end is 3" lower. I may yet have to relocate the parking brake lines and the brake hose- I'll determine that once I take it to a loading dock that's abandoned around the corner and measure for shocks and bumpstops

-drop front springs one last time, drill a hole 2" forward of the present spring pin hole to move the axle 2" forward- it's not drivable now primarily due to interference with the back of the wheelwell (which is actually the floorboard of the passenger compartment, else I'd cut and flare).

-relocate brake hardline-to-softline demarc point, welding a piece of angle to the frame as the new point aft of the shock. Use stock (new replacement) brake hoses, backwards- left on right, etc- to get to the wheel calipers.

-install hydroboost brake system, power steering pulley and filter, purge and flush. I've retrofitted a 97 Astro power steering/braking system, complete. Hydroboost brakes, more pressure and flow, everything in one fell swoop. This was to address an anticipated issue- the Dana 44 brakes are easily 75% larger volume at the wheel cylinders- my stock bits wouldn't have worked well at all. Also, I intend to go diesel in the near future, so vacuum boosting would have been problematic.

-measure for, fabricate and install shocks and bumpstops up front. On my old XJ, I never got around to fabbing proper bumpstops, partially due to the unibody construction. Poor excuse! This beat the hell out of my suspension, and I was noticing last time I looked at that truck it needs a serious going through. I want to particularly take note of a way to make a combination bumpstop mount and trackbar mount for the driver's side. My present plan is to use poly bumpstops from Daystar, but I've been told to check out stock Chevy fullsize bumps, too. I'll have to look into it. I'd appreciate paying $8 per bump instead of $30 (guessing at prices, but Daystar is PROUD of their stuff. I may even buy a stock Chevy bump, pull a plaster mold, and get some two-part poly and make my own. Could be a cottage industry!

-mount draglink to steering box. I may be swapping in an Astro steering box due to the forward location of the axle. This will require cutting out the factory crossmember in the front of the frame, relocating the passenger side brake hardline, and installation of a new front frame crossmember- which I've already done. Remember the 30 pound crossmember between the framerails I was complaining about- I learned to plan ahead. :) Actually it was partly concern for my welds- I'm not yet ready to weld up a Space Shuttle pressure vessel (luckily, this ain't one ;P ) so in order to not have to wory about the front end, ever, I decided to overbuild it. Thus the front frame crossmember atop the spring hanger crossmember. Frame member welded to the frame, spring hanger welded to both of those- equals no worries! A couple of Adel clamps, careful bending of the factory hardline and securing to the new crossmember and I ought to be ok. As well, the new crossmember provides a handy location for the engine bypass filter, and the power steering filter. Thinking ahead!

-general grinding and painting. I need to cut off the passenger side suspension mounts for the old suspension, grind the driver's side down flush instead of just "good enough", wirebrush the front axle and the frame wherever I've disturbed the factory coating, and hit it all with rustoleum Hammered finish. Once the entire build is done, I'm going to herculine everything from the beltline to the frame. The entire point of this build was to build a truck I can drive for quite some time to come, with off-the-shelf parts. To that end- corrosion protection is a concern. I'll be bedlining a lot of the steel underneath the truck, and applying Kroil or comparable protection to anything I can't reach (like the interior of the framerails).

-related, but not crucial: fabricate rock rails, modify the front bumper mounting points- by way of cutting them off, plating the framerails closed, and putting angle-iron mounts "wherever the hell I need 'em" for whatever bumper I source- I'm looking at a TJM bullbar from Australia that a friend pulled off an old Land Rover Defender 90. It's about a $1000 bar- he paid $80. Gonna show up with $200 cash and 3 gallons of homebrew and see what we can come up with. ;)

I'm sure there's other things, but I can't think of them at present. One thing that will need to be done is to figure out where in the heck I can keep all my tools. Apparently they once went in my garage, but at present they're all crammed in the project truck wherever they'll fit!

One thing that was nice to find out, and that got me fueled back up for the project- when I removed the cheapo lift shackles, replaced them with the stock bits- the truck was 3" shorter in the rear- which meant the tailgate and rear end no longer required a jump to get in (I am NOT short... ok, not THAT short...) and my truck wasn't getting "stupid big". As it sits now, I question whether the average person observing my truck will even realize it's highly modified. Also, I am 1.5" within the bumper height laws of my state now, instead of the other side of them- so no worries from Johnny Law. I respect them, but given recent events I find that I don't TRUST them... another discussion, for another venue. Suffice to say I haven't had problems, but I know a few law-abiding citizens who have.

Bypass filtration of automotive lubricants

2011-12-08T21:22:00.004-05:00

Those of you who know me, know that every now and again something shiny catches my attention, I target-fixate, become an expert on the subject, and then move to something else.

A couple years ago I targeted on lube filtration with an eye toward extended drain intervals- we're talking 30,000 miles or more without draining the oil...

Yes, I know- "everyone knows that you have to change the oil when it wears out every 3000 miles"...

.. uh, no.

Oil does not wear out. It gets full of trash and the additive package wears out/gets consumed. This is why we drain the oil- to remove the trash and replenish the additives....

What if we had a way to get almost every bit of trash out of the oil, could increase crankcase capacity and thus the amount of additives, and could remove just enough oil when we removed the trash from the system to allow us to add about a quart, replenishing the additive package?

Well- The Military, heavy industry, and savy motorists have been doing precisely this for years. There are different mechanisms- everything from using rolls of toilet paper in a canister (NOT kidding!) to using very large canisters using 3 rolls of paper towels, to very expensive "boutique" systems that resemble the normal (aka "full flow") filter already on your car.

I wanted something inexpensive to try out, both in the sense of the initial outlay and the price of filters. Amsoil has a system- but it's $270 or so, plus $40 for the filter. Uh, no...

I ended up using a couple pieces from my local Grainger industrial supply house. Cost me about $70, all up- $15 of that was for shipping. You need a Baldwin B50 filter and the matching mount- it's referenced in the catalog, think it's OB1305 (edit: yes, it is). Combine this with properly-rated hose (I used 3/8" ID transmission hose because I had it, but 1/4" will be fine- this isn't a high volume affair- in fact it's more like a drip coffeemaker). Fittings on the mount are 1/8MNPT, and I elected to use 3/8" right-angle hosebarb to attach everything because once this is assembled there shouldn't be cause for disassembly.

I used a 1/8NPT Street-tee to attach the pressure side to the oil pressure sender on my 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 motor. This moved the pressure sender about 2" from the block- this is fine- and I used another 1/8MNPT to 3/8 hosebarb 90 to lay in the pressure side to the filter block. The block was mounted under the vehicle as the vehicle is rarely offroaded, is lifted, and there is a dearth of underhood space. I plan on putting a Clayton longarm kit under the Jeep in the next year or so, and that comes with a hefty skidplate, so I'm not going to concern myself with the location too much.

Running back from the discharge side of the filter (you MUST pay attention when plumbing this- filters are designed to flow one way and only one way!) I used another 90-degree 1/8MNPT to 3/8 barb fitting into more 3/8" hose. To get the discharge of the bypass filter back into the engine, I purchased a swivel return fitting from Amsoil ($10, PN forthcoming), and drilled the rivet out of the stock oil filler cap. Note that this destroys the cap... but yet it doesn't. The cap will fall into three pieces and if you're doing this at 2100 on a school night you immediately start calculating which auto parts store has the part and will be open at 0630. Stop. Think. The return fitting passes through the hole you drilled and will take the place of the rivet, holding things together. No wuckin' furries, mate!

You DID make sure there wouldn't be any interference with the valvetrain or breather chennels in the valce cover, right?

I had to chet to attach the hose to the swivel fitting- I needed another 90 degree 1/8MNPT to 3/8 hosebarb but apparently there wasn't another one in town till next week. I found one similar, but with a 5/16" barb- bought it, I'll just clamp down a bit. I want to use a JIC fitting at the top of the engine anyway as it's the one piece that MAY need disassembly at some point, will fix that later.

This system goes in parallel with your fullflow filter- and doesn't flow much pressure or volume at all- about 5psi and less than a quart a minute- so it won't rob your engine oil pressure. What it will do is scrub your oil of 98% of the crap that's floating about in it. My install added nearly 3 quarts of oil to the sump capacity- that only started as 6.1 quarts. I have added 50% capacity to my engine, without risking pressure effects from the level being too high. This increases oil thermal stability, cleaning effect, cooling, you name it.

My oil started out black- I'm going to keep an eye on it as things go by nd if I can find sample jars, I'll pull samples at 500 miles, 1000, 2000, and 3000- normal duration for an oil change- and I'll be sending off a used oil analysis kit to Blackstone labs as well- if you're going to extend drain intevals you must know what is going inside the engine- this is where analysis comes into play.

Another trick I did is to put small 8mmX1mm neodymium magnets I bought off ebay ($15 shipped for 100 of them) on the feed side of the filter so that anything magnetic that passes through my engine will be right there looking at me when I change the filter so I'll know something not cool is up. Sounds strange? You mechanical sorts that have been inside a transmission, transfer case, or oil pan know that this is a VERY common thing to do- in fact my NP231C and 700R4 transfer case and transmission both had them from the factory!

Next trick will be to add a fullflow spin-on filter to the transmission cooling circuit return line, along with a bypass filter there.... and a fullflow filter to my power steering system (which is now doing duty as my power steering and power braking system as I've retrofitted hydroboost from an Astro)- and a bypass filter to my coolant system... All for less than the price of one bypass filter from the "Big A"...

On that subject, I should note that I am using Amsoil XL series 15W30. It's full synth and actually CHEAPER than Mobil1. I was going to use Mobil1 but at $9/qt versus the $6.60/qt I paid for the Amsoil product- think I'm good to go...

This is a test....

2011-12-08T21:21:00.003-05:00

.. had this been an actual post, there would have been something slightly less boring....

12345....

....54321.

OpSat?

Test complete...

WTF, blogger??

2011-11-14T13:52:00.001-05:00

I've actually been posting but apparently there's a bug of some sort making my posts go to 'drafts' instead of live. Not sure what's up, or even if this will work... stay tuned...

(some of) What I've been up to....

2011-08-28T22:49:00.000-04:00

So the 10-bolt in the back of my 89 Blazer crapped out back in June. I have had axles and just about everything for my SAS swap laying out in my back yard for about 10 years. Perfect time to get after it! Get the junk out of the back yard, give the wife less to *%$@#* about (though I gotta admit she was right to do so), get my truck safe and the way I want it. Win/win/win/win!~!

I've got the rear axle rebuilt and mounted under the truck, springover, just have to figure out a way to drop the rear brake softline so I don't have to buy an expensive drop line (and to keep as much stock as possible when time comes to work on it), and likewise with the parking brake cables.

Have another set of the rear springs to use up front- I may end up going to Dakotas as folks that have done this before me say the stock rears are too soft for the front, but I have these on hand.

Likewise a drop pitman from an XJ (Jeep Cherokee, FYI) if I need it. May well end up going to the XJ steering box if I have steering concerns. I'll also change out the steering rag joint to a YJ steering shaft to get rid of the stupid slop in the steering- the truck is downright DANGEROUS now, it wanders so (now being, before I started this- the suspension is, near as I can tell, untouched over the last 22 years). As I've found on the S-10 forums, even with brand new (stock) components, the steering is VERY sloppy. I aim to fix that.

I have 33" Cooper STs on the rear now- and the truck is honestly a tad taller than I want it. This will be my daily driver, mind. My short ass (5'6") may need a stirrup to mount up. Hey, that's funny right there... all the more reason to do it!

Today.. well, Not as much as I'd like to have achieved this weekend- but we are well and truly NOT going back to stock. Yes, I am kinda afraid, here..

Removed all the "small stuff" on driver's side. Shock, brakeline, upper a-arm bolts, and then got waylaid on the wife's jeep (brakelight kept coming on- broken adjuster in LR drum brake at fault), and changing the spare tire mount on the rear bumper on the Blaze from the stock pattern to 6X5.5 for the proper spare tire. (As an aside- Kennesaw Mountain Accessories couldn't even drill the *%$@#* mount holes 5.5" apart or whatever stock size was, properly. No, not either one of these patterns! I paid WAY too much for that bumper!)

on the driver's side, all I have to disconnect is the tie rod, lower control arms (2 bolts), and bolts for the swaybar (got 1 off, 2 others seized and soaking in PB Blaster now).

Oh yeah, got the Hilift that sat in my back yard for 7 years out in the weather behind my shed cleaned up (lubed, not painted, though the only thing showing rust is the base plate) working properly, shortened the handle, and mounted it to my rear bumper. Granted, the mount was already there, but I spent about 30 minutes working on it.

Not bad work for the weekend of a large Hurricane, eh? Granted, it only skirted us, but still- way it was blowing and raining Friday, I thought we'd have a problem so I spent the afternoon sterilizing and filling water cans and doing misc preps.

Bloody hell it was HOT today! FYI, a 16 ounce tumbler half-full of lemonade and topped off with Bud Light is damned tasty in such a situation.

What's taking all my time lately...

2011-08-28T20:58:00.004-04:00

Have another set of the rear springs to use up front- I may end up going to Dakotas as folks that have done this before me say the stock rears are too soft for the front, but I have these on hand.

Today.. well, Not as much as I'd like to have achieved this weekend- but we are well and truly NOT going back to stock. Yes, I am kinda afraid, here..

on the driver's side, all I have to disconnect is the tie rod, lower control arms (2 bolts), and bolts for the swaybar (got 1 off, 2 others seized and soaking in PB Blaster now).

Bloody hell it was HOT today! FYI, a 16 ounce tumbler half-full of lemonade and topped off with Bud Light is damned tasty in such a situation.

JRE Industries sheath review

2011-07-03T12:25:00.005-04:00

Yes folks- I know I've been gone for a while... haven't had much to say...

Well, boy do I now...

I picked up a SOG Powerlock multi-tool a few months back, because I was sick of dealing with the worn-out Leatherman Super Tool I'd been carrying for 20+ years. It was so worn-in that I could literally use it as a balisong- a few flicks of the wrist and out came the blades. Unfortunately this resulted in a deep gash in the back of my dominant hand as the drop-point blade went about a quarter-inch into my paw. Yeah... that hurt a bit...

( EDIT: Actually, the sheath I ordered was for a Victorinox Swisstool, since the nylon sheath that came with it had worn through and I was looking for a good, HD replacement. Sorry for confusion, I have too many EDC tools ;) . I bought the SOG Tool to carry while waiting for the Swisstool sheath to arrive, below. I'm gonna be lazy and leave the rest of this as originally posted, as I've been outside grilling most of the day and am feeling rather sun-baked... the Swisstool and SOG tool are the same size and both tools fit this sheath, just trying to prevent some confusion)

So I bought the SOG tool- great tool, but the sheath that came with it SUCKED. It's a folded leather affair, loosely riveted, and way, WAY oversized for the tool it ships with. I actually dropped the tool a few times without the snap coming undone. Granted, I was climbing over/under my Jeep and a few (errr.. slightly heavier ;) ) vehicles, but this is a problem I never had with the other multi-tools I've carried over the years. Something had to be done...

A quick Google search lead me to this gent, The American Woodsman. A quick visit of the JREIndustries site, I sent an email, and after waiting a week for their reply (money's knocking and they can't be bothered to reply faster than a week?), a deal was struck. I think the all-up charge was $42, with 12 weeks leadtime. A bit long, yes- but this is pretty standard for the custom leathercraft industry, so I had no problem with it.

I ordered the sheath on the 16th of April. The receipt of the order was acknowledged on the 17th (much faster than i expected, so a plus for them). I inquired about some custom features on the 18th, with the acknowledgement that if they'd already started, just build it as I ordered it. Received a reply on the 24th acknowledging my requests, and discussing at length some options I might have not considered. I immediately replied, nailing down what I wanted, and putting it in a list of requirements to make it clear to all parties. No reply to emails for acknowledgement of the changes made, sent on the 24th of April, 6th of May, 14th of May... on the 5th of June they responded, saying my last 2 emails had ended up in their Spam folder (odd, but I work in IT so I know strange things can happen) and I replied on the 19th (REALLY not sure what happened there- life's been nuts lately with training for a new certification so I can keep my job. Hey, I dropped the ball there, I admit it!), on the 26th of June he replied we have all the specifics of my sheath squared away and will be cutting leather on it soon. 2 days later, sheath is done and being shipped my way. Yay!!

I received the sheath on the 2nd of July (yesterday). The following is a cut/paste from my email to them...

***** Cut/paste of email to vendor follows *****
Unfortunately, I have to say, I am *massively* disappointed....

I asked for the following:

"Swisstool Pouch Sheath:
-black leather and black thread
-JRE logo on the outside
-folded-over leather belt loop - Rivet Back Up
-to fit a 2" ranger belt
-no loops, no clips
-snap closure"

You confirmed that. In fact, that is a direct quote from your second-to-last email, sent 05JUN11.

Additionally, I specified:

"Regarding the sheath- I'd called and spoken to someone weeks before you sent this. We decided to go with addition of a firesteel loop and purchase of one of your firesteels. I'll be wearing this on my offside (left hip) so would like the loop on the aft side of the sheath (looking at the sheath, on the observer's right)."

What I received was a black leather sheath with black thread. That's fine, it's what I wanted. Unfortunately, it's the ONLY requirement of my order that was met. The sheath has the cut-slot beltloop which I specifically did not want. I even expressed my concerns with other leather products built that way having ripped over time. It will probably fit a 2" gunbelt, but given that it's the cut-slot sort of arrangement it will be a huge pain to deal with.

Further, the slots were obviously cut after the leather was dyed, as there were raw edges in the cut.

Additionally, the metal belt clip which I didn't want, was included. That's one thing, but the way it was installed was, frankly, amateurish. The leather was cut with overlapping slices to the extent that they extend past each other- creating not a box cut but something very "hack".

The firesteel loop I requested was installed on the *left* side of the holster, not the right.

The JRE logo, which I specifically requested to be on the outside of the holster, is completely absent. I can't say I blame you, though- I wouldn't want to claim this work as mine, either.

All of the leather edges are crude, exhibiting no real effort at slicking them and creating a fused edge.

The border around the stitch line is uneven. I'm not referring to "let me get out my ruler and measure this" uneven- I'm referring to something that looks like a new leatherworker's effort.

Given that you folks do this professionally and have a long lead time, I would expect better on all accounts. I am not a professional, I only do leatherworking for my needs and friends, but I could have done much better. The only reason I didn't was because I needed a sheath to replace the crappy one that SOG sends out with their tools, and as I've a lot going on at work (IT), I don't have the free time.

I will be honest- this sheath is still *much* better than the one SOG sold with the tool- but if you've seen what a horrible piece of work that is (folded leather, riveted together loosely, massively oversized for the tool- I actually lost the tool out of the still-snapped sheath twice in the first few days I had it), that's not hard to accomplish. I don't feel it was worth the $40 I paid, however.

Please understand, I'm not a "complainer" type of person.. but I do believe in being honest, and receiving fair value for my money. With this in mind, I won't be recommending your leather goods to anyone, going forward.
***** end cut/paste *****

Now, don't get me wrong- I don't expect perfection, and I know that leather is a natural material and subject to imperfections. Hell, that's WHY I like leather!! However, all of my issues with this product have to do with shoddy worksmanship and inattention to detail. I went to lengths to point out what I wanted in this product, and was prepared to pay extra for it if need be. It should be noted I added the firesteel holder (and also one of their firesteels, so we made sure it fit, even though I have plenty already), and so I owe them $20 for those items. I had misgivings about ordering from them when it took so long to hear back the first time, and these were reinforced after long periods of no communication. I don't expect them to be sitting in front of their email all the time (when would they get anything done!), but I think 2 or 3 business days to reply is plenty of time.

I'll take pics and post them later, to illustrate my problems with this product. I imagine I'll have plenty of comments about how much I shouldn't bitch about a vendor. Well, to them I say- you know what, this is *my* blog, I can back up everything I've said, and I paid good money and was more than patient. "You pays your moneys and you expects to gets what you wants", you know?

I doubt I'll get a reply from JRE. If I do, it'll be in a few weeks, and they'll want me to ship it back to them so they can take a look and address any issues. Which means more money spent shipping the item, more time wasted without a decent sheath, and more time carrying the worn-out Leatherman. I'm just going to keep what I have here, throw it in the drawer of holsters I never use because I found something better (you 2A EDC sheepdogs know what I'm talking about), and call it a learning experience.

It all goes back to what granddad always told me... "you want something done right, do it yourself!" Lesson learned, again.. I shouldn't have been so lazy!

Musical Interlude, redux

2010-04-29T18:38:00.003-04:00

File under "your humble bloghost is not nearly as "vanilla" as he may at first seem...
Ladeezungemmun, I present, the Cruxshadows, "Winterborn":

There, I fixed it...

2010-03-29T07:03:00.001-04:00

From the folks that brought you lolcats and icanhazcheeseburger:

There, I fixed it!

All manner of interesting engineering-type geekery therein...

2010-03-28T09:29:00.002-04:00

OK, so as is often the case, I am behind in my "new band" discoveries... by something like 9 years... :/

Muse is a band from England, I am honestly having a hard time trying to pigeonhole them into a specific genre of music. Let's just say they're like a modern-day Queen.

Yes, rockin', in other words.

Politically, they "get it". They're libertarians. Not at all like Green Day- the no-talent asshats that constantly bite the hand that feeds them.

This song is inspired by Orwell's 1984:

and this one's the one I was first introduced to the band with:

Latest tomfoolery from the house...

2010-03-17T23:30:00.003-04:00

Just a real quick blurb of an update:

-the Stout turned out GREAT. As luck had it, I was able to do the first Pour tonight, and I'm quite happy. Pics to come ;)

-new "wierd shit" project: "container gardening". Build a container out of a pair of Sterilite containers, which seperates the water from the potting mix (irigating the plants from the bottom), making a sort of terrarium, and avoid problems with weeds, make very efficient use of resources, and reap big numbers of veggies. Starting one with tomatoes, we'll see how it goes...

-Blackhawk has finally listened, and released a Serpa CQC for the 24/7 line of pistols. I'm VERY happy. Now if they just get OC through the state house...

The Warrior Song

2010-03-06T19:55:00.002-05:00

The Warrior Song – Lyrics
I’ve got the reach and the teeth of a killin’ machine,
with a need to bleed you when the light goes green
best believe, I’m in a zone to be, from my Yin to my Yang to my Yang Tze
put a grin on my chin when you come to me,
‘cuz I’ll win, I’m a one-of-a-kind and I’ll bring death
to the place you’re about to be: another river of blood runnin’ under my feet
forged in a fire lit long ago, stand next to me, you’ll never stand alone
I’m last to leave, but the first to go, Lord, make me dead before you make me old
I feed on the fear of the devil inside of the enemy faces in my sights:
aim with the hand, shoot with the mind, kill with a heart like arctic ice

I am a soldier and I’m marching on
I am a warrior and this is my song

I bask in the glow of the rising war, lay waste to the ground of an enemy shore
wade through the blood spilled on the floor, and if another one stands I’ll kill some more
bullet in the breach and a fire in me, like a cigarette thrown, to gasoline
if death don’t bring you fear, I swear, you’ll fear these marchin’ feet
Come to the nightmare, come to me, deep down in the dark where the devil be
in the maw with the jaws and the razor teeth,
where the brimstone burns and the angel weeps
call to the gods if I cross your path and my silhouette hangs like a body bag
hope is a moment now long past, the shadow of death is the one I cast.

I am a soldier and I’m marching on
I am a warrior and this is my song
my eyes are steel and my gaze is long
I am a warrior and this is my song

now I live lean and I mean to inflict the grief,
and the least of me is still out of your reach
the killing machine’s gonna do the deed,
until the river runs dry and my last breath leaves
chin in the air with a head held high,
I’ll stand in the path of the enemy line
feel no fear, know my pride:
for God and Country I’ll end your life

I am a soldier and I’m marching on
I am a warrior and this is my song
my eyes are steel and my gaze is long
I am a warrior and this is my song

More info at The Warrior song.
Check out that site and please donate- all proceeds go to the Armed Forces Relief Trust.

So I've been falling down on the "babes" part....

2010-03-06T14:39:00.005-05:00

How's this?

Hottie.... check
no overtly-exposed mommie parts to run off the womenfolks... check
3 foot-long razorblade to ward off the unsavory sorts... check
submissive, yet somehow determined, pose... check

Now we just need to figure out how to get her a ranged weapon without much more err... concealment... ;)

Wassail! (errr, in about 6 months...)

2010-03-06T14:17:00.004-05:00

Started a little something new today-

Mead!

My first attempt- it's SUPER easy. One of my homebrewing buddies gave me the rundown:

-heat a half-gallon of water (preferably spring water, tap might be ok, definitely not distilled) to 160deg.
-add three pounds of honey (as close to "right out of the beehive and strained" as you can find)
-bring mixture to 160deg and let it sit there for 10 minutes. DO NOT BOIL!
-place this into an ice bath. Don't let any of the water in the bath into the pot (cover it). Bring the temp down to around 90 degrees.
-prepare yeast as directed on the package (you'll want a wine yeast or similar. I used EC1118)
-decant the honey/water mixture into your 1 gallon carboy (I am using an old gallon jug from cheap wine, a juice bottle would work too)
-add the yeast, add remainder of water to bring it up to the level of the neck of the bottle
-add fruit (raisins, in this case) to act as a yeast nutrient. Honey doesn't have a lot of what the yeast needs to work, and wine yeasts work slowly, making more time for foreign yeasts and O2 to get into the bottle. I used 10 small raisins.
-cap and shake the bottle
-remove cap, put a piece of plastic wrap over the bottle and wind a rubber band securely (not loosely, not tightly) around the neck of the bottle. This makes a cheapo "air lock"- the pressure generated by the yeast will "fart" out past the rubber band. Actual airlocks are preferred, and cheap. I just don't have a local homebrew store here- I ordered a couple from the place upstate that carries them- $1 a piece.

More details, and a pic, soon. I'm looking at about 2 weeks to rack this off the yeast cake into another carboy (gotta get busy drinkin' that cheap wine!), and 6 months til bottling.

Wanted: Guinness Stout clone

2010-02-21T22:35:00.003-05:00

So I've been looking for Guinness clone recipes, and am finding a lot of "like Guinness, but different in a slew of ways" hits

Does anyone that reads my blog have any idea what it is that gives Guinnes that amazing head, that.. ah hell, don't know how to describe it.. it's this:

Also, what is it that gives it that mouth feel, kinda like whole milk?

Still figuring out this brewing thing- lots of new things to learn, lots of new beer to try.

Since I've picked up brewing, I haven't looked at beer the same. Now it's more an intellectual pursuit, not just pursuit of a good buzz.

Get Phil Jones to say the science is settled, all will be ok...

2010-02-15T21:32:00.002-05:00

How's that global warming workin' for ya?

6" of snow here Saturday. CHARLESTON, South freakin' Cackalacki... you know, semi-tropical climate, that whole thing?

You can learn a lot by watching youtube...

2010-02-08T20:24:00.003-05:00

Been digging around the 'net for homebrewing info... I'd never have realized that extra time in the bottle would matter with beer...

Looks like I am NOT going to be drinking any of that West Coast Pale I bottled 10 days ago, for about another 20 days. GRRRRRRRRrrrrrrr

hmm.. definitely time to get some mead going again... that'll make me learn patience!!

Beef and Guinness Stew Recipe : : Food Network

2010-01-30T21:53:00.000-05:00

Beef and Guinness Stew Recipe : : Food Network

experimenting with the "Share" function of Windows, i ran across this recipe- beef 'n Guinnes stew.

DEFINITELY gonna have to try this one... with my homebrew I just put in the fermenter.

Of late, I have gotten into homebrewing- just bottled my first batch, a West Coast Pale Ale- and have a second batch (Archer's Orchard hard cider) that will be bottled next week. I will be bottling this Irish Stout in two weeks.

'Course, after bottling, everything has to sit in the bottle for two weeks to carbonate- so I am looking at two weeks till I can taste the fruits of my labor... but afterwards, I will have more beer than I know what to do with!

Pink: Oh My God

2010-01-17T13:38:00.001-05:00

Uhhh, Yummm....

EDIT: Cheeky bastards at Youtube have removed it for "adult content". Apparently Madonna's videos are just fine though :rolls eyes:

Check this out for an idea of what I'm all about here...
Pink, "Oh My God"

Yaaaay, beer!

2010-01-16T08:11:00.002-05:00

(with apologies to Red Stripe)

Picked up a Mr Beer kit today at the local kitchen supply place. It took all of 30 minutes to sanitize the equipment and start my first batch of beer going. In 2 weeks I will be able to bottle it, and I am going to *TRY* to wait at least two weeks after that till I drink it.

First batch is the standard West Coast Pale Ale- I'm not a huge fan of pales, but you don't get a choice as the pale is what comes with the kit first off. My next batch will be an Irish Red (think "Killian's") followed perhaps by a German Hefeweisen (if it comes out anything like Paulaner Hefeweissen Dunkle, the person who came up with this kit is my new best friend).

One can also brew their own hard cider in the same kit- or rootbeer. I am not a huge fan of rootbeer, but the wife and kid are- I may have to surprise them with a batch.

I grabbed a twelver of a local brewerie's sampler pack last night, and had two beers out of it (strictly to save the bottle, don'tchaknow). I am now a little hung over- WTF?!?!

The two gallons of beer I have on brew are gonna last me a bit, I think :)

Vonage offering free calls to Haiti for all US Callers

2010-01-16T08:08:00.002-05:00

Found this when I logged into my Vonage account:

Service Announcements
Vonage is committed to helping during difficult times. In the wake of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, Vonage is currently offering free international dialing to Haiti for all U.S. callers. Dial 800-809-2503 and follow the instructions to place a free 10-min call. We encourage you to pass this Vonage toll-free number along to non-Vonage customers who want to call Haiti.

Remember, calls to Haiti are free only if you use this toll-free number to place the call. If you dial from your home phone without using the 800 number, you’ll incur standard long-distance charges. Please note that due to infrastructure limitations in Haiti, you may experience difficulty reaching your party successfully. This free calling service to Haiti may be discontinued at any time.

Please note this is not just for Vonage customers. It's for ALL US callers to Haiti.

Another AD, this time with injury...

2009-12-14T21:30:00.009-05:00

- I'd like to start off saying- this one wasn't mine. Thank goodness!

We'll call him Mr. Z, one of the engineers I work with. Apparently he had been cleaning his carry sidearm (I don't know what sidearm he carries, nor is it terribly important. Suffice it to say, it's a 9mm semi-automatic).

To clean said sidearm, he dropped the mag, racked the slide, checking the chamber visually as he did, reinserted the mag, racked the slide again, riding it forward.

Some of you already see the problem- bear with me.

What he neglected to do, if he is going to use the mag as a hold-open method when clearing the weapon, is to *check the mag* AND ENSURE it's empty.

So that was first gig...

Then he inserted the mag into the weapon, and rode the slide forward. This is two failures, way I see it: he didn't slingshot the weapon (pull slide back forcibly, and release), and he failed to maintain control of the weapon, ending up with his hand in front of the muzzle.

Additionally, he apparently had his finger on the trigger throughout this. I can attest to how easy this can be to do, and yet swear you never touched the trigger-- I have a 45ACP hole in my wall to this day to remind me of it, from my own AD about this time last year.

Adding insult to (severe) injury, the weapon sent a 9mm bullet through his (I am not a doctor, I am relating what I was told) 2nd metatarsal near the radius, effectively shattering the metatarsal and causing damage to the 3rd metatarsal, and perhaps some damage to the wrist as well. Subject has no feeling at all in his offside index finger, and no feeling in the near side of his middle finger on same hand. He's visited a (hand surgeon- what're they called?) today and will likely be out all week in the near term before attempting to come back to work- nevermind the time he'll have off work for PT, surgery, etc. There may even be a concern of him losing the finger, the way it sounds. (Again, I am relating info third-hand, as "what the Doctor said")

I won't relate any of the "black humor" that's circulated around the office regarding this. Let's just say that once we'd related our wellwishes for his recovery, he was fair game- most of us are former military, and a lot of us are former military shooters at an above average level. Yeah, once he's healed up, he's gonna have to run the gauntlet... this is our way of saying "we're sorry you had an accident, hope you get better soon... NOW- don't ever do that shit again!"

(I have mentioned, I am not a Politically-Correct person, haven't I?)

So- I've said it before, I'll say it again. I am kinda OCD about clearing weapons after my experience. To clear a semi-auto, I:

-Drop the mag- examine the mag. DO NOT put the mag back in the weapon. Verbally state if the mag is cleared or not- if it isn't cleared, clear the mag of all ammo.

Parenthetically: if you're one of these folks that uses the mag as a hold-open- stop it! Stop working around the system, stop being lazy! Use the slide lock, or hold the slide open manually if your weapon doesn't have one! Hell, stick a spent casing in it- stovepipe it intentionally, if you're using that special semiauto that doesn't have a slidelock! I use spent shtgun shells as holdopens/chamber flags on my AK for exactly this purpose.

-rack the slide and lock it in the open condition. Visually look in the chamber for a round. Insert the pinky finger into the chamber as you do- verbally state the condition of the chamber, and make it clear if need be. Then and only then:

-visually examine and touch the breech. Verbally state the condition of the breech. Make it clear if it isn't. Then and only then:

-look down the magwell via the ejection port. See daylight or other light through the empty well. Verbally state the condition of the magwell. Then and only then:

-State the condition of the firearm as "Weapon is clear".

-if you put the weapon down, immediately clear the weapon upon picking it up again. Same, if a weapon is given to you, even if you've seen it cleared by someone else. NO exceptions! I will often do this three times in succession- I've seen an old rusty shotgun that had a shell stuck in the tube come free unexpectedly- could have been a horrible surprise.

Is this OCD? Why yes, it is. Will someone likely comment that it's too much work, or duplicative? Of course- that's the point.

I haven't been shooting for all my life. I am not a dummy, either. I know intellectually that a weapon I just set aside, turned my back on, with no ammo in the house, and noone else home, IS empty. But how long does it take me to clear the weapon every time I handle it? 10 seconds, on a slow day. Isn't that worth it?

I hate to play Armchair Quarterback, but if my friend had done my little OCD clearing drill, he would not be looking at possibly losing a finger, nor would he be in great pain as he is presently. Also, we wouldn't be writing rude nicknames on his whiteboard for his return ;)

Worst of all, by far-- he's gonna have to listen to the Misses rag his arse about this one till he dies. Believe it. ;)

Clear 'em, folks. Laugh at me when you see me clear a weapon three times as I pick it up. I'll laugh with you, and hope like hell I am wasting precious seconds of my life. But remember- the moment you quit respecting these weapons, they can and will bite you, and they exact a heavy price.

- and most importantly, Teach your kids better than you yourself were taught! None of this circumvents the 4 rules- in fact, it reinforces them.

So.. .how long till these guys are declared "terrorists"?

2009-11-03T17:20:00.003-05:00

Anyone checked out the Oathkeepers site?

While I do feel they are in the right, I wouldn't at all put it past the present "leadership" to declare them terrorists.

You know, kinda like the rest of us, who are veterans, believe in the Constitution, the right to bear arms, etc, etc...

While I agree with their stance, I don't think I'd say it would be wise to go sign up on their forum-- seems a real handy damned way to get put on a watch list.

Yes, I am WELL aware of how paranoid that sounds, thank you. But lest we forget, the White House DID stand up a "snitch" line for just this sort of thing, publically, not too long ago.

On my absence...

2009-11-02T23:03:00.005-05:00

Folks--

The good news is, I am fine. I had a minor upper respiratory thing going on last time I made that post, and it returned two weeks ago-- so I missed like a week's worth of work. :(

I'm fine folks-- just pretty fed up with the direction I see things going.

10 months ago I would not have given a second thought to speaking my mind. Now, with this... cabal... in power, I'm not so sure.

Every day I wake up and am just astounded at the absolute idiocy of our present "leadership". It's like they're TRYING to bring the whole system down. I wish that I could honestly say that is crazy talk, but looking at the track record of advisers, etc, I can't honestly say it's not possible that's exactly what they're after.

So, I bite my tongue, for the most part...

Some may say this is cowardice. I prefer to think it's being prudent. Because the more I see going on, the more it seems like the fight's ours, and the Cavalry ain't comin'...

Out sick :(

2009-09-10T07:27:00.003-04:00

So I called out sick yesterday, and just now as well.

Being sick, sucks.

Other than the physical illness part, I ALWAYS feel like I am faking it, even when there's evidence to the contrary.

Nevermind the fact I didn't eat yesterday ( I loves me my food, as you can tell if you've met me :/ ), threw up, and etc. I have a 3 degree above normal fever and feel like crap. I feel like everyone's seeing the email I sent in, rolling their eyes dramatically, and sighing loudly with a very put-upon feel to the whole thing.

It doesn't help that there's an inspection, and someone else is going to have to address my cube in my absence- even though I rarely work at that facility. (Note to self- keep things straightened out in said cube, going forward).

Also, since a large portion of the engineering staff was out for the whole of last week, the Director actually put out a notice that if you don't feel well and have a fever, you should stay home.

But in all, I keep feeling like "well the fever isn't debilitating, and not 105, so suck it up and drive on". I intellectualy get that I *am sick* and should stay away from work lest I make the whole damned building sick. But I'm the guy that says this H1N1 thing is much worry about nothing (I am not a doctor, just cranky) and even though I am not claiming to have it and don't have any medical training, I still feel like I am riding the coattails of it to get a couple free days off.

Even though I know I am not.

Welcome to the Blogroll...

2009-08-25T21:08:00.005-04:00

Welcome to the blogroll, Lawdog

Blogging's been a bit light lately since the software guys at work put out a new release, and I've been *busy*.

Even more so, in my off time, it's looking like. I just got railroaded into being my son's Den Leader.

Also, there's been mention of me becoming a Range Safety for the troop, as well. I've done it before, with older "kids" (in some ways, trainees are just big kids). Anyone know what's involved? I wonder if they'll accept the Eddie Eagle program for training material.

Come to think, I wonder if it's too soon to start 'em on Small Unit Tactics? Bounding Overwatch, Travelling Overwatch, just the simple stuff. ;)

I've had tons of stuff I wanted to blog about of late- a lot of it political in nature. But admittedly, there's a bit of me that is concerned about anything I post coming back to haunt me. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not setting up an email box at the White House for people to snitch on each other...

Seriously, though- I've had a bellyfull of politics. I gave The One a chance when he got iinto the office-- after all, surely his stance couldn't be as bad as the opposition represented? Turns out, it's even worse...

Fancy trick-shootin' with a Benelli

2009-08-15T21:36:00.003-04:00

I feel very, VERY sorry for whoever tries to break into this guy's house at 3am.

To say this guy knows a thing or two about point shooting is just entirely missing the point...

"ya throw the gun, you throw the bird, you load the shell, you shoot the bird"

Like it's nothing. I am just gobsmacked at this guy's skills...

Moment of Zen

2009-08-15T12:56:00.005-04:00

Interesting what you find when you google for "Hippie, please"

Remember "Band of Brothers"?

2009-08-03T18:46:00.001-04:00

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg bring us the same level of drama, set in the Pacific campaign:

Oh yes, I WILL have HBO while this is playing...

Magic Jack- VERY pleasantly surprised!

2009-08-03T17:49:00.003-04:00

OK, so I've seen this magic jack thing on TV for like 3 years and I admit I've been curious.

I'm no luddite and I'm sure not a stranger to things Geekish - in fact I've used Vonage for about 6 years, but still-- it's on an infomercial-- how good could it be? It's a rule or something- on an informercial, it HAS to be crap.

Things being what they are and times being the same, ie: TIGHT- I finally decided to throw $40 ($20 for the device, $20 for the year's service... and there's a 30 day money back guarantee which, according to several folks on the web, is valid) at the thing and see what happened.

(yes, two both my readers- I did my research-- found that the folks that are complaining about the device seem to fall into two categories: mouth-breathers who can barely use a keyboard when on the web... sorta... to spit their vitriolic complaints into the ether, and people who would starve to death with a truckload of canned goods, a rifle, a canopener, and an axe, and 50,000 rounds of .223 at their disposal. Either way-- not the brightest bulb on the strand, they)

Got the Magic Jack in the mail today- it arrived in 4 days (ok, I spent the $4 for express shipping- hell, it's reasonable, and I'm impatient- there's geekin' to be done!). It came in a soft-sided mailer, same sort you'd ship an AOL disk back in the day. (Yes, I know. Shut up.) Opened it, it ships in a simple cardboard and foam affair. There's no real directions to be had other than "plug into USB jack. Do not plug unto USB hub that isn't powered by AC"

(at this point, our complainers are already losing their damn minds.. "ZOMG111!!! THERE'S NO DIRECTIONS!!! IT'S SO haaaaaarrRDDDDDD1!!!! SOMEONE COME FIX THIS, I DON'T HAVE AN ENGINEERING DEGREEEEEE!!!)

No, I'm not kidding. I have supported users for... well, WAY too long. I know of what I speak, ok? Let's just say-- I'm way burned out on IT work. WAAAAY. I'm seriously considering getting my welding certificate.

So anyway-- being devil-may-care, I plugged the damn thing in... and...

.. it just worked!

One minor caveat- you must have patience- it'll install the software (software lives on the device- there's a bit of flashram, see) automatically, bring up the softphone (software phone.. this isn't that technical, really) panel, and bring up a wizard to walk you through getting your phone number, all automatically on most systems (those that have registry hacks done to avoid USB Autoplay may- *MAY*- have minor issue. But if you can figure out how to disable autoplay, you can damn sure open Explorer and launch the app yourself). The only gotcha- and it wasn't a huge one- is that I run Skype in the background 24/7 on this machine, and it wanted to use the Magic Jack as an audio interface. I clicked "disable" when the window spawned, and it's not a problem.

I got this because my ATT cellphone gets horrible service in my home. For $20 a year, why not? I've already made a couple calls and am VERY happy with the quality. I'll be keeping the device, no doubt about it.

BTW- the website and presumably the salesdroid if you elect to go that way on the phone, will try to sell you the next 5 years of service for a discount of $60, right when you buy, giving the impression it's "now or never". Don't. Get the bare bones, see if it works- *for you*- and if so, you'll see an advert pop up in the softphone panel giving you the same offer after you've installed the device.

For those techincally inclined: my system is an AMD Athlon64, 2.0Ghz, 2.0GB RAM, XP Pro 32-bit. Nothing stellar by any means. I can't comment on what the Mac experience would be with this product, and I don't believe they support Linux. Knowing LUGs like I do, though, I would be VERY surprised to find there's not already someone supporting them in the OS community.

The hardware side of things, in terms of what you'll use every day with the Magic Jack... is a standard single-line set. AKA a "telephone". I'm actually using a GE 28300EE1-A SkypePhone/landline combo handset. It's likely why I had that little instance of Skype trying to use the MagicJack as an audio device. Oddly enough, this actually sounds better on that handset than it did over my Vonage line. There will likely be some comparisons on that front in the near future.

So, yeah-- sometimes there's some good stuff to be had on infomercials. BTW- you can buy these at WallyWorld, Best Bastard, and Rat Shack as well.

Quite honestly, for $20/year, I'm not real sure how they're even leasing the phone number. If this holds out I may well kick Vonage to the curb- and they're already a stellar product even at $15/month.

So overall- my review for this product is 5 out of 5 rounds dead-center-mass.

Casual (sex) Fridays

2009-08-02T09:21:00.000-04:00

Casual Sex Fridays - The most amazing bloopers are here

I miss the Man Show. :)

Michelle Malkin lays the smack down...

2009-08-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

Michelle Malkin... yummmmm!!

"Cash for clunkers broke"... the math does not add up...

2009-07-31T17:13:00.002-04:00

OK, so this Cash for clunkers program has a billion dollars in it...

That's 1,000,000,000. 1, with 9 zeros behind it.

For comparison, a million is 1,000,000. 6 zeros.

A million is a thousand thousand. At least here in the US. The Brits have a different idea, but we ain't talking about their math...

1,000 X 1,000 = 1,000,000. This is 5th grade math.

Likewise, a billion is a Thousand Million:

1,000 X 1,000 X 1,000= 1,000,000,000.

So then- I just saw where there's been 27,282 cars sold under this program.

Let's assume each car sold took the max benefit under the program (they didn't- it's a tiered approach. But let's keep the math simple, and be generous. It's only money!)

22,782 X 4,500 = 102,519,000.

Or, said in word: One hundred and two million, five hundred nineteen thousand dollars.

Which means there's roughly 898 million dollars left.

But they say the program is brooke already. WTF?

Musical Interlude

2009-07-31T06:38:00.001-04:00

Johnny Cash does Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt"

... and on that note....

2009-07-29T23:33:00.002-04:00

I'd like to welcome Dr. StrangeGun to the blogroll...

came across his site while looking for 1911 hammer hook pics.

(yeah, mine is POOCHED! Might be able to save it with some file time, though...)

So.. looks like I get to play gunsmith...

2009-07-29T23:02:00.003-04:00

Couple months back I bought a Colt Sistema, used (no, really?)...

Got to doing some research on 1911 issues- hammer follows, trigger stacking, safety work, etc...

Turns out the gun is a basket case. I'm looking at replacing the disconnector, sear, hammer, possibly the trigger, and safety.

Given that the gun is not stock (it's got a Kart National Match barrel) and was ripping chunks out of my hand, I might as well throw a beavertail in there while I'm at it...

Add to that some stripped out grip bushing holes...

... and then there's the issue that I'm not sure I prefer the curved backstap, though it does have a lanyard loop like I wanted...

I bought a couple hammers and safeties off gunbroker. I'm not convinced they're serviceable. They were sold as Colt takeouts- I am no expert, but cursory investigation leads me to believe they may well have been from some smith's "oh, shit!" bucket.. cast offs from a wayward slip of a file. Example-- I'm not sure the half-cock notches on the hammers are even there anymore.

I got a hammer from the local smith- it has a functional and serviceable halfcock (though it holds the hammer AWFULY close to the fully-decocked position- pics forthcoming) and fullcock. The halfcock IS held off the firing pin, so that's good.

Dropped in the takeout ambi-safety from my Taurus 1911AR. While it works, I would prefer something made from tool steel in that application. Also, being a righty, I prefer a non-ambi safety.

I've got it shootable now-- but it's by no means where I want it. Also, it's missing a lot of the finish. There's a Duracoat session in its near future. I'm debating between Flat Desert Earth or Dark Green for the frame, with a black slide. Need to scare up my airbrush and airbrush compressor first, though.

Scarey: When I took the ambi safeties out of the Taurus 1911, I installed the takeout safety, and had intended to carry the weapon. Luckily I didn't- because I found that the weapon would fire if I had the safety on-- *something* caused the safety to toggle off, and hammer to follow.

Got to researching this evening and discovered that, in dryfire, luckily. I was reading a thread on THR regarding safety fitment, and learned much!

Got a smokin' deal...

2009-07-26T13:49:00.003-04:00

I've been muling over getting a Beretta 92FS (as I understand it, it's the civvie version of the M9 the military uses) for quite some time. The only thing that really had me hesitant was that I was originally trained on the 1911 platform and while I did have some time with the M9 in my military service, I never cared for the slide-mounted safety. By that time it was just counterintuitive to have to reach for the safety waaaaay up there.

I'd heard there were versions of the Beretta with frame-mount, but as I understood it they were early models, and weren't the recipients of better metallurgy in the locking block and slide. I was aware of the Taurus offering, and I am a fan of Taurus, having several of their pistols, but didn't want an M9-type of pistol to pay upwards of $500- if it came to that I was going to grab another 24/7, maybe the OSS version that Taurus makes-- I'm already equipped with holsters for them and am quite happy with the platform.

Stopped in at a pawnshop "just to look" after picking up my Sistema and an AR15 from them for a great price-- there was a Taurus PT92AF(d) with decent finish (though showing some holster wear) for $200. I pawed it for a while, asked i they would move on the price-- they said they couldn't till the boss got back. Figured I would come back the nect day and talk with him about it, jumped in my jeep and headed home. On the way, I got to thinking that $200 for a decocker-equipped Beretta 92 clone with frame-mounted safety and decocker was more than fair, so I went back and bought it. It came with one mag, that apparently gave trouble- it wouldn't reliably hold the slide back, and would not drop free. No worries-- mags are cheap.

Went to the range, sure enough, the mag fed fine but wouldn't reliably hold the slide open after the last round. Bought a Promag to address that- problem solved.

The next day I stopped in at the local surplus store and saw 10 Army-surplus M9 mags in their case. 1 old civilian Beretta mag from the first lot of pistols with the Euro mag release in the heel of the weapon, 2 Beretta M9 contract, and the balance being checkmate mags. Aware of the problems with the checkmates, I asked what he wanted for all of the mags. $70. Sold!

I got to experimenting and found if I changed the spring and follower in the heel-release and the Taurus mag, I ended up with two mags that both worked just fine. Odd, but it works for now- I can always swap in Wolf springs if there's issue. Of course the Beretta and M9 mags won't work in the Taurus without being held in place- the mag release catch is different- but that's easily addressed. A few minutes with my Dremel tool and they'll stay in place. However, the front of the Beretta and M9 mags is just a hair wider, causing it to catch on the Taurus release. A few passes with a stone to relieve the lower side of the catch solves that problem as well, and they work slicker than one would expect a "noncompatible" mag to work. While it's true that if one were to swap the mag release to a left-hander, I'd have to go about modifying the other side of each mag, and would probably have to replace the mag release-- I don't care. I'm 1) not left handed, and 2) not getting rid of the weapon.

So all told, I've got the ability to carry about 210 rounds of pistol ammo on me, should the need occur. I don't expect it ever should- and in fact pray it doesn't-But for the price, you can't beat it. Just a hair over $300 for a serviceable weapon that's proven in combat (the Taurus is carried by the military and police of Brazil as well as a few other nations, and has seen service in Iraq, though I have no way of knowing if this weapon has a history), and enough mags to carry over 4 boxes of ammo. Works!

Taurus haters- send it to /dev/null. The 92 series is a proven commodity, and in fact the Taurus surpasses the Beretta original in several areas- example: the locking block. Also, as I understand it they're built on the Beretta tooling in Brazil, much the same as my Sistema was built on Colt tooling in Argentina.

Look for a series of posts on the modifications that I had to make to the mags, complete with How-To pics, possibly this evening...

National Right-To-Carry recognition bill to be voted on

2009-07-21T18:48:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of the NRA/ILA

(I realize most of my readers are probably NRA members, but in case not:)

U.S. Senate To Vote On National Right-To-Carry
Reciprocity Amendment Early This Week

Contact Your U.S. Senators TODAY And Urge Them To Support Your Right To Self-Defense by voting YES on the Thune-Vitter Amendment!

July 21, 2009

The U.S. Senate is now considering the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1390). As a part of the consideration of that legislation, Senators John Thune (R-SD) and David Vitter (R-LA) will offer an amendment this week to provide for interstate recognition of Right-to-Carry permits. There is a very high likelihood of a Senate floor vote on this important and timely pro-gun reform between now and Wednesday.

Now is the time for Congress to recognize that the right to self-defense does not end at state lines. Under the Thune-Vitter amendment, an individual who has met the requirements for a carry permit, or who is otherwise allowed by his home state's state law to carry a firearm, would be authorized to carry a firearm for protection in any other state that issues such permits, subject to the laws of the state in which the firearm is carried.

Contrary to "states' rights" claims from opponents who usually favor sweeping federal gun control, the amendment is a legitimate exercise of Congress's constitutional power to protect the fundamental rights of citizens (including the right to keep and bear arms and the right of personal mobility). States would still have the authority to regulate the time, place and manner in which handguns are carried.

Expanding Right-to-Carry will enhance public safety, and certainly poses no threat to the public. Criminals are deterred from attempting crimes when they know or suspect that their prospective victims are armed. A study for the Department of Justice found that 40 percent of felons had not committed crimes because they feared the prospective victims were armed. The Thune-Vitter amendment recognizes that competent, responsible, law-abiding Americans still deserve our trust and confidence when they cross state lines. Passing interstate Right-to-Carry legislation will help further reduce crime by deterring criminals, and -- most important of all -- will protect the right of honest Americans to protect themselves if deterrence fails.

The Thune-Vitter Amendment represents a giant step forward in the protection of the basic right to self-defense. Its passage will recognize that the rights of law-abiding Right-to-Carry permit holders should be respected, even when they travel outside their home state.

Gun control groups, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" are running ads trying to scare your lawmakers and the American people into opposing this crucial Right-to-Carry reform. It is critical that your U.S. Senators hear from you immediately.

Please be sure to contact both of your U.S. Senators today, and urge them to cosponsor and support the Thune-Vitter interstate right to carry recipocity amendment. E-mail and call them immediately!
To find contact information for your U.S. Senators, please click here, or call (202) 224-3121.

Two presidents, meeting the Marines

2009-07-15T21:22:00.005-04:00

Hattip to Crucis' Court

Yes, I realize that the occasional rabid leftist will see this and sneer in disapproval.

To you, my Leftist reader, I say this:

Fuck you.

Seriously.

THESE, and men and women like them, are the reason you are able to sneer in disdain as though you are superior to a common soldier, instead of being lined up against a wall and shot for your crime of being an "intellectual".

It is telling that the Left isn't bright enough to realize this last point.

The Lock-Up-Your-Opponents Bill of 2009

2009-07-12T10:48:00.004-04:00

We're living in FAR too interesting times lately, folks:

Hattip to HotAir.com

Text of the article:
The lock-up-your-opponents bills of 2009?posted at 11:08 am on July 10, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly Would Congress ever pass legislation that would allow the executive to determine at its own discretion whether political opponents had crossed the line into domestic terrorists and build camps in which to keep them? Sounds like something out of 20th-century totalitarian systems or dystopian fiction. Mark Tapscott says it’s not fiction, and he warns readers about an effort by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) to do just that:
Rep. Alcee Hastings - the impeached Florida judge Nancy Pelosi tried to install as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee until her own party members rebelled - introduced an amendment to the defense authorization bill that gives Attorney General Eric Holder sole discretion to label groups that oppose government policy on guns, abortion, immigration, states’ rights, or a host of other issues. In a June 25 speech on the House floor, Rep. Trent Franks, R-AZ, blasted the idea: “This sounds an alarm for many of us because of the recent shocking and offensive report released by the Department of Homeland Security which labeled, arguably, a majority of Americans as ‘extremists.’”
Another Hastings bill (HR 645) authorizes $360 million in 2009 and 2010 to set up “not fewer than six national emergency centers on military installations” capable of housing “a large number of individuals affected by an emergency or major disaster.” But Section 2 (b) 4 allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to use the camps “to meet other appropriate needs” - none of which are specified. This is the kind of blank check that Congress should never, ever sign.
It’s not paranoid to be extremely wary of legislation that would give two unelected government officials power to legally declare someone a “domestic terrorist” and send them to a government-run camp.
To be fair on the second point, most legislation includes phrases similar to the “meet other appropriate needs” as a means of allowing flexibility in using facilities commissioned by Congress. Under unforeseen circumstances even apart from creating concentration camps for abortion opponents, the six national emergency centers might need to get some use other than housing military personnel or civilians evacuated from a disaster area. That language allows the Pentagon and Homeland Security leeway to adapt for other issues without having to worry that lawyers will descend upon them like locusts for not strictly limiting use to the statutes.
However, the designation of domestic terrorist groups — a necessary and critical process for keeping the peace — should not fall into the hands of just one person. That process needs oversight and consensus to be credible and fair. Congress should have some involvement, especially in oversight. Holder could be the greatest AG in the history of the US but still should not have the absolute authority to make that designation, especially after the track record of the DHS in using vague parameters and broad-based smears of legitimate political protest earlier this year.
Mark may also want to look at HR 1966, introduced by Rep. Linda Sanchez last April in reaction to the suburban mother who drove one of her daughter’s acquaintances — a 13-year-old girl — to suicide. Bas cases make bad law, and that’s doubly true here. Look at this language and imagine how this could be used:
Sec. 881. Cyberbullying
‘(a) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
Who decides what constitutes “substantial emotional distress”? What is the definition of “severe” and “hostile”? What kinds of persons can claim victimhood under this bill? This purports to be a bill to prevent cyberbullying — which is hardly a crime wave in America anyway — but could easily be perverted to shut down “mean” bloggers.
This Congress has taken a strange and dangerous turn away from the principles of free speech and towards … something else entirely.
Update: Apparently, the Irish are also having trouble with this concept.
Update II: I think I was a little too subtle in my post. I don’t think Hastings is passing a “concentration camp” bill, but just a badly worded piece of pork. Irishspy in the comments sums it up better than I did above:
I read the original text of these bills a few days ago and, while I have strong concerns about the lack of due process in allowing the AG to simply designate someone a dangerous person just because of his beliefs or (IIRC) tattoos, Hastings’ amendment about the regional command centers looks more like a bunch of pork for areas affected by base closures than anything else.
That was my point. The language that Mark points out is pretty much legislative boilerplate, probably meaningless in the sense Mark takes it. I’m much more concerned about the cyberbullying bill and the authority Hastings wants to grant to the AG.
Update II: Radio Vice Online has been looking at the cyberbullying bill, too.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you, folks...

There's paranoid, and then there's reasonable reticence to get on board with such actions. This administration is giving us EVERY reason to be VERY reticent to get on board with any of their programs.

Think "re-education camps" can't happen here, folks? I'm sure the Jews in Poland and elsewhere thought so around the late '30s. I'm pretty sure the Japanese thought it couldn't happen -HERE- in the early '40s, too.

It HAS happened here, folks. If we're not damned careful, it WILL happen here again, too- do you want to give the Government Carte Blanche to do it?

I find it VERY interesting that the majority of groups that were bitching and moaning at every turn with the Bush administration, are damned quiet now.

What was the line they used all during their Bush Delusion years? "Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism", while calling Bush a fascist, etc...

Now we have an administration that is rapidly moving towards Socialism and possibly even outright REAL Fascism, and they're quiet. Worse yet-- if you raise your voice against the actions of the administration you're called a racist, terrorist, et al.

I'm sorry-- I am no racist-- did not Martin Luther King himself say that he looked for a time when his children ".. would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character".

I'm not judging Obama on the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. I find he has none, or at least none that shares anything in common with the American spirit.

Someone explain this to me?

2009-07-06T01:23:00.003-04:00

Link to Infantry patrolling what looks to be a US Town

Now I don't want to be alarmist-- but this smells funny.

If it is the US Residential neighborhood it seems to be (for a moment I thought it might be on post, but post doesn't have satellite TV antennas too often), will someone PLEASE shine some light on what is going on here?

I can see taking the troops out for a roadmarch in town- we did it in my old NG unit several times. We were even in full combat loadout, too-- except we didn't have weapons on us.

Really trying not to go all kneejerk here-- but this smells funny...

The "King of Pop" is dead at 50

2009-06-25T19:51:00.002-04:00

.. and I could care less.

If my Christian friends will excuse me for a moment-

- if there's ANYTHING to the Christian Mythos, I hope that it's the whole "burn forever if you're a sinner" bit.

Because that sonofabitch child molester is surely burning right now, and that makes me VERY happy.

Let's see you buy off THAT jury, "King".

I wouldn't be surprised to see them try to get him laid in state in the Capitol Rotunda.

Spammed. By the White House. WTF?

2009-06-24T18:07:00.004-04:00

from:President Barack Obama
reply-to: President Barack Obama

to: (REDACTED)

date: Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 4:51 PM
subject: Time to roll up your sleeves
mailed-by: service.govdelivery.com

Dear Friend,

Last week, I announced United We Serve – a nationwide call to service challenging you and all Americans to volunteer this summer and be part of building a new foundation for America.

And when I say “all,” I mean everyone – young and old, from every background, all across the country. We need individuals, community organizations, corporations, foundations, and our government to be part of this effort.

Today, for the official kick off of United We Serve, members of my administration have fanned out across America to participate in service events and encourage all Americans to join them.

The First Lady is rolling up her sleeves and getting to work too. But before she headed out today, she asked me to share this message with you.

Our nation faces some of the greatest challenges it has in generations and we know it’s going to take a lot of hard work to get us back on track.

While Michelle and I are calling on every American to participate in United We Serve, the call to service doesn’t end this fall. We need to stay involved in our towns and communities for a long time to come. After all, America’s new foundation will be built one neighborhood at a time – and that starts with you.

Thank you,
President Barack Obama

Got that in my email inbox the other day.

On Gmail, no less- interesting, that- they by and large supported Obama in the election- makes one wonder how they got my email address, since I have NEVER emailed the Whte House, and especially not from that address.

Don't know about you, comrade, but it makes me want to go grab a shovel and get to work. (Note my SEVERELY dubious smirk)

Guaran-dam-tee if the Bush White House had done this, the Leftards would have been all over it. But we won't hear a peep from them-- it's their rock star, Barack Hussein.

EDIT to add: if I were to use my government email account to send an email supporting a candidate or his policies, I'd be in SEVERE trouble. How is it different when it's the POTUS? IT's not HIS network, and I goddamn sure as hell didn't ASK to receive his propaganda...

There's strange... and there's ARMY strange...

2009-06-16T19:22:00.002-04:00

- and now for something completely different...

Just ran across DeltaBravoSierra, a webcomic loosely based upon the cartoonist's experiences in the military...

example:

(I'm assuming the artist won't mind, as I'm linking to and promoting his site. I get nothing out of this, folks, just sharing. Author: if you mind, pipe up!)

This one's gonna be linked to as a cartoon feed on the main page if I ever figure out how to do so!

Footage from the ground in Tehran...

2009-06-15T20:05:00.004-04:00

Hattip to Breda over at Bredafallacy.....

Can't stop the signal

Personally I don't hold much hope for them-- but they're *trying*.

The other bloke that's running for election isn't much better-- after all, everyone that ran for election had to be given the nod by the Revolutionary Council (or whatever they're calling it in Iran)- point is, they're not exactly going to let some true freedom-loving antithesis to the present jackass that's running the show there, oppose said jackass.

But, you know-- it's a start.

What shames me is that if the same situation were to happen here in the US I don't know that I could expect my countrymen to stand up for what's right. After all- there's stuff to watch on the boob tube!

Back to Work!

2009-05-03T09:16:00.003-04:00

Well, almost exactly 2 months after losing my job, I have managed to land another one...

-same industry, with a good crew of people, interesting work that seems as though it will even have an immediate sense of fulfillment to it. 25% cut in pay (ouch!) but that beats 100% cut, and I'll have normal-people hours... Mon-Fri, 0800-1700, with the occasional weekend stint needed when things go pearshaped.

Despite all this I seem to be in a funk. Been downright ornery for the last two weeks since I got the offer letter and accepted it. :shrug:

Good to be back to work. Pay cut's gonna suck though...

Jobsearch...

2009-03-25T09:04:00.002-04:00

I've received several callbacks lately- as expected, most are contract-to-hire positions. I'm not terribly enthused about that, but can understand it.

A couple look pretty good-- slight pay cut on one hand, but stable hours which would enable me to pick up some side work, and get in school.

I've been able to get so much done at the house- even getting a bit organized for once, having put up a couple whiteboards in my office so I have a way to write down To-do lists and the like, and don't have to worry about losing them. :)

-Welcome to the blogroll, Wrath of Mjolnir.

Second week of being jobless...

2009-03-15T21:06:00.003-04:00

- ok, I'm feeling MUCH better-rested.

-I'm spending soo much more time with the kid (great!) and the wife (she doesn't seem so amused!)

-the job prospect that looked so good- tanked. They wanted more systems integration (I could have spun my experience on that end) and programming (not a fuckin' clue).

-I am well and fully sick of sitting around the house. Was gonna go rabbit hunting, but that ended on 01MAR. Turkey season is coming up- so I've got my shotgun ready and will get some #4 buck and give it a go on opening day (01APR).

-Currently working on a holster for my BUG. It's a Taurus 85UL in .38SPL. It'll be IWB, clipped, similar to an old holster I got from HighNoon. This is my first "from the ground up" design, so we'll see how it goes. Will be making a OWB beltslide or my P11/P40 next.

-Welcome to the blogroll, Baked Porkchop Goodness!

First week of being jobless-

2009-03-06T16:59:00.002-05:00

- hasn't been so bad.

I'm SOOO much better-rested, with an accompanying amount of increase in positive outlook on life, time with my wife and child, and believe it or not- less stress.

I also have several VERY hot irons in the fire, and expect I will have a job offer shortly. It pays to network.

I fully expect to manage a sizable raise out of this situation, actually. Yes, in this economy. Nuts, eh?

Well, no more hell watches....

2009-03-03T22:00:00.006-05:00

wow, been almost a month...

I am no longer on that task that I was on before, that resulted in the flip-flop hours and one SEVERELY grumpy IT Geek.

In fact, as it happens, I am no longer on ANY task.

This actually works out. I have consulting work that can get me by, and finally have time to study up and catch up on a few certifications I've put on the back burner (ok, in the pantry, way the hell away from the stove).

I hate to sound trite, but each closed window opens new doors. Or, whatever the hell the phrase is. But the point is- where when I lost my job my immediate reaction was "OMG, When in trouble or in doubt,Run in circles, scream and shout!!" Now, I actually am rather relieved. I was on that project WAAAAAAAYYYY too long- and to be honest, it was mostly my fault. I didn't train up when I could have, at company expense, and stuck myself on a dead-end road. Got tired of it, fed up, frustrated, and unchallenged, and became a classic example of burnout.

Now? I have to say, the feeling is one of.... "relief". To an EXTREME degree.

I am aware my former coworkers are laughing at me. I just don't CARE. Have a good one, guys- I escaped and am actually the happier for it.

Bad decisions made, lessons learned. Moving forward.

(now, if anyone happens to know of any IT work in the South Carolina lowcountry, do tell, hear?)

2 X .22

2009-02-06T14:50:00.002-05:00

Stood another hell watch last night-- did absolutely nothing, because all of our gear worked for a change. So we stayed awake and watched lots of movies.

Got off, and had a ton of errands to run- replace the battery in my truck, this that and the other thing- and dropped by the gun shop on the way home. The shelves are getting SKINT! Picked up a .22LR target pistol (Walther SP22) and a Ruger 10/22 semiautomatic rifle. After running a few mags through the pistol it became apparent a 6 oclock hold was called for, and it's a tack driver.

Pics and details forthcoming- as it is now, I have been up for 27 hours and have to do it all again in 6 hours. I'm off.. to sleep, perchance to dream... (yeah, right!)

The Tool is Tooling Up...

2009-02-06T04:08:00.002-05:00

...or, I'm finally getting the holster-making business together.

Just ordered about $200 worth of leathercrafting goods from Tandy. 15 square-foot 8 ounce double shoulder, edgers, slickers, tragazanth gum, stains, sealers, groovers, the whole freaking lot of it.

Have 5 guys at work (carrying weapons when not on duty seems to go along with the job, here) alrady asking me to make holsters for them, and I've not even advertised yet. Also a couple guys from the range, and there's at least 3 holsters I want to make for my personal sidearms as well. Even if that's all I get out of this, it's break-even.

Cavalry Arms Back in Production

2009-02-05T07:24:00.004-05:00

A few months back, all of Cavarms' stock was seized by the BATFE goons for reasons not yet clear...

they've recently been allowed to go back into production, though they're not being given back the seized property as of yet.

They're pretty cheap, too. It's basically a Glock-ified AR15 lower receiver. Think I just found out where some of my tax refund is going...

Some Brits still have a spine

2009-01-30T19:28:00.001-05:00

H/T to Crucis:

"Where will you be, without your freedom?"

2009-01-30T19:11:00.001-05:00

Go, go, mobile blogger!!
Mobile blogging testpost. How copy, DX?

Google-fu: Holster-making

2009-01-23T15:23:00.001-05:00

in checking out my stats, it looks like I am one of the top 5 hits when one looks up holster-making in AOL search, Google search, and a few other search engines.

I need to get back to work on that. I've a few handguns that I need holsters for at the house, and several friends that are wanting holsters as well.

Suzanna Gratia-Hupp on the 2nd Amendment

2009-01-23T14:47:00.000-05:00

This young lady gets it.

Wrong, and hilarious, on so many levels....

2009-01-16T01:45:00.001-05:00

Defend your 2A rights

2009-01-13T15:16:00.003-05:00

Hattip to The Shootist @ http://www.theshootist.net/

Cut off a foot to save your Arms

Basically, it's a similar prospect as what finally prompted Congress to get off their duffs and get started on securing our borders. Except instead of mailing bricks, it's mailing 1' sections of lumber with an attached message.

If one of them arrives? A curiousity...

100 of them? a minor annoyance....

10,000 of them, an obvious indicator of intent.

Musical Interlude

2009-01-02T14:31:00.006-05:00

Because Amy Lee is Smokin' Haaawwwt:

Love the lyrics of this song.

Song is "Good Enough" by Evanescence.

The Big Lebowski- short version

2009-01-01T14:41:00.000-05:00

OK, be warned- there's...err... "some" language in this link...

But it pretty much boils down the movie to the important points.

AD: an After-Action Review

2008-12-08T16:36:00.004-05:00

Well, this post hurts my pride, and was something I hoped to never have to post about.

At approximately 2140EST on 06DEC08, as I was clearing my normal carry sidearm (a Taurus Millenium Pro in .45ACP) in preparation for cleaning it, it discharged, sending one round of .45ACP JHP through one interior wall and 2X4 and through the exterior wall and siding, exiting the structure.

I KNOW I kept my finger off the trigger. Without a doubt in my head, I did- I'm very good about that.

Since day one this weapon has had extractor issues. It will extract a snapcap without problem. However a loaded round of 45, no matter the make, will hang up on extraction every time. The extractor won't even fit the rim of the cartridge well enough to hold the round in place with the slide off the weapon.

What I SUSPECT happened:

I dropped the mag, racked the slide, and failed to confirm extraction/ejection. dropped the slide and either had a slamfire, or put my finger on the trigger.

Lessons learned:

-drop the mag and put it away.
-rack the slide, observe the chamber, and account for the chambered round. I normally do this to the point of being OCD about it.
-BE OCD about it. EVERY time.
-NO, I am NOT "Good enough" to do this without ammo anywhere in the room

Weapon is going back to the manufacturer for a full going over, and the extractor WILL be right this time.

So in review, the problem was a combination of mechanical failure and wetware complacency.

As well, I failed at least 1 of the 4 Laws:

2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy

On examining the entry and exit holes in the exterior wall, I find that I was about 10 degrees on the lucky side of going through an apartment building about 75 yards from my house. While possible the heavy and slow 45ACP hollowpoint would have struck the siding and embedded itself in it while doing no further damage, it's not something I would want to risk.

I got VERY lucky. This can NOT happen again.

I shook, hard, for three hours after the event, keeping my ears pricked up for sirens and the like. Heard nothing, have kept an eye on the news, and noone's been hurt. Yes, I would have owned up to it had someone been.

Sorry I've been gone...

2008-11-09T11:41:00.002-05:00

I note from Statcounter that my traffic is up. WAY up. I even had comments to moderate. :)

Apparently my 2 visitors told someone, and they told someone, and now I've got folks that seem to be regularly returning to see if I've tripped my fingers round the keyboard and imparted my own brand of idiocy to the Internet. I am flattered!

I apologize for no new content in the last (does the math) 2.5 weeks. I've been pretty swamped at work as I've been shifting my hours around more than usual, so I'm either working or sleeping.

OK, so it's more like working, or supposed-to-be-sleeping-but-playing-Second-Life-instead. For the longest, I said I'd never participate in one of those MMORPG's, because "I know me... I'll lose sleep and not get anything done round the house". This was in response to the guys at work trying to get me to play World of Warcrack, and apparently I didn't apply the rule to SL.

No, I will not tell you who I am in the game so you can say "Hi", either. There are lines that must be drawn- this is one of 'em ;P

Vote Reaper goes off

2008-10-23T01:14:00.001-04:00

Testify, my brother:

Just lost all respect for Colin Powell

2008-10-19T16:47:00.003-04:00

So Powell's done what there's been rumor of for months, and come out supporting Obama.

While I don't think it's "just because he's black", I do believe that it indicates that Powell's not showing the best judgement.

I hereby retract any and all indicators of support for Powell in my previous posts or comments (both personally and in the blogosphere), and am strongly considering retracting my opinion of him as "a good man".

REMARKABLY ill-advised, General. I'm glad you didn't this lack of judgement when I served under you. Sir.

Things to remember when voting

2008-10-14T13:25:00.002-04:00

Income redistribution

Barack or McCain?

Worth remembering

2008-10-13T07:41:00.000-04:00

4-wheeling Monday

2008-10-13T04:24:00.003-04:00

Let's start the week off on a high note, shall we?

If this song doesn't stick in your head, nothing will...

Note how the TJ just walks right on past the H1 in the rock field.

Fair disclosure: I drive a 90 XJ. Yep, I'm a Jeep guy.

Thomas Paine talks Common Sense

2008-10-12T23:57:00.005-04:00

Most important part of the video is at the end.

"Choose to be part of the Second American Revolution- not of bullets and of violence, but of Pressure! Pressure!Pressure! Call the Congressional Switchboard every day at 1-866-340-9281"

EDIT: perhaps the video is a bit dated. The 866 number didn't work for me. The verified number is 202-224-3121.

I'm not condoning a violent revolution by ANY means. I'd love to see a Voting Revolution- clear all the dead wood out of office and let them know if they don't respect the Constitution and the will of the people they WILL be replaced.

The stuff that's happening now is the sort of stuff that leads to violent revolution. It is my sincere wish that we can avoid that.

EDIT: not sure what that "Download video" crap is about.

Heimliched the pooch...

2008-10-11T18:59:00.003-04:00

So I'm sitting there talking to my wife about some things while all three dogs are chewing on their new toys.

Suddenly Kylie (my Aussie) comes running at me, fullspeed, and claws me full on in the chest several times, hard. I look at her, wondering what's the matter, and notice she's making this motion like she's trying to bark, hard, but nothing's coming out.

I realize she's choking, and give her a healthy swat on both sides at once. Being rather alarmed, afraid I was about to lose my buddy, it was all I could think to do.

GACK!! A loud cough and apparently the bit of her chewie that was stuck in her windpipe dislodged and was swallowed. TONS of hugs and kisses after. Yes, she actually does hug.

Close one. I'd have missed my little girl. She's an amazing dog, and sharp as a tack. Besides, who else is going to keep the Lab Boys (bka the Idjuts) in line?

Holster-making gallery (56K death!)

2008-10-11T17:37:00.006-04:00

If you've got dialup, you might want to go grab a coffee...

This is in response to several folks that have asked for more info regarding the stitching and so on.

Here you see that I've gone round the back wing, drilling holes with my Dremel first, then doing a simple lock-stitch. Note that the holes are, frankly, too large. I couldn't find my smallest drill bit at the time. I ended up doing a second trip around the stitching to make up for the gaping holes in the leather left by the drill, and my less-than-optimum control of the awl. If you look closely, you can see where some of the knots have come through the front. VERY amateur, but I learned quickly!

Another, closer, view of same. Also note the T-nut that I forgot to mention installing. Install is simple: drill hole (come to think, that was already done, too- did I mention Nate made this EASY?), insert T-nut, then glue the two halves together. Closer stitch detail, too. See what I mean about the knots coming through the front? Beginner mistake!

Closeup mainly to show the size of the line I am using. It's too big to call thread, too small to call rope. Waxed polyester, has a pretty hefty breaking strength. Yeah, it'll work! BTW- if you're looking for a sewing awl, by no means go buy one at your local boater's shop. I paid $27 for one at West Marine (well, I needed it THEN, to repair my ruck, going camping with the kid the next day). I could have gotten one for $13 online, and I stumbled across one VERY similar in Harbor Freight, with a 100-yard (as opposed to 30) skein of line, for $5 a few weeks later. Hell yes I bought it- I can't even get the line itself that cheap elsewhere. Need one? Drop me a line! (You see, how I made that little pun there... I am a kidder. I kid)

I should have mocked this one up better. What you are looking at is how the lockstitch works. Basically, poke the awl through the holes, then pull out a quantity of line on the back side, at least enough to go around the perimeter 1.5 times or you'll be cutting and retracing your route often to get a good lock. Getting the string to the back is easier said than done unless those holes are WAY too big. Solution: Punch awl all the way through. Pull it about halfway out. Use the tip of a spitzer round (or a pen, chopstick, whatever's handy) to grab that loop, and pull the awl through. Now pull the bitter (loose) end of the line through. Poke the awl through the next hole, withdraw, and run the bitter end through the loop. Pull on both lines, you've made a stitch!

I'm not real clear on the proper way to terminate the stitch. I backstitch two stitches, then run the bitter end through the loop three times, then pull. Cut flush, and apply brief heat to the remaining bit of the line. This ought to work.

Second lap of stitching on the back wing, completed. Looks a lot better now. For production use, I will run a double row of stitching up against the weapon as it's a high-stress area. Otherwise, single will be fine.

Front wing completed now, too. Can you notice the difference? I found my smaller (smallest) bit, so only had to run one loop. Also, I had figured out how to run the awl properly at this point, ending up with the locks in the middle of the holes, not on the front or back. MUCH more professional. Almost looks like I know what I am doing, huh?

I've wet the leather, just to the point that it's darker-brown. Literally a minute in very hot bathwater. Put it in the tub and swish it around- when it is uniformly dark, it's ready. It's very much like working with stiff clay at this point. You can see I've started the boning process, the trigger guard, dust cover, and takedown lever are most evident. Yes, I am a man that wears jewelry. Celtic stuff, mainly. Shaddup.

In the name of safety, and not wanting an AD when reholstering, I use an ultra high-tech, precision-engineered Trigger Guard Embossing device. OK, so it's my thumb. This ain't rocket science, folks. As a famous holster-maker once said "There's only so many ways to wrap leather around a fuckin' gun". Curmudgeonly fellow, that. I think I'd enjoy his company.

Hey, if it's stupid but works... it ain't stupid. 'Nuff said.

As you can see, there's a VERY snug, secure fit. This weapon won't come out unless you mean to use it.

YES, I know. Shut up! I am flat-out OUT of ammo for this weapon at this time, the safety is on, the trigger is covered, and my finger is nowhere near the trigger. Also, I cleared the weapon three times before putting it in the holster. I'm not a complete idiot (there are parts missing!). Nice view to show how the boning is split between the halves of the holster, to suck it into the hip more. Also, all the better to marvel at these cheap 6MP cameras that are out now. Why did I wait so long?

Two shots of attempting to bone the ejection port with my thumb. Fail. While it's good enough for some folks, I like a holster with a well-defined ejection port- better retention. Hmm.. what can I use to better emboss this? If I only had some more deer antler left over I could make a tool with my Dremel tool...

That's the ticket! A Fisher compact Space pen. Not only does it write in zero-g, vacuum, upside down, and prevent global thermonuclear war while saving the Apollo-13 astronauts- it also makes a damn fine embossing tool for wet leather. OK, so would a AA battery. But darn, now I have these nasty over-emphasized embossing marks around the port that look like crap. This would be easy to fix it this was really wet clay. Hmmm...

Nice! Apparently the wet clay metaphor was more accurate than I realized.

A very well-boned holster.

I've got to invest in a better backdrop. Are you folks tired of seeing my keyboard and desk yet?

Finished product shots

It wears well, too!

Made a holster!

2008-10-11T12:54:00.005-04:00

I have to say, I am pretty damn pleased with myself on this one...

First off- thanks to Nate at UBGHolsters for providing the die-cuts. He made this project REALLY easy, and confidence-inspiring.

This all came about because I wanted an IWB holster for my Tanfoglio TZ75 in 10mm. It's similar to the CZ, but different enough 'round the trigger guard that he wasn't sure it would work. So the whole "thought about building your own?" idea came about, and we ran with it from there.

He sent me a set of die-cuts (think, flats cut from cowhide, shaped like a holster but without the molding), a set of straps (which he was nice enough to assemble as I didn't have the press, belt clips (unrelated to the project but thrown in because he's a nice guy), and instructions. He's also taken great effort to reply to 40+ emails in the course of the discussion.

I provided the tools -a 7.62X39 round (get the bitter end of the line started), a Fisher Space Pen (for boning), rubber cement, a Dremel, draftsman's dividers, and a Sewing Awl- and effort. This was very much a "use what ya got laying about" effort. There are purpose built tools for this sort of work, but they're not needed.

To assemble the holster, I took the diecuts and lined them up all around the perimeter. Nate was good enough to mark out the glued area by way of using his CZ75 as a model for the TZ that now takes its place. I applied rubber cement to each side in accordance with the directions for a permanent bond, and let the joined pieces sit overnight under my rangebag with a few pistols in it. I measured off 5 millimeters (about as close as I could figure to 1/5 of an inch) and locked my dividers in, then followed the stitchline with them as if I was plotting a course, which if you think about it, I was.

I took the joined pieces, a 2X4 bit of scrap, my Dremel, and a TINY bit (about 1/32 if I recall- it's too small to read), and drilled at each mark the dividers had left. I used my sewing awl to sew up each stitchline, and then tried to testfit the weapon- it will NOT go, dry, don't even try it.

So then I wet the holster thoroughly in hot bath water. You don't want to let it sit in there for any more than a minute or so- I actually just grabbed it and slid it around in the water till it was visibly wet through (watch for the color change). At this point the leather will have the consistency of wet clay. I took my well-oiled gun and slid it into the holster- it will go with a little effort- and then started on the boning.

You use your fingers and smooth the leather around all the points of the weapon- the safety, the triggerguard, and so on. With automatics, pay particular attention to the ejection port and the trigger guard- this is where your retention comes from. Now is a good time to set the holster in terms of it's curvature, as well- it's going to have to curve to go around the body part it's designed to fit (round my waist in this case). Once happy, pull the weapon out, and set the holster in front of a fan for a few hours to a few days, depending on how wet you got the leather. Now- go dry, clean, and oil your weapon, particularly if you've got a parkerized finish!

As this is my first go at this, and I used natural polyester waxed thread (read- it won't take dye), I'm going to leave this holster in the natural. Next one will be sewed with my preferred black thread, and will be dyed black. I have no experience with that as of yet, but I'm told to use oil-based dyes and a sealer.

Not bad for a first go, all things considered. I learned a lot here.

I can not thank Nate of UBGHolsters enough for his encouragement, parts, advice and overall brain-dump when it came to my numerous stupid questions. He made what could have been a disaster, easy. I've been wanting to try this for years and after all his effort the hardest part of the job was sewing the leather. By the way- he gave me all this info all the while knowing that I was considering starting up a holster-making business.

Bugs, Mr. Rico!!!

2008-10-07T01:09:00.006-04:00

OK, so I've got this...thing... about critters with more than 4 legs or less than 2.

So I get home about 2200 this evening and as usual keep the lights off so as to avoid waking the wife, who's a light sleeper.

I get about halfway across the living room- it's not quite pitch black, mind- and something brushes across the top of my skull. My bald skull- I shave my head to complete the job Mother Nature began. I grab my flashlight off my belt and investigate, and find this-
right overhead. Except not lit anywhere NEAR as well as it is in the picture.

There follows a moment of sheer terror when the primitive lizardbrain part of me quickly recognizes two body segments and EIGHT FREAKING HAIR LEGS, six inches from my face. This all happens in a few microseconds and while I'm happy to report I didn't scream (THIS time!), I did express my surprise in a much loftier manner:

NNNGGUUUAAARRRGGGHHH... Ah, shit. Goddamnit.

The giggling from the back of the house from my son, and the loudly whispered "Ha! We got him!" accompanied by a sound that can only be a high-five tell the rest of the story. I have been set up. I have been "punked", by my lovely wife and most-loved son.

I'm NOT amused. Looking at that damn thing still creeps me out, even with all the lights on in the room.

What kind of leading man are you?

2008-10-04T23:37:00.003-04:00

I really thought I'd be more of the John Wayne type, but:

Humphrey Bogart

You scored 62% Tough, 5% Roguish, 33% Friendly, and 5% Charming!

You're the original man of honor, rough and tough but willing to stick your neck out when you need to, despite what you might say to the contrary. You're a complex character full of spit and vinegar, but with a soft heart and a tender streak that you try to hide. There's usually a complicated dame in the picture, someone who sees the real you behind all the tough talk and can dish it out as well as you can. You're not easy to get next to, but when you find the right partner, you're caring and loyal to a fault. A big fault. But you take it on the chin and move on, nursing your pain inside and maintaining your armor...until the next dame walks in. Or possibly the same dame, and of all the gin joints in all the world, it had to be yours. Co-stars include Ingrid Bergman and Lauren Bacall, hot chicks with problems.

huh.

I NEVER wear a suit. The most formal I get is a pair of khakis without cargo pockets, and a pilot's shirt.

But yeah, the rest of it's pretty much nailed me.

Geekin' out with the kid...

2008-10-04T21:12:00.002-04:00

Today I made a stove for camping with the rugrat.

Out of two soda cans!

No, seriously...

Tested it by boiling water for the kid and I for hot cocoa. Took 6 minutes to boil half a liter of water. I'd call it a success! By the way, it uses high-proof alcohol (70% or better, isopropyl, methanol, or drinking)for fuel.

Will build a bigger one shortly, as I've just reached the bottom of the second can of Foster's Lager...

Yes, I could have bought a whole messkit WITH a stove very similar, that is able to be capped and reclosed, for $30. I still may, for the ability to be able to stop and start the stove at will with fuel still inside. If interested, I believe they're called Trangia stoves.

This was mainly an intellectual exercise in figuring out how the thing works, if it works well, and to do something with my kid while instilling a thirst for knowledge and ability to reason through problems that might be encountered. Cost was really $0- I pulled the cans out of the trash.

Success, on all fronts, beyond measure. I'm gonna have to run this up the flagpole at the next Scout campout and see if they would like me to teach the boys how to do it (with adult help, of course).

Good day at the Range...

2008-09-28T17:29:00.005-04:00

Having arrived home last night after 1800 and gotten in quite the rush preparing a promised cookout for my son (ie: grilling burgers, dogs, steaks, and chicken by the light of a headlamp from my jump bag, I hopped online finally around 2200, to find a friend I haven't talked to regularly in about 4 years had IM'd me: "Hubby wants to go to the range tomorrow, I mentioned you had an AR. Can you come along with it?"

What? Impromptu range session? Well HELL yeah!!!

Spent the next couple hours going over weapons, making a packing list (I took the 303, the 30-30, AK, AR, .22LR, 12gauge and what I thought was some old dove loads (BLOODY HELL!!!!), and a couple pistols.

Went over to their house, all of 2 miles away, about 2330. Took a couple rifles because they wanted to take a look. Ended up being there till about 0300, as he was cleaning his Colt Gold Cup Match Elite (can you say, drool?) and it came up that it had never even been field stripped to clean it properly. So I proceeded to disassemble the slide and frame, from memory. Many comments ensued about the weapon never working again- well, it does, and is much cleaner now, to boot. ;)

I managed to only forget the ammo for the .303 Lee-Enfield, which kinda sucked because that was the one I wanted to fire the most. Also, a friend brought his Lee-Enfield (1918 model to my 1941 No4Mk1). I am thinking that's likely an Ishapore, but I am not an expert, and being that his was missing the upper wood and didn't have the foreband to protect the sites I'm thinking it is probably sporterized like mine. Still, wouldn't mind firing it and perhaps even having it, as the chamber on it feels tight. There's corrosion in the barrel which is to be expected if you're familiar with the 303 and the lack of boiling-hot water in the trenches to clean corrosive residue during a war. Some shooting and firelapping would most likely take care of that. If he keeps that weapon, he's gonna need to reload for it.

My son went along, and did extremely well. So well, in fact, that I felt comfortable enough to let him run the .22 rifle by himself, as I sat at the station next to him (less than arm's reach away, safety mommies, so can it!). He has gotten good enough with the rifle to realize the scope really needs to be sighted in. In fact, that's something he started to bug me about- can't blame him. He doesn't realize this is something that can't really be done at a busy public range without a spotter scope, so that's next on the horizon for gunnie-type shopping. He obviously felt like a really big boy, though, when the family that set up next to us wouldn't even let their (much older- my son is 8) children touch the weapons till Dad had set down with each of them and given them instruction in safety and operation. He was positively beaming when the 13-year-old boy was overheard during a lull in the firing "But dad, why can't I? That little kid next to us is shooting all by himself and doing a good job of it".

This prompted the parents to look over at us, I just smiled and told the young man "that's because he's a good listener, and follows the rules his parents set, so we trust him to respect the weapon".

Definitely must remember to take the 303 ammo next time... and stop for a couple bags of out-of-date oranges and the like to use as reactive targets.

EDIT: friends IM'd me a bit ago: "We've a few friends that want to learn to shoot but are afraid of guns. Can you teach them?" Why sure. Maybe it's time to fast-track that NRA cert...

2008-09-25T23:34:00.003-04:00

Once again, Harpo has knocked it out of the park.....

I don't want to sound like I'm doubting the man's abilities, but if he's writing this, he has missed his calling. He should be a writer or at the very least be regularly submitting Op-Eds to the papers, instead of working in what he's working in.

Well done, sir.

Came across this on a discussion thread I scanned through- interesting...

2008-09-25T21:10:00.004-04:00

It's a plan to address the economic and fuel woes we're presently experiencing.

"Here the plan-

1)The government passes legislation to lift the bans on offshore drilling.

2)Pass legislation making ANWR immediately accessible for drilling.

3)Incorporate the ANWR drilling sites and Offshore drilling sites under one corporation. Make the corporation public. The government can buy a couple hundred billion dollars worth of shares. The value of the shares will increase rapidly as American oil will be replacing foreign oil.

4) The government can sell their shares gradually. This will result in the government making a substantial profit which can be pumped into the economy."

I'm sure no financial expert, but this is very intriguing to me. Why wouldn't it work? Of course the immediate reason is, #2 stands a snowball's chance in hell. But if it came to pass, why wouldn't the rest work?

The Pocket Meme...

2008-09-23T17:25:00.008-04:00

Can't recall where I saw this, but I've been meaning to do it for a week or so...

rules are simple:
-take everything out of your pockets (OK, lint and lunch receipts need not apply)
-take a pic of it
-tell us about it...

Starting at the upper right, that's a pocket office with a rite-in-rain notepad with a black Fisher bullet SpacePen and a blue Pilot G2, Motorola Razr (work cell, can't stand it), Taurus Millenium Pro PT145 (.45ACP) leather All-Ett (Best.Wallet.EVER) with a Spyderco Byrd (Fynch?) and Zippo I bought in Benning atop it, Spyderco Byrd (Cara Cara), a leather coin purse my grandfather bought for me 30 years ago, Victorinox SwissTool, and Surefire G2 with a 3-watt aftermarket LED.

With the exception of the firearm, I use all of this stuff daily. In the case of the firearm, I'm hoping to never need it.

I carry all of this everywhere I go, except for the firearm, which is carried anywhere I legally can. Sadly, that precludes my carrying it the one place I'm most likely to ever need it (work is in a bad part of town, but I'm not allowed to carry on Federal property). Unfortunately, the reality of needing a dry place to sleep and to eat regularly means I have to break the 1st rule of Concealed Carry: "If you are going somewhere you think you need a weapon, stay home!"

*2 knives? Yes- the large goes on weak side clipped to the pocket and is for larger tasks as well as a last-ditch defense against a gun-grab, and the small stainless goes in the strong side pocket and gets pulled out for day-to-day tasks. Some of the folks I work with get a bit skittish if I pull out a 3" long black and stainless blade along the likes of a Spyderco. Man, they'd have a conniption if they saw my rifles :)

Aussie woman trapped in house by wild pig

2008-09-23T15:26:00.004-04:00

So there's this woman, trapped in a house with a giant pig...
Much hand-wringing ensues, the lady feeds the wild pig, soothes its wounds and... ends up getting bitten for her trouble. Worse, the pig won't let her leave.

MORE hand-wringing, and "oh no, let's not harm the pig!"

I'm thinking that's a good chance for the nice lady to stock her freezer with ham for the next year or so. Probably her friends' freezers, too.

Mmmmm, bacon...

Given an ideal solution, we'd take the hide and sew a dead muji in it. Pigskin and all that, you know. ;)

(Where's a proper Aussie ~~bloke~~ larakin when you need one?)

and no, I'm not even going to comment on an opposable-thumb-equipped, tool-using human being outwitted and held captive by an animal that has none of those advantages... it's just too easy.

... Insomniac all night....

2008-09-15T01:51:00.003-04:00

Well after a two week vacation, it's back to work here in a couple hours.

Errm, crap. In exactly 4 hours.

I've defaulted to what I think is my normal sleep pattern. I say "think", because after 5 years on this project, my sleep pattern is anything but normal. My hours change every week- it begins to drag on you after a bit, which is why I took these last 2 weeks off. So I've been pretty much ~~narcoleptic~~ nocturnal the last two weeks, up till about 0300, getting up 'round 1000.

Problem: I have to be up in about 2 1/2 hours, and at work by 0545.

It is now 0150.

I slept ~~today~~ yesterday, off and on, from 0300 to 0430. The wife started watching something in the den, which woke me up (I've taken to sleeping in the den when my schedule is opposite hers, as to not wake her- she is a light sleeper). So then I was up for two hours, and slept on and off till 1100. All told I might have gotten 5 hours. No nap during the day, which in itself is strange for me on this schedule, and about 1900 I started getting a little tired.

I SHOULD have laid down. But then my nocturnal side noticed the sun was down, and it was off to the races!

Spent the last 4 hours cleaning my office. In fact I tore it apart over the last couple days, to put in a much larger, nicer desk. I am in geek heaven now- two machines up, seperate keyboards and everything- so I can actually mess with Mandrake Linux without having to hop back and forth between the two machines via my KVM. Makes research and learning a new system MUCH easier. I even have room to setup my work laptop and work from home efficiently now! I'll have even more room once I get rid of the 17" Land-Yacht of a monitor and replace it with another Acer 19" flatscreen like the one my best friend just gave me. I loved the old Nokia before, but now that I've experienced LCD Lovin', there's no going back.

I even have storage in this room now. The desk is actually a bit of office cubicle furniture from a company that closed their VA office. Seen "Office Space"? Same stuff. Don't knock it, it's super sturdy and roomy- I have 6 times the deskspace I had before. Now I just have to deny my natural proclivity to fill all horizontal space with stuff. To that end, I've thrown away a lot of stuff I no longer use, too.

The wife probably is wondering where her husband's gone off to, because I have to admit that it's unlike me to try to tidy up and get things in order. High time I change that.

Next thing to organize: the garage. Yikes. This would help a great deal towards that end. It's 6 feet tall! It's got a radio built-in! With speakers! With a power distribution panel! Hell, it's got a refrigerator built in, for crying out loud!!

Oh yes.... I will have it.... ;)

2008-09-13T03:37:00.003-04:00

Watching Foxnews now-- apparently the storm eyewall is hitting Galveston's Pleasure Pier (!?) at the moment. It's 40 miles wide, and there's a 20 foot surge with it.

They're expecting gasoline to TRIPLE in price, as Galveston is apparently one of the major processing points for gasoline in the US.

Wonderful. I'm just going to LOVE paying #300 in gasoline to ride my motorbike to work this month.

I'd ride the bicycle, but have a lot of gear that goes to work with me, and more to the point, I go through the worst area of town to get to work. I've already had a few hairy situations at 0500 in the morning going to work, don't want to think about those when I'm dealing with pedal-power.

As a bonus- I am prevented from going through this area while armed, as it's not legal to carry a weapon on the premises or have it in my vehicle.

New Orleans Gun seizures STILL going on

2008-09-13T01:53:00.005-04:00

This info comes to us from XavierThoughts:

The upshot (err, down-shot??)- The NOPD is back to their old tricks. Apparently they've been asking folks during routine traffic stops if they have any weapons- bear in mind that it's LEGAL to carry a weapon in Louisiana. When the citizen (who's done nothing more than a moving violation, if that) declares their weapon, they are asked if they have a receipt. Of course, they don't. The weapon is seized and the owner told they can get their weapon back after producing the receipt at such-and-such police station. They show up and- surprise, surprise- the weapon cannot be found.

Absolutely asinine. Why is this blatant violation of people's rights allowed to continue? This is by no means all that stinks in Louisiana- there's loads of evidence of corruption.

There's much more info at the above hyperlink. Please visit it and get the details.

Hurricane Ike making landfall now

2008-09-12T23:53:00.002-04:00

According to the projections, Ike should be making landfall now, around Galveston, Texas.

Storm surge is projected to be 20+ feet. Right over Galveston.

Local authorities estimate that 90,000 people in three counties refused to evacuate.

Trust in your $deity, folks, but take precautions to stay alive. I know that during Hugo we lost a few folks that decided to ride out the storm on the front beach- they've not been seen since.

Here's hoping the morning does not reveal a human catastrophe by way of thousands of dead and trapped. This could get very bad.

Are you an "entropy whiner"?

2008-09-12T12:47:00.002-04:00

Ran across this on View From The Porch

Are you a person who keeps things working, or just whines about them breaking?

I suppose I'm an Entropy fighter. My newest car is a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee (the wife's Jeep and DD). I have a 1990 Jeep Cherokee (wheeling toy, currently down for an engine swap), a 1989 Blazer (daily driver, when I don't take the bike, and needs an overhaul of the suspension and the tranny needs to be looked at), a 1998 Kawasaki KLR650 (daily commuter and all around 2-wheeled-Jeep), a 1987 Pontiac Fiero (I swear I'm gonna get to it. Some day) and a 2006 Ninja 650R (my first bike). Then there's the house needing paint inside and out, the back yard needs to be half dug up to install better drainage, I really need to frame up and pour that 70' driveway, and let's not forget the 25X25' workshop I want out back.

All while working 70 hours a week on rotating schedules. Oh joy.

What if...

2008-09-12T12:07:00.006-04:00

Thoughts on issues effecting us...

What if-

- a liberal, touchy-feely, it-will-all-be-ok-if-you-just-let-the-government-handle-it politician was elected to POTUS?

-a fully socialized medical system is implemented in the US?

- the climate models which support the Global Warming ~~theory~~ religion were all wrong... and NOT in a good way?

- a Superbug along the lines of Captain Tripps (any King fans out there?), but much deadlier, strikes the global community and rapidly kills off 60% or more of the population?

- The US and its Allies are involved in a war in Iran... and the enemy has our weapons (such as the Abrams tank). Things rapidly go to hell, to the point that units of the US military are encircled, cut off from any support whatsoever, and go rogue. All while the MSM's cameras are rolling and their footage editors are busily putting their own spin on the situation.

Any of these issues alone makes for good reading if you enjoy the Apocolyptic genre or are one with a mind to preparedness.

Now then, how about if ALL of this happens at once?

If this interests you at all, I suggest you pick up a copy of "The Last Centurion" by John Ringo. It's newly out (still in hardback), and makes for fascinating reading. What makes it more impressive is that the author goes into depth explaining the problems with socialized medicine, climate models, military tactics and engagements, and the like. I've not gotten very far into it- just the first 10 chapters, but am enthralled.

I realize $25 for a book can be a bit hard to take, especially if you're not a reader. Even more so if you're a voracious reader. I NEVER buy hardback books, due to the size, the price, and the fact that I don't read books, I consume them (I'm not allowed to borrow at the library anymore... wife's orders ;) ). But I read the first 8 chapters after a friend suggested that I take a look (thank you, R!) and was prompted to go ahead and pick up the book while grabbing some books for the wife's birthday recently. I can't put the book down now.

Thoughts on biking with a canine?

2008-09-11T17:46:00.002-04:00

I've been wanting to do this for a while, both to give me some much-needed exercise, and to give my Australian Shepherd some exercise as well.

From what I've found, there's a couple thoughts on the subject:
-buy a special attachment that bolts to the rear triangle and holds the dog's leader at a level near the axle, where it has little mechanical advantage and is subject to the master's full weight to resist it. Probably not an issue if you're a thin female with a 180-pound Mastiff along for the run, but I don't have that problem. My buddy is an Australian Shepherd, and I outweigh her by a fair margin. Ok, a more than fair margin. Shaddup. The examples I've seen run about $60, like the BikeDog (which it seems I now can't find the link to)

-similar to the above, except attaches to the seat tube. The WalkyDog is an example of this, about $50. More mechanical advantage for the pup, but it's not likely to be an issue with my riding partner and myself. The biggest thing I have against this is the $50- I have a welder, and regularly fab stuff with webbing (slings and similar), shouldn't be a problem to make the soft part). More to the point, it's been out of stock for at least the last year, near as I can tell. It looks like it's just a dressed-up pneumatic QD fitting and a post. I may have to take a look around Lowes and see what I can cobble up.

-use a standard 6'foot leash. Put the loop around your right bicep, curl it around the headset, and then to the dog. I see lots of opportunity for problems here: the dog has mechanical advantage against the pivot point (tire/ground interface) of the bike/rider assembly. Also there's an issue with the lead possibly fowling in the chainring or at least being a hindrance to the rider's leg. I know a couople folks that've had problems with otherwise-calm dogs bolting at the sight of a squirrel and causing injuries with this sort of setup. I know Xavier doesn't have a problem with this arrangement- I'm just not comfortable with the idea. While my Aussie is very calm (I can walk her without a leash and she has never left my side), I don't want to go this route.

Anyone have other thoughts or input?

DIY Slings

2008-09-11T16:38:00.003-04:00

While typing up the previous entry, I received a box o' goodies from Slingworks. 50 feet of 1.5" OD webbing, 5 feet of velcro, HK hooks and other assorted odds and ends.

I'll be making a sling adaptor and a 3-point sling for my AR and my AK (1 sling for each). The sling adaptors move the sling from the bottom of the AR to the top, enabling the weapon to hang at the ready. During 6 years of humping an M16 in the Army, that was alwas the thing that bothered me the most- we had to jury-rig a proper tac sling out of paracord and the issue parade sling. I'm not sure if the 3-point design was around then- I got out in 1994- but it sure would have been handy. Most folks will think it a bit silly to make a tac sling for a civilian-owned AR15. Well, to an extent, yes. This is the same argument that can be made for owning an AR15, or for that matter, for owning car insurance or a fire extinguisher.

-Have I ever needed it? No.

-Do I expect to ever need it? Not really.

-Then why do you have it? Because if I ever need it, I'm going to need it DESPERATELY, RIGHT THE HELL NOW, and it'll be too late to get it.

After I've made the tac slings, I'll try my hand at making a Scout Sling, along the lines of Colonel Jeff Coopers thoughts on the subject of slings and shooting, and will put it on my Marlin 30-30 and SMLE No1MK4 Sporter.

Best businessman ever

2008-09-11T16:23:00.003-04:00

I really can't say enough about the gent that runs Ugly Bald Guy Holsters.

First off- the product is excellent- hand crafted, extremely durable, and the way a holster should be. Without being all gross about it- I carry my weapon IWB (that's Inside Waist Band- think of "Mexican Carry"- just jammed down the pants- except with a covered triggerguard and holster to keep the weapon in place). I've been doing a lot of yard work the last few weeks and with the high humidity and 90+ degree heat, things get a bit moist. So having a slab of cowhide against my hide, it obviously gets soaked. I haven't been able to note and soaking of the leather, and it's been exceedingly comfortable through me bending, twisting, and moving about as I work on a minor construction project. The first few days I got a chafe spot until I learned to move the weapon to 3:30 instead of 3 o'clock, but even that wouldn't have been an issue had I worn an undershirt or something to go between the front edge of the holster and my hip, like boxers.

I've already ordered two holsters from him, and recommended his gear to several friends. I was ordering another, for my Tanfoglio 10mm pistol for hunting duty ('cuz I want to have a way to address Mr Bear if he should show up and claim the deer I take), when he suggested during the conversation that since he's not able to make the holster (the weapon is a CZ75 clone, but differs enough in the trigger guard that it won't fit the same holster), so why not send me a "kit" consisting of a couple of precut slabs of leather, so I can give a try at making my own holster. Got to discussing the idea, he packaged everything up, and I mentioned it to a few gunnies in passing. They turn out to have a couple weapons they want to have holsters for, like Makarovs and other oddball weaponry, and next thing I know I have a few orders for holsters... and I've not made one yet!

I mentioned this in passing, and next I know the guy that runs the show at UBGHolsters is giving me a data-dump on tips and tricks to make a holster- even mentioning that I should consider a side business of holster-making... the work is relaxing, and it's very good money to be had.

We shall see. The kit should arrive this week. Other than what's in the box, if I decide to get into this on even a personal level, just making holsters for my knives, I'll be busy. I'm going to have to order a shoulder of hide and see what I can swing on my own.

I'll post pics of the process once I get the kit.

The Survival Mindset

2008-09-08T22:31:00.005-04:00

Interesting article I ran across on Foxnews.com:

By John Blake
CNN

(CNN) -- Deborah Scaling Kiley still can't break free from that night.

She can't shake the screams, the image of the frothing water turning red, and the sounds of sharks attacking the man who had just been sitting next to her.

She still can't forget blurting out the Lord's Prayer to block out the cries of the man dying in front of her.

"As long as I kept saying those words, I knew I was all right," she says today. "It was my only proof that I had not gone mad."

Kiley would survive that night, clinging to a dingy in the Atlantic Ocean for five days without food and water. But so have others in circumstances that seemed as hopeless. They are the amazing characters who seem to surface during every manmade or natural disaster -- those who survive against all odds.

What do these survivors share in common? That's the question that the author Laurence Gonzales has long tried to answer. Whenever a disaster hits -- a cyclone in Myanmar; an earthquake in China; a climbing accident in Alaska -- Gonzales scans the headlines for the stories of those survivors who made it out alive when all others perished.

"I know when something big happens, I know the kind of stories that are playing out and the people who emerge from them with similar stories," he says.

Gonzales looks for people like Ma Yuanjiang, a 31-year-old power plant executive who survived seven days buried under rubble by drinking his urine and eating paper after a massive earthquake struck China in May. He studies survivors like Ari Afrizal, a construction worker who survived the 2005 Tsunami by clinging to a raft for two weeks in the Indian Ocean.

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Gonzales explains what makes these survivors special in "Deep Survival," a book that dissects the psychological and spiritual transformation that takes place within people who survive against all odds.

Most of these survivors share the same traits, Gonzales says.

"These are people who tend to have a view of the world that does not paint them as a victim," he says. "They're not whiners who are always complaining about the bad things that are happening to them and expecting to get rescued."

Gonzales says at least 75 percent of people caught in a catastrophe either freeze or simply wander in a daze.

"The first thing people do when something bad happens is to be in denial," Gonzales says. "People who make good survivors tend to get through that phase quickly. They accept the evidence of their senses."

'The Rambo types are the first to go'

Gonzales says many of the disaster survivors he studied weren't the most skilled, the strongest or the most experienced in their group.

Those who seemed best suited for survival -- the strongest or most skilled -- were often the first to die off in life-or-death struggles, he says. Experience and physical strength can lead to carelessness. The Rambo types, a Navy SEAL tells Gonzales, are often the first to go.

Small children and inexperienced climbers, for example, often survive emergencies in the wilderness far better than their stronger or adult counterparts, he says.

They survive because they're humble, Gonzales says. They know when to rest, when they shouldn't try something beyond their capabilities, when it's wise to be afraid.

"Humility can keep you out of trouble," Gonzales says. "If you go busting into the wilderness with the attitude that you know what's going on, you're liable to miss important cues."

Survivors tend to be independent thinkers as well. When hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, hundreds of workers were trapped in the towers. Gonzales says security told many of them to stay put and wait for rescue.

Most of those who heeded the directions from security died, he says. Most of the survivors decided to ignore security protocol. They headed downstairs through a smoke-filled stairwell and didn't wait to be rescued.

"They were not rule followers, they thought for themselves and had an independent frame of mind," Gonzales says.

Survivors also shared another trait -- strong family bonds. Many reported they were motivated to endure hardships by a desire to see a loved one, Gonzales says.

Gonzales cites the story of Viktor Frankl, author of "Man's Search for Meaning." Frankl survived three years in Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps because he was driven by the thought of seeing his wife again.

"He spent a great deal of time thinking of his wife and motivating himself through his wife," Gonzales says.

Survivors also pay attention to their intuition, Gonzales says. If something tells them that the mountain isn't safe to climb that day, they'll back out even if they've planned the trip for months, he says.

Gonzales followed his intuition once and it saved his life. In 1979, a writing colleague asked him to fly with him on a flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California. Gonzales declined when he learned that he would fly on a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, which had a spotty safety record. His decision was unusual -- a boss personally asked him to fly with him that day -- but he stuck with it.

Gonzales says he was sitting in his kitchen later that day when someone called him and told him to turn on his television. The plane he was supposed to be on had just crashed on takeoff, killing all 271 people onboard, including several of Gonzales colleagues. It was one of the worst aviation disasters in the nation's history.

Knowing what to do was not enough for him, Gonzales says.

"It's a story about having the information and using it," he says. "So when this trip came up, I was prepared to do something out of the ordinary."

'I closed my eyes and prayed and waited to die'

Kiley, now 50, also had misgivings about going on the trip that almost cost her life.

It was October 1982 and she was 26 years old when she boarded a sailing yacht in Maine. She joined three men and another woman who planned to sail to Florida. But there were signs early on that the trip would not be smooth. The men bickered, the yacht's captain was lazy, and the ship wasn't properly maintained, Kiley says.

The yacht was soon caught in a fierce storm. It was tossed by 60-knot winds and huge waves. The yacht sank so quickly that the five-member crew barely had time to alert the U.S. Coast Guard and inflate the rubber dinghy, she says.

During the next five days, the survivors battled dehydration, hunger, exposure and massive infections. No ships spotted the rubber dinghy and they drifted alone in an open boat.

The crew eventually divided into two camps, Kiley says. Two men in the boat started arguing with and assaulting the others. They were falling apart emotionally and physically.

Then the crew began to die. Two men couldn't take their thirst anymore and drank salt water. They became delusional and started hallucinating. Both of them calmly slid off the dinghy into a sea full of sharks, convinced they were going to the store for cigarettes. They were killed by sharks -- one right underneath Kiley's dinghy, she says.

A third crew member, a woman who suffered ghastly wounds to her leg when the yacht sank, soon died, Kiley says.

Kiley wondered if she would be next. When sharks attacked one of the men in front of her, Kiley says that she thought she was going to have a nervous breakdown.

"I closed my eyes and prayed and waited to die," she wrote in "The Sinking," an account of her survival.

The sharks moved on, but Kiley had already made a series of small decisions that helped save her life, she says. Instead of expending much of her energy bemoaning her fate, she planned for survival. She covered herself with seaweed for warmth. She took on the role of protector, watching out for another man in the boat.

She also made a ruthless decision. She kept her distance from two male companions in the boat who bickered and cursed with the others. She sensed that they were going to die and she didn't want to waste precious energy fighting with them.

Even the act of prayer was a survival strategy. Kiley didn't know if she believe in God, but her prayer helped her avoid the loss of control that doomed some of her companions in the boat.

"Surviving is about keeping your wits when everything is falling apart," she says.

Kiley says she was also conditioned to be a survivor from her childhood. She grew up in rural Texas where she learned to survive in the outdoors. Her mother was married several times and was a victim of domestic violence.

"I learned as child how to live and adapt to the environment I was in," she says. "You never knew what was going to come up."

After five days in the open ocean, Kiley and another man were finally spotted and rescued by a passing freighter.

She says the accident changed her. "I learned to accept people for who they are and who they're not," she says. "God doesn't need me to judge anyone else."

Gonzales, who examined Kiley's survival in his book, says Kiley's background helped her survive.

"She grew up having to fend for herself," he says. "She was also a very independent thinker and has strong ties at home to her mother. She had the whole package and was able to use her own anger to motivate herself."

Kiley still sails when she can today. But she says there's hardly a day where she still doesn't think about the accident. She still has flashbacks from that night at sea that come at the oddest of times.

"One minute I would be standing in the shower washing my hair and the next minute sitting in the tub sobbing uncontrollably," she wrote in her book. "And I was never free of the dreams."

Today she lives in Texas where she is a fitness specialist and a yoga instructor. A Discovery Channel documentary was made about her ordeal at sea and she continues to lecture about her experiences while raising money for domestic violence charities.

More than anything, she says, it was her will to live that helped her survive.

"You can never give up," she says. "No matter how bad it gets, something good is going to come out of it."

A little anger also helped her push through, she says.

"At the point you're alone and scared, you have to create a vision for the future," she says. "The vision I had was washing ashore and going to the Coast Guard office and saying, 'Where the hell have you been!'

"It was enough to help me survive."

Temptation

2008-09-08T22:12:00.003-04:00

I don't know what it is about this area, but there are TONS of rabbits running 'round the area this year. I don't live in a rural area, either- I am pretty much smack-dab in the middle of North Charleston, SC. Not exactly the back 40.

Every night when I get off the late shift and head home, the last mile or so will find not less than 5 fuzzy white cottontails hopping out of the outer edge of my bike's headlight.

I've been VERY tempted to pick up a 600-FPS or so air pistol and go for walks at night. I know I could very easily harvest a couple rabbits each week without trying very hard. Hell, I've done it in my back yard, and that was just while trying to cut the grass. Rabbits are apparently NOT bright at all. Here's this noisy-as-hell lawnmower in the yard and I see the little critter hopping 'round the other end of the yard. I go inside, grab my air rifle, and without even trying hard I take them at about 30 yards. One shot one kill.. THWUP!... and it's hossenpfeffer for the stewpot.

Hell, if I was a bit more rural, I'd just pick up a Walther P22 and shoot CBs out of it.

Hmmm, speaking of- I need to cook up the two rabbits I have in the freezer this week. ;)

Stupidest movie you ever saw?

2008-09-08T10:04:00.003-04:00

I'm watching "Charlie's Angels" at present.

Well, not so much watching, as wasting the electricity.

I don't know where to begin. I don't know why everyone gets so animated about Cameron Diaz, she's not at all attractive to me. Drew Barrymore is nice to look at and I've got a thing for redheads, but dumb as a brick and this comes through in any role she plays. The Asian woman, meh- just far too vague in her "Acting".

Hmmm... the Asian chic is now in black leather and heels playing an efficiency expert. Perhaps I was too hasty to dismiss her... ;)

The Armed American

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