28 January 2012

Hey!

I've read this book before!

A Day At The Range

The High Standard shot well, as you can see by the photo. The upper left target was shot at 20 yards and the lower right was shot at 5.

There were a handful of FTF malfunctions that were likely due to ammunition; it was just cheapie Remington ammo that I got with the Marlin. Inspection of the unfired rounds show that the firing pin seems to be working well, there was a clean indent on each of them.

I did much better with the High Standard than I did with the Glock later on. More proof that I need to get out to the range more often, it has been way too long. I didn't shoot the Glock at 5 yards, but at 20 yards I was all over the paper. I only shot 50 rounds through it, next time I'll start at 10 yards and I'll bring 100 rounds with me.

Youngest Son got an unexpected object lesson in where food comes from today as well. My range partner raises rabbits, and one of them turned a bit cannibal and started chewing on his hutch-mates. He came to the range with us and was dispatched with a .22 caliber  bullet to the back of the head.

This was a good opportunity not only to show him that meat doesn't magically appear in neat clean packages, but also that anyone who tells you a .22 can't hurt you is dead wrong. He was a bit quiet for a while, so I think the lesson sunk in pretty well.

We also shot the Mosin, the Arisaka and the Saiga. Later on when I got everything home and was cleaning rifles I dropped the Mosin (!!!!) and jarred the sights off, so next range session I will have to put them back in. Oh, darn, I guess that means I have to go shooting again sometime soon.

The day was finished off with steaks and shrimp on the barbie.

27 January 2012

Making Boom-Boom

The guns and ammo are packed and ready to go.

The alarms are set and clothing laid out for the morning.

Early tomorrow the sons and I will load up the Subaru and go make some smoke and noise.

Along for the ride will be Grandfather's High Standard .22 pistol. I'm anxious to see it perform after all of these years.

After action report to follow.

THIS!

is going to be an awesome movie.


HT: Miguel at Gun Free Zone

Going to the range tomorrow with the boys. Time to pack the guns and ammo.

26 January 2012

Oops

If you are servicing a pressurized system, always disconnect the inlet side before you disconnect the outlet side. That way the pressure can bleed off and you won't get cooling oil all over you.

It also helps to shut the pump off before you disconnect anything.

Off to the shower now, and then to bed.

25 January 2012

Getting Older

It ain't fer sissies.

Somebody please tell me how I get tennis elbow when I've never played the game? And in both elbows? Really?

And what's up with the carpal tunnel? And how do I get heel spurs all of a sudden when I've never had any problems before?

At least the knees I can understand. Old war injuries (got old and war out).

Wah wah wah. I'm going to bed.

24 January 2012

Birthdays

John Moses Browning (PBUH) and Correia 2.4 both had birthdays yesterday, number 157 for St John and Year Zero for Correia 2.4.

And just when you thought it was safe, Tamera K keeps up the press.

Go say Hippo Birdy before it's too late.

23 January 2012

Good News, Bad News

Last night was the first night back to work, and the first time I had talked to Steve since this.

Turns out somehow some of the records got mixed up. She had a growth but it was benign, so that was a ton of relief for them.

The bad news is that someone else got the bad news. My thoughts and prayers are with you, whoever you are.

21 January 2012

Puppeh

Grand-boy got a blow-up car that gets filled with these plastic balls. Youngest Son thought it would be funny to bury the dog in them. Boots, as you might notice, was not impressed.

19 January 2012

Vote For Bacon!

I am firmly on this bandwagon.

Better Red than dead!

Ethan's Law

Otherwise known as the "Unborn Victims of Violence" law, it went into effect here in North Carolina last December. This statute is being used for the first time in the case of Danielle Marie Watson, who was killed by a co-worker on January 14th, 2012.

I'm not going to get into the whole abortion debate here*, but I find it interesting that a fetus is human if someone else kills the mother (or just the fetus if the mother lives), but not if the "mother" decides to get rid of it.

(For the record, I think that in a world where abortion is the law of the land it's unconscionable to have compulsory child support. Think about it.)

*I can talk about it, but there will be no discussion. My blog, my rules.

18 January 2012

Ow

That's got to smart.

The Video, just as a reminder:



And now the courts have ruled: he's the Only One, that they know of, who doesn't think he should be ridiculed and mocked for his own dumb-assery.

HT: Weer'd Beard

My Kind Of People

I don't really consider myself a "gun blogger" but it seems that more and more of my links are to people who own firearms. One of the reasons for this is that the type of people who own firearms are more likely to be aware of the political situations regarding gun control in particular, and freedom in general.

In my choice of links I guess I could be running into the problem of creating my own echo chamber, but I think it's pretty well balanced by what I have to deal with in the real world. It has been my experience that liberals broadcast their idiocy openly and loudly and make a scene if you happen to publicly disagree with them.

Conservative leaning people, on the other hand, keep mostly to themselves and don't feel the need to seek validation from the people around them. They are secure in who they are and they don't feel the need to browbeat people into agreeing with them.

It is the second type that are more likely to be politically aware, and also to be more likely to support my right to keep and bear arms whether or not they do so themselves.

These are my kind of people.  (If this is not the most linked post in the history of the gun blogosphere, it really should be.)

So, without further ado, here are the links I've added today:

AKGRRRL

In Jennifer's Head

Weerd World

Jay G

Welcome to the Refuge. As Stephen is wont to say, you are now among friends.

UPDATE: Damn, how could I have missed McThag?  (What's up with the content warning?)

UPDATE II: Robert, from Roberts Gun Shop. Welcome to the Refuge!

The Great Blog Black-Out

Many of my regular reads are dark today in protest of SOPA/PIPA.

Not me. I'm with this guy. I'm gonna run my virtual suck until they send the black helicopters after me.

Because when you think about it, voluntarily shutting up because the .gov wants you to be quiet makes about as much sense as selling all of your guns off because the Brady Bunch wants you to be an unarmed victim. Are we going to light candles next?

A pox on both of them. They can have my first and second amendment rights when they dig the hole for me.

UPDATE: So I've had a chance to briefly scan through SOPA and PIPA (which is likely more than our legislators have done) and my first take on it is that they can temporarily shut down or block any websites that are suspected of reproducing or distributing copyrighted material until a court date, at which time a final determination will be made. There has to be a court order and you have a right to dispute that order. So, no arbitrary "shut up" orders and no elimination of due process.

That's not to say we don't need to keep an eye on them, they're mostly lawyers so the bastards will sock it to you if you let them. That's the price for eternal liberty, after all.

HT: Matt G from Better and Better.

Well, damn.

I had a pretty good day yesterday, but unfortunately my co-worker did not. He has been dating this girl for quite some time and has gotten pretty serious with her, and yesterday the axe fell.

Ovarian cancer.

He is not by any stretch of the imagination a girly man, but when he told me he just broke. It took a couple of tries, walking away to compose himself, before he could get the whole story out.

I understand. I wish I didn't - I wish that no one did - but I do.

Something that makes it even more difficult for him is that his father passed away about the same time Laura did, also from cancer. "It's like having it happen all over again" he told me.

While you are saying your prayers tonight, see if you can't put in a good word for Robin from NC. Maybe one or two for Steve wouldn't hurt, either.

It is my fervent prayer that it was caught soon enough that it can be successfully treated, and that Robin and Steve can live a long and happy life together, unto the fullness of their years, Lord, make it so.

17 January 2012

A Good Beginning

No, not 10,000 lawyers at the bottom of the Atlantic, but almost as good.

Yesterday night Eldest Son called me at work. That in itself is not so unusual, but the fact he called on the work phone instead of my personal phone is.  When I checked my personal phone I had no display, so I thought the phone was dead.

I charged it, but still had no display. That wasn't good, the phone still worked (I had Middle Daughter call to make sure) and it synched to the car, but I had no display. So, I got up early today and went off to the cell phone store.

First off I was due for an upgrade, so I could get a phone at the discounted price. I'm not in for the "smart phones" because I'm just not that attached to my cellular device, I need it to make phone calls and that's about it. The basic phone, a carrying case for it, and out the door I went.

The cell phone store took care of the rebates and I was able to charge it to my account since I have a huge surplus. I don't even look at the bill, I just web-pay $200 every payday (all the kids phones are on my plan as well as the laptop card) and forget about it. I have enough credit on it that I won't be paying a phone bill for a month or so; all that can go to the travel expenses on my credit card instead. But I digress.

At any rate, in and out relatively painless, and now I have a phone that works and I can see the display on it. Plus, it's in the middle sixties today so I was able to drive down to the phone store and back with the top down, and any day I can drive topless is a good one.

So, a pretty good beginning to my day.

14 January 2012

Self Inflicted Wounds

If you have an internet based business, and your business has anything to do with guns, you are going to attract the attentions of gun bloggers, big and small.

Some of these gun bloggers may buy your goods or try your services out and write reviews on them. Some might request samples for this purpose, but the ones that I know will purchase the goods or services themselves so that they can write neutral reviews without alienating the suppliers or running afoul of .gov regulations.

If this is your business model you would probably do well not to irritate the very people that can make or break you, lest they turn you into an object lesson (or an internet verb).

And for the record, I've checked out GunsAmerica a time or two, and what I've seen gave me the opinion that almost everything they have is priced 2-3 times their value. I've always been able to find the same items at better prices elsewhere.

HT: George and Bob Owens

The Day In Review

The pony went back to the dealer today, and they found...nothing.

I still get a wobble at 10-15 MPH, but only on smooth unbroken blacktop. Any other surface, and any roughness at all, no wobble. I'm beginning to think it's something in the normal settings of the alignment, but I will certainly be keeping a closer eye on tire wear this time around.

After getting nothing at the dealer I went to an open carry lunch. I was concealed carrying since I had been to the dealer, but it was a good time had with other like-minded folks. While I was there one of the other members handed me a card for a new gun store.

They didn't have the Glock that I wanted to check out, but it's always fun looking at shooty sticks. I was going to check out a second gun store, and while I was cruising around looking for it the same guy that handed me the card pulled up next to me pointing back the way we had come. I thought he was pointing me towards the gun store, so I turned around.

Sure enough I found the gun store that I was looking for. They were closed so I didn't get to go in, but while I was there I realized that I had left my Mustang hat with all of my pins at the restaraunt. I realized that my friend had been pointing me back towards the restaraunt, and a PM I got later on confirmed that.

Since I had lost the magnets off of the car while I was washing it in Jacksonville I would have really missed the pins. I went back to the restaraunt and they had it on the counter.

It's a good thing my head is firmly attached, or I'd lose that as well.

At any rate I'm going to try to get some shut-eye this evening so I can stay up tonight, sleep tomorrow and back to work tomorrow night. Vacation time is over, back to the grind.

13 January 2012

Wanderlust

This post from Quizikle got me thinking.

For me the idea of "home" has always been pretty nebulous, centered more around people than places. A military life is a rather gypsy one, every five years or so it's time to pack everything up and move along to the next duty station. I thought that I had written a post on that once upon a time, but I'm not able to find it at the moment.

At any rate, if it weren't for the fact that Youngest Son is in a school that I really like (and if it wasn't for the fact that I seem to be the answer to everyone elses problems) I doubt very much that I would still be here in Franklinton NC. I might still be somewhere in the state or I might be elsewhere, who knows.

Twenty years of moving (among other things) has given me itchy feet. If it wasn't for the above I'd probably be looking to see what was beyond the next horizon. Youngest Son will be out of school in six years or so, maybe as many as eight given his learning disabilities, and in nine he will reach the age of 21. At that point, I have decided, I am done raising kids, and I am done providing for them as well. Nine years from now, in January of 2021, this house will be up for sale.

We will see what happens then.

12 January 2012

Casualties

Pirelli P-zero tires in 245/45ZR19 are expensive! Almost $1300 in tires and alignment before it's all done.

Yep, first set on the pony car after 30K miles. Looks like I'm going to have to take it easy on this set.  I noticed the vibration on the way home from J-ville, and when I took it in for it's 30K mile check-up they found the right front tire down to the cords.

This is an unexpected expense, I guess I know where my play money will be going for a while. It will set me back some, but if you are going to dance ya gotta pay the piper.

UPDATE: The butchers bill ended up being about 11 and a half instead of the nearly 13 I was quoted, but now it has a low speed wobble. Back to the dealer in the morning!

11 January 2012

The Firefly Has Landed

We left Jacksonville FL in the drizzle at 9:30 AM this morning and arrived in Franklinton NC, having been in either rain or drizzle for 500 miles, at 5:30 PM.

I'm going to go take a shower in my own bathroom now, and later I'm going to sleep in my own bed. Pure bliss.

Traveling is OK, but it's always good to get home. It's where I keep all of my stuff.

10 January 2012

Laws and Lawyers

Today we went to see Eldest Son's lawyer regarding his divorce. He managed to answer all of Eldest Son's questions to his satisfaction, so it looks like everything is working out OK.

That doesn't mean I've changed my mind about lawyers. Do you know why there are so many dead lawyer jokes?

More below the fold. This is mostly a PG rated blog and there might be absolutely is a profanity laced rant down there. Proceed at your own risk. You have been warned.

DANGER: PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Testing

This is a test of the new blogger interface. This is only a test.

More below the fold:

Visiting

Yesterday we got the whole crowd together and went to see Pop. He was kind of overwhelmed because there were so many of us, but he did get to meet his great-grandson and his grandson-in-law, as well as see Middle Daughter who he had not seen in quite some time.

We also talked about emptying his garage out. He's making noises like he wants to move again, but he doesn't know where yet. It looks like Eldest Son and I will be making another run to Florida next month with the Banana Boat and the trailer to help him out with that.

He got tired of us after a couple of hours (like I figured he would) and so we were back by early afternoon. I took the chance to go back down A1A and take some pictures this time.  I'll post them when I'm back on my home network, this cell phone card is painfully slow.

Speaking of the cell phone card, I had been having some problems with the computer locking up on me when I was using it and had a browser opened up. I found out that turning off the internal wireless LAN makes it not do that any more. I'll have to keep that in mind.

This morning Daughter and Son-In-Law are picking up Youngest Son for the trip back north. Eldest Son and I will be staying an extra day to talk to his lawyer and hopefully get some of his issues resolved. Tomorrow we will head back home.

It's been a good visit, but I'm glad the holiday traveling is going to be over soon.

09 January 2012

No.

I just can't do it.

Another Blog Roll Addition

She's a wife and a mother, and recently became a grandmother.

She's smart and capable and funny, and her hubby drives a cool car (I would have bought a Challenger if they had made the convertible, but they didn't...so I went with the Mustang and I have no regrets).

She's a fairly new shooter, but she's come a long way in a short time.

She's A Girl And Her Gun, and I'm sorry I won't get to meet up with her at the Appleseed event in February.

Maybe some other time.

UPDATE: Read this post first, and branch out from there.

08 January 2012

In Addition

Because I do not want my daughter, or those she loves, to be one of those the candles below are lit for, I have entered her into this drawing.

If she is not drawn I will do my best to show her what I learned here. Either way, she has shown an interest in being prepared and I will do my best to see that she is.

Lots of other nice prizes there, too. Go check it out.

In Memory of Needless Victims


07 January 2012

More Fun In The Sun

Today I took a trip down A1A from Jacksonville Beach to St Augustine. It's a drive I haven't made in quite some time.  It was a beautiful day and the tourist trade seemed to be going pretty well in St Augustine. The traffic got pretty bad by the time I got to the fort, so instead of swinging left across the bridge I went right, back to US1 and I-95, and then back to Jacksonville.

Not much has changed, there's just more of it. There used to be empty spots all along the highway, but now it's pretty much solid houses from Jax Beach to St Augustine with the occasional empty spot thrown in here and there.  It's still a nice drive, though.

What I did see of the beach was pretty empty, not unusual for a January day. The temperatures near the water were 5-6 degrees cooler than it was farther inland. The fishing boats were out in force, I hope they had a good day.

I took my dog, but not my camera so no pictures. Maybe I'll get down that way again tomorrow, I have nothing scheduled as far as I know until Monday when we go to Lake City to see Pop. If so I'll go down further south of St Augustine and see if the empty places have filled in from there to Flagler Beach as well.

Tonight there will be more on the grill, but this time I think Son In Law is going to do the cooking.

I Am

Sean has a post up giving the percentages of each North Carolina county residents who have/had a concealed carry permit in 2010.

Franklin County came in at 4.32%.

I am the 4.32%.

06 January 2012

Floridays

70 degrees and sunny in Jacksonville FL. We're getting ready to fire up the grille.

Daughter and family are fine, life is good.

Later!

04 January 2012

Adding To The List

of Guns I Want:

A Marlin 795 to make an LTR for Project Appleseed shooting events.

Most folks use the Ruger 10/22, but I have a Marlin 60 that is a tack driver and so I'd kind of like to stick with the Marlins. I guess I could just use the Marlin 60, but the 795 has a detachable magazine and the swivel studs are already installed.

If I were to get the Ruger 10/22 instead of the Marlin I'd want the Sporter model because I like the way it looks. I'm a sucker for the traditional wood and blued steel, and I just love the American Walnut stock.

Kinda funny how a guy that carries a Glock likes wood on his rifles, but there it is.

UPDATE: Purchased 5/13/13

Happy Anniversary!

My Mom and Dad have been married for 48 years now. That's a long time.

It's too early to call them right now, but I'll be sure to do so this afternoon when I hoist myself out of bed.

What? I work nights.

And with that, to sleep, perchance to dream!

03 January 2012

Additions

By way of MSgt B, I've made a new addition to the blog-roll.

Stephen from North Florida is a grandfather, cook and gunnie. He blogs at Standing Outside Looking In.

Go have a look!

(He should recognize the picture. I stole it from his site.)

02 January 2012

A Gift For The New Year

For 2012 the State of North Carolina gave to me...

a 3.9 cent per gallon gas tax increase, to go along with the 2.5 cent per gallon increase last July.  Thanks a lot you sonsabitches. It's not like we didn't have the highest gas prices in the surrounding states already.

This brings the tax up to 38.9 cents per gallon. In a ten gallon purchase $3.89 of it is taxes, enough to buy another gallon. Gas prices for a single gallon of 87 octane unleaded is now averaging at $3.286, without the tax the gas would be under $3.00 per gallon.  It's not the oil companies that are gouging you at the pumps, and it isn't the gas stations that are getting rich off of gasoline sales.

This was a final gift of the outgoing Democratic majority in the North Carolina Senate, who refused to consider a bill to cap the gas tax at 35 cents per gallon. On the 26th of this month a Republican majority will take up the mantle.

We'll see how they do.

01 January 2012

Happy New Year!

2012

Happy New Year one and all.