Rattail Bastard

Tomorrow's Festivities: A Hint-

2012-01-29T12:48:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure how it will all come out, but I know I'll "get it" in the end.

There are Zombies-

2012-01-19T10:46:00.003-05:00

and there are ZOMBIES.

Who woulda thought the revelation would come from Bob Hope?

Lights Out

2012-01-17T22:19:00.004-05:00

Not that anyone will notice, but it's the spirit of the thing, y'see.

Ammo Review: Bulk Ammo.com

2012-01-07T12:19:00.003-05:00

Steve from BulkAmmo.com contacted me a while back, & asked if I’d be interested in testing one of his products. Free ammo, I’m in!

He inquired as to the type I’d like, & I suggested 9mm, as I have the most guns in that caliber. Thinking I’d get a box of FMJ, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a box of Fiocchi JHP in my requested weight of 124gr. The HP is reminiscent of the Hornady XTP bullet design:
First, the chronograph.
This ammo is advertised to reach 1180 fps, but I couldn’t get that speed out of three pistols.

Glock 17- 4.5" bbl
1135 hi, 1108 low, 1119 ave, std dev 10

Ruger P85- 4.5" bbl
1112 hi, 1067 low, 1085 ave, std dev 18

TZ75- 4.7" bbl
1118 hi, 1084 low, 1096 ave, std dev 13

The ammo felt strong, & the low SD is a good indicator of consistency.

The targets.
Shooting was done offhand at 10 (+/-) yards.

The Glock clearly liked this ammo; POA was dead center, & I'm pretty sure that flyer was my fault.

The Ruger wasn't quite as happy as the Glock, but acceptable given that I hadn't shot that pistol in over a year.

I didn't record the TZ on paper, as the accuracy of the pistol was lousy; I suspect the sights are way off the mark.

Just for grins, I was going to try the ammo in my old Luger pistol, but, of course, the side plate trigger linkage got all wonky & refused to cooperate- Murphy reigns.

I liked this ammo; it's JHP design is of a proven style for self defense, while the price point allows you to practice with the same ammo you would use in daily carry. I had no stoppages/malfunctions throughout the test in any of the guns.

Give this ammo a shot (!) in your piece.

A Star

2011-12-24T18:08:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to all.

The Short List

2011-12-12T11:18:00.003-05:00

Saturday, my son & his fiancé invited the Mrs. & me to attend a “Christmas party” at their house.

I had some sneaking suspicions, as the anniversary of my annual orbit occurs this week, and it’s one of the ones that end in “0”; the 1911 was 40 the year I was born.

Sure enough, when we entered, there were family & friends there, all hollering SURPRISE at me.
You really shouldn’t holler like that at an old guy.

Anyway-

After being immediately outfitted with a mug of beer the size of lake Winnipesaukee, I mingled with the company.

The attendees were the people on my “short list” of friends; you know, the good ones, the ones you can count on when things are bad, the ones you prefer to hang with over all others.

To my complete amazement, every one on MY short list was present.
Logic would indicate that these very same people have ME on their short list.
That is humbling, indeed.

------------------------------------

As one grows older, the short list shortens, as folks come & go. Some are there for life, but you never know which ones that will be, until they are time tested.
I have friends, now, that have been so for so many years, that unless I really piss them off, I believe they will remain so, for the rest of my life.

Thank you, family & friends; the gifts were terrific, the camaraderie just plain fun, but the very best gift from you all was your gift of self, to mark our friendship on the occasion of my birthday.

The Right Idea

2011-12-09T17:56:00.003-05:00

When it's 30 something outside, the Couger has a good plan:

I wish I was that smart.

For Borepatch, et al.

2011-12-04T17:03:00.003-05:00

We were at the bastion of political discourse yesterday (aka, the dump), doing the unloading thing, when I noted a pickup with transfer lettering across the back window.

As I was in agreement with the sentiment displayed, I inquired with one of the friendly dump guys (not all are, BTW) as to the owner of said vehicle. He said it was his, so I shook his hand & gave him a “well done”.

A few minutes later, he strolls over & presents me with the very same transfer for application to my truck, which I immediately applied, after appropriate observations of appreciation for his gift.

The message emblazoned thereon immediately brought my buddy Borepatch to mind:

Vote 'em all out

It pays to be nice to the dump guys.

Also, now I have to remove Bruce's sticker, he's an incumbent...

Understanding Economics

2011-11-28T10:53:00.002-05:00

Conditions in Europe are causing itchy underwear for their leaders:

DJIA drops 900 points.

A bunch of people go shopping for three days:

DJIA rises 300.

Now, I understand...

Boolits: Metric & For Sale

2011-11-10T19:58:00.004-05:00

At the last NE Blogshoot, I was talking to one of the participants who mentioned that he collected oddball brass. I mentioned that I had a few metric designation .45ACP cases, & offered him one for his stash. I couldn't lay my hands on one quickly, so it was forgotten.
I found one today.
So, whoever that was (Zerc?, Liberty?), contact me & I'll send this one to you.

Part the deux.

I attended an auction last weekend, & bought a misc. lot of ammo. All was stuff I can use, with this exception:

These are .300 Savage rounds, of some unknown vintage. The Winchester box is the full 20, while the Sears box (made by Federal, & so marked), has only 7 rounds. They all look perfectly shoot-able, if a bit tarnished. The Ws are 180 grain, the FCs are 150 grain.
As I don't have a launcher for these, I'm offering them to any fellow gunnie who has a use for them. $10 +shipping takes them.

So, who's got an old model 99 that needs shootin'?

The Marriott Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine is run by unpatriotic jerks.

2011-11-10T09:25:00.001-05:00

Heh.

Spread the wealth.

Details here & here.

Making Sarah Brady...

2011-11-07T00:02:00.004-05:00

"cry" isn't the right word.

Have hissy fits? Call for an underwear change?

A young lady heads for the hills to shoot herself some suppa...

Well, not really (the suppa part), but I still bet there's a call for clean drawers somewhere in that organization...

Nice goin' SD.

Poker in the Rear...

2011-10-13T23:07:00.002-04:00

Call. I got three of a kind, whatchu got?

This Weekend (Updated)

2011-10-07T20:48:00.003-04:00

Mrs. DT takes another "shot" at the patch:

Yep, Appleseed again.

Wish her a steady hand & good luck...

-------------------------

UPDATE: *sigh*... well there's always next time.
She shot in the high 190s, but that and $2 will get you a cup of coffee.

Interestingly, when the group moved back to 100 yards, she was putting 5 for 5 into the center bull (~5" diameter), after she got the trajectory doped.

She also said to thank the folks who rooted for her, here.

Ron Paul is an Idiot

2011-09-30T23:14:00.002-04:00

While I believe that to be true, I want to see if THAT gets any hits...

Because They Can, now.

2011-09-27T19:07:00.005-04:00

Here's the link.

At one time in Germany, they had this:

You just know it's gonna happen:

NOTE: This is NOT to infer Hitler=Obama; don't get your panties in a bunch. It's just that folks seem to like their current socialists on stamps for some reason.

QOTD, Satellite Category

2011-09-24T00:34:00.002-04:00

Watching the NASA feeds & such on the UARS (anticipated) crash:

"This thing is like my ex- it keeps making passes on everyone on earth before she'll go down on anyone."

We have a winnah!

The Eyes Have It

2011-09-21T23:54:00.003-04:00

2011-09-11T00:48:00.000-04:00

Going Native

2011-08-30T20:44:00.007-04:00

A strange thing happens when we're without utility supplied amenities for a while- I go native. The longer the outage, the more I drift towards thinking about stuff to make life easier under the conditions presented. At some point, I'll be beating the wash down by the pond.

Last time, I started thinking about water delivery, & went out in the garage & made a portable gravity supplied water system for washing hands, rinsing dishes, & such. Good to have a bunch of 1/4" NPT hardware on hand.

This time, I couldn't use the toaster oven to make my English muffins for b'fast, so I used a CI skillet, like when camping. I needed a weight to hold down the bread whilst cooking (used a smaller skillet in years past- it's gone, somewhere), so after eating my "medium-rare" muffins, it's off to the garage.

Found the appropriate amout of steel, fashioned a handle out of oak, & you have the beauty presented here.

Looks like it was made by Chinese peasants while stuck in a prison camp in India with Pakistani advisers, but hey- it works!

Next time I'll work on something more extravagant, like candle holders made from broken tree branches.

The Garagineer never quits....

Marketing Fail

2011-08-28T16:09:00.003-04:00

Methinks the World's Most Dangerous Librarian might take issue with that assessment...

Irene Gots Some Good Tunes...

2011-08-26T23:30:00.008-04:00

Heh.

A Reminder

2011-08-24T07:40:00.002-04:00

of the devastation of the Great Eastern Earthquake:

(stolen from FB)

Before & After

2011-08-07T18:57:00.003-04:00

Before:

After:

Yes, that is a gaping hole shot through the backstop.

Boy, these bloggers got a lot of boolits...

I'm sure it will be written up extensively elsewhere, so I & the Mrs. just thank everyone for their generosity in making this the great event it is.

Seriously folks, thanks.

Tomatoes Gone Wild

2011-08-01T00:53:00.005-04:00

Just like "Girls Gone Wild", except, well...no, it's not the same.

But still- these are big honkin' tomato plants I'm here to tell ya. While the snow-capped beauty isn't as long as Nancy or Tam, these plants are starin' at 7 feet, so far.

I hope that somewhere in the foliage there are some actual tomatoes.

God Bless America

2011-07-04T00:01:00.002-04:00

BEAR! (& Bunny)

2011-06-12T18:42:00.004-04:00

My bud Paul wanted to get a little surprise gift for his bride after her return home from a trip. I'm guessing she won't be anticipating anything like this:

He hired a chainsaw wielding carving guy to carve a bear into a monster stump he had in his backyard. Pretty cool, eh?

Not wanting the bear to feel all lonesome, the guy added the bunny to a shorter stump near Mr. Bear:

That's a cool talent to own. If I tried something like that, I'd have to put up a sign so folks would know what the hell they were looking at.

Sometimes "awesome" is the right word.

6 June, 1944

2011-06-06T13:54:00.002-04:00

Remember...

Big Day Tomorrow...

2011-06-03T16:53:00.002-04:00

State Line Gun Shop's open house!

Firearm giveaways, dealer reps, cannon shooting, door prizes... I'll just let Dan tell you about it:

Be there or be, well, not there & missing all the free fun.

Then who'll be the sad panda?

Ready, Set...

2011-05-31T20:39:00.004-04:00

GROW!

The garden's in- Celebrity tomatoes, bell & jalapeno peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cukes, & about 50 Kentucky Wonder pole beans.

The "auxiliary" garden, installed & maintained by Mrs. DT, holds 16 Brandywine tomatoes (an heirloom variety), leaf lettuce, & butternut squash.

Scattered around are a couple "mini-gardens" holding more butternut, a few zucchini & summer squashes, & one plot of blue Hubbard squash. Turnips are planted in the blackberry patch, & the potato bin is started.

I got a good start this year due to a very cool gift of a greenhouse from the Mrs. last Christmas. It's just about 3x5', but big enough to walk into, with shelving for the plants. Works great if you want to get the plants outside- in March!

Another great gift idea from the very same smart lady was a gravity-fed irrigation system. This thing is specifically designed for use with a water barrel (blue thing on the wall), & allows the first plant on the run to get the same amount of water as the last, providing the runs aren't too long & the head (barrel height) is adequate. This year I'm just running the system for the beans, just to see if it works as advertised.

Now, I'm gonna start sharpening the knife for the first tomato sandwich.

For the Brothers...

2011-05-28T20:27:00.002-04:00

I'm not a big fan of the Dixie Chicks' politics, but I love this song.
Vietnam was "my" war; I served during that time, but not in country. I'm still here to talk about it; many are not.
But still...

Welcome home, Brother.

Thanks Again, Fed.gov

2011-05-19T10:09:00.001-04:00

I’m usually a pretty healthy guy, but the one thing that has been a 20-year pain in my life is occasional flares of gout. Those that have had the opportunity to experience this delightful phenomenon know what kind of pain I’m talking about.

A couple years ago, my Good Doctor told me about colchicine, a relatively cheap medication to alleviate the symptoms of an attack as it begins. I was ecstatic; no more incapacitation due to this foul condition.

Enter the Feds.

My doc advised me yesterday that the generic drug has been pulled from the market due to a FDA ruling. That leaves only the “brand” name version- the price of which is 50X more than the commonly used variety (10 cents vs. $5 per pill).

Ben Franklin was a gout sufferer, & in 1820 or thereabouts he brought back info from Europe on an “autumn crocus extract” which became the drug colchicine. It’s been used since then to lessen the pain for the afflicted.

1820. Do you suppose that predates the FDA?

When your only tool is a hammer…

Sons ‘o bitches.

My Best Post Ever

2011-05-13T22:26:00.005-04:00

Perfect.

The snarkyness of Tam, the exuberant crazy of Jay G, the smahtness of Borepatch, and the smooth serendipity of Breda & Nancy.

I hope you liked it.

What? You missed it?

Crap... the dog/cat... errr... Blogger ate it.

Never mind.

The Gift (Part II)

2011-04-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

He said to them, “Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him.”

Mark 16:6

Happy Easter!

19 April

2011-04-19T09:06:00.000-04:00

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those spirits dare,
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

-R.W. Emerson

April 12, 1861...

2011-04-11T21:31:00.004-04:00

...marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the start of the bloodiest war in American history.

At 0430 in the morning of April 12, 1861, Ft. Sumter in South Carolina saw the first artillery fire in the
War Between the States,
Civil War,
War of Succession,
War for Southern Independence,
War of the Rebellion, or
War of Northern Aggression.

The name will vary depending on where you live, or your political proclivity.

The 1858 Napoleon will be wheeled out & fired tomorrow to commemorate the occasion.

For those who can't attend the ceremony:

Almost Forgot-

2011-04-08T20:20:00.002-04:00

FUN SHOW this weekend!

Concord, NH at the Everett Ice Arena on Loudon Rd.

0900-1700 Saturday & 0900-1400 on Sunday.

If you show up, stop by & visit the State Line Gun Shop tables.

See ya there.

I'm So Lazy...

2011-04-01T08:33:00.000-04:00

I'm just linking to Borepatch's post, here.

Have a good April first.

"I'll Eat Like a King"

2011-03-25T09:41:00.003-04:00

Moment of turkey realization:

(make big to check out turkey "expression")

I gotta give it to lil' Couger, he's got balls- those turkeys outweigh him 2:1.

Somethin's Bruin

2011-03-23T11:23:00.001-04:00

The Mrs. almost got apoplexy when she walked within 20 feet or so of this critter raiding our bird feeder last night.

He looks to be about the same size as the guy I saw last fall. Sorry about the crappy picture- I had too long an exposure & I couldn't hold the stoopid camera solidly enough.

You can bearly make out his size...

The Stove Went Out,

2011-03-18T23:24:00.002-04:00

that means it's spring!
I hope.
The fire in the wood stove in the living room was started somewhere between Halloween & Thanksgiving, & has been running ever since.
Tonight, I had to rekindle the bugger to get some heat.
It's a milestone here in the north woods...

Nukes Are Bad, M'kay?

2011-03-17T22:54:00.002-04:00

Wait for it...

The lefties will start singing the "turn it off, energy is bad" tune soon, & you'll be the one expected to give it all up. Well made point by Adam Brodsky, here.

Coming to New Hampshire...

2011-03-16T22:06:00.001-04:00

...Constitutional Carry!

The house passed HB330 yesterday; let's hope the rest of the road is clear.

OMG!!! MELTDOWN!!!11!

2011-03-15T20:23:00.002-04:00

Before your hair catches fire & you go screaming off into the wilderness, go read this.

While it isn't exactly a picnic over there, remember, as usual, to be wary of the reporting.

1000 Words

2011-03-14T22:02:00.003-04:00

Every event has its' own defining picture; this one did it for me.

(Click for big- this one NEEDS to be seen)

God help them.

US Government Complicity in Killing of Captain

2011-03-11T22:45:00.003-05:00

"...but pressure from the White House...is having an effect..."

Fair winds Cap'n, good sailin' with ye.

Grid Down

2011-03-11T10:18:00.001-05:00

Marko is "emergency blogging" at Castle Frostbite.

Heh.

Gun Geek Pain

2011-03-07T21:51:00.005-05:00

In the market for a Singer 1911?

Mayhaps a Colt Pony .380?

Or for the discriminating gunnie, a Hotchkiss Model MK1?

Go here & eat your heart out.

(click on the pics on the left side- you'd think Oleg had been there)

Big Bird

2011-03-04T11:05:00.002-05:00

Largest bird we've had at the feeder all season.

Ayuh...

2011-01-19T20:37:00.002-05:00

What he said:

I know

2011-01-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

everyone's going to do it, but I can't resist.

1/11/11 @ 11:11

Happy/Sad

2011-01-09T21:24:00.006-05:00

Happy that I have new additions to the "not bastid" list.

Mopar & the Mrs. stopped by to visit our set up this morning. While we had the opportunity to visit last night at the NE Blogger gathering, it was nice to see them again at the show.
AND, they had to travel from the nether regions somewhere south of the People's Collective of MA to be here- dedication & drive, that's what it takes.

Libertyman has been upgraded to "NB 1st class" for his frequent visits to our shows- thanks, M.

Sad that the rest of you monkeys didn't make it- you're firmly ensconced on the "bastid" list now...

Also sad that I missed the Sig tour- I was working feverishly behind the State Line Gun Shop tables all day Saturday.

---------

The gathering last night was cool; I wish the Mrs. & I had more time to enjoy the company. I had to get up again @ 0600 to get back to ManchVegas for the second day of the show- not a situation conducive to late night partying. It was good to see the NE gunnies again, so thanks, Jay, for pulling it together.

The Bloggershoot is not that far away, now.

Fun Show Time Again

2011-01-07T20:59:00.002-05:00

Radisson hotel, Elm St., Manchester.
0800-1700 Sat
0800-1400 Sun

See ya?

ADDENDUM:

Be it hereby known to all- Borepatch & Lissa are officially excused due to geographical considerations & their present inability to alter the space-time continuum.

Those two have achieved permanent status on the "NB" list, as they have earned their frequent-gun-show-visitor miles already.

But the rest of yous...

1-1-11

2011-01-01T01:04:00.001-05:00

...just wanted to see what it looked like...

A happy, healthy, & prosperous New Year to all three of ya.

The Gift...

2010-12-23T23:23:00.006-05:00

⁶ Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child,
⁷ and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
⁸ In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night.
⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round them, and they feared exceedingly.
¹⁰ And the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people.
¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord".

Luke,2

Merry Christmas to all.

Get a Grip!

2010-12-16T12:45:00.004-05:00

Last Christmas, my son gifted me with a Sig P238. I love the piece, but never liked the plastic grip panels with which it was issued. I thought the coolest thing for a mini-1911 would be wood double-diamond grips like the big guy. The closest thing I could find were Sig factory grips, but they were emblazoned with the Sig logo- no go.

Back in October, Og had a post about Altamont Corp., a manufacturer (USA!) of handles for things. I checked out their price list, & found that their products were more reasonably priced than the competition. I dithered.

I happened to show the link to the Mrs., & she sprang into action. Since yesterday was the anniversary of my annual orbit, Mrs. DT saw fit to purchase new grips for my P238:

Very nicely made, as thin as the originals, & more grippy to boot.
Good goin' Homey, & thanks for the tip Og.

I'm gonna be flashin' my gat all over just to show off...

Time Has Come Today

2010-12-14T22:22:00.006-05:00

Mrs. DT & I went out to see a band last Friday night. We’re not big clubbers (anymore), but this band was of special interest- the leader of said band was also the lead guitarist in a legendary band from the sixties, “The Downtrodden Masses” (hey, stop laughing, it was the sixties!)

What made this band so legendary was the fact that I was the rhythm guitarist; that’s right rock fans, your humble host was a participant in the band that led the way in music development of the era.

What, you never heard of us? Well, maybe the memories are a bit distorted. Or maybe I lie like a rug. Whatever.

Here’s a pic of ¾ of the “DM” (bass player is AWOL):

That photo was taken at one of our college party gigs in 1968, at the rockin' age of 17 (I'm on the left, BTW)

Tomorrow I'll complete another turn around the Sun, & those days seem a tad distant now.

Heeeeere's Chucky!

2010-12-13T20:56:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture I never thought I'd see:

'Course, look what he picked to shoot...

TEC-9... schnazzy!

ht: Hot Air

Gutters

2010-12-05T18:10:00.002-05:00

need to be cleaned before the temperature gets below freezing.

Otherwise, you get to be a moron whilst breaking ice-encrusted gook & leaves from your eaves.

Poetic, no?

Forty Seven Years Ago

2010-11-22T11:03:00.001-05:00

today, I was getting on the bus after school.

Our bus driver, Oscar, always had a little transistor radio stuck on his side window, probably so he wouldn't have to hear the rowdy bunch of animals he was transporting.

As we got on the bus, he was telling us that the president had been shot, & was most likely killed.
You coulda heard a pin drop- even among the boisterous bunch of middle-schoolers.

This was unheard of in modern society; violence like that only happened in the 1800's, didn't it?

I grew up a little more that day.

Further Proof...

2010-11-19T16:34:00.004-05:00

...of the "two-country" syndrome.

A Mr. Gordon Ellis, Epsom NH school board chairman & Vietnam vet, gives a speech to a school Veteran's Day assembly. In this speech, Mr. Ellis defines socialism, communism, totalitarianism, progressivism and liberalism as enemies of our Constitution.

He is correct in his premise, & correct for so stating his assertion.

But take a look at the wheelbarrow full of crap that has resulted from a patriot speaking his mind; it's shocking, shocking I tell you that the po' chillen should have to hear the truth in an educational setting.

THAT should be left up to the edumacators...

Ch ch ch changes...

2010-11-02T09:14:00.005-04:00

"The Dinosaurs smell a change in the air, and roar their defiance." *

Get out there & ROAR BACK!

*my favorite "local" quote, shamelessly stolen from Borepatch

Score!

2010-10-28T20:44:00.005-04:00

Always on the prowl for new fun toys, my son & I attended a local firearm/blade/militaria auction last Saturday morning. This was the first for this particular auction house; we were (selfishly) hoping that the “newness” of the organization would mean lower than usual prices.

It did.

All kinds of good stuff there: pre ‘64 94s, Lugers, 1911s, a broomhandle Mauser, old Remington and S&W pistols, and many shooters as well as the collectibles.

There were a few handguns of interest to us, but nothing that we needed to take home. The lad captured a slick 10-22, SS, Mannlicher stock, w/4x32 scope, in LNIB condition. I won’t embarrass him by giving the cost, let’s just say the price was less than half of what these go for on GunBroker.

And the ammo. The auction house had apparently bought out the inventory from a retiring store owner; prices on most everything was about 40-50 cents on the dollar.
We stocked up. I just wish I had brought a wheelbarrow full of cash- there was no way I could buy everything I wanted, so I picked the most desired lots & called it good.

-------------

My personal score was an Ek fighting knife. I have a modest assembly of cutlery, but could never bring myself to get that spendy to fill the hole in my collection.
Hole filled, (sorta) cheap:

6.75” blade, 12.75 OAL, made in Richmond, Va.

Then I saw another knife for which I have no use. When the price stalled just silly low, I bought it.

Kinda cool- one of the ’80s vintage Benchmade knives, an (old) model 150 Bushmaster.

We made it most of the way through the auction, but by that time the two wallets full of Benjamins were empty.

Good day though…

Paper T(r)ail

2010-10-27T12:20:00.004-04:00

I think the political mania is beginning to make me ill.

Here's a cat.

They Hate Our Guts

2010-10-25T21:07:00.002-04:00

The inspired Mr. P.J. O'Rourke gives us this- go read.

"This is not an election on November 2. This is a restraining order."

Heh.

Oh, No!

2010-10-24T22:46:00.002-04:00

I found something on the interwebs that's WRONG!

There goes my confidence in the hive mind- the Borg is RIGHT OUT!

Two Americas: the other side

2010-10-20T10:33:00.002-04:00

Two Americas: 1st example

2010-10-19T09:30:00.004-04:00

If only the "progressive" types could learn to leave us alone...

I Seen the Elephant...

2010-10-13T20:47:00.007-04:00

Well, not quite.

Working on the dump truck this afternoon, I see C.C. (our cat) haulin' ass across the yard & by where I was working- a good 138 mph if I calculated correctly.

OK, the cat's a little loony sometimes, but he was haulin'. I got up to go get some duct tape & tinfoil from the house (necessary tools when working on old trucks), & as I look up into the side yard, I see

Da Bear.*

Folks that have been here at the ranch will recognize that the distance between the garage & the house, & the side yard by the barn (where he/she was) to the house are about the same. I stopped short in the driveway, & Da Bear halted.

We stared at each other- neither moved, except for me saying "Oh Shit" (I'm pretty sure I capitalized it).

That little .22 I always carry all of a sudden felt wicked puny.

I eyeballed the house quickly & realized the sun room porch door was open. I gave a whistle & a holler & hauled my own butt onto the porch & into the house. "Find the camera" thinks I, in typical blogger thought. "No dumbass, get the shotgun first"- oh yeah. Slipped in two slugs in front of the three 3/0 buck already in there, then grabbed the camera, & began to look for the beast.

Alas, I guess the whistle & holler did the trick, 'cause he had disappeared hisself into the woods.

Did get the adrenaline pumping though...

* Full disclosure- that's a borrowed web pic, close as I could find to his approximate size, in similar surroundings.

NOT a Good Thing

2010-10-06T21:20:00.003-04:00

to receive a letter from the State Revenue Reclamation Office.

Who knew there was an "Interest & Dividends" tax in NH?

Err, not me, for one...

Where's My Job Dude?

2010-09-23T22:42:00.006-04:00

Noodlin' around the net this evening, & I found this essay. Written by Porter Stansberry, (founder of Stansberry & Associates Investment Research) a young guy with a head for business.

The lad's got his shiite together, I'm thinking...

This Is Why There Are No Jobs in America

By Porter Stansberry

I'd like to make you a business offer.

Seriously. This is a real offer. In fact, you really can't turn me down, as you'll come to understand in a moment...

Here's the deal. You're going to start a business or expand the one you've got now. It doesn't really matter what you do or what you're going to do. I'll partner with you no matter what business you're in – as long as it's legal.

But I can't give you any capital – you have to come up with that on your own. I won't give you any labor – that's definitely up to you. What I will do, however, is demand you follow all sorts of rules about what products and services you can offer, how much (and how often) you pay your employees, and where and when you're allowed to operate your business. That's my role in the affair: to tell you what to do.

Now in return for my rules, I'm going to take roughly half of whatever you make in the business each year. Half seems fair, doesn't it? I think so. Of course, that's half of your profits.

You're also going to have to pay me about 12% of whatever you decide to pay your employees because you've got to cover my expenses for promulgating all of the rules about who you can employ, when, where, and how. Come on, you're my partner. It's only "fair."

Now... after you've put your hard-earned savings at risk to start this business, and after you've worked hard at it for a few decades (paying me my 50% or a bit more along the way each year), you might decide you'd like to cash out – to finally live the good life.

Whether or not this is "fair" – some people never can afford to retire – is a different argument. As your partner, I'm happy for you to sell whenever you'd like... because our agreement says, if you sell, you have to pay me an additional 20% of whatever the capitalized value of the business is at that time.

I know... I know... you put up all the original capital. You took all the risks. You put in all of the labor. That's all true. But I've done my part, too. I've collected 50% of the profits each year. And I've always come up with more rules for you to follow each year. Therefore, I deserve another, final 20% slice of the business.

Oh... and one more thing...

Even after you've sold the business and paid all of my fees... I'd recommend buying lots of life insurance. You see, even after you've been retired for years, when you die, you'll have to pay me 50% of whatever your estate is worth.

After all, I've got lots of partners and not all of them are as successful as you and your family. We don't think it's "fair" for your kids to have such a big advantage. But if you buy enough life insurance, you can finance this expense for your children.

All in all, if you're a very successful entrepreneur... if you're one of the rare, lucky, and hard-working people who can create a new company, employ lots of people, and satisfy the public... you'll end up paying me more than 75% of your income over your life. Thanks so much.

I'm sure you'll think my offer is reasonable and happily partner with me... but it doesn't really matter how you feel about it because if you ever try to stiff me – or cheat me on any of my fees or rules – I'll break down your door in the middle of the night, threaten you and your family with heavy, automatic weapons, and throw you in jail.

That's how civil society is supposed to work, right? This is America, isn't it?

That's the offer America gives its entrepreneurs. And the idiots in Washington wonder why there are no new jobs...

Atonement...

2010-09-17T23:13:00.005-04:00

It has a good ring to it, no matter what your personal faith may be.

Yom Kippur יום הכיפורים , the Jewish day of atonement, began at sundown tod.ay

Make peace with yourselves, there's a long fight ahead

That'sa Tough Kitty...

2010-09-16T22:11:00.003-04:00

Kitteh captures food:

Food apparently likes being captured:

Heh.

Ayuh, Progressive I'm Not

2010-09-10T20:41:00.004-04:00

Your ideological score is:

71/400.

This makes you extremely conservative.

The average score for Americans is 209.5

But, I already knew that.

Try it here.

H/T to Jay G., who's a flaming proglib...

Fun Show

2010-09-02T20:34:00.003-04:00

this weekend in Concord NH.

It's at the Everett Ice Arena, 15 Loudon Rd., 0900-1700 on Saturday, 0900-1400 Sunday.

I'll be behind the State Line Gun Shop tables, & we'll be running a 15% off special on S&W hardware.

So, come on down (or up, as the case may be)...

The Appleseed Shoot

2010-08-27T23:09:00.015-04:00

Hint:

It's a tough, grueling, shoot- not difficult, but demanding as hell. The instructors want you to do what they have taught you, & do it exactly as presented. The folks who worked the shoot were trying their best to give our motley (but enthusiastic) crew the best possible instruction in the fine art of riflery. For some, their efforts were rewarded- others, not so much.

We did have the ninja: suited up in a swat-style vest/jacket, replete with hydration system, mag pouches, 1st aid kit, knee pads, tank maintenance outfit, elbow pads, rocket launcher, pistol pouch, & all-purpose radio comms for TEOTWAWKI.
Well, maybe no rocket launcher, but you get the idea.
As a bonus, he brought a slew of rifles, none of which was sighted in for a range greater than 20 inches. Each time he couldn't shoot one to save his life, he bought out another in the same condition.
That worked out well.

The rest of the fourteen folks, by & large, were just trying to get an education of sorts, & it was provided.

I've been shooting a looong time, & I was stunned by how much I didn't know. I gotta recommend this program for folks who'd like to take their rifle shooting to the next level. We're talking epiphany stuff here.

Mrs. DT did very well, considering her limitations presented by the iron sights on her rifle. She also toughed out some of the positions that were obviously painful for her to achieve- even the shoot boss noted her gritty performance at the wrap up ceremonies. Her best score of the day was 208, one crummy shot away from her rifleman qualification- good show Homey!

I can now join the ranks of guys like this:

My best scores of the second day were 212, 213, 221, & 226; those familiar with the program will recognize that those numbers entitled me to this:

The Appleseed patch is the equivalent of shooting expert on the Army Qualification Test.

I cleaned the final Redcoat target at the end of the day.

Only one patch was awarded this training session.
Am I a little full of myself after this little exercise? YOU BETCHA!

AND, a little humbled as well?

Ayuh.

God Bless America.

To read more about Appleseed, links here & here.

Saturday's Shoot Update w/Video

2010-08-23T19:08:00.003-04:00

Kind commenter & NEBS bud Wally was kind enough to forward this video of last Saturday's shootapalooza.

Vid is a bit long, but the cannon's opening shot & subsequent mayhem is right up front. Check out the Tannerite explosions in the "office" set up...

What Frog is This Who Lies at Rest...

2010-08-22T18:49:00.005-04:00

Check out this little critter:

Here he's (she's?) sitting on the edge of my rain barrel, & that ginormous green thing next to him is a 5/8" diameter garden hose- he's maybe all of 1/2" long hisself.
I'm thinking it might be a spring peeper, but I don't know what he'd be doing around here in late August.
Any guesses?

Great Balls (to) Fire...

2010-08-20T20:12:00.003-04:00

The cannon isn't exactly news, but the little pile of 2" cannon balls is.

As a result of the cannon fire at State Line Gun Shop's open house last June, I've been invited to a cannon/machine gun shoot tomorrow at a nearby gun club. There will be a stretch limo (!) there to shoot at, Tannerite targets, and an office setup, complete with desk, computer, shelving, potted plants, & such.

I was hesitant to attend, because as my regular reader knows, I find a bunch of folks playing with guns, machine guns, & cannon to be highly unsafe practices. BUT, I decided to untwist my panties & give it a go.

With a target-rich environment like that, I figured I needed projectiles for the big boomer. After much fluging around, I (actually the Mrs.) came up with a properly sized mold to use to make plaster balls. I wanted something that would mark it's spot on impact, as well as being degradable/non-ricocheting/only somewhat lethal.

Twenty minutes in the mold, & out pops a neat little ball the proper size to take a patch to snug to the bore.

Oh, & did I mention there will be a pig roast there as well? Heh.

This is going to be cool...

You Say Tomato,

2010-08-17T20:38:00.005-04:00

I say, LOOK at the SIZE of that thing...

This is one of the first "Brandywine" tomatoes from the auxiliary garden. The second garden is for overflow started plants that don't fit in the main garden, & in this case, to start an heirloom variety. The big garden has Roma for sauce, & Celebrity for general use. The Celebs are a great tomato, but they don't have the regrowth feature you get with heirlooms (heirloom varieties are able to re-create the same plant by saving the seeds from the fruit). BUT, they also have to be planted some distance from others so cross-pollination doesn't take place, ruining the heirloom characteristics.

This beauty is good sized, but there are bigger ones coming; you can bet the DT's will have mucho grande seeds for next year.

Thank you for attending this evening's horticultural lesson.

Sure Could Use the Gipper Right Now...

2010-08-16T20:01:00.002-04:00

to neutralize the libtards…

The 3rd Annual NE Bloggershoot Video

2010-08-10T13:03:00.006-04:00

Here it is- the long awaited Bloggershoot video.

Grab a beverage & enjoy!

Many thanks to Cheryl- this is a very professional production...

(right click to watch on You Tube- larger view)

The 3rd Annual NE Bloggershoot (UPDATED)

2010-08-01T20:50:00.005-04:00

went swimmingly well.

I’m not going to report here, as others (BP for example) will do a much better job, & I’m a lazy bastard, but I will supply links as they are available.

I just want to say here that the camaraderie & “esprit de corps” exhibited by this group is unsurpassed in blogland history.

Annnnd, I’d like to thank all my bighearted guests for supplying us with an enormous amount of .380 ammo, ( & cookies & other, unnamed stuff) as gifts to the hosts. That was an amazing show of generosity, & it is much appreciated.

Folks have obviously responded to my whining about the lack of .380, so for the record, I now want to start whining about the dearth of 20 year old geisha girls around here. It is damn near impossible to get my hands on any locally, so if anyone is looking for “host gifts” next year…

Our thanks to you all.

UPDATE: Jay G has the scoop, & links to others- enjoy!

I love bluegrass

2010-07-28T23:01:00.001-04:00

with lyrics like this:

“…he jus’ said he was slippin’ off the ice- it could’ve been a lie,
He did his slidin’ in the middle of July“…

86°F, 85% Humidity-

2010-07-24T20:39:00.002-04:00

I know what, let’s build a fire!

Burned the refuse of the old backstop today, & while I was loading the fire, I noticed some weird fuzzy stuff embedded in the wood. What the hell is that, & how did it get into the wood like that?

Oh, yeah… that’s how. I guess I cremated the last of the Pikachu guts. Dem bloggers are a crazy bunch…

Hawn Worms

2010-07-20T19:56:00.003-04:00

My kid makes fun of me when I tell him I got hawn worms on my tomatoes (“it’s not hawn, it’s hoRRn”).

Yeah, I know, but that’s the way I say it, & I got some this summah.

Feast your eyes:

Is that not one of the ugliest creations under the sun? That beast is just under 4” long, & was doing a number on my plants. They’re tough to see in the foliage, & usually go undetected until the damage becomes evident. We picked 7 of the buggers off, & now will have to go into "high inspection" mode to keep them gone. Crap, haven't had any in about three years either...

Bahsteds.

I'm In!

2010-07-18T21:19:00.002-04:00

The Firearm Blog has a cool merchandising idea for the benefit of The Lucky Gunner in which they are giving away 1k rounds of the elusive .380 for posting info to one's blog.

However, this only works for ME, so don't anybody else enter...

Like a Virgin

2010-07-14T10:09:00.004-04:00

Finished!

The backstop is completely rebuilt, just in time for the NE Blogshoot.

With the help of my bud Bruce & my trusty tractor, we got this up in about 4 hours; old telephone poles (!) form the frame.

Now, if I can refrain from punching it full of holes for two weeks...

Anthem (redux)

2010-07-08T08:06:00.006-04:00

H/T to Sipsey Street

Check out the reference to 2 Chronicles...

Hawt...

2010-07-06T15:29:00.004-04:00

Don't see that much around here...

Soopersecrit, New Hampshire

Updated: 2 sec ago

103.3 °F <----------!!!

Partly Cloudy

Humidity:	37%
Dew Point:	70 °F
Wind:	4.6 mph from the North
Wind Gust:	4.6 mph
Pressure:	28.92 in (Falling)
Heat Index:	114 °F

and The Rockets' Red Glare...

2010-07-04T21:20:00.008-04:00

OK, so not rockets.

Cannon are more appropriate to the occasion anyway.

(Try to catch it @ :04)

Happy Independence Day to all.

Independence Day

2010-07-04T00:22:00.000-04:00

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

How Does THIS Happen?

2010-07-03T20:48:00.003-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The kid is FOUR years old.

Yessir, the Man works in mysterious ways...

Separated at Birth?

2010-06-28T22:22:00.003-04:00

You decide...

Uh Oh...

2010-06-21T20:28:00.001-04:00

Actual Time	5:08 AM EDT	8:28 PM EDT
Civil Twilight	4:33 AM EDT	9:04 PM EDT
Nautical Twilight	3:48 AM EDT	9:49 PM EDT
Astronomical Twilight	2:51 AM EDT	10:45 PM EDT
Moon	3:58 PM EDT (6/21)	1:21 AM EDT (6/21)
Length Of Visible Light:	16h 30m
Length of Day	15h 19m Tomorrow will be 0m 3s shorter.

Dad Day

2010-06-20T20:04:00.000-04:00

My son & his charming fiancée visited me today.

And I had a thought… after all the parenting of the past 30+ years, it’s an almost unbelievable joy to realize that that little snot-nosed kid can turn into your very best friend.

Thanks kid.

Love,
Dad

Oh Hell, Yeah

2010-06-18T21:56:00.004-04:00

State Line Open House AAR

2010-06-10T19:25:00.016-04:00

Well, better late than never.

Here we go:

Both parking lots were full, & so was most of RT31

Food tent & line

Folks hangin' out & chowin' down

Lil'est machine gunner of ever (rule #3 lad!)

K9 demo- that pup has JAWS

A happy door prize winner (izzatt a grin or what?)

Reloading clinic

Oh yeah- guns & reps

and more guns

and Eric's (the resident smith) "nail gun" (built @ SLGS)

The store was busy (& full)

The closing gun

By all appearances, everyone had a great time. We handed out eight door prizes per hour, went through about 550 hamburgers & hot dogs, many pounds of potato salad, & cases of soft drinks & water.

The winners of the S&W 1911, the Kahr CW9, Savage rifle, & Glock shooting kit grand prizes were somewhat pleased, to put it mildly.

The only item that cost anything to the visitor was the .22 Hammerli rifle raffle for the benefit of our town's K9 trooper; that raised $700 for our toothy cop about town. Our sincere thanks to all who participated.

Sadly, no NE blogshoot buddies or budettes were present this year- you missed a good one folks...

6 June, 1944

2010-06-06T20:18:00.001-04:00

Thank you.

BIG Gun Fun

2010-06-01T12:43:00.002-04:00

Ink in the date: next Saturday, 5 June.

State Line Gun Shop will be having its 2nd annual open house, & this time will be bigger & better than last year.

They’ll be having manufacturer’s reps on hand, along with free food & drink, police dog demonstrations, hourly door prizes, the RCBS reloading clinic, & .22 machine gun shooting- details here.

They’ll be a couple GRAND prizes, one of which is a MA compliant S&W 1911.

A second biggie will be a Kahr CW9; other goodies all day.

Be sure to stop by, win stuff, eat, drink, & be merry.

And oh yeah, the cannon will be shootin’ throughout the day…