mah Berfdey

I took the occasion to spend a few hours at the range. The G22 seems to be getting better at digesting the cheapo remington golden bullet bulk box. I only had one FTE and one FTF. As usual the G22 loved the thunderbolt, but somehow I was shooting better groups with the cheap stuff.

The trigger seems to have stiffened up since the recent trigger mod, and I was shooting smaller groups as a result. The scope remains removed in favor of some more enjoyable iron sight practice. Though I feel I'm rather close to maxing out my iron sight ability with this gun, and expect the scope will be making a come back after this remission. The space gun seems to be capable of some pretty good accuracy. I still long for a 100 yard range with good conditions to really explore the accuracy of this enjoyable plinker.

Since it was my birthday, I decided to celebrate by bringing my baby along for some quality time. She has been sadly neglected with the cost of .45 lately, but there was no way I was talking myself out of some 1911 range time on my birthday! Oh boy did I miss shooting that gun. Crisp trigger breaks, quick resets, smooth controllable recoil, and (of course) a big boom! There's no one thing I love about that gun, it's just the perfect complete package. I shoot it so well, I surprise myself. Shooting tiny groups never gets old. The only thing I find lacking for quick, aimed fire is the mil-spec sights which are low and slick, but difficult to find in a hurry. I think I might be tempted to take a file to the rear sight and open it up a bit. I can't bring myself to replace them since the snag-resistant low profile of the sights was one of the selling points.

After returning home I relished a detail strip and cleaning of the 1911, and enjoyed its beautiful, brutal simplicity.

That night it was time for the birthday dinner of delicious sushi. My sister and her husband go to a sushi bar that serves lots of interesting rolls, so we usually go there. While I'm usually more of a nigiri kind of guy (because I enjoy the taste of fresh sushi), the interesting rolls they make there are too good to pass up. I also had about a bottle of Soju, which is surprisingly good with a lot of lemon. Family, friends, and all the sushi you can eat is the perfect way to enjoy a birthday. If I hadn't drank and ate so much I would have likely attempted to watch the entire Indiana Jones Box set I got as a gift. I suppose I'll have to leave it for another time.

Great birthday. Looking forward to the next one.

Just another day at the office.

The project planning planners plan,
Questions? Surely you jest!
Meetings for meetings, pre and post.
Submit a change request!

I sent you that two months ago.
There's too much on my plate.
Are you checking the triage board?
Your time's not up-to-date!

I'm handing this thing off to you.
How was this overlooked?
This ticket is seven days old!
Why am I triple booked?

We need to shift some paradigms.
Has he tried to reboot?
Someone deleted my hard drive!
I'll just telecommute.

I'm taking my vacation now.
You sure that that's legit?
You need to do it this weekend.
That's it you guys, I quit.

Provided for your protection

James has a good post up on concealed carry in public restrooms. Don't get caught with your pants down when you hit the head.

I can neither confirm nor deny using the hook. Though every time hand touches gun, thumb goes for safety; and I am quick to note when the safety is not on.

Currently playing;

Wii: Latest Mario Party
PS2: Guitar Hero II
xbox: Thief: Deadly Shadows
Xbox360: Super Repair Center Adventure

Tin foil hat anyone?

Found over here; (scroll down)
http://www.lessemf.com/personal.html

(not hotlinking because I don't want them to know I'm speaking ill of their silly product :)

Overheard at work... Seriously

Coworker: Last night we went to a club after the party and this hot-looking girl started making eyes at me. She walks up as says, 'Hey cutie, wanna dance?' and I looked at her and said, 'Where the fuck are your teeth?'

Apparently closer inspection revealed that meth is one hell of a drug.

Oh god.

This is horrible.

Sometimes life gives you lemons, and after you make lemonade, it beats you with a pool que.

Tax Misuse Refund

Congress to Hold Hearings on Steroid Use

Who do I have to talk to, and what forms do I have to fill out to get a refund on my share of the taxes spent on this nonsense?

If you want to spend time dicking about with Major League Baseball, do it on your own dime. In the meantime, gimme my money back, or get back on topics that ACTUALLY MATTER.

People Of The Gun picture

I posed (yes, posed) for a picture for entry in the People of the Gun. Thought you might want to see a more recent picture of me since I seem to like changing my appearance so much.


Note the lefty AR upper, and the mag lock.

Xbox360 repair/RMA shipping box arrives

Guess what arrived with packing materials, a check sheet, shipping instructions, and a pre-paid shipping label?


It'll go out tomorrow.

Make ramen de-fucking-licious

In an effort to combat the scourge of bland ramen, I've experimented with different additions, and have found a winning combination.

Here's what you'll need...

Ramen, the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen, an egg, red pepper, a seasoned pre-cooked chicken leg, black pepper, your spice of choice (in my case, curry) and optionally tapatio, tabasco, or seasoning salt.

Fill a small pot half way with water, you need enough to cover the ramen block plus 3/4" or so. You'll need enough water to evenly heat the chicken leg. Add the seasoning and spices early to speed the boiling. Stir up the spices so they're evenly mixed, and no clumps of seasoning form at the bottom of the pot and burn. Add two or three times the amount of your spice of choice, so the ramen and chicken really pick up the flavor.


Add the ramen block when the water reaches a light boil. Keep the ramen at that heat, and poke it with a cooking utensil until it starts to loosen up. Turn off the heat when the ramen is cooked enough to be stirred freely. (the ramen is still undercooked at this point)


With the heat off, add the egg, and break it apart like you would if you were scrambling it. Adding the egg while at a boil causes the egg to cook into large pieces instead of cooking into lots of small pieces that you'll get in each bite, instead of a few large pieces of egg.


When the egg is pretty well mixed in, turn the heat on low and continue mixing. The ramen should still look a little undercooked. This is fine, since it doesn't need a constant boil to cook the noodles.


Add the chicken leg, and try to submerge it completely, and cover it with noodles if necessary. Keep the heat low, and stir occasionally. You're just finishing the ramen, and heating the chicken leg.


Serve in a bowl, eat with your face!

I had too little water in this one, make sure you have enough for the extended boiling time.

Don't forget the can opener

The left side is now NOT to open your hungarian surplus ammo can.

The bottom right (5 o'clock) is the right way. Make sure you get the can opener with your ammo can.

Happy holidays!

What we're thankful for

Defiant Infidel has an incredibly moving post about an experience he had in line at a store.

People become so preoccupied with what they don't have, they don't have a chance to think of all the things they DO have.

I'm going to go read it again...

Everything dies.

DI has a reminder for all of us.

Ummm, but, did anybody read that? He had a rifle and two handguns, but he was stopped when he was hit by a few well placed rounds by this lone woman. That is the key here. These idiots fall down and die when hit by accurate return fire.

These pieces of trash who decide to murder innocents before killing themselves carry no magic artifacts which protect them from being interrupted when carrying out their evil actions. No matter how dangerous or unstoppable these mutants seem to be, they all die when (in order of preference) you stick a few hundred grains of hot lead into them, spill enough of their blood, or bounce their head off the concrete a few times.
If it's alive, it can be dead. If it's dead, it can be deader.

Don't throw your hands up and cry to the heavens, "There's nothing anyone could have done!" Bullshit. Carry whatever weapon you can, and if you encounter one of these goblins, make up your mind fast.
Better yet; make up your mind now.

Response to Shane in Sydney.

Shane in Sydney left a few comments over the weekend, here's one of them;

wow - I'm not an American, and its weird reading these endless stories and fantasies full of fear & terror - and all that will save you is GUNS!! I don't know anyone with a gun, and this weird fear filled gun culture of America is very strange from an outside perspective. Most of the writers of this stuff seem to be middle class people class people in safe neighbourhoods (can you ever be safe without GUNS !! I can hear you say...). So scaredy scaredy scaredy Americans.... harmless & sad but then hunting the world for BAD PEOPLE to kill.... such as muslims and anyone that doesn't like Israel. So many millions dead so that Americans can't their terror & cowardice.

To the displeasure of some, I will respond to this obvious Troll. While I don't advocate feeding Trolls, I feel my views warrant defending. On the off chance that Shane actually seeks to have a discussion or *gasp* a debate, I'm going to respond as if his comment were more rationally stated, and less sophomoric. Enjoy!

Shane, thanks for taking the time to respond in such a thought provoking manner; your challenging of my subject matter in the good neighborhood post, and my why own guns post, drips with respect, and cutting candor. You are an example to us all that people can be civil and courteous, even when they disagree; even on the internet. Please allow me to reply to your more spirited comment.

Your contention that gun-owning Americans live in fear is misconceived; in fact, quite the opposite is the case. Most gun owners who take the defense of their loved ones seriously live quite peacefully. This is because they are confident in their ability to protect their loved ones should it be required. They know they will not have to dial 911 and pray they don't get a busy signal, hope they dispatch someone immediately, and wish against statistics that they arrive fast enough to stop a crime in progress. If they feel threatened, they don't have to wait until they are attacked to call the police, who would otherwise ignore their request. They know that if they don't have cell service, they will still have a fighting chance. They know that they are the first line of defense for the loved ones who depend on them for safety.

Abdicating the responsibility to another (police)man is your prerogative and certainly your right. Obviously, no one requires you feel any responsibility or duty to protect yourself, your wife, or your children. Certainly not your government. Just know that some men and women DO feel that responsibility, that duty, and would be crushed beyond words if their failure to be prepared resulted in the death (or worse) of a loved one or innocent. Just as you find our "gun culture" strange, we find your "culture of cognitive dissonance" strange. Along with the "there was nothing anyone could have done" attitude citizens adopt after what should have been an eye-opening lesson in reality.

Good neighborhoods are safer; that's why we live in them. But while it is more safe to live in good neighborhoods, it is not 100% safe. Nothing is. Not even where you live. No matter how much of a gun-free bastion of public safety you seem to be convinced to have found in Sydney. Random acts of violence can visit anyone, at any time, and irrevocably shatter lives. Arguing that incidents like the recent "good neighborhood" story don't happen, is obviously moot.

It is extremely likely that I, like most gun owners, will never wield a gun in anger. This is fine by me. I certainly don't want to have to go through the legalities, personal expense, emotional trauma, or life-threatening danger of having to use a weapon to defend myself or my loved ones. I think we both agree though, that anyone who would hope to shoot someone, should seek professional help.

The intention of the good neighborhood posts is to enlighten the people who assume they are immune to crime and violence because they live in a "good" neighborhood. This perception of invulnerability seems to be something from which you suffer. You seem to be of the notion (please correct me if I'm wrong) that bad things will not happen to you if you live in a good neighborhood, or that if bad things DO happen, the police will save you and your loved ones. This perception is simply wrong. The perception is so common, and so obviously wrong, that I've covered it many times, and will not bother rehashing.

But I am not so entrenched in my beliefs that I cannot have my mind changed. If you have arguments that can convince me that guns are not necessary to protect my loved ones from harm, I will happily give up the added responsibility, sell all my guns, (except a few .22s for recreational target shooting) invest the thousands I'd get back, and enjoy my life with one less thing to concern me.

Please Shane, please convince me I don't need guns.

Rabbits and wire management

Part of rabbit ownership is staying committed to proper wire management.

Lest the following happen;


Those I've spoken to have told me that no matter how much of the wire shielding the rabbit removes, there is never a dead bunny lying next to two exposed, live wires. Neither has any clue why this is, but we certainly won't tempt fate.

TRIGGER DISCIPLINE

Even the dog-shooting master chief has it.

FYI

For those who were fooled (myself included); that woman who stopped that church shooting was neither a security guard, nor a plain-clothed security volunteer.

She was a private citizen.

THIS JUST IN!!!!!1!11@#

MEN WHO HIT BALLS WITH STICKS FOR A LIVING (lol) MAY TAKE PERFORMANCE ENHANCING SUBSTANCES!

EVERYONE FREAK OUT!

But I live in a good neighborhood Part :(

JR has the scoop on a horrible story.

An unexpected knock at the door resulted in the seemingly pointless murder of the woman who answered.

The wife answered the door.

The husband told investigators he then heard three or four shots, Irving said.

The husband said he found his wife bleeding in the foyer, Irving said.

Nice neighborhood, no reason, no theft, just simple murder.

Why?

Just like JR's family, we do not usually get unexpected visitors. When a playful relative visited recently, my girlfriend found the peep-hole to be blocked. When she asked the unknown visitor to unblock the peep-hole, they responded playfully that she should just open the door to find out. She did not. She reiterated more forcefully that the peep-hole be unblocked, and the playfully alarming relative relented.

It's really difficult to believe this kind of random act of violence is something we should have to prepare for, but this is the world we live in.

It's really easy to be taking that extra step of safety, and reasoning with yourself; "Don't be so paranoid! It's probably just someone messing around." I know this, because I've done it many times before. I will strive to correct that fault.

My heart goes out to this poor soul, and to JR, may both our guns remain ready, and undrawn.

Xbox bricked? Turn it into modern art!

Now, where can I find a super high pressure water jet?

Timely link provided by MAKE.

1-800-IGNORE-MY-XBOX

The Xbox 360 has decided it will no longer work. Apparently due to some flaw of manufacture...

But worry not, microsoft has decided to graciously extend their warranty to cover the thermally challenged hardware.

Simply call 1-800-4MY-XBOX, and microsoft will gladly send you a box, postage paid, to ship your xbox back to them in, so they can confirm the issue, and send you a refurbished? replacement.

Sounds easy right? One phone call and 3 hours later, I hadn't spoken to a single soul. I called in the evening on the west coast, so I don't imagine they were in peak hours. At hour two, I went online and signed myself up for a LIVE account (with the hottest news, tips, and spam straight to my e-mail box!) so I can begin the warranty process. Entered the serial number and found my hardware to be covered, and was advised that a shipping box would be arriving shortly. I left the phone on hold just to yell at whoever picked up the phone when my turn finally came. I hung up after three hours.

Excuse my cynicism, the (online) process doesn't take much time, and they are indeed replacing consoles, but I feel this whole bit of nonsense could have easily been avoided, and would have been better for both parties.

We'll see how it goes.

If only...

Notably absent from the photo are the police, (6 mins away) and the mall security guards. (ran away)

If only someone was there. I know I probably don't mean it, but I wish I could have been there.

If only...


The second picture I made puts a pit in my stomach, and a weight on my waist.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Part 2

From The Almighty Oleg

GOOGLE! DO YOU SPEAK IT?!

UPDATE

The Armed Canadian points out that unless we are to believe that professional reporters are unfamiliar with GOOGLE, they have willfully mislead their readers for the sake of frightening them.

As I've said before, it's inexcusable for a PROFESSIONAL reporter and researcher to present blatant lies, and claim ignorance. This is journalistic malpractice.

Can you tell the difference between these two rifles?
You may be smarter than an MSNBC reporter!


UPDATE;
The Armed Canadian has a correction post up wherein he analyzes a picture of the shooter and concludes it to be an AK variant. The point stands; the article he linked stated the rifle was an SKS, yet provided a picture of the eeeeeevil terrorist AK-47.

The rifle in the picture does indeed look like an AK type, and I should note that there are kits and accessories to make your SKS look VERY AK-like. It is understandable to mistake the two when encountering a hail of gunfire, but there is no excuse when your article states plainly the rifle is an SKS.

They don't do pilates...

...and they shoot up in the loo.

Group Therapy

Wow.

Penis not big enough?

Xavier has the scoop on yet another penis-compensating, cowboy, redneck, neanderthal, who wants to carry a gun.

Oh wait...

Pro-gun non-hunter?! TIME PARADOX!

CNN just doesn't get it;
Thompson does not have hunting license

When asked if Fred owned any guns, he answered "I own a couple of guns, but I'm not going to tell you what they are or where they are." That's not the way a hunter answers that question, that's the way someone who understands the meaning of the 2nd amendment answers that question. Recreational shooters took note.

Uncle correctly (and humorously) notes, It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.

Murder Empowerment Zone

Media Coverage of Mall Shooting Fails to Reveal Mall's Gun-Free-Zone Status

But despite the massive news coverage, none of the media coverage, at least by 10 a.m. Thursday, mentioned this central fact: Yet another attack occurred in a gun-free zone.

The same was true for the attack at the Trolley Square Mall in Utah in February (snip) ban there was even more noteworthy because the off-duty police officer who stopped the attack fortunately violated the ban by taking his gun in with him when he went shopping.

I didn't know this; it makes the whole argument pretty obvious,

Few know that Dylan Klebold, one of the two Columbine killers, closely was following Colorado legislation that would have allowed citizens to carry a concealed handgun. Klebold strongly opposed the legislation and openly talked about it.

There is nothing you can do to prevent someone from killing people if they plan to take their own life.

You can only hope someone ON SITE has the ability to limit the carnage.

The image of the police arriving on scene at Virginia Tech, and hiding behind trees instead of entering the school is burned into my mind.

SOP for most police departments, when a suspect is inside a structure shooting, is to establish a perimeter, and wait for SWAT. This means that if an army of police were standing outside VTech on that day, there would have been no change in the outcome.

Modeselektor - DancingBox

GITS: SAC Solid State Society

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is going into the third season; Solid State Society


Holy shit. My life has meaning. :3

Ghost in the Shell was a revolutionary movie at the time, and when intentions were announced to create a series out of the movie, I (like many) was skeptical. Usually when a series is spawned from a movie (especially an AWESOME movie) it doesn't end well (see: Blood+ then vomit). But the Stand Alone Complex series fires on all cylinders, and may even bypass the movie. (blasphemy!)

Stand Alone Complex follows a secretive government agency in future Japan called Section 9, which engages in black OPs, and information warfare. The series usually begins with unrelated cases that hint at a larger scheme, and the late season finishes the larger plot.

The greatest strength of this series is that it doesn't insult your intelligence like most anime does. While it is possible to simply tune out and enjoy the action, direction, and artwork of the series, following the story is far more rewarding (though admittedly more difficult). Since Section 9 is a black government agency, there are constant power struggles from different factions within and without the government. Misdirection, misdeeds, and misuses are constantly keeping the different parties on their toes. When the larger plot is revealed it's not a series of splashes of paint that (when you blur your eyes a little) reveal the larger picture. Instead, each brush stroke is carefully planned out to develop the picture while confusing or misleading onlookers. When the larger plot is revealed, you'll be amazed at how well they developed the progression that lead to its discovery.

Along the way, bits of the characters' history, motivation, and challenges are revealed seamlessly, instead of as a wedged-in soliloquy voice-over that takes up half the episode as in most (bad and mediocre) anime. Single episodes that have little or no effect on the overall plot fit in seamlessly, and usually challenge the viewer in a different way. Some episodes consist entirely of characters talking, trying to figure out how incidents are related, while others explore the intentions and motivations of characters who will never appear in the series again. An episode followed an unknown man's thoughts through his job as a helicopter pilot for a government official. He dreamed of being more than the small man he had become, and thought of how he had come to this point in his life while recounting some history of the refugees. These stories do not disappoint.

The episodic plots deal with very serious subject matter, and are certainly not intended for children. Heady episodes covering adult topics, and brutal animation and artwork will surprise you. Episodes cover child slave trade, plight of war, death, torture, and personal loss. Good direction keeps you enthralled with twists in the plot, while delivering unexpected kicks in the stomach. Just when you think you know what's going on, another carefully crafted layer of depth is revealed, and you are left wondering again. These layers are developed smoothly, and revealed in a manner confluent with previous events that leave you wondering why you didn't see the connection earlier.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will challenge, and reward you.

Catch it on Netflix or rent is so you can make your decision before buying the series.

Washington

Cox + Combes - Washington

Just in case you haven't seen this hilarious video.

Sorry to send you to myspace, but it's all I could find.

Google wants my nipples.

What in the name of google adwords did I do to deserve this?!

A search of my e-mail shows 1 use of the word "Thai," 0 uses of the word "nipple," and 0 uses of the word "gong." Why would using the word Thai immediately conjure up nipples instead of the myriad other things associated with Thai? Clearly, google has it out for my nipples.

Don't worry guys, I won't let them hurt you!

Wow. Just wow.

Firefighters asked to report people who express discontent with the government

A year ago, Homeland Security gave security clearances to nine New York City fire chiefs and began sharing intelligence with them. Even before that, fire department personnel were being taught "to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities" and were also "told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States."

Keith Olbermann raised the alarm about the program on his show Wednesday, noting that "if the information-sharing program works in New York, the department says it will extend it to other major metropolitan areas, unless we stop them." He then asked Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now with the ACLU, "This program seems to be turning [firefighters], essentially, into legally protected domestic spies, does it not?"

I suspect an increase in calls to anonymous "tip lines" (AKA make-your-own-probable-cause lines) warning of possible fire hazards in buildings heretofore difficult to obtain warrants to enter...

Don't worry folks, nothing to see here, move along.

Quote of the work.

Coworker: I'm trying to get as much done as possible before I get change management into place.

Truer words were never spoken.

I Seeee youuuuu!

Hello.

FUCK YEA!!!!!1!@!2!!12!!!!!@21!!GODDMANIT

Christian Bale as John Conner! Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins

FUCK YEAH

Quote of the WIN

If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid about?
-Clint Smith

Quote of the... Ouch...

David's delivering some reality. Ouch.

If I were you, I'd strap 'em on and tell my wife--not "ask"--that I was going to acquire the means and the knowledge to safely keep a gun in the home to defend my family with. If she's "uncomfortable" with that, I'd want to find out if she'd really rather have a $150 gift certificate than a man.

USB toaster will murder your other toasters.

Hi-goddamn-larious...

This show will break your brain.

Rickrolled?

While I found this xkcd humorous, I feel compelled to remind everyone that a successful rickroll requires the rickrollee to navigate, view, or listen to the rickroll by choice.

POR EJEMPLO

Sending an attractive woman to flirt with Rick Astley, and having her give him her number. However when Rick calls the number, it goes directly to an answering machine playing... well... you know.