Cute Puppy

Jared at Thinklings is doggy-sitting a cute pooch named Bailey. She reminds me of Amy's old dog Misty. She looks like her and dresses in clothes like her and is on crack like her. Maybe it a small dog thing. His post includes the requisite adorable picture.

From AK to AR

In a move destined to incite flame wars across the internet the Iraqi Army is switching from the AK-47 to the M-16. The main reason for the switch is that most Iraqi AKs are from arms sales before the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. They're old and despite the AK's reputation, old guns that haven't been maintained or stored properly will have accuracy and reliability problems. Plus the Iraqi government probably has US military support funds that have to be spent on US equipment (just like Israel does). Buying rifles and pistols with it is a great way to go because Iraqi units are almost entirely made up of infantry.

A Day of Deceasing

Miss Anonymous, Paul Smith, and Ryan S. are lamenting the loss of William F. Buckley at age 82. Fewer have said anything about the death of legendary hot-rod customizer Boyd Coddington at age 63. Perhaps that is because Buckley was a consummate gentleman and Coddington was a a hotheaded jackass. Or perhaps we just aren't big American Hot Rod fans.

A Man With Vision

That explains exactly why I voted for him, but also shows Bush's greatest failings. His administration looks forward to the oncoming threat, but yet he is unable to articulate it's magnitude.

Attack Cat

There's a good psycho kitty.

Nerd Engineering

Starship Dimensions is a compilation of various spacecraft from all sorts of science fiction and anime series drawn to a common scale. Of course there are also a few things from real life thrown in (like building) so you can wrap your mind around the relative sizes. Its a real simple idea for a website, but you can spend a lot of time geeking out there.

The Decline of Golf

Hube is lamenting that his pastime has been in decline for 10 years.

I could never really get into golf. I had friends in high school and college that were golfers, (one even received a really bad head injury on the links) but it never clicked with me. Just like with coffee, I missed the crucial period when I should have acquired a taste for it.

I prefer the shooting sports. Target shooting gives you all the struggles with accuracy and consistency that a golf game does, but with the added fun of explosions and breakin' thangs. And some shooting skills are useful outside of the sporting context.

Let me shoot a golf game with, say, a small black powder howitser and then we'll be cooking.

Death by Blogging

John the Methodist thinks I somehow involved with two cases of death by blogging. I deny it completely. Those people obviously said something untoward about Chuck Norris and Chuck acted accordingly.

And you know what we say every time someone dies suddenly by roundhouse kick? It's good that Chuck did that, it's very good!

Fake But Accurate

I know that Barack Obama didn't actually write this editorial, but he could have. Or at least his functionaries could have. Funny stuff.

Perils of Healthy Eating

I've been trying to cut the empty calories out of my diet as much as possible. One of the things I've done is to start taking cups of applesauce to work in my lunch instead of candy. The problem? When I get ready to eat it I just feel like I'm about to snack on baby food. I'm waiting for some Brobdingnagian woman with a mammoth spoon to suddenly appear and make airplane noises at me. Maybe it has something to do with the consistency of the applesauce? I don't know but it's just weird.

On the Forthcoming General Election

Gary at Jokers has this to say about McCain vs. Obama election strategy:

1. Make this a foreign policy election. Talk about Iraq. Alot. I can't imagine when voters hear about McCain's insistence upon winning in Iraq versus Obama's insistence upon losing in Iraq that voters are going to want to vote for the candidate that wants to lose...

2. Talk substance. Let Obama talk about hope and about change, but remind voters (esp. independents) that while Barack Obama was experimenting with cocaine and other drugs, that McCain was the one that was fighting for change, for reform, and did actually achieve it...

My thoughts? I don't think the first one is a particularly good idea. The war is not popular even if we are winning it. Since McCain was one of the people Bush tasked with whipping up support for the war in the first place, this tactic open the door for Obama to point that out. He can link McCain to the Bush administration with it. McCain is better off presenting himself as being unaffiliated with the Bush administration's huge negatives as much as possible.

The second? Yes please. McCain has loads of experience. Obama doesn't. Use that. And his message of hope is largely a slogan. Obama's actual policies are all semi-socialist to completely socialist. Bring the real world crashing in. In the real world Obama is actually at Hillary's left. McCain should claim the political center and make Obama work to get it back.

He should focus his campaign on rooting out corruption, balancing the budget, and streamlining government. Essentially run like Clinton did in 1992. Confront Obama with how he intends to pay for his sweeping government programs (by taxing the rich). Use this policy to force Obama into the traditional Democrat class warfare posture which doesn't work for Democrats in general elections.

That's how I would fight it.

Closeout Bargains

LA Police Gear is blowing out Bates Boots. These are factory seconds, but are being sold at around 80% off. Most are GoreTex lined and probably quite comfy. So if you need something waterproof and purposeful, have at it.

Making the World Smaller

I just realized that my parents' house is on Google's Street View. For some reason that seems a lot more eerie than the old Terraserver picture I had of the old homestead in college. In the latter you can see the grainy outline of the house from space. In the former, both of their cars are parked in the driveway and you can see the make, model, and color.

It would be scary if the street numbering weren't all screwed up. If you actually put in my parents' address, you get pictures of our neighbor's houses instead. But nothings perfect.

UPDATE: Oh and if Street View is supposed to help you figure out where you're going, it fails miserably. Sure I can make out buildings, but it lacks the resolution to read most types of signs and I know the numbering is off. So I have no idea whether I'm actually headed to the right place.

Delaware Firearms Laws

Wynder in the Delaware Open Carry board has built a PDF containing a compilation of Delaware firearms laws. And by Delaware, I don't just mean state law. Those are useful but you could get them by searching the Delaware Code. What makes this a wonderful resource is that it also contains the local Delaware laws that are still in effect because they predate Delaware's preemption law (like Newark and Wilmington's ordinances). I don't know if this list is definitive, but he's working on making it as close as possible.

Reviewing the Rental

My car is getting brake work done, so I'm tooling around in a Chevy Silverado today. I like it.

Overall the Silverado is just more comfortable than the midsize Colorado. The seats are off the floorboards. The dash is still plastic, but the design is better so it doesn't feel cheap. The ride is trucklike but comfy. No worse than the sport suspension in my little Mazda. The truck is big, bigger than the Colorado, but unlike the Colorado its size isn't a problem.

The red crew-cab came equipped with a 4.8L V8. It isn't the biggest engine in the lineup, but I still feel like the truck has depths of power and torque that I just don't care to use. The smaller Colorado felt like it couldn't get out of its own way. I didn't have that feeling with the Silverado. I've had all the power I want and I still haven't taken it above about two thousand RPM. If I put my foot down, I'm sure it will respond with gusto.

I can see why someone might want to step up to the 5.3L though. The 4.8 is the "base" V8. It is a good solid engine, but doesn't have any frills. The 5.3 gives you more power and GMs intelligent engine management system that lets you drop cylinders you don't need when you don't need them. I'm willing to bet the 5.3 actually gets better highway mileage than the 4.8. I just don't know whether it would make enough of a difference to pay for itself. The equipment to do intelligent management doesn't come cheap.

It is a pain to park though. Not only does it take all of Newcastle County to turn around, but it fills up a parking space, side to side and front to back. When I pull through a parking space at the supermarket, I've found that I have to pull forward about a foot past where I'm comfortable before my rear end is out of the space behind me. And pulling into the parking spot in front of our townhouse requires backing up and pulling in again because our neighbors parked on the street.

So I don't know that I would buy one, but I can see why John the Methodist did. Now I have to go think about whether I need to buy anything that requires a 5 foot bed. If I've got it I might as well haul with it.

Friends: Good and Good for You.

43%

Via Hube

Update: If my score gets much higher, I might have a career in the Royal Navy or the RAF.

Delaware Gunnies

I stumbled across the Delaware forum at Opencarry.com this morning. For those interested in the specifics of Delaware Firearms law, it is full of good folks and good information. They cover open carry legality in specific areas like Newark and Wilmington. There are also first hand accounts of people jumping through Delaware's extensive legal hoops while working towards their CCW licenses.

Public Information on Private Matters

The Delaware State Police have started a new program called Tric-Tics in which pictures of Prostitutes and their Johns are posted on the DSP website. The program went live on the first of February and the first set of pictures are now available.

Oh and for those of you who have never watched COPS, none of these people look like Richard Gere or Julia Roberts. You might find someone that looks like Nick Cage if you wait long enough though.

Spending Your Refund

Amy and I discussed how we want to spend any forthcoming IRS refunds last night. It seems to be a popular topic on the net, so I thought I would bring it up.

Amy, who doesn't like to spend her money, is thinking about buying a new laptop. Her current unit is five years old and is giving us a little trouble because of overheating problems. If we can't fix it with a thorough cleaning, it will be time for a replacement.

Me? I want a .22 rifle so I can work on my marksmanship on the cheap. After that, some reloading equipment would also be a good idea. After that? Well I'm thinking it might be time to invest in another AR-15 and some high capacity magazines in case our next president decides to outlaw them. Or maybe a new kilt.

UPDATE: The recent foul weather has made me aware of another more pressing problem. My current bad weather coat, a parka similar to this one, has to go. It actually soaked through in two places while I was outside clearing off the front steps and cars this morning. Unacceptable, but understandable since I've had it for over a decade.

The coats main job is keeping me dry in bad weather and getting dirty at the range. It will tend to do more of the latter than the former. I'm thinking a field coat like an M65 (with liner of course) might be the way to go for a replacement. The only problem is finding one in a color that doesn't make me look like I'm playing soldier. Or this guy.

Anti-Gun Leadership

In cleaning out my inbox, I stumbled upon this article Miss AO sent me a few weeks back. It seems that a Los Angeles gun control organization, which was city supported to the tune of $1.5 million to help in anti-gang efforts, was being used as a front to run guns illegally to the founder's old gang. Say it ain't so!

There is something you need to realize about this case: most gun control organizations, even the big ones, are run by hypocrits. This is a widely known in the pro-gun community, but is often unknown outside it.

How so you say? Many leading anti-gunners own guns. Many of them take advantage in "loopholes" they rail against in public. Sarah Brady gave her son a rifle in 2000 using a private transfer, a technique she had fought to outlaw. Diane Feinstein, one of the most vocal anti-gun Senators, has a concealed carry permit and keeps a snubnose .38 in her purse. She's one of a handful of San Francisco residents with that privilege. Many of the others, like the Kennedy's, hire armed bodyguards. Rosie O'Donnell, a vocal anti-gun celebrity, employs a bodyguard with a concealed carry permit, but doesn't have one herself.

Are the rank and file this bad? Generally not. Most anti-gunners I know oppose gun ownership because they don't trust themselves with them. They think they might lose control and kill someone at the drop of a hat. Why they think that admitting to be psychopaths is ok and a good thing I'll never know.

I Licked My Neighbor Because Big Bird Said To And He's My Leader

For decoding instructions see Steve Lamp.

Inter-Holiday Shopping

Larry Correia, a long time gun forum contributor, is also a gun dealer. In order to get the next level of licensing from CZ USA, he's holding a one-time sale on all CZ merchandise at or near dealer cost that ends on February 21st. You have to contact him personally for further information and you can do that from this post on his blog. I don't know that I need another pistol, but I've heard CZ's 452/453 rimfire rifles are very nice.

Playing Catchup

I've been in training all week, so no access to a computer during the day means no new posts for you folks at any time. But this has been a busy week in the world:

• McCain is now the presumptive Republican nominee. Joy. I hated all the Republican front runners so I actually voted for Ron Paul on Tuesday. His foreign policy is ludicrous but at least he actually has consistent political principles and among them is a commitment to limited government.
• Mitt dropped out of the race today. Can't say I'll miss him.
• Tornadoes in Tennessee? Tennessee? Did they get lost or something? Did they miss the left turn at Albuquerque?
• The bread and circuses bill passed. People are calling this a token measure. Of course it's a token measure. It's an attempt by our elected officials to look like they're dealing with the problem. If any government entity is really going to make important changes, it's the Federal Reserve. But Congressmen and Senators don't get reelected by sitting back and letting the Fed do its job, now do they?
• Amybear and I hit Miss AO's place last night and took turns playing with her Wii. It really was quite fun, but required a bit more motor control than I'm used to from a video game. I'm thankful it was Miss AO's Wii we tried out, since talking about playing with a male friend's Wii would result in poorly suppressed schoolboy giggles.
• We netflixed in Stardust and watched it tonight. Amy thought it was strange, and it is, but I really really liked it. The whole story was novel yet classic. The fencing scenes at the end were also quite nice. Thankfully, I was able to keep from singing "Montage" from Team American while Tristan was learning to fence. I have got to get me a saber one of these days.

That should bring us about up to date.

The Perils of Global Warming

As if global warming wasn't causing enough problems, it will also lengthen the annual activity cycle of the living dead:

A new study by scientists has suggested that zombie attacks might increase if the current projections of global warming are realized. “If the earth gets warmer, it means longer springs, summers, and falls, and shorter winters,” said John Carpenter-Romero, Ph.D., a zombie-ologist who co-authored the study. “And shorter winters means more time for the undead to prey on the populace.”

That is unless it triggers a new ice age.

Via TransTerrestrial.

Update: On the topic of zombies, I picked up Walking Dead: Book One. It is a large trade paperback containing the entire first year of Image's Walking Dead comic. I picked it up for around $20 with a discount. If you're a fan of all things zombie, it's worth picking up.