So my truck has had problems for the last two weeks or so.
Two Saturdays ago we picked up lumber from the yard, drove it home, and then it would not start. The starter solenoid would not even click. Lights worked, so I ruled out the battery. I replaced the solenoid the next day, and it started. yay!
But then the next morning it would not start again, it would not even click.
So I bought a rebuilt starter, and decided to swap it out this past Saturday.
But, the headers were in the way, and even if I could get the starter out, or take off the headers, I could not get to the third bolt on the starter. I have no idea how you get to it. And then we noticed that the lights were not working. So I tried to jump the battery, and nothing. Tried to charge it, nothing. The battery was purchased a year ago in January 2011.
Two days of trying to return the battery back to Autozone later, I have a new battery. The first store said “yeah, it’s f’d up, we’ll replace it…oh you didn’t buy it? tough shit, the warranty is not transferable.” On a one year old battery. Huh. So I get the info from the guy I bought the truck from, and go to a second store. They think the battery just needs a charge, so 1.5 hours later I leave the store with a charged battery, that is dead by the next morning. So I go back to the first store (it’s closer) and give them the previous owner’s info as if it is mine and they swap it out. Although it’s a red one and not a gold one. Whatever. At least I have a new battery. Get back home, install it, still get no click.
So I get it towed to the mechanic.
They replaced the ignition, and messed around with the wiring, and now it works.
But they didn’t replace the starter like I asked them to, and they didn’t inspect it, like I asked them to do. So I’m happy, but annoyed.
Canadian oil is supposedly worse for the environment, so stopping the Keystone pipeline will help the planet. Umm…how?
Instead of moving the oil in a safe way and being processed in US refineries operating under EPA regulations, the oil will now be transported across the (Canadian) Rockies where it will be loaded onto giant tankers and shipped across the Pacific where it will be refined in China which has basically no environmental regulations in place.
Please let me know how the Chinese alternative is better for the Earth. ‘Cause the Canadian PM said if the pipeline is not built to the US, it’ll be built to the Pacific and they’ll load it up on tankers heading to China. It’s going to be sold no matter what, why not let it be refined here?
45-70 caliber. No idea how much it’ll cost. I imagine quite a bit. But damn, it does look pretty.
It’d be nice if they came out with .38/.357 and .22 calibers, for cheaper shooting. Although I guess if you can afford the gun you can afford the ammo. But 45-70 goes for >$1.50 a round!
We’re having enough problems with people/corporations abusing the DMCA, and here comes along a new set of laws that will expand the potential for abuse a million fold!
Basically, I’ll not be able to blog, ever again if they pass.
If I publish a link to a website, and anywhere on any page on that website, or it’s domain even, is a copyright-infringing thing, then I have violated the law by linking to them. For example, I have a link over on the right to “The Smallest Majority” who is hosted on blogspot.com. So if anyone on blogspot has any copyright infringing stuff (say, someone writes out the lyrics to the song “Happy Birthday to you”), or is alleged to have any, then I have broken the law. Three allegations of infringement, and the domain is confiscated by the government, and put on a blacklist all othe ISPs will have to use.
What
the
Fuck?
Sadly, a Texan is driving force behind SOPA. Lamar Smith. Representative Smith is a douche bag for sponsoring this bill.
The idea of a combat shirt is that a tshirt is comfortable under your armor and since it’s underneath the armor/webgear, it can be a nice moisture wicking lightweight and comfortable material instead of being made out of scratchy thick hot stuff like BDUs are, but it is not a uniform/BDU, so it’s not made of nice tough materials to protect your arms, nor are they usually camoflague, and most tshirts don’t have collars to protect your neck from armor/webgear nor do they have pockets on the sleeves. So you cut up a BDU shirt and cut up and t-shirt and combine the two and you have a $200 combat shirt.
So now if the tshirt gets ripped or something you don’t have to trash the whole thing, and it’s washable and you don’t have to worry about the stitches coming loose in the wash, and you have the collar and sleeves of the BDU shirt without having to stitch them to the tshirt and worry about those stitches, especially when things are strapped to your shoulders and such. And it takes up less room in a ruck having three tshirts and one bolero vs. three combat shirts. Also it’s lots less expensive.
Seems like a good idea, and certainly do-able by most people.
Bought a truck the other day. It’s a 1976 Ford F-150 Ranger XLT extended cab. I think it has all the chrome possible to get on it. It’s older than my wife by four years! But, the engine (390) has about 10,000 miles on it and the transmission (C6, about as bulletproof a transmission as Ford ever made) has about 3,000 miles on it. Did have to add a choke, and do some work on the steering, and more work to come on the steering, but aside from that it’s great! Bought a headache rack & rails the other day, need to do a little welding on them this weekend. Going to hunt around at the junkyard for some shoulder belts, a turn indicator (the existing glass works, but it’s cracked), and a few other minor things (I have a list, just not with me).
The House Judiciary Committee will soon be voting on legislation that will guarantee the right of citizens to carry firearms out-of-state. And the vote could come as early as today or tomorrow!
GOA has alerted you to H.R. 822 — introduced by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) — and explained the weaknesses in his bill. Many of you have taken action on our alerts and informed your Representative that there is a better approach.
That approach has been championed by Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia, the author of H.R. 2900 — or the Secure Access to Firearms Enhancement (SAFE) Act. The Broun bill has several advantages:
1. It would allow residents of California, New Jersey and other “may issue” states to get out-of-state carry permits (say, from Florida or Utah) and carry in their home states — an benefit they would not enjoy under the Stearns’ bill;
2. Broun also protects the right of gun owners in non-permit states like Vermont and allows them to carry out-of-state without a permit; and
3. Finally, the Broun bill does not rely on an expansive, erroneous interpretation of the Commerce Clause. Passing gun legislation that uses the Commerce Clause for authority could undercut efforts at promoting Firearms Freedom Act legislation throughout the country which specifically declares the Commerce Clause has no authority over the production of intrastate guns.
We need to continue putting heat on Congress, now that this reciprocity legislation is beginning to move. You’ve already sent your emails, but now it’s time to change things up and send postcards. If the House committee passes the Stearns bill, then it will probably come to the floor of the House some time next month.
So there is plenty of time to inundate Representatives’ offices with postcards and mail — urging them to support H.R. 2900 — or to amend the Stearns bill so that it contains the gun owners’ protections in the Broun bill.
So, GOA members, please be looking for the latest mailing from GOA headquarters which should begin arriving this week. And please take the enclosed postcard and send it to your Representative. Then, take the extra two postcards and have pro-gun family members and friends send them, as well. That will multiply your efforts by 200%.“
reading the new tom Clancy book, got to this section:
“He stood near the van’s hood and tapped on his iPhone to bring up the Airline Identifier application that he’d downloaded from iTunes for $4.99. He pointed it at the plane flying just overhead, one that had taken off before their target, and the application correctly identified the airline, the flight number, the speed, the destination, the distance from Samad, and more. While the software wasn’t always accurate, and while Samad felt certain that the next flight coming would be theirs, he’d instructed all the other teams to be doubly sure that they had the correct flight. Rahmani had been very specific about that, because at the designated time, a sleeper agent aboard each plane—a man who was going to martyr himself—would read a statement to the passengers. These men didn’t need to hide explosive liquids inside travel-sized containers while trying to comply with the 3-1-1 rule for liquids. They could board the plane completely naked and still deliver their message. The Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was powerless to stop them while they had Allah’s will on their side. Moreover, the sleepers would instruct passengers to turn their camera-equipped cell phones back on and record what happened. That video would be released to the American public, either through e-mail, streamed directly to the Web, or after being recovered from the wreckage.”
Really hits home the ridiculousness of the security at airports.
Some folks have asked why S&P downgraded. This makes it very easy to see…
• U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
• Federal budget: $3,820,000,000,000
• New debt: $1,650,000,000,000
• National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
• Recent budget cut: $38,500,000,000
Let’s remove 8 zeros and pretend it’s a household budget:
• Annual family income: $21,700
• Money the family spent: $38,200
• New debt on the credit card: $16,500
• Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
• Total budget cuts: $385
Bought a couple of surplus pouches not too long ago, they arrived today. Looked brand new. I opened one up and it had about 2 bucks in change, a folded American flag, a total of $0.80 in gift certificates to the AAFES, and a homemade rosary made out of parachute cord. Kinda interesting. The change I’ll spend, I’ll give the gift certificates to my uncle since he uses the base exchange, and I’ll set the flag and rosary aside in my cabinet of curiosities (which is not yet a cabinet, but a box, but someday it will be).
I have not tried this yet as I don’t think any of my scopes are duplex, but I’ll check soon. And even if they are not, I can probably figure something out, at least figure out the width of the reticle and such.
“How to use your rifle scope as a rangefinder.
Many American households have a scoped deer rifle in them. Common calibers are .30-06, .308, .270, .243, and a variety of sporterized military surplus rifles from around the world. All of these rifles are capable as being used for “designated marksman” functions. Let us assume that the excrement has hit the rotary oscillator, and you are now in some sort of leadership role of a rag-tag group of people. You find that you have a few SKS and Kalashnikov variants, an AR-15 or two, and several scoped deer rifles. What to do from here.
You AK/SKSs are going to function as your close-quarter and small range battle rifles. With the sights that both of these types of rifles have stock, you will probably be using them inside 150 yards. Your ARs (if A2 sights) should have a battle sight zero of 300 yards. You scoped deer rifles will operate between 300-500 yards.
Although your ARs are good for this range too, your shooters might not be. (Have you gone to one of those marksmanship clinics yet?) Most scoped deer rifles will have a duplex reticle, meaning one which is thick on the outside, and becomes a thin line towards the intersection of the crosshairs. And this reticle will become your rangefinder, but if you have another reticle, the process is the same, if the specifics different.
First, we need to go over something that is unfortunately like math. When we talk about a group of shots, you can tell someone you shot a 2 inch group, but unless they know the distance, it’s a meaningless statement. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll be using meters and yards as almost interchangeable. I know they’re not, but this system uses both, please just roll with it.
For accuracy, 2 inches at 25 yards is nothing to write home about, but, 2 inches at 100 is better than we need at this stage of the game. To clear this up, there is a system called Minutes of Angle, or arcminutes. A minute of angle (MOA) is 1/60 of 1 degree of a circle, which you’ll remember has 360. This works out to about 1 inch per 100 yards of distance. This allows us to discuss accuracy regardless of distances involved, since MOA is a ratio, or angle. A 2-minute group at 25-meters is 0.5-inches, and a 2-minute group at 100-yards is 2-inches; and both are equally accurate; the take home bit is, they are 2moa-accurate.
You will need to print out one of the M16 25m zero targets . Each of the squares on this sheet is a quarter of an inch. This is crucial, as a 1/4-inch at 25-meters is exactly one minute of angle.
Post your target at 25-meters (82-feet), and build a good prone position. Use your rifle sling to help support the rifle. If you don’t know how to do this, get thee to a marksmanship and history clinic! For this, a fixed-power scope is best, but if you have an adjustable power scope, then dial it down to the lowest power setting. Remember, higher power doesn’t mean more accurate, as it will amplify all of your movements as well.
Get down on the rifle, and place your reticle on the center of the target. Now you need to take note of how many squares are taken up on the vertical crosshair between the place where the duplex reticle becomes small, and the intersection of the crosshairs. Write this down. It might be something like: 8moa. Now, see the thick part of the reticle, see how many squares it is wide. It might be 2moa, or less. Now, see how wide the thick part of the horizontal cross hair is in minutes of angle, it might be 12moa. Of course, since the reticle is in a circle what goes for the vertical holds for the horizontal and vice-versa. Use whichever is more natural for your target’s shape.
Now, if you know that 1moa is 1-inch per 100-yards, and you know the dimensions of various objects, you can determine distance. From shoulder to shoulder the average man is 20-inches wide. From cheek bone to cheek bone, he is about 8-inches wide. Go measure how tall the average sedan is, or SUV, or door on a house, or garage door. All of these can be used with minutes of angle to figure out distances.
If we know that a human shoulder-span is about 20-inches, and through our hunting scope we seek that he takes up half of the small line of a cross hair, which we measured to be 8moa, we know he is 4 minutes wide. 20/4=5, so 500 yards. He’s at the extreme range of our deer-rifles. But, we’ve been to a few marksmanship classes, and we practice an awful lot; we know we can put five shots in a 4-minute group.
If he’s friendly, he’ll be glad to know he’s got a sharp eye watching out for him. If he’s not, well, we might be forced to ruin his day.
But you need to get to a 25m (82-ft) range, or set one up. Since you won’t be shooting, you can do this in your backyard. Before you do, make sure the rifle is clear and safe, and the ammunition/mags are nowhere near you, use of a chamber flag would not be overkill. Once you figure out how to use your standard duplex reticle as a rangefinder, you can got from shooting minutes-of-deer to minutes of angle, and you might save the lives of your tribe as a designated marksman.
The take-home part of this is that 1moa is 1-inch PER 100-yards. So, 2-inches at 200, 3.75-inches at 375-yards, and 10-inches at 1000-yards. Focus your shooting at 4-minutes, and you will hit a man-size target a 500 yards. Firearms skills build rust fast, so you might have the most tarted-up rifle on the block, but if you can’t use it, it’s just so-much dead weight. Even the lowly deer-rifle will out-shoot you. Get to a clinic, and practice.
The half-hour you spend doing this now could be invaluable in a crisis.
Long live the Republic,
- Cato, the American.”
“Once you get your scope mounted on your rifle, you will need to sight it in at the range. Start at a shorter range like 50 yards. Fire your first shot while holding center on the target and take note where it prints. If your rifle isn’t printing on paper at this distance, move to a shorter distance like 25 yards.
Starting with the elevation turret (top turret) loosen the 2 small screws in the center of the turret. This will allow the outer ring with the increments marked on it to turn freely. Using a coin, turn the inner part of the turret in the direction you need the bullet impact to move. Turn it clockwise to raise the impact, counter clockwise to lower the impact. Adjust until the impact is centered on the target. Use the same procedure to adjust the windage turret, the turret on the side. The direction of impact is clearly marked. Note: on the Fero Z24, the windage turret is on the right side. On the ZF Model One, the windage turret is on the left side. Leave the outer rings loose at this point.
Move your target out to 100 yards or meters. The scope is designed for meters but the difference will be barely noticeable. Holding the reticle centered in the target, fire a shot. Follow the same procedures you used at the shorter range to move the bullet impact. Adjust the scope so the impact is centered on the target. Now, while holding the outer ring of the elevation turret so the number 1 is lined up with the reference mark at the rear, tighten the 2 small screws in the center of the target. The windage turret should be set at 0 when it is tightened down.
The scope is now zeroed for that distance. Using 147 grain military ball ammo or equivalent, you should be able to use the numbered increments on the elevation turret for the corresponding distances. For instance, if you move out to 300 meters, simply turn the top turret to the number 3.“
So I’m perusing guns.com’s forums and I run across this:
“my wife worked in a school until this year. Her job was so stressful she decided to quit. So many teachers have freaked out in the past and so many have been arrested for endangering children. Teaching children is rated as one of the most stressful jobs in the world. Especially teaching older children and the developmentally and cognitively impaired. Most teachers would be rated as threats to themselves and others. Carrying guns would not be a good idea. Most colleges have anti open carry laws as by-laws not part of actual city or county or even state precedence. Most states will allow carrying a firearm on to a university while the laws also state that private businesses have the right to disallow persons from entering the business with a firearm or weapon on their person. Police can usually carry on a campus but police cannot carry on most primary education campuses. Here in Idaho you can carry inside of most government buildings, save courthouses and any place that might house higher ranking officials. Most states are the same. The line you speak of is not nor will it ever be arbitrary. Most educators stay above the influence of their stress and keep a level head. This keeps an image of them as educators. If any of them were to kill any threats this would completely change their image in the minds of their students. This would also damage the students far more than seeing their peers and teacher die as death can be explained as a part of life. Not to get philosophical, but that is how a higher district employee explained it to me. I can see that very easily.”
And then the followup:
“as I said. It is what I was told by a higher up in the district. Think about how you see officers.. Psychology plays a huge role in everything we do. “Open carry intimidates people” etc. You can’t say it doesn’t. It is the ones who stop fighting the crazy inside that end up shooting up places and robbing banks. The line between officer and teacher is not arbitrary. The line between self defensing citizen and educational professional may be arbitrary to some but to me, the line is clear. I don’t want my son to see any of that no matter what. But i also don’t want him to think it is ok to shoot someone even in self defense. Of course I would have no problem killing someone in SD but I would still not like having to do it. The “arbitrary” line you speak of is there no matter what whether for psych purposes or real ones. I didn’t make the rule and the idea of having to shoot someone does not make me happy. It’s a loose loose either way. Don’t misread and say I wouldn’t kill in SD. I would. I would also teach my son to do so but the guidelines have to be there as with everything else. And while this is a GUN forum, keep in mind not everyone thinks like we do and sees the need to bear arms. No matter what those people will always have a say so in society. Sorry for straying off of the open carry topic. Please resume the topic. ”
Am I alone in thinking this is insane?
If any of them were to kill any threats this would completely change their image in the minds of their students. This would also damage the students far more than seeing their peers and teacher die as death can be explained as a part of life. Not to get philosophical, but that is how a higher district employee explained it to me. I can see that very easily.
Seeing an “educator” kill an attacker in self defense is _worse_ than seeing a classmate or teacher die from an attacker?
What. The. Fuck?!
But i also don’t want him to think it is ok to shoot someone even in self defense. Of course I would have no problem killing someone in SD but I would still not like having to do it.
Ok, so it’s alright for you to kill in self defense, but not for your son. Heck, he can’t even know it’s ok in theory? Again, What. The. Fuck?!
Head Down Products is giving away a SBD22 Suppressor, to enter the contest you have to link to something on their webpage. Ok, here it is.
it looks like an interesting suppressor. The MSRP is less than what I paid for my Warlock, but it’s titanium so it should be lighter. I don’t like that it’s closed, but so are all my cans. If I win one I’ll be sure to review it here.
I can’t hear them saying “Police” and it’s very interesting that the video contradicts what the supervisor on scene said in his sworn testimony. If he got things wrong like that the team was outside the vehicle ridding on the rails, when as we see in the video they are not and are all inside the vehicle, and he says they had the sirens and lights on all the way up to the house, when again, from the video they did not, then how the hell can anyone believe anything this dude says? Seriously, any criminal case this guy is involved with the defense attorneys need to enter this video and his statement in as evidence to show he’s a lying sack of shit.
