Brown Valley Kingdom

Not my forte..

2011-09-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I just had my second interview at a new workplace not so far away, and I'll have to see how it plays out. I think my resume looks pretty good - I've accumulated quite a bit of knowledge and experience over the years - but put me in front of an interview panel and I'm suddenly a babbling fool. I don't think I interview too well. I've struck out the last few times I've gone looking, but then there's a lot of competition these days.

Are you freaking KIDDING me, Haro?

2011-09-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I just picked up my bike from the shop today:

White? White? Wow, that's ugly. Well, the only consolation is that given this frame style's track record, I'll only have to put up with it for another 3-4 months before it gets replaced again, although what'll the next color be? Purple? Pink?

I accepted the bike because functionally it's no different obviously, and I didn't want to wait another 3 weeks for them to switch out the part. Doesn't mean I like what they did, and I'm not too happy that the bike shop didn't give me a heads-up when they received the part. Well, it rides just fine (I took it out this evening) and I sure am glad to have that rear suspension again. But, seriously?

Hmpf.

I've seen this meme...

2011-09-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

Around on a few blogs, so here's my go-to...

A Gerber Paraframe II, semi-serrated, that I picked up at Target for $15, way back when. Nothing special, but handy to have and I like the thin profile. It's pointy, sharp and fits my hand well. And yes, I've used the serrated part too, although its a pain in the butt to clean...

Housecleaning

2011-09-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Tidied up my blogroll a little bit to get rid of some now-defunct blogs as well as add a few more that I've been finding myself reading.
Also added a new category - "Bloggers I've Met", now that I've finally met some!
Yes, I probably need to get out more...

Canyon...

2011-09-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Sunset...

This is the view from one of the highest points in the canyon - my first ride in almost two weeks. Man, I missed it! Left it a bit late, though - this is about 3 miles from the truck.

My buddy, rocking a Trek Fuel EX8 - a very nice bike. Far superior to my Trek. My hardtail is a fine bike, but I have to spent a lot more time out of the seat riding these trails, and that wears on a body. I miss my Haro. Should be fixed soon, though...

Gun Blogger Highs

2011-09-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

- Smacking steel at 440 yards - repeatedly - with this bad boy, as Kevin Baker calls out the hits. Awesome.

- Dumping a mag through a full-auto (first time!), suppressed (first time!) mini Uzi, courtesy of USCitizen.

- Meeting all these fine folk.

-Dumping more money in a raffle than I ever have before, comfortable in the knowledge that every penny of it was going to a good cause.

-Getting the opportunity to meet Alan Gura and listen to his take on the state of the gun rights movement.

-The opportunity to not only learn about Orville Bierkle's revolver, but actually shoot it, thanks to Davidwhitewolf!

-Listening to the vendors and organizations give their presentations and noting with satisfaction how seriously they have come to take the gun blogger community.

-Getting an autographed picture of Molly to present to My Little Princess.

-Walking up to our room Saturday night with a literal armful of swag:

-Seeing my wife's enthusiasm match my own.

-One low: driving up 395 to get to Reno, we passed by this IHOP. It was boarded up and fenced off. And that's about all I have to say about that.

Attackwatch!

2011-09-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

The funniest thing I've seen all day! This has really bitten the Obama campaign in the ass. If you haven't seen the Attack Watch site, I strongly recommend you do. Mockery and derision is the fitting response to such nonsense.

H/T DirtCrashr

Hanging With The Cool Kids

2011-09-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

Gun Blogger Rendezvous was the very first time I had the opportunity to meet the people behind so many of the blogs that I've been reading these past few years. I have to admit, I was more than a little apprehensive - yet excited - walking into Silver Baron Room E for the first time - somewhat like a tween at a Justin Bieber concert, I imagine.
However, I was made to feel very welcome, although I didn't talk much the first night - just listened to the various conversations. After all, it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt, right?
I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Baker, Joe Huffman, Davidwhitewolf, Chris Byrne, The Packing Rat, TrueBlueSam, Ry Jones, USCitizen, Olav, Molly, Caleb, BobG, as well as the guys who made this all possible, Mr Completely and Keewee.
I met plenty of other fine folks there too, who described themselves as lurkers, including Dusty - who made the trip all the way from Tucson by motorcycle - obviously made of sterner stuff than me.
It was also a real treat to meet Alan Gura, and have the opportunity to thank him for all the work he's done - and continues to do - on our behalf. He is one busy guy, so I for one am extremely grateful that he took the time to come hang with us for the weekend, answer all our inane questions and shoot some of the many fine guns available at the range.
The highlight of my weekend was being able to share this experience with my bride. She had originally agreed to go with me, expecting to have a relaxing weekend doing some gambling and hanging out at the pool while I went and did my thing. After the first evening, however, she liked it so much that she accompanied me to every event, and if you've seen the agenda, you'll know that the weekend was just packed - so there was very little spare time for gambling (although we got a few good shots at video poker here and there). To top it off, she wants to find ranges locally to practice shooting steel so she'll be ready for NEXT year!

Gun Blogger Rendezvous - A Taste...

2011-09-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

More to come - just not tonight. It's been a long day and I'm pooped.

Home again, home again...

2011-09-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Back from one of the best vacation weekends I've ever had - at GBR-VI. Still on a bit of a high. More to come - much more. Now to go pay the bills. Ho hum.

Hmmm...

2011-09-06T22:57:00.001-07:00

Thinking... thinking... what to bring to GBR-VI?

Think I'll bring the PMSR, an AR-15, the CZ452, my 1911 and a Saiga...

I'll be missing Wednesday night and a good chunk of Thursday, but I'll be in Reno soon, baby!

SB819

2011-08-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

The "Take Money From Lawful Gun Owners And Use It To Pay Government Thugs To Kick In Their Doors" bill has made it to the governor's desk.
During his tenure as state attorney general, Brown showed himself to be neutral, if not fairly positive, on matters pertaining to the Second Amendment. I know many of the folks on Calguns were optimistic about him. I suppose now we shall see if that attitude has carried through to Jerry Brown the governor.
If you reside in CA, email the man to show your opposition to this tripe.

Well, how about that...

2011-08-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

The last few days here in the valley have been blazing hot - like over a hundred hot - so I've avoided riding, having a fairly healthy sense of self-preservation.
Instead, I've opted for running on my in-laws' treadmill in the air-conditioned comfort of their spare bedroom.
The stamina I've built up mountain biking has served me well; my first run on Sunday night was the longest I'd ever ran in my life, and I wasn't even gassed.
However, I discovered that although I may use the same limbs as I do when biking, the muscles I use are quite different, as evidenced by the soreness I felt the next morning...
Ow.

Well, THAT sucks...

2011-08-24T21:29:00.001-07:00

Somehow, I managed to snap the frame of my mountain bike AGAIN. This is the second time in 8 months. Hmpf. Same exact place, and the same place where a friend of mine broke his THREE times. Sounds like a design flaw to me. Whatever. It's under warranty for 5 years, so at this rate, they'll be replacing this part - at their cost - for a total of fifteen times. I wonder at what point they'll just decide to either give me a new frame design altogether, or credit me the cost so I can go buy a frame from another manufacturer...

Protecting us...

2011-08-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

From the really dangerous criminals.
Property rights? What do you think this is, America?

Found here.

PMSR

2011-08-23T22:44:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you take this...

Add this...

Plus this...?

Why, you get the Poor Man's Scout Rifle, of course!

Total time to put together - about 45 minutes. The hardest part was punching out the iron sight pin, but that wasn't too bad at all. A few adjustments, and I got this...

Hopefully that's close enough to get it on paper at the range, and I can go from there. Sure, it's no Ruger, but I can't complain about the cost - about $160 for everything you see here. Something to tinker with, and I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Uh-oh...

2011-08-23T17:47:00.001-07:00

I've been seeing a bit of bad news about Del-Ton lately, which gives me a little cause for concern, since both my AR-15s have Del-Ton uppers.
I do have to admit, when I bought my first upper, a 16" with the handgrip, there was an incredibly long delay in getting it, but I attributed that to the gun rush at the time, during the first year of Obama's presidency.
When I did get it and assembled it with my lower, I took it out to the range and quickly found that it wouldn't feed hollowpoint ammunition. OK. Well, at least it eats FMJ, I'll just stick with that.
My second trip to the range was more problematic. It wouldn't feed ANYTHING. Or rather, it wouldn't extract the cartridge after firing. This was worrisome.
I contacted Del-Ton, and they had me ship the upper back to them. They had it for a day, replaced the bolt and shipped it right back. Apparently some of the extractors had been improperly tempered during the gun rush.
Yes, they shouldn't have let it out the door initially; but, they did make it right, at no cost to me. I haven't had any trouble with either upper since, either FMJ or hollowpoint.
I guess the bottom line is that I'm not necessarily writing this post to defend Del-Ton, but as a kind of wondering-out-loud if I made the right decision in buying their products...
So far so good, I guess...

(Both links above found over at Say Uncle)

Disappointed...

2011-08-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

It turns out that one of my favorite actors happens to be an Obama supporter. Honestly thought he had more sense than that.

My Ideal Government...

2011-08-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

... Will:

Mind the fucking door,
Preserve and protect my rights,
And Leave Me Alone.

Take your time, buddy

2011-08-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

I can't help but smile a little at all the outrage I'm seeing over El Presidente's Martha's Vineyard vacation, the shock at the cost and insensitivity of the timing. Why, Michelle flew in on a separate jet! OMFG!
Seriously, people? You're shocked? Has this man given ANY indication WHATSOEVER over the last two-plus years that he's a responsible steward of Other People's Money?
What is not pointed out is that while he's on vacation, he's not at work. Given the rate at which he pisses away his constituents' money and futures while at work, this can only be a good thing. Hell, extend the vacation for another 13 months. Sure, the lifestyle the Obama's choose to live is hideously expensive, but it's a damn sight less expensive than what will happen whenever Barack is anywhere near the next Congressional Big Idea Bill and a pen.

It's mine.

2011-08-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

I paid off my F250 today, finally removing that $500-plus monkey from my back. No immediate plans to replace any of the kingdom's fleet right now, so we're just going to bask in the pleasure of NO CAR PAYMENTS for as long as we possibly can...

Random Pics

2011-08-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

I took a few pictures with my new iPhone, before the lens gets all scratchy and blurry from my repeated abuse...

The Back-Up...

Trek 4500 Disc hardtail. As frequently as I have found myself biking (4-6 days a week), and with the abuse that these bikes go through on the trails, it became clear to me that I needed something to fall back on when my primary needs to be worked on - as was the case a few weeks ago, when I snapped the frame on the Haro. Fortunately, it was a warranty repair and the turnaround was only six days, but six days of not riding means you lose a little bit of whatever endurance and speed you've built up, and have some catch-up to do. At the time, I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a friend's back-up bike, but I shouldn't have to count on other people. Besides, what if I wrecked their bike? Not to mention, the cost of high-quality components for these bikes is enough to make you puke, so having a back-up gives me some breathing room in which to save when something goes out, as it inevitably will.

This bike is not nearly as nice as the Haro, obviously - the components are of a lower quality (but upgradeable) and there's no back shock, which makes it more of a challenge in the rough stuff, but it has hydraulic disc brakes - which is very important to me - and a decent front shock with lock out. I also got it at a ridiculous price, brand new. It's my go-to whenever I want to ride around on the streets too.

The Boomstick...

CZ 452 chambered in .17HMR, a Christmas gift from my amazing wife. Beautiful little bolt action rifle with a five-round magazine, that doesn't get nearly as much use as it should. Topped with a Barska AO scope - also a Christmas gift from my wife - which I have yet to try. Wow, that's pathetic... sorely in need of some range time...

This one is a real pleasure to shoot. I wouldn't recommend hunting for the table with this one though; I nailed a rabbit with it at a pretty long distance, and what was left was pretty much just jelly. Those rounds are traveling at a fair clip...

Thinking about bringing this one to the GBR.

The Baby...

Sasha, the Rat Terrier, queen of all she surveys, three years and change old now. Still as cute as ever, although the picture may not bear that out so well.

Meh. Still fairly crappy quality pics. As a camera, my iPhone is pretty failtastic.

California Leads The Way...

2011-08-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

In Mid-East style shut downs of wireless services...
In combating the scourge of ill-fitting bed sheets...
In cracking down on BB guns...
In driving business and jobs out of the state...

This state is done. Democratic control of both houses as well as the governorship means that the stupid has gone into overdrive.
If they were honest - which they aren't - they'd have no-one to blame but themselves for destroying what was once a great state.

It was time...

2011-08-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

I've had my iPhone 3 for over two years now - a personal best for me, since I'm very tough on cell phones - but it had been showing signs of wear, such as a missing volume button, a sound on/off switch that would activate at random, a battery life of about 15 minutes, and a power/data socket that would work only if you jiggled it just right.
Being a tightwad, I just gritted my teeth and dealt with all that, but last night, the screen started to come and go intermittently, and that I couldn't deal with, so I replaced it today with a -gasp!- iPhone 3GS. No iPhone 4 for me - no-one I know who has one likes 'em, plus they're still $200 even with the two years indentured servitude/service contract.
So far so good - finally have video capability, the phone's running faster than the old one and I got a nice new set of earphones (which my wife promptly commandeered-I'm hard on earphones too...).
Only bummer is I lost some music. Backing up my old phone had become such a pain in the ass, that I hadn't bothered to do it in 6 months...

Next Step..

2011-08-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

The room at the Silver Legacy is booked! 27 days to go...

The Stars Have Aligned...

2011-08-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted.
This year has been kind of a downer. Like Mr Baker, I've observed the goings-on in this nation of ours and found precious little positive stuff to blog about.
The news lately isn't any better, to be honest, what with the fight over the debt-limit increase, the Dow on a roller coaster, the riots back in the old country, the downgrade of our credit rating and all that entails, and locally, the beating death of Kelly Thomas by the Fullerton PD.
Over the last few months, I withdrew somewhat and kept my focus a little closer to home, on family, church, work and mountain biking.
I think it's done wonders for my disposition, and probably my blood pressure.
Well, now, I definitely have something positive to blog about. An unforeseen mid-year bonus at work, coupled with an amazing spouse and some really great family help with childcare means that this year, for the very first time, my wife and I will be able to attend the Gun Blogger's Rendezvous!
I just mailed my registration stuff this evening, and will be booking rooms tomorrow at the Silver Legacy.
I haven't been this excited about a trip in YEARS. I've been smiling just about non-stop for the last three days, ever since MY WIFE suggested the trip (I had given up on attending months ago, so for me, it had been out of mind for a while).
Today, we got all of our ducks in a row - time off from work, the in-laws' help with the kids and our dogs, the bonus checks (Yay!) - so it's going to happen!
I am especially looking forward to meeting some of the names I've been reading over the last few years, as they have had a profound influence on my worldview.
The only thing left for me to be concerned with is... what boomsticks should I bring? Suggestions would be most welcome...

State of the Union...

2011-01-25T18:55:00.000-08:00

...in a nutshell...
America, we've spent all your money, and the economy is a shambles. Now get out there and innovate, so we can have money to spend again!

Watching this room full of tax eaters makes me nauseous. Hmpf.

MTB

2011-01-24T20:56:00.000-08:00

One of my friends received a $1500 (!) full-suspension Trek mountain bike for his birthday last August, and coaxed me into going out with him. My first impression was that $1500 was a hell of a lot of money to be dropping on a vehicle sans motor, my bicycle experience heretofore limited to the selections at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.

My bike was a ten-plus year old fluorescent orange Huffy that a coworker had given to me back when my kids were sprogs. No suspension, rusty gears/chain, disintegrating handgrips, and a steel (read HEAVY) frame - but hey, it was mountain bike styled...

Not knowing whether I'd like this new found midlife crisis activity masquerading as a sport, I was understandably reluctant to drop that kind of money on a new bike, so I figured I'd hop on the Huffy, grit my teeth, and try it out.

There's a canyon nearby that is a favorite haunt of mountain bikers, so we started to go there, trying out the terrain. I'm out of shape, so these excursions into the canyon were very tiring... but I discovered that they were a lot of fun, too.

Going up the hills was a lot (a LOT) of work, especially on a steel-framed toad, but coming down was for me, just as exciting as riding a dirt bike (even more so, perhaps, since the Huffy had cantilever brakes, as opposed to the disc brakes that grace the modern bikes). An hour out in the canyon would find me exhausted, but happy, and looking forward to the next ride.

As I said, it's quite the popular spot for mountain biking, and over the weeks I saw plenty of people out there of all ages, and all sizes.

As well as riding the canyon, I persuaded my friend to come out to the Santa Ana river trail - a bike path, that when complete, will run alongside the Santa Ana river from San Bernardino all the way to the ocean in Orange County.

Although not as strenuous, a 20 mile jag along that bike trail is still a good workout and a lot of fun.

Bottom line, I was enjoying myself. I wanted to get a better bike, but I knew next to nothing about what I should get, and I balked at the potential price tag. Like I said, I had no idea about this whole "other world" of biking, other than the occasional sightings of spandex-clad riders on the weekends as I was out and about.

My friend's father-in-law has been into the sport for a few years now, and I hit him up for advice a couple of times - what to look for, how much I thought I could get away with, etc - and I resolved to save for a decent bike.

I had looked around on the Internet and had an idea of what I wanted. Disc brakes were a must - that Huffy had NO stopping power on the steep hills. I also wanted as light a frame as I could afford, and as much suspension as I could afford (full suspension bikes cost significantly more than hardtails - bikes with front fork shocks but a rigid rear frame).

After Christmas, I'd saved a fair bit - had some help with gift money - and decided to go to the local bike shop after a run through the canyon. The guy there was very helpful and showed me their full line of mountain bikes. One in particular caught my eye, a full-suspension Haro that was marked down 50%, as it was a 2008 model, although still brand new. It was the last one there in my size - and also about $400 more than I had planned to spend...

Well, lookit that! They had layaway! They even knocked off the tax - a not so insignificant sum at that price - so I pulled the trigger.

Every ride after that, I got more and more resentful of the Huffy, faithful beast though she had been.

I couldn't stand it any more; and this weekend, crushed some cans, made some sacrifices and paid the new bike off.

Saturday found me astride my new steed, and let me tell you - it is a world of difference. Better gearing, WAY better stopping, easier to pedal, lighter and more comfortable (once I got the seat height correctly adjusted, that is). I'm still having to get used to the suspension - after riding a rigid for so long, it feels distinctly springy - but it's a lot easier on the body slamming down a rutted trail.

So, after four months or so of riding my old bike, I think I showed myself that I was enjoying this new activity enough to invest a little more into it. No regrets riding the Huffy - it kept me humble, as well as kicking my ass. I'm going to keep it, too - so I have a back-up in case the Haro needs to go into the shop.

Oh, and my new Haro? It's orange too :)

The Huffy:

The Haro:

This week in entertainment...

2011-01-21T15:18:00.000-08:00

I just got through watching the entire first season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand on Netflix this last week. A not-very historically accurate soft-core porno, filled to the brim with bloody scenes of gratuitous, gory violence set to rock music, drenched with some of the filthiest language I’ve ever heard on TV (or real life, for that matter).
Lord forgive me, I loved every minute of it.

On TJIC...

2011-01-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

What happened to TJIC pretty much appalled me. Having the authorities come into your home and violate your rights to that extent because of some Internet post was something I would have expected to hear happen in a place like Egypt, or China. That it happened right here in the Land of the Free was a shock to me.
I talked to my wife about it, and how the gun blogs were reacting. She listened to my impassioned speech for a few minutes, and then calmly asked, "Bitching on the Internet is all well and good; but what are you going to DO about it?"
Contacting the PD directly - or local (MA) politicians is probably out. Regardless of how politely I voice my protest, they'll take one look at where my email is coming from, and pitch it in the circular file. I'm not a constituent, so my opinion will be worthless to them. I'm sure they'll be receiving plenty of mail on this anyway, and if I know the gun owner community, some of it will be distinctly unpleasant, which would likely have a negative effect.
Although his blog is down - which is why I haven't linked to him, as there is really nowhere to link to - I sincerely hope TJIC sets up a mechanism by which we can contribute to his legal fund. My money will do more good in this instance than my mouth in this case, I think.
That's why I love sharing this stuff with my wife. She understands my passion about this, and is in agreement with me, yet her questions and comments make me think, rather than just react.

UPDATE: After reading this post, it turns out that TJIC is not yet asking for donations, so I followed Top of the Chain's example and made a small purchase at Heavy Ink, a comic-book distribution business owned by TJIC, by way of support. Been a long time since I've read comic books, and the ones I did read were in the country of my childhood, so I don't know squat about the ones here in the US. I'll likely buy more, when I'm not so tired and have the time and energy to peruse his wares in more detail.

Registration...

2011-01-19T22:48:00.000-08:00

Leads to confiscation. TJIC, a blogger in MA, has just had his Second Amendment rights violated for exercising his First. A snarky comment on his blog earned him a visit from the local constabulary and the confiscation of all of his guns and ammunition without a by or leave - and certainly without due process. Apparently the authorities will be holding on to them while they conduct an investigation into whether they deem him fit to possess them.

He committed no crime; indeed, scrupulously following the law in MA he got permits for all his guns - so they knew exactly what he had and where they were.

Put up a post that the man doesn't like? Well then, I guess you'd better watch your back.

Image borrowed from borepatch. I put it up because this could happen to any one of us, especially those of us who reside in the Brady's "A" states.

Give the man back his property.

H/T to DirtCrashr for the heads-up.

Range Stories...

2011-01-19T22:02:00.000-08:00

I'd always heard a few, or read about them on the Internet, but my trips to the range had always been uneventful - aside from the fun I'd have with the stuff I brought, of course.
Since my range of choice has for all intents and purposes been effectively shut down, I have been going to one that's quite a bit further away and quite a bit more expensive to shoot at - two factors which have contrived to make this a much less frequently enjoyed pastime.
It's a little less, shall we say, polished than the one I was used to, too.
Anyhow, the last couple of times I've been there have been... interesting.

Back in November, I took my dad and the kids out there for a plinking session and a young guy sets up next to us with what looked to be some pretty old, dirty guns (later verified when he offered to let me shoot his Llama 1911 clone, which was the filthiest gun I'd ever seen). About half an hour into his shooting session, he turns to me with the remains of his crappy old TEC-9 in his hands, and a wide-eyed look on his face.
He'd been blasting away with this thing, shooting as fast as he could pull the trigger and reload, when it pretty much disintegrated in his hands. First time I'd ever seen a kaboom, and I have to say, I wasn't surprised given the type of handgun and the condition it was in. We all felt a little more comfortable when he finally packed up his gear and split.

The next trip I took out there was a little more unsettling.

I had gone with a friend who had wanted to test out a couple of ARs that he had just put together in a very legal, CA-compliant manner. It was a weekend morning, so the place was fairly full.
During one of the ceasefires, a US forest ranger (the range is on leased National Forest land) ambled by to inspect the firing line, paying particular attention to the black rifles that were present - looking for bullet buttons, etc, I imagine. He paused by one, then worked his way up the line, pausing again at our station. He then returned back to the first one, fiddled with it for a couple of minutes and asked loudly whose gun it was. The owner stepped forward and they began to talk - too far away for me to hear. After a few more minutes, the gun owner stepped back, raised his arms and the ranger frisked him. They talked a little while longer, in between the ranger talking on his radio, and then the ranger bagged up the rifle and escorted the guy to his truck. The whole firing line was held up for this entire time, and there was definitely a feeling of tension in the air.
It totally killed my friend's desire to have anything more to do with his ARs that day - we spent the rest of our time popping away with .22s - and it sure spooked me too.
I kept an eye on the goings-on around the ranger's truck, and after about half an hour, the guy was released along with his rifle. He promptly packed up without a word and boned out.
So he must have had a completely legal rifle.
Very chilling effect this whole scene had on the rest of us there, though. The whole lot of us stood there mute, while this whole thing went on. I got the very clear impression that this officer was not a fan of the black rifles.
Climate of fear indeed. I haven't been back since.

AB962 Struck Down! Par-Tay!

2011-01-18T21:51:00.000-08:00

Today, AB962 - the CA ammo ban law set to go into effect on Feb 1st that would have banned the Internet sale of "handgun ammunition" as well as mandated fingerprinting and ID for face-to-face purchases - was struck down by CA superior court judge Hamilton as being unconstitutionally vague.
Specific calibers were not mentioned in the law and since many calibers have utility in both rifles and handguns, this understandably created a lot of confusion amongst ammunition purchaser and sellers, as well as those in law enforcement whose task it would be to enforce the ban.
This law is dead for the time being - pending appeal (which in a sane world, would NOT happen in a state teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, but hey - this is California, after all) and ammo sales can continue legally.
While the rest of the country sees gains in their Second Amendment rights, we here in California are just pathetically grateful to be able to hold onto what rights we've got. Wins like this, however, even though they're essentially a holding action, still offer us beleaguered CA gunnies a huge morale boost. Even here, in the Golden State, the gun-grabbers can be stymied.
Many thanks to NRA, CRPA, Calguns and all the plaintiffs who made this important victory possible.

Cold Turkey

2010-11-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

About a month ago now, I yanked the XBOX 360 out from it's home under the TV and placed it in the gun safe, having decided that it was becoming a black hole into which a large chunk of my and my son's time was disappearing. I had told Number One Son that it was in a "safe" place...
I think it was around October 12th.
I haven't really missed it all that much, but what's more important to me is that Number One Son hasn't either. I had braced myself for a meltdown of epic proportions, but it seems that I had underestimated my boy. I emphasized to him that I was not doing it as a punishment to him, but that I felt we all needed a break. He took it in stride, and there was no drama at all. We have devoted more time to such things as board games, basketball and reading, all of which are more inclusive of more of the family.
Well, as you may or may not know, Black Ops was released this week, and Number One Son has been making noises about purchasing it - he has a gift card that he held onto for just such an eventuality - and I have to admit, I'd like to play it too.
I never intended to make this a permanent ban; it was more of a recognition of an imbalance in our free time, and of just wanting a break. I am also aware that a complete removal of the XBOX could be an example of the pendulum swinging too far in the other direction too, so when I do reintroduce it, I'm going to be very careful about where to strike that balance.

As California Goes...

2010-11-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

Election day saw a sound rejection of the administration's party and policies pretty much across the entire nation... with, of course, the exception of California.
Our state saw a switch from a Republican to a Democrat governor, retention of one of the WORST Democratic senators in the nation and Democrats being voted into pretty much all the key positions in state government - with the possible exception of Attorney General, although I'm not sure a final result in that one has been announced.
On top of that, several state ballot initiatives passed here that essentially drive more nails into the coffin that is the state's economy.
Prop 23 would have suspended the state "global warming solutions" law, that imposes further environmental restrictions/taxes/fees on local businesses, until the state unemployment rate - currently at an official level of around 12.5% - drops to 5.5% for a full year. Of course, California voters sent this one down in flames. More taxes, more regulation, during a crippling recession? Yep, let's have more of that please.
Prop 25 would change the passing vote on the state budget from a 2/3 vote to a simple majority. Since the Democratic party enjoys a pretty much permanent majority in the state legislature - but not quite a 2/3 majority - this piece of crap masquerading as legislation has effectively shut the Republican party out of the budgetary process. No more compromises, no more gridlock - full speed ahead toward the liberal utopia as envisioned by our Democratic lords and masters.
The voters have spoken, and they've pretty much said that the rest of the country can go pound sand, we want a one-party system in the state of California.
Well, on the bright side, since everyone but the liberals have been shut out of the process here in CA, they will have no-one to blame but themselves when it all goes to hell.
Right?

Thought it seemed appropriate today...

2010-11-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Vote!

2010-11-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

I did. You?

Under no circumstance was I about to vote for Meg Whitman, despite the (R) next to her name. Her history with eBay, a notoriously anti-gun company, coupled with the fact that Arnold has shown me that a Republican governor in this state is next to useless when faced with a permanent Democratic majority in the state capitol was more than enough reason to vote against her.
The threat of veto is about the only power a Republican governor has in this state, and I'm sick of seeing my gun rights being tossed out as bargaining chips to gain concessions on the governor's pet projects. I'm convinced that Whitman would be even more enthusiastic in this regard than Arnold was, given that gun owners in this state are either such a small minority as to not be worth pandering to, or taken for granted as a solid (R) vote.
I couldn't, however, bring myself to vote for Brown, despite his gun-friendly tenure as state AG and the amicus brief he filed in favor of the 2A on behalf of this state (on his own initiative, no less), because the guy has been saying some crazy scary things lately, any time he's near a mike.
I voted for Dale Ogden, the Libertarian candidate, which better suited my conscience. Yes, he has no chance of a win, but he was the most deserving of my precious vote... And if a vote for Ogden means a vote for Brown, well, all the better, because I would prefer the Democrats be at the wheel when this bus hurtles off the cliff.

Random Stuff

2010-05-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

Wow... two months since I've last posted... well, life gets in the way sometimes, I suppose.

I've been on a bit of a 4X4 kick lately, looking at jeeps or other such vehicles in the vain hope of being able to afford one and go hill beating with my kids... one of these days...

I've been watching the election news out of the UK, and have come to the conclusion that all you need to know about how "conservative" the UK Conservative Party is can be determined by the fact that they are perfectly willing and able to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.

Gun show this weekend! Haven't been to one in years (hangs head) and I'm really looking forward to it...

Looks like Halo 3 has been toppled from it's top spot in the household, replaced by Modern Warfare 2. The controls are a little different which can make it a bit of a PITA to switch between games, especially when you're playing against folks live.

I got my dirtbike up and running after two years of being idle - the carb was nasty, let me tell you - I'm itching to take it out to the desert, as soon as I can find someone to go with. Desert riding solo - not the smartest thing to do... or so my bride insists...

Not a Bad Day...

2010-03-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

Today I received my tacticool Mall.. err Office Ninja dress shirt, in blue plaid. Nice! I only ordered it two days ago, after getting the heads-up from David over at RNS. Excellent price - $17.99 – same as a regular dress shirt (close to $60 regular price). It’s got snaps under fake buttons to allow quick access to the large interior pockets (one on each side) and it’s lined with a wicking material. Very happy.

I also finally managed to get my printer working – should have done it ages ago, it was such a quick fix, once I found the workaround on the company website. I haven’t had it up since my hard drive crashed. How pathetic is that? No more running over to the in-laws to print stuff, at least once I get the requisite printer cartridges…

Getting The Low Down

2010-03-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

Last week, I got a postcard in the mail from my local rifle range (that I happened to be a member of) inviting me to a board meeting to find out what's happening with the club. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may remember that I heard that it got shut down last July, due to environmental concerns brought up by the developer who had just bought some land adjacent. He wants the range to just go away, essentially. I thought they were done for good at the time, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that they had a meeting to discuss the future of the club.
The meeting was last night, and I was very impressed with the turnout. Standing-room only in the clubhouse, and it seemed like I was just about the youngest guy there...
Anyway, they're not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. The judge shut them down pending reconstruction of their ranges (shotgun, pistol and rifle) so they've had to come up with plans and have them approved by the judge. The plaintiff has stymied them at every hearing, demanding changes to every plan that they've come up with so far. The NRA helped kick in to improve the pistol range and that did not sit well with the plaintiff, although that looks like it may be the first one back up in operation.
The rifle range is going to be a much bigger challenge. They are no longer allowed to have a blue-sky range, which means that from your firing position to your target you may not see open sky, which at the very minimum means a partially covered range. Since their funds have been depleted to about $300 as of yesterday, this is looking pretty grim.
As well as all that, the plaintiff turned around and sued the BLM, since the range is on leased BLM land, which is making things even more of a pain in the ass. If he makes things difficult enough for BLM, then there's a possibility that they'll just pull the plug on the whole thing to avoid the headache. It seems that at every step of this nightmare, the judge has found in favor of the plaintiff, so an appeal to a higher court may be in order at some point. With over 1500 paying members, this has affected quite a lot of folks in the local community and they have asked us to start writing letters to BLM all the way up to the Secretary of the Interior to let them know how much this place means to us. I'll be doing that here shortly.
The meeting itself was kind of irritating, in that some members were whining about their $60 memberships and how they wanted their memberships extended for free so they could have a vote on a new board. While I understand their frustration, they're not charging membership fees right now, since there's nowhere to shoot, and may not ever be - especially if the plaintiff has his way...
Besides which, since the board members were all named personally in the suit, if it all goes tits up, why would they want a piece of that? (although, worse case scenario, if it does come to a big payout, apparently all the members - including your humble narrator - may be on the hook. Nice.)
So, the next hearing, where they will present their latest plan to the judge, is on March 30th, and the following board meeting will be April 5th, so I'll know more then.

Hey There...

2010-03-09T15:01:00.001-08:00

Been a while since I posted, I know. I sometimes go through patches when I don't feel inspired to put something down, thereby breaking the first rule of blogging, which is to post something every day or something like that...

My second interview went better than the first - I wasn't sick this time around, at least! - but I doubt I'll be getting the job. We'll see - I'll hear one way or the other this week, according to them.

As for scratching that itch... well, I eviscerated my change jar and turned in a bunch of cans (classy, I know), culminating in enough cash to plop down for another lower...
Found one at Ammo Bros in Ontario that I was willing to buy (in California, they tend to run a little more) - an LRB lower. I still have a lower parts kit in the shop from the rifle kit I got last time, so I'm good to go - sort of. Still need to figure out how I want to top it, but that's all part of the fun. Limitless possibilities - suggestions welcome...

Random Thoughts...

2010-02-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

I've been a little busy lately, as well as somewhat under the weather, and I suppose that will have to pass as my excuse for not posting. I've still been lurking though, when I've had the time. That takes less creative energy than writing does, as well as being more informative anyway. I learn more by listening than talking, and the same holds true in the blogosphere.

I haven't had a whole lot to say about the Amy Bishop Saga because there isn't really that much to say about it, except to point out that neither side of the political spectrum has the lock on crazy... we on this side, however, don't usually point to such incidents as typical liberal behavior.

I honestly thought I'd be writing a post about how not to do a job interview - I felt like it had gone that badly last Thursday - but to my complete amazement, I had come out number 2 overall and will shortly be getting a call for a second interview. I had done it all wrong, starting out with calling the wrong extension at the security desk, to be pointedly told by the HR lady on the other end of the line the correct extension number (which had been in my email, but I had of course forgotten) and stumbling through with some awkward silences, some really dumb answers to their questions and generally feeling like I had absolutely blown it. Maybe they had been swayed by my dazzling good looks... or maybe most of the others had been even more moronic, I don't know.

I'm getting that itch again, too... I am casting about looking for my next gun purchase... mulling whether to buy a small revolver or another semi-auto rifle. Right now I have my eye on the Kel-Tec SU16CA in .223, although I've heard mixed reviews about it, and a Saiga 16in in 7.62X39. The Saiga is significantly cheaper, which may be the deciding factor, since money is tight, but we'll see. I know I'll have to turn in a crapload of aluminum cans either way...
As far as revolvers go, I know next to nothing about them, other than my wife's is sweet (.357 Smith and Wesson 686 in stainless), but quite expensive. I'm thinking of a smaller one, something concealable in anticipation of being able to get a CCW in the wake of incorporation via MacDonald, but who am I kidding - it'll likely be years of litigation before the laws here change to shall-issue, if at all... any suggestions as to a revolver, though, would be most welcome...

Great.

2010-02-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

Coming down with a cold. Normally, not so big a deal, as long as I'm stocked with kleenex, but tomorrow I have a job interview. Hopefully I'll feel better in the morning, but it feels like it's just starting to settle in.
Not real happy about my options at this point - either go to the interview, snuffling and sneezing, potentially infecting my interviewers, or beg off sick, with no idea how that would go down...
Guess I'll just down some vitamin C tabs and hope for the best...

Drought

2010-02-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

Haven't had much to say lately... it was a pretty busy long weekend, what with Valentine's dates, yard work, working (OK playing) on my ATV, helping family with home improvement and Call of Duty: World at War. That last one is proving to be quite addictive - possibly even more so than Halo 3...

To Protect and, uh... Swerve?

2010-02-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

Riverside Police Chief Russ Leach is under investigation - by CHP - for taking out a fire hydrant, light pole and cruising away for 3 miles on blown tires... at 3am Monday - the night after the Super Bowl.
In a city issued car.
Dude's on "medical leave" right now and has no clear recollection of the night. Pain meds, huh? Well, the proles can still catch a DUI for that, as well as hit and run.
No field sobriety test was given, since the initial stop was by his employees, and the chief ain't telling so I'll guess we'll never know if he was on the hooch. CHP is treating their investigation as if no report was taken at the scene.
Very interesting. Nice to have the benefit of the doubt. Nice to not have to spend that first night in lockup. Perks of the job, and all that.
Hmm, probably not the best example to set for the boys in blue.
Well, at least there's an investigation.
I'm just glad all he took out was a fire hydrant.

You know the score, pal. You're not cop, you're little people.

Boiling Point?

2010-02-10T23:52:00.001-08:00

Thursday marks the anniversary of the Iranian regime's rise to power, and Khamenei has promised an event that will "punch" the West...
Seems like things are spiraling out of control for the thugs in charge there. They've arrested hundreds of dissidents in advance of the celebrations today, but it looks like there is going to still be unrest. Although the regime has made major efforts to shut down or limit internet access, there are a few people live blogging the events unfolding even as I write. My hat's off to these gutsy folk.
You can't stop the signal.

Via Instapundit

Well then...

2010-02-10T22:53:00.000-08:00

I had a summons for jury duty this week and I was actually looking forward to participating in the experience, what with being a n00b citizen and all.
Our county has a call-in system, so we don't have to go down to the courthouse unless our specific juror number is called.
So, like a good little potential juror, I called into the system every evening to hear the automated system tell me my service had been postponed until the next night. Tonight's call ended with the automated system telling me my juror service was completed.
Honestly, I'm feeling a little disappointed right now...

Web wanderings...

2010-02-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Tam posted about a book that I'd really like to read. Glad I've still got money left on my Barnes and Noble Gift card...
Billy Beck is posting again. He can be, err, abrasive sometimes, but he is one sharp guy. He's right, too. The Republicans are fools if they think a repudiation of the Democrats is by default a vindication of their own agenda. Bush's excesses are still quite fresh in the public mind.
Linoge gave his blog a makeover. Very nice... easier for me to post a comment there, too, now.
I don't care at all for the possible implications in this post by Robb Allen...

Real funny, guy

2010-02-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

An East Palo Alto police detective posted a crack (on Facebook, of all places) about killing open carry activists:

"Sounds like you had someone practicing their 2nd amendment rights last night! Should've pulled the AR out and prone them all out! And if one of them made a furtive movement...2 weeks off!!!"

There's a lot of contempt for the movement in the thread in question, but Detective Rod Tuason's casual joking about murdering law-abiding citizens kinda stands out, dontchya think?

In a perfect world, this kind of comment - in a public forum, by one sworn to protect and serve the public - would merit at the minimum immediate termination (of employment) and a psychiatric examination.

Since this is, however, the real world, I don't expect anything to happen to such a stellar public servant. After all, if the act of murdering lawful citizens warrants nothing more than a 2 week paid suspension for the officer involved (as he so helpfully points out in his post), then cracking a joke about it probably won't even raise command's eyebrows.

It's one thing to hear this about this mindset from one of the unwashed masses; to hear it from one of the privileged elite themselves is far more meaningful. That he felt comfortable enough to post it on Facebook is also very telling, and makes me think his may not be a minority view.

I'm reminded of a quote from Blade Runner, by Captain Bryant to Deckard:

"You know the score, pal. You're not cop, you're little people."

Found via Say Uncle

UPDATE - It would appear that Detective Tuason is a member of the Calguns community. I just got done reading through this 600+ post thread (he outs himself on page 24). Huge disappointment, to say the very least.

On Beer and Brewing... Sort Of

2010-02-08T22:38:00.001-08:00

So, instead of going to the range due to the crap weather, I wound up going to watch a home brewing demonstration over at this place. Fascinating stuff. Damn tasty, too. They had a couple of their varieties on tap in the back room, free for the taking and let me tell you, their honeyed pale ale was frigging GOOD. Makes me want to try making my own. The guy doing the demo really knew his stuff - he answered all the dumb questions I threw at him authoritatively.
One guy's question threw me for a loop, though. He asked, "What can I used in the process other than honey? Is sugar a good substitute? I really can't use honey because my wife is pregnant and she can't have it."
Uh, dude, if she's pregnant, I'm pretty sure she shouldn't be on the BEER, regardless of honey content.
When class got out, we traipsed over to a local brewery that I never even knew existed up until that day. They've been in business for a year, and one of the partners was a high school classmate of one of my friends. Small world. Tasty beer, and real friendly guys. They were only too happy to give us a tour of the place, and show us the process from start to finish. I was especially impressed by the way they engineered some home-grown solutions to some of the problems a brewery faces - for example, temperature control, which can be a bit of a challenge down here in the Southland. My friend was so impressed, she asked to work there for free to learn the trade. Her dream is to start up her own microbrewery up north, so this was an ideal opportunity for her - especially since she's unemployed at the moment, so she has the time to devote to this.
All in all, not a bad way to spend a day, if going to the range is out...

Dampened Enthusiasm

2010-02-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just picked up a new hunting rifle (Savage in .30-06) a few days back, and we had made arrangements to go to the range today. Of course, I didn't check the weather, and it's raining. Not hard, but the range we were going to hit has no covered firing line, and since I'm all about comfort, I'm not going. I'm really not all that into fighting my way up a muddy, rutted mountain road to go sit on a wet stool and lean on a wet table to shoot in the rain.

Yet Another Proud Dad Post...

2010-02-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

Number One Son got his black gi tonight and I couldn't resist sharing...

And from the back...

What History Has Taught Me About Socialism and Communism

2010-02-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

I was called out on another blog to show the historical evidence backing up my low opinion of Socialism, and rather than respond there, I decided to give it some thought and post my reasoning here.

Socialism has been an intermittent part of the human experience for a long time. It has never lasted long in any society that has tried it, but it remains a popular system. Why?

Superficially, Socialism (and it's purest form, Communism) looks very attractive from a financial standpoint - certainly to those in the lower strata of society, especially poor societies. Essentially, everyone pitches in for a fair share. Since the poorest classes of any given society also tend to be the largest, democratic societies will always tend toward socialism. It makes sense, as people vote their interests. A colleague of mine, who is Chinese, pretty much agrees with this. He believes that communism is good for China, because before communism, he said the people had nothing. Note that he lives here in Capitalist America, however, so it's good for them, but not necessarily him.

You don't really have to dig to hard to see why socialism doesn't last, however. In order for it to work as advertised, you have to have a 100 percent buy-in. Everyone in the society has to play by the rules - there is just no room for people to do their own thing. If people were allowed to pursue their own dreams and ambitions rather than working towards the common good, problems would arise - inequity comes into the equation and you're back to square one.
So, how do you prevent this?

In theory, you have to concentrate power in the hands of government. All financial matters are controlled by government. All businesses are owned by the state. All work therefore is done in service to the state. The state then distributes the wealth created in an even manner to all participants.

However, in reality, you really can't. Here's why.

-Black markets will arise in even the most controlled economies, despite the wishes of the powers that be, and the punishments meted out for participating.

-The people in charge - and there always has to be people in charge, especially in these cases, to ensure distribution - have to be trustworthy. They have to have society's best interests at heart. They have to participate in the system too. To date, I don't believe that any socialist society has succeeded at finding these so-called "right people". Power corrupts. Power always corrupts. These people are guiding the society, so they're entitled to a little more of a share, right? They're important, so they need state protection, right? In order to protect them, they need housing away from the masses, right? It's a stressful job, so they need more leisure, right? And so on. Wow. We've just created a class system again - this time political, rather than financial. Whatever; you still get "haves" and "have-nots".

-Equal pay, but not equal work. There will always be an element of society that simply does not work. There are three main groups here: The incapable, the most sympathetic group (although some socialist societies preferred to remove, rather than support them); the criminal (there will always be a subset of any society that finds it easier to take what they want rather than work for it); and the plain lazy. As it becomes apparent that people are entitled to the same share regardless of the effort put in, this group expands as those who work begin to see that they don't benefit any more than those who do not.

-Individual liberty must be sacrificed upon the altar of the common good. Liberty and Socialism cannot coexist - at least, not for long. The needs of the individual must always yield to those of the state - otherwise, you'd get back to that horrid class system in no time. This is the most sinister aspect of the system for me - that I must subject my own personal dreams, rights and liberties to the whim of society at large. If I refuse, I may be imprisoned or executed. In no way will I be permitted to live in liberty within such a system. Nor can I leave. History bears this out. This is where the bodies start to pile up. If everyone who wanted to leave left, why, who would do the work necessary for the functioning of such a society? That's one reason why there is a lot of animosity towards America in the world. Our country is a shining example of what is possible when individuals are left alone to realize their potential. Our very existence is a threat to Socialism, because as long as there is an America, based upon our founding principles, people in Socialist states will always be able to see - to know - that the grass is greener on the other side. For this reason alone, Socialism will always fail as long as people can see that there is an alternative.

OK, enough of my simplistic opinions and observations. On to some examples of Socialism in history, in answer to Markadelphia's challenge:

The Plymouth Colony, 1620. Their socialist experiment almost wiped them out. Fail.
New Harmony, Indiana, 1825-29. Lasted four years before collapsing. Fail.
Brook Farm, 1841-44. Held out for three years. Fail.

"But wait!" I hear you say. "These were all small societies, with limited access to resources. Surely there are examples of larger societies with more resources that lasted much longer!"

Yes, there are. I believe that large societies, with a wealthier starting point in terms of resources and manpower, can (but not always) tolerate the drain of Socialism for longer periods. But not indefinitely. The current record holder is the Soviet Union - a huge state, we can all agree, with vast tracts of land, plenty of mineral wealth and a large population to exploit.

They lasted sixty-nine years.

Other examples include Tunisia (less than ten years), Tanzania (gave up after 20 years or so in the face of famines and starvation - but hey, they got the literacy rates up!), Grenada (four years - guess they just couldn't get along).
There's a list here of many more if you're interested. Note the list of former states is much larger than current.
And who could forget Nazi Germany. Twelve years. Yes, it was a socialist state.

A feature common to these but maybe not readily obvious until I included Nazi Germany is the huge body count. You never get 100% participation in these societies, as I stated. Well, that is just an obstacle to be overcome for the true believers. They see no disconnect at all in killing millions of people in order to make life better.

So, my opinions, my observations and the historical record show me that Socialism as a system of government is doomed to fail every single time, with disastrous and often lethal results for its participants. YMMV, especially if your name is Markadelphia.

Screwed either way

2010-02-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

I just heard on the radio that President Obama's aunt, who is in the country illegally (and had been ordered deported four years ago) is facing an immigration hearing today. Probably a very intimidating process for the lady, and having experienced the US, the prospect of being booted back to Kenya is probably quite daunting.
This is a no win for Obama, for which I have a lot of sympathy for him. If he does nothing, then he's a heartless bastard who doesn't give a crap about his family. If he intercedes on his aunt's behalf, then he's a corrupt bastard for using his position to influence immigration policy on behalf of his family. Either way, the right can have a field day with this.
I guess the best road to take would be to pony up for legal representation for his aunt - the best he can get on his own dime -
and then stay out of the matter entirely.
Kinda feel sorry for the guy.

I Love Calguns

2010-02-03T22:38:00.000-08:00

And this is why.
All part of the sea-change. Even here in California, gun bigots are not ever going to be able to push their agenda in a vacuum any more. The determination to fight this kind of nonsense is growing, and we will be heard. If not in the legislature, then in the court room. And it won't be cheap, for all those like-minded cash-strapped municipalities out there.

Here's the thread I ripped it from...

Good!

2010-02-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

Ha! A blow for freedom in my own back yard!
Though not necessarily for the noblest of reasons (as pointed out halfway into the article - not enough revenue was generated), our local council has voted to do away with a couple of sets of red light cameras. I'm glad that the council is showing, though, that local government can be responsive to the people it serves, as there were a lot of gripes about this thing.
Wow - $500 tickets? Glad I never got pinched...

No Fair!

2010-02-03T21:53:00.001-08:00

The Tax Men can have 14 inch shotties, but I can't?
Us proles - especially here in California - have to have shotguns with barrels no less than 18 inches long. Because, you know, we can't be trusted with something that has no obvious use other than to er... collect taxes?
Guess it's good to be the king('s men)...

Found at Drudge

I have come to the definitive conclusion...

2010-02-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

that Paul's Boutique is by far the best album put out by the Beastie Boys.
That is all.

Well, My Lad...

2010-02-01T21:45:00.000-08:00

... Better sooner than later, because you'd be up shit creek if Obamacare passes.
There's a reason that people from countries with socialized medicine come here for procedures when life is on the line and they have the means. You want to know the reason?
It's because our medical care is better.
Shit, it's the best. People don't fly to France or Canada or England for life-saving surgeries. If they can afford it, they come here.
That's what markets do. They encourage competition, which improves the quality of the service, drives innovation and, if the market was truly unfettered, with the patient, rather than the employer or insurance company being the customer, they push costs down in a way that a command from on high never could.
Socialized medicine kills innovation, kills initiative and worst of all, kills people.
It's a dark thing they're pushing for, the democrats. Pray they don't succeed.

Found at Instapundit.

Loooong day...

2010-02-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

I'm up to my eyeballs in Proficiency Testing samples at work (which our lab needs to perform - accurately - every six months to retain our certification), which means multiple dilutions for multiple tests - including some that we don't even offer anymore, but the powers that be want us to stay certified in, despite lacking the correct detectors for my instrumentation. Long story short, 'twas a busy day. I shouldn't really complain, though, since there's been precious few busy days lately, and this one didn't even have the added satisfaction of customers taken care of and money in the coffers, since it was all about compliance today.
Speaking of compliance, I went to buy a feeder mouse for our snake (who shall henceforth be called Leah, since it was ascertained beyond a shadow of a doubt today that she is, in fact, female... although we had our suspicions) yesterday and was handed a contract to sign, prior to taking ownership of said mouse, stating, and I quote:

"By signing, I commit to being a responsible pet owner by providing a safe and appropriate environment for my companion animal. I have received a 'PetStore' care sheet for my companion animal, and am aware of what is necessary to keep my pet happy and healthy".

Um, sure... it'll be the happiest little mouse ever... right up until I toss it into my pet snake's gaping maw.
They knew why I was buying the mouse, but insisted on the contract anyway. OK then.

Holy Cow

2010-01-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know how he does it - it takes me twenty minutes to bang out a couple of paragraphs - but I'm certainly glad he does. I strongly recommend following the link and reading the whole thing. Kevin Baker has a way of expressing his philosophy (one that I share, by the way) that very few others do.
All I can really say after reading that is "What he said!"
Always a treat to read the Smallest Minority. That's why I go there every day.

Horror Story

2010-01-31T20:31:00.000-08:00

Last night, I picked up Wifey at the airport with My Little Princess (Number One Son was still at Astro Camp).
We came home and settled down for bed around 11pm, My Little Princess choosing to sleep on Number One Son's lower bunk as she had all week while Momma was gone.
I was just cracking open my book, when I heard a series of six earsplitting, blood-curdling screams that could only have emanated from my daughter.
I rushed out into the hallway, to find My Little Princess out of bed, in tears. After calming her down, I got the whole story from her.
She had pulled back the covers and snuggled into bed, when she had felt something cold. This cold something had then slithered over her leg and onto the floor, at which point she had jumped up screaming.
Turns out that Number One Son's pet snake, Leo (our Kenyan Sand Boa), had gotten out of it's cage - presumably in search of food - and tried to find somewhere warm, since our house is pretty cold at the moment, at least as far as reptiles would be concerned.
Leo was found, his tank inspected (still not quite sure how he got out) and My Little Princess was calmed down. All in all, she took it pretty well (a hell of a lot better than I would have, that's for sure) once she found out what it was, but she did choose to spend the remainder of the night in her own room... with the door closed.

Two of My Favorite Things...

2010-01-31T19:05:00.000-08:00

Are bacon and dark chocolate. Knowing this, Wifey brought me something interesting back from her trip to Chicago...

Interesting combo... Never had them together before.
Of course, Wifey didn't stop there. Being in Chicago, she found something else that she couldn't resist buying...

Yup, a bar of "Change" chocolate...

Headline of the Week!

2010-01-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

Over here, via Instapundit. That got a chuckle out of me.

Bipartisanship. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means...

But seriously, it looks like El Presidente is having a bit of a meltdown lately. He tore into Republicans today in an effort to promote bipartisanship(?), which was just icing on the cake after his behavior during the State of the Union address. Not exactly striking much of a conciliatory tone.
I guess the ass-kicking his party and policies got in Massachusetts was a little too subtle; too nuanced, if you will...
Because I think he's just not getting it.

Earning It

2010-01-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day for Number One Son. In a little over an hour from now, he will be subjected to a four hour examination at his dojo. This will include a written test, an examination of his katas - forms and techniques - and culminating in sparring - essentially getting jumped in by a bunch of bigger kids.
And if he succeeds, he will have his black belt in karate.
I'm very proud of him, win or lose tonight, because it's been a long road and he's stuck it out, which to me shows a level of dedication and maturity far beyond his ten years.
Good luck son.

UPDATE: He made it! Allow me to present... Sensei Number One Son!

Because he's under 16, his black belt has a white stripe throught it. It is a full black belt, and he'll exchange it for a solid one when he's old enough. He's very proud of his accomplishment, as he should be. It was a tough test, as you can see by his sweaty hair.
I'm very proud of him for following through on his commitment, and to have such an achievement at the ripe old age of ten!

Stay Classy, Mr President

2010-01-27T21:32:00.001-08:00

Taking a swipe at the Supreme Court in your speech. Nice. Despite what you said, sir, I get the distinct feeling that you don't respect the separation of powers at all. Well, tough shit. You don't get to be king in America, and things aren't always going to go your way - especially since your way seems to be in direct contradiction to liberty. This is not yet a banana republic, sir.

The 800lb Gorilla

2010-01-27T06:31:00.000-08:00

The NRA has elbowed its way into oral arguments in the McDonald case set to be heard by the Supreme Court. They applied for, and got 10 minutes out of the 30 allotted to the plaintiffs represented by Alan Gura (who served the cause of liberty so well in Heller). The NRA's lawyer of choice in this is one Paul Clement, who as Solicitor General, actually argued in favor of DC's position in Heller. That makes me a little uncomfortable.
Now, NRA got their 10 minutes ostensibly to make a case before the court focusing on the Due Process clause, since Gura was focusing on the Privileges and Immunities Clause as a way to protect the RKBA.
I suspect that a large part of this is NRA's desire to show that they are relevant; that is, that the largest pro-gun group in the US wants to be a part of such a historic case, that the NRA wants McDonald on its resume so to speak, especially since it didn't get much of a taste in Heller. So it pushed its way in, against the wishes of the original plaintiffs.

Fine. You're in. SCOTUS gave you the time. With a lawyer who was on the other side in the last go-round. You'd better not screw it up. Your membership is watching.

Riddles in the Dark...

2010-01-26T22:38:00.001-08:00

...is the title of chapter five of The Hobbit, which I just finished reading to my kids tonight - the chapter where Bilbo Baggins encounters Gollum and The Ring. Probably not the best choice for bedtime reading to a nine- and ten-year-old. It's more than a little creepy, but I did stress that Bilbo managed to escape by the end of the chapter, and that it's just a story.
They've been reminding me every night to read them the story thus far; I hope this chapter hasn't discouraged them. I think I sometimes forget how young they still are...

I was starting to feel a little sympathy...

2010-01-26T22:21:00.000-08:00

... for El Presidente these last few days - he's had a pretty rough week, after all - until I saw this news item over at Instapundit...
The press is against you? Boo-frikken-hoo. Man up, guy. Bush put up with this - far worse, mind you - for eight frigging years! Being a Republican, he didn't even have the opportunity of a "honeymoon" as Democrats always seem to enjoy, either. One week and you're already crying? Very presidential.
The press has been obnoxiously in the tank for Obama, almost to the point of out-and-out worship. Looks like they're feeling somewhat cheated, as though El Presidente turned out to be just another empty suit full of empty promises. Looks like about half the country's feeling the same way. Never ceases to amaze me how high some people will set their expectations of politicians, even those vapid as this one.
Hope and Change sounded great, didn't it? But we never really got anything out of him beyond that during the campaign, did we? Well, we're getting it now, and it looks like a lot of folks don't like it.
So now the fawning in the media has slackened off some...
I guess when you come to expect that kind of adulation as your due, a week like this last one could be crushing.
Time to blow your nose, wipe away the tears, and finish out your term, tough guy.

Random Stuff...

2010-01-25T06:31:00.000-08:00

The Wife is in Chicago all this week at a conference, which is going to make for interesting times here as far as juggling my work schedule with the kids' school schedule. Luckily I have some good friends willing to help out...
Got the first issue of my subscription to Reason magazine this last weekend... haven't read it all yet but there's plenty of good stuff in there...
The Saints-Vikings game was a close one. I didn't care for the officiating. In the Saint's last drive before OT, there were three bad calls in a row - a first down given when clearly the ball didn't pass the mark, a pass interference penalty against the Vikings for what was obviously an uncatchable ball and a completion where the ball hit the ground as the guy was catching it. I'm not even a Vikings fan, and I was pissed at the refs...
Girding ourselves here at the kingdom for another week of crap weather. Sand bags and sump pump at the ready. The rain here in the lowlands means snow in the surrounding mountains, and after we get rain, the skies clear up, giving clear views for miles. The snow capped mountains look beautiful right now. Number One Son is supposed to be going up into the mountains this Friday for "Astro Camp", and I'm thinking he needs some warmer clothing than he currently has. I'm wondering if they're going to need chains to get up there. Do they even make snow chains for school buses?

Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt.

2010-01-23T22:51:00.000-08:00

I encountered quite a bit of it today at a local gun store, and it was pretty unsettling. I guess I shouldn't expect legal advice from a guy making minimum wage behind a gun counter, but it was pretty annoying to hear him talk about legalities here in CA that he obviously had little idea about. For example, "Gun Store X down the way is selling Saigas which have been banned so they're breaking the law, but DOJ just hasn't gotten around to them yet". Uh, OK dude...
He also exemplified a way of thinking that our government - especially the CA DOJ - encourages, in that if there is not a ruling allowing a particular feature (in this case, he was referring to a bullet button), then it must be illegal.
That is the mindset of a serf, not a citizen. Laws do not grant permission; laws forbid behaviors (and in CA, guns sometimes). If there is no law in place banning the particular item in question, then by definition it must be legal. The DOJ may not care for some of the items Californians choose to avail themselves of, but if they are not banned by law, then it's just tough.
Obviously the spirit of the law here in CA is designed to discourage Californians from possessing EBRs altogether, but if one scrupulously adheres to the letter of the law and complies with all the requirements then it can be done.
Guys like the clerk I encountered today aren't helping; they're doing DOJ's work for them, by spreading their flawed perceptions of California gun law to their customers. I swear sometimes, gun owners can be worse than fishwives for all the rumors that you hear spread throughout the community.
I suppose I could have corrected him, but I didn't envision that ending well. If you've ever been in a gun store, you'd know the type. It's the store owner's responsibility to educate their employees anyway.
I doubt I'll be doing business there again.

Free Speech WIN!

2010-01-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

I was very happy to hear McCain-Feingold take a beating by the Supreme Court today. Another one in the win column for liberty. Of course, it wasn't a unanimous decision, however; three guesses as to which four justices dissented?
Freedom of speech... its not just about crucifixes in urine jars, hippy...

Rain

2010-01-20T22:54:00.000-08:00

Holy crap. Feels like I'm back in England. I know we need it - California's been in a drought for some time - but do we have to get it all at once? I have canyons forming in my back yard - hopefully we don't slide off the damn hill...

Book of Eli

2010-01-19T21:05:00.001-08:00

Saw this movie last night with a couple of friends, and I wasn't disappointed. One of the few movies I've seen in a theater lately that I didn't regret shelling out the dough for. I had a few issues with the way society had devolved in the post-apocalyptic world, but the story kept me interested and so did the action.
The ending left a little to be desired, too, though I really can't explain my gripes without spoiling it, so I won't.
I'd definitely recommend it, with the caveat that there are fairly strong Christian overtones throughout (if that wasn't already evident by the title of the movie and the trailers advertising it) which may not be every one's cup of tea - as indeed it wasn't for one of my friends, who said he'd felt as though he was tricked into going to church...
That said, the basic theme of the movie resonated with me - that a life dedicated to the preservation of something good in this world is not a wasted one.

Ouch

2010-01-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

How about that, eh? Massachusetts voters elected a Republican senator for the first time in how long? How despised must one's party and agenda be to lose such a safe seat, nestled in such a bastion of liberalism?
I really hope this is an indicator of something bigger, that people are finally realizing just what the Federal government has started to become, how entitled it feels to dictate terms to the people in every single facet of their lives, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant. Maybe it's not too late to stuff the beast back into its constitutional cage after all.
Or maybe I'm just reading way too much into one senatorial election... but a guy can dream, right?
Congratulations, Senator Brown. May you always remember how you got there, and why.

Getting Involved...

2010-01-19T16:20:00.001-08:00

I didn't post about this yesterday, as the rain created a few problems around the house and I had other plans in the evening, but I made mention of going to a Calguns chapter startup meeting on Saturday.
Calguns, if you're not already aware of it, is an awesome resource for gun owners here in the Golden State. Within the forums you can find information on navigating your way through our byzantine firearms laws, hook up with fellow gunnies in your area, get advice on your firearms maintenance, upkeep and building, and stay abreast of current developments with California firearms-related bills.
Dirtcrashr was the first to point me that way, for which I am most grateful. It was also useful in downloading certification letters about my DSA FAL that confirmed even to my paranoid self that this EEEVVVILLL rifle was in fact legal under California law. It's my go-to place for any questions I have about anything firearm related.
Anyhoo, as well as all that, these guys have been very effective - more so than the NRA and CRPA (California Rifle and Pistol Association) in fighting some of our more egregious laws in court. They were instrumental in the birth of the OLL (Off List Lowers) phenomenon as well as having their fingers in a few other things. For this reason, I'm an adamant supporter, and since I'm fairly passionate about my 2A rights, I want to support them however I can. Right now, since funds are tight, money is not as good of an option for me as time.
Therefore, I went to a chapter startup meeting. Met a few guys, tossed around some ideas to get more community exposure and got some idea of what is coming up in the near future. Once I get a more firm idea of what my place should be in the organization, I'll be happy to jump in - and let you all know all about it...

It's late...

2010-01-17T22:08:00.000-08:00

...and I'm tired, so I won't be posting much today. We've had a pretty busy weekend, what with gardening, shopping and getting the yard prepared for (gasp!) the ensuing half-inch-of-rain-rainstorm (I love my house, but drainage was not one of the design highlights).
NFL playoffs were a bit of a disappointment this weekend - I figured the Cardinals would lose, but I at least expected to give the Saints somewhat of a fight, and the Chargers pretty much disgraced themselves today - especially Nate Kaeding, their kicker - who managed to miss three frigging field goals in one game. Who does that? Hmpf.
On a brighter note, I did attend a Calguns chapter startup meeting on Saturday morning - more on that tomorrow, though - I'm for bed.

Haiti

2010-01-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

I've been following the developments in Haiti over the last few days and all I can really say is that my heart goes out to those poor bastards. What a mess. The country is in an absolute shambles (even more so now than before the quake).
I've seen the reports about rising anger and machete-gangfights over food and I'm not at all surprised, nor do I think less of the folks there for it, as some may. I've read somewhere that civilization is just 3 days away from anarchy no matter where you live, and I think I believe that. Cut off food, water and medical services to any population , anywhere, and I believe you'd see the same behaviors, within the same time frame. One of the reasons we here in the kingdom try to prepare. Don't count on government to help you. At some point, you may have to man up and look after yourself.

On that note, however, I'm proud of our government's response to this, and to our guys in the military. They do much more good out there in the world than just kill people and break things, despite what the lefties think. The US military is usually first on the scene to these sort of things, and do the lion's share of the relief work. They're even sorting out the airport over there, so more relief flights can get in. Most everywhere in the world, people know damn well that their best bet is to run to the guys in the American uniforms, and I hope that never changes. My heartfelt thanks to you all out there.

As a Christian, I have to say I cringed when Pat Robertson showed his ass once again - not because I think he represents Christianity as a whole, but the soapbox he commands may give non-Christians that impression, and I may have to do some explaining to some of my non-Christian friends about this in the near future. I certainly don't agree with his take. On a side note, Danny Glover's recent comments about this being a consequence of the failed climate talks in Copenhagen show me that asshattery is not necessarily limited to just my religion...

One other thought really is sticking in my mind about this whole mess, and I have to admit that I'm having a bit of a hard time with it. I think of myself as a pretty die-hard libertarian for the most part and tend to view government involvement in daily life with a very jaundiced eye, being distrustful and unconvinced of the necessity of government regulation in pretty all aspects of my life. HOWEVER, having now seen the results of an earthquake in the complete absence of any government-enforced building codes whatsoever, and the ensuing carnage (in this case in the tens if not hundreds of thousands) and with a similar-sized quake in a similarly dense population center, but with enforced building codes - the Loma Prieta quake in the Bay Area, 1989 (death toll 63) - same magnitude for both, by the way - I can't say that all government regulation is a bad thing. How many lives would have been lost here in CA if everyone had just built as they pleased? I don't know, but likely many more than actually did. I'm going to have to give this a lot more thought.

Just had to share...

2010-01-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

I'm proudly wearing one of my favorite Christmas gifts from my wife today... That's right, a pair of Halo 3 boxer shorts - a marvelous deep blue festooned with prints of all the weapons used in the game, as well as the Halo 3 logo... Nothing says love like video game - themed underwear...

Sorry, no pics...

Books, Bitterness and Hobbits...

2010-01-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

I live in a fairly sizable city here in the valley, with a population north of 100K, and it's always kinda bothered me that we've never had a nice, large bookstore like a Barnes&Noble or Borders in town, when I see them just about everywhere else around. Nope, we've just had to settle for a little Waldenbooks and B. Dalton in the local mall.
Well, Waldenbooks closed quite a while ago, and now B. Dalton is closing too - everything 40% off at the moment, which is a nice deal BUT...
How pathetic is it that a city this size now has no frigging bookstore? When I first heard of the closing of B Dalton, I was incensed at my fellow inhabitants - how, in a city this size, can we not garner enough interest in reading to keep at least ONE small bookstore in business? I know I did my part, dammit!
However, when I went into B. Dalton to take advantage of their close-out prices, I asked the clerk if business was so bad at this particular store. "Oh no", said she, "business was just fine. It was a corporate decision. They want to consolidate their stores".
Some small comfort... at least I'm not surrounded by a city of illiterates as I first assumed... though the trek to the nearest B&N is a bit of a drive for this homebody, so when I go, I tend to spend more time and money than I should...
Since our local store was going out of business and getting rid of their stock at ridiculously low prices, it was pretty well picked over the last time I went, to the extent that I could not fulfil a promise I had made to my children there - namely, to pick up a copy of The Hobbit and read it to them - something I have wanted to do for a while. I had a copy, I've read it several times, but it's long gone, somewhere in the past history of one of my many moves before I got married, I suspect...
So, last night, I bit the bullet and drove out to the B&N in the next town over to grab a copy (I had first asked around, and not one of my friends, to my disappointment, had a copy of their own that I could borrow! Fair enough, my library would be incomplete without this book anyway) - also picked up a copy of Common Sense by Thomas Paine, which was in the bargain book aisle.
I'm happy to say that reading of The Hobbit finally commenced last night. The kids seemed to enjoy it - I know I did.

As my old high school rugby coach would say...

2010-01-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

"Well played, that man".

Our self-selected nobility needs such reminders ever more frequently these days, methinks.

Hola!

2010-01-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last posted... the family and I had a fun (albeit very busy) Christmas, and a pretty sedate New Year. The kids are a bit grumpy today - their first day back to school, after three weeks off.

This last weekend was a good one. Saturday saw quite a few firsts for me, as I finally got to go shooting for the first time in months...
First time I shot my AR - which performed extremely well (at least with Federal .223 - it would not cycle Remington 50gr hollowpoints for some reason) and turned out to be a lot of fun to shoot.
First time I shot an AK - my buddy Jim's Lancaster Arms - also fun to blast away with...
First time I shot a .44 magnum - my buddy Will's Taurus - first time he shot it too - loud, obnoxious and a little painful, but producing grins all around...

I have been following the news somewhat, although I didn't have much of anything to say that hasn't already been said. Number One Son's take on the Christmas Day bombing attempt pretty much summed it up:
"Aw, man! Does that mean they're going to check everyone's underpants at the airport now?"
Yes, son, I think it does. Because we're all Abdulmutallab now, as far as TSA is concerned. Can't wait to see my full body scan hit the internet.

Care to back that up, Al Gore?

2009-12-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

I've got a crisp $100 bill in my wallet that says you are full of shit.
Hell, even the scientist whose notes you cribbed from is perplexed.
I honestly didn't think you could look any more stupid. Way to prove me wrong.
God help us all if you and your ilk get to determine the future of this planet.
Dolt.

Topping the list...

2009-12-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

...Of vital problems our nation is facing today that require immediate government intervention is...
Yes. The College Football BCS system.
I'm sure government interference in college sports is Constitutionally mandated somewhere. Our Founders must have obviously put in a provision somewhere about government's power to regulate confusing college sports rules - I mean, it just stands to reason, right?

The sky is the limit as far as government authority is concerned. Note that this is a bipartisan effort, too. So much for Republicans and their promises of limited government.

I personally don't like the BCS system much, mostly because I don't understand it all that well, but if that's how they want to run their leagues, so what?

Well, I guess if congressmen don't like it, they get to drop the Federal Banhammer.

Your tax dollars at work - banning college sport systems that our lords and masters don't like.
I'm sure that there are absolutely no weightier problems facing the US that merit congressional attention right now.

Have these guys ever read the Constitution?

Quote of the day

2009-11-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

From my father-in-law, on Climategate:

"For someone interested in science, who loves the process, it's a black eye."

Beachside...

2009-11-27T15:52:00.001-08:00

...Sunset. This was our view off the bacony at dinnertime. Unusually clear enough to see San Clemente Island (that little black smudge to the right of the sun - hey, it was a cameraphone picture, OK).
Great way to spend Turkey Day...

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

Enjoy your day. I know I will. Heading out to the beach on my bike - celebrating turkey day at the in-laws condo...

Now I can relax...

2009-11-21T23:20:00.000-08:00

...Albeit briefly...
After frantically cramming for the best part of this last week, I finally took my certification exam today - along with 366 other people (minus the one guy who got caught trying to sneak in some notes), and I feel cautiously optimistic about it.
I got home, feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders and popped open my emails, to find one from an organization that I had applied at back in the beginning of October. "Congratulations" it opened up...
Apparently I had been selected from amongst the many applicants to proceed to the next step of the selection process, which is....
...You guessed it...
Another exam! With my choice of Dec 12th or Dec 19th as exam date.
Sigh. Back to the books...

Hacktacular!

2009-11-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

HUGE news in the science world today...
It turns out that the University of East Anglia, Climate Research Unit - a facility funded to study Global Warming - got hacked this week. The data, containing a selection of over 1,000 emails over the past decade, as well as various other files and documents totalling about 62MB of information, was briefly posted up at a Russian server and quickly got disseminated throughout the internet.
It is now available here.
I first read of it last night at The Smallest Minority, but I didn't post on it right away because I wanted to see how things developed. The emails were quite damning, authored by and/or sent to some of the most prominent names in the Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) camp, such as Michael Mann, the author/creator of the famous "hockey stick" diagram of warming, and some of the stuff in there seemed just a little too good to be true for Global Warming skeptics.
Well, the CRU confirmed today that it had been hacked, and Mann seems not a little pissed, which is unsurprising, because the contents of that data are more than enough to tarnish a number of careers.

Highlights include:
Deliberate fraud
Distorting data
Trying to delete information subject to a FOI (Freedom of Information) request
Conspiring to blackball scientific journals that publish dissenting views
Smug cheeriness at the death of a noted GW skeptic
Strategies to influence politicians at GW summits

Some thoughts...
Obviously hacking a research center like that is unethical, and it calls into question the validity of the data. That said, the consensus seems to be that it was an inside job, and may actually amount to whistle blowing, given the comments and practices outlined in the emails.
As to the veracity of the emails, at least some were genuine, as Phil Jones (CRU director) admitted as much, and Steve McIntyre, author of ClimateAudit.org said the emails released that were sent to/by him were "100% genuine"*
The release of this information is not necessarily proof that GW does not exist; however, it is pretty damning evidence of some major ethical issues with those involved in collecting the data, their shouting down of opposition, and the overt politicization of the whole subject - a classic example of what happens when politics enters the scientific arena.
In short this "science" - if it can even be called that - is tainted.**
Proponents of GW theory have called upon masive government intervention in the form of higher taxes, limited freedoms and immense spending to "save the world" based on what is increasingly seeming to be fraudulent data.
This may be the biggest hoax perpetrated on the human race to date, and if this turns out to be true, then a lot of "scientists" need to be going to jail for a long time.
Not going to happen, of course, since this whole theory dovetails quite nicely with big government agendas, but one can at least hope that their careers will be over - at least within the scientific community.

I've long been skeptical of AGW, partly due to the alarmist tone of the reports, the idiocy & hypocrisy of their famous figurehead, as well as the cries of "consensus!" (as though science is a democratic process. Science deals in fact, not popularity, and any findings must be peer reviewed as part of the process. The well documented resistance to such review by those at the forefront of this theory raised a few hackles for me, to say the least), but mostly because of the sheer arrogance of anyone who can stand up and say that they have all the answers on a subject so vast, with so many known and unknown potential variables, as the climate of the entire planet, and who will either ignore or ridicule any data (and believe me, there's plenty) that does not fit their hypothesis.

I haven't seen much on the MSM yet - I'll be most interested to see how this is portrayed.
The BBC is focusing on the hack itself, rather than the data released, as is Nature.
More GW defenders starting their spin.

Either way, kick back and grab the popcorn, because this promises to be a wild ride...

*See comment #23773 here
**Providing all these communications are legitimate, of course

Timeless...Prophetic even

2009-11-19T15:39:00.000-08:00

Made in 1948. It's like they had a crystal ball, or something...

Watch the whole thing.

Sent to me via email.

Random stuff...

2009-11-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

Number One Son's teacher found out what I do for a living (I'm an environmental chemist) and since the class just learned about the water cycle, he asked me to come in and speak to the kids.
I have the type of job that sounds cool, but two minutes into a description of what I do, eyes start to glaze over, regardless of the audience. I'll try to keep it at their level, and bring in some props, so maybe I can push it out to five minutes or so before the kids check out...

This last weekend was pretty busy again - I've been putting in quite a bit of time in lately trying to help get our tackle football league off the ground. We've distributed fliers to 38 elementary schools and 8 middle schools, I've personally spent lunch hours at two middle schools talking to kids about the program. We've tossed out 25,000 fliers in all, spent two weekends manning a sign up booth in front of our local Wal Mart, and we have just under 100 kids to show for it. It's really not enough. We were hoping to get somewhere in the region of 400 kids, but it's the wrong time of year I suppose to try and get commitments from parents, what with the holidays right around the corner and this crapulent economy doesn't help at all...

My beautiful, gleaming new AR that I loving built a couple of weeks ago has been languishing in my safe ever since, and it's starting to chap my ass. I'm itching to try it out, but I just haven't had the time lately. I don't see much free time in the immediate future either, worse luck. Doesn't help that my local range got shut down by some jackass with a lawsuit. There's another one a little further out, but I'm not very familiar with it and I'd like to test the waters before I bring out an OLL that they may or may not be cool with.

I'm taking a test this weekend for a certification, that I really need to be studying for, but I'm here blogging instead - hopefully it'll be an easy enough one... it better be, because I'm going to have to take it quick and get over to My Little Princess' dance recital twenty miles away from the test site. I am NOT going to miss that.

Sunday afternoon will probably be spent manning the sign-up booth... again...

I'm going to make some changes to my blogroll - it just keeps expanding... I'd also like to reciprocate, so if there's anyone out there that links to me, let me know and I'll return the favor.

Interesting...

2009-11-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

Seems like someone over at Calguns has come up with an interesting idea to allow folks to carry concealed throughout the entire country...
Apparently, under HR218, law enforcement officers are able to do so - and the prerequisites for becoming an LEO can vary quite wildly throughout the country. Some places it seems require little or no LEO training (NOT California), so the idea is to contact one of these out-of-the way places and set up a program where a (fairly large)fee is paid, a background check is conducted, and LEO ID is issued. The ID holder would have no powers/authority outside his jurisdiction aside from the ability to carry concealed. Could be a pretty large shot in the arm for some needy community in these tough times.
Sounded a little shady at first, but it's an interesting thought exercise at least, and it typifies the out-of-the-box thinking approach to 2A problems that I have seen in the Calguns community. Naturally, the cops in the forum are not too supportive, but it seems like a lot of the other folks are. I'm interested to see how this plays out, if it even does. Doubt I'd jump on board though.

Fort Hood

2009-11-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

Major Nidal survived and will be going to trial... but I guess it has still not been determined whether he'll face a military or civilian court, at least according to his defense attorney, who was just on with Greta Van Susteren...
While I agree 100% with the concept that everyone deserves a fair trial, even a mass-murdering animal like Nidal who was caught in the act (sorry, I know - there's a presumption of innocence), I don't know if I would share the lawyer's sentiment that it is a "privilege" (his word, I swear) to defend such a creature.
Until the shooting, I confess that I had no idea that our military bases were "gun-free zones" (although I had heard grumbles around the internet in the past about having to register and check personal weapons with the base commander) and I have small hope that an incident such as this will change that policy. Our soldiers can be trusted to carry their weapons into battle, but in this day and age, where are the front lines? There are none, really. As Fort Hood demonstrated, our servicemen may need to do battle in their very homes.
Arm. Our. Soldiers.
Does the federal government understand how stupid that sounds, that we even have to demand that our guardians, our warriors who work tirelessly to protect us, be armed?
Well, it's out now - on every news channel. Looking for a safe, convenient place to go on a shooting spree? Look no further than your local neighborhood military base.
Unbelievable.

Lionel McIntyre, Master Debater...

2009-11-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

... and Columbia professor, who in the midst of a heated discussion about "white privilege" - whatever the hell that is - realizing that he was not getting his point across to his opponent, a female white university employee, decided to reinforce his argument by putting his fist into her face.
Hard.
Eloquently put, professor.
I'm sure she will come to appreciate the thrust of your argument now.
I really cannot communicate my contempt for men who treat women this way. That this man is in a position of responsibility with influence over young minds makes it all the more worse. You expect thuggish behavior from thugs, but university professors?
McIntyre, you are a complete scumbag. However passionately you feel about whatever cause du jour, on what fucking planet is it ever acceptable to hit a woman? Not only hit her, but punch her in the eye so hard it closed up. Wow, professor, there are some SERIOUS gaps in your societal education that really need to be addressed. Hopefully by the judge at your hearing, asshole.
The female, fearing repercussions (hmmm.... "Ivy League privilege", perhaps?) did not even press charges for three days. The professor was booked and released without bail because apparently he isn't a threat to society.
Unless you're white, female and happen to disagree with him.

All honor...

2009-11-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

...to those who have served.
Thank you for your sacrifice.

CERN's Large Hadron Collider meets its match...

2009-11-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

... shut down by a baguette?

That was interesting...

2009-11-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I took pretty serious issue with my pastor's sermon last Sunday. After some thought, and encouragement, and time to calm down some, I decided to fire off a snail mail letter to him expressing my opinion. In no way did I want or expect an apology, I just felt that I had some feedback that he needed to be aware of. After a revision or two (the first draft was a little, shall we say, caustic) I mailed it yesterday with more than a little apprehension. I had no idea how receptive he would be, if at all to the letter.
Today, in the early afternoon, I received a call from an unknown local number that turned out to be my pastor. We had a pleasant conversation (at least as far as I was concerned) and he apologised for the tone of his sermon, as well as a few of the details. This was a little awkward for me, as I really hadn't looked for an apology, I was just expressing my opinion and told him so. I still don't think an apology is really warranted. I am, however, more firmly convinced by his response and our conversation that this church was a good choice for mine and my family's spiritual home.
Nuff said, though I will be cringing in my seat this Sunday if he makes any mention of this. I wrote him a letter by snail mail rather than posting it here or on facebook to let him address it as he wished - or if at all, if that was his wont...

Fort Hood

2009-11-05T22:00:00.001-08:00

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those caught up in the shooting at Fort Hood today, with the obvious exception of the perpetrator. He can go rot. I don't know matters military well enough to know how this crime will be handled, but I hope it falls under the military's jurisdiction. I don't think the army will take too kindly to a soldier shooting up a bunch of his own at all.
That's about all I'll have to say on the matter, at least until I know more.

It's been a rough week so far

2009-11-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

It started out on Sunday with me having to sit through a poorly conceived anti-evolution tirade by my pastor at church, who was clearly angry (as was I) about the events surrounding the gang rape of that poor girl up in Richmond.
Sunday afternoon was spent manning a booth for our league's new tackle football program, which culminated in very few signups and a realization on my part that I wasn't going to see any NFL games at all, since the World Series was on.
As for the rest of the week, I've been getting progressively more sick with the attendant flu-like symptoms and rotten disposition. Feeling crappy, but not quite bad enough to call in.
The icing on the cake was my learning that our lords and masters in Sacramento have decided to avail themselves of an interest-free loan taken from the taxpayers without so much as a please or thank you as an idiotic and unethical budget shortfall stopgap, starting this week. I'm not kidding. Since it's not strictly a tax increase, (we'll supposedly get it back come tax time), those grasping thieves managed to slip this one under the radar. So until tax time, they'll get to use that money of mine, not me.
Well, maybe the rest of the week will improve.

Last night

2009-11-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

I finally realized the cause for the incessant ache I've been experiencing in my right elbow joint of late - and no, it's not what you may be thinking, thankyouverymuch...
When I take our big dog, Lena, out for her last potty break of the day, I hold the leash in my right hand. Being the last break of the day, it is always after dark, and living at the foot of the mountain means there are plenty of rabbits around. Lena has a strong prey instinct, made all the stronger by having caught and eaten a couple of these critters, so she knows full well how yummy they taste. Being the one responsible for cleaning up the gastrointestinal explosions that result from these deviances from her diet, I am quite reluctant to let her have any more.
So, the result is a wrestling match every evening where she spots a bunny, launches herself at it and yanks on the leash. Hard. Multiple times. Whereupon I yank back to regain control.
There you have it. See, I can figure things out eventually. Usually.