Tuesday - May 18, 2010
How To Drive Liberals Insane
It’s absolutely every right-wing concept rolled into one. Even the campaign buttons. Iconographic overload! We’ve got Sarah, with Those Glasses and That Hair, in a sturdy working outfit, looking very strong and fit. But with sexy red shoes (squashing Alinky’s Rules For Radicals underfoot), and the viewing angle is almost an upskirt. Almost, and you know you looked! Constitution and Bible in her pocket, 5 campaign issue buttons on her chest including one for Reagen and another for Pro-Life, her personal ammo can and her trusty, almost still smoking all American Remington 870 home defense gun, 3 rounds fired, hulls in her lap. Holding firmly the Gadsden snake, text message about death panels on her cell phone, backdropped against the American flag, and if you look real close the Motivator message is “2012”. A picture being worth a thousand words or so, Sarah is giving a stump speech here, while literally sitting on a stump.
And the image format itself is a strong salute to another, earlier feminine icon: Rockwell’s original Rosie:
Ok, this Palin poster is not exactly new. It’s been around several years now, and long ago came to the attention of the Kos Kids. Who cares? But it’s back in the small news again. Repetition builds reinforcement. Or maybe it was just a slow news rainy day and they needed a story. Like today. Like me. So enjoy it all over again.
In the shadow of Capitol Hill, a forgotten patriot consigned to America’s trash heap of the unemployed has created a new national symbol that celebrates the values Sarah Palin holds true.
A man who goes only by the name of Dale has cast Sarah Palin as the lost daughter of the World War II heroine, Rosie the Riveter – but with a twist.
Shotgun News runs the whole story, and tells us a lot about the artist, Dale Brown, and the inspiration behind all of it.
Shortly after Sarah Para Bellum appeared on the conservative web site, Free Republic, a writer with the screen name Devtob, launched into a rant against Dale’s illustration on the liberal blog, the Daily Kos.
Dale noted in our conversation that Sarah Palin as Rosie the Riveter wasn’t originally his idea. It was inspired by an email from the editor of the online, All Right Magazine.
Still, the larger question looms: was Dale destined to render Sarah as Rosie?
“When I was 12 or 13, I was enamored of Michelangelo, studied him pretty intensely and at the time I lived with my grandparents,” Dale recalled. “I decided to decorate their basement wall with Isaiah from the Sistine Ceiling, and that’s what Rockwell based his Rosie the Riveter on.” [link has pic]
So by association, Sarah is Rosie is Isaiah. Sarah Palin, Prophet. Oooh, I can feel the lib’s blood pressure spiking!
The assortment of pins and button on Rosie’s coveralls have been replaced with five buttons that express Palin’s energy policy “drill baby, drill” from her Vice President debate with Joe Biden. Another button on Palin says “choose life.” The others refer to President Reagan and an Old Testament verse. Dale also added a crucifix around Sarah’s neck.
...
Rockwell emphasizes Rosie’s can-do spirit by depicting her right foot crushing a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Dale replaced it with Saul Alinsky’s 1971 perennial handbook for grassroots organizing, Rules for Radicals.
Pretty damned outstanding IMO. And for the talking head TV pundits that just don’t get it, the whole Palin meme is right here where you can see it. It couldn’t be any plainer if she dressed in a green choir rob and wore a spiky crown while holding up a flaming torch. She may or may not wind up as an elected leader, but her persona has come to symbolize all these points. She represents. And that’s why the Right is wild about her. Voice of America in person. And it’s even more fitting that she isn’t an elected official. Because none of them really seem to represent us anymore.
Somebody said something about not posting Motivators/DeMotivators? God, guns, guts, sex appeal, righteousness. I think this one will do.
PS - this is America, so of course the image is for sale. Zazzle has it as a poster, and probably as a shirt, cup holder, coffee mug, and commemorative plate.
... yeah, I know. It may not really be the Gadsden snake, or even the original Gerrymander one. But it looks kinda like both, and it’s in black and white. Hey, it symbolizes those other two. Hating snakes is real old time stuff, straight out of Genesis.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/18/2010 at 11:22 AM
Filed Under: • Motorvators • Sarah Palin •
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Permalink • Monday - May 17, 2010
hard work and free beer
So I’m at the job sight today, going at it on that befouled apartment. And my customer calls me on the cell. “Can you fix screens?” Sure thing m’am, whatever you need. “Good, do those two that are torn up. Do you think you could install that cooktop and get the other one out?” No worries. It takes a while, but I know how to do it. “Great! How about closet door tracks? All those sliding doors are really wobbly.” Yes indeed, I can fix those too! And so on and so forth. Now that she knows I’m Handy Andy and not just Squeegee Guy I’ve got another 2 days work, maybe 3. $250 a day? I’ll take it. And then the words I love to hear: “And anything else you find that needs doing, do it if you can.” Oooh, I love this customer. Seriously, she’s the greatest. I’ve had at least a dozen major recommendations from her, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that that mansion I did a couple years ago is ready for another window cleaning. That’s big money, and she’s the property manager for that. I have 3 more jobs lined up from her for some point soon, so that’s really nice too. At least 2 solid week’s work.
So I got most of the windows done today. I would have got them all done but I stopped to clean out the gutters. She wanted it done, and I had the big ladder there today. And I had to clean the screens. They were foul.
People, clean your window screens. Do you know that dirty screens block twice as much light as clean ones? The dirt just loves to build up on them. Once a year minimum. Twice a year is better. Just take them down to the backyard, get out a scrub brush and a bucket of soapy water and a hose. Wet ‘em, soap ‘em, scrub ‘em. Both sides! Then spray clean. Both sides! Leave them in the sun to dry, or go over them with another junk towel. NOT paper towels, toilet paper, or any kind of fuzzy cloth. Worn out old towels (we always called them dog towels when I was growing up, and used them for drying the dog) work the best. If you don’t have a backyard or a garden hose, you can do most of them in the tub, especially if you have one of those shower wand thingies on the hose. But be warned: lay down several junk towels in the bottom and on the sides of the tub, because the metal framing of the screen can scratch the enamel on your tub!! ESPECIALLY the old style, raw aluminum ones. Over the years, the outer surface turns into aluminum oxide, which is nasty, rough, and very hard. Duh, they make sandpaper out of it!
So as I’m talking to her on my cell, walking around the apartment, she wants me to check in the closets for the window A/C units. “Look in the closet in the back bedroom. Is there an air conditioner in there?” No ... but there is a 12 pack of Budweiser!! “Beer in the closet? Get rid of it!” Yes m’am, your wish is my command! “Not now wise guy, take it home with you!” Oh, Ok. Geexz.
So I worked till dark while the beer was chilling in the fridge that I brought back from the edge of death to immaculate, like new condition. Packed up the Satrun and took them all home. Gosh, I haven’t ad a Bud in ... 15 years? So I drank one with dinner. Um, there’s no beer in that beer. Foam, yeah. Alcohol, some. But taste? Let’s just say it’s a really light lager. Really light. And people pay just as much for a watered down light version??? So I finished a couple, and then opened a nice caramel brown Leinenkugel 1888 Bock. Mmmm, now that’s a regular beer. But it wasn’t free.
Odds ‘n ends on the schedule for tomorrow. Will try to get a condo customer to switch days so I can make some money, otherwise it’s a day off. Too much shiz to do until noon, then summer bowling league starts in the evening. No point driving an hour to do another day for this apartment job, then only stay 3 hours then have to drive back. But she’s glad to have me when I can get there. Like I said, this woman is my all time favorite customer. And she tips!!
Posted by Drew458
on 05/17/2010 at 08:08 PM
Filed Under: • work and the workplace •
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Permalink • Sunday - May 16, 2010
Monday Monday
Let’s see ...
Goo Gone? Check.
Plastic and steel putty knives? Check.
Painter’s multi-tool scraper? Check.
Buckets, sponges, rags, chamois? Check.
Extra paper towels? Check.
Squeegees, extra rubber? Check.
Assorted sizes of T-bars and scrubber heads? Check. Clean ones? Check.
Secret special soap solution? Check. BUCKETS? Checked already, but, check.
Food! Breakfast, lunch, plenty to drink, cooler, ice. Do it in the AM. It’s all in the fridge.
Ladder, straps, roof pad? Check.
Tools ... Check.
Giant vise grips? Check.
Tape dope ... let’s see, it’s in here somewh ... check.
Sacrificial coat hanger? Check.
Drain cleaner? Check.
window scraper? Check.
Spare blades? Check.
Okay, I’m good to go. Got another day or two of work here. Do all the windows, unclog a drain, de-stink a freezer, replace a couple ... oh yeah!
New GFI and faceplate. Check; in the car already.
Spare bulbs? Check.
2 F40s? Check.
Fan switch? Check.
Remember to save the receipts!!!
CLR, white vinegar, baking soda? Checkity check. Ok.
See, I’m not just the window guy. I’m that guy. You know, the one who does stuff for hire. Which sometimes means I need a bigger trunk. Hell, I need a bigger truck. And I don’t even have a truck.
So off to work for me in the morning.
Coffee pot set up for the morning, extra strong, Thermos nearby? Check.
Cool. Must remember to wash and polish the doors, including the front door down that steep little staircase. Ok.
See ya.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/16/2010 at 08:55 PM
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Permalink • Weekend Demotivators
We haven’t had too many Demotivator posts since the Skipper left us.
The Skipper posted his own demotivators. I’m just passing along stuff I’ve stumbled across.
I should point out, this is an R-Rated site. I don’t believe I’ll be posting any nudity, but the suggestiveness is another story:
Possibly, but I would like hands-on verification… preferably my hands… OUCH!
OUCH! OUCH!… sorry, Mrs Christ… OUCH!..opher was watching… OUCH!
I’ll post the rest under the fold…
Posted by Christopher
on 05/16/2010 at 04:28 PM
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Permalink • Saturday - May 15, 2010
Waldo Spotting
Jay Jay
PeiperD PeiperD
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great care of his missus
Though he was seventy three
Jay Jay said to his missus,
“Missus” he said, said he;
“You must never go down
To that hot desert town
If you don’t go down with me!”
The Peiper has resurfaced. The two of them are out in Palm Desert CA for an extended vacation. He is doing his best to make up for time lost while living abroad by watching several baseball games a day ("The Dodgers” he writes, “Da Bums!!") and stuffing his face with local food. Screw the waistline, it’s time to eat.
He is living without a computer, without internet, and feeling it badly. BWS. Blog Withdrawal Syndrome. It’s like quitting smoking. Worse. Says he might be forced to get some basic PC just to be in touch with the world.
So he sent me an “analog post” - a handwritten letter, in which he worries about the elections in Britain, that fink Cameron who blew a 20 point lead which let too many from Labour in, what atrocity the EU is up to today, and he’s right POed that the USA (via the IMF) is bailing out Greece. 20% of Greece works for the government, he says, and many of those jobs are sinecures - no show jobs that come with a paycheck and a pension!! - while having an actual job on the side. With the gravy train derailed, The Peasants Are Revolting. [you can say that again!]
On the other hand he is joyfully agog at having an American washing machine and an American clothes dryer once again. I gather that in England both devices are built into the same machine, and not only is it half the size, it does neither task very well at all. Go figure.
Desert life is forcing the two of them to get up and about extra early, so that they can have their errands out of the way before the heat gets too intense. Smart move.
If I read between the lines properly, I think it’s their plan to be there until the fall. He writes that it’s going to be hard to go back to England in a few months ... my guess is that it will be harder than he thinks, as I’m sure that the gyppos moved into their place the moment they drove away. Probably 3 caravans on pads in his backyard already, and a basement hockshop selling stolen goods. But at least this time he’s going back with a proper frying pan for making proper American breakfast pancakes [not the English after dinner kind], and a whole case of Bisquick too I hope.
And of course he’s angry at everyone who is angry at Arizona. Good. Just because he’s taking a trip to the Left side of the country doesn’t mean he’s lost what is Right.
So I’m going to get a card off to the two of them very soon ... probably Tuesday ... and will add in any comments or messages y’all have.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/15/2010 at 03:43 PM
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Permalink • Friday - May 14, 2010
Save Money, Use Matches
Detroit is finally chipping away at a glut of abandoned homes that has been piling up for decades, and intends to take advantage of warm weather and new federal funding to demolish some 3,000 buildings by the end of September.
...
Mayor Dave Bing has pledged to knock down 10,000 structures in his first term as part of a nascent plan to “right-size” Detroit, or reconfigure the city to reflect its shrinking population.
...
Even when the demolitions are complete, Detroit will still have a huge problem on its hands. The city has roughly 90,000 abandoned or vacant homes and residential lots, according to Data Driven Detroit, a nonprofit that tracks demographic data for the city.
...
City officials say they aren’t sure how many structures ultimately need to be torn down. The mortgage crisis compounded Detroit’s economic decline, leaving nearly 30% of the city’s housing stock vacant, according to Data Driven Detroit.“Neighborhoods that are considered stable are now at 20% vacancy,” said Deborah Younger, a development consultant involved in the demolition effort.
Until recently, the city didn’t have the funds to tackle its growing list of houses slated for demolition. But $20 million in federal funds, primarily stimulus dollars has helped to kick-start the effort.
One of the homes to be torn down was the childhood home of Mitt Romney. 8 years ago it sold for $645,000, but today it’s an empty wreck. And it too has to go.
The younger Mr. Romney, who is considered a leading GOP presidential candidate for 2012, said “it’s sad” that his childhood home is being razed, “but sadder still to consider what has happened to the city of Detroit, which has been left hollow by fleeing jobs and liberal social policies.”
Save money. Don’t tear the places down, just torch them, and plow it all under. Carbon enriches the soil. Hey, wouldn’t that be awesome, if Detroit suddenly had 10,000 acres of new farmland all around it? Everybody could have their own veggie patch. Free food for all! All they’d have to do is buy seeds.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/14/2010 at 04:31 PM
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •
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Permalink • Oopsie
Hey, scoff all you want. They broke the Edwards story more than a year before the rest of the media would touch it. And wound up with a Pulitizer.
I mean, hey, look at his mentor.
Funny thing is, this story has been out there on the fringes for 2 years now, since more than a year before the election. Did something new come up? Is there some sort of proof now?
Guess they didn’t have access to the surveillance tapes then. I heard from a friend who has friends in the FBI that the day the story hit that paper, more than 30 agents swarmed the hotel. They must have been looking for something, maybe?
Posted by Drew458
on 05/14/2010 at 04:02 PM
Filed Under: • Obama, The One •
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Permalink • GFY LA
The Los Angeles City Council, protesting Arizona’s tough crackdown on illegal immigration, voted Wednesday to ban most city travel to Arizona and future contracts with companies in that state.
Boycott Council members argued that a new Arizona law, which will make it a state crime to lack immigration papers and requires police to determine whether people they stop are in the country illegally, would lead to racial profiling and discrimination. The law takes effect July 23. ...
The council also called on the city attorney’s office to review all of the city’s $58 million in existing contracts with Arizona companies to determine which can be canceled.
The resolution, which now heads to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, would still allow city officials to travel to Arizona under “special circumstances” that are in the city’s interests. Also, existing contracts with Arizona firms would be exempt from the ban if canceling them would lead to “significant additional cost” to the city.
Yeah, but ...
California Penal Code Section 834b
(a) Every law enforcement agency in California shall fully
cooperate with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service regarding any person who is arrested if he or she is suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.
(b) With respect to any such person who is arrested, and suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws, every law enforcement agency shall do the following:
(1) Attempt to verify the legal status of such person as a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted as a permanent resident, an alien lawfully admitted for a temporary period of time or as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of immigration laws. The verification process may include, but shall not be limited to, questioning the person regarding his or her date and
place of birth, and entry into the United States, and demanding documentation to indicate his or her legal status.
(2) Notify the person of his or her apparent status as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws and inform him or her that, apart from any criminal justice proceedings, he or she must either obtain legal status or leave the United States.
(3) Notify the Attorney General of California and the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service of the apparent illegal status and provide any additional information that may be requested by any other public entity.
(c) Any legislative, administrative, or other action by a city, county, or other legally authorized local governmental entity with jurisdictional boundaries, or by a law enforcement agency, to prevent or limit the cooperation required by subdivision (a) is expressly prohibited.
So in a poll in their own newspaper, the LA Times asks
Was the L.A. City Council right to pass a boycott of Arizona?
And the people of LA responded clearly:
NINETY SEVEN PERCENT AGAINST THE BOYCOTT. “Representative government” indeed. Enjoy the comments too, where many people realize that their own cops are breaking their own ALREADY EXISTING LAW in not rounding up the illegals. And they’re damn sick of it. Many of the 300+ comments are calling for the arrest of the city council, as they are clearly in violation of 834b(c) above. String ‘em up!!
Meanwhile, Arizona starts to react to Los Angeles ...
h/t to Steamboat McGoo who borrowed the graphic from Exurban League who created it and ran the first post on the buried poll story that was carried at News Busters. To wit: If 97% of the people disagree with the City Council’s actions, you’d think that would be front line news. Right? Right? Riiiight?
Wrong. Nothing to see here, move along. Stupid peasant.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/14/2010 at 03:35 PM
Filed Under: • Illegal-Aliens and Immigration • Media-Bias •
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Permalink • The Lie That Just Won’t Die
Just in case you entertained the thought that the Fox News channel was a conservative media outlet. They are not. At best, they are center-slightly left. Compared to the other bullshit networks, that makes them look like crazy right wing extremists, but the reality is otherwise.
Right now Fox has 3 talking head newsbabes on, arguing over whether an autistic 14 year old should be suspended over a drawing he made. Probably of a gun or something, I didn’t catch the whole story. Talking head blond is arguing that Zero Tolerance “levels the playing field” and makes all kids equal, regardless of age or physical/mental ability. Not a single one of them realizes that Zero Tolerance is a total draconian crock of shit designed and enacted only to allow far-left leaning school administrators to do their jobs without a single lick of common sense. “Conservative” Fox News, “fair” and “balanced”. And they couldn’t buy themselves a clue if they were covered in $100 bills.
A 14 year old autistic boy was suspended and charged with a felony over a picture he drew in school. The child’s mother said he was in a special needs class when he drew a picture of two stick figures, one of which was holding a gun.
The right response, of course, is “What kind of numbnuts chickenshit assholes run this school system? All the school systems? And since when is free expression through art considered terrorism and not a First Amendment expression? Zero Tolerance is liberal bullshit and always has been. And now they’re busting autistic kids? They oughta be flogged right down to the bone.”
But onto the other never ending lie ...
Felons, illegal immigrants and all others banned from buying a gun in the United States have a new alternative if they’re looking to get their hands on a firearm: Just buy a toy.
A FoxNews.com investigation reveals that a popular recreational pellet gun can be converted easily to a real semi-automatic weapon. And while the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is already aware of the issue, these “toys”—new, top-of-the-line airsoft rifles—continue to be sold throughout the country.
When the ATF seized a shipment of 30 of these guns in October from a port in Tacoma, Wash., it said they could be “readily convertible” to machine guns. But gun experts called that claim absurd and said the ATF was overstepping its bounds.
Now one of those critics is reversing his position, saying at least one airsoft manufacturer has taken the quest to be authentic a little too far.
“The airsoft can be converted to an AR-15,” firearms manufacturer Leo Gonnuscio told FoxNews.com after testing the make and model of airsoft guns seized by the ATF.
Having concluded that several other airsoft guns could not be converted to fire real ammunition, Gonnuscio said he was surprised to find that he was able to to transform this particular gun to the real thing —and with “minimal work,” because its bottom half, or “receiver,” is so similar to an AR-15’s.
To make the airsoft receiver function just like an AR-15’s, Gonnuscio said, “All you have to do is drill one hole.”
And once that’s out of the way, the rest is even easier. The AR-15 receiver is the only part of the semi-automatic rifle that is given a serial number, and is the only part that is regulated. All the remaining parts of the real thing can be purchased by anyone – any kid, criminal or terrorist.
But as semi-automatic weapon, Gonnuscio said, “It may not last forever, but they’ve got a gun to get the job done that they were assigned to do, and nobody knows the wiser.”
The ATF has made no reported moves to regulate or seize any more of the airsoft guns, which continue to be sold in stores around the country, and it appears to be bowing to critics and reconsidering its stance on the guns’ convertibility.
“We’re having to take a serious look at this, so it’s just something that we’re reviewing, and I’m hoping we’ll have some information that we can make available to the public certainly very soon,” ATF spokesman Drew Wade told FoxNews.com.
But firearms expert Len Savage said the ATF is taking a “serious look” at the wrong issue—or, more specifically, the wrong part of the gun.
The reason it’s possible to make these airsoft receivers function as real receivers is that all an AR-15 receiver does is hold the gun together, Savage said. So with enough gun knowledge, almost anything can be made into a receiver.
“There’s a line of AR-15 firearms out there where the lower (the receiver) is made entirely of injection molded plastic … It could be made of cardboard and scotch tape,” he said.
What a crock of shit.
I ran several posts a few months back on this very subject. I contacted the damn company and they had their guys try and fit real parts to the toy receiver. Result? The parts didn’t fit. It was far more than “just drilling one hole”. The internals could not be made to fit or function, period.
And if it IS the case that “almost anything” can be made to function as an AR-15 receiver, what happens now? Will 4x4 hardwood timbers be banned? Will duct tape be required to come with a serial number? Will we need Class III permits to buy our daughters a My Little Pony doll? Give me a frickin break.
Leonard Leo Connuscio works for Kind Mountain Gunworks in Cornelius Oregon, where he is known for his work on H&K firearms.
Gun maker Len Savage has been in trouble with BATFE before, and felt at the time that the government was getting even with him for some court testimony of his that they didn’t like. Is what we’re reading here today his attempt to get back in the fed’s good graces? I’d say it was a definite possibility. Which makes his testimony quite suspect ...
AND FOX NEWS DID NOT LOOK INTO EITHER OF THESE GUYS IN THE SLIGHTEST.
Fair and Balanced? Not really. Actually Conservative and pro-2A? Not in your wildest dreams.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/14/2010 at 01:55 PM
Filed Under: • Guns and Gun Control • Media-Bias •
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Permalink • Little Big Guns
I had fun yesterday doing my own peculiar follow up to the post I did on the new Mustang GT. First I found out that the tires for this monster cost nearly $325. Each. Then I played around with the gear ratios in the car’s transmission, trying to figure out the breaks between shifts (ie how much the engine slows down when you upshift). That was a fun spreadsheet exercise, and I also worked up some numbers for a new 5th and 6th gear that would give the car another 3mpg on the highway. The new GT uses some very interesting ratios in it’s manual transmission, and the breaks between gears are huge, considering that the 6 speed transmission is a 5+1; it only has a single overdrive gear. First gear is stump pulling low, so low that for normal driving you wouldn’t even use it most of the time. Shifting at a moderately sporty 4000rpm will let you shift from 4th to 5th (or 6th) gear at a hair over 65mph, while going real easy on the gas and shifting at 3000rpm puts the 5th to 6th shift right at 65mph. Lead footed boy racer types will redline the engine and hit highway speed coming out of 2nd gear. Yikes.
Then I looked at torque loading on the tires, weight balance, fuel consumption, etc, and determined the obvious: this is a toy car to have fun with on the weekends in nice weather. Keep a little Hyundai in the garage for day to day driving, rainy weather and winter use.
And while the new GT is wicked fast, both the Corvette Z06/LS7 and the Corvette ZR1/LS9 will eat it alive for lunch and spit out the bones while laughing. Sorry guys. There is no replacement for displacement, and both ‘vettes make at least 50% more power while weighing at least 500 pounds less. And cost nearly twice as much, but who counts price when we’re talking toy cars for sunny weekends?
Um, gee, that’s nice and all, but I thought this was a gun porn post? What’s the connection?
Well, diddling around with gear ratios trying to get the GT’s RPM down to just over idle in top gear at 65mph to maximize MPG without compromising the on-ramp rush was an exercise in practicality while dealing with excessive power. The same concept can be applied to firearms. There are two ways to get lots of power out of a gun: shoot a small bullet very fast, or shoot a really big bullet at pretty much any velocity. Big bullets at high velocity pack unbelievable power. Elephant guns and anti-aircraft weapons. But big soft bullets at moderate velocity get the job done just fine on everything else that is not an elephant or a 747. Buffalo guns and elephants guns comprise a class of firearms known as heavy rifles, and that’s exactly what they need to be. Massive power generates massive recoil, and the one true way to dampen that is with mass. So these rifles need to weigh 10 to 15 pounds. And that’s a whole lot of gun, too much for most people to schlep around in the woods all day. Over the past couple of decades the trend has been for lighter, shorter rifles, while at the same time the newest hunting cartridges have become far more powerful. Combine the two and you get an easy to carry gun potent enough to hunt blue whales with, that smacks the bloody snot out of you when you pull the trigger. Not the ideal situation.
One way to lighten a rifle is to shorten the barrel. Steel is pretty heavy stuff, and lopping half a foot or so off the barrel can cut a pound or two of weight. One of the problems with that is that the new super-boomer cartridges really need that long long barrel to work their magic. With stubby barrels all you’re doing is wasting powder and damaging your hearing from the mighty muzzle blast; short barrels cause their velocity to drop a large amount, sometimes 300-400 feet per second, negating all the extra performance you bought them for in the first place. But short barrels make for short rifles, and short rifles are very easy to maneuver in the bushes.
So what’s the work-around? Little light rifles that shoot big soft bullets at moderately low velocities. They give you all the power you need to hunt deer, elk, and bears out to 200 yards, without the excessive recoil. Ok, with only somewhat excessive recoil. And that’s where modern technology comes in, because these days you can buy guns that have shock absorbers built right in. And that helps a lot, far more than just a rubber recoil pad.
So onto the latest in the Little Big Gun field.
Marlin introduces it’s new 1895GBL. This is the 1895G model rifle with a larger loop in the lever and a full length magazine tube. Chambered in the .45-70, it gives you 6 shots and a lever big enough to work while wearing thick gloves. The pistol grip stock and the big squishy recoil pad absorb quite a lot of kick, and it’s wood laminate stock and blued metal finish give it a traditional look while being fairly weather resistant. With a mere 18.5” barrel, the gun is just 37” long and weighs only 7 pounds empty. Fully loaded it will tip the scales at about 8 pounds and be a bit muzzle heavy, but that makes for a smooth aiming gun and helps cut recoil even more.
Taking the concept even further is a new rifle with a name nearly as big as the gun itself. This is the Thompson Center Encore Katahdin Pro Hunter FlexTech™ Carbine. It’s a 6 1/4 pound single shot rifle, chambered in the same .45-70 as the Marlin, along with the .460 S&W, the .500 S&W, and the “209 x 50” black powder version. All 4 of these chamberings will push a 300 grain bullet to 2000fps, plus or minus a little, which makes them potent short range hunters for deer, hogs, elk, and medium huge bears. The TC Encore is a break action design, so it’s receiver is very short. The Katahdin version comes with a 20” barrel, yet the rifle is only 34.5” long. That’s mighty short, and mighty light. The really impressive thing about this one is the FlexTech™ stock, which has a recoil absorbing design. It works like a series of progressive leaf springs, and is said to reduce felt recoil by up to 50%. I believe it; I’ve played the heavy rifle game for years and I have concluded that it is not the pounds/feet of recoil impact that causes the pain, it’s the speed of the impulse. The springy stock slows the impulse down a lot, turning a sharp punch into a big slow push. That’s much less punishing, and keeps you from wimping out in front of the other guys at the rifle range for much longer periods. Been there, done that, own the Past Magnum pad and use it without shame.
So there’s your gun porn. Power in a small package without excess recoil. That’s practical, for practical hunting at practical ranges.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/14/2010 at 01:30 PM
Filed Under: • Guns and Gun Control • planes, trains, tanks, ships, machines, automobiles •
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Permalink • Last Of The Few
The space shuttle Atlantis has just launched. No problems, everything right and right on schedule.
This will be the last flight for the Atlantis, and just 2 more flights for the shuttle program after 30+ years. That can’t be right. I thought we’d have Moonbase Alpha and be exploring Mars by now. Rats.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/14/2010 at 01:27 PM
Filed Under: • Space •
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Permalink • Gee, too bad
Oil prices fell to near $73 a barrel Friday amid expectations a slower economic recovery in debt-saddled Europe will weigh on crude demand and rising U.S. crude stocks.
By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for June delivery was down $1.21 to $73.19 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The June contract dropped $1.25 to settle at $74.40.
Crude prices have fallen about 15 percent from early last week as the dollar gained amid a debt crisis in Europe. A stronger dollar makes oil more expensive for investors with other currencies.
The euro fell Friday to $1.2469 from $1.2519 on Thursday, while the British pound was down to $1.4586 from $1.4609.
Oil traders have also been eyeing equity markets as an overall barometer of investor sentiment, and the Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.1 percent Thursday. Most Asian and European stock indices also dropped Friday.
“The price of oil is currently fighting a losing battle against the dollar and the equities markets,” said Mike Sander of Sander Capital.
Uh huh. Yeah, I noticed that the price at the gas station was down 7¢ a gallon. That’s after it went up 5¢ the week or so before that. When I see gas back down to $1.79 I’ll buy into this story. Until then it’s just another bit of hopenchange put out by the MFM.
And the euro is tanking. That’s a non-surprise too, ain’t it?
Meanwhile, back in the Gulf of Mexico ...
When underground gas surged up uncontrollably through the well, desperate rig workers tried to cap it with a set of supersized emergency cutoff valves known as a blowout preventer. However, the device was leaking hydraulic fluid and missing at least one battery, and one of its valves had been swapped with a useless testing part.
Gee, thanks. Way to go, dumbasses.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/14/2010 at 08:38 AM
Filed Under: • Economics • Oil, Alternative Energy, and Gas Prices •
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Permalink • Strange Pix
You run across some weird stuff out on the net sometimes. I saw these the other day.
You’ve got to wonder why anyone would put their wife and baby in a bathtub with a giant muskrat and a loaded pink 10/22 rifle and then take their picture. But the tot has her finger on the trigger!
Yet another reason why you should always put a switchplate cover on all electrical outlets. Honey, the power is out again and there’s this strange burning smell in the kitchen!
Ok, the coffee is done, so it’s time for breakfast. See ya.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/14/2010 at 08:23 AM
Filed Under: • Fun-Stuff •
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Permalink • Thursday - May 13, 2010
Busted
In the pre-dawn chill of Newburgh, New York, nearly 600 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers assembled at the armory this morning to prepare for one of the area’s largest gang takedowns in recent memory.
Indictments were unsealed against 78 members of two violent street gangs—the Bloods and the Latin Kings—and many of the unsuspecting gang members were about to wake up to SWAT teams, handcuffs, and a variety of federal drug charges.
“There are a number of neighborhood gangs in Newburgh, but these two national gangs are responsible for much of the drugs and crime in the city,” said Special Agent Jim Gagliano, who headed a 16-month, FBI-led Safe Streets Task Force investigation that culminated in this morning’s raids.
“Today’s arrests will severely disrupt and dismantle both organizations in Newburgh,” Gagliano said. “We are taking most of the local leaders of the Bloods and the Latin Kings off the streets. Some of them will likely be put away for so long they will never return to the city.”
After an early-morning briefing, agents and officers fanned out over the city in teams. Those arrested were brought back to the armory for processing and booking. Of the 60 members of the Bloods and 18 members of the Latin Kings who were indicted—some were already in jail on other charges—approximately 61 were in custody by early this afternoon. The sweep also netted four guns and a large amount of cash. The search for those still at large is ongoing.
Shame this is just the foam from the top of the beer glass. They could probably arrest another 400 of them, right there in tiny little Newburgh (pop 23,000). I know Newburgh, though I haven’t been up there in 20 years. It’s about half an hour north of West Point. Once upon a time it was a lovely little town on the Hudson river. Now it’s a “problem area”. Which means it’s a little bit of run down ghetto, out in the country. You drive along through the fields and forests, really enjoying just how nice New York is once you’re outside the NYC metro area. Up and over the Storm King, through the highlands. Then you come into Newburgh and you’re like “how the hell did this get here???” Let’s hope this bust is merely the start of a long overdue urban renewal for them.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/13/2010 at 02:39 PM
Filed Under: • Crime •
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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.
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