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Mixed (Up) Martial Arts
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How To Say It
It's not so much that I liked George Bush Jr, it's just knowing that the next guy would not be called to task for doing the exact same things Bush was being condemned for.
I've not heard the word "unilateral" used all week for some reason.
I've not heard the word "unilateral" used all week for some reason.
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On Mr Williams (Me Really)
Cracked has a good break down.
It hits home because I'm the insecure person who makes jokes to hide it.
It really hits home because I've had the gun in my mouth.
I've been in the dark hole looking up and pleading, "is there anyone out there who understands?" and gotten not just "no" but "hell no!" as a response. You beg for sympathy because that creates the illusion that someone sees the pain for what it is.
You get offered advice that just will not work.
You get dismissed from peoples lives because they don't want a deeper relationship than the surface humor.
You dismiss yourself from peoples lives because you're sick of that veneer. You dismiss yourself because you feel like you're taking over an inordinate amount of your friends time. You know you wouldn't like it if they were imposing on you like you're imposing on them.
Relationships start feeling like a treadmill. You never get any where.
You stop making new friends because there's no point.
I am fucking lucky!
Getting out of the hole is a DIY project. It's a massive undertaking because not only do you have to dig out of the hole, you have to build the machines that make the machines that make the tools; all on your own and without a guide. It's also frustrating that the tools and methods for escaping my personal hole do not resemble those that work for anyone else and vice versa.
For the most part, I've succeeded! The last vestiges seem to have fallen relatively recently.
I still haven't made many new friends, it's still scary out there. While it's scary here, at the edge of the hole, it's less scary than jumping back in. Now the explanation is more along the lines that I'm a bit socially isolated by being a parent of a special needs child and limited by that single income thing.
I wish that Mr Williams had found the tools he needed to get out of his hole. I wish that so many people I've known and know of would.
The only help I can really offer is to show that it's possible. That it can be done.
PS: I weighed this long and hard before deciding to hit publish. A version of this has been in drafts for weeks. Special thanks to Tam for being mean a few months ago. Although I doubt that she saw it as being so, it was the kick in the jaw I needed to assemble the tools that I'd made.
It hits home because I'm the insecure person who makes jokes to hide it.
It really hits home because I've had the gun in my mouth.
I've been in the dark hole looking up and pleading, "is there anyone out there who understands?" and gotten not just "no" but "hell no!" as a response. You beg for sympathy because that creates the illusion that someone sees the pain for what it is.
You get offered advice that just will not work.
You get dismissed from peoples lives because they don't want a deeper relationship than the surface humor.
You dismiss yourself from peoples lives because you're sick of that veneer. You dismiss yourself because you feel like you're taking over an inordinate amount of your friends time. You know you wouldn't like it if they were imposing on you like you're imposing on them.
Relationships start feeling like a treadmill. You never get any where.
You stop making new friends because there's no point.
I am fucking lucky!
Getting out of the hole is a DIY project. It's a massive undertaking because not only do you have to dig out of the hole, you have to build the machines that make the machines that make the tools; all on your own and without a guide. It's also frustrating that the tools and methods for escaping my personal hole do not resemble those that work for anyone else and vice versa.
For the most part, I've succeeded! The last vestiges seem to have fallen relatively recently.
I still haven't made many new friends, it's still scary out there. While it's scary here, at the edge of the hole, it's less scary than jumping back in. Now the explanation is more along the lines that I'm a bit socially isolated by being a parent of a special needs child and limited by that single income thing.
I wish that Mr Williams had found the tools he needed to get out of his hole. I wish that so many people I've known and know of would.
The only help I can really offer is to show that it's possible. That it can be done.
PS: I weighed this long and hard before deciding to hit publish. A version of this has been in drafts for weeks. Special thanks to Tam for being mean a few months ago. Although I doubt that she saw it as being so, it was the kick in the jaw I needed to assemble the tools that I'd made.
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Practical
Willard hands me a bag... It's heavy.
"That's your spare ammo!" he says.
The thing that gets lost in the encumbrance rules is little lessons like that.
300 rounds of 7.62x51 and 100 rounds of 9mm are heavy. 19.4 lb. All by itself, it's not so bad. In addition to everything else... It's not a straw, but it could be hazardous to the spines of camels.
Picking his memories about it; going to change the gear to...
On the web gear.
FAL with loaded mag.
4 spare mags. (down from 6)
HP with loaded mag.
1 spare mag.
2 Mk II fragmentation grenades (replacing 4 M67)
In the pack.
Spare loaded FAL mag.
50 round non-disintegrating 7.62x51mm belt.
Zip-Lock bag with 26 loose 9mm rounds.
Ditching the Energa's too.
Part of the problem was designing the character for a particular scenario and ignoring historical load outs.
"That's your spare ammo!" he says.
The thing that gets lost in the encumbrance rules is little lessons like that.
300 rounds of 7.62x51 and 100 rounds of 9mm are heavy. 19.4 lb. All by itself, it's not so bad. In addition to everything else... It's not a straw, but it could be hazardous to the spines of camels.
Picking his memories about it; going to change the gear to...
On the web gear.
FAL with loaded mag.
4 spare mags. (down from 6)
HP with loaded mag.
1 spare mag.
2 Mk II fragmentation grenades (replacing 4 M67)
In the pack.
Spare loaded FAL mag.
50 round non-disintegrating 7.62x51mm belt.
Zip-Lock bag with 26 loose 9mm rounds.
Ditching the Energa's too.
Part of the problem was designing the character for a particular scenario and ignoring historical load outs.
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The Legalities Of Gold Cross
In the way back, Steve Jackson Games had a game called Car Wars.
In that game they had a mini-rpg where your "character" could die and be brought back to life via a custom grown clone body and a read of your mind into the clone body.
It was called Gold Cross. It was expensive, but worth it.
I introduced it into my Traveller campaign.
Anagathics were a staple of LBB Traveller, but if you could be resurrected, why fight getting old?
In Car Wars it was a simple matter to will your good to your clone because you were legally the same person.
Because there's nobility in Traveller, I decided that your clone was not legally the same person, but that you could will your entire estate to your clone. No problem for most players.
One huge legal exception. Titles of nobility didn't transfer. If you were Baron of something, and you Gold-Crossed back to life, you weren't a baron anymore.
This kept the anagathics and let there be Gold Cross.
Neuyou (new you) was a competitor to Gold Cross, much cheaper.
I had an ad campaign for Gold Cross mentioning that their more costly procedure was more reliable than the "budget" option; "You'll never know what you're missing!" implying that memories could be entirely gone.
I never did confirm or deny if Newyou was an inferior service.
In that game they had a mini-rpg where your "character" could die and be brought back to life via a custom grown clone body and a read of your mind into the clone body.
It was called Gold Cross. It was expensive, but worth it.
I introduced it into my Traveller campaign.
Anagathics were a staple of LBB Traveller, but if you could be resurrected, why fight getting old?
In Car Wars it was a simple matter to will your good to your clone because you were legally the same person.
Because there's nobility in Traveller, I decided that your clone was not legally the same person, but that you could will your entire estate to your clone. No problem for most players.
One huge legal exception. Titles of nobility didn't transfer. If you were Baron of something, and you Gold-Crossed back to life, you weren't a baron anymore.
This kept the anagathics and let there be Gold Cross.
Neuyou (new you) was a competitor to Gold Cross, much cheaper.
I had an ad campaign for Gold Cross mentioning that their more costly procedure was more reliable than the "budget" option; "You'll never know what you're missing!" implying that memories could be entirely gone.
I never did confirm or deny if Newyou was an inferior service.
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Officer Soldier
I didn't say much about the militarization of the cops here.
I commented here and there...
The reason I didn't say anything much here was because others were saying is so much better I had nothing meaningful to add.
I notice that they've been saying it for at least four years.
I'd ask where the press was on this, but we know that too, don't we?
I commented here and there...
The reason I didn't say anything much here was because others were saying is so much better I had nothing meaningful to add.
I notice that they've been saying it for at least four years.
I'd ask where the press was on this, but we know that too, don't we?
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Beginner Mistake
The Lovely Harvey is giving on-body carry a shot.
She's discovered that selecting your cover garment has some provisos.
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She's discovered that selecting your cover garment has some provisos.
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Unicorn
You'd think, as popular as the long 1911 trigger is as an aftermarket item that a blued short trigger would be easy to find as someone's discarded part.
I'd take black plastic or aluminum at this point, I simply would like a short trigger!
You know, like came in every 1911 from Colt for decades?
I'd take black plastic or aluminum at this point, I simply would like a short trigger!
You know, like came in every 1911 from Colt for decades?
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Road Rally In The Rain
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Repurposed
L to R
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A pen, a bottle opener and a dummy.
The bottle opener is by far the smoothest and best opener I've ever used!
The dummy round was the most expensive, it came with a donation to keep Liberty Belle flying; and we all know how that turned out.
A pen, a bottle opener and a dummy.
The bottle opener is by far the smoothest and best opener I've ever used!
The dummy round was the most expensive, it came with a donation to keep Liberty Belle flying; and we all know how that turned out.
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Uncivilized
I am once again struck that rioting and looting is not how civilized people behave.
Is there a way to say, "these people aren't part of our culture," without it sounding racist?
I guess, just like slander and libel, truth cleanses the crime.
If they really aren't part of our culture, then it isn't racist to notice.
The next question is do we want them to be?
I do. I think things are better if everyone living in a nation is part of the same culture, at least the same base culture.
I think we're cultivating enclaves where a different base culture is the norm. Some are being active about it, some are passive.
The end is balkanization as competing cultures tend to draw lines on maps rather than merge.
The saddest part of this was we had a system in place for a very long time that blended diverse cultures into the American one.
Is there a way to say, "these people aren't part of our culture," without it sounding racist?
I guess, just like slander and libel, truth cleanses the crime.
If they really aren't part of our culture, then it isn't racist to notice.
The next question is do we want them to be?
I do. I think things are better if everyone living in a nation is part of the same culture, at least the same base culture.
I think we're cultivating enclaves where a different base culture is the norm. Some are being active about it, some are passive.
The end is balkanization as competing cultures tend to draw lines on maps rather than merge.
The saddest part of this was we had a system in place for a very long time that blended diverse cultures into the American one.
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Cop Wanna Be Soldier
My oldest post I can find about police militarization.
Note: if you ever delete your blogger blog in an attempt to import your live journal, it kills the search box in the upper left from seeing the posts that were deleted then restored.
Note: if you ever delete your blogger blog in an attempt to import your live journal, it kills the search box in the upper left from seeing the posts that were deleted then restored.
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Everything Mosin
The Mosin-Nagant Rifle 6th Edition by Terrence W Lapin.
THIS is what a book for collectors should look like!
Since this is my first book for a collector, they might all look like this, but I suspect they don't.
His data contradicts some online sources and he backs up why he thinks as he does. There's a lot here to absorb in a very concise tome.
Thanks Willard!
THIS is what a book for collectors should look like!
Since this is my first book for a collector, they might all look like this, but I suspect they don't.
His data contradicts some online sources and he backs up why he thinks as he does. There's a lot here to absorb in a very concise tome.
Thanks Willard!
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Worse Than 1911 VS Glock
Because fighter pilots are involved...
The Aviationist posted Hoser's gun camera pic of him embarrassing an F-15C jock at a time when embarrassing an Eagle driver was bad for sales.
This led to comments about the superiority of the F-14 over the F-15 and vice versa.
First off, that's not a Tomcat with a gun pipper painting the pilot. Second, Joe Satrapa was a Shit Hot pilot. Third, even the lowly A-4 Skyhawk can get a guns kill on an F-15 if the Eagle pilot gets into a situation where the A-4 is superior.
It's a mantra over and over in air to air. The best plane flown by the worst pilot is probably going to lose against a lesser plane flown by the best pilot. Hoser was the guy to beat at the time, if you'd bested him, you could brag.
On paper, the Eagle should be all over the Tomcat in just about any engagement where the knives come out. While things are still beyond visual range, the Tomcat has many advantages; not least of which is the radar. The AIM-54 can reach out farther than any weapon ever carried by the F-15 (assuming one wanted to use them on fighters).
They used the same medium range missiles the entire time both planes were in service with the US with the AIM-120 capability given to the F-15C and denied the F-14A and D giving an edge to the Eagle.
Sidewinder fit was identical.
Same gun, Eagle has more bullets.
The F-15C has a much better thrust to weight ratio than the F-14A, but not so much over the F-14D. Wing loading is hard to figure because the space between the engines on the Tomcat provides actual useful lift when the Phoenix pallets are left in the garage.
When things get low and slow, Navy planes shine because the handling characteristics that let you be successful around the boat help out there.
With the F-14A though, there are some serious warts in a dogfight. The TF-30 was finicky. The phrase pilots used was they had to fly the engine. It also wallowed a lot. When the F-14A+/F-14B and F-14D's came along they got to fly the plane and the B/D got improved flight control gizmos so that, "it finally went where I pointed it".
The F-15C is what is known as a "care free" handling plane. It's got lots of thrust, and doesn't bite without giving lots and lots of growling to pull your hand back. It's the kind of plane that makes a mediocre pilot good and a good pilot great.
Something that colors these comparisons is the Navy and Air Force took great pains to keep the Eagles and Tomcats separated. It appears that neither service wanted a definitive answer to which plane was better in the real world. Also the Navy imposed rather severe peacetime restrictions on the F-14 fleet so as to save the airframes and let them serve longer. The Hoser picture is from one of, if not the, first times that those restrictions were lifted.
And that's what happens when the F-14A is flown by someone whose motto is, "pull on the stick until the RIO pukes and the rivets pop; there's no kill like a GUNS kill!"
The Aviationist posted Hoser's gun camera pic of him embarrassing an F-15C jock at a time when embarrassing an Eagle driver was bad for sales.
This led to comments about the superiority of the F-14 over the F-15 and vice versa.
First off, that's not a Tomcat with a gun pipper painting the pilot. Second, Joe Satrapa was a Shit Hot pilot. Third, even the lowly A-4 Skyhawk can get a guns kill on an F-15 if the Eagle pilot gets into a situation where the A-4 is superior.
It's a mantra over and over in air to air. The best plane flown by the worst pilot is probably going to lose against a lesser plane flown by the best pilot. Hoser was the guy to beat at the time, if you'd bested him, you could brag.
On paper, the Eagle should be all over the Tomcat in just about any engagement where the knives come out. While things are still beyond visual range, the Tomcat has many advantages; not least of which is the radar. The AIM-54 can reach out farther than any weapon ever carried by the F-15 (assuming one wanted to use them on fighters).
They used the same medium range missiles the entire time both planes were in service with the US with the AIM-120 capability given to the F-15C and denied the F-14A and D giving an edge to the Eagle.
Sidewinder fit was identical.
Same gun, Eagle has more bullets.
The F-15C has a much better thrust to weight ratio than the F-14A, but not so much over the F-14D. Wing loading is hard to figure because the space between the engines on the Tomcat provides actual useful lift when the Phoenix pallets are left in the garage.
When things get low and slow, Navy planes shine because the handling characteristics that let you be successful around the boat help out there.
With the F-14A though, there are some serious warts in a dogfight. The TF-30 was finicky. The phrase pilots used was they had to fly the engine. It also wallowed a lot. When the F-14A+/F-14B and F-14D's came along they got to fly the plane and the B/D got improved flight control gizmos so that, "it finally went where I pointed it".
The F-15C is what is known as a "care free" handling plane. It's got lots of thrust, and doesn't bite without giving lots and lots of growling to pull your hand back. It's the kind of plane that makes a mediocre pilot good and a good pilot great.
Something that colors these comparisons is the Navy and Air Force took great pains to keep the Eagles and Tomcats separated. It appears that neither service wanted a definitive answer to which plane was better in the real world. Also the Navy imposed rather severe peacetime restrictions on the F-14 fleet so as to save the airframes and let them serve longer. The Hoser picture is from one of, if not the, first times that those restrictions were lifted.
And that's what happens when the F-14A is flown by someone whose motto is, "pull on the stick until the RIO pukes and the rivets pop; there's no kill like a GUNS kill!"
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Adventures In Sleep Deprivation
The pattern of late has been finally falling asleep around 0300. Then three to four hours down, POP I'm awake and alert.
Then at around 10 or 11, a rapid fade. Then four or five hours of sleep then a groggy up until about 0300, repeat.
Yesterday flat doesn't exist. I know I talked to some people online, because chat records.
I have an ephemeral impression that Willard was here, because there's a copy of Cooper's Art of the Rifle here.
It's taxing.
I sometimes wonder if I've been making soap.
Then at around 10 or 11, a rapid fade. Then four or five hours of sleep then a groggy up until about 0300, repeat.
Yesterday flat doesn't exist. I know I talked to some people online, because chat records.
I have an ephemeral impression that Willard was here, because there's a copy of Cooper's Art of the Rifle here.
It's taxing.
I sometimes wonder if I've been making soap.
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New Toy
It's that time of every other year!
The Lovely Harvey renews her phone contract and gets a new phone.
This year they offered us a free tablet with the phone upgrade.
While most reviews are pretty negative about the freebie, it's $150 less than the one all of the reviews recommended. Sound advice if one was paying outright, but FREE.
It's a fun little toy, like my smart-phone but larger.
It's something I have zero need of, but... Hurray fun!
The Lovely Harvey renews her phone contract and gets a new phone.
This year they offered us a free tablet with the phone upgrade.
While most reviews are pretty negative about the freebie, it's $150 less than the one all of the reviews recommended. Sound advice if one was paying outright, but FREE.
It's a fun little toy, like my smart-phone but larger.
It's something I have zero need of, but... Hurray fun!
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Blame
Got linked to an article about the militarization of the cops.
Nixon and Reagan are entirely to blame it seems.
Except...
It's not JUST them.
Until recently, a president needed Congress to pass the laws they were signing and enforcing. Congress was decidedly one party from 1955 to 1994 in the house and with the exception of 1981-1987 the senate too.
That'd make it bipartisan, wouldn't it?
I also notice that while the Democrats controlled both congress and the white house they didn't rush out to repeal the laws which offend us so today. Nor did any Republican president condemn those laws.
Again, bipartisan.
I'd like to say that the Republicans didn't make things worse when they had both houses and The White House, but Patriot Act...
Do not forget, when you see this politician or that condemning the effects of this law or that; how did they vote on it? It's often surprising to see they supported the law when it was a bill and oppose it now that it's a law. It's depressing that they very seldom get called on it.
Another issue at play here, and its something I have to grudgingly give LBJ credit for, "You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered."
Too much law is passed with the idea that the people administering it agree with the authors of the bill and completely understand what the authors meant by it.
Nixon and Reagan are entirely to blame it seems.
Except...
It's not JUST them.
Until recently, a president needed Congress to pass the laws they were signing and enforcing. Congress was decidedly one party from 1955 to 1994 in the house and with the exception of 1981-1987 the senate too.
That'd make it bipartisan, wouldn't it?
I also notice that while the Democrats controlled both congress and the white house they didn't rush out to repeal the laws which offend us so today. Nor did any Republican president condemn those laws.
Again, bipartisan.
I'd like to say that the Republicans didn't make things worse when they had both houses and The White House, but Patriot Act...
Do not forget, when you see this politician or that condemning the effects of this law or that; how did they vote on it? It's often surprising to see they supported the law when it was a bill and oppose it now that it's a law. It's depressing that they very seldom get called on it.
Another issue at play here, and its something I have to grudgingly give LBJ credit for, "You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered."
Too much law is passed with the idea that the people administering it agree with the authors of the bill and completely understand what the authors meant by it.
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Credit
To give credit, where credit is due.
When I asked Marv how often he checked to make sure his powder measure was feeding the correct amount of powder; his answer wasn't "huh?"
When I asked Marv how often he checked to make sure his powder measure was feeding the correct amount of powder; his answer wasn't "huh?"
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Tea Leaves
Ever see someone doing DNA testing?
They squirt fluids into vials and stuff.
Then a pattern emerges.
Viola! DNA match! or not.
I am not going to pretend I understand the process, what it looks like more than in general or how it works. I do know that it's repeatable. I've seen enough of it explained that I can grasp the idea of what's going on even if I don't know the details.
Someone from the 18th century would call you a witch because what's going on is apparently no different from reading tea leaves.
What's that old line? Something about sufficiently advanced technology?
This sort of thing is what divides the Tech Levels in games.
They squirt fluids into vials and stuff.
Then a pattern emerges.
Viola! DNA match! or not.
I am not going to pretend I understand the process, what it looks like more than in general or how it works. I do know that it's repeatable. I've seen enough of it explained that I can grasp the idea of what's going on even if I don't know the details.
What's that old line? Something about sufficiently advanced technology?
This sort of thing is what divides the Tech Levels in games.
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Changed The Ammo
Pretty weak complaint.
The change to M855A1 in the trials was because the Army was changing over to the new round and the supplicants would have to accommodate it.
I've been reading about the new round and it wasn't "tailored for the M4", it's a replacement round for every 5.56x45mm NATO gun in the inventory.
Grumble.
The change to M855A1 in the trials was because the Army was changing over to the new round and the supplicants would have to accommodate it.
I've been reading about the new round and it wasn't "tailored for the M4", it's a replacement round for every 5.56x45mm NATO gun in the inventory.
Grumble.
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