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A little at a time, we're moving forward

This weekend, weather head, mast, meter pan, and inside breaker box installed.  Everything properly grounded, everything up to code.

Next we'll make a list, buy materials, and install the outlets and lights.  Then, get it inspeced and have the electrical company hook up the meter.

The United Nations

Great speech by Nikki Haley, our UN Ambassador earlier this week.  The United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution that opposes the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem



The UN has long made a habit of opposing the United States.   Some have claimed that Ms. Haley was making a "respect my authority" speech.  I don't think that is the case at all.  I believe that Ms. Haley was simply reminding the Assembly that a nation opposes us at its peril.  They either stand with us, or they stand against us, and we're keeping score.

Posting may be light for the next couple of days  The Christmas season is upon us, and my schedule is subject to change at any minute.  I'll check in when I can, but flexibility will be the order of the day. 

Merry Christmas, y'all.

Lightweights

So, evidently, some fraternity had a party and later the air tested positive for alcohol.

Indoor air at a Maryland frat house tested positive for alcohol.
The booze-filled party location's air was found to have an alcohol concentration of 0.01. 0.08 is the legal blood alcohol limit for driving.

I remember one national holiday we had, middle of the week.  The Battalion commander told us to keep the troops occupied, near the Company, and make sure they were all there on Thursday.  The other Company commanders and I declared the day to be a Field Sports day, and devoted the day to track-and-field, baseball, wrestling, etc.  We bought about 20 kegs of beer and made sure that copious amounts were readily available.  We did hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.  We had a ball.  At the end of the day, we held a mass formation in each Company area to count heads.  over 1400 men linking arms to stand up.  When the Sergeant Major shouted FALL OUT, that's basically what happened.

The entire Battalion had a monstrous hangover the next morning and the CO was pleased.  He led us all on a three-mile retch run.  Oh, it was glorious.

Two Dogs

No not the old joke about the unfortunate Native American boy.

While the kids are on break, we're baby-sitting two dogs. 

That's Daisy, the Hessmer Flag-Tail.  She's a sweetie with generally good manners. 

That's Frances, the one-eyed Mountain dog.  They found her on a mountain in Arkansas, and after trying to find the owner, brought her home.  She's an affection-sink.  She'll climb up on you, one paw at a time, if you let her.  I believe that she'd perch on top of my had if I let her.  Frances is also perpetually hungry.  We have to watch her intake, because she will scarf anything that she can get her lips around.

The dogs are doing fine, ad the kids will be back Saturday night.  Our dawg, Beau, is doing just fine, although he is a bit perplexed at these two being in the house.

Thanks, NICS

It looks like the gun-control background check system that the Feds rely on has taken a dump.

WBRZ reports that “the FBI acknowledged an issue occurred on its NICS website” but gun store owners throughout Louisiana say the background check system “crashes every year” around Christmastime.

Scott Roe owns Spillway Sportsman in Port Allen and he said the NICS system “shut down completely, nothing worked.”

Stores in the area estimate that they've lost over $70k in sales due to the shutdown.

I mean... damn....  How Griinch can the FBI be?  This system should have a fail-safe.   They're only affecting the law-abiding, so they should issue a blanket PROCEED any time the system goes awry.  It's not like they prosecute felons with guns, anyway.

Trip Around The Sun

I am reminded that I have completed another trip around the sun.



I"m too busy to worry about that now. 

Bad Idea

It seems that some elected yahoo in Chicago wants to call in UN Peacekeeping troops to quell what he calls the "quiet genocide" in his community. Yeah, seriously.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Some politicians in the past have recommended deploying the National Guard to help Chicago quell gun violence, but Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin went even further on Thursday, suggesting the United Nations perhaps send in peacekeepers in the face of what he called a “quiet genocide.”

This idiot needs to re-read the Constitution, take a good look at the Posse Comitatus Act, and re-think this whole idiocy.  Foreign peacekeepers in the United States is a horribly bad idea. 

Just as an aside, I found, at an auction, a bunch of UN steel pot helmets painted blue several years ago.  We used them as targets on a local recreational range.  Several of us became very adept at punching .30 caliber holes in those helmets.... I'm just sayin'.

Hat tip to Wirecutter.

Bourbon

I"m a bourbon drinker and have been for decades. I know what I like and I'm not smitten by new brands. Although I do like to experiment occasionally, the old stand-bys suit me just fine. However, I know that there are a lot of craft bourbons out there, and the buyer must be aware. The only way to get into the bourbon business is to make your hooch, put it in a new oak barrel, and wait four years. That's how long it takes to make bourbon. Or you can buy bourbon on the market, and bottle it yourself. Some of the new bourbon labels are very good, but again, caveat emptor. I know that a lot of these will be given away as gifts in the coming weeks, so if you get a good bottle, savor it, and drink responsibly.

Truth

Truth, from Dilbert

After watching grandkids interact with their devices, there is a certain amount of truth here.

Lunch at PawPaw's House

Sunday lunch at PawPaw's house has been a tradition for years.  Today, we fixed beef tops and gravy over rice, creamed corn and yeast rolls.  After lunch, we started talking about air conditioners in the  new shop, and as I had two big AC units on the patio and four big, strapping boys, we decided to mount the units.

The holes in the shop were pre-measured for the units, so it was simply a matter of grabbing some tools, installing the cabinets, and sliding the units into place.  With four big boys, the job was done in about an hour and that's one less thing on my list of things to do.

Thanks, fellas.  This thing is moving right along.

More on Dwell Time

Remember earlier this week, we talked about dwell time, that fact of physics that combines momentum, recoil, bullet speed and barrel time to affect the way a firearm shoots a particular bullet?

Yeah, dwell time.

The firearm in that example was a new, Uberti Cattleman in .357 magnum that sowed a tendency to shoot 180 grain hardcast handloads a bit high; about 3 inches at 15 yards.

Today, we used the exact same handgun, but we tried 125 grain Winchester fodder.

It's throwing those a little bit low, which tends to support the dwell time  experience I've had for most of my gunning career.

I'm betting that 158 grain magnum ammo would shoot close to the point of aim. 

Friday

Nothing much to report today.  So, I'll answer questions about the building  that are in comments.

 USCitizen said...

Is an epoxy seal floor coating a part of the plan? That would give it some sparkle!

I've never seen an epoxy coating hold up.  My brother-in-law, for example, paid good contractors to have it applied on a patio.  Two years later, it looks horrible.  I think I'll pass on that.  Clean concrete is a wonderful flooring.

 Jonathan H said...  

When/ how are you going to run the electric? Are you going to run water too?

The electrical is coming quick, probably in a week or so.  When I got home this afternoon, I found my sons in the yard, looking at the building, so we took a few minutes to talk about those very things.  This week is going to be a busy one for everybody, with Christmas coming and all, but I want the lights installed the week after Christmas. The boys and I can do that, but the local code inspector will have to sign-off on the electrical job before the utility company will hook me to the grid. 

But, both of my boys are competent electricians, and both of them have been through this drill in the past year.  The're very good at it.  And, PawPaw hisself knows his way round a breaker-box.  I've been installing home improvement circuits all my life.  I know how to read a volt meter and I know how to install a good ground.  In a metal building, a good ground is very important.  We have lights and outlets covered.

Water you ask?  That's not covered in the permits.   The less said about that until the inspectors are through with the building, the better.  However, I note, just in passing, that there is a water line and a sewer line passing close to the building.  I'm just sayin'.

Finis!

I went home on my break, and saw that the builder had completed the roof and hanged the roll-up door.  His portion is complete.  I was walking around inside, taking pictures and my very first visitor came through the door.

That's my buddy Termite.  He's just in from offshore and brought me a quart of very fresh Gulf oysters.  And, we wandered around the building.  Very shortly thereafter, the builder showed up.  I had told him that I'd be hone about 3:30 with a big check in my pocket.  I paid him off, and he said that he was headed for the deer camp.

Belle rolled up within minutes, and we surveyed the building, then I had to go back to work.    I put the oysters in the 'fridge, gave Belle her kiss, and headed toward the school-house.  If I know my gal, she'll have the crackers and horse-radish out shortly, getting in to the oysters.  No one likes fresh oysters better than my Belle.

If you're in the central Louisiana area and need a metal building, call Jesse Wiggins at 318-449-9666.  He'll do a good job for you, and has the PawPaw seal of approval.

First Look

In 2004, Belle and I bought this place.  It came with a spare lot, which we though would be just perfect for a shop/party area/entertaining spot.  In 2014 we took up Cowboy Fast Draw and wanted out own indoor range where we could host shoots, and have club activities without worrying about the weather.

Dreams do come true, and the building is coming up.



Dreams do come true.  In God's time.

.357 Magnum, Heavy Bullets, Dwell Time

The .357 Smith and Wesson Magnum is one of the more interesting cartridges I've ever encountered.  A shooter can go from mild to wild in the caliber, shooting everything from mild wadcutter target loads to full-house magnum loads, and do it in the same cylinder of cartridges if he wants to.

Back in my early law enforcement days, the revolver was king, and the .357 magnum ruled the roost.  And, we noticed something.  That fixed-sight revolvers were generally regulated for a standard 158 grain bullet traveling about 1200 fps.  When we changed to the 125 grain hollowpoint, the revolver tended to shoot low.  On a man-sized silhouette, shots aimed at the chest would tend to hit about the belt buckle, depending on the range.  We finally realized that what we were seeing we defined as "dwell time".  Those little 125 grain bullets were screaming, at over 1400 fps and while the little bullets had less momentum recoil, they were a lot faster, so the barrel of the gun tended to rise less while the bullet was actually in the barrel.  Hence, they shot low.

The converse was also true.  Heavy cast bullet loads tended to shoot higher.  If you had a 180 grain bullet traveling close to 1200 fps, the gun had more recoil due to the heavier bullet and the barrel rose more while the bullet was traveling down the barrel, so the revolver tended to print the bullets higher on the target.  Dwell time.  Pure physics.  While the bullet is in the barrel, the barrel is rising, and the bullet goes higher.

Those of us with adjustable sights simply adjusted the sights.  Those with fixed sights either found a load the printed to the point of aim, or made adjustments based on their knowledge of the gun.  Either way, you had to hit what you aimed at.

Several years ago, I stumbled on a heavy 180 grain load that used L'il Gun powder.  I talk about it here.  It's a recoil hoss.  My son tried it in his Uberti Cattleman, and reported that it shoots a bit high.  I cogitated on it, not realizing what I was seeing, and told him I'd think about it.    Today, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  Dwell time.  I happen to have a box of factory 125 grain fodder, which generally shoots low in a standard .357 magnum.  Lighter bullet, faster travel, less dwell time.

He's coming up this weekend, and I told him to bring the Uberti.  Maybe we'll get a chance to do some shooting.

Jones Wins

It looks like Doug Jones beat Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race.  It is instructive to look at the results and study the numbers.

Jones did better with women, black, and young voters.   With all the talk of sex scandals, it's no surprise that Jones bested Moore with women and young voters.  The groping/harassment scandals make a lot of waves in an election and we see this here.  What we also see is that black voters cast ballots almost in a block.  This is nothing new, but if Republicans want to do better in tight races, they've got to reach out to black voters.

Here we see the vote broken down by race.  It's the same story as the table above, and it tells the tale of who voted in this race.  This reminds me of the last Louisiana governor election.  It came down to the Democrat, John Bel Edwards, and the Republican, David Vitter.  I would not vote for Edwards, as I believed that he was wrong for Louisiana.  I could not vote for Vitter because when elected to the US Senate, he ran on a family values platform and was immediately embroiled in a prostitution scandal.  So, I sat it out. 

The Democrat won, and the Democrats chortled over the win, but the fact of the matter was that Vitter was a piss-poor candidate.  Edwards, being the Democrat that he is, is trying to flush the state down the budget hole.  Taxes are up, spending is up, and the state is in a perpetual budget crisis.  Hopefully, the Republicans will field a better candidate next time.

Alabama will get a do-over in six years.  Hopefully, the Republicans will field a better candidate.

Some Good News

Some Good News for a change.  The American economy is booming.

CAIR? Who Cares?

In minor, amusing news, it seems that the head poo-bah of CAIR, a group that worships a pedophile prophet, is moaning about Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. 

 Nihad Awad, executive director and founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), argued that President Trump is “empowering Christian religious extremism in the United States” by announcing his intention to move the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

To my mind, it's a no-brainer.  Jerusalem was the capital of Israel for several millennia before the Arab occupation of 637.  The Israelis took it back in 1967.  I wouldn't blame the Jews at all if they tore down the mosque and re-established their Temple. 

I don't have much sympathy for CAIR.

Conservative Woke

I've seen this "woke" thing bandied about, and evidently, if you read the Huffington Post regularly, you are "woke".

If you are conservative and you understand that when you vote conservative, the other side considers you a hateful, racist, misogynistic, LGBTQWTF baiting, NRA card-toting, spiteful ignoramus, then you become Conservative Woke.

And when you’re conservative woke, you’re ready to deploy the most powerful non-bullet firing weapon in your liberty-loving arsenal – your devastating capability not to give a damn what the liberals and their Conservative, Inc., cruise-shilling Benedict Arnold buddies say.

If I don't care what they think about me, they got nothing.  And frankly, that's where I am at this point in my life.  Frankly, I don't care what they think about me.    I'm no longer afraid of being called a racist, because I know it's not true, Their taunts are meaningless.  Whether it is free health-care, or immigration, or voting fraud, or tax reform, or any other liberal knee-jerk topic, I really don't care what they think.  They've lost their power.

I've argued with friends and acquaintances who think that we should be more liberal, and I've shown them where their arguments fall apart.  It's all a pipe dream, designed to keep the liberal icons in power.  That's what it is about. Power, and I refuse to give them any power over me.

Their arguments don't make any sense and their taunts are meaningless.

Upddate** I sense a movement starting.  John Hawkins, over at Townhall, talks about this very thing.

There are always people in D.C. who think they have a better idea of what to do with my life and my money than I do. I don’t need any “help” from the government and I’m not okay with the government using my money to help people who should be helping themselves. When I want to give to charity, tithe to my church or buy Christmas gifts for a poor family, I do it. We may all have to pool our money to pay for street signs, the police and the military, but I don’t see any reason my money should go to people on welfare for years, the families of anchor babies or scammers doing Crossfit right before the government hands them a disability check for their “intolerable” pain. Go work for a living like the rest of us.

Go, as they say, and read the whole thing. 

10 Things

I'm glad I don't date anymore.  I've been happily married for a long time, and while I take my gal on dates, it certainly can't be considered a "first date".  But, Insty leads me to an article on 10 things every intersectional feminist should ask on a first date.

It deserves a good fisking, sho here goes:

1. Do you believe that Black Lives Matter?  Yeah, like I believe that white lives matter.

2. What are your thoughts on gender and sexual orientation?  There are two genders.  That is simple biology.  Sexual orientation is more complex.  Just so we're clear, can I see your boobs?

3. How do you work to dismantle sexism and misogyny in your life?    Are you going to pick up the tab?  Or do you intend to perpetuate societal conventions?

4. What are your thoughts on sex work?  I had to give it up when I turned 40.

5. Are you a supporter of the BDS movement?  No, President Bush has been gone a long time.  (to the waiter)  Check, please!

6. What is your understanding of settler colonialism and indigenous rights?  Most of that happened locally, long before I was born.  However, the indig folks nearby seem to be doing well with the casinos.   Do you prefer blackjack, or craps?

7. Do you think capitalism is exploitative?  Not nearly as exploitative as socialism.  Have you noticed any toilet paper shortages around here? 

8. Can any human be illegal?  Oh, yeah!  If you don't believe that, walk over near the waiters station and holler "Immigration Enforcement" and see how long it takes us to get our drink order.  We'll be in here on Wednesday morning, waiting for them to hire new staff.

9. Do you support Muslim Americans and non-Muslim people from Islamic countries?  No, I'd prefer that they support themselves.  I'm tired of paying taxes to support people who come over here and won't work to make a living.

10. Does your allyship include disabled folks?  Hell, some of my best friends are disabled folks. 

Do people actually talk like this on a first date?  But, my answers to the first three would probably have her running for the door.