Sunday Ugly Gun Post

Excellent in technical execution. Abysmal in taste.

Dr. Mumble-Sloth

Good-bye, Dr. Mumble-Sloth; it's been....well, it's been a lesson in patience working with you. Your random appearances in the wrong room; the constantly asking you to repeat what you said, since you won't speak clearly due to your difficulty with English; and your obvious disinterest in this rotation of your residency. But most of all, we'll all remember your suturing skills. I will forever more measure the speed of a physician's suturing against your baseline speed of 1.5 linear inches of suture per HOUR. I thought standing in line for an hour in the Iraqi desert for a bag of nachos would teach me the meaning of patience. But you've surpassed that. Watching you fiddle about with the needle-drivers, trying to decide where to place the next suture, over and over again; getting two-thirds done, then deciding to start over; then watching your preceptor take out that one, and finish the job.

So, good-bye and good luck. You're going to need it.

Upcoming RenFair

This weekend is the last one for Renaissance Fair up in Shakopee, MN. The Wife and I will be taking the son and one of his friends, who has never attended one. I'm strapped this year, so no fresh off the forge spears this time around, but I'm still looking forward to it.

Oi.

I was over at the Weasel's and found this. The vinyl version of my obsession with terrible B-movie horror films.

Holy Crap. Well, not holy, but it's crap.

Linkfest-A Festival Of Jackassery

It's so true....Grouchy Old Cripple

I'd rather have an open enemy than a back-stabbing friend; The Unforgiving Minute.

Who can't even remember it correctly anyway (The War On Guns).

I believe in tolerance; I might not agree with you, but if you don't screw with me, I'll reciprocate. To paraphrase Mr. Garrison, "Tolerance doesn't mean you have to approve of it, it just means your willing to put up with it". But then, if you honestly can't tolerate me, Why don't you try it with me first? You can experience my appreciation of the Second Amendment firsthand.

Like I said, tolerance for those that are tolerant. Ignorant violent goat-humpers fall outside the circle. Religion of Perpetual Rage indeed.

But I guess I'm not as tolerant as the far left. I guess everything is forgiveable, if you're cute in a "spank me Daddy, I'm a bad girl" twisted sexual way.

Sunday Ugly Gun Post

....this is going to be my deer rifle this year and maybe shoot some more squirrels this fall if this does not sell this next week last chance for this one of a kind match quality 45 acp rifle. this is the ultimate rifle to put a can on it is proven accuracy in the match ring as a off hand rifle and has won alot of matches. this rifle has a custom made french walnut stock that no picture will show it s beauty and it was made on a shortened springfield bolt action with a douglas air gauged xxxxx 1 in 18 twist barrel app 19 inches long this is 100 percent a custom rifle that you could not get made for 2 grand and it also has a match chamber i was going to cut off just enough of the barrel to make a cherry so you could shoot 400 grain bullets by pre rifling the bullets in the cherry made from the end of the barrel this is true match rifle.....

Res ipsa loquitur.

Copycats

I'm noticing a trend here. I've been seeing an unusual number of middle aged men coming through my area to have work done on their hearts. They have a variation on the above moustache, the same haircut, a couple of tats, and an exaggerated swagger. They bluster a lot, and try to intimidate the staff.

Until they get into the procedure room.

Then there's shaking, nausea, quivering voices asking if they can be "knocked out" before anything starts, hyperventilating, and vomiting.

Apparently all those biker "reality/builder" shows have really sucked in the guys with big egos and weak minds.

I Like This One Better

'cause if Crocker was my offspring, I'd be at least this upset.

That Didn't Take Long

I spent the last day of my vacation (Sunday) doing a day of drill. It was memorable in that the company I first served in, the 209th Medical Co. (Clearing), was reactived. That means that more than likely, I'll be able to get my twenty year letter while serving in the same company I entered the Guard in, which has a nice symmetry to it.

The other event that made the day memorable is that within two months of rejoining, I've progressed from rummaging in the attic for a uniform to wear, to becoming part of replacement pool of medics for an upcoming deployment, to being informed late that morning that I will be going on the deployment.

I've got a few months more at home, and then it's off to the Sinai for a year. I'll be going for a rotation with the Multinational Force and Observers. Until a few months ago, I'd never heard of this. Looking into it, I think this will be a very interesting experience, being around so many different nation's military detachments. Plus, no mortar/rocket attacks, running water (I have a profound appreciation of the porcelain toilet after months of smelling diesel and shit flambe during OIF I), quarters that aren't looted buildings or canvas, and, so I'm told, Internet access in the personal quarters.

I'm not looking forward to being separated from my family that long, and it's hard on my coworkers, but at least this time it's more than thirty-six hours notice, and a sure thing (as much as you can get in the military) that I won't be gone more than a year.

All in all, this should be pretty interesting.

Sunday Ugly Gun Post

Another Springfield used as someone's whittling project.

Back To The Grind

It's our last night at the campground, and we're pretty much packed up. We took one last ride today, as the weather was pretty nice. As usual, lots of deer, turkey, and beautiful views. On the unusual side, I broke my LCD screen on my camera, the gas gauge on the bike has died, and some pecker in a pickup stopped six inches short of killing my wife today. The skidmarks from his tires where a good eight feet long, and it took a couple minutes before The Wife could move her bike off the shoulder due to the shakes. Dipshit in a pickup took off before I could discuss his driving habits with him while I was checking on her; that was probably a good thing for him and me, as one of us would have been in jail and the other in the hospital.

I decided we'd stop and settle down for a while here:

Lewie's is just south of Deadwood a few miles. Great place, nice deck, lots of different beers. Hung out for a while to let the adrenaline burn off, then back to the campsite to load up the bikes for the trip home:

Yes, we are part-time WHOREs (We Haul Our Rides Everywhere). I quit thinking it was fun to not be able to walk after eight hours in the saddle after riding from Iowa to Arkansas on a vacation a few years ago. I'd like to be able to actually move more than a few feet after getting off the bike, these days.

After loading, it was time for supper. Since I was cooking, it was the supper/breakfast of champions: Pancakes & Jack-

If it's your last night of freedom, you might as well go out in a blaze of booze.

Ugly Gun Sunday

Love the faux ivory grips! Sorry this Sunday's post is late. I was having an incredible time riding my bike in the 47 degree intermittent rain. I'm glad I was able to help South Dakota by breaking the latest heat wave and lack of rain upon my arrival for vacation.

Why Did You Go To A Campground......

when you could have listened to your crappy country-western music collection at home instead of bothering the rest of us at 0100 hours?

Where's Al Gore.....

when you need him? We got up this morning in Mitchell, SD to finish driving to Spearfish, and the temperature was in the high seventies. By the time we got to our campsite, it was in the mid-fifties. So now here I sit, typing this next to a campfire trying to stay warm, as it's getting into the low forties (another unexpected first for me: never had I thought that I would be connected to the internet while next to an open fire outdoors. I love progress.)

By the time we finished setting up, there was about thirty minutes of good light left, so I started the bike and headed down Spearfish Canyon. I lasted five minutes before the long term effects of my frostbite from the eighties showed up, forcing me to pull over and start pulling additional clothing from the saddlebags. One gaiter over the neck and up to just beneath the eyes, another gaiter over the ears, and a do-rag over that. Spent the rest of the ride down to Bridal Veil Falls and back looking like I was ready for an armed withdrawal from the local Stop & Rob.

Tomorrow is supposed to be in the high fifties, so I guess it's lots of leather for most of tomorrow again. I'll just have to keep stopping at the watering holes to stay warm.

Soon.....

I'll be setting up a campsite not far from Spearfish Canyon, get ready to put some miles on the bike. Far too few days to do it in, but some is better than none by a long shot.

Piss Off A Hippy

By wearing this.

Vicious Cold Snap Engulfs Hell

OK, I honestly never thought I would see this.

Comedian gets the hook for using N-word.

(h/t to Hot Air

Pattern 14 On The Range

I actually made it out to the range yesterday. Keeping it short, I took one rifle, the Pattern 14 I'd wanted to take out some time ago. Also twenty rounds of cast .303 to try out. The point of today's exercise was to see how well the rifle could shoot the handloads at fifty yards. Not very far, but when the muzzle looks like this:

it's better to start at close range. I'm sticking with cast loads so that expense and recoil are minimized during the course of testing. I'm intending to gradually counterbore the muzzle back to unpitted rifling, which will be about half an inch.

I do not like altering issue rifles, but when there's damage or wear that's repairable by a method that would be armory acceptable, I'm willing to replace or repair parts. I'm not aware of counterboring in British service rifles, but finding an issue replacement barrel in at least very good condition seems unlikely. So, we go to the backup plan of keeping the external appearance correct, but using internal modifications to keep the rifle in good working order.

The biggest surprise of the day was that the rifle was capable of groups within three inches off of sandbags. Not a great group under normal circumstances, but when the bottom half of the muzzle looks like coral reef, it's unexpectedly good. I didn't find any keyholing either, which I was expecting.

The brass is once-fired (before yesterday) S&B. It was full-length resized for the cast loads, although future loads will be neck sized to extend the life of the brass. I did note that all the primers backed out somewhat during firing.

If I recall correctly, this indicates low pressures during firing. The primer pockets were tight during loading, so I'm confident the enlarged pockets aren't the cause here. Also seen is a bright ring often associated with incipient case head separation. As this was present after the first firing, and all future loads will be neck sized, I'll continue firing these with the same load while watching for any changes in the brass' condition.

The next step is a slight counterbore. I'll refire with the same loads and compare to yesterday's targets for group size. I'll be extremely surprised if I can't improve the groups significantly once the bullet doesn't ride over the damaged portion of the muzzle.

I Want This Shirt

Close up here.

And This Evenings Entertainment Is......

Dead Clowns, which should fulfill my expectations of B-movie horror: low budget, no-name actors, and an odd low-brow twist to get one to look at the container in a video store. In this case, zombie clowns. I love me some zombies. And I've never seen living dead clowns, so it's a must see.

Ugly Gun Sunday

I'd guess that scope is a good two inches above the original line of sight. But it fit the previous owner pretty well.

White Trash With Cellphones

I stopped at my credit union this morning to cash a check while running errands. When I was walking in, I passed a man in his fifties in the parking lot, talking on his cell phone. Didn't take much note of him, went inside, and got in line. One minute later, I hear the door open behind me, and a VERY LOUD VOICE say "Ya ain't got outta bed yet? Put some clothes on and get your ass up!".

Ten pairs of eyes turned to the door to stare the idiot standing halfway in the door, not moving, while he listened to the response. Once he looked up, he apparently noticed that the he had been noticed. The rest of the conversation took place outside.

Some things just give me the urge to smack people with an axe handle.