More airplane stuff…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Since the last post on the fly-bys got a pretty good response, here are a couple of other interesting ones…

Go HERE to see a flash movie about the SR-71 (also known as the Blackbird or Habu). A funny story about the SR-71, it was President Johnson that “admitted” the SR-71 existed, but he mispronounced the designation, as SR-71 when it was supposed to be RS-71, so the Air Force had to change all the documentation because nobody had the balls to tell the President he screwed up… 🙂

Now this is one where the test pilot earns his money…

This is a 24 degree nose up short field landing (which is about 10-15 degrees steeper than normal). He had about a 50-50 chance of actually succeeding without bending the airplane. The other option was getting a tail strike into a porpoise into a ball of flames…

Anyhoo, I’m off playing in the field for a couple of weeks, so blogging will be light for a while.

Home repairs…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
You really need to stop by Bayou Renaissance Man and read THIS POST! He talks about the issues encountered with repairs after a fire and hurricane. This opened my eyes to some things I need to change with my finances, and maybe you will too.

Now on a more humorous note:

The new “Spread the Wealth” pencil sharpener. Every U.S. taxpayer will be mailed one of these with their 2008 IRS tax forms. Watch your mail box!

That is all.

Yee Haaa!!!

Posted on by March 6, 2013

I was gonna post about the auto bail out (against it), politics or something along that line, but everybody else is doing it much better than I can, so screw it…

A video for your viewing pleasure- MANY, MANY gallons of fuel were used in the making of this video, some birds were scared out of the sky, many observers were either impressed or running for cover, and the Pilots/NFOs were loving life! It’s not often you get to do this legally 🙂

Kick the tires, light the fires, first one in the air is lead, brief on Guard.

I miss those days… sigh…

Media bias? No doubt anymore…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Well, it’s pretty much official, the wraps are off now on the media bias- It’s well beyond bias, and into fawning in my opinion…

Howard Kurtz in the Washington Fishwrap this morning wrote:

Perhaps it was the announcement that NBC News is coming out with a DVD titled “Yes We Can: The Barack Obama Story.” Or that ABC and USA Today are rushing out a book on the election. Or that HBO has snapped up a documentary on Obama’s campaign.

Perhaps it was the Newsweek commemorative issue — “Obama’s American Dream” — filled with so many iconic images and such stirring prose that it could have been campaign literature. Or the Time cover depicting Obama as FDR, complete with jaunty cigarette holder.

Go here to read the article…

And another one that mysteriously DIDN’T get any coverage by the Fishwrap before the election, by Carol Leonnig.

Obama Wrote Federal Staffers About His Goals- Workers at Seven Agencies Got Detailed Letters Before Election

In wooing federal employee votes on the eve of the election, Barack Obama wrote a series of letters to workers that offer detailed descriptions of how he intends to add muscle to specific government programs, give new power to bureaucrats and roll back some Bush administration policies.

That little jewel is here.

Another one, albeit heard on radio, is that over one trillion $, that is $1,000,000,000,000 went out the back door to various banks and organizations since Sept for various bailouts, yet the first dollar has not been spent to buy up any of the so called ‘toxic’ mortgages…

And another report, yet more people got preferential loans from Countrywide- Interestingly, one of the Countrywide “special” loan officers testified part of his job was to make sure those receiving the loans KNEW they were getting a special rate! Kinda puts paid to Congresscritter Dodd’s and the others protestations of innocence doesn’t it????

Only good thing that has happened is Dallas beat Washington! Go Cowboys!!! 🙂

Hog Leg…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

While I agree with Tam the 1902 and 1903 Colts are beautiful pieces, the ones I saw at Tulsa were pristine examples and WELL out of my price range ($1100-1300 each). I did stumble across one for me.

It’s an old Colt hog leg- A firearm, i.e., old western 6 shot revolvers. shaped like a part of a hogs leg; slang for a pistol, western style.

To be exact, it’s a Colt pistol (United States Revolver, Caliber .45, M1917) chambered in the .45 ACP cartridge and loaded by either three round stamped metal half moon clips or six round full moon clips.



This one is formerly US Property, and shows a good bit of wear, but it shoots pretty well. And yes, those are real stag grips on it, they are rough enough to give you pretty good control of the pistol, and have aged beautifully! They have probably been on the pistol for most of it’s life, as they show a little rust, and have changed colors due to handling over the years. I was actually offered more for the grips than I paid for the pistol, but I’m not breaking up a piece of history just for money.


The pistol was actually carried by a friends’ Uncle; who was a Deputy Sheriff and later Sheriff of Caddo Parish, LA. From the looks of the moon clip that was in the pistol the last time it was used was the mid-1940’s since the ammo in the moon clip was WCC ’43! He is going to look for the shoulder holster his Uncle used, so I will have a piece of history with that, along with the ammo.

Just for comparison purposes, here is the 1917 with a G26… Hog leg is a true statement; it’s bigger than a Colt Python!

Oh hell, why not…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago

– Working for the Navy
– Running around the world doing systems testing
– Racing on the weekends at Pomona with the car club
– Shooting with a bunch of cops on off weekends
– Sending jokes out twice a week to a bunch of friends

5 Things on My To-Do List Today

– Get up EARLY
– Drive 1 1/2 hours to another damn meeting
– Go to the store (forgot yesterday, no food in the house)
– Clean guns
– Take car to dealer for oil change (got back too late, that is now Pri 1 for tomorrow)

5 Snacks I Like

– Oreos!
– Trail mix with M&Ms
– Pecan Pie

5 Things I Would Do If I Was A Millionaire

– Pay for kids educations
– Random acts of kindness to friends who’ve helped me out over the years
– SAVE
– Build myself a rifle range in the back yard.
– Donate to a couple of organizations that help our troops.

5 Places I Have Lived (for various lengths of time)

Louisiana
Arkansas
Florida
Hawaii
California
(and a whole bunch of places overseas, six months at a shot)

5 Jobs I Have Had

Shovelling crap- literally (I worked for a veterinarian as a kid)
Military- 22 years E-2 to O-3E
General manager of an Interconnect (telephone) company
Group manager for a communications group at a major university
Program manger for a government agency

5 People I Tag to Answer

Whom ever is as bored as I am 🙂

The Bookworm Award…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Rules:Pass it on to five other bloggers, and tell them to open the nearest book to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence on that page, and also the next two to five sentences. The CLOSEST BOOK, NOT YOUR FAVORITE, OR MOST INTELLECTUAL!

I was tagged with this meme by Big Bad Wolf. Since I keep several books at hand at any given time, depending on where in the house I am, I’ll use the one I have open on the computer table.

It is: The Complete Book of U.S. Sniping, by Peter R. Senich, ISBN 0-87364-460-3, and I picked it up last week at the Tulsa gun show.

Pg 56, sentence five is:

“The Winchester telescopic sight, model A5, produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co., with a special Marine Corps mounting, was found satisfactory in use by the Marine Corps and adopted as Marine Corps standard.”

(Note: The irony here is the A5 had actually been deemed unsuitable due to the inability to operate the bolt on the 03A3 and the lack of eye relief according to a 1915 report. But bird in hand is worth two in bush, so it got adapted and used.)

Okay… Now I’ve got to find sucker…er… volunteers… Hmmm, lemme see here…

First one’s easy- Brigid at Mausers and Muffins! She always has books posted on her blog, is an excellent writer and shooter and cook…

Second one- Breda at the Breda Fallacy- Being a librarian, there is no telling what book she is reading right now 🙂

Third one- Gun Toting Seagull– I just hope he’s not updating Jepps when he gets this…

Fourth one- William the Coroner– Again an excellent writer, with thought provoking posts, and a love of cats (I think)…

Last but not least- Wyatt at Support your local Gunfighter- Excellent writer with a twist of good law enforcement/military/fire/EMS humor at times. I just hope he’s not studying for a promotion, if so, we’re gonna get Philly laws…

Job application or Inquistion???

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Well, the new job app is up for anyone who wants to go work in the White House, just answer these few non-intrusive questions and we’ll get you right in… NOT…

Funny how every one gave them a free pass, but now that they are poised on the brink, they get really intrusive on you!

Go HERE for a copy…

My personal favorites are 16-20 (especially the last sentence), 32-ALL gifts over $50.00 from anyone not immediate family/friend, ALL of Sections 6, 7, and 8 and especially number 59 below!

59. Do you or any members of your immediate family own a gun? If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by who it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage.

Hell, I’d be disqualified on this one alone, much less the other crap, since about half of ’em I’d be answering none of your damn business…

Lemme see on 59 though…

Yep, we all own guns. None of them has ever been registered (we don’t live in Illinois), ownership has come down through the family in many cases, so few records. No, it hasn’t lapsed, since they’ve never been registered. Hmmm, since we all own multiple guns, that would be kinda hard to describe… for example;

1878 SAA Cavalry model in .45 cal., most probably used to shoot a few people over the years, after all the original owner was the Sheriff of XXXXX County Texas.

M-1 Garand– Original owner US Army- probably used to shoot quite a few people in WWII and Korea, and no doubt did plenty of property damage.

Winchester ’94 .30-30- Original owner me, paperwork long ago lost (hell I got it when I was twelve, I have NO idea where the paperwork went). Killed quite a few deer, a few feral dogs and cats and a few coyotes over the years. Chewed up a few fence posts shooting cans too…

Nah, hell I can’t get by that one either… Better keep my day job (as long as they don’t gut the military, I might even still have it in a year).

Guess I won’t be applying 🙂

h/t Snowflake

FINALLY!!!!!

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Today SCOTUS told the environmentalists to pound sand in a rat hole… 🙂

The Supreme Court on Wednesday lifted restrictions on the Navy’s use of sonar in training exercises off the California coast, a defeat for environmental groups who say the sonar can harm whales.

The court, in its first decision of the term, voted 5-4 that the Navy needs to conduct realistic training exercises to respond to potential threats by enemy submarines. Environmental groups had persuaded lower federal courts in California to impose restrictions on sonar use in submarine-hunting exercises to protect whales and other marine mammals.

The Bush administration argued that there is little evidence of harm to marine life in more than 40 years of exercises off the California coast.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, which was joined by Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

The court did not deal with the merits of the claims put forward by the environmental groups. It said, rather, that federal courts abused their discretion by ordering the Navy to limit sonar use in some cases and to turn it off altogether in others.

And SCOTUS put the Ninth Circus in their place too 🙂

Roberts pointed out that the federal appeals court decision restricting the Navy’s sonar training acknowledged that the record contained no evidence marine mammals had been harmed.

The overall public interest tips “strongly in favor of the Navy,” Roberts wrote.

Now we can at least train our folks in how to operate their systems BEFORE they get to an operational theater where they need to be proficient to find subs and mines, rather than on the job training at the last minute…

Another thought on Veterans’ Day…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

A couple of us were chatting about our families and our participation in defending the country/being in the military and an interesting point came out- I don’t know if anyone has ever researched this, but at least within the 8 or 10 of us, there is an interesting corollary…

Most of those who fought in WWI also fought in WWII (if able). 21 years later
Those who fought in WWII also fought in Korea (some even fought in Nam). 6 years later
Those who fought in Korea also fought in Vietnam. 10 years later
Those who fought in Vietnam also fought in the 1st Gulf War. 16 years later
Those who fought in the 1st Gulf War are fighting again this time. 11 years later

This is a weird little cyclic, but in light of the normal career (20 years minimum) it makes sense. Mine started with Nam and ended with the 1st Gulf War, as did a couple of others. It’s almost as if you came in for one as cannon fodder, stuck around and ended up in another as a leader due to the spacing (assuming you survived).

One of the guys Dads was in Big Red One, he said his Dad told him they lost 21,000+ dead from the Division in WWII. The total size of a Division was 14,000!!! This means they took over 150% casualties during the war, and apparently “most” of the Division had at least one Purple Heart (If I remember right, his Dad had a couple of Silver Stars, etc. and three Purple Hearts)!