Range Time

Thing1 wanted to go shooting. So off to the range we went. He didn't want to shoot the Glock 17 so he concentrated on the .22s. After I warmed up with my Ruger MarkII I put 200 rounds through the Glock. 850 so far without a failure. Spent some time trying head shots at 25 yards on 3/4 size targets. 4 out of 15. 4 more in the white area of the target and the rest were in the upper chest area. Not too bad but I need to try some different ammo as the lower priced 115gr ball doesn't seem to be very consistent.

Afterwards we went drooling browsing. Thing1 ended up with a Surefire G2 Nitrolen. Decent lite for the price. Still havn't decided on which one I want for myself. Starting to lean towards one of the LED lights. I'm just not sure which one.

Is this a sign of the end times?

Doing some channel surfing and it looked like Samuel L. Jackson dressed in a kilt? Some things aren't supposed to be seen...

Mini Movie Reviews

With Thing1 home for Spring Break we've been watching family movies. Well at at least they're not action movies.

Shark Tale

I remembers all the uproar over this. Sharks portrayed as mobsters and 'Italian-Americans' were offended. (Get a life) It was a cute movie with some interesting lessons.

Saved

Thing1 picked this out (recall he attends a small Christian college) for our entertainment. It's about a small Baptist school and focuses on the principal, the 'in-crowd' and those who used to be 'in'. The movie pokes fun at Christianity and those who aren't what they seem. You will see people you know in this movie.

The Pacifier

I like Vin Diesel. From Riddick to Saving Private Ryan to The Pacifier I've enjoyed all of his movies. This one was perfect for the whole family. There are some plot flaws and slow parts in the movie we all enjoyed this one. For an action star to change roles like this and pull it off - well he did a good job.

Sin City (and maybe Gunner Palace) this weekend!

A Bad Way to Start a Day

Ahh - Saturday. The one day during the week I get to sleep past 5:00 am. Made breakfast for the wife and Thing1 and myself. It was a nice quiet day. Then the mail came...

Junk mail, a magazine and the wifes charge card bill. The usual stuff was on there. But somehow the total was ~9000.00. Someone had snagged her credit card number and went shopping. 5 purchases totalling ~8,800.00. The wife, quite possibly a professional worrier, was worked up real quick. I called our credit card company and after a minute was talking to the Fraud Department.

Cards were cancelled and we cut them up. New cards on the way. We're not liable for the disputed charges. The person on the other end talked us through everything and was very comforting for the wife. I think she even stopped worrying. For a minute.

A reason to go to Nashville

The wife likes country music so Nashville, Tennessee is one of her favorite places to visit. Add in the fact that my sister, her husband, and two wonderful Dobermans live just outside the city and it's a place that we like to go. Ok - I go to visit my sister and play with the dogs.

So I find a reason to go and she doesn't want to. Some whining about a lack of vacation or some other nonsense... :-) Bummer for me as it looks to be shaping up as a excellent event.

Carnival of Cordite #6

Take a look

Good Friday

This has always been a tough day for me. Even more so since I've been trying to explain to Thing2 why it's a good day. I know why but explaining why a death 2000 years ago was good for her and for me - well some days it just doesn't make sense.

It may be that most days I don't feel worthy. I've made my share of mistakes in life. Some were real good ones that I've owned up to - both to my God and my family. Some were just stupid decisions that only God and I know about. To think that my God would sacrifice his only Son for someone like me - why?

I know God has a plan for me. Most of the time I wish He'd clue me in on it. I don't need a burning bush - just a hint or two would suffice.

For my fellow believers in Christ:

May this Holy Week enrich and enlighten you. May His light enter your life and refresh your spirit. I pray that the sacrifice of one man so long ago stay with you forever. Amen

The Office

I think that this was supposed to be a comedy. Now I like dark, dry comedy but this show just sucked. Office Space was funny. The Office is just trying to hard. Best thing - it won't be around long.

Was it Alias

or Point of No Return/La Femme Nikita?
I wasn't sure there for awhile. There main story was Nadia's life and how she became who she was. Runaway who ended up in prision and was recruited by an "intelligence agency". The hair, the training, falling for the boss, etc. Just like the movie. Not complaining mind you - it just seemed a bit strange. Maybe the writer doesn't think that anyone watching has ever seen either of those two movies. Still a nice way to spend an hour watching TV.

Iraqis strike back

Gotta love this. Great way for the Iraqi citizens to help take their city back. The Iraqi Army is getting in on the action as well.

Interesting point in the second link:

"Among the dead are Arab and foreign fighters, including Sudanese, Algerians and Moroccans, as well as other nationalities"

This would make them terrorists not insurgents.

Interesting factoid - wiith all the positive news coming out of Iraq uber-libs Sentors Durbin (D-Il) and Boxer (D-Ca) both look for the dark side. How very sad.

My computer is alive

Withdrawl had almost taken me over. Finally - my machine is back. It's amazing how you get used to something being a certain way and then you have to go live in a different environment for a week. The computer wasn't so bad; it was more a ergonomic thing. My dual monitors are at the right height, keyboard is just right, etc. With the laptop I was looking down, keyboard was smaller, etc. My back hurt at the end of the day.

Now to get my chair readjusted to the right position and things will be just fine...

Returning to Afghanistan

Minus something useful.

Thanks to Blackfive for the link

MilBlogs

I truly enjoy MilBlogs. The insight into America's best at work is eye opening - espicially if all one does is read the paper or watch network TV. BlackFive, 2Slick, and Lt. Smash are some of my favorites. Honest opinions from people who have been there and done that.

I added a new one to my list today - Thunder6. You should too.

Never had a class like this

Thing1 agrees - this would be so cool. Even better if there was a live fire demo.

Via Instapundit

American Standard

Awhile back I replaced our orginal toilet with an American Standard Champion. Expensive but the promise of lower water usage and a proper flush (important when someone with CF lives in the house) were key selling points.

A couple of weeks ago we started having problems. There was these seal on the float that kept coming out of the groove that was supposed to retain it. Not all the time but enough that it was annoying. So I called American Standard's customer support line this morning. A couple of minutes on hold and I was talking to technical support. Two minutes later a new, redesigned, seal was being sent to me. Apparently I'm not the only one who has seen this problem. The newer one is a bit firmer so it shouldn't wiggle out of the groove.

Nice work American Standard.

Wrong part - again

So the tech calls me and says the power supply is here and he's stopping by to replace the dead one in my computer. A few minutes later my computer is open and he's ready to put the new one in. One minor problem - its the wrong supply. Maybe Monday.

Carnival of Cordite #5

It's up at Technogyspy. I even managed to get an entry.

If you're coming here from there - thanks for stopping by!

Still no computer

It's amazing how one gets attached to an inanimate object. I'm entering day 3 of my normal desktop computer being down. And while I'm still getting my job done it's nowhere near as efficent as before. Some software isn't available, the tiny laptop keyboard is annoying, and the dual screen impementation that I have just doesn't work as well as my usual system.

According to the service tech the PC vendor was nice enough to ship the part for arrival on Thursday. Too bad it was a motherboard rather than a power supply. Maybe Friday will be a better day...

A bad way to start the day

Get to work, put my lunch away, and turned on the monitors. Hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and put in my password. Hmmm. Blank screen. Not a good sign. Monitors are on. Look at the computer and it's dark. Ok - power hit. Push the power button - nothing. Check the power cord and strip - ok. Try new power cord. Nothing. Sadness is settling in. My computer had died.

At 6:30am not many people are at work yet. Find one who has a spare laptop to borrow and go about setting that up to use till the service techs get to my machine. Probably just a power supply but its so frustrating to not have the machine you're used to. The laptop is much slower than my desktop and just not as usable. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day...

I'm lost

without Lost. Seems like forever since a new episode and it's not new this week or next. ABC isn't being very nice

This is cool

A first for the Blackhawk drivers in Afghanistan.

Blackfive and Smash have more

Ever consider a career in Southern Law Enforcement?

Those famous words at the end of the premiere of Miami Vice in 1984 were the start of something completely different in television. Yea some of the storylines were stupid and the gun handling was, at times, well incredibly bad the stories still sucked you in.

Thanks to DVD I get to watch them all over again. Thing1 can't wait to see what I watched before he was born.

USMC 1, UAW 0

According to Blackfive (who else) the UAW has withdrawn the restriction on Marine reservists parking on UAW property. One has to wonder how much damage they have done to themselves and the automakers whose factories they work at.

As for me, it'll take a lot for the UAW to win me back.

You'll shoot your eye out

You'll shoot your eye out.

Well at least a certain dinosaurs... Ruger MarkII handheld at 10 yards. 
Yes - I know I'm not a great shot

USMC vs UAW

I grew up fairly poor. Not dirt poor but money was real tight. Seven kids, two parents, (sometimes two grandparents), and a dog in 900 square feet. Mom and Dad both worked long hours so that we had food in our stomachs, clothes, and shoes. No excuses were ever accepted for bad behavior or for not doing our very best at everything.

Things could have been better had my Dad, who was an awsome machinist had chosen to work in a Union shop rather than an independent. Probably could have doubled or even tripled his income. But he had a thing against Unions and I never found out what it was. It may have been something that happened before or after his service in the Marine Corp (1944 - 1948) but he never had a good thing to say about Unions.

As for myself I've never been in one. I'm what is considered a "White Collar Worker" - which is funny as I live a blue collar life. The whole concept of paying to work never made sense to me. I've always preferred to be responsible for my own actions. Add in some less than stellar experiences with Unions on job sites and I'm glad with the path I've chosen. Please don't take this as a dig towards Union labor. Most of these guys (and girls) work their asses off and I respect that. The public face of the Union drives me insane. From the inability to negotiate in good faith to getting involved in politics they portray Unions in a bad way.

So when I came across a post on Blackfive about the UAW denying Marine reservists that either drive foreign made cars or have cars with Bush stickers on them from parking on UAW property I realized that Unions still don't have a clue. What a public relations blunder. These Marines put their lives on the line for all Americans - a little courtesy goes a long way.

So - what to do? I plan on writing a letter to the UAW president (see Blackfives post for an address) asking to to return the parking access to the Marines. If not - well the next car purchase I make won't be one made by UAW labor. It'll still be made in America but it'll mean a Toyota or a Honda. And that hurts me. I've always prided myself on owning cars made in America by American companies. But not if it means supporting asinine policies such as this one.

Carnival of Cordite - Week 4

Like Guns? Be sure to read the Carnival of Cordite.

Range time!

Almost two months had passed since I had last gone shooting. The guns were taunting me. I needed to go shooting. Off to the local range. Started off with a couple of hundred rounds through the Ruger Mark II. The stress bleeds off. Next was 200 rounds through the Glock 17. The more I shoot this gun more the better it gets. About halfway through a group shows up and starts shooting .357 and .44 magnums. Even with ear plugs and muffs it was annoying. I decided to put another 100 rounds through the Ruger. Amazing how the Ruger doesn't move at all after firing the Glock.

Cleaned up and did some browsing. GAT has the full line of Surefire lights at reasonable prices. Still haven't decided on a 6P or one of the LED lights. The Springfield Armory SOCOM16 is a sweet rifle. I just need a place to shoot it. There were a couple of Barrett rifles behind the counter. At $8,000.00ea they cost more than I paid for my first car. I may have to settle for a AK 47 clone.

Home safe and sound. Nice and relaxed. Till next month...

Part of the 35%

InstaPunk has more.

The Ides of March

Thanks to Instapundit I now know about The Third Annual International Eat an Animal for PETA Day

Yummmmmmmm

Loophole for terrorists?

Local news is talking about a "loophole that allows suspected terrorists to buy guns legally". This ought to be interesting...

The Marines want you!

Well actually they want Thing1.

Sat down to read last night while waiting for 24 to come on and the phone rings. The wife answers and tells the caller that Thing1 isn't home and doesn't live here right now as he's away at school. The caller introduces himself as a Sargent in the Marines and tells her that he's been checking up on all the kids in the top 20% of Thing1's graduating class to see what they are up to and if the Marines might be an option. The wife politely explains everything. The recruiter thanks her for the time and asks us to tell Thing1 to consider the Marines after college. Even if he didn't have CF I don't think he's Marine material. Maybe Air Force but not Marines.

Those guys run towards the shooting... Real glad they are on our side.

What girls think of themselves

JimK has a interesting post today about "a sad commentary on Western civilization". As a Dad I couldn't agree more.

Thing2 is 13. Not (thankfully) rail thin she looks like what a 13 year old girl should look like. I'm so glad she hasn't fallen into that trap. I hope we can keep her that way.

I can't understand why girls/women want to be so skinny. Why not just accept the body that you were blessed with and make the best of it? It can't be healthly to deprive the body of the nutrients that it needs. Keeps you healthly.

Weekend Movies

Spent some time watching movies this weekend:

Flight of the Phoenix. The new one with Dennis Quaid. Decent effects but nowhere near as good as the orginal.

Ray. Awsome movie. Jamie Foxx nailed the character. An eye opening story. Worth the time to watch.

Taxi. Bad acting, bad gun handling (by the cops), decent gun handling (and marksmanship) by the bad guys. The car mods (done at the touch of a button) were laughable. The chase scenes and the 4 bad guys girls make it worth the rental. (well if you like that sort of thing :-) )

Musical tastes

Everyone in our house has fairly distinct tastes in music. I like contemporary Christian and Christian Rock, the wife leans toward Country (mostly the new stuff) and Classic Rock, Thing1 is Punk and Rock (secular and Christian), and Thing2 is mostly Pop (starting to get in to Praise and Worship). Sometimes the competition for the car CD player gets intense on vacation (at least before iPod).

So it was interesting to get a list of Thing1's CD request list (just in case we wanted to buy him something). It's all over the place:

AC/DC - Back in Black (Remaster DigiPak)
AFI - Sing the Sorrow
Bill Engvall - Cheap Drunk: An Autobiography
Bill Engvall - Now That's Awesome
Larry the Cable Guy - A Very Larry Christmas
The Donnas - Gold Medal
Alonzo Bodden - It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
Mitch Hedberg - Mitch All Together
Ray Charles - Ultimate Hits Collection
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way
Relient K - Mmhmm
Ron White - Drunk in Public
Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown
The Ataris - So Long, Astoria
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Fever to Tell"

AC/DC to Ray Charles. And everything in between. Nice open mind

UPS

I'll never look at one of their trucks the same way. Neither will you if you read this.

I survived

3-3-2005: Got home from work early and got Thing2 ready to go out. Had to make a few parental decisions as to what she could wear so as not to make the wrong impression. Took her over to her friends house to meet him and his mom. Very nice people. His mom made a big deal of Thing2 being nice and accepting of her son (he has issues just like Thing2). These two certainly seem to get along. After talking for awhile I left so that they could go. Met the wife for dinner and then home to wait.

And wait. She finally made it home around 9:30. A little late but not bad. Her friend walked her up to the door like a gentleman and said goodnight to both her and me. Thing2 had a great time. The music was loud and the auditorium was filled with praise for Him. They sang, they prayed, they had fun. A good night.

And I survived

Some people are never happy

Part of my day job is to manage the central email systems for our site. We're a semi-large facility with about 4000 people here on a daily basis. We collaborate with other facilities around the world. A lot of this communication is by email so the system has to be reliable.
When it was first designed about 10 years ago we stated that internal mail would be delivered in under 15 minutes. In reality it took about 30 seconds but at that time we had some smtp to (name your low end mailer) gateways that usually accounted for most of the delay. Over the years the non-smtp based mail systems have disappeared and we're pretty much a IMAP based facility. There is a cluster of Notes users and some folks who like to read mail on one of the Unix systems but most have switched to IMAP.
We've also spent considerable effort rebuilding our core infrastructure. Multiple gateways, load balancing, redundant LDAP servers, etc. Throw in 2 levels of AV checks and spam tagging and the average mail message has several hops to make before it gets delivered. Still - the average mail message is delivered in under 5 seconds. If it's list mail it might take 30 to 45 seconds depending on how busy the list machine is.
Yesterday my officemate commented on how slow mail was. Thinking there might be a real problem I started looking. Then I asked exactly what the problem was. A message sent to the list took 72 seconds to be delivered.
Grrrrrrrrrr

It's not really a date

Well that's what Thing2 is telling me. The young man's mom called last night to arrange transportation. A group of teens are going. Still - it seems like a date to me. Must be the Dad part. Thing1 is less than enthused. Much talk about shotguns and shovels...

Keeping the ears warm

Came across this today (Courtesey of Stryker Brigade News). Thing1 likes unique hats. I wonder if he'd like this one?

How do worms and viruses spread?

From a list I'm on. The constant spread of a worm is being discussed.

these pc's were set up by the help desk staff and i know they just use blank admin passwords when setting up a pc because these accounts are never used and if a help desk admin has to boot a pc into safe mode, they don't have to remeber 500 diff passwords.

You get what you ask for. Sometimes without saying a word...

NYPD Blue - RIP

12 years of Blue. I missed one episode. I'm so glad they didn't try and wrap things up nice and neat.

Sipowitz would be a good boss. Back you up the whole way. I've worked for guys like that. They make your life so much easier by insulating you from the crap.

Tuesday evenings won't be the same. Thanks for the ride.

Cool Borelight

I like flashlights. Guns and knives too. Most of time these can be enjoyed together. Well thanks to the Carnival of Cordite I came across this which combines two of my favorite toys. This is very cool. It'll be a challenge to do this in a 9mm case.

The Smallest Minority was the start of this adventure

I'm not ready for this

Thing2 is 13. And she just got asked on her first date. Were it not a school night I'd consider letting her go. Ok - I'd be a chaperone as it's Delirious!