Another what's in a name post... death tax, Defense of Marriage Act, etc.
Let's see if "coat tax" sticks for fees associated with concealed carry permits.
(If your mission is to resist the Alliance's power grab and you carry concealed, then it is called the Browncoat tax.)
Via Snowflakes in Hell
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Smokies Friends of the NRA
Does anyone go to these Friends of the NRA events? I've never been and wonder if it might be worth $35 and few hours of my time just for the experience. Of course, if I won the door prize, an EAA EZ 9mm pistol, I might have to go to the meeting every time.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Happy Birthday Bill!
Happy 80th Birthday to Captain Denny Hooker!
(My favorite Denny Crane line was in an episode about a lady that was refusing to pay her taxes. He was appalled and asked, "If the little people don't pay taxes, who will?" Denny Crane.
And thanks for teaching us about technology...
(My favorite Denny Crane line was in an episode about a lady that was refusing to pay her taxes. He was appalled and asked, "If the little people don't pay taxes, who will?" Denny Crane.
And thanks for teaching us about technology...
Rifle Range Gathering
I met several folks from my Sunday School class at the Volunteer Rifle & Pistol Club over the week-end. I've driven down Rifle Range Road millions of times while I was growing up in Fountain City, but I'd never been.
Range Officers monitor the facility and direct the hot and cold periods. Before you can go downrange to setup/retrieve targets, the RO calls for a cease fire. Everyone has to remove clips/magazines, open the action, and step behind a line while they check that all weapons are safe. (Newbie tip: Make sure you flip the weapon to the correct side, so they can see the chamber.) The RO will announce all clear and you can go take care of your targets.
Staplers are provided for mounting your targets. They also have spotting scopes and rests you can borrow to aid in your long distance (50 and 100 is a long way for me!) shooting.
My impressions and notes:
- I really enjoyed shooting outside. This was the first time I'd really done that.
- Shooting at the bench rest range is less than optimal for pistols. You have to be seated. The closest targets are at 15 yards. The distance isn't outrageous, but inappropriate for the new shooters in our group. Trying to introduce someone to shooting by using a .22lr at 15 yards makes it a little difficult to provide good feedback. Letting them try the Glock 23 at 15 yards is even worse when they are very conscious of the recoil.
- I need to go and just shoot my rifle (the S&W M&P15-22). I shot it some, but messed up the scope. I had a fairly reasonable grouping at 50 yards for 25 rounds, unsupported. I was high and left consistently. When I made an adjustment, I was no longer on paper. Obviously, I need to focus a little more on what I was changing. (Newbie tip: Don't get over confident.)
- I only fired one shot out of Slim's EBR, but I squeezed it in with his group, so I was pretty pleased by that. He's offered to come back with me and help me site in my EBRjr.
- Large targets that change color
when you hit are nice to have.
To sum up, I'm ready to go back!
"The Volunteer Rifle and Pistol Club was founded on June 16th, 1930. It shares the use of John Sevier Range, which is a Federal military reservation, with the Tennessee Army National Guard, as well as, other branches of the US military establishment. Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers is the responsible agency for the administration of this Federal facility. VRPC has a permit to use the facility from the Federal Government on an annual basis. It is through the generosity of the Federal Government that VRPC enjoys the use of the John Sevier Range, therefore, all members are guests of the Federal Government and should treat the facilities accordingly. It is the responsibility of all members to conduct themselves as a responsible guest, keeping the facilities clean and accident free."We shot at the bench rest range where you can set up targets at 15, 50, and 100 yards. All shooting must be done from the seated position. The shooting positions are covered, so no worries about sun or rain while you are firing. The cost was $6.50 for two hours.
Range Officers monitor the facility and direct the hot and cold periods. Before you can go downrange to setup/retrieve targets, the RO calls for a cease fire. Everyone has to remove clips/magazines, open the action, and step behind a line while they check that all weapons are safe. (Newbie tip: Make sure you flip the weapon to the correct side, so they can see the chamber.) The RO will announce all clear and you can go take care of your targets.
Staplers are provided for mounting your targets. They also have spotting scopes and rests you can borrow to aid in your long distance (50 and 100 is a long way for me!) shooting.
My impressions and notes:
- I really enjoyed shooting outside. This was the first time I'd really done that.
- Shooting at the bench rest range is less than optimal for pistols. You have to be seated. The closest targets are at 15 yards. The distance isn't outrageous, but inappropriate for the new shooters in our group. Trying to introduce someone to shooting by using a .22lr at 15 yards makes it a little difficult to provide good feedback. Letting them try the Glock 23 at 15 yards is even worse when they are very conscious of the recoil.
- I need to go and just shoot my rifle (the S&W M&P15-22). I shot it some, but messed up the scope. I had a fairly reasonable grouping at 50 yards for 25 rounds, unsupported. I was high and left consistently. When I made an adjustment, I was no longer on paper. Obviously, I need to focus a little more on what I was changing. (Newbie tip: Don't get over confident.)
- I only fired one shot out of Slim's EBR, but I squeezed it in with his group, so I was pretty pleased by that. He's offered to come back with me and help me site in my EBRjr.
- Large targets that change color
when you hit are nice to have.To sum up, I'm ready to go back!
Girl Power Drives the Internet
It makes sense to me... Quake and "adult sites" are no longer the driving force behind the internet. Women are driving the financial engine of the internet via Groupon, Facebook, Zappos,etc.
W4PGM in Belize
Paul, W4PGM, is going to be in Belize on a DX Expedition. Rick has posted his schedule on the 470 ARG web page. He'll be working 20 Meters (around 14.255) in the afternoons, so with my di-pole I might have a chance to make a contact. He also says he may be working split on 20, so I guess I'll need to pull the manual out for that!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Horseshoes in the dark
One of the guys on the 940 repeater was asking for advice on how to clean-up some old horseshoes. Someone suggested sandblasting them. Another suggestion was to rig up a big tumbler. As the tumbler discussion evolved, someone offered to donate some big, steel barrels for the cause. The barrels came from the lab and used to hold, well, he couldn't say exactly because it was classified. He was sure the barrels had been decontaminated. Everyone agreed he should use the barrels, so that the horseshoes would end up being shiny and they would glow in the dark.
It is always interesting to listen to hams with ties to the Secret City.
It is always interesting to listen to hams with ties to the Secret City.
What is in a (domain) name?
Looks like Larry's Empire is about to sell the sun.com domain. People are estimating that it could bring in a tidy sum.
Of course, that will be a drop in the bucket compared to the money changing hands when the .xxx domains go up for sale.
Should I snatch up brickolore.xxx?
Via Slashdot.org and Slashdot.org.
Of course, that will be a drop in the bucket compared to the money changing hands when the .xxx domains go up for sale.
Should I snatch up brickolore.xxx?
Via Slashdot.org and Slashdot.org.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
LDG IT-100 Tuner Unboxing
I ordered the LDG IT-100 autotuner from Ham City. The delivered price was $171.14 and was the cheapest I found from the big players. It gets good reviews on eHam.net and it should work well with my coax fed dipole antennas.
In the box, you get the tuner, a coax jumper cable, a manual, and a control/power cable. The front has a single button that starts the tuning process. The tuner has 2000 memories, so it won't need to repeat the tuning cycle as you run through your favorite frequencies. There are two LEDs. The red one indicates that tuning is in process. The green one indicates SWR conditions.
The rear of the tuner has 50-ohm coax connectors (SO-259) for both the transceiver and the antenna. There is a wing nut to allow for a ground. Lastly, there is a 6-pin mini-DIN for the power/control cable.
I'll update once I've actually connected it to the radio and used the thing.
LDG is giving away a free SP-200 Surge Protector with any tuner purchase before April 15, 2011. The rebate form is here (PDF).
In the box, you get the tuner, a coax jumper cable, a manual, and a control/power cable. The front has a single button that starts the tuning process. The tuner has 2000 memories, so it won't need to repeat the tuning cycle as you run through your favorite frequencies. There are two LEDs. The red one indicates that tuning is in process. The green one indicates SWR conditions.
The rear of the tuner has 50-ohm coax connectors (SO-259) for both the transceiver and the antenna. There is a wing nut to allow for a ground. Lastly, there is a 6-pin mini-DIN for the power/control cable.
I'll update once I've actually connected it to the radio and used the thing.
LDG is giving away a free SP-200 Surge Protector with any tuner purchase before April 15, 2011. The rebate form is here (PDF).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)