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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94222332014-09-01T00:56:24.194-07:00Cogito Ergo GeekIPSC, USPSA, RKBA, politics, culture, etc
One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.. --- A.A. Milne
An idealist believes the short run doesn't count. A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter. A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run determines the long run.. --- Sydney H. Harris

 He that climbs the tall tree has won right to the fruit.. -- Sir Walter Scott

Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-8885716861908680572014-08-30T05:42:00.002-07:002014-08-30T05:42:25.012-07:00Internet Gun Sales can make you PARANOID!
I sold a gun on the Internet. It wasn't a Big Mistake, but in case you didn't know ... those second thoughts can drive you crazy.

A couple of years ago I decided that my Ruger Convertible Six was subject to rust in my gun safe. I hadn't shot it in years; I just kept it around because it was such a sweet revolver. But I had no use for it.

So on one of my blog posts I mentioned that I would let it go to a good home, and for a decent price. I don't remember exactly what the asking price, but I think it was around $85.

Months later I got an email from a guy in Florida who was interested. That's about as far away from Oregon as you can get, and still be within the contiguous United States.

As I recall, the buyer was in what is now called "Miami-Dade" County. We exchanged a few emails, and I learned that he was a deputy sheriff.

So he sent me his check, and the address of the gun shop which would receive the pistol. I checked it out; it was a legitimate gun shop in the area. I emailed the shop, and they said they had already been notified by the purchaser to provide the necessary transfer process .. including the NICS check.

I cashed the check, boxed up the revolver, and sent it to the gun shop.

Then I got nervous. Because of exactly the question asked here:

The Clue Meter: Magical Thinking:

 I wanna know where you can buy a gun on the internet that all existing laws are null and void.
So, just to calm my jitters, I emailed the applicable Sheriff office and asked for verification of employment. I know, the gun shop verification should have been enough, but I just wanted to know if the purchaser was who he represented himself to be. And yes, I know that if I was all that uncomfortable with the internet sale, I should have done all of this BEFORE I shipped the gun.

I talked to a lady who was apparently a clerk, and that wasn't quite enough. It was a shock when I ALSO received a reply from the county sheriff.

And it was embarrassing when he said that, in response to my email, he actually called his deputy (the purchaser) in to discuss the transaction. The sheriff confirmed that the purchaser was a deputy, and a trusted employee of the office. Seems that the deputy wanted the convertible-6 revolver to teach his nephews to shoot pistols.

The sheriff didn't seem to mind that my paranoid concerns had caused him to take time out of his busy work day to allay my concerns. I was grateful for his patience, and that he didn't object to my amateurish 'follow-up' procedure.

A few weeks later, I got another email from the deputy. He said that his nephews were enjoying their range-time with the new pistol, and that pretty soon they would be ready to start shooting it with the .22 Magnum ammunition after becoming comfortable using the default .22 LR ammunition. In fact, he was looking forward to watching them learn the difference between 'soft' and 'hard' loads (my words, not his).

By now, I've decided that I've pursued all the "Due Diligence" obligations which internet gun sales implies, but I'm still uncomfortable that there are no readily available, clear-cut guidelines which delineate the seller obligations.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have sent those emails out BEFORE I shipped the revolver.

But that won't ever happen again. I was obviously relying too much on the gun-store doing the NICS check; I should have investigated the purchaser more thoroughly than I did:

When you rely on someone else to "do the right thing", you end up doing more worrying about the legality of the transaction, than being glad that the gun is in the hands of someone who will appreciate it.

There are a couple of lessons here, not the least of which is to be sure (if you are the seller) that you have vetted the purchaser to your satisfaction BEFORE you ship the gun.

For me, the lesson is ... don't sell guns online. It worked out well for me, eventually. Still, I had a few 'bad days' when I wasn't sure that I had done everything that I needed to do.

If you are thinking about selling a gun online, I hope you can be more responsible about checking the purchaser than I was. Don't be satisfied with first-level checks (ie: confirming the receiver ... the licensed dealer to whom you are shipping the gun). Check employment by looking up the employer on the Internet, as a minimum, and contact them personally (by phone) to confirm the identity of the purchaser.

It'll make you less paranoid.

Well, okay, I'm still paranoid; but at least I'm no longer worrying about the transfer.

Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-74118621456353585342014-08-29T23:57:00.000-07:002014-08-30T00:08:47.596-07:00Sniff, Sniff. What is that smell? Is that .... COFFEE?Britain raises terror threat level to 'severe' - Washington Times:

(August 29, 2014)
Britain's move means the nation's terror threat now stands at its second-highest level, at which the government considers an attack "highly likely," Business Insider reported.
 Home Secretary Theresa May said Friday that the threat level was raised because of the escalating violence in Iraq from the Islamic State, and because of any specific threat that Britain's received.

"The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West," she said, Business Insider reported. "Some of these plots are likely to involve foreign fighters who have traveled there from the UK and Europe to take part in those conflicts."
 ---
 "The first and most important duty of government is the protection of the British people," Miss May said, Business Insider reported. "We have already taken steps to amend our powers and increase our capabilities for dealing with the developing terrorist threats we face. That process will continue and the British public should be in no doubt that we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security."

This is a reaction which should be noted by the American people, especially given that terrorists are also gathering along our southern border (where else?)  * where they are

" ... planning to attack the United States with car bombs or other vehicle born improvised explosive devices (VBIED). High-level federal law enforcement, intelligence and other sources have confirmed to Judicial Watch that a warning bulletin for an imminent terrorist attack on the border has been issued. Agents across a number of Homeland Security, Justice and Defense agencies have all been placed on alert and instructed to aggressively work all possible leads and sources concerning this imminent terrorist threat."
* (H/T: David Codrea)

Meanwhile, in other news: The Emperor Isn't Wearing Any Clothes.

Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-12263985023464037052014-08-22T01:22:00.001-07:002014-08-22T01:22:30.074-07:00Whose line is it?AP Reporter Slams State Dept. Claim That Journalist Beheading Was 'Not About the United States' | NewsBusters:
(August 21, 2014)

During a press briefing on Wednesday, deputy State Department spokesperson Marie Harf condemned the beheading of American journalist James Foley by Islamic terrorists while adding that the threat posed by the terror group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) "is not about the United States and what we do."
The AP reporter (Matt Lee) took Harf to task about the statement, but Harf stood fast.

One wonders whether AP Reporter Matt Lee really thinks that ISIS is slaughtering Iraqis ... muslims and christians, and anyone in between, because of American policy?

Could it be that they (ISIS) is composed of EVIL people who will commit any crime, kill anyone, perform any insane act, in order to intimidate their opposition?

Mathew Bracken, in his post "The Islamic Jihad Conquest Formula", posited that there were eight steps in the process of Islamic conquest:

1. During the battle and immediately afterward, there is a period of unbelievable savagery and wanton hyper-violence.
2. Captured men will be beheaded, shot or enslaved.
3. Women and teenage girls will be kidnapped as sex-slaves, to be sold at auction to the highest bidders.
4. Children younger than twelve will be kidnapped and raised under Sharia law by the very men who murdered or enslaved their parents.
5. Conquered property will be looted as legitimate war booty.
6. The promised Islamic reward for dying in jihad is a perpetual orgy in "paradise" with 72 virgins.
7. The Black Flag of Jihad has been the battle flag of Islam from the time of Mohammed until today.
8. The lure of capturing male and female slaves and obtaining other forms of loot and plunder is the Islamic jihad conquest formula.

We have already seen the first three ... perhaps the first four ... steps demonstrated by ISIS.

Does anyone really believe that these maniacs have in mind the mere subjugation of America?

No. Their ambition is much greater. They are the group which is determined upon Global Jihad ... the subjugation of every country in the world, beginning with the most powerful.

They may be crazy, but they're not stupid. If they can convince intimidate the American President ... Obama (who in their mind might be at least marginally amenable, and who they obviously consider to be a weak ruler) ... then their plan of Rule By Terror might conceivably be the ultimate Radical Muslim plan for global domination.

From Bracken's article:

Mohammed's unchanging formula for conquest is time-proven; variations were also used in history by the invading Mongol hordes among others. Emissaries ride forward of their advancing armies, offering to spare the lives of the targeted population in return for their unconditional surrender and explicit submission to their new rulers. In the Islamic context this submission is exemplified by the fresh converts repeating the Shahada prayer before Muslim witnesses.
There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger.The Shahada prayer is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam. The Shahada prayer is also what is written on the black battle flags of Islamic jihad. Along with Allahu Akbar—our God is greatest—the Shahada is the battle cry of advancing Islamic armies. In fact, the very word Islam means submission, and not peace, as it is often intentionally mistranslated by duplicitous Muslims practicing taqiya, or sanctified lying for the cause of advancing the spread of Islam.
ISIS has just sent their emissaries to America .... via the international press. Their goal is to undermine our American will to resist by promising even worse atrocities.

Worse than burying people alive. Worse that cutting children in half. Worse than eating children. Worse than the rape and slaughter which they have already shown that they are capable of doing, and gleefully.

They threaten Americans, because they know we are a soft target. We're Oreos ... crispy on the outside and cream-puffs on the inside.

(Perhaps they wouldn't have chosen that analogy, but it's clear that this is their perception.

So ... when Obama's Spokesperson says "it's not about us", and the AP reporter takes her to task .... one can't help but wonder which is the most naive.

Does the AP guy think we, We Americans, are The Whole World?

Maybe we are, maybe we aren't. But if we cave in ... who is left to defend Civilization?

If the Obama spokesperson says "it isn't about us", despite the obvious taunts of ISIS; is she being disingenuous, or doesn't The Government Get It?

(Or is she suggesting that they already understand that if they can get us to back off, there is nobody else who will stand up to their inhumanity?)

Isn't that our whole 'line', which we have been touting for the past century?

If not us .. whose line IS it, anyway?

Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-61841527880153456932014-08-22T00:21:00.000-07:002014-08-22T00:21:40.871-07:00Al Sharpton: No 'Circumstances' Would Require Officer Wilson To Fire Six TimesAl Sharpton: No 'Circumstances' Would Require Officer Wilson To Fire Six Times | NewsBusters:
MSNBC
Now with Alex Wagner
August 20, 2014
4:08 p.m. Eastern

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/connor-williams/2014/08/21/al-sharpton-no-circumstances-would-require-officer-wilson-fire-six-#ixzz3B6NrxOw1

SHARPTON: Well it should be America's agenda to preserve and protect the civil rights of people. You've got to remember that there's no question Michael Brown had the civil right to not expect to be killed or shot multiple times. There's no dispute about that by police when he was unarmed and there was no life extenuating circumstance here. I mean, we're debating on whether he moved forward or not with the policemen, and most eyewitnesses say it didn't happen. But are we serious here? He never had a weapon. There was no life extenuating circumstances that anyone can figure out that required six bullets. So you at least need to have this brought before a court of law because there's probable cause.
IF the policeman in question was, indeed, physically assaulted by the "Gentle Giant", and the circumstances are as he described ... I can think of one reason why he shot his assailant six times:

He ran out of ammo.

NB: Anything that Al Sharpton is against, I'm for. Anything he's for, I'm against.
 The man is a congenital liar ... has been all his life.

Two words: Tawana Bradley

Oh ... and about the thought that Michael Brown had a "... civil right to not expect to be killed or shot multiple times..."? That civil right doesn't apply to violent felons. "As you reap, so shall ye sow".

And that's all I have to say about that.Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-50383613577442837552014-08-20T22:51:00.001-07:002014-08-20T22:52:38.583-07:00Can we belive this statement?DeAndre Smith clarifies his looting remarks : Stltoday:

Video of DeAndre Smith, 30, justifying the looting in Ferguson went viral earlier this week. In a less animated interview Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014, Smith said he wanted to clarify his remarks.

At about 00:26, he licks his lips. That's a signature of lying.

There are also plenty of nonverbal cues to lying, though the authors say that averting eye contact, often thought to signify evasiveness, isn't one of them, since many of us look away during conversations. More telling: hiding the mouth or eyes, throat-clearing or swallowing, biting or licking the lips, and what the authors call "anchor point movement," shifting weight and position around the body at rest as a way to reduce anxiety, like fidgeting in a chair.

There are other "tells in the video .. body movement, for example.

Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-71913302294090779132014-08-20T19:58:00.000-07:002014-08-20T19:58:17.060-07:00Database: Police equipment search by state/countyDatabase: How many grenade launchers did Michigan police departments receive? | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

 More than $43 million worth of property has been transferred to law enforcement in Michigan from January 2006 through April 23 of this year. Nationally, more than $4.3 billion worth of property has been transferred to law enforcement since the program's inception in fiscal year 1997, according to Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which oversees the Law Enforcement Support Office (or 1033) program out of its office in Battle Creek. More than 8,000 agencies participate nationwide. • Related: Do police need grenade launchers, other military weapons? Officers say yes Use this database to see where the military equipment is going by state and county and the type of items being received, The listed value of the items is what it would cost to buy them if they had not been donated.
According to this, (#) County in my state has received X M4 rifles valued at $449 each, and Y 7.62mm rifles valued at $138 each. (The scopes, though, are in the $10,000 range.)

Lane County has two 'vehicles' valued at about $200,000 each. Must be pretty nice RVs, huh?

(Hat Tip: Gun Free Zone)

Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-78009169353527808812014-08-17T21:07:00.001-07:002014-08-17T21:07:46.841-07:00There's nothing new under the sunBarmore shooting: 'Justified' - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL: By Chris Green Posted Dec. 23, 2009 @ 12:01 am Updated Dec 23, 2009 at 10:23 PM ROCKFORD — Justified.

Four months after two Rockford police officers pursued 23-year-old Mark Anthony Barmore into a day care inside a church and fatally shot him, a grand jury ruled Wednesday officers Oda Poole and Stan North were justified in using deadly force.

Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-12664129558182199612014-08-17T20:28:00.001-07:002014-08-17T20:56:45.523-07:00"Unintended Consequences"I finally found a copy of "Unintended Consequences" (by John Ross) on Amazon ... in the "paperback" (mass market) version ... for under the $100 + price which has long been the standard for the ground-breaking novel.

The cost was $39.95 + shipping and handling.

That was last week. This week, I checked again and the lowest price for the same book was $50.

If you're looking for a copy of the book, and can't really afford to spend 'too much', you'll must have to do what I did: keep looking until you find someone willing to sell it for a decent price. (I went through the same process trying to find a copy of Col. Jeff Cooper's "The Gargantuan Gunsite Gossip: Volume I" a few years ago. Note that Volume I, II and III currently sell starting at $40 and go UP!)

The book is almost 800 pages, and I'm taking my time going through it. Although I do reread my favorite books frequently, I don't yet OWN all of my 'favorite books' --- and the county library is disposing of 'old books' because nobody is reading them anymore; ref: Phylip Wylie's "Generation of Vipers" and "Tomorrow", and everything by Robert Ruark.

But by the way, people, in case you don't understand the premise? The book is just a story. It's not a blueprint for a new American Revolution, and it's not a meme. It's not even one of Robert Heinlein's "If This Goes On ...." kind of story. And the original reason I wanted to read it is that a friend loaned me his copy a few years ago, and I was impressed by the author's imagination.

So don't go bloating the market with demands for a reprint (and jumping up the price from resellers) just because you're politically active and ... like .. want to know "what to do next".
Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-70101327935006053192014-08-17T19:36:00.000-07:002014-08-17T19:36:00.729-07:00Running With ScissorsHomemade .410 Revolver Carbine - YouTube: Published on Jun 6, 2014 Episode 10: Homemade .410 Revolver Carbine Review Thanks for watching!

A highly imaginative (that's a compliment) young man built his own "Revolver" Shotgun.

The thing works pretty good, no criticism for the crude design and construction.

[Hat Tip to "Say Uncle: "But Gun Control Will Work"]

Here's the down side:

scissors

The kid is shooting his .410 shotgun at targets from a bare handful of feet away, and those targets are often staged on metal objects (oil drum, dumpster bin) which can bounce those pellets right back at him.. And he isn't even wearing safety glasses.

I would like to think that he will someday look back on this video and say: "Damn! I can't believe I was so stupid!"

Makes you want to say: "Geez, kid, does your mom know you're doing this?" But actually, in the comments to the youtube video, people suggest the danger of injury. He just laughs it off:

Thanks. I'm glad you think so haha. I simply forgot to bring my glasses to the range, and by the time I remembered, it was too late. Thanks for your concern tho

Words fail me.Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-62041247847530659562014-08-16T22:53:00.002-07:002014-08-16T22:56:30.660-07:00Mental Health Ethics: There's A new Sheriff In Town!Giffords and Kelly Group: Get Help? Surrender Your 2A Rights | Shall Not Be Questioned:

If you look at all the mental health "reforms" that the gun control crowd is pushing these days, if even half of them passed, the end result would be that I'd never seek medical help for any problem I might have ....
Sebastian makes a simple, yet elegant case against the "Mental Health Reporting" issues which are current in Gun Control America today. If we seek health for emotional issues, with the very fact of seeking help result in confiscation of our firearms?

Duty To Warn:

I'm not confident that the issue has been intelligently researched, let alone resolved. It doesn't help that the "reporting issue" hasn't been widely discussed (in public) my the Mental Health Practitioners whose newly assigned duties are being bandied about ... are prepared to assume that responsibility.

My understanding is that Mental Health Practitioners (let's call them "Shrinks" for the purpose of brevity) are not entirely on board with this newly defined responsibility.

This is an extremely "touchy" issue for Psychological therapists:

When law and ethical standards diverge (e.g., when a confidential communication does not qualify as privileged in the eyes of the law), the situation becomes extremely complex. One cannot, however, ethically fault a therapist for divulging confidential material if ordered to do so by a court of competent authority. On the other hand, one might reasonably question the appropriateness of violating the law if one believes that doing so has become necessary to behave ethically. Consider, for example, the clinician required by state law or court order to disclose some information learned about a client during the course of a professional relationship. If the practitioner claims that the law and ethical principles conflict, then by definition the ethical principles in question would seem illegal. The therapist may choose civil disobedience as one course of action, but does so at his or her own peril in terms of the legal consequences. The American Psychological Association ethics code advises psychologists to attempt to resolve such conflicts, but also provides that when such conflicts seem unresolvable, psychologists may ethically adhere to the requirements of the law, regulations, or other governing legal authority.
This contretemps is usually judged on a "case by case" basis.

Essentially, if the therapist has cause (based on conversation with the patient) that there has been a statement of deliberate intent to SPECIFICALLY cause 'great bodily harm' to the patient's self or other individual(s), the Ethics Code allows the therapist to warn the 'target' individual, or to alert the authorities that the patient is at risk of suicide.

This comes, of course, at the risk of "peril in terms of the legal consequences".

However, there's A New Sheriff In Town:

Consider, for example, the clinician required by state law or court order to disclose some information learned about a client during the course of a professional relationship.
If "Local Law" changes to REQUIRE the therapist to inform The State about unfounded, unsubstantiated, general 'threats uttered by the patient .. where does the duty lie?

To preserve the confidence of the patient? Or to pass on the specifics of general statements posited by the patient?

Sebastian makes a good case for the specific instance: if patients have learned that their private thoughts to a supposedly trustworthy practitioner are subject to "outside distribution", it's clear that disturbed individuals will soon quit talking to the only source of resolution available to them.

The problem is that between clinicians and law-enforcement practitioners.

For clinicians, it's just talk; or LEOs, it's "A Threat". Both agencies are obliged to address the statements:

Clinicians must address the source of the information, to resolve the issues;

LEO's must address the source of the information, to resolve the threat.

It's clear that there is a wide "middle ground" between delusion and reality.

We talk about the need to NOT ignore a clear threat; but what happens if the threat s not "clear"?

One thing we MAY know:
Remember how the Santa Barbera shooter was pronounced "a nice guy" by the police who had been alerted by his parents? They were obviously not qualified to evaluate his true mental attitude, or his threat level.

When we obligate mental health-professionals to "report" marginal cases, we end up with so many 'threats' that it's impossible for the Laity to separate the wheat from the chaff. As a consequence, we have so many 'false positives' that all the "True Threats" may be lost in the crowd.

Obviously, the SB Shooter had decided to eschew further psychological counselling. And if everyone who accepts that counselling knows that he faces public and private penalties for the mere fact that he has sought counselling,

It will not help to PUSH counselling on troubled individuals, when they know that their sessions are subject to public scrutiny. Rather than limit the number of fatal encounters, it will increase the number as more and more people are unable to seek help. The crux of the value of counselling is the sanctity of the dialogue .... just as the sanctity of the confession provides succor to practicing Catholics.

Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-34287226459695303562014-08-15T20:49:00.002-07:002014-08-15T20:49:39.184-07:00Man -- "The Reasoning Animal" (?)I spent much -- too much -- of yesterday and today watching videos and reading news stories about Man's Inhumanity to Man.

ISIS

Ferguson, Missouri

American Politics

I am heartsick.

When I look at the scenes of inhumanity coming from Iraq and Syria, I'm struck by the horror.

When I view the riots by the residents of Missouri, where a community has so far resisted the impulse to butcher their neighbors while they destroy their own infrastructure and economy, I'm appalled.

And when I read of the partisan infighting in the halls of Congress, I'm depressed when I realize that it is less appalling only in comparison; the actions are less bloody, but no less demoralizing. The worst is that I accept these contentious bouts as "business as usual". How have I .. how have the American People ... become so blase'?

My only solace has been found by reviewing the words of a great American, Mark Twain, who was more erudite in expressing his dismay using a kinder, gentler weapon: humor.

(I'm still looking for the routine based on the punchline "Good-bye God, I'm going to Missouri.)

Hal Holbrook in "Mark Twain Tonight!" (1967) - YouTube: Hal Holbrook plays Mark Twain, expounding upon Man, "the reasoning animal." Holbrook still performs MTT these days, but requires considerably less makeup. The words in this scene come mostly from Twain's 1903 essay, "The Damned Human Race" and other essays, such as "Papers of the Adam Family". Category Comedy
Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-30143346055103934422014-08-15T08:54:00.001-07:002014-08-15T08:54:53.252-07:00Your Ferguson Moment"Perception is more important than Reality."

Just ask Al Gore.Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-32595508898506345552014-08-15T03:34:00.001-07:002014-08-15T03:34:51.392-07:00Tora! Tora! (oh oh!) ---- VJ DAY!SIXTY NINE YEARS AGO TODAY ... August 15, 1945 .... Emperor Hirohito announced his nation's surrender in a war which was was started by HIS nation on December 07, 1941, by a perfidious 'sneak attack' on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

In a way the world owes Japan a dept of gratitude, because President Roosevelt was not yet committed to ACTIVELY supporting Europe's fight against Nazi Germany.

The Japanese were not the real enemy .. until they attacked America.

History has shown that America is reluctant to go to war, but unrelenting in staying power, once provoked.

(Well, except perhaps for the past decade ... but that's a history still in the making. As Dr. Martin Luther King implied, our leadership should be judged by the content of his character.)

My uncle was killed in Germany; he was a sergeant in that war. I was born on the day when the U.S. Flag was flown on Mount Suribachi, on Iwo Jima.

Two memorable photos commemorate both the battle of Iwo Jima .....

... and Victory over Japan Day.

(My Son, "The Squid Kid", actually has a reproduction of this photograph hanging on the wall of his family quarters at Whidby Island NAS.)

The Japanese emperor speaks — History.com This Day in History — 8/15/1945:

On this day in 1945, Emperor Hirohito broadcasts the news of Japan's surrender to the Japanese people. Although Tokyo had already communicated to the Allies its acceptance of the surrender terms of the Potsdam Conference several days earlier, and a Japanese news service announcement had been made to that effect, the Japanese people were still waiting to hear an authoritative voice speak the unspeakable: that Japan had been defeated. That voice was the emperor's. In Japan's Shinto religious tradition, the emperor was also divine; his voice was the voice of a god. And on August 15, that voice—heard over the radio airwaves for the very first time—confessed that Japan's enemy "has begun to employ a most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is indeed incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives." This was the reason given for Japan's surrender. Hirohito's oral memoirs, published and translated after the war, evidence the emperor's fear at the time that "the Japanese race will be destroyed if the war continues." A sticking point in the Japanese surrender terms had been Hirohito's status as emperor. Tokyo wanted the emperor's status protected; the Allies wanted no preconditions. There was a compromise. The emperor retained his title; Gen. Douglas MacArthur believed his at least ceremonial presence would be a stabilizing influence in postwar Japan. But Hirohito was forced to disclaim his divine status. Japan lost more than a war—it lost a god.
Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-11173071049031289672014-08-15T02:34:00.000-07:002014-08-15T02:37:38.577-07:00Power of the People comes from the Government. Or ... not.Symbolism | The View From North Central Idaho:

 People, especially young men, want power, to feel empowered. Welfare laws what they are, there are few good fathers to be role models in a lot of inner city "families." Boys and young men look for "strong" men to emulate, and they see gang-bangers above shop-keepers in the social hierarchy. The anti-gun laws have created the inner city gang problem, and here is the underlying mechanism. Gun laws are not only unconstitutional, they are anti-human, they are anti-black, anti-business, anti-woman, and anti-equality. As people are wont to say, "read the whole thing." It's not long.
...

I tried to comment on this statement, but my input could not be accepted. Which is probably "A Good Thing", because what I have to say is too extensive to be embodied in a comment form.

Here is what I was trying to say:

It's another way of saying that you are respected if your overlord (in this case, the government) cannot or will not stop you from grabbing power. Shop-keepers are intrinsically law-abiding citizens, so if their government will not allow them to have "local power", these honest citizens have no recourse but to bow down to those who will TAKE power.
All of the negative consequences follow from the governmental decision to rule by fiat. The Poor Man without power --- TAKES power!

Expansion:

Nobody likes to feel that they have been "put down by The Man", which is the bureaucracy of municipal government (or whatever authority is recognized 'locally'), but most of us recognize that a degree of centralized government is necessary for the continuation of "civilization".

Except .. some of us haven't been served well by either government or civilization. Or perhaps most important, by the lowest common denominator of civilization: The Family.

Mother is unmarried and unable to both hold down a job and raise a family. The Government provides just enough funding to survive, but there is no incentive to improve the situation. The best that can happen is that Mom gets pregnant again, and the "Assistance" level from the Government increases. That's progress. It's not incentive.

There are no jobs, and the young males feel the natural obligation to be a bread-winner, because nobody else will. And so he takes to the street. That's incentive. It's not progress.

Because there are no jobs, and in the phase of his young life when he is expected to learn ways to become a contributing member of his community, his options are to starve. to feed off others which no more to offer than himself, or to learn the lessons from the only viable source available to him: The Street.

He has no way to learn to hold down an honest job; those resources are not available to him. His only option (if he is the older child) is to learn from those who practice violence and mayhem to 'get ahead'.

If the older child is not male, her options are fewer: prostitution, or finding a strong male who will protect her. All the "waitress" level jobs are already filled, and there are not enough rich homes to employ her in a servile position. If she chooses prostitution she becomes another Baby-Machine, bringing into her family more children which must be supported.

And the Government does nothing except to add her to The Dole, as long as she keeps making babies. They will give her a small amount of money, but no real HELP. That's neither progress nor incentive. That's despair.

"Baby Machine" or "Criminal" or "Dependent"; those are the options. Nobody is making any effort to raise these children above the basic level of survival. Discipline is unlearned. The schools are a joke. Those who have the exceptional will to rise above these poverty levels are ... rare; exceptionalism is not taught in PS239.

Survival, however, is the first and last lesson. So they do what they must to carve a place for themselves in their community of survivalism.

And they kill each other. Or they bring more children into this World Without Hope.

Or, usually , both.

All the GOVERNMENT can do is to make more ineffectual laws, which they ignore because they instinctively understand that the laws do not give them RIGHTS or HELP, but only restrict their options.

And when they vote, they vote DEMOCRAT .. because the Liberals are better liars than the Conservatives.

At least, the Liberals promise HOPE, and CHANGE. (Any change would be an improvement!) It doesn't really matter that everyone knows they are liars; they learned that lesson while they were in diapers.)

And they are afraid to vote, if they bother to vote, for Conservatives, because the only truth offered there is:

   You're on your own.

To be thrown into a world for which they have not learned better survival skills than to submit or to dominate ... there's neither Hope nor Change, nor encouragement nor support.

That's not even acknowledgement that they are worth saving.

That's just more despair.

I couldn't live like that.

And neither can they.

Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-56467605389664718432014-08-15T00:58:00.002-07:002014-08-15T01:15:50.687-07:00Sex, lies, and Videotape .. and guns.John Stossel's Illegal Everything - YouTube:

You may think that John Stossel espouses views that are anathema to your own politics. I think that's A good Thing, and we need to consider his views on Raw Milk, Property Ownership, and Prostitution in the same vein as the Second Amendment.

* (long video, don't watch it if you don't have the time. Your loss.) *

 Uploaded on Feb 26, 2012

 This Stossel special will blow your mind! The government, especially the EPA is out of control as well as local prosecutors trying to make a name for themselves.
America, and the Jeffersonian Interpretation.

 I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccesful rebellions indeed generally establish the incroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions, as not to discourage them too much. It is a medecine [sic] necessary for the sound health of government."
Commentary:

The "Jeffersonian Interpretation" was based on "the Agrarian Farmer". He believed that laws which acted against the welfare of the common man were intrinsically wrong. If Congress, for example, thought that some action was deterious to the common good, then it should be specified in law.

In the simplest terms: "If it is not specifically forbidden, then it is allowed".

What happens when something is specifically forbidden?

During his Presidency, Jefferson's attempts (including the Electoral System) often put him in a position of counter-advocacy of many who were Federalists ... essentially, those who advocated the continuation of an Aristocracy.

Jefferson thought this was .. wrong.

But what about today, when Congress is seriously considering infringements on the Bill of Rights?

Would Thomas Jefferson stand up for the 2nd Amendment as adamantly as he did for the First Amendment?

We would prefer to think that he would.

But .. would he

We should talk about this.Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-11377274628898842672014-08-12T19:11:00.001-07:002014-08-12T19:11:36.015-07:00"This is NOT going to look good on my resume!"The post title is a direct quote from "Good Morning, Vietnam", in which Robin Williams played Adrian Cronauer.

Cronauer was a DJ for Armed Forces Radio/ Vietnam in 1969/1970. His line is delivered when a young Viet Namese boy, who was becoming a friend of his ... committed suicide by blowing himself up.

Williams was an erratic master of comedy; often, his humor was more black humor than humor. Often, I didn't like the routines he did. I remember "Toys" as a true downer. I remember "The Fisher King" when he played a secondary character: "I have a hard-on for you as big as Florida".

He played the bad guy in a couple of movies, like Insomnia and One Hour Photo. I couldn't picture him as the bad guy.

And also in HOOK, which was a hoot.

He was ever the complicated character, who had more to offer than what was just on the surface.

 Well, not EVER! He had many characters, many roles, but that undercurrent was always there, and maybe that's what made him such an accomplished comic.

In later years, I gave up watching him. I regret never having watched "Patch Adams", for example.

Maybe I will, someday.

Now is not the time for my usual rant about the "selfishness" of suicide. My bias is still there, but Depression is something than many of us have experienced.

He must have felt beyond redemption, to have hanged himself by his belt and slit his wrist as well.

I wonder how anyone can so ignore the love that people feel for us, that they believe their only recourse is to end their own life. Are we more to blame than they? Was Robin Williams' self-image so difficult to reconcile with his universal love that he didn't know he was loved? Or did he feel it was only 'surface', and not worth living the life?

While I remain unconvinced that suicide is a valid out, short of debilitating/painful disease, yet I still mourn for him.

Maybe he's looking down on us today (I don't believe the religious bias which demands that suicides are irredeemable) and seeing how much he has been loved.

I hope so. He contributed more to humanity than most of us ever will.Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-70094859460554679102014-08-12T18:06:00.001-07:002014-08-12T18:29:28.857-07:00NJ ParanoiaSaddle Brook man, allegedly stabbed by wife, is arrested on weapons-related charges - News - NorthJersey.com:

(August 08, 2014)

Just canisters of black gunpowder removed earlier were enough to pose a danger to nearby homes, according to Kugler. He said the amount appeared to more than 30 pounds, more than the amount that can be legally stored. "Our goal is to document and remove the gunpowder and render the house safe," Kugler said. "Certainly the amount that is in there has a potential to be a hazard not only to the house but to the adjacent neighbors as well."
(H/Tip: Bitter)

It's funny, but learning that your neighbor had 30 pounds of black powder stored in his home frightened his neighbors.

But if he had two Cadillacs in his garage with gasoline in their tanks, they wouldn't have thought twice about it.

Which is interesting, which you look at the "Energy Density" of gasoline compared to gun powder. *
According to my figures, if he was storing cars in his garage instead of gunpowder in his basement, his neighbors would have been MUCH more at risk in case of fire.

But people tend to freak out when they learn that gun powder has been stored next door.

* (I couldn't find a direct comparison of Black Powder to Gasoline, so I'm citing this table of Gun Powder to Gasoline.)

Gasoline is listed at an Energy Density of approximately "46".
Gun powder is listed at an Energy Density of approximately "03".

Which suggests that gasoline is approximately 15 times as powerful as gun powder.

Let's assume that a single Cadillac has a tank capacity of 20 gallons (they ARE gas hogs, you know). At a ratio of "a pint a pound" of liquid, and sixteen pints per gallon --- that would be on the order of (16 x 20) 320 pints in the tank of a single Cadillac. Or, think of it as 320 pounds of Gasoline.

One pint is the equivalent of 0.43 liters 320 pints = 137 liters,

Energy Density: about (137x 46) just under 6,330 MJ.

That's how much "Energy Density" confined in a tank with 20 gallons of gasoline.

Now let's look at Gunpowder. (Again, we're assuming for the moment that Black Powder has the same "Energy Density" as gun powder.)

Convert 2.2 lb of gunpowder to weight; 2.2 lb/KG of gunpowder x 30 lbs of gunpowder = approximately 15 KG of gunpowder.

Energy Density of 15 KG gunpowder (15 x 3) = approximately 45 MJ.

So, One Cadillac with 20 gallons of gasoline is (6,330/45) 140 times as powerful as 30 pounds of gunpowder!

This guy would have had to stored over 700 pounds of gunpowder to equal the explosive power in a single tank of gas!

(Okay, certain conditions would have to prevail, such as the gas having boiled in the tank to overcome its liquid state .. which is why I posited TWO Cadillacs.)

So if black powder is 140 times as explosive as gunpowder, maybe they had cause to be upset.

But I doubt it. It's emotion that drives fear, not rationality.

___________________

I'm willing to accept that my math contains some errors, but I'm more concerned about the Energy Density of Black Powder than that of Gunpowder. I'm pretty sure that the difference between these two types of propellants is less about the Energy Density than the greater tendency of Black Powder to explode when met with a flame, than gunpowder (which, if not confined, merely burns).

I am comfortable with the supposition that mere gunpowder is less volatile than liquid gasoline, and also less "explosive" than Black Powder.

But then, LIQUID gasoline merely burns, too ... unless it is is heated to the boiling point (as it would be in the fuel tank of an automobile, during a house fire); which causes what is essentially a Fuel-Air explosion. This is the process called being "aerosolized".

If a structure fire burns an automobile in the garage, say, then in doing so the gasoline in its tanks will boil and emit vapors which are comparatively explosive ... which is why a half-tank of gasoline is more dangerous in an enclosed environment tna a full tank of gasoline. Regardless of what you see on TV, an automobile is much less likely to "Explode" out in the open. Burn? Damn right. Explode? That requires a much more limited set of circumstances. In a confined environment, the temperature will more likely reach the boiling point before the shell of the fuel tank ruptures.Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-41864083464945583362014-08-09T21:55:00.000-07:002014-08-09T21:55:07.330-07:00Obama is the New Bush!US launches four airstrikes against Islamic militants in Iraq | Fox News:
(August 09, 2014)

This is the third round of airstrikes against Islamic State forces by the U.S. military since they were authorized by President Obama to protect U.S. personnel and Iraqi religious minorities facing a possible "genocide."
 The latest strikes comes as President Obama prepared Americans for a sustained military involvement in Iraq, saying the United States is ready to continue with air strikes to protect U.S. diplomats and citizens and others under attack from the Islamic State terror group.
 "I don't think we're going to solve this problem in weeks," the president said on the South Lawn of the White House Saturday. "This is going to be a long-term project."
What was the quote? At "Change.gov"?

Encouraging Political Accommodation

"Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the U.S. must apply pressure on the Iraqi government to work toward real political accommodation. There is no military solution to Iraq's political differences. Now is the time to press Iraq's leaders to take responsibility for their future and to invest their oil revenues in their own reconstruction ..."

"There is no military solution to Iraq's political differences ..."
The alternatives seem a lot slimmer now, don't they Barry? How's that whole "Hope and Change" thing working out for you, now that your finger is on the trigger?

... and now that they're shooting at you, your political view has changed more than you had hoped, eh?

We're looking forward to the day when you actually invite "W" (now that we can say that again) to the White House to discuss "alternative" approaches to the War in Iraq.

You thought you entirely avoided the problem, since GW Jumped The Shark for you. Surprise! The Great Shark is still alive and predatory, but now it's YOUR problem!

"Schadenfreude Much?"

Not really. We've all just been waiting for you to notice the feces and the fan.

So tell me, Mister President . .. how does it FEEL to realize that the Real World's definition of 'Hope and Change' isn't the same as completely rejects YOUR definition?

Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-34865875415887802022014-08-08T20:35:00.000-07:002014-08-08T20:35:31.781-07:00The Never-Ending StoryThe common perception is that the argument about the 2nd Amendment is between Conservatives and Liberals.

But is it, really?

I did a follow-up on the August 05, 2014, Opinion Article by an Oregon Physician -- Dr. Perry Grossman -- who essentially stated that we need to re-write the Second Amendment to accommodate the changes in technology since "colonial days". He introduced all the usual fallacious arguments about 'the founders" who never expected hi-cap mags, semi-auto pistols, etc. He either didn't read HELLER or chose to ignore the decision of the Supreme Court. (Well, he may have read MILLER but failed to read the background.)

My follow-up was to read all of the 961 comments to his article; a daunting task, and frustrating. Amusing, though, in a way.

The usual suspects said the usual things, and the usual hard-core liberals demonstrated their determination to stick to The Party Line about guns.

But during that process, I found links to not one, but TWO articles from Liberal writers who actually had managed to address constitutional issues dispassionately. (Disclaimer: I actually only read about 600 comments; most of the time, it was an exercise in futility on the level of "teaching the horse to sing".)

Allow me to present to logical, rational arguments for the Second Amendment proposed by admitted Liberals who think that all of the constitutional amendments are equally valid.

FIRST: from The Daily KOS (!):
 "Why Liberals should love the Second Amendment":
July 04, 2010, by by
Kaili Joy Gray<a alt="Follow this author" class="type-user do-hotlist do-updateContent size-tiny off altTooltip ajaxON" href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/07/04/881431/-Why-liberals-should-love-the-Second-Amendment#?friend_id=151025&is_stream=1" style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://images.dailykos.com/i/main/icon-favorite-10.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: #7c470c; display: inline-block; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: 10px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; margin: 4px 4px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: -9999px; width: 9px;">Followfor Daily Kosx

 The argument here is that we should all love the Second Amendment as we do the First Amendment, and for the same reasons. The author has obviously read the Constitution dispassionately, but has also read case law (which cannot be said for commenters on Doctor Grossman's article.)

SECOND, from a blog named KONTRADICTIONS was titled "Dear Gun Control Advocates: 6 Ways to Make a Better Argument".

This is a much more personal document. The author presents it as "talking points" for Liberals who want to impose Gun Control on honest citizens without sounding like liars. Unfortunately, the author has a firm grip on Reality, which often shows:

I wish I had a dollar for every Democratic politician and commentator that has looked into a television camera over the past few months and said, "No one is trying to take your guns away!"

Allow me this humble suggestion: The best way to convince the American public that you're not interested in taking guns away is to stop talking about taking guns away.

I won't spoil this for you. For me, reading this blog article was like opening up a Christmas Present from an Aunt who never even noticed me before: I couldn't wait to see what was in the next layer of Kachina Dolls.

Imagine: A Liberal who thinks!

And so, while I find it difficult to resist my original impulse to paste "The Good Parts" ... they're all Good Parts. I leave it to The Reader to choose what and how much to actually GRTWT

(Go Read The Whole Thing)

This article has not received a comment since June, 2013.

<sigh> The Sweet Voice of Reason enjoys scant popularity, and that fleeting.</sigh>

Oh, but the Sour voice of Extremism? It will live forever!
Americans must stop carrying guns, revise Second Amendment: Guest opinion | OregonLive.com:
(August 05, 2014)

We need to become a society whose individuals do not carry devices specifically made to kill other individuals. Those gun-toting individuals who regard the Second Amendment as their license disregard the fact that this document was drafted in 1787, when we were a newly minted democracy, uncertain of the dangers posed to its citizens. The guns available at that time weren't assault rifles – they were simple weapons allowing one shot at a time to be fired off. The drafters of the Constitution, as wise as they were, had no way of knowing how sophisticated the weaponry was to become. We need to become a society whose reverence for the value of each life does not permit the carrying of devices to extinguish human life. We need to look at the Second Amendment and revise it to be consistent with the technologically complex society we have become. We need to register all guns like we register all motor vehicles.
A pox upon your house and your appeals to emotion, rather than reason, Dr. Grossman!Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-62412076452150814432014-08-07T21:17:00.002-07:002014-08-08T20:47:10.446-07:00Tap - Rack - Bang! (Immediate Action)I'm a mean teacher.

(Clarification: I teach an "Introduction to USPSA" class. I never know what level of expertise has been achieved by my students until we start shooting in the "Live Fire" segment of the class.)

Last weekend I had three students attending the "Safety" class ... where we also teach gun-handling, fast.accurate shooting, competition techniques and Range Etiquette.

We start the Live Fire portion of the class with the simplest possible exercise, which is designed to familiarize the student with the Range Commands, and their expected responses. They are asked to respond appropriately to the following standard Range Commands:

Make Ready

Are you ready?

Stand By ...

[after 1-3 seconds, Range officer's timer goes BEEP!]

If you are finished, unload and show clear

If clear, hammer down and holster

The range is clear

Pretty simple, huh?

You would be amazed by the number of failures can occur during that simple exercise, when only ONE shot is required.

______________________

While the given reason for this very simple exercise is to "... familiarize the shooter with the Range Commands, and the Appropriate Responses ..." the real reason is to evaluate the ability of the shooter to demonstrate appropriate gun-handling skills, including the ability to perform "Immediate Action" drills in the (not very) unlikely event that Something Goes Wrong,

While it doesn't happen in every class, often at least one student fails to completely seat his magazine into his pistol. When the buzzer goes off, the student pulls the trigger and instead of <bang> the gun goes <click>.</click></bang>

When Something Goes Wrong ...

... IPSC/USPSA rules forbid "Coaching", so both the RO (Range Officer) and other people in the bay are forbidden to offer advice to the Shooter. In practice, the Range Officer might offer advice to a New Shooter in order to facilitate the competitor experience. Well, When Things Go Wrong we already know that this new shooter is not going to win the stage, and in a Club Match the RO might lean forward and say something like: "Tap, Rack, Bang!"

But in a class, we learn by our own mistakes, and by the mistakes of others. I'm a mean teacher; as long as the situation does not lead to an unsafe situation, I'm perfectly happy allowing to student to process the cause/effect relationship at his/her own speed.

Eventually, the student will turn to the RO with a questioning look in his/her eyes. IF the muzzle is still pointed in a safe direction, the appropriate response is: "It's your gun, and the clock is still running".

After all these years, I'm still able to keep a straight face when I say that. Because, my focus is on the gun, and when I see that slight sliver of sunlight between the base of the magazine and the base of the grip, I KNOW that the magazine has not locked into place, and the initial 'load' has not moved the first round into the firing chamber.

When new shooter are required to "solve unexpected problems in class", they learn from their own decision-making process (whatever it may be) more than if the Instructor had been "helpful" and had "offered suggestions".

In this course of instruction, the most important lessons are Safety, Independence, and Judgement.

SAFETY: if you can't run 'n gun without endangering yourself and others, it's best to discover that for yourself, before you ever try to compete. As I've said before, 60% of the people who take this class never actually attempt to compete.

INDEPENDENCE: When students attempt their first match, they need to be completely invested in the concept that: "It's your gun, your match, your stage, your problem. Solve it." If they get the impression that the RO will help them out when they get into trouble (as long as Safety Issues are not involved), they will never become Competitors.

JUDGEMENT: People "running and gunning" MUST be safe. This is an intuitive quality. IPSC/USPSA competition is predicated on the proposition that participants can resolve problems in a safe manner, every time, every day. Those who have not made mistakes (and had them pointed out to them) are not aware of their deficiencies. Those who cannot learn from their mistakes should not compete, for they are a danger to themselves and to others.

Those who have not made mistakes ... probably will, sometime. They need to know how to respond to made-mistakes, and if they can't learn from themselves, they can learn from others.

In this case, many (most?) students of the gun are not already with the "Tap/Rack/Bang" process of responding to a "Failure To Function" Event. It's the most common kind of failure, and it's invariably related to the Shooter's failure ... not a Gun Failure.

Rather than be confused and non-plussed, the shooter/competitor needs to first understand that the problem is caused by his failure, and then to execute the most common drill to resolve a shooting problem:

TAP the bottom of the magazine, to ensure that it is firmly seated and locked .. actually, the action is more forceful than the term suggests; the shooter should SLAM his off-hand palm-heel against the base of the magazine to ensure that the magazine is seated and LOCKED!

RACK the slide to seat the next (first?) round in the Magazine into the chamber;

BANG! Pull the trigger, fire the round! Usually, this will ensure that the competitor is back in the game, engaging targets successfully (depending on is Accuracy) with a minimum of wasted time.

After all .. we're not on the range to waste time are we? Or to wonder what went wrong?

Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-55131765759971744982014-08-05T20:25:00.002-07:002014-08-05T20:25:35.175-07:00I don't look good naked any more!FreeThinker: Need I really say more?:

I apologize to my bretheren who think that their "body image" no longer meets their expectations: The "I Don't Look Good Naked Any More" video is shamefully self-derogative.

I'm proud to say that I don't look any worse naked than I did 20 years ago!

On the other hand, I didn't look that good naked 20 years ago.

Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-3721921819790132242014-08-05T20:02:00.000-07:002014-08-05T20:02:46.044-07:00Glocks: Is This (S)Trip Necessary?Borepatch: Negligent Discharge:
(August 05, 2014)

A guy shoots himself in the hand while trying to field-strip a Glock, because of the take-down procedure? Give me a break!

Any one of us can have a negligent discharge. Get out of sequence and pull the trigger on a weapon we think is empty. Like a car accident, it's a statistical possibility. I especially don't like the Glock takedown procedure for this reason. To take off the slide for cleaning, you pull down two small pins that protrude from the frame just under the muzzle, then pull the trigger.
Excuse me? You have to pull the trigger before completely dismantling a Glock? I was not aware of this. Can someone who knows a lot about Glocks confirm this?

Here's the original story about a man who shot himself while trying to field-strip a Glock.

I don't like Glocks because, well, I'm a self-confessed 1911 bigot. I've tried to shoot Glocks from time to time (it's like people who quit smoking ... new Glock owners want to convert you!) but they never fit my hand. I'm sure it's Ergonomics more than anything else, as the grip angle is just enough different from what I have grown accustomed to by over 30 years of competition that I'm too old to change.

But this ... the suggestion that you have to pull the trigger on a Glock before you can complete the field-strip/take-down on a Glock?

That's something else.
So if you have more expertise in Things Glock, I hope you will contribute something in the COMMENTS section.

Because, from where I sit, it sounds like a serious safety issue, if you have to pull the trigger on a Glock to perform a Field-Strip.Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-19209061249068824222014-08-04T17:17:00.003-07:002014-08-04T17:17:31.204-07:00Another of the "Only Ones" ...Police firearms instructor shoots himself in hand during lesson | Fox News:
(August 04, 2014)

A firearms instructor for a Texas police department accidentally shot himself in the hand during a shooting lesson, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported.  Hewitt Police Department Sgt. Heath Vanek is expected to miss at least two months of work while recovering from surgery to repair the wound to his left hand sustained by his 9-mm. pistol, Police Chief Jim Devlin said, according to the paper.  Devlin said the incident, which occurred last month, happened when Vanek, an 11-year veteran of the force, was teaching his family to shoot a pistol and how to clear the chamber of a semi-automatic. He was shot in the hand during the demonstration, Devlin reportedly said.  Vanek has been the firearms instructor for the Hewitt Police Department for at least the past five years, the chief said. Devlin said he will need to review the outcome on an internal investigation before deciding what action, if any, should be taken.
What action should be taken?
First, find a new Firearms Instructor.

David Codrea should be all over this one!

Jerry The Geekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-77100367794132429472014-08-03T18:36:00.000-07:002014-08-03T18:47:44.751-07:002012 - Deja Vu All Over Again?Scientists report Yellowstone supervolcano bigger than previously thought | Missoula Local News - NBCMontana.com:
(July10, 2014)

 "And these giant eruptions in Yellowstone – the supervolcano, if you wish -- probably last many, many months, maybe even years," Smith said. Not only that, they're huge, thousands of times as large as Mount St. Helens.
Smith and his students use seismographs to map the magma pool underneath Yellowstone's volcano and satellites to determine how much the land swells or bulges. They found that the magma is, "2.5 times larger than we had originally imaged," Smith said. The magma movement is signaled by earthquakes. Smith mentioned the 4.8 magnitude Norris-area earthquake that damaged Lake Hotel last spring. "It's the biggest earthquake in 30 years."
 So, how likely is it that the big one will blow soon? "If we were to have another big eruption, it would affect a large area, on the order of several states," Smith said. "But, as I said, that probability is very, very, very, very small. In my calculations, it's .0001 percent.
Read the hopeful comments. It's a push whether they are for, or against the eruption. Ghosts of Harry R. Truman and Woody Harrelson!

Jerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9422233.post-37416753497433386002014-08-01T22:15:00.000-07:002014-08-01T22:15:00.024-07:00Scary Gun Nut? Or What?Property Owner, Campground in Dispute over Handgun - KPVI News 6 - Pocatello, ID:
(August 01, 2014)

William Baker was walking his dogs on Friday night on his property in Arco, when the owner of the KOA Campground approached him about having his gun in full sight, holstered on his hip. "I told him I was absolutely legal in doing so and to be honest I was a little bit dumb founded and that was about all I could get out," says William Baker, gun owner. Someone had gone to the campground's owner and complained about Baker walking with his pistol on his side. Baker says he wasn't a threat and he wasn't doing anything illegal.
(The Baker property and the KOA campground apparently share a common fence line.)

The local sheriff confirmed that Baker was on his own property and was not breaking any laws.
.
The Comments to the article include one (seemingly quoting the KOA franchise owner) which suggests that Baker is a scary, misanthropic wing-nut.

So is this a situation blown all out of proportion, or one which revealed a man who frightens his neighbors by his life style rather than because he exercises his 2nd Amendment right?

It's impossible to tell at this time ... see the comment from RogueRequest @ 7:46pm

One thing is clear: The local television station seemed comfortable with merely reporting the surface story. Their viewers would have been better served if they had the WHOLE story.

And maybe this is symptomatic of the whole "Gun Rights/Gun Control" contretemps. When the media gets involved, they're not looking for The Truth.

They're just looking for The Lead Story.

xJerry The Geekhttp://email@example.com


text:
Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
There's been an increase in chicks fledging! Visit the Loafing Ledge to see the action.
Report your observations as hummingbirds travel from your backyard to their wintering grounds.
Poole, Pan, and Pia are learning to catch their own fish. Visit the nest before they migrate.
"I just want to say thank you to Annenberg Learner for the beautiful and amazing work you're doing for global education."
High school instructor, São Paulo, Brazil
A multimedia organization that documents leaders around the world who have devoted their lives to extraordinary causes.
The Annenberg Space for Photography is a cultural destination dedicated to exhibiting photography in an intimate environment.
Annenberg Learner professional development workshops and courses provide teachers with content and pedagogical learning to strengthen their professional credentials. Learn More >
Annenberg Learner video may be licensed by educational institutions and incorporated into your distance learning, online, or hybrid course. Learn More >
Click here for a list of programs with their broadcast rights expiration dates. Learn More >

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What is the Avvo Rating?
We were facing a lawsuit being accused of fraud. Andrew Cervik was extremely knowledgeable in real estate law. He thought outside of the box and was...
Posted by: Von L., almost 5 years ago.
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27 years since Andrew Bradley Cervik was first licensed to practice law.
We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.


text:
Federal Employees:
OPM Data Do Not Identify if Temporary Employees Work for Extended Periods
GAO-02-296: Published: Mar 1, 2002. Publicly Released: Apr 2, 2002.
Additional Materials:
- Accessible Text:
(202) 512-6082
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
In the early 1990s, concerns arose that federal agencies were retaining employees in an ongoing series of temporary appointments without benefits or tenure. For fiscal years 1991 through 2000, 10 agencies accounted for 90 percent of all temporary limited employees hired governmentwide. During this period, the number of temporary limited employees hired governmentwide declined by 47 percent--from 282,135 in fiscal year 1991 to 150,395 in fiscal year 2000. Most temporary limited employees were full-time hires in white-collar jobs who received some benefits, including annual pay adjustments and premium pay. A survey done at the 10 agencies indicated that seasonal work was the primary reason for using such employees, followed by peak workloads. The office automation clerical and assistance series was the most often reported occupational series for fiscal year 2000. Recent studies suggest that federal agencies and private sector firms use temporary employees for similar reasons--often staffing flexibility. Because temporary limited employees were serving for years under temporary appointments without the benefits afforded other long-term employees, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) revised its regulations in 1994 to ensure that temporary employees were "used to meet truly short-term needs." The revised regulations created a two-year limit for individual temporary appointments in both the competitive and excepted service. OPM officials said that the Office of Merit Systems Oversight and Effectiveness, when assessing agencies' compliance with personnel laws and regulations, routinely included some individual temporary appointments in its periodic oversight reviews, but generally did not look at the work history of temporary limited employees in those appointments. OPM data show that many temporary limited employees hired in fiscal year 2000 had worked for the federal government for at least five years.
Status Legend:
- Review Pending
- Open
- Closed - implemented
- Closed - not implemented
Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: The Director of OPM should direct OMSOE to conduct a study to identify the number of temporary limited employees who have been working for continuous extended periods in temporary limited appointments and the reasons and conditions that permitted such cases to occur.
Agency Affected: Office of Personnel Management
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: Per GAO's recommendation, OPM conducted a study to identify the number of temporary employees who have been working for continuous extended periods (8 to 10 years) in temporary limited appointments. According to the preparation notes of the OPM analyst who conducted the study, based on current CPDF data, there appear to be questionable practices occurring in the retention of employees in an ongoing series of temporary appointments. For example, in one case, an OPM analyst identified an employee at the National Park Service who had 31 temporary appointments from January 6, 1996, through November 11, 2001. In analyzing these data, the preparation notes state that an assumption can be made that many "seasonal" employees may not be performing legitimate "seasonal" work.
Recommendation: The Director of OPM should use the results of this study to modify the regulations governing temporary limited employees to address any problem areas found
Agency Affected: Office of Personnel Management
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: Upon completion of a GAO-recommended study of agency use of temporary employment, OPM amended regulations governing procedures for making temporary appointments. Specifically, OPM revised 5 U.S.C. sec. 316.402(a).
Recommendation: The Director of OPM should require OMSOE to include a sample of temporary limited employees and their work histories as part of its periodic oversight reviews of agencies.
Agency Affected: Office of Personnel Management
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: In April 2002, the acting Assistant Director for Merit Systems Oversight directed all OMSOE oversight divisions to review temporary limited appointments to ensure that such appointments were not used to appoint individuals continuously for extended periods of time. OMSOE has incorporated a sample of temporary limited employees into their regularly scheduled oversight reviews of agencies.
Aug 25, 2014
Federal Real Property:GSA Should Better Target Its Use of Swap-Construct ExchangesGAO-14-586: Published: Jul 24, 2014. Publicly Released: Aug 25, 2014.
Regulatory Impact Analysis:Development of Social Cost of Carbon EstimatesGAO-14-663: Published: Jul 24, 2014. Publicly Released: Aug 25, 2014.
Aug 7, 2014
Contractor Performance:Actions Taken to Improve Reporting of Past Performance InformationGAO-14-707: Published: Aug 7, 2014. Publicly Released: Aug 7, 2014.
Jul 30, 2014
Federal Grants:Agencies Performed Internal Control Assessments Consistent with Guidance and Are Addressing Internal Control DeficienciesGAO-14-539: Published: Jul 30, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2014.
Jul 29, 2014
Federal Real Property:Better Guidance and More Reliable Data Needed to Improve ManagementGAO-14-757T: Published: Jul 29, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2014.
Jul 22, 2014
Managing for Results:Enhanced Goal Leader Accountability and Collaboration Could Further Improve Agency PerformanceGAO-14-639: Published: Jul 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 22, 2014.
Jun 17, 2014
Recovery Act:USDA Should Include Broadband Program's Impact in Annual Performance ReportsGAO-14-511: Published: Jun 17, 2014. Publicly Released: Jun 17, 2014.
Jun 11, 2014
U.S. Currency:Actions Needed to Improve Coin Inventory ManagementGAO-14-601T: Published: Jun 11, 2014. Publicly Released: Jun 11, 2014.
Jun 10, 2014
Managing for Results:OMB Should Strengthen Reviews of Cross-Agency GoalsGAO-14-526: Published: Jun 10, 2014. Publicly Released: Jun 10, 2014.
May 28, 2014
2013 Lobbying Disclosure:Observations on Lobbyists' Compliance with Disclosure RequirementsGAO-14-485: Published: May 28, 2014. Publicly Released: May 28, 2014.
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text:
Suikoden Tierkreis
Question from Yami_anjo
What happens when you equip a different weapon to recruits?
For example marica comes first with bows. What happens if you give her a staff or a sword.
Jale starts with fists. Equip him with swords?
Hotupa has an axe. What about a spear?
Accepted Answer
Not every character can equip every weapon. There are undesignated 'character types' (such as fighter, mage, heavy warrior) which limit characters to certain types of weapons. Just because anchors are a fist type weapon, doesn't mean Jale can equip them.
'Fighters' are able to equip MOST weapons types, save for rather rare categories
'Mages' are prone to ranged weapons (bow, staff, throwing knives) and some can equip swords or scythes.
Heavy Warriors use the heavier, 2 handed weapons (axes, 2h swords, hammers).
Really, you can pick characters who appeal to you, or the usefulness of spells (attack/healing) and equip them how you please.
It does end up being slightly story-wise that you should switch the hero over to swords (pref. dual wield)
This question has been successfully answered and closed
Submitted Answers
Doesn't matther at all.
Every char can equip every weapon no penalty.
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FedEx Office Print & Ship Center5957 E Virginia Beach Blvd, Suite 4, Norfolk, VA 23502
Email this business
(757) 461-7136 Additional Contacts
FedEx Office in Norfolk, VA provides a one-stop shop for small businesses printing and shipping expertise and reliable customer service when and where you need it. Services include copying and digital printing, direct mail, signs and graphics, Internet access, computer rental, fax services, passport photos, FedEx Express and FedEx Ground shipping. Upload documents with FedEx Office Print Online, and have your flyers, brochures, presentations or signs ready for convenient pick-up or delivery. FedEx Kinko's is now FedEx Office.


text:
£3.99 was £5.99
£3.99 each
Beautycard Points: 3 points
Product Information
Instant salon-perfect manicure without the drying time of polish or nail glue.
5 times more flexible nail & safe adhesive. Forms to your body heat to perfect fit. Easy, no-damage removal. NO Glue. NO Acetone Soak.
imPress Press-On Manicure lasts up to a week while keeping nails protected. Superior, lasting shine?An indestructible top coat that rivals the best salon gel polish.
CAUTION: Keep out of reach of children
Product Specification
Ingredients: Nails: Abs Plastic; Adhesive: Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Crosspolymer; Prep Pad: Isopropyl Alcohol, Aqua (Water)
Size (1) Unit (EA) Height (10) Width (5) Depth (1)
How to Use
Select the correct size nail for each finger and set aside in order. Cleanse natural nails with prep pad. Align tab with cuticle, peel off and press down firmly onto natural nail.
I have never ever used false nails before and i'm am a bad nail biter. I had a sample of these exact nails from 2 years ago and my prom is coming up so this was a perfect time to try this sample. They fitted really well for my small nails and looked really natural, even my father thought it looked okay. HOWEVER I expected, after reading the other reviews, they would last at least 3 days but didn't. They become very very loose after one wash of my hands and started to fall off, all sticky-ness was lost. HOWEVER I felt the ones that came off tended to be the shorter nails (0.7cm) but fitted the longer ones which were just 0.8cm+. ALSO i didn't realised I had to wipe my hands with nail polish remover beforehand but I wash my hands a lot so they tend to be quite dry. I would still recommend these to someone with longer nails and if it's just for one night but so far these aren't for me as I have quite short nails and I like to wash my hands a lot.Flag this review
These nails are amazing. They are generally easy to put on, although the little plastic tags on the nails can be a bit tricky. They have such a range of nail sizes, which makes them simple to put on your nail. They last for about a week, but I've worn mine for 9 days once. They never chip and look shiny all the time. The greater thing about these is that they look quite natural on the nail as they are short and fit well. In order to keep them on for longer, I heat them up with a hair dryer. This helps the glue stick to your nails. I can't wear nail varnish anymore because these look so good.Flag this review
i love these nails they are so shiney and polished its just like going to the spa and getting them done proffecionally, they are so profecional and neat they are quick and easy to apply and they will not reck ur nails when u take them of, they also stay on for about a week(depending) i love them :)xFlag this review
Even the best manicure and/or the best false nails do not last perfectly on my fingers as one would like. I usually knock and chip the polish within minutes of leaving the salon and at least one false nail will have flipped off before the week is out. It is with this history that I dubiously purchased these nails, recommended by my daughter, who is beauty vlog obsessed. Everyone at the party I attended thought that I had had an amazing manicure, they looked so 'real'.Every day colleagues would show surprise that I still had 10. My only consession to my normal life-style was that I shampooed my hair with gloves on. I ended up removing them after 11, yes 11 days because in honesty it really didn't match my outfit! I am about to order multi packs so that I have plenty, although I will get two lots out of each pack.Flag this review


text:
Petition to Save D.A.R.E. Program
To the Chief of Police and Police Commission of the town of Bethel
We the undersigned students, parents, teachers and residents of the town of Bethel are requesting the continuation of the Bethel D.A.R.E program as currently administered by Detective Deluca.
We sincerely thank you for your support.
Please Note:
This petition is for Bethel Residents only. If you have previously signed a paper copy of this petition, you do not need to sign here. The names provided here will be combined with the paper petition for presentation to the Police Commission.
No comments yet.join the discussion
Recent signatures
Tracy DeLuiseUnited States4 years ago
Melissa AndrosUnited States4 years ago
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text:
Category: Environmental Management ×
Subcategory: Environmental Regulations ×
Industry: Travel & Leisure ×
Location: USA ×
Location: Wisconsin ×
PE International AG
PE INTERNATIONAL is the global leader in integrated product and enterprise sustainability performance with proven software solutions, sustainability databases and unparalleled consulting expertise. With over 20 years of experience and 20 offices around the globe, PE INTERNATIONAL is working with 1,500 clients including companies such as Bayer, Interface, Kraft Foods, ...
ProMinent Group - ProMinent GmbH
The ProMinent group is manufacturer of components and systems for the metering technology, and a reliable water treatment solutions partner. ProMinent offers components, systems and technologies for highly efficient, environmentally friendly, sustainable and user-centric metering and water treatment.ProMinent concentrates on components and complete solutions for the ...
BirdBuffer, LLC
BirdBuffer LLC manufactures the BirdBuffer line of products which provide a unique system for controlling birds which won't harm them and does not leave a "footprint" on the environment. The invisible vapor, which is produced by one BirdBuffer Q3, will reach anywhere from 10k – 200k square feet. This patented and original vapor system is the most environmentally friendly ...
Mierij Meteo Nederland
Mierij Meteo systems was founded in 1982 and delivers solutions for projects where meteorological information is essential. Mierij Meteo is an innovating company that keeps innovating their meteorological sensors and systems with the goal to improve the quality of your measurements, to improve your saftey, to reduce your cost of ownership, to improve reliability and to ...
Inderscience Publishers
Inderscience publishes collections of high quality peer-reviewed international journals, including Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development. This collection addresses short- , medium- and long-term views of environmental issues; critical current topics, e.g. global warming, renewable energy, nuclear energy, alternative propulsion, water; more established topics, ...
LRQA Limited
Lloyd`s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) is the world`s leading provider of independent assessment services including certification, validation, verification and training across a broad spectrum of standards and schemes, with recognition from over 50 accreditation bodies.
Bramidan Balers
Bramidan is one of Europe`s leading suppliers of balers and compactor solutions for handling cardboard and plastic waste and other recyclable materials. Bramidan was founded in 1975 as a small, family owned company that sold farming equipment. In 1981 the company changed direction and entered the market for waste handling. Today, we are a strong and popular brand in many ...
Greyline Instruments Inc.
We develop and manufacture industrial flow and level monitoring instruments for measurement and control in water and wastewater treatment, industrial process automation and for environmental monitoring. Greyline Level instruments include ultrasonic level transmitters, pump station controllers, tank farm monitoring systems, software and data loggers. Greyline`s ultrasonic ...
Genesis Water Technologies, Inc
Genesis Water Technologies, Inc. is a innovative US wholesale supplier and manufacturer of sustainable water treatment, filtration and purification solutions, serving the needs of water treatment dealers/distributors, engineering consulting firms, OEM clients, commercial and governmental clients. Genesis Water Technologies is dedicated to providing superior customer ...
MERCODOR GmbH Sondermaschinenbau KG
MERCODOR GmbH Sondermaschinenbau KG in Frankfurt am Main was founded in 1973. The family-owned company has always made shredders and manufactures them individually from start to finish in its own factory in Trebur according to customer specifications. The company`s shredding systems are now successfully employed, for instance, in industrial and commercial establishments, ...
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text:
Did your kids gather a little too much candy on Halloween?
The Hampden County Kool Smiles Dentistry is looking to help you get rid of some of it all for a good cause.
Their offices located in Holyoke and Springfield are collecting candy for men and women of the Armed Forces.
The program is called, "Operation Troop Treats" and creates Halloween candy-filled care packages, along with dental kits and oral health guides to send to U.S. troops who are serving overseas.
Those who donate their candy will receive a free toy in return.
Kool Smiles Dentistry's Hampden County offices are located at 217 South St. in Holyoke and 1070 Saint James Ave. in Springfield.
Copyright 2013 WSHM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.


text:
A meeting is being held Wednesday night to help some homeowners that have been plagued with the same noise from flyovers at International Bradley Airport in Windsor Locks.
After living on Darien Drive for 24 years, Jessica Quagliaroli is immune to flyovers, but decibel levels can routinely reach 65 or more.
The noise is probably not the best for her health. That's why the Federal Aviation Administration is helping homeowners replace doors and windows with ones better equipped to minimize sound.
"It would definitely help out in the neighborhood, probably bring house values up around here," Quagliaroli said.
One section is receiving assistance because the area that they live in is a zone where air traffic routinely reaches 65 decibels.
However, Quagliaroli is on the fringe of that section and she will receive no federal funding.
Eyewitness News talked with officials from Bradley Airport to know how there could be so much disparity between folks on the same street.
"We're finding that the noise contours are actually shrinking, meaning less people are eligible," said Kevin Dillon, who is with the Connecticut Airport Authority.
So as it stands, Quagliaroli and hundreds of others will have to live with the noise or pay out of pocket to get some quiet.
And they're not standing for it.
"Sometimes we can convince the FAA to allow us to add additional homes," Dillon said.
There is a solution for neighbors on the fringe - they'll need to make an appeal directly to the FAA.
The good news is that some on this street already did and have been added to the list of qualifying homes.
The meeting is at the New England Air Museum at 7 p.m.
Copyright 2013 WFSB (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
Two teens were injured after a carnival ride accident in Texas.


text:
Owens: budget deal is good news for Fort Drum
Dec 20, 2013 — North Country Democrat Bill Owens says the budget deal that passed this week in Washington is good news for Fort Drum. The spending plan eases military-spending cuts made under the so-called sequestration agreement and also allows the Pentagon to make more choices about how to pare military spending.
Hear this
Explore this
Reported by
Brian Mann
Adirondack Bureau Chief


text:
At a time when they were little appreciated William Morris, working with his teacher Eirikr Magnusson made translations of many of the Icelandic Sagas which fascinated him. Presumably Magnusson worked literally and Morris poetically. Of the great writers of fantasy Morris most closely rivals ER Eddison's skill with language. Eddison, who himself translated Egil's Saga recommended in that volume to read Morris's translations where possible. The map below first published in Morris's Grettir the Strong in 1869 is identical in design to those Eddison used in his novel Mistress of Mistresses of 1935.
Morris also wrote two novels of lasting magnificence, The Well at the World's End (1896) and The Water of the Wondrous Isles (1897). I discovered Morris for myself late, only after my interest the Icelandic tales took me beyond the central pillars Egil's Saga & Njal's Saga. I decided to try The Water of the Wondrous Isles on my Kindle free from gutenberg.org and frankly was stunned that I had dismissed or ignored such a powerful writer in my favourite genre for so long. I think I winced. I sought out a first edition because I wanted a decent hardback copy and I quickly noticed that these typically came with deteriorated spine and boards. By chance I stumbled on a copy someone had seen fit to rebind in such a fashion that it is the smartest looking book I possess.
The Water of the Wondrous Isles – 1897 – Longmans, Green, and Co. 1897
The Well at the World's End – 1896 – George Prior Publishers 1979
Grettir the Strong – tr. 1869 – George Prior Publishers 1980
The Story of the Volsungs – tr. 1888 – Walter Scott 1888
(It would be hard to name a single work which influenced both Wagner and Tolkien more than The Story of the Volsungs)


text:
Mass Effect 2
Should I do every assignment and mission I can before Horizon?
Because i want to do everything I can before my team gets abducted and no one knows exactly how that missions gets activated (how many recruitment missions, Loyalty missions or assignments are necessary). Thing is, I wanted to save some missions because of unique dialogue (ex. Patriarch after doing Grunt's Loyalty and the Citadel assignment with the quarian for when I get Tali). Any ideas? Thanks.
You can do Horizon. The abduction only happens after the Reaper IFF mission. Derelict Reaper if I recall. So no worries.
and no one knows exactly how that missions gets activated
Main quest is:
1. Linear until you get the Normandy
2. Horizon opens up after you recruit Mordin, Garrus, Jack and get Grunt's pod.
3. Collector Ship opens up 5 missions after Horizon, so long as you have at least 8 active party members.
4. Reaper IFF is available immediately following the Collector Ship, and completing it starts a countdown. In (2 missions, or when all party members are loyal) Joker's mission will happen.
5. Joker's mission is the deadline for saving your crew. Do zero missions after his mission to save the entire crew. 1-3 missions between Joker and the Suicide Mission and half of the crew dies. 4+ missions after Joker's mission and everyone but Chakwas dies.
Ok. I'll go ahead doing missions without rushing, then. Thanks
2. Horizon opens up after you recruit Mordin, Garrus, Jack and get Grunt's pod.
Wording on this is misleading. "opens up" should be "is forced"
In (2 missions, or when all party members are loyal) Joker's mission will happen.
To correct this a bit, this is only taking into account loyalty missions. If everyone is loyal before the IFF, you only get 1 mission (or none depending on a choice after the IFF). So, while "2 missions or all loyal" is usually right, it won't always be if you want one of those missions to be an N7 or DLC.
Does # 5 have an effect in ME 3 (amount of crew surviving) ?
VasDeferens posted...
Does # 5 have an effect in ME 3 (amount of crew surviving) ?
If you head to the Collector Base right away you'll see one of the Horizon colonists get liquefied. If you do 1-3 missions first it will be Kelly you see die.
If Kelly survives and you went on a date with her she will appear in ME3. She'll give you your fish back and depending on what advice you give her when you find her she may help you gain additional war assets later. Near the end of ME3 you can officially enter a romance with her if you haven't romanced anyone else.
I'm not sure about Ken and Gabby though. You can get these two back onto the Normandy in ME3 but I don't know if they die along with Kelly or if they only die if you do 4+ missions and lose everyone. Base on what I've read I think Gabby dies with Kelly and Ken dies later. They provide some funny banter in ME3 and can provide an additional war asset.


text: Comments on: What if the 'wrong guy' wins? Back to the article » By Mark Tapscott | November 1, 2012 | 12:00 am Danielle Brian runs the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), a non-profit investigative group that has been unmasking waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government for decades, usually in the military budget. I don't always agree with POGO's take on particular issues, but I've lauded their work for a long time. As much as I admire the U.S. military and marvel at its courage, technological... Web URL: http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2512448 Share this article on Facebook or Twitter Print this article


text:
One person died early Monday in an Arlington apartment fire.
The fire started after midnight at the Cimarron Crossing Apartments in the 2000 block of Remington Drive.
Arlington fire officials believe the fire started in the unit where the man was found dead, but an official cause has not yet been determined.
The fire eventually spread into the attic and the roof, with eight units in total destroyed in part due to a roof collapse.
One person was treated for smoke inhalation and the Red Cross is helping those displaced by the fire.
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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (R), Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (C) and East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao (L) prepare to pose for a group photo during the sixth United Nations Alliance of Civilizations conference in Nusa Dua on the resort island of Bali on August 29, 2014. The forum runs from August 29 to 30. AFP PHOTO / SONNY TUMBELAKASONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP/Getty Images
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text:
Kukla's Korner Hockey
Theo Fleury Realizes He Made A Mistake
by Paul on 01/11/10 at 11:09 PM ET
Comments (0)
from TSN,
Last week, Theo Fleury used his blog to rip the Calgary Flames' decision to cut him from the roster after a pre-season tryout. On Monday, he used it again - this time to apologize for his comments.
"I sometimes say and do things without thinking," Fleury wrote on Monday. "I want to apologize to Craig Conroy and Robyn Regehr for my comments. I will never forget my 2 and a half weeks this September and how great it was being with the boys again. The Calgary Flames organization is one of class and integrity and the comments that I made were uncalled for. Please accept my apology."
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Local government
52 results total, viewing 31 - 40
Golden City Police Department handed out 14 liquor violations to employees at local establishments throughout the city during the department's annual liquor compliance checks in Dec. 2013. The … more
Amy Woodward | 1/15/14
When the late Mayford Peery gave the Access Fund the cliff lines of North Table Mountain, he did so in the hope that hikers would forever be able to enjoy the beauty and camaraderie he had found on the plateau. Peery, who passed away in 2009 at … more
Amy Woodward | 1/15/14
In a shuffle between the planning commission and city council, a request by the Colorado School of Mines to upgrade its 91-year-old stadium and add on an athletic complex was again denied by the city's planning commission on Jan. 8. The denial … more
Amy Woodward | 1/14/14
The Arvada City Council voted to appoint Arvada Chamber of Commerce Chairman, Gerald `Jerry' Marks, to the District 1 seat, Jan. 10. "I'm a tad overwhelmed," Marks said after being appointed … more
Crystal Anderson | 1/10/14
Presented here are the Lakewood Sentinel's top 10 stories of 2013. W Rail Line opens After years of work and waiting, the W Rail Line began running through Denver, Lakewood and Golden on April 26. RTD estimated that there were 35,000 … more
Clarke Reader | 12/31/13
It has been a year of change for Golden with well-respected community leaders stepping down to new faces on city council next year. There was a lot to report on this year but here is a list of some of the top 10 stories listed in no particular … more
Amy Woodward | 12/31/13
Elections, budget constraints and developments pretty much sums up the year for Jefferson County. Here is a list of the Top 5 stories of the year that made a huge impact on the county: School board tide turns The Jefferson County school board … more
Staff Report | 12/31/13
A missing woman turns up dead. The city welcomes a new mayor. And, oh those 38th Avenue road diet blues. These are just a few of the biggest stories that came out of Wheat Ridge in 2013: 'Annie' Meyer murdered; killer convicted LeAnne … more
Vic Vela | 12/31/13
The past year was a busy one in Arvada — marked with record flooding, new development projects stirring up controversy, key Arvada players moving on to new careers while welcoming new people to fill their roles, and bans on marijuana. Here are … more
Crystal Anderson | 12/31/13
The one thing that everyone of any political stripe can agree on when looking back at the 2013 legislative session is that a whole lot happened. The furious pace lasted 120 days. But the political and policy impact of last year's session will be … more
Vic Vela | 12/31/13 | 2 comments
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