Guns, Cars, and Tech

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  • Notes from the weekend

    Went to the gun show with oddball. Ammo retailers had ammo at their normal “Internet +25%” prices. I think I saw two bricks of .22lr, both less than $60.

    Towards the end of the show, there was a guy behind a table furiously trying to sell oddball one of these, with a forward vert grip installed. Pistol included. Only $850! Personal Sale! No paperwork! (And bonus points to the guy for suggesting that you could convert your pistol to a machine pistol, legally, just by getting a permit!)

    As we walked away, shaking our heads, we came across someone selling the carbine version only two tables away. Sigh. Thankfully they only had a bluegun installed in it.

    Watched Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters which is as bad as you’d expect, but not worse. I really liked that everyone had revolvers and cased ammo in the 1300s. Oh and the semi-auto shotgun and the full-auto crossbow.

    Quote of the weekend goes to mrs wizardpc who said to me, “Oh yeah? Well how much do you know about the anatomy of a troll, hmmmmmm?”

    And I’m almost done with the entertainment center I’ve been building out of our old stairs for the last, oh, 4 months. Never using reclaimed wood again. Also, need moar wood clamps! Next piece should be a little easier now that I sprang for a Kreg Jig

    I also might be getting a new rifle soon-ish. Stay tuned.

  • Just a quick reminder…

    I would like to thank this gentleman for demonstrating why you don’t look down the barrel of a gun.  Especially immediately after a failure to fire.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjDu5zwa4rM&w=560&h=315]

    Don’t worry, no blood and gore.  Just an amazing example of a hang fire.

    *edit* embedded video link fixed.

  • Blogging Forecast: Spotty with a chance of nothingness

    Last week I unofficially officially accepted a new position at work. It takes several weeks for the HR process to churn, but yesterday I started attending meetings for the new gig.

    I still am doing all the stuff for the old gig, too.

    This basically means I’ll be doing two jobs for the next few weeks. I’m out of gun porn pics and don’t have any range dates scheduled, and with the TN Legislature out of session until 2014 I’m basically out of blog fodder.

    BBIAB.

  • Well, that’s a relief!

    On Monday, I picked up tags for the WRX. When I got in the car, it stalled out on me three times. Then I got a lean condition engine code (which I was able to read and clear using the ScanGauge II I picked up several years ago). No biggie.

    Well, the P0171 kept coming back. Then I started having problems with it stalling on my at stoplights, and when putting the car in neutral.

    And then I noticed that I couldn’t get the turbo to go into boost.

    Looking around the various forums, it appeared that it could have been one of several things, ranging from a dirty Mass Air Flow sensor to a blown up turbo.

    When I was younger, and poorer, something like this would mean a weekend of troubleshooting and part-swapping. Fortunately I’m past that stage and instead I took it to a dealer. Within an hour, they’d discovered…

    Vacuum leaks that they fixed for $15. There was a diagnostic fee of $115 which in a situation like this ends up being a minimum charge.

    Runs like a champ.

  • Are you ready for some serious income stratification?

    Because it’s coming.

    For folks who can get more than one 28-hour-per-week part time job (that’s coming, too, you know), you’re going to find people that make up to $62,000 and people that make more than $77,000*. There won’t be anyone between those numbers.

    What will end up happening is that $62,000 will be a ceiling. Any more than that, and take home pay effectively goes down. You’d need a 25% raise, at the very beginning of the year, to offset the loss of the subsidy.

    Which will need a “fix” at some point in the future, I’m sure.

    *2014 maximum income for a subsidy is $62,040. The cheapest Obamacare Approved plan is $15,000.

  • Gun Porn: Magpul on a Krink

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    DSC02874

    My friend James sent these to me, with this:

    I decided to order one of the new MOE AK Grips from Magpul, just to try it out. Got it Friday, and put it on the AKSU. I like it, much more “grippy” than a traditional AK grip. It takes standard Magpul grip cores, so you can configure the storage as needed. I think I am going to pick up another one for the SLR-105.

    He’s also got a Burris FastFire sitting on top of that. It’s a fun little gun.

  • How long before Obama closes the Interstate Highway System?

    He’s ordered the closure of an open-air memorial that was privately funded.

    He’s ordered the closure of homeowners to vacate their property.*

    All of these things cost more money than leaving it alone. In some cases, the federal government intentionally shut down things that actually make money to make a political point.

    They’re already shutting down the shoulder of the interstate in South Dakota.

    How long before Obama decides that the Interstate Highway System needs to close? It needs maintenance, too, you know.

    ETA: Tango reminds me that Obama has already shut down the freaking OCEAN.
    *I’m less sympathetic to their plight that I maybe should be, since their leases require the homes to be second homes and in the case of those folks it’s clear they’re in violation.

  • Scooby Dooby Doo!

    Alternate title: I decided to go in a different direction.*

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    2004 Subaru WRX. Turbocharged boxer engine. All wheel drive. World Rally Blue. 30+ MPG on Premium.

    Like the Excursion before it, I’ve wanted this car since it was new. Now I have it.

    Also like the Excursion, I paid a little bit more than the going rate to get one in excellent condition. I sold the truck 11 months and 10,000 miles later for 15% more than I paid for it, so I’m less concerned about having paid too much than the average person.

    The problem with having this car is that when I showed the wife the ad, her response was “Dear, you don’t have to buy that car just because I want it.” I may have mentioned before that she brought the Fast and Furious DVDs to the marriage.

    One of the previous owners tried to make this WRX look like an STi by adding the wing and, for some reason that completely escapes me, putting the fog light covers over the functional fog lights. He also swapped out the gauge cluster for a Japanese one…so it’s in kilometers. I’ll be changing the cluster for sure, and probably the light covers but not much else.

    BTW, that hood scoop isn’t for the air intake like I expected. It’s for the intercooler.

    *JayG’s reaction to my selling the Excursion and buying this was, paraphrased, “It’s got F$%*ing hood pins! I don’t even know you, man.”

  • Teaser 5

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  • Teaser 4

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