A View from a Cube - Rambles from Tech Support

Why I don't watch Main Stream Media.

2011-12-18T05:40:00.000-06:00

Wow.... so, yah October's long gone and soon so is 2011.

I probably should write more.

But, I have a little bit of content today. So I've been doing my best to ignore the news media this month, mostly because everytime someone opens their mouth about politics I want to stomp the offending face in. This is not a healthy reaction to the body politic, so I stay away from it. :)

I hear a lot of stupid these days and I get my daily quota of stupid at work, most days. I'm not going to preach. I'm just going to quote (to the best of my ability, I unfortunately didn't get the woman's name, I was too busy eating a burger) someone I heard on CNN today while eating at the fine fast dining establishment who's corporation owns my company.

"Well, you see the banks are willing to loan us more money right now at *really* low rates. So what we need to do is *backload* the debt. Put it off for ten, or fifteen years and give the economy time to recover. (And just for fun, this woman was identified, if I recall correctly, as a conservative...)

^Thinking like that, is how we got where we are today.

This is why, we can't wait. It's going to hurt. A *LOT* but if we don't do it now, we're going to get to a point where its impossible. Or if not impossible, impossible *not* to do something, and it'll hurt a lot worse then. And then we'll be where Greece will be in less then five years.

It won't be pretty.

My two cents.

-Jon

Rambles from a Range Officer

2011-10-03T19:14:00.000-05:00

So, I'm no longer in a European country (I went to Germany about a month after my tour in the UK for work was up) and I'm glad for it. Fun places to visit, I like home.

Kinda makes me sound rather settled, and I guess I am.

Anyway earlier this week I read a bit from I Aim To Misbehave on how to properly and legally (in broad strokes) hold a protest.

Good stuff. Don't ask me why, but it got me thinking about pet pevees I have as a volunteer Range Safety Officer at the local indoor range (www.rrrmc.com, if you're interested)

So, some general rules to follow that aren't necessarily in the handbook, or the briefing, and shouldn't be because they common (uncommon?) sense.

1. The RSO/RO isn't the bad guy. He's not there to ruin your fun, he's there to reduce the liability of the range and make sure everyone goes home as intact as possible. Its a shooting range, you're using a tool, but its a dangerous tool, and some people think they know a lot more about guns then they do. I know a smattering about guns and a lot about the guns I own. I like being safe. I'm a volunteer. When I tell you to do something, do it - the first time, because I don't want to kick you out, I want you to have fun, but I will do the first if you aren't being safe, and you won't come back, if you're that bad about it.

I can do that, and I will.

2. If you're new to the range, if you're new to firearms, and all this stuff - *say* so. I'm going to figure it out within five minutes of watching you shoot if you've never picked up a gun before. Be honest. I'll *help* and you'll have more fun - and learn more then if I have to come over and correct you later because you're doing something unsafe.

3. Don't lie to me. Especially if I keep the range open longer for you. When I'm the RSO, its my name on the paper, and the building is my responsibility. Don't say you're just going to crono some rounds, then bring in friends from a side door and then tell me you're all RSO's so I can just go home. It doesn't work that way. We're supposed to be closed. I was nice. I don't care if you're buddy's on the board. The board will back me up. They might scold me later, but that's their business. You don't want me to have to report that I had problems with your organization, whatever it is, because we've tossed orgs before, and while we don't *want* to do it, if you don't follow the rules, we will.

4. Don't sigh when I tell you to put your eyes and ears on outside the range. The Range is hot, that means that weather or not there are people in there, there is no control to when those people chose to fire. They may be you're eyes and your ears, but I'm not going to be held liable by some ambulance chasing attorney because you are dumb.

5. There is only one safe direction to point your firearm at the range. And that's at the backstop. If you have to do maintenance on your firearm at the line, and the muzzle goes any direction but down range, I'm ging to call you on it. I've seen people point guns at themselves, at their legs, at the floor at the person next to them. Most of the time the only person they would hurt is themself. But I don't want you to shoot yourself anymore then I want to get shot.

I will say something. If its bad enough I will call a cease fire, and then *everyone* will hear my say it. Think people. Please.

6. Before I was an RSO, I used to think some of the rules we have at the range were dumb, or at least excessive. I'm now an RSO, and the responsiblity for what happens at the range and what happens in result of your actions is on *my* shoulders. And I'm one guy, monitoring up to fifteen active lanes at a time. They make a lot more sense from my position then they might from yours. I highly recommend you try it sometime - because we always need more volunteers, and it will change the way you look at safe handling. The most important piece is still between the shooters ears, and it might be annoying some of the restrictions we place on you - but they exist to make *my* life, and your life easier, in the long run. If you want to complain, do it to the board, not me. Or take the RSO class, and try a busy weekend shift yourself.

Your view will change too.

Have fun, stay safe, shoot straight.

-Jon

More Musing from across the Pond - The Book Stack

2011-07-21T20:47:00.000-05:00

So, I'm still stuck in the UK. And I really *really* should be sleeping right now, but after staring at the ceiling for an hour gave up on that for the moment.

So, I'm gonna drop a couple three hundred word or so reviews from my proverbial Book Stack and then see if I can sleep.

First up, Monster Hunter Alpha. I'm a fan of the MHI series in general and a huge fan of Larry Correia and his now various books and recent success. Cool guy, great books, and maybe one of these days I'll cross paths and get him to sign a book for me.

Anyway, I bought Monster Hunter Alpha by e-ARC. Damn Baen and their book crack. Once I get back to the States and get my bookshelves finally sorted out it and a few other Baen books will get proper dead tree copies. This book is a departure for the MHI series because its told from Earl Harbinger's perspective.

Let me put it this way - if you've read the other two MHI books, Earl is the king of badasses.

And he racks it up a couple notches with this book. The vast majority of the book takes place in Northern Michigan, and while I've never been there, I know a thing or two about hard winters and Larry pulled off getting the feel right pretty well. Throw in a local cop, some new MCB agents who you will love to hate, and eventually pity, and a Bad from an earlier book, and its a romping good time.

Along the way we learn a little more about Werewolves, Earl, the Shackleford family tree and some hints of things to come.

Its a hell of a good book. It comes out next week. Go buy it. Read it. Enjoy.

Switching gears slightly I'm going to move to a trio of books by Micheal Z Williamson.

I came across Mr Williamson from a combination of Larry touting him once or twice (or five or six times), a couple good words from Marco over at the Munchkin Wrangler, and his own work at the Survival Blog (I see I need to seriously update my bloglist). The three books I'm going to talk briefly about are Freehold, The Weapon, and Rogue.

Freehold is a book about a political refugee. Ok, everyone sit down and imagine with me. Its a good long way into the Future, the UN, instead of dying a needful death is the Galactic super government with the governments of most planets beholden to it in one shape or another. There are some fringe planets. One of these, is known was Freehold (it has another name, which I like better, but its late, I'm tired and I don't have my e-reader handy and google is more then one mouse click away :D). Freehold... is as I think I described it to a friend, the perfect Libertarian/libertarian/Capitalist paradise.

It probably can't ever exist. I'm fairly sure I wouldn't fit in there. I'm also fairly sure I want to try, if it did, anyway.

Anyway - a political refugee - running from a wrongful conviction at the hands of the UN runs to Freehold. And we experience her struggles to understand this quite alien culture and world, and then experience a War brought on by the UN because it covets the money and power Freehold has, and well... it polled well.

There's far more too it then that, but if there's a Capitalist bone in your body, you will hate the UN en-mass by the end - its an early book, and feels like one - but that said I really enjoyed it. It ends well, and it hints at other things. Its a world I want to learn more about. Which is how all early books should be.

The Weapon starts before Freehold takes place, and ends after. The main character is Captain Chinran, a memeber of the Freehold Special Operations troops. He's sent to Earth to pave the way for an attack of such magnitude that Earth will head to the negotiating table in a possible(and expected) War.

Mr Williamson did a fine job of pre-facing this in Freehold, and now we get to see this masterwork in progress. Its a frightening tale, and *very* believable in a future sort of sense looking at the way society is heading.

I can't say I ever felt sorry for the Earthies, though I did for all the characters sent to perpetuate these acts. They were asked to do monsterous things.

And they did them, to save their planet.

Something like that would really mess with a person - and I think the Author did a really good job of portraying that.

But, he wasn't done yet. Rogue goes back to the Freehold universe, some 10-15 years after the War. Our man Chinran had survived after all, and so did some others.

One in particular has gone off the reservation, and the Military complex of Freehold seeks out Chinran to hunt down the weapon of a man he created and put a stop to it.

I'm at odds with this book in some ways. I like it, I like delving into the Chinran character and I like exploring the Freehold world all the more - but while I feel the first two thirds or so of the book are as solid as the other two offerings, the final third moves to jump cuts quite a bit, and forces an ending that... doesn't quite feel right.

Both the Weapon and Rogue are predominantly written in the First person, and so we mostly see things only from Chinran's perspective, so some of the offkilterness can be attributed to that - but it does feel near the end like Mr Williamson ran out of steam and needed to *finish* possibly on a deadline of some sort just to get the book out the door.

All said though, I heartily recommend all three books.

They'll make you sit back and think - if nothing else - and they're a fun ride while they do it.

Anyway time for me to crawl back to bed and try to get some sleep before another mindnumbing day tomorrow.

-Jon

Musings from across the Pond

2011-07-09T17:10:00.000-05:00

So its been a while.

Last week I crossed the North Atlantic in a United 747 for the first time, bound for the UK on a last minute trip for work, thats going to last me a month. I get to go home in August.

Honestly, I could go home next week and be happy. I'm here helping with QA for a new release of the software I support. Lets just say that the UK branch of my parent company doesn't exactly do a stellar job of testing, thier test systems are not configured like a store would be. They aren't installed liked a store would be, and they're a mess of manual software changes.

I spent most of my time last week trying to figure out a simple problem, that flummoxed me for most of 2 days because I had to dig through old and current configs to figure out why the damned thing didn't work, never mind why it didn't work as intended.

I'm supposed to be testing the software, not fixing it so its in a state to be testable.

Needless to say, I am not impressed. There are a lot of other little things about this trip that bug me, but thats the biggest, by far.

I work in London, I commute from a town a decent distance outside of London because except for about the day before I left, everyone thought I was going to work out of RTS's Lentchworth facility.

Guess not.

Not all is lost. I'm getting to trundle around the UK which isn't something I thought I'd get to do - possibly ever. Its and interesting country, with nice people, a lot of history some really cool scenery...

And I would never want to live here. I'm an uncultured, uncouth American. I drive a gas guzzling 4 wheel drive pick-up, I like Air Conditioning, and my 50 inch TV. Water thats hot. Being able to walk somewhere without being seen by at least 15 CCTV cameras. Money that fits in my wallet. Good Coffee. Space.

Being able to carry a gun.

Real BACON.

Roads wide enough to drive on.

And most importantly my own bed.

But, I won't be getting that for a while. Anyway, I should be getting to bed. Its late and I want to try to take in the Imperial War Museum tomorrow.

From an IM window to the Sandbox: (NSFW)

2011-05-04T06:28:00.000-05:00

"...who knows, politics is a giant game of twister."

"Naked Twister, where the purpose is to fuck your opponent as uncomfortably as possible."

The places you'll go (or, in the case, have gone)

2011-04-17T11:11:00.003-05:00

visited 29 states (58%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

Found the above over at Ready, Fire, Aim, Appologize (You can find the link in the sidebar. I'm lazy. So after some thought I think I've caught all the states I've been to, at least once. Dang. I get around - and there's still so much yet to see.

From the Cube to a Firing Range

2011-03-31T04:16:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm not really changing vocations (sure would be fun though) but I have decided to get involved in the local range, or the RRRMC (Red River Regional Marksmanship Center) which is by far the nicest range in ND, as long as you want to shoot pistol caliber ammo anyway.

Completely volunteer operated they are non-profit, and after a first year of struggling in some respects have really done an excellent job of expanding their hours, offerings and making their membership system far more sensible (something they wanted to do from day one, but couldn't because of the Non-Profit title they filed under. That is currently being revised.

Today before work I went to their front desk seminar since I'm scheduled to work this weekend (they're putting on a Fun Show this weekend too, double bonus) at the front desk. I've also signed up to do RSO duties, but they only hold the certification classes so often, but this is a good start. Shifts are 2 hour blocks so its not like its crazy amounts of time, if I don't want it to be - and I'm getting involved in something and out of the house.

So I'm really looking forward to it. Sometime in April (hopefully the first week) I'm gonna pick up a 10/22 Ruger so I have something nice and cheap to shoot, which should get me out to the range more often, and tightening up, and maintaining my skills.

A little farther out I'd like to pick up a .22 Pistol as well. I'm still debating between a semi-auto and a revolver. Since my primary arm in pistols is a semi - from a function standpoint and trainer a semi-auto makes a little more sense.

But the whole point is to get out and shoot more, for less money.

Anyway, thats all I got for tonight.

-Jon

A little Catch-Up

2011-03-14T22:40:00.003-05:00

So its been a while. Went skiing, vacationed, budgeted, threw up some sheetrock in my Dad's basement, started some serious work on my little personal stockpile of stuff, and contacted a gunsmith.

In reverse order, after much poking around and questioning, there's no one in ND (apparently) that falls under the proper heading of 'gunsmith' so I found one in MN. Gonna ship my dad's .22 out to them round about friday to get that particular project moving forward. Stripped, blued and new furniture. Cost more then a new 10/22 but I'm not doing it just to get a functional .22 I'm doing it to try to preserve one of my dad's memories.

I figure its worth it.

Bought some packets of Mountain Home freeze dried food to try out before I lay in a few 10# cans for longterm storage. Really impressed, I didn't expect to enjoy any of it and out of the five main dish varieties, and 4 side dish varieties I tried out, only the Mac and Cheese would be something I just won't be buying again. Brigid made mention of the stuff a little before I made my order, and I agree with her, its a little spendy, but its supposed to last this side of thiry years, and it tastes good with decent nutritional values.

Also made the first of my rotating orders of bullets to suppliment my beans this month. I highly recommend LuckyGunner.com as a result. Excellent website, only sells whats onhand, and fast delivery.

So far, so good.

Dad's been working on finishing his basement now for about a year. Speed is not his goal, its just his project that gets done when he has time, which seems to work for him. To help pay for my portion of the ski trip we took this year I've been going home to help put up sheetrock. Its a pain, but its good to see his project getting close to completion.

Skiing. As usual we went out to Jackson Hole and it was a good time. I needed the break but I didn't enjoy the slopes as much as I have in the past. Probably a combination of being horribly out of shape, and not quite wanting that particular bit to be my big vacation for the year. Has spurred me to get back into an exercise routine, but I think next year I'm gonna come up with something *I* want to do.

Going forward there's an Appleseed shoot up in Rolla ND that I'd like to go to this July. Gonna see if I can talk B into coming with. Probably gonna need to pick up a 10/22 before hand. Cheaper ammo, work the fundamentals the first day, work the known distance the second. If I enjoy it I might try to go to a Bootcamp next year.

Week of shooting, close to a thousand rounds required. Sounds like a blast.

Not much else going on at this point. T's off in the Sandbox now, departed after mobbing up about a week ago. Working on a BattleTech campaign we're gonna play via email to pass the time a bit. He's got a WH40k campaign for me to work on. Should help keep us both busy with the downtime.

It sucks when a third of your friends suddenly disappears for a year.

Might say something about my need to expand my friend base. Not sure. ;)

Welp, thats it for tonight, I should get some work done.

-Jon

Hard Magic - eARC review

2011-02-01T04:24:00.002-06:00

As is typical, since I discovered the beauty (and the expense) of Baen eARC - I've been hooked. Books are my Crack. If I can get a book faster, I dang well will, especially something like Hard Magic which I've been slathering for since April of last year. Larry Corriea is an evil man, giving us a seven chapter look, and then laughing as his publisher takes an age to kick out the book

Hard Magic is coming out in May, if I remember correctly, but you can buy an electronic copy now from Baen, it's the 'unproofed' copy and it will cost you extra (15 bucks) but, for somenoe as ravenous as me, its worth it.

Now, about the book.

Its set in an alternate history of the 1930s, where magic is real. Powerful magic users are called actives. Actives can usually wield one type of power, for example, one of the main characters is a Heavy, or Gravity Spiker, he can control, and shift the pull of gravity. Another is a Traveler, she can teleport. Basically, think up any cool single superpower and its probably in the book somewhere.

The story revolves around a Heavy named Jake Sullivan, when the book starts off, he's working for the J. Edgar Hoover, as something of a cooler for Actives. He's a former/current convict himself so Hoover's basically using him, and it pisses Jake off. Jake's a thinker, even though he's a big ass guy, and he's figured out some interesting things about how magic works. After running into an old flame, he ends up falling in with a secret society who's trying to stave off a magical war with the Imperium of Japan.

Some of the better side characters include John J Pershing (Yes, the one they named the tank after) John Moses Browning, yes, that John Moses Browning :D - and, even though he never really gets screen time, a huge amount of the trouble in the book is his fault, so I gotta give props to Nikolia Tesla.

There are armoured blimps, BARs, Bi-planes, super weapons, and one really scary Japanese dude.

And none of that comes close to explaining how much *fun* this book is. Does Jake Sullivan feel a bit like the protagonist from MHI Owen Z Pitt? Yes, but for divergent reasons. Does it hurt the book? No, because Correia's really branched out, his story telling in this book is much more mature feeling, the hooks and twists were a little harder to see coming, and he's got one character thats such a departure for him that it *rocks*.

This is Corriea's best work to date. He's got four books, including Hard Magic coming out this year. And if he keeps getting better through them all, we're in for a treat.

Do yourself a favor. If you like guns, magic and historical settings, give it a go. Hell, if you only like *one* of those things, give it a go.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

An Open Letter to my local radio station of choice...

2011-01-12T06:31:00.003-06:00

...Please understand, I'm all for free speech.

But would you idiots (and so far, you idiots encompasses the morning radio showsof one radio station around here - its the only one I listen to, and its about to go away.) please refrain from commenting about shit you know nothing about?

Look, I know the whole thing in Arizona makes everyone want to open your mouth.

But yesterday my go to station kicked off by disparaging the Second Amendment

Today, three of you were railing about how owning a pistol on said station (or any firearm) and getting a CCW permit is a bad idea because it requires 'too much responsiblity' and 'you probably couldn't do any good anyway.'

You sheep.

You bleeding sheep.

I wish there *had* been a CCW permit holder in that crowd, although I salute the people who tackled that lunatic.

I'd offer to take you all to the range so you could learn a thing or two, but that would cost me a *lot* of money, and I'm not sure any of you are worth my time.

I think its time to put the iPod back in the truck.

That is all.

-Jon

Day 02 - A book you wish more people had read

2011-01-12T01:14:00.002-06:00

You know, thats a good question. What book have I read that I wish more people had read makes me think I should have something profound to say here. I really don't. I mean, there are books I wish people had read so I could *discuss* it with them, or so they could see what I so enjoyed about them, but enjoyment is a profoundly personal thing.

But, I guess instead of a book, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the complete works of Mark Twain. The man wrote Satire, and he wrote Satire for a specific time period, but a lot of his work can still be applied to today. And I wish more people could sit down, read and then *think* about what he had to say.

I had an English class during one of my aborted attempts at a college degree that was at Oh My God its too early, but it was on satire, and our professor tried gamely to get us to DISCUSS Mark Twain. We were using original text - not anything PCed up as has been heard about lately in the news, and it was pretty clear that A: It was too early in the morning for most people, and B: a lot of people don't understand the idea of Satire.

Which is really too bad. But it is something I wish more people had read and understood. I don't pretend to be amazingly good at such things - or able to squeeze more meaning out of a written word then anyone else... but maybe if we took a moment to look at the follys of the past, we'd recognize the follys of the present for what they are.

Or maybe not.

But it couldn't hurt to try.

-Jon

Book Meme Day 1 - Your favorite series (Of more then three books)

2011-01-11T02:10:00.003-06:00

Well thats pretty straight forward, and to be fair this would be a lot easier to list my favorite book series to Urban Fantasy, Techno-Thriller, Sci-Fi, MilSciFi, etc.

But thats not what the Meme says so I guess I'll have to boil it down.

If I had to pick a favorite current series I'd go with the Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher. They are, simply put, crack in literary form. I read a lot of series these days, but Butcher's Dresden Files have held my attention for almost a decade. *Thats* staying power.

If you're interested and looking, start with Storm Front

A freaking Meme... but hey, its a post, right?

2011-01-11T02:05:00.003-06:00

So, I came across an interesting Meme over at Stacytabb.com - 30 days of books. The whole meme is below. Some of these particular days I don't think I qualify for. But what the heck, lets give it a try. I'm gonna throw up Day one here in a few minutes.

◦Day 01 – Your favourite series of books (with more than 3 in the series)
◦Day 02 – A book that you wish more people had read
◦Day 03 – Your favorite recent book
◦Day 04 – Your favorite book ever
◦Day 05 – A book you hate
◦Day 06 – Your favourite writer
◦Day 07 – A writer you don’t like
◦Day 08 – Your favourite work in translation
◦Day 09 – Best scene ever
◦Day 10 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
◦Day 11 – A book that disappointed you
◦Day 12 – An book you’ve read more than twice
◦Day 13 – Favorite childhood book
◦Day 14 – Favorite male character
◦Day 15 – Favorite female character
◦Day 16 – Your guilty pleasure book
◦Day 17 – Favorite trilogy or tetralogy
◦Day 18 – Favorite book cover
◦Day 19 – Best ensemble of characters in a book
◦Day 20 – Favorite kiss or love scene
◦Day 21 – Favorite fictional romantic relationship
◦Day 22 – Favorite ending/climax
◦Day 23 – Most annoying character
◦Day 24 – Best quote
◦Day 25 – A book you plan on reading
◦Day 26 – OMG WTF? plot
◦Day 27 – Favourite non-mainstream writer
◦Day 28 – First book obsession
◦Day 29 – Current book obsession
◦Day 30 – Saddest character death

...overheard in the Cubes...

2010-11-17T05:08:00.003-06:00

(Most of these gems are the same guy)

"You know your computers? They aren't really computers - they're different."

"When your ISP (In Store Processor, not Internet service Provider) gets up in the morning, it checks with your POS (Point of Sale) to see what language they're speaking today."

"I'm a former Marine, when I say something's fixed, its damned well fixed." (I thought it was once a marine, always a marine myself...)

"Your POS is speaking in Japanese and your ISP is speaking in Chinese. They don't understand eachother, we have to make them understand eachother."

"Your system didn't open for today because there was too much data clogging up the switch, rebooting it emptied it out."

"I think explosives are the only hope..." (Tech thinks he's on mute, but isn not.) "Uh... no ma'am, I didn't mean that. I'm *sure* we can fix your problem."

"Your registers aren't really computers like you have in your house. They're different. You shouldn't think of them like computers. Think of them as something else." (I'm not exactly sure what else we should think of them as... myself.)

"Its Flawless." (What's flawless? The software we support? *snort* None of us would have jobs if that was true)

***********
Just a few jems from the morning. Our new seating arrangment puts a tech in hearing distance that I could write the techie version of "Shit my Dad Says" with.

Well, there's a little Change for you.

2010-11-03T22:52:00.003-05:00

As anyone who reads these words I occasionally throw up on my little corner of the internet is probably aware - I'm a conservative. Libertarian with a small l, perhaps. I like small government, low taxes - and generally to be left alone with my guns and whatever religion I happen to believe in.

This is an ideal that I've never personally witnessed. I've seen shadows of it - and proof it can work. But I've never lived there. I sure would like to someday. The GOP just rolled the House and took away the super majority in the Senate on the auspices that people did *not* like the Hope and Change coming out of Washington. Look, I could wax on for hours about why that is. Other people have said it already.

I could also tell the GOP they need to get their head out of their ass, and actually practice what some of them preached to get elected. Its been done before, in other places.

So instead, I'm going to say this. Representative Earl Pomeroy? You've been handed your traveling papers. It's pretty clear that you haven't really given a damn about this state for a good chunk of my life and you should have been hauled out on your ass years before I could vote. But thats ok, because its been done now, and you can thank Obamacare for it - because lets be honest here - you didn't read it, but you knew what was in it, and the rest of us who did read it hate it. Your crony Dorgan got the hell *out* of Politics when he saw the writing on the wall, and your other Crony Conrad's next. So enjoy your new free life living on the east coast without having to pretend you're actually from here anymore.

We won't miss ya. And you won't miss us. If there was any justice in the world, we'd get rid of the pension plans you folks enjoy.

But I'll settle for this - for now.

-Jon

Stupid work...

2010-11-01T07:23:00.003-05:00

It would figure that the first morning of NaNo availible writing would be the freaking busiest day I've had at work in 3 years. But thats alright, even having missed the first couple hours, I'll get some sleep, then knock out some serious writing this afternoon after I get up.

Still - annoying.

Story's coming together nicely in my head. I've got most of the tech all laid out, so I know how it works, its roughly congruent with where science figures current tech will be in that timeframe... and I've got a good political backstory to set up the whole race to mars.

Now, its time to let the drama flow :)

Soon. Bed first.

Tales from the Cube

2010-10-23T10:17:00.002-05:00

I haven't done a work related post in ages. The primary reason for this is while I have nightly bull sessions with my opposite shift members of 'stupid store' or 'stupid technician' or 'Oh god who designed this' moments - most of them would require too much background into what I do, which would mean I'd lose most audience members by the second paragraph, and if Corp ever stumbled across my little corner of the net they'd probably be none to happy with me for spilling proprietary information...

Or some such.

But, that doesn't mean I can't take a moment to rail about the new crops of technician's my company's been hiring.

First - I'd like to make something utterly clear - for the most part, its not the new people's fault. They're a product of a very flawed idea. It will eventually be rectified, but only after someone really important finally notices its a 'very bad thing'.

I've been working for my company for nearing the six year mark now. I've been 'round the block and done more with what used to be our primary client and is now our owner (we're a subsidary) then most people with twice the tenure. I can say this because I have two primary things going for me. One - I'm good at this kind of work. I can get into the head of the user who just screwed up, and take a scant amount of symptoms and come back with a reasonable idea of whats 'really' going on, and turn that into a resolved problem. And Two - I'm a bachelor. I've been willing to go 9 times out of 10.

That last is no longer true (the bachelor part still is...) but the first part still is, and I get tagged for a lot of things coming down the chute.

Combine that with a very good memory, and you have someone who can take pretty much any issue that's been seen before in 5 different software releases, and come up with a working solution fairly quickly. I've simply been doing it long neough that I don't reallly have to think about it too hard anymore unless its new.

So when we get a new tech, who's been on the desk nary a week (And these days if he got a week of *real* training before someone dumped him on the phone, he'd be lucky) walk up to me and ask me a question I *know* someone I had trained, once apon a time would know, and then when I give them the concise - boiled down technican to technican answer and they stare at me like I'm speaking greek - it makes me grind my teeth.

I'm not a trainer anymore, but if I have to explain the basics, in a *very* basic manner everytime a newbie comes back, I might as well be doing their job as well as mine, and that drives me bonkers. My job is to fix the crap thats either too assanine, too prone to failure, or simply too likely to cause something to cease to function if done wrong that we can't build it into a basic process for the primary desks.

We used to teach our primary desk technicians how to identify problems, how things *worked* why they worked that way (even if it made no sense) and what all that meant. Now we give them a week, which is enough to get them familar with their notation tools and their worthless knowledgebase and throw them to the sharks.

And they wonder why people keep quitting.

*shakes his head*

Oh well.

It pays the bills.

NaNoWriMo

2010-10-13T03:00:00.002-05:00

Ok, its been a while. There are a lot of reasons for that, and its not like I haven't had plenty to talk about. A lot's happened recently. Most of it not so great. Most of it, my fault.

But I'm dealing.

And I'm still here and breathing.

So - lets talk about NaNo. I've known about NaNoWriMo - or National Novel Writing Month for a fairly long time. At least a decade. I've been writing on and off for roughly the same amount of time. I've wanted to do NaNo for at least the last five years, but I also wanted to write a novel tha wasn't fanfiction, or just my own spin on a universe I've read a bunch about.

I wanted something that was mine.

Tonight at work, I finally figured it out. So I've started working on my world history (its set in the relatively near future) And the plot arc.

I've got a lot of prep work to do, and not a lot of time to do it, before NaNo starts... but I'm gonna get it done.

Now, it'll be interesting to see if I finish. I doubt I'll finish the novel, but my goal is 50,000 words in the month.

We'll see.

Its a Goal. The Working Title is "Red"

80s Cheese.... where men are men, and everything blows up like a Fuel Air Bomb...

2010-06-30T17:25:00.003-05:00

So a few nights ago I needed a good laugh. I lost an uncle on my dad's side last week, and its been a rough six or seven days. We said our final goodbyes yesterday, but I'm sure the real weight won't hit for a while yet.

Anyway. I was flipping through the netflix insta-queue on my xbox and noted that Iron Eagle was on there. I haven't seen that movie in *years* but I remember watching it as a kid and thinking it was so cool.

I knew it was going to be cheese going in. But that didn't stop me. My dad's a pilot by trade, he's been flying since before I was born and is currently the Chief Pilot for a major energy company around here. Manages a team that flys around the bigwigs in a Cessna Encore and a Bravo (if I recall correctly) and my godfather used to restore P-51s and his kids are almost done restoring an F2G Super Corsair - so to say that I've been surrounded by aviation since I was a kid is an understatement.

And there are a LOT of parts of Iron Eagle that make anyone who knows a thing or two about airplanes cringe. Not to mention the reuse of some factory footage for some of the air to air combat (My favorite is that to dodge missles and cannon fire, apparently the most effective manuver is the wingover. Always to the left.)

I'm not going to get too deep into the plot, since if a highschool kid and a washed up airforce Colonel and the highschoolers friends tried it, they'd all end up serving jail time at Levenworth or dead in the desert somewhere Ronny Raygun (yes, they did call him that early on in the movie) being president or not... there is something to be said for a movie thats *FOR AMERICA* and when the .gov wouldn't stand up for an American, well damned if there weren't some Americans who'd do it for them. Why? Because cheesy as it is, it felt good to watch something that wasn't afraid to be proud to be an american, to believe that because you're an american you might *be* better. (I'm not saying we are. But come on, do we have to appologize for being who we are?)

And hey, those backwards towelheads fly airplanes that blow up like wooden models, and everything they have must have a giant oil tank under it so a few 30mm rounds from an F-16's chain gun can blow it up like the Fourth of July... even though I'm punching holes in the air in an aircraft loaded for war, my most effective weapon is my deadly cannon of doom!

It made me laugh when I desperately needed one. And Cheesy as it was, it at least got one thing right.

Journal of a Survivor

2010-06-23T11:47:00.004-05:00

So, I've had this idea for a new blog for a while - basically the blog of a survivor of the Zombie Appocolypse - an Alternate Reality story about how he survives, things that happen to him and the people he knows, etc.

I started it up earlier this week. It can be found at www.zombiear.blogspot.com. My hope is to update at least three times a week. If anyone has any questions for the narrator/author (who just happens to also be named Jon so I didn't have to come up with a new blogger handle, but certainly isn't 'me') feel free to leave a comment. It might get answered in the comments, or I might expound on it in a post. We'll see.

Anyway - I know I don't have many readers and I pretty much do this for my own enjoyment - but it is fun knowing *someone* might be reading ;)

-Jon

Projects

2010-06-14T11:05:00.002-05:00

I've got a lot of personal projects on my plate (mostly because I keep putting them there.) Because I lack anything else to write about - and have too much time right now at work *not* to write - I'm writing a little blurb on all of them.

Rust Removal: Last winter I got a little snow into one of my toolboxes, but didn't notice. That spring, the snow melted (as expected) and the few of my tools that weren't stainless, started to rust, getting rusty water on a bunch of tools and staining them.

I started a couple weeks back, using my dremel knock off brush attachments to clean up these tools - until I burned through the brushes I had. Once I get new ones I'll get the suckers finished.

.22 Rifle Restoration: My dad has two .22s, one of which I've already cleaned up. The pump action he's bringing to me next he painted as a kid with silver paint on the metal, and black on the stock and forgrip. If I recall correctly the stock and forgrip are wood, so I'm going to take a look at that - and if they are, sand them down and probably re-stain them - then see about getting the metal bead blasted and maybe blued.

Bail Out Box and Bag: I had an idea recently to put together a Bail Out Box (and a bag) using an old pickup tool box I have access to. It would slide into the back of my current pickup nicely - probably right under the roll tarp (I need to test that) and would make for a nice semi secure enclosure to keep a somewhat larger gear prep then a standard bag. I might write a post on the contents I have in mind, when the time comes.

Sell Old Pickup: Since I bought my Ford, my S10 has just been sitting in the garage, I've been intending to sell it, but its been one slowdown after another. I need to finish the little projects on it so I can get that sold and out of my life.

Thats pretty much it. There's technically more - but those are the big things on the top of my list.

Monster Hunter Vendetta....

2010-06-04T15:39:00.002-05:00

...is an extremely good book.

I picked up the e-ARC a couple days back and while I'm not a huge fan of electronic copys and will undoubtably buy a dead tree copy when they come out in September - but for now I'm quite content with the fact that I got to read the book *now*.

I have patience issues, what can I say.

MHV is definately a step up from MHI - which I really enjoyed but occasionally felt disjointed and certainly was a first published book - which are very seldom an authors best work Vendetta is better plotted, Correia trys (and succeeds though perhaps a little too obviously) at implimenting some foreshadowing - some of which will not be seen until the next Monster Hunter book with everyone's favorite Combat Accountant if not perhaps longer then that - but its clear that while MHI felt almost like a oneshot that had enough popularity to become a franchise MHV is crafting a much longer term story arc.

There's still plenty of action, and in true Correia style it starts at page one, and keeps you running full tilt right up to the end. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed MHI, and anyone who enjoys monster fiction in general.

Besides - its a book with guns, babes, necromancers, Elephant and Bear zombies, and evil giant crustatian overlords from another dimension. Whats not to like?

-Jon

Roll pins and extractors Part 2 - or working with the right tools makes every job easier.

2010-06-03T16:03:00.008-05:00

Well, thanks to a Migraine, I ended up staying home from work today. A trial of Treximet worked pretty well, and FedEx showed up with my roll pins and punches, so today seemed as good a day as any to finally finish the tear down, clean up and reassembly of my XD.

First thing I did was go out to the garage and fabricate the extractor removal tool. I used an old Hex key I found in the rusty tool pile (another project) and with my angle grinder took the end of the body down until it fit between the extractor and the frame, then used a dremel with a cutoff disk to cut in the hook. This actually took too attempts as my first hook was too thin and bent. Here's the finished product below, it worked like a charm.

Pretty its not, but it got the job done. To pull the extractor on an XD, after removing the striker assembly, you need to pull a small pin thats nested behind the rear block. You also need to keep a thumb on the striker block because its spring loaded, and it will go flying. In the pic below you can see the head of the pin to the right of the striker channel

Once you pull the pin and release the striker block, using the proper tool for the job, you simply slide the extractor remover between the extractor and the frame and wiggle back and forth while exerting a bit of up pressure and she comes out pretty easy. Below you can see the fully removed assembly.

Its worth noting that in this picture I displayed the striker block backwards to its normal orientation to display the groove in the side. Before I'd done all that of course, I'd pulled the striker assembly - which I did a few days ago, which is when I realized the roll pin was broke. Here's a shot of the entire assembly.

From left to right you have the buffer spring, the striker itself, roll pin, loaded chamber indicator, striker spring, plastic retaining channel and the retainer block, which sits on the shooter end of the firearm. I can say that with some unexpected practice, removing the assembly, and reassembling the assembly is a hell of a lot easier then it was the first time.

Once the extractor was removed I used one of my new punches to remove the loaded chamber indicator from the top of the slide. Here's a pic below.

(I have no idea why blogger refuses to orient the picture correctly - but you at least get the idea.)

Finally, with all the hardware (except the sights) removed we have two shots of the slide. Top and bottom.

On the top here, you can see the slot for the Loaded chamber indicator, where it and the spring sit - the pin is driven in from the side.

On the underside above, you can see the channels for the extractor, striker block, and the striker channel.

Overall its a pretty simple operation - with the right tools. I did a throughal cleaning using both Hopps 9 and finishing up with alcohol after the hops had dried off - I find rubbing alcohol works pretty well, it doesn't damage the finish, and drys quickly after you've wiped an area clean. As I suspected the loaded chamber indicator and the extractor had a lot of unburnt powder/carbon scoring. Quality time with a scraper, the above cleaners and a lot of patches and cotton swabs got both areas cleaned right up

Before I started putting eveything back, I test fit my new roll pins. As promised I did have to vice them down because they came too wide - and here the 2 is 1 and 1 is none rule came into effect as it took three trys before I got one fitted right that I was comfortable with driving it in place. The new pin seats a lot harder then the origianls and I think is a little heavier. But I think I like the tighter fit (the old one came out with hand pressure the first time, and went back in the same way.)

Once I had the pin driven back out, I lightly oiled everything, and starting with the extractor, and then working back through the block pin and striker assemblys reassembled everything with the loaded chamber indicator being last. After test fit, and then setting the pin, I verified that the indicator now has a much better range of travel.

I only dry fired it once after full re-assembly, but the snap sounds right again. It was a fun project, all told, and I learned quite a bit about how this particular firearm functions. Hopefully this weekend I can get it down to the range and run a couple mags through it as a live fire test - but overall I'm quite pleased with the results.

A moment of inspiration

2010-05-31T13:20:00.002-05:00

This weekend I spent a lot of time around family - my grandmother turned 98 on Friday and between Friday and Saturday a large amount of memorys were shared between folks. Overall it was a good time.

During the festivitys, someone mentioned that a certain country church up where I grew up is still there (which I probably knew, but hadn't really thought about in ages) and is kept up via donations and a couple of care givers that go out once or twice a month to take care of the lawn and cemetery.

And, in that moment my brain went 'Oh hey!! Problem solved!'

What problem you ask?

Well, thats easy. Ages ago I wrote a post about how I'd survive the zombie appocolypse. Which was somewhat tongue in cheek as a thought experiment, but also a primer for a TEOTWAWKI scenario, if one was looking for one (though it only really applied to *me*). Anyway, my largest problem, in a solo scenario was shelter. I had a couple options, be realistically they all sucked.

Now that small part of the problem might be solved, because that church is at most a mile from the farmyard I'd use in a solo scenario - has a well onsite (although probably not power - one problem at a time) and plenty of space, and a perfectly good furnace and kitchen (at least until the propane runs out.)

Is it perfect? Hell no, I may not be the most religious person on the face of the planet, but the idea of breaking into a church and occupying it isn't exactly my most comfortable thought - but... it'd be warmer then not doing it. And its a perfectly defensible location with at least 3 other nearby locations that may be usable as well...

Just one of those mental moments of clarity.

Now we'll see how I figure out how to solve the rest of the puzzle. ;)

-Jon

On Extractors and Roll pins

2010-05-31T01:33:00.002-05:00

So, I should probably be in bed, but I'm rather wired right now - and I've got a topic, so you all get a blog post.

A while back I posted about my rifle, and mentioned I'd be posting a blurb about a new cleaning kit. I got rather side tracked but was working on it this evening. While in the process of cleaning my XD and taking pictures of the cleaning kit (which I will get put up here eventually) I had noted that the loaded chamber indicator is no longer resetting to flush properly. Figuring I'd remove it and clean it up, I decided to take out the striker assembly , and the block and extractor to boot - just because after a thousand rounds or so the whole are was rather heavily carbon scored. And - what the heck, it'd be good practice.

More over, I'd noted that the rollpin holding the striker in place had tended to ride up since I'd put it back in, and that bugged me a bit. After over two hundred rounds since I cleaned the striker channel I didn't think it was going to come flying out - but it was a bit annoying.

Well, turns out I don't have anything small enough to stand in for the punch necessary to remove the loaded chamber indicator. And when I finally managed to work the striker pin, I found out why it kept riding up - it had cracked and bent. Now I dont know if that happened when I put it back in, or because I tend to do dry fire training without snap caps (which forums I've read this evening have noted it will break the roll pin. Note to self I need to get some snap caps) Either way, it had happened, so I went online to http://www.springerprecision.com/ after finding there were a fairly well known after market site for XDs and bought some roll pins (.25 cents a pop, figured I might as well get a few extras) and their punch set for the XD. No more fillins for me.

However, after removing the retaining pin and striker block, I've still been unable to get the extractor to come free. Based on what I've seen in forums there are about four options. One, Beat on the slide til it works its way loose - which, I ain't doing. Scarred up my slide via use quite enough already - and that sounds about as caveman as possible.

Two, use a dental pick to worry it loose, then beat on it til it pops free. Tried using a near dental pick in my new cleaning kit - couldn't get the sucker to budge.

Three, Send it to SA - Since it ain't broke, no real reason to do that (Well the pistol is non-functional til I get a new roll pin... but thats no one's fault)

Four - Fabricate an extractor removal tool. Based on the pictures I've seen, and the forums I've read, I think a couple hours and some quality time with my dremel knockoff and I should beable to get this done tomorrow. Well today now I guess. Can't make the pistol go bang til I get the new roll pins anyway - so I'll have some time to figure it all out.

Over all, while I can't say I enjoy the fact that I currently have a pistol that doesn't go bang - I am enjoying the learning. I wonder if any schools around here offer gunsmithing courses....

~Jon

A bit of Blather about My things that go Bang

2010-05-08T16:01:00.006-05:00

So I've been neglecting my blog of late, and there are all sorts of reasons for that, but those things are past and I've been pondering a series of posts like this for a while - and since I've had some time this weekend I figured I'd start.

Disclaimer: I only own two firearms, and am the current custodian of three. I am by no means an expert, but I'm able to handle tools just fine, and I'm a decent shot. Most of whats below are thoughts, opinions, and observations after a fair amount of range time.

So first off, the dreaded Arsenal:

The above is a Colt AR-15 Tactical Carbine (LEO Marked) with a flattop reciever and removable carry handle with adjustable forward and rear sights, and an aftermarket ambi saftey (I'm a lefty), and my Springfield Armory XD .45 Tactical, with optional ambi saftey. Compared to most of the shooters on my blogroll, my personal stash of firearms isn't particularly impressive, but its mine. :)

I've owned the XD for almost a year and a half now, and I've been extremely pleased with it - and written about it a few times. Its an excellent - and inexpensive handgun and I have no problem recommending the XD line to anyone looking to buy a handgun for the first time. Maintenance is simple, and you really have to screw up to get this gun to malf, or fail to fire (which, the latter I have done. Talk about that later this weekend).

The AR is my new aquisition, which has been in the works for almost nine months. The Outdoorsman in Fargo is the last place in town with a layaway plan, and I am not afraid to admit that in the scheme of things I overpaid for this AR by a bit - but it was one of the few ARs left in town at the time... and the layaway program was painless. And hey - now its mine. I always wanted to own a Colt AR platform, and now I do (No, I have no particularly important reasons - its just one of those personal things).

And hey, the Colt Defense symbol is pretty dang cool looking. The above shot is a close up of the 'righthanded' controls. I've found that as a lefty, I can operate the bolt release - which is not nearly as tight as some - with my trigger finger quite easily.

Here we have the 'lefthanded controls' - note the Ambi Safety and the lack of etching of Fire/Safe. While its not particularly important (learning the default positions is dang easy, there are only two) I think I'll eventually find someone to etch them in properly. In the shot above the dust cover is closed, and you can make out the Windage and Elevation knobs for the rear sight adjust. And of course there's the LEO markings. For any wonderers - the State I live in has no laws against the sale of LEO marked firarms to civilians. And to be honest, I'm not aware of any state that does (which isn't to say there aren't a few.) Dealer claims it'll help the rifle hold value. Hell if I know - I didn't buy it because it was LEO marked, though it does admittedly make me smile.

You might also notice that the ejector redirect has a bit of brass on it. I've put only about a hundred rounds through the rifle so far, and reports from my friends note that the brass clears my face by very, very little - however with a good cheek weld I've only been grazed once. Might be another incentive to lose a few pounds though...

Since I'm lefthanded, to activate the mag release I have to shift my grip back from my usual fireing position to activate the release with my thumb. I may end up adopting the 'Grip the Forward reciever' position as I get more comfortable, but for now I find having my hand farther forward on the stock as more comfortable, and accurate.

With the rifle, I recieved two steel GI 20 rounds mags, a very basic cleaning kit (rod, bore brush, chamber brush), a well written field/owners manual and a basic sling. I've never run a round through the GI mags, instead I went out and bought 3 thirty rounds PMAGs from MagPul - which I've been horrendously happy with. They feed well, and the covers provided should help keep the feedlips from breaking when left loaded. (Though I have noticed that fully loaded mag that has had a cover on it for a while frequently needs a good slap to the bottom of the mag after loading to get the first round to feed propely.)

All in all, I will be aquiring more PMAGs.

There are a couple things I'm *not* happy with, however, though they're not the rifles fault by any means. First, I'm fairly certain this is not the original rifle I put away. As I remember that one, it had the grenade launcher detent, and a 1/7 barrel. This one has the Colt HBAR 1/9 barrel. The whole detent bit really isn't a big deal, I don't own an M203 nore do I ever expect to, but I had wanted a 1/7 twist barrel. But, 9 months later thats impossible to prove, and I may indeed be wrong and had not paid as much attention as I thought I had. And if its *really* important to me down the road I can swap the barrel easily enough.

Also, this rifle literally swims in oil, from the adjustable rear sight to the bolt carrier group, there is a LOT of excess oil slipping around. This weekend I'm going to settle in and try out a new cleaning kit a friend of mine got for me (which I'll post about, its quite the compact field kit and extremely well apointed) and clean up all the excess oil and relube. If my XD taught me anything, its that while lubrication is important - overlubrication is a bad, bad thing.

So, coming up later this weekend or early next week, expect to see a post about my new cleaning kit, and how I fixed my gunked up striker assembly on my XD (which was an adventure, but not nearly as bothersome as I was afraid it was going to be)

-Jon

Water, Water everywhere....

2010-03-19T10:38:00.002-05:00

Yep. Its spring. River be flooding again.

Expected to crest at 38 feet sometime sunday, its certainly less serious then last year, and this year we were far better prepared.

Since I haven't settled in and written here for a while I figured I'd see if I could do so this morning while I sit on my least favorite conference call. (Yes, I can multi-task, and yes it is that useless)

I think I mentioned it earlier in my blogging, but I'm lazying and not looking back - so - back in late december of last year I bought myself a new truck. 2001 Ford Ranger, which at the time had only 61000 miles on it. Red isn't normally a color I'd be after, but it was availible, and Rangers in my price range (this one exceeded my comfort zone slightly) are stupidly hard to find, so I pulled the trigger on the largest single purchase I have ever made...

And made the Ford Business office do a doubletake when I said - no, I would not need financing, and no, there would not be a lien on my truck.

That was horrendously fun. Since then my new Ranger and myself have made a trip to Mordor and back, wandered the Dakotas a bit, and helped move my grandmother into assisted living. Four Thousand miles later... I'm pretty dang happy with my purchase. I need to adjust the parking brake tension, as it has a tendancy to engage with the slightest bit of accidental pressure, and she needs an oil change - but beyond that, I have nothing but good things to say.

Outside of that, I'm trying to get *off* the contract my employers have me on, but as of yet, I haven't been very successful. I've been in Burnout since December, and they canceled my ski vacation on me when the contract client wouldn't approve the time off - so the sooner that goes away, the better.

Other then that, there's a new Dresden book a couple weeks out, and I've been chewing through the Honor Harrington series - which is mostly the fault of Tam and Tam's readers I think. Good stuff there for the most part.

Anyway - I haven't floated away, or been buried under the snow. I'm still here, still kicking.

~Jon

Failure to Fire, or when things DON'T go Bang.

2010-01-11T10:16:00.002-06:00

Over the New Year weekend, I took my brother, a bunch of his friends and my small collection of firearms to the range.

It was a good time. But while there, I had two failures to fire, neither of which were ammunition related. One I repaired at the range, one I had to wait until I got home. I had brought my dad's .22 rifle, a Westernfield M830 bolt action - which is a nice little gun, built back in the late fiftys and which I had spent a couple days cleaning up, and my .45 XD with the 5 inch barrel. One of Mark's friends also owned a XD(M) in 9mm so that came along as well. (He didn't bring nearly as much ammunition as I did...)

It was bloody cold that day, and while neither firearm spent much time out in it - when its -25 or so on the old mercury, it don't take long to freeze things up. Ask the Russians and Germans around Stalingrad in WWII.

I pulled out the .22 first when we got to the range, because I had tons of ammo for that, and its an easy rifle to use, and hell, its .22 so its not exactly a 'scary' caliber either. I only have the one mag for it, which I need to correct - but I loaded it up, slide the bolt forward with and pointed down range and pulled the trigger. And got an anemic 'click'.

Since I was dealing with bulk rimfire my first assumption was bad ammo, so I ejected the shell, rammed a new one home and tried again. Same thing. Tried a third time, and got the same result so I eyeballed the bolt when firing. The firing 'pin' (More of a bar on this 22) is noticable along a top grove of the bolt, and it was clear that in a test fire, it wasn't moving at all. When I'd cleaned up the gun, the only thing I hadn't torn apart was the bolt, because I'd never pulled a bolt apart, I couldn't find a diagram for it exploded online, and honestly, it wasn't my gun. But now it was clear I was going to need to.

So with a failure on that end I brought out the XD. Slapped in a fresh mag, racked the slide and pulled the trigger. Click. No bang. What. The. Hell. I racked the slide and tried another round (I was firing Blazer, non-reloadable ammo for the first time, my brother had bought it and I didn't know much about the quality) Three times, three failures. And I noticed there was no dimple on the attempted rounds. on the primer. So my firing pin was stuck... again.

I field stripped the XD and rammed the striker forward manually about ten times, reassembled and that time she went bang.

So things were back on. My brother and his friends had a good time. They all learned a bit about guns, and they all did rather well with firing, in some cases, thier first rounds through hand guns.

Once I got home I stripped the .22 and after some initial trepedation disassembled the bolt, which was coated, especially internally with a lot of field grit and heavy grease. After a twenty minute soak in some rubbing alcohol, and some liberal cleaning and drying I greased it lightly with the rifle grease I prefer and reassembled. Took it to the range the next day and it went bang.

My XD I have not done a detail strip on, and since I never have, I'm a little hesitant to do so, but I think a bit of the grease I use on the rails has migrated to the striker assembly so the parts probably need to be degreased and cleaned up to avoid future failures to fire.

I'm still doing research on that, and while from what I've seen its within my technical knowhow to handle, I don't have the right tools for the job. We'll see. I might just take it to a gunsmith, if for no other reason then to have a little makee learnee time.

If anyone's got any pointers, I'd love to hear it.

-Jon

Another Year...

2010-01-01T12:58:00.003-06:00

So the year turned last night, for me, with a wimper rather then a bang. Which isn't to say this hasn't been a good new years. It has. I have a new job opportunity I'm waiting to hear about next week, I just bought a new truck yesterday (whoohoo!), and my Christmas haul included cash and ammo.

Ammo is good. Recoil therapy is a beautiful thing.

But I didn't party last night. I grabbed a bite to eat after work with a friend... then ate more later that evening with some family... then went home and did some laundry to ring in the new year.

Not exactly mindblowing.

But necessary. This year I'm hoping I get a change of job, which would complete a series of changes I've needed for a while, and hopefully push me on to a few more. The new Truck, a 2001 Ford Ranger, which only has 60,000 miles on it and looks like it was driven like it was made out of crystal glass for nine years is a huge improvement over my previous ride, 12 years newer and a hundred thousand miles younger, with almost no rust and great paint.

Oh, and four wheel drive. I am not longer one of two people who own a pickup but do not have four wheel drive in the state ;) Sorry Dad. *chuckle*

More importantly, I paid for it out of pocket... so its mine, free and clear.

Overall, this new year is looking up, and despite the fact that it is well and truely fragging cold outside... its looking to be a good day, and with luck, a good year.

Happy Holiday's folks, and may they find you surrounded by family and friends, with good things to look forward to, and most importantly - warm.

-Jon

Ventalating Paper Zombies - the RRRMC

2009-11-28T15:42:00.002-06:00

So, the RRRMC is finally open - that mouthful of an acronym stands for Red River Regional Marksmanship Center. Fifteen lanes of indoor, automatic target returning goodness.... complete with zombie targets.

While I don't have a picture of my target (as I don't have a proper camera) my zombie is well and truely full of holes. I won't pretend I shot nice tight groups, because I didn't - I don't get to the range enough for that(yet...might get to now) but I was definately almost completely minute of zombie, with 90% of shots falling in the upper chest and head/brain area oh the paper.

Lots, and lots of fun.

The range handles all pistol caliber centerfire up to 2.30 inches long (wierd, but ok) and 22 rim fire. I think I'm going to have to get a nice little 22 rifle for some cheap plinking in between gluts of .45 zombie death :)

-Jon

Dragon Age: Origins. A few thoughs...

2009-11-05T14:44:00.002-06:00

I know if I have any regular readers, they've already probably heard my thoughts about this game published by EA (ew) and developed by Bioware (yay). But hey...

I'll stick them here for posterity.

This game rocks. If you enjoyed any Baulders Gate, or KOTOR, or Neverwinter Nights... go do yourself a favor and buy the game. Struggle through the crappy EA content system, and play.

It is an excellent piece of gameplay. I haven't finished the game yet, but I'm chugging through and enjoying every aspect. And its not short. This is a plus and a minus as I'm no longer a kid with endless amounts of time. But at the same time, I feel like my money was well spent.

The voice acting is for the most part, top notch. The choices frequently offer no 'good' option, just a "pick the least bad option" which is interesting to play out, and is certainly up to interpretation.

If you're up on World History, you'll probably notice that a lot of the Dragon Age world has some very interesting parallels to real history. In that they've taken a lot of the base ideas to certain pieces of history and twisted them into the game. In a lot of cases this might be a 'bad' thing. But at least I feel that its done well, and I really enjoy it.

So go enjoy! Thats an order :D

-Jon

Wait... its November already?

2009-11-02T10:50:00.002-06:00

So, lots has happened since my last post.

I've been to Mordor and back twice (I think, I lose count). Wandered down south to Louisiana for a store install. Got to turn in my company credit card, and spent a comfortable month at home while we figured out how I was supposed to pay for all my travel if we no longer had a company credit card program (no, I didn't get it revoked for personal spending, they just canceled the whole program. Thanks Obama, I really love this economy)

Just spent lots of someone elses money in my account to travel back to Chi-town next week. Get to spend two weeks to make up for my week lost last month. Maybe I'll finally get around to taking in U-505 like Tam did.

Fargo is finally getting an indoor shooting range. The RRRMC (Red River Recrecational Marksmanship Center) should open in November. Joy! They're supposed to handle all pistol calibers and light rifle. (What light rifle means, is still up in the air - I'm hoping at least .223) I'm already signing up for my yearly membership.

Rifle is one payment from mine. December should be the month. But we'll see.

What else... I've watched the Bison lose most of the season, while the Bronco's won for most of the season so far. I guess I can take that.

I've pondered and then changed my mind about an imminent change of occupation. It probably would have been good - but I waffled a bit... and came away deciding I didn't want a friend as a boss.

Really not a bad thought that.

Otherwise, things keep chugging along.

And I best get back to it.

-Jon

Rambles from the Road

2009-09-23T14:19:00.003-05:00

So I'm hanging out in Mordor in one of the Client's Labs. I spent a good chunk of last night supervising a store install just down the street a piece and that went relatively well, but I had a little trouble winding down, and after that when I woke up to head into the office today, if felt like I had a five alarm hangover. Probably lack of caffiene, but really - if I'm going to suffer like this, I'd rather have *earned* it.

Been a decent week overall. Got a good amount of work done so far, learned a few things, and almost got a ream or two of paperwork for my painfully dense expense reporting proceedures done.

Next week I should be home in Fargo, but instead I'm heading down to Louisiana to supervise another store install of the alpha software test we're in the middle of. Small town in the deep south not too far from the Gulf... Should be interesting. Its too bad I won't have time to poke around a little more, since I haven't been south of the Mason Dixon in at least five years - but work is work - and last minute travel is *fraggin* expensive.

At least its not my money.

So I fly home Friday, have three days to rotate, and fly out again on Tuesday tenative return date of late Thursday, if all goes well.

Somewhere in the next two or three weeks I gotta find some time to burn through a chunk of the ammunition I've been collecting. Found another fairly priced 250 brick of .45 recently so I've got a nice buffer. Couple hundred rounds down range sounds like excellent therapy right now.

Speaking of firearms, last night I was flipping channels at the hotel, since I don't have a TV input a home (I stream TV I want to watch from my PC, but not very much of it) and ran across TMZ. For those of you who aren't familar, TMZ is a short 30 minute celebrity news segment. Not exactly my cup of tea, but they were talking about Buris's 2 year conviction for carrying a firearm into a nightclub, and then shooting himself in the leg with it.

I don't really have an opinion of the conviction itself, but TMZ's commentary made me want to put my fist through the wall. Things like "Well, he was carrying it where he shouldn't have been, it was a semi-automatic, not just a 'handgun' and it went off. It could have hurt someone beyond himself!"

I really don't need to lecture to the choir here about the pure stupidity of comments like this, but I'll do it anyway, because its cathartic. First off, Burris was carrying concealed without a permit, which while I'm not a huge fan of permits - its the law, and he broke it. Two, Firearms do not *just go off*. Guarenteed, he was fucking around with his firearm, which wasn't in a proper holster, had shitty trigger disipline and while drawing, or adjusting or whatever the hell he was doing, pulled the trigger. The result of such poor disipline is pretty much what he deserved. Am I glad no one else got hurt? Yes, but its idiots like that who give idiots in the media all the more ammunition to throw at the responsible gun crowd.

And it torques me off. There's a .45 caliber, semi-automatic handgun that spends its evenings 4 feet from my bedside, comfortably snugged in a holster, with a loaded mag and one in the chamber, and a spare mag at hand. Why? Because I own it, and if in the very *off* chance I might need it to defend myself - its no good to me sitting over the kitchen cabinet. The only time it goes back in its firearms case, is when I leave the house. Why? Because people not me have keys to my house to check up on things for me, and at least once, I've come back to find my firearm has been handled - and that leaves me a little uneasy.

However - in all of that - it has never once just 'gone off.' Nor, will it ever, unless I put my finger on the trigger and exert about 4 pounds of pressure.

It really is that simple.

And now I'm done preaching. I promise!

-Jon

Still here.

2009-09-18T15:11:00.002-05:00

I haven't written in a while, mainly because I haven't found the urge, or something that just made me sit up and say "hey, I should blog about that!"

Still going to Mordor every 4th week. It still sucks. How anyone can willingly live in that city is beyond me. (and yes, I have some friends in the area. But oy. Long term living there would annoy me.) I guess I'm too used to my 'small town city' Also, the Bears can keep Cutler. Really. Enjoy.

I broke down and upgraded my PC this week. Mobo, processor, more RAM, a new HDD... and Vista. Vista was bought because I found it for a hundred bucks with a free Windows 7 upgrade.

I really only want the Windows 7... but hey. A hundred bucks? For what feasably might be two OSs with seperate product keys? Yes please.

Politics still suck. Tea Party's rock. Hope and Change? No thanks.

My truck still runs. There's (some) money in the bank. There's a rifle almost 60% paid for down town, and I'm still employed. Guess I shouldn't complain too loud.

Else, I'm afraid I haven't got much to say.

-Jon

Gunstore rambles.

2009-08-02T10:20:00.002-05:00

Ok. I blame this post on Tam and her quite excellent (as were the comments) rant on gun safety today.

It sorta keyed off something in my head, I'd noticed, and it had been bugged by yesterday. As my previous post pointed out, I'd been wandering gun stores, which is a fun passtime. However, what I didn't mention was Scheeles was busy as all get out. Lots of folks were looking at lots of guns. Mostly shotguns, probably getting ready for various fowl seasons around here.

There were also a lot of kids with their dads picking out what sounded like their first shotguns. *Very Cool*

However, there was a lot of piss poor muzzle discipline going on. My father taught me a very long time ago to avoid at all costs sweeping someone with a muzzzle. If you aren't willing to put holes in it, don't point the dang gun that way. More then once I had to kindly push a muzzle away from my person, or back up, too keep from being swept.

Now, admittedly, when you're handling a rifle or a shotgun at a gun store, you want to feel the fit of the weapon, and I understand this - I do it too. (Its also the one time I break the 'don't point it at god' rule one of Tam's commenters mention' - because a vertical sweep of a back wall, followed by a fit check and quick peep through the sights at the ceiling is about the safest way to get a feel for that new purchase..

But I go out of my way to avoid a barrel sweep, and I sure do wish more people would. I know the firearms at a gun store are *supposed* to be unloaded.

But supposed to be isn't the same as ARE.

Just my two cents.

-Jon

MHI books rescued, rifle added to future collection.

2009-08-01T22:56:00.003-05:00

Having just returned from yet another trip to the land of Mordor, or Chicagoland for work, relatively flush with cash, I ran around paying bills and the like, and when I was done, realized there were money laying around for fun.

So I went to Scheeles to see what they had for rifles. I wanted something on the cheap, that shot something relatively cheap, but with a large enough caliber it could double as a PDW. I was leaning towards an 1894 pattern lever gun not unlike the puma I had used out at B's a few weeks before, chambered for 357 magnum

As it happened, I could get a real 1894 Winchester, built in 1911 for a measly 1100 quid. Nice price, for the gun. Out of my range, I was topping out at about 700, for insta purchase.

So, I passed, the only other leverguns they had were 30-30s or 45LC. Probably just as fun to shoot, but not particularly cheap. Poked around their ammunition selection and couldn't find a single round of .45 ACP. Rather annoying. So I left, nd headed to retailer 2, Gander Mountain. Not my favorite stop, but it was next on the list. Struck out there, and wandered over to what used to be Sportsman's Warehouse. Struck out a third time, all around.

Now I was getting annoyed, so I stopped by B&N and picked up a proper copy of MHI. I'll have to write a little book reviewlet later, as I've already read it by web-subscription and love it - but it was good to get my hands on a copy. Which was more work then I realized, because I couldn't find it on the shelves anywhere. When I asked a sales associate, they couldn't find it either, and finally went in the back and found it still boxed up.

Hard to sell, if its not on the floor. Hopefully Larry gets a few more sales from Fargo now. While its not the most amazingest book I've ever read, if you're even vaguely interested in firearms, like good action sequences, and enjoy Monsters who are not just 'troubled' but truely evil and horrificthings... you *WILL* enjoy this book. It just satisfies something in the soul.

After my book buying I grabbed lunch with B and then wandered over to the final gunstore on my list. I'd never actually been to the outdoorsman.... and I think I've found my gun shop in town. They're small, they're selection isn't the best - but the service is good... and they're layaway plan was nice and simple.

I went in looking to spend 5 to 7 bills and ended up putting one of my 'I will own one, someday' firearms on layway. There's a nice 16 inch Colt M4 pattern, LEO marked AR-15 with my name on it, 1/3rd of the way paid off. As a bonus, since I'm a lefty, the owner is throwing in an ambi-saftey swap, for free. Which is good because I'm willing to deal with a backwards mag release - which is easy enough to hit with my off hand, but having to shift my grip on the rifle to activate the safety is not on my list of things I'm interested in :). And, as it happens, he also had some .45 ACP laying around. Price was a little high, but I bought fifty rounds anyway.

All in all, not a bad day.

Care and Feeding of a Springfield Armoury XD .45

2009-07-12T02:18:00.003-05:00

Since I recently returned from my most recent trip to Chicagoland, or as Tam would call it... Mordor, and having found another 250 rounds of .45 ACP at one of the local sporting goods stores shortly before leaving, I was jonesing for the entire month to finally get out and put some rounds through my XD.

As has been previously mentioned in my not overly prevalent blogging, I'm a bit of a gun enthusiast, and certainly have enjoyed shooting all my life, mostly via bb, pelt and the old .22 longrifle cartridge. All of that though, has been done with rifles. When the great Obama scare hit the nation, I finally had found the last bit of excuse I needed to do something I'd always wanted to do. I bought a handgun.

I didn't get to put a LOT of rounds through the pistol after buying it, seeing as it was early november, and North Dakota is COLD in the winter. I for one am all for going out and shooting in the cold, it really doesn't bother me - but my range options are fairly limited, and the one outdoor range nearby is also fairly poor.

However, in the past Nine months I've managed to put almost a thousand rounds through the gun now, and while thats not particularly impressive, and not nearly as many as I would *LIKE* it has given me a very solid feel for this particular pistol, and after its most recent outing, and its follow up cleaning, I have some thoughts I'd like to share.

Someone might even find them useful.

The following things are worth noting before I begin. I am in no way, A: A professional shooter. B: In anyway an expert on the subject of handguns or firearms, and C: Getting paid for this in anyway.

The following are my opinions, and nothing more.

I am unabashedly a lover of the 1911 first, and the .45 ACP cartidge second. The love for these two is based not originally from the stopping power of the mighty .45, or the amazing functionality of John Brownings perhaps titular pistol... but instead because thats what all the good guys, in those WWII movies I watched as a kid carried. The 1911 symbolized for me all the things that were *GOOD* about the 'ol US of A and such. It certainly doesn't hurt that the 1911 frame has excellent lines, and being who I am, a boy turned man who is rather stubborn and stuck in his ways I figured when I got around to it, this would be my first pistol.

Obviously I was mistaken. My budget for a gun wasn't very large. And to be honest, just buying the XD, broke it. But none of the local 1911s were even in the ballpark.

So I did something I never thought I'd do, I bought a 'plastic pistol'.

And you know what? While the 1911 will always be my first love, and someday, hopefully soon, I'll own a couple examples of that fine gun - I *am* glad I bought the XD.

Its a damn fine pistol.

I'd like to tell you, I did my research. I poked and prodded and thought really hard about my pistol choices.

Thats just not the case. I had three close associates (two friends and a cousin) all buy pistols around me in the span of a week. Though, admittedly I only knew about one of them had at the time. One day after some cajoling, T and I headed for Scheeles to 'look' at a pistol. He had already bought his. And I'd looked at it, thought it was a fine gun, and put it out of my mind.

I knew the chances I was walking out of Scheeles without a gun in hand were slim. The part of me that wanted to be budget minded was for that conclusion, but it just wasn't going to be. I looked for a while, and found myself pulled towards the XDs. They were on sale, and while I could pick up one of those fine 1911s that I lusted for for anywhere from 600 up, there was an XD sitting there prestinely in its case with all the features I wanted. Ambi-Safety, Five inch barrel, caliber - .45. It also included 2 mags, a poly dual mag pouch, a poly holster (which was righthanded, and useless, though I didn't know it at the time) a 'speed loader' and a bore brush.

Not a bad little kit at all, and it all rang in at just over four franklins. I walked out of Scheeles with 250 rounds of FMJ .45, and Springfield XD for 550 bucks. And I was a happy camper.

The XD as a platform is extremely modular in nature. There are five primary pieces, and if you've ever stripped down a 'plastic pistol' you'll be familar with them. You have the Slide, Barrel/Block, Pistol Grip/Trigger assembly, Spring, and Magazine.

Now, my XD has an optional ambedextrious safety, but I'm fairly sure, if it didn't, I could slide the five inch slide, barrel and spring assembled onto my buddies pistol grip/triggler assembly from his 4 inch XD .45 and they'd mate right up. Its and interesting little tidbit we noticed a while back. We've never been able to verify it, but it is rather interesting.

The biggest plus, at least in my book when I stripped the pistol the first time is that the spring and guide assembly was all steel. Instead of a plastic/spring assembly like T's 4 inch - they used a much larger spring, and ran a simple guide tube down the center. That means the only plastic on my gun, is in the pistol grip and trigger assembly, and honestly, I'm rather more comfortable with that.

The chances of one of the plastic pieces failing is nil, I know. But as mentioned above, I'm stubborn, and metal trumphs plastic.

After a thousand rounds I've cleaned the gun about 5 times, while it might not always need it, I like a clean gun. And the XD is a breeze to break down into its components, clean, oil and reassemble, so I don't really have an excuse *not* to do it. I have found the wear points seem to be mostly around the breach block, since there is little more then friction shoving the block out of the way as the slide cycles oiling this area is important.

Overall I've gravitated towards a Gun Grease from Remmington that comes in a little tube like syringe. Regualar gun oil works fine, but I find the grease is easier to apply, and tends to stay where I put it. (Particualarly the slide rails, and the breach block.)

If you've never cleaned a gun before, most of the gunnies on my blogroll have posted a show and tell about it. Their insights are handy. Grab you owners manual, get comfortable with the breakdown proceedure. Read through some of their examples, or get someone to show you the basics, just because your XD or Glock or whatever keeps feeding rounds just fine and is designed to hardly need to be cleaned doesn't mean you *shouldn't*.

Maintain something and it'll last longer.

I've experienced only 2 malfunctions in a thousand rounds that I remember. One was a bad primer, the other was a stovepipe malfunction that I pretty much caused myself.

Anyway, now that I've blathered about the basics of breakdown and cleaning, lets talk about the fun stuff.

Shooting.

As mentioned before, I am not a professional shooter. I'm a pretty good eye with a rifle, but that doesn't take a whole lot of work. Rifles as a whole are not particularly hard to shoot with reasonable accuracy.

I am however, not what I would call a precision pistol shooter. I've been working on that though, and I've gone from having a pretty horrible sympathetic flinch against the recoil (forcing the barrel down a hairsbreath before firing to 'compensate' for recoil) to one that generally puts his rounds in the area he wants them to go.

At the very least, from five to twenty five feet, I'm always within 'minute of person' as we like to call it. No matter who that badguy was the big white target was standing in for, when I'm done at the range for the day - he's had a very bad day.

And its not like the XD is at fault at all... In the hands of more capable shooters, I've seen some pretty impressive groups. And in all honesty, when I'm having a good day, I can put fifty rounds through a 3 to 4 inch hole so So the poor marksmanship, when it happens is all shooter. The XD may not be a precision instrument, but its certainly a good firing pistol that goes bang when you want it to with decent three dot iron sights.

There are some downsides to the XD of course - the standard 4 and 5 inch variants of the .45 feature a nice beefy doublestacked magazine which feeds a nice 12+1 rounds. However, this also means that it is not a SLIM pistol, and is most definately not in the range of something I would consider concealable, nor is it easy for smaller hands to hold properly. Its a rather large pistol, and with a full mag, rather heavy.

However, if you're looking for a weighty sidearm, that's simple, decently priced, and has a nice warrenty cycle - one could do worse then look at Springfield and thier XDs.

Now that I've gotten a much stronger handle on my shooting, I'd like to try out some light competition, either plates or even bowling pins (though plates sound more my thing) sound like fun. I've been keeping my ear to the ground for stuff like that around here, but its not easy to find.

May have to end up just setting up my own courses, and doing it the old fashioned way for a while.

In anycase, I think I've blathered for long enough on the subject of the XD and shooting. Though, if anyone knows a good range within 3 hours of south Chicagoland,I'd be much oblidged. Sounds like I get to go back soon, and while I won't be taking my own arms with me, it'd still be nice to get out and burn some rounds to relax.

-Jon

Wagons EAST! Again...

2009-06-04T16:11:00.002-05:00

So, it looks like I'll be heading out to Chicagoland on Sunday... for an indeterminate amount of time. I'm contracted to work in the capacity requested for around 4 months this time... with anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of it being out of Chicago.

And I still haven't gotten to the range this summer. Suck. If I wasn't so leery about Chicago area gun laws, I'd bring my pistol along and find a range. As it stands, I'm tempted, if I find out my current stay will be longer then the week to wander down Indiana way for a weekend and see if I can't find a range that will rent me a firearm or two.

We'll see.

I'll get a shiny not quite new laptop out of the deal for the better part of a year though. Yay?

More from Chi-town once I hit dirt.

-Jon

The Great Bullet Hunt, and other Sundries

2009-05-04T13:53:00.002-05:00

So its been a while.

I've transitioned to working days, which is a whole different kind of kick in the pants. I work harder, for less pay, but overall I think its been a good change. I've ended up having to give up things I used to do in favor of new things I do.

Overall thats been good. I didn't get shooting this winter nearly as much as I wanted to, but now that the weather's been clearing up, I'm hankering to put some rounds down range. I've been aquiring scrap lumber all winter to put together a set of clean targets, and I've got about 150 or so rounds in reserve. But if I start doing some serious shooting, like I want to, I'm going to need more.

To that end, yesterday we kicked off the great bullet hunt, while eyeballing some new purchase ideas. There are officially no .45 ACP bullets in any store in Fargo Moorhead as of 6 PM sunday, for any price. Most common calibers are out of stock, and what IS there is overpriced, but a bullet in the Mag is worth far more then one you can't buy.

Having kept up with the blogsphere on this issue, I was not overly surprised. But what *did* surprise me is that reloading supplies were short as well. I wasn't aware that Fargo had a huge reloading population.

Guess I was wrong. I've been debating getting into reloading, and if I could find a good place to shoot once a week, I know I would. The problem is its an hour drive (at least) to the only indoor range in the area, and the outdoor range is rather crappy.

We've been doing most of our shooting out at B's parents place, which is about 20 minutes from town, and has a nice berm for a backstop, but in the winter, tromping around in knee deep snow can be a pain... though recovering brass is pretty easy in those conditions.

Oh well. I'll just have to keep my ear to the ground and see how things go. And start a weekly troll of the gun shops and wallyworld to find some food for the XD.

-Jon

Turn Coat - just a quick book reviewlet.

2009-04-09T02:35:00.003-05:00

By now, you've all figured out I'm a Butcher fanboy, but I thought I'd comment on Turn Coat, his newest book in the Dresden series. I've loved the Dresden books from word one, mostly for the snarky main character and strong secondary characters. And while Jim has been slowly expanding and interconnecting the story he started with those original three - his narritive paths have not always been as strong as they could be.

Not to say I could write better, but having read each of his books multiple times, I know where the weak points are.

And I can say without question that Turn Coat is by *far* the best book of the series to date, and Butcher has done a great job of starting to really weave his plot into something you can follow and almost predict. (Some people don't like predictable books, but I find that a book that uses a logical, and thusly proper progression has a touch of predictablity to it)

In short, awesome.

I hate waiting a full year for another book

-Jon

Water Water Everywhere.... and not a drop to drink

2009-03-25T01:28:00.002-05:00

Well... not yet

But its coming. Fargo Moorhead is looking to get a flood to rival the 97 flood. Crest is slated at something around 41 feet. Which... is a LOT of water. I don't think I'll be under water, but a lot of people I know are in danger of it. So this week's been a lot of trying to balance work with buckling down to help friends where I can.

The river is currently gaining about a foot every 4 hours (we're at 34 feet or so as of this posting) and should crest somewhere around Friday.

So, if I'm hard to get ahold of, for you folks that are wondering...

Thats probably why.

I wonder how much work it would be to weld some pontoons to my pickup...

Just kidding! (at least about the pontoons)

-Jon

Of Waterbased Paint and Plastic Men

2009-03-17T05:10:00.002-05:00

It seems to me that every hobby I have is expensive. And I have a fair number of hobbies. My latest addition is a Warhammer 40k army. Once apon a time I tried painting up an Empire army for Warhammer Fantasy, but I just didn't have the patience for THAT many models.

Few years later, I'm finally swayed back into giving it a roll, and my Aleran Legion Chapter of Space Marines was born. By far painting Space Marines is much, much less onerous then painting a more numerous model army. This is something I can stomache, thirty or forty models making up a decent point cost army, as opposed to double or triple that number.

They're also a fairly robust army in game terms, so they should be fun to field. My standard color scheme is Blue and grey, with grey being the primary base color and Blue being the secondary color, which is primarily on the pauldrons/shoulder guards. Since every army needs to be painted in at least three colors, my third color is the Company color.

Codex Astartes Space Marine chapters have Ten Companys of a Hundred Marines a piece. The first Company is called the Veteran company, and almost never fights as a unit, instead offering its services piecemeal to the other Companys. My Aleran Legion Chapter is based on the colors, and some ripped off history from the Codex of Alera books by Jim Butcher. They have nothing to do with Warhammer, but a Company of Space marines known as the Battle Crows sounded cool.

So, my Battle Crows are the First Company of the Aleran Legion chapter. As the first company, thier color *should* be white, according to Codex. But these are MY Space Marines, and so their company color is RED. If I ever get around to creating the other companys (Besides the Scout company) the double headed eagles on their armour will be the company color. But in the backstory of the "Battle Crows" thier leader was once struck by a magical lightening bolt (in my armys case, a Psybolt) while holding the company standard. It was unscathed, except for the eagle, which turned Black. Hense, all eagles in the first company, are Black. Making them the Battle Crows.

So far, everything's been turning out really well. I've got two Tactical Squads, a Captain (who I don't like and will be replacing) a five man Devistator squad, what will be a ten man Scout squad lead by a Sargent Telion miniature, one Dreadnought and a five man Terminator squad. All in all, plenty of firepower. I'd also like a five or ten man squad of Vanguard Veterans to round out my various troop type choices.

So far the two Tac squads and the Captain are almost done, which means I'll be playable within the rules. My first half of the scout squad is coming along, and I've started putting paint on the Dreadnought and Terminators.

The more I've done, the steadier my hand has gotten, and while I'll never paint at 'eavy Metal standards, I'm still pretty proud of my ability to put paint where I want it.

Now I just want to get a game started :)

-Jon

Random Rambles on Writing

2009-03-05T04:37:00.002-06:00

I've been bouncing around the blogosphere to some of my less read blogs that I really should drop onto my blogroll so they become more read blogs.

But, I'm lazy and don't feel like updating right now. I will eventually get to it.

Specifically I've been reading about writing, from... well other writers. I don't really consider blogging writing, although it is - for me its mostly a stream of conciousness thing, and thusly isn't in the same realm as writing.

I don't spend a lot of time researching posts, or coming up with pithy commentary to news articles. I just write whats on my mind, be it a rant, something cool I found, or just decompressing my skull.

I also do some co-operative writing, which I've talked about before... and when I get the bug, I sit down and write fiction. These things are things that are usually wholely mine, and I've admittedly never finished a one of them. I've gotten close occasionally.

The primary issue with why they never get 'finished' is that sometimes an idea strikes me, and I *have* to write it. So I do, or, I go until the train gets derailed by people talking to me, or the idea is on paper, even if the story it could be is not finished... or whatever. A great example of this was a fanfiction I started for the Dresden files at least 3 or 4 years ago. I was sitting in a Denny's watching a trio of asian youths out way too late on a school night (I seldom go to Denny's before Midnight) hassling their waitress.

I got the idea to turn it into a Harry Dresden oneshot. Just a little stream of conciousness bit... that grew exponetially as I poked at it until finally it was almost the start of a short story. Except... I didn't really have a story.

Just a one off... that had gotten a bit too big for its britches.

Such is the way my brain works. I've been working on a story that takes a ShadowRun campaign of three long years and turns it into something we can look back and read. The fact of the matter is I've been working on it for almost as long as the campaign ran at this point. It will in all likelyhood never be finished. But, I'll keep poking at it when the mood hits.

Its how I do my solo writing. In spurts. Some of them are pretty long, a day or three. Sometimes they last ten minutes. I can't control them when they happen, all I can do is use them. Sometimes the products are pretty good and I'm proud of the product. Such as my unfinished, but actiony Blood and Water bit. Some of it... not so much. I keep everything. I like going back and reading stuff I wrote and seeing where I used to be weak and how my writing is evolving. I've even got some really old stuff, back from my teenage years and first college try... boy some of that is... crap. It was a start. Some people even liked it. But it was crap.

Now... now I'm an ok writer. Its been a long road to get here. I can write decent fan fiction (which, is probably saying something, but not much) I'll likely never write a novel - most of my stuff will be mostly for myself, save my co-op writing - but *I* get a kick out of it, and when I can I enjoy sharing... so I guess thats all that should matter.

-Jon

Gee, thanks Mr President

2009-03-03T02:50:00.003-06:00

So, the DOW has tanked... again. This is becoming habitual. I haven't looked at my 401K since sometime in August, and I won't, except I'm considering at least diversifying a bit into Bonds or Gold or something.

I haven't made a decision there. But for the moment I'm loooking at my 401k as a long run proposition so I'm basically going to let it ride.

But I really need to thank Barak Obama for the great economy he's fostering right now. Since for the first time in the FOUR years I've worked here, I'm not going to get a raise of any type. We got the email the other day. No Merit increases this year.

They put them off til April, and now they're out and out canceling it. My 3 to 5 percent increase isn't much, compared to what I got my first couple years in this job - but now where's my inclination to get up and do a better then average job to hopefully get my merit increase hm?

I was really looking for that increase to offset my pay LOSS to going to days.

Thanks a lot, Mr President - you've sure helped this middle class worker out a huge amount.

-Jon

Like this will surprise anyone.

2009-02-26T04:47:00.003-06:00

You are a
Social Conservative
(33% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(80% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Strong Republican

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Well it appears to have posted properly. Interesting test! Some of the questions were hilarious, go take it yourself!

Hat tip to: Breda

Obamanation...

2009-02-24T03:03:00.004-06:00

So, I'm just flabbergasted.

I'm not really surprised, but its pretty painfull anyway. Everyone's favorite Democrats and our 'great' President Mr Messiah Barak Obama have set up a spending bill thats supposed to 'save' us from the recession that spends almost a third of last years entire federal budget.

Of course the truth is that A: What little stimulus is really in the bill isn't going to do a damn thing

And B: Its just full of pork. Oink Oink Oink.

(yes, I realize I'm over a week late on this, but I've been letting it stew for a while, as I thought about it)

From what I understand, if our Republican/Conservative Congressmen can actually win back some seats in 2010 there's a chance they can keep about eighty percent of this spending from happening.

Lets hope. But, for the moment, lets consider something. We've seen the *BIGGEST* spending bill *EVER*.

The total government money borrowed or printed in the last year has been absolutely stunning. And while Obama didn't technically *start* it, he's certainly riding the wave.

And we have four more *YEARS* of this.

YEARS.

Gods. We. Are. Fucked.

*sigh*

If it wasn't for my daily dose of Rush managing to make me *LAUGH* at it, I'd be in the corner crying somewhere.

I think I'm just going to go home and play some Dawn of War II. I wonder if someone could mod the heads of prominent democrats onto the heads of Orcs...

Burn the Heretic, Kill the Mutant, Destroy the Xenos! *racks the slide on his Bolter*

-Jon

I like the Unbending Traditionalist part...

2009-02-20T03:11:00.000-06:00

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Another Day, Another Dollar... which tommorrow might be worth about fifty cents.

2009-02-16T03:13:00.002-06:00

So I've been pondering writing about the recent shinanagans perpetuated by those idiots some other idiots voted into office. However, there are a lot of people out there (some of them found on my blog roll) that have done a better job lambasting this.

So I'll settle for this - Remember this as we weather the storm, because this was just the opening salvo, the shot across the bow - if you will. It's going to get much, much worse, and it will continue for at least two to four years barring acts of God or angry militia.

(Please note I'm not advocating an armed uprising... yet.)

So instead I'm going to talk about my recent time waster. Europa Universalis III (In Nome update). It is perhaps the epitome of long term grognard games. Or at least, the highest summit I have climbed to date. You'll have to forgive me, but the company who publishes it eludes me, but they also made another gem called Hearts of Iron II which simulates the things that lead up to and through the Second World War, and into the Cold War, along with a lot of spiffy what if scenarios - and that game can suck me in for days on end, and it only covers a brief span of thirty years at the longest.

...EU3 on the other hand starts in 1399 and can last until 1826 or so. Thats a game for the long haul. As with most high level world domination/strategy type games, the trick is an eternal juggling act, praying certain random number generators fall your way as often as possible. (And, when they don't that you've covered as many bases as possible.) There are no less then four sub systems to the economy, two of which are intertwined in a way that makes very little sense, when viewed from a high level, but once you figure out how it works, at least functions in an understanding manner.

Since the setting is Europe, its fair to understand that you're going to be at war with someone neigh on constantly. Early game, there are tons of little 'countrys' scattered about Europe, all of which have interwoven alliances and royal marriages enough to make one's head spin. (And give you a good idea of just how screwed up WWI *could* have been). But being at war is bad for your overall stability as a country, and generally the locals don't like it when you take papa away from them (by drafting him into the army, natch) and then send him off to die on the fields of Normandy with a few thousand of his closest friends).

And of course, you only have so much room in the manpower pool before there's just no more men left to re-enforce your military if you've over extended yourself. (So, for example, its best to try to *not* piss off the French, they just have too many troops early game. But, they're the French, and back then still sorta had Balls and wanted to rough up virtually everyone.)

I find myself playing England most of the time. Probably because I like having a wall of wooden ships keeping the Euro-trash from soiling my front yard. There is a down side though - you have to find a way to deal with Scotland, since the idiots seem to like to ally with France, and then declare war on you. So the French can take your few Europe propper provences early game, while you basically subjigate the Scotts. And you have to put down those rabble rousers, because if you don't, they'll just keep poking at you, usually at the most in-opportune times.

And of course, the computer does like to throw you a serious curve now and again. In my last game, France had off and decided to declare war again because well, they were bored, and I'm England, and still had my (three) European provences, and this obviously annoyed them. So Suddenly I find myself fighting Castile (early Spain), France, and a bunch of tiny French Lapdogs. France has walked into my provences and sat on them and have too many troops for me to dig out.

...So I attacked Castile. Who's troops I could manage, my allys (and willing Vassals, the crazy Irish) joined in with gusto, and I was halfway to trouncing Castile and forcing it to heel when the bulwark that had held the French back (A country called Aragon, whom the French could not march through to aide the Castiles, and my Navy was handling the rest) found out (along with me) that the Burgundy King had willed his throne to me (Henery the IVth, at the time. I wouldn't will my throne to Henery the Fourth, but thats just me) and that ticked Aragon off cause they wanted it... or something. So they went to War with me. They of course couldn't get past my Navy either... but they sure could attack me in Castile.

Where I was having a grand old time, and dispite getting low on manpower, was set to crush the spanish... until 14,000 fresh troops were knocking on my door.

The keys to crushing the French long term were in my fingers... and the King of Burgundy just couldn't hold onto life for another three years while I finished prosecution.

What a mess.

Guess I'll just have to try again :D

Some Fiction for lack of real content.

2009-02-02T21:14:00.004-06:00

For lack of real content right now... I dug this piece of fiction out of my old files today. Its the 'opening gambit' off a story called 'Blood and Water' that I wrote as an exemplar for an writing site that never got off the ground - but I like it, so I'll share.

I hope you enjoy. Some folks will recognize the main character's name.

-Jon

Blood and Water - Opening Gambit.

Darkness was always an ally, he’d been taught, years before, but never a friend – because it gave the same advantages to both sides – if they knew how to use them. At the moment it was a mixed blessing, as he continued his attempt to pick the lock of the rooftop entrance to the building. He’d never been particularly adept at the skill, but then, the locks in this city were seldom all that good, either. Good locks cost money, and that was always in short supply.

However – today, this particular lock was beginning to frustrate him. His concentration was suddenly broken by a voice in his ear, “Boss, I’ve seen you pop a lock a hell of a lot faster. You take much more time; you’re going to grow roots.”
The pick he was using snapped and he growled, “Would you like to come down here and do it kid?”

“Um, I’ll pass.” She recognized the edge in his voice, and there was no point twisting the knife.

“Good. Keep the channel clear.” Rising from his crouch he drew his pistol. It was a .45 caliber semi automatic – and as he partner who was across the way would tell you, it was his baby.

From behind her binoculars Silver swore under her breath. The job was supposed to be a silent run – but they hadn’t had enough cred to put together the proper tools, and it was about to get rather loud and personal. The boss, as she often called him though she though of him as more then that, when he wasn’t around – occasionally made rash decisions when he was frustrated. If they were lucky though, they could still pull this off. All he had to do was screw on a silencer…

Aiming at the wood around the door’s bolt, Devin fired three shots in quick succession, waited a moment, and then fired three more. The shots echoed through the night. He hadn’t brought the silencer. It wasn’t that he wanted to be loud; it was that he had no choice. He’d snapped his last good pick in the lock, and now even with a key, he wouldn’t be getting through the door. And – well good quality silencers were hard to find if you didn’t build them into the weapon itself, and Devin hadn’t been able to score any recently with their shortage of cred.

You see, a good silencer for a pistol like a .45 isn't cheap, overly effective, or last very long in many cases. You could make a good one that would last for a good long while to be used with something like a .22, and it wouldn’t make more then a pop for noise if machined correctly. But a big caliber is a different beast. Even if he did have one, it wouldn’t make the gun whisper silent. Though, it would be a far improvement to the noise he was currently making – he simply didn’t have a choice.

Rearing back his foot he slammed it into the door once, then twice, and the third kick, the bolt blew free of the weakened wood frame and the door slammed open. “I’m going in. Watch the street for me.”

“Affirmative,” was all he got in response. Which was just fine, there wasn’t much the girl could do to help him at this point anyway – if they didn’t complete this job, they were going to be in for a hard time. Their intel indicated the building had between five and ten occupants at any one time – three of them were muscle. One was a scientist, and the others were there to see to the scientist’s needs as he worked on… whatever it was he did. The contact hadn’t been overly specific.

Devin’s job was to grab the scientist, make an exit, and deliver him to the welcome arms of a rival gang. In this case the Suits.

In all honesty, Devin hated working for the Suits more than anyone else, even Guiken, but they had cred, and a job – and Devin needed the pay. In all truth, he didn’t really care who ran what, or what gang war was going on. His services, for the most part – went to the highest bidder – and well, if that meant that this week he was shooting the same people he’d helped last week… that was the way the world worked.

That didn’t mean he didn’t have principles, it just meant when a man needed to be paid – sometimes those principles got forgotten…

The first of the goons was at the bottom of the stairway, carrying what looked like a 9mm sub machine gun, one of Guiken’s latest models. Devin didn’t pause a second as he pulled the trigger twice, emptying the last two rounds in the clip into the man’s center mass. The force of the shots slammed the goon up against the back wall of the landing, causing him to lose his grip on his subgun. For half a second, it looked like the man was down. But he started to struggle back up again.

Devin swore, the man was wearing body armour, and he needed to reload. Stupid, he should have popped a fresh mag at the top of the stairs. Now there wasn’t time. Stepping forward he leaped off the top of the landing, his black trench coat fanning out behind him as he drove both feet into the goon’s chest just before he got to his feet, driving the air out of the man’s lungs and slamming him back into the ground. As the man hit the floor, Devin rolled to the side instinctively, and bounced back to his feet, snapped his right wrist and caught the retracted combat baton there with practice ease. Snapping the baton open he brought it down smartly on the goon’s head. He wouldn’t be getting back up, possibly ever.

Pausing before heading down the next flight of stairs, Devin retracted the baton, and slid it back into his sleeve. He only had a few seconds – but what he did with them was going to make all the difference in the world at this point. The building had three stories, but only the ground floor was supposedly occupied. It was where the package did his work for the Syndicate. Chances were that they’d already called in their go card when he’d fired the first shots. That meant he’d have to move quick. But they’d planned for this, more or less.

Flicking the release on his .45 he ejected the spent mag, caught it, and tucked it in his trench pocket in a motion that spoke of long practice, retrieved a fresh one from the magazine bag on his hip, slid it into the weapon with a firm slap of his palm, and then hit the slide release. Sliding the pistol back into his shoulder holster he picked up the fallen goon’s gun, “Silver, talk to me. What have we got?”

“SUV just pulled up in front, standard Syndicate issue. Four goons, package is still inside though. How you want to play it?” Silver answered from her perch

“Kill the truck, clean up any loose ends then get to the van. I’m out in 90 seconds. Don’t be late.” Devin took the stairs down two at a time, subgun up, and ready.

Half a block away, and six stories up, Silver acknowledged, “Rightio. One less SUV, coming right up,” she said softly as she put her eye to the sniper scope, scanned the area again, then pressed the detonator button she’d taped to the rifle’s stock. The ground beside the SUV exploded, slamming a few hundred pounds of concrete and asphalt into the bottom of the vehicle, doing its share of damage, and with enough force that the heavy vehicle toppled over. Giggling softly, Silver smiled. She’d always enjoyed blowing things up – and she had a particular knack for it.

Inwardly she blew out a sigh of relief. She’d planted the charge under the sewer grate with the last of their plastique almost a week ago. She hadn’t been too sure of the detonator then, and it had rained since. But, so far besides the door, Mr. Murphy seemed to be staying out of their way. She saw one goon from inside stick his nose out for a moment then turn back inside suddenly. None of the goons in the truck were moving. They were either dead or injured enough to put them out of the fight for the moment. And she had thirty seconds or so to get to the van. Picking up the rifle she slung it over her shoulder and hoofed it for the far edge of the building.

Inside, Devin came through the door at the base of the stairs with his purloined subgun up and caught the first goon with a burst to the face, since they were wearing body armour, he didn’t hesitate to aim higher this time around. Blood splattered and he turned taking aim at the third, and what should be final goon that was just stepping in from outside the front door. Devin didn’t have time for a precise shot and stitch him from the groin to his neck. As the man fell Devin slung the subgun over his shoulder, it was empty anyway and drew his .45. One by one he quickly cleared the rooms, there was only four, and finally came across his target. He was cowered down beside a workstation of some sort, along with his assistants. “Hello Doc. You’re coming with me – my employers have a job offer you simply cannot refuse.” Striding forward, he kept his gun trained on the three assistants, “As for you three – the contract doesn’t include you – so I would suggest you get out quick – and run for the nearest safe house, the Syndicate is likely not going to be happy with you.”

Outside Silver got to the edge of the building, grabbed a heavy black coil of rope and tossed it over to edge. Snapping the rope into the rappelling harness she already wore, she jumped head first off the building and started rappelling down. Landing on the roof of the delivery van she’d parked there earlier she hit a second detonator switch, this one clipped to her rappelling gear. Above, a small tie of detcord went off and the heavy rope slid down beside her. It wasn’t easy to get these days, and Devin wouldn’t have wanted to leave it behind. Hopping down off the van she hurried to shove the rope in the back then went around the front and hopped in the driver’s seat.

Reaching down Devin dragged the package up by his collar, “Come along Doc, I don’t want to be late. “ Swinging his gun around, he growled at the other three, “Run. NOW.”

They got the message and bolted for the door.

Pushing the package before him, Devin headed for the door. As typical, the scientist chose now to start protesting, “My work. I can’t leave… if I don’t complete the work the Syndicate will kill me, and my family.”

It was a typical sob story, and Devin wasn’t listening, “Bub the contract is for you – you want to tell my employer about your family, that’s your business. I’m just supposed to make sure your delivered reasonably unharmed, now MOVE.” The package moved, but a bit slower then Devin wanted, so he shoved harder. As they stepped into the buildings foyer they were presented with one of the assistants, who had retrieved one of the dead goon’s subguns, “I can’t let you take the doctor. His work is too important to the Syndicate to interrupt.”

Devin frowned, “I don’t have time for this – and you really don’t want to get shot. So put the gun down, and get the hell out.”

“No.”

“What are you gonna do? Shoot me?” Devin brought his pistol in line with the man’s head, “Cause chances are, you’ll hit the doctor.”

Outside, the squeal of tires could be heard.

“No. She is.”

Devin cursed and shoved the Doctor, before heading for the floor. Behind him, the second submachine gun ripped off a burst. A few of them caught him low in the back as he fired twice at the first assistant, both bullets catching him in the chest, and dropping him like a bad habit. Unlike the goons, and himself, the assistants weren’t wearing body armour. His ‘leather’ trench coat had a pair of flexible Kevlar layers built into the upper section like a vest, and he was wearing a Kevlar and ceramic vest below that. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell to get shot though.

Rolling over he aimed at the second assistant, a petite little brunette who’d already dropped the subgun in shock. “Girl, get up and get the fuck out or I will put you on a slab.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. Getting up she ran for the door. Staggering as the pain of what felt like a busted rib hit him; Devin pushed himself up, and collected both subguns, shouldering them both before moving over to the doctor, “Get up.” When the package didn’t move fast enough, Devin grabbed him by the back of his collar and yanked him upwards, “I said UP.”

“I… I’ve been shot.”

Devin glanced down, hit in the upper arm, close to the shoulder, but it didn’t seem to be bleeding too badly, “It’s a flesh wound, now MOVE.”

With a shove they headed out front. Silver already had the van waiting. She shoved open the side door from inside, “What the hell took you boss?”

“Never mind. Get him inside and cover him. He’s been shot, but I’ll see to it in a minute.“ While Silver dragged the package into the van Devin dumped his acquired toys, holstered his pistol, and grabbed a pair of grenades from the back of the van. Jogging back inside despite the pain in his back he pulled the pins on the two canister grenades and tossed them in opposite directions before jogging back out to the van, hopping in the back and slamming the door shut, “Lass, get us the hell out of Syndicate territory.”

“Way ahead of you boss.” Silver replied as she put the truck in gear and floored it.

Behind them the two white phosphorus grenades exploded, setting fire to anything and everything they touched as the sound of private security sirens and squealing tires could be heard. Still, it looked like they’d gotten away clean. Coughing with a wince of pain Devin looked at the package, “Alright Doc let me see what I can do about that arm.”

The Rules of Vehicle Maintenance.

2009-02-01T00:55:00.002-06:00

Its been a long day. I'm one hour into my standard eight at work, but I've been up since about 7:30 this morning (which isn't too far off when I'm normally going to bed). But my dad came into town this weekend for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that my poor S-10 has been running on maybe 3.5 cylinders (out of four) for the past month or two - and desperately needed attention. Problem was it's been colder then the Clinton Marriage Bed in Fargo of late, so I've been loath to mess with it, and it certainly wouldn't make the 186 mile trip home to Dad's beautifully heated garage reliably. So it waited.

This weekend was perfect, since today was gorgeous. Warmer then its been since November, Plenty of extra heat from my propane heaters, and relatively little work to be done on the cold concrete.

Now, I'm glad Dad came out to help me. I'm an old Farm kid, and I'm more then mildly mechanically inclined. I can handle basic maintenance on my vehicle (and do) and I've done larger jobs, like replacing brakes, and struts, starters and alternators. But I had no idea where to start with my rough running, not starting quite right pick up, and if dad hadn't come out to help, I'd probably still be in that garage scratching my head. (we admittedly got lucky... more on that in a minute.)

We decided that the first chore would be swapping the muffler which had gone bad. Neither of us thought this would be the answer to the problems, but it was a start - and more importantly would let us gauge how badly the vehicle was sounding once it was running properly muffled. This turned into a bit more of a project then originally envisioned.

And, it brought to mind the very first rule of Vehicle maintenenace - that being "If you go to the store to pick something up, and leave something behind you don't think will be necessary, you will invariably be going back." We stopped at Menards in the Morning to pick up a couple minor things after filling up on propane. While there, we happened across an angle grinder for cheap that Dad mentioned would be handy, but we shouldn't *need* it. (And he'd left both of his own at home.) Two hours of attempting to seperate the tailpipe, muffler and manifold assembly later, we went back to pick up the grinder.

An hour after that, it was off to O'Rielys to look into a muffler. They had two different models that were supposed to fit my truck, neither of which matched what was currently ON my truck - but since that particular exaughst job was something of a frankenstien's monster my brother had cobbled together, we weren't sure how much was 'stock.'

So, we took both. And since my engine wasn't running right, 4 new plugs, wires, a distributor cap and rotor, and on a whim because my dad had noticed my valve cover was leaking, a new gasket for that (the last will be key, later.)

Which, is virtually everything you could possibly believe you might need. You'd be wrong, and rule One was initiated again once we got back and determined that the tail pipe off my pick up would in no way fit to the muffler without a fair amount of reshapping (thank you Mark's Monster of a exaughst...)

A couple calls to O'Riely's around town netted us a tail pipe. So we ran out and picked that up, finding out that O'Riely's is open til 9 PM (this will be important later as well)

So we got the new tail pipe and the largest of the mufflers hung after that will very little trouble. Score one for the home team. Time to tackle the not firing right engine. (The New Muffler, btw sounds absolutely beautiful.)

We decided to start by pulling the valve cover and replacing the gasket. (We knew that wouldn't fix the problem... but it would be the most intensive part of the tear down and rebuild we had planned, so it made sense to do first. (We were also wrong, in my estimation. My dad prefers to think what happened was somehow caused by pulling the Valve cover off, but I just can't believe it)) Then we'd swap the plugs and see if that helped. If it didn't, we'd swap the wires, etc all the way back through the parts we had.

So after locating all 7! studs, one of which was hiding under a diaphram valve who's job I still don't know (and removing that valve was a reminder in Rule 3, that being - no matter how many tools you may own, in any given job, there will be one tool you wished you had, but can not find, or do not own.) Anyway, we managed to get the valve cover off with relatively little fuss, and then stepped back to eyeball things.

One thing stood out like a sore thumb. One of the little rockers (in this case, it appeared to be for the intake valve on what I'll call cylinder one) was not seated correctly.

For those of you who've never seen the intake/exaughst valves for an internal combustion engine, the system has a push rod on one side of a lever (sorta looks like a see-saw) when the rod goes up, it closes the valve, and when the rod goes down, it opens. The intake valve on my truck was stuck about 3/4s or so open, and the little see saw was perpendicular to the rest of the valve assemblys. (thusly, when the push rod went up and down, the valve didn't move.)

Now. I will qualify this by saying that my dad prefers to beleive we somehow did this while removing the valve cover. And he does this because neither of us have any CLUE what kind of forces could cause this to happen in the engine and still allow it to function, and because if it happened once, it very well could happen again. The problem with his theory is that that rocker's bolt was as tight as any of the others, and we sure didn't beat on the cover to get it off.

So, we fixed that major issue, replaced the valve cover gasket (the original reason we pulled the cover) and re-assembled things. Then... just because we said we would, we swapped out the spark plugs.

In doing so, we managed to break one of the wires. Remeber above, where we bought new wires just in case?

Yah. When that wire broke, it was 9:30 on the dot. If we hadn't bought the wires, we'd have been up shit's creek. (Back to Rule 1)

It was an adventure (as it always is with my truck) but she run's beautifully now.

And, for people who've been paying attention... I've neglected to bring up Rule 2 of Vehicle Maintenance.

Rule 2 is one of the most important. However long you think it might take you to do something? Always give yourself time and a half at least... just in case. We started on my truck at 8 am, give or take. We finished re-assembly just before 10 PM. Except for a 2 hour interuption to meet my Grandmother for lunch, we spent the whole day on my truck - and only $Diety and Lady Luck's smile got us done in time to get me to work.

Oh, and the best part?

Muffler: $35
Tailpipe: $16
Wires: $11
4 Sparkplugs: $10
Total Parts cost: $72

Tool cost(angle grinder): $21 dollars.

At $93 dollars, this is the cheapest major repair I've ever had to do to this pickup.

Its gonna feel so damn good getting to bed this morning.

-Jon

The Great Plains Republic?

2009-01-27T02:15:00.002-06:00

Sean over at I aim to misbehave has an interesting post, asking the question "How long do you think the United States has, and if it does break up - how will it happen"

I opined a bit in his comments, but I thought I'd mumble on a bit more over here in my own blog.

As a Patriot, I find thinking about the disoloution of my country a very hard thing to ponder. I *love* this country. I love what it stands for, the strength of the system that was designed long before I was fathered, and the idea that it may indeed stand the test of time.

However, I believe that I am becoming one of a minority. Call my Conservative. Call me old fashioned, or what have you. It is clear to me that there is a large group of people in this country that do not ask the question put to them by John F Kennedy - that being "What Can you Do for your Country" but instead, "What can my Country do for ME?"

The values that made this country a super-power - that gave it a production capcity unrivaled anywhere in the world, and the will to use the might it granted have been slowly erroded. I'll leave the why's to another post. Suffice to say its happened. Its still happening.

Is all for naught? Are we bound to go from this limited Republic to something that resembles not the Free, but United States of America - but instead the Socialist States of America?

I don't think so. But I don't think it will be easy. Many people have come to believe they are entitled to things - forgetting that nothing in this life is free. Life is purchased dearly by Pain and Discomfort, both on the part of the Mother, and the Child. That free healthcare you want? Public Education? You may not pay taxes, but *someone* does. And those taxes are paying for your 'free' ride.

All that said, if the Federal Government was to faulter and fail, and I woke up one day to find North Dakota independant from its neighbors, I wouldn't immediately fret. While my job may find itself suddenly missing - I live in a state that produces no small amount of things. North Dakota is one of the leading exporters of Coal, there is a fairly robust supply of oil thats been found locally, and of course - North Dakota is a grain belt state. We have market leverage galore, if we can hold together, and chose to use it.

Would it be fun? No - probably not. It would be hard, and the changes to both this country, and my life would be epic. And I don't pretend that such a thing would happen without bloodshed. Be it because the remenants of the Federal Government come waltzing in, or because a few thousand Federal Penitentary inmates suddenly find themselves free to do as they please.

In the end, I see the states that have similar interests banding together in a great States collapse. The East Coast, with its many centers of learning, and some bastions of industry (some of which would be re-opened much to the Green's dismay) would band together. The Deep South, with its shared heritage, and similar industry would become an agrigate, the grain belt -stretching from the Dakotas to Texas might become the Great Plains Republic, and so forth.

Sadly, I do not see such a land as being stable. The United State's power is such because it is United. I don't have to worry about shipping something in from overseas, or have fifty different treatys to get my goods to the world market.

But - whatever comes, will come. For good or ill, I think Sean is right in one thing - and that is that this great nation will not be the same nation I grew up in, when my children grow old. I don't know what shape the country will have taken in that time - but, much as the Forefathers of old may not recognize that which they wrought - in a generation or three, Standing or Not, we will likely not recognize this Union either.

-Jon

Its all Greek to Me

2009-01-26T03:56:00.002-06:00

The Idiossey a rousing tale of snark about the rise of Obamacles by Iowahawk. Take a peek, its well worth it.

-Jon

Buyer's Remorse?

2009-01-20T23:49:00.002-06:00

So, I listened to the ~~Ascention~~ ~~Crowning~~ ~~Coronation~~ Inauguration of Obama today - after the fact. My good friend Mr Limbaugh carried it on his show, and while he offered a little color commentary, for the most part we got to hear it unmarred.

I have to wonder, for all the hype surrounding this blitz of media masturbation about how there we going to be SO many people in town, and how Obama's words were going to be SO historic that people would be carving them in Marble some day - what that crowd in the mall felt (that crowd that was a hell of a lot smaller then all the hoopla would have you believe).

First Obama managed to flub the Oath of Office. How the hell do you do that? Suddenly realize whats expected of you and get cold feet?

After that, it certainly seemed like they were awfully confused at some points of his speech. You could occasionally have heard a pin drop during the speech it was so quiet. I'm sure some one somewhere has penned that a reverent hush fell over the crowd or some such thing. I don't believe reverence was what silenced them.

There was a poem, but honestly I tuned it out. It wasn't much of a poem, and it droned on for a very, very long time.

And the benedition? Are we back in the fiftys people? I'm not going to tear it a part - but... oy.

*sigh*

Word was people were filing out early - so I can only ask - did the crowd suddenly get a taste of buyers remorse? Did they realize what they had let become created?

Time will tell. I wish Obama and his family all the best. But for his proposed policys I have nothing but scorn.

As I've said before - its going to be an interesting four years. And we all know what the Chinese say about interesting.

-Jon

The trials and tribulations of co-op writing.

2009-01-17T23:16:00.002-06:00

I'm a bit of an amatuer writer. (Ok, you all can stop laughing now, I wasn't talking about this blog.)

I like writing fiction. I started back in highschool with Star Wars Simms online, and have only expanded from there. I've written sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, and even tried techno-thriller a time or two.

Sci-fi though is my bread and butter, and on occasion I'll get an idea and ontop of writing the whole thing stem to stern completely (which is a feat in and of itself) will do it solo. This isn't frequent though, and the reason is that I find that co-op writing (where there are at least two authors, handling different veiw points and characters) makes the whole task more fun, and often can feel more alive. (Someone writing a character reacting to something I've just written might come up with a completely different idea then I had had)

There are a lot of co-op writing 'Simm's' out there, though I tend to gravitate towards Star Trek ones. I had my fill of Star Wars early on, and Star Trek has enough structure and 'cannon' that pretty much everyone can be familar with whats going on without having to be a complete Trekkie. It can be a lot of fun - you create a character, join a ship - and assist in writing out an adventure, not unlike watching an episode of Trek on TV.

The down side is that people are people - and writers block happens to all of us. If the ship is waiting on a pivital piece of action of dialogue to continue, and the person who's supposed to provide it disappears, can't come up with anything to write, or just doesn't care - an entire cadre of writers can suddenly find themselves with nothing to write.

There is nothing worse then haveing done some forward writing, and not being able to share it.

I've been the guy with writers block just as often as I've been the guy I am now - waiting for other people to act so I can move on. Such things happen, but it is frustrating. I currently write for three ships. The USS Lancelot, the USS Camelot and the USS Kyushu - which is two more then I usually do, and one more then my usual upper limit. (I like to get very invovled in my ships, so keeping track of more then 2 seperate story lines can be hard at times.)

Of the three I'm probably most attached to my character on the Lance. I play the Chief Operations Officer, and I like the ship, and some of the things I have planned out for character development, and even some possible mission planning. But the Lance feels like a ship on her last legs. Posting as slowed to below a crawl and the ship as a while, while it might have a few small things to do, is waiting for the next big post. But I don't know if that will be enough of a shot in the arm or not. It'll be too bad too, if thats the case - finding a slot elsewhere in the fleet where my Lance character would fit will be hard.

My character on the Cam is a fighter pilot, and a Squadron Commander. My take on Star Trek fighters (not unlike a lot of Star Trek concepts itself (I don't believe in a utopian future where people just do things for the betterment of mankind)) is a little different, but its been a fun exploration - and I really like the story we're penning now - even if some of it is hard to write (Its not a very light hearted tale).

And then we have the Ky, my newest ship, and the one I'm still trying to find my legs on. I'm playing the Chief of Security, something I've *never* done. I always play Ops, or a Pilot of some sort. Securty is new, as is the character design. But I like my Russian hardnose - and there are some interesting developments on her as well that I'm looking forward to.

Since the second week of the new year came around I've found myself bubbling with ideas, and things to write -while most people are still shaking off that holiday funk. Its been frustrating, and I hope it starts to change. I gotta take advantage of this zing of energy while I can :)

-Jon

There and back again...

2009-01-05T02:36:00.003-06:00

Christmas and the New Year have come and gone, and as every year before there were good moments and bad nessled into a holiday I sadly no longer truely enjoy. I get through it, try to have a good time - but some of the bliss as it were has tarnished and gone by the wayside.

I know why this is, and until such a day as I mayhap start my own family and my own traditions, this is the way things will be.

All told, content with this fact is better then the alternative.

So this morning, as with many of the previous mornings as I've sat here at my desk at work - guiding the technical drones and poking at a few stores to correct minor issues I've found myself... restless.

I'm ready for a change. I'm not yet sure what that change might be - but I think its time to start looking for it.

Ten years ago, I was looking forward to graduating highschool and then moving onto college in what seemed like a very bright career... doing something. Back then I wasn't sure, and in my various attemps at college I've poked at Computer Science, Computer Hardware and even Criminal Justice.

None of the above were ever pursued long, and while the reasons were many to that end, the reality of it was I just didn't enjoy that type of learning anymore. I love to learn - its one of the few joys in my life that has never quit giving - but sitting in a classroom surrounded by increasingly young seeming faces listening to a well meaning proffessor drone on while I tried to take notes just didn't take.

So I learned in other ways. In the past ten years I've run a business, worked in fabrication and packaging of various computer components, packaged oatmeal, made pizzas, dug ditches, sold toys, worked construction, built floor trusses, and of course, done lots, and lots of tech support. Each of these jobs and or occupations has taught me something. Sometimes it was as simple as knowing that I never wanted to do that again if I could help it.

Sometimes it was something deeper, like finding something that truely satisfied me, but didn't pay the kind of wage I could live on.

My current job is something of a combination of all those things. I really did used to love this job, and I still enjoy it. I like puzzling out problems, proving that I know how to solve them, and more importantly am *good* at this job.

I don't begrudge my fellows who have college degrees. They worked their way up in a different path then I did -thats all. For better or worse, I chose, at least for a time to forgo college and prove myself other ways.

This has closed a lot of doors for me that I'd be interested in, but has opened others. I know at this point I've probably gone as far as I can go in my current job. To go farther and look into new things I'd need to find a new employer, and very likely - due to my lack of degree, start at the bottom again.

I'm not afraid of the bottom - its very easy to get noticed there if you do things right.

But - I'm not quite ready to go back to that yet. So for now I'm biding my time, with my ear to the ground as it were. Ten years has given me a fair number of contacts, and every now and then, I hear about something that might interest me. I've let a few of the ones in the past few years go... but now I think maybe it'll be time for something new. I'm not sure what that will be yet. It could just be a part time job, learning a new trade.

Maybe it'll be a new career.

Maybe I'll meet a good woman and settle down proper like.

I don't know.

But - I know I'm ready for a change.

Now, I just have to go out and meet it.

-Jon

Browncoat pop quiz.

2008-12-17T07:02:00.003-06:00

Did this off and on with a friend via IM so I figured I'd throw it up here. I only have a couple known browncoats in the reading audience, but you never know when another might pop up.

So, a few quiz questions - feel free to answer in comments if you like. (The following are all taken from the same episode of Firefly - name it for a bonus point at the end) For a properly trivia minded Browncoat, they shouldn't be too hard. :)

1. Finish the quote, "Now we have a boat load of civilians...."

2. What, did Mal advise Zoe to do politely?

3. Finish the quote, "Cry baby cry...."

4. To what was Mal reacting to when he said, "Is that what they call it now?"

5. What was Jayne hoping to get from the Fed?

6. There's a rather ledgendary scene involving Kaylee and a piece of fruit. Name the fruit.

7. "Didn't she shoot you once?" "Everybody's making a fuss." - name the two characters in the exchange, and to whom they're referring.

8. Who provided the fruit mentioned in question six?

9. Name the Alliance Crusier that aborts its attempt to track down Serenity.

10. What is the Fed's full name?

Ok. thats enough questions - tag to any brown coats that feel like their own quizzes.

Digging Fargo out, or why North Dakota living is an aquired taste.

2008-12-15T05:35:00.004-06:00

Its o dark thirty on Monday morning, and I didn't go to work this morning. Why? Because Saturday night/Sunday morning Fargo got hit with a proper blizzard. I like Blizzards, and this one was a doozy. I worked Sunday morning, and getting to work was pretty easy, getting home... was an adventure.

Please note - in blizzard conditions, driving is generally a bad idea. I've been living in this country all my life, and I don't do it if I don't have to. Sunday morning most people were taking that advice. I didn't have a choice, I didn't want to stay at work.

There was a good solid four inches of snow in the parking lot when I left work. Thats just about enough to get your average two wheel drive small car or truck stuck if you stop in the wrong spot. I drive one of the probably TWO two wheel (rear) drive pickups in the state that get used at all in the winter (my dad owns the other one), and while our road crews are some of the best in the nation, I knew getting home would be... interesting.

It was. Visibility bounced from a couple hundred yards at best to zero, oftly fast. There weren't too many other vehicles on the road - and things went rather swimmingly (except for the few idiots who didn't understand that in conditions like this, as long as your not in incoming traffic, lanes are at best a suggestion - avoid the snow drifts people, your car won't like them :P) I kept an average speed of 25 to 30 miles an hour - slow enough to stop relatively quickly in the conditions - fast enough to keep my momentum up and hit most of the timed lights without stopping.

Interstate was closed from the Minnesota State line out to Jamestown so my typical route home was extended a fair bit. But I'd rather be breathing and slow, then stuck out in a ditch and freezing.

It got downright scary when I got south of 32nd Ave on 45th Street. This is the chunk of road that is always the most interesting. The road goes from four lanes to two, and its a rather narrow two lanes with steep ditches on each side. Cars end up in the ditch around here repeatedly in poor conditions.

Today was no exception. One poor idiot had forgotten that one lane simply ENDS south of 32nd and had driven straight into the ditch. The car was emtpy or I would have stopped to make a pick up. You just don't want to sit around out here like this - your car can be retrieved later.

It was a good thing I slowed down to check, cause when I looked back forward (there are no windbreaks down this section of 45th street) I see some jackass in a chevy impala BACKING UP at me.... through the white out.

I hit my brakes, the guy behind me did the same, and the guy in front of me apparently changed his mind and put it in drive. And then proceeded to inch along for just over a half mile at speeds topping out at 10 miles an hour, but consistantly dropping to about five.

Now, I'll give the guy the benifit of the doubt, it WAS a pretty solid white out, and hard to see. But I could make out the edge of the road - and I could see him - most of the time. Worse, he was weaving, and consistantly moving into the opposing lane. I had this image of sum dood swerving into my lane to avoid idiot number one infront of me, and running smack into me.

Luckily, he turned off before that happened, and I got to proceed at a safer speed of about twenty. I got back to my apartment to see a beautiful drift building in front of the driveway to the garages. So I whipped a cookie and parked it, and then went and walked the way back to my garage. I figured it was doable, but I'd have to keep my speed up. Which is hard when making a turn.

Which is why I'm glad my garage entrance runs straigh into a side street. so a cut down the street, brought the truck around without getting stuck, and took a bit of a run at it. Made it up to my garage successfully. A few minutes later I had it open (its got an opener, but it doesn't like hauling the door in the cold) and managed to squeak my pick up inside.

I got upstairs and after touching base with various people so they knew I was alive and home, went to bed.

Bout six tonight, I got up, and came to the conclusion that there was no way in hell I was getting to work. The roads were *mostly* cleared but my parking lot was not. There were five foot drifts in some sections, and it was heavy enough that I knew I'd never get to the road without a smile and a wink from $DEITY. So, I called in - expecting to work from home - which I can do.

Except my cable kept conking out so that ended up being a no happening deal too.

It never really hit me just how BIG a blizzard we had til I got out this morning about an hour ago. I thought I'd drop by Denny's for a bite to eat, then bound back home. I got to Dennys just fine to find it closed. Dennys closes for about 6 hours on Christmas... and thats it around here. So I wandered back by Hornbauchers (24 hour super market which is just down the street from me. They were closed too. This never ever happens :P The only vehicles out were tow trucks and snow moving equipment. And they were still losing the battle in some parts of town I drove through (and I didn't get through much).

Today we're going to see wonderous temps in the -30s to -40s with windchill. More snow is possible, and the wind isn't expected to let up for a good bit yet.

Yep. This is a North Dakota winter alright.

God I love it.

-Jon

Random Musings.

2008-12-11T05:13:00.002-06:00

So this morning I had fresh roast beef, potatoes, and carrots for breakfast (keeping in mind my 'morning' starts midway through most peoples evenings, you'll forgive me)

I threw it together before bed around 9 am and got up to a well cooked meal. God I love crock pots. It did however make me think of this:

Arm Roast: Free (Provided by Uncle with too much beef)
Potatoes: 3.53
Carrots: 4.40
Assorted seasonings and crock pot: On hand.

Determining that despite still being a bachelor with rusty and dusty cooking skills - you can still throw together a decent meal without working too hard?: Priceless.

Realizing you still have no one to share it with?: Suck ;)

It wasn't perfect. I added too much water to the crock, so if I had wanted to, I could have turned the whole thing into a giant stew (which would have been good too) - but it was good. And I'll have plenty of food for a couple days.

I'm certainly no Bridget from Home on the Range - but then, who is? *chuckles*

I've been meaning to listen live to the Gun Nuts podcast I keep hearing around the corner of the blogosphere I tend to wander - but alas my work schedule means that about the time I should be tuning in, I'm usually thinking about a shower and waking up. However, I did listen to this week's show after the fact, and you can find a link to it HERE over at the Breda Fallacy. Good stuff - topic was Concealed Carry. Crank your volume when Lawdog starts talking cause really - he's got some interesting things to say.

Maybe next week I'll catch it live. We'll see.

I've still got a couple posts on high sea's piracy and the impending idiocy of the automotive bailout I'd like to put together, but like my pot roast all day yesterday, its still simmering.

Damn. Now I'm getting hungry again.

-Jon

Dreams and Happenstance.

2008-12-10T04:18:00.002-06:00

I can always tell once we're well into the Christmas Season. How you ask? Well its simple - I start dreaming about Toys R Us. Back before I was a decently paid cubical warrior of extreme renoun, I was a retail drone making roughly peanuts. I have good storys and bad storys about that job, the primary good was that back then I was *almost* thin because I never got off my feet. (I'm not OMG overweight, but sitting at a desk all day doesn't promote weight loss either)

I miss that sometimes, but definately not around the holidays. Last night I got treated to a dream about trying to run a TRU overnight shift with a bunch of temp drones who had no idea how to face merchandise, throw overstock, or clean up after themselves. I suppose in a way it was a nightmare, but in another way it made me smile, because I don't have to suffer through any of that anymore.

I miss working with some of the people, but I damn sure don't miss the job.

On the topic of things from the past - a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away (or about a year ago) I used to be a member of a singles dating site that was just starting up called SoulGeek. As the profile says, I'm a Geek, so it only makes sense to look for love in other geeks right? Anyway I hung out in the chatroom, and did some posting to thier forums, and along the way ended up a moderator. I'm not sure who was crazier, me for taking the gig, of them for asking me to do it. Not that it was hard or anything - at the time thier forum use wasn't particularly heavy.

Anyway, I met a fair number of like minded people there and even added a few to my MSN friends lists. I ended up drifting away from the community like I do a lot of things. I just don't have the time to invest in those places like they deserve.

Anyway, one of those aquaintences dropped me a line last week. I was at work, but I made it a point that next time I saw her online to say hello. Its been an interesting 'hello, rememeber me?' sort of back and forth. I don't know what will come of it - and honestly it doesn't matter. The mild flirting has been fun and if I score another long term friend - cool...

...and if something more comes about well, I wouldn't be adverse to that either. *shrug* I've learned over the years that what will be will be if I just let it. So I guess we'll see.

*chuckles*

Its been a fun early Christmas Gift in its own way, one way or the next.

-Jon

The Christmas Wishlist.

2008-12-09T05:18:00.004-06:00

For lack of real content today - because I haven't thought up any - I present my 'wishlist'.

A 1911 Commander model with ambdextrous safety (at least) and if possible mag release. I'm leaning towards Kimber, but I wouldn't complain at a S&W or an honest to god Colt model. .45 of course. I'm leaning towards this as a carry pistol.

A 1911 Government model. What? I like the 1911, doesn't everyone? Same as above in all other respects.

A good solid AR-15 Lower Reciever, with ambdextrous or left handed controls (Yes, I'm left handed.). Why only the lower reciever? Because from there I can do some research and decide what I want to put on the thing :). I'm currently leaning towards a heavy barrel and railed upper. But we'll see.

An M-44 or M38 Mosin, a M1 Carbine, a Springfield M1A (M-14), and an M1 Garand. I'm still poking around for choices on a shotgun as well.

That covers the things that shoot bullets wishlist :).

I need more .45 ACP. Preferably from a few different manufacturers. My XD has a tendancy when I'm doing things right to shoot about one inch low and two inches to the right from about 20 - 25 feet with Remmington UMC FMJs. (I think its Remmington :P). Since I'm left handed, I might be throwing in a pre-shot flinch, but a trigger jerk should be throwing the bullet to the left - I think.

I'm fully willing to believe its the shooter! But, I don't *think* it is. (I make nice groups in the area described ;))

A good leather holster (lefthanded) for the XD would be awesome. I've seen some good reviews online but I really want to beable to get the feel for the holster before I buy one - and thats been hard since the only Left handed holster that fits my XD that I've found in ALL of Fargo was an Uncle Mikes - which once I took off the really annoying carry strap wasn't *too* bad. But I'm thinking I need to sew a nylon loop in for a belt because the clip provided is absolute crap. Tends to come off my belt one out of five draws.

More Mags!

An an honest to god pistol belt.

Also, the usual gift cards to the usual suspects, Cash, and tools.

(But a guy has gotta have hopes, right?)

Attendum: I'll take one of THESE too. Cause you know, your own Nerf Squad Support Weapon is an important part of Cube survival.

-Jon

Thoughts on the CCW Permit Course

2008-12-07T03:57:00.003-06:00

Let me preface my comments with the following information.

I am not an NRA rated instructor. I have never taught a CCW permit course, nor am I a former member of the military or a police officer. Outside of basic safety training, and my own personal endevors to this point, I am not in any way what you could consider a seasoned firearms instructor.

However, I did spend a large majority of the last three years in my job designing and then implimenting a training course for new desk technicians in the skill set I am fluent in. In fact, I was SO good at it, that while I could turn out a proper desk technician in a week, if I had too who wasn't a complete idiot while begging for MORE time to do the job right - they decided that if I could do it with NewPOS they could do it with the other desks... (sometimes being good at something isn't a plus)

So, I know a thing or two about engaging, and training adults, some of which very well may not want to be paying attention, or who may think they know more then you, etc.

I don't pretend to be an expert - but when I pay a hundred dollars for someone to provide me with a written test for the North Dakota permit, and an NRA basic firearms training course for the Utah permit (and the requisit stamps) I expect a certain level of professionalism in both materials, and what is covered.

I'm not expecting the second coming of an absolute gun god who knows everything there is to know and attempts to impart it on you come hell or high water - but I *DO* expect to learn something. Even if everything else is basics and I *should* and probably *DO* already know it, it pays to stress the basics.

There were somewhere between 20 and 25 people at the sportsman's warehouse for this training class. The trainer, who's name I will leave off this blog, was a nice enough guy, handed out the materials, and introduced himself as a former marine, former federal fugitive squad, etc etc etc. Basically a guy who'd been there and done that.

So I figured we'd get to hear a good story or two, and learn what I hoped to learn in a direct fashion.

We started with the ND Permit test. We were given a 2 sheet 'test' that was not even photocopied well that had all of TEN questions on it. I could have answered 9 of them correctly without looking at the study material.

Which we were handed. Apparently this was a 10 question open book test :P

Oh, and all the relavant answers were highlighted in the study material. Now, this study guide had REAMS of useful material in it. It was basically the entire ND carry code including anything and everything you'd want to know about how Deadly Force is interpreted in the ND justice code. At least, thats the way it looked. I managed to skim a small amount of it before the 'test' was over, and we moved onto the Firearms safety course.

Now, I paid a hundred bucks for this stint. One would think I at least get to keep his poorly photocopied study guides. You'd be wrong.

Can I find this on my own? Certainly. But this was part of what I was paying for after all - or at least that was my original impression.

The outline for the firearms safety course fit roughly what I expected from an NRA backed basic course. What we got in lecture, didn't exactly match.

First - in defense of our instructor, it is very obvious that he A: very much believes in concealed carry and B: Lives the lifestyle he preaches.

The problem is that we're all there to get through the hoops that are REQUIRED for concealed carry. That means we all pretty much agree that Concealed carry is a Good Thing (TM). And, while I've already decided that once I pick up a more CCW fitting firearm, I intend to carry it when and where I can - I don't think I'll ever match our instructor.

He was carrying no less then a Kimber 1911 (.45 ACP of course)in an inside the waistband holster under his long shirt, a S&W hammerless revolver of an unknown calibur, but from his statements it couldn't have been less then .40, and at least two different tactical folders. And from what I gathered during, and after, he probably carries more then that - too.

So... maybe just a touch overboard. (Thats probably an understantement) There's the boyscout motto... and then there's this guy.

Along the way he gave ancedotes, stressing that stress shooting isn't like target shooting (which its not) but not offering any ideas on how one might train for stress shooting, while stressing that you *MUST*. (I don't disagree with him, mind, but I'm paying you. How do you think I should train this?)

How the Cops aren't your friends in a Defensive shooting situation. And while he's right, in that you need to watch what you say, and do - especially in CCW hostile areas - some of the stunts this guy claims to have pulled would put him on my *immediate distrust* list as a Cop. And he had *all* sorts of stories about stupid Cops to illistrate his point.

We all have bad days, and we all make mistakes. An officer of the law's job is hard enough and thankless enough as it is. As an instructor you should be fostering a healthy respect for the law. This includes understanding that officers are human just like everyone else - and you need to approach self defense aftermath *smart*.

But don't go begrudging the fine people that put that uniform on every day. You wouldn't like it if I did it to the Marines, (I'm sure I can find some stupid Marine/ Marine MP stories somewhere) don't do it to the boys in blue.

I thought about recounting some of his specific stories, but I've decided against it. Instead I'm going to get back to this class we were supposed to be taking - a class room that taught firearm basics and safety.

He went through that so fast, I almost had to be sure I hadn't missed something. He'd get to a section and ask "Everyone here knows the difference between a bolt action and a semi automatic and an automatic."

And of course he'd get nods. I know the difference, but you might have a take, or a nuance on it I haven't heard before. But I'll never know. He skipped that section. (yes, I know, that's the simplest of simple, but when it comes down to it, there's a lot of history behind how they all came about. And while you might not *need* to teach that - you could touch on some of it... or at least not dismiss it out of hand)

Or maybe he could have spent some more time on the Four Rules. he touched on them, and recommended frangbles (something I had already pondered looking into) and a few other helpful hints that I'd heard from other sources already and had planned to impliment.

Oh, and he talked about how well set up his home defense set up was.

Good for you. Lets go back to some of these basics. Thats what the Utah law requires. You want to talk about Concealed carry while going over things, and how they relate - Great. I want to learn. But lets not half ass this, ok?

When I originally got done with the class I wasn't hyper annoyed. He told good stories, even if more then a few were probably tall tales. He did have some good examples, and he stressed many of the tenants of good carry.

But the signal to noise ratio was far in favor of the noise, and that disappointed me, especially the more I thought about it.

Oh, and while I knew this before hand... ontop of my hundred dollars I have another 90 to pay to actually apply and *get* those permits. (not counting any charges for the photos, ten cards, etc that are also required.)

That said - depending on what his overhead was, he pulled in a hunded bucks a person with 20 -25 people in the room, and we were done in under 3 hours.

Thats a fine days pay. I might have to look into becoming an NRA certified instructor :P

I bet I could give at the very least, a more professional LOOKING class. I at least am friendly with both my personal copy machine, and Kinkos.

Any thoughts from the blogosphere? Am I over-expecting here? Or what?

I'd really like to know

-Jon

Working on Broadway - or Guess what I witnessed on my way to work.

2008-12-07T01:19:00.002-06:00

Well, theres a lot of things going through my head tonight that I want to excise into a few blog posts (I considered making it one really really BIG post, but decided it was better to split it up.). However, work tonight is new levels of swamped I haven't seen in almost a year. Always nice to be wanted, right?

So some of this will have to wait til I can spare a few more minutes.

But this should be pretty quick.

I work on Broadway - which in addition to holding my office building and a couple of banks, has the longest stretch of Bars in the Greater Fargo/Moorhead area, as far as I'm aware (I don't hang out in bars).

As I was walking to work tonight, I witnessed an altercation. between 5 folks dressed in hunting gear (including orange caution vests!) on the corner just down from Fort Knox (a bar, built in an old bank). I was on the opposite corner just after crossing the street. The biggest of the group yanked one of the smaller guys over, and down to the ground. It appeared the smaller guy was a bit of a beligerant drunk, and they were trying to get him into the car to take him home. (granted, this was a very *rough* way of doing it, but I've had to wrangle drunks before, and sometimes they just *don't* get it.)

However, from the slur in the other mans voice, I'm guessing he wasn't exactly stone sober. I stood on the coner, watching this for a good three minutes, fingering my cell phone the whole time.

Just before I made the decision to contact the police they pulled small guy to his feet and seemed to have a falling in, coming to a decision that didn't involve shouting. So I let it slide. I'm still not sure if I should have.

I knew for damn sure I wasn't walking over there and getting in between them unless it looked like they were honestly hurting each other - and even then, only in last resort. A: Its not my job, and B: I didn't want to complicate the life of the officer who might be called to the scene (or mine!)

I'm likely going to mull this for sometime - if anyone has any thoughts or insight - I'd appreciate it. This sort of thing doesn't happen to me often - but I have a thing about 'being a good citizen' and when such instances do happen, I often wonder where the line of "Being a good citizen and doing once civic duty or whatever" intersects with "Going too far, and getting in the proverbial way."

More on other subjects, later as work time allows :)

-Jon

Meme: Things I've Done.

2008-12-04T01:33:00.002-06:00

Well, this has been going around the Blogosphere, so I figure'd I'd join in.

THINGS I'VE DONE:

1. Started your own blog. Gee... you think?
2. Slept under the stars. Yep. Quite a few times.
3. Played in a band. Elementary and Middleschool - gave it up to focus on vocals. (And because I hated one of the other people in my section)
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower. On top of a Butte with a super clear sky and no light polution no less. (I have no problem with light polution, but if you want a good view of the sky and to feel small, get away from it!
6. Given more than you can afford to charity. Frequently, when I was younger. I try to be more moderate these days.
7. Been to Disneyland. and Epcot. That was a long time ago.
8. Climbed a mountain. Not in the classic sense, with pitons and all that - but I walked up Rendezvous Mountain in Jackson Hole one summer. Oy that was work.
9. Held a praying mantis. Highschool Biology.
10. Sang a solo. Repeatedly. Choir was my activity in all levels of school. I even 'Lettered' in it.
11. Bungee jumped. Considered it a few times.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning. Never 'officially' (I've never been to the hospital for it) but I've had it. Last time was after visiting a Perkins in Clovis New Mexico. I really don't like that town.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. I've been to, and see the Statue - but the line was really really long the day I was there so we didn't go up. Wish we had.
18. Grown your own vegetables. Mom used to have this awesome garden. I assisted.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train. Nope. But I bought someone a ticket for a train once... now thats a story...
21. Had a pillow fight. How do you get out of childhood without one of these at least once?
22. Hitch hiked. Not in the sense of the word, but I have hitched a ride after my conveyance has broken down more then once.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. Call it what you will, but somedays you just shouldn't be at work - and its best that you aren't.
24. Built a snow fort. Many, many times.
25. Held a lamb. Never really liked livestock, but lambs *are* soft and cuddly.
26. Gone skinny dipping. Only in a tub.
27. Run a Marathon. *snort* I'm fairly sure I can't run a Mile anymore. Damn office spread.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse. I watched the last one that happened in... Middle school? Granted, up here in the North it wasn't a total eclipse... technically. But I did see it.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run. Does infield count?
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. It was oftly pretty, and idiots in barrels deserve what they get.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community. There's one not too far out of town. Menonites too.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. There is no such thing. Money does not bring satisfaction. But it *can* assist in the quality of life.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing. Only free climbing, and only as a teen, when I was willing to do truely stupid things :) Was fun though.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke. Again - vocal talent :)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt. During a trip to Yellowstone that I *didn't* want to be on. I recall being underwhelmed, but in retrospect, it was pretty cool.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant. A mother and two young kids in front of me when paying at Denny's. She'd forgotten her wallet. I covered.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight. I highlighted this, but it really only counts if Lakes count....
46. Been transported in an ambulance. I was born almost 2 months early. I got an abulance ride or two, a life flight, and a cozy incubator. Never mind I don't remember any of it ;)
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain. ...that was a while ago. I need to stop being single so cool things like that can happen again.
53. Played in the mud. I used to *make* my own mud so I could play in it. The Well at the Farm was a lot of fun when I was a kid and could get away without working.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater. They're a touch overrated.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. Gaming Unlimited Inc. First LAN Center in Bismarck (maybe North Dakota?). We lasted just over a year. Learned a lot about computers, business and friends. (note the last two do not mix.)
58. Taken a martial arts class. Never stuck with it though. One of these days I should get back into it. Not sure which discpline I'd prefer, but it'd be good I think.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. I hate needles with a passion that knows no bounds, so I have never donated more then needed for testing. I have however, been Transfused a couple times.
65. Gone sky diving. My father's a pilot. I grew up around flying, and have always thought that jumping out of a perfectly good airplane (and even a few not so perfectly good ones) was mad. Still would like to try it someday.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp. I've never been out of the country, save for Canada, so no. But I've been to the Holocast Museum in Washington DC... I was physically sick for a few hours afterwards.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter. Considering all the fixed wings I've flown in - its funny that it took me until this year to finally get a helicopter flight. It was fun. Flying is fun in general. Kinda like shooting things. ;)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. Legos were by far my favorite toys in childhood. I still have all of them (hell I still build legos ever now and then. In my office you will find no less then a P-51D, Star Wars AT-AT, Star Wars Slave One, and a few other things - all built with legos.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square. And watched a fire in progress on the Sony Jumbotron... and then realized that it was just down the street.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job. Sorta. It was a temp job, and I was trying to make it perminant. One day they told me I was done on Friday. (that was Thursday).
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper. A few times. I think the last one was for our OM team...
85. Read the entire Bible. Twice. I should do it again one day, my retention of it isn't so great.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Well, I've caught fish and filleted them (I don't eat them though, generally)
88. Had chickenpox. So glad thats a once in a lifetime thing.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury. Almost. I was up for jury duty a few years back. Never got summoned though.
91. Met someone famous. Jim Butcher
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone. Carried one since '00.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day. This would be standard operating proceedure, generally.

Mental Exercise - What would you do in a Zombie Attack?

2008-12-03T03:22:00.003-06:00

Ok, I admit it - attack of killer Zombies is about as likely as Mr Obama becoming conservative - but it is an interesting mental exercise - and it can pay dividends in other areas. While I'm not a 'survivalist' of any sort, I'm fully willing to admit that theres always a possibility of a worst case senario - and having to find a way to deal with it.

So, I present to you - in short form, what Jon would do in the coming Zombie Apocolypse!

First - lets consider a few things. I live in a three story apartment building thats part of a complex that serves 'upper middle income' type folks with familys. Its not the greatest digs in the world, but its comfortable.

I live on what used to be the outskirts of Fargo. Three years ago, you thought you'd left town by the time you found me. These days? Not so much. Five years from now? Yah - they're planning on building a Walmart south of me a good bit. Then I'll be in the middle of a fairly heavy residential area.

I own a high calibur, high capacity handgun, and of late haven't kept less then 200 rounds availible at any given time. I have intentions of picking up a semi-automatic carbine or rifle in the near future - but for the moment, I don't have one.

I own an old, beat up '87 S-10 Pickup. It has power nothing. Five speed transmission, and I have enough tools in the pickup's tool box to tear it apart and put it back together again. (When you drive something old, and worn - it pays to know enough about the mechanics of your vehicle to do your own service work. Plus, its not overly hard - if you can put the effort into learning.)

So. What do I plan to do?

First, and formost? Get the hell out of Dodge. Or in this case Fargo - as the largest population center in a hundred miles it will be the epicenter of zombie activity in the area. Since I live on the outskirts (for the moment) this isn't too horrible of a problem. Just pick a road and drive. I'd avoid interstates, and main highways until a good distance out of town as they're likely to be congested with paniced motorists. As a primarily agricultural state, there are plenty of back roads to get where you want, as long as your patient.

While part of me thinks that zipping into town avoiding Zombie hordes and looting the local Scheeles or whatever might not be a bad idea (whoever heard of having too much ammunition) - the reality is that in this situation, survival comes first. Ammo won't guarentee survival. Getting away from Zombies, will.

What do you take? Well, admittedly I don't have a great selection of ready to go in a moments notice things. I have a few things prepped if life goes to hell - (they also work great if you find yourself a little strapped for cash.) First - warm clothes. This is North Dakota 6 months out of the year it probably averages below freezing in this state. Maybe seven or eight. Pack light. Weeks worth of clothes, in an easy to carry pack - layer a sweatshirt and a good coat/parka on with what you're wearing - but be comfortable.

Food is also a necesity - I keep onhand dry goods out of habit. They seldom go bad, and those months I don't budget so well, I don't go hungry. Plus they're cheap. You can get soups and carbs that only require fresh water and heat to prepare for very little these days if you know what you're buying. So my stash goes into the back of the truck. (You can even eat most of them dry, in a pinch)

So does a couple (full) cans of propane, my spare gas can, a small portable grill/hotplate thing I aquired a while back that runs on propane, my tent and two sleeping bags. Oh, and my propane heaters. (I did mention it gets cold as all get out here right?). My spare fluids for the truck, and the extended version of my tool kit goes in my truck's toolbox.

Pistol, loaded mags, spare ammo, cellphone, emergency jump kit, car charger (for cell phone) a standard plug in charger, and a first aide kit that includes a decent stash of excedrin all go in the cab.

That, and my emergency stash of cash (yes, I have one - don't you? Plastic only works if there's power and the banks are operational - more importanly then the 'crazy' theorys - again, an "OMG" back up can get you through a minor finacial crisis.) and its time to go.

So - where to I go? Ideally, I can hook up with some friends and we convoy the hell out of dodge, and head north, or south. My friends have places out of town in less populated areas that would be a great hole up spot.

But, lets say for a second that those aren't an option - for no better reason then because this is a mental exercise - and fun.

I don't keep water on hand - and honestly, with a zombie apocolypse, I'm not going to hang around to fill the bathtub or whathave you and try to bring fresh water along. I don't keep any - so I don't have any - but I'm going to need some. This is a survival situation after all. I have maybe three weeks, if I'm lucky, of food on hand. So I need somewhere where I might beable to find food, or aquire some before I run out.

So - I'm going to the farm. As I've noted before - I grew up around a small grains farm in Northern North Dakota. Unfortunately all the buildings (except for some grain bins) are now gone, due to time, and a tornado. However - the shelter belts are still there (Trees put up to block the wind), its fairly close to a few small towns that might be explored for resources, (or, if the zombie apocolypse hasn't reached them yet, cash still spends) it gets plenty of snow that can be melted for water in the winter (using either wood, or my propane) and has three possible sources of fresh water beyond snow that I can think of within a mile. (four, if I can scroundge together a pump for the onsite well)

Its not perfect. There are no sold structures that aren't bins locally, so I'll be roughing it in a tent, unless one of the bins is empy. (And even then, the bin will keep off the snow and the wind, but it won't be particularly warm, very often - and I'd have to remove the bin cap to feel safe burning anything inside. But I'd be well away from major population centers - its within driving distance for my pickup (if barely, with my reserves) - and it would give me a fighting chance.

Sometimes, thats all anyone can ask for.

It certainly wouldn't be *fun*. But I'll take alive to shambling undead anyday.

Think about it sometime - its a fun 'what would you do' scenario. And it can give you ideas on how to prepare for other, very real problems you may face.

And hey, if we *do* get a zombie infestation - you'll be ready!

A brief Review - Codex of Alera.

2008-12-03T01:24:00.003-06:00

Well, I mentioned I was going to review the latest Codex of Alera book - and now that I've finished reading it - I've made a decision

I'm not going to review it. I am, instead going to review and give a general overview of the series as a whole. Mainly because starting a story near the end doesn't make much sense.

So - the basics. The Codex of Alera is planned to be a six book series by Jim Butcher. The most recently released book is the fifth - the sixth is expected in December of next year - so you all have plenty of time to get caught up. The first book of the series is "Furies of Caldron." The story through the entire series follows a main character who starts as an adolensent boy in a world that is an interesting mix of Ancient Rome and a sort of magic. The Magic is provided by Furies - which allows for flight, strength, fire basically the whole gamut you can think of.

The main character previously noted is named Tavi - and he's a freak. He's the only person in collective memory that *can't* use Furies - at all. He can't even turn on the lights in his room, for instance.

He and his family are drawn into the political machinations of Alerian Society when their Home is attacked by a barbarian horde not seen in almost two decades. The first story is full of action, intregue, political machinations, and generally well thought out plot.

Unlike Butcher's other foray into a major series the Dresden Files, the Codex of Alera is written in third person, and while it typically follows Tavi and his exploits, the scenes change as needed to flesh out secondary characters, and give the reader a better feel for the overall plot.

The first three books of the series are extremely strong in this reguard, and while I wouldn't say Butcher writes an overly complex set of political machinations in with his action and adventure - they are well thought out, and you seldom find a character who you stop and scratch your head wondering "Wait, who was that, and what was their reason for whatever?"

But the action and adventure are what will keep you coming back. Butcher knows how to write a good action sequence, and makes it hard to put down. The Main character is likable, and you find yourself wondering how he's going to solve each problem he's faced with - as he struggles to prove himself in a society where he utterly doesn't fit. Along the way he picks up a central cast of friends that support him as he becomes rather the brains of the outfit to his friends brawn.

The fourth book stumbles a bit I think, as Butcher explores a bit more of the political machinations of the realm, and what is going on around Tavi in some of his later exploits - and this is more to do with the fact that I feel certain decisions get made that don't seem to fit with the characters as well. It was still a fun read, but I was grinding my teeth through about a four chapter section, until the book returned to its strong suit, and at least temporarily resolved my 'problems' as it were.

The fifth and most recent book is a return to form, with a lot of big reveals - including a few things that make some of the choices I cringed about earlier in the fourth book make more sense... in retrospect. However, knowing that the main character didn't know these things, when the decisions were made, does not completely absolve my mild annoyance. It also feels just a tad rushed - which when you consider that Butcher is putting out two solid books a year, and working on at least three other projects I'm aware of - isn't really surprising. There are a few editing problems with the first edition - but I've found this is fairly common from Ace books.

All in All, the Codex of Alera is, so far - a great first foray into fantasy for Butcher. Its not for everyone - but if you like action and adventure mixed with a bit of mystery, subterfuge and political machinations, Butcher and his strong central cast will keep you coming back for more.

Today the first four books are out in paperback, and the fifth book is out in Hardcover.

They are, in order:

Furies of Caldron
Academ's Fury
Cursor's Fury
Captain's Fury
Princep's Fury

Go check em out.

Aftermath - or look what followed me home!

2008-12-01T03:05:00.004-06:00

Well I'm home in one piece again. Thanksgiving was fun, even if I was extremely run down when I got home... (I left Fargo for Bismarck immediately after work, and we ate as soon as I got home, so I was up for 24 plus hours.) Spent some time with Mom, and some time with Dad, ate too much, and came home again (with some minor, but annoying drama in between). Spent another 25 plus hours up the day I came home since I had to be at work Sunday morning at midnight like usual.

Which of course meant I was *ripe* to pick up a doozy of a cold. And I did. Started with just minor stuffyness, and moved upwards and onwards from there. Now I've got a full blown head cold, with wonderful sinus pressure, and a real humdinger of a sore throat.

Life is such a joy some times. With luck this won't last more then a week... but I guess we'll see.

On another note - I mentioned I'd be taking my mother to the range.

Well I apparently wasn't quite explict enough when I explained to her what size of handgun I owned, because the indoor range in Bismarck (that is currently open, apparently they're opening yet another one. Damn it - Fargo needs an indoor range....) is only for rifles and pistols ranging from BB to .22

She got it when I pulled an old .22 shell I found in my truck out, and held it up next to a .45 ACP round. The "Oh Gee" amused me.

So - no range time. We did do some dry drills, and I can see that the 5 inch XD .45 might be a bit big for her hands. The first issue is weight, but that can be adjusted for and practiced with - the second and more difficult issue is that the double stacked mag means the pistol grip is a big thicker then she finds comfortable. She'd probably handle a single stack mag a bit easier. But part of this issue is also probably a general unfamiliarity with pistols. I think once she gets a chance to see it fired she'll catch on. I might look at picking up a .22 plinker (first because .22s are a hell of a lot cheaper) that she could also fire - to get a feel for things.

Apparently gun ownership is yet another on her list of things she 'wants to do' - for example, as I found out - my mother has a motorcycle license - which she apparently aquired last year. She doesn't own a motorcycle, and while I knew she liked them - this was news to me.

So, we're waiting to hear about the new range in Bismarck - our plans postponed, but not canceled.

On the subject of Mothers... mine apparently decided to finally bite the bullet on a new computer purchase. She has a rather tight budget - but its not horribly tight - and I've been leaning hard on the Mac angle. I'm not much of a Mac user myself - though I've pondered picking up a Macbook or similar when I get around to buying a Laptop again (I probably won't, but I've pondered it) - but for my mother, who considers IE her 'email' (hotmail is her homepage, and she seldom goes farther then that) who wants to do some light photo editing and has to write something in a word processor about once ever six to seven months - a Mac (specifically a MacMini) will probably serve her better then a PC.

My primary angle on this is the fact that my mother picks up an astounding amount of malware, spyware and virii. This is partly from her internet browsing habits (she is apt to randomly click on things most experienced web heads wouldn't touch with a twenty foot pole and a foolproof firewall) and partly from her insistance on opening every single attachement to every single forward she gets (which is most of her email - her friends and family like passing around random crap they find on the internet, which is usually infected, or picks things up along the way)

This of course has a seriously negative effect on the performance of her computer - and while I'll admit her PC is probably well past its prime (I built it almost 7 years ago, and even then on a shoestring budget) I spend as much time on her PC at home when I'm there cleaning up various problems that have cropped up as I do trying to keep up with my various net ramblings.

And its never very long after I've given her PC a clean bill of health that it starts all over again.

With luck, a MacMini will solve *many* of these problems - and the somewhat simplified user interface (Mac Owners will probably shoot me for calling OSX simple - but it can be) and one button mouse will finally give my mother what she wants from her computer. Something simple that she can use to keep up with email, do light word processing, and image modification - without the pesky need to have good net habits to keep computer performance in the green- since she seems to be absolutely resistant to learning them.

My brother doesn't think I should "dumb it down for Mom" like that - but then, Bro doesn't live in the same state anymore or have to field tech support calls from family, so his opinion is less then valid. The Mini also fits Mom's want of having a reduced footprint for her computer - though she's also all for reducing cabling - which, no matter what route she takes, isn't really going to happen. I've finally gotten her to understand that part - so in the next week or so I'll be ordering a Mini for her. With luck she'll find it to her liking :)

(And not just because my rep is on the line)

And thats really all I have to report. I've had some random thoughts about the recent upswing of actual ocean going piracy (ARR MATEY!) I might turn into a post somewhere down the line, and an impending review of the latest Codex of Alera book once I finish reading it (of course first I have to recieve it... last time I pre-order a book online :P).

Jim Butcher is definately my favorite 'currently writing' author. I'll even throw in a shameless plug and say if you have any interest in either classic fantasy or 'urban' fantasy (think Anita Blake, with a hell of a lot less sex and more action) I really do recommend you take a look. He's got a pretty decent sized backlog now, and while none of the books are mindblowing in length - Butcher does tell a good story. Insert shameless web link - Now

There I go rambling again. I should probably get back to my worklist, it looks like theres a case in there I should be fixing... and then I need to do some writing for my Simms... and I'm out of Green Tea again, time for a trip to the break room.

*Wanders off*

-Jon

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T00:15:00.003-06:00

Well, its about 12:15 am local time on the 27th which means its officially Turkey Day. Occasionally known as Thanksgiving in the ole US of A. (Even better, I'm getting paid time and a half as I write this.)

I don't have a whole lot to say tonight, the last week's been kinda busy, and I've been less then 100% being rather under the weather with some sort of stomache bug/cold hybrid that may, or may not have been a light case of the flu. I'm still not feeling great.

But, after I get off work this morning its off to Bismarck to have Thanksgiving dinner with Mom, eat too much and then sleep good and hard - because I'll have been up too late again ;)

My mother found an indoor pistol range in Bismarck (I may need to visit home more often then I currently do...) so Friday will be a Range Day, and I guess my mother wants to come along for the ride and do some shooting. This doesn't really surprise me, my mother grew up on a farm - and routinely during my formative years would break out knowledge of skills I just didn't think a girl was supposed to have. I distinctly recall the first time I saw my mom drive a 4 speed dual axle truck, and was quite impressed at the time ;)

That said, its been a good long time since mom has laid hands on a firearm, so it'll be a good time to practice going through the four rules - and since all I've got to offer is a .45, I'll do some shooting first so she can get a visual and auditory picture of what to expect, and then go from there.

I'm sure she'll do just fine. But it should be interesting. Expect a report later in the weekend ;)

I added a list of all the blogs I've been following to my Blog here, first so people can look and see that yes, I am reading - and to simplify things for me. Now I can just hotlink to my blog and hop through the links to the posts... instead of going through the sometimes less then great dashboard - all of them have something interesting and or pithy to say, so take a look.

Which reminds me. There's an ABSOLUTELY great post on "A Perspective From History" on why the Second Amendment is so damned important. Not that most folks that read the blogs I tend towards aren't already aware of it - it is a well thought out and enjoyable read. Go take a look. Theres even a handy dandy link there on the left hand side ;)

Anyway, thats my two cents for the day.

Back to work.

-Jon

Escapism

2008-11-23T00:33:00.002-06:00

My parents are divorced. I was out of the house and 22 when it happened - give or take. It started the day after our big farm sale, the year Dad decided it was time to hang up the farm gear and just lease our property.

I don't know how long Mom knew Dad was cheating on her. I've never asked, and to be honest, I don't think I want to ever know. Its bad enough that *I* knew for at least a year and a half before hand, and my brother had figured it out about six months before hand. I still feel sorry for him sometimes when I think about it. He was just going into college and hadn't moved out of the house yet when they seperated.

I'll never forget that day as long as I live, not matter how much I'd like to.

Needless to say, I have some rather strong feelings about hipocrits, marriage, and divorce because of it. But, thats another blog post.

My Dad was in town today. We held season tickets for all the NDSU Bison Home Games this year. He's an alumni and I spent a semester there way back in my first attempt at college. (I still don't have a degree, but I'd like one, eventually.) Its been moderately fun, though I admit that seeing my dad that frequently wears on me a bit. We think a lot a like, him an I (which makes sense, he's my father, and instilled a lot of values in me... a lot of them I still hold dear, even if I have trouble reconciling what he did with what he taught.) but we're very different beasts.

Dad doesn't find a lot of enjoyment in much anymore. I remember the days he used to love flying, how he enjoyed teaching me to shoot, or learning something new together. And of course, his endless projects.

I don't think he enjoys flying as much as he used to. Might have something to do with the fact that he met the woman who he allowed to help end his marriage through flying an airshows.

He doesn't enjoy shooting anymore, or reading - which he used to do quite a lot of.

No, these days he spends his time working on his new house (which feels very.. impersonal to me. Its a nice house, but its a bastardized copy of the house we lived in while I was growing up), fixing his vehicles. which like mine are always perpetually finicky. (I think I got that quality from him too... at least I'm mechanically inclined enough to put them back together most of the time) or spending time with my brother or I. When he can't do any of that, he endlessly watches seasons of 24...

My brother is an Industrial engineer, and immediately after college moved out to the east coast. Now his girlfriend, who'd also just graduated was moving out there, but I think the real push for Mark was the fact that he wanted to get as far away from the parents as he could. I envy him that a bit, but I like North Dakota too much to leave, and honestly at least for the moment, have no reason to leave.

I have no proof of this, but I know he doesn't have to put up with monthly (or bi-monthly) visits from the parents, and he sure seems more chipper about it then I do.

But I'm getting off topic. I started thinking about this change in my fathers behavior patterns. And it occured to me that most of the things he claims to not like doing anymore, are things that he used to do with friends... who he never sees anymore. Since he got divorced he's been pretty much persona non grata with a lot of them.

Its probably just a defense mechanism on his part... but it is a sad thing.

We all die alone, as the saying goes, but my father has gone from a full and enjoyed life, with friends, family plenty to do and look forward to... to a cold lonely existance. He makes the best of it - but only just. He's my father, and as much as I hate him on occasion, I still love him. Its frequently stressful when he's around, but I'll continue to put up with it, on occasion.

Because I will never hate him enough to take that away from him. He may have become an Escapist in many ways... but he's still my father.

Ode to Roleplaying Games

2008-11-20T03:28:00.002-06:00

I love table top RPGs. I don't get to play them like I'd like- being a semi-responsible bachelor adult with bills and such - but they sure are a lot of fun, and tend to leave lasting memorys. I've played with the same game group now for about 5 or 6 years (has it really been that long?) and we've gone through the gamut and back again. I guess I'm thinking about it because tonight I'm working on the second adventure for my new Shadowrun Campaign.

Dungeons and Dragons (3, 3.5 and 4th Edition) Warhammer Fantasy RPG, Dark Heresy (Warhammer 40k RPG), Shadowrun 3rd Editon (which I spent way too much money on) and 4th Edition (which I will probably again, spend way too much money on), a couple sessions of Paranoia, three to five aborted attempts at Star Wars (D20 and then Saga), and lots, and lots of free form.

And we remember the crazyness. The time Devin O'Connor got to use AP rounds for the first time and killed the pilot of an assault chopper with a single burst. (I remeber T's look the best, as he looked mildly perturbed that I'd just killed his engine of destruction)

Guk, carrying my shot up ass out of the fire more then a few times, and the day he almost killed us by trying to blow open a door with waaaaaay too much C4 because O'Connor was unconcious.

The first time one of the Jedi in the party used the force in anger, and on purpose, smashing a guys head flat against the floor and killing him.

Drowning in a pool of my own blood, and leaving behind two orphans.

Watching Dash McBragg die. (I still need a t-shirt for that)

Going to bed at night dreaming up new ways to kill Junie Takahara.

Framing P's character for things I was doing in Paranoia.

Being there when Guk killed a guy through a weapons slit at about fifty yards with a fracking machine gun.

Watching Guk get beat up that first time by a wimpy little Dwarf who refused to carry a god damned gun.

Finding that Dwarf's corpse sometime later in the same campaign and selling his cyberware for profit.

Killing Skeletons with a magical sword of healing.

Knowing that if there are 5 doors in a hallway, my party will have to open every one, even if 4 of them contain death destruction and pestilence. Its our curse.

Listening to the Dragonborn complain when the party refuses to retreat from a fight he caused. (We don't, ever, retreat. We're like Space Marines that way....)

Getting killed by what amounted to a giant wild boor, after my perfect shot with my massive handgun *BOUNCED* off its head.

Getting turned into a giant pile of ash after spending mind numbing amounts of time doing character building and surviving the unsurvivable. I still gets pissed at the way Ivan died....

Telling the party that I was a "Merchant and a Locksmith" with my WHFRPG theif, and getting them to believe me... at least until I bedheaded sum dood with a lucky critical that saved my ass.

Getting my brother to play too for the first time, even if he decided his name was "MacGuyver"

And many, many more.

It makes for a great time, and fun memorys with friends. I recommend it to everyone who's ever been even vaguely interested. Plus, its something you can do with kids from a fairly young age. Should I ever happen to reproduce, my kids will be getting a set of dice about the time they can read.

Its all downhill from there ;)

-Jon

Winter's Bite

2008-11-19T02:04:00.003-06:00

So winter is still not sure its arrived here on the northern plains. Its gotten plenty cold (for early winter anyway) with highs seldom gracing 32 degrees Farenheight... but the two spurts of snow we've had haven't stuck around.

While most might be relieved, I'm offended. I like the cold of winter, and the snow it brings. I don't make use of it outside of the mountains once a year, but I like it. I could do without ice, but if it brings snow, I'll suffer through. I'm not really sure what it is about Winter that I like so much. I know I like it cooler then most folks, but sub-zero temps aren't fun for anyone, no matter what the macho part of my psyche might say.

It probably really is the snow. The crisp white covering everything in an even cool cover, changing the landscape and dulling sounds. I always hate having to track new fallen snow because it always looks so peaceful and quiet. (well except when skiing. Then its a rare privledge)

But track it we do, and throw it, push it and generally try to get it out of the way so the world can keep on moving at the pace it prefers these days. On a normal year, Fargo has to haul it out in trucks from the roads because there's just no space for the snow to build up on the sidewalks.

The downside is its a lot less fun to get out to the range when its below zero before the windchill, and the wind's whipping up to a nice steady fifteen mile an hour blow with a gust to 20 to 25. The wind out here will whip right through you and chill you to the bone.

The other downside is the upcoming holiday season. Since my parents seperated and then divorced, the holidays have become a *lot* less fun, and much more of a stressful balancing act, trying to see everyone and make everyone happy... while often not making *me* happy.

And while selfishness isn't the name of the season, sometimes you need that *me* time just to keep yourself sane. I'm already starting to dread it, and it hasn't even begun.

It's going to be a long road.

See you another night folks.

-Jon

Want to spread conservatism? Educate.

2008-11-14T04:33:00.002-06:00

Well, after yesterdays foray of oddness, I appologize by the way, occasionally I just feel like venting, and on occasion - I just let things go where they may. It happens.

Back to today. I've been bouncing around the Blogosphere lately, and while admittedly my bouncing has been primarily to gun blogs, I've been picking up the scent of something that disturbs me.

More and more in comments I'm seeing people state "The Republicans Lost because they refused to go to the center."

First off, I'm not going to make this blog into a political blog, or at least, I'm going to try not to. This is my personal space to speak my mind on the day. But this needs to be addressed. First a piece of disclaimer. I am not a Republican, but I am, what Republicans often claim to be. A Conservative.

I supported George W. Bush and I still support his past eight years. I do not agree with the way he expanded government, and to some extent spending. (Being staunchly against Big Government). But I was for his tax cut, I was with him when he went to war, and I'm still there. Yes - there have been mistakes, but never is such a decision perfect. I don't believe he lied to the American people, I believe he did what he felt must be done.

And, as some people like to point out, no one's tried to do anything similar, since. Yes, our troops are out there, and have died to protect our way of life, and in a way this is tragic. But it *is* what we pay them to do, and the vast majority is proud to do it.

Now. McCain lost for three *very* important reasons. One, in the Main Stream Media Barrak Obama can do no wrong. Look, I don't give a damn what Barrak's skin color is, if he was the most conservative candidate and supported things I support, I'd have voted for him. I vote issues, as much as I can.

Two, McCain refused to firmly address issues in Obama's past, the idiocy of the Bailout, and to strongly present an arguement as to why he was different, and better then now President Elect Obama.

Three, McCain does not fit with the Conservative base of this country. He's at best a centerist, and at worst a moderate liberal. I respect him for his military service, but I strongly disagree with many of his stances in the past five years. That said, this election ended up boiling down to the devil you know, or the devil you don't. I picked the devil we know.

The people of this country, disagreed with me. Thats the beauty of this country - we get to do that.

Everyone likes to talk about Regan. There's a good reason for that. Regan was elected because he *taught* conservatism. He didn't hitch his post to soaring retoric, or his background as a maverick - he went out and reminded people of historical significance, *while* explaining the basis for the programs he wished to enact.

*THIS* is insanely important. When you talk to your average person, they don't like politicians in general. They all lie cheat and steal. But if you educate them on what policys are actually at stake, and what they will mean for them, put the paper in front of them and explain what it means, most people tend towards conservative, at least fiscally. And often times - as we see in California - Socially to.

And now I've opened the biggest nest of vipers on the net. Because I referenced Prop 8. Your far left opponents will go off on how this is horrible, and a destruction of a people's civil liberties. Your moderates will do the same. I'm gonna shock everyone by agreeing with you - if Prop 8 banned civil unions. I haven't looked it up (but I will) but as I understand it what Prop 8 did was define a Marriage as between a man and a woman. While I feel this is far deeper into this then the Government should go - a civil union grants the persons who hold it the exact same rights and privlages as a 'Marriage' in the Governments eyes, because a Marriage is a fancy word used by religions, and the government while it may call it a marriage, considers it a civil union.

Guess what? That is 'equal'. Thats really as far as it needs to go, unless you want to quibble about language. Gothelittle Rose could go far deeper into it from a deeply Christian perspective. I'll leave that to her. She's much better at it then I am, and I want to get back on topic.

So, dispite the fact that most of the Main Stream pundits have stated over and over that the way to win an election is head to the center - we have irrefutable proof that the way to win an election is to speak to the voter, and educate him on what you believe, and what you intend to do.

Every time the Conservatives have done this, they've won, and often times, they win big.

Now here's the catch. You have to back up what you promise to do. Don't do that, and that voter who believes in what you say, and even agrees with your ideas will kick you out. They'll say its to punish you - when in reality they're often punishing themselves - after all, if your in Congress, and you get kicked out you're still getting paid a decent little piece of change - for life. Not amazing amounts, but definately comfortable. Especially if you get another job.

McCain lost for the reasons I stated above, and one last important piece of information. People forgot who was really in Power.

We had a Congress who's approval rating hit 9% or below. NINE PERCENT. Thats... unimaginable. The Democrats held control of Congress. It stands to reason that it should have swung back to the Republicans if what I've stated above is true. But it didn't, and here's a clear answer as to why. The Democrats in power got quiet, and indeed acted outwardly as if they were not *in* power in the House and Senate, while throwing more limelight on the oft hated, and much Maligned George Bush - who wasn't going to be in Power anymore one way or the next. But people remebered that he is a Republican, and Obama's message for 'Change' resonated.

It really was a beautifully acomplished piece of work by the Democrats. Exacerbated by the fact that the Republicans failed to educate people on matters. They didn't stand up, and explain what was wrong, and why. Those who did, were lost in the shuffle.

It all comes back to this. You want to win? Educate. Make people think. Liberals like to make people *feel*, and they're very, very good at it. You want to bring back conservatism as an option? Teach. Teach. Teach.

It is the only way. And thats my two cents.

-Jon

Been there, done that - left a tshirt behind.

2008-11-13T04:30:00.002-06:00

-Free Forwarning, This Posting Rambles a *LOT* and in a lot of rather divergent directions without tying much together.-

I've been all over this country. That said, I haven't been everywhere yet - but I am working on it. I've driven up and down the east coast, skiied in the Rockies of three different states, wandered through most of the Midwest (spend 2 months in Chicago this year for work... I'm still trying to get the smell of that city out of my clothes ;)) and flown over most of the rest of the lower forty eight at one time or another.

I love this country. Only in the US can you go a thousand miles, still be in the same country - but as Gothelittle Rose from The Determined Homemaker once put it to me - appear to be on a completely different planet.

I've been living in North Dakota as my permanent residence all my life. And more then likely, I'll die and be buried here too. With luck along the way I'll get married, raise a couple of rugrats and have more of a fine old life.

These days, I call Fargo home, and while you might snicker and go "Hey, have you seen the movie." I will tiredly answer yes, no it was not filmed here, and no - I didn't particularly like it. (It was filmed primarily in Bimidji Minnesota, btw). Fargo is the centerpiece of a three city metroplex of a massive hundred and fifty thousand people, give or take. (Feel free to laugh now)

It is as big a city as I ever want to live in. If it wasn't for absolutely horrible broadband penitration, and my current job, I'd likely seriously consider building a house back out on the farm, and taking up residence there. I've been to New York, Los Angeles, close enough to throw a rock and hit Philly, Buffalo, Chicago, and a few other places along the way... and they're just bigger then I like. More importantly, the cost of living in North Dakota is dirt cheap in comparison.

The only down side is I live smack dab in the middle of the biggest fount of Liberalism in the state (outside of the Reservations). But you do what you must.

Like my brother, if I wasn't going to live in ND, I'd probably move closer to mountains. I try to go skiing every year, my parents introduced me at a very young age, and I've been hooked ever since. Love it - and you can't ski worth a damn in North Dakota. My personal favorite skiing location is Jackson Hole. Beautiful country out there in Wyoming. Living expenses in JH are a little bit on the astronomical side though.

Of course, one never knows where life might take them. And I've got a lot of that yet in front of me, if the law of averages holds up. Lord knows this isn't where I expected to be ten years ago. I'm still without a college degree - and while I make very good money, this wasn't quite what I'd envisioned doing either.

But I am good at it, and it keeps paying the bills and in another year or two I might even buy a house. That, aught to be an adventure. Another page for the book that makes up my life. Another place I've been where I've left a bit of me behind.

I don't know that I've ever been truely happy with my life. But I don't hate it, and I rate better then content. And as I've said there's a lot yet to come.

Might as well get back too it. See you another night, gentle readers.

-Jon

Firearm Rambles

2008-11-12T04:12:00.004-06:00

I own firearms. One is specifically mine, but I more or less co-own a couple of rifles with my father, and I really need to get them from him and give them a proper cleaning. My father wouldn't know a bore brush if it jumped out and bit him. It’s not his fault really, his father wasn't big on firearms, and so he never learned much in that regard.

That’s not to say my father can't shoot. He can, or at least he used to be able to. He taught me after all.

I grew up on and around a small grains farm in the far northern stretches of North Dakota. I spent the first eleven years of my life in a town about six miles south of the Canadian border, to give you a solid reference point. Farms are a great way to grow up and learn a thing or two about an honest living and hard work.

They also, usually include a firearm or two. Pests occasionally need to be eradicated. I learned early that firearms were not toys and were not to be treated as such. My father considered them tools he occasionally had to make use of, and that was about it.

I remember finding them fascinating. I still do. I begged for a very long time to get a BB gun, and on Christmas before I turned twelve I finally got my wish. It was a daisy, I can't remember the model, but it was patterned after a Winchester lever action. I did most of my shooting at the farm, during the winter. Summers were for working, winters for tinkering, so I could often times get away to rain death on unsuspecting pop cans. I was a pretty fair shot at the age of 12 out to about twenty to twenty five yards with iron sights. (I couldn't safely back up much farther at the time)

Four years later I talked my dad into pulling out his old .22s and letting me plink with those. He had, and still has, two. A bolt action mounted with a scope that I have tried a good hundred times to zero unsuccessfully, and a pump action with iron sights. He wouldn't let me remove the scope from the rifle, not then and not now. Pity too, it shoots pretty well.

That was the extent of my firearms use, til recently. We stopped farming round the time I turned twenty - neither my brother or I were up to taking on the responsibilities to keep it running, and in all my life, I don't think it was ever in the black once. That’s not to say I'm not glad my father kept at it all those years. I learned a lot because of the life at the farm. I despised it on many occasions, but I'm a much more self sufficient individual for it.

Anyhow, I've always intended to buy myself a proper rifle and a pistol. I'm a huge history buff and if I had my way I'd own an M1 Garand and a Colt 1911. I unfortunately am not a wellspring of cash however, and other things have always been 'more important.' Like rent. Paying my car insurance, making sure my computer(s) stay functional.

But in the past few years I've had more money to move around on my own. I have a good solid job, no wife or kids at the moment, so spare money can go where I wish it. And egged on by a few friends who are also firearms enthusiasts, the threat, and now reality of an impending Obama Administration, and my own personal *wants* I finally pulled the trigger on a pistol purchase.

I've mentioned it before - it’s a Springfield Armory XD.45 'Tactical' with the optional ambidextrous thumb safety. I'm left handed, so ambidextrous controls are important to me, and in the case of the XD, the thumb safety was really the bit that sealed the deal for me - since the XD doesn't have an external hammer, and there is no good way to safe the gun, once a round is in the chamber, without dropping the mag and clearing the chamber. The integrated safeties are nice, and I like them, but this isn't a weapon I'd want to carry with a round in the chamber, and with the extra thumb safety, which blocks both trigger and slide action - I feel the weapon is a bit safer.

In any case, this is to be the first of my collection, and for five hundred and thirty dollars for the pistol, a proper carry case, two mags, a holster (that I can't use, damned south paw) a mag case bore brush and gun lock, I really can't complain. Springfield Armory does know how to make a nice clean package, and a fine pistol.

I spent a long time researching firearms before I finally did pull the trigger. I remembered how my father didn't know how to properly care for his firearms, and while they were robust enough to keep firing, even though they probably needed a very good cleaning I don't intend to let the same thing be true about my personal firearms. I learned the ins and outs of basic maintenance, and once I purchased my pistol read the users manual front to back a couple of times, and practiced standard usage dry until I knew where everything was by touch, and I felt safe with the weapon.

Then we took it to the range. It was a crappy, crappy day to be out at the range, it had been raining for the last month or so fairly steady so there was a lot of standing water, and loads of mud. Plus, every hunter in three counties seemed to be out zeroing their scopes.

We had to use a borrowed target board from the range, and that thing was a piece of junk. My weekend project this weekend is to build myself a good target stand, but that day, I just had a rather poor target to work with. Even so, at twenty yards or so, I made a pretty good showing of myself for my first time firing a firearm in roughly seven years. I wouldn't say it was amazing, but I did manage some pretty tight groups by the end, and I never did miss the 10"x20" target we were using. Overall, I'm pleased with the weapon, and its handling.

Now, I want to learn to be more then just basically proficient. My first step in this is signing up for a CCW test. ND requires a written test for CCW carry, and I'm going to take the class section for the Utah permit while I'm at it. This will let me be fully aware of how I can, and cannot carry in my state, while permitting me to do so - and the guy that teaches the Utah class locally goes into depth on how the state's current laws work for self defense, which I also want to be well versed on.

Through the winter I'm going to try to get to the range at least once a month and put at least a hundred rounds through the pistol each time. Fifty at the minimum, depending on the conditions and the price and availability of ammunition. .45 rounds aren't cheap; the best deal I've found locally ends up being about 44 cents a shot. With luck the local pistol and rifle association can break ground on their proposed indoor range this year and I'll be able to shoot in much more comfortable conditions next year during the winter.

Over the summer, the guys a shootsafely.com hold a lot of classes, and I think I'm going to see if I can attend them all. I feel basically proficient in maintenance, and firing, but I'm going to go through the whole gamut anyway. Learning, after all is good, and their prices are reasonable. Beyond that, I'd really like to get out to the range at least twice a month over the summer. Perhaps more often, we'll see. I *like* working on marksmanship, and I intend my XD as at least a home defense weapon. Though I'm going to need to get couple mags worth of Frangible before I'll keep a loaded mag in my apartment. I'm not particularly worried about crime in my area of town, and more importantly, a firearms mishap, or even a legit Self Defense shooting in an apartment building could have very bad unintended consequences. I've done my homework. I have a very clear idea of just how much force a .45 slug carries, and just how far it can travel through standard interior walls. Frangible aren't perfect, but they go a long way to improving my peace of mind in that situation.

In the next year I want to acquire at least one rifle, and I'm leaning towards either a M1A Carbine (I really like the look of Springfield Armory's version, and pleased as I am with their pistols I'll probably buy from them if I decide to go that route) or an AR-15. I haven't decided which yet. Once that’s picked up, I'd like to get a proper bolt action rifle, and *maybe* a shotgun. That will round out my simple 'must haves'. After that, we'll see. I'd love a 1911 as I mentioned before, and I've got some other weapons on the wish list, but I'll start with those that are most likely to go away in the Obama administration, even if only temporarily, and work down from there.

Now if I can just talk my dad into letting me tear down those .22s and clean them up for him...

Wow. That went on quite a bit more then I expected... I think I best get back to work.

-Jon

Willful Incompetence

2008-11-11T01:16:00.002-06:00

You know, I deal with a lot of stupidity in my job. Its part and parcel with Tech Support, and more so when your client is a major QSR (Thats Quick Service Resturant BTW which I think you can Parse from there). Hell, most days we joke that its job security. They keep breaking it, we keep having a job.

But if there's one thing that gets my goat its willful incompetence. Either on the part of a client, or on the part a fellow technician. As the head of the blog says I'm a Level 2 technician, what that means in laymans terms is I fix high level software issues, and in general have a very solid idea of how the system we support works, on all levels. Or, I'm very, very good at my job. Thats probably a little bit of pride talking, but there are very few issues I can't fix. And I like knowing that.

We have a few lower level technicians around here who know that this is true, and thusly they try to pull fast ones on me. They give me partial information, that makes it sound like A: they've done they're job correctly to this point and B: that they're completely stumped.

Tonight was an excellent example. Guy came over to my desk and told me he was getting an error message that basically means that the backoffice server couldn't communicate with the POS server (POS means Point of Sale, but if you think it means the less polite term, you'd be fairly correct too). I asked him some basic questions, including if he could ping the POS server from the backoffice server. He nodded dumbly and said he could.

So I headed over to his terminal and checked if he'd run a script we've created that gives you all sorts of data if the POS server is working. Look, he hadn't. So I ping 10.25. No ping.

He gets back on the phone, and low and behold its OFF. Gee - maybe if he'd done some of the most basic parts of his job instead of seeing if I'd do his job for him, we'd be good to go.

So, I head back to my desk, confident that this call will be corrected momentarily. That, was stupid of me. Twenty Minutes later he's back at my desk, with the same store, with the same issue. Site has an error message on the POS server now, which he lists as the "No printer Found" error. Its a legacy error that means nothing, since the software was designed to have a printer connected to that server, but no store does. You hit yes, and it goes away. According to him this is the only error they have and he still can't fix the communications issue.

Back to his desk I go. Terminal window up and I check a few things. Nothing seems to be wrong so I have him have her read the error message thats on the screen. Its a Fatal Application Handler message.

Now, here's where I'll be fair. My L1 techs can't fix that error message. Its not in their job description, its in mine. So at this very point, the call belongs in my hands.

*HOWEVER* This technician took an HOUR to diagnose a problem that should have taken 5-10 minutes, at which point he brings it to me and I fix it in 2 more. And the reason for this? I can only call it willful incompetence. This job is not overly hard or demanding. It IS stressful, and you do need to learn to hear what the store is not telling you, and work out the issue for yourself with the evidence presented. And this particular tech has been around, he's well past the barrier where he's just groping around and completely doesn't know what he's doing - and with some of the willfully neglected steps - the only reason is he felt like being lazy.

As House MD rightfully puts it, everyone lies. Stores do it to you all the time, willfully on occasion because they don't think steps X Y and Z are worth doing so they say they already did them, or because they're afraid that this problem will be their fault and it will lose them a job. (it really won't, we don't care what caused the problem, our job is to fix it. At least 99.99999% of the time, I have gotten someone fired at a client's site before, but thats another story) And sometimes its not willful because there's a language barrier and these folks just don't KNOW.

Stores do it to you all the time. Its part of the job, you learn to deal with it by thinking critically. But when TECHNICIANS do it to you, its extremely frustrating for me, and and moreso, for the client. Me, because I end up doing someone elses job, the customer because they sat around with an issue that should have been fixed an hour before.

Worse, now I have to write him up about it. All because he felt like being lazy - and with yearly merit pay increases coming up, thats going to negatively affect his pay - because it'll still be 'on his record' when they roll around.

But, I didn't make that call, he did - and now he has to suffer the consequences.

*mutters and wanders off*

-Jon

Dropping Fuel Prices, and other rambles.

2008-11-09T23:50:00.002-06:00

So I filled my pick-up's fuel tank this evening, one of those things that, living just over eight miles from work (which, may not sound very far to you folks who live in a 'real city') is guarenteed to happen at least twice a month. And, like most frequent drivers and commuters, I've been smiling as I watched the gas price continue to fall. Its down to $1.89 locally and is almost a dollar cheaper then when I fueled up two weeks ago... and a solid two dollars cheaper then the time before that.

Now I've poked around and seen a lot of varied reasons for the fuel price drop, and I'm of the stout opinion that it can be tied to the falling price of oil, which has been caused by a sharp surplus of crude in the American 'pipeline.' It took longer then I expected, but the surplus of local crude waiting to be refined into gasoline, along with the fewer miles being driven on average by the American people finally kicked the laws of supply and demand into action... and the price came down.

Now, I predict that within two months of Obama taking office, if fuel prices remain in the low 2 dollar range (or below) on average in this country, the new president - who once touted high fuel prices as good for America - will take credit for the new lower prices.

Never mind he had not a damned thing to do with it. And, if as some folks believe, he re-instates the ban on offshore drilling, either by executive fiat/order or by signing a bill sent up by Pelosi and her bunch of crooks - we'll see prices gradually creep back up, as initiatives that might have been started to get more drilling into the gulf stall, and our current surplus of crude slowly goes away. Our neighbors in the Persian Gulf aren't stupid. They know if they cut production they can slowly drive up the cost of a barrel of oil, and we'll pay it - because we refuse to exploit our own resources.

But, perhaps cooler heads will prevail, and such will not come to pass.

I'm not holding my breath.

For now, I'm just glad I was *right* and gas prices could drop below a 2 dollar mark again. There were plenty of folks around here that said "Well its just adjusting itself to match what it needs to be"

Glad my call of BS on that, way back when, was right.

Onto other things.

I started a Shadowrun Campaign with B and T last weekend. The first run went off pretty well, considering it had been a good long time since I'd GMed anything, and I ran most of it off the cuff. I gave them a 'train job' to aquire a rather large package from a train before it reached its destination. I stole the idea from Firefly, almost part and parcel. The only difference was the contents of the package, which was 'human' (a SURGE III survivor, which in SR terms basically means Beastperson (in this case, cat-girl). I presented them with a moral quandry. Finish the job and drop off the package... or free the girl from slavery.

I'm pleased that they picked the latter option - and to be honest I wasn't sure. I was offering them a lot of ching to finish the job, and they'd done it as cleanly as could have been hoped. It should have been a sweet payday.

Instead, they took the moral high road, freed the girl, and now have to figure out what to do with her. It should be a lot of fun.

I'm looking forward to our next game.

Anyway, I think thats all thats on my mind today - best get back to work.

-Jon

Aftermath - Election 2008

2008-11-05T01:32:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm disappointed. My candidate (chosen as the least of all sorts of wevils (thank you Master and Commander)) did not win in his bid for the presidency. There are all sorts of reasons why this may have been so.

But I think my co-worker (who voted for Obama) sums it up well.

As I came in this morning:

Me: "Congratulations on your candidate winning the election."

Tr: "He's not my candidate. At least, I wouldn't refer to him that way."

Me: "You voted for him."

Tr: "I see it as a vote against Bush, McCain and Palin."

Sad. But that was the conversation. Prior to coming to work tonight/morning I hung out at a friends for a bit and sorta watched the election coverage. The occupants were:

P, B, T, J and myself. T's wife showed up after a while too. I got there about 9:30 I suppose, and J was already drunk. He's the one person in the group I'm sure voted for Obama. And he was TANKED. What a loud drunk. Nice guy - but for a self proclaimed libertarian, he's oftly liberal. Especially drunk. We had an interesting conversation about taxes when I drove him home on my way to work.

God help us if this is how the majority of Americans think.

B and T are solidy on my side of the fence, and amusingly we've all bought firearms in the last month. (As a stop gap against possible future firearm legislation.) I need a rifle to augment my handgun purchase. We all were past/current firearms owners, but my rifle selection is only a pair of .22s. I'd like to add a solid semi-automatic rifle to that list. B picked up an NRA Mini-14. T's got his Mosen Nagant, and a Remington Pump action 10 gauge, along with his Springfield Armoury XD 45.

I've got a Springfield Armoury 'Tactical' (Five inch barrel) XD.45, a old bolt action .22 and an even older pump action .22 with tube feed. I'd love to add something like an M1A Carbine to the mix, but they're typically out of my current price range.

Christmas list? That includes new mags for the XD and maybe some money towards a new rifle. Who knows, maybe I'll find a good deal in the next couple months.

Anyway, back to the election. Govenor Hoven was re-elected. And while he is the incumbant Republican, I don't really like him. ND doesn't have term limits on Gubernatorial candidates, and Hoven is up for this third term, with no signs of stopping next run either. I'm a staunch Term limits supporter, I want them in place and enforced at all levels of executive and legislative branches. The founders of this country intended that the job would be so annoying and un-rewarding that no one would want to do it for a long period of time.

This, is not the system we have today. But it could become that system again.

Earl Pomeroy was re-elected to the House... again. For a generally solid red state, we really like our Democrats out in Washington. Our current rep and senators have been in office as long as I can remember.

Yet, another reason why I'd love to see some term limits in place.

There was a tax initiative on the ballot to cut income taxes in ND by 50 percent across the board, and Corp taxes by 15%. I voted for it. ND has a 1 billion dollar surplus. There are just over half a million people in my state. Thats a LOT of money for the state to be sitting on, so maybe we don't need to be paying them quite as much eh? Apparently, most North Dakotans either aren't paying attention, or like paying taxes. I'm not sure which.

It failed, 70 to 30.

*sigh*

Well, the world will keep turning, and despite it all, the country will still be here in the morning. But its going to be an interesting few years.

The Chinese have something to say about living in interesting times. Personally, I'd vote for boring and mundane.

But we're not going to get that.

Just my two cents.

-Jon

2008-11-03T07:08:00.005-06:00

A little bit of morning stupidity.

These boys need to have the book thrown at them properly, once it comes to that. It caught my notice because its blocking my primary egress route from work to home. Now I'm gonna be stuck waiting for a train more then likely.

Oh well.

I finally broke down and 'followed' I aim to Misbehave - a blog by a fellow Browncoat that happens to be police officer. I've been reading his blog for a few weeks now, and find it both entertaining, informative, and insightful.

Good stuff over there - and since I'm back to blogging myself, I figured I'd let him know someone's paying attention ;)

No good stories from the work angle tonight, though I really really wanted to fall asleep. I didn't sleep so well last night since I was out of prilosec, so I'm going to have to stop and pick some up on the way home. Election's coming up. I'm ready for the drama to be over already.

And that's all off the top of my head this morning.

-Jon

Somedays, you just can't win.

2008-10-30T04:40:00.002-05:00

So today I was digging into an annoying XML error at a site when a tech IMed me and requested I look at an issue they were having. Got the site number and dialed into to the sites back room system to poke around.

Ten seconds after I started looking, the site reboots the backroom system, kicking me out. I mentioned to the Tech Via IM that the store just rebooted the backroom system, and they said, and I quote "Yah, I did that."

"Why?"

"Well, its locked up, and I need to fix that eventually."

"So, you asked me to dial in and look at a problem, and then you reboot the system while I'm trying to fix it?"

"Well... I guess."

*sigh*

Somedays, you just can't win.

First

2008-10-30T01:36:00.003-05:00

Well, I figured I'd let myself back into the blogosphere after a nice long hiatus, and this seems to be as good a place as any. As you might have guessed - I'm in Tech support, am not disgruntled, and generally enjoy my job.

This alone probably means I have a serious mental problem. But then, I'm no longer the poor guy on the front end answering direct calls, so that might have something to do with it.

I'm a Conservative (Please note this does not specifically mean Republican), a proud Firearm owner, a Computer Geek, Amateur Author, Roleplayer, and a lot of other things.

This Blog will likely have a lot of random moments of head smackery that may, or may not make sense to the non-technically minded, interspersed with my thoughts on all sorts of things... as they wander off the top of my brain.

You have been warned.

-Jon