QOTD, 07/20/2019

I always knew I'd see the first man walking on the moon. I never thought I'd see the last.

Dr. Jerry Pournelle, scientist, author, raconteur

(Yes, I'm late posting this, thought I'd scheduled it and screwed that up...)

I confess, I LOL'd

Breaking News: Brownells Announces a New Product Line

For once I kinda wish it wasn't an April Fools thing...

'Muricuh!

Seen at Instapundit:

A Qualified Defense of U.S. Soccer - Washington Free Beacon

I mean, I'm not all that big a fan of US Sportsball -- any of the three versions -- so Eurosportsball  is, well, icky.

But, still...

... imagine living in Ghana. Literally the only thing you have to be proud of in your dreadful, giraffe-free nation is the fact that your ragtag band of brothers has managed to lay low the Great Satan in the World Cup two outings running. You love soccer so much that the government was literally rationing electricity to ensure that you had enough power to watch the game. You’ll have been looking forward to this day for months, if not years.
And America ruined your shit yesterday.
This is what it means to be a global superpower, the hegemon of hegemons, the big bad bully on the block. We don’t even care about soccer and we still manage to field a decent team. We’ve appeared in the World Cup 10 times; only 12 nations have appeared more frequently than us. We haven’t missed a World Cup since 1990; only a handful of squads can say the same.

The hardest part of writing this post was trying to decide if I should start a tag for "sports", or maybe "sportsball." I decided, if I wasn't going to do it for the local American Sportsball team winning the Sportsball World Bowl, or whatever it's called, then Eurosportsball certainly didn't qualify.

At The Fair

One of our first dates (26 years ago!) was going to The Western Washington Fair. Later it was simply called "The Puyallup Fair", for where the Western Washington Fairgrounds are. (This is also where the Washington Arms Collectors have most of their gun shows.) Now it has changed its name again, claiming to be The Washington State Fair.

Whatever.

So, there you are, taking you 900 pound pumpkin to the fair,
thinking you've got it made,
and some guy shows up with an 1100 pound gourd.
And then some other guy shows up with one that weighs 1300 pounds...

The worlds biggest kohlrabi...

Which was spawning.

Hooray for hops!

Honorable tree-san.

Somebody gave the bacon beast a perm!

Hippie cow.
(Actually a Tibetan Yak.)

Horny cow.
("The Watusi Cow has such large horns as a cooling mechanism...
blood circulates through them and cools off...")

Once again ran into Daddy Bear at the Fair.

Did not have scones, which are a standard, at least here. Was supposed to meet a colleague from work, but a minor crisis led to our arriving late enough that she and her husband had already left, so  that beer will have to wait. (Then again, this year all the beer gardens, pubs, and the like are posted "No Minors", which sign on an establishment serving alcohol in this state also means "No licensed firearms.")

Didn't see any rodeo events, and missed the draft horses. 

Did stop and chat with the techs who sold us our orthotics, though, and Mrs. Drang had hers adjusted. Mine are OK. Picked up some honey, passed on the fudge as we still have some in the fridge from the spring.

Passed on taunting the democrats in their booth. Didn't see where the Libertarian Party was set up this year, not sure if I would have been able to resist the urge ask WTF they were thinking?!

Walked until our feet were killing us. Came home.

If this is weird, I don't want to be normal

Why is English so weirdly different from other languges...

English is not normal
No, English isn’t uniquely vibrant or mighty or adaptable. But it really is weirder than pretty much every other language

by John McWhorter

English speakers know that their language is odd. So do people saddled with learning it non-natively. The oddity that we all perceive most readily is its spelling, which is indeed a nightmare. In countries where English isn’t spoken, there is no such thing as a ‘spelling bee’ competition. For a normal language, spelling at least pretends a basic correspondence to the way people pronounce the words. But English is not normal.

Spelling is a matter of writing, of course, whereas language is fundamentally about speaking. Speaking came long before writing, we speak much more, and all but a couple of hundred of the world’s thousands of languages are rarely or never written. Yet even in its spoken form, English is weird. It’s weird in ways that are easy to miss, especially since Anglophones in the United States and Britain are not exactly rabid to learn other languages. But our monolingual tendency leaves us like the proverbial fish not knowing that it is wet. Our language feels ‘normal’ only until you get a sense of what normal really is.

There is no other language, for example, that is close enough to English that we can get about half of what people are saying without training and the rest with only modest effort. German and Dutch are like that, as are Spanish and Portuguese, or Thai and Lao. The closest an Anglophone can get is with the obscure Northern European language called Frisian: if you know that tsiis is cheese and Frysk is Frisian, then it isn’t hard to figure out what this means: Brea, bûter, en griene tsiis is goed Ingelsk en goed Frysk. But that sentence is a cooked one, and overall, we tend to find that Frisian seems more like German, which it is.

Pretty interesting. He manages to avoid the whole "English lies in wait for unsuspecting languages, hits them over the head, and goes through their pockets for spare grammar and syntax" thing, which I find oddly disappointing...

h/t Sarah Hoyt at Instapundit » Blog Archive » WE DON’T WANNA BE NORMAL: English is not normal.  I don’t know.  Of all the languages I learned, English was the easiest. I don’t want to know what that says about me.

Oldest serving vet finally retires!

After 94 years!!!

World War/Cold War/Gulf War Veteran to Retire After 94 Years Of Service - Bearing Arms

M2HB Machine Gun #324 entered service with the US Army in 1921.
Photo from Bearing Arms.com

"Ma Deuce" number 324 was returned to Anniston Army Depot for it's first ever overhaul and upgrade.

First.

Ever.

And the reason it's being retired?

From (U.S. Army Found an M2 .50 caliber Machine-Gun Still Shooting Perfectly After 90 Years of Service | RealClearDefense) the original article:

Modifications made to the weapon in the field mean part of the receiver would have to be removed through welding and replaced with new metal, a process which usually means the receiver is scrap. 

“I’d rather put this one on display than send it to the scrap yard,” said Clark, adding the weapon’s age makes it appealing as a historical artifact. 

Currently, the 389th M2 is on display in the Small Arms Repair Facility. There is an approval process the older weapon would have to go through in order to be similarly displayed. Clark and Jeff Bonner, the Weapons Division chief, are researching and beginning that process.

So there's hope.

For the vets reading this, the replacement M2A1 will  have has* fixed headspace and timing, so they don't need to be adjusted every time the barrel is changed.

For those who have no experience with this, take my word for it that this is a major improvement.

Also, the fact that the "A1" model of a weapon is only being introduced after 94 years...!

Yet another bit of proof, if proof were needed, that John Moses browning (pbuh) was the greatest firearms designer ever.


*Updated to reflect the fact that upgrades have already begun.

Pull!

NASA wants to learn more about asteroids by shooting them with space shotguns | Blastr

Inboxing

Some things that have been gathering electronic dust in my inbox...

Source: Instapundit.
Story: Global eavesdroppers: In World War II, dozens of radio operators in Scituate dialed into enemy conversations worldwide - News - providencejournal.com - Providence, RI
In case you ever wondered how a US Army unit that never left the Continental United States could win a Presidential Unit Citation for the battle of the Atlantic, this related story gives a clue, although only part of one. (I thought I'd posted this one before, but I guess not...)

Source: Dunno.
Story: Why Science Fiction Pioneer Hugo Gernsback Matters 131 Years Later | Inverse
Could be more fact-heavy, and the author is pretty clearly in the CHORF camp of the Sad Puppies controversy (if you don't understand, congratulations!), but, while I'm not sure Hugo Gernsback invented Science Fiction As We Know It, he sure laid the groundwork.

Bit of a change-up in this article from The Atlantic: How JSOC Became a Manhunting Machine, From Panama to Iraq - The Atlantic

Speaking of which, Insty pulls a few related pieces fom the archives: Instapundit » Blog Archive » AS WE FIGHT THE WAR ON TERROR DOMESTICALLY AGAIN, A FEW RELEVANT PIECES FROM OVER A DECADE AGO…

Sometimes coming back is pretty much the point:  A ‘monumental’ rescue: Coast Guardsman swims a mile in choppy seas to save four fishermen, one at a time - The Washington Post

A further change of pace: How to reclaim your privacy in Windows 10, piece by piece | PCWorld (Beware auto-play!)

The Greatest "Crimestoppers" Spot EVER!!!

I have no use for this

None at all.

Still pretty cool, though.

Earworm, 11/11 Edition

This popped up on the satellite radio "40's" station on the way home from work:

One thing that impressed me was that it was correctly labeled "The Duckworth Chant."

Here's a period recording of the Duckworth Chant, recorded at the post where Private Duckworth made it up; it included a lengthy intro.

(The Wikipedia article about the Duckworth Chant quotes that page; it has more info on cadences in general, though.)

I am impressed that the brass seem to have been OK to references to Jody from the start...


My favorite renditions:

At one time I had quite the rep for knowing all the good Jodys. 

Here's some more info: Cadences

Mopar!

The local Lions Club had their annual car show a couple of weeks ago, the photos have been languishing on my hard drive...

As much as I liked my Dakota, I wouldn't own one again until someone I trust assures me that they've started putting a decent transmission in them, something that will stand up to 75k+ highway miles, no towing.
That said, a Shelby Dakota is tempting...

 Not really Mopar, per se, but fully accessorized...

This baby is for sale...

Our pokey little motoring show, held in the local shopping mall parking lot for the last half-dozen years or so, is turning into quite the concourse...

QOTD, One Giant leap Edition

I always knew I'd see the first man on the moon.  I never dreamed I'd see the last.
Jerry Pournelle

Field Day

A phrase to strike fear (well, dread)  in the hearts of the staunchest Marine, Amateur Radio Field Day is a much more pleasant experience*. Held the last weekend of June every year, technically Field Day runs from Saturday morning through to Sunday morning, but many, if not most, clubs only operate on Saturday.

From the American Radio Relay League's press release:

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.
Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!

It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.

The contest part is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and to learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations and less than optimal conditions.
We use these same skills when we help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walka-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities.
But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they ARE so complex — ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications in crises when it really matters. Amateur Radio people (also called “hams”) are well known for our communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations.

I sometimes call it the "no-contest contest" because the only prizes are braggin' rights for getting a large amount of points for your category. And, perhaps, because everyone who plays wins. One (or one's club) gets extra points for operating "off mains", outside, for public contacts -- especially for having the press and/or elected officials show up -- and for running a "Get On The Air", or GOTA, station, where new or non-hams can use a radio to communicate with someone.

From a general public viewpoint, the fact that everything we practice on Field Day is directly applicable to the public service aspects of ham radio is probably paramount. (Well, except maybe the BBQ/potluck...)

Despite being a curmudgeonly introvert, I rather enjoy the day.  This will be the first Field Day I've been to in two years; two years ago I was not able to get the day off, and last year our the Drang Clan Alaska Cruise and Reunion sailed on Field Day.  (I suppose I could have tried my handheld for a few Marine Mobile contacts, but I wasn't sure there would have been a point...)

If you'd like to check it out, the ARRL has a Field Day Station Locator at the link; if you're in South King County, WA, my own club is going to be at 

841 S 308th
Federal Way, WA

There are 51 stations listed on the ARRL's map for Washington State, most of them west of the Cascades.  There are probably some that are not listed. There are a 1383 stations listed for the US and Canada, so there is probably one not too far from you.  (Unless you're surfing the net via satellite from the International Space Station, in which case there's a good chance you're a ham and planning to operate from orbit.  How many points for Moon Bounce...?)

Links to some related stories:

• This is the Centenial of the ARRL. The ARRL is the largest Amateru Radio organization in the world, although Japan has more licensed hams than the USA, and the Radio Society of Great Britain is older.
• Ham radio Field Day is natural disaster preparedness drill - The Reporter. But oh, so much more.
• Sending out an SOS - Thegardenisland.com: Local  When visiting Hawaii it is common to see houses right next to the beach with huge antenna arrays.  The joke is that hams move to Hawaii to take advantage of the fact that a large body of salt water will help boost radio wave propagation. Hmm, maybe next year I can hit a Field Location on Kauai or The Big Island...
• ‘Ham' radio operators were called on to put skills to use | HeraldNet.com - Local news. From the Oso landslide.  I think I have other links from this disaster, I'll have to dig them out of my in-box, though.

***
*Added military pun, seen at Bill Quick's emergency preps forum: "It's a party, but not a GI Party!"

I have the bestest wife in the world

The stud at about 2 o'clock is the lock.  There are small quartz chips in it, and the thumb stud.

Not sure how the reddish hue snuck in there.  Trick of the light.
Also, first time using the portable photo studio she bought a few months ago, maybe I did it wrong.

Yeah, I know, Gunny would prefer I had a Glock in there... Oh, well.

Lookee what I got!

Vacuum packed for freshness!

Special packaging, no doubt, to protect the contents during re-entry...

Order your own copy here, and read all the adventures at I Work On A Starship.

My sincere apologies, Bobbi, I have no excuse for taking so long to order my copy.

Good Idea

Seen at chrishernandezauthor: The magazine-shaped cleaning kit.

The MS Clean: Magazine shaped cleaning kit - RECOIL
{Yes, I agree, RECOIL Magazine screwed up when they posted crap about us mere peasants having access to any politically incorrect guns.  Still...}

Issue cleaning kits suck.  You either have the stuff rattling around the buttstock of your rifle -- if your rifle has a buttstock storage space -- or you have a silly nylon pouch that holds everything, but is inconvenient to carry.  (Or you have an after-market kit that uses a pull-through, which is useless for clearing jams; a full-length cleaning rod can be used to clear brass from a chamber or a squib round from the barrel.)

The idea here is to make a cleaning kit that is the same dimensions of an M16 magazine, and will fit into a pouch for the same.  It will not fit into a mag well; prudence dictates that the kit not be carried in a pouch with real magazines; that's easy enough, single magazine pouches are fairly common.

Kickstarter* for this idea.

Facebook.



*In case you are unfamiliar with Kickstarter:  What is Kickstarter — Kickstarter

No longer pining for the fjords

Oh, who am I fooling? I'm certainly going to miss them...

Sawyer Glacier

(Tracy Arm on Wikipedia and Google Maps.)

These don't even begin to be a sample of the pics we took this morning. I don't know who to feel sorrier for, those who have not and likely will never have the opportunity to view this beauty, or those who recoil at the thought of it.

While sailing up and then back out,  Mrs. Drang and I could not help but ponder having a cabin or lodge here.  You'd need a large enough boat to sail for supplies at least once a month, and maybe a plane as well.  Wonder if you can get a satellite connection this far north...?

LOL of the Day, 03/30/2013

Seen on Facebook:

Oh. Em. Gee.