Category Archives: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Linux on the Alienware

Leave a comment

So my Alienware 17R3 is old. Over 10 years old. But I’ve invested a lot of money into keeping it running and upgrading it. It has 32 Gigs of RAM and 3 TB’s of Solid State Drives, 2 NMVE’s and one SSD… So this old machine is as fast as it’s ever going to be. This limited factor is the GPU. An old NVIDIA card that is capable of playing Skyrim at Ultra settings… But nothing a day newer.

I’ve used it to test drive a number of different Linux distributions on it. Here’s the breakdown:

The Distros I tried out most recently:

CachyOS – Currently the daily driver on my Alienware. Performance oriented, and it shows. Arch based, so it can be complicated. Linux

Linux Mint – Daily Driver on my MS Surface. Two thumbs up for ease of use and performance.

Pop!_OS – Had performance issues on the Alienware.

Zorin OS 18.1 – Had a few issues on the Alienware that I could have fixed. Now the Daily Driver OS for my ThinkPad T470. The more I use it, the more I like it.

EndeavourOS – If you dig Terminal Commands, this is you.

Elementary OS – Liked it. A lot. Super simple and easy. Worth looking at if you want something nobody else in the coffee shop is using.

Fedora 44 – Updating the OS locked it up due to my old hardware. Had I used it on a different machine, I’m sure it would have been great.

Ubuntu – Has everything a new user might want. Easy to use. Lots of added features.

Bazzite – Fun but sluggish on my Alienware due to driver issues. On a different machine, it’s probably great.

Arch – Liked it, but complicated and not for a Newbie.

Kali – Life is too short, unless you’re a Hacker.

MiniOS – When you want as little OS in your OS, this is your OS.

Gentoo – Meh. I really didn’t like it at all.

KaOS – Meh. Too much Terminal Time required.

Tiny Core – Potential for older machines.

PearOS – This is MAC OS for someone that doesn’t want MAC OS. Not as polished as others of this time.

Neptune – Where others want to look like Windows, this one wants to look like Mac OS. Not a bad distro at all.

HeliumOS – While I had issues at this time on my old machine, it should mature into a great Distro in time. Worth keeping an eye on and trying on some newer hardware.

Ultramarine – I like it, but it needs some more development and a dedicated in-depth trial.

Nitrux – Potential, but lacks flair. Super basic and lean.

CachyOS is delivering the best performance, by a good margin. The Alienware feels a LOT faster than it used to be Windows 11 or the original Windows 10 that was first installed on it. Of my 94 game titles in my STEAM library, it plays almost all of them. And the ones it doesn’t play, are because the graphics requirements are too high for my Potato and couldn’t play before… (Cyberpunk) Or required 3rd Party software that is wants too much access or something. Or it just doesn’t want to play along… For example, Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s launcher. The launcher isn’t launching. Oh well. All my other games not only run just fine, but they actually run BETTER. Gaming on Linux is a blast.
Most everything I do has software that is Linux native or compatible, or is Web Based, so the platform doesn’t matter.

As mentioned before I also use my little MS Surface Tablet. With the attached Keyboard, it’s basically a small portable Laptop, and I use it as such. That’s running Linux Mint, and it’s PERFECT for what I do with it.

So my divorce from Microsoft is complete in my private life. For work, Windows 11 remains a requirement… as is using MS EDGE for my work browser. But for personal use, I’m 100 Linux now. And it feels GREAT.

Update on the Distro Trials: The ones I had some troubles with, such as Zorin OS – Turns out the issues were with the Nvidia drivers. On another machine, Zorin OS turned out to be fantastic. It’s now on my Thinkpad T470. But that’s a topic for elsewhere.

Uncategorized

Righteous Anger is righteous.

7 Comments

Righteous Anger is righteous. The want for Justice is righteous. The call for Revenge and Reprisals however, is not. Sit on your hands and bite your tongue until you are rational again. Today is September 11th. Much to Remember today. Much to contemplate. My goal is to spend more time thinking than speaking.

Uncategorized, Weapons

The Forgotten .35 Remington

2 Comments

In 1895 Winchester shocked the world with the introduction of the Model 1894 in a new cartridge called the .30 Winchester Smokeless. It was later called the .30 WCF, and also known as the .30-30 Winchester. “Thuddy Thuddy” was using the then new Smokeless Powder, hence the original name, and offered wicked fast Velocity for the time. It took the shooting world by storm. It was commonly loaded with 150 grain and 170 grains, and it was used to hunt EVERYTHING in North America and most of the rest of the world. And for the guys hunting things a bit bigger and nastier than White Tails, Elk, and Outlaws… It did have some limitations. Enter Remington with something of an Upgrade to that caliber… The .35 Remington.

Remington loaded a Rimless case with a .35 caliber bullet with weights common in 200 and 220 grain loads, and while just a bit slower, offered more Energy and Momentum on Stubborn Targets. It became rather popular and has been known as a Brush Gun Cartridge, thanks to the heavier bullet’s ability to crash through the brush and still hit the target with enough grunt to put it down. Does a number on Bear Bones too. And remarkably, it does so with a similar ballistic trajectory as the .30-30 out to 300 yards. I’ve only done one hunt with a .35 Remington Marlin 336. But it was a successful hunt that did not require tracking of a wounded animal… It anchored it where it was standing. And that was with a Federal semi-jacketed Soft Point.

Below, we’ll compare the two cartridges in question with the same Hornady loading. The .35 Remington’s muzzle velocity of 2225, versus the .30-30’s of 2400 FPS. Now, this is with Hornady’s wonderful new powders and consistent loadings and high quality control… So these velocities might be a bit quicker than some older loadings… But they are safe to use in any lever action that’s in good condition.

Thirty Five Remington might be a bit old fashioned now, and out of favor with the Trade Publications these days. But for those that have used it, have all done so with great satisfaction when used within it’s envelope. More modern cartridges do surpass it, just as the .350 Legend… And Remington’s own .35 Magnum. But when you have a Winchester 94 or Marlin 336 loaded up with some good .35 Remington ammo… You don’t feel outdated. You feel like a Classic.

Uncategorized, Weapons

.357 SIG isn’t Dead

4 Comments

The .357 SIG cartridge offers some rather compelling advantages for serious use… particularly in law enforcement, self-defense, and other tactical applications. Here’s why:

1. Superior Ballistic Performance: The .357 SIG delivers outstanding muzzle velocity, typically between 1,350 to 1,450 fps with 125-grain loads, and energy around 500 ft-lbs. Which somewhat mimics the famous (for good reasons) .357 Magnum revolver round, but in a small-framed semi-automatic pistol. This provides excellent stopping power and penetration, critical for effective threat engagement.

2. Flat Trajectory and Accuracy: The high velocity results in a flatter trajectory compared to other handgun rounds like 9mm or .40 S&W, enhancing accuracy at longer ranges (up to 50 yards). This makes it ideal for scenarios where precision is crucial. And with a projectile that gets to the target in a hurry… It makes hitting a moving target so much easier.

3. Barrier Penetration: The .357 SIG performs very well against common barriers, such as windshields, Vehicle Doors, and such… And with a good projectile choice, and can still perform in an acceptable manner on Soft Targets after the barrier is defeated.

4. Getting One: I’m not sure if any gun company is currently producing anything in .357 SIG anymore, one might thing the cartridge is “Dead”. This is untrue. Since the cartridge is based on the .40 S&W, you can convert most any .40 cal pistol to a .357 with a simple barrel swap, and new and used .40s are out there in the wild on gun store shelves just waiting to be picked up. And you’re going to find these lonely pistols rather well discounted. MidwayUSA or Brownells, Inc. or Lone Wolf Distributors will probably have a barrel for that pistol, in .357, and they can mail that directly to your door.

5. Ammo can be found online as well, through reputable dealers, and that too can be shipped directly to your door. So there is no problem finding this stuff. Balance of Power and Capacity: While it carries slightly fewer rounds than 9mm in similar-sized magazines, the .357 SIG offers a better balance of power per shot compared to 9mm and similar capacity to .40 S&W, making it a practical choice for those prioritizing terminal performance over maximum round count.

Drawbacks: Higher recoil and cost are the downsides. However, modern training mitigates recoil management issues, and the cartridge’s performance justifies the cost for users prioritizing effectiveness over economy. It’s more expensive than 9mm to be sure. But that’s due to the Economy of Scale, it is the same as with .45. Fewer people are buying .357 SIG and that means factories are producing less of it. The upshot, in the last 3 Ammo Runs, where people are panic buying and emptying shelves… .357 SIG is one of the last pistol calibers to be snatched up. So you got that going for you.
The other drawback to the .357 SIG is that it is a High Pressure Round. It’s loud. It’s going to hurt your ears. You want to put your Ear Pro with the Gun in your Go Bag or in your Night Stand Safe. It’s unpleasant to shoot. It’s not a FUN cartridge. It’s not one to pass around on Range Day. This is a cartridge to get things done with.

.357 SIG is not Dead. It’s just Underappreciated.

Uncategorized

My Dad passed away.

9 Comments

Last Week on Tuesday, I watched my father die. My brother Josh was there, as was Dad’s wife, Joyce. We were standing around his bed as the Hospital Staff unplugged his life support. The previous Thursday Morning, he had a massive heart attack and stopped breathing. But they managed to get his heart restarted but he had been without oxygen to his brain for about five minutes. He was in a coma since the heart attack.

We held on to hope that he would recover. That he would wake up. An MRI scan was done and it showed a glimmer of hope, initially… But then a neurologist took a look at it and determined that the damage was severe throughout all of the brain.

We all knew Dad didn’t want to live like this. He had a DNR on file… that the hospital wasn’t aware of initially… And we knew his chances were almost zero, and it turns out to have been exactly zero. We didn’t know what would happen once we pulled the life support… He his body could kick in and he’d live. Or he would expire… Doctors said it could be five minutes or five days… In God’s mercy, it was only about 1 minute. His body gasped for air for awhile and then the gasps came fewer and fewer until it all stopped.

In the very moment of his passing… He smiled. Just before he went slack. I believe it’s because he saw his Father, his Mother, his brother Bruce, and my brother Zach.

I’m grateful for these last few years I had with him… Because we had always had a rocky relationship and I had learned a great deal about him that I didn’t know. This knowledge became an understanding of the reality of things that he had always kept away from me and my brothers. All the pieces came together and the picture it made was one of a man that sacrificed so much for us. For me. I didn’t know how much he loved me until the end. I had no idea. I miss him terribly.

Uncategorized, Weapons

The Misunderstood Scout

9 Comments

The most misunderstood rifle IN THE WORLD is the Scout Rifle.

Jeff Cooper came up with the concept of a light weight, general purpose rifle, of midrange caliber that’s capable of handling threats and big game and anything else you need a rifle for. Light weight was the most important aspect of the rifle so that you could throw if over your shoulder on the sling and just have it on you. Understand, at the time, Cooper had spent a lifetime in the Marines, Hunting in Africa, and racing Porsches like a Sir. He was a man out of his own time. A throwback to days gone by. But his Scout Rifle concept was actually just as sound then, as it is now.

It’s the rifle you have on you. The rifle that you grab when the horses are spooked and you don’t know what’s out there. It’s the rifle you can defend your homestead with and put meat on the table with. There is nothing about this that is outdated or old fashioned. People get far too hung up on the Long Eye Relief Scope as part of his concept. The purpose of this, was that the rifle could be brought up from a low ready, and get on target in a snap. At the time, there was no a lot of options in the optics world and there was no such thing as the LPVO scope. If Jeff was still with us, his Scout concept would undoubtedly include an LPVO.

I had dinner with Col Cooper, with my wife and Jeff’s daughter was there as others. It was an amazing meal and Jeff sat at the head of the table like the Duke of Awesomeness. Absolutely Majestic with his walking stick with the head of a silver Water Buffalo. At the time, the Steyr was still brand new and we discussed at some length the whole Scout Concept. Jeff liked the Steyr “Schtire” Scout well enough, but he acknowledged the shortcomings of the S.S as produced. He had some other ideas about the Scout and some things he would liked to have seen that Steyr didn’t do.

One thing, Jeff insisted that a Scout Rifle would have a Sling and if it didn’t have one, it wasn’t really a Scout. A Scout could have just iron sights, if the Shooter was sharp-eyed enough and skilled on the use of Irons. The Caliber could handle the problems you were likely to encounter, and he considered .308 to be a good choice. Because that round is good enough, and is readily available where Ammunition is sold. Wildcats miss the whole point entirely, he said. (Summation, not quotation)

There’s one other detail that everyone misses because it wasn’t talked about, but Jeff strongly recommended, Controlled Round Feed. So a Mauser, Winchester, Ruger type action and not something like the Remington 700 which doesn’t have a Controlled Round Feed. All in all, the rifle, with a loaded magazine and optic needs to be 7 Pounds or Less. Less is preferable. As light as you can get. That way you don’t leave it in the truck when it should be on your shoulder. Because that’s what the Scout is all about.

Uncategorized

Doris seems nice

5 Comments

It’s been some time since I got a Hate Post on MadOgre.com. This one made me laugh. Shame people like this never use their real info when they do this. I’d really like to have a reasonable conversation. But I can just imagine the bright green, half-shaved hair and horn-rimmed glasses… so… Being able to be reasonable on any level is probably not something he can do. This is the only kind of discourse the Letists are only capable of these days.

Uncategorized

Ruger SFAR a .308 AR-15?

7 Comments

Ruger SFAR .308, topped with the Primary Arms SLx 3x MicroPrism. It’s hard to really wrap your head around just what the SFAR is. It’s an AR-15… It’s the size of an AR-15, and it’s the weight of an AR-15. But it’s not really an AR-15, because it’s chambered in .308. And as everyone knows, that would make this an AR-10. But it’s not an AR-10. At all. It’s a solid two POUNDS lighter than an AR-10. It’s smaller than an AR-10… it’s NOT – at all – an AR-10. So what is this thing? It’s the SFAR. *shrug* it is what it is… A .308 AR-15.

How did Ruger do this? Most all the small parts are all AR-15 parts. The difference is that you have the longer Magwell to fit AR-10 Magazines… Slightly longer receiver. And the BCG is bigger… About halfway between a 15’s BCG and a 10’s… It’s the only real unique parts group.

Even fully loaded, you can feel that the rifle is much lighter, and balances much better than any AR-10. Now, that would normally mean you are going to suffer from ferocious recoil. But thankfully, shooting the SFAR is actually pleasant if you are at an outdoor range. This is thanks to the extremely effective Muzzle Brake. It looks like it’s right off a WWII Hellcat Tank Destroyer… And if you are standing to the side of one being fired – it’s going to feel like that. But to the shooter, it’s just fun.

Everything on the SFAR is selected and designed to be light. The highly skeletonized handguards up front, and the Magpul SL stock at the back. Everything on it feels good, and I feel no need to change anything. The MOE grip even feels great, though it’s not my first choice. I’d rather have the Ergo rubberized grip, but not enough to bother spending the bucks and swapping it out. Anything else would probably just add weight and not add any tangibly better results. To complement the Light Weight and Simple approach to things that this rifle offers, the Optic I selected was the Primary Arms SLx 3x Micro Prism optic. It’s a very solid, compact little scope with a modest 3 Power magnification, etched reticle, with battery power illumination when needed. When I looked through it for the first time, I was highly impressed with the quality that exceeds the price. Think of it like a Compact and Light Weight ACOG for a fraction of the price. I had initially been thinking of doing a LPVO, but to get a good one, the price would have been at least 3 times the price of this one. And it would have added bulk and weight without advantages enough to offset those liabilities.