M taking a Grinder to my old chain. I was skeered to do it. No going back from this. You hit your chain with a grinder – you put on a new chain before you throw a leg over it. But M’s as good at Bike Work… and we got the new chain on just fine.
Well, the new chain for my motorcycle arrived. Holy cow…. The Gold Chain is a hell of a lot of BLING for me. What was I thinking? Oh well. We’ll put it on and see how it looks after 10,000 miles.
The new brake lever I ordered was silver. The one that arrived though… Black. I was going to send it back… but I went ahead and put it on. Looks sharp. I think I’ll order a black clutch lever too.
I find it interesting that the term used for flip flopping positions is “evolution”. Especially in the Gay Marriage issue. Evolution being an argument over Creationism pitting Science against Religion… And the whole Nature vs Nurture argument about homosexuality.
So essentially what the POTUS did was to make a solid stand on side of the fence over the other on an issue that is very divisive. States are voting against Gay Marriage… California did twice, as did North Caroline recently… Yet the POTUS is coming down hard for it. This isn’t surprising because of two reasons… He’s far to the Left and the Left loves this stuff and there is the rumors that the POTUS himself has homosexual tendencies. Evidence – the bike he peddles. But really the big “No Shocker” here is that this is a Big Government move. This is a path to take another decision out of the States. Carving anything out of States Rights is going to be – of course – the way Big Government is going to go. This isn’t about Gay Marriage… this is about States Rights. According to the Constitution, this issue is a State issue, not a Fed issue. And the POTUS just made it Federal. Expect to see the wedding announcements in your local papers next year.
What is my position on the issue? I’m very Libertarian on this. A. I don’t care. B. It’s not my business. C. Who the hell am I to say who someone can or can’t love? This isn’t advocating or accepting… it’s tolerating. Now, this position of National Acceptance of “What Consenting Adults want to do” opens the door. Polygamy is an issue that comes after Gay Marriage… and this is an entertaining one at that considering that this topic will come up and it will be asked of Mitt Romney – A Practicing Mormon. Mormons of course are Famous for the early church history of practicing polygamy which was later abolished. But that’s a whole other topic. Expect Mitt to fidget on that issue probably soon.
Let’s see… shopping list.
New chain. Current chain is past the “OMG you need to freaking replace this NOW!” point. I really don’t want to experience a 4th chain breakage. Those instances have a habit of putting me on the ground. So I got me a nice 530 O-Ring Chain that has some solid reviews for strength and longevity. I’ll need a hand putting it on. (Hint to M)
Oil filter. Past time to change it. I’ve never gone this long before without a change and its making me feel itchy. I am almost to the Recommended Miles for an Oil Change. *shudder* The oil is still pretty clean and same color as new oil, so I’m not worried… but I want to change it soon. I’ll sleep better.
New brake lever. When I dumped it shortly after my second concussion, it bent my brake lever to hell. It’s harder to reach and because of the angle, when I pull it in, it does so with no feel and too much “grab”. This makes braking… not so smooth.
And I finally ordered some luggage for the Superhawk. A tank bag. After spending a couple hours reviewing tank bags and taking everything into consideration for size, style, and how I’m going to use it… I selected the Joe Rocket Manta XL which seems to be just about right for my needs for an Over-Nighter in SLC or a couple days worth of Road Tripping with the additional use of a Backpack. And the price was right.
Once I get this stuff in and the chain and lever on… I’ll be ready to go the distance.
Oh, and I welcomed a few new additions to the “ATTACK MODE” Play List.
Rob Zombie’s “WHAT”, “SUPERBEAST”, and “DEMONOID PHENOMENOM” and Prodigy’s “OMEN”.
Still love the 1911. In fact, this one particular handgun is probably my favorite pistol in the world. I brings joy and comfort to me when I just look at it… Warm fuzzies when I hold it… Bliss when I shoot it. As is… no modifications. Just Use and Care and a bit of some Slipstream. It runs very well when I use good magazines and shoot Ball ammo.
As much as I am fond of this gun… I do not consider it to be one of my Fighting Guns. One of the guns that would be used should there be an unwanted/unexpected bump in the night. I was issued a gun exactly like this one… it said Colt on it though. But the feel, the weight, the wear marks… Fond memories of a time when I was lighter, faster, and younger. But I’m wiser, and better looking now. I still respect the 1911 and it’s History. It still has a place in my heart, and it always will. When I was on the ground and someone was aiming a weapon at me… it was a 1911 in my hand that stopped what could have come next.
While the 1911 was an epoch moment in handgunning, my chosen handgun is the second epoch… The Glock. It’s an evolutionary leap, as was the 1911 when it was adopted by the US Army. I very much look forward to the next leap forward.
I liked it and I didn’t like it. First off, let me go over what I didn’t like…
I hated the stupid flying aircraft carrier that turns invisible. Okay, the Carrier was cool to a point… that point being right up till the moment it started to lift off up out of the water. That suspension of disbelief request by the film makers was just too much. Then on top of it… it can go invisible. No… I don’t think so. You have all this great technology but still can get shrapnel out of Tony Stark’s chest? Really?
The huge amount of CGI with so much crap happening on the screen all at the same time… it gives me a headache. This is one of the reasons I didn’t like GI Joe and it looks like the same people that did that did this.
But what I liked – Joss Whedon’s script. The dialog and the way he wrote the interaction between the characters was absolutely brilliant. You have Super Heroes here, which requires a lot of suspension of disbelief already, but you have dialog that makes them human and makes them real.
I also liked how you have these super heroes with earth-bending powers… and a chick with a pair of Glock’s can keep up. In her tight black cat-suit. Wish her hair was longer like in the last Iron Man, but still. I liked Hawkeye too. The actor, the lack of high collars and capes on him… I liked that. The Arrow Head selecting quiver was a bit much… but it was still good.
I have to agree with our friend Rob Pincus. Rob is one of the most active trainers in the Gun World. He’s always on a range. And he’s describing exactly what I’ve been seeing as well.
I’ve only had and seen good results with small 1911’s from two sources. SIG and Detonics. None of the others have run properly. I don’t know exactly why that is as I am not a Mechanical Engineer. I’m a Low Brow Knuckle Dragging Gunslinger… I know what works and what doesn’t. I’ve seen more failure to function with 1911’s than any other handgun type. In fact, I’ve only seen one 1911 run through a course without a failure. That was an STI in 9mm run by our friend Larry Correia. His “Cheater Heater”. Anyways, back to the caution on these Ultra Compacts. Be careful with them. Find loads that run in your pistol. Lubricate them with Slipstream Weapon Lubricant. Find how many rounds you can go through before the gun starts acting up and needs to be cleaned again. If your gun is not reliable – then for the love of all that is good in the world… Don’t use it for defense. Just Don’t. To do so would be to make a Jump with a Chute packed by the kid that takes out the trash at Wendy’s. Not Bright. If you have an Ultra and you like it… and it isn’t quite reliable. Have a Gunsmith go through it and tune it up.
Your backpack is full of all the essentials. Your party is outside waiting for you. You have a long walk ahead. You open your Arms Locker… It is full of your life’s collection… all your favorites… with magazines and ammo to spare. But you can only pick one, because you are going to have to carry it a very long way.
You don’t know what you will face… but you know that out there… outside the borders of The Shire… are dark horrible things and you could run into some or all of them. Orcs, Trolls, Uruk-hai, Dunlendings, Goblins, Olog-hai, Easterlings, Wights, Wargs, Ring Wraiths, Nazgul, Skin-Changers, Giants, perhaps a Dragon and Balrog (with wings… because freaking Balrogs have wings, damnit), and if you are unlucky… a Tom Bombadil .
You reach in, grab the gun and head out.
What was it that you grabbed?
This was a question asked in the very early days of TheFiringLine.com… I remember it well because I thought about it a lot before I answered, and I have thought about it still since then. My answer at the time was a Krinkov. Smallish, Lightish, but reliable and potent. I think it was a good answer then. I think it’s a good answer still.
I became confused when I heard the word “Service” used with these agencies:
Internal Revenue ‘Service’
U.S. Postal ‘Service’
Telephone ‘Service’
Cable TV ‘Service’
Civil ‘Service’
State, City, County & Public ‘Service’
Customer ‘Service’
This is not what I thought ‘Service’ meant.
But today, I overheard two farmers talking, and one of them said he had hired a bull to ‘Service’ a few cows.
Took my soldering iron and sharped the tip to needle sharpness.
