One of These is not Like the Other!

So while at the National Corvette Museum I noticed oh seven or so new ones in the lobby roped off. I did not get it until I got to the front of one and it said this car was to be delivered to such and such and so and so today. It is an option code and for a K, you can get your new ride delivered to the museum from the assembly plant across the street. You get VIP passes and all of the fluff. I'll admit I applauded when I watched Mr. and Mrs. SWPL drive out of the lobby. Well Mr. rode and museum staff drove it out of the building. If you are plunking down 60K or so, I will applaud ya!

It seems to be a big deal as I watched this as I was leaving. New Vette's being delivered for the delivery option.

Training Sir!

What kind of training? Fire Alarm! Whole lot of beeping in this room today =)

Ya know.....

This is not a good sign! For what this room is costing ya think they could have invested in some insulation or something......

That was a drive!

But I am in close proximity to Indy! This photo shows actual running time of the car. I think it does. I have never chucked a photo from the camera to the tablet and then stuffed onto Blogger =)

See y'all later today!

Gunney Summer on the Road!

Got an email from the CMP today. Last November I and a friend tried to register for a M1 Garand Advanced Maintenance Class. I and my friend Murph were put on the waiting list. 

I'm in! Hope Murph can make it in too. 

The Legend of the Dogwood

The weekend has been a perfect allegory of what this weekend means spiritually. After two days of chilly solid rain amounting to over two inches worth today broke clear and warm.  

The previous owners of this house planted an abundance of trees and flowers that after being dormant over the winter have exploded into breathtaking beauty with new life. 

This is one of seven Dogwoods planted here. I present the Legend of the Dogwood:

At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had reached the size of the mighty oak tree. So strong and firm was the wood that it was chosen as the timber for Jesus' cross.
     To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the dogwood. While nailed upon it, Jesus sensed this, and in his compassion said. "Because of your pity for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross–two long and two short petals.
     "In the center of the outer edge of each petal will be the print of nails. In the center of the flower, stained with blood, will be a crown of thorns so that all who see it will remember."

 























I hope you and yours have a Happy Easter. 

Happy Birthday Mustang!

The 1965 Mustang was introduced to the "motoring public" on April 17, 1964. Happy Birthday to the Pony car!



Oh, there are a couple around here. 

So A Friend Showed Up at a Museum.

One of my Blog Mothers went to Grissom Air Museum and posted a lot of great pics of old hardware. She had a picture of the B-58 Hustler, one of the Strategic Air Commands aircraft designed to drop nukes on the commies during the height of the Cold War. There is another one of those at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It was Wright Patterson Air Force base back in the day. 

I had to dig a photo out from 1976 of an XB-70 Valkyrie there.

Sorry for the photo quality, the Kodak 110 Instamatic did the best it could. 

So I also have to present this. The visitor map for Seymour Johnson AFB from the mid seventies. It was a SAC base. Back then it was pretty straightforward. KC-135 Stratotanker's, F-4 fighters, and B-52 bombers. 

It looked like this:

Oh, thanks to her for pointing out the Douglas X-3 Stiletto behind this handsome dude!

 
  

   .

Things

My friend Brigid continues to post heartfelt moving posts. She talks of things and the people around them. The stories and the craftsmanship of those that made the objects and those that use them. The fact it is not the new shiny thing but something tested with time resonates in her post. That moved me. 

Sure, there are many things here. A new tablet, something to do my job with. A new car? Sure. I doubt though that any of these things will have someone 50 years from now really interested in them.

Tomorrow is Concealed Carry Handgun class. I always take this.

This is the only Pistol I have that the entire classroom can hear when it comes off of reset. Yes, you can hear it! I love this big honking 3rd generation S&W 4006 autoloader. Not so much for what it is but for where it came from. An old and dear friend In the mountains of Southwestern Virgina. A accomplished shooter, reloader, and rifle guy. He is pushing 80 now. Everything he is selling as he knows his body is failing him now. 

So glad to have this thing, a direct connection to him. I have the stories and over a quarter of century and the pleasure of his company. 

It is a thing though. At the very basic level something to be bought and sold. To me it means much more because I know where it came from and I need to travel to Southwest VA soon to see him again. Soon. Time is unyielding and harsh. 

This?

  





























Again a thing. A radio I played with at my Grandparents house. It did not work then, replaced by the new Television media. It was kept though and I understand that. In the day this 1947 model Firestone radio was the modern equivalent of a home entertainment center. A huge investment in the day for a cotton mill worker. Again, a pedestrian radio yet not so much to me. I have a connection to it spanning my lifetime.

Pick your things well. What must you have to move effectively through this life now, what things motivate you? What has permanence? Know the difference. 

Any Old School Dodge Fans Here?

So while watching the precursor to "COPS" tonight I stumble across this:

 Sorry for the quality of the photo. It was taken from a still of "Dragnet 1970" from the TV. I know the Caddy on the left was a '67 or so. There is a De Ville convertible here that is pretty close to that. Can anyone tell me about the Dodge on the right?




 

How fast was that going?

A friend wanted to see how his 9mm reloads were running at 3.9 grains of Titegroup powder with 124 Gn bullets. I brought this to the range:

A Competition Electronics Chronograph. Here are the results:

 Last round was a Speer Personal Defense round for comparison. 

Interesting spread. The pistol ran fine but occasionally would not go to slide stop. He's going to bump it up a tenth of a grain and we will repeat.

Marketing I can agree with!

I stop by the range today and find this:

I approve. 

 
Excellent! Great marketing that also points out that shooting target rounds may be vastly different in your firearm than shooting +P or +P+ rounds. 

I don't know why Dillion still sends me the magazine. I have a Hornady press =)

Hey! FTC I paid for everything here. Thank you very much! 

Sometimes the Techobabble is Worth the Effort!

Random tech notes from the past couple of days. Although I grumble about the ministrations to make all the tech stuff work, sometimes favor can be found. 

Take this for example.  A fellow Blogger went to a concert last night and posted a link to a youtube video of one of the songs by the band. I listened to it at *ahem* work and heard it through the really crap speakers and monitor there. 

I came home and searched for the link on my PC to send to my TV and home audio system. I was rewarded via Wi-Fi connection of the TV by this:

  













Although the audio was compressed, it was good enough after running through the receiver's gentle algorithms for restoration. A bit better than RIAA equalization  as a matter of fact. Good enough means that. Not as good as the CD or *gasp* vinyl it did rock the house though. 

Then this. 

  















Gismo on the right is the at&t Wireless Home Phone thingy. After dealing with the local Telco last year, this was painless. 

I have my problems with at&t. 

GameTrailers
Get More: Comedy Central

They got this right though. Porting the number? Done. Two day delivery of the gismo and simple activation? Done. 

 Don't get me wrong. I still like old school!

 








Just nice to see all the happy shiny stuff work for a moment.

Hmm.... uh, technology!

Because I have a deep loathing for large monopolistic entities I have decided to switch from one to the other. TWC/Comcast has my primary phone service here at stately manor with a VOIP modem. 50 bucks American a month. 

AT&T at&t sent me a letter offering this:

What is it? A Cell phone disguised as home phone service. At 20 bucks American a month I thought I would give it a try. The hardware has shipped, lets see if porting the number over from TWC goes as smooth. I'm thinking not. at&t did not ask for third party verification for the port. 

As with all such matters if all goes by the book, its swell. Any deviation and I stand a good chance of loosing service for a bit of time.