MacGyver

We've been experiencing some intermittent DDOS attacks over the last few days.

If we wanted secure airlines, we would let the airlines run their own security and suffer market consequences for any failures. Of course, we're not really about free markets or consequences anymore. The airline industry as we know it would have ceased to exist after September 11 had the government not come to their rescue and propped them up. By accepting that bailout, the major carriers are really in no position to whine about the TSA, much less hold the accountable. And, that is a shame. The TSA is nothing more than a government jobs program with a whitewashing of "security" to pacify the masses. You could rip 100% of that junk out of the airports tomorrow and be just as safe on your next flight. September 11 changed the paradigm. You'll never see a hijacking like that again, because the next time someone tries it, they'll be beaten to death by the passengers. There's no down side to risking your life interdicting a hijacker if they're planning to kill everyone anyway. If the government feels like they need to give these people jobs, fine. But, recognize it for what it is. Don't try to make me feel more secure. I know better.

If you're going to do one, you need to collect them all. Don't forget the 338 Spectre.

From the best speech he ever gave.  Some words that comforted me in the days after September 11 and that I carry as a remembrance to this day.  From one of our underratted theologians, George W. Bush   our wounds as a people are recent and unhealed and lead us to pray. In many of our prayers this week, there is a searching and an honesty. At St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on Tuesday, a woman said, "I prayed to God to give us a sign that He is still here." Others have prayed for the same, searching hospital to hospital, carrying pictures of those still missing.   God's signs are not always the ones we look for. We learn in tragedy that his purposes are not always our own. Yet, the prayers of private suffering, whether in our homes or in this great cathedral, are known and heard and understood.   There are prayers that help us last through the day or endure the night. There are prayers of friends and strangers that give us strength for the journey. And there are prayers that yield our will to a will greater than our own.   This world He created is of moral design. Grief and tragedy and hatred are only for a time. Goodness, remembrance, and love have no end. And the Lord of life holds all who die and all who mourn.   ...   America is a nation full of good fortune, with so much to be grateful for. But we are not spared from suffering. In every generation, the world has produced enemies of human freedom. They have attacked America because we are freedom's home and defender. And the commitment of our fathers is now the calling of our time.   On this National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, we ask Almighty God to watch over our Nation and grant us patience and resolve in all that is to come. We pray that He will comfort and console those who now walk in sorrow. We thank Him for each life we now must mourn and the promise of a life to come.   As we have been assured, neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, can separate us from God's love.    May He bless the souls of the departed. May He comfort our own, and may He always guide our country.

You know, I'm kind of have the opinion that with kids joking around, payback should be creative and in kind.  Paintball claymore, tripwire with fireworks, some combination of above...

Nice to have you hear, Justin.  Welcome aboard!

That's a great looking truck! The first truck I ever bought was a 1977 FJ40.

My favorite quote from the opinion was, " " A man's home may be his castle, but when he goes out, the Constitution goes with him."

The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto is one of the best editorial voices out there today.  He's got some good analysis of Moore vs. Madigan in his piece yesterday:   http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323981504578175511801541922.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLETopOpinion

I just recently bundled internet/phone/tv with AT&T Uverse.  We've been pleased with the service/speed.  Paying about $100/month less than we were paying for everything separate from multiple carriers.   I will say that everything else aside, the UVerse equipment is at least a couple of generations ahead of what we had with Comcast.

Trijicons contain the radioactive hydrogen isotrope, Tritium.  The radiation emitted from the gas causes a phosphor coating inside the tubes to glow.  They glow via their own power for about 15 years.

There are some great 1911 makers out there, and the Hero 1911 will shoot with the best of them.  I will argue that you will not find better customer service from any of them.  Jeff is absolutely top notch.  He will go above and beyond to make sure you get exactly the pistol you want.   And, you're supporting a Tennessee business. 

That is a sweet setup!

I'm happy to send you mine and let you check it out. They're pretty sweet. Dirty water + rock salt = your own miniature commercial water treatment plant. The SteriPens work well, too. I find it hard to trust a simple light, but they work great.

The goal zero chargers are nice. REI occasionally runs some pretty good deals on their stuff. I used to be an all AA guy, too. But, I had to break with that a couple of years ago when I started running a MIOX purifier thar required CR123s. It was a big enough feature advantage to get me to start working some other stuff in. That switch opened me up to better lights, and there was no going back. Any solar charger of decent quality ought to be able to recharge AAAs, too. I say that to say, don't count the Tikka XP2 out before you try one. It's noticeably lighter on your head, and seems brighter than the 2xAA models I've used.

[quote name='mikegideon' timestamp='1355166108' post='857939'] Has more to do with the Saami spec and the Freedom Group's money. Just interesting that they could take a wildcat and turn it into a legitimate caliber so quickly. I wish they would do the same with .458 SOCOM. Cool name too... still a wildcat. [/quote] Agreed...

I think the [url="http://www.rei.com/product/829554/petzl-tikka-xp-2-headlamp"]Petzl Tikka XP 2[/url] is the best headlamp on the market today. That said, it's 3 AAA, which you don't want. If I were going to buy a AA headlamp, I'd go with the [url="http://www.rei.com/product/837874/petzl-pixa-3-pro-headlamp"]Petzl Pixa 3 Pro[/url]. It's one of the only AA models on the market that doesn't have a require a separate battery pack (which is why most manufacturers went to AAA).

I dispose of all my live ammunition through the barrel - the way the good Lord told John Moses Browning it should be done.

[quote name='Slasher' timestamp='1354904447' post='856543'] I got on the Ring Central site and it looked like all of their plans are either Office or Professional, pretty much business centric. Was I looking at the wrong site? [/quote]That's a good question. Maybe they've changed it since we signed up. Nonetheless, the "professional" option for $9.99/month with 300 minutes of long distance and a fax would suit me fine for home, too.

Vonage, Ring Central and all of the others out there are required to have 911 capability. You register a street address as a part of the service. We used Vonage for several years, and have used Ring Central for the last couple of years. No real difference in the quality of service, Ring Central was just a lot less expensive. I think we pay around $14/month for the service that includes all the features and 1000 or so minutes of long distance. The historical "reliability" of the POTS lines is probably moot for most people who have cell phones. If your internet goes out and takes your phone with it, most just switch to using their mobile. Plus, with the decimation of the telecommunications industry over the last decade, I wouldn't put that much stock in the POTS lines being available in emergencies anymore. All the investment is going into mobile.

It's probably an emply gesture at this point, but I'm glad to see someone actually debating it.

I'm all for bringing the hogs back so that I don't have to go to Georgia, Alabama or Florida. Has anyone seen data on the current strategy? Or are we just pretending they're going to go away?

Oh, how sad! Was just listening some of his music on the way out of Atlanta today.

I've got one you can use.

Best sights on the market. Hands down.