Zeroing the AR

Alex and I went out to Quail Creek Range to zero a couple rifles in. I finally got time to run some rounds down the new AR and he had a .22 which he needed to sight a newly attached scope.

We should have called the day the Quail Creek Mud Bowl as the overnight rain turned most of the range into a quagmire. It was fun slipping and sliding every time we went down to change targets!

Back to the subject of this post… Stag claimed it was zeroed from the factory, and the 25 yard range showed that to be close to the case, but it did need a bit of windage adjustment. After we got it dialed in we moved on to the 100 yard range for some real testing. Elevation was spot on, and after a few more tweaks of the windage adjuster and I’m down to 1 to 1.5″ groups. Not too shabby for factory ammo on a brand spanking new rifle.

The first bit of upgrading I’m going to do is a trigger job. The trigger is a bit rough, with a strong pull and a sharp break. I’m going to pull the trigger group before I go up to Illinois for Christmas and send it off to be polished. It’ll be back by the time I am and then I’ll re-install and test. Look for a report then…

Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving Day, which is probably the closest we’ll get to the quintessential American holiday. I know Independence Day sounds like it, but we really can’t stake claim on that one since we don’t hold a unique claim on a struggle for independence from some other king, ruler, or lord. Today we give thanks for all which our Creator has, through His grace, granted to us.

As citizens of The United States of America we are blessed to enjoy the standard of living we do, and to have the opportunities, both globally and locally, that we do.

While you’re noshing down on turkey, stuffing, and the various sundries associated with today’s meal, take some time to give thanks for what you, through the grace of God, have been given.

And as tomorrow, in our secular world, starts the orgy of capitalism leading up to the now mostly secular Christmas holiday, take some time from your excess to think of those who aren’t so lucky. Just in case you need some suggestions, try your local food bank, the Salvation Army’s angel trees, the Red Cross, or your local homeless or battered women’s shelters.

Do something good with some of what God has provided, your spouses, significant others, children, parents, and friends shouldn’t think worse of you. If they do, maybe you should address that…

Brewing Beer Again

The kegs are running low and that’s a very bad thing, so I kicked off another batch of beer today. It’s my 50 wt. wheat, but I did some changes to the procedure. First, the hops were 6.3% AA instead of 6.9% so I boosted it from 2.5 oz. to 3. And then second, instead of adding the honey at the beginning of the boil I added it with about 2 minutes left. A taste test after bringing the total volume up to 5.25 gallons shows that there’s still a little honey taste in there, so I have high hopes that this one will turn out well. I’ll know in a couple weeks…

Dragonforce Concert

As a last minute treat for passing the RHCE, I picked up a ticket to the Dragonforce concert at the House of Blues – Dallas. First off, riding a motorcycle down there, even having to deal with the I-35 traffic, was a great choice. Parking was easy and I got out even before the first few valet cars were back.

The show was good, and the opening acts were really eclectic. The first one was a band called Powerglove, a video game metal band. Fun, not bad music, but definitely odd. The second act was Turisas, a Finnish viking metal band. Definitely fun to listen to. Good music, interesting lyrics, and just in general good. I probably wouldn’t go to see them as the headliner, but I wouldn’t bail if they’re an opening act again.

As for the headlining act, they kicked ass, plain and simple. Dragonforce rocks. I really missed good speed metal, guitars in chorus, and great lyrics which actually make sense. If you get a chance to check them out, do it! If all you’ve heard is their track in Guitar Hero III, you’re missing out on a lot more metal goodness! They were really in to the crowd, not just there to go through a set list and move on to the next gig. I just can’t say enough good about there.

Donated Blood Again

I went back to Carter Blood Care for my next donation this evening and it went a lot better than the first time. But then again, I had a big dinner of pasta and a lot of sweet tea before I went in. One little bout of lightheadedness, but other than that just fine. It looks like the next one will be some time in January…

Took The RHCE Exam Today

And all I can say is “wow!”. That had to be the toughest exam I’ve ever taken. I’m definitely not going to discuss any specifics, but suffice it to say that, other than some really wacky stuff that’s blown up at work, I can’t recall being that challenged in a while.

Now I’m just waiting for the results…

Hollywood Is So Out Of Ideas

Ok, I’m a little biased because I used to be in the cast, but apparently MTV is talking about remaking The Rocky Horror Picture Show. With new songs.

Seriously Hollywood, what’s going on in those coke addled brains of yours?

The original’s a classic precisely because of it’s shortcomings, it’s something which should be left alone to keep being the longest running theatrical release. You don’t need to “improve” it. It’s fine the way it is.

But then again, you talentless hacks, you’re no better than Disney, churning out direct-to-video sequels to movies which should have been left alone simply because it’s cheaper than taking a Peter Jackson-esque risk on something new.

Try spending a little time on finding the next 2001, Blade Runner, Ghost, Unforgiven, etc. instead of doing something which has already been done.

Alien Emergencies

My godfather gave me this one, it’s the first of James White’s Sector General series of stories which I’ve had the pleasure of reading. This book’s not a collection of not novels, but more a collection of short and medium length stories. He’s definitely got an ability to describe extraterrestrial species and how they might interact with humans and other species. It’s definitely not Star Trek, where everyone gets along and understands each others intentions. There’s misunderstandings, differences in approaches to situations, outlooks on life, disease, and death. All of the stories are centered around Sector General, a vast interspecies hospital and the doctors, nurses, and other specialists who treat the various injuries and illnesses of the different species. There are also plenty of first contact situations as well. I’m going to be watching out for more collections of these stories because they’re just too much fun to read.