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November 3, 2022 – ‘Tacticool’ Thursday

November 3, 2022 /

Now that I broke the seal on my hunting rifle with a new trigger, I got to thinking about another old rifle I have. It is a Remington 722 which is the precursor model to the 700 which puts it likely manufactured in the 1950’s. My dad bought it for my first hunting season, so I would have been 12 years old.

I was hunting with it 20 years ago or so and the swivel came off. I lost it on the gravel so I took it into a local gunsmith. He said that the original part could not be sourced. When I got the rifle back, the gunsmith said that I was lucky. Whoever cut the stock down was lucky that the remaining wood holding the back swivel in hadn’t already split. He moved both the front and back swivels.

My dad cut off some portion of the rear stock so that it was easier for a twelve year old to shoot. He also added a thick recoil pad as the original rubber was pretty cracked up. I have been thinking about giving that old rifle some new life with a upgraded, adult sized stock and a new trigger as well.

Gun fit makes a huge difference in the ability to be accurate. More so than that, it makes a night and day difference in handling recoil as well. I have a youth sized 20 gauge shotgun that just punishes me because it is light and the length of pull is is about 2 inches too short. I wouldn’t let my kids shoot it because it gives terrible bruising to me.

Length of pull is the distance between the trigger and the end of the butt plate. The theory is that the more precise the fit, the better the shooter will be. As I was pricing out a new stock, there was five choices for length. That got me thinking about what length of pull on my other firearms. So, I did an experiment and took some measurements.

Here is what I found measuring various firearms I have.

  1. 14 1/2″
  2. 14″
  3. 12 3/4″
  4. 14 3/4″
  5. 13″
  6. 13 1/2″
  7. 13 3/4″

To my surprise, the cut down rifle is only half an inch shorter than my non-cut down rifle. The truth is, I really don’t need to do anything and it doesn’t feel awkwardly short or give me a recoil beat-down. In my head, I thought that the stock was cut down and so I need to fix that. But, even more surprising is that measurements are all over the map.

Here is another secret about length of pull. Depending on what you are doing, your length of pull can change. What do you mean you say? If you are all kitted up in rain gear and bulk out in the field, that adds girth to the gun fit. So, shooting in the summer with a t-shirt versus hunting elk in the snow is going to make a difference on how much distance is between the butt pad and the trigger.

For working firearms, length of pull is going to be a compromise between optimum seasonal use. Now that I know what I know, I am not sure that I am as worried about the stock being cut down as I was before I started this investigation. Maybe, I will just leave it alone. On the other hand, I have always wanted to build a custom-ish rifle.

End Your Programming Routine: In my opinion, length of pull is more critical with shotgun sports. You tend to shoot much more so you are more prone to recoil and consistency because you are moving and shooting. That being said, a stock that is significantly too short or long is also a problem. Fine gun stores, gunsmiths or shooting instructors can properly measure you for a definitive answer. Maybe I should shell out the money to get a proper measurement instead of guessing and wondering?

November 2, 2022 – Has Anyone Noticed a Siracha Shortage?

November 2, 2022 /

This feels like an investigative report. In our house, we have a ridiculous number of hot sauces in the refrigerator. Let me list them 1) Cholula 2) Valentina 3) Gochujang 4) Frank’s Red Hot 5) Siracha. We also have in the pantry 1) El Tapatio 2) habanero sauce from Mexico 3) more Cholula.

I first noticed a few months ago while I was re-stocking the pantry that there were only the small bottles at the grocery store. So, I bought two instead of the one bigger bottle. Since the summer, I started noticing that there was none on the shelves at times. It would be gone and then the small bottles would be back. Now, I look every time I go to any store and it is not in stock anywhere.

Apparently, it is true; there is a Siracha shortage. If you search the web, you will see the same news bulletin that said they stopped taking orders in June because of a global pepper shortage. They were not expecting to resume taking orders until September. Being that this is November, I imagine that it is going to take time to refill the supply chain. I would expect this shortage to last for some time.

When looking to find a replacement at a local grocery store, I found two new ones Tabasco brand and Sky Valley siracha sauce. We bought the latter. Sky Valley is a brand from the makers of Litehouse salad dressings. If it were strictly me, I would have bought the Tabasco brand but I think that my wife was afraid it would be too spicy.

I can respect a company the puts off profits at the expense of quality. However what may be the case is that this market is permanently cracked open for other players. We liked the Sky Valley. It seemed more balanced and complex, not just the in your face Siracha taste. I mean this is the purpose of hot sauce, to add another dimension to the overall profile. But, I could see this brand having more than a niche usage.

Apparently, the peppers for siracha come from Northern Mexico. The claim was that climate change was the reason the harvest was not as expected. I am not sure whether I am happy or sad that this Asian oriented ingredient is using Mexican ingredients. It may be that they happen to grow well in Mexico and the supply chain is simpler. I don’t know.

I really don’t like single use ingredients. I would really prefer something more versatile. The problem is no person can agree on Mexican/Asian/Cajun. Simply put, we have these different sauces because everyone wants something different, not just inventory simplicity. And, I am guilty of buying something like Gochujang because when I make something for the first time, I want to taste how it was intended to be made. Dont get me wrong, I don’t dislike Gochujang it is just that the flavor profile is not right for many things.

End Your Programming Routine: What I take away from this is that the global supply chain is perilous. Really, this is becoming all, too routine. This has to be a huge financial hit for Huy Fong Foods. Whether this leads to second sourcing or some way of cheapening the overall recipe, it is hard to tell. It has definitely opened the door for us to try the alternatives out there.

November 1, 2022 – Paella, You Can Do It

November 1, 2022 /

On our trip to Spain this year, we had Paella at least three different times. I was disappointed three times. To me, it was too fishy and in my book that is a sign of low quality ingredients. In the last two books we read, there was recipes for paella. So, for our monthly dinner, I decided that I wanted to fix my fishy thoughts.

I think what initially turns people off is that you are supposed to use a specific pan. That is the root of paella which means pan. I really don’t think it is required, but part of the dish is the layer of crusty rice on the bottom. The more that can be spread out, the more of it there is. We happen to know someone that had one we could borrow.

Most of the complications of making it comes from the number of ingredients and having your mis en place. A strict Valencian paella would be seafood only but there is a surprising number of variations that can be done. The keys are the rice and not stirring it in the pan. Here was my version (or really Aran Goyoga).

  1. chicken thighs
  2. onion
  3. garlic
  4. chicken broth
  5. saffron
  6. Arborio rice
  7. Spanish chorizo
  8. tomato
  9. green beans
  10. shrimp
  11. mussels
  12. clams
  13. lemon
  14. parsley

Start by browning the chicken, then the onion and garlic. Meanwhile, heat up the broth with saffron. Mix the chicken back in and add the green beans and chorizo. Then add the chicken back in and brown the rice. Pour the broth on top of all that and don’t touch.

Once the rice is mostly cooked, add the seafood and cover the pan with foil. Finally, garnish with lemon and parsley.

Now, this was something to look forward to.

End Your Programming Routine: It’s hard to really compare. It just may be that my taste are not acclimated to the same spectrum as Spanish people. I often find that the American interpretation is more to my liking than the original. For instance, I found pasta bland in Italy. It could also be that restaurants are almost always worse than when someone makes it. My point being, don’t be intimidated. You can do it.

October 31, 2022 – Zombie Hoards are on the Move

October 31, 2022 /

Happy Halloween. I thought we would intertwine so fun with some seriousness.

Every podcast I write the notes on the hosting source. I write a similar but more detailed post here. Then when things publish, I also push this out on MeWe with some marketing type comments. Something is not quite right because I should be doing this once rather than three different times. So, I am going to start thinking about ways to streamline this process a little better.

End Your Programming Routine: The programming here is that the Zombie Apocalyse is somehow different than an earthquake or flood. No one is ever going to be prepared for everything in a societal failure. So, we do the best we can and hope for the best.

October 29, 2022 – When Your Legacy is Conflict and Hurt

October 29, 2022 /

This is a special Saturday morning edition. I have some quiet time to really go deep into my thoughts. Two days ago, my mother-in-law passed away. It was sudden and it was unexpected although not surprising given that she had terminal cancer and was nearing the end. This event opened the door for people to behave poorly. Out of nowhere, I got a text message.

It is almost like, they bit their lip while she was alive because how they felt about the situation, not necessarily my mother-in-law. The ironic thing is that I prayed for all of those involved shortly before receiving this because I knew that there was hurt and pain.

I am not going to say that I am holier than thou, because I am not. There are certain people that I would like to punch in the face if I saw them on the street right now (figuratively). Then, I push my feelings to god and go about another couple of hours until the next wave comes again.

Yesterday morning, I was reading the news headlines. The implication of the article is that without moderation, there will be a lack of civility on Twitter. And to a large degree I believe that will be true. But, is it right? Do we have the right to be ignorant? Do we have the right to not be offended? Do we have the the responsibility to judge other’s intent simply for civility?

Despite all that has happened, I never have never thought that these people didn’t have the right to feel the way that they do nor speak their mind. I am not a proponent of hate speech but I am also not a proponent of censorship, even when it is threatening.

There is a saying that “your right to free speech ends at my nose”. This implies, say what you want but that doesn’t give you the right to do anything physical. I am self-aware. I already know that they do not want us around. The fact that I am unwilling to engage or give them an audience allows them to invent whatever fantasy fits their narrative.

Listening to the radio a couple of days ago, I was reminded of the nursery rhyme, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. We used to say that as kids in the 1980s. The truth is, words do hurt at least a little bit. A build up or barrage leads to self doubt or at the very least. Unfortunately, we have become a fragile society and want someone else to stop or filter what we don’t want to see or deal with.

What is truly sad is that rather than writing a memorial, my mother-in-law’s legacy is hurt, anger and conflict. People that think that they know the situation have no idea about our truth. Many people have done this exercise. It is the picture that either shows a young woman or an old woman (actually it shows both). This is literally the same picture and people immediately see one thing.

History is a set of facts written or interpreted with a biased perspective. It could be pioneers prospered in the west or it could be our society was wrecked and our land taken. Both are interpretations and presentation of the same set of facts. Of course I am upset about what has been said to my wife and her sister (and me). I also have to assume that I also do not know our aggressor’s set of facts or total intent. Just like I don’t appreciate being judged, I will refrain from doing the same thing any further.

I will say this: what I know as ‘facts’ are all first hand information. I was there and I was involved in the situation. That is my solace and truth.

End Your Programming Routine: I am not going to predict that things will not continue to be ugly. What I do believe is that people that react this viscerally to any situation will likely get redirected to the next shiny thing. With time and separation, it won’t be worth their effort. God, give me the strength to act in your image and represent my beliefs.

October 28, 2022 – Atlas Shrugged 2:7

October 28, 2022 /

If you pay attention to the title of each chapter, it kind of gives you insight into what the chapter is going to be about. This one is titled, “The Moratorium On Brains”. More on that in a minute.

The last chapter was titled “Miracle Metal” which was about forcing Reardon to give up his intellectual property. Reardon metal will be renamed Miracle metal. Makes sense. The chapter before that was titled “Account Overdrawn” which was the production threat that lead to the initiation of Directive 10-289. The next chapter is titled “By Our Love”… I wonder what that is going to be about?

As with all chapters in this long book, there are multiple things going on. The title of this chapter refers to the incident in the second half of the chapter. An entitled bureaucrat is travelling on a Taggart train to a political event. The train is stopped at a station in Winston, Colorado because of track conditions and derailment. The bureaucrat insists that this is some kind of political ploy and demands that the train continue.

Taggart employees afraid of changing rules, sliding scales of justice and unclear authority are afraid to do the right thing. Ultimately, the parties involved barrel to their death. Hence, some knew this was going to be the case, the others refused to believe that this was a real problem. Either way, the result was the same.

Normally, I would pick that part of the chapter to draw some analogy to current day issues. But, it is so easy to kill sitting ducks. That is why we have the phrase in the first place. Make no mistake, this is the major theme of the chapter. However, I am going to talk about the first part of the chapter instead.

We have heard a little about Ragnar Danneskjold. Apparently, he was a peer of Francisco D’Aconia in school and a general enigma. The word on the street is that he is also a fearless pirate. In this chapter Henry Reardon meets Danneskjold and it was rather interesting.

We grow up with the paradigm that the story of Robin Hood is just and correct. Danneskjold bills himself as the anti-Robin Hood. And his reason being is that we have our Overton Window in the wrong perspective. It’s not the rich stealing from the poor that is the problem, but the poor stealing from the rich.

Huh. I had never considered to perspective that the fairy tail is actually a classist agenda. I really think that there are points on both sides here. On one hand, there is no doubt that this country has a large welfare state. That is certainly stealing from the rich (the government that is). Does the rich actually steal from the poor?

I would contend, that both sides steal from the middle class. One, the middle class is the largest socioeconomic group. Two, the rich are the ones writing the rules (read loopholes) as well. They can afford to hire attorneys and accountants as well as build tax shelters on a routine basis. The poor of course have nothing to steal. The middle class has no time to fight, not enough assets to protect and not enough insight to know that they are getting screwed.

To make things worse, class warfare works perfectly. By keeping the middle class siding with one side or the other, they are so busy fighting in their hypnotic trance for the side they believe represents them that they are missing the fleecing that is happening.

For instance, the “Trump Tax Cut” that occurred in 2017. Without the SALT deduction (that was the deduction for mortgage interest), I now pay $10,000 a year more in federal income tax. I have heard business owners say that they now have a significant reduction in taxes (35 -> 21% on profits as well as a increased expensing allowances to lower profits). Nothing especially precludes me from becoming a business owner, but that doesn’t pivot on a dime. My point is, business owners are more likely to be high income earners, maybe rich. There are a lot more middle class home owners that fall into the strictly middle class ranges and the burden was shifted with that tax change.

End Your Programming Routine: I cannot be convinced that the rich do not pay their fair share. If we are only talking about income taxes maybe, but all the businesses certainly donate, pay, employ, etc. That is certainly fair share in my book. The truth of the matter is, as long as we all have equal access to take advantage of the rules, then who can really complain? Honestly, what I think the middle class needs to focus on is not getting rooked into picking a side when either choice looses.

October 27, 2022 – ‘Tacticool’ Thursday

October 27, 2022 /

Things aren’t always as they seem. I have switched pellets from Gamo to Crossman, most recently to use up a partial container. I sighted in my rifle and then I went on with my day. A couple of days later, I was shooting offhand and I saw that my group was terrible. I had been shooting offhand with the Gamo pellets within a 2 inch group, sometimes even within a quarter.

I am shooting offhand on purpose. This is training for hunting. Sure, if you can have a rest, then it is better, but most deer I have shot have been without any sort of rest. So, this is finding the scope, trigger control and breathing.

At first, I thought it was the pellets, so I shot on a rest again and I was getting quarter sized groups. Then I thought it was possibly my eye sight. The group above had one group (of five) with my glasses off and one group of five with my glasses on. They were not great so I decided to try this experiment again with deliberateness.

This time, whether glasses on or glasses off, the group was all together, so I decided to look deeper. I noticed that the scope had slid all the way back on the rings. When I went to loosen the hex screws, they were already loose.

I have heard that airguns are hell on scopes. Just this week, I also tightened up the metal to the stock. Now, the scope was loose. I am happy to say that things are back where they should be. This is the first ever recoil induced failure I have ever observed.

I am one of those fix it once, right kind of people. So far, I have only just re-set and tightened everything up. But without doing something different, this is going to happen again, so maybe I ought to use some blue Loctite.

End Your Programming Routine: As I said at the beginning, things aren’t always what they seem. I still believe that there is some more variability in the Crossman pellets. They do not seat tightly and my groups are more open than what I have been shooting with the Gamo pellets. That being said, my first clue should have been the adhesive pad backing out from under the scope mount. I didn’t know why that was happening, but now it seems like it was the scope moving.

October 26, 2022 – The One Thing That Didn’t Get Done This Season

October 26, 2022 /

The Fall has finally arrived. We had an extraordinary extended summer that lasted three weeks into October. I have never seen this before. The truth is I feel I was lucky to get more than the siding done in the first place. But, I had hope that I could squeeze in staining the deck railing in September.

Of course, some choices I made and compromises on other priorities effected my ability to squeeze it in. I choose to go to the range in September and October. My wife wanted new doors and a window installed. A lot got done, just not the railing. It’s one of those things that started with giving the wood a few weeks to dry out that turned into no time left to complete.

But, it’s OK. I don’t regret taking some time for what I want to do. It wasn’t worth arguing with my spouse on what she wanted done. What I am trying to say is that we all have things that didn’t get done. Hopefully, they are things that have justifiable reasons like mine.

I really didn’t think I was going to write this much on that situation. What I had intended to do was talk about water based vs. oil based stains. When it comes to decks or outdoor exposure, there are no winners here. No single coating type can withstand year over year water and traffic and look good. So, we need to accept the limitations and look at the pros and cons.

One choice to make is do nothing at all. In my area of the country, pressure treated wood is made out of hemlock, whereas a large area of the country pressure treated is southern yellow pine. The two are distinctly different in appearance, hemlock pressure treated wood is very rough due to the process. In my opinion, it is best left alone or treated with a solid stain or paint (more on that later). Woods like cedar and redwood weather gracefully and do not need protection to last for years.

Eventually, they will start to get rough as water raises the grain repeatedly. The use of stain will extend the life of the wood for much longer. So let us look at the two choices. Water based uses water as the carrier for the resin. Imagine millions of little balls floating around. As the water evaporates, the balls get closer and closer until they touch and eventually become one. This leads water based coatings to form a film.

With oil based, the resin is dissolved (not really, but close enough). This allows it to penetrate into the wood. As the solvent evaporates the resin sets with contact to oxygen which causes it to ‘harden up’. I am ignoring things like epoxy coatings and water based alkyds (alkyd is the type of polymer that is used in oil based) and all kinds of other technology like silicones (ABC’s Water Seal).

Film forming (water based) versus penetrating (oil based) are the largest performance differentiators. Film forming has the best overall durability and protection. The major downside is that once failed, recoating must be done with water based and my observation is that the films tend to peel. This causes recoating to be less than satisfactory.

Oil based tends to have significantly less durability. Typically I see one to three years maximum. The primary advantage is recoating is significantly easier because there is no peeling. I also think that oil looks the best. So, this is the solution that I chose.

Of course, I would be remised to not mention the clean-up aspect. There is no doubt in my mind that that I would have started and did a couple hours a day if I wasn’t afraid of the pain in the butt it is to clean oil based brushes and supplies. That is how I work primarily, finding full weekends is almost next to impossible. When I go to tackle this next year, I will just have to jump in and deal with the consequences.

I can’t recommend brands because I am not familiar with the choices. I did sit through some marketing oriented reviews and it seemed like there were some repeat brands that showed up. I would recommend seeking advice from a paint store rather than a box store or even contractors. I didn’t buy from my favorite paint store because consumer reports gave it terrible reviews so I went with a brand that came up as best in category in several different reviews.

Remember, price is an indicator of performance. $30/gallon has different expectations than $200/gallon in my book. Lastly, lumber from the lumber yard has about 20% moisture content unless it is pressure treated and then it is significantly more. It needs a few weeks to dry out for a proper application of coatings. Even though most films are breathable, meaning moisture can get out (as well as in; ever seen something painted and rotten at the same time?), you want the best mechanical bond you can get so the film doesn’t flake off. That doesn’t happen when something like water vapor is pushing the opposite direction or moving the grain underneath.

End Your Programming Routine: The solution here is complicated with no good choices. The truth is this is why I chose to use synthetic decking in the first place. I already said that I was going with oil for the railing for looks and future maintenance. That being said, if I was going for a solid stain, I would probably have chosen a water based product.

October 25, 2022 – I Don’t Think Your Ready For This _____ ?

October 25, 2022 /

Did you fill in the blank as soon as you read the headline? And if you did, did you hear the song in your head? I did of course that is why I wrote it in the first place.

Making Jelly/Jam is a gateway into preserving. It is easy and it takes very little raw material to do so. When I was a kid, my mom used to plan for about a jar a week. A jar is subject to what you are using, but somewhere between half pint an pint is about the right size I think. Plus, we like variety so preferably, we would make more, smaller containers for rotation.

There is a difference between Jam and Jelly. Jam contains fruit, not just fruit juice. So, we usually make jam but with some items like grapes, it is juice not grapes you want. So, I made grape jelly. With other fruits, you would want to strain the pulp and bits out for essentially a clear juice if you are making jelly.

The nice thing is that the instructions to do so is in every package of pectin. Pectin is an apple starch that helps the liquid setup to solid. Some fruits like apples and stone fruits contain there own pectin but read the instructions for details. Weirdly, some people even make pepper jelly or mint jelly. To me those are specialty applications, not to be put on a peanut butter sandwich, so I skip that kind of stuff.

Preservation occurs by super concentrating the sugar. As long as you don’t get mold or something in the jelly, I think it will literally last forever. My mom used to poor liquid paraffin on the top of the jelly and that was the seal. That is not a recommended technique anymore. But, the truth is that we never got sick and I wouldn’t hesitate to eat it. So, I water bath can my jars.

Processing time is pretty short compared to peaches, it is 4 mins in a rolling boil. I made this batch of jelly in about two hours. That was after dinner was cleaned up an before bed and I was done with the whole thing.

Despite the fact that we probably ate one jar a week, in my current life there is only so much jelly one can eat. I sometimes will use it to supplement barbecue sauce or compote. But, that is less about needing it in the recipe and taking the opportunity to empty things out of the refrigerator.

To be honest, grape is the least preferable choice in my house. My favorite is actually blackberry. I made this for a couple reasons 1) we are almost out of jam and that would mean buying it to make it through the season 2) I had a few pounds of grapes that I needed to find something to do with 3) I wanted to see if the apple press would press grapes. Check, check and check.

End Your Programming Routine: My wife has said many times that she should carry a container of homemade spread when we go to a restaurant. I skip the industrial jelly altogether because I usually order rye toast and eat only with butter. So, it has been a long time since I have had something other than what I have made. But, give it a try. You will learn something and get a lot more confident with preserving.

October 24, 2022 – The Kitchen Counter Cooking School Followup

October 24, 2022 /

I found the book warranted more than a quick review. So, I decided to do a podcast as well. There is almost nothing more important to your health than what you put into your body. If you don’t know how to cook, you are going to be at the mercy of others. I also talk about my history of cooking and go a little deeper with my journey with food.

End Your Programming Routine: We are heavily programmed with food. We have memories tied to it, we are addicted to it and we need food in our lives. What we also need is knowledge base to make educated decisions for our relationship with food. If you are stuck in the food web, pick a few things to change. It may be that one of those build confidence to change others.