Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Range Report

We had an entertaining day at the range today. We were late today and the parking lot was full because there was an NRA instructor with some students in the classroom – but there were several booth still available in the shooting range, so we parked on the street and went inside. Shooting was pretty much the same thing, although Damsel’s Warthog is awaiting parts and didn’t make the trip today.

I took some video while Damsel was shooting and I noticed two sequences where she fired five shots. One of the two was her firing my Glock 30 where she metered out the shots in deliberate fashion to hit on or near the target center.

In the other sequence, she did her trademark 20 gauge rapid-fire, in, what I believe, is a record for her. I like when she ejects the last of the five expended cartridges with a flourish.

15 Feb 2009 by Firearms Shooting Sports

Happy Valentine’s Day

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women.

The rise of Internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Millions of people use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine’s Day greeting messages such as e-cards, love coupons or printable greeting cards.

Me? I’m sending you all this pretty red electronic rose! Special greetings to our men and women in the armed forces.

A Red Rose

Happy Valentine’s Day!
14 Feb 2009 by Culture

Space Gridlock

After the collision of two polar-orbit satellites this week, it is worth the time to take a look at just how crowded the ‘technosphere’ is getting. This graphic presents an interesting perspective of the situation. But, in reality, if the the relative size of satellites in this picture were in the same scale as the planet, none of them would occupy even a single pixel – that is to say, they would be invisible. Click for large image.

Beehive of Satellites

From today’s NASA Image of the Day:

A Beehive of Satellites

The launch of the first artificial satellite by the then Soviet Union in 1957 marked the beginning of the utilization of space for science and commercial activity. During the Cold War, space was a prime area of competition between the Soviet Union and the U.S.

In 1964 the first TV satellite was launched into a geostationary orbit to transmit the Olympic games from Tokyo. Later, Russian launch activities declined while other nations set up their own space programs. Thus, the number of objects in Earth orbit has increased steadily — by 200 per year on average.

The debris objects shown in the images are an artist’s impression based on actual density data. However, the debris objects are shown at an exaggerated size to make them visible at the scale shown.

Image Credit: European Space Agency

13 Feb 2009 by Aerospace Technobabble

Getting It Right for the USS Cole

USS Cole damageIt is slightly embarrassing that I wrongly placed a photo of the Limburg oil tanker bombing in the Never Forget Tribute instead of images of the USS Cole. The mistake was an honest one, since the image I lifted from the internet was labeled “cole.jpg.” It turns out that the Limburg was also bombed in October of 2000, probably by the same al-Qaeda terrorists that carried out the Cole attacks. One thing stands out is that neither the Clinton nor Bush administrations did much to avenge these acts of terror, just as the Obama administration is likely not to do in the future.

Image right: damage to the port side of the USS Cole – Click on thumbnail to enlarge.

USS Cole under towAfter doing some research (which should have been done the first time), I located these two actual images of the USS Cole. I modified the Tribute again, this time with the correct images.

The image above shows the 40-by-60 feet hole blown in the side of the USS Cole. The blast hit the ship’s Galley, where crew were lining up for chow. The image to the left shows the USNS Catawba towing the Cole to be transported back to the United States.

Image left: Catawba towing the USS Cole – Click on thumbnail to enlarge.

Thanks go to Gary Swenchonis, Sr., who provided me with feedback on the Tribute. Gary is the father of Fireman Gary Swenchonis, Jr., who perished in the attack on the USS Cole. Gary has a couple of anti-terrorism websites set up:

Terrorism: Politicians and Victims
Remember The Cole!

11 Feb 2009 by Islamic Terrorism Never Forget

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