A Saturn V takes to the skies again!

Well, a 1/10th scale model of the original Saturn V, but it's still a record, and pretty darned impressive, too. Watch the flight of Steve Eves' labor of love, and pay attention to the first stage's landing:



Nicely done, Steve! North Korea's jealous, I'm sure.

80's flashback video, revisited.

Today, Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine took me to a certain time when I was driving by myself from Wisconsin to California, enroute to my second duty assignment of many. The journey was undertaken in my 1984 Audi 5000S Turbo, sucking down Jolt Cola and playing music non-stop. I did the trip in 3 days, not a record but less time than the Air Force alloted, giving me a couple days of extra time to get settled in at my new squadron near Sacramento. I distinctly remember some huge forest fires in the Utah/Nevada border region, and they turned the nighttime sky an eerie orange for many, many miles on both sides of the Interstate. I was thinking to myself that they could really use some rain out here, and of course the Cult tape in the deck starts into Rain.

The Cult - Rain


No DeLorean for me, but the 80s weren't so bad after all.

Bonehenge

Have you ever been struck by whimsy? I noticed something peculiar the other day, and just couldn't leave well enough alone. Big Dawg has been leaving his bones standing upright after he's done gnawing on them. I don't know why, but I decided to help out his artistic talents a smidgen:

Oh, well. It doesn't appear that he was very impressed, and it's a fair bet that an archaeologist/anthropologist he'll never be. That's ok. It's obvious that he was somewhat tickled by the visual feast, so it was worth the effort, regardless:

Gun Adjectives - How They Really Work!

Regarding firearms and their descriptions (ie, "sniper rifle"), the truth shall henceforth be known:

The late Gunny Carlos Hathcock used a Model 70 '06 Target rifle that was capable of 2 moa groups. There was nothing particularly fancy or esoteric about it.

The terms "Sniper Rifle", and "Assault Rifle" are determined by how they're used, and who uses them - nothing more, and nothing less.

If John Doe uses Rifle X to kill some one for hire, its an assassination.

If it's Sgt John Doe, and he uses the same rifle X in covering his platoon's assault, then he's a designated marksman.

If Sgt John Doe uses the same rifle covering a trail intersection known to be used by the enemy, then it's a sniper rifle.

If Officer John Doe uses Rifle X in a hostage situation in a failed bank robbery, it's a counter-sniper rifle.

Now if Mr. John Doe buys Rifle X to compete in F-Class, it's simply a target rifle.

But while waiting for John Doe to show up at Smith's Gun and Bait shop, Mr. Bill Smith puts a mil dot scope on Rifle X. 'Sniper' or 'Tactical' now becomes a sales gimmick, and calling it a sniper rifle merely adds to the cost and profit.

IOW, why get hung up on names?

You put 'Sniper' or 'Tactical' on a varmint or hunting rifle, you can jack up the price.

The rifle I carried in LE was a Model 70 Varmint in 223. I could have paid more if the gun shop owner called it a 'sniper rifle'. He didn't and I didn't.

Before I retired it was a sniper rifle, now it's a varmint rifle.

Sniping is an act, not a Pronoun.

Many thanks to user Kraigwy at The Firing Line forum for the above summary. It bears remembering, and I've always stated that an Assault Rifle is nothing more than a rifle used in an assault. - period.