Phoebe makes friends!

Today we went to the poopy-soupy dog park. It's huge. There were some older aggressive dogs, and a few other puppies. Phoebe chose to play with the nicer dogs. Here she is coming to say "howdy old-timer" to one of the senior dogs. Aw, you can see the enthusiasm the older dog has for getting pummeled into the gross muddy snow and ice.

Here Pheobe says "hi there buddy" to a young pup just her age. This little guy has some spunk. He and old Phoebers had a nice romp.
Ah, the look of joy as the pups romp and play in the crisp winter air.

Pretty girl! 

 What a lovely face. Ooh, give me a kiss! 
What fun we, and the other dogs had.

The Associated Press: Obama signs one-year extension of Patriot Act

The Associated Press: Obama signs one-year extension of Patriot Act
US government rescinds 'leave internet alone' policy

Pentagon Discloses Hundreds of Reports of Possibly Illegal Intelligence Activities

Change! Uhm.... for the worse.

It's bush 3.0, but with more, more MORE, surveillance; more, more, MORE intelligence gathering on US citizens, more, more, MORE government oversight of private and public speech; more, more, MORE defending the rights of our corporate citizens against the
teaming masses
mobs who bully and rob the savaged and destitute multi-billion dollar software and media giants; and finally less, less, LESS transparency from government and corporate partnerships, such as the one between the NSA and AT&T. What a joy it is to know that the secret surveillance programs of the Bush era continue, only this time under benevolent guidance.

At least we were told back in July that "Einstein 3" would be put in place at some undisclosed future time. Don't worry, we've been promised that there will be no surveillance of private citizens. Shouldn't that promise be enough? Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. He's PROMISED us not to peek! And so now, there's no reason for transparency, accountability, privacy. I'm sure Einstein would be thrilled to learn this great privacy vacuum will fly a flag bearing his name.

Three sections of the Patriot Act that stay in force will:

Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones.

Allow court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations.

Permit surveillance against a so-called lone wolf, a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group.

It's about time the U.S. started throwing it's weight around

The U.S's old "hands-off approach" to the internet, which accepted the network as an forum for public communication, educational research, and an incubator for business and commerce, are no more: “the right policy for the United States in the early stages of the Internet, and the right message to send to the rest of the world.” But, he continued, “that was then and this is now. As we at NTIA approach a wide range of Internet policy issues, we take the view that we are now in the third generation of Internet policy making.” - Assistant Secretary Larry Strickling.

Truthfully, this is no worse than I expected. In fact, many times I've described politics in the U.S. as a scene from Edgar Allen Poe's The Pit And The Pendulum, whatever way the pendulum swings, to the right or to the left, the only certainty is that it moves one step closer to dividing us in half. I guess I feel a bitter sense of justification, and an even more bitter sense of regret for even allowing myself to secretly believe in... change.

Ugh.

Canonical's Ubuntu to Support Google Android? | WorksWithU

Canonical's Ubuntu to Support Google Android? | WorksWithU

This article is a bit old but I think it would be a great thing to see Ubuntu pull in android support. Google, a business and Canonical, a business might find some mutual benefit in partnering.

The major linux Desktop environments, will probably feel too much has been invested to do a true reboot. Also, egos in the linux-desktop world would likely bluster at the idea that Google can do in a couple years, what they have not done in a decade and a couple years.

In fact, I'm not shocked, but fairly frustrated that Gnome 3.0 work hasn't tracked Google's Chrome work. Seriously, I'd be happy if Gnome 3.0 was just a port of ChromeOS for generic X86 hardware.

Currently, gnome-shell, the heart of what will be Gnome 3.0, feels like a mish-mosh of half-baked ideas, forced workflow and some glitzy eye-candy to me. I don't find any improvement in productivity aside from not having to click to get a main panel menu. Secret key combinations, screen-filling menus, epic lists of un-deletable recent items, an alt-tab that requires three hands to use, these are just some of the pleasures the linux desktop sadists have in-store for us.

Yikes, this seems to be the beginning of the end for Gnome/Gtk etc. to me. Google, if you're interested, I'd be willing to run your OS on my x86 linux desktop, happy even.... begging even?

Gnome, if you're listening... oh right, you're not. So-long, and thanks for all the software.

-ry

Desktop Blog Tool

Just playing around with a little tool called gnome-blog-poster, that allows me to post right to blogger. It works. Good enough.

Photo of MOST of my airguns

So the image above shows most of my airguns. I've got a couple more that are in parts currently.

The rifle at the top is a .22 QB78 that has been modified to accept  paintball CO2 bottles or Crosman 88g CO2 canisters. I also refinished the stock. The "tiger stripes" are the actual wood grain, but was invisible before stripping off the factory finish. The scope has an illuminated reticle which is pretty cool. The muzzle break is a Beeman.

Below that is a .177 RWS Diana 34, that's been "lube-tuned," spring replaced, delrin spring guide made, trigger mechanism polished. Also has a red-dot BSA scope. I turned the aluminum muzzle break on my lathe.

Next is a Crosman Quest .177 with a two-stage trigger mod, stock refinished, sites removed and hand-made brass muzzle break installed.

Fourth on the list, is a highly modified .20 Sheridan BlueStreak. After re-sealing, I converted it to a bulk-fill CO2 by soldering in a brass adapter. The sight is a cheap-o red-dot sight. Works quite well actually. This gun was my very first mod attempt.

The rifle on it's end on the right is an old Beeman Silver Bear. I cleaned the inside, removed a TON of gooped on grease the fitted it with a fiber-optic front sight. This small break-barrel is part of my collection of "training guns" for my wife.

The pistols hanging on the board are, from left to right, a Sheridan .20 pump that I re-sealed, and believe it or not, the black pistol is a Beeman P17 that I basically rebuilt. The Beeman pistol has it's entire upper receiver replaced. I still need to fit a front sight.

The four pistols on the floor are more "training guns." The one on the far left is a pretty cool BB repeater by Crosman called the Hahn .45. It's pretty hefty and feels fairly "real." Next is a Crosman 357, nothing special. Then a really nifty BB caliber CO2 "blow-back" Walther PPK/s, to which I fitted a rifled barrel, thinking of some future modification to .177 pellet use. Finally, is a .177 black plastic CO2 Crosman "Colt 1911" knock-off.

So, there they are.

So tell me people, am I going insane?

I have strange hobbies. I always have. Many have followed me through life, shifting in form slightly, but the themes remain predictably constant. Music and music making instruments; breaking, building, and modding things; mechanical doodads like yo-yos, telescopes, watches, cameras; Art and art-making, all mix and mingle in the stream of my free-time.

Of late, it's been pellet guns. I'd like to say "adult pellet guns" or "Olympic grade pellet guns," but for better or for worse, I can only say broadly "pellet guns." I've got some nice ones, some old ones, some cheap ones (several cheap ones), some modded ones... ok, ALL modded ones -  they just didn't come to me that way.

So to kick of this blog, I'm planning to photograph my collection and maybe comment on the modifications and performance they exhibit.