Rantings Diversified

Below you’ll find a photo of the most recent eggs to show up. There are now three but I have an idea that the original bird was kicked out. The whole time she was there I never saw babies but my neighbor just under me said she found a dead baby bird and disposed of it. So I think the original bird had her chick and somehow it got knocked out of the nest and now I have a brand new robin with three eggs. I’m not sure but the new momma-bird sure makes a racket and yells at me every time I go out on the balcony. Hey, I don’t have to feed it or clean up after it and anyways everybody walking by loves checking it out and keeping track of how the new bird is doing. I’ll post again after some of the chicks are born. Remember you can click on the photo to embiggialize it.

Governor Corbett signed HB 40 into law yesterday.
House Bill 40: The bill, known as the “Castle Doctrine” bill, amends 18 Pa.C.S. (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 Pa.C.S. (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) to expand and further define an individual’s right to use deadly force inside or outside of the individual’s dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle. It eliminates an individual’s
duty to retreat before using deadly force if the person is in a place the person has a right to be and believes that deadly force is necessary to protect himself against death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat.
What this means is that you no longer have a “Duty to retreat” outside of the home. If you feel you are being threatened with death, serious bodily injury, etc. you have the right to use deadly force. This bill also limits certain civil liabilities for people who act within the guidelines of the bill. In other words you can’t be sued for using deadly force outside of your home.
This is a good day for the honest citizens of Pennsylvania and a bad day for criminals

So my bud Maggie and I drive all the way to the Lancaster Humane League just to find out that they are out of kittens.  We both are looking to get a kitten.  Another one for Maggie and my first.  Last weekend the Lancaster shelter advertised free kitten adoption because they had so many.  Today they had none.  So we drive back home and went to check out the Harrisburg Humane Society to see whatever kittens they might have for adoption.  Well of course they were closed!  What kinda’ sense does that make, being closed on a Sunday?  Harumph!
A hat tip to culch.ie for this…

Camp Perry Wind Chart

For those of you planning to attend the Nationals at Camp Perry, particularly any “first timers”, this wind chart is offered to better help you gauge the speed of the rather infamous Camp Perry winds.
More experienced Camp Perry shooters will recognize some of the more subtle nuances of this chart.

CAMP PERRY HIGHPOWER WIND SPEED CHART:

0-1 MPH: Calm-TOO CALM! People get edgy-smoke from cigar smoker next to you goes straight up. You can smell yourself. Target pits are running slow.  Second Relay shooters are frantic to get to the line. Fourth Relay shooters are certain the fix is in.
This is not a common occurrence at Camp Perry.

2-3 MPH: Light air. Leaves on trees don’t move. Cigar smoke rises at a slight angle. Pits are still slow. You can still smell yourself.

4-7 MPH: Light breeze. Leaves on trees move. You can smell the guy next to you, not just his cigar.

8-12 MPH: Gentle breeze Everyone can smell everyone. P.A. system is overwhelmed by wind noise as usual.
Target pits pick up speed erratically.  Rain gear makes flipping noise.

13-18 MPH: Moderate breeze. Wind flags make flipping noise. Shooting mats start to blow off the line.
Score boards begin gyrating, scaring the hell out of experienced pit crew.

19-24 MPH: Fresh breeze. Block Officers make flipping noise. Mats blow all over.  Your brass hits guy two positions over and he yells at you, but you claim you can’t hear him because of all the flipping noise.

25-31 MPH: Strong breeze Difficult to walk. Drunks from previous night’s trip to Nick’s Road House are blown over.
Pages in your score book disappear. Cigar smoke is blowing horizontally, right into your eyes.

32-38 MPH: Moderate gale. Trees move moderately. Elderly Block Officer asks, “Windy enough for you?”. Cheeks flap when he speaks. Shooting stools and scopes are on the move.

39-46 MPH: Fresh gale. Block Officers are blown over. Falling down drunks from previous night’s trip to Cisco & Charlie’s are held upright. Targets blown out of holders. Experienced pit crew bales out.  Embers from cigar ignite your mat, flame blows horizontally.

47-54 MPH: Strong gale. Trees move slowly—across the range. Elderly Block Officer says, “This is nothing! !!! I remember the Nationals back in ’54…!!”
Your shooting hat blows off.

55-64 MPH: Whole gale. Your shooting coat blows off. Range Control Tower tumbles past you.
You can no longer hear Marines arguing with Block Officers.

64-75 MPH: Storm. You regret not using Porta-Johns before they blew away. Elderly Block Officer claims,
“I’ve shot in worse!”,  and is carried away by wind. Your underwear blows off.

OVER 75 MPH: Hurricane. Your underwear blows off, even if you managed to make it indoors.
People from base housing blow past Mess Hall. Your nose hairs whistle even when you aren’t breathing.
You can’t close your eyes, even if you want to.

SPECIAL RANGE RULES:

Due to the frequency of certain weather events, and to speed the progress of the matches, the Match Director has issued these special rules to Competitors.

1). Shooters will be released from the line only when a Category 3 funnel cloud or larger is sighted
and confirmed by Beach Tower, NOAA, U.S. Army Central Command, Canada and the closest airborne AWAC.

2). An alibi will be issued ONLY to those shooters struck by lightning that actually require resuscitation.

3). Holes in target caused by hailstones are NOT to be scored, under HP Rule 14.1., holes in shooters / scorers
caused by hail are not sufficient cause for an alibi or additional time.

4). Shooters in danger of drowning in the prone position due to torrential rains CAN assume a lesser position (sitting/kneeling), but must do so prior to the start of the match and only with the permission of the Range Officer.
Assuming a lesser position after the start of the match is a disqualification, per HP Rule 7.1 and 9.9.
Drowning is NOT an excuse!

5). Debris blowing across range is NOT sufficient cause for an alibi or additional time.

6). A rifle damaged by lightning can be replaced ONLY if it meets the criteria for a “Disabled Rifle”
(see HP Rule 9.5). A barrel bent by the lightning is NOT considered “Disabled” (see HP Rule 9.5).

Thank you for your cooperation, and good shooting!

HEADQUARTERS GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

General Orders No.11, WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 1868

1. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, “of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion.” What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation’s gratitude, the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.
2. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend its friendly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.
3. Department commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.
   By order of
   JOHN A. LOGAN,
   Commander-in-Chief
   And so began our observance of Memorial Day. It was renamed and the date changed to the last Monday in May in 1971 so gub’mint employees could have yet another 3 day weekend. This Monday we shall celebrate those who sacrificed all in defense of our country.
   So if you value your freedom, thank a veteran.

Over the past few weeks I have noticed a bit of work going on out on my balcony.  I have been following the work every day as it has progressed.  Finally today I walked out there with camera in hand and was surprised to find the two little eggs.
There are two birds responsible for this.  They are both really large robins but aren’t the eggs suppose to be, ah “robin-egg blue”?  Check out the eggs below.
They appear to be a dark blue color.
Note: You can click on the pics to embiggialize them.
Anyways I’m digging my new neighbors.

Well I did it again.  I didn’t mean to forgot to post yesterday but I did.
There is a TV show I watch every Monday night at 2100.  It’s called American Pickers.  It’s on the History Channel.  It’s pretty cool.  There are these two guys who drive all over the country looking for what most people would see as junk but they then sell at their antiques store in Iowa.  It’s a pretty cool show and I like wasting an hour every Monday night watching it.

It was a long day and I’m beat.
The Springboks beat Fiji to win the USA Sevens.
That’s all I got.

What a lazy day.  I sat around and watched rugby football all day.  I first watched Wales beat up Scotland in the 6 Nations.  Scotland really looked bad.  After that was over I was blown away to find rugby broadcast on NBC.  WTF, was my first reaction to find rugby playing on American national TV.  Well the USA Sevens are this weekend in Las Vegas and there is minimal coverage of it.  So this afternoon I watched the USA lose to Samoa.
Rugby is good.