I bought a scale from Amazon.

One like This One.

(Of course, I hadda get a chain so I could hang it from the bucket, and a swivel so that I wouldn’t damage the scale with a live load, but hey, even guys get to accessorize, right?)

Now, my small tractor will pick up about 1950 lbs at the end of the bucket if the conditions are right, and I move a lot of things, so I wanted to find out how much, exactly, some of those things weigh.

I learned that the bucket for the backhoe (which I can sorta pick up and scoot, but barely) weighs about 268 lbs.

I learned that the wedges of wood that I pick up and put on the splitter weigh from 140-230 lbs. I can carry those…mostly.

The pieces that I cannot quite pick up weigh in around 320 lbs.

The big 35″ rounds from which I make the above pieces weigh in from 550 to 780 lbs.

The plate that I made for the boom so I could pick things up higher weighs about 172 lbs. No wonder I have issues moving it….The Bush Hog (that I cannot move by myself at all) weighs 694 lbs.

I learned that the log tongs I made a year ago twist at about 1750 lbs. ( now I gotta spend time with the press to make ’em flat again, but hey, I hadda find out, right?)

Now, at least, I know.

I had thought that I was weaker than that, actually. No wonder my knees hurt after splitting wood.

Blast kills over 50 in Lahore Easter Celebration

On EASTER.

Respect other religions…..

“Religion of peace” and all that.

May be true for some, but how do we separate them?

How do we know that average nice guy who is a Muslim won’t suddenly suffer from Sudden Jihad Syndrome? It HAS happened here, and it will again.

Ar you willing to risk your children and family?

(I find it sad, because I know many seemingly decent people who are muslim……?)

I am all for letting people practice their religion as they see fit (as long as it fits our Constitution and harms no one) but it has to be a two way street….and with Islam, it doesn’t seem to be any way but their version of Islam. In fact, Muslims are the largest killers of Muslims…because the muslims they kill practice a different version of the “Religion of Peace”.

.

PLEASE, PLEASE, learn the difference (and the proper usage) between”Brake” and “Break”….especially when referring to things firearm related. Even more so if you are advertising or otherwise trying to sell me a product.

Ferinstance:

It is a “Thumb BREAK holster”….

And it is a “Muzzle Brake” on the end of the barrel.
Break and Brake are not interchangeable. Just because spellcheck passes it does not mean it is the right usage. Look up the definitions if you are unsure.

That is all

So everyone is (again) all “On Alert”..watching for terror attacks.

But we are stupid.

In a few weeks, we will be just as complacent as we were on Monday. Not paying attention. Not bothering. Not caring. Who won on “Survivor” or whatever will be the hot topic, along with the latest news from the elections.

Right now, there are men with badges dressed in black with masks covering their faces in many public spaces, showing a military-like presence….intimidatingly carrying AR rifles. Some folks find that comforting. I find it amusing. Firstly, because in a week or two, they will be gone. Secondly because if they need those rifles today, then they will need them next week or next month or sometime in the future….but they won’t be carrying them then, not when the next attack happens.  Thirdly, because a rifle isn’t much good against a suicide bomber in a crowded area. What, except for comforting our more rabbit-like citizens, are they doing? If there is a good reason to carry a rifle TODAY, then there is a good reason to carry them everywhere, every day. They (the officers) look intimidating and warlike, but really, what good are they doing? (Let us  not, at this time, bother with the fact that the face masks are for NIGHTTIME operations, to hide their white faces, not for daytime use) What good is a menacing presence in some spaces doing to enhance our security? Are all those men doing anything besides menacing the population and getting the citizens used to an armed presence in their public spaces?

And the people lining up to have their bags searched….Really? Why, if the bombers want to inflict damage and bloodshed and pain and terror would they not choose to detonate them in the non secure (but crowded) areas in front of a checkpoint? They will still kill and wound many. People will still die. Terror will still occur. People will still be afraid…. It matters little where the bomb goes off…..

If the terrorists are patient, they know that next week they will have another chance, in another area, and that they will be as unimpeded as they were on Monday. They play a long game, not a short one….Chess or Go, rather than checkers, as the West does.

So what, exactly, besides giving the police a bunch of overtime, are they accomplishing?

So I have these new red plastic “water” cans. Oddly, some folks use ’em as fuel cans, don’t know why. I use ’em for, of course, water…. These are the ones that the EPA “fixed” the design on several years ago…

They suck……It  takes about 7 minutes to completely empty one…..They have the new design “venting” spout. Which means that the can can’t empty very fast because the “venting”spout really doesn’t work well.

Amazon to the rescue. 

These things install easily with just a 31/64 drill bit (and a drill) and a hammer to make ’em snap into place.

Pouring “water” is much easier, less splashing, happens faster (5 gallons in like 3 minutes) , and, surprise surprise, less splashing or spillage (and therefore evaporation) than before.

You will like these for all modern red, blue and yellow “water” cans. Fixes the EPA “fix”.

(check your local laws…these might not be legal to use on cans used for fuels….always follow the law)

The followers of the “religion of Peace” seem to be the only ones who are blowing things (and people)  up, (now that the IRA has faded, anyway)….

I am over 50 years old (get off my lawn!) and as far back as I can remember, with the exception of the Irish it has been the followers of Mohammad that have done the hijackings, the kidnaps and the terror……And the Irish tried very hard not to hurt anyone….calling ahead to make sure that no one was around when the bombs went off. .

These terrorists don’t do their work in a vacuum, by themselves. The Irish had people helping them, and hiding them, and stashing their equipment, and FUNDING them.

Same thing with these terrorists of Islam. Someone is paying their bills. Someone in Brussels hid them, fed them, aided them and allowed them to do the work that it took to plan and execute this attack. ’twasn’t done in a vacuum. Someone FUNDED this attack, with funds to live, funds to make and buy the equipment necessary.

They went to a Mosque,….where?. Who knew? Who delivered packages? Who helped?

Until the rest of the Muslims stop hiding these people, start reporting them, they will always be pariahs. Always suspect. Never trusted.

My prayers go out to the victims of the attacks today.

HERE is the story.

Now, if those people were legally carrying the firearms, and not trespassing, what charges can be brought? If they never threatened the newly minted mercenaries freshly badged contractors that were dressed as Federal Agents, then under what laws are any arrests valid?

I’d like to know.

(I heard stories that the agents were watching the crowd through their scopes (which were still mounted to the AR’s) and some of the crowd were scoping them back, but still, I doubt that meets even the criteria of menacing)

We shall see. It may be that this is just a tactic to make the rest of us remember and be cautious next time…

HT for the link goes to Irish

ETA: What happens when someone decides not to go quietly? All it takes is one Patriot to decide to change the odds for the next guy…..”Shorten the stack”, as it were…Then what?

Or are we all gonna watch it happen and do nothing? What can we do,  if and when?

I mean, a young black boy was killed. Gunned down in the evening just a few blocks from his home….

Gunned down in cold blood. He (really) was an honor student, with a great future (really!) in front of him.

Sadly, for the Black Lives Matter folks, he wasn’t killed by a white cop. Or even by a white man (Supposition, but there are few white people in that part of Chicago at night that aren’t cops….).

But seriously though…a young man, 16 years old, is dead. Shot by someone (this time not a cop though)…Where are the protests? The rioting? The screaming, fulminating hatred by the Black Lives Matter folks? Where is Jesse (the Reverend) Jackson? Where is Barry Obama? Where are all the other Black leaders who raised so much hell when a black criminal was shot by police? Where are they now?

Or do Black lives shot by other Blacks of no matter? Or is it because they can’t make news and gain power with incidents like this???

I don’t care who you are, Man or Woman, no matter your ethnicity, when your belly laps over the waistband of your pants that far, you are FAT. Not “Heavy”, not “Big Boned”, not “plump”, nor “Rubenesque”…

Yer fat. Look in the mirror. Exercise and diet. Stop snacking, skip the beer. Face reality…

And no, your personality isn’t gonna make up for it.