By now, many of you have seen the video clip of MSNBC shill Keith Olbermann dispensing his unique blend of leftist twaddle, logorrhea, and egophilia regarding the recent Political Cesspool broadcast from the CoCC conference.
As I listened to Olbermann’s oral flatulence, I couldn’t help but notice how similar it was to what was posted at the hyper-liberal Media Matters for America’s (MMfA) website. Since Olbermann’s blather so closely resembled MMfA’s drivel, then it’s reasonable to conclude that the latter got their tripe from the former. So, we should ask from where Olbermann got his information, which he passed on like syphilis to MMfA.
MMfA answers the question: “The CoCC is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center(SPLC) as a "white supremacist" "hate group," and by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as having a "white supremacy, white separatism" ideology.” Olbermann’s final word on the subject was, “You’re quoting White supremacists about a black president. Well done WorldNetDaily!” Olbermann didn’t deal with Tim Adams’s claim. He was interested only in jacklegging guilt by association upon WorldNetDaily because of the Political Cesspool and the CoCC.
When Political Cesspool kingpin James Edwards (acclaimed author of Racism Schmacism, order your copy here) sent an email to the Cesspool co-hosts, Eddie “The Bombardier” Miller replied, writing, “Who the hell is Keith Olbermann?! I'll tell you who - he is a nobody. Who even knows him outside the few and the dumb in his ever shrinking and dying network fan base?” Even though the Bombardier’s questions were rhetorical (and spot-on), I thought it would be good to answer him. To do so, I’ll turn to Ann Coulter (go ahead and hate her, but admit that she’s good at what she does):
So, Olbermann is a fraud of the Gatsby stripe, and is as inept at finagling his own status by association as he is in n-word rigging WorldNetDaily’s guilt by association (which is itself another fraud). But since he appeals to the “legitimacy” of guilt by association, we’ll give Keith a taste of his own gruel.
We know where Olbermann and MMfA muck-raked their information about the Political Cesspool and the CoCC; they got it from the $PLC and the ADL. Well done, Keith and MMfA! You’ve quoted lying, White-hating Jews and lying, scumbag, money-grubbing, race-hustling lawyers! I’m sure you’re proud to be wedded to such excrement. It’s a match made at the bottom of an outhouse.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
They Wonder Why Nobody Likes Them
Israeli stormtroopers murder 16 aid workers and injure 50 others, and Barry Soetoro/Barack Hussein Obama and his thugs pretty much sit on their thumbs and run interferance for the terrorist state.
But when an 89 year-old woman criticizes Israel for the murders, that crosses the line. So, the Soetoro/Obama gang follows the lead of ADL bigot Abe Foxman, and lashes out at her, because her words were far more offensive than the hot lead that the Israeli stormtroopers pumped into those aid workers. That old woman could start another Holocaust™! The woman apologizes, but, as predictably as the sunrise, her employer fires her anyway. (I know the reports say she resigned. Go ahead and believe that, if it makes you feel better.) And the twice-dead sons of the synagogue of Satan grin like the cat that ate the canary, and congratulate themselves that they've got Obama by the nads.
And they wonder why nobody likes them.
But when an 89 year-old woman criticizes Israel for the murders, that crosses the line. So, the Soetoro/Obama gang follows the lead of ADL bigot Abe Foxman, and lashes out at her, because her words were far more offensive than the hot lead that the Israeli stormtroopers pumped into those aid workers. That old woman could start another Holocaust™! The woman apologizes, but, as predictably as the sunrise, her employer fires her anyway. (I know the reports say she resigned. Go ahead and believe that, if it makes you feel better.) And the twice-dead sons of the synagogue of Satan grin like the cat that ate the canary, and congratulate themselves that they've got Obama by the nads.
And they wonder why nobody likes them.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The English Warbow, Pt. 1
The English warbow was the .50 cal of the Middle Ages. Never heard of the warbow? Then allow this video to introduce you.
An experienced bowman of the Middle Ages could get off 12 arrows in a minute. Multiply that by a few hundred bowmen, and you’ve got shower of arrows raining down on you like an horrific plague. As my great grand-pappy would say, “It would definitely mess you up.”
The warbow is the simplest of bows, as it has no handle, no arrow rest, no sighting aids, no pulleys, none of that stuff. It’s just a stick that has been modified to fling a small lance at astonishing speed for the distance of about 2½ football fields.
Do not confuse the warbow with the English longbow. All warbows are longbows, but not all longbows are warbows. The difference is the draw weight. The English Warbow Society has set the standard at 70lbs; anything over is a warbow and anything at-or-lower is a longbow. The two are also separated by purpose; the warbow was for, well, war, that is, killing people, while the longbow is for recreation. I’ll not deal with the sociopathic but psychologically interesting question of bloodshed as recreation.
We know a lot about the English warbow, thanks to a sunken ship. In 1545, the English warship Mary Rose was leading an attack on an invading French fleet, when she was sunk in the straits near the Isle of Wight. In 1971 she was discovered, and in 1982 she was salvaged. She is currently on display while undergoing conservation at Portsmouth. When she was recovered, her hull was a treasure trove of artifacts: tools, medical instruments, navigational aids, personal belongings, musical instruments, and quite a few complete skeletons. She also held, among other weapons, 172 warbows and about 4000 arrows. The bows have been tested and found to range in draw weights from 100lbs to 180lbs, with the largest group at 160lbs to 180lbs.
Even though the warbow is an obsolete weapon, it still commands a loyal following of archers dedicated to preserving the heritage and perfecting the techniques of this awesome weapon.
Well, the English warbow is historical, simple, and awesome. Now there’s only one thing left to do – make one.
The first thing is to get some wood. The Mary Rose bows were made, oddly enough, out of Italian yew. This is consistent with historical record. English yew is too dry and stiff, whereas Italian yew is strong and springy. It's available for bow making, but it's expensive. The next choice is orange osage, which grows throughout Texas and Oklahoma. But it's expensive, too. A lot of websites recommend American ash. It's a great wood - tough with some give, available, and not too pricey. I've made several items from ash. It works well under hand tools or machinery, looks good, and finishes well. I'll need a piece about 2 inches thick and preferably quarter sawn so as to have a good, straight grain.
Here's what I found:
I wish you could see it in person! This piece has "presence." It reminds me of what one man said: "Wood is a substance with a soul."
For my warbow, I want the grain to be straight as possible, running the entire length of the stave I'll saw from this board.
The left side looks pretty good, but I need to get a look at the end grain. I'll lay out a line and cross-cut a bit off the end.
Using a handsaw is very satisfying work. Sadly, most men today haven't tried it since they were boys, if they've tried it all. And if they did, then they probably have memories of the saw binding and bending and wandering away from their line. It's not how a good relationship should start. But I mean to tell you, you CAN learn to use a handsaw. Keep these things in mind:
(1) Use a superb tool. The two saws I'll use on this project are great old Disston saws. I think they're around 80 - 100 years old, made when men relied on such tools for their livelihoods. Now, I can sharpen all of my tools, except for my handsaws. I'm sure I could learn to do it, but I'm satisfied with taking them to a professional sharpener. Anyhow, it's getting harder to find great saws like mine, but there are a few specialty companies making some very fine specimens. One of them is Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, Maine. I have several Lie-Nielsen tools, and they have never failed to deliver. As I said, there are other companies making excellent hand saws, but they are expensive - and worth every penny. Also, keep your eye open at junk shops, flea markets, yard sales, etc. Avoid saws that are bent. And don't expect to use a used saw until you have it professionally sharpened. Just DON'T USE A CRAPPY TOOL. One man said that life is both too long and too short to struggle with bad tools.
Use an accurate square to mark a line across a board, and down the front edge.
(2) After the tool, your stance is most important. Here's what you want to do: Grip the handle and extend your index finger, like mine is in the picture. It's called a triangulation grip, and it helps steady the saw side-to-side. Secure the board to the work surface (use your knee, your hand, or clamp it before assuming the stance). Place the saw's teeth on waste side of the line you drew on the board. Form a plane, the points being the front end of the saw (the "toe"), your wrist, your elbow, and your eye (the one on the same side as the hand in which you're holding the saw).
(3) Start sawing, and maintain that plane. I imagine my arm and the saw moving like a train engine's wheels, with those bars that attach the wheels. Make sure everything is moving within the plane. Try to make the saw follow both of the lines you drew (take a look at the 11th picture down to see what I mean). Do your best to make these first cuts as true as possible. Remember - well-begun is half-done.
(4) Don't get a death-grip and the saw handle. Just hold it securely, but not like a vise.
If all goes well, then here's what you'll get:
When you're finished, check your work with a good square:
Like I said, it's very satisfying work. If you don't get it right the first time, don't worry. It takes practice. Try again, and be patient - it'll come to you. The only people who can't learn to use a handsaw are the impatient folks.
From the cut end, I'll measure out 7', mark another line across at that point, and saw it off.
Look at this end grain:
The orientation of the rings is important, and I'll explain why in a later posting. These look good for a warbow.
Now I need to rip the board to make the bow stave. I'm going to gauge a line so that the stave is a tad wider than it is thick, in case I want to plane it down to make it square. I'll set my adjustable square thusly:
Then I'll place the square on the edge, place a pen against the end of the square, and drag both of them down to mark my cut line:
Then I'll repeat the process on the other side of the board, and join those lines on the ends.
I'll start sawing, following the guidelines set forth above:
A good start:
The way to make sure a rip cut is true is to turn the board over after every few inches of sawing, and saw from the other side:
Some guys can rip a true cut without turning the board over. The rest of us are mere mortals, and we have turn it. I'm not ashamed, and neither should you be.
I'll keep working my way down the board, taking my sweet time (believe me, time spent this way is sweet), resting whenever I want. Ere long, I have a stave fit for an English warbow:
I never tire of the feeling I get after this kind of work. I've done it the way my great grand-father taught me, with the same results he would have gotten, and he would have been proud of me. Working wood with hand tools is filled with such small triumphs, and they make me feel like a king.
By the way, there are two more tools I want mention, tools that without which, sawing would be a high-powered drag. They're my sawhorses. Here's one of 'em:
They're not what usually comes to mind when you think sawhorses. My son and I made these a few years ago, and they are probably in the top five of best additions to my shop. If you want to make a couple for yourself, then let me know. I'll send you the plans.
An experienced bowman of the Middle Ages could get off 12 arrows in a minute. Multiply that by a few hundred bowmen, and you’ve got shower of arrows raining down on you like an horrific plague. As my great grand-pappy would say, “It would definitely mess you up.”
The warbow is the simplest of bows, as it has no handle, no arrow rest, no sighting aids, no pulleys, none of that stuff. It’s just a stick that has been modified to fling a small lance at astonishing speed for the distance of about 2½ football fields.
Do not confuse the warbow with the English longbow. All warbows are longbows, but not all longbows are warbows. The difference is the draw weight. The English Warbow Society has set the standard at 70lbs; anything over is a warbow and anything at-or-lower is a longbow. The two are also separated by purpose; the warbow was for, well, war, that is, killing people, while the longbow is for recreation. I’ll not deal with the sociopathic but psychologically interesting question of bloodshed as recreation.
We know a lot about the English warbow, thanks to a sunken ship. In 1545, the English warship Mary Rose was leading an attack on an invading French fleet, when she was sunk in the straits near the Isle of Wight. In 1971 she was discovered, and in 1982 she was salvaged. She is currently on display while undergoing conservation at Portsmouth. When she was recovered, her hull was a treasure trove of artifacts: tools, medical instruments, navigational aids, personal belongings, musical instruments, and quite a few complete skeletons. She also held, among other weapons, 172 warbows and about 4000 arrows. The bows have been tested and found to range in draw weights from 100lbs to 180lbs, with the largest group at 160lbs to 180lbs.
Even though the warbow is an obsolete weapon, it still commands a loyal following of archers dedicated to preserving the heritage and perfecting the techniques of this awesome weapon.
Well, the English warbow is historical, simple, and awesome. Now there’s only one thing left to do – make one.
The first thing is to get some wood. The Mary Rose bows were made, oddly enough, out of Italian yew. This is consistent with historical record. English yew is too dry and stiff, whereas Italian yew is strong and springy. It's available for bow making, but it's expensive. The next choice is orange osage, which grows throughout Texas and Oklahoma. But it's expensive, too. A lot of websites recommend American ash. It's a great wood - tough with some give, available, and not too pricey. I've made several items from ash. It works well under hand tools or machinery, looks good, and finishes well. I'll need a piece about 2 inches thick and preferably quarter sawn so as to have a good, straight grain.
Here's what I found:
I wish you could see it in person! This piece has "presence." It reminds me of what one man said: "Wood is a substance with a soul."
For my warbow, I want the grain to be straight as possible, running the entire length of the stave I'll saw from this board.
The left side looks pretty good, but I need to get a look at the end grain. I'll lay out a line and cross-cut a bit off the end.
Using a handsaw is very satisfying work. Sadly, most men today haven't tried it since they were boys, if they've tried it all. And if they did, then they probably have memories of the saw binding and bending and wandering away from their line. It's not how a good relationship should start. But I mean to tell you, you CAN learn to use a handsaw. Keep these things in mind:
(1) Use a superb tool. The two saws I'll use on this project are great old Disston saws. I think they're around 80 - 100 years old, made when men relied on such tools for their livelihoods. Now, I can sharpen all of my tools, except for my handsaws. I'm sure I could learn to do it, but I'm satisfied with taking them to a professional sharpener. Anyhow, it's getting harder to find great saws like mine, but there are a few specialty companies making some very fine specimens. One of them is Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, Maine. I have several Lie-Nielsen tools, and they have never failed to deliver. As I said, there are other companies making excellent hand saws, but they are expensive - and worth every penny. Also, keep your eye open at junk shops, flea markets, yard sales, etc. Avoid saws that are bent. And don't expect to use a used saw until you have it professionally sharpened. Just DON'T USE A CRAPPY TOOL. One man said that life is both too long and too short to struggle with bad tools.
Use an accurate square to mark a line across a board, and down the front edge.
(2) After the tool, your stance is most important. Here's what you want to do: Grip the handle and extend your index finger, like mine is in the picture. It's called a triangulation grip, and it helps steady the saw side-to-side. Secure the board to the work surface (use your knee, your hand, or clamp it before assuming the stance). Place the saw's teeth on waste side of the line you drew on the board. Form a plane, the points being the front end of the saw (the "toe"), your wrist, your elbow, and your eye (the one on the same side as the hand in which you're holding the saw).
(3) Start sawing, and maintain that plane. I imagine my arm and the saw moving like a train engine's wheels, with those bars that attach the wheels. Make sure everything is moving within the plane. Try to make the saw follow both of the lines you drew (take a look at the 11th picture down to see what I mean). Do your best to make these first cuts as true as possible. Remember - well-begun is half-done.
(4) Don't get a death-grip and the saw handle. Just hold it securely, but not like a vise.
If all goes well, then here's what you'll get:
When you're finished, check your work with a good square:
Like I said, it's very satisfying work. If you don't get it right the first time, don't worry. It takes practice. Try again, and be patient - it'll come to you. The only people who can't learn to use a handsaw are the impatient folks.
From the cut end, I'll measure out 7', mark another line across at that point, and saw it off.
Look at this end grain:
The orientation of the rings is important, and I'll explain why in a later posting. These look good for a warbow.
Now I need to rip the board to make the bow stave. I'm going to gauge a line so that the stave is a tad wider than it is thick, in case I want to plane it down to make it square. I'll set my adjustable square thusly:
Then I'll place the square on the edge, place a pen against the end of the square, and drag both of them down to mark my cut line:
Then I'll repeat the process on the other side of the board, and join those lines on the ends.
I'll start sawing, following the guidelines set forth above:
A good start:
The way to make sure a rip cut is true is to turn the board over after every few inches of sawing, and saw from the other side:
Some guys can rip a true cut without turning the board over. The rest of us are mere mortals, and we have turn it. I'm not ashamed, and neither should you be.
I'll keep working my way down the board, taking my sweet time (believe me, time spent this way is sweet), resting whenever I want. Ere long, I have a stave fit for an English warbow:
I never tire of the feeling I get after this kind of work. I've done it the way my great grand-father taught me, with the same results he would have gotten, and he would have been proud of me. Working wood with hand tools is filled with such small triumphs, and they make me feel like a king.
By the way, there are two more tools I want mention, tools that without which, sawing would be a high-powered drag. They're my sawhorses. Here's one of 'em:
They're not what usually comes to mind when you think sawhorses. My son and I made these a few years ago, and they are probably in the top five of best additions to my shop. If you want to make a couple for yourself, then let me know. I'll send you the plans.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Recommencing Shakespeare
For this week's Shakespeare, I'm going to re-read The Comedy of Errors, Act 1, Scene 1. I already posted my some of my observations here. I don't like rehashing material like this. But it's been so long since we last read, and I want to maintain the story's continuity.
Later this week, I'll begin a restoration project - a mid-1940's Zenith console radio. It's a beauty! And it has a turn-table. I'll post pictures as the project moves along, and I'll post some lessons on the fundamentals of radio. I'll also teach you how to build some home-brew receivers (crystal and short wave). They're good things to have in an emergency, and loads of fun to work with. Besides, radio is just plain fascinating.
Have you started collecting plastic Easter eggs yet?
Later this week, I'll begin a restoration project - a mid-1940's Zenith console radio. It's a beauty! And it has a turn-table. I'll post pictures as the project moves along, and I'll post some lessons on the fundamentals of radio. I'll also teach you how to build some home-brew receivers (crystal and short wave). They're good things to have in an emergency, and loads of fun to work with. Besides, radio is just plain fascinating.
Have you started collecting plastic Easter eggs yet?
Heads-Up
Easter is approaching. Take advantage of the paganism by laying hold of a good supply of plastic eggs. You'll need them for a project we'll take on in April.
Don't ask! Just get you a mess of 'em, stash 'em, and wait until around the middle of April.
By the way, has anyone seen my Bevington's Complete Works of Shakespeare? If you have, then please let me know. I can't find it anywhere.
Don't ask! Just get you a mess of 'em, stash 'em, and wait until around the middle of April.
By the way, has anyone seen my Bevington's Complete Works of Shakespeare? If you have, then please let me know. I can't find it anywhere.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Blog Re-start
It's been a very hectic several months. But my work-travel schedule has finally settled down, and I've moved my workshop. In a week or so, I'll have it set up and operational. I hope you'll all join me in my new projects and in my pursuit of Shakespeare, one act per week.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
VERY COOL! A Personal Submarine!
A gentleman named Graham Hawkes has designed and built a commercially-available personal submarine.
Mr. Hawkes owns a company that specializes in this kind of craft.
Mr. Hawkes owns a company that specializes in this kind of craft.
Such boats have been around for a while, but by all accounts, this version is very simple to operate and highly maneuverable - and great-looking. However, I'd give my eye teeth to see one in really good steampunk design. (Here's a description of steampunk, and here's one of my favorite websites about steampunk craft.)
I suppose my admiration for the boat is a vestige of my years in the U.S. Naval Submarine Force. I wish all of you could spend a week or so at sea aboard a sub. They are truly remarkable specimens of science and engineering. And the crew members are pretty interesting, too. I know I was (and still am - ask anyone who knows me.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)