Category: I do these sorts of things so you don’t have to

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Apropos of Nothing in Particular. . .

Just a random thought that intruded into my day. . .

I really do not understand why the MK MPT-76 is termed an “assault rifle” instead of a “main battle rifle” as

Its 7.62×51mm (roughly a .30 caliber round in fairly high-powered configuration matching the typical .308 Winchester “deer” and other medium-large game round) NATO round falls outside the parameters generally accepted for assault rifle rounds and was initially used in M14 main battle rifles and M60 machine guns (in the US military).
Its USE in the Turkish military is as a main battle rifle.

Still, in general use, most refer to this rifle as an “assault rifle,” completely against all reason.

It’s a real head-scratcher. . .

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Terminally Stupid Quora Questions

I used to think FarceBook and TwitPost were the best “stupid traps” on the interwebs, but Quora has begun to convince me otherwise. For example, a recent question:

Why does Grace O’Malley-Kumar’s mother believe there should be mandatory prison terms for knife carrying?

(Recap, some goblin in Nottingham, England, attacked a teen with a knife as she tried to protect a friend, killing her.)

My answer to this stupid question is,

Because she stupidly blames the tool for the actions of the killer. Banning the carrying of knives is as stupid as banning guns. Only those who intend no harm to others will comply. Those who intend to harm others will not comply. After all, they already intend to break the law with acts of violence.

What should be done instead is for the killer (whom I will not name, because spreading his name just adds to his “fame”) to be executed using the same means he used to kill Grace. Publicly. Videoed and broadcast regularly as a warning to other goblins. (BTW, that is how drunk drivers who kill someone should be executed: by having their car – or its remains – dropped on them until they are road paste. Again, videoed and shown as a warning to drunks who choose to drive.)

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Memory Aids. . . of a Sort

The fun thing about aging is that, while new injuries seem to take longer to heal, at least I probably won’t miss them for long, since old injuries (some 60 or more years old) continually remind me of their continuing (have I stressed “continue” enough yet? 😉 ) presence. Joy! It’s a memory boost! Maybe I will NEVER “forget” an injury! *heh*

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“Military Grade”

Confession: while I despise the word “smirk,” primarily because subliterate 20-somethings misuse it so much, I confess to smirking (appropriate use notice! *heh*) whenever I see some company tout a product as “military grade.” (Too often – once is too often, but sadly it seems to be more often than that – “military grade” means “low bid from the company offering the most graft.”)

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Is It just Me?

Yeh, it’s probably just me. *heh*

Lil hitches in a sci-fi (or really, any) story stand out when the rest is well-written (especially if it’s “hard” sci-fi, which must meet a stricter standard for suspension of disbelief). Here’s a marginal blip: in order to “blend in,” a Chicom operative orders a cheese pizza. . . and eats it. The thing is, while lactose intolerance among those of northern European ancestry has generally been around 5%, among the Chinese, especially the Han, it’s around 90%. A cheese pizza just doesn’t seem normal. To me, that would stand out, not blend in.

*shrugs* My Wonder Woman chides me sometimes about being a bit too detail oriented, so maybe this is just an idiosyncratic problem.

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The Right Tool for the Job

You have one knife on your person. Good for you. Two is better. Three is better still. More, if you want to have self-defense options that include edged tools/weapons. No, really. Close range knife “fights” mean BOTH will be wounded. If not defending against a firearm, ranged knife defense – practice throwing knives? Sure – can be an exceptionally effective option.

Note: knife wounds are more likely to result in fatalities, so make absolutely certain you cannot remove yourself from danger without seriously wounding an aggressor.

Aside from self-defense options, knives are pretty close to being the ultimate “frustration-free packaging” tools, among many, many other uses, and the right knife for the job can make a big difference.

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CMS Apocalypse?

Premise of a fiction series.

FORTUNATELY, I read the author’s intro before committing to the series that might have had potential for having some interesting information gleaned through some storytelling. But, given one sentence early on, I was able to avoid further brain-damaging text. Whoever edited the book missed a gross mismatch between a plural noun and a singular pronoun. A further glance down the page and, yep: grammar being sucked like dead bunnies through a straw. I ain’t got time fer that. 😉

I’ll add to my infopack on CMSes and EMPs with info from elsewhere, TYVM.

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Nopers. Not for Me.

Saw a posting for what is quite likely an otherwise worthwhile event, but even if I were to desire to attend, I could not, because I have a firm policy against exclusion of knives (and by extension ANY exclusion of items that can be used for self-defense, because such is an inherent right). And, guess what? The venue not only excludes ALL knives (no matter size, design, or purpose) but excludes a lot of other things that, well, only Koolaid drinkers would approve of.

Yeh, I don’t fly, either (and I’d have to to make the event. Or rather, I will not, because Thugs Standing Around are just Security Kabuki, laced with cover for Official Thievery. Sure, it limits some of my options, but not any that are really important.