A Series Of Unlikely Explanations

60 thoughts on “A Series Of Unlikely Explanations”

1. You could always get this guy to build you something. Underground storage and range.

   https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/bunker-concealing-guns-and-ammunition-discovered-beneath-couch-in-perth-home/news-story/a24d301828787a23bf6645848506e8b6

   Please note my wife suggested the extra safe. She knows me well.

   1. That’s more or less what I suggested.

      And for the record, that’s almost every home in Northern Arizona, except that we don’t need clandestine ranges. We go out to the backyard. All the weapons/ammo mentioned in the article, including suppressors, are legal in Arizona and can be purchased over the counter with no waiting period.

2. Identify the Aircraft:
   1. Yakovlev Yak-36 Freehand
   2. Tupolev Tu-22M Blackjack
   3. Ilyushin Il-80 Maxdome

   Identify the APC:
   4. LVTH-6

   1. Correction to 2: Backfire
      Needed coffee.

      1. Yes, #2 is a Backfire, but well done.

         1. I take it the LVT is Taiwanese?

            Very mod camo for a 70-year-old track.

            – Kle.

            1. Philippine I think.

            2. X2 PI

3. Because Santa ain’t foolin’ around in these troubled times.
   https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5765/23930973525_31ded527e8_o.jpg

   1. Precisely!!

4. Surly, you should upgrade to a more powerful blend/ deeper reboot. The old version does not cut it any longer.

   1. Or just proofread better. Blackjack vs. Backfire, what was I thinking?

5. “Get off my lawn”…while standing at the podium. That guy – sadly, yet poetic justice at the same time – doesn’t have a clue where he is most of the day but his condition affords shouting fits. Been there myself with mom so know all the signs.

   Dress code/gear- I’ve got a foot in both canoes, depends on what’s on tap for the day, sometimes both. That said, the Dutton look is undeniable, most of which is Schaefer and Cinch/Ariat (vs. Gorsuch or King Ranch). Have many of the same pieces. Good stuff. And who can argue with a good fitting cowboy hat?

   1. Ps. Hallmark Memphis Man- Me too! Seen enough of them. Same line in every one, “What are you doing here?”

      That should be proof enough I know of what I speak…and …freely admitting it here…which may formally put me on VM Manly Man probation. But hey…while MrsPaulM can be a tough cowgirl she gets to choose a Hallmark movie, formulatic as they are and lately subliminally pushing the DEI baloney – IF Equalizer 1-3, or, as she just mentioned she wanted to see, watching Reacher S2, is not her preferred in the moment.

      Happy wife…happy me. (I do draw the line with two Hallmark’s in a row though)

      1. If you barf during the Hallmark show, do so discretely.

         I found Reacher S-2 to be campy and slow. I like it when he smashes people, but the plot is thin. He needs the cute blonde police officer from S-1.

         1. Might be due to the story they selected, i recall the book was more detailed with 110th past and present…background development. At least the bad guys get it and it has some storyline. Maybe the remaining episodes will develop it further.

            Childs took one ugly aspect of society for each book; trafficking, dark web, corruption, etc…to expose the scummy underbelly of what goes on in the world outside of most peoples experience or understanding…that “you live in your little bubble” line from Taken).

            Right now re watching S1, needed an easy day for a change. Get back to you on S2 assessment.

      2. Somewhat same here. Mrs Surly wants to watch Barbie, together. I sense a medical emergency in my immediate future.

         1. Get a gallon of chlorine bleach and put it next to the TV. When MRSSURLY asks why it’s there, tell her that it’s for your eyes after you see the Barbie Movie.

            1. Surly man, all the AI in the world cant fix that estrogen driven mess. I drew the line on that one, and MrsPaulM almost gagged when she saw the trailer. Yup, Hallmark Christmas show here or there or not, I married up, and she hates purses too, prefers her holster.

            2. @mess…meaning the Barbie fest movie.

6. Don’t shoot the Rolex guy until you’ve taken out the bodyguards, then shoot him. Unless he’s from Hollywood he didn’t get that rich being a fool, and he’s definitely not harmless. (If he is from tinseltown shot him twice.)

7. Purses:
   Gentlemen, never ever go shopping with your babe for purses or get into a ladies discussion of purses. Never. Politely express a need to stretch your legs or get a drink. Exfiltrate immediately.

   In Shanghai, a group of us went to lunch at the all you can eat place next to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. After lunch one of the men said he needed to get a purse for his wife, so we all followed him into the subway shopping center. The others marched into the store with him and I sat down on a stool outside while they ooohed and ahhhed inside. After a bit, in clear English, a voice asked me if I wanted to visit his shop. This guy was 100% Chinese speaking perfect English. I declined and asked him where he learned his English.

   He learned English in Europe helping his folks with a store in the Netherlands, went to college in Chicago for business administration and ran a store there. Now it was his turn for 3 years in Shanghai running a family store and then he would be sent off somewhere else. It was a most enlightening conversation.

   Just a thought about purses and one about a different Chinese facet we don’t usually see.

   1. I bought knock-off Juicy purses for my four daughters in Guangzhou on the order of 20 years ago, and they told the kids at school that they were real. The schoolgirls with sharp eyes for knockoffs declared them genuine. I spent on the order of US$8 per purse, and real purses then went for $300 or so.

8. The Mel Gibson movie Fat Man from a couple or three years ago is my current favorite Christmas movie and fits the warrior Santa theme reasonably well.

9. Gun storage. I like to keep my firearms at about room temp so a conex is out unless I wanted to insulate and climate control it somehow. It would need both heat and cooling since temperatures in my neck of the woods range from about 10 degrees F to over 100 degrees F. Guess I will stick with my three gun safes. Ammunition is another concern. If I had to evacuate for a forest fire I already have a fire symbol to post on the door and a note to the FD to not fight a fire at my house. The ammo would just cook off relatively harmlessly but the black powder is a concern. I keep meaning to bury a barrel in the ground for the stuff and haven’t gotten around to it yet.

   Clothing, Jeans almost all the time and a flannel shirt in winter. I mostly get by with a heavy vest when I am out and about with a coat (along with a bunch of other stuff) as backup in my vehicle. And yes, suspenders have become a must darn it.

   Eyes in the sky, we have come a long way. Way back in the 90s I had the opportunity to look at some satellite photos and was astounded at the resolution. Can’t even imagine what the state of the art looks like now. Makes me want to buy another telescope.

   1. About got it covered Ed. Suspenders are way better than belts for everyday round the place working.

      True story from the wayback machine: I was residing a little West of Boulder, CO, next canyon North off the back side of Sugarloaf Mountain area. Our road guy lived there for decades before it became the exclusive place to build. He built 75 miles of dirt roads which he maintained both roads and his heavy equipment. Everybody knew Rolland, super smart and classically interesting fellow (had a Summertime custom watch shop in Woods Hole, MA…one extreme to the other). The guy had a blasting license and was an expert. (Everything I know about gravel road maintenance I learned from watching and working with him). On his property he had excavated a storage cave into a granite hill for his blasting materials and weapons and ammo, then installed a massive steel door on the opening with a serious lock. Said that no matter what it was safe and per regulation. Rolland was away in Woods Hole when a lightening strike fire broke out on the mountain.

      Then we get the breathless reporting from the reporter-ette standing down canyon: Authorities found a cave-like bunker with heavy steel door that they had to use a grinder with cutoff wheel to enter. The bunker contained a massive amount of dangerous explosives and thousands of rounds of ammunition and GUNs! Authorities evacuated a 1 mile radius then called in the bomb squad to remove the illegal materials in order to keep everyone safe.

      Rolland got wind once they called him a few days later, had to fly back. He was nearly arrested but proceeded to totally take these idiots to the cleaners for unlawfully breaching his “bunker” which he said their actions could have caused more harm than good. Some officials wanted to put him in jail for “endangering his neighbors” – most of whom were well off Liberals (all properties were 35 acres). Rolland ultimately prevailed once he produced his license and pointed put their massive error.

      Some people have no clue but are convinced they are so right simply from where they sit.

      1. Hopefully they compensated the guy for the damage they did plus additional punitive compensation.
         I toyed with transferring my military explosives qualifications into a civilian blasting license when I retired from the military but unless you are generating income with it keeping all the licenses current was expensive as all get out. The insurance costs were surprisingly high as well.

         1. People I worked with went into the demo business working for Red Adair Co. Inc. The company handled license fees. Yes, you have to be working to afford the overhead.

            1. Screw the license/insurance. If you are not a commercial company, it is nobody’s business. I no longer mess with the stuff but never had a problem buying dynamite from the local feed store.

            2. Setting explosives on a gusher takes munitions use to the next level, like those live gas line or under water welders.

            3. The demo trains and complex use of det cord that characterizes UDT training helps to prepare them for that sort of career. There is nothing like underwater demolition training in terms of scope and complexity. It’s rarely put into practice because there is very little beach clearance in support of traditional amphibious warfare landings. A lot is vertical or air-cushion related and the sort of obstacles that need to be cleared are avoided when you do that. Mines can be a problem and I won’t go into that for fear of stepping on classified information. But the need is changing.

            4. LL…That’s way above my pay grade to fully understand. Incredible what I don’t know about such things.

            5. They’re just skillsets, PaulM. You use different sorts of knots when rigging a demo train with M-456 to ensure that everything detonates at once. Quad knots, cherry knots, sliding cherry knots (slip knots), Uli knots in place of a blasting cap, and good old square knots are used to connect downlines and trunklines. Doing it on land is easier than doing it underwater in low visibility with a surge knocking you around. It’s the same with naval mines used in shallower water for beach defense. Rigging them for detonation is more complicated underwater on a moonless night with a surf (surge) running and a rip current dragging you. It’s not for the feint of heart.

10. Totally unrelated to today’s post so my apologies to our host but today is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Part where our ancestors protested a 3% (I believe) tax on tea. Hard to figure our current tax rate but all in all it is probably close to 50%. I wonder what our forefathers would think?

    1. Any response to this would be considered “insurrectionist”.

       1. How about if I identify as a black, gay female college president that plagiarizes. Kind of a get out of jail free card there by golly.

          1. Also, identify as pro-Palestinian, and you’re home-free.

             1. For the record, I consider it an HONOR to be an official US taxpayer and to be allowed to pay a mere 50% to support the regime in DC and to support despots all around the world, who kick back 10% to the Big Guy. It’s also a distinct privilege to pay to keep 35,000 FBI personnel and 87,000 IRS agents earning princely salaries and abundant retirements that they draw for the rest of their lives.

11. Regarding headlines – saw an info-blurb about some guys restarting the Packard Motor Company. The first model they created for the showroom was a 1934 model. From the sounds of it you need lots of money to get one, as they will make custom mods for a customer.

    1. It’s like buying a Power Wagon from Legacy for $500K.

       1. One of the lesser builds now…guess if you have enough “I don’t care” cash.

          1. I could afford five if elected to Congress.

12. Your header picture is inaccurate. Jackalope horns are more like pronghorns. Years ago at a now closed restaurant at Red Desert, WY, had to explain the difference to some tourists. There was a stuffed Jackalope on display. Earned me a complimentary piece of pie from the owner after the tourists left.
    Much like the story from Maine of some guy telling his relatives about lobsters spending the night in pens and being let out during the day to graze. After they departed someone asked if the guy was a local. “No”, was the reply, “but he will do”.

    1. I defer to your experience in understanding the relationship between the Jackalopus Pacificus (Southwestern Jackalope) and the Jackalopus Pronghornicus (Great Plains Jackalope). It’s that sort of in-depth understanding that deserves warmed pie with a scoop of ice cream on it.

       They’re the same skill sets that made you a master used car salesman.

       1. Wall Drug in South Dakota has a good collection of stuffed Jackalopes on display and for sale.

          We used to tell visiting Marines to be careful of Drop Bears and Whip Tailed Crocodiles when they were training in tropical Australia. You had to tap two dry sticks together to keep the bears away. Works well as none of them saw one. Also makes them easy to ambush if we were feeling mean.

13. Thanks for the shout out, and yes, enjoyed the conversation! Friend of mine up in Ohio has an entire ‘dummy’ wall in his basement workshop. Behind that is his gun room, reloading equipement, etc. If you didn’t know about it, you’d never find it. And yes, we’re not operators, nor do we try to play one… Got rid of the shoot me first stuff once I stopped working on the sea tests, and went much lower key.

    The reason the ladies don’t care for the carry purses is that they don’t like the weapon being ‘off body’…

    1. I dress for comfort. If the sun is beating down or if it’s cold, I usually wear some sort of headgear. Most of it smacks of a military background, but that shouldn’t say, “shoot me first.”

       When traveling in what I consider to be a higher-threat environment, I tend to pick a load-out that fits the circumstances.

       None of us are looking for trouble. At the same time, I don’t intend to be a victim.

       1. At least two of the ladies in the chat, and one of us who watched it later because it’s wise to know why my three friends are deeply annoyed, regularly carry off-body. (The numbers don’t add up because the third lady, well, we’re working on getting her to carry, and she was also Quite Annoyed.)

          As the great economist Thomas Sowell said, “There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs; and you try to get get the best trade-off you can hope for. That’s all you can do.”

          The reason you didn’t see much pushback is because the gent in the chat decided that if we weren’t wearing his preferred carry (on-body), it must be because we are *ignorant* of the options he was so eager to tell us we hadn’t thought about and needed to do. Note his entire “help” started with the statement that he hates off-body carry, and without asking a single question about what factors or variables might lead someone to make that choice, he launched into well-intentioned, demeaning, and utterly ignorant advice.

          Also, just like your warning sign of female phrases above? When some fool of a Took states “There are ccw corsets. I’m sure MonaLisa can tell yall how corsets are for ALL women.”

          …and then does not recognize the venom in the laconic reply “I own a dozen corsets.”…

          The ladies quickly determined there was no point in wasting time, breath, or type trying to correct him. Thus, he was getting rapid disengagement from all the women who carry off-body.

          Never mistake silence for agreement. Just because he was absolutely certain that he’s the smartest man in the room, even when he’s outside his area of competence by more than minute of berm, doesn’t mean he convinced anybody of anything… except to never trust him.

       2. Same here. One of the reasons I don’t go to Cali anymore… sigh…

14. Hmmmm. I do wear a Carhart (60 bucks), it’s getting a bit ratty now, and hats to keep the sun off — ball cap mostly but sometimes filling station straws (20 bucks). And Ariat boots when calf skin UK loafers aren’t appropriate. Belt? Typically Orvis or web. Is this wrong? Surely not.

    I say this as the Commandant of a prestigious if irregular cavalry unit.

    PS. Excellent suspenders point, they’re most useful. I know this.

    1. That Carhartt is just gettin’ good LSP, like a good beat up ballcap that fits just right.

       1. Carhart is a local business here, about 20 miles away.
          They forced their employees to get the jab or take a hike.
          Ask me what I think of them now.

          1. It would be good to have some independent source to evaluate the wokeness of any business you might want to patronize. The situation with Carhartt is one good example of that.

15. I had a friend years ago who had a paneled family room, and when you pressed on the right spot in the wall, a microswitch triggered the latch release and a panel swung out.
    Really was undetectable for being a hinged sheet of wall panelling.
    Led to a cellar workshop.

    1. Those mechanisms are a matter of personal taste. However, you can’t break into a gun safe if you don’t know that it’s there.

16. As to carry. I wear black dickies almost everywhere but church or a dinner engagement.
    I often get mistaken for an employee of wherever I am.
    I’m usually just as helpful :)
    I don’t think that qualifies as “shoot me first” attire, unlike the CCW vest I bought and wore once years ago the day before Kim du Toit wrote about “Shoot me first” vests.
    And a pocket carry is comfortable and accessible in them.
    My wife uses a concealed purse. Why not? She has everything else in their.
    Neither of us are “operators”. If the tool is readily accessible and available, statistics seem to show that most people attacked have plenty of time to retrieve a weapon. As long as they have one.

17. Wife and I and another friend volunteered for local food pantry selling raffle tickets for a pump shotgun and designer purse. Sitting at a table in front of a country store specializing in custom meat processing. My wife sold a bunch of tickets for the purse telling the guys they could use it to carry their ammunition. A guy won the purse.

18. On edc , see no comments about shoulder rigs. That elemenates the weight problem and suspenders. Lots of experience here that I don’t have ,but wondering why that is?

19. +1 on suspenders.
    Having been blessed with the Brie Larson gene of “no butt”,.so suspenders have been de rigueur for many years.

    I am a vest guy.
    I was tempted by the ” shoot-me-first vest” from 5.11, but …
    Sorry to hear about Carhartt management.
    Carhartt has been my go-to for many years starting with their insulated bibs in Northern Idaho.
    I have noticed that their long sleeve work shirts have gotten thinner and thinner and are now no longer made in America.
    I used to buy the Five Brothers Hickory Shirts out of a place in Portland, Oregon, but can no longer find them.

20. Jackalopes, they will mess you up man. Always carry in jackalope country and save the last bullet for yourself.

    I could probably be a poster boy for Carhart, Dickies and Red Wing. I have worn a wide-brimmed hat, usually a fedora style, ever since I was a young man. Nowadays it is often a Tilley. I never cared for ball caps.
    My CCW is a S&W 442 and it disappears nicely in a IWB holster or a pocket. If I have to armor up, then I’m not worrying about concealment beyond a jacket or open flannel shirt at that point.

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