Why Believe in God?

February 26, 2010

Is a belief in God irrational? There is no proof of God’s existence and yet there is no proof that God does not exist.  Can one argue the lack of the existence of God rationally when humans by nature are irrational beings?  Can the disbelieve in God be as irrational as the belief in God?

Interestingly, one of the first tomes on probability theory was developed over the question of God’s existence.  A 18th century French philosopher name Blaise Pascal offered up an interesting if not controversial opinion when he said it a better bet to believe in God than not  from a rational perspective. This is known as Pascal’s Wager.

Pascal’s Wager basically says that if you believe in God and you are correct you gain everything but if you are wrong, you lose nothing.  A win, win bet. If you bet against God’s existence and are wrong, you lose everything.  If you are right you’ve gained nothing.  A lose, lose bet.

If that is true, why not believe in a philosophy that is based on loving thy neighbor, doing unto others, promoting faith, hope and charity? Why not a belief system that emphasizes a universal ethic of honesty, fairness, mercy and forgiveness? Why not believe in an Almighty being or a personification of all the goodness of humankind that disdains the failing of human nature? Why not believe in a philosophy of sacrifice, atonement and redemption?   What can it hurt to believe in God?

Now what is more rational? The belief in God or the belief in no God?

I personally don’t know if God created man or man created God. Perhaps the ability by man to create God is how God created man.  Does not the manifestation of God by man prove God’s existence?

Which ever way it happened, God exists and his word is better than any thing else that has ever been presented to us lowly creatures.  We have nothing lose, it is a win-win situation.

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Edwin Markham

February 26, 2010

There is a destiny that makes us brothers:
None goes his way alone:
All that we send into the lives of others
Comes back onto our own.

He drew a circle that shut me out–
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in.

For all your days be prepared, and meet them ever alike. When you are the anvil, bear – when you are the hammer, strike.

There is a destiny which makes us brothers; none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.

We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life.

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Light weight straight stock Part III

January 24, 2009

Check out Parts I and II

Lots of sanding brought the stock to a very smooth stage. I wet sanded it several times and it got to where I wanted it.  There were however several spots I just couldn’t get to. Birch is not very grainy so staining it doesn’t always work well. I also had some low spots I just couldn’t sand out.

Be that as it may, I slapped some Minwax Golden Oak stain on the stock tonight. I am happy with the color. Got another coat or two to add and then some urethane to seal and protect it. Overall all I am pleased with the way it turned out. I still have to figure out what I am going to use as a butt plate.

Here is what it looks like in comparison to the way it started. It was a full size rifle with a standard stock and barrel.

Stay tuned for Part IV

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Light weight straight stock Part II

January 19, 2009

Be sure to check out Part I

I decided that the stock looked too chunky and decided that it needed a trim. I always liked the english style straight grip and the schnauble type fore stock.  Took the stock to the sander to see what I could come up with.

That black mark at the end of the stock is the point of no return. Didn’t want to go past that point with the sander.

Nice and trim now.

Compare the before thinning and after thinning pics.

Before

After

Lots more sanding and some shaping to do. Haven’t decided what to do about the finish on the stock.

This is a work in progress so stay tuned for Part III

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Shot Show Report

January 16, 2009

The annual Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show began this week. This trade show is usually seen as the unveiling of all the latest and greatest innovations for the coming year. These products run the gamut from tennis rackets to firearms.

The last several years has seen the Shot Show turn from being primarily hunting and fishing stuff to being taken over by the  firearms industry.  It has become the event for that industry and accessory manufactures to kick off the new year by introducing their new products.  As such the Shot Show has grown and it has generated a much more  interest in the shooting, law enforcement and military community.  Since I am interested in firearms I will stick with what’s new.

Here is my exclusive review…
Lots of new variations of the AR15 were introduced. This includes a lot of cool tan and “dark earth” colored ones.  Some had piston gas systems and some didn’t.  Nearly all had really cool stocks that folded, collapsed, expanded, or rose up or down.

Lots of new AR15 type accessories were introduced.  Lots of rail systems .  Just about anything that you could hang on a rail, on or in a rifle was touted as the latest and greatest stuff.

Every other company that didn’t introduce a copy or variation of the AR15, introduced a copy or variation of the 1911. Nearly all had really cool rails on them and were tan or green or “”dark earth” colors or some weren’t.

Some companies introduced firearms with innovative plastic frames because no one has yet thought of using plastic in firearms before.

Everybody who didn’t introduce an AR15 or 1911, and some that did also introduced updated versions of their plastic framed pistols. All are really cool and innovative because they moved the pattern of their plastic serrations on the grip around to make them look even cooler than last year.

Nearly every company introduced “Tactical” versions of their firearms with lots of folding things on them and lots of rails to add lots of other folding things on them. These were offered in tactical green, tan or “dark earth” colors. Other tactical innovations was the use of  “digital camo” on nearly everything.

Colt Industries in another attempt to stay in business  introduced tactical   baby wipes in tan, digital camo and “dark earth” colors. This turned out to be controversial because people who tried them couldn’t tell if they had already been used or not.

Come back for next year’s review of the SHOT Show. Or simply cut and paste this review.

Ok, I am being cynical. There really is not much happening in the firearms industry which seems to have been wallowing in tactical crap for the last 5 or 6 years.  The US being at war generates lots of interest in tan, green, “dark earth” stuff with accessory rails on them.

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Happy Fun Hat Light

January 13, 2009

If you work with your hands, as opposed to your brain, feet, lips or other appendages, you have probably had the need to shed light on whatever you are working on. Then again, if you want a shed light, just go to Home Depot and  buy one. The problem with busy hands however, is how are you going to use  your hands to illuminate the work when your hands are busy…uh… you know..working?   You could use the sun  provided you were working in the daylight. You could use the moon though it is difficult to see in the daytime and not always present at night.

The solution of course is some sort of a hands free light.  Hands free as in  “look Ma, no hands!”  The  Germans say, “Look Ma, no Hans”.  Anyway, there are many types and kinds of hands free lights. We already mentioned the sun and the moon (yeah, I know the moon isn’t really a light)  but there are others ( lights that is,  not moons, there is only one moon)  as well.  There are head lamps which are usually some form of light on an elastic band that fits around one’s head.  Flashlight holders that hold small flashlights on one’s hat or on a band around one’s head. Your thirteen year old could hold a flashlight for you if he/she is not too busy playing video games.  Heck, you may as well duct tape a Mag-Light to your head or hold a candle in your teeth than try on depend a thirteen year old kid to help you.  There are also lights that clip onto the bill of one’s cap.  The latter,  in my opinion, being the most practical unless you don’t have a cap, or a bill, or a light.

If however you are like me, or even if  you just like me, or don’t like me, I don’t care. I have a low cost solution for all you light challenged individuals.  The solution of course is the happy fun hat light. It is cheap, easy to make, looks cool in a geeky sort of way and most importantly it sheds light on all your inadequacies.

Here is how to make one…

Get yourself a hat (steal it from your worthless kid when he/she is playing video games), a light, some scissors, and some hook and loop sticky tape stuff. I can’t say VELCRO because VELCRO is a specific copyrighted and trademarked brand.  The hook and loop stuff is similar to VELCRO, in a hook and loop sort of VELCRO way.  Oh, for Pete’s sake,  if you want VELCRO just buy VELCRO!

By the way, Pete’s suggestion for a light is this little LED key chain light from dealextreme.com . http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1253 They are quite bright and you can get 10 of them for less than $5.00. Use one for your hat.  Put the rest on all your key chains.  Give them to friends and relatives. Don’t forget  Pete, he needs one. Give one to Hans as well if you can find him. Maybe he is out in the shed.   Hand them out at Halloween if you want, why would I care?  Or you could just use the duct tape and Mag-Light.

Dealextreme.com  is in China and ships by the proverbial slow boat. Plan ahead and make sure all your dark projects are done during the daytime or in well lit areas while you are waiting for that slow boat from China to arrive. By the way, they are available in a variety of designer colors.

In the mean time, cut your hook and loop fasteners into little pieces. When you get your light, stick one of the hook pieces on the light and the loop pieces on the hat. If you are in Australia, put the hook piece on the hat and the loop on the light.  I personally like to place my lights under the rim to protect them from rain, snow, meteors and the like. You can just stick yours anywhere you want like on that thirteen year old bum in your house.

The end result is a happy fun hat light at a bargin price which will enlighten your perspective, help you find Hans, cure warts, and make you devilishy attractive to moths.

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Monkeys Boxing Boxing Monkeys

January 12, 2009

MBBM started out as a discussion with my daughter who was sixteen at the time.  We were discussing  the concept of esotericism in philosophy.  Yeah, she had just read a book.

The conversation was one of those long, sometimes silly episodes of banter across the dinner table.  What does esotericism mean?  What is considered esoteric?   MBBM is somewhat of an esoteric contrivance  itself.  Then again isn’t that the case of  many philosophies?

I am fortunate that my children put up with me asking them what they think. I have had some very entertaining discussions with each of them at times.  Somewhere during our wild tangensity monkeys crept into the conversation and then into the boxes.

Thus, the concept of MBBM. Does it mean monkeys fighting each other?  Does it mean monkeys are filling boxes twice? Could it mean that monkeys are putting other monkeys that are boxing into boxes? Could it be monkeys putting monkeys into boxes who are putting other  monkeys into boxes who are putting still other  monkeys into boxes?  Could it be that I have too much time on my hands?

Imagine  MBBM as an endless sequence of images such as a mirror reflected in a mirror.  Monkeys boxing  boxing monkeys boxing monkeys boxing monkeys on into infinity. Thus is where the truth resides.

MBBM could in fact be the essence of all there is,  the ying and yang if you will. The alpha and omega.  It is the balance of the universe and the “is what it is or what it should be.”

MBBM!  If I have to explain it,  you wouldn’t understand.

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Home Made Extended 10/22 Mag Release

January 12, 2009

I like Ruger 10/22s. They are neat 22 caliber carbines and are probably the most versatile 22 rifle on the market. In fact, a whole cottage industry has sprung up offering every conceivable type of accessory, do-dad and thing -a-ma-gig that you can imagine.  It it not unusual for new owners to go on-line and end up spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars adding, changing, modifying their 10/22s.

Personally,  I am not big on spending gobs of money on them.  The 10/22 is a sporter rifle and changing it to something it is not just doesn’t seem logical to me. On the other hand, buying a stock 10/22 allows one to make it into many other things. You can make it into a lightweight back packable rifle or a heavy duty target gun.

One thing I would put on every 10/22 that I run across is an extended mag release. Ruger must have figured that out because I now see they are standard on new 10/22s (the ones with the plastic trigger assemblies). You can buy a new 10/22 with the mag release on it already or you can buy a multitude of aftermarket ones which cost from about $6 up to $30 or more.  Twenty years ago I bought a plastic one for $3.  Now I make my own.

In honor of those of us who have older 10/22s and are too cheap to buy an expensive super duper custom made one. I submit the following…

If you have an older 10/22 here’s what you got…Notice that the mag release is flat and smooth. It is sometimes difficult to push it in and extract the magazine

Here’s what you need… an empty 22 shell, some JB weld, the magazine release from your rifle and a drill about the diameter of the shell.

Drill a hole slightly bigger than the shell casing in the factory mag release. I used a wire brush to take the paint off the release but you can leave yours black if you want.  Glue the shell into the release using JB Weld.  Use some type of clamp, rubber band or something to ensure that it stays straight.  I think I used a pair of vice grip pliers. Let it sit overnight. Use sand paper or even a sharp knife to clean off the excess glue when set.

This is what you end up with…

When I sat down to take pictures I noticed an empty 22 box with the plastic holder inside. .  Light bulbs went off and I came up with a idea to cover the shell.  If you don’t have any ammo with similar inserts in them you can use plastic tubing, piece of tape or whatever

Break off one of the legs…

Cut to size…You will want it just a bit short so the shell will fit into the drilled hole.

Slip it over the shell casing before gluing.

.

..or split it and slip it over afterward

End result…Just make sure you drill the hole back far enough so the mag doesn’t catch on the shell casing when relased. If you notice the rifle in the background the release is just a bit too far forward. I had to trim the front edge of the rim a smidgen to clear the mag when released. The one in the middle is a plastic one I bought years ago.

It also just occurred to me while re-reading this, that you could use a CCI Stinger casing if you wanted a silver one to match your bolt, trigger or polished mag release. I might have to go back and redo mine in silver.

Don’t want to use a empty casing?  Just about anything can be used as a mag release. Let your imagination run wild.

Hey, you’ve just become a custom gunsmith!

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Light weight Straight Stock 10/22 Project Part I

January 11, 2009

One of my favorite rifles is the Ruger 10/22.  I have a number of them and they are fun to shoot. I am not however one ot those who am willing to spend hundreds to make it into something it is not.  On the other hand I do like to tinker with them on occasion.

I had one of my 10/22s  out the other day and was showing it to my wife and 18 year old daughter who was home from college for the weekend.  One thing I noticed is that women are retarded when in comes to holding firearms.  The other thing (and possibly the reason they have problems) is that the length of the stock from the butt to the trigger was too long for them.  I’ve noticed this on previous occasions and it struck me that I could fix the problem with a saw and a plan (although I have fixed other things with a hammer and an expletive).

The plan was to cut the stock down to fit women and children. I have often thought that a straight stock 10/22 would make a handy little carbine. A straight stock allows one to adjust the length of trigger pull by sliding one’s grip hand up or back on the stock. This is similar to choking up on a baseball bat.

With that in mind I started digging around for one of my spare stocks.  These were all take offs that people sold on Ebay.  I found a  birch wood stock with a couple ding and nicks in it.  A couple minutes with a saw and I have the following.  .

The blue painters tape is mark my cuts and also prevent more dents and dings to the stock.

I then took a belt sander and clamped it to my work bench.  The stock  was held against it and shaped to my general plan.  With that completed I now have  a lot of hand sanding to do to smooth out the bumps.

You can see how much thinner the grip is…

And how much shorter. I still want to thin out that fore stock and make it more tapered to the end.

You can see that with the shortened stock the whole rifles is only 3-4″ longer than the original stock.  I think the bottom of the fore stock is still too chunky looking so I will be thinning it out.  There are also some ridges and bumps and stuff I am going to have to work on.

Come back soon as I update this project and show the completed rifle! Cheers!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ok, I am back. I decided that the stock looked too chunky and decided that it needed a trim. I always liked the english style straight grip and the schnauble type fore stock.  Took the stock to the sander to see what I could come up with.

That black mark at the end of the stock is the point of no return. Didn’t want to go past that point with the sander.

Nice and trim now.

Compare the before thinning and after thinning pics.

Before

After

Lots more sanding and some shaping to do. Haven’t decided what to do about the finish on the stock.

This is a work in progress so stay tuned.

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