Radioactive Maple Syrup

Random Thoughts

2010-04-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid time moved very slowly. I remember thinking that one year would never end; it was 1979. I couldn't wait to change it to an 80. I think it was so long for me because that was the year I learned how to read a calender.
My teachers name that year was Miss. C. She was a little Nazi Garden Nome who umpired our baseball games in high heels and hit us with a yard stick when we allegedly misbehaved. By 3rd grade we were all taller than her so, she seemed less intimidating.
Never-the-less, we were all convinced she was responsible for some kind of wartime atrocity of an educational nature, but lacked the proof to report her to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. I'm sure there is a therapist somewhere who is making a great deal of money off of my past classmates.

I'm turning 38 this year and not looking forward to the inevitable mid life crisis.

I certainly hope that Zombie Apocalypse hits before I start wearing Bermuda shorts, striped Tube Socks with Mesh shoes and explaining to my eldest daughter why I'm hip, we coo, Word!

I know what your thinking but telling a gun owner there will be no Zombie Apocalypse is like telling children there in no Santa Clause..... You Bastards.

I work in the Nuclear Industry as a Radiation Safety Specialist. I love my job and my coworkers are great, when they are on their medication. My job is interesting when things are busy, and an absolute mind knummer when things are slow. It's not that I crave chaos; I just enjoy putting my skill set to work. Since the Iron Curtain fell. Nuclear disarmament; Swords to Plow Shares, Great! No new job prospects there.

I read a really book recently; I never did figure out why the main character loved the "Man in the Yellow Hat", I'm sure it wasn't because of his keen fashion sense. Yellow hat, OK. Yellow Suit, boots and jeep... just too much.

"Don't sweat the petty things - don't pet the sweaty things." ~ George Carlin

Glock Glock........ Who's there?

2009-11-11T17:06:00.000-08:00

Yes Glock.

I have just acquired a new pistol; a .40cal Glock 22 and It came with 4 mags and a holster.

As this is my first .40cal I was unsure what to expect in the way of performance, so to test it properly I picked up two boxes (100 rounds) of American Eagle .40 Cal 165 Grain FMJ.

Glock's claim to fame is that the ergonomic design and light weight allows for accurate shooting in even the most inexperienced shooters. With that in mind I performed my own blind study and invited someone with no firearms experience to join me in my test.

The targets we used were sketched pictures of a mans head, with a tin cup balanced on his hat on an 11"x 14" paper. I opted to use the 25m outdoor range at my club.
After the range flags were up and a brief safety refresher, we were live.

The Noobie went first.

I was pleasantly surprised that 6 of his first 10 shots hit the paper. The location of the hits indicated to me what he was doing wrong. Adjusting his grip and coaching him on technique, he hit 9 out of 10 on the target.

We spent the next hour blasting off the remaining 80 rounds.
Played two hands of pistol poker (shooting at playing cards to get the best hand), to which I am happy to report I am still undefeated (eh Oggie) and had a great afternoon.
Thanks to my Dad for being my Test Noob. I know he had a good time too.

Overall IMO the .40cal Glock 22 stands up to its already solid reputation and is my new favorite handgun.

Some resources to look up:
http://www.canadacarry.org/
www.cdnshootingsports.org/

MAPLE LEAF FOREVER

When the SHTF

2009-07-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world ends.
Not with a bang but with a whimper.

T. S. Eliot

I try an not buy into the paranoia that grips so many these days. Most recently the H1N1 flue pandemic, near collapse of the American Financial Machine (real estate and automotive industry bailouts) Blackouts and the upcoming global food shortage. It's hard for me not to think of what might come to pass in the near future.

Are you prepared? Do you know what you would do?

We have auto insurance in case something happens to our vehicle, Life Insurance for your life, House Insurance for your house; what insurance do you have for your future?
I'm not talking about buying into the mass paranoia about 2012 or giant asteroids hitting the earth and I don't intend to turn this into a Zombie attack Rambo fantasy Alien landing thread.

I'm more interested in knowing if the Shit Hit The Fan (SHTF); do you have a plan or would you even know what to do? When I ask the question, people who know me just think I am, looking forward to living a survivalist existence and in some small way they might be right. lol.

The Canadian Government has a website dedicated to the same questions that I'm asking here. http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index_e.asp
If it couldn't happen; why would the government set up this web site?

Does anyone remember the blackout in the summer of 2002? I personally woke up that morning to all the power out as did many people but, unlike so many in the Greater Toronto area. I enjoyed a full breakfast and a pot fresh coffee. My neighbors were peering out there windows looking at the redneck occupying an apartment complex picnic table with a Coleman stove. The smell of Bacon, eggs and fresh coffee created a vortex of hunger throughout the entire apartment complex.

One passer by commented, "Coffee?"
I replied, "Get a mug."

To his loss, he never returned.
Had the Power been out for longer I don't know how generous I would have remained.

For 63 hours I watched things start to fall apart and wondered how long it would take until they would start looting. Home Depot sold out of batteries in 2 hours.

So what did you do today to prepare? This could be something a simple as reading an article about filling your bath tub with water at the first sign of trouble, to maintain a potable water source. Did you think of that?

Topics to consider:

Water

Food

Security

Shelter

Contingency Plan

In a nutshell I guess the point I'm trying to make, is don't be one of the "Sheeple" and wait for disaster relief to come to you, be prepared.

MAPLE LEAF FOREVER

No time to Post

2009-07-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

So busy these days no time to post. Here is some food for thought; more on to come on this topic.

gun con‧trol [guhn kuhn-trohl] noun
Misrepresentation of statistics and denial of historically proven facts to blame the legal firearm owner for the government's inability to eradicate crime, and to simultaneously justify the disarmament of the public which is the common denominator of all oppressive regimes.

MAPLE LEAF FOREVER

The Maple Leaf Forever

2009-07-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

One thing in my life that remains a constant is the love of my country.

Here are a few lessons I will never forget.

I was taught to wear a uniform. They made me proud of it.

I swore an oath. They made me keep it.

I have walked a mile in someone else's boots. They made me walk one more.

I've stood in the snow with no hope of warmth. They said, "spring is right around the corner."

I've slept in a ditch. They said, "at least you don't have to polish the floor."

I have felt pain. They said, "it was weakness leaving my body."

I will never forget. They said, "damn right."

I realise adversity is part of life. They said, "suffrage is optional."

I signed a blank check made payable to "The People of Canada", for an amount "up to and including my life." They said, "If need be, we will collect."

I hope I have earn the right to call myself, a Canadian. They said, "YOU HAVE."

Maple leaf forever.

The Maple Leaf Forever Origin.

Penned appropriately enough in 1867 Canada's Confederation year, The Maple Leaf Forever enthusiastically celebrates our history and European roots. Unlike "O Canada", which is changed to make it politically correct from time to time, The Maple Leaf Forever proudly proclaims the real origins of this country.

It was written by school teacher Alexander Muir (1830-1906) who was then principal of Leslieville Public School in Toronto's East End . Maple Cottage, the house at Memory Lane and Laing Street in which Muir lived and a huge maple tree, which legend tells us inspired his composition, still stand.

Now you know.

MAPLE LEAF FOREVER

Why Radioactive Maple Syrup?

2009-07-04T00:17:00.000-07:00

Why not?

Did you know that after the Chernobyl Accident, radioactive contamination particulate was found in foods grown in the area of the dust cloud. Radioactive Maple Syrup, is exactly what we could have ended up with, had the accident happen on Canadian soil.

I know, I'm sure you think that the reason why the accident happened in the first place, was due to backward Russian Scientists and unskilled Goat herders fro the Ural Mountains operating nuclear reactor. This could not be further from the truth. In fact the Chernobyl RBMK reactor was an extremely safe design operated by highly paid, skilled and educated nuclear professionals.
In an attempt to test efficiency of it's electrical production the Operations staff of the unit, Ignoring procedure locked out or failed a number of it's safety systems. (coles notes version)
The test the Chernobyl Operators were trying to perform was quite reasonable, in fact on power testing is not unheard of in the Nuclear industry. It was disabling the safety systems and ignoring procedures where the test failed.

One small positive from this incident was, it sent a wake up call through out the entire nuclear industry and made every Reactor Operator question whether they were doing the right thing and were their procedures correct. The creation of watchdog organisations like WANO (World Authorised Nuclear Operators) Group and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association).

Did you know?

After the accident to Chernobyl Reactor Unit #4, the other Reactors 1,2 & 3 continued to produce electricity until 15 Dec 2000; that's 14 years after the accident.

Several religious groups thought this was the beginning of the end of days because, in the Bible Revelations speaks of the coming Apocalypse would be heralded by Death, riding on a horse named Wormwood.

The direct translation for Chernobyl is "Wormwood".