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<p>CM dude, </p>

<p> I go to firing line also, but then again, I got to On target and OC Indoor... maybe we can get out there. This new little 5" 1911 is just itching to be taken out. </p>

<p>goodluck</p>

<p>-bix</p>
 
<p>Bix,</p>

<p>Keep your cool when you are the #9 car behind that Mecedes or Lexus driver using cell phone that is trying to conserve gas and don't use that 5" 1911 until you get to the firing line or else Trooper must give you a free ride.</p>
 
<p>No, I'm a pretty mello driver. I race only at the track, its just WAY too dangerous without any other distractions (remember I used to commute 100-130 miles a day (my worst being 180 miles a day)).</p>

<p>Besides the LAW in CA, without a CCW, states that you must have the pistol in a locked container, in the trunk of the car. The ammunition must be separate also (or in another locked container). Implicitly stated is that the magazine (loaded) cannot be touching the pistol. Rifles are a different story.... You can pretty much store them in the car, but they aren't exactly tacital though. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I have alot of annoyance with people talking on the phone driving..... Usually its about nothing. On a different note.... A long time ago, I used to work for a EW (electronic warefare) house. One of my little toys was a cell phone jammer. It essentially mimiced the "end" button. Woulden't harm anything, it would just make you hang up.... Too bad there are SERIOUS FCC and other agency rules that prohibit that or else I'd just have one bolted to my car... ha ha.</p>

<p>Anyways no harm from me, its those other bozos who aren't so law/rule concenious.... Trooper can tell you about those.</p>

<p>-bix</p>
 
Bix,



I am a member at FL, so I shoot there almost exclusively. Never been to either of the other spots, so would be interesting. I have a new G21 that needs to be tried out! Also head out to Lytle Creek to let the long guns out.



Absent a CCW, it is best to be extremely compliant with all laws and regulations regarding safe transport. I'm sure Troop can attest to the fact that cops appreciate shooters who comply with the letter of the law. Makes simple traffic stops much less dramatic!
 
All we ask is that you inform us immediately that there is a weapon in the vehicle. Recognize that you will be separated from your vehicle for the duration of the traffic stop....for our safety.





CM_Dude, I had some of Gorey's original art (sold it soon after his death, landscaped my entire house with the profit). Used to go religiously to The Gotham Bookmart in NYC whenever he had a new release....I was on their "preferred customer" advance sales roster.....just for him. Would buy 3 copies, sell 2 and keep one for my collection.





His house is a museum now. <a href="http://www.hsoy.org/historic/gorey.htm">Gorey House</a>





Personal Favorite: The Epiplectic Bicycle.





<img alt="http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/lshop_1991_4091138" src="http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/lshop_1991_4091138" />
 
bk, I have a 1st of Fountainhead, but with no dust jacket.....diminishes the price by 40%....but a 1st, nonetheless ! Notice to all you peeps out there...do not take the dust jacket (paper wrapping) off a book.....they maintain a book's value. Oh, an NO signing your name in pen on the front piece..... book declines by 25% if so. Author signage is ok in pen, just not personalized to you.... no, "To john, Ayn Rand". Just "Ayn Rand".





I love scouring thrift stores for 1st's. How's that for dweeby ?
 
<p>I just came up with a great idea for a Hobby, collecting Vintage Bicycles....I think I'll start with this <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/1979-COLNAGO-MEXICO-GOLD-PLATED-POPE-JOHN-PAUL-II-bike_W0QQitemZ200207102537QQihZ010QQcategoryZ98084QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">bike</a> </p>

<p> </p>

<p><img alt="" src="http://i8.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/e0/d0/6f2f_12.JPG" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>Only $250,000 on ebay, one very carefull Owner....The Pope </p>
 
Trooper,



I would love to have any original Gorey art - all I have are copies of his books - The Curious Sofa, Gashlycrumb Tinies, A Doubtful Guest, Amphigorey Again, Other Statue, Amphigorey Too. Thanks for the reminder, I am going to go out and complete my collection.
 
<p>I'm WAY too dweeby about books... my father collected alot of the old sci-fi's. I have quite a few 1st editions signed by Mr. Asimov (he doesn't like to). My dad even got him to write the 3 laws on the cover of "The Caves of Steel". That's the most exciting to me.... Mostly nowadays I collect comic books.... yes, now you know my terrible secret! </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Just waiting till the next upswing in movied to start selling the older stuff in earnest.</p>

<p>good luck</p>

<p>-bix</p>
 
I take tests. Certification exams, advanced degrees, admissions exams, whatever. I am a test-addict. Probably because it makes me feel smart, whereas in my day-to-day life I usually feel like a dunce. I started in a new industry recently and half the time my eyes glaze over in meetings because the technical conversations blow right by me. So I take (standardized) tests, because I almost always excel at them. Like, I only did okay on regular exams in school, but the SAT, LSAT, MCAT, and GRE - I freakin' aced 'em. This lets me convince myself that I can't be a total idiot.





Then, I go back to work, and sit in yet another practically incomprehensible conversation about femtagrams of some arcane cardiac enzyme and my eyes glaze back over again...
 
<p><em>I am going to go out and complete my collection.</em> </p>

<p>CM_Dude....good luck trying to become a Gorey completist. It would take a loooong time to find all of those books, most now out of print. I had aspirations of having a 1st edition of all of his books....got halfway there and went broke ! One flip book will set you back 250 bucks ! I sure did have a heck of a good time trying though.</p>
 
antique maps...china from the 1600s and 1700s, hong kong from the 1800s and early 1900s, north america showing californida as an island...





just love how they used to show korea as an island, fictitious lakes and rivers, and if you're lucky, sea monsters swallowing ships...





troop, should i read rand? the thickness of her books scare me, but i'm a huge sci-fi fan. read every hugo and nebula award winners since the awards started...
 
<p><em>troop, should i read rand?</em> </p>

<p>Yes, they are pretty fat. Might I suggest going to your local library and checking out an unabridged version of Atlas Shrugged....but a book on CD, not an actual hard copy. Listen while you commute to work or sit in traffic, and see if you like the style of writing. If it appeals to you, check out the book. </p>
 
<p>I used to reread Atlas every 5 years or so. After our books got destroyed in hurricane Andrew, we replaced it so I decided to reread it again. I couldn't. I found the writing to be so awful that I just couldn't get through more than a few pages.</p>

<p>The ideas continue to interest me as much as ever. They are a corrective to some other views of the world, not to be swallowed whole hog. You might try the Fountainhead first.</p>
 
<p>Troop,</p>

<p>I agree with you totally. I spent way too much so I am a BK shopper. A signature of the owner and lacking a jacket could depreciate the book value. Older books before 1915 did not have jackets. Some books owned by famous people with their bookplate (a pasted on decorative paper with borders and ex-libris info) actually can double the value. When I worked in the Fiction Dept of the Central Library in Downtown I handled several dozen copies of the first editions. Most were rebound with those library approved board stocks and index numbers on the books. There were at least 10 in the original condition but all without jackets. Society back in the 70's really did not treasured antique books that much. If I knew then I would have picked up all the old books thrown out at the trash bins and I would be living in IR's dream house in Shady.</p>
 
Okay Sarge, I will bite. How can you be a Rand fan and be a democrat? This is not a political statement by me, nor is it a rhetorical question. I am truly curious. You are a seriously complex person, Sarge.
 
<em>How can you be a Rand fan and be a democrat?





</em>I'm kind of a "tweener", believe it or not. Dem in my personal life (for, uhhhhhh, obvious reasons) and a little more to the right in other areas, mainly professionally. I liked the strong female character of Dagney Taggart...I liked the way Rand kept me guessing while reading....I liked the "Eff the system" message.....(I have no problem with building an empire and wanting to keep your business the way you planned it.....and the profits.....) I liked the Utopia at the end and it's mystical machines...... No one reason. (I could do without those unbelievably long rants though !)





I'm actually a capitalist. If a dem can actually be one..... perhaps I'm oxymoronic.





Oh yeah, and I also like confusing people by answering their rhetorical questions with, "Who is John Galt ?" I actually have a tee shirt with that saying....hardly anyone knows what it means. Also have a "Taggart Transcontinental" shirt.
 
I took a nice day trip to Palm Springs today to meet up with my neighbor from CT, he's in town on vacation. I got there early to travel around the neighborhoods to check out price sheets and open houses. Holy Cow are they getting creamed down there ! More "For Sale" signs that there are palm trees.





Saw a new condo development with a big banner flapping outside "Auction, 19 condos". They looked nice, in an OK location, so I went in to take a peek. Original list 525K, 6 sold at auction last night....average sales price 240K.... AND 13 didn't even sell ! Other new developments were offering to throw in all the upgrades AND do 5% 30 yr fixed with 0 points. One realtor I spoke to said the condo I was visiting (resale - open house) had sold twice already, but fell out both times because the buyers didn't have the 10% down that is standard there now. This 10% (soon to be 20%) has caught everyone by surprise.





bk, I went to the Shulman exhibit....you HAVE to go. Many <em>original</em> renderings of PS houses, to include Kaufmann House..... also tiny models of several.....Frey renderings, Lautner renderings... very cool. I thought it was only going to be photographs. When I asked the docent where the photo of Case Study House 22 was, she said "everyone's been asking that, but these photographs were for his PS house photos only".... Well worth the 12 bucks !





bk, where does he live now ? The storyboards said he is still actively photographing !
 
<p>Ohhh Cool, where'd you get the Taggart Transcontinental shirt? I a few shirts from a few programs I was on, but usually 99.9999999999% of the population won't know what they mean. It took me forever to read Atlas Shrugged, but after the first time it was actually enjoyable to pick up and reread sections.</p>

<p>ISM -</p>

<p> Tests? Blaacc! I'm horrid at tests, but I'm not going to complain much anymore, almost all the Phd classes have very little tests in them anymore. But answering the "questions" has gotten quite difficult now. Especially the ones that are more science and fundmentals related.</p>

<p>good luck</p>

<p>-bix</p>

<p> CM dude-</p>

<p> Forgot to add I took my two Mosin-Nagant's out today. A 91/30 and a M44 (combat version of the 91/30 L>O>N>G rifle). The 7.62x54r round sure does pack a wallop, I still have the bruises to show it! Next we go out i'll drag them along, just be sure you're ready to fire something with the recoil of a heavy loaded shotty (Ouch!).</p>

<p>good luck</p>
 
Here ya go bix.... warning, you'll want them all ! <a href="http://www.johngaltgifts.com/">JohnGaltGifts.com - Gifts for Proud Producers and Capitalists Everywhere!</a>
 
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