The very many questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread XXVIII

[Flying Pig]

Yes to both - the nickname was born out of a friend's observation that I was somewhat bigger than the average parachutist. Certainly, when you're fifteen stone (or a bit more), you have to accept that the graceful, hit-the-ground-running landing is not something that's ever going to happen to you.

 

[gay_Aleks]

I don't know if I prefer having state capitals called ''Saviour'', ''Bethlehem'', and ''Christmas'' than having state capitals have native names which I don't know the meanings of (e.g. Cuiabá, Macapá)

Blame the Catholics.

 

[shadowplay]

And now for a final question for Major Flying Pig, did you participate in the Falklands War or at least had any duty there?

...ok I lied, there's one more question, is the name Flying Pig related to you being part of the Paratroopers?

Please take this thread as my gift to you.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Okax, will take my spam there!

 

[Farm Boy]

I can do target shotgun just fine - I was always good at snap shooting - because you can still do everything the same as rifle shooting, albeit a bit faster. With clay pigeon, though, you're supposed to just point it in vaguely the right direction and pull the trigger, while the rifle shooter's instinct is to draw a bead, take a couple of control breaths, and squeeze the trigger - by which point the damn thing's flown away.

Rifle people and control. I suppose lacking the skill to make the shot consistently hit exactly what you want it to does make it easier to wing it.

 

[Phrossack]

When I get the time and the open field to do it in, I need to try that with my bow. Unfortunately, the weather is nicest when I'm in school...

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

Why are like all forum users from Russia always bad? for any forum. Has this ever been researched? Is it a part of their national identity? I'm morbidly curious.

 

[shadowplay]

Bad? Like what, a swarm of bikers? A dog that crapped on the rug? Like you know it, sha-moan? What do you mean by "bad"?

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I mean, basically any thread with Russian posters immediately jettisons off into crazy conspiracy theories, rabid USSR defense, or other pseudo-fascist stuff. It's really bizarre. I can't think of any time in which a Russian forum poster has contributed something worthwhile to a discussion. Not sure if that's some big joke they're playing on the rest of the world, but it needs to stop. We already have enough noise from Americans lol.

 

[bhavv]

This one time I was chatting to a Russian user on another forum.

Then there was a thread where someone was wanting Chinese takeaway. I suggested Indian instead.

In comes the Russian ... Why would you say that when he wants Chinese food? Indian food looks and tastes like [sweary sweary].

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

See! I rest my case. Indian food is great!

 

[Cutlass]

I like the native ones. Some actual regional personality rather than rehashed so that you have to mispronounce the hell out of them before they become unique again.

Yeah, but we totally screw the pronunciation of the native names too. It's just less obvious.

 

[Farm Boy]

Shhhhhh. Don't let the euros know!

 

[Cutlass]

Unfortunately, one of the side-effects of getting good at rifle shooting (at least for me) is that you lose the ability to hit the broad side of a barn with a shotgun. Suddenly, the idea of shooting without 'properly' aiming becomes a bit difficult!

Around here they only allow muzzle loader hunting. So that might be a new challenge for your shooting ability.

 

[Flying Pig]

Yeah, but we totally screw the pronunciation of the native names too. It's just less obvious.

I would refer you to the case of Des Moines (Dimoyne), Iowa, which is a mispronunciation of a mispronunciation.

Around here they only allow muzzle loader hunting. So that might be a new challenge for your shooting ability.

Muzzle loaders are a very peculiar species. Over here, they always use black powder, which makes a hell of a bang and a great cloud of smoke - it's always handy shooting on the same range as them, as long as you're far enough away to avoid getting it in your face, because they give you an extra wind flag, free of charge. They have to clean out their rifles between every shot, and you see them with this siphon-type thing, taking up some water and solvent in their mouths, and blowing it down their rifles, then ramming them out, reloading and carrying on. Very strange.

 

[madviking]

I mean, basically any thread with Russian posters immediately jettisons off into crazy conspiracy theories, rabid USSR defense, or other pseudo-fascist stuff. It's really bizarre. I can't think of any time in which a Russian forum poster has contributed something worthwhile to a discussion. Not sure if that's some big joke they're playing on the rest of the world, but it needs to stop. We already have enough noise from Americans lol.

crazy conspiracy theories - this is essentially a result of pretty rampant anti-americanism. every time america is at the center of something there's always some conspiracy-related.

rabid ussr defense - for a lot of people, they were better off in soviet times. the new capitalist russia has been great for few but pretty bad for a bunch of others. i know for my (dad's) family, he and his brother were the first people in the family to go to college, as they were a bunch of poor farmers. additionally, the ussr represents a time when russia and friends were big and powerful. this nostalgia is especially evident when discussing wwii.

pseudo-fascist stuff - i'm lost here.

 

[Cutlass]

Muzzle loaders are a very peculiar species. Over here, they always use black powder, which makes a hell of a bang and a great cloud of smoke - it's always handy shooting on the same range as them, as long as you're far enough away to avoid getting it in your face, because they give you an extra wind flag, free of charge. They have to clean out their rifles between every shot, and you see them with this siphon-type thing, taking up some water and solvent in their mouths, and blowing it down their rifles, then ramming them out, reloading and carrying on. Very strange.

Here the reasoning for hunting is the short range that the round carries. Anyone can hit a deer at 500 yards with a decent hunting rifle. But if you miss, the round carries for another 1000+ yards. That's not so good when the neighbors are close by.

 

[Flying Pig]

Indeed - I assume the reason that they don't simply mandate a maximum muzzle energy is that few people load their own? I still have an old P14 Lee-Enfield that I get out occasionally, and I load that one to a much lower ME than I would for normal shooting, because you don't want to wear something that old too much - once it's shot out, they're not making you another one.

 

[Cutlass]

Indeed - I assume the reason that they don't simply mandate a maximum muzzle energy is that few people load their own? I still have an old P14 Lee-Enfield that I get out occasionally, and I load that one to a much lower ME than I would for normal shooting, because you don't want to wear something that old too much - once it's shot out, they're not making you another one.

There are people who shoot a lot who load their own. But most people just buy manufactured ammo. And the problem with mandating that would be that the only way the police would find out that someone was using the wrong rounds is after someone a mile away from the shooter caught one of those rounds. While I'm sure there are many people who target shoot classic weapons such as yours, there is a significant trade in them in the US, most people hunting seriously are doing so with modern purpose designed guns. And there are many places in the US where you can do that. It's a big country. But the densest deer population also tends to be where there are a lot of people. Because there are no predators. So in those areas hunting is more restricted.

Hell, here all winter long I could have gotten deer in my backyard with a pistol. But then I would have had to explain it to the cops the neighbors would have called.

 

[Takhisis]

Question for the United Statesians: you guys get Friday off, right?

A whole week to celebrate Canada Day? What a splendid idea! C'est magnifique!

I don't know if I prefer having state capitals called ''Saviour'', ''Bethlehem'', and ''Christmas'' than having state capitals have native names which I don't know the meanings of (e.g. Cuiabá, Macapá)

Rename everything after Vasco Da Gama and you're all set.