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July 10th, Saturday, 2004: 2200hrs:
Quadriplegic Teen tries to buy
gun company. I’m sorry the kid got hurt. And the Bryco guns are pieces of
shit… but I can’t blame the gun for this accident. The article
doesn’t’ say if the kit was playing with the gun or if someone else
was… I don’t think it really matters. Obviously there were some broken
rules here. For fun, let’s review:
The 4 Rules of Firearms Safety:
These basics are the same for any weapon… from pistol to rifle to RPG
Launcher.
1. Handle all firearms as if they were loaded. This
means with extreme caution and care for any weapon. This rule is the
first because it’s essentially the most important and encompasses all
the others… this goes for old guns up on the wall, or in the safe, or
in the glass counter at your local sporting goods store.
2. Never point the gun at anything you're not willing to destroy.
When the weapon fires, whatever it’s pointed at is what is going to get
hit. This is why we try not to point guns at things we want to keep
around… like ourselves or kids or whatever. In the case of this kid,
this rule was obviously broken. Had it been followed, he would not
have been hit. Simple as that.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until
you have made the decision to fire the weapon.
The trigger finger is the real safety mechanism to any weapon system.
In this case, someone had a finger wrapped around the trigger and was
pulling it when they flipped off the safety. And considering the Rule
2 violation, the kid got hit. You really can’t blame the gun for the
operator being a dumbass. The fact is that the gun worked as it
should… it was the operator that failed. The same thing would have
happened regardless of weapon.
4. Know your target, and know what is beyond the target.
This is a no brainer… was the kid holding up a paper target? Sheesh.
These rules are most important… they are the basics. If you follow
them, you and yours will not be hurt. If you break them… then bad
things happen. A firearm is no more dangerous than an automobile.
There are rules for operating an automobile, and if you break those,
bad things can happen. Stay on your side of the lines… stop at the red
lights… look behind you when you are backing up… etc. Breaking rules
breaks other things. And this kid is blaming the gun because someone
broke the rules. That’s the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard. I’m
not a fan of Bryco products… I wouldn’t buy one… but I do not consider
then to be any more dangerous than a custom 1911, Glock, XD, Ruger
GP100… it’s really simple: Keep your damn fingers off the freaking
trigger! If you can’t do that… if you don’t’ have the self control to
do that little thing… you shouldn’t own guns.
Wheeling today.
Took Mrs Ogre and the boys out to a very well used off road test area
just north of town. Went over a few trails and up and down a few
hills… Mrs Ogre was FREAKING OUT. “NO NO NO, DON’T GO UP THAT!”
*VROOM* We go up it with no problem… not even with any wheel spin.
“NO NO! I’m asking you nicely, NO!” Her panic got the boys worked up
and next thing you know, my little off roading monsters who had been
with me tackling bigger and badder obstacles starting to freak out too.
So I reeled it in and we went home. I was disappointed. I was
just starting to have some fun. Evidently Mrs Ogre is NOT an off
roader. But then again I knew this. Every time I tell her I’m going
she ALWAYS has something to say… “I wish you wouldn’t” or something
like that. I think she would be most pleased if I never drove on dirt
again. Admittedly I am disappointed in this. She grew up on Idaho
spud farms riding with her hottrodding Dad in a dune buggy jumping
ditches and chasing coyotes and shit. I never take risks like that.
In fact, when I wheel, I’m extremely careful and take every little
pothole like a mars scientist piloting a rover. I’ve driven fast off
road – make no mistake about that, but that’s over known terrain. I’m
so careful about my driving off road, I’m considering mounting a camera
to the front end so I can see what my hood is blocking. And she was
about to piss her pants going over terrain that I took my Subaru over.
Sheesh.
I think my solenoid is going out.
A couple times today I’d turn the key and nothing would happen… but if
I held it for a second or 3 then I’d here a click as the starter motor
engages. Weird. I’ve never had that happen to me before. I’m afraid
of rolling out to go hunting with Ranger because of it. I don’t want
to be out in the desert with the Fremen and shit and all the sudden
find myself stranded. This Ford truck is still pretty alien to me
under the hood. Where there is normally the solenoid… I got 3
different things with wires going everywhere. I have no idea what that
stuff is. My Jeep, when that solenoid when bad – I didn’t replace it.
I opened it up and fixed it. This… I don’t know what this is. Still
living and learning.
Noonish:
France, the
perpetually paranoid cheese eating surrender monkeys faced and defeated
a stunning terrorist threat. Two
twins rampaged through Charles De Gaul Airport and were about to board
an airliner for England. Thank God the French Security Forces stopped
this… who knows what could have happened! Considering that this is all
apart of the global war on terror, this might qualify as France’s 1st
military victory since The Hundred Years War. We are looking into
this… Let’s check the history:
The
Complete Military History of France:
- Gallic
Wars - Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of
French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.
- Hundred
Years War - Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who
inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's
armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman."
-Italian
Wars - Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two
wars when fighting Italians.
- Wars of
Religion - France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots
- Thirty
Years War - France is technically not a participant, but manages to get
invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other
participants started ignoring her.
- War of
Devolution - Tied. Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as
chapeaux.
-The Dutch
War - Tied
-War of
the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War Lost, but
claimed as a tie. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the
world over to label the period as the height of French military power.
-War of
the Spanish Succession - Lost. The War also gave the French their first
taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved every since.
- American
Revolution - In a move that will become quite familiar to future
Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw
far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads
to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America
does most of the fighting."
- French
Revolution - Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also
French.
- The
Napoleonic Wars - Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!)
due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a
British footwear designer.
- The
Franco-Prussian War - Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunken
Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.
- World
War I - Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United
States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only
sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly,
widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement
in the French bloodline.
-World War
II - Lost. Twice. It’s important to note that during Operation Torch
at the beginning of the US invasion of North Africa, US Forces battles
French forces for 4 days… by the end of which, we had destroyed the
French Navy and they of course surrendered to us. Later, conquered
French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish
learning the Horst Wessel Song.
- War in
Indochina - Lost. French forces plead sickness, take to bed with the
Dien Bien Flu.
- Algerian
Rebellion - Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a western army by a
Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule
of Muslim Warfare; "We can always beat the French." This rule is
identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans,
English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese and Esquimaux.
- War on
Terrorism - France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to
Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to
Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.
July 9th, Friday, 2004: 2100hrs:
The Manchurian
Candidate:
This is one Hollywood remake that I am glad they did, and it is coming
out at the right time. Densel Washington is a powerful actor. His
work on “Man On Fire” was fantastic. But this movie brings up an eerie
thought. For those familiar with the story, you cats probably know
what I’m talking about… Kerry. Look at the similarities in the flick…
We have Kerry, who is a war veteran with nothing else to offer, not
even any original ideas… yet he is backed by some big bucks and they
are pushing him to the top. Creepy huh? I think so. Then again, John
Kerry creeps me out. But as disturbing as Kerry is personally… even
more disturbing are the millions of people out there who say “I’m
voting for Kerry” and they don’t even know why.
When you ask them to explain why, they say “Because Bush…” That’s all
they got. And they don’t even know why they don’t like Bush! You ask
them that and they will say “The War”. Okay. The war. On the surface
that would seen like a valid reason… but the truth is that all the top
Democrat Politicos themselves were pushing for it! That is of course
up to the moment when Bush took up that torch. Then all the sudden the
war is bad and Bush was lying. Yeah right. I call bullshit. What
about the health care package Bush pushed through? It was practically
written by Ted Kennedy, but as soon as Bush touched it, all the sudden
it was poison. Again, I call bullshit. One word. There is one word
that best describes the modern Liberal movement and today’s Democrats:
Hypocrisy.
Manufacturing Index is now at an all time high and the highest it’s
been in over 32 years. Yeah, the National Economy totally sucks
doesn’t it? Well, like or not, leftistas, something is going right.
You can’t base the economy on just the Unemployment numbers, I’m
sorry. You can’t. Where is the hypocrisy in this? Well, take a look
at what the Dems were saying about it… “Oh, the jobs being created are
all low end, low pay type jobs.” Well, from what I have seen these
are the same types of jobs that the Dems economic plan would destroy
first… Along with the rest of the national economy falling right
behind. I mean come on… Kerry is wanting to give out free college to
inner-city blacks and 40 grand a year MORE to each Native American
Indian. Sorry, but I call bullshit on that too. I’ve yet to see an
Indian around here driving a vehicle more than 2 years old… come on.
If he is giving all this shit away, who the hell is supposed to be
paying for it? “The Government”? Who is the fucking Government
people? Who? Kerry? No! It’s you, Hombre… It’s YOU. You are the
one that is going to be paying for it. As Capitol One likes to say,
“What’s in your wallet?”
The USA TODAY newspaper had a story saying that this election is going
to be a battle of “values”. Hell, talk about a one sided battle.
Kerry is unarmed.
Email in from
Microlon:
“On your site,
madogre.com/news section, you mention...
"One of The Horde is using Microlon with good results and he is loving
it. I’ve not tried it because, well, I’m freaking broke." If you
provide me with a shipping address, I will send you a 4 ounce can of
our product. You, of course, are under no obligation to do anything
more than pour it out, use it, shoot it, use it as a sling bullet, or
whatever else catches your fancy upon its arrival. But since we have
gotten a few visitors from the link on your page, I thought you should
at least see the stuff.
If you're interested, let me know where to ship it. (No charge to you,
since you're broke.) Let me know also if you'd rather not be bothered
by people like me.
Either way, thanks for your time.
Michael Whittington
Tech Support Manager
Microlon, Inc”
Very cool… Indeed, I’ll accept the offer. I’ve been wanting to try it
out. Thanks you very much Michael.
Another thanks to Matt
in Oregon.
Matt has delivered unto us a Netgear firewall that should put an end to
the numerous attempts to hack my box here. I am much relieved and will
be plugging it in shortly. If it works, Matt gets a field promotion
to Commander.
Speaking of Military
matters, I posted this:
“You gotta be fucking kidding me – the Air Force is around the
corner.” One of the Horde was distraught over this. Let me
clarify this for everyone. I was Army. This is an example of elbow
ribbing called “Inner Service Rivalry”. It was done in jest, and with
the utmost respect for the Air Force. Besides, I had originally typed
“Navy” but changed that to AF because I have more Air Force readership
than I do Navy. And my Navy readers know that I have love for the
Navy! One of these days I’m going to retire to a boat. Come on. I
have total respect for servicemen and women in all branches… because
each one of them are true patriots and heroes. God bless and be with
each one of them.
1930hrs:
Jeep Commando For Sale.
0930:
"Ogre, I
received this e-mail from a friend still working in my old unit. It's
a long read, but one of the most vivid stories I've ever read about
what it's like "over there". I figured the readers of MadOgre.com
might like to partake. - Brad"
Iraq
combat: What it's really like over there
Old
soldiers in the Civil War coined a phrase for green troops who survived
their first taste of battle: "He has seen the elephant." This Army
lieutenant sums up the combat experience better than many a grizzled
veteran:
"Well, I'm here in Iraq, and I've seen it, and done it. I've seen
everything you've ever seen in a war movie. I've seen cowardice; I've
seen heroism; I've seen fear; and I've seen relief. I've seen blood and
brains all over the back of a vehicle, and I've seen men bleed to death
surrounded by their comrades. I've seen people throw up when it's all
over, and I've seen the same shell-shocked look in 35-year-old
experienced sergeants as in 19-year-old privates.
"I've heard the screams - `Medic! Medic!' I've hauled dead civilians
out of cars, and I've looked down at my hands and seen them covered in
blood after putting some poor Iraqi civilian in the wrong place at the
wrong time into a helicopter. I've seen kids with gunshot wounds, and
I've seen kids who've tried to kill me.
"I've seen men tell lies to save lives: `What happened to Sergeant A.?'
The reply: `C'mon man, he's all right - he's wondering if you'll be OK
- he said y'all will have a beer together when you get to Germany.' SFC
A. was lying 15 feet away on the other side of the bunker with two
medics over him desperately trying to get either a pulse or a breath.
The man who asked after SFC A. was himself bleeding from two gut wounds
and rasping as he tried to talk with a collapsed lung. One of them made
it; one did not.
"I've run for cover as fast as I've ever run - I'll hear the bass
percussion thump of mortar rounds and rockets exploding as long as I
live. I've heard the shrapnel as it shredded through the trailers my
men live in and over my head. I've stood, gasping for breath, as I
helped drag into a bunker a man so pale and badly bloodied I didn't
even recognize him as a soldier I've known for months. I've run across
open ground to find my soldiers and make sure I had everyone.
"I've raided houses, and shot off locks, and broken in windows. I've
grabbed prisoners, and guarded them. I've looked into the faces of men
who would have killed me if I'd driven past their IED (improvised
explosive device) an hour later. I've looked at men who've killed two
people I knew, and saw fear.
"I've seen that, sadly, that men who try to kill other men aren't
monsters, and most of them aren't even brave - they aren't defiant to
the last - they're ordinary people. Men are men, and that's it. I've
prayed for a man to make a move toward the wire, so I could flip my
weapon off safe and put two rounds in his chest - if I could beat my
platoon sergeant's shotgun to the punch. I've been wanted dead, and
I've wanted to kill.
"I've sworn at the radio when I heard one of my classmate's platoon
sergeants call over the radio: `Contact! Contact! IED, small arms,
mortars! One KIA, three WIA!' Then a burst of staccato gunfire and a
frantic cry: `Red 1, where are you? Where are you?' as we raced to the
scene ... knowing full well we were too late for at least one of our
comrades.
"I've seen a man without the back of his head and still done what I've
been trained to do - `medic!' I've cleaned up blood and brains so my
soldiers wouldn't see it - taken pictures to document the scene, like
I'm in some sort of bizarre cop show on TV.
"I've heard gunfire and hit the ground, heard it and closed my Humvee
door, and heard it and just looked and figured it was too far off to
worry about. I've seen men stacked up outside a house, ready to enter -
some as scared as they could be, and some as calm as if they were
picking up lunch from McDonald's. I've laughed at dead men, and watched
a sergeant on the ground, laughing so hard he was crying, because my
boots were stuck in a muddy field, all the while an Iraqi corpse was
not five feet from him.
"I've heard men worry about civilians, and I've heard men shrug and sum
up their viewpoint in two words - `F--- 'em.' I've seen people shoot
when they shouldn't have, and I've seen my soldiers take an extra
second or two, think about it, and spare somebody's life.
"I've bought drinks from Iraqis while new units watched in wonder from
their trucks, pointing weapons in every direction, including the Iraqis
my men were buying a Pepsi from. I've patrolled roads for eight hours
at a time that combat support units spend days preparing to travel 10
miles on. I've laughed as other units sit terrified in traffic, fingers
nervously on triggers, while my soldiers and I deftly whip around,
drive on the wrong side of the road, and wave to Iraqis as we pass. I
can recognize a Sadiqqi (Arabic for friend) from a Haji (Arabic word
for someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca, but our word for a
bad guy); I know who to point my weapons at, and who to let pass.
"I've come in from my third 18-hour patrol in as many days with a full
beard and stared at a major in a pressed uniform who hasn't left the
wire since we've been here, daring him to tell me to shave. He looked
at me, looked at the dust and sweat and dirt on my uniform, and went
back to typing at his computer.
"I've stood with my men in the mess hall, surrounded by people whose
idea of a bad day in Iraq is a six-hour shift manning a radio, and
watched them give us a wide berth as we swagger in, dirty, smelly,
tired, but sure in our knowledge that we pull the triggers, and we do
what the Army does, and they, with their clean uniforms and weapons
that have never fired, support us.
"I've given a kid water and Gatorade and made a friend for life. I've
let them look through my sunglasses - no one wears them in this country
but us - and watched them pretend to be an American soldier - a
swaggering invincible machine, secure behind his sunglasses, only
because the Iraqis can't see the fear in his eyes.
"I've said it a thousand times - `God, I hate this country.' I've heard
it a million times more - `This place sucks.' In quieter moments, I've
heard more profound things: `Sir, this is a thousand times worse than I
ever thought it would be.' Or, `My wife and Sgt. B's wife were good
friends - I hope she's taking it well.'
"They say they're scared, and say they won't do this or that, but when
it comes time to do it they can't let their buddies down, can't let
their friends go outside the wire without them, because they know it
isn't right for the team to go into the ballgame at any less than 100
percent.
"That's combat, I guess, and there's no way you can be ready for it.
It
just is what it is, and everybody's experience is different. Just
thought you might want to know what it's really like."
Early Morning:
Ah, we had some fun today! The
boys are totally sold on Off Roading now. I think they will remember
this day for the rest of their lives. We went along some trails up
into the Uintah Mountains and got up on top of the biggest one over
looking Vernal. I don’t know the names of them or anything… but it was
a hell of a climb. Couple of observations about the Bronco. It’s hell
of a good off roader. It really is. However there was one spot today
when I got a little stuck for a minute had to rock my way out and go
back down and pick a new line. That sucks. I need lockers and some
tires that are a bit bigger and more aggressive. A couple more inches
clearance would have been a big help too. Oh, and a compressor to air
the tires back up. I used to have some recovery gear, but I don’t know
what happened to it. A big bar jack and a come-a-long and some tackle
and shackles. I think I left it Orem, but I could have sworn I packed
it up. I don’t know. I needed a new bar jack anyways, and to be
perfectly honest – screw the shackles and come-a-long crap. I want a
beefy Warn wench… but then again, who doesn’t? There is a tow anchor
that would be most helpful out here in the desert since sometimes you
don’t have anything to hook onto to help you pull out. But I think
the first thing I need to really get are some lockers. Anyways. We
had a hell of a good time today. Tomorrow, we are going to hit a
different trail. Nothing really harsh, but just enough to give the
boys some thrills. Today was priceless.
Emails about the Saiga:
“Hi Mad Ogre! I have tried the Saiga 12 gauge in an IPCS-shotgun
match. The importer has the shotguns, but the government (Norwegian)
will not yet approve them for sale. So I borrowed one just for the
match. I do not know the AK-47 well, but i reckon the shotgun is of
equal quality, imho. What I didn’t like about them was the mag-changes.
They were really difficult, with a full mag, a round in the chamber, it
was nearly impossible to get the mag in. to get the mag in you had too
turn the gun upside down and really push! it took too much time. The
solution to the problem at the range, was to empty the gun and put the
mag in with the bolt in the back position. If you get hold of one you
have to use a Dremmel tool a lot, too adjust the mag-well. The mag was
also in plastic, with small bits of metal at the stress points. All in
all it was A neat little package, really evil looking. it handled very
well, but, I`d rather go for a rem. 870, like one from Wilson Combat,
Scattergun Technologies. Best regards STIG. (I don’t know if you have
a Dremmel-tool in the states, but if you don’t it is a power tool,
sort of a big dentist drill.) Speaking of power tools have you seen
this video from a euro-techo freak, called benny bennassi?
heres a link, its worth watching, even if you think the music stinks.”
Good grief! Yeah, we
have Dremmels here in the States, I have one. But they don’t hold a
candle to those power tools! That jackhammer? Judas Priest… Guys,
even if you have the world’s slowest connection – hit that link.
Seriously… but not from work or around a spouse. Whooo! It’s racy.
Another one:
“Hey. I heard you were considering a Saiga, and I have a few words
of advice on them. They feel cheap. They feel like they are made out
of nasty, thin plastic, and it feels like it’s going to snap if you
drop one. The magazines are even worse, and they are expensive (At
least around here), too. As for gun cleaning, I’ve been using the new
Otis tactical cleaning kit… it works fine, and the little bottle
of fluid it comes with is pretty wicked stuff; Seems to do everything
pretty damn well but lube, and that’s what I use Hoppes #9 for. If you
need a really compact cleaning kit, go for the otis...You can even put
it on your belt and take it to the range. I keep one in my glove box,
and one in my house...Great kit. G.O.N.”
I’ve never tried the Otis kit. It’s expensive as hell, at least the
ones I’ve seen.
Last one on the Saiga: “George, as you know I've been using one of these for the
last year in 3gun. Just one point to consider. It is not as straight
forward to reload as an AK. The top round of the magazine sticks out a
considerable distance. It is almost impossible to reload with the bolt
closed. You need to drop the old mag, reach up and retract the bolt,
(luckily there is a little button by the trigger guard that acts as a
manual bolt hold open) rock & lock the new mag in. Then retract the
bolt handle and let it go. With practice this can be done pretty darn
fast. A mutant Saiga is going to be my first post Sept 14th project.
Looking forward to it. And I'm looking forward to plentiful cheap good
magazines. – Larry”
Oh, I know it can be
done fast, Larry… I’ve seen you do it. And even if some consider it
not so fast, it’s a hell of a lot faster and easier than me trying
reload the shells one at a time. I remember a certain shotgun stage in
Nevada… I remember it pissed off Pvt Pyle too. LOL, yeah, I think the
Saiga is the way for me to roll with buckshot. Properly equipped, I
think a Saiga could be “THE ULTIMATE SHOTGUNtm”.
A good rant from Glenn: “Few links for you:
Link 1,
Link 2,
Link 3. I just have one thing to say to them. "Farewell you
pansy-assed cowards!" I'm always amazed at people's ignorance. What
did they think they were going to be doing in the Army? ... Of course
every bleeding heart, tree-hugging, granola is dashing to their
defense! I guess that makes these two the poster children for
pansy-assed cowards the world over. Next thing you know they'll be
giving running lessons to the French Foreign Legion! A quote off of
one of the sites caught my eye: "I would vote for Sen. Kerry. Not
because I'm enthusiastic about his candidacy, but I see him being the
lesser of two evils." This is pretty much the stump Kerry is running
on... "I have no stance on the issues. In fact my opinion on any
matter will change from sentence to sentence in the same speech. My
only redeeming qualification is that I am not Bush!" Hell that's a
glowing reason to cast a vote for a guy (not that either of these
panty-wastes will have any say in the matter! - Thank GOD!) -Glenn”
Glenn, I totally
agree. I have no sympathy for these to cowards. They don’t believe in
the war? That’s a pathetic excuse. Today’s military is an all
volunteer force… everyone in it chose to be in it of their own agency.
We don’t have a conscription, we don’t have a regular draft as such.
Everyone is in it because at one point that decided that this was what
they wanted to do. However they also made a commitment to serve and
honor dictates that they do so. A soldier does not have the luxury of
picking and choosing which war to fight, or which orders to obey… Such
optional service would leave the Military completely useless as no one
would do the dirty work. The military wouldn’t function because no one
wants to do KP duty, or Honey Pot duty, or stand guard duty at 0300
hrs. The military functions because the men and women in it are
dedicated professionals that take pride in their service and obey
orders. It’s as simple as that. If these dickless little rabbits
can’t handle that – they shouldn’t have joined up. The Military is
scrambling to get people in, when what they should be doing is just
trying to get in the good people. They pretty much have to take damn
near everyone that walks into a recruitment station when the recruiters
should be about to look at the guy and say “You gotta be fucking
kidding me – the Air Force is around the corner.” These guys, I’m
sorry, I don’t care how much support and popularity they garner… The
need to be slapped upside their heads with a copy of the UCMJ, which
was, the last time I looked at one, was about 5 inches thick and bound
in heavy leather. They need to be dealt with harshly and swiftly
because if not, we are going to be having a lot more guys puss out like
this. Note to the younger hordlings out there that are thinking of
joining… if you do, make sure you grow a dick first, because the
military is not the fucking Peace Corps or some extended Boys Scout
Camp. It’s the real deal Basic Training has been known to be FATAL
for the ones who couldn’t hack it. We had 6 casualties in my training
battalion. 6! Six guys DIED because they wanted to play GI Joe but
were not prepared for it. One died from fucking around with a grenade
and took an instructor with him… he didn’t take it seriously. Another
one died because he didn’t feel like drinking the water out of a
canteen… so he got heat stroke and just fucking died on us. He was
right next to me when he dropped. Instead of drinking, he would pour
the water down his shirt so we couldn’t tell his body stopped sweating…
he wasn’t taking it seriously. Simple as that. Toasted brain, long
term coma, and then organ failures. Had he survived, and awoke from
the coma, they said that the kid wouldn’t have been able to function
because the brain was so damaged. So I guess he death was a stroke of
luck. The military is serious shit and if you want to go for it,
then do it… but before you walk into that recruiter station – you need
to be committed 150%.
July 8th, Thursday, 2004: 1100hrs:
Drudge had me busting
a gut this morning. This
is hilarious. Looks like they are a couple of High School
lovers there. Sheesh. Are they pushing for the gay vote there or
something?
As much as that made
me laugh…
this pissed me off. Did this guy pull a hoax? If so, that was
unbelievably cruel… not just to his family but to his community back
home. This man, a Marine too. This is inexcusable. This is
betrayal. I hope they find this guy and arrest his sorry ass.
Kim seems impressed
with some rich SOB’s power boat.
It is an impressive boat. Very fast. Very dangerous. Very
expensive. When it comes to boat racing, having grown up in Seatac, I
prefer
Thunderboat Racing. Again, very fast, dangerous, and expensive.
Take a look at those engine stats, Kim. 2,650 horses out of a Chinook
Helicopter engine. How cool is that? Well, I don’t know about you
guys, but I know I’ll never get the chance to play with that throttle.
Just as well…
it is not a safe sport. But having fun going screaming fast is not
something out of reach of mere mortals… and the best thing about this
is that
we can actually call it a fishing boat. Yeah, fishing. Right.
This might be the only way I could take up an interest in fishing.
Forget the rods and reels… but a skeet thrower on the front, break out
the Saiga shotguns – race out to the middle of the lake and play some
serious Sporting Clays. Those power boats Kim likes… sure they are
cool… but how would you justify selling your house to buy one?
A good question: “Ogre, OK, I know that a lot has been going on in your life recently
(and hopefully everything turns out for the best), but "Enquiring Minds
Want to Know" about your choice of gun lubricant. You've got a bunch
of info on Breakfree CLP, seem to like (or did like) FP-10, and your
latest love is CorrosionX. Fine products all, but nonetheless
different - which implies that one should be better than the other
two. So, where's the test? Paul”
I’ve not done another
formal test since I lost all my data when I was doing it last year. I
should do it again, I know. Breakfree CLP is good stuff. It does
everything you need it to do and it does it all very well. It’s also
pretty cheap and you can buy it at most gunshops. That’s a bonus. The
other products also claim to do everything, but tend to have strengths
in one area more than others. For example, FP-10 has it’s strength in
the Lube arena. If you are looking for a straight lube, look no
further. However if you want to Clean and Protect too… I have found
that
CorrosionX is very good. It lubes about the same as Breakfree CLP,
but does a better job of protecting and about the same on the cleaning…
and you don’t get that smell that BF has. CorrosionX does have a
smell, but it’s not nearly as bad. Then there is some other stuff I’ve
been trying out called “Armorer’s
Ultimate”. But the guy marketing the stuff hasn’t done his website
yet. It’s working pretty good and I’ll do a more detailed review of it
when he does his website so I have something to link to where people
can get it if they want. It’s like a thin BF CLP that stinks less.
The cat making this stuff is up in Alaska and he is making this stuff
for those tough conditions up there. If this is the case, then it
should be a really good option in the winter time.
One of The Horde is
using
Microlon with good results and he is loving it. I’ve not tried it
because, well, I’m freaking broke.
I have a little
medicine dropper bottle that I’ve filled with Mobile One synthetic
oil. It lubes very well indeed, cost me nothing (on my gun accounts
because I just used the remainders from the bottle when I was topping
of the oil in my Bronco one day) and it’s also handy for other things
too… hinges around the house… anywhere that I might have used WD-40 or
3-in-1. It’s a handy thing to have around and saves money because I’m
not using the more expensive gun oils.
I’ve been thinking
about mixing up some “Ed’s Red” and I probably will. Last time I did
that, I used it for years… never even used it all either because
someone grabbed the bottle out of my garage and used it in their car…
with out asking… It was the guy next door when I was living in Orem.
Not the cool guy north of me, but the freak dude just south of me…
Dumped the stuff into his engine. I don’t think I’d have done that
considering I knew what it was. They guy was an ass so I didn’t tell
him what it was either.
My Jeep has had some
serious corrosion issues under the hood thanks to some ugly battery
terminals and neglect. I treated the terminals, with that acid crust
all over it, with CorrosionX. I just squirted it on, and then a few
seconds later wiped the terminals off with a rag. They looked new
again. Seriously. And they still look new weeks later. I also
treated the rest of the metal fittings in the Jeep and in the Bronco
and I’ve not had any corrosion problems since. That’s pretty good.
The Mak I got in, which used to rust whenever it could… I’ve not had
any rusting problems since I hit it with CorrosionX. So that, Paul, is
what I’m using in my guns, save the Cougar which is my test bed for the
Armorer’s Ultimate.
If you want to try the
CorrosionX, it’s not bad price wise. Less than 7 bucks for a 4 ounce
bottle and a little bit goes a long way. When I run out of this stuff,
I’m going to place an order for some more… and I’m going to order a
couple of cans of the spray stuff to treat the Bronco completely. I’ll
make sure that gets done before winter, even before I run out of the
gun stuff, because salty Utah roads are murder on old trucks out here.
I posted a thread about Project Bronco
HERE.
I’ve had some email suggestions about the rig… so if you want to share
and discuss this project you can do that there. I’m only mentioning
that now because I’m about 15 seconds away from loading the beast up
again and hitting another trail with the boys. I would be working on
my book, but with this straight keyboard – forget it. The Natural
Keyboard should be here soon enough and I am needing this mini
vacation. PEACE!
July 7th, Wed, 2004: 2359hrs:
Ogre’s pick for an AWB
Farewell Gun.
I know other shooters are themselves speculating on what gun
to buy. This is an individual choice that would depend on personality,
temperament, terrain, budget, beloved spousal unit considerations, and
desires. We are all going to have to make this call on our own. But
for me, I am thinking of getting something that not only would enrage
any and all Liberals out there, but one that also would fill a tactical
gap in the Ogre’s defenses. You see, I love the AK-47. I also
completely suck with a shotgun. Oh, I’m fine for the first 8 rounds or
so, but then I have to reload. That’s where I start to fumble like a
Jr High kid trying to navigate his first encounter with a bra strap.
It’s not a pretty sight. Luckily for me, there is an answer. It is
found in the form of a
Saiga 12 Gauge shotgun. Normally they come with a straight style
stock, but in that image there, we have regular AK style furniture with
a trick buttstock. Now that is what I’m talking about. There is some
green AK furniture out there… and I think that would be too sweet to
pass up… Maybe a folding stock? Hmmm. The mind boggles at the
possibilities. Anyway, the Saiga is built on a robust AK action with
of course the obvious modifications. It’s fed by a large detachable
box magazine that works just like a standard AK. So mag changes are no
more tricky than that of an AK. No, not as fast as an AR mag change,
but much faster than fumbling one shell at a time. This is a perfect
solution for me… in my opinion.
 Is
it just me, or does the new Democrat John-John ticket seem like a
younger version of “Grumpy Old Men”?
They have nothing to offer themselves, but bitch incessantly about
President Bush. I still can not see a single reason, and no one has
really stepped up to the plate and offered one, as to WHY they would
vote FOR Kerry. The only reasons that they have is that they are
voting AGAINST Bush. This Super Liberal Ticket they have now… if you
Democrats really want that, then why don’t you vote for the Green
Party? Because the Greens, those nuts are at least true believers and
JFK2 doesn’t believe in shit. At least he doesn’t act on what he says
he believes… illustrating the fact that he no longer even pretends to
have a core anymore. No core values… no guiding principles… just the
one – that he will prostrate himself any way that is necessary to gain
power. And that my friends, is truly disturbing. Much like how Al
Gore did – Kerry scares me because he wants that power so desperately
that he will do anything to get it. Guys – that is exactly the kind
of person who we do not want in the Whitehouse. Why does he want the
power so badly? What is his real motivation for it? What is he
planning on doing with it? Democrats – You candidate is completely
useless to you, but he has an agenda that I bet is much less than
patriotic. The Two Johns are going to be riding roughshod across the
country like Thing 1 and Thing 2 – and you are okay with that as long
as Bush is out of the office? Damn. I don’t know who is worse. "We've
got better hair"? That's the depth you guys are willing to
sink to?
I was asked if I had
seen F’911 yet.
No I have not. Why would I pay to see a political advertisement
that’s a collection of lies? If I wanted to see that, I would just
take a shit and not flush it. Same could be said of looking at the
filmmaker too.
Oh, no… I’ve not put
up an auction for The Head as of yet.
Maybe after I wake up. I’m tired. I went wheeling with the little
hordlings and just had a blast. Nothing severe… nothing risky. I
don’t have a roll bar or 5 point harnesses for the 5 passengers… so it
was light duty trail stuff.
I’ve got a lot on my
mind right now…
things I don’t want to talk about… some heavy things. So if it seems
like I’m going nuts or something, well, I am. Forgive me.
1100hrs:
The cute little blonde
babe that wants to trade a Pathfinder for the Bronco…
Hell no. She can go find another one. And it wasn’t
an 89… it was an 87. No freaking way. Yeah, they are decent vehicles…
but I’m not interested in decent. I’m interested in brutal. I’m
keeping this big green bitch through hell or highwater. I’m going to
take the time and do a rebuild on it. It’s just too much fun to let
go. If a vehicle could be built that represented ME – this is it.
It’s a keeper.
I’m also going to keep
the Detonics. It’s not for sale anymore. If I did sell it, I’d be kicking
myself in the ass for the rest of my life. So instead of selling it…
I’m going to just auction off some other things… some art and stuff.
Ever since I got married I’ve used the guns as an investment reason,
and I’ve always ended up having to liquidate a gun every time an
appliance dies and needs to be replaced. Screw it. These are not
investment pieces. These are collection pieces. So what else am I
going to auction? I’m an ogre… what else? A severed head. I'll put it
up on ebay tonight. Can you ebay a head? How do you price one?
July 6th, Tuesday, 2004: 2100hrs:
Well it seems that
summer is now finally here. The
last few weeks we have had overcast and rain and generally cool temps.
Today it was solid blue upstairs and down here it was hot. I had to
run a couple errands in the Bronco and without an AC system, it was
going to be miserable. I was looking at the rig when all the sudden it
struck me… It’s a full size Bronco. The top can come off. Duh! So
the first thing I had to do was to find out how to get the rear window
to roll down. The switches never worked and it was stuck in the full
up position. You can’t take the top off with the window up, so jumped
into the back armed with a screwdriver and harsh language and opened
the tailgate up from the inside. Found the problem, made the repair,
and presto! Lowered window. Then I hit connecting bolts, undid
everything, and with the help of Mrs. Ogre (who can kick Xena’s ass
btw) we lifted the top off presto! I now have a bikini topped pickup
truck. Hey, Chevy Avalanche, bite me! The Misses was kinda freaking
out because the rear seat has no belts and she didn’t want the little
hordlings getting bounced out the back while I’m wheeling. No problem…
with generous applications of harsh language, a Cold One, and the belts
from another vehicle that shall remain nameless… I had belts in about 5
minutes. Nothing to do but load up the Tax Exemptions and take it for
a spin.
“AWESOME!”
“OUTSTANDING!”
“Can we keep it like this?”
It would seem that The Boyz like the Bronco now. I also noticed that
200 pounds over the rear end changes the vehicle dynamics a lot.
Removing it improved it a lot. The truck felt rather spry with out
it, and there was no cowl shake noises. Note to self, when putting the
roof back on – put on some weather stripping material to dampen that
racket.
So the errands turned into some adventures and we had a great time
blowing off some steam and unloading some stress. Felt good.
Pictures of the topless Bronco found
here. (May not be safe for work)
1400hrs:
Something I did NOT
want to do. But
I am forced to. Choice came down to liquidating the Detonics or
the Cougar… I need more cash than what the Cougar could get me and I
shoot the Cougar better, so I have to let the Detonics go. I’ve been
told it’s worth 800, but I’m not going to ask that much. 600 is the
asking price. If you are in Utah, I’ll consider a partial trade for an
XD or CZ. I need at least 200 bucks cash guys. I don’t
want donations… I just want to sell the Detonics so I can take care of
business.
The story is
here. “Also Tuesday, a group of armed, masked Iraqi men threatened
to kill Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi if he did not
immediately leave the country, accusing him of killing innocent Iraqis
and defiling the Muslim religion.” Now isn’t that an interesting turn
of events? If you read that article, you can get a sense of some
serious underlying resentment. I think maybe the more cognitive Iraqis
are seeing the truth at face value and are understanding just what the
US has done. Taken Iraq back from a bloodthirsty dictator and given it
back to the Iraqi people… doing what they all wanted to do, but never
had the balls to do it. We did it for them. Your welcome. This
reminds of some that has really really been bugging the hell out of me.
Saddam with his big fucking brown puppy dog eyes is getting a complete
pass in the US Media and with the Liberals for murdering thousands and
thousands of innocent people… Yet they call Bush a “Hitler” and are
advocating his assassination because a couple asshatted retards did
some sick shit and humiliated and abused Saddam’s thugs. But each one
of those guys that got a banana up the tail pipe – note this – they all
got to go home. We didn’t cut their heads off… we didn’t put them into
chipper shredders… we didn’t use poison gas and nerve agents on them.
We didn’t cut off their hands or cut out their tongues. We didn’t
rape and mutilate their wives, sisters, girlfriends or daughters. But
Saddam and his Posse – they did. But Bush is the bad guy? How morally
and intellectually disingenuous America’s Liberals are. They should be
outraged at Saddam! Instead they are outraged at Bush for putting a
stop to it. You know, if someone was to go around and assassinate
Liberal Celebrities and Politicians, I bet there would be an outcry.
Maybe I should write a little novel that talks about that... But oh…
wait… I cant do that! I would be a heartless cruel bastard for doing
that… why? Because I’m not a Liberal. I’m a White Christian
Conservative Male so I don’t get any pass. I’m not even legally able
to be offended by anything. The more I think about the Modern
American Liberal, the more I despise them. The more I am insulted by
their lies, insults, slander, and ignorance in the face of truth and
reality. Today on the radio I heard Rush say that we are in WWIII and
it’s against these Muslim Terrorists… Sorry Rush – you are wrong. Our
war is against these Liberals who are doing everything they can to help
the Muslim Terrorists!
Man, I need a Cold One
over here… I’m about to bust a gasket.
Email from Porter:
“Ogre, Heard about John Kerry doing the doublespeak this weekend
where one of his spokespeople was quoted as saying that he doesn't
believe in abortion but he can't 'force his beliefs' on others!?! He
believes life begins at conception but then passes laws to destroy that
life? Sounds like Kerry wants to stay elected rather than standing by
his convictions! The
ol' puppet analogy comes to mind. The Good Book has a name for
people such as him, hypocrite! Gah! Just read the article about the
59 Deceits of Fahrenheit 911! And the Bowling for Columbine movie
which also seemed to be another monumental waste of celluloid. He'd be
such a joke if he didn't know how lie so well. I wonder who taught him
that? The Good Book also mentions people of his persuasion of calling
good evil and evil good. Too bad Kerry didn't make Moore his running
mate! They'd be a match made in...well you get the idea! After
reading those articles I felt like I just licked the floor of every
movie theater they showed those loser films in.
On another more
entertaining note, saw Spider-man 2 over the weekend. Very nice, some
touching moments. Like to see Doc Ock make a return! Saw Chronicles
of Riddick the week before. Way over-blown space-opera-ish, but some
good moments! A Furian, eh? Sounds too much like a Cimmerian of Conan
fame! Especially the ending, with him ending up with the whole
Necromonger armies at his command! Perhaps some homage going on?
Liked the bad guy, though he could have done without that helmet plate
thingy. Snatching souls right out of you is pretty evil! Also
wondering about Riddick's curved blades he used to carve up the
baddies. How useful are they? They fit his persona of getting up
close and personal, but how useful are they? You'd think they slip and
twist in his hands, if he hit something hard. 'Course it's a little
more original than some variation on a Klingon blade! – Porter”
The curved blade is excellent for slashing…. And since the curve isn’t
too extreme, it would make for an excellent stabbing weapon too. I was
thinking about those knives after I saw the movie.
Yes, it’s overblown with impossible physics – but that’s par for the
sci fi course. The dialog could have been better too. But come on.
Let’s be honest here.
We all just wanted to see Riddick aka Vin Diesel kick some ass. And
for that reason, it didn’t disappoint. It’s kinda like the movie
Walking Tall with The Rock. While he had a SWEEEET truck – we really
just wanted to see him bring out the big whacking stick.
Kerry… Feh. “I was against abortions before I had one!” Do you know
who he reminds me of?
Remember the old Isuzu commercials? With the guy smiling and lying?
For some reason, I always think of that guy when I see Kerry.
Hey, check this out… happening right now. CHINA: Massive American Carrier
Force Intimidates Chinese.
July 6, 2004: The U.S.
Navy will conduct a major “surge” exercise (Summer Pulse 04) off the
China coast later this Summer. Seven carrier task forces (or “strike
groups”) will rendezvous near Taiwan and conduct joint exercises with
the Taiwanese navy. This is part of the new Fleet Response Plan (FRP).
The new plan keeps strike groups in port more, making it possible to
concentrate more of them at a major trouble spot in a hurry.
The FRP calls for
sending six 'forward deployed' (already at sea) or 'ready to surge' (in
port) carrier task forces to a trouble spot within 30 days. Two more
task forces can be sent with 90 days. This Summers exercise will be the
largest concentration of American naval force off the Chinese coast
since World War II. The last time this many carriers were in the
western Pacific was during the Vietnam war, when there were as many as
seven carriers off the Vietnamese coast, and coming and going within
the western Pacific, in support of combat operations in Vietnam.
Seven American carrier
task forces means that the Chinese would have a much harder time
seizing Taiwan by force. Unless the Chinese can take the island within
a few weeks, seven American carrier groups is more than the Chinese
believe they can handle for the next 5-10 years. At present, the
Chinese are trying to muster sufficient air and naval forces to deal
with two American carriers. And even that is not a sure thing. Putting
seven American carriers off the Chinese coast not only upsets Chinese
military planning, but rubs the Chinese the wrong way by pointing out
Chinese military weakness.
Peace through superior firepower!
1100hrs:
Email: “Comments on the 4th: Yep, the day meant a lot to me this
year as well. My wife and I saw some great fireworks the other night,
but next year I will be looking as far and wide as necessary for a
celebration including a real military-style marching band complete with
drum major. How inspiring that would be. Women in combat: Some
mindsets NEED to stay outdated IMO. I agree with Mr. du Toit on this
point. I don’t think there is any way in hell you are going to get
U.S. fighting men to suppress their need to protect females – even at
the expense of mission objectives. And I think there are other reasons
for keeping women out of ground combat roles for the most part,
especially when it comes to Special Operations. This is somewhat of an
apples-to-oranges comparison, but I’ll throw it out there anyway. I’ve
been involved in martial arts for a long time, and I have helped train
a lot of people – and I’m proud to say some of whom are currently
serving in the military. In my experience, there are women who are
capable of becoming excellent martial artists. They do very well in
the technical aspects, they can certainly get in outstanding physical
condition, and some are very good fighters. But through all I’ve seen,
the fact remains that there is a difference between fighting in the
dojo or a tournament and facing an enraged man with a broken bottle in
his hand who wants to kill you. Fortunately I have rarely been in this
type of situation, but my experience tells me that even women who have
trained for years don’t want to go there. Of course, men don’t want to
either if they have a brain – but a true warrior mindset goes a long
way when forced to deal with that kind of violence. On more than one
occasion I’ve seen women act pretty badass in class but who become much
less enthusiastic when things transition from sparring to fighting.
Hell, some men are the same way. Now it is certainly true that there
have been historical examples of women rising to the occasion and
serving as true warriors. But a study of such examples shows a couple
of interesting things. First, there are some combat roles that women
are very well suited for. They make excellent pilots and snipers, as
shown by history. Second, in cases where women have taken on
traditionally male roles as primary fighters it seems the men have
failed to do so and the women had to take up the slack -- which is a
testimony to what they are capable of. But that doesn’t make it right
– the men should have done their job in the first place. On all of
this I’m open to learning a new viewpoint but that is my current
thinking on the subject – I’m admittedly old fashioned in some ways, so
I guess that plays into it.
On the XD: I’ve been
trying to help my wife select a handgun for her personal use. She
likes my 1911 and one of my S&W revolvers so far, be we’re still
looking. I really want her to make her own choice and be comfortable
with it. She likes the idea of having the same trigger pull with each
shot so I’m not sure a DA/SA auto is the answer. I think we’ll go rent
an XD and try it out – I just wish they made a .45 ACP version because
I’ve been trying to streamline my ammo needs along those lines.
Regards, Mark R. Aka Infidel”
Thanks for the email,
Mark. Do
you remember your history lessons? The Spartans? Warriors of high
regard, without question. The were homosexuals and each man was paired
up with his “Battle Buddy” kinda like the US Army today… but with the
Spartans the Battle Buddy was… ahem… a lot more. The theory is that
the emotional bonding was very strong and thus made each man fight all
the harder to protect their lovers. At least that is the theory. If
that is true… wouldn’t the same thing happen with a coed integrated
modern army? It is proven that in units with female troopers, the
males act tougher, complain about discomfort a lot less… Hell, if there
was a woman on board Kerry’s boats, I bet he wouldn’t have 3 purple
hearts for being such a baby. As far as women in special operations…
I would have to take that at an individual case by case assessment.
Just like men going into the special forces. For a woman to make it
into the SF, she would have to a very special woman. A true cast iron
bitch that would be most worthy of the role and title. Just like there
is a place for female operatives in the Intelligence field… there are
places for a woman in the SF too. A woman is just another weapon, to
be used where she could be most effective. Like a golf club. Saying
“no chicks” is like saying you are not going to use any 9 or 7 irons.
You are only making things more difficult for yourself, because there
may be some shots where a 9 iron would be ideal. We have said women
can’t be nurses in a war zone. We have said women can’t be doctors in
a war zone. We have said woman can’t fly fighter jet in a war zone.
Each time we say that, the women have proven themselves to be just a
capable as the men. I remember reading an article about a female A-10
pilot who was flying combat missions… her Warthog got shot up extremely
badly. Lot parts of the wings and tail and everything. She had
finished her mission, and she was able to limp that bird all the way
back to base and land it properly. She just blew away all
misconceptions about females flying combat missions – even in an ugly,
muddy, gunslinging A-10 Warthog. I also remember reading in The Art Of
War, how Sun Tzu took a group of fragile little imperial love toys and
trained them. Even way back then. It would be a huge mistake to
underestimate the human will…. Male or female.
About the .45 XD… I’d love one too. I think that would be handgun
perfection. However Springfield and the joint in Croatia are not
looking at a .45 ACP version… but instead a .45 GAP version.
Admittedly, I do not like the .45GAP cartridge – but such a cartridge
in an XD just might be attractive. I don’t know, I’d have to try one
out when it comes out… but maybe – maybe – there is some potential
there. Until that time, the .40 caliber is an acceptable replacement.
Especially if you are using modified Beretta 96 mags to give you a
higher capacity. Look, I’m a huge .45 fan. I’m most comfortable with
a .45ACP automatic. But in all honesty I do not loose sleep when armed
with a .40. When I was doing patrol work in Richmond, I was running a
SIG P220. Outstanding gun… Lots of guys were packing them. Henrico
County was issuing them. But one day I noticed in my SIG hairline
cracks right there at the feed ramp. Time to make a change and I ended
up getting an HK USP .40. Accurate, rugged, easy to use… and with a
good supply of high capacity mags so I was actually packing more
firepower than before.
One thing I noticed about that HK, an advantage over the SIG. When you
draw down on someone and bark commands at them… there is a brief moment
there when you two connect eye to eye and you can see the bad guy going
over his options in his head. He is deciding to either run away,
comply with the orders, or eat your lunch. With the SIG, I could watch
this process for about a second… and luckily they all complied
properly. After I got the HK that process time dropped dramatically.
Compliance was almost instant. I have no explanation for this… but
I’m just illustrating the point that I did not feel like I was under
gunned. And I don’t thing the bad guys thought that either. BTW, my
load of choice was the hot 135 grain Cor-Bon loads. In an XD, I’d
probably choose something different. Not because the XD isn’t tough,
but the HX was a bigger, heavier weapon with HK’s recoil dampening
thing going on so shooting hot loads isn’t punishing to the shooter, or
slows the shot to shot time. In an XD, I’d probably roll with a 180
grain standard pressure load… A little less sharp in the recoil pulse.
Edwards?
All Kerry’s taste is in his mouth. Edwards is boring as hell… No
flair. No style. I’m not going to bang on Edwards… I’m just chalking
this one up to Kerry sucking just as much as I thought he did. And how
the hell does this guy say he believes life begins as conception, yet
supports abortion? That right there my friends shows that he has no
morality that isn’t for sale.
Early Morning:
I was watching the
Alan Smithee version of "Dune" last night. Then today I watched a music video by Sting, “Desert Rose – Club
Remix”. I’m thinking, shit, Sting really is a Harkonnen!
You want to read
something that is going to really piss you off about the US Army
Stryker?
If you do, read this. Someone needs to be investigated for
corruption, because this bullshit is criminal!
You know how I’ve
talked about wanting to turn a sport bike into a chopper? And many of you have said, naw… wouldn’t work. HA! Someone
has done it and the results are just sick and twisted. See! I
told you it could be done! My hell, that thing is BRUTAL! But a Duck
engine isn’t much better than a Harley when it comes to wrenching on
it… I want to do something like that, but will a 996 Honda Superhawk
powerplant. So I don’t have to bring a tool kit with me if I want to
run around the corner for milk.
Poll: over 40% of
Canadian teens think America is "evil". Okay.
Poll: over 40% of The Horde thinks Canadian Teens are drooling, maple
sucking, socialist idiots.
I’m sorry, but Mexico
has no honor. Fuck
Mexico. They couldn’t wait 10 freaking minutes until the service
was over. Bastards.
Kerry’s VP pick. Before it is announced, let me just say who I
hope it’s going to be: Howling Dean. He’s even more nuts than Kerry
is. At least if anything, should he be the VP and they win… the next 4
years will be entertaining. That and the Conservative outrage will
probably end up sparking off a Liberal/Conservative civil war which
would be even more entertaining.
July 5th, Monday, 2004: 1700hrs:
I’ve often said I was
a huge fan of the Springfield XD pistols and that Springfield is
perhaps my #1 favorite handgun maker.
Here is why. Here is my own
write up on the XD. As far as defensive pistols are concerned, I
think the XD is state of the art. It’s high tech, has all the gadgets
and can mount more… but it’s not about the gimmicks. The XD is a hard
core fighting handgun in any size you select. This is why for a
defensive handgun, it’s my #1 recommendation for most people.
Some people have asked
why I’m not a high road moderator anymore and asked if I was banned.
No, I’m not banned, and yes I am still a moderator. My participation
started to drop off because I was getting more and more busy with other
things. I don’t post as often as I used to… but I’ve been posting
lately in the Roundtable arena… being my usual smartass self. Time
constraints are one thing… the other is that I’m flat out burnt out on
gun boards. I’ve seen damn near everything that could ever be said
about damn near ever gun out there… I’ve heard all the complaints and
all the arguments and quiet frankly, I’m just tired of it. I’ll scan
for some threads about any new gun out there, and then I’ll go out and
see if I can find one to look at. Dabbling really and no longer
involved. I suggested a replacement for myself and it seems that he is
doing just fine in my place. The High Road remains my home gun board,
even if I’ve been enjoying the company over at American Backyard… where
most of my posts have been about things other than guns. Guns are
important to me… but they are not my life. I like other things just as
much. Talking guns all the time is like watching a movie over and over
and over again. I don’t know about you but I like a little variety.
I’ll still write reviews, and I’ll still gladly answer questions and
make recommendations… I’m still Ogre. I’m just an ogre that is
spending more time on other things right now. Like knives and hotrods
and bikes…
Speaking of hotrods…
if any of you guys are into restoratio | 
