Armo Mechanicus

I Am TJIC

2011-01-19T18:22:00.002-06:00

This calls for a slightly modified quote: I [may -ed.] disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. -- Evelyn Beatrice Hall, The Friends of Voltaire

Cornered Cat Goes Print

2010-11-18T19:42:00.003-06:00

One of the moderators from an online forum I used to be relatively active on has written a book. Kathy Jackson has maintained a website of the same name as her book for a number of years. I've perused it before and found it to be well written and very informative. As a number of people have written before, it might be written from a woman's point of view but it has information that anyone can use. I plan to purchase a copy myself for my own benefit and to loan out to others.

You Just Don't Get It, Do You?

2010-10-25T21:16:00.002-05:00

Read an article today that attempted to examine the political motivations behind the Tea Party movement. I'll honestly say that there's quite a bit of what the Tea Party pushes that appeals to me but for some reason, I just can't warm to the group.

Anyway, the quote that inspired this post is as follows: “I would not call it a racist ‘sector’ of politics. However, I would say that there are elements of the Tea Party that use their opposition to things such as the national debt as a shield to hide behind, when some of its members are clearly opposed to Obama as a Black man being elected as the 44th president of the United States. Some of their rallies have born this out with signs depicting Obama as a witch doctor, a Socialist, etc.” - Dewey Clayton, Ph.D.

I read this and my head almost exploded.

I really have to wonder how this guy managed to pass basic general education classes with this type of reasoning ability. The witch doctor thing I'm gonna ignore, 'cause that's a whole other can of worms. But calling Obama a socialist is now a clear indication of racism? Give me a break! Here's a reality check, neighbor: Socialism is a political ideology that isn't inherent to any "race". Being called a socialist has everything to do with one's actions and nothing to do with the melanin content of one's skin. Very simply put, it's what a person does, not what they look like, that makes a socialist a socialist.

I couldn't help but be reminded of the quiz show at the end of the movie Billy Madison: “Mr. Madison, what you've just said... is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

Interesting Quote

2010-09-25T22:23:00.001-05:00

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." - Albert Camus

This one hit close to home.

Missing The Point?

2010-09-10T17:35:00.003-05:00

You know, I think they're kinda missing the whole point. Or maybe not. I find it hard to believe that anyone could be that dense -unless it was on purpose.

Yes, the population of "illegal aliens" would increase. But that's only because their kids would no longer be considered citizens. And I doubt they have any way to include the drop in illegal immigration that would likely result from this.

I personally don't have a dog in this fight. My beef concerning illegal immigration is the entitlement programs. And that's not in any way exclusive to illegals. There are plenty of "citizens" who are living on the productive public's dime, too.

School Bus Camera Enables Arrest

2010-08-31T18:39:00.003-05:00

12-year-old boy arrested in connection with sexual assault of 3-year-old girl on a school bus.

It seems that the arrest may have been enabled by footage from a camera that had been installed in the bus this past summer. As an electrical engineer at a major school bus manufacturer, I've sometimes wondered about the effectiveness of on-board surveillance systems. We install pre-wiring for a few of our customers but it's not exactly a popular option. It is a relatively simple wiring setup. We don't currently install the cameras themselves, so I can't speak to that. Now I wonder if we aren't going to be setting up more buses for them in the future. There's no way a bus driver can see everything that goes on in a bus. And I've always heard that attorneys would much rather have video evidence than eye-witness accounts in any case. What with kids getting more and more brazen as time goes by, I'm betting we'll be hearing about more incidents like this one in the near future. That's a bet I'd quite happily lose but the odds seem stacked against it.

Holy Pwnage, Batman!

2010-08-27T20:57:00.002-05:00

Breda links to a video clip that made me cheer out loud while watching it. My favorite bit is at about 1:10 where the guy tries to get away and gets yanked back for more.

Remember, an attacker may eventually be able to impose their will on you but it should never be because you gave up and chose to be a victim. Fight with every weapon you have or can improvise, even tooth and nail if you have to. There's no such thing as a fair fight when someone is trying to victimize you.

And The Winner Is...

2010-08-26T19:25:00.002-05:00

The Barnes and Noble Nook. I picked one up at Best Buy before my business trip to Tulsa last week. I snagged the wireless only version, not the 3G & wireless. I can't see giving an extra $50 for the ability to download anywhere. If I can't download it at home, at a hotspot, or at a B&N store, I figure I don't need it too badly. I've already ended up buying three electronic books and downloaded a number of public domain books from Project Gutenburg (love that site).

Get Killed For A Good Cause...

2010-08-26T19:16:00.002-05:00

...in one of Larry Correia's upcoming books. Larry's the author of Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta. He's got another series that will be coming out soon called the Grimnoir Chronicles. Larry has a post up where he has offered to make you a redshirt (ala Star Trek) in one of his books. All you have to do is send a $50 donation (tax deductable) to a young man who is in need of a kidney transplant.

One (1) Electronic Entertainment - Portable, Please

2010-08-03T22:11:00.004-05:00

So, it looks like I'll be doing some traveling for work in the near future and I've been looking at some of my options in portable entertainment. I'll be taking the netbook, of course, but most of the entertainment factor with it is directly internet related. As I know enough about tethering to know how to spell it and that I don't have the necessary hardware, wireless internet access is going to be somewhat limited. I've been considering some other options out there.

Option 1: Nintendo DS. I've only recently been looking at this system. For the most part, Nintendo has fallen off my radar due to their games. The games all look like they were intended for pre-teens. And, that might be the case. Sony and Microsoft's offerings, at least on their consoles, seemed to have missed that particular niche. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find that Nintendo is intentionally marketing to that audience. I welcome any feedback to the contrary but, for now, this one is going on the back burner.

Option 2: Playstation Portable (PSP). I've been eyeing one of these off and on for about two years now. It first really hooked me when I heard about Final Fantasy Dissidia and then realized that Square has been churning out RPGs like mad for this platform. They've even ported some of the old FF games from the NES and SNES systems. (Squee! ...ahem.) The main problem I have with this system is that the RPGs are the only thing that really hold my attention for any length of time and even those haven't held it long enough for me to beat a single FF game. I typically will burn through the stories well past the half-way mark then will hit a tough boss or dungeon that stalls me out. I'll give it numerous tries but will eventually take a break from the game -just for a little while- that turns into the game collecting dust on top of the entertainment center. I just can't imagine that a handheld system with their typically undersized (gorilla hands!) controls and a small screen is going to help this situation any.

Option 3: Amazon Kindle. This one seems the most likely to get used a lot. I devour books, especially fantasy novels. I've recently put myself on something of a book-buying hiatus as I've got entertainment in dead tree format strewn hither and yon across the house. I really need to get those organized and put away before I go buying any more. The Kindle would definitely help cut down on the clutter. I really only have two issues with the Kindle. The first is that they've just announced a new graphite-colored case, Wi-Fi only version that retails for $139. That is exactly what I want. The problem is that they are just now taking pre-orders and I'm not likely to get one of these puppies before I have to head out on the trip. The second issue is money. I'd probably spend a small fortune on books in the first month alone!

For The Ladies

2010-07-31T17:08:00.002-05:00

One of the things that I've noticed has been missing in any quantity in the gun owners' arena has been advice for ladies who want to carry. Breda has a post up with some advice for the fairer sex (and some that applies to either gender).

1911 Musing

2010-07-30T18:11:00.003-05:00

After doing a little more looking around, I think I've decided what my 1911 purchase (if I buy one) will be. The Spartan is STI's entry level 1911. It appears to be a Rock Island Armory frame, slide, and maybe the barrel. STI then fits the parts together and uses their own small components during assembly. RIA seems to have gathered something of a following in their own right in recent years. This usage of outsourced components means that STI is able to offer this pistol at an MSRP of $698.84, around $130 cheaper than the Kimber Custom II I was previously looking at. Edit: Based on some further study, it appears the Spartan is assembled at RIA and then QCed at STI. Not something that affects my decisions but it might be important to someone else who's looking for info.

There are a few drawbacks from my point of view:

1) The slide is cut for Bomar style adjustable rear sights. Adjustable sights have a reputation for losing zero relatively easily but there is a lot to be said for being able to tailor the sights for your preferred self-defense load. Probably not a big enough issue to keep me from purchasing.

2) The front sight is fiber optic. Personally, I've never used a fiber optic sight but I've heard they're fantastic in competition. The main issue I have with this setup is that most self-defense situations occur in areas of low-light. I'm not sure that a fiber optic will collect enough light in a wide array of low-light situations to be effective. Personally, I'd rather have a tritium powered front sight. STI makes a set of tritium powered night sights, both front and rear, that fit the Bomar style cut that would do quite nicely.

3) The mainspring housing is polymer. COME ON! Yes, the stresses this part sees makes this material okay for the application. But just okay. I've heard of these parts breaking, usually upon re-installation, often enough to make me leery. But that's okay. I've already decided that I'd add a mag funnel to help fill out my grip. Ed Brown makes a nice mag funnel that is incorporated into the base of an included mainspring housing. That will definitely be a necessity for me upon purchase of this pistol. With this part, I think I'd probably get a set of Alumagrips designed for mag funnels.

All gripes aside, I think this pistol will make for a fantastic base on which to customize.

Hippie, Please!

2010-07-27T21:03:00.003-05:00

You are 7% hippie.

Ok, you conservative soul. Do you even believe in global warming? Loosen that necktie a little, and try some organic food. It actually does taste better. And go to a farmer's market--they're fun.

Are you a hippie?
Take More Quizzes

That 7% was probably the soy milk. Durned lactose intolerance...

h/t to Breda.

Industrial-Sized Crazy

2010-07-26T19:33:00.004-05:00

The suspect became angry and told the victim he was going to “choke slam” her. The suspect told authorities that he was a secret agent and that it was illegal for someone to eavesdrop on his conversations. The suspect stated that he was having a conversation with someone in his head.

Apparently secret agents are attending WWE matches for their force-on-force training nowadays.

One wonders why they even bothered stating this occurred at a Wal-Mart. That kind of crazy just doesn't exist anywhere else outside of the nuthouse or Congress...

Inception: Smart. Very Smart.

2010-07-25T15:07:00.002-05:00

My folks came down for a visit this weekend. Friday night we went to the Chenal Imax in Little Rock to see Inception. If you have an Imax within driving distance, I highly recommend seeing this movie in that format. There were some scenes (You've seen the trailers, right? You know the scenes I'm talking about.) where the scale on the Imax screens was just mind-blowing. Unfortunately, that same scale made a few of the action scenes a little hard to follow but then I have trouble on some of the regular-sized movie screens, so take that with a grain of salt.

Lately, I've really warmed up to DiCaprio as an action actor. He's been able to project an air of competence and stoicism that makes him more believable as a man of action on screen. The rest of the cast was well chosen for their roles as well. Ken Watanabe was an inspired choice. Normally, I find Ellen Page slightly annoying but she was able to work around my preconceptions in this film.

The story was smart. They picked a single concept as the "sci-fi element" and then expanded the idea and its consequences in the "real world". That seemed to make for a more consistent story. Granted, there were a few moments where I stopped and started to mentally object. "Hold on - that doesn't make sense with what they said back there..." But then the movie would kick me in the teeth with an awesome visual or some impressively cerebral concept that yanked suspension of disbelief back to the fore of my thought processes.

Overall, I was thoroughly entertained and will be buying this movie when it comes out on Blu-Ray. My parents enjoyed it as well, which I think says a lot.

Right Tools For The Job

2010-07-22T21:33:00.002-05:00

So, I decided to remove the scope mount hole plugs from my Marlin in anticipation of either a scope mount or an aperture sight. I broke out my gunsmithing screwdriver sets and got to work. The very first plug I tried to remove was jammed as tight as any screw I've yet come across. I managed to bend two bits and break another and I still didn't get the blasted thing out. Trying the other three yielded two that were simple to remove and the last is just as stuck as the first.

Despite what one of my coworkers has convinced himself of, I do not believe that thread locker was used on these two plugs. Firstly, only two of the four plugs had issues. I can't believe that only those two would get locking compound. Secondly, none of my Marlins have ever had thread locker on the plugs. I doubt they've started now all of a sudden.

At any rate, now I have two buggered-up screw heads and no way that I can think of to remove them myself short of purchasing a screw remover setup. I have no desire to risk sending this back to Marlin with them packing up the factory and all, so I guess I'll be sending this one off to the local smith.

Utilikilts

2010-07-21T21:36:00.003-05:00

Every time these come up on my radar, I have an irrational urge to order one. I probably wouldn't wear it save around the house or with friends. I definitely don't have the build for it nor am I anywhere near tan enough. And yet still I want one...

Circle-strafe FTW!

2010-07-21T21:28:00.002-05:00

Well, now. This solves my biggest complaint about console FPS games. Do believe I'm going to have to give this a try.

Competition Good

2010-07-20T19:35:00.002-05:00

The tablet PC market appears to be growing rapidly. Toshiba has announced a "Smart Pad" tablet PC to be launched before October. This makes me happy. I want my PADD and I'm cheap. Competition is a good thing.

Underseat Storage

2010-07-20T19:22:00.004-05:00

Thinking I might just have to have one of these. I was discussing with one of my coworkers about 2 months ago the necessity for something to organize the stuff under my back seat. With the jumper cables, first aid kits, tools, and such, I have a rather cluttered rear cab area. The ability to store rifles and then lock the compartment is a definite bonus in my opinion.

This little item has also piqued my interest to some degree. I'm just wondering if it'd be at the right height to head-butt me in the event of a collision...

Anti-Air Laser System

2010-07-20T19:11:00.002-05:00

Anti-aircraft laser unveiled at Farnborough Airshow.

Raytheon has created a 50kW IR laser system that is capable of destroying UAVs, mortars, rockets and small surface ships. They've even mounted the system onto a Phalanx (CIWS) missile defense system.

This is just awesome.

At one of my former jobs, we created some wiring harnesses for a number of Raytheon products. Makes me wonder if they're doing the harnessing for this bad boy.

Amazon E-Book Sales

2010-07-20T19:06:00.002-05:00

Amazon.com Claims It's Selling 80% More E-Books Than Hardcovers.

Note that they say hardcovers, thereby not including the less expensive and therefore more popular paperbacks. Still, that's impressive. I certainly wouldn't have thought it. Sure makes the Kindle and/or Nook look more desirable by the day.

Unimpressed

2010-07-20T18:49:00.002-05:00

Oh, for the love of...

Really...why even bother?

Shopping Aggravation

2010-07-18T18:28:00.001-05:00

I don't suppose anyone could point me to a site/store that carries big and tall clothing (as opposed to big OR tall).

I have no self-control. None.

2010-07-17T20:16:00.003-05:00

Swung by one of the local funstores yesterday with a coworker to take a look at some of the 1911s they had. I've been thinking lately about getting back into 1911s to some extent. Ever since I saw the magwell funnel on one of my buddies' 1911s, I've wondered if the extra length on the grip would make the feel more along the lines I prefer. Currently, I'm thinking of going with a Kimber Custom II with a Wilson Combat magwell.

While we were there, I happened to see a rather familiar-looking outline on the wall. They had, in stock, a Marlin 1895GBL which I have been looking for for almost 6 months now. The price was comparable to any I'd found online (after shipping). After hearing about the shutdown of the original Marlin factory and the dissemination of its tooling to various Remington factories, it was very difficult to hand the rifle back to the salesman.

So difficult, in fact, that I broke down today and went back to purchase it. I'm now in the market for some 45-70 ammo. I'm actually trying to decide what kind of ammo I need. Normally, my firearms are more of the anti-personnel variety. As this is something more of a fun gun, I don't know if I need to get soft points, hard-cast, FMJ, or HPs. Guess I should just see what's available and go from there...

Let's Try This Again

2010-07-17T00:02:00.002-05:00

Boy, it's been a while. I've decided to give this blog thing another try. I got a bit burnt out earlier and just quit altogether. I'm going to see if not focusing almost exclusively on firearms will help me stay in the mood to blog more often. We shall see.

Preach It, Brother Lawdog!

2009-08-26T21:49:00.001-05:00

"For the best part of my adult life, Congress and the various Presidents of this Union have, at best, ignored the Constitution, and, at worst, actively crapped on it.

And I am Sick. And. Tired. Of. It.

No more. My line is here.

You want Government-run National health-care? You do it right -- you get the Constitution amended to allow Congress that power.

Until then -- go to h***."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Must Resist Urge...

2009-08-20T22:50:00.002-05:00

...must not ... SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!

Crap.

H/T to Kevin.

"Scout" Rifle Pic

2009-07-01T22:13:00.004-05:00

Caleb over at Gun Nuts Media has been pondering the possibility of a scout-style rifle made from a mil-surp rifle. Normally, I wouldn't bother with putting up a pic of one of my rifles "just 'cause" but as I have one of the variations he's been considering, I figured I'd go ahead.

This started life as a Yugoslavian Mauser (late '50s vintage if I remember correctly). I had the barrel shortened to 20", replaced the stock with a Butler Creek synthetic stock (was listed as military barrel contour but was actually a sporter barrel contour that required inletting), affixed the XS Sight Systems scout mount, and attached the Burris scout scope.

All told, this ended up costing me around $400. Further work I'd like to do is to replace the trigger with one of the sporter-style trigger replacement packs that includes a modern design safety lever to replace the huge safety lever that currently resides on the back of the bolt.

Well, It's Official...

2009-06-10T21:34:00.000-05:00

Now I've seen everything.

H/T to Breda

RIP David Eddings

2009-06-03T20:24:00.002-05:00

We've lost yet another great author.

H/T to Larry.

Friggin' Awesome!

2009-05-26T20:00:00.001-05:00

Coolest thing I've seen in a long time!

H/T to Tam.

Computer Woes, Part Deux...

2009-05-26T18:34:00.002-05:00

Well, it looks like my desktop has joined the bleeding choir invisible. The power supply was indeed gone but, apparently, it took the motherboard with it. Guess I'm now in the market for a barebones kit to add my components into.

I'll need a motherboard that has an AGP video slot and I may need new ram chips as my old comp used DDR ram as opposed to DDR2. Fortunately, the new power supply and hard drives are fine. Might as well add a DVD Rom drive while I'm at it.

Any suggestions?

One Set Of Computer Woes Down...

2009-05-21T22:22:00.003-05:00

...one to go. Yes, I'm actually posting this from my recliner. Now I'm going to lug my desktop up to my folks for the weekend and see if we can't get it up and running again.

Computer Woes

2009-05-20T18:31:00.003-05:00

Computers hate me.

That's really all there is to it. Day before yesterday, I went out and picked myself up a new Acer Aspire One netbook. Last night I sat down and decided that I would break out the old wireless router and do some surfing from the comfort of my recliner.

No sooner do I shut off my desktop to remove the cat5 cable and try to restart than my power supply decides to take a dump. At least, I think that's what it is. It's still down, waiting for one of my coworkers to get me a spare power supply he may have lying around.

Okay, fair enough. This computer has had issues with power supplies in the past and the current one is almost 3 years old. No biggie. I'll just connect my new netbook to the modem and away we'll go.

Wrong.

It won't connect. Not through the wireless card and not through the NIC. Dad and I spent two hours on the phone trying to figure things out and I finally gave up in disgust for the night.

Needless to say, yes, I finally got my netbook connected though I'm still hard-wired to the router as I still can't figure out what I'm doing wrong with the wireless. So, it's not like I'm doing without or anything. But not having access to my desktop's files is going to be a real pain if it turns out that it wasn't the power supply after all.

Too Right!

2009-05-18T21:43:00.003-05:00

From Marko:

what happened to 3 pirates shot by seals

Their metabolic processes are now history. They’re off the twig, they’ve kicked the bucket, shuffled off their mortal coil, run down the curtain, and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. They are now ex-pirates.

I aspirated a little soda because of that right there...

Probably Going To Catch Flak For This...

2009-04-22T18:13:00.002-05:00

...but this is the way GI Joe should have been done. GI Joe: Resolute

Too Freaking Hilarious

2009-04-21T20:26:00.000-05:00

I can't breathe!

DHS Report On Rightwing Extremism

2009-04-15T21:20:00.003-05:00

Man, has it really been almost two months since I posted anything? I'm such a slacker.

My only excuse is that I hate to keep posting almost nothing but crap like this.

H/T to Mrs. Malkin via Caleb.

Knew It Was Coming...

2009-02-26T18:43:00.003-06:00

Just didn't think it'd be this soon.

I'm not going to comment further. Not here, at any rate.

H/T to Tam.

Anyone Feel Like a Tea Party?

2009-02-25T18:26:00.001-06:00

Hmmm....

H/T to Tam.

WANT!

2009-02-16T10:44:00.003-06:00

The image at the left is from the Kel-Tec Owner's Group bulletin board. Those who hang out with me know that I've been drooling over this for a while now. However, I've gotten just a teensy bit more rabidly obsessed over the last month or so ever since KT announced that these would be shipping sometime this month. I'm not exactly certain why I want this particular rifle over a tried-and-proven design like the FAL which I could get for around the same price point.

I guess it just turns me on.

HB1237 In Senate Judiciary Committee

2009-02-16T10:07:00.003-06:00

HB1237, the bill to remove churches from the list of prohibited places under Arkansas' concealed handgun licensing law, has passed the House and is now sitting in the Senate Judiciary committee. I read somewhere that Governor Beebe has stated that he will sign the bill if it makes it to his desk. Unfortunately, I'm now coming up with a blank as to where I saw that bit of info.

Additionally, Robb as Sharp as a Marble has a nice rebuttal to some of the uninformed hysteria that has arisen concerning this bill. The only thing that I would add to his reply is to the "ministers" who are making the local media with their opposition to this bill. From what I have seen, every one of you represents a denomination that holds as one of its beliefs that the church is the people, not the building. It's the people who gather together that are holy, not the place where they sometimes gather together. Yet all I'm seeing is talk of "preserving the sanctity of the church" and "the church is a place of peace". If it's wrong in God's sight for a Christian to carry a gun into "church", then it's wrong for them to carry at all, seeing as how they are an integral part of the church!

Y'know, it really makes me wonder if you've put any thought or study into this subject at all or are just reacting at a gut level. I'd suggest you take a look at 2 Samuel, particularly the story of Uzzah, as to how God responds to his people reacting at a gut level without thinking things through.

I Just Don't Understand. And Neither Do They, I Think.

2009-02-09T20:52:00.006-06:00

"For someone who carries a gun, you sure are awful concerned about not breaking the law."

This (or something reasonably close to it) was said to me today by a co-worker. The only thing that I can think in regards to why he should say this is that he believes that if I were caught breaking a law, I could shoot my way out of the situation. This is not the first time that others have implied that they think I should have a more cavalier attitude toward certain things simply because I carry a pistol. I believe it's not likely it'll be the last time I hear that opinion, either.

What puzzles me is why someone would think that carrying a pistol entitles a person to behave more recklessly. At best, such behavior would be punished by a fine or imprisonment and the loss of the right to own a firearm. At worst, it would result in someone's needless death.

I can only assume that most people who offer these opinions are either joking or simply haven't thought things all the way through. Whichever the case, it's really rather unnerving to hear people talk like that.

* * *

Coworker: "You don't have a rebel bone in your body."

Me: "I've got a pretty good idea under what circumstances I would be willing to break a law."

Coworker: "I'd like to see that!"

Me: "No. You wouldn't."

This is another example of things I don't understand. As stated above, I have a respect for the law that some others find to be a little on the extreme side. As such, I would think it obvious that I am also fervently opposed to anyone attempting to circumvent or corrupt the law. I have absolutely no qualms about ignoring or breaking an illegal law. This does not mean that I will flagrantly flout the law. So long as I find such a law bearable, I will tolerate it. However, once it becomes unbearable, it becomes of no concern to me.

The reason that I told my coworker that he would not want to see me break a law is because I am usually an easy-going fellow. It takes quite a bit before I decide that something is unbearable. And, usually, once I get to that point, things have already gotten rough for everyone involved.

HR1237 Passes!

2009-02-03T18:00:00.004-06:00

According to the House Legislative Journal, HR1237 has passed the Judiciary Committee. It stated that there was no roll call but the vote was not unanimous. Of course, it's not law yet, but it's one step further...

ARCCA

2009-02-02T23:31:00.001-06:00

I've become a member of the Arkansas Concealed Carry Association. I highly suggest fellow Arkansans do the same.

Nice Of Them To Let Us Know...

2009-02-02T22:03:00.006-06:00

It seems that the Arkansas State Police have decided to add extra legal burdens on CHL holders. Under Rule 3.2 of the DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS STATE POLICE, ARKANSAS CONCEALED HANDGUN CARRY LICENSE RULES which was put into effect on January 1, 2009, if a concealed handgun license holder interacts with a law enforcement officer in an official manner, the licensee now has the responsibility to present the officer with their CHL if the officer requests identification and the licensee is in possession of a handgun.

Based upon emails with the ASP by one of the posters on THR, this rule does not carry the weight of law and there are no penalties that can be invoked for not following the rule. However, as this document is provided to officers and CHL instructors as being in compliance with AR law, there are two distinctly unsavory possibilities: 1) An officer believes that there is a legal duty to inform and arrests a CHL holder for not informing and 2) CHL instructors will promulgate this information as having the weight of law, further muddying the waters for those licensees/prospective licensees who are less informed.

Also included in the THR thread was the fact that the ASP apparently posted, in both newspapers and on their website, a public hearing regarding these rules. I did not see either of these notices and I am fairly certain that my CHL-holding friends did not see them, either. Therefore, I will, from now on, do my best to check ASP's website on a regular basis in an attempt to catch further rule-making hearings. I will post any activity in that area on this website.

On a more positive note, HB1237 (allowing CHL holders to carry in churches/places of worship) and HB1097 (allowing allowing CHL holders to carry in schools) are scheduled to go before the Judiciary Committee, HB1237 as early as tomorrow morning. Three of the members of this committee are co-sponsors of HB1237.

ETA: HB1097 evidently is only concerned with allowing the CHL holder to keep the firearm in their vehicle. It's still a step in the right direction, just not as big a step as I'd previously thought.

Norton Security Scan

2009-01-28T22:47:00.002-06:00

Recently, I've noticed a new program that popped up in the background on my computer. Norton Security Scan had initiated itself and began scanning my computer. I stopped the process, uninstalled NSS (as I hadn't intentionally installed it to begin with) and figured that was that.

The next day, the NSS shortcut was back on my desktop.

Long story short, I uninstalled this program several times and it continued to install itself. After a little Google-fu, I found that Symantec had begun bundling their software into the latest update of Adobe's Shockwave (v. 11) and if you simply updated rather than manually installing, you did not get the option to decline the installation of NSS. Further, there is an issue with a scheduled task stub being left behind that causes Windows to attempt a scheduled scan, recognize that NSS is not installed, and automatically install it!

I have removed the NSS program and stub from my computer using the technique detailed in the last post in that thread. Additionally, because I find their bundling programs without the benefit of an opt-out feature to be unacceptable, Shockwave has been removed from my computer and will not be reinstalled until they apologize and rectify the issue.

AR Upgrades

2009-01-25T19:55:00.004-06:00

Dick and I got in a little trigger time this past Friday. I shot my AR, Saiga .308, and Puma .357. The Saiga and Puma both gave me feeding problems. The Saiga exhibited the same tendency to stovepipe that it always has. The Puma was tending to let the nose of the rounds come up too far and jam against the upper edge of the chamber. It was jamming about every third round.

Afterward, we installed the YHM AR-15 free-float handguard that I've had ever since I bought the AR parts kit from Del-Ton. It was actually significantly easier to install than I imagined. The most difficult part was breaking loose first the flash hider and then the barrel nut. I'm really pleased with the handguard so far.

I went ahead and pre-ordered the Burris AR-332. After doing a little more research, it appears that SWFA are scheduled to get these in around February 11. I'll do a review once I get it in and get a chance to shoot with it (the latter of which may take a while since I can't seem to get rifle time in too often lately)

I've decided to scrap the idea I had for suppressing the Puma since it's obviously not as reliable as I'd like for enjoyable plinking and the work to get it both reliable and set up for the suppressor would be extensive and expensive. Now I'm toying with the idea of suppressing my AR. The AR is already threaded and can be suppressed by either threading directly onto the barrel or by using a quick-detachable flash hider. Right now I'm leaning toward the YHM Stainless Phantom. It's rated for full-auto fire as well as being made from stainless steel which should make it more durable as well as being easier to clean. It looks like it retails for about $460 for direct barrel mounting or $535 for the QD flash hider mount option. And, of course, the $200 government-mandated ~~extortion fee~~ NFA tax stamp.

Anyone have suggestions for which mounting option to use? I doubt I'll be using the rifle for hunting, which is the only reason I can think of for removing the suppressor. But it might be nice to be able to take the suppressor off without resorting to using an upper receiver vise.

Burris AR-332 Prism Sight

2009-01-21T21:00:00.003-06:00

Burris has announced a 3x Prism sight intended specifically for the AR-15 series of rifles. It's unclear to me whether this is a red-dot style sight or if the reticle can simply be illuminated (the latter is the direction I'm hoping they go). The reticle is a "donut"-style with .223 bullet drop compensator built in. The base appears to be interchangeable for carry handle or picatinny mounting. There are also picatinny rails built into the scope body itself. I'm not sure what they're supposed to be used for since this is being marketed as a CQ-style optic but I'm sure someone will find something to bolt on there.

SWFA is currently offering these on their website (obviously a pre-order) for $209.95. At that price, I may just have to try one.

ETA: Based on a mini-review I read from a SHOT Show attendee, the reticle is indeed of the illuminated variety rather than a red-dot style. *Happy Dance!*

Federal Takes Judge To New Level

2009-01-19T23:15:00.003-06:00

Federal ammunition has introduced a new personal defense shotshell specifically tailored for the .410 handgun, the most popular of which is the Judge by Taurus. Taurus has also announced a new model of the Judge named the Public Defender.

This makes me ponder...

H/T to Caleb and Steve

This Made Me Chuckle

2009-01-14T20:22:00.002-06:00

I'm an embarrassment to Barack!

I only scored 16 on the Obama Test

Heh, heh, heh...

H/T to Tam

An Update AND a Rant, All In One!

2008-12-29T10:25:00.003-06:00

These last few weeks have been crazy. Between getting Christmas shopping done, visiting relatives, visiting friends, and planning more visits with relatives, I haven't managed to get anything constructive done around the house that I was planning to do. Which really isn't a big price to pay at all for spending time with loved ones at Christmas.

What I have managed to do is to catch up on laundry, get my Para LTC (that was beginning to rust - more on that later) traded out for a Glock 20, get new tires on my truck (Along with a new tie rod end and a front end alignment), and get traps and poison set out for the uninvited guest I mentioned previously.

Now, what's the deal with Para-Ordnance? I've had two Para pistols, both of which have exhibited a disturbing tendency to rust. The first was a P12-45 that rusted underneath the Hogue grips that I installed. After oiling it to make sure that exact problem wouldn't happen. The LTC began rusting at the hammer, the guide rod plug, and the slide rails. The former two are blued parts, so I'm not really all that surprised given my track record with bluing. But come on! The freaking slide rails?

Now, I realize that Para uses some kind of polymer coating for the OD Green finish. But I also own several CZ firearms and I've never had issues with the pieces that receive the polycoat finish rusting. The safety, slide stop, and hammer, yes (blued parts, see above) but not the polycoated parts. So, I don't have anything against "painted-on" finishes, as some have dubbed them. I think I just have something against the particular finish Para uses. Or maybe used. Both of the pistols I had were older firearms. It's possible Para has switched to something different by now.

On to the new Glock. The 20 will be getting the same treatment as my model 21. I've ordered a 3.5# trigger bar to install, two extended slide stops (one for each pistol), and a set of XS 24/7 Big Dot sights. Those sights on my 21 have sold me on the concept of express sights on a pistol. They are accurate enough for social use and fast to boot. Right now, I'm thinking the 21 will be doing nightstand duty and the 20 will be my main carry piece. This is, of course, assuming that the 20 passes function testing with the new parts I've ordered.

Well, that about does it for me. I'm off to get my hair cut and deposit my paycheck that I thought was a direct deposit receipt when I received it last week.

Giving Up

2008-12-09T22:18:00.001-06:00

I'm thinking I should just give up and have my addy redirect to Caleb's site. Seriously. How he manages to find all this cool stuff absolutely boggles the mind.

Well, I'll Be...

2008-12-09T21:59:00.003-06:00

Seems my current home-town of Conway is also home to a world-known USPSA shooter, one Matt Mink. I'll be honest and say that I'm not familiar with the name. But one of the things that really surprises me is that he's a CZ shooter as well. Check out the video at the link and you might notice that he's using a CZ SP01. It also mentions that he competes locally at a Pulaski county range. I'm wondering if that might be something that the guys and I might want to check out one of these days...? Anyone?

Seems the video embed doesn't want to work for me, either.

H/T to Caleb.

Freaking Mice

2008-12-02T22:44:00.003-06:00

So, a little over a month ago, I notice that there's some rattling noises coming from one of my kitchen cabinets. Kinda like plastic being rustled around. I go take a look in the cabinets and eventually find traces that a mouse has been eating my ramen noodles. The mouse itself is nowhere to be seen. I also noted a rather large hole at the ceiling where the power for my above-range microwave is piped in. So, I take some spray-in insulation and seal the hole. A few days later, no disturbance of the insulation. A few more and there's a dead mouse in the floor of my back bedroom. No idea what killed him but he's dead and that's better than alive. I figure "problem solved".

Fast forward to this evening. I again hear the rustling of plastic in the same cabinet. Thinking another mouse must have managed to chew through the insulation, I proceed with flashlight and framing hammer to check out the situation. Low and behold, there's Mr. Mousey munching away at my ramen. Again. The ballsy little critter takes a good look at my flashlight and apparently only then realizes that there is a 6'2", 335lb, ticked-off, hammer-wielding, human male glaring at him. He freaks out and makes a mad run for it, jumping down onto the counter top and then disappearing behind it.

And I was so looking forward to using that hammer.

Another investigation revealed that, directly under the cabinets where my violated packages of ramen were resting, there was another gaping hole at the base of the lower cabinets where the water pipes run to the kitchen sink from the hot water heater. I have now used most of the remaining spray-in insulation to plug this hole. However, one has to wonder if Mr. Mousey has entrance and egress through the underside of the cabinets where I was unable to reach with the foam. I guess only time will tell.

Until then, I've picked up all of the food and medication that I had laying out on the counter top and have placed them in a completely separate section of the kitchen cabinets that appears to be unaffected by the infestation at this time.

I'm also keeping my framing hammer handy.

Half Asleep

2008-11-29T22:13:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting here half asleep and trying to figure out what I want to post. I know there're things I want to put up here but I'm not so sure I can do so coherently at this point. I apologize in advance if I write something that leaves you scratching your head trying to figure it out.

I've had a pretty Thanksgiving holiday. Got to see mom and dad, my grandparents, aunt and uncle, cousins, and an uncle who I hadn't seen in a couple of years at least. Bro and his better half made it in as well, as did little sis, if only for Thanksgiving day.

Dad's been trying to get sick pretty much all day today. It's made him a little grumpy but he realized it and tried his best to moderate himself. Did a pretty good job, too.

He and I had mom try out several pistols that I brought with me this time. Dad had asked me to bring some so that she could get a feel for which one fit her hand the best. She ended up really liking the Star BM. I offered to give it to them but dad insisted on paying me for it. I showed dad how to field strip it but I'm hoping that mom will take some time with me in the near future to learn how to operate and care for it. It's in need of a re-finish right now as most of it is gone off the front and backstrap but I did have a couple of extra magazines for it. I plan on checking at Gander the next time I'm in LR to see how much they'll charge to either re-blue or parkerize a pistol. If it's close to reasonable, I'll probably take it back with me over Christmas to have that done.

I'm quite impressed by the amount of light that the tritium vials in the XS Sights Big Dot put out. I've noticed the past couple of nights that there's enough that there's a small patch of light washing around the rear sight. I plan on stopping by D, R, and T's tomorrow on the way home. I hope that I'll have the opportunity to try the new sights out while I'm there.

Frustration and Gratification

2008-11-25T22:19:00.003-06:00

Well, it seems that I was a bit hasty about announcing my employment. My boss did indeed receive an email stating that I had passed my background check and that I was good to go. However, it seems that the background check that had come back was for another gentleman who had just been hired whose middle name is Barrett. My background check results did not come in until yesterday and therefore today was my first day on the payroll.

The only real problem that resulted from the miscommunication was that, since I thought I was off contract, I didn't send my time sheet in to my employment agency until this morning. Which means that it will be a week from Thursday before I get my next check. Things are going to be a bit tight what with the holiday travel I have planned and it being the end of the month but I'm pretty sure I will be able to squeeze by.

On another note, I made several purchases over the past month and a half that have all come in recently. The first is my Blade-Tech holster and magazine pouch for my Glock. I'm satisfied with the workmanship in their products, as always. My only gripe is that the mag pouch is set up so that the mag can only be inserted in one direction and it just happens to be opposite of the way I prefer to have the mag seated. But that's a rather minor annoyance.

I also received some XS big dot sights for the Glock. I've not had a chance to shoot with them yet. I'll post an update once I have.

Lastly, I've gotten an ACE lightweight stock for my AR. It's very close in length to the setting I had the CTR stock set for and doesn't yank whiskers out of my face every other time I shoulder it. Should have used a lube on the foam padding while installing it. I ended up taking out a couple of chunks. Figure I'll just get some electrical tape or black duct tape and patch it up. In order to match the stock, I also picked up a black Magpul pistol grip (the non-modular one) and put the old black handguards back on the upper. It's a true EBR again.

Wheee!

2008-11-18T20:51:00.003-06:00

Well, it's finally official. I am now a direct, full-time employee at my workplace. After a year of contract work, I'm now getting salary and benefits. It'll be nice to finally have health insurance again.

My new debit card has arrived. My last one had to be canceled because of some dill-hole in Austin, TX (supposedly) fraudulently charging $0.15 to my account. That's right, fifteen cents. I figure they were waiting to see if I noticed and then charge more later. Oh well.

I up and joined a gym today. A couple of the fellas at work go there regularly and suggested I try it out. It was especially tempting because our company has a corporate account with them which means I get a discount. Paying less rocks. I'm currently planning on going three times a week. I'm hoping I can last this time 'round.

Last, but not least, li'l sis has (finally) been given a store in Jackson, TN. We're all ecstatic that she's been promoted but I'm a little disappointed that she didn't get one closer to me. I can live with it, though. Now she just needs to see about getting her concealed carry license since she's where she's gonna be for a while. Told you I'd pay for it, Binker, and I'm sticking to that. Give me a yell and we'll figure out when and where you can take the class.

Cracks Me Up

2008-11-12T18:43:00.003-06:00

I don't know what it is but every few months I see another link to the Lolcats page and I just have to browse for a while. And every time I see a new picture that just cracks me up. Take this one for instance...

I just about died.

What is Libertarianism?

2008-11-10T17:54:00.003-06:00

I've had several people ask me recently, "What exactly is libertarianism, anyway?" I've attempted to answer these rather succinctly, as these folks weren't looking for a dissertation, with the phrase, "We should be allowed to do whatever we want so long as we don't interfere with the rights of others." I wasn't really satisfied with that answer and so I've plunged into the Wikipedia entry on Libertarianism. What I've come up with are a couple of quotes from that page that I believe to hit the high points of the libertarian philosophy (at least as I see it):

"...individual liberty, constitutionally limited government, peace, and reliance on the institutions of civil society and the free market for social order and economic prosperity..."

"Libertarians are committed to the belief that individuals, and not states or groups of any other kind, are both ontologically and normatively primary; that individuals have rights against certain kinds of forcible interference on the part of others; that liberty, understood as non-interference, is the only thing that can be legitimately demanded of others as a matter of legal or political right; that robust property rights and the economic liberty that follows from their consistent recognition are of central importance in respecting individual liberty; that social order is not at odds with but develops out of individual liberty; that the only proper use of coercion is defensive or to rectify an error; that governments are bound by essentially the same moral principles as individuals; and that most existing and historical governments have acted improperly insofar as they have utilized coercion for plunder, aggression, redistribution, and other purposes beyond the protection of individual liberty."

Veteran's Day Sale

2008-11-08T16:05:00.003-06:00

Blade-Tech is having a Veteran's Day sale in which just about everything is 25% off. I have several of their holsters and a mag pouch and I'm very pleased with the quality/price point ratio even when they're not having a sale. In fact, I'll probably order an item or two for my new Glock while I'm at it.

Go check it out.

Tastes Like Chicken

2008-11-05T18:33:00.007-06:00

I'm gonna have to eat a little crow here. After my Double Action Friendly I Ain't post, I went and bought a used Glock 21. Well, I say I bought it but actually TM was the one to talk the guy down to $350. TM then set me up with a new 3.5# trigger bar, grip plug, 13 round magazine (the original was only a 10), and a new slide stop as the old one was missing the vast majority of its finish. And I gotta say, I'm quite satisfied with the trigger. It's kinda like a soft two-stage trigger on a rifle with a really long first stage. And I hit with it just as well or better than with my Witness.

Think I'll keep it.

Also, TM let me know that CDNN is running a sale on G21 (non-SF frame) 13 round mags for $14.99 each. (In looking the link up, I noticed that they're now $16.99 and out of stock to boot! Gee, I wonder what brought that on? < /sarcasm >) They're marked "Law Enforcement Use Only" but they're perfectly legal for those of us in states that are still (relatively) free. I picked up two and a holster while I was at it.

Remember, Remember...

2008-11-05T17:59:00.003-06:00

...the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I can think of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.

And remember, it ain't just some line from a recent movie.

Put Up or Shut Up

2008-11-04T22:09:00.007-06:00

Well, if the one-eyed monster can be believed, it appears that Barack Obama will be the next president of these United States. Much as I'd like to comment on this event, I'm going to keep my mouth shut.

"Why," you may ask? Because I didn't vote. Or perhaps I should amend that. I was unable to vote. I submitted my change of address form near the end of the deadline for this election and apparently that form was lost in the mail. I was thus unable to vote in my old county as my photo ID shows my new address in my new county.

But just because I won't comment on the results doesn't mean you shouldn't. If you're reading this, by all means, share your thoughts on the matter.

I will say that I pray the good Lord that He will aid Mr. Obama in the leadership of our nation. It's a tough job that may well be tougher for Mr. Obama due to his race. I certainly don't envy him.

Double Action Friendly I Ain't

2008-10-27T20:54:00.004-05:00

A recent post by Caleb at Call Me Ahab has managed to put a burr under my saddle. In said post, Unix-Jedi makes a play on the line from Star Wars: A New Hope, saying: "Not as clumsy or random as a automatic. An elegant weapon for a more civilized time." He was, of course, referring to revolvers.

Now, please don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way. I realize that this was (mostly) a bit of fun between friends. I also realize that everyone has their preferences and everyone's preferences are different. The world'd be a really dull place if there was only one style of handgun, rifle, and shotgun in it.

But, please, don't try to sell me that bit about revolvers being the perfect carry gun. Folks can (and have) debated for days on end, back and forth about reliability, capacity, and concealability. But, for me, it boils down to one issue that's the deal-breaker: revolvers are intended to be fired in double action. And I just can't shoot in double action.

Oh, I suppose I could hit the broad side of a barn with a typical DA pistol. The Smiths in particular have a DA that is smooth enough for me to do okay with. But I consistently do better with pistols that have a crisp, single action trigger. It doesn't even have to be that light. If I were to take a box-stock Rock Island Armory plain-jane 1911 and a slicked-up Smith .357 (whatever model), I can state with confidence that (barring poor workmanship) I'd hit consistently better with the 1911. This has been true since I bought my first handgun (a S&W 66). I imagine it's also true of said stock 1911 versus pretty much any DA/SA or DAO autoloader. I don't know as I've never shot many of those types of handguns.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't see how one can naturally shoot a double action better than a single action. The only way I can see that it's feasible to compare the two is to have someone who has worked with DAs long and hard enough that it's not a handicap any more (Jerry Miculek anyone?). It just seems to me that for the average joe a SA autoloader is going to be significantly easier to get good hits with quickly. And isn't that the point of a defensive arm?

The Saints Are BACK!

2008-10-27T20:26:00.002-05:00

Brian has just let me know that All Saints Day, the sequel to The Boondock Saints, has officially begun filming.

'Scuse me while I do my happy dance.

Another One...?!

2008-10-27T20:12:00.002-05:00

Two students are dead and one person injured after a shooting Sunday evening on the UCA campus.

But don't worry. President Tom Courtway says the campus is safe. You can trust him. It's not like he'd lie to the general public to protect his job or keep enrollment up or anything...

("...AR-15 military-style rifles..." Who comes up with this drivel? Seriously.)

Anchor Dies of Wounds

2008-10-27T19:58:00.002-05:00

Ms. Pressly passed away this past Saturday due to the injuries that were inflicted upon her Sunday evening/Monday morning last week.

Looks like the goblin(s) responsible are now looking at a murder one rap. Here's hoping the police catch them quickly.

Ticks Me Off Something Fierce

2008-10-21T20:02:00.003-05:00

A local TV anchor was attacked in her own home last night. The victim is Anne Pressly of KATV out of Little Rock. She was listed in critical condition at the time of the article.

Believe I'm gonna oil my 870 now. Stay safe, y'all.

H/T to Tam.

This Makes Me Sad

2008-10-20T18:32:00.001-05:00

I thought better of him. I really did.

The High Road Has A New Home

2008-10-15T17:56:00.005-05:00

See the following email from Oleg regarding THR's new home:

My name is Oleg Volk, and I am the owner of The High Road(tm). When I started the forum in 2002, my vision was to create a place where people from around the world could engage in cordial discussion of RKBA related matters. Since then, you have helped make The High Road(tm) one of the best places on the web for learning about firearms, for educating new shooters and for supporting effective advocacy of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Due to pending legal issues, I am moving the forum to a new home at TheHighRoad.us. This is the one and only official site at this time, owned by me. The same high standards of civility apply. In the near future, we will provide more than just a forum. The High Road(tm) is becoming an information and activism center for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

With the help of GeoVario, our new host, The High Road(tm) is now online in its new home. The new location of The High Road(tm) -- http://www.thehighroad.us -- will serve our members while the conversion of the .org domain name by THR's former sysadmin is being challenged in court (Copy of the complaint available: http://www.geovario.com/legal/Complaint1.pdf ).

Feel free to mirror this announcement on your blog (here is a link to mine with details of this matter and how you can help. http://olegvolk.livejournal.com/474369.html ). If you link to THR, please update the link to point to thehighroad.us Eventually, both .us and .org addresses will point to the same site again.

Thank you all
- Oleg Volk, Owner
The High Road(tm)

Edited to correct the links.

Quite A Weekend

2008-10-12T21:17:00.004-05:00

Went to my parent's place this weekend. Mom was out Friday and most of Saturday but we got to visit late Saturday night and most of today. She, my sis, aunt, and cousin all went to LR to participate in the Race for the Cure (my maternal grandma died of cancer and my aunt is a survivor). Dad and I worked on my truck, replacing the front shocks and changing the oil. We also had some time for some heart-to-heart chats that there hasn't been much opportunity for lately. I enjoyed the visit thoroughly.

On separate note, my Dresden Files 2009 calendar arrived while I was away. I'm trying to determine the appropriate place to hang it. Present thinking is 'on the wall'. I've not got much further than that.

I've got some new mag springs and followers for my Witness coming in tomorrow. I've had some issues with the stock followers hanging or being sluggish to bring the rounds into position after the top round is fed. The Gram's followers from Henning Shoots Guns are supposed to help with such issues based on some posts at the CZ Forum's Clone Club. I'm itching to try them out.

And lastly...WANT!

As A Fan of Firefly...

2008-10-12T21:10:00.002-05:00

...I'm not ashamed to say that this left me with tears in my eyes.

Big, BIG hat tip to Caleb at Call Me Ahab.

Aaaand, I'm gonna have to add him to the blogroll now, methinks.

It's Been a Great Day!

2008-10-07T18:18:00.008-05:00

Today has been a great day.

I went with several of the guys at work to the new pizza place in town, Old Chicago. Probably the best thick-crust pizza I've ever eaten.

My new knife came in today. It's a thicker blade than what I had thought it'd be and the handle size and blade length are exactly what I'd hoped they'd be. I'm quite happy with it so far. Now it just needs a little better edge on it. The sheath is quite nice, too.

I finally managed to get the custom hammer from CZCustom.com fitted to my 97B. I managed to botch the fitting slightly as I really didn't have the right tools for the job. So there's a noticeable bit of creep to the trigger before let off. It's still better than the factory trigger that came on it. I also got the SA trigger to reset properly. Unfortunately, the take-up adjustment is now missing (tho I don't think it would have worked anyway given the way it fit before) and there are a couple of large shiny patches where I had to remove some of the material and the aluminum is showing through the finish. But a little aluminum black should fix that right up. The slimline grips that I had ordered now allow the magazine to drop free after a bit of judicious filing. Overall, I'm pleased with this setup and can hardly wait to try it out.

I'll be heading up to my parents this Friday. My truck is in need of an oil change and there's something wrong either with one of my shocks or with a torsion bar. When the front driver's shock deflects past a certain point, there's a pop that can be heard inside the cab and felt underneath the driver's foot. I'm going to have to have dad's jack and concrete floor to pull the tire and check/change the shock and torsion bar.

Mom, sis, and my aunt and cousin are all going to be in Little Rock this Friday and Saturday. I'm hoping that we can get an opportunity to all get together for lunch or something on Friday before I head up to their neck of the woods.

Oh, and I finally sent in my change of address info for my voter's registration this past Saturday (thanks for the help, Dick). I should now be eligible to vote in the coming elections.

New Knife

2008-10-01T21:20:00.003-05:00

Well, I broke down and bought a new knife today. I may very well end up regretting this. The description states that the blade was made using sewing needles. I'm hopeful that, if this has been done well, it should make for a very durable and sharp knife.

One of the failings I have regarding knives is that I tend to use them for things that they're really not designed for: prying, tightening screws, etc. I hope that, this being as expensive as it is, I'll stick with its intended usage exclusively. As such, I may still be in the market for a tough knife that can stand up to the abuse that I tend to put my pocket knives through. If you know of any small working-type knives with blades ~2.5"-3.25" in length and at least 3/8" thick that can hold up to heavy use/abuse, please let me know.

But I'm thinking it might be best if I tried making my own. I'm thinking that I may either use a file or pry-bar for the stock, anneal it to remove the temper, cut and file to shape and start the bevel, then re-temper and finish the edge and polish. Thoughts?

He's Got My Vote

2008-09-26T17:43:00.002-05:00

Caleb over at Call Me Ahab has decided to throw his hat into the ring for president of these united states. You need to go read his 3-step plan for change in the U.S.

It's so beautiful it makes me tear up just thinking about it.

Trouble at THR

2008-09-25T18:14:00.004-05:00

It seems that there's been a bit of a row between Derek Zeanah and Oleg Volk over at TheHighRoad.org with several of the mods taking sides in the matter. As nearly as I've been able to determine, the issue concerned fundraising for the site via a certain commercial contract or putting up ads. It seems to have been perking for a few weeks and finally blew sometime yesterday with Derek disabling the board and kicking out Oleg and the majority of his supporters. Oleg has now decided that legal action is his best recourse and is requesting donations. Only now an update on Xavier's site has stated that Oleg once again has his admin priviliges.

I personally don't have a dog in this fight. I have enjoyed The High Road immensely for several years but my interest in the site has waned quite a bit recently with the Rifle Country forum being about the only one I visit any more. I do hope that this can be resolved amicably and THR can continue fighting the good fight and bringing newbies into the fold with open arms. And I do feel badly for those folks who may end up displaced due to this.

Whatever the outcome, I want to thank the creaters, staff, and admin of THR who made my stay there enjoyable and informative. You've all given me more than I could possibly begin to repay.

Gun Nuts Radio

2008-09-24T20:55:00.002-05:00

To those who may not be familiar with this program, it is hosted by blogger Caleb from Call Me Ahab. It has been guest-co-hosted recently by Breda from The Breda Fallacy. Their most recent show covers some information regarding the past and present political agenda of candidate Barack Obama. I highly suggest giving this episode a listen. There were a couple of glitches where the broadcast cuts out but give it a couple of minutes and they're able to get everything working again.

No Real Surprise There...

2008-09-23T21:13:00.003-05:00

Via Matt G at Better and Better, we have the Politics Test.

My results:

You are a
Social Liberal
(75% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(78% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Libertarian

Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid.com

"Kindle"ing My Desire

2008-09-17T21:57:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Brian, I now have an itch for the Amazon Kindle.

This does not bode well for my bank balance...

Found On The 'Net

2008-09-17T20:08:00.003-05:00

Several things have caught my attention lately and, honestly, I doubt I can do them all justice, so...

...time for some linky love!

The ATF has managed to misplace 76 firearms.

Tam gives a history lesson that is eerily familiar.

Breda guest hosts "Gun Nuts Radio".

Apparently there was a shooting at ASU Jonesboro this past weekend. Second-degree battery seems kinda light for shooting at and (kinda) hitting someone. Makes me wonder what extenuating circumstances there might have been.

I've decided I need to get another (better) safe/security container for my firearms. I've glanced at a few at Academy Sports in Little Rock and need to take a more serious look there and at Gander Mountain and Ft. Thompson sometime soon, maybe this weekend. I've taken a look around at a few safes online and this particular safe jumped out at me as being laid out quite well for my needs. I don't know if the price listed on that site is good, bad, or ugly but it doesn't seem too badly out of line at first blush. Shipping on something that size obviously sucks, so I'd like to find something local so that I can just have them load it in the back of the Tahoe and shamelessly guilt Dick and R into helping me get it into the house.

Well, that's it. Hopefully I'll have something meatier next time.

Take Me Away, Officers...

2008-09-14T09:51:00.004-05:00

...'cause I'm a thief!

Dick, L, T, and I went to the LR fun show Saturday. I spent most of my time scoping out .22 rifles (a few of which I was tempted by), looking for a Witness-P Carry in 10mm (none of which were in evidence), and generally just checking out the unusual amount of unusual stuff that's so seldom in evidence at these shows.

We were considering wrapping up and packing it in when, at a small corner booth, I saw a pristine little CZ 75 Compact, '02 manufacture. And then my eyes went a little wild when I saw the $300 price tag. I picked it up and looked it over and it was clean as a whistle. The gent behind the table began to tell me about the pistol but I let him know that I had quite a bit of experience with CZs in general and knew them to be fine guns. I then asked if the pistol had the case or any extra mags with it, to which he replied in the negative. Ah, well, no matter. Still a good deal.

And then he tells me that he can come down to $275 and he'll take care of the taxes. To which I replied, "You take checks or cards?"

So now I'm the proud owner of a CZ 75 Compact. Magazines are proving difficult to find for reasonable prices but I'm not giving up. And I think I may have to try out Crimson Trace's lasergrips for this one as well. The worst part of that is the grips have a MSRP that's more than I gave for the pistol!

Getting Randy

2008-09-12T17:39:00.002-05:00

My apologies for the title. I just couldn't help myself.

Dick and I made a trip up to Rogers this past weekend to help Randy with his move down to Cabot. Charlie made an appearance dancing the Foxtrot but we managed to get Randy moved and settled. It's good to have him within casual visiting distance again.

We are so gonna have to get a road-trip planned now.

New Gear

2008-09-12T16:42:00.007-05:00

I've been neglecting this site recently. My apologies to anyone who visits with any regularity.

I have a few new gun-related items to write about. The first is a new red-dot scope offered by Vortex: the Strikefire. This is a relatively inexpensive red-dot that aims at the gap in quality between the $50 Chinese sights found everywhere these days and the $400 and up "serious use" red-dots such as the Aimpoint or EOTech. It uses a single CR2 battery, has a red or green dot, comes with a 2x magnifier that screws into the rear of the unit, and a 30mm ring with your choice of two heights.

I currently have the unit on my AR that I built back a few months ago. I'm using one of the goose-neck style mounts with an Aimpoint ring to get it to the correct height. Unfortunately, I've not had a chance to shoot with it yet. I'll give an update on my findings once I have a chance to wring it out. Right now, my only complaints are that you have to change the colors via the power button. I personally would have preferred a two-position style switch for this instead of having to push the button twice to either shut it off or get the desired color. The order of the colors also reverses itself with each cycle. As far as the dot itself, it still exhibits the same tendency to flare that every red-dot I've ever used has had.

I have also received on Thursday the High Noon Holsters Rock Steady Belt and laminate holster for my CZ 97B (that also works with my 10mm Witness-P) that I ordered back on February 22. Yeah, that was quite a wait but their website does state that their order times are long. It's not like I wasn't warned. Moreover, it looks like the wait was definitely worth it. This belt is exactly what the name describes: rock steady. It's incredibly thick and with the holsters that I've tried, it doesn't even think about sagging or twisting. I highly recommend this belt to anyone who is looking for a good belt to carry any substantial weight on it. Just don't expect to get it in a hurry.

The laminate holster is also a good bit of gear. It's not all that pretty but it does the job and does it well. I'm considering getting another one in their leather line (probably for a Witness-P Carry model in 10mm if I can find one reasonably priced).

Speaking of Witness-P pistols, I had an opportunity to shoot mine again over the Labor Day Weekend. The magazines and new mag catch worked great with nary a malfunction to be seen. I'm now planning to buy a mess of Georgia Arms 10mm (and probably some .45 ACP as well) to break it in right. They have newly loaded 10mm with Gold Dot hollowpoints that are zipping along in the same general power class as the Winchester Silvertips (at least according to Winchester's velocity data which has been disputed as being higher than actual and Georgia Arms' velocity data which has been verified several times by customers). And they're significantly cheaper than the WSTs to boot.

Honestly Didn't Think He Had It In Him

2008-09-02T22:10:00.002-05:00

So, um ... Yeah. How about that move by McCain, huh?

Sarah Palin.

Yeah.

Awww, crap. Please don't tell me I'm gonna end up voting for Col. Tigh.

The Lesser Evils

2008-08-27T21:01:00.004-05:00

Marko at The Munchkin Wrangler has an excellent post on his reasons for no longer settling for the lesser evil when it comes to voting. He actually captures a number of reasons that I myself will no longer vote for someone only so that a worse choice might be avoided. I decided a few years ago that I will not ever vote against anyone again. I will only vote for a candidate whom I agree with.

Go take a gander.

He Finally Caved

2008-08-26T06:07:00.002-05:00

Lawdog has finally given in and gives us the now nigh-legendary tale of the Pink Gorilla Suit. Go, read, laugh yourself silly.

Gone Shootin'

2008-08-23T23:00:00.012-05:00

Went to visit Dick today and get a little trigger time in at T's place. Dick broke out his new camera for the occasion. I tested out my Witness-P after polishing the feed ramp and swapping the recoil spring to the Wolff 18lb from the 20lb. Nasty tooling marks on the feed ramp. I was getting stoppages about 2-3 times per 15 round mag before working on it. The work seems to have paid off as I didn't have a single stoppage and Dick only had the last spent casing stovepipe. If that's the worst I see, then I can live with it. Recoil is brisk as always, even with the watered-down standard Remington 180 grain FMJ rounds. I'm still going to need to order another case of Winchester Silvertip and use the last 4 boxes I have from the old case for reliability testing before I can trust it. Here's a shot of it coming back into battery with a case caught in mid-flight. Also note the tactical blink being performed by that smooth operator behind the pistol. Yeah, I know, gotta work on that.

I also broke out the AR, more for a photo op than any real desire to shoot. We were at T's little pistol range and the AR would make Swiss cheese of the spinner target he's got out there (not that it matters too terribly much as Dick managed to hit the spinner frame and break it where it had been previously welded). The pic here shows the bolt in the full recoil position with the spent casing having just been ejected.

After returning to Dick's apartment, we spent a little while working on a lightbox for his new camera. He took a couple more pics of my gear that I haven't seen yet. He's going to email it to me as soon as he gets it cleaned up. He's also got a few pics of him shooting and his gear that I may show later with his permission. In all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

Papa's Got A Brand New Bed

2008-08-17T22:03:00.004-05:00

Mom and dad came down for a visit Friday night and the better part of Saturday. We did some running around while they were here as I have been mulling the purchase of a new mattress for a few months now. I always prefer to get input from both mom and dad on purchases of significant dollar amount on items with which I am unfamiliar. And this would be the first mattress that I've bought, ever.

We made the rounds to several furniture companies that I'd spotted previously and found a few likely candidates at each store. Then, we headed back to my house and dad picked up the phone book and started looking at furniture stores. That lead us to Bates Furniture in downtown Conway. Turns out they carry Dreamline mattresses, a brand that I had heard of before but was unfamiliar with. In talking with the salesman, we found out that the Dreamline mattresses are actually manufactured in Cabot, AR, less than 50 miles away. That was kinda the clincher for me as the mattress was just as comfortable as all but one of the others that I'd tried (that one being a $1400 model that I couldn't afford much less justify). The 25-year warrantee didn't hurt either. (Though the paperwork that came with the mattress says 20 years. Still better than the 5-10 year warrantees everywhere else.)

Long story short, the matress was delivered for free with a $10 fee to get rid of my old matress set. And mom got a free painting out of the deal (no thanks to Captain Observant, here). All told, it ended up setting me back a hair over $550. That's just less than the tires are gonna cost that I still need to get for the Tahoe. Good thing I've been getting overtime the last couple weeks.

I slept quite peacefully last night with only one instance of waking before my alarm went off. That's most unusual for me as I usually wake up 2-3 times a night. I think this is gonna work out just fine.

Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Killed

2008-08-13T22:12:00.003-05:00

Chairman Bill Gwatney was killed today by one Timothy Johnson of Searcy, AR. Johnson was also killed after reportedly fleeing and firing at police. No motive has been established at this time.

Prayers for and condolences to his family and loved ones.

Helena Curfew Extended

2008-08-13T17:42:00.009-05:00

Helena's city council has voted unanimously to allow their police force to expand the area under curfew.

I've already made my position clear on the matter. This is a violation of rights protected by the Constitution. But these quotes by the mayor and a council member just leave me shaking mad.

From the Log Cabin Democrat's article:

Mayor James Valley:"Now if somebody wants to sue us, they have an option to sue, but I'm fairly certain that a judge will see it the way the way the citizens see it here. The citizens deserve peace, that some infringement on constitutional rights is OK and we have not violated anything as far as the Constitution."

So it's okay to infringe on constitutional rights as long as you don't violate the Constitution? Could someone explain that one to me?

Oh, and the citizens deserve peace? Really? I'm disinclined to agree with that statement. I'm in good company, too. Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Also from the Log Cabin's article:

The council rejected Dickson's claims, at one point questioning the Little Rock-based attorney if she'd live in a neighborhood they described as under siege by wild gunfire and gangs.

"As far as I'm concerned, at 3 o'clock in the morning, nobody has any business being on the street, except the law," Councilman Eugene "Red" Johnson said. "Anyone out at 3 o'clock shouldn't be out on the street, unless you're going to the hospital."

Any one care to lay odds on whether Mr. Johnson would feel the same way if it was his neighborhood that was under the curfew?

I'm not going to touch much on the assertion that local drug dealers "carry...AK47 assault rifles...". A rifle built around the AK's action, maybe, but I sincerely doubt that the local hooligans have access to true AK47s. You know, the full-auto, military-grade small arm that have been banned from importation since 1986. My bet is that it's the common WASR-type rifles that are built up on US-made, semi-auto only receivers and are dirt cheap right now.

In closing, I believe I need to make my position perfectly clear: Nothing the police can do will be able to save this neighborhood. Nothing the mayor can do will be able to save this neighborhood. Nothing the city council can do will be able to save this neighborhood. The only way for this neighborhood to be saved is for the residents to decide that they will not stand idly by when they or their neighbors are assaulted. They need to make life too difficult for the goblins who are causing the problems. They know who these people are. They know who and where to keep an eye on for problems. And since this state is one of the few that are still relatively free, they have the ability to purchase arms for their common defense.

Yes, by doing this, uninvolved people are likely to get hurt. But the question is, which is more acceptable? A few people hurt over a short period of time while the neighborhood does the right thing and tries to sort itself out? Or a few people hurt by goblins who then go about their evil ways unmolested and are thereby emboldened to continue hurting more and more people with no end in sight?

Think about that for a minute.

Mandatory Curfew in Helena Neighborhood

2008-08-11T19:01:00.003-05:00

It seems that Helena's mayor James Valley has decided that its gotten too dangerous for the residents of certain neighborhoods to go outside. Therefore, he's ordered that anyone caught outside without a good excuse is to be arrested.

Says Valley, "It's something akin to martial law. It got to the point where somebody was going to get seriously hurt or killed if we didn't do something."

And we can't have people getting hurt or killed now, can we? After all, it's not like that can happen driving back and forth to work, right?

Uhhh...wait a minute...

But seriously, it seems that if the police see you on a public street, they can just toss the Fourth Amendment right out the window, having you and your vehicle searched. 'Cause, you know, only criminals would have any reason to leave their homes. Or maybe they're using the old standby justification of "if you don't have anything to hide, then you have no reason to worry."

Thankfully, the Arkansas branch of the ACLU has jumped on this, sending a letter demanding the curfew be lifted. Valley, however, doesn't seem to take them seriously. Here's one of my favorite quotes in the articles: "I invite them to move in on Second Street and be up all night with people shooting at them. That's my comment to them."

Well, no offense, Jimmy but be careful what you wish for. This is Arkansas, after all. I think the last thing you'd want is a bunch of independently-minded and/or rights-minded people moving into an area where they're likely to be shot at. 'Cause in all honesty, they're more than likely to shoot back. Which is exactly what should be happening in these neighborhoods in my opinion. Nothing like responding gunfire from multiple locations to put the damper on your attempted drive-by.

Hopefully the ACLU will pursue this matter further. I'd be tickled to see a lawsuit or organized civil disobedience. What makes me nervous, however, would be the possibility that the courts would back up the mayor in this matter. It really wouldn't surprise me any more.

Just Wrong...?

2008-08-11T18:54:00.003-05:00

Would it be completely wrong and evil of me if I were to have the top front portion of my Puma's receiver tapped for one piece of a two-piece scope mount and mount a Burris FastFire reflex sight to it?

Yeah, I thought it would.

Puma M92 .357 Mini-Review

2008-08-10T19:23:00.009-05:00

As stated previously, I bought a Puma M92 in .357 mag (imported by LSI). That evening, Dick, L, and I took it out to T's to wring it out. What is the verdict?

This gun is a BLAST! Its light weight and short overall length (~33.5") make it easily the handiest rifle I own.

It fed FMJ truncated cone 38 spl. with no problems. Unfortunately, the only .357 we had on hand was some old Hydra-shock that Dick had lying around. We ran a few rounds of it through the gun, which seemed to be a bit finicky with this cartridge. The recoil, even with full house defensive .357 is negligible.

On the down side, the sights were difficult to see against any dark background and hit a few inches high at ~20-25 feet. In order to remedy this, I ordered a new front sight with brass bead and a Marble rear sight. What I didn't know is that Rossi seems to have decided to use a completely different dovetail for their sights than EVERYONE ELSE IN THE GUN INDUSTRY! Yeah, I'm a bit miffed about that. Usually lever-action rifles utilize a 3/8" dovetail for both the front and rear sight. A bit of searching turned up that Rossi's dovetails are slightly larger which I confirmed when the front sight slid all the way through the barrel dovetail.

At any rate, I've purchased a Williams FP-94/36 receiver peep sight. It should allow me to fairly easily adjust for changes between ammo types. Now I just need to get the receiver drilled and tapped for the sight. This sight should also make it easier to adjust for having a suppressor on the barrel. I'm seriously jonesing to have this thing set up for a suppressor, especially after seeing the job this guy did on a 44 spl. Uberti 1873. To use a slightly out-of-date pop culture phrase: "That's hot."

Right now, I'm still up in the air as to specifics on the idea but I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna have to get the mag tube set back slightly in addition to having the barrel threaded. And I don't know of any local gunsmiths who aren't just swamped who are capable of doing this kind of work.

I'm currently looking at these two suppressors: AWC's Titanium Abraxas and Yankee Hill Machine's Wraith QD combo.

The advantage to the Abraxas is size. It's only 5.7 inches in overall length and weighs in at 3.3 ounces. The Wraith's stats are 7.5 OAL and 5.8 ounces. I'm also curious as to whether the Abraxas will need to have the mag tube set back. In the picture on AWC's website, it appears that there is a stainless sleeve that threads onto the barrel that is significantly reduced in diameter compared to the suppressor body.

The Wraith's advantage is ability to remove the suppressor easily. This could come in handy on occasion but I'm not sure if it's worth having that crazy-looking flash suppressor on the end of the barrel when the suppressor isn't attached. The only real concern I have is that a suppressor might not be legal for hunting. I've given Arkansas' state hunting regulations a cursory glance and didn't see anything on the subject but I'm thinking it's probably not permitted. And even if it is, I'd probably have a hard time explaining that to a G&F officer.

Anyway, that's my short review and hazy future plans for this little carbine. I'll have a few more short reviews once I get in a few more of the items I have on order and get the Williams peep attached.

Dang Funny!

2008-08-10T19:18:00.004-05:00

This is particularly intended for the other electrical engineers in the crowd but I imagine anyone who spent any amount of time in college can relate to it.

Electron Band Structure In Germanium, My ***

That's just funny right there.

H/T to Kevin at The Smallest Minority (the link's a bit dated).

Puma .357 Lever Action

2008-07-27T22:43:00.003-05:00

So, Dick and I went to the local FFL storefront looking to purchase an H&R .357 single-shot carbine for myself. Unfortunately, it seems that this particular rifle is either more popular than H&R expected or wasn't made in large quantities to begin with as it is backordered (Davidson's). The proprietor was kind enough to print up a list of .357 carbines that were in stock with pricing and quoted me a price of $60 over the list. So, I ended up having him order a Puma .357 carbine with a 16" barrel. It should be in tomorrow.

After all was said and done, I ended up plunking down a little over $500 for the rifle. It was really just a bit more than I was prepared to spend on a rifle that is essentially a fun gun. But I honestly think I'll be happier with this than with the H&R which is the only gun under the price point I was hoping for.

Now my only worry is that I didn't really do any research into the Puma before ordering and I have no idea what kind of issues it might have. Ah, well, impulse buying is my specialty. I should be used to it by now.

Quiz Filler

2008-07-27T22:07:00.030-05:00

Just because I don't really have anything better right now...

Your results:
You are Derrial Book (Shepherd)
Even though you are holy you have a mysterious past.

Derrial Book (Shepherd)		85%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		70%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		50%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		45%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		40%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		40%
Alliance		35%
River (Stowaway)		25%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		15%
Inara Serra (Companion)		15%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		15%

Click here to take the "Which Serenity character am I?" quiz...

H/T to Don.

*Edit: I give up. I have no idea why this is formatting with the gigantic gap before the table.

Dark Knight Rocks!

2008-07-20T10:49:00.004-05:00

Friday afternoon Dick, his brother Drew, and I went to the Imax on Chenal in Little Rock to watch "The Dark Knight". I was fully prepared to hate this movie. Frankly, looking at the previews, I expected Heath Ledger to have butchered the part of the Joker. It looked like he was taking the role too far on the straight psychotic side, not having the fun that the Joker would with his sadism.

The very first scene where we actually got a good look at him proved me completely wrong.

Ledger did an amazing job. His Joker was vicious, cruel, and, above all, revelled in his sadistic nature. He was the perfect foil for Bale's Batman, another acting choice that I misjudged at first. As a matter of fact, I have only one gripe about the whole thing: Two-Face.

Maybe I missed some of the conversation between him and the Joker. It's possible I suppose. But frankly, I think that the script kinda fell flat with providing him with the motivation to take the actions that he did. I don't have any problem with the dark turn he took. He had plenty of motivation for that. Even the beginning few targets for his rage made sense. But when he turned on one of the main characters, I was completely lost. It was almost like the script writers needed a way to push him over the edge from simple revenge-driven killing to lashing out at innocents so that the audience would no longer be sympathetic to him but they had no idea how to go about doing it. So they just said, "Okay, let's have him turn on his allies for no reason."

But overall, I loved the film. I give it a 4.5 out of 5. And I recommend you go watch it at the theaters. You'll be glad you did.

Well, All Righty Then!

2008-07-17T22:16:00.005-05:00

The latest slap to my ego was delivered today by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. I had applied for health/life insurance with them through the NRA. I received a letter (in an envelope that had never been sealed) stating that as much as they wished they could cover everyone, I was just outta luck. It seems my height/weight ratio didn't meet with their approval.

Fair enough. I'm fat, I'll be the first to admit it. I don't really mind being fat. And, yes, I know all about the medical issues that go along with it. I hear enough from family alone to fill a medical dictionary.

But as I don't make near enough to cover the medical bills that could result from even non-weight-induced problems, I need insurance. Ergo, I'm gonna have to lose some weight.

I've decided to try out using this blog as a tool to help me reach my goal. "What goal in particular?" you might ask. To which I answer: 100 pounds.

The last time I checked, I weighed in at 350 pounds. I'm 6'2" with a large frame but that still puts me way past the obesity line. (Which seems to be moved further and further back each year. But I digress.) When I was at my healthiest, I weighed in at around 235 pounds. I still looked like I weighed more than that due to the excess skin. But I got to that weight by a combination of calorie control and exercise that I wasn't able to keep up as I got busy with school and work. I figure 250 would put me into the range where I'm healthy enough to get past the height/weight ratio requirements for insurance purposes and would be maintainable with my current schedule (which is quite a bit more relaxed than the ones I had during school).

So, what's my plan? Well, I intend to do it exactly the same way as last time. I will drop my caloric intake to approximately 2000/day. When the weight loss begins to plateau at that level, I will drop it to 1700/day. When I hit plateau at that level, I will then drop it to 1500/day. Once I plateau at that weight, I intend to bring the calorie level back up to 1700 and combine it with about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day and 30 minutes of weights three days out of the week. I figure that a step-down style plan is the best strategy for me.

At this point, I'm not sure what form the aerobic exercise will take. When I was in college, I used the stationary bikes that were provided at the university gym. They were very nice pieces of equipment with adjustable length for the legs, programmable resistance, and displays for calories burned/time spent pedaling. I doubt that I'll be able to afford to buy one of these for my own use. I don't really want to get a gym membership either as I tend to purchase things and then not use them. (It's a character flaw, I know.) Suggestions for this would be welcome. I'm thinking this might be a good excuse do some juggling/replacing with my living room furniture to get my Wii up and running.

Lastly, I'll be logging my caloric intake each day on this blog. I figure if I can get some help from my few regulars to keep it up, I'll be far more likely to get and keep the weight off. We'll see.

And just so I have a starting point...

Today's calories were approximately: 2735.

I need to drop this by about 750 calories. I intend to keep the day's total in a side bar that I will put up after posting this. I'm asking my regular readers (all two of you) to do me a favor and keep half an eye on it. Call me on it if I forget to post or post a number that's really too high, eh? Thanks, I appreciate it.