Rock In A Sea Of Chaos

Need help and advice from more experienced bloggers

2012-03-08T13:00:00.002-06:00

I have been offered an opportunity to be a contributor to a blog on a very large, well established website for a very well known firearms periodical. As someone who grew up reading this magazine, along with several others- this is a huge deal for me. I'm very excited for the opportunity.

They want me to use my real name. This is something I have not done since I was a dumb kid in college- as a matter of fact, last time I egosurfed my name, I found a post I made on a military vehicles message board my freshman year in college. I like to compartmentalize my online life- even to the point that I use a different name on message boards than I do on the blog.

I know that nothing done online is truly private, and if any one of you wanted to really know who I am, you could do it. You could probably get back to me with my shoe size, amazon purchase history, and what kind of naughty stuff I look at online. I'm not worried about that.

Here is what worries me- My 'day job' is a customer facing deal where I interact with fairly tech savvy individuals in a very liberal industry. I am concerned that someone Googles my name, and coming up with an article that states why the .30 Carbine is my choice for Zombies, why the CZ-75 kicks the Glock's butt, or solutions for daily carry while wrangling pre-schoolers.

I don't want this great opportunity to be the cause of me losing my job or impacting my ability to provide for my family.

Suggestions? Should I use initials, or my middle name? Just 'come out' and stop hiding behind screen names? Create another nom de plume, or do the Mike Venturino thing and just start saying "Oh, everyone calls me this really cool nickname, and always has. Seriously."

Help a blogger out.

Dear God, NO!

2012-03-07T16:36:00.001-06:00

I just heard on the radio that Coors is coming out with a beer/ iced tea blend. I almost threw up.

Edit:

Here is the news story

said Tuesday it will launch Coors Light Iced T in Canada next month ahead of a possible U.S. rollout. The citrus-like, iced tea-flavored beer will have roughly 4% alcohol content but no caffeine.

What did Canada ever do to deserve that?

I'm taking that as a threat.

This will be what this new generation of high school kids will think is cool to drink. Much like we did with Miller Clear. God that stuff was awful.

Mittens Gets his Sthuper on

2012-03-07T07:46:00.001-06:00

Sthuper Thuethday was just Sthuper to Mitt!

I weep for our future. When the candidates are separated with fewer degrees than Kevin Bacon has from Meryl Streep, we are in deep doo-doo.

Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos

I hate going into politics. It just makes me mad. I would really like to just stick to guns and food. But this is just sad... It's like the majority of Americans WANT to sit back and be mind numbed by American Idol as the chains wrap tighter around, and rest heavier and heavier on our shoulders.

176 years ago- The Alamo fell.

2012-03-06T14:45:00.000-06:00

To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World:
Fellow citizens & compatriots—I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna—I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man. The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken—I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch—The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country—Victory or Death.
William Barret Travis
Lt. Col. comdt
P.S. The Lord is on our side—When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn—We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels & got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.

Take a moment today to remember the brave men that fought, knowing that they would not survive. They fought for what they believed in, and fought for the men they stood with.

Remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad.

Smoked pizza and extraordinary wine

2012-03-05T10:56:00.003-06:00

I swear, I'll get some gun content on here sometime soon. It's getting so that everything is food related.

Yesterday was a special occasion, so we took full advantage of the gorgeous weather and cooked
some incredible pizza. We fired up the wood fired pizza oven


So... we meet again.

We cooked up some more of That Wife's favorite- Pizza de Parma, made a couple of standards, and That Kid actually displayed some killer pizzamaking skills. He is three years old, and already can lay down sauce, put on pepperoni, and sprinkle cheese better than most of the people I worked with a Little Ceasar's when I was 16 years old.

The Father in Law had me make up an Italian sausage, black olive, and mozzarella pie. At this point, we had loaded a smoker box into the oven. Smoking pizza is something we have experimented with a little. This one did not get much smoke, just a light perfume. We corked a wine that we had been cellaring for a while, and it is amazing how well a 2007 Cab pairs with home made pizza.

...urp...

I made up the next pizza with tomato sauce, a few left over slices of the Italian sausage, a full layer of prosciutto, black olives, and a whole bunch of fresh mozzarella. By now, the smoke was really rolling in the oven.

in the back by the convection fan is the smoke box.

You can see how much smoke the cheese took in.

Wow. this was amazing. The mozzarella took in a huge amount of smoke, but the salty prosciutto cut right through and make it just wonderful. The remainder of the wine went so beautifully with this it was hard to describe.

Smoke is one of my favorite seasonings, and this was a perfect showcase for it. I just wish I had some for lunch.

Happy Texas Independence Day!

2012-03-02T08:39:00.002-06:00

176 years ago, a group of people told an over-reaching and intrusive government to go pound sand.

They would weep at what we put up with today.

Of course it's venison

2012-02-26T17:58:00.001-06:00

UPDATE: My brother and I won first prize with our chili. Details in comments

Tactical Crock Pot (getting ready for a chili cook-off)

2012-02-26T16:41:00.000-06:00

I'm about to head to a small charity Chili Cook-Off at a local church. My brother and I needed the wife's crock pot for holding the chili after it comes out of the pressure cooker.

But the handle on the crock-pot lid was broken. What to do... what to do...

Put a picatinny rail on it and a scope. Of course!

Just some tactical operators cooking in tactical environments... or some such stuff.

I was laughing so hard while doing this.

UPDATE: We won first prize!

Like you had to tell me

2012-02-24T17:17:00.000-06:00

Sign of a great restaurant

Starbucks appreciation

2012-02-14T10:12:00.000-06:00

In case you did not know, there is a "Buycott" going on at Starbucks. Go get a coffee and a pastry.

Valentine's Music

2012-02-14T07:49:00.001-06:00

NFB.

Happy V-Day, everyone.

Now, the question is....

2012-02-09T20:56:00.000-06:00

Does the rifle have an issue, or is it just a 2 MOA gun?

Rifle is a CZ-527 Carbine in 7.62x39 with a Burris 2-7x32 Timberline compact scope. Ammo is Hornady 123Gr ZMAX . (pics of the setup coming soon)

So I have run EVERY soft point 'hunting' ammo that I could find, and this is the best I could get. From a solid rest, with the set trigger, I could put 2 rounds close, and the 3rd shot would open it up to right at 2 inches. And it was always the 3rd shot that opened the group.

So, do I just call it good? The problem is, sometimes, there is that long shot... Do I put on my Captain Ahab hat and start chasing 1MOA?

Options-
1) Call it good. Keep it for short range hunting.
2) The 2 close shots, with one spread out makes me think it could be barrel bedding. As the barrel gets a bit of heat, it opens the group. Float the barrel and see what happens.
3) See if a smith can crown the muzzle a hair and calm the groups down.
4) Rebarrel to .50 Beowulf :D

Post a suggestion or comment!

One last try on the 7.62x39 hunting ammo

2012-02-08T11:45:00.000-06:00

ZombieMax!

A friend died in Afghanistan

2012-02-08T08:08:00.002-06:00

One of my wife's friends died in Afghanistan. His family is in shock, and we are all incredibly saddened by the loss. Remember Brigadier General Terry Hildner in your prayers today.

http://www.forthoodpresscenter.com/go/doc/3439/1299455/

It's a Major Award!

2012-02-06T13:56:00.002-06:00

Lila gave me an award for being (and I quote) "just awesome". I am a very surprised and humbled, especially after a week of total Blog Neglect. Really, I started this as a place to hold links, and somehow, I actually have followers. People that want to read whatever nonsense I spout out on a totally random basis.

Thanks to all of you that read and follow the blog. I know I am not as good on the individual thanks like 45er and Stephen. No excuses, but I really never can tell when someone clicks the follow button because I do most of the blogging on the sly at work. I know. Bad habit, but I spend time with That Kid and That Wife when I'm not here- or I try to.

Here are the rules:

1. Copy and paste the award on our blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who gave us the award
3. Pick our five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
4. Hope that the ~~five~~ fifteen blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs.

...and Lila- welcome to my blog roll!

The Blogs I have awarded:
Barrel Smoke- great guy, awesome shooter, excellent father, and the only person I have ever flown to Canada in February and wore a tuxedo for
Standing outside Looking In- Another great blog, and someone that constantly has me tearing up when he talks about Little Bit
Mi2Tall- Another good friend, and someone who should post more on his blog.
Misfires and Light Strikes- Awesome blog, and a CZ fan to boot! I think he has more than 200 Followers, so the Meme Police might be after me.
Stuff From Hsoi- Fellow Libertarian from South Austin. Great blog, and a really excellent writer. He probably has more than 200 followers, but I can't tell. Add another charge for the Meme Police.

(edited because I used to word 'great' like 600 times in 5 sentences. Total derp)

My people

2012-01-28T10:52:00.000-06:00

Hells yeah

2012-01-27T18:33:00.000-06:00

The 3 year-old just said "I am Iron Man!"

Boy, I hope that is an Ozzy quote. Cuz that would rock

I have a problem... oh, look! Something shiny!

2012-01-23T15:02:00.004-06:00

One of those moments

2012-01-20T16:39:00.001-06:00

Friday afternoon. Heading home from work, I pull onto the heavily congested highway. It's a beautiful day- high 70s, sunny, a little haze in the air. So, I decide to open the sunroof and windows of my paid-for sensible sedan with a child safety seat in the back.

I start to get up some speed, I feel the wind in my rapidly graying hair, and I reach down to crank up the volume so I could hear the AM talk radio. Right then it hits me:

Damn. I'm old.

I need to go shooting this weekend.

SHOT SHow 'Want!' continued

2012-01-20T10:08:00.005-06:00

So far, this SHOT Show seems pretty lackluster from all the posts and reports I've seen. I mean, if you want ARs of all sorts of stripes, configurations, and manufacturers- I guess it would be a good show.

The first thing I want to get off my chest is that THIS is a Thing That Should Not Be:
The Mossberg "WTH?"

Next, a true WANT!
US Palm Quad Stack AK Magazine

This one is a Mega-WANT, but of course, the Goobmint does not trust us with true full-auto:
CZ 9mm Skorpion
(5 years for a Semi version to be brought in? Why so long?)

This is pretty cool. An AR-ish .30 Carbine that takes M1 Carbine Mags.
Excel Arms X-30R Rifle
If they made that in 7.62x25 and taking PPSH mags, I would dent a credit card NOW on ordering one.

This is cool, wonder what mags it takes?
Savage 10 FCP-SR

'WANT!'s from the SHOT Show

2012-01-17T11:26:00.000-06:00

The SHOT show is in full swing, and here I am... NOT at the SHOT show. But I have this whole Interwebz thing, and I can still see what everyone else sees, and mention what I think is cool, and what I want that is new:

Colt has gone from offering almost nothing different from a hundred other manufacturers to having this big 'ol piece of WANT!
Colt 1887 Bulldog Gatling Gun
Here is an awesome picture from Gunblast.com
I need one of these. Seriously.

CZ has the suppressor-ready version of the P-07 Duty. I don't need this whole gun, just the barrel to retrofit my current Duty
CZ also has a new Longslide version of the CZ-75 Shadow.

Umarex has a .22LR version of the Uzi, as reported by Shooting Illustrated

More to come as more blogs post more results from the show!

Ohio Gun 'Buy Back'

2012-01-17T08:25:00.001-06:00

(H/T to "The Gun Wire")

First, I know that the term "Buy Back" is a misnomer. The Govt. 'Buying' them is not 'Buying Back' because the guns were never theirs in the first place!

Next, I scanned past this article with the usual contempt, then I clicked on the picture.

"Junk, junk, hi-point, RG, Rohm, junk, meh... WHAT THE HELL? Is that a Savage 1917?!?"

What a damn shame that someone turned that gun in to be destroyed for a measley $100 gift card, when they could have gotten a lot more in CASH for it to put it in the hands of a collector.

For Immediate Release: Herp Derp, Durrrr.....

2012-01-16T13:25:00.001-06:00

I heard some startling news today. I was completely stunned when I heard it on the radio, and then when I saw it on the Washington Post. I felt a need to share it with both of you guys that read:

A growing body of research over three decades shows that easy, unearned praise does not help students but instead interferes with significant learning opportunities.

Of course,my immediate reaction is to mutter "No Feces, Sherlock."

“We used to think we could hand children self-esteem on a platter,” Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck said. “That has backfired.”

BTW, Boston terriers make the best "Herp Derp" pictures

Click on the link above and read all the brilliance. Us uneducated 'bitter clingers' have known this for years- we called them morons when they started all this "Everyone gets a trophy!" horse-squeeze. Some educated moron thinks that telling everyone that they are doing a great job while screwing up royally, and now- years and millions of dollars later- they find out that it is just as stupid as it sounds.

How many kids have we screwed up with that pap? Those stupid decisions will resonate through the ages and continue to do damage in a hundred years. Raising kids right is serious business- we are writing the future history of the world, and it is too important to leave in the hands of ivory-tower liberals that want to tear down the things that got them where they are.

This just infuriates me that it was so obviously stupid in the first place, and these ijits act surprised when they have raised a generation of clowns that thing sitting on the steps of city hall while smelling like pot smoke and body odor will get them further in life.

Dear Delta Airlines

2012-01-12T16:31:00.001-06:00

I gave you one more chance. But you decided to screw this one up worse than before. Please go copulate yourselves, and the horse you rode in on.

Standing on the shoulders of Giants... and pissing down their necks.

2012-01-11T10:54:00.004-06:00

I was over on Larry Corriea's excellent blog, reading his latest evisceration of a hatemail troll (why pick a war of words with someone who can write that well? that's just stupid) and came across this gem from Larry:

"The thing is, the reason why we’re privileged is that we live in the greatest nation that has ever existed. Why? Because it was founded and built upon freedom and capitalism. I’d like to keep it that way so that my grandkids and great-grandkids can also be born into privilege. The other option would be to continue spending America into oblivion, because then we can all suck equally."

That made me think of the title line of this post: "Standing on the shoulders of Giants... and pissing down their necks."

Seriously. That is what we are doing when we wake up every day enjoying the freedoms that our forefathers fought, bled and died for- and don't respect the ideals of self reliance, smaller government, freedom, liberty, and risk. We stand on the shoulders of men like General G. Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, Samuel Adams, and all of the heroes great and small that came after them and DESECRATE what they stood for.

For fun, put your favorite hero in the comments, American or otherwise.

Beer- more importantly OUTSTANDING beer.

2012-01-10T09:42:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the crappy pics. Using a cheap camera in low light.

Sunday night, after my outstanding hunt, I needed a beer. I wanted to make it an great beer to follow such a great day. A few days ago, the Leviathan (who needs to start posting again) sent out an alert to me to try and grab a bottle of Deschutes 'The Abyss" before the limited release sold out. I checked the local stores, and they were already out. So, I contacted 45er, and he was able to grab me 2 bottles from a small store near him.

If you see this label, buy it.

This is not a 'cool down after mowing the lawn' beer. It is dark, has very complex flavors, and is more suited to a brandy snifter than a pint glass. It pours dark, almost black, with minimal caramel colored head. Aroma leans toward molasses with a hint of vanilla or bourbon.

Yes, I shared. It took a lot of strength to do so.

I poured a glass to share with That Wife. The flavors are very complex with molasses, vanilla/bourbon, a hint of cherry and chocolate. Very nice, and with a clean finish. Not as heavy on the palate as I thought it would be.

Now, this beer in 11% ABV, so that is roughly 22 proof. That is about the same alcohol strength as those nasty DeKuyper Schnapps that used to get you messed up in Junior High. So, enjoy this at home, and don't drive anywhere.

I give this a big thumbs up, and if you can find any of the limited release left- buy it!

Light a candle and refuse to be a victim.

2012-01-08T19:43:00.001-06:00

Just got back from the hunting trip, and had to post before the day was over.

The skull candle from Halloween was a funny touch.

Full story here: http://www.weerdworld.com/2011/light-a-candle-to-stop-violence/

Axis! Successful hunt!

2012-01-08T13:50:00.000-06:00

Story later. Really busy

EDIT- Full story:
This morning was the last hunt of a good weekend hunt. The main season is over, and we are in a special "extended season" for does and spike bucks. Since our lease is over-run with bucks, and I am out of buck tags, I was not really looking to shoot a doe. I wanted to get an Axis.

So I was out at the blind most of the morning, and saw one little doe walk through. I was getting some good reading done, and was about to pack it in when my brother texted from his blind (I know. Sign of the times) that he was going to shoot a corn-thief squirrel. I heard the shot, and thought "well, at least the hunt was not a waste."

I saw a similar corn-thief under my feeder, so I decided to lower the population by one more. So I brought up the iron sighted Ishapore Enfeild, lined up on the sucker, and scored a headshot on him from a laser measured 68 yards. Heck of a shot, I thought, and packed up all my stuff.

We drove out of the lease, and were almost gone when 45er's brother said, "Hey, there are Axis in the field." Looked out, and saw a herd of 10-12 axis does about 600 yards away.

I quickly re-camo myself, reload the rifle (NEF single shot .308 with Leupold 3-9x40) and take off. I work around the side of them, and get in close- like 40 yards. One of the little yearling does pins me down and stares right at me. I freeze, and they trot off. I slowly work through the brush, and get to the open. There was no more cover, and the herd was 200 yards away. All I had for a rest was a Stoney Point monopod. I made my decision, lined up on the biggest one I had a clean shot on, said a quick prayer, and fired.

The doe hit the ground, thrashed a bit, popped up before I could reload, and leapt the fence. After a short track, my brother found the doe 40 yards away.

If you follow 45er's blog, you may have seen this post from him a while ago:
An Open Letter to Hunters
We have had 2 deer taken off our lease that had been wounded shortly before.

Now, we had three:

Yep, some jackass skipped a bullet off this deer's head in the last few days. Sigh.

Anyway, the wound and the deer were not infected, so the meat was still good.

Gov't Healthcare (Canadian example)

2012-01-06T11:40:00.001-06:00

One of my co-workers is in Canada, visiting family. While there, one family member falls ill, and is in the Emergency Room. While they are all waiting, another family member gets faint and collapses in the ER waiting room.

Nurses rush out, heart is not beating, no respiration. CPR started, code is called, and the defib paddles are brought out- the staff heroically restart the patients heart. Once revived, they rush this person in for tests. They can find no reason for this person to have spontaneously die.

So the hospital makes the decision to send her home with an appointment to see a cardiologist in the next few days.

Can you imagine a hospital releasing someone in less than 24 hours after they had their heart stop for no known reason? This is the problem with Centrally controlled healthcare. The staff are heroes. They save someones life... but it may be all for naught if this person gets an hour away and it happens again. Someone looked at the balance sheet and thought "No symptoms of a problem. Send 'em home."

It just boggles the mind.

Knife Porn!

2012-01-06T08:52:00.002-06:00

Hsoi mentioned blacksmithing on a post yesterday, with the intent to make knives. This has gotten several things to line up for me... and is lighting the fire under me to get in the garage and finish a bunch of half made knives I have out there

Hsoi talking about making knives, last night the garage got cleared to the point of making it usable again, and hunting season is ending. I might actually get a few banged out soon.

Here is the last knife I built. This one took THREE years to finish. Not because it was that difficult, but because I got 75% of the way through and my son was born. This one is made from a blade from Northcoast Knives, with a chunk of Texas Hill Country Mesquite, brass, leather and vulcanized spacer materials, and a chunk of black walnut.

No, the blade is not stained. That is a reflection.

Hope to get some more built and posted soon!

The search continues (7.62x39 hunting ammo)

2012-01-04T12:37:00.000-06:00

On the right is the current load that I have my CZ-527 Carbine sighted in for. It is the Herters (Cabelas) 154Gr SP round. It gives acceptable accuracy, but with random fliers. On the left is the round that I just tried out in my carbine- the Privi 123gr RN SP. Just went to the range with the new round, and it is off the possibilities list. Won't feed from the magazine. It jams against the feed ramp- too short an OAL, and too rounded.

From what I can tell, I have tried all the factory loads that are appropriate for hunting. Please, if you know of an obscure option, let me know in the comments. I REALLY don't want to do load development to make this shoot to it's potential.

Or, if all else fails, give me a favorite 7.62x39 load.

UPDATE!!: Just found that Hornady is loading the Z-Max zombie ammo in 7.62x39. Anyone know if that bullet is a hunting bullet with a green tip, or is it a downgraded projectile?

New Year- resolutions

2012-01-03T09:44:00.001-06:00

Robb started it. I'll blame him.

So, it's 2012. What are the Gunny New Years Resolutions? I looked back at the ones from last year, and see that I got most of the way there on #1, did NOTHING on #2, and batted 1000 on the purchases.

This year:
1. Shoot More. I have to get to the range more often
2. Finish the Projects. Seriously, I have been saying I was going to do some of these for 12 years. That's just sad.
3. Reload More. Now that the kiddo listens to instructions on a semi-regular basis, I might be able to load rounds without worrying about a toddler eating a primer.
4. Purchases:

AR-10 of some sort. Probably the DPMS Oracle
An AK Pistol to use as a base for an SBR build
an inexpensive bolt action hunting gun. Savage Edge, Mossberg ATR, Stevens 200, etc... Something cheap that I can bang around and not worry about

But that's it. Pretty simple.

Two things I think I need

2011-12-30T13:36:00.002-06:00

I was goofing off on Atlantic Firearms website and saw that Slidefire Solutions now has an AK-47 bumpfire stock set. Well, lookie there... That looks like a GREAT way of turning money into sound.

Oooohh... and it works on the SAIGA 12! Look at how that guy gets beat to hell on a 20 round drum!

Yep. I need one of these. I could swap it between the WASR and the SAIGA as needed....

But the ultimate would be the Mini Draco and a $200 SBR tax stamp to put them together.

I think that would make one heck of an attention getter at the range.

Booger Hook/ Bang Switch, Christmas Edition

2011-12-28T09:12:00.001-06:00

Sumdood gets a Glock under the tree. Sumdood is surprised that the gun functions correctly and fires when the trigger is pulled. Sumdood's uncle now has an extra hole in his leg.

H/T to The Gun Wire

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T17:40:00.000-06:00

Time for the traditional bacon and bourbon feast!

Dear Santa...

2011-12-21T15:33:00.000-06:00

Just in case I'm on the 'Nice' list, please add this to my request file:

DPMS Panther 7.62Nato Oracle

I know it's last minute, and I don't want to be greedy, but one of those and a Leupold VX-11 3-9x40 scope and rings would be awesome under the tree.

Thanks!

Lack of Content....

2011-12-20T11:25:00.002-06:00

Sorry I have been so light on content lately. Crazy time at work, the holidays, and the dumb idea I have every year of making gifts by hand has really ate into my free time.

Expect more content... later. Hopefully about guns or food. Maybe beer/ distilled spirits.

In the mean time, I have the wild hair to bust out the cutting torch and welder and build a "Rocket Stove". Not that I NEED one, but that I think they are cool. Here are some links to research:
Rocket Stove
Building one
Grover Rocket Stove
Deadwood Stove

...you would even say it glows.

2011-12-15T07:50:00.003-06:00

Oak Ridge's 2011 deer harvest: 321 taken (3 too hot to take home)

Like a Light Bulb!

(H/T Gun Pundit, via Instapundit)

Experiments in Asian food

2011-12-12T20:56:00.004-06:00

A few days ago, I went "tourist" at the local Asian market . I had a guide- a co-worker that is Asian, and from Vancouver, which from what I understand is a mecca for awesome Asian food in North America. I love going to the market and finding new foods and ingredients that I have never seen or even heard of before.

So, while I was wandering about, I saw something that caught my eye.
"Rice Cake Sticks? What are these?"

If you can't read the package, it's authentic!

"Those are great. One of my favorite Korean foods. Cooked in soup or fried. Good stuff."

Well, that's all the endorsement I needed. I picked up a package and a few other ingredients that I hope will be featured in a future post.

So, I did some research, and found some cool recipes . I decided to go with the fried version, and I'll do the boiled/ soup version sometime later. Before I started cooking, I tried one raw. Don't do this. It is hard, bland and plastic-y. Made me worry that this was going to taste like... well, cooked bland plastic.

So, I got some oil hot in the pan, washed the starch off the sticks and threw them in the pan.

mmmmm... packing peanuts

While these were working, I did a fridge dump of a bunch of ingredients.

...and started whipping up sauces.

Spicy red sauce. I took no measurements, just eyeball it.

I shall call this sauce... 'brown.'

By now the rice cakes were developing some color.

Which is a good thing. It was starting to look like a Michael Bolton concert.

I tried one straight from the pan, and was VERY suprised. Besides it being really freaking hot, they were suprisingly good! Crispy on the outside, and fluffy and creamy on the inside. It was time to plate and few of these up.

If you get a chance to play with these, do it. They are worth it. Much like Asian Gnocchi- they take the flavor of what you put on them. Very filling as well.

Now it was time to enjoy a beverage...

Back to the experiments.

A while ago, my same co-worker told me how "Special Fried Rice" was made using a chinese dried sausage that would be diced and boiled with the rice as it was being prepared. So I took that idea and twisted it a bit.

'Sweet' rice and dried venison sausage.

Diced the sausage, and then added to the rice as I prepared it according to the package instructions.

Now... what to do?

Did someone say 'Sticky Rice Fried Venison Balls?' No?

They were really tasty, but a cast iron bitch to make. The rice stuck to everything even after frying. I doubt I will do these again... maybe with a different rice. Maybe just as an actual fried rice.

Conclusion? Step out of the comfort zone. Play with some new ingredients. Have fun.

Hunting report

2011-12-10T20:58:00.001-06:00

Spent all day hunting, and all I got was soaking wet.

Not that I'm complaining- we need the rain. I mean we REALLY need the rain. Remember, just 2 months ago, central Texas was on fire.

Saw a few deer, most were not ones I wanted to shoot, one that I did, but he never gave me a shot. Oh well. It was still a day in the woods.

However, 45er whacked two feral pigs. I'll try to get some pictures up later when I am not dog tired.

Gun Porn! Something rarely seen.

2011-12-08T20:10:00.001-06:00

Artistic pictures of a complete piece of crap.

Behold the glory that is the Jennings J-22. A single stack, striker fired, single action .22LR pistol made of pot metal, some springs, and radio-age plastics. This is the epitome of what the racist Democrats call a 'Saturday Night Special.'

This... well, there's not much you can do with it.

I bought this back in the early '90s at an Austin gun shop for probably $90. Maybe $75. It was junk then, and is junk now. The safety is small and impossible to use, the trigger is tough and gritty, sights are miniscule, and the finish is ugly and obviously fragile from the scratches and dings. But what it lacks in refinement, it makes up with lack of reliability. This was fired for the last time probably back in '95 or '96. The last round ever through it's barrel fired in what is called a 'Slam-fire.' The gun fired as the first round was chambered from the magazine. When it did that, it was thrown in a range bag and forgotten.

That's more like it... jammed.

So, why do I still have this thing? Because it is junk and dangerous. I cannot risk someone buying it and hurting themselves as it slam-fires again... or God forbid someone wants to trust thier lives to it. So, it sits in my safe. The only thing I can hope for is that there will be some dumb-ass, misnamed "Gun Buy-Back" program that I can get $100 for it (and since we have an idiot Californian as a police chief now- that could actually happen.

Hope you enjoy the pics!

Seriously, it was an honor just to be nominated

2011-12-08T13:06:00.001-06:00

I don't know how it happened, but I somehow was named Blog of the Week over at Standing Outside Looking In. I am honored, and surprised by the people who read these ramblings- I mean, I started this blog basically as a place for me to warehouse my links so I would not have them on my work computer. Thank you very much, Stephen!

...and I have added you to my links. Sorry for the oversight.

From the Asian market

2011-12-07T12:49:00.001-06:00

Pork me?!? No, pork Fu!

Need to post some content- Place your votes!

2011-12-07T09:23:00.001-06:00

So, things have been stagnant with the holidays, work travels, hunting season, blah, blah, blah.... all the real world stuff that interferes with the "I'm kinda a big deal... online." stuff.

Since Gun Porn seems to always drive traffic, I'll do that. What would you like to see? Hunting rifles? Carbines? Handguns? Weird stuff?

Vote in the comments!

USPS- Dumb decisions made in record time!

2011-12-05T19:36:00.001-06:00

The big news story today is that the United States Postal Service- a grand old tax vampire with a storied history of blunders and idiocy- has decided to cut service and employees in an attempt to stay solvent.

So, here seems to be the thought process:
"We are getting our asses handed to us by a cheap and instantaneous service (email, text, etc...) for interpersonal communication, while getting completely dominated in the package delivery arena by inexpensive, fast and reliable service providers (FedEx,UPS, etc..). What we need to do is make our service SLOWER and LESS RELIABLE!!!"

Seriously. This is the line of thought of Government Service. When getting completely destroyed in the open market by services faster, cheaper, and more reliable- make your service slower and less reliable while keeping prices the same.

Remember this when someone starts talking about Government controlled healthcare. It will be slower, less reliable, and have that award winning customer service attitude that comes from not having your pay tied to performance.

I need a drink.

Seriously, WTF?!?

2011-12-01T07:28:00.000-06:00

Uhhh... WTF?

2011-12-01T07:27:00.000-06:00

First fire of the season

2011-11-27T19:28:00.001-06:00

That Boy and That Dog enjoying the first fire of the season

I let 'em live

2011-11-25T20:04:00.000-06:00

They got lucky

Illustrating the Occupocolypse

2011-11-22T15:25:00.001-06:00

linked from mthruf.files.wordpress.com

Perfect example of how the OWS morons think. They think everything should be GI Joe cartoons, mac and cheese and PB&J with the crusts cut off.

We grew up, got a job, and busted our asses to provide for our families, they are worried what a 12 year old would think of them for doing well.

Now get off my lawn, you damn kids!

Interesting day yesterday

2011-11-22T07:24:00.001-06:00

First, I saw over at Guns, Holsters and Gear that CZ is now offering the P-07 Duty with an extended, threaded barrel and tall sights for Suppressor use. I am looking forward to buying those parts and retrofitting my Duty. Cue 'happy dance'.

Next, I took the CZ 527 Carbine to the range to sight it in, test the set trigger, and see if I could get decent groups with the heavyweight ammo and the new scope. I got it to hunting shape, but there are still some disturbing flyers that makes me think that this ammo is just not built with enough care to make a really accurate round. But all the other factory hunting rounds are lighter bullets that don't group worth a darn from that rifle. the 154gr will put MOST of them in a 1.25" group... but there will be a round every once in a while that jumps out another inch. So I guess I'm going to have to get some of the Sierra 150Gr .311 bullets and start loading. I HATE load development- It means buying a BUNCH of powder just to find out it's not what I need. If anyone knows of a heavy factory load for the 7.62x39 with a soft point, please put it in the comments. Or a suggested load... or anything to help me out.

While at the range, MI2Tall had his new carry gun. That Kahr PM45 is a nice little blaster. I got to fire 2 mags through it and really like it. I have been a fan of Kahr for a long time, and own a Kahr MK9. Nice to shoot that new gun, and it reinforces my need to get a CW45 sometime soon.

Things kids say

2011-11-21T11:54:00.000-06:00

From Sunday afternoon:

The Kid (to me and The Wife): "Hey everyone, I'm in my rocket ship!"
I look over and see he has his beanbag chair on top of the chair-and-a-half in the corner.
Me: "Great! Where are you going?"
The Kid: "Nowhere. I'm just getting away from you two."

Fifteen years 'till you are on your own, kiddo. Start planning now.

I know it's a school night...

2011-11-20T19:02:00.001-06:00

But I'm still having a nice Cabernet from a jelly jar while giving the kiddo a bath

Pan Seared Venison Tenderloin Bruschetta

2011-11-20T11:32:00.001-06:00

Been a while since have done a food post. I apologize up front for the low quality pics- very low light in the kitchen when I was cooking.

Last night I thawed out some venison tenderloin and some Jalapeno/ Cheese sausage for a hunting season Tapas menu.

Started with the 'salad'- a mix of cherry tomatoes, Cippolini onions, minced garlic, and diced jalapeno. Mixed in with some salt, pepper, olive oil, and seasoned rice vinegar. No measurements were taken since I just kinda whipped this up on the fly.

Once the salad was marinading, I seasoned up the tenderloins and got the pan hot with a bit of olive oil.
The seasoning for the tenderloins was salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder

Then in the pan to crust up the meat. Rolled them a few times to get an even sear.

...then out of the pan to rest

While the tenderloin rested I cut and toasted a baguette. I sliced the tenderloin thin and then did a quick sear on the slices to finish the meat and develop some more flavor.

Assembly was simple. Toast, tenderloin, and a small pile of the salad on top. This was just outstanding. Very tasty use of the best morsels of meat off of the deer. Now, I just need to go get a few more deer so I can make this more often.

I think the technical tern is 'nummy'

Since I cooked the sausage, and had a good amount of the salad left, I baked off some won ton wrappers as cup (oil them and put in a muffin tin and cook till 'done'), put a slice of the Jalapeno/ cheese sausage in the bottom and a spoonful of the salad on top.

This seemed like a really good idea, till it was done. The won ton wrappers came out way to crunchy, and overpowered all the textures of the rest of the dish. Next time, it will be pastry cups or phylo dough.

By this point I was a few beers in, and getting tired. So instead of making one or two more tapas, we gave up and watched the movie.

Yay for CZ! Clear instructions are important.

2011-11-15T10:52:00.000-06:00

CZ-USA News and Views: The CZ Single Set Trigger System

As an unabashed CZ fan, this makes me very happy. I bought a CZ-527 Carbine in 7.62x39 YEARS ago. I knew it came with an adjustable set trigger, but had no idea how to adjust it. So I called CZ, and they sent me a manual.

The manual as less than stellar in describing how to actually USE the set trigger. Now they have posted clear and concise instructions on their blog. This makes me VERY happy. This has also set my activity for tonight. I am adjusting the trigger on my CZ!

Popping the Carry Cherry

2011-11-14T07:22:00.001-06:00

MI2Tall got his CHL and carried for the first time this weekend. Newsflash! Nothing happened.

Deer on the ground

2011-11-12T06:59:00.000-06:00

Now the hard work begins

Zombies

2011-11-09T12:22:00.000-06:00

I keep hearing people on "teh intarwebz" saying that the Zombie meme has jumped the shark. That it was only cool to shoot zombie targets back when no one else was doing it.

Unpopular is sooooo cool.

Sigh. I thought everyone understood why zombies were a good training tool. It is a very politically correct thing to target. A humanoid target that is already dead, so you aren't being cruel. It has no race, nationality, or creed associated (Anyone remember when the TxDPS had to change from black silhouette targets to blue?). You are able to train on drawing, transitioning between carbine and handgun, with multiple small targets, while shooting on the move.

You can do this while having the appearance of just having fun. You are just a goofy horror movie fan living out a Walter Mitty-esqe fantasy.

Because it would really freak people out if you were training to hit Blue Helmets.

Do your duty!

2011-11-08T17:19:00.001-06:00

Opening weekend After Action Report

2011-11-07T09:46:00.003-06:00

No deer in the freezer.... well, no NEW deer in the freezer. There are still the remnants of a few of the ones from last year. Which is one of the reasons I am being picky this year.

You probably noticed a few deer in the pic I posted Saturday morning. We (45er, my brother, and 45er's dad) are being picky this year when deciding which deer to take. We are over-run with bucks again this year, so we are trying to shoot the undesirable bucks, and a doe or two. We are planning the 'hit list' off of reliable intel off of the game cameras that we have set up on multiple feeders. We have even gotten to the point of naming the deer (best name: Perv. But there are other ones like Crabclaw, Unicorn, Horseface, etc...) so we can plan the ones to cull to make our herd better and stronger. Whitetail Eugenics, I guess.

So, as it is, I let everything live. I don't NEED the meat right now, and since the only one on the hit list that came into my feeder (3 point buck that we call Crabclaw), got spooked by the feeder and went plaid before he gave me a shot... So I came home with just memories of a fun time spent in the woods with good friends.

EDIT- Ok, there was ONE kill I made. Right as we were about to call it, and leave on Sunday. A Squirrel decided it was going to climb the feeder leg and screw with my feeder. Since the squirrels and raccoons have been really messing with the feeders this year, that was when he signed his own death warrant. A 150Gr Remington Core-Locked in a .308 will do a number to a squirrel. FYI.

Opening day

2011-11-05T07:51:00.000-05:00

But soft, what animal by yonder feeder stay? Tis the venison, and deer is it's form.

Music for Halloween

2011-10-31T14:29:00.001-05:00

Ignore the cut scenes from "Back to School" and enjoy the oddness that is Oingo Boingo

Today's Halloween Protip

2011-10-31T07:21:00.001-05:00

Chuck a Roto-Zip Multi-purpose cutting bit into your cordless drill. Use that to carve your pumpkin.

Layout of a Jack-o-lantern is also aided by drawing the design with a dry erase marker.

Save these tips for next year.

Stay Shooty, My Friends.

2011-10-26T07:46:00.001-05:00

Kevin over at Misfires and Light Strikes posted something funny this morning. As an unabashed CZ fan, I think you should go check it out:

The Most Interesting Gun in The World

I laughed.

Vote for Me!

2011-10-24T11:40:00.001-05:00

Larry Correia has the voting open for the Monster Hunter patch contest. Here are the 3 collaborations I did with 45er over at Barrel Smoke:

First:
An MHI Team based in the Texas Hill Country. Populated with former technology and dot-com employees:


Keeping the 'feel' of the original MHI patch

Second:
A competing company that specializes in Zombies... and supplements the PUFF income and training by killing feral hogs:

Can I get a 'yee-haw!'

And my 3rd, and favorite, submission:
The Texas Unnatural Guard. Part of the Texas Military Forces. They draw from the Texas National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, and Texas Naval Forces (you did know that Texas has it's own Army, Air Force, and Navy, right?) to protect Texas from monsters and the undead. The only Govt agency that allows agents to keep a small percentage of the PUFF Bounty:

Please- Vote Early, Vote Often!

I'm back... ish

2011-10-24T08:07:00.002-05:00

Been away for a week of shooting, woodsbumming, cooking and drinking. I'm tired, sore, and not ready to be back in the real world. I'll post pics later.

Looks like I gained a couple of followers. Welcome everyone! Great to have you, and I promise to have more content later this week. Now, the real world calls me to do 'work'

Nightmare fodder

2011-10-15T19:13:00.001-05:00

First Car Meme

2011-10-12T15:17:00.001-05:00

Another meme is running about the gunblogosphere:

So here's the meme. Long answers or short.
1. What was your first car? Model, year, color, condition?
2. What adventures did you have in it, good or bad?
3. What happened to it, what's the end of the story?

My first car was a doozie. A 1976 Ford LTD with a 400 Cubic Inch V8. It was bananna yellow with a poop brown vinyl top. It looked a whole heck of a lot like this:


Does this have "Chick Magnet" written all over it? No. No it doesn't.

I bought it for a dollar. Seriously. It was in pretty good shape, but the previous owner had Alzheimer's, and kept showing up with more mystery dents in the car. So her family sold it to a 16 year old who needed a cheap car for a buck.

It was affectionately named "The Banana Boat". It was hard to love a car like that, but I had a LOT of respect for it's size, power, and carrying capacity. It did just about everything:

I had 12 people in it at one time.

I got it over 120MPH several times.

I put about 17 alternators into it, and carried a spare in the trunk with tools and could swap an alternator on the side of the road in 15 minutes.

It ate electrical components like candy.

It did a pretty good job off road, and would climb hills like no one's business.

The trunk would fit a keg in it, standing up (no tap), with ice around it.

All this while getting a grand total of EIGHT miles per gallon.

This car did a lot of service to my family. After I got my next car (1983 Toyota Tercel), my older brother started driving this car. I saw him lose control in it, slide off the road, run through 2 fences, a two stone mailboxes, and a low rock wall. The car kept on driving with only minor cosmetic damage. Shortly afterwards, a piece of foil was dropped into the oil, and the engine started losing compression. It was sold to someone else who used it for parts, and the last I saw it, it was under a tree on the side of the road in Johnson City, Texas.

Rest well, Banana Boat. You deserve it.

Range Report- So THAT'S what a high end gun gets you.

2011-10-11T13:18:00.003-05:00

Back in the country for just a shade over 24 hours, and I get myself to a shooting range. THAT is a 'Projectile Enthusiast' for you!

I took my new STI to the range for lunch and blew a hundred rounds through it. Just starting the initial break in.

Every bench on the range has bullet strikes on it. Scary.

So I load up the only mag I have, run the target out to 7ish yards and start banging away.


Not bad. Hitting a little low.

I try a mag of headshots

You can see what having a defined aiming point does for you.

I let the range guy run a few rounds through it (he aims at the logo to the side), then I run the rest of the box center of mass.

That is a full fifty rounds, off hand using a two hand hold- in the middle is a 37 round one hole group. I am an OK pistol shot, but this was just unreal. Recoil is negligible, it points like a laser, operates like silk on glass, and is scary accurate.

I like it.

Edit- Let me expand here.

It is 2011. I needed to be a good little gun nut, and buy a 1911. It's not like we need a reason to get a new gun- but that was an actual reason! After an exhaustive search of options, I decided to go with STI. For several reasons including reputation, service, quality, and that little Texas on the side of the slide tipped it over the edge. I went with 9mm to keep ammo costs down, and... well, I did not have a 9mm 1911. I have a MilSpec 1911, and a custom carry 1911, now I have a 9mm.

The build quality on this is simply superb. The slide runs on it's rails like nothing I have ever felt. Sights are crisp and clean, and the controls all work the way you want them to- except one thing. There is not a crisp 'click!' that I am used to when engaging the safety. It locks in place, but I'm just used to a click.

STI, and the Ranger II, get a big thumbs up from me. Granted, I only have 100 rounds through it so far. However, I am giving this a big thumbs up.

Wha... wait, what? Content?

2011-10-10T11:24:00.001-05:00

Just got back into the US last night. Been gone on a vacation. Had a blast, got a sunburn.

I'd post more, but now I am so busy catching up that I don't have time. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this:

Plus, I'm pretty sure one of them stopped taking his meds.

out of pocket for a few days

2011-10-05T13:37:00.003-05:00

I'll have a cool post to tell more later.

Fresh Bacon

2011-10-03T07:24:00.000-05:00

45er just sent me a pic from under his feeder on our hunting lease.

I'll name that one Bacon, that one Sausage, that one Applewood Smoked...

I gotta get the Saiga sighted in for slugs.

Running low...

2011-09-29T08:16:00.000-05:00

Proud

2011-09-28T09:12:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, my wife's CHL came in the mail.

I am so very proud of my family :)

Combined Gun Porn Post-

2011-09-24T15:52:00.003-05:00

Friday was a REALLY good gun day for me. You may have seen my previous posts about my "1911 in 2011" gun finally coming in. I know, I was pretty subdued about it, and all...

Also, the last major part of my Saiga came in, and I was able to mount up all the little parts and get it ready to defend the Food Court.

So here is the porn!

STI:

Saiga 12:

Die, Rocks!

STI Ranger II

2011-09-23T11:21:00.000-05:00

This is my happy face

HOMAGAWD!!! The STI is in!!!

2011-09-23T10:54:00.003-05:00

My STI is in! I am heading to GT Distributors now to pick it up.

SQUEEEEEE!!!!!

New Blogger

2011-09-23T09:14:00.001-05:00

Just stumbled across a new blog through the Gun Blog Blacklist. It's Life of an Aggie- a young blogger active in the Campus CHL movement in Texas. The blog deserves a look.

Gun Terms that Sound Dirty

2011-09-21T08:46:00.000-05:00

45er and I were going back and forth on this via email yesterday. Thought it would make a funny post- feel free to add anything we have missed in the comments.

Cock on Opening
Running Wet (suppressors)
Snaking the bore
Fouling shot
Butt Trap
Short stroke
Bent Op Rod
Pump Action
Lapping the Bore
Flash Gap.
Butt Stroke.
Squeeze Cocker
Nipple wrench
Ram Rod (Say TEAM RAM ROD!!)
Ball Starter
Ball Puller
Ball mold - sounds like a medical problem.

Plug Grease

Nipple Grease

Beaver Felt Wad

What has it got in it's pocketses, Precious?

2011-09-20T12:08:00.000-05:00

Another meme? Well, yes. It's cheap content. Someone else comes up with the idea, and I post!

Not sure who started this new meme.

Kershaw Vapor II with the CZ logo, and a Swiss Army knife.

Why, yes... I do sharpen pencils with it. Why do you ask?

Further Evidence.

2011-09-20T09:33:00.000-05:00

It is a standard movie fodder that man's own meddling or hubris eventually brings on our own downfall. Be it Ash playing the recording in Evil Dead 2, the parents burning Freddie in Nightmare on Elm Street, humans birthing AI in The Matrix, or Cyberdine Systems building Skynet- We have become conditioned to believe that our own actions will create a menace that will destroy us all.

Just sayin....

Over the past year or so, I have seen a few news stories that are interesting.

First, researchers decide to open up a tunnel under the city of Teotihuacan(translates to 'the place men go to become gods'). This tunnel was purposely closed in AD 200, and was part of the Temple of Quetzacoatl (the Winged Serpent God). The Researchers send in a robot that shows a tunnel stable enough to enter... Now I'm sure you see where this is going.
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Then some Scientists decide to start reviving DNA from water trapped inside ancient salt crystals:

A while after, the skull of someone that was hanged, then decapitated 2500 years ago in England was discovered to still have an intact brain inside.

"When it was found, the skull — which belonged to a man probably between 26 and 45 years old — was accompanied by a jaw and two neck vertebrae, bearing evidence of hanging and then decapitation. Cut marks on the inside of the neck indicate that the head was severed while there was still flesh on the bones, O'Connor said. There is, however, no indication of why he was hanged, and the rest of his remains have yet to be found."

Of course, it's obvious that the body is probably still stalking the living across the mist shrouded moors...

Now, today, New Jovian Thunderbolt has a story of more researchers digging up Zombies in Ireland.

Combine all this with both the CDC and the Navy working on Zombie Preparedness... Well, it's pretty obvious that the Zompocalypse is coming.

And all I have to say is "Fools! They have destroyed us all!"

Whar you been?

2011-09-19T09:45:00.001-05:00

A Meme from Southtexaspistolero. Asking the Texas bloggers to bold out the places in the Texas version of "I've Been Everywhere" to show the places we have been. Here is my take:

I was totin’ my pack along the dusty Amarillo road
when along came a semi with a high and canvas covered load.
“If you’re goin’ to Amarillo, Mack, with me you can ride,”
and so I climbed up in the cab and then I settled down inside.
He asked me if I’d seen a road with so much dust and sand,
and I said, “listen, bud, I’ve traveled every road in this here land…”
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve crossed the deserts bare, man,
breathed the mountain air, man,
of travel I’ve had my share, man,
I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been to Waco, Hico, Hondo, Navasota,
Winnsboro, Jacksboro, Hillsboro, Santa Rosa,
Austin, Houston, Galveston, Texarkana,
Frisco, Buffalo, Conroe, Corsicana,
Goliad, Groesbeck, Glen Rose, Red Oak,
Post Oak, Live Oak, Lone Oak, no joke…
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve crossed the deserts bare, man,
breathed the mountain air, man,
of travel I’ve had my share, man,
I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been to Krugerville, Pflugerville, Van Horn, Val Verde,
Brackettville, Bartonville, Beeville, Bulverde,
Bear Creek, Cedar Creek, Mill Creek, Mineola,
Maypearl, Monahans, Telephone, Tuscola,
Redwater, Round Rock, Round Top, Round Lake,
Sour Lake, Southlake, Springlake, for Pete’s sake…
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve crossed the deserts bare, man,
breathed the mountain air, man,
of travel I’ve had my share, man,
I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been to Greenville, Gatesville, Gainesville, Alameda,
Kerrville, Kellyville, Bastrop, Benavides,
Somerville, Smithville, Stephenville, Prairie View,
Luckenbach, Longview, Plainview, Idalou,
Justin, Junction, Panorama, Pasadena,
Angelina, and Lorena…see what I mean-a…
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve crossed the deserts bare, man,
breathed the mountain air, man,
of travel I’ve had my share, man,
I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been to Valley Mills, Pine Mills, Dime Box, Duncanville,
New Home, New Hope, New Deal, Liberty Hill,
Rockport, Rock Creek, Bridgeport, Brownwood,
Cleburne, Comanche, Cut & Shoot, Cottonwood,
Bayview, Bayside, Baytown, Bay City,
Falls City, Center City, Bridge City, what a pity…
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve crossed the deserts bare, man,
breathed the mountain air, man,
of travel I’ve had my share, man,
I’ve been everywhere.
When it comes to travelin’ Texas, friend,
I’ve been everywhere.

Forty-Eight for me!

What a wonderful word!

2011-09-18T17:27:00.000-05:00

Heh. Fun things with the kiddo's toys

Awww yeah. BBQ!

2011-09-17T16:41:00.000-05:00

Kreutz Market in Lockhart, Tx.

Go Buy a Book!

2011-09-16T09:04:00.003-05:00

...and make it Dead Six.

I am 1/4 of the way through the eARC version, and it is outstanding. Lots of gun stuff, action, some mystery, just a good read so far.

Larry Correia gives a really compelling reasons as well.

"Oh, this book? Well it is a collaboration between an NYT best selling author, and a guy who is in Ashcanistan saving lives right freaking now!"

It's a good read. It will make a guy who is in harm's way happy. It will stimulate the economy. Win all the way around.

A 'bad' day at the range

2011-09-15T13:55:00.000-05:00

Well, a bad 'lunch' at the range. And I know that it's better than a good lunch at work.

I took the freshly scoped CETME to the range to see if I could get it to shoot. This was the 3rd scope attempt, and frankly- the last chance for this gun.

Backstory- I bought the CETME the day that the Assault Weapons Ban ended. It is a good gun- works well, does not jam, and I can do decent with the crappy iron sights it has. But they are crappy irons, and my eyes are not getting any younger. I can hit with accuracy out to 100 yards, but beyond that, it's luck. So I have been attempting to scope this rifle so I could get hunting accuracy with it.

But I cannot get a scope mounted to it that does not give me 5-6" accuracy at 50 yards. It's just a clamp on a sheet metal receiver. It's not solid enough under .308 recoil.

At the range I took the CETME and the CZ-527 Carbine. The CETME- well, a 5" shotgun pattern at 50 yards. The CZ carbine is dialed in with a 154Gr SP Herter's load that gave me a couple of one hole groups, but had some unexplainable fliers. I think that it's just not consistent enough- it's designed to be a cheap blasting load, not a whitetail head puncher. The 122-124 Grain loads that everyone loads give 3" groups.

So- I have one rifle that is pretty much good to go for chest shots. But the rifle can do better. Time to start handloading...anyone know where I can get 154 Grain .311 softpoint bullets?

And the CETME... well, I guess it's going to the next gunshow with me. Probably going to sell it and get an easily scope-able, Magazine fed, semi-auto .308. AR-10, M1A, etc... Suggestions?

Operation: Mindcrime

2011-09-15T07:49:00.000-05:00

Feel free to report anyone, and everyone. Comrade Obama wants you to report your neighbors for having impure thoughts.

Attack Watch

h/t to Say Uncle

And because I am using the title from Queensryche's great album, here are two videos from Operation: Mindcrime
Revolution Calling:

Operation: Mindcrime

Music for the Zompocalypse

2011-09-13T08:40:00.002-05:00

Random Nuclear Strikes has started a cool meme bringing together music and the Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse (Zompocalypse).

"You’re about to get eaten by the zombie hordes. You’ve prepared, but there are more than you every possibly imagined. Sorry.
As you load your last mag into your chosen weapon, what song comes up your MP3 player/IPOD?"
Tam's answer
Uncle has good taste as well
NJT's answer
The Miller's selection

Humor answer: Smokey Robinson's 'Tears of a Clown.' I effing HATE that song, and it would drive me into a rage when the last magazine was run dry, I would take the ZedWhacker and clear the hoard by myself.


Yep. That'll do.

Real Answer: Five Finger Death Punch's "Bulletproof"

Yeah. That song rocks.

9/11/11

2011-09-12T08:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning, I spent the 10 year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 helping a friend set up, then participating in a 9/11 Memorial walk.

I watched the kiddo in the afternoon while the Wife went to go meet a new member of the extended family at the hospital where he was born- luckily on 9/10/11. While we had some time, I took the kiddo to a gun store where he geeked out on fishing poles. I picked up some scope rings. We then went home and he helped me scope up my CETME. It was a pretty laid back day.

I have not forgotten the horrors that were visited on my country 10 years ago. As the attacks happened, I was sitting in an office watching in stunned disbelief as the world changed before my eyes. Ten years and one day later, I sit in a different office, doing a similar job, with the exact same customers. I have gotten married, became a father, bought two houses, and countless other milestones since then. But there is still this pain inside of what was done to our country, and what we have lost because of those attacks and the subsequent war.

One thing I have always believed is that we were at war well before 9/11/01. Most of us just did not know it. Our own government has done more damage to us and our freedoms than our terrorist enemies ever could. I think about that every time I opt out of a Porn-O-Scan at the airport, every time I have to leave my pocket knife behind because there is a metal detector somewhere.

I miss the way things used to be. I am sad that my son will never know the America I grew up in.

Never forget what was done to us. Not just by terrorists, but also by our own 'leaders'.
Always remember the heroes that gave their lives in the attacks, and also in the subsequent military retribution.
Remember the America that used to be, and lets all fight to bring it back.

One Wonder Pet down...

2011-09-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

Two to go

Rough weekend

2011-09-06T09:25:00.002-05:00

Right now- Austin is pretty much surrounded by wildfires. Lots of people have lost their homes, and even more are preparing to flee.

Every time we bitch about how bad we have it, we are reminded how bad it could be... And how much we need to prepare for the worst.

Prayers out to you impacted by the fires, to those in danger, and to the brave firefighters and rescue personnel that are out there risking their lives for the rest of us.

Last one, I promise

2011-09-04T12:53:00.002-05:00

Yes, another submission for the MHI Patch contest, designed by 45er of Barrel Smoke and myself.

Yep. I need to get a life.

Patch Sumission 2: The Electric Boogaloo

2011-09-02T06:37:00.003-05:00

Here is the second submission to Larry Correia's patch contest. Another collaboration with 45er.

The first patch submission is up!

2011-09-01T10:48:00.003-05:00

Over at Larry Corriea's site. 45er from Barrel Smoke and I are collaborating at the designs. I really like this one- Keeps the feel of the original MHI patch with a twist.

Two more submissions are in the works.

Monster Hunter Patch Contest!

2011-08-31T08:23:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I bought a replacement copy of Photoshop, last night I finished Monster Hunter Alpha, and today Larry Corriea announced a new MHI Patch contest on his Blog

I guess I know what I'm doing tonight. I'm making me an MHI patch.

Don't Mess with "The Hair"

2011-08-26T09:17:00.005-05:00

Source photo from Traction Control

(sorry for the crappy Photochop work. As I mentioned, I have lost my main photoediting program, and had to do this with Snagit. Also, for anyone that does not understand the caption, watch the video HERE)

Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull

2011-08-25T08:56:00.007-05:00

My long serving copy of Photoshop Elements died in the OS X Lion upgrade, so here are the last pics I modified before the software's untimely passing.

Enclicken for Embiggen

I plan on taking a deer using this gun in the coming season as a memorial to my friend and fellow moderator, Dan Johnson. Dan was a passionate handgun hunter and writer, and I have never taken a deer with a handgun. I feel this will be a fitting tribute.

Yesterday's 'Earthquake'

2011-08-24T07:15:00.002-05:00

Evidence now shows that the 'earthquake' near Washington DC was not a real earthquake at all. It seems that all the founding fathers spinning in their graves reached harmonic convergence and cause the ground to move.

YAY! I made the Blacklist!

2011-08-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

North: Gun Blog Black List

Really, it was just an honor to be nominated. Thank you....