Low Plank Obliques

For the record, I hate Low Plank Obliques.  On the other hand, picking a Friday after work, after a long week, and fighting a stomach bug all week, and still not being up to 100% to start the Insanity work out is probably not the best decision I've ever made.  On the other hand, this is the good kind of hurt.
We shall see how this goes.

Personal Experience: Carwash Ambush

 This isn't the first time I've had to use a firearm in self-defense.  It's merely the first since I started blogging.  But, several things come into play which I want to emphasize to anyone who happens to be reading this.On Sunday, I was hanging out with my daughter at my fiance's house.  My future in-laws were there, the ladies doing wedding planning, my daughter and I watching a Narnia marathon, and a relaxing day being had by all.  After the snow fall of the week prior, I decided it would be a good idea to wash the salt from the car before it had any more chance to corrode my paint and undercarriage, and make me another victim of the steel buckle of the rust belt.
As such, I asked my daughter if she would like to accompany me to the car wash.  Her eyes lit up, and after the Narnia movie which was playing at the time ended, we were on our way.
Upon pulling into the parking lot, I noticed two young guys sitting on a curb along the back portion of the lot.  They didn't strike me as significantly out of place, as there is a fair amount of pedestrian traffic there.  This is not a bad part of town by any stretch of the imagination, and there are always people milling about.
As I rounded the back end of the car wash, I asked my daughter whether we should use the 'spray it yourself' or the automatic wash.  She chose the automatic, as she enjoys watching the machine do the work.  Since this particular car wash has no brushes or rollers or other 'things-which-hold-dirt-from-other-cars-and-use-it-to-scratch-mine' I conceded, and proceeded to the far end of the building, getting in line behind a dark purple Pontiac Grand Am.
At this point, I noticed that the Grand Am was a significant distance behind the next car up in line, but attributed that to the driver having the vehicle in park while waiting for others to move up, and being in no hurry, so I brushed it off.  I looked into my mirror to chat with my daughter, and noticed out of the corner of my eye movement in my passenger side-view mirror.  As I shifted focus to that mirror, I saw the aforementioned young men walking in the direction of my car,  from behind.  I then noticed that they both had their hands clutching things in such a way that I could not see what was in them.  At this point, my senses went into overdrive, and I started taking in every detail of what they were doing.
They split up behind my car, one coming to the driver, the other remaining on the passenger side.  At this point, I knew hesitation COULD prove to be a problem, and taking a simple precaution would cause no problems.  So, without interrupting my daughter (who was talking about something which for the life of me I can't remember now), I drew my firearm from my holster, and held it against my chest, with the barrel directed at the driver's window.  As the kids reached the front doors of my car, they turned to face it from both sides.  I turned to look at the one on my left, made eye contact, raised my gun ever so slightly.  His eyes widened, and he turned to run.  I then looked to my right, and saw what was in the hand of the kid on the other side of the car.  An ASP.  At this point, I started to swing my firearm in his direction, expecting to have to fire it after he broke the glass.  As soon as he saw what was in my hand, however, he also bolted.  After he ran, the car in front of me (remember that dark purple Pontiac?) turned a tight turn, and booked it around the corner.
The kid who had been by my driver's side door ran through one of the DIY carwash stalls, shoving the guy who was washing his car.  I watched him on the other side, as the other kid reached him, and then the car. They jumped in, and took off up the street.
My daughter, meanwhile, was blissfully unaware of the encounter.  As a parent, I'm exceedingly grateful that I was not only able to protect her, but I was able to do it in such a fashion that she never had to feel any fear, and was able to continue her story with only a slight pause when she noticed the guys run from the car.
The entire incident took a very short amount of time.  I couldn't begin to guess how long it did take, but even reviewing the slow-motion capture in my head, there was very little time involved.

Remember I said I wanted to point out a few things?  Well, here are they key factors:
1 - It was broad daylight.
2 - It was in what is considered to be a safe area.  A 'good part' of town.
3 - This area, on the whole, has a lower crime rate than most of the rest of the USA.
4 - I was not out looking for anything, instead trouble found me.
5 - If I did not pay attention to my surroundings, things could have gone very differently, especially if I was not already preparing as they were approaching.
6 - They did not have (that I was able to see) any firearms of their own.  That would not have prevented them from perpetrating violence upon myself and my daughter.
7 - If I had been unarmed, or prevented from owning or carrying a weapon, it would not have ended so peacefully.
8 - One person against many doesn't stand a chance, without something to balance the odds.  The threat of violence was sufficient to bring resolution to the situation without the need to follow through with the threat.
9 - I hope the thugs who sought to ambush me (or whoever happened to pull into the lot behind their getaway) will reconsider their plans, and realize that their victims may not be willing to be victimized.

This is just another reason why we have a 2nd amendment.  Personal responsibility.  Only I am able to protect myself and my family.  I cannot rely on anyone else to do so.

UPDATE:  I spoke with the police, and let them know about the event.  I provided as detailed a description of all the actors as best as I was able, and they have filed it as something for which to be alert.  No incident report, nothing else exciting.

Humbling Note

I needed something to kick-start me out of my lull in blogging. I think I found it with this article.  It's not written about blogging, but rather about the gun community. 

It really is a humbling thing, to be part of something so big, yet so small in how we treat one another.  I really do have a tremendous amount of joy for this group of people all across this country.  And while I will never be able to say it so succinctly or effectively as she already has, I will say that it is an honor to be a part of it!

Upcoming Posts

Amidst the business of life, the being sick, the lighting a new set at church, the getting the car back after I was hit on the highway, and everything else that has been happening, I did manage to get my hands on a new holster.
I will have a full review with pictures and such shortly.  I have one minor issue with it which I'm going to attempt to contact the maker to see what he can do about it for me.  A friend of mine ordered one, had a 'customer ordered something then realized he should have ordered it differently' moment, and this guy had the customer service priority to get it resolved for him.
So, I'm hoping he can help out with my 'Huh, because I'm built like so, and want to wear my gun here, this is awkward, can you adjust it?'
Also, first deer-hunting event in many years for me coming up on Monday, so I'm gearing up for that.  I'll write that up as well next week after it's all said and done.
In the mean time, I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving, and get to spend some time relaxing with your loved ones.

Be safe, and as Weer'd says, Carry your guns!

Catchup

OK, so I hope to soon be back to posting regularly, if not daily, again soon.  The garage claims I will have my car back by early next week at the earliest, the house was closed on this past Friday, the crazy week at work has passed, and things are starting to settle again.  There are a few other things up in the air, but I'm not ready to discuss them here yet.

Stay tuned though, more excitement to follow!

Update

So, I'm still without a vehicle, looks like a week and a half to two weeks until the shop is able to complete repairs.  Being without a car is extremely difficult in this day and age. So I'm left with wandering the streets aimlessly....
I mean bumming rides off friends, borrowing cars, and acting pretty pathetic overall. 
That said, I expect posting will be a little light until then.  I've got some things in mind, and I'm going to try to get a couple posts up over the next two days.  There is a lot in my brain itching to get out.  So it is coming, just please be patient with me until I'm able to devote time to it again. 
Thank you all so much for your readership, it is greatly appreciated!

In the mean time, be alert, be thinking, and be safe.

Light Posting

My apologies, but I will not be posting much for a few days.
I was in a severe car accident.  While I am physically fine, I am suddenly facing more challenges than I prefer to face.  Getting to and from work without a car is difficult, let alone handling everything else I need to do. 
Oh well, time to tighten the ol' belt buckle, and get cracking!

Halal Meat (Islamic Version of Kosher, if you will)

My mother sends many emails my way which she thinks will interest me, or things that might cause me to be concerned, or any of a various number of reasons.  I really enjoy this aspect of our relationship, as it allows me to see some of her thoughts.  I don't often get to hear her thoughts, as my schedule is incredibly hectic, so this is an opportunity for me to 'see' what's on her mind.  Recently she sent me a forward which went on about how Halal meat is taking over at the grocer, and how we need to avoid it.  Initially, the writing felt like it was very fear-inspired, not logic-inspired. And I think most of you know me well enough to know that I'll dig into any topic.  If you want a copy of the email, mention so in the comments, along with your address, and I will send it your way.  For the sake of conserving space here, I will not include the text.

On the surface, I see what they are saying, and what the issue is.  I'm going to put my thoughts below in list form.

1 - We should in no wise support Islam.
2 - This is meat essentially offered to idols.
3 - There is nothing wrong with eating meat offered to idols.  (There is no such thing as an idol, only God is real.  1 Cor 8.)
4 - Politically I have issues with this happening.
5 - As a Christian I couldn't care less where my meat originates, as long as it is handled in a way which poses no threat to my safety.
6 - For the sake of my brother or sister who has a weaker conviction, I won't eat this halal meat if it would cause them to stumble. 


Conclusion:
I will try to avoid it if I can, not out of religious obligation, but out of a two fold reason: to attempt to send the message to the grocers that they don't need to carry that product, and to not support financially the making of the meat.  That is where my conviction originates.  If a brother or sister would be uncomfortable knowing the meat was prepared by those actively worshiping a false god at the time of it's preparation, I will abstain from it as well.

A friend of mine who lived in Israel for a number of years had this to say when I chatted with him about this:

Besides, I had ground lamb and pork-free hard salami, both halal, that were INCREDIBLE

What are your thoughts about eating this meat?


1 Corinthians 8:4-7
1Co 8:4  Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.
1Co 8:5  For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
1Co 8:6  yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
1Co 8:7  However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

My Daughter's First Magazine

So, my daughter has fired a pellet gun before today.  Allow me to clarify that.  She held it, and I pulled the trigger, because she doesn't have the strength in her hand to squeeze the obnoxious trigger on it.  However, she has no problem squeezing the triggers on the actual firearms.

That said, check out the video below.  It's the last 7 rounds of her first magazine with a real pistol.  She's still a little over-eager, squeezes them off more quickly than she needs to fire them, and she tends to flinch.  But for a young lass on her first day, she's not doing too shabbily at all!

She's got some learning to do, but she's off to a good start.

And yes, I probably am biased.

Life is Busy

This is more of a 'light posting' apology than anything else.  Life has become hectic!
I've been extremely busy with various things I'm working on with my fiance, not the least of which is planning a wedding and buying a house.  We started a new sermon series at church this weekend, which meant I had to spend some extra time getting the lights set for that, and the list goes on.
All that said, I'm planning to step up the posting again at some point in the near future.
Please bear with me, I am only human, after all!

OC: Pros and Co...Well, Pros Anyway

Source (Weer'd has some fantastic posts.):
http://www.weerdworld.com/2011/we-are-all-open-carry/

My first thought about any sort of carry is simple:

...The right of the people to keep and BEAR arms shall not be infringed.

 Emphasis mine.
Any restriction of carrying a weapon is infringing on the right of that weapon-holder to bear his or her arm(s).  There is no twisted logic or convoluted methodology of law-making which will ever change that.  Any restriction is an infringement.
All that said, the movement for open carry has been growing.  The people who are pushing this movement are making great progress for logic and reason.  The politicized results of their carrying openly are having the desired effect overall.
I have been OCing for years off and on.  There are times I prefer it for various reasons, from having pants on which are too tight to allow proper concealed, to other garments which won't allow for concealment, to knowing I'm going to be in a neighborhood in which I'd much rather not be.  The advantages of OC are many, and with a proper understanding of those advantages it provides for the safety of all individuals.  As Weer'd said, the stakes couldn't be higher.  Those of us who carry, do so following the letter of the law, because it only takes one mistake to be unable to properly defend ourselves and our loved ones going forward.
So, without further ado, a brief list of advantages of open carry:

1. Crime-against-self reduction.  A criminal seeing that you have a firearm on your hip is less likely to attempt to make you a victim.
2. Crime-against-others reduction.  A criminal seeing that you have a firearm on your hip is less likely to attempt to victimize someone else in your vicinity.
3. Ease-of-access.  Typically drawing from concealment is slower than from open.  Obviously with proper training any timing differences can be mitigated.  However, in an 'all things equal' world, the lack of fabric between your hand and the grip of your sidearm, the faster you can bring it to bear, and put it to it's designated role.
4. Comfort level.  When I am OC, it feels far more comfortable than when I am concealed.  I'm a bigger guy, so it's difficult to find that sweet spot which causes no discomfort whatsoever.
5. Familiarity.  Allowing other people with whom you interact on a day to day basis to see that you are carrying a firearm, and at the same time you are NOT shooting people over parking spaces, or randomly shooting people, or any of the other evils the antis claim, is about the most positive press we can ever hope to have.
6. Style.  There are a tremendous number of stylish, beautiful holsters being created today.  Personally, I am unable to find one, as it seems there isn't much market for my pistol of choice.  However, many weapons have many options for carrying, and with the right accessories, it can really compliment an outfit.

There are many many many more pros than this.  Share what pros you consider to be important, or key in your decision making process.  Do you OC daily, or just occasionally?  Are you prepared to deal with accidental OC?
Share your thoughts!

9/12 - The Morning After

I thought long and hard about what to post yesterday.  I was fully intending to put aside my 'typically don't post on Sundays' habit and write something for the anniversary of the attacks against our nation.
But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Why?  One simple question:  What has changed?
Sure I could talk about what I was doing, or how I felt, or what awakened in my understanding of the world around us.  I could go on for hours about what it felt like when I realized we are hated simply because we are free.  I could go into detail every minute of my day: Evacuation to talking to my friend in Army Ranger School at the time, to the trouble I had sleeping that night.  But the point is, it doesn't really matter.
When America awakened on 9/12, we all knew something was different.  We all realized we needed to change our outlook on the world around us.  We all knew that life would never be the same again.  What we didn't know was that we were going to do more harm to our own country than the combined efforts of every terrorist have done.
I know I typically write about freedom, firearms, and the like.  But today I'm going to temper that writing with something a little more faith-driven.  I've never attempted to hide the fact that I believe the God of the Bible, who sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for sin, and die a substitutionary death on the cross for us.  For me.
So what does that have to do with the events of the decade following this tragedy?  The answer is simple:  Everything.
I've learned much in the past decade, not the least of which being that those of us who have this faith have an obligation to lead people.  We are to the the ones holding the standard, encouraging people to continue on when it seems there is no hope.  We are the ones who are to be willing to give our lives for others, even strangers, because our eternal security is assured.  We are the ones who are to bring hope to those who don't see any, and joy to those who don't know her touch.
And we are to do it, not because of anything within ourselves, or because we are better than anyone else, or because we are supposed to do it.  We are to do it because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.  It's not our own power, it's not our own love, and it's not our own means.
So in the decade since that tragedy, while our rights have been being systematically stripped by an oppressive government bent on crushing the people, and we've watched loved ones giving their lives in an attempt to free others from the control of similar evil governments, we continue to stand.  We are called to be salt and light to a world in need.
Are we?  Are we taking those difficult stands, choosing the right path, even when our own nation seems to be turning completely against us?  Are we calling evil for what it is where we find it?  Are we prepared with an answer when people ask us questions, or attack us unjustly?  Are we ready to defend our faith with our minds and hearts?  Are we ready to reach a world in need?

Busy Weekend

I had a very busy Memorial Day weekend.  It included interviews for reception halls for a certain upcoming event, as well as the other party of said event putting an offer on a substantial investment.

What did you do this weekend?

What Does it Mean to be Aware of Your Surroundings

Source:

http://3bxsofbs.infamousanime.net/?p=4379&cpage=1#comment-18379

I have always made it a special point to be alert to my surroundings.  We have a responsibility to ourselves and to our loved ones to be aware of danger, alert to trouble, and the like.  This can be exhausting, if you don't apply your methods correctly.  

To use the definitions used here I have personally primarily used a combination of two levels of awareness: 

1 - Relaxed Awareness - when in places where I spend most of my time, and it's easy to be alerted to something being out of place.  The office, the house, church, etc.

2 - Focused Awareness - when in places where I am not familiar, and as such things out of place are less likely to stand out to me, as 'everything' is out of place by my perspective.  New settings, new city, job interviews, special social occasions, and public areas which change frequently due to layout and visitor changes such as malls, restaurants, stores, garages, and the like.  

I have constantly encouraged this concept (though not worded nearly so well, or so detailed) to my loved ones.  

In what level of awareness do you typically find yourself?  Do you pay attention to what's going on around you?  Would you be taken by surprise if someone unexpected walked in the office?  Would you be unable to react if you witnessed a mugging while shopping?  Would you see that box sitting somewhere that it shouldn't be?  

It's very easy to be aware of what is going on around you without draining yourself.  I encourage you to try!

Personal Experience: Kayak Trip Gone Wrong (And how the Anti's are Wrong Again!)

On 8/20 I took a group of 14 of my friends on a kayak trip in Western PA, a place called 'The River's Edge'.  I've not worked with them in the past, but had read some good things about them.  To get the full story, we need to go back about a week prior to the trip.

I had sent an email to a different outfitter (further upstream, along the same river) that I have used in the past with a great experience, and left a voicemail to make a reservation.  Several days after both of those were sent, I received an email from them that they were booked for that day, and would be unable to meet my needs.  So, I found another outfitter (River's Edge) and made a reservation there.   I did this after reading several comments online stating that people had great experiences with them.

We arrived in time to get setup, sign the waivers, load the shuttle, etc and have plenty of time left to get to the put-in.  When my kayak ('my' meaning 'owned by me, brought from home to the outfitter) it was loaded on the bottom of the trailer.  I normally would have no issue with this, however there was a missing fender on that side.  One of my friends also pointed out the obvious issue, and I went over to inspect it.  When I asked the gentleman loading the boats onto the trailer, he said 'The straps will hold it, and it will be fine.'  I pushed my boat toward the center of the trailer, and it seemed as though he was right, I was able to push it several inches away from the exposed wheel.

Upon arriving at the put-in, we hopped out of the van, I walked around behind to the trailer, and my heart dropped.  I saw this:

I saw this hole, and realized that not only had the straps NOT held my kayak in place, but it had shifted, and laid on top of the tire.  The friction generated by the tire rubbing against the boat was sufficient to burn a hole clean through the boat.  Obviously this kayak is completely ruined.  The bodies do not lend themselves to repair of this sort of damage, and it is clearly not water-worthy as is.

I was upset.  One friend took my fiance aside immediately as she exited the second shuttle which arrived behind ours, and told her she needed to speak to me right away, and it was urgent.  She looked at me across the parking area, and realized something was wrong.  Her calming influence was sufficient to prevent me saying anything terrible, or making a total fool of myself.

One of the co-owners of the outfitter was in that second shuttle, and the fellow who had loaded my kayak so terribly pulled her aside before I was able to talk to her.  He explained what happened, and took her around to show her the damage.  Not only did the tire destroy the side of my boat, it also destroyed my bilge pump.

They returned to their store-front in order to get a boat for me to use for the day, and brought it back.  We waited about an hour for that to happen.  I had told my friends to get started, as they should not lose time on the water, and enjoying the beautiful day because of my problem.  Without exception, they all said they'd wait for me.  They are awesome people.

When the outfitter returned they had a boat for me to use, and a bilge pump as well.  I helped everyone else get into the water, loaded my loaner, and off we went for a day of floating down the river.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves well, and I tried to as much as I could under the circumstances.  The highlight of the day was finding a rope swing, and having a blast swimming and falling into the water.  Ironically the youngest people on the trip, and one of the oldest were the ones to enjoy it most.  I did not trust the rope, the platform, or anything else there with my weight.  The others seemed to have no problems with it.

When we returned to the shop, I went to see the owners.  They were both surprised that such a thing had happened, they'd never had a problem in their 5 years of providing livery service.  They did, however, make it right.  They offered to pay me what it would cost to replace the boat.  Without going into the details on that end, they did send me a check for the cost of the boat I had, plus shipping and tax, so I am now able to replace the kayak I had with an identical boat.

They made it right.  I received the check 1 week to the day after the incident, and while the time without a boat is going to be frustrating and aggravating, I do understand that things in life DO happen, and we have to deal with issues as they come up.  They handled themselves professionally, and provided me with fair remission for the incident.  They made it right, and I look forward to doing business with them again, probably next season at this point, as it will be some time until I'm able to receive my new kayak (3-4 weeks minimum delivery time, according to the website).

On a side note, and because I have to get politics involved, I have to point out one thing in this:  The antis are wrong.  According to those who would restrict our freedoms, and take our guns, as soon as someone becomes even slightly upset about something, and they are armed, there will be bloodshed on the streets.  People will shoot each other over parking spaces, traffic jams, and the like was something we heard often recently.  Here in PA we heard it recently because of the Castle Doctrine passing.  We heard people saying such things as a method of using fear to attempt to get their way.

When I saw what happened to my boat, that someone else destroyed it through their own ineptitude, I was angry.  The fact that my property was damaged beyond use, and that my investment of money, time, effort and everything I put into that boat was gone, because of one person's mistake, I felt angry.  I wasn't just angry, I was downright livid.  I also had one of my firearms on me.

Not once did the thought of drawing my weapon ever enter my mind.  Not once did the thought of causing injury to anyone else enter my mind.  Not once did any of the things which the left and the antis claim will happen in that scenario even enter into the mind of the person in that situation.

Not once.

Sounds to me like I had more reason to be upset than over a parking space, and it also sounds to me like they are so far off base with their ideas that gun owners are violent people looking for a reason to start killing that they can not relate with ordinary people.

The important lesson to take from all this?  Be involved when someone else is handling your property, and point out issues, and don't be afraid of expressing your concerns.  At best you avoid the headache I have had, at worst you have a falling out with whomever is handling your property, and have to find a resolution.

Carry Restricted in a Mall of Fear

I've been meaning to post this for quite some time.  Today, I have finally finished writing the incident in a way which I think is fitting for here.  This is purely a personal experience, so there is no source material today.  I hope this anecdote is useful to you, and you are able to benefit from my experience.

As you know, I possess a CCW in my state, and carry constantly.  One evening, I was doing so in a local mall.  Being in one of the more upper-class neighborhoods in the area, I rarely visited it.  As such, (and as is my habit) I checked the doors as I entered.  No signage.  In PA, if there's a sign indicating firearms are not allowed, you leave. If you don't, they are required to ask you to leave. If you don't leave at that point, they can charge you with civil trespassing.  So, no huge risk even if there is a sign posted. 
My fiance (then girlfriend) and I were in one of the kitchen stores when I reached to a high shelf to retrieve an item for her.  My shirt lifted, and one of the employees saw my weapon in my belt.  She just happened to be looking at just the right place she'd need to look to see it. 
As we continued perusing their goods, we were in a corner, to the side and fairly far back in the store.  I was in the midst of a conversation with my girlfriend regarding some item in her hands, when I noticed out of the corner of my eye mall security (unarmed, older gentleman, who I'm pretty sure couldn't fight his way out of a burlap sack, no offense intended toward him, but not the kind of guy who could be effective in stopping any sort of determined criminal), but didn't realize they knew I was armed.  I had in no way been acting suspiciously, so I just assumed he was making his rounds, or coming to socialize.  Next thing I know, he's standing immediately behind me, tense as one could be.  He was polite enough to wait until my girlfriend and I ended the current conversation thread in which we were engaged prior to interrupting. 
Now, I'm not a small person, by any stretch of the imagination.  When he said 'Excuse me, sir,' and I turned to face him, he lost most of the color in his cheeks.  It was all I could do to keep from laughing.  He then said 'I would like to talk with you, would you care to come with me?' 
Not knowing what was going on, and not about to comply with someone who had as yet not identified himself, I opted to go the public route, and said 'We can chat here as well as anywhere.' 
Long story short, he proceeded to tell me that the employee saw my weapon, and he asked why I felt I needed to carry in a peaceful mall.  I responded that it was to keep my girlfriend safe and in one piece, not that it was any of his business thankyouverymuch.  He then said weapons are prohibited, and I asked where the signage is, he said it is in the office, on the top floor, behind the counter.  So, in short, there wasn't a visible public sign, but he attempted to enforce it.  He suggested a compromise that I return my weapon to my car, and continue my shopping.  My answer was that I was not about to do business with any organization which has a complete disregard for the rights and safety of their clients.  I also was not foolish to leave a weapon unattended anywhere, as that is an enormous liability to me.  I looked at my girlfriend, and told her to come out to the car whenever she was ready to leave, and that I'd be waiting for her there. 
The looks she got from all the women in that store were priceless.  The snobish folks who frequent that particular establishment were expecting to see her pull some heat out of her purse, especially as she tends to carry a large purse. 
I eventually wrote them a letter, indicating that I'd be informing all my friends about how poorly I was treated, and how unsafe I would feel shopping in a place like that, and how their policies restrict the freedoms and rights of theirs customers, and that I'd not be doing business with them until they changed their policies.  I also sent a copy of that same letter to the stores in the mall, and the corporate offices of those stores. 
It may not be much, but it's a little chip in their customer base.  Out of curiosity I stopped by while I was in the neighborhood several months later.  The proper signage was added to both sets of doors past which I drove.  Rather than understanding a customer's perspective, they stuck to their ideology of fear.  Now, rather than having an armed, concerned, engaged, aware and alert citizen in their building, willing to step up if the need arises, they are more likely to have the people who ignore such things enter, and act without any others willing to protect the innocent lives and property there. 
Complete and utter disregard for common sense, simple logic, and most importantly, the rights of the American Citizen.

Listerine

For the record, swallowing Listerine is a bad idea.  Just saying.

Sighting in the Savage

About a week ago I acquired a new (to me) hunting rifle. It's a Savage Arms in .300 Win Mag.  I must say, I'm rather impressed with it so far.  I haven't owned a proper, PA approved hunting rifle in quite a few years, so needless to say I'm rather excited to be able to get back out this coming season and do some hunting.  My license will be purchased the day the new ones are available. 

While I live in a location which sadly does NOT allow me to step outside and site in a rifle, one of my coworkers does.  He has a 100 yard range across his driveway from his home.  He was kind enough to allow me to come over on Wednesday of last week, and again yesterday, to site in the new rifle.  He also thought it would be a good idea to take a video of one of my shots, after the initial changes to the scope were made.

It sounds like a solid group in the making.  Two rounds, approximately an inch apart, at 100 yards, with factory ammunition.  However, after those two rounds, my group suffered.  I think part of it was heat (it was so hot that it took 45 minutes for the barrel to cool after firing 5 rounds through it), part of it was user error (it has been about 15 years since I last fired a hunting rifle, I'm out of practice), and other variables.  After another group, we decided to end for the day, and resume another day.

On Sunday we finished sighting in the rifle.  The end result was a group of 5 rounds, between 1 and 2 inches above the center of target, with just slightly over a 1 inch grouping, at 100 yards.  I'm satisfied with that for the time being, and I'm confident it will carry strong accuracy out to 200 yards.  The next step will be deciding what and how I'm going to reload, and begin that process. 

One of the payments I gave my friend for allowing me to use his range for sighting in my rifle was throwing some rounds downrange with a slightly more fun to shoot rifle:

And of course, I can't break out that firearm without putting a few rounds through it myself.  This video has some NSFW language.  It's also important to note that the white pistol target in the foreground was not ever the target.  That would not stand up to abuse these guns would have given it.  Instead, the AR was used primarily for shooting old satellite dishes that he has had laying around the house for a while.  Who doesn't need a little practice for the coming zombie apocalypse?

UPDATE: Correct video put in this time.

Oh, also, please forgive the camera operator.  He was filming away while I was shooting, and didn't consider that rotating the Android amid filming that it would be a problem.  We're not video people, obviously.

For those of you who live in the same state I do, and were unaware, beginning this past April the Game Commission has created a requirement that one obtain a $30 permit for using the public ranges at the state game lands.  Previously they had been free, and the repairs, upgrades and the like subsidized by the cost of hunting licenses.  Now, if you have a hunting license, you can use these ranges at no additional cost.  If you do not have a license, you must purchase the permit for $30.  The new licenses for the 2011-12 season go on sale in July.  I'm not spending $30 to use one of those ranges for a few weeks, I'll wait till I have my license this year.

If any of you hunt, let me know in the comments what you hunt, what you use to hunt it, where you hunt it, etc.  Consider this open discussion about hunting!