A Testosterone Weekend

Real men like guns,

Tom likes guns…

Tom is a real man.

So, when he asked me to go shooting today, I had to say yes.  Believe it or not after 19 years, this is only the second time I’ve ever fired a weapon while not in uniform.  Tom’s got a great little assortment of testosterone raising devices, the photo below is what I believe he calls a P90 or PS90 (Civilian version) and the pistol is an FN Five-Seven.

The P90 is a compact submachine gun developed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN Herstal). It has an unusual bullpup configuration and a 50-round magazine that sits on top of the firearm, parallel to the barrel which results in a short external barrel. It arguably started a new class of personal defense weapons (PDWs) intended to defeat body armor with small-caliber, high-velocity bullets. It was soon joined by the Heckler & Koch MP7 chambered for a similar cartridge. From Wikipedia.

Okay, aside from all that technical lingo, all I know is it was easy to fire and not very loud.  I wasn’t quite sure how to handle it after using an M-16A2 for the last 18 years.  The P90 has quite a distinctive look, but was pretty easy to handle.  Tom hasn’t gotten the sites worked out quite yet, so I was hitting high right, but still getting a very tight shot group. 

The HK was amazingly light at 760 grams (26.808 oz) loaded.  The only other sidearm I’ve fired is the standard Army issue 9mm Beretta, whose weight is 975.22 grams (34.4 oz) or almost a half-pound heavier.

The Five-seveN pistol was designed by FN company (Belgium) as a complimentary sidearm for the P90 submachine-gun. The P90 and Five-seveN share the same ammunition, the 5.7×28mm SS190 cartridge. The SS190 ammunition looks like scaled down 5.56mm NATO round and boosts the 2.02 gramm (31 grains) pointed steel and aluminum core bullet to the muzzle velocity of 650 meters per second (ca. 2130 fps) from the pistol barrel. The key idea behind that ammunition and weapons is to provide good penetration against personnel, protected by modern body armour, while keeping weapons’ weight, dimensions and recoil at the reasonable levels.

Once I got over the initial hesitation and got used to the incredibly light feel and kick, I was able to again nail down a good shot group.  Had a couple stray shots, but only at the beginning while I was trying to figure out which was my dominant eye.  No, I don’t close one eye when I shoot, but wasn’t sure where my focus was coming from.

Had lot’s of fun, put several hundred rounds down the range and now I’m ready to go drink beer and eat some red meat!

Filed under: Fun, Guns, Military, Thoughts

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Found at Muslims Against Sharia Blog, be sure to click over to read more…  This picture of Mr. Obama was supposedly taken during the playing of our National Anthem…

Filed under: Democrats, Politics

Democrats = Copperheads?

Occasionally I browse through Wikipedia for fun.  Understanding its editorial process, I know not to assume everything written in there is fair, non-partisan or accurate.  But, it is a great place to gather initial research and provide a starting point for further research.

Today I stumbled upon a piece of history that might describe today’s events if we changes some of the words slightly…

During the American Civil War (1861-1865) Iraq War, the Copperheads Democrats nominally favored the Union but strongly opposed the war, for which they blamed abolitionists Rumsfeld, Cheney and Rice, and they demanded immediate peace and resisted draft laws funding. They wanted Lincoln Bush and the Republicans ousted from power, seeing the president as a tyrant who was destroying American republican democratic values with his despotic and arbitrary actions.

Some Copperheads Democrats tried to persuade Union soldiers to desert. They talked of helping Confederate Iraqi/Al Qaeda prisoners of war seize their camps and escape. They sometimes met with Confederate Islamic Radical agents and took money. The Confederacy Islamic Radicals encouraged their activities whenever possible.^[1] Most Some Democratic party leaders, however, repelled Confederate Islamic Fundamentalist advances.

I found the similarities between the Copperheads and Democrats amazingly close.  But back in the 1800’s, groups like the Copperheads were handled much differently.

The Copperheads sometimes talked of violent resistance, and in some cases started to organize. They never actually made an organized attack, though. As war opponents, Copperheads were suspected of disloyalty, and Lincoln often had their leaders arrested and held for months in military prisons without trial.

Anyway, maybe the comparison is a stretch, but I still found it all quite similar to today’s current events.

Filed under: Democrats, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Politics, Republicans, Thoughts

Basic Weapons Handling Guidelines

Many of my buddies love fire arms and their collections would make many left-wing, anti-NRA, granola eating, tree hugging, burned-out hippie cringe in mortal terror.  Below is from an email forwarded to me showing what NOT to do when matching your new expensive scope to your costly deer rifle at a range.

The guideline for you folks who don’t get to “throw lead down range”.  Never leave anything in the barrel when pulling the trigger.

The marksman in question must have just purchased his rifle and inserted the device (above) to align his scope and bore. The bore sight costs approximately $140.00

Friends tell me that the bore sight doesn’t necessarily have to be screwed in or tightened down in the end of the barrel. The rifle cost approximately $1,200.00

Notice how the barrel split all the way down to the hand grip from the force of the blow back. The new scope he was trying to align costs approximately $550.00

Kind of difficult to get the rifle in the case now, huh?  Cost of his brand new bag, probably $50.00.

Cost of hospital bill?  Somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000.00.  I feel bad for the guy, really.  Rough day, huh?

Filed under: Thoughts

U.S. Building Genetic Weapons…

From MEMRI.org.  Get a load of this!  Lunacy at its best.

Iran Accuses U.S., Israel of Genocide For Manufacturing “Genetic” Weapon To “Kill Specific Peoples”

An Iranian official has said that the U.S., assisted by Israel, is seeking to create a genetic and molecular bank to manufacture new types of unconventional weapons.

Addressing an international seminar on “The Consequences of the Use of Chemical Weapons against Iran,” Foundation for the Protection of the Values of the Sacred Defense head Gen. Mir Feysal Bagherzadeh said that the U.S., in collaboration with the Zionist regime of Israel, is forming a bank of the molecules and genes of the different world nations and peoples in pursuit of its hostile goals.

“This is not done in pursuit of humanitarian goals. Rather they are seeking to manufacture a weapon which could kill specific peoples in a limited geographical area,” he stressed.

Gen. Bagherzadeh further pointed out that this move should be considered genocide, “because they intend to massacre specific peoples and ethnicities” with the help of this weapon.

He said that several U.S. experts are conducting activities and research in Bosnia and Herzegovina along the same lines, and that after the recent crash of a Thai plane, U.S. and Israeli experts searched for corpses of Iranian nationals in a bid to obtain their genes for the research.

Source: Fars, Iran, October 22, 2007

Posted at: 2007-10-22

Filed under: Iran

California in Flames in More Ways Than One…

You think the wild fires of Southern California are raging?  Just wait until Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week kicks off out there.  Live Blogged from California Patriot Blog in Berkeley (yes, I said Berkeley), this ought to be a wild one…

Being from California, I’m glad to see some sense still left in the state.  Thanks, Cal Patriot Blog!!!

IFAW attracts opposition; prepares for the fireworks

Posted by Megan Sego @ 12:39 pm
Under: General, UC Berkeley, Ideology

The IFAW, or Islamo-fascism Awareness Week is sure attracting a lot of attention and opposition. My friend in Alabama had even heard of the counter-efforts going on and reminded me to bring a video camera. Here’s an update of some of the events:Tonight, Nonie Darwish is speaking at 7pm in 10 Evans. It’s open to anyone, and free, but be advised no large bags or or signs will be allowed in, although there will be a space set aside to leave them safely.

Various members of the media will be in attendance, including (I have been informed) Al-Jazeera.

Filed under: Ass Clown Protesters, Democrats, Islam, Muslim, Nutroots, Politics, Republicans

New Politoon Source

I found a new source of political cartoons today over at RedPlanetCartoons and thought I’d share one…

Filed under: Health, Politics

Al, Steve Milloy Wants His Money Back.

 

I know, I should just let this Al Gore Global Warming thing fade into history, but I can’t.  The fact that he’s just won a Nobel Prize really chaps my butt.  Steven Milloy, publisher for JunkScience.com and contributor to Fox News, wants his money back after wasting it on “An Inconvenient Truth“.

“An Inconvenient Truth” grossed about $50 million at the box office and millions more in DVD and book sales. Gore charges as much as $175,000 for an in-person presentation of his slide show that forms the basis for the film.

Considering that a key 25 percent of “An Inconvenient Truth” is not true — and perhaps intentionally so — it seems only fair that Gore offer a refund to moviegoers, DVD/book purchasers and speaking sponsors. Where are the class action lawyers when you need them?

Mr. Milloy does a pretty quick dissection of fact from fluff in the movie, paring down how much really should have been chopped out. 

Filed under: Global Warming

Technology Dies a Quiet Death

Nuke’s News and Views clips a story that most folks will never notice.  Seems Best Buy is quietly retiring all their analog TV’s.

Best Buy said today it has stopped selling analog televisions and pulled all remaining stock from its shelves, signaling the end of an era as consumers increasingly move toward digital products with flat-panel and high-definition screens.

Best Buy, one of the nation’s top electronics retailers, heralded the reign of digital TVs, saying it made the move “as the end of the analog broadcast era draws near.”

According to an AP article posted at MSN,

Beginning Feb. 18, 2009, broadcasters will stop transmitting analog signals. Non-digital television sets that are not attached to a cable or satellite service or not equipped with special converter boxes will no longer work.

Will many folks notice?  Will many folks care?  Probably not, but the end of analog TV joins the trash heap of outmoded technology.  Remember these?  I’ve added captions for you younglings (or old’uns) who may not recognize the devices

or this?

or?

I don’t consider myself old by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m still amazed at how quickly technology changes.  The things I dreamed of as a kid are already coming true.

For comparison, here’s what the previously shown devices look like today…

Filed under: Business, Thoughts

Youth for Human Rights International

 

Have you seen this yet?  Today, a PSA came on that absolutely floored me.  After a bit of research, I found the sponsoring organization: Youth for Human Rights International.

These Human Rights are brought to you by none other than the CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY International who teamed up with Youth for Human Rights.  Scientology has gotten in some hot water over the years for tax issues and other things.  It’s founder is considered an absolute fraud by many, many folks.  And Germany absolutely hates the organization.

Additionally, ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) is a YHRI collaborator.  ISNA, if you don’t know is one of the un-indicted co-conspirators in the Hamas Fundraising Trial.

But, apparently Scientologists are trying a new approach…  At face value, some of these “rights” seem fine, but looking deeper causes me some concerns.  Specifically, No. 3.  No, I have no problem with that, but Pro-Choice folks might.  There are others, take a look at the full list…

30 Rights, 30 Ads

What are these rights?

#1: We Are All Born Free & Equal

#2: Don’t Discriminate

#3: The Right to Life

#4: No Slavery

#5: No Torture

#6: You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go

#7: We’re All Equal Before the Law

#8: Your Human Rights Are Protected by Law

#9: No Unfair Detainment

#10: The Right to Trial

Filed under: Religion

Ham says:

“There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes precisely stated in a treaty regulating all the details of time, place, circumstance, and quantity; leaving nothing to future discretion; and depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties.” —Alexander Hamilton

Filed under: History, Thoughts

"In 15 years, we’ll be laughing at Al Gore"

One of the world’s foremost meteorologists has called the theory that helped Al Gore share the Nobel Peace Prize “ridiculous” and the product of “people who don’t understand how the atmosphere works”.

Dr. William Gray, prominent meteorologist from Colorado State, has come out to call Al Gore’s award of the Nobel Peace Prize an example of brain-washing and says it illustrates the population’s “misunderstanding of how the atmosphere works.”

Dr. Gray is an esteemed scientist whose weather predictions on hurricanes and annual tropical storms are widely publicized.

…Dr Gray said a natural cycle of ocean water temperatures – related to the amount of salt in ocean water – was responsible for the global warming that he acknowledges has taken place.

He cited statistics showing there were 101 hurricanes from 1900 to 1949, in a period of cooler global temperatures, compared to 83 from 1957 to 2006 when the earth warmed.

I think many of us have been saying all along that this will most likely just be another alarmist event like global cooling was in the 1970’s.

But, be that as it may, I’m still deeply saddened that Al has managed to capture a niche in the American psyche and has been very successful in exploiting it.  And I’m troubled that more Americans fail to see what’s happening.

One other little point though, Dr. Gray’s recent predictions for the hurricane season haven’t been so accurate.  2006 was promised to be a killer year, but as we know, not very many storms actually materialized.

More related headlines:

Top Hurricane Forecaster Dr. Gray: Gore Is Alarmist

Forecaster Blasts Gore on Global Warming

Dr. Gray Is Calling For Another Active Cane Season

Filed under: Global Warming/Climate Change

Gore shares Nobel Peace Prize with U.N. panel – CNN.com

Haven’t even had my first cup of coffee this morning when this little bit of news was sitting in my inbox.

CNN) — Former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their work to raise awareness about global warming.

Astounding isn’t it?  Here’s what the Nobel Foundation had to say.

“for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change”

Alfred Nobel – The Man Behind the Nobel Prize

Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been honoring men and women from all corners of the globe for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and for work in peace.

Which all brings up some question; how valid is the science behind Gore and the IPCC?  What has Gore really done aside from make a debatable issue more visible?  Has he solved global warming, has he given us the tools to fix the problem?

In fact, the whole concept of MMGW is starting to crumble, especially after NASA got some of the data wrong.  After getting this prize, old Al Gore will feel vindicated and no doubt bluster himself up to begin another insufferable round of “doomsday” predictions.

Gore shares Nobel Peace Prize with U.N. panel – CNN.com

Filed under: Global Warming

Yes, it’s THAT Steve Martin…

Waiter, there are snails on her plate!

YouTube – Steve Martin, a banjo and RBR

Filed under: Fun

Culture: Patriot Post, Jonah Golberg

“I’ve come around to the view that the culture war can best be understood as a conflict between two different kinds of patriotism. On the one hand, there are people who believe being an American is all about dissent and change, that the American idea is inseparable from ‘progress.’ America is certainly an idea, but it is not merely an idea. It is also a nation with a culture as real as France’s or Mexico’s. That’s where the other patriots come in; they think patriotism is about preserving “Americanness”.

Yet the strangest and most ironic aspect of our national culture is that we have an aversion to talking about a national culture. Samuel Huntington, one of the country’s premier social scientists, has become something of a pariah for constantly reminding people… that America is a nation, not just a government and a bunch of interest groups. Many liberals hear talk of national culture and shout “Nativist!” first and ask questions later, if at all. They believe it is a sign of their patriotism that they hold fast to the idea that we are a ‘nation of immigrants’ —forgetting that we are also a nation of immigrants who became Americans.” —Jonah Goldberg

Filed under: Thoughts