Have You Seen Me?

DAMMIT!

I walked out to my truck this morning intending to take it in to get the brakes fixed when I noticed the door slightly ajar and the contents of the glove compartment thrown on the passenger seat. With a sick feeling of inevitability, I confirmed my GLOCK 23 missing.

Man, I'm pissed.

Update:

The TPD found my GLOCK locked inside a stolen vehicle YESTERDAY! It's only some paperwork away! Yay!

Could Be Good Timing

Looks like the summer monsoons ought to be coming right after the ID4 Rifle Match, which is good news for the match in the near term and for southern AZ in the long term. We could really use the rain-- but not on the 4th, please.

Quality Phillipine Engineering

Ever wonder why you don't hear those words together very often? I was ready to write a bitchy blog post when I thought my Vortex scope magnification labels were reversed. Turns out the small print on the adjustment ring labels one side "Magnification" and the other "Reticle Multiplier." Doh! I'm shootin' a match... to misquote Jesse Ventura, "I ain't got time to Read!"

I'm pretty tickled with the scope's crisp sight picture. On July 4th, I'll finally wring it out beyond the Cactus 100-yard limit when we shoot the AZ-CDL Independence Day Rifle Match at the Pima Pistol Club. They've got a 200-yard limit. Later in the year, I'll finally get to try my 300-yard hold at Rio Salado and PR&GC South Mountain.

Of course, I don't think Filipinos actually engineered the scope, but they sure put it together well.

Weekend Caption/Photoshop Contest

Sticky until Monday

Got a better caption or photoshop for this Reuters pic? You could win a coveted Blog Ad on my side bar! If you're lucky, I'll be too busy to blog and you'll keep your ad up for weeks!

Original Caption:

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (in red) and her family are welcomed by traditional dancers in Gaborone June 24, 2011. With Michelle Obama are (L-R) her mother Marian Robinson, Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning Gloria Somolekae, nephew Avery Robinson, daughter Sasha Obama, niece Leslie Robinson and daughter Malia Obama. REUTERS/Charles Dharapak/Pool

You need not be a blogger to win; however, if you post anonymously, it will be very difficult to recognize you again to design a Blog Ad.

Check out the links in Drinks Ordered for photoshops!

Judging begins Monday Night. Or not.

WINNER!

Mostly Cajun wins with:

"I seen better moves in the parkin' lot a' the Circle K on two fo' one fo'ties night."

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Cactus 3-Gun Fun Match

I'd originally intended to skip the Cactus 3-Gun this month and join several of my to-be-named-later AZ GunBlogger friends at the PHX Rod & Gun Club 3-Gun Match at South Mountain. It was going to be a new experience for most of them and I really looked forward to helping them take their first steps in enjoying my favorite sport. That was until my buddy Jon mentioned that the night before was going to be his birthday party and he'd really appreciate not having to drive further to a match that started 2 hours earlier than the Cactus Match. Well, since I'd intended to share his beer and fellowship until midnight myself, I decided to stick to the 9 am Cactus showtime instead of the 7 am South Mountain start time. That was cool with Big Bob, Ron, and new shooter Chris that we were mentoring at his first match. (Incidentally, those few AZbloggers who made the SM showtime watched for a bit, but didn't compete). Since all of our shooters were invited to Jon's party, they'd gladly endure a a little extra sun (it was only 109F) for a good night's sleep.

Endure it we did. In addition to recording Jon's performance on video like I always do, I offered to document Chris' match for a helpful critique later. The following is a primer for any new shooter trying 3-Gun for the first time, especially those trying it in the Arizona summertime.

• BE SAFE!
• Wear sunscreen. And a hat.
• Bring and drink lots of water.
• Clean and lubricate your weapons beforehand.
• Know where your rifle hits at close, medium, and long ranges.
• Wear a glove on your support hand; Nomex is good for preventing pain caused by your hot black rifle or shotgun.
• Consider investing in knee and elbow pads in case you want to kneel or go prone where no carpeting has been provided.
• Bring extra ammo in case you need to re-shoot a stage.
• Wear something to store extra rifle magazines and extra shotgun shells. Pockets aren't the best for that.
  
• Shotgun magazine extender!
• BE SAFE!
  

I'm not saying all of these applied to Chris, but you can guess at some of them by watching the video. He got a lengthy post-match critique on shooting grip (Todd Jarrett sez, "Hold it 20 percent tighter!") and match strategy ("Don't shoot your shotgun dry"), so be kind in comments. I'm sure *your* first match had similar hiccups, and if you say otherwise, you're a lying douche-bag.

6.25

On this day in 1950, massive Communist North Korean forces led by dictator Kim Il-song attacked across the 38th Parallel, driving the South Koreans and a caretaker US Army force into a fighting retreat to trade ground for time.

Today, I toast the defenders of Freedom, past and present, who've toiled to keep the Morning Calm.

Rest in Peace, Peter

Is heavy, Da?

Weekend Caption/Photoshop Contest

Sticky until Monday

Got a better caption or photoshop for this AFAIK unaltered pic? You could win a coveted Blog Ad on my side bar! If you're lucky, I'll be too busy to blog and you'll keep your ad up for weeks!

You need not be a blogger to win; however, if you post anonymously, it will be very difficult to recognize you again to design a Blog Ad.

Check out the links in Drinks Ordered for photoshops!

Judging begins Monday Night. Or not.

WINNER!

Anonymous reader wins with:

THIS IS MY PILSNER!
THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT,
BUT THIS ONE IS MINE...!

--- Suds McKenzy

Thanks for playing, y'all!

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*Snerk!*

I think they should have jazzed up the Ring some.

h/t to MattS

So Olde, It's Robin Olds

Shovel Ready?

Stand by...

*BEEEP!*


pic hoarked from KisP.

Cereal Killer

Holy Crap!

In all my life, I've never seen a white man in more dire need of a beat-down than this guy.

Update: More on Mister Stolen Valor.

tip of the BDU cap to Chief Lumpy

Free Ice Cream

I guess I should watch the local channels more often.

Fun With History

In my History 101 class, my study group and I get to do a PowerPoint/Video oral presentation on Spartacus: History vs. Hollywood. Besides jumping on the Hollywood aspect for the group, I volunteered to whip up the video portion, complete with official movie trailer hoarked from YouTube. I couldn't resist adding some extras; my partners and I agreed to give the presentation in Roman costumes. They hadn't gotten their costumes in time for the video, though.

Update: Video deleted. It was only up temporarily for hosting for class presentation. It's not the kind of thing I want hanging around as part of my s/fx demo reel. I DO own a tripod and a green screen and I now know how to chroma-key in AfterEffects and Final Cut. I used field expediencies in this video that reduced the amount of stuff I'd have to drag around to class and student meetings, but made the video quality suffer. I think we'll get an "A," though.

Cruisin' for a Bruisin'

Happy Birthday, Mother Service!

Weekend Caption/Photoshop Contest

Sticky until Monday

Got a better caption or photoshop for this AFAIK unaltered pic? You could win a coveted Blog Ad on my side bar! If you're lucky, I'll be too busy to blog and you'll keep your ad up for weeks!

You need not be a blogger to win; however, if you post anonymously, it will be very difficult to recognize you again to design a Blog Ad.

Check out the links in Drinks Ordered for photoshops!

Judging begins Monday Night. Or not.

WINNER!

Lil Bro wins with:

How to get home, surf board or motor boat?

Honorable Mention:

BobG of Near the Salty City said:

The true origin of the phrase, "A shrimp on a Barbie."

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Weiner Treatment

It's not spelled Wiener?

Thanx and a hat tip to Tom R.

Studnut

Sorry for the lack of free ice cream lately, but I've been learning more than I ever wanted to know about the Picts and about Spartacus.

Did you know that "Spartacus" broke the Hollywood Blacklist? Back in the 50s, you couldn't make movies if you were a member of the Communist Party. Nowadays, it's practically a requirement.

I Like

Hey, if they can have sparkly Obama riding a Skittles-shitting unicorn....

Hat tip to Chili

Weekend Caption/Photoshop Contest

Sticky until Monday

Got a better caption or photoshop for this AFAIK unaltered pic? You could win a coveted Blog Ad on my side bar! If you're lucky, I'll be too busy to blog and you'll keep your ad up for weeks!

You need not be a blogger to win; however, if you post anonymously, it will be very difficult to recognize you again to design a Blog Ad.

Check out the links in Drinks Ordered for photoshops!

Judging begins Monday Night. Or not.

WINNER!

Reader R Mark wins with:

The West Virginia Out of The Closet marching band (n)ever really took off. Apparently heels are not an asset when marching in the West Virginia hills.

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The Orientation

Other than trying my smaller (compared to now) menagerie of things-that-go-boom back when we were stationed together in west Texas, the only funsticks Frank ever got to try were the M-16A2 (with no optics) and the M-9 pistol supplied by the USMC. He was rather alarmed by the GLOCK's lack of a manual safety and glad the Corps didn't adopt them. I guess he'd know the general ability of a young boot to avoid shooting himself when the only safety is directly on the trigger.




Radio Battalion Marines shoot a plain jane iron-sighted M-16 for annual qualification, so Frank was amazed at what optics can do for the shooter. He really liked the unmagnified Trijicon Reflex II on my light-weight Bushy.








Ossified by three decades of USMC training, Frank refused to try the fore-grip on the POFmeister. I was a bit embarrassed that we only put 50 rounds through it before calling it quits. I found the other 50-round box after we'd dismantled our target stand.

I Know Something You Don't Know

Frank is NOT left-handed!

Did you know today is National Open Carry Day? At least in those parts of the country where law-abiding citizens are free to demonstrate their right to bear arms.

My buddy Frank came down for the weekend and we spent this afternoon exercising our right at the range and the local Subway sandwich shop.

This was Frank's first experience with OC and in his words, "I like it!"



For some reason (like the extreme clutter in my house), I couldn't find my Galco OWB holster or Fobus right-hander, so I lent him a lefty Fobus I had in my holster box.

Besides giving Frank the opportunity to fire a GLOCK for the first time, I also tried to teach him a decidedly non-Marine Corps approach to Evil Black Rifles. With an eye towards introducing him to the 3-Gun Game, I encouraged him to speed up his acquisition and transition to another target. It'll take him a few matches to speed up his short game, but his 30 years of USMC marksman training will make him a dead-eye on the long-range courses of fire.

After our jaunt to the range in the Stang (top down, of course), we stopped at the Subway to pick up lunch. Frank was amazed at the non-event generated by two guys walking into a sandwich shop with serious iron on their hips. Welcome to Arizona, Frank. Welcome to the Land of the Free!

Update: Before anyone busts on me for disparaging Marine Corps combat training, Frank was a Radio Battalion senior NCO (the "Top" really) and though "Every Marine is a Rifleman," not every Marine is a high-speed, low-drag death dealer-- many of them have day jobs that prevent them from getting the trigger time that my 3-Gun friends and I get. I'm not even a high-speed, low-drag death dealer, but I gave Frank a low bar to exceed. I just hope he has as much fun at the game as my other friends and I.

Me Likee

Nothing Runs Like a Deere.

Summer School

Man, I was really torqued when the college called Friday afternoon to tell me my Geometry/Trig class was canceled due to lack of participation... that torquitude turned to joy when I checked my Degree Planner app and saw that the class was in the Elective column because my score on the math placement test I'd taken to get that class turned out to satisfy my degree requirements. So I'm taking a pay cut because I'm three-quarter time instead of full-time, but I'm just two classes away from Graduation instead of three!

This week, I started History of Western Civilization, where the only thing I really learned was that Mesopotamia consisted of Sumer, Akkad, and Assyria. Well, that and the fact that my class has two smokin' hot Iraqi girls from that area. Oh, and all the other hot chicks. Add the fact that our professor has got a sense of humor and I can safely say that this ought to be an enjoyable half-semester.

On our first day, we had a substitute, who during the icebreaker revealed that she had taught History on Osan Air Base, South Korea. She sure gave me a dirty look when I asked "What Years?" hoping to see if we had some overlap. At least I didn't ask, "During the War?"