Tactical Considerations

I've been spending a lot of time of late at www.wethearmed.com--I'll be adding it to the sidebar--which is an excellent site for the firearms enthusiast. Very intelligent techinical discussion on a wide variety of topics. The site also happens to be unblocked by the new firewall at work, which allows me to read something interesting during my lunch break other than the headlines at Drudge. It appears there is a problem with the topic of 'weapons.'

Please.

I've been investigating outdoor range options here locally ever since our bodacious trip to the midwest. On our way back, I visited the Linden Conservation Club with Martin S. in Indiana, and it was a true good ol' boy experience. They have a skeet setup that is enviably boss, with various automated clay launching stations to test your abilities at a variety of angles. Really cool and incredibly reasonable in terms of the price, not to mention the occasional serving of complimentary beans.

The local Izaak Walton league in Warren County offers some range possibilities, but the devotion to shooting on their vast 155-acre property is sadly lacking as far as I can tell. The IWL is not out-out-the question--the property is gorgeous--I just want to check out all my options first.

Good news. I just heard back from Tactical Machining out of Florida, and they are selling complete uppers for $615. (For those of you who read this and don't know, it's the barrel/top portion of an assualt rifle(AR).) That is a sick deal, considering the availability and quality coming out of their shop. Availability on the AR market as a whole is scarce or insanely overpriced. Another option is Crusader Arms, another new start-up that will produce premium weapons, but there is a premium to the cost as well. I am trying to keep the build under $1000 minus optics.

I love shooting rifles. I really do. I simply can't wait to complete the set up of my first "evil black rifle." My nickname of "Dr. Evil Laugh" will then take on an entirely new meaning.

That's it for now. I am trying to entertain my fiesty red-headed daughter while I type. More later peeps.

--Nick-Dog

The Zen of Oil

(See Clare's Blog for stellar pics of our Chicago vacation.)

It was actually somewhat meditative for me to change the oil and rotate the tires on the Mustang this evening. I didn't realize it until I noticed myself pouring the Mobil 1 Synthetic into the engine rather smoothly, that is, without mishap.

It was pleasant but strange. I half wanted to be outside working, as it was so beautiful this evening, and the other half of me wanted to be inside slouching on the couch, chillaxing. Apparently, I inadvertnetly found some sort of equilibrium and each of those things canceled each other out, while I went through the motions almost as if I was on autopilot.

Sometimes we know what to do to solve a problem or crisis, but want to procrastinate. It's not that the problem is so difficult it can't be solved--we know the steps--we just don't want to put in the time to make whatever solution possible happen. And yet, if we just put in the time, the solution will all come together...eventually.

And yet, as I find myself at the grand age of 30, I do not think kindly of time. As the clock ticks, this world passes away. Opportunities missed are lost to the often misty corridors of memory, to be revisisted only on occasion. As we age, time seems to speed up, making the visitation of memories long past, more difficult, more of a sacrifice.

Today as I was traveling home, a speed demon cut me off from the right, with barely an inch for room to pass. He certainly risked his own life and mine. On the one hand, I feel he deserves to go to prison for the stunt, on the other, what practical recourse does a civilian have in an incident such as this? An accident did not occur, but it could have? I could have become enraged, but what good would it do? I am not a cop, but if I was, I would have placed him in cuffs. And the irony of the situation is that he was only a car ahead of me 10 minutes later when getting off the interestate.

The point is, if there is one in this post, sometimes it is pointless to rush. Timing is everything, as Sun Tzu, I believe, once said. Choose your battles. Time is of the essence. Wasted energy is energy you can't get back. Pray for the bastard and move on.

Peace Out,

--Nick-Dog

Vacation Thoughts

As I write, I am sitting in NW Indiana, looking forward to a day in Chicago, visiting the Shed Aquarium.

The first order of business this morning, however, will be my visit to a relatively local cafe that serves Intellegentsia Coffee that I will bring back for us.

So far this has been an outrageously kick ass trip. My brother and sister came over to my parents impromptu the afternoon of the day we got in and it was just great to have them over and see them. And now that the Bamster has been in office for 6 months, I have tons of ammunition with which to convince the unbelievers in my family that he is a socialist.

Yesterday, Sunday, we went to mass at the Discalced Carmelite Monastery in town, snagged a midwestern skillet at Round the Clock, visited the park, Gayte's Ice Cream, took a neigborhood walk, and went to Cabela's in Hammond, one of my absolute favorite places around.

I saw a used Glock 37 for $400. That's the .45 GAP round. If I was in the market, I would have snapped it up. But I am pretty well set up on firearms for the moment. I do need a back up gun pistol in 9MM for the G17, but that's about the extent of my authentic needs right now. That and an upper, but it will have to wait, too.

Looking forward to the rest of the trip. It's been great. Just wanted to chime in quickly. Peace out yos.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Celebrating Independence Day

This evening I arrived home and put together a little craft project for the Marlin. After reviewing some homemade gun racks online, I gathered some scrap wood from the shed, drew a template, and began cutting some pieces with the Craftsman jigsaw my dad gave me.

I remember this saw vividly from my youth. I had asked my dad to cut 2 scimitars for me for Halloween when I was in 6th grade or so. I was about 12 years old, and watched him cut the curves in the blade with this particular saw. In fact, it's so old school it actually says "Made in the USA" on the side. Try finding an electric anything in the tool world these days with that stated anywhere on the tool and you'll be looking for a long time.

So anyway I took my inherited saw and cut out the template for the rack's sides. After a couple of screw ups and mishaps with breaking them, I finally was able to put together the 2 side pieces on the center piece and hang it over the door. The result, I think, looks quite natural.

I am really proud of this little project. A Coors, some sawdust and a few shots with the nail gun later and it was done. The .22 nestles in the rack perfectly and is easily accessible near the rear door. You never know when you need a long gun for something out here.

As I've stated elsewhere, I purchased this firearm as the "backwoods" gun for the house. The backwoods. Since I was a kid, this word captured the essence of man's life of survival and play with and in nature for me. I went into the backwoods to start fires with my brother, smoke pipes in a lofty tree, fishing, and hone what survival skills I had. In my mind the backwoods has always carried with it a nostalgic, even primal, meaning. It is a word that designates that other place you go as man to be fully man, where the drudgeries of life evaporate and man can naturally seperate the BS from his true self.

Perhaps I am not the only one who thinks like this. There's even a Backwoods Magazine dedicated to conservative homesteading.

You know, it's good to make your own stuff if you can. You have more control over the quality of the process and the outcome. So much is junk these days--MDF kitchen cabinets, for example--and people pay thousands for it. Screw that. I prefer to make my own stuff to be used, and flawed though it may be, I'm proud of it. That's what indedependece is all about.

Happy 4th of July to ye all.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog