What is up with me?

Since giving up the reigns of match director for the AZ chapter of ACTS, I have only been to one match. What is up with me?

I really like all the guys still running the group. Karl, the current match director, was the right man for the job and continues to prove it each month. Jake, Russell, and Aaron are still there helping to design stages and run things. The matches appear to better than ever, so, why don't I go?

The only thing I can think of is that I was more burnt out running things than I thought originally. That is the only logical explanation I can come up with. I think I'm just not going to worry about getting to a match for now. Just take this time to get away from it totally and wait until the desire finally comes back to me.

Know Your Rights!

This has been around for a while now but felt it worth bringing up here. If you are ever involved in a self defense shooting please remember the info from this vid and shut your mouth!

As if things are not rough enough...

...now I have two ear infections. Ugh!

I missed two days from work this week due to massive headaches, fever, nausea, dizziness, and aching. Everyone kept trying to tell me I had the flu but I knew better. (I haven't had the flu since I was a kid!) Went to the doc and confirmed it wasn't the flu but two serious ear infections. My right ear is so bad that the ear drum has torn away from the ear canal to relieve the pressure and the left one is ready to go. Doc said it is nothing to worry about since we are taking care of the problem with antibiotics and some medicated ear drops. He said it should heal up fine.

Man, I feel like I have been cursed lately. It seems every time I turn around I'm either getting hurt or sick. Yea, me. Eh, things will get better. I'm only two weeks away from (hopefully) being cleared to ride my bike again! (see previous post)

Been busy!

Wow, I kind of got away from the blogging thing for a while.

Anyways, been busy with the family for the most part. I haven't gone to an ACTS match in (I think) 3 months. I have been spending a lot of my time riding dirtbikes with my kids. They are growing up so quick and they will leave for college soon so I'm getting as much quality time as I can.

Unfortunately, I have been down for the past three weeks. I took a nasty spill on my KDX and broke a bone in my right hand along with two ribs on the same side. Bad thing was I was in the middle of nowhere and had to ride my bike out in excruciating pain. One thing I have figured out is that I'm not a kid anymore. Get hurt really sucks...BAD!

BTW, a few pics!

My street legal '90 Kawasaki KDX200...



My son's '02 Yamaha TTR125L...



My daughter posing on her '79 Honda XL75...



My son tearing up a friend's yard on the little Honda...



Man, I wish I could heal quicker. I have at least another 3 weeks before I can ride again. (sigh)

CARS.gov website...scary sh*t!

Please, what ever you do, do NOT visit the cars.gov website unless you wish to allow the Feds unrestricted access to you computer! Watch the vid and pass it on!

New Time & Money Consumers

As most have probably noticed I haven't been online much at all lately. Well, I have been busy with another hobby of mine. That hobby would be motorcycle riding.

Now, I have been riding MC's since I was a kid but sold my last bike ('74 Yamaha RD350) when I moved to AZ 12 years ago. I have been itching to ride ever since so I decided to do something about it finally and purchased me a new (to me) toy.

What I picked up was a '90 Kawasaki KDX200 "enduro" bike. No, it is not a street bike but for fun in the dirt. I have about $550 in it as it sits (trade deal) and it is a great running bike. At the same time I managed to score an old '79 Honda XL75 to teach my kids how to ride! Now if I can just find good (and legal) places to go riding in the desert!

My hero, Uncle Ted!

Straight and to the point. You just gotta' love Uncle Ted!

What did you do today...

...for Freedom?

ACTS Match - June '09

Wow, what a great time at the range today! We had a whopping 28 shooters today and everything ran pretty smooth except for the Stage I props being blown over repeatedly due to the wind. The temperature (94°) wasn't too bad suprisingly.

The best parts of the whole thing was that I didn't have to worry about running things and I actually shot the match for once. Now, I didn't do great but I know it was my handgun skills that let me down. I had a couple of large penalties on one stage that put me near the bottom of the pack. Oh well, I'll be better next match!

One last thing of note. I shot the match today using the wife's AR instead of my usual HK93 clone. Her rifle shot extremely well and functioned perfectly all day. On Stage II, in which you had to engage a target 5 times in 7 seconds at 175 yards, I managed to get 3 shots on paper out of 4 fired. Yeah, I ran out of time before I could fire the 5th shot. Stage II had a second string to it that required 2 targets to be engaged with 5 rounds each at 100 yards in 7 seconds total. On this string I got 10 out of 10!

I'll shut up for now. Here are a few pics from todays match.

(EDIT: Here is a link to 213 pics from the match! June '09 match pics - full set)

It is done!

Yep, the AR kit I have been waiting on since January 30th finally arrived on June 12th! I assembled it that night and it passed all function tests. I will be shooting it this week to sight her in and then using it at this months ACTS match.

The kit was ordered through J&T and I must say I am very happy with the kit. My only complaint is that the front handguard does not match well to the buttstock, PG, and mag. The buttstock color is off a bit also but not as bad as the handguard. If someone knows where to purchase one that matches well with P-mags please let me know.

As for the specs...

16" Lightweight, 1x9 chrome lined barrel, 5.56 NATO chamber, A2 flash suppressor
A3 Upper w/Tac-Latch, chromed bolt and carrier
Sun Devil billet lower with HK type pictogram markings
M4 six position stock, CAR handguards, A2 pistol grip - all in Coyote Brown
I will be using P-mags and have already mounted my Fakepoint to it. No BUIS at the moment as I haven't decided on which one.

The complete rifle with scope and empty mag weighs in at extactly 7lbs! That was the reason I ordered this rifle in the first place. My wife and kids said my HK93 clone was too heavy to shoot for more than a few rounds unless using a shooting rest. I thought it would just be cheaper for them to get stronger but they didn't go for that idea! My rifle weighs in at only a pound heavier but I know the bulk of the weight is further forward than an AR which makes it feel even heavier.

Here is a really crappy pic for now. I plan to take some better ones this week.

Woohoo!

Just got an e-mail from J&T Distributing that the AR-15 kit I ordered is ready to ship! Hopefully I will have it assembled and ready to try out at the next ACTS match! More to come after it arrives!

Personal Vaporizers (a.k.a. E-cigs)

I have been a cigarette smoker for far too many years and have tried to quit many, many times. However I am weak when it comes to beating this addiction and always seem to relapse. Yep, being dumb in your youth still can haunt you in your adult life. -sigh-

Low and behold a new product comes on the market to help people get away from cigarettes. Enter the personal vaporizer (PV) otherwise known as an E-cig (electronic cigarette).

Here are a few pics...










An "E-cig" is an electrical device that creates a vapor to be inhaled which contains varying strengths of nicotine or even none at all. They come in many sizes and color configurations. Some look like real cigarettes and others that look like something from your toolbox! No, they are not the asnwer to nictine addiction. Just a safer, arguably cheaper, and public friendly way of receiving the nicotine that one is addicted to.

Now, the first thought everyone has is "What is the point? You are still feeding a nicotine addiction!" Well, that is true. However, by using a PV you are eliminating the other 400+ chemicals you were putting into your body. That includes carbon monoxide, tar, arsenic, formaldehyde, and many other known carcinogens. I think simple logic would indicate this has to be healthier than any tobacco cigarette on the market.

I have decided to give these things a try to just see if if they can get me away from the real thing. I suggest that if you know a smoker that wants to quit and has tried all the different methods without success that this might be something for them to look in to. For more info they can check out the E-cigarette forums. The one piece of advise I can give is to do as much research as possible on the subject before just jumping in.

Time To Move On

As some of you may know, I was the match director for the Arizona chapter of ACTS. The operative word there is "was".

I had been wanting my assistant to take things over for the past 4-5 months but he wanted no part of it. Frankly, I don't blame him. For the most part it is a thankless job and a lot of responsibility and headaches. The very reasons I wanted out myself. I am happy with and proud of what I accomplished for our chapter. It has survived and grown in every aspect but it was time for me to move on.

Anyways, a situation arose that allowed me to pass the torch to another of the core members. I know the match is in good hands with him. We already have a great crew in place and he, the new MD, has the vision to see what makes a match good. Over the past 15 months of me being the MD ACTS has grown more than I had hoped for and I see this trend continuing under the new leadership. I think we are in for some great matches here in the very near future!

The Unreasonable Man

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him...
The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself...
All progress depends on the unreasonable man."

George Bernard Shaw

FREE NRA Membership

If you haven't joined the NRA because you don't have the money, now is your chance to do it for free! Yep, a free 1 year membership.

Now I'm not a huge NRA supporter but they are the largest organization out there for firearm owners. Maybe if we get enough of us "no compromise" people in we can change them for the better!

So, join up and let your voice be heard by clicking the link below!

FREE NRA Membership

This was posted by a member on a musician forum I visit but figured it could help plenty of other people when doing transactions on the internet. Hope it helps someone!

I get about 2 or 3 requests a month from people asking me to help them track down someone who has ripped them off on a transaction on eBay, HC, Bassgear, etc. I'm more than happy to help out, but the one thing I have noticed is that a lot of people don't protect themselves as much as they could. Here's a little checklist to go through that I posted over on the Dudepit that can help you guys avoid a lot of grief when doing a deal with someone you don't know.

In the future, I hope everyone here checks out people before they do business with them. A lot of you guys here buy and sell a lot of gear, and if you know the person...great. But if not make sure you get a home phone# a work phone # a cell phone# home address etc. check out the info too. Call the person. If you think they gave you a cell# as a home or work # - check it out here:

http://www.fonefinder.net/

It will tell you if it's a land line or a cell and what city it goes to.

Reverse the phone#s and addresses they gave you to see where they go. Argali is really good for this. You can also reverse the address.

Just go to http://www.argali.com/ and download their program.

If you think the address is a mail drop you can check that out as well at http://www.finaid.com/scholarships/maildropsearch.phtml

If you want to find out who owns the address they give you to send payment to you can also go to http://www.skipease.com/property.html

Select the state and county of the address. A lot of them have online databases, but you can call the tax assessor as well and find out who owns that property. These are just a few of the free online resouces you can use to protect yourself and verify the information the seller gives you is accurate. Ask for references from other people they have done business with. If I'm shelling out $100 for an effect pedal or $3000 for a bass, I want to know if the person is honest or not, Make sure the info they give you checks out before you give up any of your hard earned cash. An honest seller won't be offended in the least when you ask them for this info.

Also, using https://www.escrow.com/index.asp is a good idea on any large purchase.

Sorry

Sorry but I have been rather busy lately. I promise I will post up something that is almost readable in the near future!

Help The Little Guy!

I'm sure most don't know that I'm also a musician. I have several works that are protected by copyright and the following story really bothers me. For any author, musician, graphic designer, videographer, etc. this is your worst nightmare coming true! It is a long read but I think it is worth it.

If you would like to help a legal defense fund has been set up for Jon. I have linked it at the bottom.

Today has turned into a real-life nightmare. I wish I could wake up. This nightmare started 9 months ago and has been recurring ever since.

First, a little background. I’ve been designing professionally for 11 years. I started by designing for my church and before long I landed my first design job with Bill Gordon & Associates, an Albuquerque law firm. In January 2000 I formed Relevant Studio as an umbrella for all of my freelance work. I was able to find consistent work through sites such as elance.com, guru.com and designoutpost.com. I began freelancing full-time December 2002.

I’ve known since I was a little boy that I wanted to be an artist. I knew from the first time my preschool doodle went up on my great-grandma’s fridge exactly what I wanted to be. I was introduced to graphic and web design in high school and fell in love with it. I went on to attend The Art Center Design College and The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, all while freelancing on the side to pay the bills.

My first big client was the Warner Brothers TV network (now The CW). They gave me a chance to work on the Smallville launch. Being a comic book geek and TV junkie, I couldn’t have been happier! Because the posters and ads were successful, I was contacted to work on the launch of Birds of Prey as well. That show barely lasted a season, but I enjoyed designing for it anyway. Those ads opened new doors which led to ad work for Alias, CSI and Lost among others. Those jobs were a dream come true for me.

More than anything, the TV ads were a validation for me. They were a sign that I’d picked the right career for me. I haven’t doubted for one moment that I was destined to be a designer. Until today.

This morning I received a message from a friend alerting me to a discussion about me on one of my favorite sites. I tried logging in to see what was going on to find out I had been banned. I emailed the site owner to see what the issue was. His response was that someone had contacted him to inform him I was being investigated for copyright infringement. One of the logos I’ve been accused of stealing was for a client of this site. In order to protect himself from a lawsuit, he had to boot me off the site and distance himself from the problem. I’m not happy about it, but I understand. He wasn’t left with much of a choice.

This morning’s shocker is just a sympton of a larger problem, a HUGE problem, that I became aware of July 2008. I’ve been quietly dealing with it for the past 9 months and thought I was making some headway. Today they crossed a line and have done irreperable damage to my business and my reputation.

I was first contacted by a stock art site in July of last year. They hit me with a bill for a whopping $18,000! I had an account with the site. Years ago I purchased an illustration of a chef’s hat for a client’s project. So, I thought this was some accounting mistake. Nope. This was a bill for new images. Very familiar images. They were images from several of my logos; 65 of them in fact. That breaks down to about $275 per image. They actually wanted me to pay them $275 for each one of MY images!

Once the sticker shock wore off the obvious question came to mind. Where the hell did they get these from? It seems as if most or all of them were lifted from my LogoPond showcase. They especially seemed to favor the ones that made it to the gallery.

My theory is that someone copied my artwork, separated them from any typography and then posted them for sale on the stock site. Someone working for the site either saw my LP showcase or was alerted to the similarities. They then prepared the bill and sent it to me. The good thing is that the bill gives me a record of every single image they took from me. That helps me gather dates, sketches, emails, etc to help me prove my case. The bad thing is that despite my explanations and proof, they will not let this go.

When I refused to pay the bill they hired a law firm specializing in copyright infringement. The attorney called and offered a settlement of $18,000. How is that any different than the bill? I refuse to pay THEM for work I created. That is the epitomy of ridiculous. The attorney didn’t like my response. He threatened to sue. I say BRING IT ON! I have no doubt I can win in court.

Here’s the link to the newly revived LogoPond discussion from August 2008: Copyright Lawyer

However, the new tactic I discovered this morning is so much harder to fight. They are calling or emailing every one of my clients they can find. They inform the client that I’m being investigated for copyright infringement and that the logo I designed for them may have been stolen from their client. After discovering my ban from Design Outpost I began contacting clients to see exactly who they’ve been in touch with. So far, I’ve heard back from three. In every case so far my client is furious with me. They took the lawyer’s warning at face value without bothering to contact me. I understand their reaction to an extent. I’m sure they’re worried that they may be sued as well for using ’stolen’ artwork and the best thing they can do is distance themselves from me.

I feel like this is nothing more than an underhanded campaign meant to demoralize me and destroy my reputation. If you read through their website you can see they work on contingency. This means they don’t get paid if their client doesn’t get paid. I’ve also made it very clear there’s no way in hell that I’ll ever pay up. I’ll declare bankruptcy and go to work for McDonald’s before that happens. Are they thinking they can beat me into submission? Do they think I’ll agree to a settlement to make it all go away? Guess again. I have the truth on my side and I will NEVER pay a rip-off artist or their extortionist lawyers.

Thankfully, I have a lot of incidental proof. I would never have thought to plan for something like this, but now I wish I had. Beyond timestamps this becomes my word against theirs to a degree. The logos on LogoPond have a date stamp showing when I uploaded them to the site. This is good, especially if the designs were stolen from my showcase. My submission date will always be earlier than theirs. Even if its only by a day, first is first. Kode ( @kodespark) suggested looking at the meta data in my source files. I didn’t know about meta data before today, but there are timestamps on the files as well. All of the meta timestamps pre-date my LogoPond submissions.

What do they have? A bill and a bulldog lawyer. They refuse to give me upload dates for any of the images in question. If they believe they’re in the right, then why would they hide that from me? I have asked time and again for the name of the artist who uploaded the stolen work. I finally received an email which is less than helpful:

“Sir, it is not a question of one artist, but several. It is quite obvious you’ve been using the site as your personal reservoir of stolen works.”

I find that extremely hard to believe. I don’t believe it. I don’t believe that a group of people came together to form a cartel of logo rips. They are skirting the issue and won’t give me a straight answer about anything.

So what do I do now? How do I fight back? I hope that making the issue public will help. If they’ve done this to me, they could do it to any one of us. It seems that every day one of us finds a new rip-off artist displaying our work as their own and I’m absolutely sick of it! If you don’t have any artistic abilities, then please find a legitimate line of work. I just don’t get it.

I know this is a long post, so I’ll wrap it up. I hope the issue is resolved soon and will be sure to keep everyone updated with my progress. Big big thanks to everyone who’s shown their support on Twitter, Logopond and Facebook! I love you guys and would have given up the fight without your support.

A lawsuit I can handle, but this has hit me hard. If they were shooting for demoralizing, then mission accomplished. I was so upset about this that I almost threw in the towel. I wanted to shut down my site and delete my LP showcase and go find a job doing anything else. If it hadn’t been for my friends, Mike and Kode, I probably would have. They started a #SaveJon campaign on Twitter that showed me now is the time to fight, not walk away.

Story: http://digg.com/d1nxBm

Maricopa County Sheriffs Speak Out!

These Sheriff's deputies have my respect. They have had it with the racical accusations directed at them and the political slant put out by their own leaders. All I can say is more power to them and I hope they stay safe! We at ACTS are with you!

http://gannett.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/gannett-phoenix-531-pub01-live/current/launch.html?maven_playerId=videopage&maven_referralObject=1081143832

Looking For A Cool Gift For Your Youngster? - Shameless Plug!

I have never pimped anything I have professionally worked on before but, with our upcoming "Old West" themed ACTS match, I just had to! It fun for kids. Even the "big" kind!

Hotshot's Gunslinger School

* HOW TO SPIN TOY GUNS *

GUN TRICKS FUN AND EASY TO LEARN

This fun and instructional video for kids and adults shows and explains how to perform over twenty gun tricks in detail. It features a cap-gun safety lesson, two mini-movies, a special action-packed stunt-filled shoot out, original music, hilarious out takes and more. This is gun spinning made fun. If you ever wanted to be a gun spinner, this is the one for you. All the gun spinning tricks are the real thing, just done with toy guns. Now you can learn gun spinning with your kids at home.

Buy it here HotshotPerformer Store -or- SASS Mercantile

I have audio engineering, composition, and arrangement credits for this DVD. The first link has audio that plays when you visit it. That music is from the DVD and sounds much better than the compressed version used for the website. BTW, Volume II is in the works!

ACTS Is Going Cowboy Tactical!

I just had to share this. Yep, we are actually doing an ACTS match based on real world events from the "Old West" and it should be a blast. Hope to see you guys and gals there!

My New Millet DMS-1 In Action!

Even though I didn't actually shoot the ACTS match this month (what else is new?) I did shoot one stage to try out my new Millet DMS-1 scope.

(For a full review of this month's ACTS match please click here: Cowboy Blob's March ACTS Match Review)

For those not familiar with the Millet DMS-1 scope the "DMS" stands for Designated Marksman Scope. It is a 1-4 x24 variable power scope with illuminated reticle. Some complain that the reticle illumination is not visible in bright sunlight and I must say they are correct. However, I didn't in the slightest find that it slowed me down or create any problems for me. Unlike a traditional red dot, the DMS still has the reticle even if the battery is dead. I consider that a huge bonus over an Aimpoint/EOtech. IMO, the lighted reticle is more for use in low light conditions and, in that it role, I do believe the lighted reticle would be an excellent choice for precision shooting. Here is a graphic of the reticle. For actual pics of the scope and the lit reticle see my earlier post titled "Hmm, Maybe Change Is Good?".





I must say that it was a big change from using an Aimpoint type red dot. Eye relief and alignment are something you have to pay attention to with the DMS. However, I did find that on the 1x setting I could shoot with both eyes open like a red dot and I was quite happy about that.

OK, enough of my rambling. Here is a vid of my first ever action with the Millet DMS-1.

(BTW, my setup consist of Vector HK93 clone, American Defense AD-SCOUT mount, Millet DMS-1 w/Butler Creek flip up lens caps)

So, Am I A Terrorist Now?

I guess when I drive through Missouri each summer I had better keep my head down and remove any patriotic/pro-American bumperstickers from my car according to these documents. I guess the 1st and 4th Amendments really don't mean anything anymore.

Anyways, read it for yourself and make up your own mind.

Finally, Something To Shake Off The Funk.

I have not felt like posting anything here lately but something I have been waiting for has finally arrived to help chase the blues away.

What is it you ask? Well, I had an order in for a custom walnut grip for HK93 clone. My plan has been to not only have the forend and buttstock like some HK's have but to have the grip as well. Hell, you won't even see HK93's with would forends as they are really hard to find. My forend is a bastardized G3 forend that I had to cut down to work.

Anyways, here is the grip. It was made by John Downey and cost me $60 (with no finish applied) to my door. He offers them finished for $75.

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BTW, here are a few grips he did for other people. Sweet lookin' grips, huh?

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Oh, I almost forgot. I also got one of the much needed metal endcaps so that I may mount a wood buttstock to my rifle. I'm getting very close to having my rifle the way I have envisioned it. Now I got to get some tung oil and do some sanding!

Eh...

Sorry but I haven't felt much like posting anything lately. I lost a very close family member and it has been hard to be interested in just about anything.

What's Scares Me More Than Zombies?

As you already know, we are putting on our first zombie themed ACTS match this weekend. Well, I'm a little scared right now because if everyone shows up that says they are we will have about 60 shooters! YES, 60 SHOOTERS!!! It would be the largest match in AZ ACTS history and make for one helluva long day at the range.

Man, I'm going to be one worn out puppy! :)

Z-WAR Standing Orders!

Situation

Enemy Forces

At this time, information on the enemy is scattered at best. The enemy seems to be people previously thought to be dead.

Friendly Forces

Friendly forces are limited. There seem to be few people available who are both prepared and trained to engage these hostile forces.

Mission

All units receiving will rally at Pima Pistol Club (32.458360N, -110.906789E) NLT 0830 21FEB09 to defend prescribed area against incursion.

Execution

Commander's Intent - At this time, survival is our primary goal. Stay tuned to receive more information.

Concept of the Operation - Again, to stay alive. As we receive more information from intelligence, we will have a more concrete plan.

Service Support

Administration - We will take no prisoners. Since it appears to be a contagion, at this time, we will not have any CASEVAC plans.

Logistics - Each individual will be responsible for arriving with at least 200 rounds of ammunition for their rifle, and 75 for their pistol. Water is also suggested.

Command/Signal

Signal
http://tinyurl.com/9nggqe
arizonaacts@gmail.com

Zombies? Yes, Zombies!

That's right, we are throwing a zombie inspired ACTS match! It should be a lot of fun and not everyone will survive!

Hmm, Maybe Change Is Good?

Since our new President has said it was time for change I figured I would do my part. I ditched my Fakepoint and and my HK93 clone is now sporting a brand new Millet DMS-1 1x4 scope!

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Yeah, change can be good!

That Wise Old Bird

A wise old owl lived in an oak.

The more he saw the less he spoke.

The less he spoke the more he heard.

Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?

I Think I'm Going To Puke!

Wow. Just...wow.

Newsweek: We Are All Socialists Now

"In many ways our economy already resembles a European one. As boomers age and spending grows, we will become even more French."

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Read it if you dare! Now excuse me while I go puke my American guts out!

P-Mags Found!

It seems like it is almost impossible to find P-mags anywhere unless you want 20 rounders. Well, just a heads up that Adam Weber of HKparts.net has them in stock. Black or Dark Earth, windowed or not. They are listed on the HK416 page near the bottom if you are looking for some.

RKBA - The Right To Self Defense - Part 5

Around 5:30 p.m., two armed robbers entered Grand Market convenience store in Tucson, Ariz. and fired at the employee on duty. The employee retrieved his gun and fired back at the robbers, striking one, and causing both to flee. The injured robber made it outside the store, but died in the parking lot. Police are still searching for the other robber. The employee was also wounded in the exchange of gunfire, but is recovering at a local hospital. A frequent customer of Grand Market, Margarita Grajeda, noted that the store had been the target of robberies in the past and that at some point the store would be forced to fight back. Grajeda also expressed her sympathy for the owners of the store and said that “they’re such nice people.”

The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, Ariz. 01/27/09

The Wait...

I have finally ordered the AR kit from J&T and now it is the waiting game. It sucks bad enough with the barrel delays but they were also hit by that brutal snow/ice storm in the Midwest. They are currently without power so nothing is getting done. Yeah. :(




This is basically what it will look like when it is done. BTW, this "rendering" of what her rifle might look like when completed was made using Brownell's AR-15 Builder. It isn't 100% accurate but it is close enough to get a good idea on what your rifle will look like.

A Course Of Action Has Been Decided!

I have decided to build my wife an AR instead of an MP5 clone. This helps in the stocking ammo department and she can customize it until her heart is content.

The start of her AR is a Gen III Sun Devil billet lower with HK style pictogram markings. The rest of her rifle will be coming from J&T. It will be a 16" CAR type rifle. Chrome lined, lightweight barrel on an A3 upper and Coyote Brown furniture.

Anyways here are a couple of pics of the lower and I'll update as things progress.

I Just Had To Show This One Of Bob!

This is from the January match as well. For those that know Bob, and check out my blog, I thought you guys might enjoy it.

January ACTS Match

First match of the new year! We had four very challenging stages this month and they frustrated a lot of shooters! Generally, the match ran pretty well other than some construction the range was doing during our match. Why they scheduled construction at this time I have no clue but it did not make me happy.

Anyways, here are some vids from the match.

STAGE I




STAGE III



STAGE IV

RKBA - The Right To Self Defense - Part 4

A right-to-carry permit holder was at a carwash in Orlando, Fla. when two men, one carrying a sawed-off shotgun, approached him. When the men demanded money, the right-to-carry permit holder pulled his gun and fired at the robbers, striking one. The wounded robber died about 50 feet from where he was hit, while the other robber fled the scene.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office Commander Paul Hopkins noted that there had been a number of similar robberies within the past week. The Commander also stated “For the bad guys out there, you never know who you’re dealing with… When you go out to commit this crime, you might be the one who’s lying dead in the parking lot.”

(WESH, Orlando, Fla. 01/12/09)

2x4 Tuesday

This is a cool idea that I thought I should share in the hopes that more people might jump onboard to help the cause. It is a campaign to help remind our elected officials that they took an oath to protect the U.S Constitution and in particular, the 2nd Amendment.

Take a look and see if you want to join the team! 2x4 Tuesday Please pass the info and link on to anyone you think that might appreciate it!

Gun Ownership UP & Violent Crime at 30 Year LOW

Guns.
The number of privately owned guns in the U.S. is at an all-time high. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) estimates that there were about 215 million guns in 1999,1 when the number of new guns was averaging about 4.5 million (about 2%) annually.2 A report for the National Academy of Sciences put the 1999 figure at 258 million.3 According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there were 60.4 million approved (new and used) NICS firearm transactions between 1994 2004.4 The number of NICS checks for firearm purchases or permits increased 3.2% between 2003-2004.

Gun Owners.
The number of gun owners is also at an all-time high. The U.S. population is at an all-time high (294 million), and rises about 1% annually.5 Numerous surveys over the last 40+ years have found that almost half of all households have at least one gun owner.6 Some surveys since the late 1990s have indicated a smaller incidence of gun ownership,7 probably because of some respondents` concerns about "gun control," residually due, perhaps, to the anti-gun policies of the Clinton Administration.

Right-to-Carry.
The number of RTC states is at an all-time high, up from 10 in 1987 to 38 today.8 In 2004, states with RTC laws, compared to other states, had lower violent crime rates on average. Total violent crime was lower by 21%, murder by 28%, robbery by 43%, and aggravated assault by 13.9%.

"Less Gun Control."
Violent crime has declined while many "gun control" laws have been eliminated or made less restrictive. Many states have eliminated prohibitory or restrictive carry laws, in favor of Right-to-Carry laws. The federal Brady Act`s waiting period on handgun sales ended in 1998, in favor of the NRA-supported National Instant Check, and some states thereafter eliminated waiting periods, purchase permit requirements, or other laws delaying gun sales. The federal "assault weapon" ban expired in 2004. All states now have hunter protection laws, 46 have range protection laws, 46 prohibit local jurisdictions from imposing gun laws more restrictive than state law, 44 protect the right to arms in their constitutions, and 33 prohibit frivolous lawsuits against the firearm industry.10

Studies by and for Congress, the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress, the National Institute of Justice, the National Academy of Sciences, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and even researchers who support "gun control," have found no evidence that "gun control" reduces crime.11

Crime.
The FBI reports that the nation`s total violent crime rate declined every year between 1991 2004.12 In 2004, the violent crime rate fell to a 30-year low, lower than any time since 1974. The murder rate fell to a 39-year low, lower than any time since 1965. The 2004 robbery and aggravated assault rates were lower than any time since 1968 and 1984, respectively. Since 1991, total violent crime has decreased 39%; murder and non-negligent manslaughter, 44%; rape, 24%; robbery, 50%; and aggravated assault, 33%.13 Between 2003-2004, the violent crime rate declined 2.2%.14 Concurrently, the most recent Bureau of Justice Statistics crime victimization survey found that violent crime is lower than anytime since 1973, when the first such survey was conducted.15

Notes:
1. BATF, "Crime Gun Trace Reports (1999) National Report," Nov. 2000, p. ix (www.atf.gov/firearms/ycgii/1999/index.htm).2. BATF, "Firearms Commerce in the United States 2001/2002" (www.atf.gov/pub/index.htm#Firearms).3. National Research Council, Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review, National Academies Press, 2005.4. BJS, "Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2004" (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov./bjs/pub/pdf/bcft04.pdf).5. Bureau of the Census (http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html).6. Gary Kleck, Targeting Firearms, Aldine de Gruyter, 1997, pp. 94, 98-100.7. E.g., BJS Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 2002, Table 2.58, (www.albany.edu/sourcebook/).8. See NRA RTC fact sheet (within www.nraila.org/Issues/Filter.aspx?ID=003).9. See FBI, Crime in the United States 2004 (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#cius) for state crime statistics.10. See NRA-ILA Compendium of State Firearms Laws (www.nraila.org/media/misc/compendium.htm). Also, note that in October 2005, federal legislation prohibiting such lawsuits was signed into law.11. Federal "assault weapon" ban: Roth, Koper, et al., Impact Evaluation of the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act of 1994, March 13, 1997 (www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=406797); Reedy and Koper, "Impact of handgun types on gun assault outcomes: a comparison of gun assaults involving semiautomatic pistols and revolvers," Injury Prevention 2003, (http://ip.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/9/2/151); Koper et al., Report to the National Institute of Justice, An Updated Assessment of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban: Impacts on Gun Markets and Gun Violence, 1994-2003, June 2004 (www.sas.upenn.edu/jerrylee/jlc-new/Research/Koper_aw_final.pdf); Wm. J. Krouse, Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, "Semiautomatic Assault Weapons Ban," Dec. 16, 2004. "Gun control," generally: Library of Congress, Report for Congress: Firearms Regulations in Various Foreign Countries, May 1998, LL98-3, 97-2010; Task Force on Community Preventive Service, "First Reports Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Violence: Firearms Laws," Morbidity and Mortaility Weekly Report, Oct. 3, 2003 (www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5214a2.htm); National Research Council, Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review, National Academies Press, 2005 (http://books.nap.edu/books/0309091241/html/index.html).12. Note 9 and BJS (http://bjsdata.ojp.usdoj.gov/dataonline/). See also FBI (http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel05/crimestat101705.htm).13. Note 10. Condensed at www.nraila.org, click on "Research," then "Crime Statistics."14. Note 12.15. BJS (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov./bjs/pub/press/cv04pr.htm).

RKBA - The Right To Self Defense - Part 3

Around 6:45 P.M. a pair of armed robbers entered Christopher Diamonds in Chandler, Ariz. As the robbery began, the owner of the store heard the commotion and retrieved his firearm. When the owner confronted the criminals, gunfire was exchanged, resulting in one of the criminals being hit, as well as the store owner. The wounded criminal fled to a stolen truck and drove off. He was later found by police and taken to the hospital where he died. The unwounded robber also fled and was found by police in a neighborhood close to the jewelry store. The storeowner is recovering from injuries that are not life-threatening.

Chandler police Detective David Rahmer praised the storeowner’s actions, stating, “You have a right to defend yourself, and he did a good job of that. ” (The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Ariz. 12/21/08; KTAR, Phoenix, Ariz. 12/21/08)

Peyton Not So MVP'ish Anymore

Yes, my Colts lost to the San Diego Chargers yesterday. I'm disappointed but at least it was one helluva game! The Chargers deserved the win as they played their hearts out. Good luck to them in the playoffs!

Peyton = MVP!

Yeah, I'm going to be posting a lot of Colts related stuff until they get elimated from the playoffs. That is, IF they get eliminated!

This is what the big man had to say...

"I know it's an individual award, but ... truly, in my opinion, a team award,"
said Manning...

Manning called the award emblematic of what others, including Colts owner Jim Irsay, president Bill Polian and coach Tony Dungy, did to help rally the team from a 3-4 start to make the playoffs for a seventh straight season.

"I really accept this award on behalf of the team and the organization because there is no way we would be in the playoffs and bounced back without those three people creating a winning environment," Manning said after receiving the award.

Full Story: Third time's a charm: Colts QB Manning again wins NFL MVP award

Can't wait for the game tonight!