I had been kicking myself for not getting my lazy ass to the paintball field, and I finally got fed up enough to go.
It was a pretty mediocre day at OC Asylum. There were about 8 rental walkons, a large group claiming to be some form of team (after I watched them play, I didn't believe them), and one other pumper of moderate skill (which was perfect for me, because I hadn't played in such a long time!)
Before I started, I wandered onto the field to get a feel for the bunkers which were usually in different positions from week to week. I stood off to the side as a (quite skilled) semi player gave a young kid (brother?) a pep talk, and then they separated to play against each other. It was obvious that this was the kid's first time, and that this was simply a training exercise. I watched because I wanted to see how he was going to teach him. I soon discovered that his teaching style was not to have one... He sent 1 to 3 balls at the kid and encouraged him to shoot back. He tucked in, and handled his marker properly, and generally held just short of wailing on him. The kid returned fire a few times, but half way through, stayed behind his bunker. The player approached the kid's bunker, and told him to fire back. The kid called for him to stop, and asked a question, "Is there a surrender option?"
Aww geez. "Alright! Alright, that's game!" I said, and walked toward the two. "Why don't I play against the kid and take it easy, and you give him pointers as we play?" The player replied, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'm not very good at teaching..." Yeah. So I played against the kid, and got him to actually return fire, and to keep most of his body in, and to shoot straight, and not be afraid to get shot. The player gave him pointers as he played, and I called out tips as we played. I would send some balls wide so he could see that they weren't going to hit him, and stay out to return fire, and plenty of other confidence building exercises. I love this stuff. I get so sick of the idiot "Agg kidz" with their wiping, ramping, overshooting, cursing, screaming, angry ways giving paintball a bad name, and turning newbies off to the sport. It warms my heart to see kids enjoying the game. By the end of this training session, I got the feeling that I had accomplished what I set out to do, build confidence, make some memories, and give the kid something to remember when he's at school on Monday. I was sure he'd be back, and that's what it's all about.
Unfortunately, the "team" monopolized the field for large periods of time to do drills. The drills were valid (unlike many I see), and I saw the value in what they were trying to impress upon the players. Unfortunately, there were only two players that I saw who played the drill correctly, and one that I saw who actually improved from his first failure. Oh well. I guess you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him focus on the flag instead of trying to shoot out people who outnumber you and are behind good cover. (horses aren't very good ballers)
My play time was mostly spent playing 1 on 1 with the other pumper. I immediately discovered that he was a few skill levels below me, in movement, and strategy. On shooting we were about par because I was still trying to regain my muscle memory with my Chipley S5. I figured I was at about 85% of my previous shooting skill. My snapshooting was off by about 7 inches at medium distances. So I spent most of my time giving the other pumper pointers as we played. When he failed to follow some bit of advice, I'd shoot him out. This went on for a few games, and I started to get lazy with my movements. He got me once when I started playing loose after the game lagged. (but, in my defense, I wasn't 100% in the game at the time :) I was still kind of instructing when he made a good move. By the end of the day his strategy had definitely improved, though his movements were still a little sloppy. I commented that he was playing better, and he said, "Well, you gotta adapt when you keep getting schooled!" This elicited a smile from me.
A little bored with my sub-par performance with my S5, I grabbed my Phantom to see how it was shooting. I admit that I'd been neglecting my phantom for quite some time, since I'd been playing my pro friends, I found that I needed the constant feed my S5 had against their semis. Additionally, I loved the way my S5 shot, and could shoot it better than my phantom. Back when I was playing with my S5 almost exclusively, I picked up my phantom and was surprised to find that I was at about 70% of my previous shooting skill. Rather than practice with it, I just put it back down, and played with my S5. Folly, thou name art me. Anyways, I grabbed my phantom, and returned to play more 1 on 1 with the pumper. I gave it some quick tweaking and was surprised at how well it shot (I guess I always am). I knew that playing was the only way I'd find out how effective I was with it, so I got back out on the field. After three surprising rounds, I determined that I was at about 95% of my previous shooting skill level with my phantom! Beautiful! And not having to carry around a big cocker and 68/45 tank, gave me better movement. SO good.
An odd thing happened near the time I left, while playing the pumper, our shots managed to collide in mid-air. We both spotted it instantly and reacted with surprise and disbelief. In pro games where you're firing ~20 balls a second pretty much non-stop, it's not uncommon to have your paintballs hit your opponent's paintballs (frankly, it's uncommon for that NOT to happen once every few games), but this was pump ball. Where you really have to pour yourself into each ball that leaves your barrel, and be connected with every other player on the field to play well. At this particular juncture, I was testing his resolve. I had just enough of my mask showing to see him, and was letting him shoot at me without returning fire. I was staying out for the balls that were going to miss me, and dodging the ones that were headed for my goggles. It's kind of an intimidation move and is supposed to force your opponent to rethink the strategy of shooting at you from that distance or angle. He had three my way, and only one was going to hit, I quickly drew my phantom up to fire, and he didn't duck in as he had done previously when I did this exercise. He stopped firing and stared at me, and I stared back at him, waiting to see if he intended to try to dodge my shot. I planned on him attempting to dodge, because I can send two in rapid succession and break the pattern. This meant that after he ducked in to dodge the first shot successfully, and drew back out, the other ball would be timed to hit him as soon as his head popped back out. This was a good lesson for pumpers to learn, and I was looking forward to teaching it. As we stared, something caused our neurons to fire at the same time, and we both shot. I didn't see his muzzle report because mine masked it, I remember thinking that he was waiting awfully long to dodge my shot, when our shots hit each other and broke in the air. We immediately knew what had happened, but it took a few hours for me to dissect the exact exchange that occurred.
Man, I love playing pump.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Armed at home
Every so many weeks, the topic of carrying a pistol at home comes up on the gun forums. The argument invariably comes back to the point that you are VERY unlikely to be randomly targeted by home invasion robbers. I tend to agree with this point, but like to remind people that there are many "passive" ways to attract a home invader.
A home invader is going to be on the look out for two targets, soft targets, and valuable targets.
You can become a valuable target by doing something as simple as throwing away a pill bottle. Drugs are valuable, and if you show that you have them, you just became a valuable target.
You can become a soft target by doing something as simple as turning on the light when you go to the bathroom. If your bathroom has a window that is visible from a public or common area, a home invader would be able to see that you are currently occupied, and are unlikely to resist or react quickly enough to a forced entry. The same goes for taking a shower.
The point is that there are far too many ways to become marked as a valuable or soft target to keep from becoming marked. The only way you can protect yourself, your family and your property, is to be prepared with the most effective weapon available to you.
Gun owner or no, there's little excuse for being caught off guard in your own home.
A home invader is going to be on the look out for two targets, soft targets, and valuable targets.
You can become a valuable target by doing something as simple as throwing away a pill bottle. Drugs are valuable, and if you show that you have them, you just became a valuable target.
You can become a soft target by doing something as simple as turning on the light when you go to the bathroom. If your bathroom has a window that is visible from a public or common area, a home invader would be able to see that you are currently occupied, and are unlikely to resist or react quickly enough to a forced entry. The same goes for taking a shower.
The point is that there are far too many ways to become marked as a valuable or soft target to keep from becoming marked. The only way you can protect yourself, your family and your property, is to be prepared with the most effective weapon available to you.
Gun owner or no, there's little excuse for being caught off guard in your own home.
Just give him what he wants.
A surprising number of people (some gunnies included!) want to convince you that if you're put in a dangerous situation, all you need to do is shut up, cooperate, and give him what he wants, and you'll be fine. "Don't be a cowboy!" "Just give him what he wants!"
Agree with this idea? I hope not. Because it just got you shot in the face.
Just shut up, cooperate, and give him what he wants? Unfortunately, what he wanted was to leave no witnesses.
Agree with this idea? I hope not. Because it just got you shot in the face.
Just shut up, cooperate, and give him what he wants? Unfortunately, what he wanted was to leave no witnesses.
"But I live in a good neighborhood!" part 4
Two women posing as postal workers request entry from the home owner, and once inside, tie up the victim and take their valuables. Article Here.
Most people prefer to be friendly and accommodating; I'd wager many of us (myself included) would probably invite someone in if they had business (or claimed they had business) with us. The difference is, I would be armed. Home invasion robberies are on the rise in Orange County, which is surprising considering how many gun owners there are in OC.
Most people prefer to be friendly and accommodating; I'd wager many of us (myself included) would probably invite someone in if they had business (or claimed they had business) with us. The difference is, I would be armed. Home invasion robberies are on the rise in Orange County, which is surprising considering how many gun owners there are in OC.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Adrenaline Situation
It took me a bit of time to get this all written down. I wasn't sure if I should post it, but I decided that it's worth posting, even if I'm not totally comfortable posting it at the moment. It's still a little fresh.
Last weekend I left to run some errands after I got up at the crack of noon (What? I was up early!), and stopped at the gas station to get some air for my slow leaking tire. I pushed the button on the side of the compressor, and nothing happened. When I entered the ampm, I noted a young girl (16?) in a baseball uniform arguing with the clerk about the pump number. I asked them to turn on the air and went out to try it. Nothing, I returned to ask them to turn it on again.
When I entered there was a man yelling at the clerk about charging the wrong pump number. The girl was standing behind him.
I began assessing the situation.
The man was a middle-aged Mexican, overweight with obviously muscular legs and arms, a little bit shorter than me, wearing a raiders windbreaker, denim shorts, and white socks up to his knees with raider slippers, and very pissed off. The clerk was middle eastern, average build, about my height, and also very pissed off. The counter separating them was about 2.5 feet wide, and clear of items. They were both very close to the counter, and easily within arms reach of each other. Did I mention they were pissed off? The man was arguing that he had authorized the wrong pump and they wanted their money back, the clerk said that they authorized the wrong pump at the island, and that they're not getting any money back because someone was at the pump an used the gas.
I put my cell phone to my ear, and wandered around as if looking at the junk food, to a position at about 8 o'clock behind the man, about 5 feet away, and partially behind one of the snack islands.
The man's argument degraded to yelling about "Motherfucking ay-rabs" and going "Back to Iran" at which point the man's wife entered the store and started calming her husband.
Whew. These guys were getting pretty hot under the collar, good thing the wife will calm things down. She talked to her husband, and convinced him to return to the car. Unfortunately he stopped just short of the door. I avoided his sight, and moved to a 7 o'clock position behind where he now was, partially behind another snack island.
Then, when I thought things were winding down, the wife started arguing with the clerk. She argued that he authorized the wrong pump, and that he was taking money from a 15 year old girl. (The girl was white, like Scandinavian white, so I'm assuming they were giving her a ride to a game or something, and she was going to pay for gas. During the yelling the man mentioned that they weren't from around here, so the girl was probably getting ride to an away game or something) The clerk continued arguing that he couldn't give them their money back because it had been spent by the person on the pump that they authorized. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the wife's argument to degrade into more name calling and yelling. Finally the wife seemed to give up, and told the girl to wait in the car. Then she grabbed a candy bar (twix if it matters :) and said that he stole $35 from the 15 year old girl and that she was going to take the candy bar. The clerk yelled that if she walked out the door he was going to call the police, which prompted more yelling.
This whole time I was standing there with my phone to my ear, I was starting to get worried now because the man was standing silently, fists balled, and was just shooting daggers at the clerk. Yelling people are emotional and angry, and likely to get over what they're yelling about soon. Quiet people are thinking rationally. You should worry about quiet people. I looked at the way he was standing and speculated on how he might move, and thought of different ways to bring him to the ground quickly. I felt the pre-fight jitters start up, and was worried that he was wearing a windbreaker on a hot day while wearing shorts on what was probably a long driving trip. Amid the yelling, the clerk dared the wife to leave with the candy so he could call the police, she yelled back that he wouldn't dare, and walked out the door. The clerk had the phone in his had and yelled out the door that he was calling the police now and that he had their license plate on tape. The man just stood there glaring at the clerk. I was getting really tense now. The clerk, unaware the guy's wheels were spinning furiously, told him that he should go get the candy back because he had their license plate. The man just glared at him. The clerk who had the phone to his ear already said, "Fine, I'm calling." He turned to the phone and pushed the hang-up button on the phone and started dialing. Just as the clerk turned to the phone the man turned his head slightly and looked at the camera in the ceiling. He knew he was on tape, and he still hadn't decided what to do. I remember thinking "Here it comes." and reminding myself not to draw until I saw a weapon. I remember my eyes twitching because I wasn't blinking and that I was holding my breath.
The next bit is going to sound cliche, but I assure you, the cliches are true. The man looked back at the clerk who was turned toward the phone and the clerk was staring at the man out of the corner of his eye. The man took a deep breath and said to the clerk, "You know what...?" (Everything after this took place in honest-to-god slow motion. Thinking about it now seems so fucking unreal. At the time I didn't even think it odd.) The eye the clerk had on the man went wide and he started to turn his head to face the man, who's body was now moving, but not in any discernable direction yet. Every muscle in my body instantly tensed, and my body lowered into a ready position. Then I saw the man's right elbow draw back, and saw the right side of his windbreaker pulling back. It was the beginning motions of a draw, and all I could think of was, "I can't believe this guy's going to shoot the clerk over this!" I almost started moving but reminded myself that I still hadn't seen a weapon. As the man's hand swept back along his waistline I could see the clerk started to figure out what was going on, and developed a look of terror almost instantly. I remember thinking that I should have drawn my knife and suddenly realized that it was already in my hand in the downward position, and I was squeezing it so hard it hurt. Every fiber of my being was poured onto that arm motion, every muscle in my body was hard and burning. When his hand made it to the 5 o'clock position my heart dropped. I don't know any other way to describe the feeling, it just felt like my heart dropped down to my waist. I couldn't feel my body, I was just a pair of eyes, burning a hole in his windbreaker, trying to see what I had to see.
I saw his index and middle fingertips drop into view below the windbreaker, below his waistline. The rest of his fingers followed, and they shoved themselves into his back pocket which bore a heavily worn wallet outline. I could see that he was fishing for his wallet, but I couldn't get myself out of the red. The clerk couldn't see this, and his expression had turned to naked fright. I'm not sure how long it took the man to get his wallet out, it was probably pretty quick, but I really don't know. He brought his wallet in front of him and finished his sentence, "... fuck you." He threw three bills out of his wallet at the clerk. "Arab chickenshit." And the man left. I don't know how long we stood there after the man left, eventually someone walked in. He called to the woman with an odd look on his face, "Hey, get out of here, we're closed! I'm on break!" then a pause, "Our computers are down, use the machines by the pumps." The woman left, and the next thing I knew I had walked out the door, and the clerk locked it behind me. As I began to realize what had just happened, I realized I still had my knife in my hand, and closed it, and put it away. I remember that I walked back to my car, but don't actually remember the walking. I leaned against my car, then doubled over and threw up. I opened my car door and got in. Once I sat down and put my head back, I started to feel myself relax, and let a deep breath out that I didn't remember taking in. As soon as my muscles relaxed I started shaking pretty badly. I'd had this before, these were adrenaline shakes, and were normal when your body dumps adrenaline into your system, and you don't use it. It took 15 minutes for me to stop shaking.
As soon as I got back on the road, I remembered I needed air for my tire, and stopped at the gas station at the next corner. I got out, and pushed the button on the side of the air compressor and it chugged to life. Thank god.
Last weekend I left to run some errands after I got up at the crack of noon (What? I was up early!), and stopped at the gas station to get some air for my slow leaking tire. I pushed the button on the side of the compressor, and nothing happened. When I entered the ampm, I noted a young girl (16?) in a baseball uniform arguing with the clerk about the pump number. I asked them to turn on the air and went out to try it. Nothing, I returned to ask them to turn it on again.
When I entered there was a man yelling at the clerk about charging the wrong pump number. The girl was standing behind him.
I began assessing the situation.
The man was a middle-aged Mexican, overweight with obviously muscular legs and arms, a little bit shorter than me, wearing a raiders windbreaker, denim shorts, and white socks up to his knees with raider slippers, and very pissed off. The clerk was middle eastern, average build, about my height, and also very pissed off. The counter separating them was about 2.5 feet wide, and clear of items. They were both very close to the counter, and easily within arms reach of each other. Did I mention they were pissed off? The man was arguing that he had authorized the wrong pump and they wanted their money back, the clerk said that they authorized the wrong pump at the island, and that they're not getting any money back because someone was at the pump an used the gas.
I put my cell phone to my ear, and wandered around as if looking at the junk food, to a position at about 8 o'clock behind the man, about 5 feet away, and partially behind one of the snack islands.
The man's argument degraded to yelling about "Motherfucking ay-rabs" and going "Back to Iran" at which point the man's wife entered the store and started calming her husband.
Whew. These guys were getting pretty hot under the collar, good thing the wife will calm things down. She talked to her husband, and convinced him to return to the car. Unfortunately he stopped just short of the door. I avoided his sight, and moved to a 7 o'clock position behind where he now was, partially behind another snack island.
Then, when I thought things were winding down, the wife started arguing with the clerk. She argued that he authorized the wrong pump, and that he was taking money from a 15 year old girl. (The girl was white, like Scandinavian white, so I'm assuming they were giving her a ride to a game or something, and she was going to pay for gas. During the yelling the man mentioned that they weren't from around here, so the girl was probably getting ride to an away game or something) The clerk continued arguing that he couldn't give them their money back because it had been spent by the person on the pump that they authorized. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the wife's argument to degrade into more name calling and yelling. Finally the wife seemed to give up, and told the girl to wait in the car. Then she grabbed a candy bar (twix if it matters :) and said that he stole $35 from the 15 year old girl and that she was going to take the candy bar. The clerk yelled that if she walked out the door he was going to call the police, which prompted more yelling.
This whole time I was standing there with my phone to my ear, I was starting to get worried now because the man was standing silently, fists balled, and was just shooting daggers at the clerk. Yelling people are emotional and angry, and likely to get over what they're yelling about soon. Quiet people are thinking rationally. You should worry about quiet people. I looked at the way he was standing and speculated on how he might move, and thought of different ways to bring him to the ground quickly. I felt the pre-fight jitters start up, and was worried that he was wearing a windbreaker on a hot day while wearing shorts on what was probably a long driving trip. Amid the yelling, the clerk dared the wife to leave with the candy so he could call the police, she yelled back that he wouldn't dare, and walked out the door. The clerk had the phone in his had and yelled out the door that he was calling the police now and that he had their license plate on tape. The man just stood there glaring at the clerk. I was getting really tense now. The clerk, unaware the guy's wheels were spinning furiously, told him that he should go get the candy back because he had their license plate. The man just glared at him. The clerk who had the phone to his ear already said, "Fine, I'm calling." He turned to the phone and pushed the hang-up button on the phone and started dialing. Just as the clerk turned to the phone the man turned his head slightly and looked at the camera in the ceiling. He knew he was on tape, and he still hadn't decided what to do. I remember thinking "Here it comes." and reminding myself not to draw until I saw a weapon. I remember my eyes twitching because I wasn't blinking and that I was holding my breath.
The next bit is going to sound cliche, but I assure you, the cliches are true. The man looked back at the clerk who was turned toward the phone and the clerk was staring at the man out of the corner of his eye. The man took a deep breath and said to the clerk, "You know what...?" (Everything after this took place in honest-to-god slow motion. Thinking about it now seems so fucking unreal. At the time I didn't even think it odd.) The eye the clerk had on the man went wide and he started to turn his head to face the man, who's body was now moving, but not in any discernable direction yet. Every muscle in my body instantly tensed, and my body lowered into a ready position. Then I saw the man's right elbow draw back, and saw the right side of his windbreaker pulling back. It was the beginning motions of a draw, and all I could think of was, "I can't believe this guy's going to shoot the clerk over this!" I almost started moving but reminded myself that I still hadn't seen a weapon. As the man's hand swept back along his waistline I could see the clerk started to figure out what was going on, and developed a look of terror almost instantly. I remember thinking that I should have drawn my knife and suddenly realized that it was already in my hand in the downward position, and I was squeezing it so hard it hurt. Every fiber of my being was poured onto that arm motion, every muscle in my body was hard and burning. When his hand made it to the 5 o'clock position my heart dropped. I don't know any other way to describe the feeling, it just felt like my heart dropped down to my waist. I couldn't feel my body, I was just a pair of eyes, burning a hole in his windbreaker, trying to see what I had to see.
I saw his index and middle fingertips drop into view below the windbreaker, below his waistline. The rest of his fingers followed, and they shoved themselves into his back pocket which bore a heavily worn wallet outline. I could see that he was fishing for his wallet, but I couldn't get myself out of the red. The clerk couldn't see this, and his expression had turned to naked fright. I'm not sure how long it took the man to get his wallet out, it was probably pretty quick, but I really don't know. He brought his wallet in front of him and finished his sentence, "... fuck you." He threw three bills out of his wallet at the clerk. "Arab chickenshit." And the man left. I don't know how long we stood there after the man left, eventually someone walked in. He called to the woman with an odd look on his face, "Hey, get out of here, we're closed! I'm on break!" then a pause, "Our computers are down, use the machines by the pumps." The woman left, and the next thing I knew I had walked out the door, and the clerk locked it behind me. As I began to realize what had just happened, I realized I still had my knife in my hand, and closed it, and put it away. I remember that I walked back to my car, but don't actually remember the walking. I leaned against my car, then doubled over and threw up. I opened my car door and got in. Once I sat down and put my head back, I started to feel myself relax, and let a deep breath out that I didn't remember taking in. As soon as my muscles relaxed I started shaking pretty badly. I'd had this before, these were adrenaline shakes, and were normal when your body dumps adrenaline into your system, and you don't use it. It took 15 minutes for me to stop shaking.
As soon as I got back on the road, I remembered I needed air for my tire, and stopped at the gas station at the next corner. I got out, and pushed the button on the side of the air compressor and it chugged to life. Thank god.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Screw the PS3, and Sony.
A coworker of mine wanted to get a PS3 and I asked him why. He really didn't have a reason, other than that it was new.
The Wii offers a new kind of gaming, using an innovative controler, and offering games that take advantage of that feature. The PS3 has... well... better graphics. Nintendo is coming out with games that push the boundaries established by years of gaming. Sony has... well... better graphics. Nintendo is trying to make their games more accessable to different age groups. Sony has... well... you know... I think time has proven that for most gamers, gameplay, not graphics, is most important. But hey; I'm sure the next RPG Sony releases will have graphics so lifelike that you'll begin to become mentally divergent. Of course, playing the game will be like driving nails into your shins, but it'll look SO awesome.
The PS3 doesn't make sense. This does.
The Wii offers a new kind of gaming, using an innovative controler, and offering games that take advantage of that feature. The PS3 has... well... better graphics. Nintendo is coming out with games that push the boundaries established by years of gaming. Sony has... well... better graphics. Nintendo is trying to make their games more accessable to different age groups. Sony has... well... you know... I think time has proven that for most gamers, gameplay, not graphics, is most important. But hey; I'm sure the next RPG Sony releases will have graphics so lifelike that you'll begin to become mentally divergent. Of course, playing the game will be like driving nails into your shins, but it'll look SO awesome.
The PS3 doesn't make sense. This does.
Sooo... CLose...
ANAHEIM,
CA, US 11/17/2006 8:15 A.M. OUT FOR DELIVERY
11/17/2006 3:22 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
VERNON,
CA, US 11/17/2006 2:43 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
11/17/2006 12:45 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
SYLMAR,
CA, US 11/16/2006 11:59 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
11/16/2006 12:51 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
Gah! I can almost taste it! I feel like Tweak! Gahhh!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Waiting is the geekiest hardest part
Ok, so I'm not too proud to admit being a little JESUS CHRIST! Incredible! Ack! Don't tap on the glass! It eats BIRDS?! This shit is scary!-- *whew* Where was I before the... unpleasantness...? Ah yes. I'm not too proud to admit being a little excited about my newly purchased piece of geekery. I may, however, be too proud to admit how distracted I've been for the past few days waiting for it to arrive. I have automated scripts that don't check package status as much as I have in the past few days. Of course, the fact that UPS "rescheduled" (read: delayed) my package didn't help my impetuosity... I'm not usually this apprehensive about things I order, but I think this item is too geeky for me to let slip to the back of my mind for very long.
But it'll be coming tomorrow (knowing UPS, tomorrow before I got to work), and I'm starting to settle down...
Just the idea of all that Linuxy, geeky, wifi-y, perl scripty, openssh-y goodness is, it seems, a little bit too much for me to handle sanely. What will I do once I actually have it in my hands?
If it doesn't come tomorrow I may drive off a cliff...
But it'll be coming tomorrow (knowing UPS, tomorrow before I got to work), and I'm starting to settle down...
Just the idea of all that Linuxy, geeky, wifi-y, perl scripty, openssh-y goodness is, it seems, a little bit too much for me to handle sanely. What will I do once I actually have it in my hands?
If it doesn't come tomorrow I may drive off a cliff...
Damnit! "But I live in a good neighborhood!" Part 3
Woman raped at gunpoint at Garden Grove center
I'm going to have to stop doing these.
Get a good look at this piece of trash.
Will it be a visit to the supermarket or a threatening situation? Ask yourself next time you leave your residence.
I'm going to have to stop doing these.
Get a good look at this piece of trash.
Will it be a visit to the supermarket or a threatening situation? Ask yourself next time you leave your residence.
Cheap, Assisted Mexican Carry
This issue came from Mexican Carry allowing the front of my XD to slip down my pants. The butt of the gun latched pretty well to my pants, but the front could easily slip down, causing the "hook" of the butt to follow it.
I have used this "clip" before. It's from a clothespin-style spring clip that was cut to leave a figure 8. The 8 was folded over itself unevenly, and became a strong way to hook things to your clothing. I used one on the small (and previously useless) keychain loop on my Victorinox so I can clip it to my back pocket without it falling sideways, and making sitting uncomfortable.
A little bit of paracord kept the gun firmly attached to the clip, and since the loop was too small for the trigger guard, I didn't have to worry about it slipping all the way through. When drawing the clip and cord either flew off and free of the gun, or stayed clipped to my pants. Not very complicated, but very effective.
As always; clicky for full size.
I have used this "clip" before. It's from a clothespin-style spring clip that was cut to leave a figure 8. The 8 was folded over itself unevenly, and became a strong way to hook things to your clothing. I used one on the small (and previously useless) keychain loop on my Victorinox so I can clip it to my back pocket without it falling sideways, and making sitting uncomfortable.
A little bit of paracord kept the gun firmly attached to the clip, and since the loop was too small for the trigger guard, I didn't have to worry about it slipping all the way through. When drawing the clip and cord either flew off and free of the gun, or stayed clipped to my pants. Not very complicated, but very effective.
As always; clicky for full size.
"But I live in a good neighborhood!" Part 2
Three white young women become victims of a savage hate crime on Halloween. If you have the stomache, read about it here or read a well done synopsis here. A truly heart-breaking story of random mob violence and innocent victims.
Try not to get too angry when you read about the victims calling 911and getting a busy signal, and the witnesses who called 911 and did nothing.
Try not to get too emotional when you read that it was broken up by a single, unarmed good samaritan who put his life in danger to save these young women.
This is a terrible story, and a situation that could happen to anyone. Don't be naive. Be prepared.
Will it be a fun Halloween out with friends, or a threatening situation? Ask yourself next time you leave your residence.
Hat tip to RJ at A keyboard and a .45
Try not to get too angry when you read about the victims calling 911and getting a busy signal, and the witnesses who called 911 and did nothing.
Try not to get too emotional when you read that it was broken up by a single, unarmed good samaritan who put his life in danger to save these young women.
This is a terrible story, and a situation that could happen to anyone. Don't be naive. Be prepared.
Will it be a fun Halloween out with friends, or a threatening situation? Ask yourself next time you leave your residence.
Hat tip to RJ at A keyboard and a .45
Jumbo Prawn anyone?
It seem that if you seek Large pictures of Prawn you will find my XD-9 glamour shots...
Hey, I takes traffic wherever I gets it!
Hey, I takes traffic wherever I gets it!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
What an amazing time to live in.
Fixing phantom limbs with virtual reality
It seems phantom limb pain can be reduced by donning virtual reality gear and fooling your brain into thinking that your missing appendages have returned by using the virtual limbs. Amazing.
An acquaintance of mine is missing a leg, and he told us about the phantom limb pain he gets. Imagine an itch you could never scratch, dull or stabbing pains that you can't fix? Imagine feeling these pains for days straight. Crazy stuff.
It seems phantom limb pain can be reduced by donning virtual reality gear and fooling your brain into thinking that your missing appendages have returned by using the virtual limbs. Amazing.
An acquaintance of mine is missing a leg, and he told us about the phantom limb pain he gets. Imagine an itch you could never scratch, dull or stabbing pains that you can't fix? Imagine feeling these pains for days straight. Crazy stuff.
Truth from The Great One
I didn't have to listen very long to find out why Mark Levin is known as "The Great One"
Two nights ago Mark dispensed some great truths in a monologue entitled "What conservatives believe", and so many people requested a transcript that he posted the audio, and a fan transcribed it.
It's definitely worth your time.
AUDIO: What conservatives believe.
TEXT: What conservatives believe
Two nights ago Mark dispensed some great truths in a monologue entitled "What conservatives believe", and so many people requested a transcript that he posted the audio, and a fan transcribed it.
It's definitely worth your time.
AUDIO: What conservatives believe.
TEXT: What conservatives believe
Lacking double standards
I came in at a different time today, and listened to Shawn Hannity on my way in.
If I can listen to Shawn, (who's viewed as a "republican cheerleader") frequently hold republican feet to the fire on issues of lacking conservatism or dealing with broken promises; why can't I hear something similar when I listen to NPR?
Somehow democrats can do no wrong in the minds of liberal commentators (and "reporters"), yet almost every conservative show I've listened to is very vocal about issues where the republicans and the president failed? Every few weeks some liberal will call up one of the conservative shows and complain that the host never says anything bad about Republicans. To which the host will reply, "You don't listen to my show very much do you?" and then proceed to rattle off the many issues where they've been vocal about Republican problems.
What do these liberal hosts think they're doing? I mean, they've GOT to know that the only way the party will get better is with criticism. They can't just complain their way into power... Oh... Damn... Well, maybe now we can see some of those extreme "new directions" that the dems so blindly supported to win votes... Sure wouldn't want the moveon.org crowd getting angry... *snerk*
If I can listen to Shawn, (who's viewed as a "republican cheerleader") frequently hold republican feet to the fire on issues of lacking conservatism or dealing with broken promises; why can't I hear something similar when I listen to NPR?
Somehow democrats can do no wrong in the minds of liberal commentators (and "reporters"), yet almost every conservative show I've listened to is very vocal about issues where the republicans and the president failed? Every few weeks some liberal will call up one of the conservative shows and complain that the host never says anything bad about Republicans. To which the host will reply, "You don't listen to my show very much do you?" and then proceed to rattle off the many issues where they've been vocal about Republican problems.
What do these liberal hosts think they're doing? I mean, they've GOT to know that the only way the party will get better is with criticism. They can't just complain their way into power... Oh... Damn... Well, maybe now we can see some of those extreme "new directions" that the dems so blindly supported to win votes... Sure wouldn't want the moveon.org crowd getting angry... *snerk*
Blast!
Today's the last day of a sale at Turners that knocks $20 of a Yugo SKS, AND it happens to be payday. Bad combination.
I'd rather spend the money on an AK parts kit, and some flats. Actually, I'd rather just get both!
Bah! I need to get some sleep. I'll update later to let you guys know if I was strong enough to resist...
I'd rather spend the money on an AK parts kit, and some flats. Actually, I'd rather just get both!
Bah! I need to get some sleep. I'll update later to let you guys know if I was strong enough to resist...
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Concealed Carry Problem
As some of you know I'm planning on getting my CCW permit. I've been sweating how I'm going to carry, since every position I could get the holsters into maintained a noticeable bulge in places that couldn't be excused as folds of a shirt or jacket. Unhelpful was the fact that I was not a slender person. I have a bit of a spare tire which allowed me to carry Mexican at 12 o'clock (though uncomfortably), but kept me from carrying at 3 o'clock since my sides stuck out beyond my waist, and pushed the handle of the gun out to print on my clothing. Worse was the fact that I usually wore baggy jeans or shorts that rode a bit below my waist. (Not hanging below my ass or anything, just loose and low) I didn't like wearing a belt, and carrying a gun usually means wearing a belt. I figured I'd have to start wearing a belt, and changing the way I dress to be able to successfully conceal a weapon.
What I was trying wasn't working, so I started doing some research... Months later I'd made some progress.
The closer the gun is to your body, the less it will print, and the lighter it will seem. The smaller a gun is, the less it will print. Shoulder holsters are basically worthless. Leather beats kydex for in-waist-band holsters. Get a good belt and dress in layers to reduce printing. And most importantly, dress around the gun! Carrying a gun isn't supposed to be comfortable!
Um... great.
I could get some of the cheap holsters (that came with my handguns) to not print, but only if I cinched the belt down to an uncomfortable degree. I didn't want to carry around a mouse gun if I didn't have to. (not that I have anything against mouse guns; they have their place, but I didn't want to have to have one as my primary carry simply because I couldn't make a full size work for me) Shoulder holsters are complicated, cumbersome, and feel heavy. In-waist-band (IWB) is usually uncomfortable if you don't have the figure of a slender reed. I don't like wearing belts, and dressing is layers is hard when you live in Huntington Beach where 75 degrees is about as cold as it gets any season. (Heh, as if we had seasons...) I was not looking forward to dressing around anything, or changing the way I usually dress to be armed. Frankly, the statement that carrying a gun isn't supposed to be comfortable struck me as a bad attitude to have...
Another issue I had was the fact that actually have a butt, which made sure that anything that went between my pants and my ass would stick out like a sore thumb. This made carrying any full-sized (or even compact) gun from 4 to 8 o'clock almost impossible, not to mention the uncomfortable prospect of sitting. After reading Tam's post it was clear that I should carry the gun in a way that wouldn't require me to unholster and reholster when sitting for extended periods (work or driving). Which seemed to make most positions except 12 and 3 o'clock undoable with my 5" 1911.
So I picked up a few different types of holsters to see how they fitted (just to get an idea, the good holsters are expensive), and saw no way I could properly conceal anything other than with an IWB and a belt, or an OWB and a belt squeezing the hell out of me. (not to mention buying new clothes) As I tried different configurations with a paddle holster and IWB this high, or that high, with a cant or without, I just got pissed and gave up.
So, frustrated with the seemingly inescapeable prospect of changing how I dress to legally carry (to carry, the gun MUST be concealed), I took my 1911 out of the holster, removed the chafing paddle holster, took off my belt and my jeans, and put on my casual, loose shorts and a t-shirt. Then I picked up the full-sized 1911, and shoved it into my waistband at 3 o'clock, and was amazed.
Since my shorts were low on my waist, the grip was below my side, which pushed my t-shirt out and kept it loose over the gun. The curvature of my side at 3 o'clock made the butt of the gun print, but since the gun was so low, it only looked like a small hard object on my beltline at 4 o'clock. Under the shorts the long slide went straight down the side of my thigh without printing one bit. The shorts fell loosely over the slide and only caused the slightest protrusion, but no printing. Even if I shifted my hips, the end of the barrel pushing my shorts out to a minor point that was easily dismissed. I tried to push the gun down further into my shorts, but found that I could only do it if I pulled my shorts up to get slack, and held them out as I pushed the gun down. It was getting caught on grip corner closest to the trigger, and seemed very solid. I put on my jeans without the belt and found the 1911 carried exactly the same way. If I gave the gun a forward cant the barrel caught the curve of my pants and brought the butt of the gun in even more (though it was higher). I grabbed my 4" XD and put it in my waistband and found that it did not conceal as well as the 5" 1911 (I guess the 1911s really do live up to their reputation!) Could I really carry Mexican primarily?
Um.. No? Well... probably not.
Getting a clipdraw would keep the gun from coming loose during activity, and falling down my pant leg (oops), but wouldn't keep bending or other activity from pushing the gun up. I'm afraid that if I get a nice leather IWB it will add unnecessary bulk to the slide and make it obvious that something was under my clothing, plus most require a belt. Right now it's between the Comp-Tac and the Milt Sparks VersaMax II. The Comp-Tac, is thin, fits at 3 o'clock, and is very adjustable. Unfortunately it is kydex and may require a belt (I suspect I can fabricate something to avoid that). The Milt Sparks VMII comes highly promoted, is good at 3 o'clock, is supposed to be very comfortable, and can take kydex tuckable (beltless) clips. Unfortunately it isn't as adjustable as the C-Tac, it seems to keep the gun higher than the C-Tac, and the leather might add too much bulk to the slide. Fortunately, someone already did this comparison here, which gave me quite a bit of insight, but didn't help me make up my mind...
Well, knowing the turnaround time on a CCW in Orange County (without a stalker and a restraining order), I'll have plenty of time to make up my mind before I need to make a decision.
What I was trying wasn't working, so I started doing some research... Months later I'd made some progress.
The closer the gun is to your body, the less it will print, and the lighter it will seem. The smaller a gun is, the less it will print. Shoulder holsters are basically worthless. Leather beats kydex for in-waist-band holsters. Get a good belt and dress in layers to reduce printing. And most importantly, dress around the gun! Carrying a gun isn't supposed to be comfortable!
Um... great.
I could get some of the cheap holsters (that came with my handguns) to not print, but only if I cinched the belt down to an uncomfortable degree. I didn't want to carry around a mouse gun if I didn't have to. (not that I have anything against mouse guns; they have their place, but I didn't want to have to have one as my primary carry simply because I couldn't make a full size work for me) Shoulder holsters are complicated, cumbersome, and feel heavy. In-waist-band (IWB) is usually uncomfortable if you don't have the figure of a slender reed. I don't like wearing belts, and dressing is layers is hard when you live in Huntington Beach where 75 degrees is about as cold as it gets any season. (Heh, as if we had seasons...) I was not looking forward to dressing around anything, or changing the way I usually dress to be armed. Frankly, the statement that carrying a gun isn't supposed to be comfortable struck me as a bad attitude to have...
Another issue I had was the fact that actually have a butt, which made sure that anything that went between my pants and my ass would stick out like a sore thumb. This made carrying any full-sized (or even compact) gun from 4 to 8 o'clock almost impossible, not to mention the uncomfortable prospect of sitting. After reading Tam's post it was clear that I should carry the gun in a way that wouldn't require me to unholster and reholster when sitting for extended periods (work or driving). Which seemed to make most positions except 12 and 3 o'clock undoable with my 5" 1911.
So I picked up a few different types of holsters to see how they fitted (just to get an idea, the good holsters are expensive), and saw no way I could properly conceal anything other than with an IWB and a belt, or an OWB and a belt squeezing the hell out of me. (not to mention buying new clothes) As I tried different configurations with a paddle holster and IWB this high, or that high, with a cant or without, I just got pissed and gave up.
So, frustrated with the seemingly inescapeable prospect of changing how I dress to legally carry (to carry, the gun MUST be concealed), I took my 1911 out of the holster, removed the chafing paddle holster, took off my belt and my jeans, and put on my casual, loose shorts and a t-shirt. Then I picked up the full-sized 1911, and shoved it into my waistband at 3 o'clock, and was amazed.
Since my shorts were low on my waist, the grip was below my side, which pushed my t-shirt out and kept it loose over the gun. The curvature of my side at 3 o'clock made the butt of the gun print, but since the gun was so low, it only looked like a small hard object on my beltline at 4 o'clock. Under the shorts the long slide went straight down the side of my thigh without printing one bit. The shorts fell loosely over the slide and only caused the slightest protrusion, but no printing. Even if I shifted my hips, the end of the barrel pushing my shorts out to a minor point that was easily dismissed. I tried to push the gun down further into my shorts, but found that I could only do it if I pulled my shorts up to get slack, and held them out as I pushed the gun down. It was getting caught on grip corner closest to the trigger, and seemed very solid. I put on my jeans without the belt and found the 1911 carried exactly the same way. If I gave the gun a forward cant the barrel caught the curve of my pants and brought the butt of the gun in even more (though it was higher). I grabbed my 4" XD and put it in my waistband and found that it did not conceal as well as the 5" 1911 (I guess the 1911s really do live up to their reputation!) Could I really carry Mexican primarily?
Um.. No? Well... probably not.
Getting a clipdraw would keep the gun from coming loose during activity, and falling down my pant leg (oops), but wouldn't keep bending or other activity from pushing the gun up. I'm afraid that if I get a nice leather IWB it will add unnecessary bulk to the slide and make it obvious that something was under my clothing, plus most require a belt. Right now it's between the Comp-Tac and the Milt Sparks VersaMax II. The Comp-Tac, is thin, fits at 3 o'clock, and is very adjustable. Unfortunately it is kydex and may require a belt (I suspect I can fabricate something to avoid that). The Milt Sparks VMII comes highly promoted, is good at 3 o'clock, is supposed to be very comfortable, and can take kydex tuckable (beltless) clips. Unfortunately it isn't as adjustable as the C-Tac, it seems to keep the gun higher than the C-Tac, and the leather might add too much bulk to the slide. Fortunately, someone already did this comparison here, which gave me quite a bit of insight, but didn't help me make up my mind...
Well, knowing the turnaround time on a CCW in Orange County (without a stalker and a restraining order), I'll have plenty of time to make up my mind before I need to make a decision.
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