What are you afraid of?

I was on my way home when I got stopped at one of those random drunk driver checkpoints. The officer asked for my license and he noticed my carry permit when I had my wallet open.

He asked, "Are you carrying today, Mr. O'Lore?"

Deciding I didn't want to get into a debate about the appropriateness of his question, I replied, "Yes, I am."

"What are you carrying?"

Again taking the easy way out, I answered "I've got a Kel-Tec PF-9 in an IWB holster, a S&W Bodyguard 380 on my ankle, and there is a CZ-75 SPO1 in the glove box. I've got a S&W M&P15 (MOE) and a Mossberg 500 in the trunk."

"Is this what you normally have with you?"

"Yes."

The officer then asks, "What are you afraid of?"

"Not damn thing."


I'm sure most folks have seen that joke before, but it is making the rounds again, so I thought I would post it.

Discreet Carry

House was awesome tonight - rocking a combo ax and shotgun cane to take down some zombies. The ax blade was retractable and must have been spring-loaded (very Buffy-esque). I think the cane acted as the barrel as House bolted on a grip and magazine tube/pump. Talk about discreet carry, I've been watching House for a long time and I never noticed he was packing heat. Unfortunately, it did not appear to have the bitchin flames.

And then later, he and Cuddy were re-inacting the classic scene from Butch and Sundance.

A very entertaining episode.

Midway Bag Fanboi

I didn't mean to become a fanboi of the Midway bags... it just kinda happened. It started with a mini-group buy with the guys at work of the MidwayUSA Competition Range Bag ($39.99). It is the large, black bag at the bottom of the picture. It is huge. In fact, it is almost too big. It gets too heavy for the carrying strap if you load it up with hearing protection, safety glasses, a few guns, multiple magazines for each gun, several boxes of ammo, a flashlight, some basic tools, etc. The weight of the bag will cause the carrying strap to slide out to its maximum length. There are a ton of pockets and it includes a detachable bag with a mesh bottom for collecting brass along with two gun "envelopes." I like the bag, but it is better suited to an all day event where you needed to have absolutely everything with you.



Next up was the MidwayUSA Pro Series Tactical Rifle Gun Case ($38.99) that I got as a Christmas gift for my Smith & Wesson M&P15-22. I've not hauled it around, but it is well-built and fits the rifle and magazines with no problems.



Lastly, I ordered the MidwayUSA Compact Competition Range Bag ($29.99) and the
MidwayUSA Tactical Pistol Gun Case ($7.99). I used the compact bag for the Bullets and BBQ festival. It is a much better size for a typical day at the range. It doesn't have as many pockets and extras as the larger bag, but it will get the job done. I also picked up the pistol case for days when I just want to take one gun to the range.


If there is interest, I will do a quick video to give you a better look at the bags.

All prices were current as this of posting. Also, unless you must have a bag today, wait for the sales. They seem to come around quite frequently.

We're # 13! We're #13!

The results are in - for sales of collegiate merchandise.

1. The University of Texas at Austin
2. The University of Alabama
3. University of Florida
4. The University of Michigan
5. University of Georgia
6. Louisiana State University
7. University of North Carolina
8. The Pennsylvania State University
9. University of Kentucky
10. University of Notre Dame
11. University of Nebraska
12. The University of Oklahoma
13. University of Tennessee
14. Auburn University

Dot Torture

An update on my Dot Torture training... I've done the drill on four different dates and my scores have continually improved as you can see in the table below. While my accuracy is getting better, my speed is not. If I can get my score up higher, then I can start going faster and/or move the target further out.

From Brick O'Lore

I Miss London

The programme was a little different when I did it a few years ago - for one, it was called ADMIS (Analysis and Design of Management Information Systems.) And I don't recall any sexy recruiting videos.

This is why I love sports

Wes Rucker has done the analysis and the Vols can finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th in the East depending on the outcome of three games this week-end.

Here is the best scenario:

"Alabama beats Georgia, Florida beats Vanderbilt, Tennessee beats Kentucky
1. Florida 13-3
2. Tennessee 9-7
3. Kentucky 9-7
4. Vanderbilt 9-7
5. Georgia 9-7"

470 Amateur Radio Net PSK31

Paul, W4PGM, was back on the 470 Net with another recommendation - a PSK31 kit (assembled in the picture below), from Small Wonder Labs. PSK31 (Official Web Page, Wikipedia Page) is a digital modulation mode using a small transceiver (often low power/QRP), a simple antenna, and a common PC with a sound card. Paul has really enjoyed using PSK31 and points out that it is a good reason to get your General license - especially if you thought you could not afford to get into HF. The kit with enclosure is $150. Also, because it uses your computer, communication is basically a keyboard chat like any instant message program. That makes it a little more familiar for new hams that have been around the internet, but not logged lots of hours on the airwaves. It also eliminates the issue of being "mic shy." Lastly, the kit will give you some good experience soldering along with the satisfaction of building it yourself.

One more project for the list of things I want to do.

Forget Gold or Silver

Invest in brass... ATK (CCI, Federal, Speer) reports that they will be raising ammo prices from 5% to 15%.

Via Guns For Sale.com

Our Rights Protected

The Supreme Court ruled that the protests at military funerals are protected under the First Amendment. Sounds good to me. I'm all for protecting our rights. (Funny how some people pick and choose which rights they want to protect, but that's another story.)

However, when my friend's nephew died of complications from a gun shot injury he suffered while serving in the Middle East, I was very angry that there were threats that protesters would attend his funeral. There is a time and place for everything, but to make a political statement at the expense of a mourning family is in poor taste to put it mildly.

I was very glad that some members of Rolling Thunder offered to handle any protesters. Nothing came of it, but I am thankful that there are people willing to stand up for what is right and willing to deal with the legal consequences.

On a tangent, I happened to be in DC last year on Memorial Day and got to witness the Rolling Thunder ride. The video doesn't do justice to the number of riders and the roar from their motorcycles. It is truly deserving of the Rolling Thunder name.