Oct 31st - Try a meathead for dinner at your next party!  This has danged near made me want to go out and buy a nice skull, just to do this!  Pretty gross, but very cool.  I love it! Props to GeekswithGuns.com for finding this.  Meathead - It's what's for dinner. 

Nextel now has you barred on our Network... it could be related to a recent Browser upgrade on our network computers on the job. Either way, we get the "Barred" msg when attempting to access your site. "NEXTEL Access Denied.  Access to the World Wide Web is provided as a business resource. If you have a genuine business need to access the web page you were trying to reach, please take the following steps..."  Ah, I have been banned from Nextel Employees viewing this page.  There is a difference.  I didn't think I was set up for cell phone browsing.  Whatever.

Its now just 2 minutes into Halloween and I am full of piss and vinegar.  I had to run out on a quick errand and saw a brand spanking new car - window sticker and all - with those retarded bullet hole stickers all over it.  I am sick and tired of these fake bullet hole stickers.  What kinda of a goober would put those on his or her car?  I'll tell you who - the same people that think "Bubba Teeth" are the coolest thing since the WWF's "The Rock".  These guys are not even real rednecks - these guys are just Wanna-Be-Rednecks.  Jeff Foxworthy would have a field day with these bastards.  A real red neck would have REAL bullet holes in his truck.  Fake bullet holes... How is that supposed to be cool?  What is next?  Fake Cracked window glass?  I tell you guys what - for NO CHARGE I will offer my services of making REAL fucking bullet holes in your car.  All you need to do is meet me with a waiver of liability and I will blow the shit out of your car with a .45 loaded with honest to gawd real bullets.  Probably 185 grain +P Golden Sabers that penetrate automotive sheet metal nice and easily yet still leaves an attractive, authentic, red neck approved bullet hole.  This I will do for free for any person who wishes to have that "Bosnia look".  You know what?  I may even forget about the waiver and just fucking plug the next damned vehicle I see with these lame-ass stickers.  What are these stickers supposed to be communicating?  How are these supposed to be cool?  Do they say "Hey, this is what Sarah Brady was warning us about?"  Are they saying "I might be too fucking stupid to own a gun, but at least I can still drive my Ford!"  I know, maybe they are a desperate cry from closet rednecks that are screaming inside for the resurrection of the old show "HEE HAW".  I know one thing is for sure...  I have a broken digital watch that is more clever than these idiots. I would really like to think that there are no Mad Ogre Readers with these stickers... If you do have one or several on your vehicle... Please... don't admit it. I do however suspect a few who I just know HAS to have several on his car... or maybe even every vehicle he has. No - I wont name names. You know who you are. These are the same guys that laugh out loud at the sight of a "Calvin peeing on" sticker. I especially loved the one that had the word "COPS" under the little pee splash. Yeah... I saw that one. Guy had been pulled over too. Who here thinks that guy got off with just a warning? Brilliant move bozo. To me, stickers are tacky. I can understand one or two window stickers or a bumper sticker if they are really important to the owner. But overall - I think they are TACKY. Especially on a brand new freaking VW Beetle. Isn't that a disconnect anyway? Isn't the Beetle supposed to be the heart and soul of automotive peacenik nirvana? Are they trying to be funny or are they trying to communicate the duality of man? Or maybe I have a flashlight with dead batteries that is brighter than that Git. I am sick of those stickers. Bullet Hole stickers... Who thought that one up? What brainiac came up with that idea? Same guy that made the Pet Rock? This just proves a few things to me. 1. The average American civilian is a freaking moron... 2. People do not know what cool is anymore. I really can't blame them either... Brittany Spears remains popular for no other reason than having boobs and the American automotive industry hasn't made anything really cool since 1969. Don't tell me about the Viper - I know the danged Viper and its just a rehash of the AC Cobra by a group of designers too lame to come up with a new design. I bet that we will see these stickers banned from schools and come company parking lots. I bet money on it. It will happen... you'll see. Taste is something that you can not buy at a truck stop... But you can buy BULLET HOLE STICKERS there! These stickers do have some use... if your at a range - and a guy pulls up to do some shooting in a rig that has these stickers on them... You know INSTANTLY that he is a freaking moron and listening to any of his sage advice is something that you should do right after you take that bath with a running hair drier.

Oct 30th - MADOGRE.COM is BANNED by NEXTEL!  A friend from TFL has just informed me that as of today Nextel, a cellular company that offers phones that allow web browsing, has banned access to this web site.  Inquiry is being made to confirm this.

Springfield has sent me a reply... Kinda rude if you ask me:

Now, normally I could understand this kind of a response... but realistically this customer service issue is about something not "Normal" in today's society.  This isn't about a VCR or something... its about a gun.  An automatic, .45 caliber, handgun.  You would think in such a matter as this that a little attention to detail would be paid, or a little consideration to keeping the customer informed.  This response seems vague and rather like the impatient snap of one being bothered by the question.  You know what?  This pistol had best come back just sanctified and blessed or Springfield Armory will be removed from the Ogre Recommendation List.

Oct 29th - The Nazgul.  Next to the Balrog, the Nazgul has got to be one of the most fearsome creatures ever dreamed of by Tolkien or anyone else.  There is a new LOTR trailer, called Trailer #3.  Watch it here and catch a glimpse of the Nazgul.  If you don't recognize it - then you have to go read it all over again.

Today is Monday.  I have a strong dislike of Mondays.  Mondays mean the first day back to work from the weekend.  Mondays mean that I have to face another 5 days until the weekend.  Mondays suck as a rule.  And what's worse is that no one really tries to make Mondays any better.  Bad news is always delivered on a Monday.  I think people should at least try to be pleasant on Mondays.  Like my mailman.  I was out in the front yard with my smallest son... here comes the mailman... I say "Hey, How are you doing?"  He just grunts and ignores me.  So much for being civil. He must hate Mondays as well.

So, here we are... 11 days since I heard one word from Springfield Armory.  They have made ZERO progress on my gun since they received it other than to send me this:

Deb, Customer Service
Springfield Inc.
customshop@springfield-armory.com

Okay, that's nice... They are going to swap off that slide.  Cool.  But that was 11 days ago. I replied to that email within 3 minutes of getting it.  I have not heard anything since.  Back when I got that email, I was pleased.  I posted here about it.  Since then 2 other fellows I know have purchased Springfields because they have been taking care of me.  Well I am getting a little miffed.  I want to know what the hell is going on.  I sent them an email this morning asking what's going on.  3 hours later I have no response.  Springfield better make me very happy very quickly or I'll get everyone I know that has on to sell it and buy a competitor's gun.  And what is up with 125 bucks to machine the frame?  As far as I understand, you only need to cut the dustcover just a bit shorter... and that is it. Being stainless, you don't even have to refinish it.  Just 1 cut... done.  125 for that? Right.  Anyways, I'll let you guys know if anything comes up on this situation.

This weekend was way too short.  Saturday Morning I drove out to Vernal, Utah to visit my In-Laws who are putting on a show.  They own the "Power House Theatre" there in Vernal and are putting on Dracula there.  They are also putting on Forever Plaid at the same time at the High School.  Dracula was awesome... The fellow playing the Dark Prince, Luis Lamb, is just cool.  He is evil.  The last Dracula show had a guy named Chris Piner that played the Count.  This new guy made Chris's work look like a cartoon. Lucy was played by Sundrina Barlow, she made a pretty sexy goth mistress figure and delivered her lines with good acting.  She was awesome.  Dacia played this role last time, and I have to say that she has been trumped. Sundrina was fantastic and deliciously evil.  I enjoy theatre, and have seen a great many shows.  I have to say that the Power House puts out some of the best work I have ever seen.  Doug Barlow's portrayal of Rinfield is the best.  Doug really gets into the insane state of mind so much so that after you see him do it - you never look at him the same way again.  Your just not convinced that he is truly sane.  The Power House was purchased by Clint Wheeler when the building was seriously the power plant for the Unita Basin.  Used to house some giant diesel generators. I remember walking around the building and kicking scraps thinking that this place was seriously nasty.  Bird poop filled the bare concrete floors where the giant engines used to work.  I helped a bit rebuilding it... I remember being up on scaffolding putting the sheetrock on the ceiling over a 60 foot drop to the floor.  Not fun.  Clint did a great job.  The Power House is now a place where the Best of Vernal comes to celebrate some of the best things in life.  Power House has hosted stage productions, dances, parties, weddings, wedding receptions, dinners, and dance classes.  Home of the Outlaw Trail Cloggers, and the Uinta Basin Ballet company.  Seriously, the Uinta Basin area of Utah is an Armpit.  I hate Vernal.  But I have to give it props for producing a surprising pool of performing art talent.  You guys have no idea.  I'm talking Gregory Hines has given Taunia Wheeler a call just to say hey.  You know Hines... If not - look him up.  He rocks.  So does the talented folks of the Basin.  That's where the props end.  Everyone else in Vernal is a gigantic asshole.  Especially the municipal governments and their law enforcement henchmen.  Clint was ARRESTED for an unpaid traffic ticket for an "Improper Lane Change".  WTF?  This arrest happened at the SAME TIME that something else was going on.  Friends of the Wheeler Family were out hunting.  Two sick bastards from out of state found these guys hunting and handcuffed them and then murdered them.  Then they go and steal our friend's truck and head south.  Every fucking cop in the region should have been out hunting these killers. Instead they are arresting a good man for improper lane change?  Fuck the Uinta Basin.    A week later these two are finally caught... In Price, Utah.  Captured by the fast thinking of a local farmer who was also a legal gun owner.  He caught them and kept them covered with his good old shotgun.  Way to go Cops!  Bastards.  Good job extracting that chicken shit traffic fine!  EVERY COP in the Basin should be FIRED.  Idiots.

About the boat mentioned below... the Minesweeper.  Fuel Consumption is about 30 gallons of diesel an hour at cruise speed.  To reach the shores of Scotland for a vacation cruise the price of fuel alone would be - One Way mind you - 30,000 dollars.  Ouch.  That is not including the fees for crossing the Panama canal.  That would be one hell of a ship to own, but lets just say that its too much ship for a humble retired Ogre.  Like this one for example:  The Saida.  Check it out.  Sleeps 6 to 8 in its current config, has a head, shower, fridge and freezer, stove, huge water tank.  Stacking washer and drier. You could live on it as is. 79 feet long for only 79,000 Canadian.  I love it.

Oct 26th - Found my ship.  The SS Mad Ogre.  It's only 190K.  Less than house and a car.  If I could get that... Its a freaking MINESWEEPER!  I am in love.  I'd, repaint it green and put a Shrek skull on a flag with crossed rifles.  Heck Yes.  Okay, maybe not repaint it... It's freaking huge!  $190,000 sounds like a lot - but really its not.  That is only the price of a modest and average house with a nice car in the driveway.  Can you say RETIREMENT?  I've been thinking of retirement and have to admit that the whole concept is repugnant.  Not the chill for the rest of you life... I like that part... but the Getting old till you die part. I'm not afraid of death, I just don't want to grow old.  I am only a young thirty something.  Anyways.  Where was I?  Oh yeah... Doing nothing.  In the movie Office Space (Film based on my job) the hero is asked what he would do if he had a million dollars.  His answer is classic: "You mean besides two chicks at the same time?  Hmmm... Nothing.  I'd do nothing."  Right about now - I am at that point.  I don't want to do anything.  I'd get this ship - more about this ship in a sec - and just do nothing.  Move it to the Puget Sound and live on it.  BBQ on the deck, invite friends from across the country over to party on board... Sail it around the country.  Cruise through the Panama Canal with it and flip off those druggy mother-fuckers.  Charter some cruises maybe.  Cruise it around Green Peace ships and fuck with the Coast Guard.  Oh yeah.  Make fake missile launchers to freak-out the fishing boats.  Video Tape the whole thing... Upload it via satellite internet connection... Heck yeah.  My own Navy.  Not a bad retirement is it?  Hey - it's a DREAM okay?  If I can't find a decommissioned warship, I'd want a big tug.  That's right.  A TUG.  Why?  Why not?  They are badass, okay?  I could pull a continent with it.  Fix it up for living... Live on the boat.  That's what I want to do.  The idea of  buying a house to retire in is frightening... Think about it.  You just purchased the location of your death.  I want to live forever with my wife.  I want to see the freaking WORLD.  I want a seagoing ship capable of crossing the Atlantic so we can cruise over to Scotland and hang out with the Scotts in the Highlands.  Then cruise over to France just so I could defecate on French soil.  Why?  Because I hate the French.  The only thing worse than the French are the French Canadians.  They are like the French, but just a touch retarded.  Shit.  I got side tracked again.  Let me back up.  The boats.  There is a lady on my team that is just cool.  She's into sailing and has all these sailing and boat mags.  Gave me a couple.  We talked about the Pacific Northwest, where I grew up.  Yeah, I grew up in Tacoma.  We had two houses growing up there.  One was a huge ass HAUNTED HOUSE... 702 Fir Crest Ave, if I remember it right.  Big old house, full of unhappy spirits.  Then there was the house on Jackson Ave, a big yellow house right next door to a 7-11 where I once in awhile boosted cars just because I wanted to take a ride.  I had my own car, but not a hot red Vette!  This house overlooked the Narrows near the Bridge formerly known as Galloping Gurdy.  I remember looking out over the Narrows and watching submarines slide silently by.  I loved that area.  Washington State just ROCKS.  That is where I want to retire to.  To a boat on the Sound.

Speaking of SOUND...  How the fuck can a band called Alien Ant Farm play Smooth Criminal better than Michelle Jackson?  I don't know - but they do.  The music is times 9 cooler and the video is times 10.    Speaking of music - I'm a huge, HUGE, Pink Floyd fan.  But I like all kinds of music as well and Floyd often can mix different musical elements to produce some very different sounds.  There is another band out there that I am really getting into that does the same thing.  The Dave Matthews Band.  I don't own any of the CD's but I am thinking that I may want to get a couple.  Not buy...  no... If I buy a CD it will be a blank one... and burn the CD with a mix.  In MP3 format I can get every DMB song all on one disk.  That's what I want.  DMB is an old Richmond Virginia band... There is another one called GWAR.  However DMB isn't BANNED from playing music in Richmond like GWAR is.   

So - back to the Retirement...  There I am, kicked back in a leather recliner on the deck of my personal Minesweeper, anchored out in the Sound while some brats are grilling on the BBQ and friends are hanging with me and the Missus while I got Pink Floyd and DMB pumping out of a HUGE stereo.  Yeah.  That's Retirement.  Other boats could tie up and just hang out with us... Anyways... that's what I want for the rest of my life.

Pop Ups.  Oh my HELL, I HATE pop up ads!  I went to open my freaking Lycos email... and was hit with exactly 23 pop up ads.  Nasty little things.  I loathe them. 

Feeling better than 95% now...  I feel good but a little weak.  Gimme a few days and I'll be better than 100%.  And I will update my content with some things that I have been saving.

Oct 25th - Sorry for the lack of content here.  Today I was still under the weather - but this afternoon I started to get better.  I kept down my food and my migraine has abated.  Between work and a migraine, sucking down a .45 caliber 185gr+P JHP started to look good. 

Today I got the pleasure of being notified that QWEST is turning my account over to MSN.  Have no fear my good and faithful readers, MadOgre.com can be switched over to another server with little problems.  My email address will change too.  But again - have no fear - I'll update the link above so I will always be there.  Like a benevolent ogre deity.  I have some Ask Ogre questions that I need to update and will do so soon.   I don't know if I like MSN or not.  I can't say that I hate them - I have not even used them.  I just don't feel optimistic about it. 

No - Don't ask me about work.  I plead the 5th.  Lets just say that long-term futures there are not likely to happen.  I've sent out a bunch of resumes but nothing looks very positive.  Utah is a tough place to find a good job.  In fact, work-wise, Utah sucks. There is however ample chances to work in the food services industry.  Where is that 1911 of mine?  Oh, right... Springfield still has it.  Grrr.  If you can't FIND a good job, then MAKE one.  Onsite Consultants is still moving forward.  Everyone is committed and we are getting very close to going public.  I am planning on doing a few media stunts to gain some free advertising from the local news.  sssshhhhh...  Something involving avocados and pears, but I can't give it away just yet.

Oct 23 - Not much updating lately.  One reason is that I am just sick as a dog... I'm sick, my wife is sick, and all my kids are sick.  Last night the boys were up all night long tossing cookies and moaning.  Looks like the 24th will be the same as well.  We got a nasty bug from school that just will not give up.  This is the down side to private education.  Since the parents are paying for it, they feel they need to get the money's worth... so sick kids still often come to school.  This means that bugs are more likely and more frequent than in public schools.  Then the kids come home and the rest of the family gets it again as well.  Excuse me now, but I have to go puke.

Oct 21st - I got an email from my Momma:  "Hi sweetheart! I am so glad that you took the time to care for that little piece of history. My Dad bought that for my brother, when he was sixteen. It is very old. We old things need tender loving care, and then we can still be a thing of beauty. The gun was always to go to you, son. Dad may have not wanted you to take it yet, meaning a few years ago, but he knew it was to go to the first born son. That would be you. It is special to me, cause my Dad gave it to me. He ended up giving his Dads shotgun, to my brother, and Elray gave the .22 back to my Dad. My Dad told me that when you got big enough to take care of it properly, it should be yours. It will always be yours, until, you decide that Kade is old enough to take care of it."  Wow!  This old Rifle came from my Grandfather!  I didn't know that!  My Grandfather Clarkson was the coolest guy ever.  He died when I was young, but I remember him well.  Tall and lean, with a sharp eye and wit.  He never finished grade school when he was a youth do to the Great Depression.  He lived a Grapes of Wrath life when he was a young man.  When he got older, he worked for Boeing and Boeing never let roll a 747 during his work there that didn't have his stamp of approval on it.  He used to eat these tiny little green and red peppers from these little jars that had a drip spout.  He could drip some juice on his eggs or open the jar and just eat them.  One day I wanted to try one too.  I was what? 7?  I took it and popped it into my mouth and started chewing.  I still remember his laughing and smiling while I was turning red in the face. When I remember that, I have to laugh too.  He was a great man.

Oct 20th - The Old .22 Remington 514.  This is the first rifle I ever fired. My Daddy gave it to me... I'll give it to my first born son when he is old enough. It's older than I am by a good margin. Me and this old rifle go way back. Talk about adventures! Like when I was shooting groups from my bedroom window into the back yard and the bullets penetrating the back fence and into the garage next door. Thank goodness the guy's car was gone! We was pissed. Very pissed. My Dad was very pissed too. Both agreed, grudgingly, that it was very good shooting given the range. Many a rabbit, P-dog, and Chuck have fallen before me and this simple old single shot bolt action .22 rifle. I have not fired it in a long time... Not too long ago I broke it out and took it to the range. Many, I have not had that much fun shooting in a long time. There was another .22 there too. A Colt Cadet that was a blast to shoot. But shooting the Remington was like going home. The Rifle felt like not like an old friend - but almost like a brother. An old brother with lots of scars, scratches, gouges, and dings... it had been there and done that. Today I spend that later part refinishing it. I started on the stock... Took several hours to sand it all down with 4 grades of sandpaper. I wanted to do it only by hand. Remembering old times with each stroke of the paper... Then I did the bolt. I had different papers for the metal bits... Polished it up nice... thought about the time when I was trying to reload it faster than that one big old jack rabbit could reach it's hole... While polishing the barrel and reblueing it I thought about popping cans just barely within visual range... Thinking about the thousands of rounds I carefully fired one at a time. Almost a reverence as applied the wood stain and watched the grain explode with it's rich color...  All in all... its now a work of art that it never was before. I look at it with the same awe that I had when I first held it and touched that trigger.  It's ready for the next several decades.

Oct 19th - I put a For Sale sign out on the van.  That van has served us many a year pulling soldier service for the whole Ogre Family.  Its gone all over carrying the family in roomy comfort without much complaint.  I hope someone drags it off soon!

Oct 18th - What an awesome day... I am on top of the world.  1st off, Springfield Armory is swapping the slide off my 1911A1, putting on a blued carbon steel slide.  Then they are performing a general action job on the whole thing for reliability...  When I get it back it will be in fact very much better than new.  That is fantastic.  Next, I am ditching work... Not even thinking about work.  We had a babysitter for the Demolition Squad and Mrs. Ogre and I went out to Rodizio Grill for a Brazilian feast.  We had a great time.  Talked face to face and heart to heart and not about any problems, kids, money issues... We just talked.  It was fantastic.  Right now we are getting ready to play a Harry Potter board game with the Boyz then kicking them off to bed.  We have a nice crackling fire started and some Pink Floyd spinning in the drive.  This awesome day is turning into an awesome night.  "Then why are you updating the page?"  Because the kids are cleaning up and Mrs is puttering and I had a moment...  G'night! 

Oct 17th - In case your wondering, here are the top 10 reasons why Trick or Treating is better than Sex. (Unless its with me)

Okay, here is an interesting series of pictures.  Showing a .50 BMG pistol fired off hand by a lady.   Just thought I would share it.  The top series is pretty funny. 

There is a documented case of an Airline Pilot that while armed with a handgun, was able to stop a Hijacker.  Read that story here.  Now, this being a documented success case for airlines lends one to ask about other similar positions.  Such as train engineers, bus drivers, boat captains... AND members of the crew.  Let me put it into another perspective.  ANY position of responsibility where one person is in charge of the safe conduct or other human beings should also be trained and equipped to protect his charges.  If that person is not able or willing then that person is UNFIT for the duty and should be removed from that position.  If the chartered company be it ship or plane or any other mass conveyance does not train and equip these persons then they MUST allow honorable and legally permitted citizens to protect themselves.  TO DO OTHERWISE IS TO INVITE HOSTILE ACTION.  We read in the linked story above how this pilot stood in the gap and faced evil... and won.  He saved lives because he was ARMED.  Hey Anti-Gun Idiots -  Stick that in your pie hole and take a big bite of reality. 

Oct 16th - At work today... I have the best team.  Seriously.  Today was Boss's Day and another manager got a card and a balloon.  I figured, well... she is pretty.  That and she has a team of horny guys.  Anyways I didn't think about Boss Day at all... worked on a couple projects, fixed some time keeping errors and got Mark all set up with HR so his family gets a full paycheck while he is in the Hospital.  Had a lot on my mind... Then I decided I had enough.  I tell my Tech Lead that I am done for the day and was leaving.  He calls out a "Code Red Alert" and my team springs on me... WTF?  They hand me a envelope with autographs and notes... Man, let me tell you - I damn near got teary. (Say a word about it and your fired!)  Inside was gift certs for a dinner for two at Rodizio Grill.  (A FANTASTIC Brazilian place that just keeps feeding you until you explode like a bad Monty Python skit) This is just awesome... These guys didn't need to go do that.  But man, they did!  This meant a lot to me... Thank you.  Now, STOP READING MY DAMNED WEBPAGE AND GET THE FUCK BACK TO WORK!  Bastards...

ASK OGRE ANYTHING - A new section will be going up very soon.  This section is going to be devoted to just reader emails asking questions.  I have had many over the past couple years that are pretty good.  I'll start the section out with a few of them and then post new ones as they come in.  It's Up... Check it out.

Utahns Against Gunless Victims, http://uagv.net has been updated. It's a spoof of http://www.uagv.org/  I hope you enjoy it.

We find in the Firearms News linked above, a story that is just about SATIRE but its actually for real. I am stunned by the complete and utter ignorance and that the authors of this potential disaster openly and proudly display.  First off - you have to read it to believe it.  Here is a link.  Now, what can I say that wouldn't be redundant to the self-explanatory "I'm a Moron" manifesto?  First off this is going to put further strain on Law Enforcement who are now going to be forced to increase patrols in the areas of these homes.  The guys next door who are lawful owners of firearms and or CCW holders are going to have to be on a heightened state of alert now because of these jackasses.  They have invited criminals into the area to lurk and creep and plot evil doings.  Unbelievable. Sheep can live as sheep because they are anonymous... they are hidden individually by the others in the flock and have a degree of safety due to numbers.  You never see a Sheep standing up and proclaiming to the wolves that they are there, a sheep, and refuse any protection.  Until now.  Fucking idiots.  Posting a sign.  You know, you can never underestimate the shear power of STUPID.  Do this people actually sit around and see who can be the most retarded and get away with it?  They have to!  They can't be THIS RETARDED all on their own... can they?  Drive through the residential streets and you will easily be able to find these houses... don't just look for these signs... look for the SHORT BUS parked in the drive way.  If I see a sign like this in my hood... I am filing a civil suit. Why?  Because these ignorant fucks have put my family in danger. 

Oct 15th -  Okay, I need a little help here.  I have another buddy that needs some thing.  His name is Steve and is a really cool guy... Not that great of a shot but we are working on that, and he is much better now.  Now, he did help me get hooked back up to the net via the Cisco 675 that he is letting me use.  For this he says that I owe him big time.  And I agree... So last Saturday (13th) when we went to the range, I got his rifles dialed in, including remounting his scopes so they actually line up as they are intended.  So, he gave of his technical skills to hook me up, and I did the same to hook him up.  But then again - I have not let him borrow any hardware or anything so he is actually still in the lead.  So I am going to hook him up this way... LADIES!  Can I have your attention here for just a moment?  Let me introduce you to a fine young man that hails from California.  He is a Super Genius, listens to Frank Sinatra and Gangsta Rap, has some serious firepower... and is the only guy I know that has a Toyota Camry with a CB Radio installed!  Please check out his webpage http://www.datesteven.com/ and take the time to fill out (in duplicate) the Girlfriend Application.  He is a cute guy isn't he?  Sure he is... Better looking than Emotion Eric don't you think?  So when you tragically hot chickybabes hook up with him... whisper into his ear that Mad Ogre sent you... then he will know for the rest of his life... that he owes me big time.  Actually we are partners as well in Onsite Consultant. He, another fellow and I are actually the Board of Directors for Onsite - yet he insists on referring to me as "Manager".  Well, after this, "Benefactor" may be the better term.

I made a quick visit to the hospital to see Mark.  He is just not doing so good right now.  The hospital is doing a good job taking care of him... but like every hospital they are still jackasses.  He was sleeping and getting some much needed rest.  And just because the clock pointed a certain time, he had to get awakened.  Man, just let the guy REST!  Anyways.  Mark is in our prayers now, for him and his family.  Mark is a great guy... He defines the phrase "Scary Bald Guy" but is really more like Saint Nick but with less hair and more Tattoos. He's had a rough life and has been enjoying a peaceful career working as a router engineer on my team.  He isn't just an Employee, but a friend. His wife made the decorations for my wedding.  I just seriously feel bad that I have not been a better friend for him.   It really sucks that shit like this is what it takes to remind you of what is important in life.

A good friend of mine is in the hospital in an ICU.  He had a heart attack, and not his first one either.  This is not a good sign. 

On a lighter note... Nortel Networks has been dishing out the pink slips.  One guy knew that his time was up, and that he was going to be laid off that day.  He dressed up in full Clown gear so HR had to deal with him like that...  Then afterwards he and others went out for drinks.  He gets full marks for style.  (here is the discussion about the Nortel Clown) Nortel is seriously taking a plunge despite peoples best efforts to fight it.  Everyone has a good idea why Nortel is failing... It's not the product... its the Marketing mainly.  Nortel doesn't know what to do with the Data business.  They are a Canadian Telco that got a little full of themselves, bought out Bay Networks to get into the Routers and Switching business and didn't know what to do with it.  Here is a hint:  Call DWS Partners, the same people that do the advertising for Intel.  Everyone knows Intel sucks and AMD is much better - but the advertising has driven it and kept it at the top.    Nortel needs some serious help... They need to make that call.  Fast.

Oct 13th - MAD OGRE WALLPAPER!  Right-Click and Save As... then set to Wallpaper on the Stretch setting.  The title is "In Your Face".  Anti-Gunners in your office will just HATE it!  I promise.

Today has been a fantastic day!  Woke up and had a short Saturday Morning Chaos with the kids and then geared up and bugged out for some serious shooting with some buds.  We went down to Range Masters in Springville and took an arsenal with is.  Let's see, there was the Colt Cadet .22, the Detonics Combat Master .45, the Carbon 15 in 5.56MM Nato, the HS Precision in .308, the Taurus PT145, the Remington 514 .22 and that funky Taurus Revolver, the 608, in .357 Magnum with a ported barrel and an 8 round cylinder.  One of the sweetest shooting .357s I have fired next to a Colt Python.  Was there any other guns there guys?  I lost track.  Anyways. The Remington 514 is an old .22 single shot bolt action that is older than I am.  It shoots LASER accurate and still has a good action. Great little rifle.  I could shoot the nuts off a skeeter with this thing because this is the rifle I have been shooting all my life.  I have not shot it in a long while... it felt like home. *Sigh*.  The Detonics is the same one I used to own and sold it off.  Yup.  Just like I remember.  A painful little bitch that leaves a mark... Just like this one redheaded Italian girl I knew...  *Sigh* The PT145 is an interesting gun - the trigger will win no awards.  It's like dragging a piano along a long gravel road.  But it was quite reliable this time out.  I figured that it just needed a lot of shooting in and I may be right.  Wonderful little CCW gun. I can't wait till the PT145 is available with a Titanium slide. Its a chopped down .45 pocket rocket in the heritage of the Detonics.   Detonics was so far ahead of its time... The Colt Cadet is a modern variant of the classic Woodsman.  The Woodsman is one of the finest .22 autos you can get and the Cadet has some updated features that make it a pure JOY to shoot.  It came in very handy while coaching the other 2 shooters and after some sessions with the Cadet for shooter-diagnostic work, improvements with the bigger guns was readily evident.  The Carbon and the HS needed sighting in, and this I was happy to take care of.  The first thing that was needed was to readjust the installation of the scopes.  The Carbon's was put on buy the staff of Sportsman's Warehouse.  Morons.  After setting them up and dialing them in we had some fun popping those rounds off on Range Master's only rifle lane.  The HS was easy to zero as it is a full blown sniper rifle and thus drives it's self.  The Carbon 15 however was difficult for me... the stock was too short to get a good position with and when it fired, had as much felt recoil as the big .308!  Hello!  Hard to shoot well.  The Carbon 15 has often been derided due to its poor accuracy.  This is just BS because its plenty accurate for a fighting rifle, just not a target rifle like normal AR-15s. The Carbon's being hard to fire well does nothing to help this impression.  Yeah, the Carbon 15 is a fighting rifle... more of an Entry Rifle actually given its speed of handling.  The sniper rifle was feeling cramped on this range - it wanted to stretch its legs, you could feel it.  It BEGGED to be taken out to the desert, but we didn't have the time.  After the shooting was done we stopped by BRAND X BURGERS.  These guys put out the best damned burger I have ever had.  Seriously Tasty Burgers!  Onion rings are fantastic... the only better that I have ever had was in Richmond at this little bar near Vito's.  We ate with gusto, talked guns, and had a great time.  Just awesome!  Best Saturday I have had in awhile.  Thanks guys.

Gun Guys & Gals - Check out this link:  Exploded View Drawings of your gun.

Oct 12th - Email from reader "Sir, The Bush administration has said they will not enforce the "Smith & Wesson Agreement" with HUD.  Look for S&W to slowly weasel away from it and all the dealer restrictions over the next few years. That's not the brave "up yours Schumer!" kind of solution I'd like to see, but that's the way giant corporations work these days.  One of my co-workers has a son who works for Tompkins' international market. I'll have to speak with him about this.  Klink"  Your right... That is the way the business usually goes.  Regardless of Bush's statement, the private company is still at the mercy of those in the Government that would be enforcing the Agreement according to the letter of the law - and when it comes to the BATF and the HUD - its all about the letter of the law and not the Spirit.  Just ask Vicki Weaver.  Oh, wait, you can't because the Government murdered her because her husband neglected to pay the $5 transfer tax for a short barreled shotgun!  But the problem isn’t the Government in this case but the violation of trust.  Simply put S&W broke the faith.  That requires some serious humility instead of holier than thou posturing.  S&W is still at the top of the fecal roster, just under AOL and TIME WARNER.  S&W can not get away with what they did by weaseling and thinking we will forget.  Gun Owners and Patriots have a long memory.  I still eye the British with suspicion.  I am not going to forget that S&W sold out the Gun Owners and the rest of the Industry.  There is no need to be sorry for making a business decision.  There is however a great need for a company to make amends when one has been a total Rat Bastard and tried to stab everyone in the back.

Today for lunch I was feeling kinda hungry and in the mood for a good Burger but couldn't go out to get it.  So I ordered from Ninja Burger.  Ordering was easy.  They answered on the first ring and were very polite.  I didn't even have to give them my address, they said they already knew who I was and where I lived.  After ordering a Double Ninja Burger and an Onion Death Blossom, I got back to work.  15 minutes later there was a tap on my shoulder.  I turned to see a black clad ninja bowing deeply and holding out a bag of food and a large Coke.  "Honorable Ogre-sama, please with all respect accept this delivery with Ninja Burger's compliments."  This I did, happily.  Then I showed the Ninja the video camera footage replaying his stealthy entrance into the Ogre House.  "YOU HAVE FAILED!" I yelled. "You are a weak and clumsy fool not worthy of the title Ninja!  Return to your dojo in shame!"  The ninja was shocked and stood there in mid bow not saying a word or moving a muscle. "Forgive Me." was his utterance a few moments later.  "And you forgot the Wasabi."  I said.  To this he drew his short sword and committed seppuku without a sound.  Other Ninja Burger employees came in and cleaned up the mess while I enjoyed the food.  There was a lot of bowing and humility... but the food was good and they left before I realized they were gone.

Question from WAGC regarding the S&W Boycott "What's the consensus?" The consensus is that it is still on-going.  The issue of S&W’s ownership was never THE issue… The new owners of S&W have said that they are still following “The Agreement” and will not change.  They have done nothing that makes steps toward a reconciliation with American Gun Owners.  The former CEO was not fired or penalized at all – just moved off to another Tompkins division.  Lawnmowers I think.  S&W’s business has been dampened, but not enough to really put the hurt on it. The reason for this is S&W’s diversification.  They are not just a gun maker, but a metal fabrication plant.  Kimber slides are made at S&W so as long as Kimber keeps that contract, S&W still has a business.  In fact S&W has its fingers in so many other things its impossible to boycott all of them… Kimber, Wilson Combat and others… They make Bikes, Knives, Handcuffs… all kinds of stuff.  While we can’t really hit them in the short and curlies of the money pockets, we can hit them in the mind.  Every time you go to a gun shop… Take a look at a S&W handgun.  Just so you can be honest when you send them the email “Looked at one of your pistols today… Nice gun.  However due to your unrepentant posture regarding “The Agreement” I will not buy it.”  If everyone was doing that – You would have S&W executives visiting the White House for an official Pardon from the Agreement.

Check out the Links page.  I've added a buncha stuff I have been wanting to add for a while now.  Added links to Ninja Burger, Brass Knuckles, and a couple others. 

Oct 11th - Today has been rather droll.  Nothing more than administrative tasks.  The Jeep is running great... didn't even have a reason to get under the hood!  I did however get under the hood into Mrs. Ogre's new used Laptop.  Its an old Compaq that's running a basic Pentium chip with 32 megs of ram.  Talk about SLOW.  The battery is shot on it, so you have to run it plugged in.  Other than that its just fine.  I was looking at the file structure and stuff and figure that it's C drive has never seen a click on the Defrag tool.  There are bits and pieces of files and programs scattered everywhere... To much effort to clean it up... I will just have an associate reformat the whole drive and reinstall Windows 98 and Office.  I don't know what I should use, Office 2000 or Office XP.  Hmmm.  I think 2000.  Oh, today wasn't all bad... I played a trick on Janalee Tobias, the head huntress for WAGC.  She wanted to know what my voice sounded like to see if it fit with her mental image of me.  I was going to just say "HI" but figured "What the Hell" so I used a little application called "Talkany".  You type in anything you want to say and you can mix and mess with the computer's voice reading it back to you...  Left her a message on her voice mail with the "Big Robot" voice.  I don't know - It made me laugh.  I did however talk with Denny Hansen, editor of SWAT magazine today...  Super cool guy.  He runs the only gun magazine that's worth reading.  Its honest and its a cut above.  Its also pretty damn funny some times.  Look into any article by Leroy Thompson - the guy is a walking Archive of Small Arms information.

Take a moment out of your day to educate those who do not understand what is going on in America:
1. Approach dumb, rich, ignorant, student, etc person talking about "peace" and saying there should be "no retaliation." 
 2. Engage in brief conversation - ask if military force is appropriate. 
 3. When he says "No" ask "Why not?" 
 4. Wait until he says something to the effect of, "...because that would just cause more innocent deaths, which  would be awful and we should not cause more violence." 
 5. When he's in mid sentence, punch him in the face as hard as you  can. 
 6. When he gets back up to up to punch you, point out that it would be a mistake and contrary to his values to strike you, because that "...would  be awful" and he "...should not cause more  violence." 
 7. Wait until he agrees that he has pledged not to commit additional violence. 
 8. Punch him in the face again, harder this time. 
 9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 until they understand that sometimes it is necessary to punch back.