JULY 2007

7-30-07:  Two great DVD's are out by the time you read this. First is HARD BOILED by John Woo. I've mentioned this film in the past, but not recently. If you have not seen it before, I envy you... because it is such a treat. This flick is EPIC. Some might disagree, but I think it is John Woo's best film. You can pick up the new special edition version at Wal-Mart for less than 20 bucks. Where ever you go to get it... just get it. Make up a huge platter of nachos, some cold ones on ice, invite a couple buddies over... this film is an event. This is the super bowl of action flicks. It's also an important milestone in action movie history. Because it seems to me that damn near every other action flick since has taken something from Hard Boiled. Of course, being a student of Flash/Bang Cinema I can recognize where John Woo has taken his inspiration. The dialog is pretty good but I'm sure it would have been better if I was fluent in Chinese. There is something undoubtedly lost in the translation that makes some lines in some scenes come off as a bit cheesy. Because this isn't a cheesy film. The other thing I like about it, what I also like about a lot of other Hong Kong films... is the almost total lack of safety precautions. You can tell that a lot of guys probably got seriously hurt making this film. The action sequences might be carefully choreographed, but they really do them at full speed. Hard core stuff that US film makers would never be allowed to do thanks to both unions and insurance agencies. Of course, this might be a good thing. We don't need stunt men coming home from a week of shooting with PTSD.

The other flick will be out this Tuesday, probably the same day you finally read this. I'm talking about 300. The film about the 300 Spartans. This movie is just pure badass distilled and stamped into DVD disks. Our man in Athens, Tasos, is probably feeling pretty smug about 300. “Yeah, Leonidas was my great great Grampa.” How cool would that be? I guess it's a good time to be Greek. But hey, its always a good time to be Greek... they have the best parties.

Still having a movie like that made as a tribute to your heritage? Awesome. I guess I've had a few celebrating mine, so I guess the Greeks are due theirs. Up till now, they've had what? My Big Fat Greek Wedding? I've had Rob Roy, Braveheart, King Arthur (the Celts, not the Romans) and anything else that has a dose of Celtic in it. Mrs Ogre comes from a long line of high level druids and I myself have more than my share of Pagan in me. Sure, we've got a lot of Mormons and other Christians, and it was my Grampy that started the Church of England. Sorry about that. But going past that... Pagan.

Where was I?

Sparta, yes. This movie is just about the most incredible piece of film making I've ever seen. The directing is brilliant and so is Frank Miller's visuals. I am growing extremely sick of comic book movies, but anything from Frank Miller is good to go. His stuff is on a whole new level. I've heard some guys say they didn't like it because they thought it was homo erotic. If you think that, then you either missed the point or you have some In The Closet Issues. I don't know about some of you guys, but I never found myself wanting to stick my hand down my trousers while watching it... I did however have the urge to go to the gym and hit the weight benches. That's the point. The film was inspirational. Not just about fighting, but overcoming ourselves. If you walked away thinking the movie was just about trying to make you gay and hungry for beefcake, you are probably a very sad little man who has some tendencies he is trying to deny and hide. Now drop and give me 50, maggot.

The latest issue of CCM has a small photo of my sister in law holding the new Detonics Combat Master. Yes, she really does shoot, she really does hunt. I helped get her an over-under 20 gauge, and she shoots the hell out of it. She's also a professional dancer who has mastered Classical Ballet, Jazz, and other dancing disciplines. She's an amazing young woman. What impresses me the most though is her spirit... she is true to faith and her family and she is one of the most genuine and caring people you could ever hope to meet. I married into a whole family of women like that. My wife is like that. And I hope my daughter is like that too.

If she is half as good looking, I'm in trouble. “Now this big pink gun here is a called as SPAZ-12. It is both an auto-loading and a pump action shotgun. It's loaded with Blackcloud shells... they are high density, high energy loads, filled with BB shot and are designed for hunting ducks and geese. At close range, it will blow acre sized chunks of meat right off the bone. You can tell your boyfriends that this means NO.”

Some more fishing stuff: I just picked up a new St Croix rod. This is a 6-12 pound rod to which is probably a couple big steps up from my very light 2-6 rod. This rod is beefier, longer, and much stronger than my first St Croix. Just what I need for fishing Flaming Gorge. The fish I was catching last time were bending my rod like an Ugly Stick advertisement... and the fish were not bigger than 3 or 4 pounds max. The reel I selected for it was a bigger Shimano unit. After carefully looking at all the reels we had, the Shimano brand stands out as an awesome reel for the money. This isn't the digital baitcast reel that I said I wanted, just a heavier duty open face unit. It's the Sedona 4000FB. Of course, by the time you have read this, I will have tested my “Big Rod” out on Flaming Gorge with three of my sons. A lot of guys say the G.Loomis rods are better, or Sage, or Fennwicks... but I like the way the St. Croix rods feel in my hand. I couldn't tell you why. They other rods that are supposed to be “better” certainly cost a lot more, but I'm not feeling the difference. In fact, I think my St. Croix's feel better. I've got a lot of other rods now too... Let's put it this way... the others are what my boys fish with. If I'm fishing, it's with a St. Croix rod. Because when I'm up at the Fire Hole and I'm seeing some bigass seamonster class Bass down there... I don't want to fish'm. I want to catch'm.

Inner Update Update: Took my twins fishing. They were slaying bass like crazy. One of them, kicking back after landing a monster 9 incher (they were all small but feisty) sipped his Mt. Dew and declared it to have been his best day ever. The new St. Croix is awesome. For being a bigger and heavier rod, it still had good feel to it. I didn't do so bad either, but I couldn't get the big ones to bite. They wanted to stay down low and wait till the evening. Oh well. Beats a day at work anytime.

I've been asked how my Western story is coming. It is coming along slowly but surely. I've changed the title... I'm now calling it “Silvershot”. I think this title makes a lot of sense, considering the shotgun load the hero uses in a couple critical scenes. There is a villain in my story that is something known around here as a Skinwalker. They are evil Native American witchdoctor types that some might call necromancers. There is a lot of folklore about them. There is also a movie coming out called “Skinwalkers”... this movie seems to point to Skinwalkers being werewolves. If that were only the case, they wouldn't be such a threat. The Utes have probably had more dealings with Skinwalkers than any other tribe. I've talked to a bunch of Ute old timers, and let me tell you... they have some chilling shit to tell if you can get them to open up. They don't like to talk much about them... and I don't blame them. But some of what they have told me is going into Silvershot. Just some. I might post another snippet from the story. Maybe.

Hard Core stuff here: Some military breaching styles that have changed since I was kicking in doors. First off is this little gem that I like to call the “Finesse” style. Notice how the trooper politely gets out of the way for the entry team. Unfortunately he has a hard time getting back up. The second one here, is more of the bigger hammer approach.

Note too self: Buy Steel Core Doors. And I'll stick to my method. (blowing off locks, hinges and everything with a det charge, tossing in a grenade, and then send in the lowest rank Private.

7-25-07:  Email from a Texan Reader: “Congratulations to you and Mrs. Ogre. I agree with you on the Rondo commercials. When I was a kid in middle school, Rondo was a soft drink. Billy, Fort Worth, TX” Thanks Billy. Indeed, the Rondo commercials stir my soul to anger and hostility. They promise giddyupness if I drive one... I promise forkstabbyness if I can get my hand on the advertising douche bag that came up with these commercials.

Another email that I have to share: “I took some EDM arms Windrunner people out to the ranch in Wyoming last year for prairie dog hunting and schooled their .223s with a 22-250. Cheytac is a sheisty company. Warn people to stay away. snipershide.com has a history of how they screwed over EDM Arms and a few others. Also, the EDM Arms Windrunner can be had for 12 month financing, no interest. Though I agree the AR30/AR50s are the best bargain. Baxter” .22-250 is a cartridge that is a total mystery to the MilSpec crowd. They can't fathom anything above a .223 that isn't a .308 or a .50 BMG. It's too bad because they are missing out on one of the worlds best all-round cartridges, and other fantastic rounds like the .243 and the 7MM-08, .25-06. and the .270. For those that don't know the .22-250, let's put it this way... it makes the .223 look like a frightened taco bell puppy with hardly any recoil and a laserlike trajectory. It's good for everything from Cotton Tails to White Tails. It's the only .22 other than Long Rifle that holds any respect from me and a lot of other guys out here in Desert Country where we will often shoot from one ridge to a target on another. When I first wrote the Guns of Shooter bit, I thought that the big sniper rifle he used was an EDM Windrunner and then corrected myself to the CheyTac. The receiver, if not identical, is pretty damn similar. I didn't know they were shady, but I will look into it.

My good friend Steve has a rifle for sale, on consignment at FBMG in Draper. HS Precision 2000 Rifle .308 with a tactical stock, Leupold VariX III 8-20x scope, Bipod and Scope Rings. For $2800-$2900 on consignment with FBMG if you are looking for a nice tactical gun. I believe the rifle has 80 rounds through it. Some of those rounds were fired by yours truly. Let me tell you, this rifle is Dead Nuts On Accurate. (That's the technical term for highest level extreme +2 accuracy used by the elite military commandos from Sealand to rate sniper rifles.) The scope is awesome and shooting the gun at anything inside 200 yards is doing it an injustice.

I've talked to some real nutters in my time. Lately, a UFO-ologist (whatever) who spent a great deal of time going over government conspiracy to cover up UFO crashes. Here is why I don't buy ET UFO's: Geico. If these UFO's were real, and they have had so many crashes, ET's insurance company would forbid travel near Earth's gravity well. Cause those little green fuqqers either can't drive or their intergalactic spaceships have engines made by Fiat.

Speaking of crashing. I have found that it is cheaper to replace my hood with a carbon fiber hood rather than replace it with an OEM (no longer in production) or have it repaired at a body shop. (remember, I didn't crash my Contour. A Chevy Driver just decided that it looked like a good place to park)

“Ogre, you can have only one rifle and one handgun.” Okay, good question. Now are these rifles and handguns that I have already or ones that I might have one day or would like to have if it ever became possible?

Out of all my guns I have: My handgun would have to be my Kimber Tactical Custom II. My rifle, I want to say my 7MM Remmy... but I just might have to go with my .30-30 Cowboy Assault Rifle. Hmmm... I'll pick the 7MM. Reason is the long range killing power. If I'm going to only have one rifle, I want as much rifle as prudent. .30-06 is great, but the trajectory is less desirable. .300 Weatherby Magnum is nice, but ammo selection and availability is a factor. I'm able to get 7MM Rem Mag just about everywhere and my little shop has one dozen different factory loads for it. Most importantly is that it is a flexible cartridge and I can hit with it.

Guns I might have one day: Maybe a Springfield M1A of one sort or another... full length. And of course my Kimber Tactical Custom II. The M1A with a nice combination of power and accuracy is backed up nicely with a helpful 20 round magazine. Hard to not to like. The Kimber tactical custom II is still my choice. I love the gun, I can't help it.

Guns I'd like if possible: The rifle would have to be the M41A Pulse Rifle from Aliens. The handgun is easy, I'd get the pistol from Blade Runner.

I'm not so sure I like this new show “Burn Notice”. It has a lot of solid plus factors such as Bruce Campbell... but my man Bruce is only a supporting character. They should have made Bruce the lead man. The chick that helps the burned hero is interesting. She's too skinny, and she thinks she's too cute... but I like her. The Burned Guy however, I'm not sure if I like him. He just might be the reason I'm not loving this rather clever show. The guy seems to be a prick. I don't mind the action comedy thing... but they take real danger too lightly. I think it is the wrong shtick for the show. I think this sort of Spy/Action/Comedy should be a dark comedy with some real grit to it. Even if you have Bruce in it.

HarryReidSucks.com is one you are going to want to bookmark. Right now it is redirecting, but soon we will have some good content up.

7-23-07:  Blasting and Casting: Flaming Gorge has a lot of different little hot spots. Some are hard to get to. Some you have to climb down rocks or loose gravel on a steep grade... but one is very easy to get to. Right by the dam is a parking area. The cops often park there and have a little boat dock for the patrol boat. Well, right near there, around the little bay is a small inlet. It looks shallow at first, but then you can see just how deep it is. Small Mouth Bass thrive in there. Once you find what they are biting on, you can really slay them in there. I was catching them all day. Some no longer than your hand, some as long as your forearm. Dinner was fillet of bass over rice under a nice cream sauce. Awesome. I am stuffed and feel like a penguin after feeding time. Normally this is how I do chicken breasts... but the fish was a nice change.

On the way back from the gorge I stopped to take a leak and I noticed a dog running around. It isn't bounty time for coyotes, but I couldn't resist the temptation. Out of the trunk came my AK. I estimated the range at 220 yards. Stock open and braced on a fallen tree. Breath held. Fired. Coyote down. Down, but not done. I admit it wasn't a clean kill on the coyote and this has been bothering me ever since. I hate wounding them. The hit was undoubtedly fatal, but not quick enough... I had to fire a second shot. I really need to put an Aim Point on this thing. Regardless of less than ideal shot placement, the dog wasn't going anywhere after that first hit. The effectiveness of the 7.62X39MM to anchor the coyote right there was proven. The I've seen several dogs hit in about the same place with 5.56MM rounds... not just FMJ's like the military uses, but premium .223 hunting rounds. Even high end Ballistic Tip bullets failed to anchor the coyotes... This could be because the Coyote is notoriously tough. Or it could be because .223 just flat out sucks. Accuracy is great... but it helps if you can back up that accuracy with a little horsepower. You can't have one without the other.

What Do You Expect From The Government? I'm looking for the Government do very little for me. I want my home defended from the Huns. I want the road I drive on to be paved and clear of debris. I want my utilities to work consistently. Things like that. I do not expect my Government to feed me, to tuck me in at night, or to read me bedtime stories. That's not the function of the Fed. I'm sick of hearing how the .Gov is falling short taking care of the homeless, taking care of people who suffer diseases of bad choices such as addictions to drugs and booze. You know, I'm so sick of hearing how the .Gov failed New Orleans. Why can't these jackholes see New Orleans for what it was? A cesspool that went through the spin cycle. Instead of saying how horrible the .Gov was for N.O., why don't they give a little thanks for spending more money on N.O. than just about any other national disaster short of war. They were pouring cash by the buckets. They don't even appreciate the rest of America and how lucky they were.... sure, many people died. But the loss of life could have been so much worse. The people who had to evacuate were welcomed with open arms all over the nation – where is the appreciation for that? Instead of looking at the positives, all they can do bitch about George Bush as if Bush was personally involved in Hurricane Katrina. I don't see anywhere in the requirements of the Commander and Chief that he has to nail plywood over windows or reinforce local water management. That's the responsibility of the local government, not the Federal. The Mayors and the Governors failed completely for decades to prepare for the obvious. And when the inevitable finally came all they could do is run around crying like a bunch of babies. It's great that the .gov has FEMA and the people there work hard helping when and where they can. Consider what help you get as a blessing... because you are not owed any support you did not directly pay for.

A word of advice: If you take your wife to the gun shop to “get her a gun” and the guy behind the counter hands her a gun... do not instantly snatch the gun out of her hands. If you do, the guy behind the counter is going to think you are a complete dick. Let her answer questions about what feels good in her hands. If you want to shop for a gun, just do it. Knock off the “For Her” bullshit. If you have to have her fill out the paperwork for you... I don't know, because you can't freaking read or whatever... Do your shopping, and then just tell her to pick it up for you. The act is getting tired. Oh, and if you do send her to get it, tell her specifically. Make, Model, Caliber, and options. Because if she picks up the wrong one for you – you can't just return it for a refund. It's your fault you're a skidmark, not ours.

7-21-07:  So I'm standing in the parking lot today... talking with another guy from the gun counter. We hear this metal crunching sound. Turn around and there is a bigass pickup truck parked on my Contour.

SONOFA&^%&#$@#!%#$@!!!!!!

No mechanical damage inside from what I can tell. Looks like just dented sheet metal. Needed paint anyways. $#$!#@$!

Because of this new flick out on DVD, “Shooter” there has been a huge surge in the interest in long range shooting. I can't tell you have many guys out there are wanting to order big rifles. To be honest, if you come to me telling me that you want to order a gun that can shoot 2,000 yards I will be more than happy to take your money. But usually what happens is that I explain the true nature of everything involved in long range sharpshooting and the wannabe sniper decides that it is way too involved to develop such skills. The commitment required is too much. One fellow who I talked to today said it best. “It is not a hobby, but it is a passion.” That's exactly right. You have to know the gun. The scope. The bullet. The load. The range. The target. The air temp. The air pressure. The humidity. The wind. The angle of the shot. And you have to know how all of this effects the shot. Shooting is a like driving. Anyone can jump into a performance car and stomp the gas. Just like anyone can pick up a rifle and pull the trigger. It looks easy. You can see a racecar driver doing his thing, and he makes it look easy. Just like a good Shootist can make accurate long range shooting look easy. But not everyone can do it well and that's the difference. Doing it well means that you not only drive the hell out of the car and milk out every bit of power and speed and utilize the car's strengths to overcome the car's weaknesses. For the Shootist it means hitting your target not just every so often, but every time. Knowing your limits as a shooter, when you have a shot and when you need to close in on the target or change shooting positions. That's also the mark of a real sharpshooter.

So you still want to become a long range sharpshooter? You can get these new .416 Barrett or the CheyTac caliber rifles, but why? If you want to really shoot well, you need to shoot a lot. If you are not reloading, then you are buying and you can get .50BMG ammo cheaper than the other calibers. You can get reloading components and everything easier for the .50. But I would suggest starting out with a .308 and then step up to a .300 RUM caliber rifle, and then up to a .50BMG. Start out shooting at 100 yards. Then move out to 300 then 500 then 800 then 1000... it's about progression. You can't just throw up a target at 1000 and expect to nail it right off. You will get frustrated, learn bad habits and develop no skill. If you progress wisely you will develop a better understanding of your weapon and you will be a much better marksman for it.

Back to the rifle. Again, I suggest the .50 BMG as your Bring in the Noise gun. There are a lot of options for a .50 and you don't have to go all the way for the Barrett like what everyone wants. The Armalite AR-50 is a fine rifle for both Novice and Advanced shooter. They can be had for $2500 and there are others out there for even less. The less you spend on the rifle, the more you can spend on your scope and for this kind of shooting it is all about the scope. Leupold VX-7, Ziess, Swarovski are some I sell... but there are Sheppard, Nightforce and other scopes that are popular too. Buy the most scope you can. Don't worry if you are buying more scope than gun. Spending the same amount for the scope as you did the rifle is actually a pretty good guideline. You buy a cheaper scope, you will regret it eventually.

A quick word about reloading: If you are serious about this sort of shooting, and you are not reloading your own ammo, you are going to be hobbled in your efforts. Do not handicap yourself with shooting factory ammo. If you don't know how to reload, I suggest finding an experienced Reloader and have him teach you. Don't be afraid to ask around at your local gunshop. If the guys there can't show you, they might be able to find someone who can. But reloading is critical to serious long range accuracy. Tailoring your cartridges to your individual gun is paramount. Every chamber and rifled bore is different, so you need a cartridge that fits it. If you have more than one rifle, keep your fired brass separate.

Some thoughts on lures: I'm not sure if Rapala is really worth the premium dollars... I seem to be having just as good fishing with Frenzy and Matzuo as I am with Rapala. But I have noticed that the Japanese made Matzuos work better when you scream “MATZUO!” as you cast and “Hai!” when you feel a strike. I don't know... maybe it's just me. That or I've seen a few too many Anime movies.

7-20-07:  Time for some important news: The Mrs. Ogre is going to have a girl. She's due mid December. Evidently I did have enough Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice in me to help make one. We are excited and very happy about this. We've wanted a girl since #2 and we had one then, but it was a miscarriage. So this will bring things full circle.

Flaming Gorge is an awesome little fishing hole. I know a lot of guys who read MadOgre.com are not into fishing... but I've become so. So deal with it. Last couple days I've spent it fishing. Some of it was done at Flaming Gorge. I'm not going to say the fishing was all that great, but it was still good. When you have two Brown Trout snagging your lure at the same time and both getting hooked up... you know you it beats a day at work. No, I'm not kidding. I was using a yellow Matzuo lure and two Browns hit it at the same time. Awesome. Okay, I wont bore you with the fish tales, but I was fishing with a guy from work and he saw the two browns on my lure. The trout didn't go for anything but that Matzuo. Caught 5 total, none bigger than 10”, but it was still great. The down side, is that on a cast into a pocket under an overhang of rock, I hit the rock. Cracked the lure open. Damn. I'm going to have to get more of them. Different colors and patterns etc. Worked great. I thought the Rapalas would work well... no strikes on the Rapalas. Of course, I didn't have any yellow suspending Rapalas. (Will by the time you read this)

I have got to get a boat. A small aluminum would be great. A rowboat even. I don't care... but I gotta get a boat. Bank fishing with a bad knee means I just can't get to the good/best spots.

I'm also going to have to get a stronger pole. My St Croix is a 2-6 light weight rod... I think I am going to have to get something a bit heavier. 7-14... and then again a 14-20. I know. It's a sickness. I've looked at the Fenwick rods and the G.Loomis. I'm not all that impressed with the Fenwicks, and the G.Loomis rods seem a lot more spendy for not all that much more quality that I can see without actually putting one to the test. So I'm thinking I'm going to stick with St Croix rods.

For the love of all that is holy, I can't stand those freaking Kia Rondo commercials. So much so that not only do I swear I will never buy a Kia Rondo, but I will never ever even sit in one. And I always change the channel off the stations that plays those dumbass commercials.

7-17-07:  Kim DuToit posted an image of a painting by William Bouguereau. This is my favorite artist for several reasons. One, he's just as good if not better than Rembrant. Two, he was excluded from the art community and most art-history books never mention him. If you do find one that mentions him, its only in passing or never more than a few paragraphs. Why? That brings me to number Three... he supported the rights of women. Instead of painting naked men, he painted women. From his work you can see that not only did he respect them, but he truly loved them. Many of the subjects of the paintings are the same handful of people. Two women and a couple young girls. He loved these people and it comes through in his artwork. You can see in his commissioned work that there was no love there... one in particular, you can tell he didn't have any respect for the aristocratic lady he painted. His work is very subtle like that. I wrote a lengthy paper about William Bouguerau for one of my college classes... My Prof had never even heard of him. I would love to fill my house with this guy's paintings.

John Kerry's brilliance: I read that John Kerry said that “attacking Iraq for 9-11 was like the US attacking Mexico because of Pearl Harbor.” Yes, Japan nailed us in Pearl Harbor... but we didn't attack Japan right off. Our initial response was invading northern Africa, where we kicked France's ass before tusselling with the Germans. Thank the Almighty that Kerry didn't win the election. The Moron.

The ½ Hour News Hour: I wish it was funnier. Great idea, but I'm sitting there watching it and I can see they are trying to be funny but it just doesn't quite work. Dennis Miller's segments are the only reasons to watch it. While I think it's a failure, the attempt shows the concept has merit. Recast it and get in better writers.

7-14-07:  I want need a new reel. Shimano has the sickest low profile bait casting reel I've ever seen. It's computer controlled. No, I'm not kidding. When you cast, the spool spins and that charges the circuits. The digital system then controls the braking to prevent backlash. The advantage, and why this is so cool is all about the spool RPM. Higher RPM's mean greater casting distance and improved accuracy... and less likely to have backlash. When the spool spins, it doesn't stop all the sudden. Or the spool can spin and release line faster than it's leaving the reel... that causes backlash. These bait cast reels need an internal break system to make sure that spool doesn't spin too fast. They use a mechanical system or a magnetic one. RPM's are limited to 15,000 to 25,000... While that's fast, the digital system allows for RPMs that can go above 30,000 without backlash. That's awesome. Super smooth with 11 bearings. The cheaper (at only $119) 4 bearing reels are already smooth, but this is just crazy smooth like butter. The low profile unit looks cool as hell too. Chrome like a Cylon. I want one. I want to get a G Loomis rod in the range of 14 to 20 pounds, and this reel would be PERFECT for it. As bad, I'm wanting this reel... I just can't justify or afford the 650 bucks these things demand. If I could, I would already have one on order.

The Judge: Taurus has an interesting revolver out. When I first took a look at the gun it sported a 6 inch barrel. I didn't like it all that much. We just got in a 4 inch version that I'm actually fond of. The Judge is a .45 Colt and and a .410 shotshell launcher... I really couldn't tell you why I like it. I have no reason to, the gun is large and heavy and .410 is not all that great.... but there is something about it that just makes it groovy for some reason. I want one. Not enough to go out of my way to get one, but I wouldn't mind having one. .410 loads in the #7 size range would be fun to plink around with, but I don't see any serious use for such a gun. Not even for self defense considering the size and weight. I guess if you were rolling your own shotshells you could load up BB shot, and that might be something... Maybe.

Rip Off Request: Some guy emailed me asking me how to write one of my Guns Of articles. What? Talk about brass nuggets... yes, I'm going to tell you how to rip of my shtick. Get bent and go come up with your own idea.

Front Sight's Blogger Offer: Yes, I've seen the free class offer from Front Sight. No, I'm not going to do it. Why? Well, look at it this way... I'd be happy to trade a bit of advertising for a free class, but they are not going to tell me that I have to have it up longer than I want it. A free class, that's worth maybe a month. Don't give me that full retail value comparison, Look at how much it costs them... compare that to how much it costs me. If I am paying for my own ammo for the class, it doesn't actually cost them anything to have another head... maybe some expense with the targets and minor things like that.... but don't tell me it's worth X # years of advertising. Because it isn't. Maybe a years worth if they pitch in the ammo too. No, I'm not going to play that game. Make a better offer. Now if the school was Thunder Ranch or Gunsight or even BlackWater... then we can talk.

BFRO is getting active. They wont find anything, but such a venture is a lot of fun. I suggest 416 Rigby bolt guns, backed up with Siaga 12's loaded with 00 Buck and slugs... I would consider the prey in this case a Dangerous Game type creature and would roll as such. I also suggest the use of Gen III night vision. Rumor has it these beasts are protected and the reasons carcasses are not being dragged into taxidermy shops is because of the government. Stuff it and mount it, I say. Put it up at the local hunting lodge. I'm wanting to buy a good bigfoot rubber mask, and make a hunting mount for it like a deer head... put it up here by the Elk and Moose mounts and see what people's reactions are. Just for fun.

7-12-07:  We've been getting in a lot of SIG pistols. The higher end guns and the standard units. The Equinox series looks sharp in the photos, but the down side is that they are sharp in the hand too. No, like “It's going to cut you” sharp not like “Sharp Dressed Man” sharp. The blackened slide, with the flats ground white. The edges are actually sharp enough to feel like they can harm you. I don't like that. But I do like the fiber optic and tritium front sight. Here is what I'd like to see... SIG offering that sight set up on their standard units. It's a good and practical system, but the fancy schmancy Equinox is a less than practical weapon, and not worth the premium price tags in my opinion. The gun is way too spendy for what you are getting. The SIG handguns are utilitarian service pistols with stamped sheet metal parts. Pimping it out to charge an extra couple hundred bucks is silly. The guns still have stamped parts. I don't know... I'll stick with the standard versions. The Sig is already like the Mercedes of the Automatics (stamped parts or no) so pimping them out is just redundant.

New Rock: Our friend Matt out in San Diego has sent us a photo of his Guitar Hero, his 3 year old son. Way to rock it, little man... don't forget the whammy bar!

"Carry on my wayward son..."

7-11-07:  Guy's, I've found God's Backyard. Heaven on Earth. It's real, and it's only about 30 minutes north from my porch. The place is called Oaks Park. Not your kiddie playground park, but a small gorgeous mountain lake surrounded by Aspens and flying eagles. The like is placid and full of fish. While we were fishing, right in front of us, a giant eagle swooped down and snagged a big silver fish out of the water. My boys and I were amazed. It was stunning. Down in the valley it was scorching hot, but up there is was cool. A slight breeze kept the heat away. Next time I go up there, I'm bringing a small boat. And, ah... well... next time will be before you read this. Flaming Gorge is great... but there is something wonderful about Oaks Park that I've not felt in a long time. This place is special. This is the first time I've wanted to get an RV just so I can stay up there. Sitting up there on the bank of the lake with my St Croix rod in my hand, a line in the water... I didn't want to leave. My boys didn't want to either. Let me tell you, up there at the lake, with my family... nothing else seemed to matter. For a few fleeting hours, I truly felt at peace.

Okay, a little update within the update: Since I've had my 5 day weekend of not working, not emailing, etc. What have I been doing? Fishing. Seriously fishing. Let's recap the water:

Flaming Gorge - Awesome, a real destination location. Take your deeper water gear because the fish are healthy, big, and like it below 20 feet. You can fish off the rocks like I did, but you are going to wish you had a boat.

Strawberry - Very good, but if you are making a trip to Utah, book your time at Flaming Gorge. If you are local... its a good mixer. Boat or float tube here.

Soldier Creek - This is a less fished area next to Strawberry, I had good luck there.

Steinaker - They say its a Blue Ribbon fishery. You can catch bluegill and trout off the banks all day long... and we did. Out deeper, your getting bigger trout and small mouth. Just about anything works here.

Red Fleet - I didn't have much luck here.

Utah Lake - Smells funny, fish felt and looked a little off.

Deer Creek - The water is so shallow, you have to walk way out there to get to it... but the fish are condensed and looking for something tasty.

Matt Warner - Power Bait Hatchery Formula hooked'm.

Green River - Soft lizard lures, and liver and blood Power Bait worked on the catfish.

Oaks Park - Another small water that winter kills every year so you are not getting anything big, or anything off a lure. More of that hatchery formula Power Bait is what they are looking for. Everything in the water is out of a hatchery. But like I mentioned before, Oaks Park has its own draw that goes beyond the size of the fish.

The best fishing was to be had at Flaming Gorge, of course, where I used deep diving Rapala lures to land a couple good sized salmon. Strawberry fishing was good until I lost my favorite lure (crawfish) to a huge strike that snapped my line before I could even crank the reel. I don't know what hit the lure, but it took it. I'll have to get a couple more of those. Other lures that worked well were softbodies... lizards and shad. Of course Power Bait and Yum worked when the lures didn't.

Since the Detonics Combat Master came back, I've been spending some more time with it. For a concealed carry gun, compact .45's will always do it for me. Small, stainless, simple... awesome. But the Combat Master is not perfect. I want a few more things in it. I want tritium night sights. I want a carry bevel treatment, I want front strap checkering at 25LPI or finer. I don't ask for much, but I do ask for a bit more than what the Detonics is giving me. If there are Factory Options, take them.

Transformers: Freaking awesome movie. I enjoyed the whole thing. A huge CGI action fest that has never been as well done. This movie has some serious balls... giant robots clashing and smashing... I just loved it. Hard core loved it. Bumblebee rocked. He was the coolest. You watch this, your going to want your own Bumblebee. And the chick that opens his hood? OMG she is hot. Autobots freaking rule. Did I mention the hot chick? Whoa. She makes another flick, I'm watching it. Hopefully the Autobots will be in it too. The end leaves an opening for another film. I think one more movie would be nice, but I hope they don't milk the franchise to the point of death.

One last thing I want to mention, the Ford Mustang will be worthless come 2008. No one is going to buy a new one anymore. Chevy won.

iPhone: For the love of all that is holy, I'm so sick of the Apple iPhone I could puke. I don't want to hear anything else about it. It's as if the damn thing transmits spontaneous orgasms and has The Lord Almighty on Speed Dial... people are raving about the thing so much. Please stop.

The Democrats better get moving. With all the good news coming out of Iraq right now, and with the Terrorists calling out for more help in desperation... the Dems better get working real fast on the pull out before we win this thing. They can't afford to let The Surge work any longer.

Check this out. Miss Utah is a Grunt. How hot is that? This is awesome, and a good representation of Utah, which is one of the most patriotic states in the whole nation.

7-5-07:  The final word on the Cavalry blade situation. The Cav got their knives back. About two hours after my last post, and an email to an upper level sergeant, I got a call from my brother and he said that they had all just been given their knives back. Awesome. FACT: Sergeant Majors Kick Ass. Nicely done. I really never cared about the pocket knives. They are unimportant to the mission. But what bothered me was that we had Combat Veteran Soldiers being treated like disruptive, mischievous Boy Scouts. Soldiers should always be given the utmost respect. Especially by those that are supposed to be leading them.

I've got to vent here. Nancy Pelosi's bullshit posturing because Bush commuted Scooter's sentence is revolting. When she speaks of a travesty of justice, I want to ask her a few questions about it. Where was she when Clinton pulled his 11^th hour Pardons? Bush didn't pardon Scooter. Bush only said he didn't have to serve his jail time... the conviction remains. Clinton dished out dozens of full pardons including one to a convicted pedophile. Where was Nancy then? Where was Nancy when Hillary's henchman was caught red handed with fist fulls of documents from the National Archives and got off scott-free? Where was Nancy when missing secret documents from the FBI were discovered in Hillary Clinton's office? Where was Nancy then? Listen Nancy, if you are going to be a Champion of Justice, it's “justice for all” not just justice when it suits the Democrats. I'm sick of the double standards. Everyone in Washington needs to be held to the same standards. Hence the word “standard”. If you can't hold everyone to the same set of rules, then you have no standards and as a result, no morals or ethics and are thus not worthy of the Office you schlepped into like an opportunistic burglar. Of course that also makes you a perfect Democrat.

Speaking of Hillary, if the old saying goes something like you can judge a person by who their friends are... what about Hillary's friends? All her old associates have been indicted, or disappeared, or have wound up dead. So what does that mean about Hillary? For one, she's mortally dangerous. For the other, it means she can not be trusted. This is obvious to anyone who has a moral center and can see through party lines.

I'm not defending Bush's actions, but maybe we should look at the whole situation objectively. Take at his sentence and then what Scooter did. Is the sentence equal to the crime? I don't know. What if Scooter was just the guy that worked down the street from you... what if he did what Scooter did. What sort of sentence would he have been given? Is it fair that Scooter was given that sentence? Was it harsh or fair? Was it right to commute the jail sentence? I'll leave that for you decide on yourself.

7-4-07:  HAPPY 4^th of July everyone! Take time to show your love for our country (or if you are not American, your appreciate for the USA) and have a great day.

On some websites such as Digg.com I'm seeing a lot of Anti-American sentiment.  Digg for example is an American web site.  Yet these Anti-American a-holes seem to love spending a lot of time enjoying American made products and services... such as the Internet.   They say they hate America yet they love American things.  Methinks they are a bit too envious for their own good.   I believe the USA is the Greatest Nation on the planet and would go so far to say the whole Universe (prove me wrong).  While the USA is not perfect (Democrats are still in office) we do have the best thing going.   Look at the next best - the UK.  Would be awesome there if it wasn't for the Nanny State mentality there that is so prevalent that the average subject there (almost said citizen but that would have been incorrect) is tracked on camera just about every second he or she is outside in public.  To me, that's horrible.  That's freaking Orwellian.  So I'll keep my USA proudly, thank you very much.

I hate going back and forth on things... but the Cavalry Knife issue is still an issue. I talked to men in the unit in question, the C Troop of the 2-183^rd Cavalry and the whole Troop had their knives and multitools confiscated. My brother even has a hand receipt for his knives that they took. Why would my brother lie to me about this? What reason would he have to make this up? Why would others in the unit say the same thing? Why? Because it's true. They denied it because they either didn't want to look stupid, or because the guy I talked to that was over the whole Cav unit as a whole didn't know... but what happened was Sgts and LT's went around and collected everything sharp and pointy. Some guys in Troop C got receipts, others didn't... but they all lost their knives. Not just military issue, but also private property. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The Officer that ordered this is a giant flaccid pussy. This isn't just greenhorn national guard recruits in this unit. You have Combat Veterans in troop C. Rangers and other rather high speed – low drag type guys... Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan under their belts, and they are not trusted to have a swiss army knife. They can't have a Gerber Multitool. Asinine. I remember I got a pocket knife taken from me... but that was Day 1 at the reception station during Basic Training. After Basic, I had tons of knives and it was never questioned. Treating Hardened Soldiers like new recruits is asinine and insulting.

The huge wildfire over here in my front yard is still burning: Estimates are that it will burn for a very long time. Breitbart is reporting that it could burn all summer. Yeah, that's possible. We wont get a drop of rain till late august at the earliest. Wouldn't surprise me if it's still burning come first snow. The upshot of this is that come spring, there will be so much fresh growth in this area, next fall will be some glorious hunting!

7-3-07:  What the hell. To console my self I picked up the StarCraft Battle Chest and Diablo II so I could do some old school gaming on my laptop. Neither work. Freakin hell. I don't care if they were only 10 bucks... I was looking forward to killing demons and aliens over here! Now I'm just even more pissed off about life.

The cat came back. I had shipped the Detonics Combat Master back to Detonics some time ago. It came back today. Looks like Detonics has moved. Again. Isn't the etiquette that if a gun writer sends a gun back to the maker, and for some reason it comes back... the gun writer gets to keep it?

FIRE: The fire has moved up into the canyons and is now no longer threatening any more structures. This is good news for the community, but not so good for the firefighters. There are 10 teams working it, a dozen helicopters and 6 fixed wings (C130's) doing the air attacks. The smoke is thick and you can't even see the mountains anymore. Below are photos I took the day after the evacuation and you can see that it's burned up into the mountains. Last count 40,000 acres have been burned and the fire is currently only 10% contained.

This last image is my favorite.  I rolled up into the mountains near by to get that shot.  I think it turned out well.  I'm no Oleg Volk, that's for sure.  I seriously need a new digital camera.  Mine is no longer able to take close up pics of guns.  But it does pretty good on this sort of stuff.

Fishing:  I've got a 5 day weekend coming up again.  I've got some new lures, and picked up a new St. Croix rod to check out... I'll be fishing Red Fleet, Paradise (if the fire doesn't prevent me) and Flaming Gorge this.  Lots of fishing.  I've got a little before my next CCM deadline, some days off, so I'm going to make the most of it.  If anyone out there wants to come fishing, let me know. 

The Contour is now all mine... fully paid off, title is on the way to me.  No more car payment.  That feels great.  Such a relief.  Now to see about trading it in on something bigger and hopefully meaner.  Or not.

7-2-07:  Email from The Horde: “You know what, I don't know if this comment was the result of vitriol but that is, IMHO, one of the best damn ideas in a long time. I'm assuming that soldiers in Iraq would see a fair bit of CQB is certain instances. Why not prop up their confidence with a weapon that would be useful in combat? I know a short sword at the longest is the best weapon for such encounters but a long gleaming blade surely must be awe inspiring? In fact it would be a great thing for Esprit de Corps if every Cavalryman were allowed to carry a sabre, but say infantry at best can carry a hanger. Warm Regards, Elijah.” Well, Elijah, if you were in C troop of the 2-183^rd Cav, you couldn't even have a Cheese slicer. Of everything out there that could be considered to be just flat out stupid... a military – a combat arms unit of the military – being forbid a knife... that's just retarded. Sabers were the traditional weapon of the Cavalryman, not only should they be allowed them – they should be general issue. Denying Soldiers mankind's oldest tool is denying them they're manhood and hamstringing their ability to be Soldiers. This CPT Jones reminds me of the Officer from Heartbreak Ridge. I'm just waiting for some old school full bird to swoop in and chew him up and send him back to supply duty.

Email from Lcpl Matt Reed USMC: "I've written a counter-terrorist Novel titled, In The Death of Night, by Matthew Reed. It's about a retired C.I.A. Case Officer named Bill Carpente who manipulates and leverages the Russian Mafia into killing Islamic terrorists inside Houston. This scheme is accomplished via the transferring of covertly obtained, inside information on Law Enforcement Operations against Russian Organized Crime, to a former K.G.B. Officer who, in exchange for the information, dispatches his syndicate's ex-Spetsnaz and ex G.R.U. Russian Military Triggermen to brutally eradicate the terrorists. As the Novel goes on, South African Mercenaries and retired Special Forces Operators are hired through cash payments to conduct bloody and brutal assassinations of more high profile targets. Retired Cops and other Military veterans who've read this Novel told me it could be used as a training manual on how to kill terrorists and were amazed at the level of tradecraft and detail." Sounds interesting Matt. Sounds like something right up The Horde's alley.

James' email the other day got me thinking. I have an open invitation to hunt in South Africa as well, and it is something I hope to be able to do in the a couple years. What rifle would I take? Jame's selection of the Blazer R93 is a good one. One of the most popular, if not the best of the European long guns available to hunters these days. Let's see... I'd want a rifle that could do plains game as well as some bigger “just in case” creatures. The notion that to go to Africa, your rifle has to have “Controlled Round Feeding” is a bit much. Feeding a round from a bolt action isn't something that has a lot of bumps to it. Seriously, I've cycled several rounds while bouncing around in the back of a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Can't say that I had a problem. Well, actually hitting targets while bouncing around was a bit of a chore, but I had no miss feeds. I remain a serious fan of the Remington 700. I'd probably use a rifle based on the 700. As far as caliber, I'd probably go for a .300 RUM or a .338 WM. Simple, nothing fancy, but well proven game getters.

FIRE: The fire has moved north as I said before. It's consuming the mountains but most of the homes and everything in the valley is safe so far. Homes in the Canyons are in danger, including my Bishop's home. I have some more photos I'll post when I get the chance.

The SciFi channel has a show called Destination Truth. This is a pretty stupid show, being hosted/led by a pretty stupid guy. I mean, he has the brains to know what he's wanting to do. However he goes about it the wrong way. His tactics are all wrong. He has his team of guys with him, they have some tools, and lots of cameras... but as soon as they think they might have something, the guy yells “let's go” and they all go running out there into the dark after it. This is a surefire method of making sure you never catch anything. Stomping around the woods, making noise, talking out loud... if this method worked, hunters wouldn't be worried about Scents, Sounds, and Sights. So he goes to an area, talks to some people, go spend one night stomping about in the woods, and when they don't find anything they chalk it up to mythology and jet out confident there is no such thing as what they are looking for. Nice. I watched a couple episodes including the one where they search for Big Foot.

Now, if I was going to be hunting for Big Foot, I'd opt for the Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70 loaded with the new Hornady LEVERevolution ammunition. I think that would be enough punch to handle Harry. Oh, I'd also have a few armed buddies backing me up.

7-1-07:  Fire Storm: For the last 3 days there has been a raging fire in my little corner of the Uintah Basin. It started on Ute Tribal lands. When it started two counties responded with men and trucks. The Tribal A-Holes turned them away, refusing help, refusing to let them on tribal land. Of course the fire got out of control and last I heard has burned up well over 24000 acres, a number of ranches, homes, 38 head of cattle, 4 people, and 4 horses (2 of which were ponies I had contracted for). A father and son died. It would have been a father and two sons, but the dad told one of them to run and he did... Dad and the remaining son tried to save their ranch. They failed, and died. One lady tried to saver her panicking horses, got kicked in the head and died of that. The fire threatened several communities, including mine. We were evacuated from the area. Before we left, I snapped a photo.

In the picture, you can't really see the flames, but the smoke... that's only about 800 yards away from us. The fire started over 15 miles away and had come this close to us. Thank God the fire turned north and spared Ogre Ranch. But that also means that a lot of good people we know are already losing their homes. Had the fire come closer, you can see the field in front of our house is very green and there are two sprinkler lines ready to help hold the flames at bay. If the fire crosses that green field, it would almost instantly consume about 30 homes in the area behind us. I've seen big fires before... but never before have I had personal stakes in it. That changes everything.

All of this because the Ute Tribe refused the help that could have stopped all of this before it got out of control. I'm extremely pissed off right now. Bullshit pride. That's all it was. The Utes, as a people, I don't mind. I know many of them, like them as people, and consider them to be good folk. But as a tribe – Jackasses. Jackasses that caused massive amounts of death and destruction because of their fucking pride. I hope they are bloody well happy now. 

I had a bunch of other stuff I wanted to talk about... but being evacuated and all this as become my priority.  Sorry.

Email from James to cheer us up: “Dear George, Just back from another African hunting trip, this time to Intaba Ingwe in South Africa. I just love the country and, especially, the people, who have retained the "frontier" spirit which seems to have died in all too many Brits and Yanks. Our South African PH, Dene Howes, was especially impressive, despite being newly-qualified (we were only his second paying clients). He was very much the stereotypical PH, in the mould of Peter Hathaway Capstick or Harry Selby. Tall, athletic, weather-beaten, with an endless selection of anecdotes and stories. He also had a fine practical knowledge of anthropology, ballistics, botany, engineering, history, hydrology, languages, mechanics, ornithology and zoology. It seems to be typical of South Africans to have a very "can-do" approach to life. They don't wait for the government to organize things, they just "get on" and do it for themselves:

* Want a 26 mile, 9 foot high electric fence built around your property? Build it yourself!

* Want roads pushing through thick thorn bush? Do it yourself?

* Want dams building on your property to catch rain water? Build them yourself!

* Want special traps for catching hyenas? Design and build them yourself!

This is exactly the sort of thing we need more of in my country. Specialisation is for insects. Real men should be able to turn their hand to anything, even if it only in a rough-and-ready sort of way.

Weapon used was a Blaser R93 modular rifle, the Off Road / Semi Weight version (ie: plastic stock, heavy barrel) with a recoil reducer in the butt and S&B Zenith 1.5-6x42 scope. Chambering was .375" H&H, ammo was locally-supplied PMP 300gr soft points.

I bought it specifically to go to Africa and it proved to be a good choice - very handy to carry, very "pointy" and absolutely devastating on game. All fell to a single shot to the heart-lungs, even the wildebeest, which was so large it took 5 men to move it.

Yours James, St Albans, UK

PS: Never mind bears. At Intaba Ingwe we had leopards and hyenas prowling around the camp. Going to the toilet in the night suddenly got interesting. I defy anyone to "declench" and relax, when they can here hyenas hooting in the bushes nearby.

PPS: I may be wrong - perhaps real men can pee in any circumstances! Perhaps their bladders laugh in the face of mortal peril!”

6-30-07:  Ah yeah... Jessica Biel loves me. Angelina is gone.

Thanks to Dr. Zox for snapping this photo for us. 

The .50 caliber video is now on YouTube. You can hit it there, I'm deleting it here.

Maybe I do have it good. For a gimped up ogre maybe it doesn't get better than this. I work at a gun shop and I talk guns and fishing... Guys will want a new gun, but they dont know what they want. I help them out, sometimes helping them get a handgun or a rifle. Helping them get a scope, then I'll mount and boresight the scope for them. You like that rod and reel? I'll throw some line on it for you. During my lunch break I'll run up to one of my many shooting locations and do some shooting of my own. I do like to shoot... I love shooting. The down side to shooting is that I have to clean my guns quite often. Since I avoid firing AR-15 rifles, cleaning is not such a big deal. Remember when I said I had a crap load of ammunition? Maybe this is evidence I'm not pulling the trigger enough. I shall have to strive to do better. One problem though – by lunch time, the desert of the Uintah Basin is a scorching fry pan. I'd love it if there was a nice indoor range around here that had a rifle lane built in. That would be awesome. It would also have to have a huge overpowered A/C unit.  

I've got a lot of stuff coming up so stay tuned.

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Copyright G H Hill 1999-2012

“I keep two magnums in my desk drawer. One is a gun that I keep loaded.  The other is a bottle and it keeps me loaded.”