June 16th to 30th

June 30th, Monday:  2118MST:  Couple Websites I would like to highlight.  #1 Publicola, & #2 SpicedSass. It was reported to me that you guys have linked a comment to me.  Thank you.  Looked at your sites as well… Good job.  Carry on.  

Email from a long time reader:  “Loved your write up on the different gun finishes out there.  I am, as you know, a Glock devotee, and as such had to point out that the Tennifer finish is actually not a finish at all, but a metalurgical process performed on the metal parts of the Glock pistols and knives.  The metal is treated with a cyanide mixture bath to increase hardness and corrosion resistance.  This is not a finish but is actually impregnated into the first few microns of the metal.  The tennifer treatment is colorless. Glock simply powder coats the slides black after the tennifer process is complete.  You can take a piece of sandpaper to your slide and remove all of the powder coat, leaving your slide a dull stainless color (which looks pretty cool) and the tennifer properties will be left intact.  The reason Glocks only come in black (and as a Glocker this is admitting a lot) is that Glock is simply too unimaginative to believe that anyone would want a pistol in any color besides black.  That is where companies like Tripp Research and Arizona Response Systems come in and offer all sorts of color options for both Glock slides and even the plastic frames.  Men like to modify things and make them their own, and these companies make bank doing it.  Now I am not going to take sandpaper to my beloved Glock 23 anytime soon, but some of the edges show a little wear, and once a good chunk of the finish wears off I may just get that slide hard chromed for that pimp two-tone look.  Ryan”  Thanks, Ryan for the details... I'll include it when I move that little article over to the Weapons Section for Canonization.  Glock also thinks no one would want a carbine either… Hope they are kicking themselves with all the hype of the Cx4 Storm Beretta rolled out.  I’d like to see Glock roll one out, including one in .357 and 10MM.  Wouldn’t that be a kick in the nuts?  What would be even cooler, if they made it in Olive Drab Green.  ARS has an excellent finish called Metalcol III that is every bit as good as it is beautiful.   This is a tempting finish for me and my Beretta 92FS that is in need of refinishing.  Refinish it in “Ogre Green”.  That would be SWEET!  However this isn’t anything I am going to do any time soon.  Refinishing is expensive and it’s the last thing you should do if there is any other smithing work to be done… like contouring, melting, rounding, checkering etc.

Funny how there is this cease fire in Gaza right after this little bit of news came out… The Death Toll Score Card: Israel vs Palestine.  Clearly shows Palestinians are getting waxed left and right.   I’m not really sure, but I think tactics might have something to do with it.  See, it would help the body count figures if you didn’t blow your selves up every time you pulled the pin on a hand grenade.  A funny thing about those hand grenades…  they are meant to be thrown after you pull the pin.  Not hugged.  Stupid fucking Palestinians.  

1000MST: Practical Demon Keeping and Bloodsucking Fiends are two of my favorite books.  Written by Christopher Moore, a brilliant fellow who has recently released another book that I find very amusing but I fear for my soul for thinking that.  It's called Lamb.  It's about the boyhood best friend of Jesus.  Read the first chapter here.

Nothing is interesting unless it's a little scary.  I’m not talking scary horror… but there has to be a hint of danger to things… something to thrill us on some level.  Something powerful is more interesting than something benign.  This can be applied to just about anything.  Amusement park rides to books to movies or games.  Perfectly Safe is Utterly Boring. 

Email from reader:  “Hi, Ogre.  What's your real opinion on the Su-16?  Does it use the AR-15's gas block system?  How is it vs. the Armalite 180B?  Thank you! -Jon”  Thanks for the email, Jon.  The SU-16 uses a few parts from the M-16 like the Bolt assembly but not the bolt carrier.  This means it suffers from a lot of the AR-15/M-16 issues with the ejector, and breach face. However, it improves upon the M-16 by using an operating rod... so it’s that much better than an M-16.  Oh, and it uses M-16 mags too.  Straight stock should make California legal, but I'm not sure.  Folding bi-pod is a plus but not a necessity.  I'd rather have a folding stock.  The SU-16 is a clever rifle, but I think it is at best a limited use rifle.  It would have been so much better if it used a scaled down AK or FAL type bolt/breach system with a fixed ejector.  Compared to the AR-180B, I'd rather have the 180.  Granted, I can't fold a 180 in half and carry it in a brief case. But then again, I could by simply taking the upper off the lower.  This fold in half thing is a nifty trick, but not that original.  The Armalite is a proven design... it’s action is used in many other rifles.  Including the HK G36 rifle that is so sexy.  This Kel-Tec is still new.  So that's another point in the AR-180B's favor.

I watched a movie that recently came out on DVD.  Dark Blue.  A cop flick staging in LA at the time of the Riots.  Movie sucked.  Another movie:  Punch Drunk Love.  Sucked.  Do not rent these, buy these, or even bother reading the cover slips.  They blow.  Trust me on this one. They are not eve worth describing.

Top Ten Range Pick-up Lines:

#10:"Uh no actually, that's NOT a gun in my pocket..."

#9: Sniff, sniff: "Is that Hoppe's #9 you're wearing?"

#8: "Didn't I see you in the centerfold of the last Dillon catalogue?"

#7: "A .45? Yeah, sometimes bigger IS better..."

#6: "No, I'm not shooting today - sometimes I just enjoy cuddling and chatting about guns..."

#5: "I know a trick to keep your bore well lubricated..."

#4: "My shooting buddies don't understand me..."

#3: "Didn't we meet at at Knob Creek?"

#2: "I gave up the Weaver stance when I learned Tantric shooting."

And the #1 Range Pic-up Line: (drumroll) "I really appreciate a woman who enjoys slapping leather!"

I am so glad that Congress is now adding an amendment to the US Constitution to define what marriage is.  Thank heavens!  All the confusion can now be put to rest.  (insert some image to indicate sarcasm here)  This is all about being politically correct here… not about what Marriage is about.  The reason for this is all about “Gay Marriages”, let’s make no mistake.  Marriage is something between a Man and a Woman… a bond.  And let’s face it, Men and Women are different enough creatures that we need this legal bond.  Okay?  But I can see where these gay couples are coming from…  Marriages have a lot of legal protections for the traditional couple that do not exist for a gay couple.  Such legal items as testifying in court against a spouse, insurance benefits for Life and Health, taxes, etc.  Even just hospital visitations.  Now, I am going to say something that might be against my church’s stated position on the subject, but stick with me here for a second.  I am in support of gay marriages.  Why is that?  Because these gay couples are going to be gay no matter what legal status that they have and I think if a couple really is that committed to each other, then they should have these legal protections.  Also, it can reduce promiscuity by locking in a monogamous relationship.  But do we really have to call it “Marriage”?  Can’t we just give spousal status to a legally locked “Partner”?   

Email:  “Ogre, you never mentioned anything about Strom Thurmond dying.”  He was overdue? 

About Gun Finishes:  Picking out a new gun is a complicated chore.  You have caliber, style, size, features, etc.   I've talked about these subjects before.  However, I've never really talked about an important aspect of the selection process... The finish.  It's actually an important factor in the gun's functionality.  There are a number of finish options to choose from.  Each one has it's advantages and disadvantages beyond appearance.  Stainless, Blued, Nickel, Parkerized, Chrome, Coated... There are more options coming out every time you turn around.  Really the question lays with you and how, when and where you are going to be using the firearm.  Also, your hygiene.  How and how often clean the weapon... Not personal.  If you are a slob and really don't want care about the gun all that much, then blued is not the finish for you and you might want a Stainless or Coated gun.   Lets not make any choices just yet.  Instead, let's look at each finish and see what they have to offer.

Blued:  This is probably the oldest finish to be found on a gun.  Some even say it's the most attractive finish.  What this finish really is, is a carefully controlled oxidation of the surface of the metal.  Salts and other chemicals are used to "blue" the gun.   Mostly the results are a blackened finish and not actually the color blue by any means... There are two ways of doing this, hot and cold.  Professional grade bluing uses the hot methods as it's a more effective method and cold Bluing is something you can actually do a home to touch up  a warn blued finish.  The biggest downside to blued is that it offers very little in terms of corrosion protection.  The blued finishes that are highly polished are better for that as there is less surface imperfection for moisture to adhere to and take root.  This is why you must always wipe a blued gun down with an oil to displace moisture and O2 and provide a barrier against the same.  I've seen neglected blued guns rust completely on a humid Virginian summer night.  It also offers little abrasion protection.  Old duty guns with blued finishes often look like hell.  With scratches and areas where the finish is worn down to the bare metal.. But then again there is a certain nobility in the worn looking gun that I cannot explain.  If the gun is free of corrosion and operates smoothly... The wear can be a sign that the owner has been there and done that with this dependable sidearm.  You can always tell the new GI's from a distance... The are the ones wearing the BDU's that look like they just came out of the packet.  Same thing with a blued gun, really.  This is why a blued gun can still be considered in good condition with only 60% of it's finish left.  But that's another article for another day. 

Stainless isn't really a finish... It's the material.  Stainless Steel.  Similar to what you might have in your knife drawer in your kitchen.  To understand Stainless, you need to understand Steel.  I'm going to over simplify this, so if your a closet metallurgist , please don't be offended.  Steel is a mixture of iron and carbon.  The carbon hardens the iron and makes it stronger.  There are other elements in there but like I said, I'm wanting simplicity here.  The Vikings may have first discovered steel.  They had swords that were often called snake blades because of the waves of the lines in the blades... These came about when they hammered the iron blade over coals during the swords forging.  This introduced carbon into the metal, transforming some of the iron into steel.  Well, today's steels are a lot more complicated.  Stainless is actually an alloy of steel that is given a higher concentration of chromium.  Stainless steel is good looking and will easily stay that way longer than blued.  Couple downsides to stainless.  One is that it's boring... it's vanilla.  The other is galling but this is minimal thanks to newer more advanced alloys.  I prefer to run a grease for lube in a stainless gun... Better protection from galling.  The big advantage for stainless would be that corrosion has a much harder time getting into it.  It is an almost perfect option for concealed carry guns.  Scratches happen but can buffed out.  Stainless guns can look virtually new much longer than most other guns.   If you pick stainless, you also have the choices of "mat", "brushed", "bead blasted", or "polished".  Now days you can also get your Stainless “Blackened” so dodge that vanilla bullet.  The blackening of stainless is just like bluing regular steel… a chemical process that creates a controlled oxidation of the surface.  Personal taste here, but you cant just polish a scratch out of a bead blasted or blackened surface.  No thanks.  In stainless, my personal preferences are for the brushed or polished finished.  

Nickel plating has been around for a long time... An early version of chrome plating.  There were many guns back in the wild west days sporting a nickel finish.  They looked great, lasted a long time and all... But when they went, they really went. The nickel could come off in flakes and leave a gun with a bad case of mange.  This finish has come a very long way since the 1800's.  Improvements have been made in the process and in the chemicals used.  This isn't you grampappy's nickel plate.  Nickel give you great protection from corrosion.  Since it's also a very hard surface, it's a lot harder to abrade the surface... This means fewer scratches.  The nickel finish is very pimp... Very shiny, like chrome mostly.  However there is now a "mat nickel" out that minimizes the pimp-shine.  This plating finish is also to be had in chrome, or gold, or even titanium… even gold titanium.  Whatever you want really. 

Powder Coat finishes are simple but very effective.  It covers the metal in a thin layer of plastic.  The finish is better than it sounds, and is more durable than you might imagine.  The process for powder coating is a bit more complicated than you might think too.  The process starts with a couple chemical baths to clean and prep the metal.  Then it uses an electrical charge to attract sprayed particles to the metal to insure a uniform distribution of the finish.  Then heat is used to cure this coating and bond it.  This heat is usually done via a very large toaster oven.  Again, I have over simplified, but this is the basic process.  Different outfits will do things differently, but this is the basic nutshell program.  The result is a very tough surface treatment that resists corrosion and abrasion.  It even looks pretty good.  You have probably seen these kinds of finishes before and didn’t even know it.  One of my last handguns had this finish, and a very popular SMG uses it as well.

There are other Spray and Bake finishes that are more sophisticated… they don’t use a plastic, but instead use other synthetics such as Nylon or Teflon or uses PTFE particles.  These finishes have differing degrees of self lubrication.  One popular finish of this type is NP3.  It sports a high level of lubricating particles in the finish that make the surface slick.  Such finishes are good, but don’t be fooled by the slickness, it still needs to be lubricated like any other gun.  Maybe not as much, but they should still be lubricated.  NP3 and Black-T are a good examples of this type of finish.  The factory says no lube is needed.  I say it does.  To answer this question I consulted an expert in the field of lubrication, someone known to many experienced shooters at least by reputation, George C. Fennell.  I said to him in an email that it was my theory that while these finishes are slick, lubrication is still needed do to heat and pressure during firing… and I asked him if my theory was correct.  Here is his answer:  “With PTFE dry film coatings, you are absolutely right. They do need an extra level of protection, even though they've come a long way since the old "frying pan" days, when all you needed to do was scratch a Teflon coated surface and the peeling was then a guaranteed and catastrophic event.  Today's coatings such as Dura Coat, Black T, and others, amalgamate the PTFE into the base substrate, making it MUCH more resilient and long lasting, but the oxidation and corrosion properties of the elements will still penetrate the porosity of the coating without an added protection like FP-10 and others.  Even Walter Birdsong, the inventor of the Black-T coating, preaches the use of the FP-10 on all his weapons and touts it as the best "brush-less" cleaner available today.”  George C Fennell of course sells FP-10, but his expertise in the field of Lubrication is not diminished.  I’m testing a number of lubes, FP-10 included… but more on that at another time.  Back to the finishes.   NP3 has a unique color that is very attractive.  These finishes can also look very good. This is one advantage these finishes have… you can get them in any color you want.  You can even get them in patterns.   They don’t just look great, but offer excellent protection from corrosion and abrasion.  These high-tech finishes are becoming the wave of the future.  They are certainly a huge improvement over the finishes of the past… like Parkerized.

Parkerized finishes have been around since I don’t know when, near the turn of the century?  1900’s?   Parkerizing is often seen on US GI WWII guns and many guns since then.  It’s a tough finish that is resistant to abrasion, but unfortunately not that resistant to corrosion.  A Parkerized surface is porous, like wood.  The problem with that is moisture can sink it’s teeth into your gun and rusting will ensue.  This is why “Park” isn’t my personal favorite finish, but that’s just me.  The color of a Parkerized finish varies from black to green to grey all depending on the agents used in the process.  The only real advantage to a parked finish is that it’s cheap and fast and does offer more corrosion protection than blued, but only if you keep a nice layer of oil over it.         

There are other finishes out there... the proprietary ones.  SIG has it’s own.  Glock has it’s famous “Tennifer” finish.  HK has it’s “Hostile” finish.  Every maker has it’s own.  Generally they are all very good, with pros and cons… Glock’s is probably the toughest, but you can only get it in black.

So, you can ask me what finish is best for your gun, but I’ll just ask you what your going to do with it.

June 28th, Saturday:  Took some time to upload some content for Geeks With Guns... if your a long time Ogre Reader, you will have read it all anyways...  Not much of a post day today as I am working on MadOgre.com stuff on the back end... fixing some things.

0120AM:  Friday night was somewhat quiet.  I had rented some movies for me and the boys while Momma was doing her show.  She is helping the stage works for a production.  Lights and sounds etc.  So while she was off helping with that, we had some soda pops and candy and some movies.  I selected for them a children's classic.  "Labyrinth"  That one movie with David Bowie, a bunch of Jim Henson puppets left over from Dark Crystal and the tasty Jennifer Connelly.  When I first saw Labyrinth it was the first time I saw her.  I was teenager... early teens.  Just a kid.  I had the biggest crush on her.  Now, as a married man and a father it was strange watching this movie.  She is a cute girl and all, but she looks young enough to be my daughter!!!  Weird!  Young Jennifer's looks were not lost on my boys who said "Hubba Hubba!" when she came on.  I don't know where the hell they got that from.  I promise you, I have NEVER said "Hubba Hubba" and especially not in front of my boys!   I am pleased that they have good taste... but I am now all the sudden very concerned about the future and the fact that soon enough I will have a house fill of teenage boys.  *looking up to the heavens* I'm not ready for this.  Maybe daughters would have been easier.  Labyrinth was a fun movie for them.  All the little goblins amused them and they laughed a lot, but the Hubba Hubba thing still worried me.   Well, Jennifer Connelly is now all grown up and still looks very lovely.  Evidently she is the only reason to watch the new "Hulk" movie.   Actually not reason enough for me.  I have no desire to see Hulk.  I never liked Hulk.  Super power is that he gets super pissed and starts smashing things?  Yeah, that's inspiring the youth to keep self control.  Nice.  What's next?  Another flick where the kid goes postal and starts a shooting rampage?  Screw the Hulk.  I was suckered by Dare Devil so maybe I'm bitter.  I'll hold off on super hero movies until the next X-Men or Spider Man flick.  The only Stan Lee comic super dude I can tolerate was Spiderman.  Not sure who did X-Men, but they are cool too.  Never read any comic books as a kid.  I read history books.   When I joined up there was a lot of other Grunts who were all into comics.  Had bunches of them and would read them all the time.  Yeah, buncha low brows in the Infantry, but you would be surprised at the level of many front line troopers.  IQ's over 130 abound in the Infantry.  You would think the stupid guys would go Infantry but this isnt the case.  Actually some of the most brilliant people I have ever met were Grunts.  First time I read any Jeffery Chaucer was at Ft. Benning.  Where was I?  Oh yeah, movies... After Labyrinth I put in Old School.  Some parts in it were absolutely hilarious and some of the funniest stuff I've seen in a long while.  The rest of it was trying too hard and seemed strained.  If you haven't seen it yet... it's worth seeing if your in a stupid comedy mood but I'd wait until its off the new release shelf.  The tranq dart in the neck... I had stitch I was laughing so hard.  And the dropping bricks scene... that was funny.  Oh, don't worry... all the boys were asleep when I put Old School in.

June 27th, Friday: 0112HRS:  First off, never drink a Coke at 10:30PM if you were wanting to go to sleep.  Just as well, Mrs. Ogre said something that pissed me slam the fuck off.  I'm not wanting to crawl into bed to snuggle right now.  Decided to rant about a couple things. 

Being Liberal must be like being high all the time.  That can be the only explanation.  The effort to recall Governor Grey Davis is going well.  They need 900,000 signatures to get it done and they have well over 800,000 now to do it.  Since they are getting so close and it looks like this effort will succeed, the liberals are crying about it.  "It's a disruption of democracy!"  No, you jelly-brained assmonkeys - that IS democracy.  That's the way it works.  Grey Davis has ruined what was the most powerful economy short of the US economy on a whole.  Here is one thing they need to - Lower the Damn Taxes.  It's silly how much they pay in taxes in CA.  It's just wrong.  Davis as succeeded in driving out more business than Michael Moore breaking wind at his favorite Krispy Kreme joint.   I want to see this git put out on the street.  Of course Arnold will win the next slot... and since so many people LOVE Davis over there... he will probably be sent to Congress or something. 

Please, Lord... It's me, Ogre.  Look, I've been a good boy this year... Oh, sorry... No, I've been really good lately.  Don't laugh.  I've been to church a few times in a row.  Teaching kids about you guys up there.   I'm not swearing as much.  No, really.  And I even put all your scriptures onto my iPaq.  All the footnotes... all the other books... Pretty much every dang thing on LDS.org that I can download.   Been reading it too.  Seriously.  One chapter a day.  So, I'm trying.  Can I ask for just one blessing, please?  If you give me this one - I will NEVER ask for anything else again.  Well, nothing else for me that is.  You wouldn't want me to stop praying for my family and others and all that... I just want one tiny little thing.  You could do it with a twitch of a finger.   Could you flood California?   Not the whole thing... just the valley areas... Orange County and LA County.  Take San Francisco too.  Well, maybe that is just too harsh.  Can you just turn all the stupid liberals into pillars of salt?  That would be great.  Thanks, Chief.  Still working on the "Hunting down the rebel scum" thing... but I am pretty sure they are all Liberals in California anyways. Two birds with one stone.  What do you say?  

Getting Paid:  I've agreed to voluntarily help out over at GeekswithGuns.com. No gun to my head or anything... But I did get chewed out for going 9mm.  I consider it an honor to be involved.  So, lets see here... How many websites do I deal with? 6?  Judas.  I wish I got paid for it!  I'm not involved with Fark.com, but I do post there sometimes... Well, I did but no more.  I got banned from posting on Fark.  How did I get banned?  They allow seriously anything but nudity to posted, yet little ol' Ogre got banned.  Well you see, I responded to a firearms post and thus began a sub-thread on handguns.  All the gun posts were deleted and those involved banned... To stop interference with the posts about getting drunk and conducting sexual congress with a woman beyond reach of those posting.   I like Fark.com for all the news highlights... But really the discussions are all liberal bullshit anti bush drivel.  If you go to Fark.com, don't even bother with reading comments about political issues.  Fark runs on clichés, and create new ones all the time.  It really juvenile, but you catch the hot stories fast and from all sources on the net.  Kinda cool.  I wish there was a conservative version of Fark, because they are getting more and more leftist each day.  Conservatives are flamed brutally while rational discussion is out the window.  Talk about guns?  Fine… Oh, Pro-Gun?  No way!  So, I bid farewell to Fark.  I'm still looking for a replacement.  Drudge should change formats to something more community.  That would be awesome.  Drudge is great but his site utterly blows.  Anyways, I was saying that I wish I could get paid... this isn’t going to happen, and I am not heart broken about it.  Yet I am in need of making a few extra bucks.  I found a line of inexpensive knives that while cheap, seem to be pretty decent.  I’ve ordered one and if it is of decent quality I’ll become a dealer for them.  But I want to see how they are up close and personal before I make any move on them.  I just need to make a few extra hundred a month to pay some bills and buy some ammo.  Bill’s I’m talking Satellite bill – I have GOT to get some cable news in here.  I feel like I’m on Gilligan’s Island over here.  Sure there are other people out here but only a few worth talking to.  Let’s see, I got the Professor and the Skipper… but Mrs Ogre wont let me talk to Ginger.  Anyways, I’ll keep you posted on these knives… Tactical knives for under 20 bucks.  No, these are not the flea market reject knives… more about them later.  When I get it in my hands and test it out.  If they suck, you’ll never hear another word about them.  If they don’t suck – I’ll be selling them for Fox News Money.   Hmmm... maybe I should put up a Porn server.  Those guys make tons of cash.  I cant have it hosted in Utah, but I could in Vegas.  I wouldn't even have to pimp any bitches... just put up the server and upload some CDs of naughty pictures.  Don't even have to look at them... Just let the money roll in.  What?  Not a good idea?  That would be a bad thing... right.     

Black Echo has given me a link... Thank you, O Dark One.  His stuff is required reading if your into bikes.  But if your into HD bikes you'll want to avoid it at all costs.  (saying that will instantly cause any and all HD fans to go look)  He updates infrequently so check it out every couple of weeks. 

Notice the new link over there to “Nice Doggie”?  Well, he isn’t a nice doggie… That would be “The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler”.  One of the better web logs out there.  I find his stuff amusing.  He swears more than I do so if you cringe when reading my shit – don’t even bother going over there.  If your not easily offended, this guy is great.  He should have his own radio talk show.

Another link that you need to put into your RKBA favorites list: Liberty Belles 

June 26th, Thursday:  1500hrs:  Spammers are the some of the most vile creatures on the planet.  They are such slimy insects they fit right between trilobites and cockroaches.  I’d rather shake hands with a necrophilic pedophile than a Spammer.  I’d stab them both through the eye afterwards, but I’m not shaking hands with the Spammer.  The Spammers claim that they are a legitimate form of advertising.  This is not true.  To be legitimate you must state who you are and how to contact you.  This is something Spammers patently avoid.  They spoof email addresses.  They use deceptive subject lines.  Anything to get past anti-spam software and filters.  This is not cool  They also use huge HTML files that try to pull all sorts of scripts.  This is not cool.   This should be illegal.  Any advertisement should include the information of who is advertising.  Like all the other forms of advertising.  This should be made law.  And violators should be sentenced like Kevin Mitnick.  Jailed for a long period of time followed by a banishment from using a computer.  FREE KEVIN!  He doesn’t deserve the punishment, but SPAMMERS DO!  Hackers are practically heroes compared to  Spammers.   I would hang out with hackers and buy them cases of Mt Dew any day of the week.  Spammers?  I’d rather see them stuck in the windshield of some Texan nurse’s car.    If there was any real underground hacker network… They should go after a couple of targets:  Spammers, RIAA, and Senator Hatch. (Just for a little while to give him a taste of what he was advocating)   I think the Feds should do something a little more forceful than wanting to create a "National Do Not Spam List".  If they don't want to outlaw it... fine.  Then lift all legal restrictions from violent vigilante retribution on Spammers.

Bill Clinton is a rapist.  I hope this news is no surprise to you, my readers.  Well, here is something worth reading on this topic.  Read it and draw your own conclusions.  When I read it, I was thinking “figures.”    What’s funny is that this isn’t news on all the channels… just a couple.  You’ll never hear it on CNN that is for sure. 

Sea Monster had to take a giant 10 mile shit and scientists have to test it.  In other news scientists are testing Bigfoot piss.  No, seriously this is gross.  Icky muck is covering 10 miles worth of beach and no one knows what it is.  It’s probably some large organic mass like a huge bacterial infection.  Probably grew out in the ocean some place and currents pulled it to the beach.  Either that or THE BLOB thawed out. 

US ARMY gives SEX to the Iraqi Army.  Well, we knew we fucked them good before, but this is silly.

Fox News is saying that this is the summer of ass kicking women.  Maybe so. But the totally missed out on the coolest one coming out. Okay, it’s not going to be out until the fall, but it should be worth the wait.  Uma Thurman looks hot in yellow leather.  I don’t get the story… but from the trailer it looks like its going to be so cool, it might not even need a story.  I’m glad to see Uma in another movie.  The last one I saw her in was Les Miserables with Liam Neeson. (Rob Roy)  I think she is great.  She has an interesting look and sometimes you think “Man, she is one ugly chick!”  And other times its “Whoa.  She’s hot.”  But really it’s about her acting.  She’s good.  She really puts herself into her roles like few people in Hollywood do.  I’m expecting a solid performance here.  The director of this film as made front line stars from total wash outs.  Not that Uma was washed up… but she should enjoy a good afterglow from this flick that drives others in the future.  Lucy Lu… She is over rated as hell… if you watch the trailer, who is that chick in the eye patch?  Is that Darryl Hanna?  Cool.  Glad to see her working again.  She was great in “Splash”.  Okay, no she wasn’t.  John Candy was great in Splash and everyone else just backed him up.  Who here thinks Arnold is getting a little too old to be doing Terminator movies?  *raises hand*  Please, California, please elect him to be Governor to keep him from making another movie.  I’ll let him play a Kinder Garden Cop role, but an action hero role?  Arnold, take your Centrum Silver and sit down before you break a hip.  I’m kidding.  Really, his acting is getting much better each time.  Look at his last movie, and put that up against “Commando”.

Cold Steel has some sweet fixed bladed knives.  The Recon Tanto should be GI Issue to all out troopers in the field.  But they make a few others… If you need a big knife, take a look at them.  Folders?  No thanks.  They don’t make an assisted opener.   But the fixed blades can probably go toe to toe against all others.  

My boys are watching “The Princess Bride” for the first time and are just glued.  They are laughing and cheering and loving it.  It’s a good movie… one of the classics that doesn’t grow old.  Just like Weathering Heights.  Okay, not like Weathering Heights.     If only I had a holocaust cloak…

Email about my Gas Prices blurb: “While I agree on the one hand, on the other you have to realize that it doesn't take an immediate hit, they don't watch the prices...they watch what the delivery guy charges per semi full of sweet, sweet profit. The delivery guy and his goods watch the gas prices, and then they charge based on that. At least, that's how it works in my head--and it's working pretty well there too. Oh yeah...gas tax...Washington state has the highest gas tax in the union. We also have about the cheapest gas prices in the union too. We'd probably be paying 40c/gallon if it wasn't for that @($*@! Governor by the name of Gary the Gook. As much as it pains me to use stereotypes, he is in every sense of the word bleeding communist. He even got campaign contributions from China during election times (which got shut up real quick-like).  About Vin Diesel, he's pretty damn gun friendly. Ever notice him with his finger in the trigger? I don't think he'd do a Canada commercial. I also heard he used to pack a 1911 while he was a body guard--but that's neither here nor there.  -Robert”  Good points. 

We are pleased to see GeeksWithGuns is back on it’s feet.  This time in a new format.  I liked the old format better, but this will do.  I’d rather have GWG back in one form or another than not.  GWG is one of the older sites out there that inspired me to throw out my takes to the net. 

June 25th, Wednesday: 1000hrs:  Gas Pump Economics. We are seeing another faltering of the stock market. Funny how it happens at the same time we have an increase in gas prices at the pump.  The economy was in the toilet back in the 1970's and what was the price of gas?  It was high as hell.  The question is a Chicken or Egg issue... But the correlation is there.  I think the prices at the pump play a huge part in how the national economy plays out.  Higher gas prices mean everything becomes more expensive because everything is shipped by trucks at one point or another.  If it doesn’t become more expensive, then the company is loosing profits.  Now, unless you’re a bleeding communist, profit is a good thing.  When you stifle profits, companies get squeezed.  This squeeze means no new hires… letting people go… reducing benefits…  So, on the flip side of this if you want to speed things up you make gas cheaper.  Right now, I am seeing some increasing in gas prices… and just today the market was dragging its feet.  Isolated incidents?  I don’t think so.  What we need to do is to TAP ALASKA like it’s a Bangkok Hooker.  Put up a BUNCH of off shore oil wells.  Flood the market with excess oil reserves.  This will bring the prices down.  THEN and here is the key.  Roll back the taxes at the pump.  Taxes are what? 50 cents a gallon?  Judas Priest!  What’s wrong with regular SALES TAX?  Do these things… the national economy will surge.  At least that's my opinion.  I may be wrong. 

We have Woody Allen trying to get Americans to go to France.  Now we have Toronto using the Rolling Stones to try to get Americans to come visit.  They don't get it, do they?  Do you see the relationship there?  They a using old dried up skeletons to get people to travel.  This isn't working.  They need a different image.  They need Vin Diesel up there saying "Hey, go to fuckin Canada!  They have good beer and the honeys will keep you warm at night!  If you don't - your limp!"  For France, I don't know...  Maybe some Hollywood Liberal like Mike Moore.  "France hates America more than we do!  Let's go over there and get spit on!"  The coalition of the willing has a much easier time.  To promote Italy?  Easy.  Monica Belluci... Close up... "I'm in Italy."   That's it.  But really you don't need to sell Italy... They don't hate America, they supported us, and you can't get more classic than Italy.  I'm curious to see what France does next.  I bet they dig up Vincent Price.

Since when does Spike Lee own the word “Spike”?  First off, Spike Lee is an assclown that only promotes the continuation of Racial Separatism.  He tags everything “A Spike Lee Joint” and this is good.  I think if TNN wants to rename it’s self “Spike TV” for whatever brilliant reasons it has that I’m too dim to comprehend… then TNN should be allowed to do so as long as they don’t say “A Spike TV Joint”.  Then it would be a “Hey, your ripping off Spike Lee” situation instead of a “We just had a really stupid idea and wish it went away but now we are just going to milk the publicity and take Mr Lee to task because he doesn’t own the freaking work spike!”   Punch the word “spike” into Google’s Image search… not ONE thing pops up relating to this short arrogant asshole black guy with big owl like glasses.  I haven’t seen glasses that out of proportion since the old Tootsie Roll Pop commercial. 

Lubricant samples came in today… I’ll be able to start my testing shortly.  I just need to gather some materials.  The point is not to give everything a rating or anything… but to find the best lube for my guns.   I’m going to test only the majors.  Breakfree CLP, FP-10, Militec 1.  Brownells Action Lube Plus, Militec Grease, Tetra Gun Grease.

Email from a Pro Ruger Reader: “Been reading your site for nearly a year now, and for the most part I agree with your opinions.  It is nice to see people with widely divergent backgrounds can have such similar views. I am a Ford guy.  My first car was a 1976 Monte Carlo, and while I loved that car, it taught me how to work on cars with it's perpetual breakdowns.  My first decent vehicle was (and still is) a 1989 F-150, four wheel drive.  I have owned this truck for over ten years, and have abused the poor thing far beyond what the common driver could imagine.  In the last few years it has finally started breaking on me, but I can trace each failure to abuse or neglect.  What I am getting at, is that anecdotal evidence is what drives most of our opinions.  I don't care for Subarus because my Mom had one.  It was an okay car while it was new, but it rusted quickly despite painful winter washing ( we live in Michigan )and at 135,000 miles it shot a connecting rod through the block.  I am used to the car wars thing, my in-laws are Chevy people, I have a Jeep friend, and my Mom loved the Suby. I am, however, at a loss for your Ruger post.  I own a M-77 in .30-06 and have had zero problems with it.  My Dad has two Blackhawks, a .22 and a Super Blackhawk in .44, no problems and the quality and feel of both are excellent.  I have a friend who has had a .45 auto, I forget the model. He has had no problems either.  So I am a bit puzzled.  Sure, the mini-14 was pretty useless as far as accuracy is concerned, but so are AK's. Your comment on the late Bill Ruger was especially puzzling.  He  contributed NRA's firearm museum, and he was pretty vocal on supporting  2nd Amendment rights.  I wonder if this is something similar to the rumor  that Anheiser-Busch was anti-hunting a few years ago.  A letter to their  headquarters resulted in a reply that denied the charges, and listed a  ton of hunting, fishing, and wildlife positive events and organizations  they backed.  Anyway, if you have some information on Ruger being a  closet Schumer, I would appreciate seeing it.”  I appreciate the email and the honest question about Ruger.  (NOTE TO READERS:  If you can ask a question in a civil manner such as this – I’ll take the time to answer it!)  There are a few sources you need to read.  The Gun Zone gives us the first article, as well as the second.   But let’s not take the word from just one source.  Here we have the results.   Basically it was Bill Ruger’s idea to put a limit on magazine capacity.  Because if that jackhole we shooters now have a new term “High Capacity Magazine”.  The man was an utter ass.  He stabbed everyone in the back who supported his business… the American Shooter.  This is why I say screw Ruger.

June 24th, Tuesday: 1000hrs: Sometimes something can be so wrong... yet so funny.  This is Something Awful.  You may have noticed the link to the left in the Selected Links box.  Every week they have a Photoshop contest and on Fridays, they post the winners.  It's a different theme each time.   They also have another thing called Comedy Goldmines, which is basically the same thing...  Anyways... check them out.  You will laugh out loud, but wish you didn't.

I was asked about what I thought of the Ruger P94 pistol.  To be honest, I can't stand Ruger automatics.  I observed with my own eyes a co-worker who against my advice purchased one of them.  Once he paid his hard earned cash for it, he proudly put in a loaded magazine and pulled the slide back.  It didn't go forward.  It didn't go forward because the gun broke.  The Range/Gun store replaced it with another Ruger auto of the same model.  This one worked fine for about 5 rounds.  Then the Safety lever fell off.  I'm not making this up.  2nd brand new gun... Ruger (I think I remember it being a P95) just fell apart in his hands.  The shop gave him a deal on another gun... I forget which one he got, but it wasn't a Ruger and it worked just fine.  I've seen this happen to other Rugers as well.  But another good reason I don't like Rugers is because I don't like Ruger.  Bill Ruger, the founder of Ruger Firearms is an Anti-Gun jackass that would be better off making Lawn Tractors or Running Shoes or something... but not firearms.  It's because of him, we have a ban on High Capacity magazines... so scroo'm.

A mother's love... who needs enemies?  Judas Priest... this is cruel to the same level as the mother who drowned her children in the tub.

Emai in from Shin Tao regarding the Stryker:  "I have completed my lengthy study of the "Stryker" series of wheeled vehicles that the DOD wants to standardize. All jokes and exaggeration aside, this vehicle is a very bad idea, people. It is clear that the Stryker will cost too much and cost too many lives. The Stryker fails to meet most of it's initial design requirements is not versatile and not easily deployed. Most of the very vocal opponents of the Stryker quickly point out that the already standard M113 APC series can do everything the Striker WAS supposed to do but do it cheaper. They are correct. The M113 is the answer. Please write your congressman or others to whom you have access. Kill the Stryker."  This is what I've been saying... The Stryker is an LAVIII with modifications and a new name.  Even a cursory search on the internet will yield several photos of overturned or stuck LAV vehicles.  I can't express this enough.  An armored vehicle on it's back is a dead vehicle.  The troopers in side are probably seriously hurt and that unit is out of action.  A stuck vehicle is just a plump juicy target for the enemy.  These things happen to the LAV because it's not a Tank.  It's a big Jeep.  A big overweight, top heavy, underpowered, sluggish, fatassed Jeep.  It's not what the Army wants... not at all.

June 23rd, Monday:  1730HRS:  So the Supreme Court says you have to put filters on Library Internet access to prevent kids from seeing porn… but allows Child Nudist Camps with kids from 10 to 18.  WTF?  A teenaged boy is very sexually curios at a young age… by 18 most are practically pros.  If I had been allowed to go to such a camp?  Hell… what a fantasy that would have been.  I guess in this country – legally – it doesn’t matter what they do or who they do it with, as long as there are no photos of it.  Gimme a break.  Kids need to be protected.  Not just from adult predators but from them selves.

VernalNews.com has 64 reads on the top story.  Wow.  I was shocked.  Then I remembered a couple details… 1.  There are not even 62 computers in this town.  2.  I linked the story at TheHighRoad.org… *sigh*  I felt almost deflated.  Crap.  I don’t know what I am going to do with that site.  I don’t feel like it’s worth while even working on.  All these sheep herders out here don’t even know what the internet is.  To 90% of the people out here “AOL” is THE internet.  Chalk this up to reason number 5694 why I hate this place.

I took an online mental profile test.  The thing nailed me.  Solid.  Try it out for yourself.   

This was getting rather long so I archived the past entries... breaking June in 1/2 at the 15th.  Check the Archives for older entries and rants.

1200HRS:  Email from Mike: “Loved the AR-15 article, Ogre!  The M16A1s and A2s I've seen have usually been, well, spotty.  They REALLY don't like fine dust and grit; unfortunately, that's exactly what they get coated with when you're riding on a tank trail in the back of a 113.  Also, they don't like to be run dry, so you gotta keep your bottle of CLP on hand, too, in my experience.  I'm sure others would say that THEIR M16s were perfect, blah blah blah, but in MY EXPERIENCE, they've not been so reliable.  I'm just reporting what I saw.  I'm wondering, though, Ogre.  I'm sure your AR-15 article offended the delicate sensibilities of the AR-15 legions out there.  Care to share some of the juicer, stupider, or more obnoxious replies?  I'm sure they'd make for good entertainment for we the Hoarde.  I've noticed there are three particular groups of gunowners that are VERY SENSITIVE about their weapons of choice, and don't react well to criticism. Glock fans (I once had a Glocker get MAD at me when I said that the G21's grip didn't fit my hand well, and insisted I was holding it wrong), M1911 fans, and AR-15 guys.  Now, M1911 fans is a HUGE group, but you know the ones I'm talking about. I personally dislike Glocks and as such will never own one, but I don't think they're BAD guns.  I've had two AR-15s and have NO desire to own a third...I'll stick with the FAL for now.  It's not perfect, but I love it! – Mike”  Thanks for the email, Mike.  I’ll not waste my server space on the negative feedback that the AR-15 Article generated… none of it was coherent enough to be worthy.  The 3 main insults where "You’re an Asshole"… "You don't know shit about rifles"… and "You’re a faggot".  The common thread is that the AR works fine if clean, and I’m an unintelligent degenerate for not putting my faith in that particular firearm.  Glock Fanatics are sensitive?  Your kidding?  8 out of 10 people I get into gun related arguments with are Glock Apologists.  (The rest are AR-15 Fans)  I’m like you… the newer Glocks with the molded in finger grooves fit my wrong.  The raised portions that create the “grooves” hit my fingers right in the middle so I can’t get a grip on it.  It’s for this reason I suggested to one Glock Faithful that I prefer the older version of the Glocks… At first he got mad and tried to tell me that the newer Glocks were so much better.  I asked him what was better other than the grooves and the rail… he couldn’t answer that… but did suggest I could file the grooves off if I didn’t like them.  Nice.  I’d rather get an older one.  Scratch that.  I’d rather have any number of other handguns.  Many are just as good as or better than a Glock.

Let me do something else to piss off a great many Gun Owners… I HATE NOVAK sights!  The wedge shaped “Snag Free” rear sight that you find popping up on more and more handguns these days… These sights are a Tactical Disadvantage.  This thing about Snag Free sights… I’ve NEVER had a handgun get hung up or snag on the rear sight.  Ever.  I prefer the traditional fixed rear sight that is mounted with a strong dovetail fixture.  It is a tactical edge to be able to quickly cycle the slide one handed.  The method I use is to hook the rear sight to edge of my holster and push.  Easy as that.  It clears any jam, and chambers the next round perfectly.  If your rear sight is a slick wedge shape that wont hook the holster… what are you going to do?  How is that more “Tactical”?  You see Novak style sights sold for every handgun out there.  You can even get them for mouseguns.  Why?  I don’t even see the purpose for them on pocket guns.  Why?  Because the snagging part is coming from the other direction… so it doesn’t snag when you draw the weapon – not putting it away.  Sure – they LOOK cool.  But looking cool is pretty useless if say, your holding a child in one arm and have to use your weapon with the other arm.  The CZ-100 pistol comes with a weird looking piece on top of the gun in the middle… to allow jacking the slide with one hand by hooking it on your belt or holster.  Nice.  Put I prefer a strong rear sight.  The CZ-97 has a great one for this.  My Springfield didn’t… to jack the slide on that one I had to use the muzzle (once I got rid of the full length guide rod) but I didn’t like the idea of aiming my gun into my hip so that was not an option.  It would have been so much easier if it didn’t have a Novak rear sight.  Being able to cycle the action one handed is critical if you think you are going to use the gun as your duty weapon.  What if your support hand is injured?  What will you do then?  Do me a favor… practice your “one hand” drills.  Also practice your “off hand” drills as well.

Email from one of the Horde:   “So if Steve's correct on quote "The low recoil of the .223 means that the recoil-shy or those of small stature can shoot it."  are we issuing rifle's for normal sized soldiers or is it for the export market to 3rd worlders that are shall we say on the short side? But then I'd hate to have to shoot the .308 or 30/06 in sustained fire! But if our grandfathers could do it, why cant we? – John”   Well the problem is that back then the GI’s got REAL Basic Training and these days they just have “Camp” where the Drill Sergeants can’t touch you or swear at you or cause you too much stress.  This isn’t limited to Basic Training either… Nope.  Same thing goes for the Rangers too.  Heaven forbid training be hard!  What the hell is next?  SEALS not being able to sent candidates into Cold Water?  Unbelievable.  The US Military that kicked ass all over the Globe and won 2 World Wars and sundry other conflicts has now been turned into a bunch of sissy Star Trek “Away Teams”.   Where are the REAL GRUNTS?  The guys that chewed bullets and shit out hand grenades?  *sigh* I don’t know if we could do it… go back to a .308 or .30-06 battle rifle like we used to use.  Look at the submachinegun they used, the Tommygun.  Freaking thing is 25 pounds!  And that was the light weapon to be issued to Officers and radio men!  They were indeed the Greatest Generation.  Our toughest trooper in Iraq was a cute 19 year old girl for crying out loud.

Email from Mephisto:  “I like your Mormon rant. I am LDS also and I hate the are-15. I think the best battle rifle is the Daewoo k-2. as for being a "member" I am not the best ambassador of the church. But I really don't care. Many a time I was on the edge of just giving up and leaving the church but I believe in the gospel. They are two different things all together. I have had more problems with people in the church than people outside of it.  The worst boss I ever had was LDS. Even on my mission there was more interfaith run ins than with nm. But what the hell. I have been blessed with a great wife that holds me in place. if you can get dragged to the celestial kingdom my wife is my only hope. Let me ask you a question. Are the people in the outer areas of Utah more "righteous" that in the greater SLC area? I.e. Nephi, Kanab or vernal? I could never move back to the valley. I'm way to free in my thought processes. Well that's enough of a rant for me. Oh the FAMAE SAF is one hell of a gun.”  Thanks for the Email, Mephisto…  You put it very well.   It’s all about the Gospel… and in it, I have strong faith.   I know that God lives.  I know Jesus Christ is our Savior.  Even when I am not feeling like attending the many meetings LDS members like to have… my faith doesn’t falter in this.  God lives… he is a physical being.  A perfect and immortal physical being.  Not some nebulas self illuminating mist out in space… not some mass of energy like a bolt of lightning.  Our Father in Heaven, and Jesus are both like use… much more human than what one would expect.  Immortal, perfected, and glorified.  Like how we can become if we have faith…  On the same token the Devil isn’t some stygian vapor… but he doesn’t have physical body either.  Satan is very real… and very unhappy about the whole getting kicked out of Heaven thing.  Life is a test.  And I’m cheating too… I married the girl most likely to save my soul.  I love my wife.  She is an angel.  The LDS Faith doesn’t use The Cross as a symbol… we have no rosary… no statues of Mary or of all the Saints.  But we are very much Christian.  I know I am.  The one statue that we do have, is the most beautiful I have ever seen.  It’s of Christ.  The LDS faith is a simple one… It centers on God the Father and in Jesus Christ – and it’s all about our families.  That we can be together forever… to continue to grow and progress.  That’s what it’s all about.   That’s why I’m Mormon and proud to be so.  As for the question about which Mormons are more righteous…  I don’t know.  Utah Mormons all look a like to me.  I’m Virginian Mormon crossed with a Californian - Seattle Mormon.  

New Forum to keep an eye on:  Beretta Forum.  Saw that one coming did you?  If you like history, look into Beretta.  Not only is it the oldest Gun Company on the planet… it’s the oldest Company on the planet.  Cool huh?  Anyways, this seems to be a good place to read up on Beretta issues.  I really like some of the Berettas, but not all of them.  Customer service seems to be lacking… call it arrogance and put it on the same level as HK.  A gun company that is hugely arrogant and getting work done can be problematic.   This is why for a new shooter looking for an autopistol or for the Rookie for a new duty gun… I recommend Springfield’s XD.  Lifetime warranty that covers everything that could possibly go wrong in the gun.  Solid. 

Looks like the Boarder Patrol is evil and nasty and all they want to do is kill people… this is why they issue hollow point bullets for the agents.  *taking 10 deep breaths* The level of stupidity this article brings to light is shocking.  They make it sound as if the Border Patrol just fires a round at any body that they see.  Firing exploding bullets that tear people in half.  How gruesome.  How utterly moronic.  Look, the Boarder Patrol is full of some of the best people in the country.  They are not blood thirsty at all.  However, when they have to face heavily armed gangs and even the occasional Mexican Army patrol that are escorting huge drug shipments… if our Agents say they want Claymore Mines, 155MM Artillery, Chain Guns, and Attack Helicopters then I say we give it to them!  Freaking hollowpoints… how ludicrous.  If the Mexicans didn’t shoot at the Boarder Patrol guys – then bullets wouldn’t be necessary.  Fuck the Mexican Gang Bangers that catch a hollowpoint.  They should have caught 4 or 5 more of them!

If all goes well, the Stryker fighting vehicle will be fully deployed by the fall.   *sigh*  It has yet to do well at all.  This is a total waste of money and manpower to facilitate the financial dreams of a few assholes.  This Stryker rig will get stuck, will roll over, and will be taken out by heavy machinegun fire… or by some peasant with a simple RPG.   Who cares if a whole battalion is wiped off the map?  At least the contracts to make more are still solid, right?  Between the Stryker, the V-22, and the XM-29 – I am SO GLAD I am out of the Army!  An Armored Fighting Vehicle that is as a battle worthy as a Ford Pinto hatchback, a flying contraption that can’t manage to stay in the air let alone have the capacity and range that was advertised, and a fancy grenade launcher that wont work if the enemy pops smoke.  To this mix add in a bunch of Girl Scouts and call them troops… Lovely.   How can we defend the greatest nation on earth like this?  As long as I am in a spiritual mood, I have a scripture quote to sum up this whole state of affairs:  “Jesus Wept”.   

June 21st, Saturday: 1320HRS:  A reasoned response from a reader regarding the AR-15/M-16 rifle article:  “Greetings, I am sure that you are sick of hearing from AR-15 defenders by now, but please bear with me. While I love the handiness and maneuverability of the AR series, I have to admit that you are absolutely correct in your analysis of its shortcomings. In the field I had the same problems as you did with the M16. Later, as a civilian I also had problems with the Bushmaster, though other brands seem more reliable.  If I were still in the service, I'd prefer an AK clone or a fabulous FAL. But while the AR/M-16 is inadequate as a battle rifle, it can serve well as an urban police or civilian rifle. It is under extended rural or field conditions where maintenance is difficult that the AR series fails. The low recoil of the .223 means that the recoil-shy or those of small stature can shoot it. If you want heavier bullets there are 75, 77 and 80 grain bullets available. There is at least one military rifle I can think of using a similar system to the AR; that is the .308 caliber Stoner SR-25. It was designed as a sniper rifle, and in that role its accuracy is more important than it would be in a regular battle rifle. I don't have a link to one, but I know certain US military units have used it. I think it was mentioned in a recent American Rifleman. It is made by Knights and is available commercially. Commercially, there is also the Armalite AR10 which is thicker & sturdier than the AR15. It comes in both .243 and .308, and it has functioned well in my experience. – Steve”  Thanks for the email Steve.  And thank you for not calling me an asshole or faggot like in some of the other feedback that it generated.  I might be asshole some times… but my wife can attest that I am no faggot.  You make a good point about the AR being a good police rifle.  For a rifle that gets carried around in a weapon rack in a car 99.9% of the time and never used for more than 1 to 3 rounds between cleanings… absolutely.  The AR would be perfect for that.  And thank you for being the first person to think clearly about the rifles and offer up the other platforms to use direct gas… the SR-25 and the AR-10.  However, I think of them as VARIANTS.  AR-15 type rifles enlarged to handle .308.  The US Navy buys the SR-25 for it’s SEAL teams much to the chagrin of other rifle makers.  The SEALS went around looking at rifles and they decided they wanted to use the SR-25 as a sniper rifle.  The Navy said “Sure” as they always do when the SEALS say they want something.  So as I understand it, they Navy just bought a bunch.  No requests for bids or any of that normal red tape stuff… they just bought some guns.  You can imagine the complaints filed when that happened.   60% of the SR-25 is common with the M-16… one of the reasons of getting it.  But as the rifle it’s self, looking at those 60% parts you can see a lot of things like trigger parts, grip, safety switch, stock, things like that.  The different parts are the barrel, receivers, bolt, bolt carrier, recoil spring and buffer assembly. I think it uses only 1 gas ring on the bolt, but that might be the AR-10 not the SR-25.  I can’t remember.  They beefed up a lot of those parts… had to in order to handle much more powerful .308 round.  I gotta grin at the special short 16 inch barrel version of the SR-25.  What a brute!  Trust me when I say you don’t want to be next to the guy with one of these on the firing line.  My self and Correia can both attest to that!  (It was an AR-10 with a muzzle break from hell)  These .308 versions are indeed more robust and more reliable than the little step-child AR-15.  Exactly why that is, I couldn’t say.  Everything seems so much stronger in the AR-10s and SR-25s.  Yeah, the Navy boys like the SR-25… they call it the “MarkII Mod 0 Navy Rifle System”.  For $7,000 each they damn well better love it.  And yes, they well smoke the hell out of any 800 dollar Bushmaster.  If I was to purchase an AR rifle again, there is one maker that is above the others in quality and reliability… I’d get a DPMS Panther.  For a target plinker, gun game rifle it would be perfect.  However if you want to get sick with it… Cav Arms sells a sweet poly lower that I would use, and top it off with everything else from JT Enterprises.  Especially the JT upper that has the side handle… very nice set up… even for an AR.  

Since I am talking hardware today… thanks to a closed post on THR, I have found my dream car.  It is made in Russia.  I can’t read Russian, but from what I can tell there are 3 engine options for it, and all are current top of the line American made V-8s.  “Vortec 6000 V8 SFI(3) 308 л.с., Vortec 8100 V8 SFI(3) 340 л.с., Duramax Diesel 6600 V8 300 л.с.”  It’s not quite perfect… It needs some Rhino Lining and about another 8 to 10 inches of lift.   Honestly it can probably tackle 95% of the off road trails out there even with it being rather low.  It also looks rather long, which is why you need to additional lift.  In a long rig, you can easily high-center it and get stuck if your off-roading and not paying close attention to where all 4 tires are.   One advantage that the low center of gravity has – besides getting in and out easily – is stability.  This beast is probably very fast even through the turns.  This is a rig that gives the finger to both the Hummer and the Hummer H2.  Looking at it closely we can see it’s heavily armored.  Notice even the corner windows have wipers?  Loving the duel exhaust and sunroof… This thing is crazy.  I am in love.  This is the “Coupe”… I’d like to see it in a 4 door wagon (SUV) configuration.  It looks like something that would roll off the deck of a Drop Ship from the movie Aliens.  If you could import it, it would probably cost about the same as a wussy-ass PT Cruiser.  Whatever the price… I’d pay it.

Correia has a huge rant for us… Just imagine him in a Drill Sergeant’s hat and invading your personal space while yelling at you. 

Thank you to a certain Ogre Reader.  Looks like I'll be able to read the Da Vinci Code sooner than expected.  Thank you very much, Heath.

If you will all excuse me, it's time to go pitch a tent with my boys.

June 20th, Friday: 1530HRS MST:  As I have mentioned many times before, I am Mormon.   I’m probably not the best example of a Mormon… and in the past I have not had the best attendance record either.  However my faith is strong, and I have never denied my faith or being Mormon.  And I never will.  During basic training ¾ of my platoon started bashing Mormons.  I stood up and announced that I was Mormon and if any one wanted, they could attempt to bash me.  I got jumped by 2 guys larger than myself.  Now, I must confess something.  I am not the best hand to hand fighter.  There are many who could eat my lunch… so I know when to pick my fights as to when where and who.  But this was something I could not let stand.   Another confession… I fight dirty.  I fight to destroy and to win – every time.  I don’t know how to fight otherwise.  Generally my fights last about 3 or 4 seconds.  This one did to.  I took a tackle and a hit, but in a flash it was all over.  I had one guy spitting blood from a kick to the mouth and the other guy I had curled in a ball screaming because I had a fist full of his nutsack.  The bashing stopped right then and there.  I was hated by some of the guys who were staunch Anti-Mormon… but I had the respect of the Platoon.  The two that jumped me became my friends.  One a large black fellow that had muscles on his muscles… I chipped a tooth of his but he said it was cool and he planned on getting it gold capped anyways.  I carried the nick name “Priest” and every time we were about to engage in a dangerous activity, it was my duty to bless everyone.  Funny how 2 of the guys that hated me and never participated both DIED.  One of a hand grenade accident and the other of heat stroke.  Anyways… I had most of the platoon coming to me for “Confessions” and I dolled out “Pardons” and everyone had fun with it.  I would even take a large green cloth and put it over my shoulders like it was some sanctimonious emblem.   This kinda carried with me and I was always asked to give up a prayer before a deployment or patrol or anytime when we went into a dangerous situation.  No one in my squad was ever seriously hurt.  No, I didn’t want to become a chaplain or anything… but I did and do always take matters of faith very seriously and defending my Church seriously as well.   I have broken a few noses for this.  Like when I was at a truck stop in Nevada and a trucker was gloating about grabbing some “Tasty Young Mormon ****” (crude reference female genitalia) I said, “excuse me, but I don’t like your tone about young church girls.”  He said “What are you going to do about it?  So I threw a Shotokan punch to his face and dropped him like the sack of garbage he was.  I looked at the other guy and he volunteered an apology so I left.  I defend my church whenever or how ever it’s needed.  Anways, as I was saying I am a proud Mormon just not a very good one.  Quite often I’m shunned here in Utah by other Mormons who like to play the “Holier than Thou” and I’m shunned by Non-Mormons for being Mormon.  Whatever.  I don’t need acceptance because Jesus accepts me and that’s all that matters.    Now, I give you this background on me so you can appreciate the irony of this new situation that I have found myself in… I was asked to be a Primary Teacher.  This is Sunday School for the little kids.  Me.  Ogre.  Sunday School Teacher.  Mad Ogre… teaching little kids about Jesus.   *looking up*  “I hope you know what your doing.”  I guess when it comes to Mormons in history I fit right between J Golden Kimball and Porter Rockwell.  I was just born in the wrong era.  Still… what in the hell am I going to tell a class full of little kids in dresses and suits!?

Headblade… Looking at the website I’m trying to find where you can get one that uses Mach 3 blades… I’m not seeing it.  I mentioned it earlier and have had a couple emails telling me that I can get it… Well, let me tell you what I have right now.  I freaking scab on the side of my head where that freaking Schick razor took the skin down to the damn bone.  My wife looked at it and cringed.  Still hurts!  Fucking Schick.  This Headblade thing…  where can I get it with Mach 3 Blades?

My son is wanting the new Harry Potter book… so I went to Amazon.com and looked around.  Check this out… Hillary Clinton’s book is #4.  I thought the Liberals were saying it was #1?  Strange.  Wait a sec… look at #3, Ann Coulter.  Go figure.  Book #5 on the list is something I am dying to read…  The Da Vinci Code.  I’ll have to order it after I sell these “Original Sin – Unedited Version” DVD I have.  Got it because it was supposed to be a romance.  Instead its Angelina Jolie getting it doggy style.   Yeah, I guess it’s a sexy film… but it’s not something I want in my house.  If anyone has The Da Vinci Code, I’ll trade you.  The DVD is almost new… Only viewed once.  Replayed a couple scenes a few times… but only watched the movie once.  No, really.  I swear.  I am also wanting to read Dan Brown’s other book, “Angels & Demons”.  Both books touch on theology and I like that for some reason.  Like scary movies… the ones that touch on faith are the creepiest.  I really liked Stigmata because of that… and of course all the other horror classics that go there too.   I’m a freak… Hey!  That’s what I’ll teach the kiddies this Sunday!  I’ll teach them about Stigmata! No, I wont… but I had you worried there for a minute didn’t I?

Email in about my AR-15 article:  "Add to the list (rifles using operating rods and not direct gas polution) Howa Industries Type 89--Service rifle used by Japanese Self Defnese Forces. Based on the SIG SG550 and the Daweoo K2A2 5.56x45 NATO - Brad" Thanks Brad. What I am really looking for is a rifle that uses direct gas like the AR-15 and I'm not finding one.  Don't name me any AR clones... "Bushmaster" or "DPMS" doesn't count... Fool.  Who sent me those?  Jeremy?  Jeremy, don't email me any more.   No, screw that... You gave me a headache... Your getting your own filter.   Any email from Jeremy = Deleted.  Bushmaster...  Idiot! 

Another email from a reader:  "You shave your head?  You think you're a pale Morpheous? - Matt"  Hell no.  Morpheous wears a tie.  I hate ties.  And I have a Goatee, does Morpheous have a goatee?  You can't email me any more either.  Go away. 

1025HRS MST:  I have some emails that I want to reply to but I looks like my OUTLOOK is fucked up again.  Email from Carl:  I'm doing fine Carl... kids are happy and I'm going nuts trying to study and deal with things.  Looking forward to the Utah Gathering.  I'll be there.   Mark:  Thanks for the link to HEADBLADE.  When it comes out in the Mach 3 version, I'm all over it.  I tried the new Schick razor again... I'm all about second chances you know... It fucking cut me again.  This time not my neck, but my head.  It's all about the Mach 3.

0500HRS MST:  Why I hate the AR-15/M16 rifle.  This is an article I have been meaning to write for some time now.  Finally did it and I will make no apology for it.  If I have pissed you off by stepping on your manhood for dissing your favorite black rifle... that is just too freaking bad.  The AR design blows and there is nothing you can do to change that fact.  It's in the weapon section... here.

While I am working gun related issues... let me tell you that I am working on another article, this time regarding firearm lubrication.  I am awaiting some samples from some sources and will begin a lengthy testing process which will be detailed in the article once they arrive and I have all the lubes in hand.

June 19th, Thursday: 1031HRS MST:   Good Grief People…   I’ve had so many emails about this – I’m putting in a new filter to just delete these.  No.  I don’t have Harry Potter 5.  Even if I did, I wouldn’t put it up.  If I was going to put it up, I wouldn’t do so for like a year or more.  The author deserves her due… after the hype has dropped off and everyone has made their money off it… then I’d put it up for the guys like me that has a Palm or iPaq or similar to put a copy of a book that they already own on their PDA.   But it’s moot.  I don’t even have it.  Right now, I don’t even want it (in a .txt. form).  I don’t even have a copy of the book yet.  I don’t even have a pre-order pending on Amazon.  I would like to read the story as I found the others enjoyable… but I don’t think it rates the hype.   Now leave me alone about it!

Why doesn’t this surprise me?  A nudist summer camp for young teens.  At least U.S. Rep. Mark Foley is fighting against it.  The thing is, instead of putting this up to the Government to deal with… you should instead just call the police and have the place raided.  Arrest the people operating it, and put all the kids (dressed) on busses and send them home.  The camp’s director, one Erich Schuttauf calls it “Good old fashioned naked fun.”  Yeah, I bet.  This is the job for the police, not a politician.  This is a job for child welfare services… not legislators.  If this goes up in Congress, you know the Liberals are going to fight for it.  They will defend it and probably promote more of these.  Why is that?  Because Liberals want to have sex with kids, that’s why.  They have psychologists who are saying it’s “Healthy” for kid to enjoy sex, and enjoy it with adults.  They detail it grade schools, and give away condoms so they can do it safely.   They defend groups that promote sex between men and boys.   These people… these Liberals… they are horrible.  Now, you might be liberal, and might be against these things – but as a group on a whole – you are for it.  I’d like to promote something, a holiday.  “National Punch a Liberal in the Mouth Day”. I think it should be July 5th.  The day after we celebrate our nation's freedom.  If you can't find a Liberal that day... any French will do.

While we are on the subject of sexualizing children, there is a related one… They are calling this “The New Cleavage”.  The result of the new hip hugging jeans that teen girls are wearing... is that they get Plumber’s Crack when they bend over.  Now, if this is on a woman, I’ve no problem with it… (BTW, no, that is not Mrs. Ogre, but her look alike doppelganger Gillian Anderson) but on a child this is out of the question.  Why don’t they just get on with it and make girls clothes out of just cheese cloth or fishnet?  Thongs for little girls with cherries and “Candy” on them… pants that let their asses pop out… I am SO GLAD that I don’t have any daughters!  I feel for my buddies that have girls.  I couldn’t deal with this.  If I had girls, they would be in Martial Arts classes from the day the could walk.  Hmmm… kinda like my boys.  Speaking of which… this crap hole of a town has no martial arts for kids.  Well there is a studio run by some freaky people… that doesn’t count.   *sigh* and least we don’t have any Kid’s Nudists around here.  Geeze.

June 18th, Wednesday.  2100HRS:  Damn it.  S&W has gone and done it… made a pistol that gives me the tingles.  They have really come a long way and have stepped up to the bat with some authority.  Either S&W has been downing handfuls of Viagra lately, or it’s new leadership just has a big set of balls on them.  They roll out what the Wheel Gun guys want… a huge freaking .50 caliber revolver.  Then they roll out what the Automatic guys want, a real 1911 with all the upgrades that are in style now… And then they break out what the CCW guys want… A Mini-P99 called the S&W99 Compact.  This little thing is cute as a button.  All the Walther P99 goodness in a more compact package perfect for CCW carry.  When I say “More Compact” I’m meaning, if they made it any smaller it would have to be a .32 its that small.   I’ve heard of it before… seen pictures of it before… but until I had the chance to actually pick one up I just couldn’t appreciate what it was.   Guys… There just may be a S&W in Ogre’s future.  Of course it will be 4 to 6 years down the road after I get a Masters in Psychology and first acquire a few other guns first… but still.  The possibility is there and that possibility alone has shocked me.  S&W is moving in the right direction, bring out the good products, stepping everything up.  I swore off S&W because of “The Agreement”.  But they canked the guys that did it, cleaned house, and brought in a guy that has taken it over like Patton took over the 3^rd Army.  Not a bad move.   Keep an eye on these guys.   

You gotta give Al Gore at least a half grin when he says he wants to start a Liberal News Channel and a Liberal Talk Radio station. As if CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, NPR, and the New York Times are not enough…  Best of luck Al.  No, really… I mean that.  I wish you the best of luck in these efforts.  Your Internet was awesome, and it handed the Silent Majority (Silenced because the Liberal Media didn’t let them speak) a means of expression, communications, and unification that didn’t exist before.  This lead to the down fall of the Liberal Media Control, and with the help of FOX NEWS – it sealed the Left’s fall from Glory.  I’d like to see what you create for us this time.  With a new All Liberal All The Time network, you will give fuel to your own pyre.   I’m loving it.  Can I invest in this too?  Conservative Talk Radio… Rush and O'Reilley... They are not really conservatives… they are elitists. Tools of the Corporate Robber Barons. As Yoda would say, "Jackasses, both of them are."  Sean Hannity is the man... Funny and thoughtful.  Not too far right… he had Travolta's wife on this radio show (don't watch is tv show) and was very respectful. He is an interesting character.   He’s a bit more moderate than the other two…  He almost always gets it right, especially when it comes to the 2nd Amendment, something which the others tend to avoid. Although Rush did talk about the silliness of banning toy guns - he wont talk about real ones.  Hannity mentions guns and references himself as Pro-Gun all the time.  I like that.  He isn’t exactly a Ted Nugent… but then again, few of us are.  Another voice on the Talk Radio is Glenn Beck.  A personal hero of mine.  He is more entertaining then all the rest… he is Mormon, like me, and when he gets heated by a stupid caller, be goes off on them.  He is great.  Great website too… well it was until he went and made it commercial.  Another good guy on the radio is Alan Nathan with his show “Battle Lines”.  Worth listening to if you get the chance.  But the best of the best is Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk.  You can guess why.   I don’t get to listen to very many of these shows anymore… being out in the boonies really limits you.  Out here the pinnacle of comedy brilliance is The Red Green Show and worn out copies of Water Boy... so don't even get me started on what they find intelligent here.  Man, I hate this fucking place.

Hillary Clinton scares the shit out of me.  If she runs, she has a good chance of winning the Oval Office… and that gives me nightmares.   With her communist agenda, all guns will be outlawed and all children will be institutionalized so they can be soddomized at will by the teachers and brainwashed to become robots of the state.   She will turn the whole country into one giant nation of slaves.  Fully dependant upon the government.  Don’t think it can’t happen.  More taxes, more spending, and more taxes… and the power to keep it that way.  Thanks to Asshat Ashcroft for forging the way for Big Brother Domination.  Actually Big Brother has nothing on Uncle Sam now.  Every email and phone call recorded and scanned for key words and phrases…  Put that Felon Bitch Hillary at the controls?  Judas Priest.  Oh, yes, she is a Felon.  Don’t give me that… You want an example?  What do you call stealing and hiding FBI files?  Yes, that would be a FELONY.  More examples?  *sigh* Please, I don’t have the time.  I bet she doesn’t talk about that in her book.   Could I sue her for the loss of sleep from the night terrors she gives me and emotional damage? 

An answer for Tracy:  “Maybe if the gubmint hadn't been taxing her out the wazoo her entire working life so they could give free health care to people who weren't working, she could have either socked some away for future health problems or purchased really kickin' coverage for herself and her family instead of paying for Handout McWelfare and his fifteen kids.  My .02 (.0127 after taxes) – Anne”  Well said, Anne… well said.

There is the report of the poor victimized black man who was riding his motorcycle… Poor kid was spotted by police and chased.  He smacked into a building and died.  The cop was a white guy so this of course is obviously racism in action.  Reaction?  Riots of course.  Figures.  Has nothing to do with the fact he was traveling at over 100 MPH when he was first spotted and evaded police.  Two patrol cars.  Well, would it be insensitive of me to say that maybe, perhaps, this might not have been a racism issue… but a racing issue?   I’ve had a lot of emails on this… but I’m not going to go there.  I’ll just say this:  I am glad this fuckwit checked out alone and didn’t take anyone else with him.  Wait a sec… he was also young and had no offspring.  This makes him a Darwin Award Nominee!  What?  That was insensitive?  How?  Ah… Darwin was white.  My Bad.  Bet this kid wasn't even wearing a helmet. 

Speaking of helmets... I have said before how I shave my head.  I had been using the hair clippers sans guard and buzzing my skull short.  Well, after I mentioned that, I started actually shaving my head with a razor.  It's all about Mach 3 Turbo.  I have this morning tried the Mach 3's biggest competitor... it came free on the can of shaving cream my wiffy picked up for me.  This new razor was nice and sharp as it should be, but it just didn't do the job properly.  I can feel spots that the razor didn't get close enough and over all after 18 hours, my head already feels quite stubbly.  Not to mention that while shaving, it freaking cut me.  I've NEVER been cut by my Mach 3, or my Mach 3 Turbo.  Never.  This new thing damn near slit my throat.  I'll let Mrs. Ogre use it on her legs.  She could use a new razor and if it works well enough, maybe she will lay off my Turbo.  Doubtful.  The Mach 3 IS the best razor out there.  Bar none. Dude, get away from my head with that yellow handled Bic.  I could shoot you and claim self defense from one of those things. 

1237HRS MST:  Email in from Tracy:  “Was reading your article on Health Care, and I have some feelings on that myself.  The one thing about our Democratic society, that really bugs me, is that we middle of the road folk, people who make say 50,000. or less, are always ignored.  We don't get the tax cuts like the wealthy do, and we don't qualify for the assist programs, like the poor do.  When it comes to health care, it's the same thing.  Too poor to afford good insurance unless, you are lucky enough to work for a company that provides the benefit.  The company I just quit, allowed you to share in the benefit, if you could afford $200.00 a week, to pay for it.  Not, an option.  Yet, we make too much money to get free health care.  So, here we sit, in the most progressive country in the world,  at the most dangerous time of our lives, as physical health goes.  We are in our 50's so you know that's when all the bad crap happens, and we have no coverage at all.  No health care, no life insurance, and no retirement.  Like you said, it's not because we have not worked hard all of our lives.  We did.  We just never made enough to take care of all of our needs, and save money, and pay for health care at the same time.  So, I guess what I am saying is that I would love to have a health care program that allowed us middle of the road folks to go to the Dr.  You are right, about homeopathic medicine, and I agree, about not trusting Dr's.  But, there are some things, that a Dr. must be seen for.  My twin son, has a mole on his back that must come off.  Well, we will have to pay cash for that, if we can find a Dr. who will let us do that, since we do not have insurance.  It's a crap shoot finding a Dr. I trust, who will take a patient for cash.  We have fallen through the cracks.  It makes a sad statement about our country.  Believe it or not, there are thousands out there, just like us.  I suppose had we been wiser, and more disciplined when we were young, we would not have had kids, until we were financially ready, and we would not have even married, until we graduated out of college, but that is not how life is.   Middle of the Road Tracy”  Looking at my kids and check-book balance over here, Tracy.  I married rather young, and we had kids.  We were not financially “ready” for either.  I’m not altogether wise either… when it comes to finances, that is.  On other matters I am rock solid.   Some would say that you are rich!  50,000 a year is a grand some of money to many.  Not cutting that argument any… as I see your point, I’m just playing devils advocate here.  I’ve heard the talking heads say how much prescription drugs are given away by the drug companies… more than any other industry.  No, your right… Drug Dealers always give the first sample away for free!  If drugs are not so expensive here in the great US… then why do old people bus down to Mexico to buy prescription drugs?  Why is that?  Don’t tell me that doesn’t happen… it does.  60 Minutes did a story on that as well as other media outlets.  How come drug companies sell these drugs to Americans at such high costs and to Mexicans at such low costs?  Why is that?  Insurance.  Insurance pays for most of the cost of drugs in the US…. They can bank more on it.  If you don’t have insurances – you are just so screwed.  Yeah, I’m with you on that COBRA program… You can pay to keep your insurance when you leave a company.  But at 800 bucks a month, it’s not happening.  No way.  Funny how they name the program after a lethal poisonous serpent.  Best named program ever.  Truth in advertising there.   There is no easy answer for this… but I am certain that the majority of the problem comes from Insurance Companies.  These guys are the biggest racket since the Mafia was selling whiskey.  Car insurance, health insurance, liability insurance… all of these roll into creating a self defeating system of dependence on the insurance.  So that when there is any problem you go to them regardless of what it is.  A scratch in the paint on the car or a common cold – you go see the doctor or file your claim for the car.  And then there is the Malpractice insurance… Now you can get litigation insurance incase you get sued.  Nice.  See how that all goes around and around?  Insurance is making everything expensive.  Take a look at your dollar bill.  Subtract Taxes and Insurance from that.  Then subtract your Rent or Mortgage from that dollar.  How much do you have left?  Living in America and being a contributing member of society is a very expensive hobby.  This is why I am going back to school… because things are only going to get more and more expensive.  If I don’t do this NOW… I’ll never be able to do it later and I’ll never be able to afford to raise my sons.  As it is right now, after we pay rent and buy groceries and pay the utilities… Top off the gas tanks in the Jeep… (The Subaru remains parked) we only have 20 bucks left.  We are tightening our belts now… sacrificing a lot of things now, so we can have a future later.  Not an easy road.

More protestors set themselves on fire.   You know, I think more middle easterners should do this.  It’s a very effective means of protest.  Just think if the Palestinians did that instead of using bombs!  That would be awesome a more effective method of protest and bring attention to the cause…. Yeah… that’s it.

Just when you say something nice about a politician… they make you put your foot in your mouth.  Senator Hatch, who I have spoken well of, has put his asshat back on.  He now thinks it’s a good idea to let companies hack and destroy computers of those who violate copy write law.  Why stop there?  Why not Trade Mark infringement as well?  Why not?  Why not allow this a method of legal retribution instead of litigation?  What happened to innocent until proven guilty?  What happened to due process?  This is bullshit to the highest degree.  If you let this continue you will have environmentalists lighting your ass on fire if you spill some gas at the pump because you topped off the tank.  “They should have known better than to top off the tank, this will teach them a lesson!”  Or have the Cops pop your hood and cut all your spark plug wires because you had a tail light out.  Why don’t we just shoot people in the fucking head for speeding.  Well, this computer thing is done remotely.  Fine.  Then do it remotely… if your speeding down the freeway, doing over the allowed limit, Apache Attack Helicopters will just light your ass up with a Hellfire Missile.  Like these guys… just blow them up.  Okay, I’ll calm down.  Email from Sting on this subject.  “I don't know but if someone can do it, the hackers and all those other people can do it.  Besides, as the article states, you're going to have a lot of collateral damage.  Once they destroy the computer, they're also destroying the evidence that you copied it.  There's no way.  And if there was a way, people would be using it to attack other people.  Forget the Network attacks, lets just destroy the servers.  It's another case where someone not in technology tries to make a decision that will affect technology.  Plus, think of the liability.  What happens when a computer gets destroyed and injures a person?  What happens if it's a public library and those computers self-destruct.  Are we going to say that the Library was responsible?  And then how do you differentiate between what has been stolen and what is legitimately theirs?  Too many questions and too few answers.”   They should ban CD and DVD burners… Ban the internet.  Yeah, that will do it.  What happens if you pop a blank tape into the radio and press record when your favorite song comes on?  This is bogus.  What really needs to happen is a reconstruction of the recording industry... and the Government just telling them to get lost.  Hey, if we let Hatch destroy computers for this, can we destroy Politicians that break campaign promises?

Speaking of speeding... The fellow I had the disagreement with over the Ford Focus had a great come-back for me.  "Do you even own a Focus?"  Hell no!  I don't need to stick my dick into a light socket to know that it would be a really fucking stupid thing to do.   I've driven several of them and find them very lacking in most every category.  And don't give me crap about the sporty models... A 1984 VW Rabbit GTI could kick it's ass.

June 17th, Tuesday.  1300hrs MST: The Liberals are thinking that America is no longer tolerant of dissent.  They are wrong.  Conservatives enjoy a healthy amount of dissent.  It’s the American way.  However what is not tolerated any more, is the Liberal Double Standard.  The blank check that Liberals have had to say anything, regardless of the truth.  That is no longer acceptable… no longer cutting the mustard.  The liberals have left themselves wide open to ridicule since everything they are saying is counter to what they used to say and do.  So now they are crying that Dissent is Not Tolerated.  Please… Stupid has just gone out of style.   And please, don’t even try to come off with any moral or intellectual superiority when you still have Robert Byrd in office.  There is no excuse for that.

I’m pleased about the turn of events in the Health Care arena.  I applaud Bushes proposal and surprisingly I am pleased that it’s going through.  Rush Limbaugh is against it… and Ted Kennedy is for it.  So me being “for it” is a shock.  But remember when I said that the Democrats have some good points?  Well, this is pretty much it.  This is also where I break from the Libertarians.  I want the old people to be taken care of if they can’t take care of themselves.  There are a lot of working poor that I know that are working well past retirement… they are plugging away but will never be able to afford retirement.  They are good people who have always worked hard for everything that have ever had.  Yet they would not be able to afford medications or a doctors visit… let alone anything more specific or specialized.  The medical system is totally screwed up and there is no easy way to fix it.  Some in the medical industry say its all about malpractice insurance and that one doctor pays over 100,000 a year in malpractice while another doctor across the state line pays only 30,000.  Wow that sounds screwed.  Yet in the state with the doctor that pays less… the patients don’t pay any less for treatments.  What gives?  Anyways… I think this is a good move.  Yet while I think this is a good move… I don’t like the idea of socialized health care.  I think Hillary Clinton’s idea would ruin America.  I look at my Father and my Father-In-Law.  Both good men who work hard for what they get.  Yet neither will ever be able to “retire” or be able to pay for health care when they are forced to stop working.  Libertarians would say gee that is too bad, sucks to be them.  Nice.  How can the most powerful nation in the world be so callus to those that work hard and pay taxes every year, and raised good families… never breaking laws… votes every time… good citizens…  But sucks to be them because they were never wealthy enough to pack savings away for retirement.  In some ways, Libertarians are worse than Democrats.  I believe in taking care of people.  This doesn’t make me a liberal or any less of a conservative.  I’m a conservative that hates to see people suffer.  Also, I’m a conservative that is using Federal Grants to pay for my College.   Another Libertarian No-No.  Well, probably wouldn’t have to use a grant if the GI-Bill I risked my life to earn didn’t have a damned EXPIRATION DATE!   Oh, wait a sec, yeah, I probably would still have to get a grant because the GI-Bill doesn’t pay enough to pay for college like the recruiters told me.  Hey, I have a family. I have 5 sons.  There is no way in hell I’d be able to go back to school without Federal Grant money.  Something the Libertarians would deny me if they had control.  So given my situation, it would just “Suck to be me” according to them.  This is why I can not be a Libertarian.   And don’t talk to me about these programs being expensive… If we cut back on wasteful spending by the Government… there would be plenty of money to pay for everything.  Space Program is all waste.  The V-22 is all waste.  The Government wants to throw away 300,000 M-14 rifles that tax payers have paid for… when they could sell them back to us.  Wait a second… email in on this point:  “I feel that selling all the "surplus" M-14s to the public would certainly be a good way to help to pay for the Iraq war.  Not to mention the benefit of arming more citizens.  But, to me at least, it still seems rather asinine to be buying something that you (more or less) have already paid for.  Hell you don't buy a car for your teenager to use, take it back when they don't want it any more, and then give your child a bunch of money for it.  Well at least I wouldn't.  My point is why should we pay a few thousand dollars to get a rifle we paid for (over the course of our lives with tax money) already? – FatNinja”  Good point.  Why should we pay for something we already paid for?  Here is my suggestion for these rifles.  Have the DCM take all the guns they have and give them a number.  All the 1911s and Springfield 1903s and M1 Garands as well.  Have everyone that wants a rifle, submit a post card with name and address.  First come first serve… names go into a hat for the rifle of the choice and the rifle gets shipped to the nearest FFL.  The “Buyer” pays for the NCIC check and transfer papers to make sure criminals don’t get guns and to pay the FFL holders expenses… and for the shipping.  Other than that – the guns are Free to Citizens because your right… we already paid for them.  Anyways… There are TONS of examples of wasteful governments spending.  Like paying Farmers to NOT grow a crop when instead we could be paying them FOR a different crop.  The Government bleeds money left and right like Niagara Falls when instead if they managed the money… they could take care of the elderly and more.

What you think you know about the health care industry isn’t what is really going on.  This is one of the main reasons I believe in natural healing as much as possible.  If I was to have gone to a regular doctor – I’d probably have been hospitalized for months, and been pumped full of drugs till I could say my own name… and never have gotten better.  Natural healing is what helped me out many times… me and my family.   “Yeah, but you get migraine headaches all the time.  Natural healing hasn’t helped that.”  Yeah, I do – but I also have fused vertebrae in neck that contributes to that and there is nothing any chemical or drug will be able to do to help that.   I don’t trust medical technology very much at all.  And I certainly don’t think I should be charged 15 bucks for 2 Advil tablets and 100 bucks for a sport wrap when I torque my ankle.  That is what I was charged the last time I went in for my ankle.  A lot of help that did.  I could have done that at home.  I never even saw a Doctor, so what good did it do to go in?  Hospitals are for Trauma.  Everything else, I’ll deal with it at home.  But that is me.  You might be different.  If you want to go see your doctor, go right ahead.  And when you get old and sick… you should still be able to if you want to.   The Medical industry doesn’t want to cure you.  They make no money on the healthy.  All they want to do is prolong you… to milk you. 

The Focus Factor:  “I don't fit in a Focus. Period.  I don't fit in compacts, and the Focus' sub compact...I have to put the seat all the way back and put the seat down if I don't want my neck to go straight into the roof.  It is a smooth ride, even if they have shit brakes, they made this squeaking sound that pisses you off (this was in a test drive).  Ford quality...I would trust their F 150-350 line with my life. Never had a problem with them (exempting normal maintenance, and a celluloid once blew, but nothing major). My Dad's owned Ford's since he was my age. First came a SS Mustang, then the 427 big block F-250 since then. Loved them all. I'd trust one over a Chevy, and DEFINATELY over a Dodge.  That's just me, though.  Thanks, Robert”  Thanks for the email Robert… Funny how I have not had a single email in favor of the Ford Focus, yet I have many similar to yours… The consensus is a resounding “No Thank You”.   I can fit in a Focus.  I fit in a Geo Metro.  Between the two, the Geo Metro (aka Suzuki Swift) is the much better car.  We put over 250,000 miles on my wife’s Geo before we sold it after the Clutch went out.  The only problem the Geo ever had.  The Geo held together and scrambled as hard as it could.  I was even thinking of Rally Racing it as much as I hated that little car for being a silly little car.  It wasn’t cool.  It wasn’t over powered… but the thing always ran.

June 16th, Monday: 2120hrs MST:  The subject of  the “BBQ Gun” has come up and I don’t have one.  Damn it.  A BBQ gun is an upper end gun with some customizations in appearance and what not that reflects the owner and is suitable to wear to any social occasion where open carry is permitted.  This is your “Formal Dress” gun.  It could be an automatic, or a revolver, or whatever you like… Hand tooled leather holsters are a must.  Ivory depending on taste.  I had a gun that could have been a “BBQ Gun” as stainless is always fashionable.  So is polished blued steel.  However I am in a quandary.  My Beretta 92FS is really most unsocial looking gun. An all work and no play looking gun.  Maybe a set of reddish colored wood grips would make it look more sociable, more fitting of polite company?  Maybe if it had a two tone finish or something.  But really I am thinking of something a little less pedestrian than my Beretta – Oh don’t get me wrong – A Beretta would make a fine BBQ gun, but mine reflects my personality a little too well.  It’s battle worn, scarred and not suitable for polite company… just like your humble ogre is in person.  I want something a little different… a little less ordinary… I’m thinking maybe I might make my own BBQ gun.  Gun shows often have a few black powder pistol kits and I think perhaps this might be my ticket.  Cherry wood or blood wood grips with a super high polish deep blue on the steel.  Yeah… that would look handsome as all get out.  Carried in a cross draw rig, it would work.  Or I might just get barbaric and do a musket pistol.  You don’t see many of those either.  Hmmm… If I got a stainless barrel installed into my Beretta and these grips from Excalibur… Save me some time and some money.  Damn, those grips look dead sexy.  “Super Rosewood Standard Panel with Palm Swell” for only 54.95… niiiiice…   Some day.

1500hrs MST:  Email from a Ford Owning MadOgre Reader:  “Hey Ogre, saw your short rant on the Ford Focus, and must disagree that Ford sucks. Two of my vehicles are Fords, and must say I like them quite a bit and never have problems (yeah right). The first one is a '62 T-Bird. Okay, maybe that's a bad example, since they haven't made it in forty years, I can hit a rhino going 30mph and think it was a squirrel.  390 cu in, a mere 300HP and only puts out 401 ft lbs at 2800RPM. Heavy beast and not great on gas. But they sure don't make them like that anymore...  My other one is a '92 Ford Taurus SHO MTX. After putting about $7500 into it this past year rebuilding it it's been awesome. I can easily whoop a stock 4.6 liter Mustang. Handles pretty nice and tops out at around 150mph. Of course there's is that little  problem with the fact that it's a 3.0 liter Yamaha boat engine that they tuned down from 300HP at 5100RPM so it wouldn't beat their flagship Mustang...er, I mean to work properly with the tranny. And BMW transmission, oh yeah and even though the body looks the same they got outside help on redesigning the whole subframe as theirs couldn't hold up to stress level. Another tidbit of info is Ford switched to their V8 duratec engine from 96-99 and low and behold I've heard a sprocket is separating from the camshaft eating the guts out of the engine. Okay, maybe the second car is another bad example of Ford Quality.  Never mind I guess I agree with you on this one. Ford lost their car soul somewhere in the 70's, Henry Ford was anti-semitic and practically a Nazi. They have been tied to many shady business dealings throughout the past 100 years. I guess the question is why I own two?  Replace the Blue Oval..... – Bryan”  It was about 1974 when Ford rolled over and died.  Maybe even earlier than that.  1974 was the last year of the real Mustangs.  1975 I think is when they rolled the Mustang II.  Some would argue Ford died earlier than that and that the Real Mustangs died when Ford started making them big and fat like the Mach 1 series.  Maybe they have a point.  I don’t know… I like the Mach 1 series but I can see the “It’s not a real Mustang” point.  It’s more like a Torino than a Mustang.  But then again I liked the big bad Torino and Fairlanes… those cars had some soul that we don’t see anymore.  Your T-Bird… I know.  The 62 was cool.  I had an ’88 Super Coupe and I thought it was “Da Bomb”.  It was fast as hell… I could “Super Cruise” at 130 and I had it over 140.  However one time when I was traveling at high velocity across open Utah Desert Highway the cable linked cruise control system snapped and the cable pulled the throttle wide open.  All the sudden my car became a runaway freight train and I wasn’t having any fun.  I put it into Neutral and shut down the engine.  This of course also shut down brakes and steering, but I was still able to coast it down to a stop… 10 miles later with some down hill gravity help.  I was able to fix it easily, but the car was never the same again.  So much for my personally owned Fords.  My Wife had a cute little Mustang II while she went to college before we got married.  It was a decent little car… that leaked fuel like a cold SR-71 sitting on the tarmac.  It got about 12 or 14 MPG out of it’s 4 banger.  Let’s see… then I got that blue Mustang.  I owned it for 1 day before I traded it for my Subaru.  Not a trade I look back on with regret.  I firmly believe cars should have a soul… and Fords lost them a long time ago.  My Jeep Cherokee has one.  My Subaru, I’m not sure… but I think it does.  For a lame little 4 door sedan it has shown a great deal of character and personality.  It saved my bacon when it could have easily have killed me… and it loves to run.   It’s an interesting little car.  I think if it was a Ford, it would have killed me.  But I can’t substantiate that feeling.

Molasses to Rum To Slaves… The “Triangle Trade”.  Way back when this triangle trade was disgusting, but it served the need to fulfill the desires of the population back then for cheap product.  Today there is another Triangle Trade.  Wal-Mart to China to Russia.  The results are no less cancerous to our country in the long run.  People buy cheap shit at Wal-Mart.  Money goes to China.  China in turn buys new state of the art weapons systems from Russia.  Russia is basically being kept alive buy this.  If it wasn’t selling weapons to China, Russia would be totally bankrupt and even Putin would be in some bread-line.  Yeah, China isn’t the only customer… but China’s orders are greater than all other orders combined.  This isn’t just fighter jets like we have recently mentioned… we are also talking Naval power.  Lots of it.  Like this one for example.  A ship designed specifically to attack US Navy carrier battle groups.  Nice.  So next time your at wally-world and think you really need that cheap plastic shit that you don’t actually need… rethink it.  You don’t need to buy it… but China needs you to buy it.  They want to finish this.   Holy crap!  Guys, I’m telling you… one day we are going to be pulling the trigger on China and it’s not going to be pretty.  After Clinton’s decimation of the Military – it could be very ugly.    

Spectre gives us some observations regarding the US Army’s new Stryker armored fighting vehicle.  Conclusion:  It sucketh.  I firmly believe that fighting vehicles need to be tracked.  The advantages of wheels are quickly outweighed by the glaring shortcomings that render the wheeled option totally useless.  The M113 might not be the best example of a tracked fighting vehicle… but it has been a workhorse for the US Army and many other Army’s around to world.  Why the M113 design couldn’t have been altered to fit mission requirements, I don’t know.  Oh, wait a second… yeah… I do know.  There is not enough pork for the politicos doing it that way.  I’m looking forward to hearing what Senator Hatch has to say about it… I know he isn’t on the Committee concerned, but he is still a Senator and can pull strings if needed.  I’m with him on the new Kel-Tec rifle.  Funny how hunting rifles in huge calibers have only 2 lugs… but the little .223 chambered AR-15 needs a bunch of them.  Go figure.  Maybe it’s because it is an assault weapon and thusly is so much more powerful. /insert a rolling eyes icon here.

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