June 14th to 20th

June 14th to 20th.

June 20th - Thursday. Hamas has declared a war on buses? Nice. That is very nice. Palestinians are such wonderful people. I mean really... Can I donate money to them or something? What is the address over there, I want to mail them a Christmas card. Salt of the earth. Let me send them an FTD Fruit Basket. I just want to give them a hug. What are they going to go after next? Bicycles and skateboards? These people are disgusting, vile, and totally insane. I try to never make blanket statements about people... but these guys are just disgusting. Almost as bad as Soccer Fans.

The operator of PT145.com emailed to notify me that his site has been updated. Looks great. He as some new info up there bearing witness to some rumors of a new kind of issue with that gun. Shearing off of the safety lever. Can those guns get any worse? I mean seriously... These guns are even breaking when they are brand new, not just after 500 or more rounds.

Just for fun I stripped down the CZ again. Man... it is a great pistol. Under 500 bucks retail and it shoots better than a certain 1,500 dollar auto I fired. Amazing. 2 more hours and I'll be out shooting it again.

Email from Ogrehead: "Ref to Ark. folks... If I had known you were buying anything from an Ark. denizen I would’ve warned you, bad news most of the time.. a very high percentage of skanks… being a Missourian I have a couple of Ark. stories always on the fire. The toothbrush was invented in Arkansas, had it been invented anywhere else they would have called it a 'teethbrush'. - James" Funny. I am glad I'm not alone in my dislike of Arkansas. However it is temporary... I'm sure there are good and useful people in Arkansas and or from Arkansas. In fact, I could use a chick from Arkansas right now. I have some chrome I need removed from a bumper. *rimshot*

Is it Thursday already? Geeze! Days are flying by so fast.

I wrote up my MadOgre Review of the CZ-97B. Take a read over here. If your in the market for a .45, look no further. If your favorite gunshop doesn't have stock them... that's fine. Have them order it for you.

I got a lot of errands to run today, so this is all I have this morning. Will be shooting this evening, so I have to get all my stuff done fast. Later!

June 19th - Wednesday. CZ-97B Knocks my socks off! The boys at Ceska Zbrojovka know how to make a .45 – Nuff Said. The CZ forums Guys keep saying how big the 97 is. Feh. It’s the same size as a Government Model 1911, and maybe even a little thinner. In the hand, I have to admit, it feels BETTER than my Springfield did.
The stock wood grips are just perfect, and I see or feel no reason to change them. They offset the black polycoat finish beautifully. They are keepers. Looks good, feels good, yada yada yada… but how does it shoot?
SWEETNESS. My first 9 shots were all just a ragged hole, with one flyer. My last shot I jerked the trigger and pulled it off to the right. Oh well. I can live with that. Another 3 shot group, all in one .45 caliber hole. I have a witness to these claims, and will post photos as well. Oh, the ammunition used was Triton Hi-Vel 230 grain +P. The gun was 100%. I also tried a box of some of the new “NOT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT” SPEER LAWMAN Frangible, which was almost as accurate, and cycled perfectly, accept for one round that had a bad primer. I ejected the round, looked at the dimple in the primer – looked like a normal hit with a deep dent in it – so it was ammo and not gun. Other than that 1 stupid round (hence the tag on the box in red letters that warned not for law enforcement) the gun ran flawlessly, accurately, and just plain sweet.
My overall impression is above favorable. Way beyond impressed. This CZ knocked my socks off. The quality is right up there with the best of production guns. I’ll put this CZ up against the beloved SIG P220. No second thought about that either. As good as a P220? No question. And as your guys know, I favor the SIG above all other double action .45s, even more than the HK USP. Sure, the HK has an advantage for being a freaking TANK and being able to shoot .45 Super loads as is… but If I was to enlist with a PD, it wouldn’t be my first choice. Up to this point, that 1st choice would be the SIG. Now, it’s a toss-up between the SIG and CZ. The only shortcoming the CZ has, is that it doesn’t have a decocker… and for that reason alone the SIG beats it. But face it, the 1911 doesn’t have a decocker either… and if you’re a 1911 guy and don’t feel the need to have one, then it is not an issue and in that case – the CZ is just fine. If I was a cop looking for a duty weapon, I’d take a CZ-97 with out a second thought. Great gun. Just a solid and great gun. I’m blown away. The gun is better than expected or hoped for. Pictures coming soon.

Diamond plate door panels. These things look AWESOME. I was out there working on the Sammy this mornings and these doors ROCK. Very cool. I'm so pissed at the dude that sold me the door handles. Got them off eBay. Auction for door handles. I win it. I get them in the mail. They are all broken. Dropped 40 bucks on them. The only things there were not broke were the tail gate handles and parts. Those worked fine - but what I really need is the driver's side outside door handle. Suzuki made that part as delicate as a soap bubble. Anyway, I complain that the parts are broken. The dude leaves me a negative feedback. Asshole. The item description says "Fair Condition", not "Totally fucked up and busted to pieces"! I'm pissed. If this dude was in Utah, I'd be slapping the shiz out of him. He's lucky he is in Arkansas and out of range. Hell, I guess being stuck in Arkansas is punishment enough. I may be broke, unemployed, and sun burnt... but at least I'm not in fucking Arkansas.

My CZ is in. I'll go get it tonight. My FFL is impressed with it and says he wants one now. Cool.

The Tenacious D cd rolled in today. I have to say, it's one of the most entertaining CD's I've ever listened to. They only really have about 4 or 5 real songs... everything else in just funny stuff. I love it. Go pick it up. It's worthy. But not for kids. Seriously, don't let kids listen to this. If you do - Child Protective Services will be climbing up your ass. But damn, it's funny. These guys rock.

June 18th - Tuesday. "Another day" A short by Oleg Volk. Reprinted here with his permission.

We used to think that the first sign of trouble would be a flashbang at four a.m. In reality, trouble came to dinner.

We had friends over. After the meal, we relaxed on the veranda, coffee mugs and apple pie slices at the ready. A typically gorgeous sunset shined radiantly through the thick, moist haze. For a while, no one spoke and only the whine of a rare mosquito intruded on the tranquility. Then we heard a rumble, no more than a subsonic vibration which carried through the ground and put us out of the mellow mood.

In the minutes which followed, we saw black-and-whites roll up the street to our quiet dead end. A Ferret armored car came up and parked sideways to us. The sound of helicopter blades came in strong right over us, and we hurried inside as the prop wash began to throw napkins off the dinner table and swirl leaves on the veranda floor. Just as we read JSCTV logo on the helicopter, a second one came in. That one circled the block slowly and there was no missing the rocket pods under the skids or the miniguns in the doors. Homeland Guard, if I got the markings right.

"Sorry," I said to the guests "Bad timing all around."

Arkadij ignored my statement. "Daj avtomati," he said. His wife Sacha nodded and extended her hand imperiously. She looked pretty pale, we all did. Jen ran to den and returned with two AKMs and some pouches. Our guests took off for the basement. Jen and I stayed, considering the situation.

We knew that the house was the usual matchstick and veneer production, useless as cover. If we could wait till they entered and then hit, at least the rockets wouldn't come till after the troops cleared out. With luck, we'd get a few of them first. We settled around the fireplace, covering each others' backs. Jen rocked in a magazine and turned on the sight. With the left-overs of our dinner still on the veranda, there was no chance that they'd think the place un-occupied and walk right in. And if we didn't come to the door, they might suspect that something was amiss.

What did they want? Who knows! Could have been been anything, the way all human behavior has been criminalized. As far as we knew, we had nothing obvious, only arms, some radio scramblers, a bit of Columbian coffee for our own use. We didn't flaunt what we had, not that it would have mattered in the long run. The coffee alone was good for five to ten. There'd be no sympathy even from the neighbors. They'd have to live the the eye sore of ruined house for weeks till the clean-up.

We heard no challenge before the first flashbang. It sounded duller and more distant than we expected. Sacha's voice, ringing with guilty relief, came through on the intercom: "Next door!" she yelled "They are doing the next door." We hazarded a look outside. We lived at the top of a dead end. The next house on the left, apparently unoccupied, as getting worked over. The evidence truck backed up right to where the living room picture window used to be, and the loading commenced. They went through the night, with spotlights illuminating the gutted house. Municipal power was still cut off from earlier. By daybreak it was over, and the law withdrew to divvy up the spoils.

The four of us stretched out in the den, exhausted. Jen mastered a weak smile. "We live again," she said bleakly "Until the next time."

Jesse Ventura has announced that he wont run for another term as Governor. As if he could have won anyway. What a loser he turned out to be. Evidently Reform Party just means Democrat Puppet. Two words for Jesse: "Get Out". I had high hopes for Ventura, but he just acted like a big assclown. Later Jesse. Don't let the door hit you.

Let me just say this about the job application today. That gun counter needs some serious help. If I get that position, it will be a battle. On the shelves were only Rugers and Hi-Points. *shudder* It was a nice drive. 2.3 hours one way. Not too bad. I'll have to get a good antenna for the Jeep if I get it, because I'll be listening to a lot of radio. Oh, I didn't mention that did I? Gun counter opening up in Logan. I went for it.

Email from an Ogrehead with a Soccer take: "Just a little note about Mexico... Let's just take over the damn country. That way we no longer have the aliens crossing the boarder. No one should be that involved in soccer... no one. - John" And I should shoot off my toe for that hangnail. Mexico has some issues. One day they may get it straightened out. Maybe. Soccer. Evidently I ruffled some feathers with my soccer take. "It's just a good clean sport." BS. You think there is nothing wrong with Soccer? Let's ask the Korean dude sitting in a hospital burn unit because he doused himself with paint thinner and lit himself on fire because of soccer. Dude torches himself so he can "play on the team as a phantom 12th player". What a freaking loser... he can't even torch himself right. How did he expect to run with the team? Everyone knows you use high octane unleaded for that. Idiot. "Yeah, I'll give you that one Og. But that was just one freak." Really? Just one freak? What about the dude that blasted his wife in the head with a gun... because she changed the channel on the TV while the cat was watching the world cup? What's up with that? *click* *BANG!* Way to go SOCCER! Yeah, Soccer is a great, good clean sport... Uh huh. How come we don't see this kinda thing happening with NBA fans? You don't see that. Why? Because the NBA doesn't play Soccer. I hope the US takes the World Cup. Every other nation is so in deep with soccer... and in the US we really couldn't care less. We should win it and take the trophy and just stash it in some attic. "Hey we have the world cup over here... what are we going to do with it? I dunno... Hey, the Goldbergs are having a Bar Mitzvah. Maybe they need a punch bowl!" Or just sell it on E-bay. Screw it. We don't want it. But just getting it would piss off the entire world. "Yeah, you guys over there love soccer... we don't care. You want the cup - bid on it. Proceeds of the sale will be donated to the Israeli Defense forces and be used to buy bullets for Israeli soldiers." Let's just give the whole planet the finger.

Ogre has given no take on Catholic Priests. Yet. Maybe I will. Maybe I wont.

June 17th - Monday. There is something wrong with the sport of Soccer. I don't know what it is... but it's a bad thing. A very bad thing. There is something evil about Soccer. Maybe not the sport or the game it's self, but there is some bad mojo there. There has to be. Because Soccer fans are just freaking nuts. For example, when the US Soccer Team bounced Mexico during the world cup, Mexicans are calling for WAR with the US. WHAT? I've nothing against Mexico, but if they want to throw down because of this... Bring it. Freaking Soccer fans. Freaking Soccer. What is it about Soccer that turns the fans into total ass-hats? You gotta love the Soccer-Mom that biatch-slapped the teenage girl who was reffing the game because she didn't like the call. Or the Soccer Dad that beat another kids Dad to death. Or the stadiums full of soccer fans that just go into a rolling boil of senseless violence just because a goal was made. The only thing I like less than Soccer, are the Soccer fans that use it like some jackholes used the Catholic Church back in the Dark Ages. Just an excuse to throw a punch... to hurt some one. To riot. To start a crusade. Freaking Soccer. You would expect, but never see even HOCKEY FANS do that. Freaking Soccer. When I say I've got nothing against Mexicans, I mean it. Seriously. I even have nothing against them coming to America looking for a better life. Can't blame them. I would too. I don't care about the all that racist shit. All the Mexicans I know and have known other than the thugs have been good people. We have thugs of our own so we can't blame Mexicans for Latino thugs. We even have "wanna-be thugs". Embarrassing. I'd rather hang out with a Mexican thug than one of these nut-case soccer fans.

Nothing wrong with Soccer Fans... Not a thing. Email about Soccer: "I believe that the 'fever' of soccer fans, say, opposed to football fans is the fact that the 'violence' of the game is internalized a lot, in football the violence is right out there. The confrontation in sports of any kind also may depend on the actual number of sports followed by any given group. The more varieties followed the less the peripheral fan related violence. Seems like when they put most of their support in just one , the violence comes out. Just a hunch. I have known and interfaced with some Mexicans at different levels and have found them to be hard working straight up people, but where I live we do not have an influx of 'illegals' or a major presence, as in parts of California. I know that bad elements exist in every group of people, by whatever means you stratify one group from the other, whether race, religion or people that burp after a beer. The soccer violence is quite out of hand for Euros too, which see English soccer fans stomping people to death at games in the Netherlands. Sports tend to be 'the opiate of the masses' as Marx wrote, and the human nature seems to be, for the majority , to immerse themselves in this 'war substitute' to relieve natural inclinations to compete and kick ass. I am one of the unfortunate ones that just can't get overly pumped over somebody else's 'game' , instead I tend to focus on the 'real' confrontations that abound in our world. What I , and some few others perceive as glory and honor are in the life we live in at all times, and unfortunately we can neither buy tickets of go bozo in the bleachers without attracting some formidable aggression, from whatever opponents would seek to silence us and slam dunk our freedom, with their body bombs and other weapons of tyranny or terror. If only we could get the foes of liberty and justice to get more involved in soccer, (or bowling or pro vulture racing or extreme croquet or anything!) we would all be a lot safer, and thereby more free. God bless soccer, God bless America!. - James" Naw, Soccer fans are just nuts.

Getting the title for the Samurai from the State of Utah. Normally such a matter is not an issue. It's a fairly easy matter. However this Samurai, as my luck would have it, is a "special case". This vehicle wasn't ever registered in Utah. This means the previous owner was a student at BYU from out of state and abandoned the vehicle. The BYU parking enforcement called a tow company who came and yanked it off BYU property. The company held the vehicle for 30 days and then decided to get rid of it since no one was coming forward to claim it. The cat next door to me who works for the parking enforcement decided to grab it from the tow company as a project. Phil never talked to his wife about it first, because he got it home and she said "No". Phil already has a "Project" car. A Mustang BOSS. Total crap, but when done it will be cool. Anyways, now Phil needs to get rid of it. This is where I come in. Spectre and I talk about it, and we decide to go for it. I hand Phil $500 bucks from which Spectre sent me. Phil hands me the key and I roll it over here. This is where the problem is. No one in Utah ever had the title. No one knows who had the title. Not the tow company. Not Phil. Not me. So I fill out a basket worth of paperwork on the Sammy and now the DMV has to decide if I can "Claim Ownership" because the prior own has "Insufficient Evidence of Ownership". Whatever the hell that means. I'm walking through the paperwork by hand through each step. But it gets better... There is a catch 22. In order to get the title, I have to have the rig inspected. I can't get it inspected until I have the title. Nice. I'm talking to Utah DMV Inspectors about it this week. This has to get straightened out pronto. Life is complicated. Maybe, I could just get it a temp permit that would allow Spectre to drive it home for 30 days since he has to get it registered anyway. No. That's not cool. I'll get him all taken care of so it's easy for him to get the thing put in his name.

June 16th - Sunday. Fathers Day. Note to my father, who is learning the internet and probably reads Mad Ogre now. Dad, I love you. Your a great Dad. Happy Father's Day. Can I have some money?

Let’s take a look at how a bullet stops a bad guy. Lots of people who read gun magazines use a phrase way too much. “One Shot Stop”. These are the same guys that go on and on about bullets and loads and are always searching for that Magic Bullet. The “Black Arrow” that will slay evil even if it misses. There is no such thing. Some hollow points are better at certain aspects of bullet performance than others… but in effect, they all do the same thing. Make holes. The trick is to make the holes where they do the most damage. This is called “Shot Placement” and is the most important aspect of a bullet wound. There is more than one way to skin a cat. There is also more than one way for the bullet to stop a threat.
1. Hydraulically. Making the target bleed out. Once a human looses enough blood, he goes into Hypovolemic shock. Hypovolemic shock refers to a medical or surgical condition in which rapid fluid loss results in multiple organ failure due to inadequate perfusion. Most often, hypovolemic shock is secondary to rapid blood loss (hemorrhagic shock). The cardiovascular system initially responds to hypovolemic shock by increasing the heart rate, increasing myocardial contractility, and constricting peripheral blood vessels. This means to you and I that shots to extremities get a biological response that naturally reduces the loss of blood. A center mass hit is required to insure this rapid loss of blood. If you aim Center Of Mass (COM from now on) the bullet has the best chances of penetrating deeply into vital internal organs. Ideally, your target can suffer from both forms of shock from blood loss.
2. Structurally. The human body is built on a solid framework we call the skeleton. Certain bones in the skeleton support the whole weight of body. I’m talking about the legs and the pelvis. A shot that hits and shatters one of these bones disrupts the structure and causes a collapse. Actually making this shot is difficult as the legs are much thicker than the actual bone. There is another downside to that kinda of a shot, and that is the subject may still have some fight left in him. He may not be able to stand, and probably wont be doing any tap dancing for some time, but if he is armed, he is still a threat. He just might still be able to take a shot back at you.
3. Electrically. CNS. Central Nervous System. The nervous system in the human body is basically like electric wiring and all the wires run to the brain via the conduit called the central nervous system. It’s located in the spine. Sounds easy enough, but really this is where it gets complicated. If you fire a shot that hits the spine and severs the CNS, you’ve disrupted the electrical system. But only everything “Down Stream” from that wound. That could be a problem. If it was a COM shot and you hit the subject in the spin in the middle of the back, he will not be able to use his legs, but the upper body is still connected and functional. The subject could still return fire. The place that you want to hit to turn the subject off like a light switch is a very small target. You want to hit the Medulla Oblongata. It is the size of a Grade A Medium egg, it is nested in a protective covering of very solid bone. Making that shot with a handgun is unlikely. Unless your subject is bound and kneeling in front of you and your about to give him the Mafia Classic “Two shots to the back of the head”… don’t even think about taking that shot. In such a dynamic event as a gunfight, you’re a fool if you think your going to be making that kinda of a shot. Even bench rested. Your target is small and the subject is moving… Take the shot you can get and aim COM. Now, if your in the urban police sniper role and you have a nice .308 rifle with a high power scope, then MAYBE this shot is an option. Especially if you only have one shot it has got to stop the subject instantly… that is what you want to hit. Like a light switch. Effective – but hard to get.
4. The last is Psychologically. Getting a bullet wound, even a minor can have a drastic effect on someone’s moral and motivation. Some people, they see a little blood, and they just lose the will to fight. They give up right then and there. They may even go into shock. Some people have even died from this. Although it does and can happen, don’t bank on it. Sometimes getting hurt just makes the subject all the more dangerous. Your shot may have been a lethal one and that guy will die… but in the mean time, he wants nothing more than to take your head off. Then again, he could have caught a poorly aimed slug to the upper shoulder area, and all the sudden has a vision of his mortality and throws in the towel right there on the spot. You never know.
Looking at how a bullet stops a fight, I am left with the conclusion that the only thing that you can bank on in a gunfight is well aimed shot to the Center Of Mass. You want to use as big of a bullet as you can handle… in as powerful of a load as you can handle. You want to drive that slug deep into the vital organs of the threat. That has the best chances of stopping the threat via one or more of these 4 ways.

The following is a dialog I had with an Ogre Reader Josh Mitchell from NZ regarding my take on the new GTO.
Mitchell: The new GTO is based on the Australian Monaro of the Holden GM range, Opel GM is not involved in the design.
Monaro is a down under version of Mopar and has been resurrected. This resurrection in performance vechicles in OZ and NZ is directly related to the recent Ford vs Holden horsepower war. Ford dropped their V8 range in the late 80's and saw a drop in sales, the reintroduction of performance V8's saw customers return too both manufacturers with a resulting increase in sales Amazing that it only took Ford management a decade to figure this out, meanwhile Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda have been flooding the youth market with cheaper turbo powered weaponry.. The "GTO" http://www.holden.com.au/app/serve?page=monaroEntry Ford has a 300 kw Coupe now being trialled in Australia, has their response. I completely agree with you on GM 's lack of production, the problem is the Elizabeth plant is already at full production. Of course if GM really wanted to they could rejig other facilities. The rumors are this is the new Chevrolet El Camino http://www.holden.com.au/app/serve?page=uteEntry Other concepts of this include the "Kakadu", a 4WD Commodore station wagon, with the Chev Gen 3 V8 option. The "Utester", a targa top Commodore ute, with V8 option, and the "Cross-8", a V8 4WD double cab ute, of the same design. The Commodores are very popular in NZ, especially with rural types wanting long haul/high speed. All the best, Josh Mitchell

Ogre: Your information is great… but one little detail of yours is incorrect. Holden got the car from Opel. In Oz, they manufactured the car under a different badge. Sure, it’s all Aussie now… but it started out as a Opel.
http://www.europe.opel.com/brand_sites/astra_coupe/uk/en/flash.html

Mitchell: GM Astra's are German developed, but they are a compact car range [lLength 4267mm, Width 1709] and according to your link, with no V8 option. They are sold sold here in NZ in Sedan, SRI, Carbolet, and Hatchback forms. The Commodore range which Monaro is based on is a bigger family vehicle [L 4891, W 1842] and is rear wheel drive only. Here's the Astra range spec's http://www.holden.com.au/app/serve?page=astraSummarySpecification&req=spec&cartype=2005 Monaro Spec's http://www.holden.com.au/app/serve?page=monaroSummary&cartype=18001&req=Specifications
I prefer the Monaro's creditentials as being more GTO like. The Monaro's story http://www.holden.com.au/app/serve?page=monaroStory&cartype=18001&req=History Personally I'm hoping to see the Dodge Charger go into prodution, with the Jeep 4.7L V8 under the hood. Even though I'm a 4WD'er [Turbo Diesel SWB Land Cruiser] I really liked my Dad's 67 Valiant "Slant Six" Charger ute. Kia Kaha Josh

Ogre: Maybe it wasn’t an Astra… but it was an Opel of some sort. I forget which one. Thought it was an Astra. That new GTO is the only interesting car that is heading into production for the US. All the best cars are kept in the home lands. Left to their own devices, US car makers would try to make everything into a “luxury” vehicle… Some how they have all lost that “Soul” that cars used to have. No character. No personality. Even the Viper has it wrong some how. Can’t put my finger on it, but the one I drove just “Didn’t have it”. Know what I mean? Even when cars in the US have some character – they end up killing the line. The Land Rover Defender 90. Fantastic. Good seller too. I have some friends that got them. Great rides. Do anything. Power was something they never ran out of. It was too good. Had to kill the line.

Mitchell: I agree with you on the "no soul" aspect, it's pretty bad when a Mazda MX 5 is considered a driving experience.
Monaro/GTO has that soul factor and hopefully Ford will counter with a next generation Falcon GTHO coupe.
I had a ride in a Honda NSX, it's Japanese and it rocked. A scary combination.
P.S. You were so right on that whole Alex Robinson thing, caustic charms, and the rest.

June 15th - Saturday. One of the problems of being Mad Ogre is that people can often blind-side me with a well formulated question. Often while I am pondering something completely different. For example not too long ago I was asked a very good question while I was sitting in a waiting room. I was of course, just waiting, but I was also thinking about the Job Interview I was waiting for. The cat waiting in there with me, knew who I was. Some how. Must have read MadOgre.com. I shook his hand, told him my name and lied that I was pleased to meet him. How the hell could I be pleased to meet him? He was the competition! He was after the same job I was! Screw him! Anyways, I of course put on my professional face and even smiled. Sitting in there, quietly thinking about the interview… he breaks out with “I was looking for a handgun to carry concealed but I can’t decide.”
“Excuse me, what?”
“I can’t decide which one.” Nice. He just totally derailed my train of thought.
“What have you been looking at?”
“I’m torn between a Walther PPK/S and a SIG P232.”
“Are you set on .380 as a caliber?”
“I guess, I don’t know that much about guns, but I like it.”
“So you’ve already looked at both of them, and handled them?”
“Yeah, I like them both… Can’t decide. What do you think?”
Okay, that is a loaded question! Instead of the myriad of answers I could give – I consider the two guns. “Well, it is a toss up, and probably a matter of taste. But I think I’d take the Walther.”
“Why?”
DAMN, I have an interview in about 4 minutes and he asks me why… Geeze.
“Well, it’s a matter of priorities… The guns are similar but there are some differences. The Walther is smaller, but heavier. The SIG is bigger, but lighter. The Walther has poor trigger that has little hope of improving. The SIG feels much better in the hand… yet the Walther is more accurate. So for size, concealability, and accuracy, I’ll take the Walther. If the gun was for my wife, she’d probably like the SIG better. Softer feel, easier trigger, better looking… much more comfortable to shoot… So, like I said, it’s a matter of taste.” I didn’t get to finish that conversation… I was called in for the interview right then. I didn’t get the job either. So, you see, I think I was torpedoed by one of my Ogreheads.

Shin Tao is going to be sending us a report on his latest small arms hunt. Check out Shin's CHB. He is looking at the FAL. This is a good move. The FAL is one of the best rifle designs ever. The action is robust. The take down is fast and easy. They can be very accurate, and are one of the most reliable actions ever conceived. In fact, if you want a rifle that is more reliable than an FAL, you'll have to have a bolt action. I like the L1A1 charging handle design for the FAL. My favorite FAL would have to be made by DSA. Those guys know the FAL better than FN.

I decided that I want a new PC game... but the problem is that it isn't made. I want a RTS game that is based on reality, top down view, as if your observing from a satellite, combined arms, ground forces, Air, and sea. I want huge - HUGE maps. No FOG OF WAR BS, but instead, the enemy is just not visible unless detected by your forces. I want photo realism. I want lots if different units... Everything in current inventories. I want the maps to be based on real sat images. I want the forces to have a good AI where as for example if you have an infantry platoon that gets into an engagement, the AI will break of a part of that platoon and maneuver it like real soldiers do. If it gets too hot, they might request a fire mission. As the force commander, you can grant that fire mission or if your forces are low priority, you might have to deny the request and order those troops to fall back... or you might dispatch some Apaches or an A-10. Whatever you have on tap. I want the infantry guys to be individuals... with realistic force models and weapon load out. Yet, customizable load outs. You can arm your guys how you want. Same with your aircraft and other assets. You can get in and play the tactics of an engagement, or zoom out and control everything on the Macro scale... then zoom back down to that 1 guy on the field with the rifle... Or your squadron of F-18s flying nap of the earth on the way to attack a convoy of something... That is the game I want. As realistic as possible. Maps are basically around the globe. Every situation out there in the world could be modeled. Missions based on real world missions. That's what I want to play. Hell, I'd even like to help develop that. Anyone out there think that would be a cool game? Any programmers and other game makers want to work on that?

I'm buying a vest for Orem City Police as soon as I get a job! Today Orem is holding a "Summer-Fest". A carnival kinda thing at Orem City park. We took the kids. We had some fun... we went to the playground area and sat under the shade. Wife and I were watching the kids play... a couple hundred of them. After just a couple minutes we realized 1 was missing. Gavin my 3 year old had wandered off. I about died right there. We looked around and realized he was GONE. Orem City (THANK GOD) had a good presence there. I notified them and God Bless them, they turned the park upside down. They were looking everywhere. I was looking everywhere. It was a Police Officer than found him... so far away it was unbelievable. He was on the far side of the park, in a parking lot, on the other side of a building. How he got that far that fast, I'll never know. I don't want to know. I think I had about a dozen heart attacks in those few minutes... My wife was in a quiet panic, and unraveling fast. I was too. When the Officer whistled for me, and I saw him holding my son... I can't express the feeling I had. As soon as I can, I'm buying Orem PD a good ballistic vest for the newest Officer to hire on. If I could, hell, I'd buy them a new cruiser! For all the misgivings I have ever had about Police, the anger at the abuse of powers and all that... when it comes right down to it - they are the good guys. God bless them! Excuse me now... I've got to lay down and die a few times.

Another email about the Bloop: “Only one thing I can think lad, ‘Aye, Starduck; aye, it was Bloop that dismasted me; Bloop that brought me to this dead stump I stand on now. Aye, aye! I'll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition's flames before I give him up. And this is what ye have shipped for, men! to chase the white Bloop on both sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out...’ The Bloops of Wrath - otto pettibone (Chapter 31) – Jim” Classic take. I was waiting for that one.

Job hunt has lead me to a new low. Check out my E-bay Auction. I figure, what the hell. Run it. It's like fishing. Maybe I'll get a bite. Monster.com has proven to be almost useless.

June 14th - Friday. It's Friday... here is something fun. The Terrible Secret Of Space. Remember... Shoving will protect you.

Emails from Ogreheads about the "Bloop". “Not happy about this. Not happy at all. The ocean bugs me enough already. I want them hunted down by 688s and nuked immediately. Shin” and "Ogre: could "Bloop" be the Biblical ‘Leviathan’? John" Good observation, John. My speculation on that subject would be fruitless... but I think Gandalf said it best "There are older and fouler things than Orcs, in the deep places of the world." And to that, I think Shin's take has great merit. Send in the Dallas!

Father's Day is around the corner. For that I redid the image on the Ogre Swag you can order. Added a few new products to the selection. Take a look. Get Dad a clock or a shirt or something. I think it's a cool image. I took the original image I had and reversed it. Looks great on a white background. I have no idea where that image came from... It was emailed to me early last year. It just fits. Mrs. Ogre saw it. Asked who took my photo.

Holy Shit... there really are Sea Monsters! They are called "Bloop" by scientists. They make sounds like whales, are louder than whales, and are the stuff of nightmares. Captain Ahab has no comment.

Martha Stuart... You just knew she was evil. Feds are investigating her. To be honest, the charges are bogus. She sold some stock. Next day the stock crashed. Big deal. She was lucky. Are they going to investigate everyone that sold shares that day? She said to her broker "If the stock drops below 60, sell it." It did and he did. What is the big deal? Hell, it's not like ImClone stock is one that you would want to keep around anyways. She is clear on this in my opinion. So what if she had talked to the company. People talk to companies all the time, get treated badly, or just get a bad vibe, and some how get turned off on the company. As a result, they might sell stock if they own any of it. That happens all the time too. Should not be wrong with that. 3,900 shares. Sounds like a lot. But actually it isn't that much. She said, if it gets below 60 - Sell. Not a bad move. She jumped ship with just less than a quarter million. Chump Change for Martha and her multi million dollar "I'm Better than you" Empire. Chump Change when it comes to serious investors. I was eating lunch with one cat last year, reading the paper over plates of Mexican food. Waiting for an associate to arrive... Dude picks up the phone and calls his broker right then and there. Trades 5,000 shares off one stock onto another. Just from what he read in the WSJ. 5K in shares. Just like that. While eating some chips and salsa. Trades can happen any time and any place. I think the Feds are on a witch hunt on this one. Martha is creepy... but not an inside trader. Mrs. Napkin Folder doesn't seem to be the type that is really into Cancer Research with any depth.

In other news, Kevin Bacon is linked to Al Qaueda within 6 degrees. FBI is investigating.

Email from an Ogrehead “Mad Ogre, your site kicks ass. I'm sure everyone who visits your page would love to go to a free submachinegun class. http://www.frontsight.com/1day_smg_course.htm - Bill” Thanks Bill. Normally I don't post a "Ogre, You Rock!" kinda email - but this is some worthy while info. Yeah, we all know I kick ass... goes without saying. But the information on the free subgun class in worth while. Not like it is news or anything, considering Front Site has been doing that for a few years now... but it is worth mentioning.