Musings From The Front Porch

Society Needs a Huge Slap Upside the Head

2011-10-21T07:27:00.003-04:00

I have no clue what is wrong with people today. Is it ignorance, laziness, or plain stupidity? I have no tolerance for people who behave as if the rules do not apply to them, but it has become increasingly obvious to me that people today do not want to follow the Rules. Okay, let's talk about the Rules. When I was growing up, the Rules went something like this: You did not park like an ass. If you aren't in a wheelchair, or missing a limb, you aren't "handicapped". You didn't park in the Fire Lane. You didn't go to the grocery store and let your kids behave like assholes. I wouldn't dare ask my mother for anything when we were at the store, forget about running around like it was a zoo, or throwing temper tantrums. My mother never would walk up to the "15 items or less" isle and proceed to put a weeks worth (over 50 items) of groceries on the conveyer belt. My father held doors for ladies. We kids didn't wear makeup, or dress like adults, We were GIRLS. We dressed appropriate to what a little girl should be wearing. Showing cleavage was out of the question, even for my mother. It was inappropriate then, and in my opinion, still is today. The world needs a huge slap upside the head.

Concealed Carry On Campus

2009-02-28T20:27:00.004-05:00

I have been hearing more and more about the CCH on campus movement....here is some info: http://concealedcampus.org/

I am a fan, BTW!!

Here are the NC Leaders:

http://concealedcampus.org/state.php?sid=68

Please do what you can in helping to make us safer on campus. I know that no security officer on my campus carries a gun. The Dean will not allow it, according to the head of security. It will take an incident to make it happen, unfortunately.

Stay safe out there!!

Resources for New Shooters

2009-02-12T16:37:00.002-05:00

There's a new site I was introduced to and I think y'all should go and check it out. It is a great resource for those who are new to shooting and want a place to get started. So go on over and look for a mentor and spread the word!!

Concealed Carry In Church

2009-02-11T07:10:00.005-05:00

I wonder if I would step foot in a church where members felt like they needed to carry concealed. A good thing for CCH advocates like myself, but I think it is more important to arm students on college campuses. There have been far more incidents at schools than at churches.

From Fox News:

Arkansas Committee OK's Allowing Concealed Guns in Churches ... Again

Tuesday , February 10, 2009

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A legislative committee has once again passed a bill allowing concealed handguns in churches, after its sponsor amended her measure to make it more appealing to the full House. Rep. Beverly Pyle, R-Cedarville, amended her measure to remove a provision that would require churches to post a sign if they didn't want handguns on their property. Under the change, a church that opts out from allowing handguns could notify members any way it pleases — through a sign, an announcement during services or a notice in a church bulletin, for example. The House Judiciary Committee — which passed the measure last week — agreed to the amended version Tuesday. The bill now goes to the full House.

A Word On Training

2009-02-10T07:22:00.003-05:00

Hey, gang, sorry I have been lax in getting my butt in front of the computer. I have been busy.

As some of you are aware, I am still in the reserve. I am currently working as a firearms instructor, which is quite challenging for more reasons than one.

Teaching is an art. Some can do it, some can't. I realized that I am falling somewhere in between. So I wanted to find way that I can become a better instructor.

One thing I noticed is that if you can't break that information down in a manner that your students understand, you have already lost them. They get frustrated and flustered and don't learn anything. Patience is the key here. One thing thing that people don't seem to understand is time. We are all guilty of losing track of time. I do my best to get things done in a timely manner, but some days there does not seem to be enough time in the world.

You wonder where I am going with this....give me a second.

We are sorely pressed for time during our drill weekends, especially on Sunday. We have to teach a class, get them out to the range and get them qualified in a brief period before they have to catch their flights home (there are still members commuting from Milwaukee).

So how do you teach someone effectively in the short span of a few hours? Good question.

I learned this past weekend that you can teach effectively by sticking with the basics. Don't try to start putting your own spin on the lesson plan. Stay with the talking points. If there is time later, then go ahead and give out the g-whiz stuff. It is far more important to get the fundamentals down and work on the mechanics than it is to tell people about tactics in our case. While a little stuff about how to survive in combat is great, it is wasted on students that only come to class on pistol and rifle every three years.

Now, a little about how to get the point across. I noticed that students were making mistakes in class, even though I had specifically mentioned how important it was to not do something. So I rolled that into the teaching of the lesson. It helps sometimes if people actually see what will happen if they make a mistake as long as we are in the classroom. It sinks in better when that happens.

One thing to understand is that every student learns differently. Some people just do not listen. Your voice will NOT register. So keeping this in mind is important. I am a hands on person. Some folks can watch someone do something once and have it down perfect. I need repetition. Reinforcement.

Looking at all of this from a civilian perspective, I do not teach civilians the way we teach in the military. I think that sometimes we try too hard to lump folks together and they get lost in the shuffle. I want every student to feel like they left my class having learned something and that it was not a complete waste of time.

Bottom line, don't make it another check in the block for someone. Take the time you have and make the training effective.

New Guns and Old Guns

2009-01-23T10:33:00.009-05:00

There have been a spate of my friends and those I hope to make friends with posting GUN STUFF lately. So I decided to post about some of those purchases and additions today. One of my friends bought a Mosin Nagant, the model is a Soviet M91/30. Used Lion bought a S&W MP 9mm. He needs to get off his butt and go shoot it. AD's New Babies Welcome to the Dark Side, AD!! Epijunky recently acquired a new Gun I am definitely jealous...enjoy Epi!! The Cable Guy bought a new shotgun. Congratulations to all our new gun owners and to those old gun owners!!

Where in the World is Gurl?

2009-01-17T20:36:00.004-05:00

Some of you are probably wondering where I am. I am here, just very BUSY here. Some of you know I am working on my Paramedic certification. I took my EMT-B exam today. It was too cold for tests, that's all I am going to say about that. Let's see.......oh, yeah, GUNS!! There is a gun show this weekend, we shall attend on Sun, I will attempt to get some pics. It should prove to be an interesting Sunday. I am not currently in the market for a new gun. I am going Stuff hunting. I would really like to be at the Shot Show this weekend, but beggars can't be choosers. Stay Tuned..............

Springfield XD M

2009-01-14T22:12:00.010-05:00

This is the new XD(M), isn't it a beauty? This baby comes in 9mm and .40 S&W She holds 19+1 rounds in 9mm. It is available in black or SS and black. I want one.

Training

2009-01-08T15:51:00.003-05:00

I am now the proud owner of my very own spotting scope, courtesy of my birthday. A spotting scope became a need for me when I went to the range with my rifle and realized that I was wasting a lot of time walking back and forth to check my target and also waiting to clear the range so I could get down to the target.

Front Porch Open for Business!!

2009-01-05T18:19:00.006-05:00

Well, the holidays are officially behind us and it's time to start our Front Porch gatherings once again. The weather has been extremely warm lately and that is perfect for beer and talk of politics and of course, Guns. I wanted to mention a pistol that I have recently become acquainted with, the Colt New Service. The CNS was a 6-shot double action revolver chambered in several different chamberings, from .38 to .476 Eley. More information on this pistol can be found on http://www.cruffler.com/Features/JAN-02/historic-january02.html. We acquired one of these pistols chambered for .45 Long Colt. It is a neat gun, except that the front site post has gotten bent. Even with this flaw, the gun fired well. We used some cowboy action loads to test it out, knowing the gun was old and has some pitting in the barrel. I was surprised that there was only a slight recoil, much like a .22 when firing the gun with the cowboy loads. I hope that we can find a new barrel for the gun in the future, as the front site is an integral part of the barrel. If you ever get your hands on one of these gems, I promise you will want to keep it forever!!

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T09:53:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year. I like the sound of that. I was fortunate enough to have spent New Year's Eve with my good friends, best place I can think of being. We had a grand time, believe me. Someone even had fireworks, but due to wind conditions and libations, we nixed the idea for safety reasons. But we did break out some safe noisemakers, which promptly drove the dog bat-shit. He got to barking, and since we were all tipsy, we kept one blowing on those noisemakers. Poor dogs, they must hate holidays. A big thanks to Frankie and Rose for their enduring generosity and patience. Keep the Fire Ring burning, Frankie.

A Good Day at the Range

2008-12-30T19:35:00.004-05:00

Nothing in the world can compare to a good day on the range. I went out today and gave my Beretta a good workout. Then I went to the rifle range. Man, do I need work in that department. I am not very pleased with my performance today, but I have needed to get out there and do some rifle practice for a long time now. The military does not give people enough time behind a rifle. I met up with a few good folks at the range that gave me lots of great advice. One of them was a retired Marine, the other was a prior Army man, who was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. I learned that there are much better ways to do things than the way the military has been training folks over the years. I actually realized that I am going to be glad to get out of the military and start being a "civilian" again. While the military has taught me a lot, I still have a lot more to learn. With the weather being so warm, it was nice to get out of the house and throw some lead down range. I ran about 130 rounds through the Beretta today and it performed flawlessly. I don't think I have had an issue with it since I have had a custom trigger job on it. It hits the mark every time. Too bad it is not .45!!

Reloading

2008-12-29T16:49:00.005-05:00

I am seriously considering purchasing a reloader. Not just any reloader, mind you....a Dillon reloader. I went to Ed's (webpage http://www.edsgunshop.com/index2.htm) and talked to Carlos who is very knowledgeable on all things gun. He strongly recommends the Dillon 550B. The Dillon's are easy to operate progressive reloaders that come in everything from a pistol cartridge reloader to one that reloaded all common pistol and rifle cartridges. The Dillon 550B also has the quick change kits so that if you want to load more than one caliber in a day, it makes it fast and easy to do. Once you set everything up all you would need to do put one set up out and pop in the new one and start reloading. The reloader runs around $400.00 and the quick change kit runs about $90.00. You can buy two sets of dies for around $120.00. I think the cost would be worth it in the end, as some people who use reloads on a regular basis have stated that they do tend to be more accurate. The cost of around 250 rounds of 9mm reloads runs around $18.00 and would save quite a bit in the long run. In my opinion the Dillon pays for itself over time and is well worth the initial costs.

2008-12-26T19:41:00.003-05:00

Well, I hope Santa was good to all you out there. I had a nice quiet day at home for a change. It was nice to just sit around the house and watch the idiot box all day....... So, let's talk about my latest addition to my collection of Gun Stuff. My present this year was a Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack. You need to stop reading this right now and go to their site here and get one. RIGHT NOW!! Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. When you get a chance you may want to check these out. They are extremely rugged, well made and are great for carrying Stuff. There is a separate compartment specifically for your Gun. There is plenty of pockets to hold All of The Other Things you may need in your journeys. I like the fact that I can take this little gem on my hiking trips, especially since they have now changed the rules regarding CCH in National Parks. There is even a water bottle holder wide enough to put a Nalgene bottle in. You can check out the Maxpedition Versipacks here: http://www.maxpedition.com/

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T11:36:00.003-05:00

Well, just a quick post to my one faithful follower, Bob. I do have a short attention span. It's called ADD. Thanks for watching...........stay tuned for more hysterics!! To all of the others who may have drifted momentarily in a state of delirium to my Blog, hope you will come back. As the holiday season draws to a close, I hope to be able to post more. I wish all of you out there in the Bloggosphere a Happy, Healthy and Safe holiday season. Hug your kids, tell them you love them, be nice to all those family members that aggravated you all year, try not to kick the dog more than once and above all, keep the faith. Stay tuned for more of the madness.............

The Holidays

2008-12-23T00:04:00.002-05:00

I am going to take a break from gun talk tonight to discuss how the holiday season makes people lose their minds. Yes, Lose Their Minds. Like They Never Had One. I am not leaving the house any more between December 20th and Jan 5th, I have made up my mind. Why do people feel the need to talk on their cell phones constantly? Why can't adults make sure their children are wearing their seatbelts? Why are people so rude? Show some consideration to the elder and infirm. Geez, I feel like I am on another planet when I leave my house. There are children running in stores. When did that become okay? My parents would have whooped my arse right in the store. Knowing how litigious people are today I am surprised that there are not signs up in the stores that say "not liable for falls". Kids running around?? Surprised it isn't an arrestable offense. Maybe it should be....for the parent. Is it just me or are these so-called parents completely self-absorbed? I am sick to death of cell phones anyway, but how many of these "soccer moms" are driving an SUV with kids bouncing all over the rear area of the vehicle with no seatbelts? You pull up alongside and mom is yacking on the cell a mile a minute. And the left lane drivers...I won't even go there. I hate the "holiday season" anymore. I think with all of these folks acting like asses and people protesting what gets to be displayed and what shouldn't be displayed, I say the hell with it. We should all celebrate with whatever decorations we want and the government buildings should not decorate at all. What happened to freedom? What happened to freedom of religion? What happened to freedom of expression? Ask America. Welcome to the land of the free. Happy holidays, no matter which one you celebrate!!

Gun Shows

2008-12-18T17:57:00.003-05:00

What happened to a good old fashioned gun show?? The kind where you could just look at guns, guns and more guns? The last one I went to, which was held by a fairly well-known venue, absolutely SUCKED. There was more junk there than anything else. No deals, just a bunch of guys that were selling new guns at top prices, unwilling to bargain even a little and what amounted to a flea-market atmosphere. I was so disappointed. I remember the first gun show I went to, I was so excited because I had saved three hundred dollars and was going to look for my first pistol. I had recently gone to my CCH class and wanted a small pistol that would be easy to conceal and relatively inexpensive. I found a brand new CZ .380 for $360 that day; I think the guy even threw in a couple of boxes of ammo. Not today, you would be lucky to get anyone to come down off the price at all. If you can get through all of the garbage around the guns. I have seen everything from toys to jewelry and damn near everything in between. All these companies that are now setting up venues and promoting them as "gun and knife shows" really piss me off. Bring back good old fashioned gun shows. The kind where gun nuts like myself can go and get a bargain once in a while.

2008-12-15T19:12:00.003-05:00

AHHH, The Front Porch....if only porches could talk! It was good to see a former co-worker last night and good to hang out with good friends. Bowling can be a lot of fun, especially when there is beer involved. We should mention here that we spoke of Guns, which just happens to be one of my favorite subjects. I will not pretend that I know everything about guns, but I sure do love them. If I could, I would buy 500 acres and own my own gun range. Let's talk of a particular model of pistol today. I think we will discuss the 1911. The 1911 was designed by John Browning and has been the main topic of some fairly controversial discussions on which handgun is the best. It was originally designed and for the military and was designated as the M1911. It's a beast of a gun to some folks, while others tend to marvel in it's simplicity and bare bones, no frills design. As far as single action pistols are concerned, the 1911 is my personal favorite, I do happen to own a few of them. Kimber is one of my favorite manufacturers of the venerable 1911. Colt started cranking out 1911's and the Army officially began using the pistols in March 1911. The rest, as they say, is history. We now can find these fine pistols in many different configurations, all based on the original designed by John Browning. I hope that this may spark some interest in you to go out and give the 1911's another look.

2008-12-13T23:20:00.003-05:00

Greetings from The Front Porch!