OK, so Alan Combs ticked me off tonight so I’m making an additional blog posting in lieu of the extra hour of sleep.
On the O’Reilly Factor tonight (08/30/2011) Alan Combs was defending Congressman Andre Carson (D-Indiana) after he made the following statement on 08/22/2001 in Miami, Florida. Congressman Carson said “some of these folks in Congress right now would love to see us (referring to black Americans) as second class citizens. Some of them in Congress right now of this Tea Party movement would love to see you and me, I’m sorry, hanging on a tree”.
Mr. Combs stated that he understood where members of the black caucus were coming from, because people had used racial slurs against them before. Mr. Combs went on to say that he can understand Congressman Carson’s point of view because the tea party is made up of older white people who are not sympathetic to blacks. Excuse me……….
The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution (Section 1)
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Exactly where in that passage does it say that any group has to be sympathetic to any other group. This document guarantees EQUAL rights not equal but special, not equal but empathetic, not equal with reparations to be named later!!!
I am so very tired of the race card, the pity card, and the “my ancestor was mistreated so you owe me” card. Anyone that thinks they are being mistreated because of their race needs to get a freaking life. I’m sorry but if you think of yourself as anything other than an American no matter what the color then you should probably catch the first boat back to your country of origin, be it Africa, Norway, Mexico, or China. If you want equal rights, if you want true color blindness, quit sticking your color in our faces, and accept yourself, then maybe others will accept you as well!!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Where the rubber meets the road
Ok, I know that I promised a third installment of “let’s talk weapons” , but before I delve into that I would like to bring up the subject of our current dysfunctional system of national politics. I know that it’s over a year before election time, but the run for president is already in full swing.
Now, Obama’s approval rating as of 08/30/2011 is running at or around 38% (according to Gallup and Rasmussen reports presidential tracking polls). That’s pretty low for a man whose poll numbers were around 85% when he took office in January of 2009. Polls show that Obama is hemorrhaging independent and Hispanic voter support, not to mention that the white male vote left him a good while back. He does maintain an 83% approval rating among black Americans but I’m not going to delve into the complexities of why that one demographic has stuck by him. So, since we have discovered that we really can’t count on Obama for hope and change, who should we look to for leadership in 2012?
Who knows!!!!!
Let me throw a few folks out there, run them around the tree a few times, and see if they hunt.
Ron Paul- Mr. Paul is a decent enough fellow; I like a lot of things in his domestic (especially economic) policy. Mr. Paul is for a substantially smaller government, and is a strict constitutionalist. Mr. Paul is a staunch proponent of limited intrusion of the government into the citizen’s lives. He proposes to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Internal Revenue Service, because he feels they are "unnecessary bureaucracies." Mr. Paul wants to eliminate the Federal income tax, opting instead for a 10% flat tax. He also wants to get rid of the Federal Reserve and return to the gold standard. Now some of these ideas have merit, some don’t. I guess everyone has to make up their own mind.
As far as Mr. Paul’s foreign policy, all I can say is “wow”. Mr. Paul is what I would consider an isolationist. He believes that all American troops should be recalled to the United States and that we should basically mind our own business. That sounds like a pretty good idea on the outset however, when you take into account some of his positions on a certain countries it turns scary in a hurry. Mr. Paul has stated that we should not support Israel. He believes that it’s wrong that the Israelis use American made weapons to fight the Palestinians and would, I believe stop all assistance to one of our strongest and longest standing allies. Mr. Paul would allow Iran to produce nuclear weapons without protest, stating what that country does is its own business (not worrying about the fact that Iran would drop a nuke on Israel or us the first chance it got). Mr. Paul would recall all troops in South Korea leaving that country’s border vulnerable its hostile neighbor to the north, and so on and so forth. I believe that Mr. Paul would love to just close his eyes and pretend that the United States is an invisible island unto itself. Unfortunately that is not reality.
So bottom line, do I think Ron Paul is a serious candidate (for now), I believe that he may be a contender through the primary season but I do not believe that he will be electable once the American people realize what how dangerous his foreign policy views are.
Mitt Romney – Mr. Romney appears to me as the classic career politician. He plays the game like a seasoned pro and everything about him is polished (from his hair to his clothing) and well-rehearsed. He knows how to take a broad stand on an issue until he sees which way the wind is blowing, then narrow down his opinion as necessary to maintain the public’s approval (just look as his statements concerning cut, cap, and balance).
If you look at Mr. Romney’s position on domestic policy however, you will see that he supports a lot of big government policies on education, technology, and health care (remember Romney care). Mr. Romney also wishes to increase our armed forces by 100,000 troops.
As far as Mr. Romney’s foreign policy, it’s still a little gray. He supports the Iraq and Afghanistan war and is against illegal immigration, but does not want to deport illegals. He supports the war on terrorism and proposes a “Special Partnership Force” made up of CIA and Special Forces operatives to arm and assist nations such as Pakistan fight insurgents.
Those are the brass tacks on Mr. Romney, basically a cardboard cutout GOP candidate that will tow the party line, says all the right things at the right time and has the politically correct opinion on all the issues. He is better than Obama but not the mechanic we need to overhaul this country in the next four years.
Michele Bachmann- The tea party candidate. I happen to love the tea party and am a proud member, but as for Ms. Bachmann, it seems that playing to the crowd has shadowed getting out her positions on the issues. Here’s what I have learned about Ms. Bachmann. She is against Obama care but does not have a solution for the over 45 million uninsured in America. She is against big government but does not have a plan for shrinking the bureaucracy. She is for phasing out Medicare and Social Security but has not come up with a system to replace it or to assist those who are already invested in the program.
Well at least we know what she’s against.
Rick Perry- If you took Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann in a blender, set it to puree’, threw in a Texas draw and a bit of John Wayne swagger, you would have Rick Perry. Mr. Perry is a career politician that has ten years of experience as the Governor of Texas. He can currently boast to having the state that has produced the largest job growth this year (over 40% of the country’s new jobs were in Texas). He is an evangelical Christian who is very vocal about his religious beliefs. In his brief time on the campaign trail he has already offended more than a few of the Washington elites by making comments about the current state of our national affairs.
Mr. Perry is a hard core conservative with small government views and an eye for state and individual rights. Mr. Perry is a proponent for the eliminating the Federal income tax, has spoken of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as “treasonous” for monetizing portions of our national debt, and supports abolishing life tenure for judges. Mr. Perry has described Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme” and “a crumbling monument to the New Dea”l. He also believes that health care should be left up to the individual states.
In reference to Mr. Perry’s foreign policy, he has stated emphatically that we, as a nation must maintain our friendship with Israel. Mr. Perry believes that the United States must endeavor to work with its allies and support them in military operations around the world. He also believes we must be willing to act when it is time to act. We cannot concede the moral authority of our nation to multilateral debating societies, and when our interests are threatened American soldiers should be led by American commanders." Two weeks ago, Perry stated that one of his greatest motivations to run for president was to ensure “every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of this nation respects highly the president of the United States”.
I think Perry may be the real deal, there is still more I want to know about him but he’s the new guy on the block so I will give him time to get his ideas out there.
I hope that I’ve given everyone a little insight into the candidates that have thrown their hat in the ring. As I learn more I’ll be sure to pass it along……..
Now, Obama’s approval rating as of 08/30/2011 is running at or around 38% (according to Gallup and Rasmussen reports presidential tracking polls). That’s pretty low for a man whose poll numbers were around 85% when he took office in January of 2009. Polls show that Obama is hemorrhaging independent and Hispanic voter support, not to mention that the white male vote left him a good while back. He does maintain an 83% approval rating among black Americans but I’m not going to delve into the complexities of why that one demographic has stuck by him. So, since we have discovered that we really can’t count on Obama for hope and change, who should we look to for leadership in 2012?
Who knows!!!!!
Let me throw a few folks out there, run them around the tree a few times, and see if they hunt.
Ron Paul- Mr. Paul is a decent enough fellow; I like a lot of things in his domestic (especially economic) policy. Mr. Paul is for a substantially smaller government, and is a strict constitutionalist. Mr. Paul is a staunch proponent of limited intrusion of the government into the citizen’s lives. He proposes to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Internal Revenue Service, because he feels they are "unnecessary bureaucracies." Mr. Paul wants to eliminate the Federal income tax, opting instead for a 10% flat tax. He also wants to get rid of the Federal Reserve and return to the gold standard. Now some of these ideas have merit, some don’t. I guess everyone has to make up their own mind.
As far as Mr. Paul’s foreign policy, all I can say is “wow”. Mr. Paul is what I would consider an isolationist. He believes that all American troops should be recalled to the United States and that we should basically mind our own business. That sounds like a pretty good idea on the outset however, when you take into account some of his positions on a certain countries it turns scary in a hurry. Mr. Paul has stated that we should not support Israel. He believes that it’s wrong that the Israelis use American made weapons to fight the Palestinians and would, I believe stop all assistance to one of our strongest and longest standing allies. Mr. Paul would allow Iran to produce nuclear weapons without protest, stating what that country does is its own business (not worrying about the fact that Iran would drop a nuke on Israel or us the first chance it got). Mr. Paul would recall all troops in South Korea leaving that country’s border vulnerable its hostile neighbor to the north, and so on and so forth. I believe that Mr. Paul would love to just close his eyes and pretend that the United States is an invisible island unto itself. Unfortunately that is not reality.
So bottom line, do I think Ron Paul is a serious candidate (for now), I believe that he may be a contender through the primary season but I do not believe that he will be electable once the American people realize what how dangerous his foreign policy views are.
Mitt Romney – Mr. Romney appears to me as the classic career politician. He plays the game like a seasoned pro and everything about him is polished (from his hair to his clothing) and well-rehearsed. He knows how to take a broad stand on an issue until he sees which way the wind is blowing, then narrow down his opinion as necessary to maintain the public’s approval (just look as his statements concerning cut, cap, and balance).
If you look at Mr. Romney’s position on domestic policy however, you will see that he supports a lot of big government policies on education, technology, and health care (remember Romney care). Mr. Romney also wishes to increase our armed forces by 100,000 troops.
As far as Mr. Romney’s foreign policy, it’s still a little gray. He supports the Iraq and Afghanistan war and is against illegal immigration, but does not want to deport illegals. He supports the war on terrorism and proposes a “Special Partnership Force” made up of CIA and Special Forces operatives to arm and assist nations such as Pakistan fight insurgents.
Those are the brass tacks on Mr. Romney, basically a cardboard cutout GOP candidate that will tow the party line, says all the right things at the right time and has the politically correct opinion on all the issues. He is better than Obama but not the mechanic we need to overhaul this country in the next four years.
Michele Bachmann- The tea party candidate. I happen to love the tea party and am a proud member, but as for Ms. Bachmann, it seems that playing to the crowd has shadowed getting out her positions on the issues. Here’s what I have learned about Ms. Bachmann. She is against Obama care but does not have a solution for the over 45 million uninsured in America. She is against big government but does not have a plan for shrinking the bureaucracy. She is for phasing out Medicare and Social Security but has not come up with a system to replace it or to assist those who are already invested in the program.
Well at least we know what she’s against.
Rick Perry- If you took Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann in a blender, set it to puree’, threw in a Texas draw and a bit of John Wayne swagger, you would have Rick Perry. Mr. Perry is a career politician that has ten years of experience as the Governor of Texas. He can currently boast to having the state that has produced the largest job growth this year (over 40% of the country’s new jobs were in Texas). He is an evangelical Christian who is very vocal about his religious beliefs. In his brief time on the campaign trail he has already offended more than a few of the Washington elites by making comments about the current state of our national affairs.
Mr. Perry is a hard core conservative with small government views and an eye for state and individual rights. Mr. Perry is a proponent for the eliminating the Federal income tax, has spoken of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as “treasonous” for monetizing portions of our national debt, and supports abolishing life tenure for judges. Mr. Perry has described Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme” and “a crumbling monument to the New Dea”l. He also believes that health care should be left up to the individual states.
In reference to Mr. Perry’s foreign policy, he has stated emphatically that we, as a nation must maintain our friendship with Israel. Mr. Perry believes that the United States must endeavor to work with its allies and support them in military operations around the world. He also believes we must be willing to act when it is time to act. We cannot concede the moral authority of our nation to multilateral debating societies, and when our interests are threatened American soldiers should be led by American commanders." Two weeks ago, Perry stated that one of his greatest motivations to run for president was to ensure “every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of this nation respects highly the president of the United States”.
I think Perry may be the real deal, there is still more I want to know about him but he’s the new guy on the block so I will give him time to get his ideas out there.
I hope that I’ve given everyone a little insight into the candidates that have thrown their hat in the ring. As I learn more I’ll be sure to pass it along……..
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Lets talks weapons part II (shotguns)
OK, let’s talk shotguns.
The shotgun is the ultimate in close quarter combat and home defense. It is basically a point and shoot weapon that even a novice shooter can become proficient with in a relatively short time. Now then, there are several different calibers and many wonderful brands of shotguns available commercially. You can also wind up spending a considerable amount of money trying to purchase the “best” brand of shotgun. The truth of the matter is that you don’t have to spend a boatload of cash to purchase a really good shotgun (you don’t even have to buy a new one). The main thing is to get one that is in good shape and has a good smooth action.
Before picking a shotgun, let’s talk about picking a caliber. Shotguns are designated by gauge (ga). The most common shotgun calibers are the 12 ga, 16 ga, 20 ga, and 410 ga (moving from largest caliber to smallest caliber).
In my opinion, the best two calibers are the 12 ga and 20 ga. The 12 ga is the standard caliber for police and military. 12 ga shotguns are popular for hunters and sport shooters worldwide. The 20 ga is more common for female and youth hunters and sportsmen and is a slightly lighter round. Both caliber shotguns can be chambered either 2 ¾ inch or 3 inch and the 12 ga can also be chambered in 3 ½ inch. (Upon purchasing any shotgun check to make sure the weapon will chamber a 3 inch or 3 ½ inch round as some shotguns are chambered for 2 ¾ inch rounds only).
Both calibers can be purchased in single shot, pump, bolt action, semiautomatic, and even revolving cylinder. For practical purposes, I prefer either a pump action or semiautomatic. Both setups have their advantages and disadvantages.
Pump action setup- The operation of the weapon is simple. A round is loaded into the chamber from the tube magazine located under the barrel by cycling the weapon. Once the weapon has been fired, the operator pulls the forearm to the rear, ejecting the spent cartridge. As the operator pushes the forearm forward, the next round is simultaneously loaded into the chamber. The action is repeated as the operator fires and cycles the weapon.
The pump action setup allows for good control and management of ammunition expenditure. Also, there is no wasted energy from the round as the weapon is cycled manually. The most obvious disadvantage is that the weapon is dependent upon user familiarity and this can cause problems under high stress conditions.
Semiautomatic setup- The operation of the weapon is similar to that of a semiautomatic rifle or handgun. Rounds are loaded into the tube magazine under the barrel and once the weapon is charged it will fire with every pull of the trigger.
The semiautomatic setup allows for rapid fire and fast target transversal without interruption. This feature is a double edge sword as accuracy can be affected due to the weapon’s recoil. Ammunition management also becomes a factor due to the automatic cycling of the weapon. Additionally, the semiautomatic shotgun relies on energy from the round to cycle the weapon so you lose some of the projectile’s muzzle energy.
Alright, so we’ve covered calibers and setup, now let’s talk about barrel length. If you are going to invest in a shotgun, it’s important to make it as versatile as possible. The best way to do this is purchasing a couple of barrels when you buy a shotgun. I suggest buying an 18 inch barrel and a 28 inch barrel for each shotgun. Most barrels are easily switched out and require no tools; it is simply a matter of unscrewing the end of the tube magazine, slipping off one barrel and replacing it with the other. The reason that I recommend two barrels for each weapon is that it will allow you to get the most out of the weapon.
The 18 inch barrel allows for maximum round dispersion on close up targets. Whether you’re hunting for small fast moving game on the ground or in the air the short barrel allows the round to disperse rapidly at close range giving the shooter more of a chance at hitting the target with a fast shot. You can see where this would also be beneficial in a self-defense scenario. The ability to simply point and shoot at close range gives the shooter an advantage in high stress situations and allows for a larger margin of error.
The 28 inch barrel pushes the shotguns accuracy out considerably and allows the shooter to engage targets at a greater distance. This is beneficial for hunting larger or more elusive game. From a defensive standpoint, the longer barrel allows more accuracy at greater distance when firing multi-shot ammunition.
Now let’s talk brands, I prefer Remington, Mossberg, and Browning in that order. All are good shotguns, and very reliable. Mossberg is the most reasonably priced, with Remington coming in slightly higher. Browning is a quality shotgun but will put more of a bite in your wallet, Browning is also vastly more complex when it comes to breaking them down for maintenance or repair (and that’s something to think about). There are other good shotguns on the market, Benelli and Beretta are two that come to mind, but in my opinion they function no better than my reasonably priced favorites.
I guess this means rifles are next..............
The shotgun is the ultimate in close quarter combat and home defense. It is basically a point and shoot weapon that even a novice shooter can become proficient with in a relatively short time. Now then, there are several different calibers and many wonderful brands of shotguns available commercially. You can also wind up spending a considerable amount of money trying to purchase the “best” brand of shotgun. The truth of the matter is that you don’t have to spend a boatload of cash to purchase a really good shotgun (you don’t even have to buy a new one). The main thing is to get one that is in good shape and has a good smooth action.
Before picking a shotgun, let’s talk about picking a caliber. Shotguns are designated by gauge (ga). The most common shotgun calibers are the 12 ga, 16 ga, 20 ga, and 410 ga (moving from largest caliber to smallest caliber).
In my opinion, the best two calibers are the 12 ga and 20 ga. The 12 ga is the standard caliber for police and military. 12 ga shotguns are popular for hunters and sport shooters worldwide. The 20 ga is more common for female and youth hunters and sportsmen and is a slightly lighter round. Both caliber shotguns can be chambered either 2 ¾ inch or 3 inch and the 12 ga can also be chambered in 3 ½ inch. (Upon purchasing any shotgun check to make sure the weapon will chamber a 3 inch or 3 ½ inch round as some shotguns are chambered for 2 ¾ inch rounds only).
Both calibers can be purchased in single shot, pump, bolt action, semiautomatic, and even revolving cylinder. For practical purposes, I prefer either a pump action or semiautomatic. Both setups have their advantages and disadvantages.
Pump action setup- The operation of the weapon is simple. A round is loaded into the chamber from the tube magazine located under the barrel by cycling the weapon. Once the weapon has been fired, the operator pulls the forearm to the rear, ejecting the spent cartridge. As the operator pushes the forearm forward, the next round is simultaneously loaded into the chamber. The action is repeated as the operator fires and cycles the weapon.
The pump action setup allows for good control and management of ammunition expenditure. Also, there is no wasted energy from the round as the weapon is cycled manually. The most obvious disadvantage is that the weapon is dependent upon user familiarity and this can cause problems under high stress conditions.
Semiautomatic setup- The operation of the weapon is similar to that of a semiautomatic rifle or handgun. Rounds are loaded into the tube magazine under the barrel and once the weapon is charged it will fire with every pull of the trigger.
The semiautomatic setup allows for rapid fire and fast target transversal without interruption. This feature is a double edge sword as accuracy can be affected due to the weapon’s recoil. Ammunition management also becomes a factor due to the automatic cycling of the weapon. Additionally, the semiautomatic shotgun relies on energy from the round to cycle the weapon so you lose some of the projectile’s muzzle energy.
Alright, so we’ve covered calibers and setup, now let’s talk about barrel length. If you are going to invest in a shotgun, it’s important to make it as versatile as possible. The best way to do this is purchasing a couple of barrels when you buy a shotgun. I suggest buying an 18 inch barrel and a 28 inch barrel for each shotgun. Most barrels are easily switched out and require no tools; it is simply a matter of unscrewing the end of the tube magazine, slipping off one barrel and replacing it with the other. The reason that I recommend two barrels for each weapon is that it will allow you to get the most out of the weapon.
The 18 inch barrel allows for maximum round dispersion on close up targets. Whether you’re hunting for small fast moving game on the ground or in the air the short barrel allows the round to disperse rapidly at close range giving the shooter more of a chance at hitting the target with a fast shot. You can see where this would also be beneficial in a self-defense scenario. The ability to simply point and shoot at close range gives the shooter an advantage in high stress situations and allows for a larger margin of error.
The 28 inch barrel pushes the shotguns accuracy out considerably and allows the shooter to engage targets at a greater distance. This is beneficial for hunting larger or more elusive game. From a defensive standpoint, the longer barrel allows more accuracy at greater distance when firing multi-shot ammunition.
Now let’s talk brands, I prefer Remington, Mossberg, and Browning in that order. All are good shotguns, and very reliable. Mossberg is the most reasonably priced, with Remington coming in slightly higher. Browning is a quality shotgun but will put more of a bite in your wallet, Browning is also vastly more complex when it comes to breaking them down for maintenance or repair (and that’s something to think about). There are other good shotguns on the market, Benelli and Beretta are two that come to mind, but in my opinion they function no better than my reasonably priced favorites.
I guess this means rifles are next..............
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Let's talk weapons
I completed a Google search today on doomsday preppers and found 637,000 web sites. WOW!!
I remember several years ago, people were talking about getting prepared for a breakdown in society. Most of these people were labeled as weird, reactionary, or radical. Now there are hundreds of books dedicated to prepping. Survival reality shows are some of the most popular on television. The Discovery Channel is running specials on families that are self-proclaimed preppers. I've even written a blog on the subject, titled the what ifs in life. One thing that I stressed in that posting is weapons. I didn't go into detail about the best weapons to own in case something does happens.
Handgun:
Let's start with handguns. First of all, every adult member of each family will need at least one and should be familiar with the handgun. I recommend having two different calibers of handgun(s) as a minimum. Personally, I like .22 caliber, .357 magnum, and 9mm. Here are some of my favorite brands.....
Brand of Handgun
Browning Buck mark .22 caliber auto loader: In my opinion this is the best .22 caliber pistol on the market today. It's a rugged pistol with excellent balance and adjustable sights. I would also recommend purchasing several additional magazines for the weapon since the magazine only holds 10 rounds.
Ruger single six .22/.22mag revolver: In my opinion, this is a fantastic revolver and a wonderful training weapon for new shooters. The Ruger also comes with an additional cylinder chambered in .22 magnum which bumps the weapon's distance up and knock down power.
I recommend owning a .22 caliber because it is multi-functional. It can be used for hunting, defense, and training. The ammunition is cheap and large quantities can be stored for long periods. Firing a .22 caliber in training is a great way to stay proficient in the use of handguns without spending a lot of money. A .22 caliber handgun has little to no recoil and is the perfect caliber for new shooters. There are a wide variety of .22 calibers on the market and the same ammunition will fire in both handgun and long rifle (which we will discuss later). Many people think of the .22 caliber handgun as a "toy round." They feel the handgun cannot be used in self defence. They would be wrong. In truth, there have been many people injured and/or killed with a .22 caliber weapons. Although it doesn't have the best knockdown power, the fact that it is a very accurate, more than makes up for this shortfall.
Glock model 17, 9mm auto loader: This is probably the most versatile and toughest weapon I have ever owned. The Glock is the perfect survivalist weapon. It sports a high capacity magazine (17 rounds). You can buy the weapon with adjustable night sights. It breaks down easily for cleaning. You can break the entire weapon down using a small punch or nail. The handgun will fire consistently even when it has been submerged in mud. Basically, the ammunition will fail before the gun does. 9mm is a NATO caliber. This means that they are available anywhere for a reasonable price. It also means that every military post in the world stocks them. They will be easier to find as opposed to other rounds if something happens.
Ruger Security Six .357 magnum revolver: This is one of the most popular and durable six shot revolvers ever built. The security six has good balance and a beefy frame that makes it hard to beat. You can fire .38 special rounds through the weapon as well. The weapon can be fired single or double action. For stopping power combined with long range accuracy, you can't go wrong. The weapon was discontinued several years ago. They were used as a police service weapon for many years and therefore are still in circulation and widely available.
You may be asking yourself why you need a handgun. I am sure the first thing that comes to mind is home defense. Let's go through the high points of home defense.
The best weapon for home defense has always been and always will be a shotgun. A handgun is a good tool for all around carry. This is true whether you are outside working, or on the road. It's small and easy at hand without being cumbersome. It can be put into action quickly and can be transversed in tight spaces.
Handguns can be outfitted with lights and lasers to assist the shooter in low light scenarios. This can mean the difference between staying in the fight and going down... if your primary weapon fails. Additionally, I recommend purchasing a full size or large frame handgun, even in small calibers.
Snub nosed weapons are for most often "point and shoot" at point blank range and not good for much else. Remember, when purchasing a weapon...Quality Counts!, Do not gamble with a second rate firearm. Your life may depend on it someday.
Please stay tuned everyone for my next posting.... The shotgun discussion is coming soon!
I remember several years ago, people were talking about getting prepared for a breakdown in society. Most of these people were labeled as weird, reactionary, or radical. Now there are hundreds of books dedicated to prepping. Survival reality shows are some of the most popular on television. The Discovery Channel is running specials on families that are self-proclaimed preppers. I've even written a blog on the subject, titled the what ifs in life. One thing that I stressed in that posting is weapons. I didn't go into detail about the best weapons to own in case something does happens.
Handgun:
Let's start with handguns. First of all, every adult member of each family will need at least one and should be familiar with the handgun. I recommend having two different calibers of handgun(s) as a minimum. Personally, I like .22 caliber, .357 magnum, and 9mm. Here are some of my favorite brands.....
Brand of Handgun
Browning Buck mark .22 caliber auto loader: In my opinion this is the best .22 caliber pistol on the market today. It's a rugged pistol with excellent balance and adjustable sights. I would also recommend purchasing several additional magazines for the weapon since the magazine only holds 10 rounds.
Ruger single six .22/.22mag revolver: In my opinion, this is a fantastic revolver and a wonderful training weapon for new shooters. The Ruger also comes with an additional cylinder chambered in .22 magnum which bumps the weapon's distance up and knock down power.
I recommend owning a .22 caliber because it is multi-functional. It can be used for hunting, defense, and training. The ammunition is cheap and large quantities can be stored for long periods. Firing a .22 caliber in training is a great way to stay proficient in the use of handguns without spending a lot of money. A .22 caliber handgun has little to no recoil and is the perfect caliber for new shooters. There are a wide variety of .22 calibers on the market and the same ammunition will fire in both handgun and long rifle (which we will discuss later). Many people think of the .22 caliber handgun as a "toy round." They feel the handgun cannot be used in self defence. They would be wrong. In truth, there have been many people injured and/or killed with a .22 caliber weapons. Although it doesn't have the best knockdown power, the fact that it is a very accurate, more than makes up for this shortfall.
Glock model 17, 9mm auto loader: This is probably the most versatile and toughest weapon I have ever owned. The Glock is the perfect survivalist weapon. It sports a high capacity magazine (17 rounds). You can buy the weapon with adjustable night sights. It breaks down easily for cleaning. You can break the entire weapon down using a small punch or nail. The handgun will fire consistently even when it has been submerged in mud. Basically, the ammunition will fail before the gun does. 9mm is a NATO caliber. This means that they are available anywhere for a reasonable price. It also means that every military post in the world stocks them. They will be easier to find as opposed to other rounds if something happens.
Ruger Security Six .357 magnum revolver: This is one of the most popular and durable six shot revolvers ever built. The security six has good balance and a beefy frame that makes it hard to beat. You can fire .38 special rounds through the weapon as well. The weapon can be fired single or double action. For stopping power combined with long range accuracy, you can't go wrong. The weapon was discontinued several years ago. They were used as a police service weapon for many years and therefore are still in circulation and widely available.
You may be asking yourself why you need a handgun. I am sure the first thing that comes to mind is home defense. Let's go through the high points of home defense.
The best weapon for home defense has always been and always will be a shotgun. A handgun is a good tool for all around carry. This is true whether you are outside working, or on the road. It's small and easy at hand without being cumbersome. It can be put into action quickly and can be transversed in tight spaces.
Handguns can be outfitted with lights and lasers to assist the shooter in low light scenarios. This can mean the difference between staying in the fight and going down... if your primary weapon fails. Additionally, I recommend purchasing a full size or large frame handgun, even in small calibers.
Snub nosed weapons are for most often "point and shoot" at point blank range and not good for much else. Remember, when purchasing a weapon...Quality Counts!, Do not gamble with a second rate firearm. Your life may depend on it someday.
Please stay tuned everyone for my next posting.... The shotgun discussion is coming soon!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Drinking Turnip Juice
One of my all time favorite old time sayings is "you can't get blood out of a turnip", a simple metaphor meaning you simply can't get something from someone who doesn't have it. This metaphor was used primarily when referring to money, or the lack there of.
Now we are entering a time in our country's history when we have to tell the President (and his liberal base) that "you can't get blood out of a turnip". Simply put, we are broke.
As of today, we are over 14.6 trillion dollars (yes, that trillion with a " T " ) in debt. That breaks down to $130,633.00 dollars per tax payer. We borrow $.40 cents on every dollar the Government spends, either from other countries, or worse from the fed (this is done by printing money out of thin air, called monetizing the debt and basically devalues our currency). The interest on our national debt through July of this year has totaled $412,517,504,466.06 (That's $412 billion and change folks) and there are still two months left in this fiscal year, so we are probably looking at over $413 billion dollars by the end of the 2011 fiscal year. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!!!
Now we get to the second portion of that old saying "you can't get blood out of a turnip, but you can stomp the hell out of it", and that's what President Obama is planing to do, stomp the hell of of the turnip, and if you haven't figured it out yet, America is the turnip.
President Obama recently announced (he announces quiet often even though he never really says anything of substance) that he is going to reveal his new economic plan in September. He has been dropping hints that he will be proposing legislation that will require "additional revenues" to the nations richest people. In a way, I understand this move by the President. It is very easy to gain the support of the have-nots ( which grows larger every day) by recommending that we take more from the haves. What else would you expect from an administration that views the food stamp program as a "positive stimulus for the nations economy" (as stated by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack). How can you view the fact that 46 million people (that's 1 in 7 folks) in America need government assistance to buy food in any way that is positive is completely beyond me, but the Obama administration is trying to put a positive spin on anything they can these days. Now back to my original thought...
So we're going to take from the rich and give to the poor, the unemployed and the deserving. OK, let's look at that, if we raise the tax rate on millionaires and billionaires from it's current rate to 70% that would generate around $350 billion dollars annually. Now if you will just look up the collumn you will notice that this money would not even cover the annual interest on our national debt. It would however bring the price up on pretty much everything that those millionaires and billionaires produce (because they have to make a profit, how do you think they got rich in the first place). These price increases would trickle down to the lower economic classes and put all of us "simple folk" in more of a tight than we already are. Or even worse, they would just move all of their money overseas where they can get a lower tax rate, then we wouldn't be collecting the tax revenue that we are currently getting.
The Obama administration has also thrown around the notion that we could stimulate the economy by further extending and raising unemployment rates (certain progressives have even suggested making unemployment term benifits unlimited). I love this idea, let's pay people not to work. I have heard it over and over again. "Why should I look for a job when I'm getting unemployment", even the Government touts that a lot of Americans are sitting at home and drawing unemployment while that wait for that "high paying job" that Obama keeps promising he will create for everyone. He said it just a few days ago, "Every American deserves a good, high paying job". Well guess what, they don't. People complain about illegal aliens taking jobs away from Americans, the fact of the matter is that most Americans wouldn't do the jobs that Illegals take. But I'll bet they would if they weren't getting a government check every month.
When I was a teenager, I rode bulls on the weekends. I did this because like most things in my life, I tried to balance doing things that I enjoyed with making money (mainly because I didn't have much). So on the weekends, I would compete in the bull riding competitions. The winner would walk away with a couple of hundred bucks in his pocket for 8 seconds of work, seemed like a good deal. But here's the thing, I was always watching for the guy who looked hungry, if you can picture what I mean. He was the guy that came to the event in old stained up clothes, with wornout gear and you could tell he wasn't down there just for the fun of it. To him, winning that event meant the difference between eating meat and potatoes the next day or Ramen noodles. If that type guy was at the event, I didn't even waste my money by paying the entry fee. You see, he was hungry and that meant that he was motivated to win, more so than anyone else at the event.
We, as a nation need to be hungry, or we will be the turnip that gets stomped and like I said before, you can't get blood out of a turnip, only turnip juice.
Now we are entering a time in our country's history when we have to tell the President (and his liberal base) that "you can't get blood out of a turnip". Simply put, we are broke.
As of today, we are over 14.6 trillion dollars (yes, that trillion with a " T " ) in debt. That breaks down to $130,633.00 dollars per tax payer. We borrow $.40 cents on every dollar the Government spends, either from other countries, or worse from the fed (this is done by printing money out of thin air, called monetizing the debt and basically devalues our currency). The interest on our national debt through July of this year has totaled $412,517,504,466.06 (That's $412 billion and change folks) and there are still two months left in this fiscal year, so we are probably looking at over $413 billion dollars by the end of the 2011 fiscal year. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!!!
Now we get to the second portion of that old saying "you can't get blood out of a turnip, but you can stomp the hell out of it", and that's what President Obama is planing to do, stomp the hell of of the turnip, and if you haven't figured it out yet, America is the turnip.
President Obama recently announced (he announces quiet often even though he never really says anything of substance) that he is going to reveal his new economic plan in September. He has been dropping hints that he will be proposing legislation that will require "additional revenues" to the nations richest people. In a way, I understand this move by the President. It is very easy to gain the support of the have-nots ( which grows larger every day) by recommending that we take more from the haves. What else would you expect from an administration that views the food stamp program as a "positive stimulus for the nations economy" (as stated by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack). How can you view the fact that 46 million people (that's 1 in 7 folks) in America need government assistance to buy food in any way that is positive is completely beyond me, but the Obama administration is trying to put a positive spin on anything they can these days. Now back to my original thought...
So we're going to take from the rich and give to the poor, the unemployed and the deserving. OK, let's look at that, if we raise the tax rate on millionaires and billionaires from it's current rate to 70% that would generate around $350 billion dollars annually. Now if you will just look up the collumn you will notice that this money would not even cover the annual interest on our national debt. It would however bring the price up on pretty much everything that those millionaires and billionaires produce (because they have to make a profit, how do you think they got rich in the first place). These price increases would trickle down to the lower economic classes and put all of us "simple folk" in more of a tight than we already are. Or even worse, they would just move all of their money overseas where they can get a lower tax rate, then we wouldn't be collecting the tax revenue that we are currently getting.
The Obama administration has also thrown around the notion that we could stimulate the economy by further extending and raising unemployment rates (certain progressives have even suggested making unemployment term benifits unlimited). I love this idea, let's pay people not to work. I have heard it over and over again. "Why should I look for a job when I'm getting unemployment", even the Government touts that a lot of Americans are sitting at home and drawing unemployment while that wait for that "high paying job" that Obama keeps promising he will create for everyone. He said it just a few days ago, "Every American deserves a good, high paying job". Well guess what, they don't. People complain about illegal aliens taking jobs away from Americans, the fact of the matter is that most Americans wouldn't do the jobs that Illegals take. But I'll bet they would if they weren't getting a government check every month.
When I was a teenager, I rode bulls on the weekends. I did this because like most things in my life, I tried to balance doing things that I enjoyed with making money (mainly because I didn't have much). So on the weekends, I would compete in the bull riding competitions. The winner would walk away with a couple of hundred bucks in his pocket for 8 seconds of work, seemed like a good deal. But here's the thing, I was always watching for the guy who looked hungry, if you can picture what I mean. He was the guy that came to the event in old stained up clothes, with wornout gear and you could tell he wasn't down there just for the fun of it. To him, winning that event meant the difference between eating meat and potatoes the next day or Ramen noodles. If that type guy was at the event, I didn't even waste my money by paying the entry fee. You see, he was hungry and that meant that he was motivated to win, more so than anyone else at the event.
We, as a nation need to be hungry, or we will be the turnip that gets stomped and like I said before, you can't get blood out of a turnip, only turnip juice.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Speaking of God
What is so wrong about being a christian? I am sick to death of everyone berating a person for having faith.
I was watching the republican debate on Fox News the other night and was shocked when John Huntsman was asked how he viewed Governor Rick Perry as a possible candidate. Huntsman made a snide, though subtle comment about Governor Perry's participation in an August 6th Day of Prayer event in Houston, Texas.
I understand the separation of church and state and agree with the potential danger if the state had the authority to regulate religion. However, our country was founded on the premise of "One nation under God". We are, as a nation, historically a faith based society.
Freedom of religion also encompasses the freedom to be religious without persicution, something athiests seem to forget.
I was watching the republican debate on Fox News the other night and was shocked when John Huntsman was asked how he viewed Governor Rick Perry as a possible candidate. Huntsman made a snide, though subtle comment about Governor Perry's participation in an August 6th Day of Prayer event in Houston, Texas.
I understand the separation of church and state and agree with the potential danger if the state had the authority to regulate religion. However, our country was founded on the premise of "One nation under God". We are, as a nation, historically a faith based society.
Freedom of religion also encompasses the freedom to be religious without persicution, something athiests seem to forget.
I have returned
Dear Reader,
Yes, after a year off, I have returned to my blog page. To be perfectly honest, I had basically given up on the premise that writing was healing my soul. In reality, I believe it was giving me an ulcer.
However, I have returned with a new perspective on life and am prepared to once again push my opinion on you, my loyal readers whether that opinion be right or wrong.
hang onto your hats
Billy Reed
Yes, after a year off, I have returned to my blog page. To be perfectly honest, I had basically given up on the premise that writing was healing my soul. In reality, I believe it was giving me an ulcer.
However, I have returned with a new perspective on life and am prepared to once again push my opinion on you, my loyal readers whether that opinion be right or wrong.
hang onto your hats
Billy Reed
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