Schrödinger's Blog

Gun Belt Setup

2011-11-11T07:02:00.006-06:00

First iteration. I'll need to get some more range time into it to see what works and what doesn't. I already know I want to replace the Eagle mag carriers with HSGI tacos, and hopefully make some space for an IFAK.

Number 1 is a spacer I made to hold the Gerber LMF II up higher up the belt, and I might use these to further secure the bottoms of the Eagle mag pouches as well.

Number 2 is a "keeper" I made (I made several) to hold things in place side-to-side. Namely, the suspenders, where I couldn't sandwhich them between other straps.

Number 3 is just showing how I mounted the suspenders to be adjustable (no velcro) but still not move side to side because of the keeper on one side and the pouch PALS strap on the other.

Number 4 is the PALS strap for the mag pouch; I put velcro on the back so it cannot move side to side, and it is sandwhiched pretty well up and down, too, so there is no movement during use so far.

This shows the backside of the PALS strap with the velcro (I used ShoeGoo for the velcro), and the first fold of the keeper.

This shows the keeper fully unfolded; one end has velcro on both sides (to interface with the belt, and to fold over and close) and the other end has velcro on one side only (for closing).

Arfcom Shawano Zombie Shoot

2011-10-30T09:06:00.009-05:00

Ribs.

2011-10-23T15:13:00.001-05:00

herp.

2011-10-23T13:13:00.001-05:00

Blogger now sucks for pic hosting, eh?

2011-10-23T09:55:00.001-05:00

AR-15 BCG Overtravel?

2011-10-23T09:48:00.003-05:00

SilencerCo 45Osprey

2011-09-28T17:46:00.002-05:00

Just got my 45Osprey yesterday; bought it March 13th, plus backorder, plus Form 3 time, plus Form 4. I could make a can in my garage with $10 in materials from the hardware store in about 60 minutes with my drill press and welder... ain't government grand?!

First Start!

2011-09-22T19:13:00.003-05:00

Started the Cutlass on MegaSquirt today, running bank to bank on fuel only (used my HEI for spark). Got a steady idle, and I'll get some initial tuning time in this weekend.

DIYFTWMF.

Shawano Range Day

2011-08-20T22:41:00.007-05:00

Target Marketing FAIL

2011-06-06T21:16:00.002-05:00

Silencer Shoot 2011

2011-06-06T21:08:00.006-05:00

7.5x55mm Swiss Recipes

2011-04-12T16:43:00.005-05:00

For Archival Purposes: Bullet: 168gr. Hornady Match BTHP, Powder: IMR 4064 40.0gr, Primer: Fed 210 / WLR, Case: Prvi, COAL: 2.890". Bullet: 175gr SMK, Powder: Alliant R-17 48.5gr, Primer: WLR, Case: Prvi, COAL: 2.865". Both shoot

Motor Plate Installation

2011-03-05T18:55:00.007-06:00

MegaSquirt EFI Build

2010-12-18T22:44:00.007-06:00

I just got done drilling one side of the intake for injector bungs. I made up a jig (you can see it bolted to the intake) out of angle stock and 3/8" ID tubing. I used the fuel rails to line up the tubing and tack welded everything in place. I then used a 3/8" bit and a hand drill to form the pilot holes, and ground down a 3/4" bit for a 3/8" pilot (I made up a jig to hold my angle grinder on an x-y table to cut down drill bits) and used my drill press for the final holes. Everything seems to be within about 0.030" of where I intended, but I'm probably going to open the holes up a bit more anyways to give some more room for the epoxy, and I can line them up perfectly then.

I'm building a MS1 system for the Cutlass. I'll be doing fuel only bank-to-bank, then upgrading to MSnS for HEI ignition output, and then moving on to MS3+3X for full sequential fueling and EDIS or LS1/LS2 COP ignition control.

Links.

2010-12-05T09:30:00.000-06:00

Selling a guitar.

Here also.

Hosting Posting

2010-09-02T17:00:00.021-05:00

K-31 Suppressed

2010-08-26T17:47:00.001-05:00

Normal:

Suppressed:

New Toy

2010-07-10T16:26:00.004-05:00

My new toy, a YHM 762 Phantom QD on my AR-15, with approved Form 4 and Tax Stamp!

Declaration Entertainment

2010-07-10T16:25:00.001-05:00

Check it out.

I love my Wife!

2010-05-24T19:01:00.005-05:00

Happy early annivesary, babe. I hope you have as much fun shooting it as I had building it for you. Please don't pistol whip me with it, as you might mar the finish.

For those who need to know, this is a Rock Island Armory GI model in 38 Super that I customized, including front strap checkering, high rise beavertail grip safety, new hammer and sear (I did a trigger job), new sights, and a custom antiqued parkerizing finish I developed.

Paying my Respects

2010-04-07T16:46:00.011-05:00

I was in Washington, D.C. for the first time last weekend. I decided I wanted to go visit my friend who lives near there (in Silver Spring, MD, about one block from the D.C. border) during peak season for the cherry blossoms, to try and make the ugliness of the place seem more sublime. I think it worked, because even though I did almost have to punch a nosey hippy, I managed to restrain myself, even whilst whiskey drunk.*

I devoted Saturday to seeing the National Mall, which was underwhelming, I suppose. Up until this point, my geographical knowledge of D.C. came only from Fallout 3, so you can imagine my disappointment when there were no piles of rubble to avoid by walking the metro. The Jefferson Monument and George Mason garden were the best parts by far. I took a moment to apologize to both men (well, statues) for our current state of governance, and enjoyed the cool breeze that seemed to only be blowing on that side of the Tidal Basin (which was, coincidentally flooded from recent rains).

On Sunday, I devoted the day to visiting Arlington Cemetery, with a (fairly) brief stop beforehand at the Air and Space Museum. I was deeply saddened by my inability to find any mention of Colonel John Boyd therein, though it could be that I somehow missed what may be there. And that brings me to my next visit: Arlington.

Before leaving Milwaukee, I looked for information on the good Colonel's grave site, and was unable to find anything other than the section and plot number (Sec. 60, Marker 3660). I was looking for either a map or GPS coordinates. That's alright, though, as it gave me a mission. I collected the coordinates and some pictures. This was really the highlight of my trip, as out of the thousands and thousands of graves, Col. Boyd's seemed third in visitors only to the Unknown Soldier and JFK. There was a large stack of rocks (most non-local, I can only imagine some, if not all, were from current theatres of war) and other trinkets, including what looked like unit insignia coins. For those looking in the future, the final resting place of this great man who saved so many countless lives through his brilliance in both aeronautics and tactic (including besting many Generals in the Pentagon), is located at N38 52.5816' W077 03.9072', 52 feet above sea level.

Colonel, rest in peace, and be assured that your contributions have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

*Okay, seriously I had promised my wife she wouldn't A) see me on the news, and B) have to make bail for me.

Grandpa and Dillenger

2010-04-01T19:55:00.007-05:00

My wife's grandfather was, if I recall correctly, 19 years old when Dillenger's body came in to the Cook County Coroner's Office, where he worked at the time. Here he is:
Forgive the quality. As far as I know, this picture was developed from the original film, then scanned my my late father-in-law, may God rest his soul. This photo was in several publications at the time, and was also noticed in a book about Chicago's history my my mother-in-law. Odd story, she picked up the book, opened it to a random page, and said "hey, look, it's grandpa."

Shhhh...

2010-03-15T16:12:00.009-05:00

...I'm going suppressed. I just embarked down the long road to NFA item ownership, and I'm setting up one of my rifles for that purpose. I've got an old K-31 for which I want to start working up a nice 200-220gr. subsonic load, which I figured would be a really neat conversation starter at the range. I needed a way to attach a quick-detach mount for the can, though, so I started asking around to figure out which way to go. Originally, I was going to just have the barrel threaded for the AK-style mount (14x1mm LH), since the bayonet mount is .550", but I didn't think I'd be able to get the threaded portion long enough, and I was concerned about shouldering the mount on the front sight base. So, I thought, move back the FSB and cut/thread/recrown the barrel, right? Well, I figured that'd be an awful lot of money to spend on a $100 rifle, but I might end up going that way in the end. Instead, here's what I did: I got a slip-fit adapter from Brownells that was .556" ID stepped to .345" ID, and had the AK thread on the business end, leaving me with a .003" radial slip-fit clearance with which to deal. If this thing was cocked .006" on the muzzle end, that would mean something like .093" on the exit of the suppressor. Unacceptable!

Then, after consulting some of the local Highpower guys (who mount shit to their barrels all the time with pretty close tolerances), I had a machinist make me a brass stepped pilot that would be a very tight slip-fit in both the barrel bore and the AK Thread Adapter (0.296" to 0.346"):

Then, I simply used green locktite (sleeve retainer) to take up the .003" radial clearance, and secured the set screws in place with red locktite, and let it set up for a few days before removing the pilot, which was difficult to get through the adapter with it's slight taper! I then mounted the YHM AK Thread QD mount for their 762 Phantom series suppressors, and here's a down-the-throat look at the pilot centering the whole contraption in the bore:

Here's a side shot of what it look like:

I'm figuring on having the can stick out 8.5" from the base of that flash hider, which will make the overall rifle (well, carbine technically) length 54" from butt to can (oooh! double entendre!). Anyways, It's going to be a long wait I'm sure, and I might get cold feet and just send the barrel out for the original FSB move/cut/thread/recrown operation, but if this doesn't seem to move around at all over the next few hundred rounds, I think I'm good.

Metaphor for Climate "Science"

2010-02-22T08:49:00.003-06:00

I think a good metaphor for climate science (at this point in time at least) is a 14 year old boy feeling around the back of his date's shirt for her bra strap. Once he finds it, he's not sure he'll be able to successfully open it, and even if he can open it he's not quite sure what to do after that. I mean, he doesn't even have her shirt off yet, and all this is premised on her cooperation in the matter anyways.

Rise Against...

2010-02-13T23:39:00.013-06:00

...you know it's too bad these guys are apparently complete idiots (seriously, check out the moonbat shit on their site), because they make some great music. I kept waking up to "Savior" on the radio every morning, and after a few months of this (yeah, the station is that consistent) I decided that I would go buy the album Appeal to Reason this weekend. It's a mixture of very well-produced tracks, almost orchestral in nature at some points with their ability to layer simple riffs to form something that feels more complex than the sum of its parts; it still, however, retains a nice gritty overtone (mostly due to the vocals, I think). I've always been a fan of time signature changes (I'm a huge Brubeck fan), so that's also a big plus for me. The bass lines approach infantile and unimaginative at some points, but it's punk rock, so I don't expect too much in that area.

As a songwriter myself, however, lyrics mean things, and I have trouble with a few of the songs on this album, namely "Collapse (Post Amerika)" and "Hero of War." You know, global warming, evil capitalism, moral equivelance; the normal college kid tripe (though these guys look to be about ten years to old for that to be excusable). I was still okay giving them some of my money until I read their reading/watching list (not fit to reprint). Now I'm wishing I had bought the single off iTunes...

Well, if I let shit like that bother me too much, I wouldn't be able to listen to music, play video games, watch many movies... I'll get over it.

Hey WI DNR...

2010-01-06T18:19:00.003-06:00

...can you tell us mere mortals how the RCMP officer knew which one to shoot?

(I'm referring, of course, to the assertation by a WI DNR official that "most cougar sightings in WI are people mistaking Golden Retrievers or Bobcats for the larger felines.)

Fisking Clayton Cramer

2009-10-26T11:05:00.004-05:00

...on his rediculous thoughts on Open Carry.

Clayton, you lose credibility when you say things like "It depends on your goals. If you want to win political battles, you don’t offend unnecessarily. If you want to express yourself, and don’t mind losing, then go ahead, open carry even when you don’t need to; it’s more important to express yourself than to win political struggles."

How the fuck is someone supposed to know when they NEED to carry? That's the point; preparedness for the unknown. You might be a good historian, but you are philosophically retarded.

Vindication

2009-10-09T07:47:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, after some local political bullshit broke in the news, I looked at my wife and said "there is no longer any such thing as hyperbole in political argument with modern liberals." This morning, I was proven absolutely, without a doubt, correct. Death Panels? No longer hyperbole. Government Motors? No longer hyperbole. Obama=Communist? No longer hyperbole. I could go on, but why?

Congratulations to the Nobel Committee and Barack Obama for finally stripping Alfred Nobel's legacy* from any remaining legitimacy it had after Arafat, Carter, and Gore. I now have to wonder if the three US women who won for advancements in medicine were only considered because of their vaginas.

*Well, no one can take away the fact the man invented dynamite.

Jerk BBQ

2009-09-18T17:30:00.020-05:00

My inspiration for this recipe came from the Pain is Good brand of hot sauces; they've got an excellent Caribbean-style sauce that I decided would be even better if it would caramelize and glaze well. Ok, you've already seen the peppers (38 habaneros and three serranos, because the scotch bonnets aren't ripe yet, or it would be half and half of the two habaneros varieties):
So, the peppers are roasted (this step is not necessary, but it helps the peppers to get nice and soft for the subsequent operations, and adds some smoky flavor) at 300*F for about 30 minutes, or until they just start to brown. If you don't have pre-roasted garlic, then roast three heads worth now, and remember to take them out of the oven as soon as they brown or they can turn bitter (this is usually before the peppers are done).

While this is roasting, take 80oz. of Crushed Pineapple (in unsweetened juice, not syrup), and 56oz. of Diced Tomatoes and add them to a 8-10qt. stock pot and bring to a light simmer. Zest and juice four to six limes and add it to this mixture. Then, when the garlic and peppers are ready, chop them up and throw them into the mix:

The mixture should now look like this:
At this point, you can add cinnamon and salt to taste, as well as some allspice if that's your bag. Simmer whilst covered for at least two hours on low to medium heat (it should be boiling but not browning the stuff on the bottom). Stir occasionally, and enjoy the kitchen-clearing aroma.

After the simmer period, you need to remove the pot from heat, and let it cool down enough that it is safe to put into a food processor or blender. When it is, then frappe or liquefy it. Return it to heat, and add molasses to taste, which will give it a darker brown color. At this point, adjust you spice balance, and add any additional citrus flavor if necessary to retain the character.

Viola!
It works best if cooked with pork or chicken at 250*F for several hours wrapped in foil, then put on the grill for the caramelizing treatment (use at least three layers). Last year I used brown sugar instead of molasses for RibFest at work (my department cooks for this particular shindig), and that worked well also. I'm excited to try the new mixture, so I'll update after our end-of-summer family BBQ tomorrow at my little sister's house!

UPDATE: Fuck me, it's incredible! Excercise caution, as my digestive system is currently disputing that statement.

Mad Scientist?

2009-09-17T18:10:00.006-05:00

...I must be mad, because I'm putting 38 habaneros and three serranos into something, and I plan to eat it. I'll walk you through my descent into culinary insanity in a little while...

Needed to host a pic.

2009-08-31T20:42:00.027-05:00

Looky here, fabricating a muzzle attachment and have some questions.

Nothing to see here, just working on fabricating new fitting for the transmission cooler in the Cutlass...

Quote of the Day

2009-06-10T11:53:00.003-05:00

From a conversation at my lunch table in the cafeteria at work:

Prole #1: Hey, listen to this. There's going to be a protest to
get government to pay people's mortgages.

Prole #2: (Facetiously) Really? How can I get involved?

Prole #1: Just keep paying your taxes.

Open Carry in National Parks!

2009-05-21T09:02:00.002-05:00

...that are located in Wisconsin. As much as the credit card regulations in this bill make me want to vomit all over a socialist, Senator Coburn's amendment was voted through, and the House adopted the same bill as the Senate, meaning that there will be no conference committee, and it will go directly to Obama's desk. The White House Press Secretary has said Obama plans to sign it even with the firearms carry amendment, so nine months from his final pen stroke, people in Wisconsin will be able to openly carry in these areas.

It's nice to see this bill, as the Federal Rule change promulgated by the Bush administration did not apply to WI, as it would have required a CCW permit, mandated CCW, and also it would have applied the State Parks' rules to the National Parks in said State. This law says that you can carry in accordance with State law in any National Park.

Woot! I'll update when the bill is signed into law, and we can start our countdown.

Bicyclist will not be charged...

2009-05-16T09:56:00.002-05:00

In this incident. See the news article here, or Gene German's Examiner.com article here.

It's good to know at least one WI District Attorney knows that this is not the proper application of the "Gun-Free" School Zone law.

Defensive Gun Use in WI

2009-05-06T08:24:00.003-05:00

I will certainly not call this the State's first Defensive Gun Use (DGU), but it has the implications of such, as it is the first using an openly carried firearm in public in recent memory, or at least since the widespread media coverage of Attorney J.B. VanHollen's opinion a few weeks ago that Open Carry is not de facto Disorderly Conduct.

Interesting to note is that this took place within 1000' of a school property, meaning that his possession of a loaded and uncased firearm there was a felony under current (unconstitutional - See US v. Lopez and applicable State-level analogs) state law. It does not look like he will be prosecuted, but I do wonder how long the statue will stand once people start carrying more often, and realize that they are unable to walk through their own neighborhoods due to this restriction.

Thanks to Gene German for the pointer.

Value Wine

2009-05-05T14:38:00.002-05:00

I'd like to lend my notoriety (?) to the Farnese Montepluciano d'Abruzzo. At $8-10 a bottle, it is probably the best wine for the money I've been able to find. Wine of the week updated.

.gov WIN!

2009-05-04T12:05:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the expedient and cordial service by the Saukville Municipal Workers, my underbrush and small trees have been cleared. Instead of making me cut the small trees (1.5-2.5" diameter trunks, 10-15" tall) into brush-sized pieces to leave on the curb, they simply dragged them 15 feet out of my yard into the chipper. This saved me a lot of time, and for all I get down on government encroachment and expansion, it's nice to have these reminders that in some places (like much of Ozaukee County) local governments are still run efficiently and in the best interests of the People.

Thanks, gentlemen.

Forward.

2009-04-27T17:40:00.006-05:00

Ahhh, the State's motto.

I have always found it somewhat troubling as a scientist and critical thinker, due to the implication that "progress" is always of the good kind. "Progress," in my mind, has always simply been a transition from one state of being to another that was forced, influenced, or otherwise coerced by some mechanism, and that transition can lead to good or bad consequences, or at the very least consequences unintended by the architects of said mechanism. The vector is the unspoken (and most important) variable.

That being said, I bring you my (full disclosure: best efforts at a) comprehensive rundown on the state of Open Carry of arms in Wisconsin, and a little on how we got here.

Something like five years ago, I first got involved in real politics; I separated myself from the false dichotomy that is the liberal/conservative spectrum, and began applying myself in the research of founding-era political thought, going back all the way to the origins of natural rights in the Papal Revolt of the 11th century. Perhaps two years ago, I bought my first firearm and learned to use it, and I became interested in our state of law here in Wisconsin, as an educated and highly intelligent individual should not have much difficulty with silly little things like laws, I postulated. What I learned was troubling indeed. There are such a multitude of laws covering the possession and carrying of arms in this state (many hidden in the administrative codes enacted by fiat of the DNR), and so much pertinent caselaw, and so many contradictions in both, that a man could be driven insane trying to make a logical excercise of it all. I became interested in the movements to simplify (or otherwise improve) the laws to make my exercise of rights easier, more transparent, and less liability-laden. I found several, most of which were in a holding pattern pending the egress of Jim Doyle from the office of Governor. Being young and enthusiastic about my newly refined philosophies, I was dissapointed to say the least, but I found no other avenues of reproach for these governmental intrusions on my liberty.

The Interloper.

A little over a year ago, a gentleman* by the name of Gene German, a firearms permit instructor from MN, caught my attention with a novel idea: let's not do things the way we've tried (and failed) to do them in the past. Let's take the lessons of other political movements in other states, and apply them to our situation here! Of course! Federalism at its finest! The market of ideas at work! He had my interest. We would collect signatures for petitions, and go county by county to have each pass resolutions affirming that the open carry of arms in WI is legal, and should not result in law enforcement harassment. Locals could now put their government officials on the spot, and make them answer directly for the threat of extra-legal harassment of open carriers in the state that has resulted in the supression of an entire class of rights (the right to defend oneself, and the right to the means thereof). Even better, was that this is not where it would stop; he had a coherent end-game, which was the enactment of a comprehensive carry law in the state, which would be without rediculous overtures to special interest groups or silly "feel-good" provisions.

Irons in the Fire.

As we moved ahead with this plan, and started to educate people on their rights denied by threat of force, we found out early that the system catered heavily to the obstructionism of a few beaureucrats in every county, and that even huge numbers of signatories could not sway such unelected idealogues. In guerilla warfare, one never fights the enemy where they are strong and you are weak. We needed another way to achieve our desired result, but the petition process had proved invaluable as an educational endeavor. While continuing to collect signatures at special events and gun shows, we started contacting members of the legislature to try to get a formal opinion on the matter of open carry from the state Attorney General, J.B. VanHollen (which would have been an effect of the resolutions anyways, we had hoped). At about this time, something remarkable happened. On May 14th, 2008, a young man named Jesus Gonzalez was arrested for openly carrying a firearm in West Milwaukee, WI. We all met Mr. Gonzalez at one of our meetings (Liberty Training, Gene called them), and he attended several petition signing events. There were a few problems, though. First and foremost, this is where the enemy was strong. The responding officers had stolen Jesus' gun, and the prosecutors refused to charge him with anything. They had three years, after all. Without charges, Jesus moved ahead to retrieve his property (a many month long journey), and we then knew that this event could not be leveraged against the State to build the political capital to get an opinion from the AG (who, by the way, has been mostly an empty suit for his tenure). Furthermore, there were several philosophical difference between the Patriots and Mr. Gonzalez, which defied reconciliation, and so we distanced ourselves from his agenda**, as we wanted to be sure we could control the consistancy and content of our message.

Singularity.

A man is planting trees in his yard in West Allis, WI, on August 22nd of 2008, and men with guns storm through the unlocked fence and restrain him. After much ado, he is arrested by the law enforcement officers, and taken away in handcuffs. The gravity of this created an event horizon which would later prove unescapable by beaureucrats, ostriches, and obfuscation experts. Why? Simple: this man was formally charged in municipal court for Disorderly Conduct. While such State action had been long threatened, we could not find a single time when a man was successfully charged for this (excepting times when DC was a plea-bargained, or otherwise reduced, charge). After a short time, Mr. Krause sought out and obtained the legal counsel of Steve Cain**** of Houseman and Feind, LLP, in Grafton, WI, and with renewed vigor, legislators and members of the law enforcement community at large were contacted, and the pressure was kept up. The Man tried to move the ball back onto his playing field by delaying the hearing, and it looked like we were back into a holding pattern until February of 2009, while continuing our education campaign.

The Artful Dodge.

Late in 2008, a member of the public (but not, incidentally, a member of the Wisconsin Patriots) finally got his representative (Terry Musser) to send a letter to AG VanHollen requesting a formal opinion on OC, and in early 2009, the reply came. VanHollen's reply was as glorious an application of Orwellian newspeak and petty excuses as any government servant, real or imagined, could possibly muster. The backlash from the non-traditional media (radio*** and blogs) was opressive, and got the AG wiping his brow when thinking of his upcoming election. The pressure was on, but our agenda not yet satisfied.

V-WA Day.

Victory came for Mr. Krause on February 17th, 2009, when he was aquitted of the disorderly conduct charge, and the Judge admonished the use of the DC law in such situations. The only way this could become precedent-setting, however, is if it were to be appealed to a higher court and the same result reached. Mr. Krause has not filed suit against the city of West Allis for the incident, nor is there public knowledge of plans to do so. This may or may not change in the future.

Parabellum.

On March 20th, 2009, Jesus Gonzalez finally got his gun back, on court order. On April 10th, he was arrested again in Chilton, WI, and again, his property was stolen and no charges were filed. On April 14th, 2009, John Monroe, a GA civil rights attorney, filed a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 lawsuit aginst West Milwaukee, Chilton, and related parties on behalf of Mr. Gonzalez. While unrelated to the Patriots' mission and actions at this time, I felt it worth mentioning. It can be found here.

Forward.

On April 20th, 2009, the Attorney General of WI issued an advisory opinion that the open carry of firearms in this state is not de facto disorderly conduct, and should not be treated as such. This was in response to a letter from numerous WI district attorneys that had been promulgated by members of the Wisconsin Patriots in coalition with members of the WI Legislature*****. I will not, at this time, cover the political fallout of this, as it is inconsequential to the Wisconsin Patriot's mission, and we are already moving ahead with our next phase.

*Gene, you owe me a beer for this, as I've clearly added to your résumé by alloting you this distinction. That being said, this is my account, and not the official history or motives of the Wisconsin Patriots.

**To this day I maintain a cordial relationship with Jesus, and I see no reason it should be otherwise. As a member of a group, I will adhere to our mission statement, but I have never thought that philosophical differences meant that two people could not have a friendly relationship. I find his spirit and cojones uplifting.

***How radio can really be called non-traditional mdeia, given that it is only second to print in it's age, I don't know. It's certainly not mainstream these days, though, and I've heard it often rolled into this category simply because of it's coverage of news that the television media ignores.
****Steve Cain has won an election and will be leaving Houseman and Feind for Judgeship on the Mid-Morraine Municipal Court.

*****It is impossible to know (or divulge, were the knowledge accessible) the individual effects of the filing of a federal lawsuit by Mr. Gonzalez and the influence of the Patriots in the legislature to collect a group of DAs to sign the letter sent to the AG. We have no wish to start a pissing match, and this is only my account of the events. Perhaps we will all be debriefed post mortem, but why open our playbook now?

WI Open Carry Update(s)

2009-04-23T18:29:00.003-05:00

I will be writing a comprehensive post on the events that have transpired over the last week, and I might be able to share some behind-the-scenes on how this was accomplished. I have simply not had the time to dedicate to this endeavor this week.

UPDATE 5/6/09: I finished writing my account, and as incomplete as it is, I think it is a good overview for those just waking up to their newly rediscovered rights.

And now for something completely different...

2009-04-08T08:19:00.003-05:00

....one of the people I supported for an elected position actually won! Congratulations to Steve Cain on his election to the Mid Moraine Municipal Court.

Oh, and as I lament Darcy McManus' loss to Sandy Williams, I do know that this means the we might get a decent DA in Ozaukee County for the first time in 21 years.

Red Tape

2009-04-07T09:29:00.006-05:00

I hate the government; only a bunch of useless beaureucrats could find a way to confuse simple issues to the brink of understanding by intelligent individuals.

So, I bought a car in Iowa (from a dealership) and I live in The People's Republic of Wisconsin. No big deal, right? Well, I had a few questions to which I guarantee no one has a definitive answer:

1) WI law states that I must display WI plates within two business days of operating the vehicle here. Iowa issues temporary license plates while the title transfer is taking place. So, do I switch over the plates from my old vehicle within two days of crossing the IA/WI border? Do I display the temporary IA plates until I get my title and can file a MV-1 form? After all, I am not sure I can display my old plates on my new vehicle until after an MV-1 is filed, which I cannot do until I have the IA title! Do I display the IA temporary plate in WI, even after the two business days have elapsed?

2) WI law has criminal penalties for making false statements on an MV-1 form (a Class H Felony). So, I bought the car for $X, minus my trade-in allowance $Y, which should be the taxable amount of the purchase $Z. However, I also had several costs that are not taxable that are included in my loan. The IA title and temporary registration fees are not taxable, and I already paid the IA sales tax on the extended warranty, which is not taxable in WI, either. The IA Title also has a "List Price" on it, which is the Blue Book value of the car (but thousands of dollars more than what I paid). Am I going to have to defend myself from a Felony charge if some fucking pencil pusher doesn't think the numbers add up?

This is why people become libertarian-minded. I could "lose" my voting and firearms rights over an administrative misunderstanding. Common law Felonies were crimes for which you could be hanged to death or given severe jail sentences. Modern law Felonies are a joke, including anything that could result in more than one year of jail time. I think I'd rather take my chances with my rifle and shoot whatever sinister agents are sent to collect me than to "work within the system" and have my life ruined by a bunch of parasites.

326-0X

2009-04-05T12:17:00.003-05:00

Might not sound like a great score, but it's the best I've ever shot for a highpower match so far. I was using my AR-15 and irons, with Remington UMC ammo (Can a brother get a primer so he can do some hand loading?). I'm getting there, but I do need to tweak my rifle sights so I can dial down the POI at 100yds. I'm currently using a frame hold or sub-six hold because using a six-o'clock hold hits about 4" high, and my rear sight is bottomed out.

I'm also currently building a shooting jacket out of an old BDU top, so I'll have pictures and such on that in the near future.

Ozaukee: Vote April 7th...

2009-04-02T09:12:00.003-05:00

...unless you're voting for a candidate I don't support, in which case I would really rather you didn't.

In all seriousness, though, I will be compiling a few more Entries in direct support of some candidates, as time allows, in the next few days. If any seem particularly mean-spirited or brash, I'm probably posting while hungry or after some drinking.

Ozaukee: Vote for Darcy McManus

2009-04-02T08:50:00.005-05:00

Ozaukee County has an important circuit court judgeship election this April 7th, and I am supporting Darcy McManus for this position. Some of her qualifications:

-She has been the circuit court commissioner for around 15 years now, so she is already fully familiar with the court procedurally and administratively, and she has already been hearing cases in the family court and traffic court, amongst others.

-She was the Port Washington city attorney for several years prior to holding the commissioner position, and prior to that had a private practice (general practice law) and was a business owner as well.

-She has expressed to me a clear understanding of stare decisis, or the following of precedent (yes, this is the double-edged sword of the judiciary, because "good" judges are forced by their principals to follow "bad" decisions). I feel she will apply the law sternly and fairly, using legislative intent and established case law as her sextant.

Now, in jest I could also say that one of her qualifications is that "she is not Sandy Williams," but I think her campaign can stand on its merits, and I do not feel like she is a "lesser of two evils" decision which must be rationalized by drawing on the negative qualities of her opponent. I find DA Williams to have shown very poor judgement in the past, and she gives me the political heebie-jeebies, as someone who, I believe, has based their prosecutorial career on the cases needed to pursue a political career as a judge.

New Toy.. errrr Reliable Transportation

2009-03-26T14:27:00.005-05:00

No, not Doyle's fucking Choo-choo. It's my 2006 Honda Civic Si:

So Robb, you wanna race or what? I'm under warranty until 100K miles or 2013, so let me know when you feel like breaking a German half shaft.

AR-15 Complete

2009-02-05T17:39:00.008-06:00

Wow. It's been awhile, and yea, though you may have committed me to the scant memory of the internet's abyss, I am indeed still here. I would like to introduce to you, for the first time in a public forum, my Superior Arms S-15 rifle, built by yours truly over a period of many months. Thanks go out to my wife who let me do this:

Rundown of the nitty-gritty:
Superior Arms S-15 lower receiver
YHM A3 Upper w/ M4 ramps
CMMG Lower Parts Kit
DEZ Arms 16" Gov't. profile barrel (ramps hand finished by me to match upper)
YHM Rifle-length freefloat lightweight railed handguard
Promag Vertical Foregrip
Collapsable Stock
YHM solid Front Sight
UTG A2 Rear Sight (will be replaced with a YHM rear soon)
MagPul XTM Rail Panels
Model 1 Sales Charging Handle
Larue Tactical M-16 Bolt Carrier Group.
I'm also using a std. A2 flash hider, and a carbine length gas system (with a YHM low-profile gas block). Assembly of the lower took about 10 minutes on the first try, with no flubs or scratches anywhere, and the upper assembly was done properly with all the tees crossed and lower-case jays dotted (That means an action block and a torque wrench, with locktite where locktite was needed).

I took it out and got a 50/300 yard battle zero on it, and shot it in a Highpower match this past weekend. I generally speaking can't shoot for shit in a match, but I did manage a 96-2X sans sling in sitting rapid, so the gun is at least good enough to score well on the SR-21 target. I really intended this as a "every American should own one of these" type builds rather than a high-precision deal, as I've got my K-31 if I need to put holes in things at great distances, and I'm very happy with it. I will be adding an Aimpoint M3 or M4 in the very near future and I think it will make a great little rifle.

Car still needs work.

2008-09-19T09:53:00.001-05:00

Well, two years since I last ran the car, and I'm having the same problem (only more severe this time). My times were 12.044 and 12.067 on two consecutive passes, and I went to jet-up, and didn't have the right jets for the rear, and couldn't buy any at the track, so I just raised the float level a little bit, and got another .10 out of it with 11.905. I'm still off by about 2-4mph on the top end, and my 1/8 mile times are right for about 11.75-11.80, I'm just dropping off on the top end.

This is the first time I've run the car in less that 98*F air, and the humidity was low (65%) so I thought I could get a PB out of it, but I think I really need more fuel. Of course, I grabbed a box of spark plugs to swap in when I got to the track, but hadn't labeled the box "used," so when I opened them up, I got a nice little surprise. It was impossible to read them, as I've put about 200-300 miles of street time on those plugs.

I also had a bit of a wierd vibration or shake at the top of second gear - it might be time to pull the TH350 and root around in its guts a bit. I really don't want to go back to the TH400 and have to get another driveshaft...

Anyone who's interested can see my combination here.

Vote for Glen Grothman

2008-09-03T14:46:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, September 9th 2008 is the Republican Primary, and here in the 20th Senate District, we've had a great guy on our side for several years now, and we need to keep it that way. Glen Grothman probably doesn't have much of a problem against Clyde Winter (an Independant, ooooooooh), but here's a list of reasons to vote for Glen, from his opponent's keystrokes. It's funny that that looney toon's gripe list is actually a list of great accomplishments of Glen's.

Funny thing is, we had some guy come to our door at about 2130 one night, dressed in a denim tuxedo, collecting signatures to run against Glen. Readers, (readers?) if you're a crazy, wild-eyed old man going door to door late in the evening, please wear a polo shirt and some khakis if you just can't bring yourself to wear a tie. Oh, and links to his websites:

Glen Grothman.

Glen Grothman.

Glen Grothman has voiced his support for ending the harassment of Open Carry here in Wisconsin, as well as voted against several anti-gun bills, and for license-to-carry. He is a small government, low taxes, no bullshit public servant, and if we can't find more men like Glen Grothman to run for office, we at least need to make sure he stays in office.

I Thought This Was Settled...

2008-08-25T10:30:00.001-05:00

David Codrea brings up an old discussion on what would be used by modern hunters on a T-Rex, though I suppose self defense shootings would likely be necessary for anyone living in an inhabited area.

I thought this matter was already settled by Lara Croft. You simply have to find a large clearing with four ancient spiked wheels in it, shoot it with dual .45 ACP 1911-A1s, or Dual .45 ACP USP Expert Match handguns, to enrage it. Run towards one of the wheels, and when it charges, use your special "bullet time" ability (like in John Woo movies) to stun it with a single headshot, and it will slam into the wheel. Do this with three of the four spiked wheels, and the beast will fall.

Building an AR-15

2008-08-13T09:20:00.002-05:00

This is a fairly new endeavor for me - I recently bought a Superior Arms S-15 stripped lower receiver, and a CMMG lower parts kit. I'm using a generic 6-position collapsible stock, and that's it for now. I'll post pics when I get the chance, but thanks to AR15.com for the wonderful thread about assembly, including a few videos of the process.

I'm currently shopping for some used upper parts, so if any readers (do I have readers?) have anything lying around in the parts bin, I'm in the market for some purchases.

I'm thinking of building a 16" M4 profile with an M4 flattop and some sort of free-floating 4-rail hand guard. My WASR or K-31 just aren't tacti-cool enough for an HK-owning "operator" such as yours truly.

Subsidizing Criminals:

2008-08-13T09:05:00.003-05:00

As if generally law-abiding taxpayers were not subsidizing the criminal element of our society enough, now we get an idea on how to extend such benefits further by this buffoon.

Once again, "progressives" prove to be dimwitted and disingenious. A "market based" solution that extends liabilty to (overwhelmingly responsible) gun owners because of the actions of criminals, malcontents, and idiots. So, that makes it not "market based" at all, but rather "mandate based," where my income gets redistributed to cover that acts of criminals. Tell you what, Bernard Bell, you can come to my house to force me to sign the insurance papers yourself and see how that works out.

It's no wonder modern liberals don't ever seem to get why we like the free market so much: they have been wholly unsuccessful in determining the meaning of the term.

h/t to Armed and Safe

No Excuses...

2008-08-13T09:04:00.001-05:00

I've just been lazy- posting comments elswhere and not posting here. Now, for a few posts...

H.R. 1399

2008-07-24T22:13:00.005-05:00

This bill is stuck in comittee (buried there by the Democrat House leadership) and the NRA is working on pressuring the spine-impaired into signing a discharge petition to get it to a floor vote. The trouble is going to be in the Senate, though, where we are several people short of the 60 members needed to get a companion bill kept out of the black hole of comittees.

I've written my Representatives, what have you done?

More on what the NRA is doing here.

Busy few weeks...

2008-07-24T22:09:00.002-05:00

...The in-laws came up from Chicago for a visit, so some house-cleaning was in order. Now if I could just get over my adolescent desire to just shove everything in the closet and call the room "clean..."

I didn't report on the third High Power match I shot a few weeks back, well, because the results are embarassing. I spent time working on my prone position, and lost ground (bigtime) on standing offhand, and sitting.

I'm still working on the second acoustic piece for the single w/ Jerry, and I'll get around to posting a finished version sometime this weekend, I hope.

Now, on to a meatier post for the day.

Focusing my Google-Chi

2008-07-18T12:59:00.001-05:00

...to help the cause. Carry Permit Holder. Carry Permit Holder.

Hat tip to Sebatian, who may or may not be a Carry Permit Holder.

Open Carry and LEOs

2008-07-10T21:03:00.004-05:00

I recently wrote letters to my local Chief of Police, and my Sheriff. The letter and the replies I recieved can be found in this thread on OpenCarry.org. Go on over and take a look.

If you are so inclined, I strongly suggest you also do this, and send any response you get to your legislators. It's time to start putting the pressure on to get an opinion on Open Carry from the Attorney General, who's office has argued several times in court* that Open Carry is 100% legal.

*There's a good quote of AAG Kassel from State v. Gonzalez near the bottom of the page.

Wisconsin Patriots July 12th

2008-07-10T20:53:00.003-05:00

The Wisconsin Patriots will be collecting signatures at The Shooters Shop in West Allis and Smokie's Bait and Muskie Shop in Pewaukee Saturday, July 12th from 0900-1700. If you have not come by to chat or sign the petition yet, I strongly encourage you to do so.

While you're at it, I would encourage you to support these local businesses that are helping us out by hosting these events. Smokie's was under water from the recent flooding, and simply stopping in to patronize their establishment certainly couldn't hurt their recovery! Come in the Shooter's Shop and get a nice new holster for your carry piece!

I will be in West Allis at some point during the day, but I am not sure when coverage is needed at this point; I hope to see some bodies coming through the door!

P.S. - Oh, and word is Vicki McKenna is going to try to make an appearance at one or both of the locations - if you've never met Vicki or listened to her program, then you're missing out.

Heller Win!

2008-06-26T09:15:00.003-05:00

As of 0913, Central Standard Time (GMT - 6hrs), the United States Supreme Court, in a 5/4 split, struck down Washington, D.C.'s ban on handguns and functional firearms in the home, and affirmed an individual right to arms that is protected by the United States Constituion, Amendment Two.

I will have my take on the opinion when it is released, and after I have time to read it. I am anxious to see what kind of dicta (if any) are offered by the majority to guide future litigation against gun control laws.

Oh, and SHAME ON THE FOUR WHO DISSENTED. There is no way to justify their votes in this matter after decades of "protecting individual rights." This only goes to prove what I've said all along: Conservative judges rule based on the laws, Liberal judges rule based on their own social agendas.

Thought on Open Carry

2008-06-25T08:56:00.006-05:00

from Chris at Simple Musings...

Go give it a read. I would add a few points:

1) You should not only act politely when openly carrying, you should dress the part. I wear khakis and collared shirts if going out, or if I'm just around the house and yard I will wear t-shirts (especially while doing yard work).

2) To clarify, you should never get into an argument with anyone while armed. If a person tries to engage you in heated debate, disengage immediately and in the most polite manner possible. If they are really in your face, make sure to call the police and report the situation. A heated argument while armed is an armed conflict, and if they decide to be real jerks and call the cops, saying you were threatening them, they will be believed. The first one to the phone wins!

3) I think it is important to work your way up to openly carrying if you do not feel immediately confident about it! Start how I have: around the house, then chores in the yard, then the odd trip to the hardware store or perhaps to return some movies.

4) Know your transport laws, as well as your carry laws! Here in WI, I must unload and encase my sidearm when getting into or on a vehicle. If you are running errands, make sure you are complying with these laws. Many states only allow license-to-carry permit holders to vehicle carry; do your research.

Waukesha Gun Show Update

2008-06-24T22:19:00.006-05:00

From June 22nd at the Bob and Rocco firearms show.

This was very successful. I arrived a few minutes after 9am, and one of the Patriots' other members (Brandon) was already hard at work. After reconnoitering the situation, I retrieved my .45 from my car and brought in my stack of petitions. I met Pete Lenti in the parking lot, and we set up the rest of the table inside. Our unnamed hero arrived a while later. It was a very interesting experience. A few points:

1) About 95-99% of people who stopped to talk with us signed the petition.
2) Most people who said they did know Open Carry was legal here immediately followed with "but you'll get arrested for Disorderly Conduct." These people were won over when we explained that we didn't want to change the law, just how lawful activity was being harassed.
3) We were generally preaching to the proverbial choir.
4) Most people at gun shows are very nice, and love to stop and talk!

We were there until about 1330 when we started to pack up, as my stomach's growling had become louder than my rhetoric. Thanks to everyone who signed for the support, and thanks also to Vicki McKenna for featuring us on her show Friday. We had many people come over and say they were looking for us because they (or a friend) had heard Gene German on her show!

One more note:

Jim Fendry is a jackass. On Saturday, Jim (of The Wisconsin Pro-Gun Movement) used the public address system at the show, while the Wisconsin Patriots were collecting signatures, to try to scare people away from our table. I also had a permit-to-carry instructor who happened to belong to a different accrediting group than some of our members wander by and introduce himself as "the competition."

This is the kind of derisive bullshit that keeps comprehensive carry in WI from being passed. We are out to educate people on their rights, and try to stop illegal harassment by law enforcement officers, and people like that let ego and delusions of grandeur get in the way of progress. We don't care about Jim's past failures to get CCW laws passed, and we don't care what he does to continue pursuing his agenda. But actively working against another group because he's busy "waiting for Doyle to leave office" is childish at best.

URGENT! If you Open Carry in WI

2008-06-23T12:05:00.002-05:00

...and have been harrassed by police, you need to contact Samantha Hernandez on OpenCarry.org. She writes for Milwaukee Magazine and is doing a piece on extra-legal harrassment of open carry by police. If you yourself have been harrassed, please let her know your story!

Gene German on 1130 WISN

2008-06-20T12:19:00.004-05:00

Vicki McKenna featured Gene German (founder of the Wisconsin Patriots) on her show today, at a few minutes after 11:00am. I will get a hold of the clip and whittle it down to just Gene's appearance later on today. In the meantime, I linked the .mp3 file. I suggest you listen to her show on podcast whenever you get the time - she's a lot of fun to listen to, and she's a very ardent supporter of right-to-carry.

Chicago Politics...

2008-06-19T08:45:00.002-05:00

...gun ban style. In the Chicago Tribune today, there's a refreshingly frank article about the gun ban and how politicians in the Windy City end up blowing right out the jailhouse doors where you or I wouldn't have the connections.

h/t to John Lott.

Boots and Sabers on Open Carry

2008-06-15T08:35:00.003-05:00

Linked here. Go over and have a read, I'm comment 68.

Flooding

2008-06-13T13:08:00.004-05:00

I didn't post anything yet because I had my fingers crossed that there'd be nothing to report, but it's official:

Saukville is under water, and it's leaking into my basement.

Now, I really don't have mush to complain about, because the 40 or so gallons I've shop-vac'd out of my carpeting down there is nothing considering the fact that my basement floor is now several feet (like 3-4) under the water level outside. But, that does mean it's going to be seeping in around the base of the outside walls until the water level recedes. I'll post some during-and-after flooding pictures when the water gets back down to normal.

EDIT: I think we're going to go check to see if the DPW needs help filling sandbags this afternoon.

Too Smart to be a Cop?

2008-06-13T13:01:00.006-05:00

Check this out:

"METRO NEWS BRIEFS: CONNECTICUT; Judge Rules That Police Can Bar High I.Q. Scores

A Federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a man who was barred from the New London police force because he scored too high on an intelligence test. In a ruling made public on Tuesday, Judge Peter C. Dorsey of the United States District Court in New Haven agreed that the plaintiff, Robert Jordan, was denied an opportunity to interview for a police job because of his high test scores. But he said that that did not mean Mr. Jordan was a victim of discrimination. Judge Dorsey ruled that Mr. Jordan was not denied equal protection because the city of New London applied the same standard to everyone: anyone who scored too high was rejected. Mr. Jordan, 48, who has a bachelor's degree in literature and is an officer with the State Department of Corrections, said he was considering an appeal. ''I was eliminated on the basis of my intellectual makeup,'' he said. ''It's the same as discrimination on the basis of gender or religion or race.'' "

Okay, now imagine you took this line:

"Judge Dorsey ruled that Mr. Jordan was not denied equal protection because the city of New London applied the same standard to everyone: anyone who scored too high was rejected."

and did this:

"Judge Dorsey ruled that Mr. Jordan was not denied equal protection because the city of New London applied the same standard to everyone: anyone who was non-white was rejected."

Hmmmmmm, not "discrimination," indeed...

Collecting Signatures, Ozaukee County

2008-06-12T13:40:00.005-05:00

This Sunday, June 15th, I will be attending the gun show at Circle B Recreation, on Highway 60 in Cedarburg, to collect signatures for the Ozaukee County Open Carry Resolution. I will most likely be there for the duration of the event (0800-1430). Anyone who wishes to join me is more than welcome; I do not have a table, so I will be standing at the door or walking around. There is a bar in the building, so I'm going to check legality before deciding to openly carry in the reception hall area (where the show takes place).

A Quick Thanks

2008-06-12T11:10:00.004-05:00

...to all the other bloggers who linked me for the Open Carry incident. I hit my 1000th discrete visitor, and over half of those were from that one post alone!

We certainly do have the power to reach out and inform the masses. Well, the members of my blogroll do - I might get there eventually!

Gameplan

2008-06-12T10:44:00.004-05:00

I haven't commented on the situation yet here, but there have been two incidents in PA that bear striking resemblance to the Open Carry arrest in West Milwaukee:

1) A group of diners, some of whom were carrying openly, are harassed and threatened by police officers and some have their property confiscated. This is the "Dickson Dozen." They have filed suit in federal court over the matter, in the same way that our man here would, if denied a Declaratory Judgement. All pertinent information is on OpenCarry.org in the Pennsylvania forum. There is most likely more information on PAFOA.org as well. Read the complaint if you can make yourself work through the "legalese."

2) Shortly thereafter, a New Jersey man is harassed in Wilkes Barre by police for openly carrying, and has his property illegally confiscated. There is also a great thread on this at OpenCarry.org, which can be found here. Again, there are also other good thread in the PA section of OCO.

I think the lawsuit filed by the Dickson Dozen is a fabulous foundation for our problem here in WI, as it utilizes the same vehicle as we would here (42 USC, 1983). I think anyone interested in the West Milwaukee incident should thouroughly read all these threads I've linked.

Open Carry Meeting, 6/7/08

2008-06-09T12:11:00.008-05:00

The meeting was a success. We tackled several points, and as of now have several action items to complete. We met with the gentleman who was arrested for Open Carry in West Milwaukee, and he shared the details of his experience with us, including a transcript of the encounter taken by his companion.

We are going to mobilize behind two major, recent events:

1) The arrest and detainment of a peacable citizen for unlawful reasons, and the unlawful confiscation of his property.

2) The issuance of the first retired LEO CCW permit in the state by the Attorney General.

These two things happening within a week of each other is almost a Godsend. I feel this is an excellent time to put the pressure on both our districts' legislators and the AG's office to get an opinion on the legality of open carry. In Wisconsin, the AG will only give an opinion to a legislator, not to a citizen directly. Any legislator who voted for the "Post-Katrina arms confiscation" bill (limitation of emergency powers) can't seriously support police action such as this, can they? After all, the Supreme Court has said that the ONLY thing keeping the CCW prohibition constitutional is the legality of open carry. So, if open carry can be called Disorderly Conduct, then you have a de facto ban on carry of weapons openly, which causes the CCW prohibition to fall.

Moreover, the state's CCW prohibition is all-encompassing. It has no exceptions for retired law enforcement, only currently sworn officers. In that sense, application of the federal law by the AG creates an unequal protection under the state law, and I don't see how it can be squared without creating at least a similar discretionary carry law (which we are certainly NOT working towards).

We hope to continue to work towards the county resolutions in the coming months (Waukesha county's has been stalled by an administrator, even with the 1000 names on the petition), and I will update when open carry events (signature collections) are to be held. These events are being used very effectively by the Wisconsin Patriots' members to educate everyone who cares to listen, and to ultimately change public perception on the freedom to be armed if one wishes. That brings me to my closing thought:

The single most important thing one can do to further the causes of liberty, including gun rights, is to educate someone else who may otherwise not have had reason to seek such information on their own.

The schedule of events we have planned will be forthcoming.

Wisconsin Patriots Meeting

2008-06-06T13:50:00.003-05:00

The Wisconsin Patriots will be meeting Saturday, June 7th 2008 in Pewaukee, at 10:00AM. Please contact pete AT wisconsinpatriots DOT com if you would like to attend and are not currently on our mailing list.

CCW Permit Issued in WI

2008-06-05T08:50:00.004-05:00

I'm a bit late on this, but it appears that a CCW permit has been issued to a retired LEO by the Attorney General. You know, VanHollen has been a complete disappointment, and I'd like to back him into a corner right now by requesting an opinion on the legality of Open Carry. According to state law (or at least, my understanding), he must answer a query by a member of the state legislature, but can basically tell citizens to piss off.

Open Carry Arrest, Part II

2008-06-05T08:15:00.006-05:00

Well, it looks like the DA is giving this man the runaround. Discussion on this starts on Page 8, about halfway down.

Wouldn't it be great if there was some sort of recourse for this action? The offending officers should be suspended with pay while they are retrained in the legalities of Open Carry (while what they did amounts to theft, they were trained that OC is DC, and while ignorance of the law is no defense, I am willing to give cops a second chance), the DA should be docked a month's pay (he knows exactly what he is doing, and he should be punished for his actions) and this man's firearm and all accessories should be returned immediately.

edit: With a hat tip to David, I will add the caveat that this has not been independantly verified, though I have no reason to doubt that this occured as reported by the involved party.

Open Carry Arrest

2008-06-04T07:45:00.005-05:00

I haven't covered this yet because there hasn't been much to say, and details are still forthcoming. I suggest you read the whole thread, but here's a synopsis:

1) A man (Parabellum is his forum name) openly carries a firearm (lawfully) throughout Milwaukee for several days, updating as incidents arise.
2) This man is arrested in the City of West Milwaukee for said open carry of a firearm, supposedly for "Disorderly Conduct While Armed."
3) The man's firearms, extra magazines, and other accessories are seized from his vehicle by the police.
4) The DA's office will not charge him, (because what he did was not illegal according to WI statutes and caselaw) but instead they schedule another meeting to discuss options.

This meeting is today, and I will be actively watching the forum to see if we get an update. Best case scenario is his property is returned and no charges are filed. Worst case, is they try to charge him, at which point we will have to wait a bit longer to hear more details.

I think Right-to-Carry advocates everywhere should spread the word!

Asking "Please..."

2008-06-03T12:05:00.005-05:00

From an article in the Journal/Sentinel today:

A Saukville woman wants to offer horse and carriage rides in Port Washington this summer, and the Port Washington Common Council tonight will consider her request that an ordinance regulating such rides be written. The woman, Margaret Farrington, offers a carriage service in Cedarburg on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. until just before dark. She said Monday that she had provided such a service for more than 11 years in California before moving to this area two years ago.
Port Washington has carriage rides during festivals and the Christmas season but has no ordinance governing the rides, City Administrator Mark Grams said Monday.

Huh. So, there's no law regulating a lawful activity, so you want them to write one. This woman needs to be kicked in the head by her horse and have some sense knocked into her. Leave it to someone from California to come here and say "If you please, massa' gov'mint, it be my pleasure 'ta give them carriage rides...."

I will try to attend this meeting and voice my displeasure.

UPDATE: Well, looks like Mr. Grams misspoke. A service such as this is clearly covered under the taxicab ordinances in the Municipal Code. I'll give Mrs. Farrington the benefit of the doubt until I know she's not simply asking for an exemption to be added to the definition of a taxicab. That's the smart way to go, so she can forego all registration and licensing fees.

Big Time

2008-06-03T10:41:00.004-05:00

I almost forgot (shame on me) to thank Jeff Soyer of Alphecca for adding me to his blogroll. He's been one of my daily reads for quite some time now.

Does this mean people are actually reading this site? I'll have to take a look at Google analytics again...

I Question America's Morality...

2008-06-03T09:28:00.005-05:00

From a link over at Uncle's, I took a look. 48% of people polled think killing babies is wrong, but 91% think affairs are wrong.

Wow. No wonder it's so hard to convince people of the morality involved in self-defense: I don't think they understand the whole right/wrong continuum. Let's take a look:

Killing Babies = Hideously wrong.

The Nazi German War Machine Systematically Killing Millions of Jews = Wrong, but mildly less so than killing our posterity for the sake of convenience.

Cheating on Your Spouse = Wrong, but just not on the same level as genocide, I'm sorry.

Stealing a Soda When You Asked for a Glass for Water = Even less wrong than affairs, but still worse than...

Not Covering Your Mouth (preferably with your sleeve - the CDC) When Sneezing = Unpatriotic and unhygenic, but not really a moral blunder.

Greeting Passers-by Whilst Out and About = This is a great way to spread a little cheer and make someone else feel better. Or get grumbled at by an ornery old man.

Letting Somone Else Get in Front of You at the Grocery Store Because They Have One Item and You Have 30 = Good. What a nice young man you are!

Helping Your Aging Neighbor by Mowing His Lawn = Better that the line thing, not as good as...

Tithing = Very good (okay, I don't do this but I do spend that 10% of my income on fun stuff, and if me having fun doesn't make Jesus happy, I don't know why he's so uptight).

Donating Your Fortune to a Good Cause Upon Incidence of Death = An excellent legacy of goodness!

Alright, that's just a little sampling of the whole morality continuum. You know, just to be thourough, I should ask if MY moral compass is reading incorrectly. I must now go meditate and study the Upanishads...

High-Power Rifle Match #2

2008-06-01T15:39:00.003-05:00

Well, I just got back from my second High-Power match. Again, this was at West Bend Barton Sportsmans' Club, and was 4 ten round relays of 10 shots each. I scored a 298 this time (out of a possible 400), and my groupings were much better. I've got to get used to having a slightly different zero in the different positions, and that will bring the groups closer to the center. I hope to hit at least 84% next match, which will put me into the Sharpshooter class. I did the math, and if they all go in the black, you're there.

On another note, instead of taking the handicap and shooting the rapid fire relays in two strings of 5, at 70 seconds each, I used charging clips borrowed from my buddy to shoot all 10 in 70 seconds. It was a blast! Let me tell you, I don't doubt that a squad of men with bolt actions and a ready supply of ammo on chargers could lay down a TON of fire. I'm going to pick up some of the chargers and plan on using them from now on.

Oh, score breakdown was:
Offhand, Slow (200 yards): 75
Sitting, Rapid (200 yards): 81
Prone, Rapid (300 yards): 75
Prone, Slow (600 yards): 67

On reduced targets (SR-1, SR-1, SR-21, and MR-31, respectively), shot at 100 yards.

Shades of Sorrow - My Way (Acoustic)

2008-05-31T11:26:00.003-05:00

Well, here it is. Jerry Bakkus composed the music and lyrics, and performed the main guitar and solo, as well as the lead vocals. I performed the harmony guitar and vocals parts, and engineered the recording and mixdown on my home PC.

Fighting the Good Fight?

2008-05-30T09:05:00.003-05:00

I missed the segment on Jay Weber's show yesterday, as I was already at work by the time he got to it, but I had heard a blurb, and he brought it up again for comment today. The topic?

In a nutshell, "why won't CCW advocates use cases where CCW may have helped to further their political agenda?" His question stems from the recent, brutal murder of a Mrs. Elisabeth Witte by her estranged (and deranged, apparently) ex-husband. This man had threatened her repeatedly, up to and including basically telling the police how he would kill her ("I don't need a gun, I'm a doctor, I know just where to cut," or something to that effect). She had a restraining order against him, and had been accompanied by friends to her car where he was waiting on the night he killed her. So in the face of all this, why would we not point this out as a perfect example of someone who may have been aided by comprehensive weapons carry laws?

My answer is: We don't wish to dance in the blood of the dead. We have the moral high ground. We have the legal high ground. We have the historical high ground. We have the logical high ground. The fact of the matter is, gun control advocates have been charging our position for over one hundred years, since the first racist gun control laws erupted from Civil War Reconstruction, as well as from xenophobic distrust of recent European immigrants at around the turn of the 20th century. Thirty-seven States have right-to-carry, and an additional 11 have some form of discretionary permit issuance. We have been moving back down the hill from our fortified, infallible positions for close to twenty years now.

I will not try to out-liberal a liberal. I have my position. My position is superior in every way that matters, and I am inside my enemy's decision cycle. Trying to charge straight-on into the liberals' fixed firing positions as soon as we have them beaten back down the hill is ludicrous. We must instead press the initiative by the tried-and-true suppress, then flank. We must change public opinion on right-to-carry. We must change media opinion of right-to-carry. We must highlight actual defensive gun uses, and get those stories into peoples' houses. I would rather tell someone of the mass shooting stopped (while in progress) in a Nevada saloon last week than tell a story of some hypothetical "may have been" that resulted in a woman's death at about the same time.

I agree with some of Jay's sentiments, and "fighting fire with fire" may work someday, but not until we have undone the years and years of misinformation and propoganda that have been seeded into the heads of every John and Jane Q. Public.

Another Lapse...

2008-05-29T09:05:00.005-05:00

Well, I've stumbled into another several week long lapse in posting, but hey, I've been busy.

Ok, that's an excuse for being lazy.

I've gotten a bunch of stuff done around the house (landscaping and such), and I've been out at the range several times a week lately. I picked up a used Remington 597 for a plinker/practice gun, and I'm in the process of setting it up with aperture sights.

On the musical front, Jerry (the mastermind) and I have laid down tracks for an acoustic version of one of our songs, and I'm doing mixdown right now. I hope to post the song in the next few days, and then it'll be on to the next track. We want to do a little 3-song disc for our press pack.

I'm shooting a High-Power match this Sunday with my K-31. I've got the sights tweaked (smaller aperture for the Mojo rear sight) and I'm all in the black on the SR-1, SR-21, and MR-31 targets, including mostly 8-10 ring hits. I STILL don't have a single X-ring credit to my name, though...

Also this Sunday, is the Great Lakes Dragaway BOP (Buick, Olds, Pontiac) days race. I'm not going to be able to make it down for the money race by the time the match is over, so I'm thinking of heading down for fun racing. GLD recently went back to NHRA sanctioning, though, and the prices are pretty rediculous. It's $37 for fun racing, plus $25 for spectating. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't pay that much for anything other than a national-level event for spectating. I drive my race car to the track, so in addition to about 16 gallons of racing fuel, now I've got to add $65 at the gate for my wife and I? I'll let you all know how she does...

Economics of Hippie Nutcases?

2008-05-02T07:43:00.004-05:00

John Lott asks the question:

The cost of gas is already so high. Will the threat of even greater costs reduce support for global warming proposals?

My thoughts: If, in a place where resources are scarce and personal wealth is non-exsistent (say, a third world country), people concentrate on securing resources to meet basic needs, then wouldn't it follow that a shift towards that by the rising cost of an essential relative to other spending would cause people to care more about getting to work and less about the environment?I'm just scared that any new governement "energy policy" would entail "fixes" for "climate change," and not do things like cut down on our energy imports by transitioning to domestic energy sources.

More on National Park Carry.

2008-05-01T08:58:00.004-05:00

The comments I submitted here:

Comments

Living in Wisconsin, one of two states
without concealed carry licensing laws, I have a few concerns about this
rule. Firstly, I do not like the specific "concealed" wording; citizens
should be allowed to choose the manner of their carry of arms if the state
where the park is located allows them to do so. Limiting the language to
concealed carry only is irresponsible. In WI, for instance, we can openly
carry without any license, just as in Vermont and Alaska. We cannot,
however, carry concealed weapons, so this rule would effectively encroach on our right to equal protection under the law. I would like to see the rule
changed to reflect allowance of any manner of carry that is accepted in the state in which the park is located.
Please submit comments if you have them - we need to pad this with as many
RKBA people as possible!

Milwaukee's Police Chief

2008-04-30T10:15:00.003-05:00

Well, a bit of background on Milwaukee's new Police Chief that is of interest. It looks like Flynn switched from these uniforms to give the cops a softer image - and I know that so far he has seemed to be a straight shooter in Milwaukee. My only problem with him is that he buys into many of the most useless forms of gun control, including a proposal with Mayor Tom Barrett to Gov. Doyle asking for a special legislative session for more gun control measures to be passed this year.

It saddens me that Milwaukee couldn't get a really good chief, but I suppose a fairly good one will do for now. I don't really like the idea of a man with an "only ones" attitude about guns, but a "hey, cops are just ordinary citizens, here to help" image being projected to help in standoff-ish inner city neighborhoods.

Carry in National Parks

2008-04-30T09:27:00.003-05:00

Well, looks like the rule change has been proposed. I sent a letter to my Representative voicing my concerns with the fact that there is no Open Carry language, but seeing as Wisconsin does not allow open carry in State Parks, it's kind of moot. I'm not going to say I like the proposed rule, but it's better than what we had - for instance, I could still carry with a non-resident permit in any States the permit was vaild (and as long as that State allows carry in their parks).

Hmmmm - could a lawsuit be filed for the State Park carry prohibition? After all, the only reason the CCW prohibition in WI is legal is that we can openly carry...

Yard Work Day

2008-04-26T12:45:00.003-05:00

Well, my parents had (SURPRISE!) my Christmas/Birthday present delivered to the driveway on Thursday: several cubic yards of mulch and #1 Stone. We're digging a 1'x1' ditch around the garage and filling it with the stone to increase drainage, and we're mulching all the flower beds, and around the hedge. I'll try to post a pic when we're done...

I'm currently taking a lunch break while the 'rents went to let their dogs out, and we'll be back at it in a few minutes here!

Oh, and I dug out a decorative bed of lava rock - and it was 10 freakin' inches deep! I filled two garbage cans and some other misc. containers with it all before deciding it will look nice on top of the stone around the garage.

Open Carry Update

2008-04-26T12:42:00.002-05:00

The Wisconsin Patriots website is up, not sure yet about running. The website has much of the same information that is in the little tri-fold pamphlets we have to hand out, and it's a good read. I'm going to talk to Gene about the online signing option, as I'm not sure if that means we will network with people in this manner, or actually use electronic documents for submission with the hard copy petitions.

Cheers!

Oxygenated Gasoline...

2008-04-18T08:32:00.009-05:00

... or "why chemists and racers always knew Ethanol was a bad, bad idea."

I was listening to the Jay Weber show on WISN this morning on my commute (yeah, I'm an old man - pass me my dentures and don't skimp on the Polydent), and he was talking about the performance/efficiency problems of Ethanol-oxygenated gasoline. Now, he's not a chemist, so I'll cut him some slack on some things, but his basic premise was correct, so I'll simply fill in the blanks for him.

Okay, some basic things to know about internal combustion engines and the fuel they burn:

1) Air does not make power, burning fuel makes power. More air does nothing without more fuel, and more fuel without enough air to fully burn it does nothing either. So, there is a balancing point under certain engine conditions where the Air:Fuel ratio (AFR) will completely burn all of the fuel and release all the energy, but there will not be excess air present.

2) In most normally aspirated (non-supercharged) engines at wide open throttle (WOT), this is around 12.8:1 for gasoline, around 5.5:1 for methanol, 7.8 for Ethanol (that number is from memory, please correct me if wrong - I know stoiciometric is about 9:1), and 1.7:1 for nitromethane.

3) Fuel energy content will be expressed in BTU/lb. Which, for the fuels of interest here, are 18,500 for gasoline, 9,500 for methnaol, 12,800 for ethanol, and 5,000 for nitromethane.
4) Richer = more fuel to the same air = lower AFR, Leaner = less fuel to the same air = higher AFR.
5) An engine produces the most power per unit of fuel at wide open throttle and peak torque, but runs leaner at cruise and under light throttle conditions. Two different types of efficiency. If your gasoline engine is burning at 17:1 AFR at cruise (about right for many engines), you're going further on the same amount of fuel, but you are not getting the maximum amount of energy out of you engine/fuel combination as possible. For practical purposes, non-racers only care about mileage!

Okay, a history of oxygenated fuels - a lot of this has been lost in popular memory since the whole Ethanol-mandate thing. Oxygenation started with t-Butyl Methyl Ether, or MTBE (or tBME, but MTBE is kind of the standard). During the burning process, this ether will allow it's oxygen to contribute to the oxidation of another molecule, meaning that it is like Nitrous Oxide injection in that it adds extra oxygen to your burn mixture, and allows a more complete burn (or allows more fuel to be burned, but obviously there is a balance point of diminishing returns). MTBE can be detected by the human tongue in very, very low concentrations, and many states that started using MTBE to lessen emissions (from the more complete burn) had to look elsewhere when the flavor started showing up in ground water.

Enter ethanol.

Unfortunately, ethanol is not as good of an oxygenate as MTBE, and while it will decrease emissions of unburned fuel (mostly because you've added something that burns richer, but not changed the amount of air) in low concentrations, it does not allow it's oxygen to be used for oxidation of other molecules during burning. And then the politicians decided - well, if a little is good, then more must be better!!!!! And down the slippery slope we go.

Now, Racers like ethanol more than gasoline, methanol more than ethanol, and nithromethane is king! But, wait, all those had less energy per gallon than gasoline! If you look at the fact that you can burn more fuel (at less BTU/lb.), there will be a crossover point at which you are burning ENOUGH more fuel to overcome the smaller amount of contained energy. Observe:

Using 50lbs of air (airflow will be constant for a given engine at a given throttle position, independent of fuel used), we can calculate the energy released by the four fuels.
1) Gasoline at 12.8:1 AFR and 18,500 BTU/lb. = 72,265 BTU
2) Ethanol at 7.8:1 AFR and 12,800 BTU/lb. = 82,051 BTU
3) Methanol at 5.5:1 AFR and 9,500 BTU/lb. = 86,364 BTU
4) Nitromethane at 1.7:1 AFR and 5,000 BTU/lb. = 147,059 BTU

So, the ONLY time any of these fuels is a better fuel than gasoline is to the person who cares about POWER and not MILEAGE! You will always have to burn more ethanol than gasoline, more methanol than ethanol, and more nitromethane than methanol, given the same amount of air. And because the airflow does not change because of a fuel used (except at the extremes of rich/lean), you will always get better mileage driving your car on gasoline than other available fuels (the amount of time you spend under different driving conditions DOES affect your results).

So, to correct Mr. Weber's premise - yes, Jay, the ethanol is burning, and yes, it is producing energy, but it is the functional equivelant of leaning your engine out around 4-5%, meaning your car's computer decides to inject that much more gasoline into the combustion chamber to bring the burn into safe range (If an engine runs too lean, it starts to do terrible things like igniting when it's not supposed to, or using your pistons for fuel.).

What was that?

2008-04-18T08:25:00.002-05:00

Well, that's what most of us in the Midwest were thinking when we were woken by an earthquake this morning around 4:45. The epicenter was in West Salem, IL, around 40 miles or so (IIRC) from my grandmother's house. I heard 5.4 at first, but last I heard it was recorded as a 5.2 - so just a bit shy from the last "big" one in 1968. I slept right through it, but my mother felt it (she's in Wisconsin Dells this week for a conference). Most of my co-workers felt it, too - I guess staying up late last night for my guilty pleasure zonked me out right-good.

As the morning DJ's said: "now we have something to talk about with California."

Open Carry Update:

2008-04-11T09:02:00.003-05:00

Well, after months of scouring ads and waiting for the next gun show in Ozaukee County, I missed one at Circle B in Cedarburg because of the high-power match I shot, and my already having plans with the family that day after the match.

Crap.

So, as it stands now, I've got a pathetic number of signatures on my petition, and the majority are family members. I am going to try to talk to some of the members at the Saukville Gun Club, but I don't really want to freak them all out my first week as a member. Many people who trap shoot or hunt don't necessarily care about people wanting to openly carry arms. I'm thinking of taking a "hey, don't you hate it when the DNR..." approach and see if that flies; many of these people have surely been harassed by DNR agents while carrying a rifle or shotgun through the woods, and there are some silly (and illegal) rules about when the gun can be loaded in the DNR's administrative code.

I'll prep myself, and ask to get on one of the meeting agendas coming up, and then update again.

onemilwaukee.org

2008-04-11T08:20:00.003-05:00

Alright, let me come right out and say it:

Here we go again.

I saw a blurb* from the Journal/Sentinel editorial board on this new initiative's "kickoff," scheduled at Discovery World downtown on a Thursday afternoon at 1pm. My wife then laughingly mentioned seeing the add described in the op/ed blurb, and I figured it was my duty as a citizen to look further into this. Now, before I discuss what I've found on the website, let me run the red flags up the flagpole and let you know who I think is saluting.

1) It is a "gun violence initiative." This means that it is not anti-violence, it is anti-gun. Otherwise it would simply be a "violence initiative." Now, I'm guessing this made it easier to get money and partner up with groups that already have a political foothold.

2) It had a kickoff meeting scheduled on a weekday in the middle of the working day, and in a place where children congregate. This means that they did not want working class individuals here, and they wanted a youth presence for propaganda purposes.

3) The Journal/Sentinel editorial board likes it. Do I actually have to tell you why you should, 90% of the time, not agree with the J/S editorial board?

Now, I'm an open-minded individual, so despite my reservations (and my wife's snickering - but she was right -ed) I decided to browse their website and check it out:

There are several promising ideas here. Youth mentoring, anti-gang programs, employability development, and the like. This organization is also involved in anti teen pregnancy initiatives as well, and they appear to attack several of the social root causes of both teen pregnancy and inner-city violence. But, as expected, then they go astray. They have links to Joyce-funded WAVE, the largest anti-gun group in the state, as well as a few other smaller groups. Now, they don't have any rhetoric themselves, and their statistics on violence seem to not be skewed. This is why I'm guessing they're playing politics more than actively engaging in anti-gun policy making.

You'll have to forgive me if I'm cynical about this, and don't feel like giving them a free pass. Association is association, and they've teamed up with the enemies of my civil liberties. It's always sad to me to see this kind of thing; a group is trying to actually do something the right way, and then find themselves in need of a few shady friends that have ulterior motives.

I will try to look further into this, and find out if they are also directly funded by the Joyce Foundation. Stay tuned...

*Here it is - JSonline doesn't keep these pages up for long, and I'm too lazy to learn how to archive them myself at this point:

Editorial: Casualties together
One bullet can have many victims, which is why a new campaign to reduce gun violence in metro Milwaukee will attempt to engage everyone in the cause.From the Journal Sentinel
Posted: April 9, 2008
It starts with angry words and shoves exchanged on a city sidewalk between two teenage boys. Suddenly, one takes out a handgun and pulls the trigger. The boy who has been shot falls backward to the ground in slow motion and, one by one, other people fall as well - a waitress, an office worker, a woman in her kitchen, a priest."If we call ourselves a community, maybe it's time we realized gun violence isn't someone else's problem," a woman's voice says. "Eventually, we all feel the impact."
The 30-second public service TV announcement is powerful. Given the gravity of the problem, it had to be. It's part of a larger campaign, to be launched at 1 p.m. Thursday at Discovery World, to motivate everyone in the greater Milwaukee area to get behind efforts to reduce gun violence. Then, the goal is to educate the community about local programs that already have shown success in reducing firearm violence and to motivate business, community leaders and others to fight this insidious problem by helping to provide jobs, funding and willingness to mentor kids at risk for being victims or perpetrators of violence.
Serve, a nonprofit advertising firm, helped put the One Milwaukee Gun Violence Campaign together with the Milwaukee County district attorney's office, the mayor's office and the Milwaukee Police Department. Impressive coalition. Compelling message. We hope it sinks in.

Today in WI History

2008-04-07T12:39:00.002-05:00

In 1846 Port Washington, Grafton, and Mequon had their first organizational town hall meetings on the first Tuesday of April, at 10:00AM.

My First Rifle Match

2008-04-07T10:59:00.003-05:00

My friend Brian invited me out to West Bend Barton Sportsmen's Club for a military rifle shoot yesterday. I recently join the Saukville Rifle and Pistol Club (more on that in a later post), so I was able to get out on Friday night to try and get my K-31 on paper, as I hadn't yet shot it, and I replaced the rear sight with a MOJO aperature unit.

I got it pretty well sighted in at 50 yards, and I was going to be shooting at 100yds Sunday, so I figured I'd be close enough. Oops. I freaked out a little bit when my first shot wasn't on paper, but I tweaked the sights a little bit and got lucky on my second sighting shot. The shoot consisted of four stages, each of ten rounds, with two sighting shots (they actually do you a favor and drop the lowest two scores):

1) Standing, no sling, slow fire (10 rounds in 8 minutes IIRC)

2) Sitting, w/ sling, rapid fire (B/c I'm shooting a bolt action I got two strings of 5 rounds here, 70 seconds each. Everyone with a semi-auto got 70 seconds for 10 rounds)

3) Prone, w/ sling, rapid fire. (10 rounds in 70 seconds. Again, I was able to do two strings of five each here.)

4) Prone, w/ sling, slow fire. (10 rounds in 8 minutes)

The first two are shot on a standard 100yd NRA high-power rifle target, the third stage was shot on a simulated 300yd target, and the fourth was shot on a 600yd simulated target.

My scores (give me a break, I'm new to this rifle thing):
1) 66
2) 71
3) 45
4) 42

So, a 224 out of a possible 400. Ironically, my best score was rapid fire sitting, where I forgot to use my sling as permitted, and instead just had it taught against the side of the rifle. I'm not so sure I would have done much better otherwise, though. Next month I'll do better, but I'll have to put some rounds downrange in the meantime. I just need to remember to take it slow and easy, and concentrate on getting my sight picture consistent.

You can take his gun now...

2008-04-06T16:34:00.003-05:00

A great loss for those who loved his work (I'm partial to his cameo in Wayne's World 2), and for the gun rights movement, Charleton Heston has died at the age of 84.

In a time where most of the idiots with a few dollars and an acting gig or two under their belts spout off about a plethora of issues they don't understand for nothing more than publicity, this was a man with convictions, who used his place of prominence in society to further a great cause in which he believed fully. I hope no one finds my title in poor taste; I think he would have chuckled, and I certainly do not mean to disparage the man.

Now, does anyone know where in his backyard he had his cache buried?

Some Good Guys Won!

2008-04-03T08:55:00.003-05:00

A day late and a few tax dollars short, but I wanted to announce that a few of the biggest races were decided in the favor of freedom-loving people everywhere. Mike Gableman won the Supreme Court seat; the first time an incumbent (Butler) has lost in over 40 years. Also, for an election for in which I was not voting (nor am I technically directly affected by), Scott Walker won another four years as Milwaukee County Executive. In an April Fool's Day election with horrible turnout (I saw 20% figures) at least the people with brains got out in high enough numbers to get favorable results.

The reason I feel the Milwaukee County Exec. is important, is that the worse things get in Milwaukee, the more denizens move out our way and bring the same liberal policies that destroyed the city to our suburbs. I've never been much for the "we were here first" attitude, but when that attitude means holding the line on government intervention in the people's affairs, then by all means. I was here first.

Local Ordnance Ordinance

2008-03-31T17:00:00.003-05:00

Whilst looking through my village website (Saukville, WI) to try and figure out what local positions, if any, were up for election April 1st, I came across an antiquated part of our municipal code:

140-2: No person except an authorized police officer shall discharge any firearm within the Village or have any firearm in his possession within the Village unless it is unloaded and knocked down and enclosed in a carrying case or other suitable container, provided that the Board may issue permits to an organized gun club to engage in target practice within the Village at times and places designated by the Chief of Police.

This is problematic because, in 1995, Wisconsin adopted a "preemption" law that forbids any subdivision of the State from enacting firearms laws which are more stringent than the current State statutes (with the exception of discharge). This is 66.0409 (it was 66.072 originally, and then later moved).

I know that the law is null and void at this point, but I hate sloppy government, so I am going to look into what it will take to get it removed from the code, as I do open carry around my house, and there is no exemption for the home.

The last thing I need is a police officer harassing me for violation of an illegal ordinance.

I'm a (sophisticated) HK Fanboy

2008-03-30T09:28:00.003-05:00

I posted this over in this thread, written by the gentleman of "Because you suck, and we hate you" H&K rant fame. I agree with the gentleman, and wanted to share my reasons for fanboyness:

Quick story on why I love my USP .45, and why it's no better or worse than other sidearms, but I'll always like it the best:

Ok, so about two years ago now I got married. I was living with my new wife for several months, and it had been bothering me that I had no firearms at all. The best I could do in a home invasion scenario was hope for the best.

"Hope is not a strategy."

So, when my brother-in-law approached me and asked "hey, didn't you say you wanted a H&K .45?" I said yes. Yes, but I could not afford one. He was surprised to find out the retail price on the gun, and then asked me what I could afford. I was lucky enough to get a 0 round count USP for $500 through private sale (it was a family friend's who was moving to an assisted living home and could no longer keep firearms).

Now, I had wanted a SS slide full-size USP .45 ever since playing Half Life 2 (though it was 9mm in the game, I wanted a good 'ol American cartridge). Yes, I am a video game geek. This was my favorite gun, from my favorite game, and I wanted to have one someday. It turned out to be the first gun I owned.

Now, I have not a drop of German blood in my veins, but the Italian and Irish mix evidentally set me up with the perfect hand to hold a full-size USP .45 with great comfort, and I happen to like the trigger on it (though I think I like a lot of SIGs better). It is a very pretty gun, I think, and not clumsy at all (*cough* Glock *cough*). I like where the controls are, and above all I LOVE THE MAGAZINE RELEASE. Paddle style is the best for me, and I HATE button type releases.

So, basically, I love my USP because I am a video game H&K fanboy. But I'm not the snobby kind that thinks their guns' smoke don't stink. There are upsides and downsides to all designs and manufacturers, and there are times when mythology and personal preference really can matter the most. Now, next on my dream list is a Barrett .50 or an old MP-44...

Bringing a Knife...

2008-03-23T08:09:00.004-05:00

...to the Proverbial Gunfight. Sheesh, Clayton even helps her out a bit and she still flops.

h/t to Dave Hardy

WI April 1 Election

2008-03-22T09:19:00.004-05:00

Okay, okay. For you out-of-staters, there are all sorts of jokes involved in the peculiar choice of dates for this election, but let's save those for the off-chance that the good guys lose elections. There are two major judgeships here in the Southeastern part of the state:

Court of Appeals, District II:
Bill Gleisner
Lisa Neubauer

Wisconsin Supreme Court:
Louis Butler
Michael Gableman

And here's my take:

Wisconsin Supreme Court:
Louis Butler was appointed to this position by our scoundrel of a governor, "Diamond Jim" Doyle, in 2004, after Justice Diane Sykes was given a federal appointment to the Seventh Circuit Court by President Bush. Justice Sykes had defeated Butler in the 1998 election after an appointment by then-governor Tommy Thompson. This defeat was a landslide, with Butler losing in all 72 counties, and earning only 34% of the vote. So, we have looked this man in the face before, and found him unworthy. It speaks volumes that our governor would appoint a man who had been so flatly rejected by his constituency. This man was involved in the destruction of our liability laws, including the ridiculous lead paint lawsuit (as if his appointment by Doyle wasn't enough to make him unfit for the job). This man needs to be removed from this bench before he is able to do any more damage.

Judge Gableman was appointed to the Burnett County Circuit Court in 2002 by then-governor McCallum, and promptly reaffirmed by the people there with 78% of the vote in the 2003 election. His background is that of a prosecutor and district attorney, and his record seems to indicate he's going to be very good about ruling in a constructionalist manner. Oh, and I signed his petition for consideration when I met him at a gun show. I did not have time to speak with him about Hamdan or Fischer, but I'd very much like to hear his opinions.

Conclusion: I'm voting for Gableman. In the coming years and months, we need a Supreme Court who will uphold our State Constitution, especially considering the possible firearms litigation in the fight for good carry-of-arms laws.

Court of Appeals, District II:
Lisa Neubauer. Goodness, where to start. She's a PoliSci major from UW Madison, which for those who don't know, is a worse bastion of socialist brainwashing than UC Berkley ever was in the 60s. So, she's been tainted goods from the start, but I'll go on. She was an "advisor" to Herbie Kohl on the Alito and Roberts nominations to SCOTUS. Kohl did not support Alito's nomination, and Mrs. Neubauer's contribution to that position is another mark against her. Now, they did support Robert's nomination, but Roberts isn't nearly as good an ally as Alito. We'll chalk that up to no points gained, none lost. She is endorsed by the Teamsters (yes, that is certainly a bad thing). Lastly on my brief list here, is she is married to the former head of the WI Democrat Party, and is supported by Doyle (she was actually appointed to her current judgeship by him). In the words of Monty Python, she is "right out."

Bill Gleisner quotes Chief Justice Roberts in his judicial philosophy, which appears to be adherence to Constitutional principles. He is a trial lawyer, which does raise questions about liability issues and the like, but so long as he means what he says about judicial restraint, it should be moot. His body of scholarly works include many pieces on the nuances of technology and the law (electronic surveillance, evidence gathering, and the like). Some of his supporters include judges that have made some pretty good decisions (insofar as gun rights and liability issues are concerned). I was hoping to see Noonan (Milwaukee Circuit Court) on that list, but Wagner (same court) was there.

Conclusions: This is, on its face, a tough one. Neubauer's closeness to Doyle is a pretty big turnoff to me, and she seems to be solidly supported by the normal liberal trash. I've heard Gleisner criticized for his background as a trial lawyer, but it seems that he shares that with Neubauer (her specialty was insurance litigation), so it's really a wash. Neubauer has no philosophy posted on her website (which means she's either hiding it or she doesn't have one; an appellate judge should have more conviction than a circuit court judge.), and if I am to believe Gleisner's, then he is my man. Gleisner has a larger body of scholarly work, and it is in a field that will be important in the coming years. Unless I dig something else up, I'm pulling the lever for Bill Gleisner.

Profile Update

2008-03-19T14:25:00.001-05:00

Well, almost a month late, but I just noticed my profile hadn't been changed since my birthday. I am now 27 years old.