Weapon vs. Firearm

I just spent some time over at the Main Line Sportsman's page, oglin' some right purty guns. While I did truly enjoy the post, he did manage to hit on one of my pet peeves (by no intent or fault of his own, of course).

Similar to the rampant Clip/Magazine misuse that also grinds me, I realize it's mostly semantics. I also realize that most of you military folks are too far gone to change at this point. However, it still trips somethin' in my brain when someone drops the "W" word in casual conversation. In my mind, a firearm is simply a tool... the user is the weapon. Nothin' more, nothin' less. Damn near anythin' can be used as a weapon (hammer, chainsaw, kitty litter, grandma's bra, etc), but not everythin' can be used as a firearm.

By rough definition, a weapon is somethin' used to injure, defeat, or destroy. Whereas, a firearm is defined as a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder. So there's no help there.

I reckon it all goes back to perception. With a lapdog media that gleefully blows everythin' outta proportion, "weapon" comes off as extremely abrasive and has thus been blessed with a much more negative connotation than necessary. I reckon that for the many non-gun ownin' folks out there that are indecisive on the whole gun issue, hearin' about "a law-abidin' citizen carryin' a weapon" sounds scarier than "a law-abidin' citizen carryin' a firearm".

Right now, we're in a very dangerous game of tug of war with our freedoms and liberties, and our foe is backed by the lapdog media, a lefty educational system and a fair amount of uniformed/misinformed voters. If we can use a simple change in the lingo to warm up the aforementioned indecisive non-gun owners in our favor, I reckon it's worth changin'. The liberal front ain't skeered to play games with words to put the ball in their court. Maybe it's time to start usin' their own strategies against 'em.

What do y'all think?

Armed napping

A mere 30 days until the Youth Spring Gobbler hunt, and the official start to my favorite time of year. Lord knows I can hardly wait. Y'all will probably get sick of me yammerin' about it 'till it finally gets here.

Spanky posted this the other day on the ol' Facebook, and I had a good chuckle. If I had a dollar for every minute of sleep I've gotten in the turkey woods over the years, I could probably afford to take a year off and do nothin' but turkey hunt.

Lost another one

Well, it was a long time comin', but I finally said goodbye to the V-Star.

I don't have any flesh and blood kids (that I know of), so my motorcycles and guns are my kids for now. And it pains me so to get rid of 'em, so I try not to.

I picked up the '02 Yamaha V-Star Classic in '06 or '07... I honestly don't remember exactly when. Since then, I've put over 31,000 miles on the clock and almost been killed a time or two on her. She was made for travelin', and I did a fair amount of that on her. Of all the adventures, I think her greatest came in 2008 on a 2,000-mile run with Hoagy's Heroes, of which the first 1,506 miles were done in just under 24 hours. She held her own with the Harley's and Gold Wings on that trip. A close second would have to be the trip that the girl and I took to Tennessee a few years back. We saw some right pretty sights on that trip, and the ol' bike done good with all the junk strapped down to 'er. She conquered the infamous Tail of the Dragon on that trip as well.

Here as of late though, I've been havin' some hip problems which made her considerably less comfortable to ride, and I found myself goin' for my KLR650 over the V-Star almost every time. And my Triumph, which is the apple of my eye, has been sittin' for two years now, waitin' for money to breath some new life back into her. With all that in mind, I reckoned it was time to thin out the herd.

Luckily, my buyer came in the form of one of my best friends and huntin' partners. Matthew has been droolin' over that bike since I first let him ride it a few years ago, so when I mentioned that I was thinkin' about sellin' it, he was on point. It took a while for all the pieces to fall into place on both our ends, but the deal was finally struck last week.

He came down to pick it up on Friday, and I ain't seem him that excited in quite awhile. So while I hated to say goodbye to her, I can rest assured that she'll have a damn good home, a few new fun parts and get the use and miles that she deserves.

Of course, it hurts a little less knowin' that I'll get to ride her again every once in a while...

Big Red rides again

Saturday was a very bittersweet day for my family.

The ancient but able '56 Seagrave once again hauled my family up York's West Market Street durin' the annual York St. Patrick's Day Parade, and for the third year in a row, won top honors for Best Antique Vehicle. Unlike last year, the weather was nice. A bit breezy, but in the upper 50's. As always, a good time was had by all. However, this year was the first that we had to do it without Grandpa.

I'm sure his Irish eyes were smilin' as he watched over us yesterday, and that made the win even sweeter.

Cousin Shane definitely has the best hand with the truck.

Grandpa's memorial to my aunts, Kathy and Susan.

Our memorial to Grandpa, courtesy of Shane's fiance, April.

Cousin Jen kicked ass on the detailin'.

Three generations on the back.

We had a lot of great feedback from the crowd!

Although us grandkids don't have the final say in anything, I sure hope that the truck is able to stay in the family. It was Grandpa's pride and joy, and many of us were able to enjoy some quality time with him and the truck. Seems like all those good memories come floodin' back every time I open up the garage and see the ol' beast.

Fun with beards

I enjoy havin' a beard, but not quite to the extent as others. This guy not only has an awesome beard, but too apparently much time on his hands as well. I'm too lazy to download/upload all the pictures, so I'll throw one down below, and y'all can check out the rest via the link above.

Don't be an asshole, and we'll get along just fine.

Liberal Rage Defined

My distaste of the liberal mindset ain't much of a secret, and this sums up why purty well. Courtesy of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children...

SIGNS OF LIBERAL SICKNESS

An obvious symptom of someone having an attack of liberal rage or “Liberalnoia” is their incoherent babbling. They will immediately and often violently set upon the person or thing that causes them outrage or offense. This is often accompanied by a high pitch screaming, or a shrill caterwauling and attempts to bully or otherwise intimidate others close by.

They often try to prevent people from exercising their rights and will go to great lengths to prevent the exercise of any speech they disagree with. Destruction of property is often associated with people suffering from “Liberalnoia”.

THE EFFECTS

Those afflicted by this syndrome can become unglued, paranoid, combative, hostile, and threatening. They are immune from reason or other attempts at rational communication or adult interaction. It’s often contagious and afflicts all sexes of the left as well as those over the age of maturity. Often seen in the professional educator class leading some researchers to believe that there may be a connection between liberal rage, “Liberalnoia” and the isolated, extended childhood environment of college.

While “Liberalnoia” is disproportionately associated with college campuses it is also know to appear at protest marches and gatherings where “Group Liberalnoia” can be identified by its trademark mob mentality. “Group Liberaloia” is the most extreme manifestation of the affliction and can be extremely dangerous. Severe property damage and injuries are often associated with “Group Liberalnoia”.

THE CURE

When encountering someone afflicted with “Liberalnoia” use extreme caution. They often act as if the rules of law and common decency don’t apply to them. They lash out both verbally and physically. Others silently suffering with their own undiagnosed “Liberalnoia” will come stridently to their defense. In fact they are enablers.

The only known cure for “Liberalnoia” is maturity combined with a strong dose of reality. At the point in time where the liberal finally realizes that life is indeed not fair, requires hard work, sacrifice and individual effort, nothing is guaranteed and failure is a possibility, the disease loses its grip on the individual.  Thinking becomes clearer and character is strengthened. However in the worst case scenario the person succumbs to the disease. At that point they usually end up as a college professor, DNC operative or bureaucrat in any one of the multitude of federal agencies plaguing or nation.

SIGNS OF LIBERAL SICKNESS
An obvious symptom of someone having an attack of liberal rage or “Liberalnoia” is their incoherent babbling. They will immediately and often violently set upon the person or thing that causes them outrage or offense. This is often accompanied by a high pitch screaming, or a shrill caterwauling and attempts to bully or otherwise intimidate others close by.
They often try to prevent people from exercising their rights and will go to great lengths to prevent the exercise of any speech they disagree with. Destruction of property is often associated with people suffering from “Liberalnoia”.
THE EFFECTS
Those afflicted by this syndrome can become unglued, paranoid, combative, hostile, and threatening. They are immune from reason or other attempts at rational communication or adult interaction. It’s often contagious and afflicts all sexes of the left as well as those over the age of maturity. Often seen in the professional educator class leading some researchers to believe that there may be a connection between liberal rage, “Liberalnoia” and the isolated, extended childhood environment of college.
While “Liberalnoia” is disproportionately associated with college campuses it is also know to appear at protest marches and gatherings where “Group Liberalnoia” can be identified by its trademark mob mentality. “Group Liberaloia” is the most extreme manifestation of the affliction and can be extremely dangerous. Severe property damage and injuries are often associated with “Group Liberalnoia”.
THE CURE
When encountering someone afflicted with “Liberalnoia” use extreme caution. They often act as if the rules of law and common decency don’t apply to them. They lash out both verbally and physically. Others silently suffering with their own undiagnosed “Liberalnoia” will come stridently to their defense. In fact they are enablers.
The only known cure for “Liberalnoia” is maturity combined with a strong dose of reality. At the point in time where the liberal finally realizes that life is indeed not fair, requires hard work, sacrifice and individual effort, nothing is guaranteed and failure is a possibility, the disease loses its grip on the individual.  Thinking becomes clearer and character is strengthened. However in the worst case scenario the person succumbs to the disease. At that point they usually end up as a college professor, DNC operative or bureaucrat in any one of the multitude of federal agencies plaguing or nation.
- See more at: http://misguidedchildren.com/politics/2014/03/liberal-rage-on-display-at-cali-college/16850?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=liberal-rage-on-display-at-cali-college#sthash.X5HuG5ZA.dpuf

SIGNS OF LIBERAL SICKNESS
An obvious symptom of someone having an attack of liberal rage or “Liberalnoia” is their incoherent babbling. They will immediately and often violently set upon the person or thing that causes them outrage or offense. This is often accompanied by a high pitch screaming, or a shrill caterwauling and attempts to bully or otherwise intimidate others close by.
They often try to prevent people from exercising their rights and will go to great lengths to prevent the exercise of any speech they disagree with. Destruction of property is often associated with people suffering from “Liberalnoia”.
THE EFFECTS
Those afflicted by this syndrome can become unglued, paranoid, combative, hostile, and threatening. They are immune from reason or other attempts at rational communication or adult interaction. It’s often contagious and afflicts all sexes of the left as well as those over the age of maturity. Often seen in the professional educator class leading some researchers to believe that there may be a connection between liberal rage, “Liberalnoia” and the isolated, extended childhood environment of college.
While “Liberalnoia” is disproportionately associated with college campuses it is also know to appear at protest marches and gatherings where “Group Liberalnoia” can be identified by its trademark mob mentality. “Group Liberaloia” is the most extreme manifestation of the affliction and can be extremely dangerous. Severe property damage and injuries are often associated with “Group Liberalnoia”.
THE CURE
When encountering someone afflicted with “Liberalnoia” use extreme caution. They often act as if the rules of law and common decency don’t apply to them. They lash out both verbally and physically. Others silently suffering with their own undiagnosed “Liberalnoia” will come stridently to their defense. In fact they are enablers.
The only known cure for “Liberalnoia” is maturity combined with a strong dose of reality. At the point in time where the liberal finally realizes that life is indeed not fair, requires hard work, sacrifice and individual effort, nothing is guaranteed and failure is a possibility, the disease loses its grip on the individual.  Thinking becomes clearer and character is strengthened. However in the worst case scenario the person succumbs to the disease. At that point they usually end up as a college professor, DNC operative or bureaucrat in any one of the multitude of federal agencies plaguing or nation.
- See more at: http://misguidedchildren.com/politics/2014/03/liberal-rage-on-display-at-cali-college/16850?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=liberal-rage-on-display-at-cali-college#sthash.X5HuG5ZA.dpuf

SIGNS OF LIBERAL SICKNESS
An obvious symptom of someone having an attack of liberal rage or “Liberalnoia” is their incoherent babbling. They will immediately and often violently set upon the person or thing that causes them outrage or offense. This is often accompanied by a high pitch screaming, or a shrill caterwauling and attempts to bully or otherwise intimidate others close by.
They often try to prevent people from exercising their rights and will go to great lengths to prevent the exercise of any speech they disagree with. Destruction of property is often associated with people suffering from “Liberalnoia”.
THE EFFECTS
Those afflicted by this syndrome can become unglued, paranoid, combative, hostile, and threatening. They are immune from reason or other attempts at rational communication or adult interaction. It’s often contagious and afflicts all sexes of the left as well as those over the age of maturity. Often seen in the professional educator class leading some researchers to believe that there may be a connection between liberal rage, “Liberalnoia” and the isolated, extended childhood environment of college.
While “Liberalnoia” is disproportionately associated with college campuses it is also know to appear at protest marches and gatherings where “Group Liberalnoia” can be identified by its trademark mob mentality. “Group Liberaloia” is the most extreme manifestation of the affliction and can be extremely dangerous. Severe property damage and injuries are often associated with “Group Liberalnoia”.
THE CURE
When encountering someone afflicted with “Liberalnoia” use extreme caution. They often act as if the rules of law and common decency don’t apply to them. They lash out both verbally and physically. Others silently suffering with their own undiagnosed “Liberalnoia” will come stridently to their defense. In fact they are enablers.
The only known cure for “Liberalnoia” is maturity combined with a strong dose of reality. At the point in time where the liberal finally realizes that life is indeed not fair, requires hard work, sacrifice and individual effort, nothing is guaranteed and failure is a possibility, the disease loses its grip on the individual.  Thinking becomes clearer and character is strengthened. However in the worst case scenario the person succumbs to the disease. At that point they usually end up as a college professor, DNC operative or bureaucrat in any one of the multitude of federal agencies plaguing or nation.
- See more at: http://misguidedchildren.com/politics/2014/03/liberal-rage-on-display-at-cali-college/16850?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=liberal-rage-on-display-at-cali-college#sthash.X5HuG5ZA.dpuf

SIGNS OF LIBERAL SICKNESS
An obvious symptom of someone having an attack of liberal rage or “Liberalnoia” is their incoherent babbling. They will immediately and often violently set upon the person or thing that causes them outrage or offense. This is often accompanied by a high pitch screaming, or a shrill caterwauling and attempts to bully or otherwise intimidate others close by.
They often try to prevent people from exercising their rights and will go to great lengths to prevent the exercise of any speech they disagree with. Destruction of property is often associated with people suffering from “Liberalnoia”.
THE EFFECTS
Those afflicted by this syndrome can become unglued, paranoid, combative, hostile, and threatening. They are immune from reason or other attempts at rational communication or adult interaction. It’s often contagious and afflicts all sexes of the left as well as those over the age of maturity. Often seen in the professional educator class leading some researchers to believe that there may be a connection between liberal rage, “Liberalnoia” and the isolated, extended childhood environment of college.
While “Liberalnoia” is disproportionately associated with college campuses it is also know to appear at protest marches and gatherings where “Group Liberalnoia” can be identified by its trademark mob mentality. “Group Liberaloia” is the most extreme manifestation of the affliction and can be extremely dangerous. Severe property damage and injuries are often associated with “Group Liberalnoia”.
THE CURE
When encountering someone afflicted with “Liberalnoia” use extreme caution. They often act as if the rules of law and common decency don’t apply to them. They lash out both verbally and physically. Others silently suffering with their own undiagnosed “Liberalnoia” will come stridently to their defense. In fact they are enablers.
The only known cure for “Liberalnoia” is maturity combined with a strong dose of reality. At the point in time where the liberal finally realizes that life is indeed not fair, requires hard work, sacrifice and individual effort, nothing is guaranteed and failure is a possibility, the disease loses its grip on the individual.  Thinking becomes clearer and character is strengthened. However in the worst case scenario the person succumbs to the disease. At that point they usually end up as a college professor, DNC operative or bureaucrat in any one of the multitude of federal agencies plaguing or nation.
- See more at: http://misguidedchildren.com/politics/2014/03/liberal-rage-on-display-at-cali-college/16850?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=liberal-rage-on-display-at-cali-college#sthash.X5HuG5ZA.dpuf

48 Days

I'm stuck in what seems like an endless cycle of work and runnin' around tryin' to be productive... not real conducive to generatin' blog fodder, much less havin' time to write about it.

So, I'll make myself happy with a reminder that it's just 48 short days until the youth Spring Gobbler hunt here in PA. And it seems like the weather's finally breakin', so hopefully they'll be gobblin' soon.

Redneck trinkets - Lucky Shot product review

So, a few weeks ago, I got an email from a gentleman who works for Lucky Shot. He asked me to review some products that they sell... bottle openers, pendants, and other trinkets that was comprised mostly of once-fired bullets and casings. Needless to say, my bullshit detector flipped into high gear right off the bat. However, I was intrigued enough to take a shot back to see exactly what I was dealin' with. I sent back an email with some questions, more to confirm that I wasn't dealin' with a robot or anythin' like that, and a few responses later, we were in business.

Sure enough, when I got back from the Great American Outdoor Show, there was a box waitin' for me. I was in a rush to get to bed that evenin', but I decided to pop the box open real quick and give everythin' a quick once-over.

I spent the next few days doin' nothin' but workin' and shovelin' snow, so I didn't get to look any further until a few days later. I finally got around to poppin' everyin' out of the package and checkin' it out.

I'm a sucker for magnum rounds, and it just so happened that I had a beer waitin' to be opened, so the .50 BMG bottle opener was the first to come out.. Sure enough, it cracked that beer open slick as a whistle.

 I've spent enough time around machine shops to know that cuttin' metal is a trick, and if it ain't done right, you'll wind up with metal shavin's in your fingers, and/or you'll cut the hell outta yourself on a sharp edge. The cut on these openers are exceptional, and the finish is clean. I wiggled my finger around in there for awhile...no cuts or shavin's.

I saw the same product made by a different company at Cabela's that weekend. The Lucky Shot version was not only cheaper, but definitely a better quality cut. It also survived Ron's annual Winterfest party, and Lord knows we cracked open a helluva lotta beer bottles with that thing up there. The cut got under the lids just fine, and at 5" in length, there was plenty of leverage.

Naturally, the .50 BMG opener spoiled us for the .308 keychain opener. The .308 has the same quality cut and finish, but with substantially less leverage, it took a little more push to do the job. Then again, it's purpose is completely different. It's more than sufficient for the occasional road beer, and beats the hell outta usin' my pocketknife as a pry bar with my index finger as a fulcrum. And, let's face it... it's a helluva lot more aesthetically pleasin' than the chunk of plastic that most keychain openers are made of.

The other two items sent were both paracord pendants, one in .308 with camo cord and one in .50 BMG with black cord. Both were made with what looks like poly 550 paracord with a double slide knot closure, which I like. Easy on, easy off, and a quick pull of the knots will adjust it to any size you like. I'll definitely be stealin' that closure idea for some of the stuff I make.

I'm used to wearin' a pendant anyway, so I swapped out my regular bear paw for the .50 BMG. I was initially worried about the thickness of the paracord and the weight of the bullet, but I hardly noticed it, and it carries well. Right off the bat, I noticed that there was a slight singe on the main part of the cord where the knot was finished at. Bein' that I work alot with paracord, I know how easy it is to do that. Still, I was surprised that Lucky Shot's QC didn't jump all over that and put it in a bargain bin. Of course, I didn't pay for it, so maybe I was gettiin' bargain bin stuff.

A little singe don't bother me none though, and it hasn't affected how it wears around the neck. It would likely only matter if you were usin' the cord in a survival situation. However, it's only about two feet of cord, and I don't anticipate needin' that little of it it in a survival situation, especially since there's usually eight feet braided around my wrist. I've been wearin' it the last few weeks, and the .50 BMG is definitely a conversation starter, especially with any of those military boys.

Since I can't wear two of 'em at the same time, I gave the .308 to Spanky to wear. I'm a paracord junky, but not enough so that I can tell the "good" stuff apart from the knockoff stuff. That said, the camo outer cord on the .308 pendant shriveled and twisted up on Spanky almost as soon as he jumped in the hot tub up at Winterfest. It still wears okay, but it now has a corkscrew effect to it. He had no problem wearin' it the rest of the weekend though. My only grievance with the .308 pendant was purely aesthetic. The thickness of the paracord overall seemed to make the bullet seem especially small. I think the .308 would benefit from a much thinner cord.

Overall, aside from a few minor issues with the paracord, the stuff that was sent to me was of overall good quality. I was especially impressed with the quality of the metal work. My personal favorite has to be the .50 BMG bottle opener, which now has a place of honor on top of the beer fridge.

I think Lucky Shot has a pretty good thing goin' on. Not only are they usin' recycled materials, their products are Made in the good ol' USofA, which is a nice change of pace in our country full of outsourced products. I think we all need to make a better effort to buy local products, and this stuff fits the bill.

They've got a lot more stuff that what I was sent though. If you are a redneck, gun nut, military junky or just a 2A supporter in general, head on over to their website and check out what all they have to offer.

Ditch the iPoo'd

Cut the cord and get 'em outside... Avoid a lotta problems that way.