Month: January 2011

Exploring rum

/ hsoi / 5 Comments

Beer. Wine. Liquor.

I prefer beer.

Some years ago I was at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference, and over dinner with a few co-workers — one of whom was well-versed in wine — I started to try out wine in a more serious mode. I came to appreciate it, and since then certainly enjoy exploring the world of wine. I like going to local Texas wineries, some of which produce good stuff, and sampling the wares. Once the weather warms up, I’m wanting to do winery excursions with Wife… pick a local one, drive out, sample, explore, enjoy. Something for us to do together. BTW, there are some red wines that Costco/Kirkland produces… run in the $20-$30 range. I’m pleasantly surprised at their quality.

But I’m still not that into liquor. Oh sure, I like some good mixed drinks. Bloody Mary’s I dig. I can go with Kahlua and Cream. A good margarita on the rocks. And then a few years ago I tried a mojito and loved it. Then… there was the time I tried a martini. Sure, the gin smelled really good to the nose, but drinking it tasted like turpentine. I just can’t do the “sippin'” thing. Maybe I haven’t been properly schooled.

I blame the mojito tho. I really like it, but any time I try to get one made for me it always comes out terrible. So I figure, if I want satisfaction, I’ll have to do it myself. Plus, I’ve kinda always enjoyed rum-based drinks for whatever reason. A simple Rum & Coke is a wonderful thing. So I finally got off my duff and figured it’s time to explore rum.

Trouble was, I did it on a whim and without any proper research I had no idea what on the shelf to buy. No, not going to bother with Bacardi. But thankfully I had my iPhone with me and stood in the aisle and researched a bit. A lot of positive feedback came for Flor de Caña, so I thought to try it out. I picked up a fifth of their 4 year old gold. I found that mixed very nicely. Right now, my mixing is rather limited: Coke, orange juice, apple juice, or just having it neat or on the rocks. It was alright. I found it mixed nicely with the Coke.

Since this is about exploration, next time to the store I picked up 3 bottles: Captain Morgan, just the original variety; Flor de Caña’s 7 year (originally I wanted to try their 12 year, but the store didn’t have it… they had 18 but I figure let’s start with 7 and work my way up… especially given how expensive the 18 year was); and finally Appleton Estate V/X.  I’ve been trying them all in the same way, e.g. have them all in the same amounts with Coke, or with OJ or whatever.

The Flor 7 is probably the most “sippin'” of them all, but I just find myself not liking it. Maybe it’s my n00b palate. As if this writing, I haven’t mixed it much, but we’ll see. I was amazingly surprised to see how well the Captain Morgan blended in apple juice…. it was like they were made for each other. Fantastic taste.

But what hit me the most so far has been the Appleton. First, the smell of it stood out… way out. The scent of molasses really hit me, in a positive way. It smelled just delicious. But when I tried it straight, it was… harsh. As I let the burn die down, what was left on my tongue tho I really appreciated. I can’t describe it adequately enough, but I found myself going back and trying it again… and again. It was most interesting. And mixing it has turned out to be pleasant, and certainly it stands out differently in flavor from all others I’ve tried so far. Next up, I am going to try more Appleton, probably their Reserve…work my way up.

Anyways, it’s fun to explore what life has to offer. Don’t know where this journey will take me, but I’m sure it’ll be a fun one.

Updated: From a friend of mine, and recording it here in case I forget….

I recently discovered the Dark and Stormy. A cocktail with Ginger Beer, lime juice, and dark rum. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_’N’_Stormy) Really tasty. I recommend you give it a spin…

PS: Don’t waste the really good (ie: expensive) stuff on cocktails. You can get by with Whalers or Meyers.

It sounds good. I bet Spec’s will have good ginger beer’s.

Meyers is another I wish to try.

And for the record, I had some apple juice with the Appleton V/X. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t have that same “natural pairing” taste that the Capt. Morgan’s did.

GunVault fail… GunVault win.

/ hsoi

I have a GunVault safe. Multi-Deluxe.

A few nights ago it failed to open.

That’s not good.

Press the buttons, whirring noise, door doesn’t open. There’s even an FAQ on their website about it that says to contact tech support. So I called, left a phone message. Since then I use the key to open it and also kinda forgot about the issue because I’ve had other things distracting me.

I just got a callback. They know the problem. There’s a little steel cable inside the mechanism. Press the buttons, motor activates, pulls the cable which undoes the latch, and viola. Cable broke. I could see the cable. Google searching after the original phone call turned up a lot of this. It also turned up a lot of mixed reactions to how their customer service handled it.

Well, mine was OK. They said that some mechanisms can be repaired, some cannot. Something about some older ones being made by someone else that’s now out of business and they took all the schematics with them. Don’t hold me to that… phone call was a little bit ago and I’m distracted by other things right now. But I told the rep my serial number, he took my address, and a replacement will be shipped to me. Said when it gets here, there’ll be an RMA in the box, just box up the old unit and send it back. That was no fuss no muss! Well, one small fuss… the particular unit is backordered and it could be up to 4 weeks before I see it. So… I guess if I don’t see it by the end of February I’ll contact them again.

But hey, that’s good customer service.

But it also concerns me.

What if I needed access into the safe right then and there? Whirring is the last sound I want to hear. Failure to provide access when needed, that’s not even the last thing I want — that’s something I never want. That really bothers me. While I appreciate the customer service, I want to see what the replacement mechanism looks like. I hope it’s more robust, more stable, and not prone to such failure. Yeah sure all mechanical things fail, but this bugs me.

I’ve been looking at V-Line stuff for a while. I like it because it’s simple mechanical, no batteries, no electricity. I never liked how the GunVault’s pads worked… they are “squishy” feeling, and on more than enough occasions I hit them incorrectly because they are just sensitive. All ways to fumble and fail. I don’t like that, given the purpose and intent. The bummer with the V-Line tho is I really like how the GunVault accesses things… through a “side panel”. The V-Line has some “under the desk” stuff but it’s not the same nor as roomy. Heck, Karl’s a V-Line dealer.

Anyways, I’ll reserve making a decision until after I get the replacement unit.

Magpul iPhone case… not so impressed

/ hsoi

The rest of my Magpul goodies arrived yesterday, including that which I was most excited about: the iPhone case.

And… I’m disappointed.

I’m not really sure how much protection the case can give the phone, and no I wasn’t going to fling my phone around just to find out.

I’ve had one case that I can’t remember who made, a Speck ToughSkin, an xGear Nitrous Oxide, and now the Magpul case. Wife uses an OtterBox Defender. There’s no question the Defender is the toughest case giving an amazing amount of protection; my only gripes are the fact the screen protector is slightly above the screen so sometimes taps don’t take or you have to tap harder, and the little plastic part for the earpiece is uncomfortable to hold against my ear, but those are the tradeoffs for that high level of protection. The first case I had? I don’t remember who made it and that’s fine… it didn’t last long. The ToughSkin was certainly that; good protection, good grip, a little too rubbery so it was hard to slip in and out of a pocket, and eventually the little plastic frame cracked. The xGear has been alright… rather slippery and I’ve dropped my phone because of that more times that I care to count, but certainly it lands just fine and is protected. So far it’s really been the best case for the way I use and carry my phone.

And that’s the problem I’m feeling with the Magpul case. It’s just like a thin layer of their semi-flexible polymer that’s tightly stuck to the phone case. Sure, it’s going to protect from scratches and so on, but dropping on a hard surface? How much impact will it absorb? Furthermore, there’s no ridge around the frame of the phone’s screen to protect that in case it lands screen-down. Furthermore, I use those “film” screen protectors, and without any sort of case-lip over the edge of the screen, the protector’s edges are exposed and more likely to get pulled up. I do like the feel of the case: slick enough to slide in and out of a pocket, but still grippy enough to hold onto. The form factor is also extremely slim, barely changing the phone’s profile. And of course, it looks damn cool. 🙂

I guess I had it in my head that, being a Magpul, it was going to be a tough case. Maybe I like PMAG’s too much and figured it might be as tough as one of those. Maybe I slipped into fan-boi mode and went more for the cool factor than truly ensuring it was a solid case. Don’t know. Don’t care. I’m not upset I spent the money on it, and I am going to try it out for a bit to see how it works out. But I’m not getting rid of my xGear case yet.

SOTU 2011

/ hsoi

Just read the transcript of President Obama’s State of the Union address.

It’s typical of SOTU speeches, in tone, content, and delivery.

I’m happy to hear No Child Left Behind is being left behind, but let’s see if the replacement will truly be any better. More details needed.

Freeze domestic spending. Veto anything with earmarks. That sounds like a good start. Consolidating and cutting .gov programs and agencies. That should also lead to the loss of a lot of .gov jobs… not sure how he’ll swing that in a time where we want job growth, but again, let’s wait and see what the details will be like.

So, it’s a big sweeping speech, like SOTU’s are to be. Let’s see where it goes from here.

Female student attacked on UT campus

/ hsoi / 5 Comments

A female University of Texas student was attacked on campus: (h/t Robert)

On Wednesday around 12:30p.m., UT Police say a woman walking near the Jester West Dormitory area was attacked.

She told police someone wearing all black clothing had been following her.

Middle of the day, on campus.

“If you are trying to fight someone off take the bottom of your palm since it’s the hardest part of your hand and like get them right here under the nose and it shoves the nasal cavity back into the brain,” said UT student, Caitlin Clemenson.

“They teach you how to kick punch where to do it and they teach you about pepper spray,” said UT Student Cara Bessom.

You know what hits harder than your hand? You know what’s more effective at shoving body parts back into the brain?

A snub-nose revolver.

I don’t care what the martial arts guys tell you about a 90-lb. woman being able to defeat a determined 250-lb. man. Sorry, but physics and biology will win out here. Your kick, your punch… it means little to someone hell bent on raping you. Pepper spray? Sure it sucks, but people can fight through it.

Ladies, steel and lead are far more convincing.

1 in 4 American women will be assaulted in her lifetime. Every woman has a right to defend herself. Concealed carry reform now!

Support a woman’s right to self-defense. Support concealed carry on college campuses.

A little word substitution

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

Would you have the same outrage if this was about free speech?

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer is going to introduce “Common-Sense Concealed Firearms Act of 2011”.

Let’s take her press release and do a little word-substitution:

 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today announced that next week she will introduce the Common-Sense Speech Act of 2011, which would require all states that allow residents to speak in public to have minimum standards for granting permits.

Senator Boxer said, “The tragic events in Tucson earlier this month are a reminder of why we need common-sense speech laws. This measure will establish reasonable permitting standards for Americans who wish to speak. According to a recent poll, more than 60 percent of respondents believe there should be a reasonable permitting process for those who wish to speak.”

Senator Boxer’s legislation would require all states that allow residents to speak to establish permitting processes that would include meaningful consultation with local law enforcement authorities to determine whether the permit applicant is worthy of the public trust and has shown good cause to speak.

Currently, two states do not permit residents to speak, while three states, including Arizona, allow residents to speak in public without a permit. The other 45 states require residents to obtain permits to speak, but the majority of these states would not meet the standard set in this bill.

 

 

Words can be even more damaging than a gun, but if anyone tried the above, they’d be rode out on a rail.

Your 2A rights are what maintain your 1A rights. Lose your 2A rights and your 1A rights aren’t far behind.

 

Shooting tips from Julie Golob and Karl Rehn – acceptable sight picture

/ hsoi

From AccurateShooter, an interview with Julie Golob performed by Kelly Bachand (you may know him from the first season of “Top Shot”).

Here’s a good explanation of the concept of “acceptable sight picture”:

As [former IPSC National Champion Mike] Plaxco explained it, an acceptable sight picture is the degree to which you need to see your sights to make a good shot at X-distance. For instance, at 3 yards you only need to see a vague outline of the back of your slide superimposed on the target. At 10 yards, you need to see a rear sight and a front sight coarsely aligned. At 25 yards, you need a clear front sight in the rear sight’s notch, and at 50 yards you better have a perfect sight picture, the front sight clear and sharp, flush with the top of the front sight, with even gap on either side.

Brian Enos’ book Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals discusses this concept, as well as many other relevant topics.

Karl Rehn actually helped me with this. We had some discussion some time ago about how to improve your split times. One key was then later reinforced in a comment Karl made here on my blog.

 

re: speed. Try working the problem backwards. At 3 yards, set yourself a par time of 1 second. Start with gun pointed at target, finger on trigger, trigger prepped. Lean forward and grip the gun as hard as you can. On the go signal, pull the trigger 5 times as fast as you can. Don’t wait for any visual information. Just observe what you see as you are pulling the trigger as fast as you can. Then inspect your hits. If they are all in the A-Zone, then whatever you saw is all you need to see. If they are not all in the A-Zone, back off the par time to 1.25 sec, 1.5 sec.

At 3 yards you should be able to shoot 0.20-0.25 splits.

You can work at it and get down to 0.15 splits at 3 yards, but honestly once you get to 0.20 splits, your time is better spent moving back to 7 yards and finding out what you need at 7, 10, 15 etc.

 

 

The key is to “just shoot” and not worry about the sight picture. Of course, you must do it in a safe and controlled manner, but still just shoot. The point is that you shouldn’t try to have your eyes do the work, then shoot, but instead just shoot. Let the mechanics work themselves out. Then instead of your eyes being involved in the shooting process, your eyes are just observers… let them take in what’s going on with the gun and sights. This will help your brain to say “OK, I know mechanically we’re shooting a good Bill Drill, so this is what the eyes see when shooting that good Bill Drill”. Your brain will learn what’s acceptable.

 

Tom Givens on gun control

/ hsoi

If you support gun control, you need to read this article.

In light of the Arizona shootings, Tom Givens of Rangemaster articulates his thoughts on the matter. Tom discusses the laws and mechanisms already in place that could have kept Jared Loughner from purchasing a gun, but how no one with the authority to do anything did anything. He also touches on the topic of “high capacity” magazines.

Tom speaks with facts, with reason, and with data. He’s not about emotional appeal, he’s about what makes logical sense.