Month: April 2009

Speak up or stay quiet?

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

While out buying the Buck Mark, I actually did visit a couple stores. I knew where I would buy, but I also knew they wouldn’t have some other things so make a round to a couple stores and pick up the bits and pieces as I go along.

So there I am. At the store, and it didn’t matter which store… the experiences were essentially the same. Looking through the case cases, or waiting my turn, or just walking the aisle. I hear people talking. Unfortunately most of what I hear isn’t good. I hear less than ideal advice, I hear incorrect suggestions, I hear well-intentioned but wrong direction. Much of it coming from the sales guys. I cringe, but I keep my mouth shut.

Then I’m at the counter. I ask to see a gun. Guy pulls a gun out of the case, doesn’t check it to ensure it’s unloaded. I lost count of how many times the sales guy covered me with the muzzle (I’d side step and take other measures to avoid the muzzle). I grant they take solace in their company policy that the guns in the glass cases should be unloaded, but that’s still no excuse to violate rule #1 (be it Jeff Cooper’s rule 1 or NRA’s rule 1). I say nothing, just keep my awareness up.

On my drive home, I think about the things I heard, the things I experienced. I think to myself, should I have said something? When a sales guy is giving bad advice to someone, or one customer says something to another that’s wrong… should I speak up? I feel I shouldn’t because it’s not my conversation, I shouldn’t be eavesdropping (I’m not trying to listen, but you just can’t help but hear their conversations). They didn’t ask my opinion, why would they want to hear mine, and who am I in their eyes that they should care and heed what I have to say? Then with safety violations, should I ask the sales person not to cover me? Would it matter, because if they’re violating the rules, how is chastising/correcting them going to improve anything? Should I tell the manager? Would that matter because if he tolerates the behavior now, what would my complaint change? Furthermore, there’s only so many gun stores in town and I don’t feel like becoming known as “that guy” and having a difficult time getting good service.

I want to say something because it’s hard for me to watch such things going on around me. But social graces and a rationalized feeling of “it’s not going to improve anything” keep me quiet.

Should I bother?

New addition to the fold

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

Just got back from purchasing a Browning Buck Mark.

 

I’ve been wanting to buy a .22 semi-automatic pistol for various reasons, biggest of which is teaching. A firearm chambered in .22 LR is a great way to introduce people to shooting because it has almost no recoil, is fairly quiet, and is easy for almost anyone to operate. It’s a great way to start off. Of course, it’s great to stick with as well… it’s a lot of fun to shoot with one of these! I’ve been hum-hawing around, trying to figure out what to buy and finally settled on the Buck Mark.

You may notice I don’t have just a plain old Buck Mark… no… it’s got color accents! I know, this makes me less tacti-cool, but my daughter likes it so that’s good enough for me. 🙂 The reason I purchased this particular model? I called around to various stores to see if they had any Buck Marks in stock and if so what models. Of all the places I called, this was the only model in stock that did not have grips with finger grooves. Since this will be a trainer gun used by people with all sorts of hand sizes, finger grooves were not desired. Furthermore, this was the 2nd to least expensive of all the ones in stock (the least expensive was only $10 less but had finger grooves). Sure I could have bought another model, but why? I’d spend more money for the gun, then have to spend even more money to replace the grips. While the next model up did have a fiber optic front sight (which I would have liked), it was $50 more, and that’s almost the cost of 2 extra magazines (which I obtained as well). Besides, I kinda like the coloring. It’s a fun accent.

Just need to give it an initial cleaning, then gotta get some time to get to the range.

Updated: Can you dry fire a Buck Mark? I’ve been Googling and finding conflicting information regarding this, so I thought I’d call Browning and ask.

No, they do not recommend dry firing a Buck Mark, at least without something like a snap cap in place.

While I know that, in general, you shouldn’t dry fire a rimfire gun (on an empty chamber), there are some where this is OK (e.g. my Ruger 10/22, the manual explicitly says it’s OK to dry fire). So I wanted to know for sure one way or the other, gave Browning a call, and there we go. Don’t do it. 🙂

A positive message for kids and everyone

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Kuk Sool Won of St. Paul keeps a blog, and they just posted an entry about “A homeschooling perspective.” The posting, IMHO, doesn’t have much to do with homeschooling or martial arts, but it has a lot to present about life and good things to teach your kids (or even yourself).

Such a simple exchange, but I found it so moving. I’m so glad my son is getting these messages early from strong, compassionate teachers. You can keep going after you make a mistake. You can ask for help. You just have to keep practicing.

It reminds me a little of a story I read once about a famous modern-dance choreographer-I can’t remember which one now. Maybe Martha Graham? One of her dancers fell flat on her butt during a rehearsal and sat there with a stunned expression on her face, not moving, not getting up. The choreographer swooped over to the dancer and exhorted her, “Don’t stop now! Make it into something beautiful!”

 

Dan Bong drills

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

I wrote my piece On Dan Bong and completely forgot to mention something, so I’ll mention it now. 🙂

I have found dan bong to be a versatile weapon. Apart from some striking drills, e.g., the 12 angle drill I mentioned from Modern Arnis, what else can you do to explore dan bong?

Take whatever you know, put a dan bong in your hand, and see what you can do with what you already know. That’s a good place to start.

So what do I mean by that? Easiest way for me to explain is within the context and nomenclature of Kuk Sool.

Let’s take Maek Chi Ki. First, perform Maek Chi Ki as the empty-hand set that it is. Now, pick up your dan bong and perform Maek Chi Ki but instead of using your empty hand to strike, use the dan bong. Maek Chi Ki 1-3 would involve a normal “whipping strike” with the side of the tip. Maek Chi Ki 4 would involve a tip thrust into the armpit. Maek Chi Ki 6 could be a butt-end strike to the temple or an inverted tip strike to the temple. And so on. Ki Bohn Soo is a good place to start for locking and leverage applications.

Will every technique work exactly the same? Probably not. Some techniques may require a small modification, some techniques could have multiple approaches/interpretations, some may require you to invert the technique (e.g. performing it “other side/mirror image”), and some techniques may just flat out not work. But the point is to use existing knowledge as a foundation for exploring what you can do with a dan bong. Explore.

Home Depot kid workshops

/ hsoi

If you have kids and there’s a Home Depot near you, then the first Saturday of each month you can have some free fun with your kids by attending the Kids Workshop.

It’s a free workshop for kids ages 5-12. You get to assemble some sort of a kit, which varies from month to month… but think “birdhouse” sorts of things. A simple wood kit, a few nails, maybe some screws, and off you go. It’s free, it’s some fun with your kid(s), and yes… they might actually learn something (but don’t tell them that). The kits are not that difficult to put together, and you really won’t learn a lot of carpentry skills (so parents, don’t feel intimidated by the prospects of this activity). But you do have to learn to read directions, including matching all the kit parts to the instruction’s lists/pictures to ensure you have everything and have properly identified all the parts. Plus, you want to read all of the directions before starting, which is a good lesson to learn for successful projects. You learn how to hammer, maybe how to use a screwdriver, perhaps some sanding or gluing. It’s all simple and basic, but still some good things to learn.

And again, it’s fun. And most of all, it’s free. 🙂

Disney copy-paste

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

I’ve seen these Disney movies many times (I have kids!), and I noticed some of the similar/rehash stuff back when I was watching these over and over and over and over with my kids. This video did a great job of really showcasing it. While watching this video, what got me was the video’s juxtaposition really brings to light just how far they went with the copy/paste, down to the last detail.

(h/t to Fark)

Note, I don’t consider this a horrible thing, just interesting. I would like to know the story behind it because this was back in the days of traditional cell animation where you still had to draw… not like they could just re-render some CGI scene. How did they do it? What motivated them to do it (budget? stock actor films? homage to past films?).

Fanny Packs

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Call them what you want: fanny packs, man purses, I’ve heard almost every possible name for them. 

I think they’re great.

When I was a small child I watched my Dad’s daily ritual of going to his dresser in the morning, going to this special multi-compartment tray, and from each compartment loading up his clothing: money in this pocket, wallet in that pocket, checkbook here, put on the watch, keys, and whatever other things he kept in his pocket. Then in the evening he’d return home and empty everything back into the tray. Just one of those things a man did. So of course, as I was growing up and started carrying things in my pockets, I did a similar sort of ritual, but no cool tray. However as I got older, I also got lazier and would often just leave everything in the pockets of my jeans, so when I woke up the next morning I could just pull the jeans back on (provided they were still clean enough) and ta da… dressed and prepped all in one shot! Efficiency is intelligent laziness.

Still, I didn’t always care for this because often I’d want to carry more things and didn’t have a place for them. Or I might want to carry things that I didn’t want to crush (e.g., in my younger days I smoked cigarettes and wouldn’t want the pack to get crushed). Or just the simple fact that sometimes it’s annoying to carry heavy and/or sharp objects in your pockets (e.g.,keys). What to do? I think it was on a trip to New York City during my years in undergrad. I was seeing a bunch of bands and noticed all the crew guys and band members all wore these bags around their waists. One of the guys expounded upon how convenient it was to use them, so I tried it myself. Sure enough, it was a great thing. The main reason? Convenience. You can carry all of your stuff. All of your stuff is in one place, so when you’re in a hurry to get out the door, you just grab the bag and go.

For many years I wore a fanny pack. I could keep my keys, wallet, Leatherman, mobile phone, loose change, lip balm, and whatever else maybe needed carrying at the time. Just grab and go. My children even became conditioned to the sound of the “click” of the joining of the clasps of my bag to mean “Dad’s leaving”. The only problem with most fanny packs is they are cheap, so I wore out many of them, often having to replace them every year. This was always tough because I had a few rules about the bags:

  1. It must be leather. Nylon? Sorry, but no. I don’t care much about fashion, but nylon… no.
  2. It must be black.
  3. When wearing it, you do not wear it over your untucked shirt. 

And it’s difficult to find a well-made fanny pack that fits at least the first two criteria, and has enough space and utility to be of worth. Basically, it’s tough to be cool wearing one of these, but you can work to minimize how dorky you look. 😉

 

Then I entered into the world of guns, and you discover that fanny packs can be useful for carrying a concealed handgun. Unfortunately, most purpose-built holster-fanny-packs, IMHO, suck. First, most are nylon (violates rule 1), but at least most are black (hey… it’s not tacti-cool if it’s not black, right?). Second, most don’t look like fanny packs. Most look like some sort of odd-shaped compartment strapped to your waist. Third, they can be huge. They have to be large enough to hold a handgun, and so they often end up being larger than a lot of traditional packs. This is exacerbated if you wish to have your pack hold more than just the gun (e.g., hold keys, wallet, etc.)… now the pack will be even larger, even heavier. Furthermore, they may have to do odd things to be able to support the weight of a handgun (and perhaps anything extra you carry), such as reinforcement (most fanny packs are not stiff), or maybe a strap on the back of the pack that can loop around your belt, but how many “social” fanny packs do this? I have just not been impressed with the holster-packs on the market.

That said, I don’t think a fanny pack holster is without merit. It does allow you a way to carry, especially if there isn’t any other way. For example, to go jogging, to go to the gym (i.e., a place where you may be changing clothing). Riding a motorcycle, you can keep it in a handy location that isn’t obscured by a riding jacket and is still somewhat on your person. Women can have a difficult time finding a concealed carry solution because their bodies are just built differently than men (IWB carry usually just isn’t possible); a fanny pack can provide a solution. Another nice part about a fanny pack vs. other methods of off-body carry (e.g., daytimer, handbag, etc.) is the fanny pack is and should remain strapped to your body, thus you are less likely to forget it or leave it somewhere. Perhaps most importantly, a fanny pack can provide urban camouflage.

If you carry concealed, you want to do your best to blend in. I live in Austin, Texas, and due to the hippie scene, fanny packs are fairly common. In fact, this is perhaps an argument to violate the “leather/nylon” rule because you can go to REI and pick up some fanny packs for other purposes and may be able to carry a small gun with you on a back-country hike, where carrying in a IWB holster may be possible but may be uncomfortable. I still think a purpose-built holster fanny pack has advantages (e.g., many have a means to hold the gun secure, they provide fast and “correct” draw access), but your situation may dictate differently. You have to choose what is right to serve your needs.

Some argue that wearing a fanny pack screams that you have a gun. Well, maybe to other gun folk, but apparently not to the majority of the public. Again, in a place like Austin, no one blinks at a fanny pack. Or if you’re in a location heavy with tourists, maybe that rainbow nylon pack is just right. Key thing is, blend in with your surroundings.

In the end, a fanny pack is not a bad thing. Yes, some people hate them with a vengeance, but I’m a practical person and fanny packs provide a practical solution. They carry whatever gear you deem important to carry and keep it handy.

Texas 30.06

/ hsoi

If you live in Texas and have a concealed handgun license, you know that 30.06 not only refers to a rifle caliber, but it also refers to a particular section of the Texas Penal code.

texas3006.com is an informal but helpful website for keeping track of places that post 30.06 signs.

Windy day

/ hsoi

I wanted to go for a nice long motorcycle ride this morning. But again, we’re having heavy sustained winds and some wicked gusts. Just doesn’t make for the most enjoyable riding, so I’m opting to skip it.

In the spirit of making lemonade, I’ll see about going and flying a kite with the kids. I’m curious how the kite we bought at the Kite Festival can fly at higher altitudes… just couldn’t fly too much at the festival since it was so crowded.

In related windy day news, that momma duck and her ducklings are still coming around, however the day after my blog entry there were only 4 ducklings. 😦  Who knows. Hit by a car, taken by one of the many neighborhood cats, I’ve seen turtles in the pond take a duckling under. Such is life.

Sunday Metal – Monster Magnet

/ hsoi

I was working at WXJM as the Metal Director. An album comes in from the band “Monster Magnet” called “Spine of God”. The CD sleeve was rather sparse but had one standout line printed within: “It’s a Satanic drug thing, you wouldn’t understand.”  And thus describes Monster Magnet’s music and how they helped to bring the so-called genre of “stoner rock” to the masses.

Monster Magnet takes a nostalgic drug-fueled journey back to the 70’s. Overdriven fuzz-box guitars, psychedelia, and lyrical content that I guess would make a lot more sense if you took drugs by the truckload but yet still had an amazing poeticness even to the sober. Dave Wyndorf is the mainman and visionary force behind Monster Magnet, and over the years of his drug consumption, sexual overindulgence, and music writing, you can see how his life experiences become reflected in the trippy space rock outlet that is Monster Magnet.

Lyrical gems include: “Life is good, a rocket-sled utopia, a self-imposed myopia, you gotta love this pace. Life is fast, a million winners everyday; you tell me is this work or play? I’m never really sure.”.  “Some people go to bed with Lucifer, then cry when they don’t great the day with God.”.  “You’ll never find your pleasure if you worry about your pain.”  and my favorite: “I’m suckin’ up more karma than I need, so have a supernova on me.” That last line comes from the song “Facedown” from the album “Superjudge”, which is my favorite album from Monster Magnet.

When the record company was pushing “Spine of God” they offered me a chance to do a phone interview with Dave. I took up the offer and they gave me his home phone number and said to call him at this time on this date. I grabbed the nearest piece of scrap paper and scribbled down his phone number and the information. When it came time to do the interview, I called Dave and we spoke on the air for about 5 minutes. I spun some tracks off the album, and proceeded to continue to speak with Dave off-air… for about an hour. It was years ago and I don’t recall all that we spoke of, but I just remember at the time he was very cool and down to earth… he was talking with a complete stranger for an hour, so there had to be some level of friendly there. The other weekend when was I was overhauling my closet, I came across some of my mementos from my radio daze… one of which was that scrap of paper with Dave’s number on it. While lots of things got thrown out, I kept that scrap of paper.