Author: hsoi

Leave it alone

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Governing a large country
is like frying a small fish.
You spoil it with too much poking.

Center your country in the Tao
and evil will have no power.
Not that it isn’t there,
but you’ll be able to step out of its way.

Give evil nothing to oppose
and it will disappear by itself.

Tao Te Ching #60 – Translation by Stephen Mitchell

The important part is the first block. Think about it. What happens when you fry a small fish and you keep poking it? It falls apart. Or remember how your Mom told you to stop picking at that scab? And you didn’t, and what happened? It got worse, it got infected, it left a scar.

This country was founded upon “leave things alone.” Don’t tread on me. Stop interfering in people’s business. As Brian Enos said, “Freedom is letting things be.”

Why have we forgotten that?

When you remind people of that, why do so many resist it so much? Why is the response “Yeah but…”?

Life isn’t fair and no amount of effort, legislation, begging, praying, pleading, is going to make it fair. But the more you keep screwing around with things, the less you leave things alone and letting them work themselves out in a natural way (yes, that means being patient, even if it means it doesn’t happen in your lifetime), the more you’re going to risk screwing things up even more than they already might be.

Stop poking the fish.

Use it or lose it

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I’m constantly amazed at how long it takes to gain things, but how quickly they are lost.

Since I switched my martial arts study, I haven’t done any Kuk Sool work — I’ve barely thought about it. However I realized that I’m losing a few things. Not the mental knowledge, but the physical conditioning that Kuk Sool gave me. Granted, I’m using a different set of muscles and physical movements, so I’m gaining physical conditioning in other ways. But some of the losses I’m not liking. For instance, Kuk Sool did a lot of leg work. My current studies aren’t as heavy on leg work. Consequently, I’ve noticed my legs fading a bit.

So this morning after doing a bunch of kali stick work, I opted to run through all my Kuk Sool forms. Nothing intensive, but just something to feel the burn again.

And burn I felt. 🙂

My legs are aching a bit from all the low stance work, going in and out of low stances does work your leg muscles quite well. It also made me realize how part of my ankle rehab was coming from doing all of that work. Furthermore, my knees aren’t so happy these days, since they’re not getting the same level of use/strengthening. It’s all crazy.

So, I’m going to resolve to at least do a bunch of deep knee bends every day. Nothing major, just something to ensure I use it and don’t lose it. And I’ll keep doing my forms from time to time. It’s good for me. 🙂

I can has Nebraska carry now?

/ hsoi

Via Joe Huffman and the NRA’s news releases I find this welcome bit of news.

When Nebraska’s concealed handgun law went into effect back in 2006, there was no reciprocity. A lot of states, such as Texas, would recognize Nebraska’s permit, but Nebraska recognized no one elses. But now that LB 430 passed and just went into effect, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office just published a list of the states whose permits they will recognize.

Nebraska will now recognize Right-to-Carry permits from the following states:Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota (class one permit), Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming

In addition, permit holders from the following states will be able to carry in Nebraska, provided the permit holder is 21 or older: California, Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Dakota (class two permit), and Texas

The following states do not meet the standards required by Nebraska’s concealed handgun permit statute and are not valid in Nebraska: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Washington

Illinois and Wisconsin do not permit concealed handguns by law-abiding citizens.

In my case, so long as the permit holder is over the age of 21 (which I am), my permit will be honored in Nebraska.

Awesome.

Relevant to me since I have family there.

InSights Training Blog

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The InSights Training Center now has a blog. Just started up, but already has good stuff on it. InSights is a solid school. I’ve taken some courses from them and desire to take more of their courses.

Backing up? Go forward (sorta)!

/ hsoi / 8 Comments

Various gun bloggers are talking about this video:

The take-home? That’s how fast someone can come at you (Tueller Drill). Now, the video is IDPA and thus a game and you’re pretty much required to stand there and shoot. But in a real world self-defense situation, you don’t want to stand there and shoot. You want to move.

What bugs me a bit is a lot of folks are recommending that you back up.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not that good at running backwards, especially if I saw someone was coming at me at a high rate of speed with a gun or knife or somehow otherwise bent on hurting me. There’s no way I can run backwards as fast as they’re running forwards. I can’t see where I’m going and thus what I’m about to trip over. And tripping over your own feet is just likely enough and now you’re flat on your back or butt and at a massive disadvantage. Furthermore I know from empty-hand sparring, that going straight backwards does not give you any sort of chance of improving your situation. Your opponent is just going to bear down on you and you only delay getting whacked by a couple seconds — but you’re still getting whacked.

Better is to move off to the side. Let’s say you’re facing the attacker, and your facing forward is 12 o’clock. Going backwards would be 6 o’clock. The simplest thing to do would be to side-step to 3 or 9 o’clock. It’s not the best, but it’s better. Some would argue instead you should go backwards and to the side, so to a 7-8 o’clock or 4-5 o’clock position. Me, I’d argue differently.

I’d say go to 10-11 o’clock, or 1-2 o’clock.

Yes, go towards them. Well, somewhat towards them.

I learned this from InSights Training Center. What you do is make a “J-Hook” sort of run pattern. Allow me to draw a really crappy picture (tgace’s Tactical Preschool series inspired me to make a picture).

There you are at the bottom, attacker at the top coming at you. I drew it running to the left, but of course you can run it to the right as well. The key is to see the J-hook running pattern.

What does this do? Well, it gets you “off the X” and out of the direct line of attack. You do keep yourself far enough away that if they had some sort of contact weapon (knife, baseball bat, crowbar, etc.) that you’re still out of range (note: you can tighten the J and close distance, or expand the J to get away, depending upon your situation). You are moving forward and thus are moving in the manner our bodies are best suited for moving. But you are turning. What’s not shown in the simple diagram is that as you are moving in this manner you are still keeping your body (well, your gun) facing the opponent. You are on the advantage. The attacker now has to change direction and try to turn hard to keep up with you. It’s quite difficult. To really appreciate this, you need to get with a friend and try it. No need for any guns or training weapons, just use your fingers. Start facing each other at some distance apart (to start try 21′ apart, but experiment with different distances: start arms length apart, then when you start the next iteration take a step back from the prior starting point). Without any prior warning or “go” signal, one person should rush the other person and the other person should initiate the J-hook maneuver. Go to either side, you can even mimic drawing your gun if you wish. Make sure you try it as both attacker and defender so you can fully appreciate it.

Is this the be-all-end-all solution? Of course not. It’s just more fuel for Internet debate. 😉  But from my own sparring experience I know that backpeddling isn’t really a productive solution. You must put some sort of “off to the side” movement in there. At least you want the movement to get you out of the line of attack. Better, it also moves you to a more advantageous position. Best, it also reduces your opponents position. The J-hook really works that angle.

Updated: The InSights Training blog echos similar sentiments (of course, since that’s where I got the J-hook from). Also, I didn’t know InSights has a blog. I shall now follow it. 🙂

Updated 2: John Fogh @ InSights now has a specific entry on the J-Hook.

What it feels like to be a Libertarian

/ hsoi

Via John Stossel, an article from John Hasnas (Assoc. Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University) on What It Feels Like To Be A Libertarian.

Libertarians spend their lives accurately predicting the future effects of government policy. Their predictions are accurate because they are derived from Hayek’s insights into the limitations of human knowledge, from the recognition that the people who comprise the government respond to incentives just like anyone else and are not magically transformed to selfless agents of the good merely by accepting government employment, from the awareness that for government to provide a benefit to some, it must first take it from others, and from the knowledge that politicians cannot repeal the laws of economics. For the same reason, their predictions are usually negative and utterly inconsistent with the utopian wishful-thinking that lies at the heart of virtually all contemporary political advocacy. And because no one likes to hear that he cannot have his cake and eat it too or be told that his good intentions cannot be translated into reality either by waving a magic wand or by passing legislation, these predictions are greeted not merely with disbelief, but with derision.

It is human nature to want to shoot the messenger bearing unwelcome tidings. And so, for the sin of continually pointing out that the emperor has no clothes, libertarians are attacked as heartless bastards devoid of compassion for the less fortunate, despicable flacks for the rich or for business interests, unthinking dogmatists who place blind faith in the free market, or, at best, members of the lunatic fringe.

Call me a heartless bastard devoid of compassion, a despicable flack, an unthinking dogmatist, and perhaps even a member of the lunatic fringe. Call me a Libertarian. What is a Libertarian?

The core idea is simply stated, but profound and far-reaching in its implications. Libertarians believe that each person owns his own life and property, and has the right to make his own choices as to how he lives his life – as long as he simply respects the same right of others to do the same.

[…]

Libertarianism is thus the combination of liberty (the freedom to live your life in any peaceful way you choose), responsibility (the prohibition against the use of force against others, except in defense), and tolerance (honoring and respecting the peaceful choices of others).

Live and let live. The Golden Rule. The non-initiation of force.

Call us crazy….

Search term grab bag

/ hsoi

Let’s delve into the search terms and see what people are searching for now that wind them up here at my blog.

apple os x “snow leopard” gcc version

Technically, 4.2. However, there’s new stuff coming from Apple in terms of complier technology. Check out LLVM and Clang. This Ars Technica article on Snow Leopard has a good discussion of the compiler situation. Heck, the whole article is a good read regarding the real nuts and bolts of Snow Leopard.

contrast sights vs 3 dot sights

I believe contrast is good. Good shooting technique has you focusing on the front sight. Thus, things to help your eyes pick up the front sight are good. Furthermore eliminating things that can distract your eyes are also good. Thus, increasing the contrast between your front sight and the rear sight, between your front sight and your surroundings, IMHO these things are good.

That’s one reason I don’t like 3-dot sights. When you’re trying to quickly get a sight picture, now you have 3 dots to choose from, which is the front sight? If you’re moving fast it doesn’t take much to have the gun pointed slightly askew and actually having the front sight appear to the right or left. Or maybe the front sight doesn’t appear at all and you mentally ask yourself “is that the front sight?” You don’t need to waste time trying to determine “is that the front sight.” It should be definitive.

My current setup is using a set of Dawson Precision sights. The rear is just flat black, but very crisp, sharp, and no-glare. The front is a simple post, but has a red fiber optic insert to help draw my eye. The fiber isn’t used for aiming, just to make the front sight stand out so your eyes come to it. Otherwise, the sights act like any other notch-and-post type sights in terms of aiming.

a 9mm round is equal to what caliber

A 9mm Parabellum bullet is about a .36 caliber. Or maybe .35, depending how you round (.355″).

what does lswchp mean

Lead Semi Wad Cutter Hollow Point. A type of bullet.

is prvi partizan ammo safe in m1a?

I’ve used their .308 Winchester 168 grain match ammo in mine, and it’s been fine.

There’s nothing on the list that seems to say otherwise. My experiences with Prvi ammo have been good, and the reviews and comments I’ve read online have been generally positive about Prvi ammo in general. IMHO it’s not the best ammo in the world, but it’s good stuff and I have no aversion to shooting it in my guns.

where to store pistol home defense

I would say, where it’s handy to serve it’s purpose. I keep the dishwasher near the kitchen sink, because that’s where it’s most handy for its purpose. I keep the TV remote control by my La-Z-Boy recliner because that’s where it’s most handy for its purpose. I keep the toilet paper next to the toilet because that’s where it’s most handy for its purpose. Think about these examples. If the useful tool was not where you wanted it when you wanted it, what good would that be? Why do people store their remote controls up by the TV? If I wanted to get off my butt to change the channel, I wouldn’t have a remote control in the first place. 😉

But of course, you may have additional issues to consider, such as children in the home. I always liked Kathy Jackson’s take on things. Go read her stuff. No point in me duplicating it here.

Another possible issue is appearances. Depending who you are and/or where you live, to have a rack of guns openly about in the house may be no big deal, or it may be impermissible. You may have to consider other options.

When I think about where to store, my main concerns are access and safety. To ensure those who should get to it can get to it promptly when needed, and those you shouldn’t get to it can’t. And to be safe about it to ensure no one, save the one deserving it, gets hurt. But I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.

will a 9mm stop a person

A 9mm what? Oh, I’m sure they mean bullet.

If it’s placed correctly, yes it can.

.45 vs 9mm handgun difference

One shoots a .45 caliber bullet, the other a 9mm caliber bullet. Duh! 😉

3 dots on my nuts

I don’t want to know what that’s all about.

fingers hurts when typing

“Doctor, it hurts when I do this.”

“Don’t do that.”

best offensive gun

Now I admit, that’s a search term twist. Most people are always searching for the best defensive gun or other defense-related terms.

I would say that it doesn’t really matter. To be offensive or defensive depends more upon your mental state, your skills, your situation; that is, you. The gun, it’s just a lump of steel. It’s not the gun, it’s what you do with it.

Or maybe they don’t mean offensive as in “going on the attack.” Maybe they mean the best gun to offend someone with. I guess again it would depend. Paul Helmke, any gun. Carolyn McCarthy, any gun with a shoulder thing that goes up. For Xavier, he’s got a whole collection of ugly guns and shows them off every Sunday. For Charlton Heston, the one taken from his cold dead hands. For Ted Nugent, the one that caused him to miss that white-tailed deer. 🙂

Genetics in antler development

/ hsoi

From Texas Park and Wildlife, the role of genetics in antler development (of white-tailed deer).

There are 3 equally important factors that control antler development in white-tailed deer: nutrition, genetics, and age. Antler development is genetically based, environmentally influenced, and reaches its peak at maturity. The key to quality deer management is to remove those bucks which have the least desirable antler characteristics at an early age. Kerr WMA studies show that yearling antlers predict a buck’s antler quality at maturity. Kerr genetic studies indicate bucks with the best antlers will produce more progeny with exceptional antlers than will poorer bucks. The does influence antler production as well. Harvest of older does is important to insure younger does are products of better bucks. Habitat should be managed so that deer can achieve their greatest antler potential. There are no methods to “jump-start” a quality deer program.

Updated: Related article on nutrition (bottom line: want big antlers? feed ’em good, high protein). And on age.

Range time

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Slipped out to the local indoor gun range this morning.

First thing I noticed was all the new benchrests they had! All the old worn out crappy rests were gone and replaced by new ones. I figure they know hunting season is coming and they’ll have a lot of business from people zeroing rifles and needing rests. This was welcome, especially because that’s why I went today.

My goal was to get my Savage 11 set with a “zero” to be 1″ high at 100 yards. Looking at all the data, that should allow me to be within “minute of dead deer” from 0 to 200 yards without any problem. Zero at 100 yards would risk me being too low at 200 yards, and zero at 200 yards I think would have put me a little too high at 100 yards or less. So at least on paper, this should work for me. Thing is, I really wanted to go to a range with longer rifle ranges today but it just didn’t happen for various reasons. My hope then was if I got it 1″ high at 100 yards I could refine and ensure 200 yards at a later date.

I started using my Prvi Partizan .308 168 grain BTHP match ammo. I have tons of it and it’s far less expensive per round than my hunting load (the Federal Vital-Shok .308 165 grain Barnes TSX stuff, P308H). Use that to get me in the ballpark, then finalize it with the Prvi. I believed the rifle was set to 0 at 100 yards, so I knew I’d need to adjust a bit. Shot a few rounds, got things adjusted, and thought it was good enough to switch over to the Federal.

Loaded one round of Federal, shooting at the lower-left little target thing on the sighting-in target. Look through the spotting scope and I don’t see anything on the paper. Huh?!?!  I look around at the center of the target and counted 6 holes. But I only shot 5 Prvi on that target at the center. Is that saying my Federal was off that much? Loaded another round and shot at the center of the target. Sure enough, that one went way high and right. Wow. I know that loads can be different, but I did not expect that drastic of a difference. I only had 8 rounds of my hunting load left so I had to get things dialed in quickly. I managed to do so and think she’s there, but I’m not totally sure. It could have been the gun, it could have been the cheap scope, it could be the rounds, maybe the barrel was warm enough that it was throwing things off. I don’t know for sure.

So, I packed up and opted to head home. I’ll try again in the near future and only use the hunting load. See where that first cold-barrel shot lands and go from there.

Ultimately I really need to get going with reloading. One box (20 rounds) of the P308H is $45. Now that I’ve got a lot of good .308 brass and I’ve got a box of 50 .30 caliber Barnes TSX, man, it’ll be far cheaper to load it all myself (probably half the cost).

Anyway, it’ll be nice to get the rifle sighted in before the rush of everyone in the area cramming up the ranges trying to get sighted in. Plus we saw a bunch of hogs on the game cameras at the deer lease. Mmm… pork.