Cheap-Ass Whiskey

Who would have thought it? My whiskey of choice is Gentleman Jack. However, here lately, I've been trying out some cheaper alternatives given the state of the economy and my economic situation. I generally will drink Gentleman Jack straight, and mix anything else. I mixed a glass of Canadian Mist and Sprite, and was pleasantly surprised that it was very good. Granted, Canadian Mist is nasty straight, but if you do a 30/70 mix with Sprite, it's pretty damn good (30% Mist, 70% Sprite). Gotta tell ya, I enjoyed it.

Dave

"Sticky" Holster Review

I recently purchased the above holster for my Ruger LCP. It is an inside the pocket holster that is supposed to keep the gun from moving around and keep it upright. They call it “sticky” because it is made of a “special high-adhesion fabric” that makes it resist slipping around in your pocket.

I wear cargo shorts most of the time and like to carry in the side pocket. I thought this holster would be exactly what I needed…and it is. It works great. It does prevent the gun from sliding around, and keeps it upright. The way the outside of the holster grips the fabric inside my pocket makes it easy to draw the gun while the holster stays in place. I also like the fact that the holster covers the trigger since this gun has no safety.

If you have an LCP, and carry in the pocket, I would recommend this holster. They’re easy to find…just do an eBay search.

Dave

Fish Crack!

One of the many time-wasting hobbies I have is lure making. I use home made lures most of the time I'm wetting a line. This one in particular, is a balsa popper that out catches any store bought popper I have ever used. It is designed to be used with a popping-cork rig. The schooling Stripers, Hybrids, White bass, Spots and Large mouths go crazy over this thing. By far, the best original bait I have created. I am posting this in the middle of the summer because I am really getting the itch for the fall top-water bite.

Summer fishing is not my forte. But come fall, I will be stocked up and ready for battle.

Mark

Weak Knees...

North end of lake Eufaula on the Chattahoochee River - this part of the river is covered up with these guys. Bass fishing can be phenomenal but beaching the boat to take a leak aint gonna happen. Even though they look fat & happy, they are quick to let you know whose house this is. I believe a camera in the boat is bad luck but when I launch in gator land, I always have one with me.

There is a place on the lake called "The Witches Ditch" that is home to a 18ft. monster. Seeing this girl out of a 18 ft. bass boat sure puts things into perspective.

Mark

Impossible Odds

This is a 5 ft. Alligator Gar. Also referred to as trash fish by most respectable Bass anglers. About 20 of these guys were cruising the shallows. The temptation was too much. I threw in the Baby Torpedo top-water plug and faced the fact that I would probably never see that plug again. It took only 3 casts to get a taker.

He came up out of no where and hammered my offering. Took almost 5 minutes to delicately work him to the boat. While holding him on semi-slack line, I also managed a couple of photos. Seconds after this photo was taken, he threw my plug and retreated back into the safety of deeper water.

I won this battle. I got my plug back. I got the shot. On this day, I was da man!

Mark

A Thief In The Night

Could not figure out what was eating the bird seed during the night. I knew it could not be squirrels due to the fact that they aren't nocturnal. Last night the cats were going crazy. The bird feeder right outside our kitchen window was squeaking back and forth and this little thief was going to town at the all you can eat buffet. I grabbed my camera and through the glass I managed one decent shot.

Now that he has found it, I will need to leave it dry for a while. They are cute and fun to watch but they can carry diseases and will be mean and nasty if they loose their fear of man.

Mark

Perfect Saturday Evening...

How's this for a Saturday evening? Start out with grinding 100% whole grains into flour. Convert the flour into pizza dough. Add a base of home made pizza sauce, red onions, black olives, jalapeno peppers, pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms. Top it off with a nice combination of mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheeses. Wash it down with an ice cold Bud served in frozen mug. Kick back with a few more cold ones while the NASCAR Nationwide series takes place in Missouri. Finish with a Oliva Master Blends III.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Let's go racing boys!

Mark

New Favorite Cigar Day?

Could have been the low humidity evening. Could have been the ice cold Bud after a long stressful day. And it could be that I have found a new favorite cigar. This is the Carlos Torano Signature cigar. This is a medium-full bodied masterpiece. This is one of the most flavorful cigars I have had. Boasting a Brazilian Maduro wrapper, this is a very complex blend with changing character form start to finish. I do not want to crown this guy King just yet. I need to try him a few more times before I am willing to replace "The Edge" by Rocky Patel as being number 1 on my list.

Another fine cigar by Mr. Torano. Also on my list of favorites are his "Virtuoso", and the Exodus 1959.

Mark

Good. Damn Good!

A few months ago I had a conversation with a co-worker. We were discussing the current state of today's music. The question was asked... "What is it that you do not like about today's music?" I really couldn't put my finger on it. It had changed.

I pondered this question for several weeks. It was this week that I found the answer. Gone were the screaming solos that were so prevalent in "my" rock music. Gone was the originality that separated band from band. Gone was the excitement that could be felt through the recorded performances. It had changed; or had I?

On July 5th, 2009, the debut album from Chickenfoot showed up on iTunes. You want to know what is missing from today's music? Here it is. 100% pure, hard-pounding, organic Rock 'n' Roll. Joe "Satch" Satriani shows that the guitar can, and should be, center stage again. This stage is shared with Sammy Hagar on vocals, Anthony Michael holds up the low end of things and "the glue" keeping it all together is Chad Smith on drums.

Can't wait to see these guys live. I have been a fan of Joe since the "Not of this Earth" album but have never had the privilege of seeing him live. I am not gonna miss this opportunity. Our paths will cross this year!

Mark

The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly

The Good: I have to say, the Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm compact may just be the most comfortable pistol I have ever had in my hands. The gun comes with 3 different grip inserts for a custom fit depending on your hand size or preference. The medium size seems to fit me. The feel of this gun is solid and tight. It has had a diet of Federal premium, Wolf, UMC, and Blazer. Not a single fail to load, fail to fire or fail to eject. So far, so good...

The Bad: The one area that this gun and my other S&W could use some improvement in is the break-down process. With my hands, it is a pain to field strip. With practice, it is getting easier but S&W should really spend some extra R&D time with this. Glock gets it. The trigger. I do not like the trigger. It may be due to the fact that I am getting too accustomed to the Glock trigger pull. It is hard to say what I dislike about it but something about it bugs me.

The Ugly: I was informed by my wife that this is no longer my gun. She says it is hers now. I was told that I had to wash my hands before I even think about picking it up. All the cheap ammo had to be removed. She will be feeding it a strict diet of premium Federal Hollow Point rounds.

Mark

Thank You!

On July 3, 2009, I visited the National Infantry Museum at Ft. Benning Georgia. The museum opened on June 19, 2009. The entire experience was sobering. The main exhibit is entitled "The Last 100 Yards". This represents the fact that the Infantry always takes the last 100 yards in battle. As you walk the 100-yard exhibit, you experience 8 major battles from past to present. The atmosphere, the sounds, the video, the full scale figures, the tanks, the... It is all first class!

There are also separate exhibit halls on the upper and lower floors. After two visits I still have not been able to see all of the exhibits. But I plan several repeat visits to see it all.

To the men and women who have served in the infantry, I would like to say Thank You for going the last 100 yards.

Mark

Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms

Over the past year, I have been slowly working on a photo booth box. What started out as a simple cardboard box inspired by a photography forum post, has turned into a very over-engineered 30-pound wooden box. I am not a seasoned amateur photographer. I have not even reached the beginner level to be honest. But I do have an interest in photography. And I like to build things.

I took some sample shots today and the photo above is the best I could do. I can’t figure out how to get the background completely white. It may have something to do with my light source. I will continue tweaking the box and experimenting with lighting techniques. As my photography skills develop, I will post more photos here on the blog.

In the photo: A bottle of 80 proof Wild Turkey. A fine Kentucky Bourbon that is waiting for me to break the seal. The cigar is a Gurkha Titan. He has been hanging out in the humidor since March of this year. The Titan has become my annual birthday cigar and it was nice seeing the Smith & Wesson model 669 again. We have made plans to head to the range together in the next few days.

Mark

R.I.P. Steve McNair

Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was found dead in a Nashville condo yesterday. I was at a family cookout when I heard the news. As a Tennessean, and a Titans fan, I can say that while he had some minor brushes with the law, he did really seem to be a good guy. He did a lot of things in the community and came cross as being down-to-earth. I loved watching him play for the Titans, and he is leaving this life way too young. We don't know at this point the circumstances surrounding the murder, but it sounds like a murder/suicide based on what they are saying on the news. He had multiple gunshot wounds (including in the head), and the woman that was with him had 1 gunshot wound to the head.

He will be remembered for his toughness in the NFL and for being one of the most all-around athletic and talented players of the game. Click HERE to read more about him.

The above photo is believed to be in the public domain. If this is incorrect, please let us know.

Dave

Michael Jackson News

Is anyone else tired of this? Almost all news in the country seems to have shut down to concentrate on this guy. They spent years demonizing him (probably justifiably), but are doing the opposite now. Whatever...I'm sick of hearing about him. I mean really...let's put things in perspective.

Dave