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

A New Carry Gun...

OK, I've been wanting a small carry pistol that will just slip into the pocket of my short pants. I have been comparing the Kel-Tec P3AT and the Ruger LCP. Both .380 cal. Everything I have read said they are both good guns, but overall people seem to prefer the Ruger. I have a friend with an LCP, and I really liked that gun, and that's the one I really wanted.

I went to a gun show today and quickly scoped the place out. I saw two LCPs and several Kel-Tecs. The LCP I bought was new and the price was right. Before I got out of there I had two people ask me if it was for sale. I'm looking forward to shooting this little animal. I'll let you know how it goes. Click the pics to enlarge.

I got the quarter idea from Mark.

Dave

Rusty Old American Dream

The early 80’s. Modern guitar tones screamed out of my speakers. Eddie Van Halen was full of energy, rock radio stations were pumping out great tunes and live shows were adding fuel to the fire. I had to learn how to play like that. I struggled, but was persistent - using a cheap acoustic, a borrowed fender and a black Ibanez roadstar (which was my first electric six string). These training tools took up quite a few hours of my day for several years. It was not until around 1986 that I saved up enough cash to walk into a guitar shop and get what I considered to be my first real electric guitar. I rolled the dice and walked out with a brand new magenta-colored Ibanez Power 540. It had a small fast neck, full-floating Floyd Rose, and a hum-bucker bridge pickup that screamed almost as loud as the brighter-than-bright magenta finish. Mothers, lock up your daughters! I was ready to ROCK!

And rock I did. For several years, I played that thing for hours on end; learned cover songs; and played with any other guitar player that had the time. I played in several bands and at the top of my game ended up in a local, all original, 5-piece metal band. It was during this time that I met Dave and we have been friends ever since. But I digress...

I stopped playing the guitar once I started college but never sold it. Two years ago (2007), I pulled that guitar case out and opened ‘er up. Oh my! My heart sank. I had not opened the case in probably 12 years. Every metal part was rusted. I must have put it up after an all nighter of alcohol-inspired jamming. I wanted to play again. But that was obviously never going to happen.

Never say never… I decided that I would bring her back to life. I stripped off all the pieces that needed to be replaced and made sure that I was able to buy parts that would fit. I found resources for every part needed. As hard as it was to do, I took out the 80 grit sand paper and went at it. This photo represents the current state of my restoration project. I started last year and currently have sanded off all the paint and finish. My next goal will be to fill in the dents and scratches and get the body as smooth as possible. I plan to use this blog to document my progress. As a side note, the image also shows an ad representing the guitar and the color as it was originally.


Mark

Is that a GLOCK in your pocket?

Say hello to my new little friend. This little guy has been given the privilege of spending the rest of its life in my pants as my primary CCW. I was looking for a sub-compact carry weapon. Requirements were simple. Had to be small. Had to be able to hold up to the occasional drop, could not be bothered by pocket lint, sweat from the summer heat, the occasional soft drink mishap and most of all, I had to be able to shoot it safely and accurately.

It was small; it felt good in my hand and felt at home in my waistband. Given the fact that some get cleaned in the dishwasher, I did not think I had much to worry about with regards to the pocket lint or Coke spills. But most important was how well would it perform in my hands?

The first day at the range left me a little concerned because of the short grip. I had to tuck my pinky finger under the magazine. I did not feel like I had total control of the weapon. Subsequent range visits took care of that problem. It just took some getting used to. I have ordered a few magazine extensions and also a couple of G19 15-round magazines. I will find the perfect fit.

The image shows my G26 along with the first 10 rounds fired this morning. Using the standard 10-round mag, with pinky tucked, I was more than pleased with the results. I am starting to build up my confidence with this guy and can't wait to play around with the mag extensions. Once this is dialed in, my accuracy should improve and I can start thinking about adding some accessory BLING.

As a side note, you may notice that I claimed to fire 10 rounds but only 9 holes show in the target. The 1st shot was off. I covered it with the quarter. So the verdict is in; I am very happy with this purchase. This is the first Glock I have owned and I say "first" because I put the Glock 19 on the shortlist as a future holstered sidekick. After all, what good is a bulge in the pocket if you're all alone?

Mark