31 January 2008
30 January 2008
What's life in the military like?
What's life in the military like? How do you prepare for it?
I got this from a friend, I don't know who wrote it, but it sure fits!
1. Sleep on a cot in the garage.
2. Replace the garage door with a curtain.
3. Six hours after you go to sleep, have your wife or girlfriend whip open the curtain, shine a flashlight in your eyes and mumble, "Sorry, wrong cot."
4. Renovate your bathroom. Hang a green plastic sheet down from the middle of your bathtub and move the shower head down to chest level. Keep four inches of soapy cold water on the floor. Stop cleaning the toilet and pee everywhere but in the toilet itself. Leave two to three sheets of toilet paper. Or for best effect, remove it altogether. For a more realistic deployed bathroom experience, stop using your bathroom and use a neighbor's. Choose a neighbor who lives at least a quarter mile away.
5. When you take showers, wear flip-flops and keep the lights off.
6. Every time there is a thunderstorm, go sit in a wobbly rocking chair and dump dirt on your head.
7. Put lube oil in your humidifier instead of water and set it on "HIGH" for that tactical generator smell.
8. Don't watch TV except for movies in the middle of the night. Have your family vote on which movie to watch and then show a different one.
9. Leave a lawnmower running in your living room 24 hours a day for proper noise level.
10. Have the paperboy give you a haircut.
11. Once a week, blow compressed air up through your chimney making sure the wind carries the soot across and on to your neighbor's house. Laugh at him when he curses you.
12. Buy a trash compactor and only use it once a week. Store up garbage in the other side of your bathtub.
13. Wake up every night at midnight and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a saltine cracker.
14. Make up your family menu a week ahead of time without looking in your food cabinets or refrigerator. Then serve some kind of meat in an unidentifiable sauce poured over noodles. Do this for every meal.
15. Set your alarm clock to go off at random times during the night. When it goes off, jump out of bed and get to the shower as fast as you can. Simulate there is no hot water by running out into your yard and breaking out the garden hose.
16. Once a month, take every major appliance completely apart and put it back together again.
17. Use 18 scoops of coffee per pot and allow it to sit for five or six hours before drinking.
18. Invite at least 185 people you don't really like because of their strange hygiene habits to come and visit for a couple of months. Exchange clothes with them.
19. Have a fluorescent lamp installed on the bottom of your coffee table and lie under it to read books.
20. Raise the thresholds and lower the top sills of your front and back doors so that you either trip over the threshold or hit your head on the sill every time you pass through one of them.
21. Keep a roll of toilet paper on your night stand and bring it to the bathroom with you. And bring your gun and a flashlight.
22. Go to the bathroom when you just have to pass gas, "just in case." Every time.
23. Announce to your family that they have mail, have them report to you as you stand outside your open garage door after supper and then say, "Sorry, it's for the other Smith."
24. Wash only 15 items of laundry per week. Roll up the semi-wet clean clothes in a ball. Place them in a cloth sack in the corner of the garage where the cat pees. After a week, unroll them and without ironing or removing the mildew, proudly wear them to professional meetings and family gatherings. Pretend you don't know what you look or smell like. Enthusiastically repeat the process for another week.
25. Go to the worst crime-infested place you can find, go heavily armed, wearing a flak jacket and a Kevlar helmet. Set up shop in a tent in a vacant lot. Announce to the residents that you are there to help them.
26. Eat a single M&M every Sunday and convince yourself it's for Malaria.
27. Demand each family member be limited to 10 minutes per week for a morale phone call. Enforce this with your teenage daughter.
28. Shoot a few bullet holes in the walls of your home for proper ambiance.
29. Sandbag the floor of your car to protect from mine blasts and fragmentation.
30. While traveling down roads in your car, stop at each overpass and culvert and inspect them for remotely detonated explosives before proceeding.
31. Fire off 50 cherry bombs simultaneously in your driveway at 3:00 a.m. When startled neighbors appear, tell them all is well, you are just registering mortars. Tell them plastic will make an acceptable substitute for their shattered windows.
32. Drink your milk and sodas warm.
33. Spread gravel throughout your house and yard.
34. Make your children clear their Supersoakers in a clearing barrel you placed outside the front door before they come in.
35. Make your family dig a survivability position with overhead cover in the backyard. Complain that the 4x4s are not 8 inches on center and make them rebuild it.
36. Continuously ask your spouse to allow you to go buy an M-Gator.
37. When your 5-year-old asks for a stick of gum, have him find the exact stick and flavor he wants on the Internet and print out the web page. Type up a Form 9 and staple the web page to the back. Submit the paperwork to your spouse for processing. After two weeks, give your son the gum.
38. Announce to your family that the dog is a vector for disease and shoot it. Throw the dog in a burn pit you dug in your neighbor's back yard.
39. Wait for the coldest/ hottest day of the year and announce to your family that there will be no heat/air conditioning that day so you can perform much needed maintenance on the heater/ air conditioner. Tell them you are doing this so they won't get cold/ hot.
40. Just when you think you're ready to resume a normal life, order yourself to repeat this process for another six months to simulate the next deployment you've been ordered to support.
Questions From Readers
Lately I’ve been getting lots of questions from readers via email.
I guess I should have thought of that before I posted my email address on my blog.
Many of the questions are in regards to living in Israel, specifically to guns.
I’ll try and answers as many of your questions as I can…
I carry a Glock17 in a Foubus pancake holster on my right hip. It’s comfortable, easy to get to sitting or standing, and extremely visible. My carry permit allows me to carry. Period!
No, if someone sees it you can loose your permit junk.
The laws here in Israel are extremely restrictive, but have some elements of common sense. All weapons are listed, registered and individually licensed. The Ministry of Interior is responsible for the licensing of weapons and Gun Shops. I applied for and was issued a carry permit back in the 1980’s when I was still on active IDF duty. Every 5 years I am required to pass a physical and mental health check, criminal background check, qualify at the range, and pay a renewal fee for my carry permit.
I do not have, and can’t get a backup pistol. Although I am a Reserve Office (Captain) and have a M16A1 military issue rifle that I have “signed out” from the military, for civil defense, I am still only allowed 1 handgun carry permit, for my single pistol.
Mrs. DoubleTapper has her own Glock 26. We are not allowed to carry each other’s pistols.
That’s it one pistol per person, very few exceptions. But if you aren’t crazy, a criminal, or too infirm to carry, you can apply and get a permit to carry.
Who carries weapons in Israel?
Servicemen and women, on duty and off, in uniform or not. Reservists, Cops, Ambulance Drivers, Firemen, Teachers, Security Guards, Businessmen, and anyone else that has a valid carry permit. Jews, Arabs, and Christians (and everyone else) all carry weapons.
Rifles are generally issued by the IDF and carried by Servicemen and Reservists, although if you live in an area deemed by the Government to be a high risk (that’s almost every small town in Israel today) you can be issued a rifle for civil defense.
I'll add some more posts answering your questions later...
Feel free to email me DoubleTapper (at) Gmail.com or leave a comment with any questions.
Tomorrow, I return home video
One of my readers sent me this video. It's a tribute to the IDF. It shows all of the branches in action.
Here are the lyrics:
A century has passed,
each hour is hard for me.
You have surely changed,
but I haven't closed my eyes.
This is the end of the journey
only you I'll want to see.
So I come to you,
with sharpened eyes
because I saw how resentment
takes me to a place
where people had lost it all.
Wait till I return, tomorrow I'll be home.
I'm through fixing the world, in a land of arguing.
Wait till I return, it's good to be home.
All were brothers in their blood,
The road back is beautiful.
I don't want to be a hero,
to you I wanted to tell how during the black light,
somebody watches over,
He hides between the clouds,
but leaves behind hope,
for days that are nicer, the days of love.
I don't want any more pain in the eyes,
this pain will be defeated in love.
Wait till I return, tomorrow I'll be home.
I'm through fixing the world, in a land of arguing.
Wait till I return, it's good to be home.
All were brothers in their blood,
The road back is beautiful.
And in Hebrew:
כבר עברו מאה שנה כל שעה קשה עלי
את ודאי לא ישנה לא עצמתי את עיני
זה סופו של המסע
רק אותך ארצה לראות
אז אלייך אני בא בעיניים לטושות
כי ראיתי איך טינה אותי לוקחת
למקום שבני אדם איבדו הכל
חכי לי שאחזור מחר אני בבית
נמאס לי לתקן עולם בארץ יריבה
חכי לי שאחזור טוב להיות בבית
כולם היו אחים בדם
יפה הדרך חזרה
לא רוצה להיות גיבור לך רציתי לספר
איך בלילה השחור מישהו שומר
הוא מסתתר בין עננים אבל משאיר לנו תקווה
לימים יותר יפים ימים של אהבה
לא רוצה יותר את הכאב שבעיניים
הכאב הזה יובס באהבה
חכי לי שאחזור מחר אני בבית
נמאס לי לתקן עולם בארץ יריבה
חכי לי שאחזור טוב להיות בבית
כולם היו אחים בדם
יפה הדרך חזרה
29 January 2008
28 January 2008
"Gun Control is just plain stupid!" "If a murderer has a gun, you better have one too!"
Jackie Mason calls himself The Ultimate Jew.
Hey Jackie, if you're The Ultimate Jew, what am I, chopped liver? You should come visit. We'll go shooting together in the Holyland!
He also says, "Gun Control is just plain stupid!"
Watch his video, it's worth your time.
"If a murderer has a gun, you better have one too!"
27 January 2008
One of the servicemen I know...
He wears a paratroopers uniform with brown Jump boots, polished to a mirror like shine. A Maroon beret, and Jump wings on his tunic. But he's not a paratrooper, and more often then not, he's not even in uniform. He's in a special unit like this one. And it only cost me a couple of Mrs. DoubleTapper's incredible Peanut butter swirl chocolate chip fudge brownies to get the inside information...
The IDF has special units tasked with going into some of the hottest beds of terrorism, to remove (or pick up for questioning) some of the baddest terrorists.
After having desert with this courageous warrior and hearing some of his experiences I had to post this video.
Turn the volume down, the narration is in Hebrew and doesn't really add anything to the video.
You can see some of the specialized training and short footage of actual missions.
In this second video you can see the specialized undercover work in action.
Let me know if you have any questions.
26 January 2008
71-year-old retired Marine Shoots 2 wanna-be robbers in Florida USA restaurant
Hattip to Argghh!!
A retired 71 year old United States Marine disrupted a robbery in progress when he shot two men who attempted to rob a Subway sandwich shop, fatally wounding one of them, police said.
According to local police, two armed men barged into the restaurant shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday, demanding money from the employee behind the counter. When they tried to force John Lovell, the only customer at the time, into the bathroom, he pulled out a licensed handgun and shot both men.
One was shot in the head and later died at the hospital. The other was shot in the chest and ran away, but police found him in hiding in some bushes nearby. Lovell, 71, was the lone customer at the time. Lovell was a pilot in the Marines, flying former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He later worked as a pilot for Pan Am and Delta.
A witness who was about to enter the Subway at the time said, "I think justice, you know, was served and a civilian was a hero for today."
24 January 2008
Terrorists Attack High School on Kibutz Near Jerusalem are Killed by Armed Civilians
Two terrorists were killed by armed civilians less than an hour ago after they infiltrated a high school in Kibbutz Kfar Etzion, south of Jerusalem.
The terrorists, armed with knives and possibly with a pistol, infiltrated the kibbutz and snuck into the Makor Haim High School.
The school was filled with more than 200 students.
The attack took place in the library when the two terrorists, dressed in black, burst into the room and ordered everyone to raise their hands and stand against the wall. The terrorists stabbed two students before their counselors were able to draw their personal handguns and kill the terrorists on the spot.
"The terrorists came inside and began stabbing students," a defense official said. Three students were injured, including two moderately. IDF sources hailed the student's counselors quick response. "This could have ended much worse," a source in the IDF Central Command said.
The terrorists entered the campus by cutting a hole is the security fence, apparently disabling the electronic alert system. Shaul Etzion, a Regional Council chairman arrived on the scene shortly after the incident and praised the students and their counselors, who showed "that Jews have no fear...of cowardly terrorists."
Related Post:
Armed Civilians might have prevented another massacre
23 January 2008
Just gotta get one!
It doesn't happen very often. But once in a blue moon, you're walking through a store...
You're minding your own business...
Not intending to spend any of your hard earned, government desubsidized (read TAXED) cash, then...
Whammo!
It's there on the shelf.
And you know there's no way you'll ever be able to leave the store without one.
Come Back With A Warrant Doormat, only $15.95 while supplies last!
21 January 2008
Cops and Guns
Everyone's used to images of cops with shotguns. Hattip to Steve for posting this picture.
I found this on online.
That's a lot of firepower for a traffic cop!
As long as we're on the subject of guns and motorcycles, does anyone have any recommendations as to how to carry my full sized M16A1 while riding my Yamaha XTZ660 Tenere?
It's kind of annoying when the flash suppressor drags on the ground!
20 January 2008
The making of the new Marine Corps commercial in NYC
The Marines have Landed in Times Square...and all over the USA for the filming of the new Marine Corps commercial.
Watch a few of the videos and see what the civilians say about the Marine Corps.
The commercial
"America's Marines" on location in San Francisco
"America's Marines" on location in Kentucky
"America's Marines" on location in the Grand Canyon
"America's Marines" on location in the Rocky Mountains
"America's Marines" on location in Rhode Island
Does anyone know who makes this scope?
I got one of these from a friend, who couldn't get it to work.
I figured it out (it requires a special battery) and am now in possession of a working active night vision scope.
The label is worn beyond recognition, the writing almost nonexistent. The lower tube holds a single AA sized 3.6 volt battery. The upper tube holds another of the same batteries and has an on-off-test rotary switch on the end.
The Eyepiece adjusts for eye relief and their are 2 adjustment points. One marked DN (DOWN) the other marked RT (RIGHT) is on the left side.
I cant find any other pictures on the scope online. This one is from Bolivia.
If you know who manufactures this scope or even what it's model number is please let me know.
DoubleTapper(at)gmail.com
19 January 2008
17 January 2008
Sierra Duce is on the LOOSE!
Every once in a while a video from Iraq come along that you've just gotta see!
Stop whatever you're doing and enjoy!
And remember, wear your seatbelt, don't run with scissors, and drink milk!
16 January 2008
Just Married! Congratulations to the entire Bin Laden family!!! or is it clan???
Omar Osama Bin Laden, (yes, son of al-Qaeda's very own Osama Bin Laden) is married!
Omar (age 26) son of Osama and Najwa, runs his own company in Jeddah is a contractor and also deals in large consignments of scrap metals, and has recently married Jane Felix-Browne (age 52), from Moulton, near Northwich in Cheshire UK.
According to online sources their mutual love of horses brought them together. She is his third wife, and he is her sixth husband.
Did anyone else just lose their appetite?
Toy guns too realistic?
Are toy guns too realistic? What do you think?
This is a custom Uzi, and it's no toy!
Jim's Gun Supply will customize almost any weapon for you.
Now, I know what you're thinking, but Mrs. DoubleTapper isn't really a big fan of the color pink...
But maybe next time I travel from the HolyLand I'll schedule a stop in Baraboo, WI and see what Jim's Gun Supply can do for her.
If you have any suggestions feel free to leave me a comment. Or you can send me an eMail at DoubleTapper AT Gmail.com
15 January 2008
Just a few more Israeli Weapons for your viewing pleasure
Tavor Tar 21 Test
Tavor Tar 21 Test
Tavor Tar 21 Test
Galil Assault Rifle
Galil Assault Rifle
NEGEV Light Machine Gun
Jericho 9.mm Handgun
Jericho Handgun
Terror Training Camp in Pendleton, CA USA
Run a terrorism and counter-insurgency course?
You'll need to be able to teach classes on: Islamic names and kunyas, radical Islam religions, selection and logistics of getting to a terrorist training camp, salat, and its role in the camps, roots of the global movement, inside al-Qaeda and their 11 year war, cell recruitment and internal security, evolution of Jihadists, targeted assassinations, historic attacks in the Middle-East, background behind the 2005 London bombings, Arab society and mindset, suicide bombings and attacks, and lessons learned from over 30 years of terrorism.
The US government is looking for a contractor to setup and run a Terror Training Camp.
From: Https://www.neco.navy.mil/upload/M00681/M0068108T0027SOW_Anti_Terrorism_Training.doc
1. Contractor will be required to develop and conduct a course on terrorism that at a minimum will provide training in all aspects addressed in this Statement of Work. Length of course shall be 6 days with the course to be conducted at Camp Pendleton, CA. Required number of personnel attending the course will be 33 Marines with intelligence and infantry MOS’ for 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. Course to be conducted should be designed to replicate operational methodology, terrorism recruitment and training techniques, support cells and financing means in order to better prepare students to fight the War on Terror. Course of instruction should look towards placing students into simulated terrorist cells in order to receive insight into the mindset and rationale of the terrorist through hands-on experience. Cells shall be comprised of approximately eight to ten students per cell with an assigned instructor per cell. Instructors shall have strong backgrounds in unconventional warfare, terrorism and insurgency. For instructions and presentations addressing terrorism, Contractor shall provide personnel who are high-level experts in their field (CIA, FBI, SOF, or extensive experience, etc.) Contractor will be required to provide resumes for all instructors and personnel providing instructions/presentations throughout the course.2. Within each terrorist cell, students should be assigned functions that they will role play throughout the week. Cell Adviser should be immersed with the cell throughout training and provide insight and guidance as the cell plans and executes terrorist planning and attacks. The primary focus of the instruction should be on the six stage Target Attack Cycle; (1) target selection, (2) planning, (3) deployment, (4) attack, (5) escape, and (6) exploitation. Cells should conduct casing, surveillance, planning, and logistics to execute the following types of operations: ambushes, IED attacks, assassinations from nontraditional vehicles, dealing with black-marketeers, customs within a camp (including salat), kidnapping, military council briefing, and other exercises.
3. During the course students should be exposed to worldwide terrorist ideology specifically: Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. In addition to operational planning exercises, Contractor should present lessons on: Islamic names and kunyas, radical Islam religions, selection and logistics of getting to a terrorist training camp, salat, and its role in the camps, roots of the global movement, inside al-Qaeda and their 11 year war, cell recruitment and internal security, evolution of Jihadists, targeted assassinations, historic attacks in the Middle-East, background behind the 2005 London bombings, Arab society and mindset, suicide bombings and attacks, and lessons learned from over 30 years of terrorism.
4. In addition, the course should replicate the customs and culture that would take place in a terrorist training camp, to include training at a remote location and serving a Middle Eastern meal. Students should be provided with
traditional salwar kameezes and shimaghs during the course and sleep on cots in tents. (each cell in a different tent).
5. In addition, the Contractor will provide a two hour period of instruction on the terrorist operational cycle to the Officers and Staff Non-Commissioned Officers of the Battalion.
6. Cost of the course to include salwar kameezes, shimaghs, speaker fees, course handbooks, and relevant books and reading material.
7. Instruction and practical application of skills learned will be executed aboard Camp Pendleton.
8. Training is to be conducted 21-26 January 2008.
14 January 2008
Weapons Silencers
I've always been fascinated by silencers. Steve did a writeup here.
At a funeral I attended during the 2006 Lebanon War I noticed there were lots of servicemen who came to pay their last respects -- except at this funeral, many of them were wounded and bandaged. One in particular caught my eye -- he was wounded in his neck and arm, and I could tell from his Uzi (and silencer) that he was from one of those "elite" units you read about that did a lot of the house to house fighting in Lebanon.
Here is a closeup of the silenced Uzi (from the net)
And no blogposting would be complete without a video of the tools in action. I've included an IDF training video. The UZI is shown briefly during an anti-terror exercise.
In the IDF reserves, as members of our community's Anti-Terror Rapid Reaction Force, we train at the same facility shown in the video.
For those of you that have not had the pleasure, the silenced Uzi is really quiet and once you get used to the open bolt, a treat to shoot. In this video you can hear the other weapons alongside the Uzi.
13 January 2008
If Everone Had A Gun, All Things Would Be Equal
Taking guns away from law abiding citizens has never reduced crime.
Leave me a comment and let me know if you agree or not.
A drill instructor in the National Guard convicted in a Wisconsin federal court of illegally transferring a "machine gun"
Hattip to Len Savage
Mr. Olofson, a Drill Instructor in the National Guard, was asked by Robert Kiernicki to teach him how to shoot a firearm. Olofson did and from time to time would let Mr. Kiernicki borrow his oldest AR-15 , go to a public range and target practice. He always returned the firearm and on his third time at the range after 120 rounds down range the rifle sputtered three times and jammed. The Law enforcement on the range swept in...
The rifle in question seized now by the ATF; It was sent to Firearm Technology Branch (FTB), the testing Arm of the BATFE. They examined and test fired the rifle; then declared it to be "just a rifle". You would think it would all be resolved at this point, this was merely the beginning. The Special Agent in Charge Jody Keeku asked FTB to re-test the firearm and this time use soft primered commercial ammunition.
FTB has no standardized testing procedures, in fact it has no written procedures at all for testing firearms. They had no standard to stick to, and gleefully tried again. The results this time..."a Machinegun". ATF with a self admitted 50% error rate pursued an indictment and Mr. Olofson was charged with "Unlawful transfer of a machinegun". Not possession, not even Robert Kiernicki was charged with possession (who actually possessed the rifle), though the ATF paid Mr. Kiernicki "an undisclosed amount of money" to testify against Mr. Olofson at trial.
At the same time Mr. Olofson was being charged with "Unlawful Transfer" because the rifle malfunctioned and had a M-16 trigger, disconnector, and hammer; calling it an AR-15 with M-16 trigger parts (not the parts that make a machinegun). The ATF removed "a machinegun" from the NFRTR or NFA registry, claiming it was an AR-15 with M-16 parts, therefore NOT "a machinegun". I have the documents, I can prove this.
The court was never shown this information. When Mr. Olofson's Attorneys requested the court compel the ATF to provide this and other documents that proved his innocence to the court. The ATF Chief Counsel's Office told the court the documents contained tax information (federal excise tax stamp for $200) and the court was prohibited from seeing them. All documents were kept secret from the Honorable Judge Clevert and the rest of the court. Even the letter from the ATF to the manufacturer of Mr. Olofson's rifle from 1986, which mandated a "safety recall" due to the rifle going "full auto" if it malfunctioned. ATF Chief Counsel told AUSA Haanstad, who then told the court "The Court will have take our word, that the documents in question contain tax information and contain no exculpatory evidence".
It gets even worse...
AUSA Haanstad claimed the law does not exempt a malfunction. He claims that it states "any weapon that shoots more than once without manual reloading, per function of the trigger is a machinegun". To clarify when I was on the stand, I asked him "Are you saying if I take my Great Granddaddy's double barrel out and I pull one trigger and both barrels go off, its a machinegun?". He went back to the law (United States Code, Section 5845 (b)), and claims "any weapon that shoots..."
If your semiautomatic rifle breaks or malfunctions your are now subject to prosecution. That is now a sad FACT. I guess we know now what Senator Kennedy meant when he said he looked forward to working with Mike Sullivan on Gun control issues, after his committee approved him for full Senate vote.
To those in the sporting culture who have derided "black guns" and so called "assault weapons"; Your double barreled shotgun is now next up to be seized and you could possibly be prosecuted if the ATF can get it to "fire more than once".
Hey, but don't worry. The people testing it have no procedures in writing and the testing will be in secret. Also if you know of information that proves YOUR innocence, maybe the ATF won't claim that it's tax information at your trial and prevent YOUR judge from viewing it.
Are you next up on the menu?
Len Savage-President
Historic Arms LLC
12 January 2008
Frigday Night Dinner at the DoubleTapper's Sabbath Table
Friday evening in synagogue I ran into a few of my neighbors kids home on weekend furlough. Being as their parents get first crack at them for dinner (they don't get to see their boys for weeks at a time), I invited them to pop in at the DoubleTapper's Sabbath table for some delicious dessert and conversation.
We ate, swapped stories and they filled me in on the latest insider info. I won't go into detail, as most of what they do is classified, but suffice to say that dessert with IDF's commandos is always a good way to spend a quiet Sabbath evening. They told me of the latest Hand-2-hand combat training, shoot houses, weapons practice, and more.
I'm posting a loosely related video here for you to get an idea of who grows up in a typical suburban Israeli neighborhood.
I will say that when you screw up in the IDF they're still as creative as they were in my day at punishments. I got to retell my experience of digging a cubic meter grave for the piece of paper with my infraction written on it. The "Infraction Funeral" took place at first light, after a grueling night of sprints, crawling through the desert, and digging with a tiny field shovel.
Ah memories...
10 January 2008
Video - According to the United Nations "Guns are the Root of All Evil"
I couldn't even begin to explain how a video like this make me feel. After all, I do live in the only Jewish country in the world. Most of the worlds holocaust survivors live here and Israel is the fourth largest arms manufacturer in the world.
Traditional Jewish Wedding (with guns)
I just got back from one of my neighbor's kids wedding. It's always a crap-shoot accepting wedding invitations. You never know who they're going to seat you with, what they'll serve for the meal, or if you'll be in the mood for festivities after RSVPing months in advance.
At a Jewish wedding the music traditional, the dancing is separate (men and women dance on separate dance floors) and they are usually fairly predictable. The Wedding hall was a 45 minute drive away. The live band was Ok, the food was decent, but what made the evening was as follows...
After the marriage ceremony, as we were getting ready to take our seats for the meal, up walks Alex Metz, back from the filming of the Israeli version of the reality show Survivor. Alex, a former elite commando in the IDF, is 47 years old, 6'2", in incredible shape and is a full time personal trainer and survivalist.
He shook my hand with his powerful grip and said, "I'm glad that you're here. I feel much safer now". I told him, "If I'd have know you were coming, I might not have carried all 85 rounds of ammo for my Glock this evening." We both laughed and started talking workouts, guns and politics. Mrs. DoubleTapper rolled her eyes. She had left her Glock 26 at home for the evening, as her Fobus holster didn't match her evening ware, and may have felt a little left out of the conversation.
Unfortunately I didn't have a camera, so I found this picture on line.Mrs. DoubleTapper was not amused when the rest of our local counter terror team showed up and began checking out the M4. Later, when the M4's owner came to reclaim his weapon I asked him about the new scope and found out that it had just been issued today. Missing from the M4 were iron sights, a laser sight, and a bunch of other stuff that comes standard issue with the new Tavor.
There are hoards of accessories available for the M4/M16. Let me know what you've tried and what works for you.
All in all it turned out to be a relatively fun evening and definitely worth blogging about.
L'Chaim and Mazal Tov to the bride and groom.08 January 2008
Assault Weapons Blamed Again
Living in Israel, where all guns are regulated equally, reinforces the ridiculousness of the basic American Media premise that gun related crime is the fault of the gun. In my neighborhood there are few unlicensed gun carrying adults and there have been NO reported gun related crimes of any kind. "Assault Weapons" are the favorite whipping boy of the media.
What is an assault weapon anyway?
Glossary:
- ASSAULT WEAPON
Any weapon used in an assault (see WEAPON and ASSAULT).
- ASSAULT
A crime of violence against another person. Assault refers to the threat of violence caused by an immediate show of force. Assault is often defined to include not only violence, but any physical contact with another person without their consent (i.e. Pushing, Slapping, Hitting, and Spitting)
- WEAPON
Webster defines it as "an instrument of offensive or defensive combat." Thus an automobile, baseball bat, bottle, chair, firearm, fist, pen knife or shovel is a "weapon," if so used.
Only a few days left to vote for American Hero Award
If you haven't had a chance to vote for the American Hero Award or just want to read their stories...
http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/hero_vote.html
07 January 2008
LT G's running Army translator
Hat Tip to LT G for the Military Jargon Translator from the new http://kaboomwarjournal.blogspot.com/
For those of you that don't speak grunting acronym:Ranks:
- PVT, PV2- Private
- PFC- Private First Class
- SPC- Specialist
- CPL- Corporal
- SGT- Sergeant
- SSG- Staff Sergeant
- SFC- Sergeant First Class
- MSG- Master Sergeant
- 1SG- First Sergant
- SGM- Sergeant Major
- 2LT- Second Lieutenant
- 1LT- First Lieutenant
- CPT- Captain
- MAJ- Major
- LTC- Lieutenant Colonel
- COL- Colonel
- GEN- Stars, stars, and more stars
Acronyms:
- OPSEC- Operational Security
- PLT- Platoon
- OP- Observation Post
- PL- Platoon Leader
- PSG- Platoon Sergeant
- CO- Commanding Officer; Company/Troop Commander
- FOB - Forward Operating Base
- AO- Area of operations
Military jargon:
- Jody- The non-military guy who is back home with the military guy's wife/girlfriend. Jody leads a simple, soft life, and vengeance upon him will be swift and merciless.
- Fobbit - A term used to describe soldiers who never leave the wire, also known as the FOB. Originally used as a derogatory term, it has evolved into a term most often used by fobbits themselves.
- Terp - Interpreter.
Chicago (and Cook County) to Ban Handguns
From Jeff Sawyers Blog - http://Alphecca.com/
We already know that in Chicago, it’s nearly impossible to legally own a handgun. Now, the move is on to ban most gun ownership in the entire of Cook County. The Illinois State Rifle Association has pointed to this legislation — still in the proposal stage — and everyone should be alarmed. First, a whole new arduous registration for all firearms is required. Second, even if your firearms are already registered, they must be “reregistered.” Third, a whole class of “assault weapons” is banned from registration. Lastly, any handgun that fails for the following would be banned even if currently registered:
Sec. 58-132.5. Unregisterable firearms.
No registration certificate shall be issued for any of the following types of firearms:
(a) Sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or short-barreled rifle;
(b) Firearms other than handguns, owned or possessed by any person in the County prior to the effective date of this Ordinance which are not validly registered prior to the effective date of this Ordinance;
(c) Handguns, except:
(1) Those validly registered to a current owner in the County prior to the effective date of this Ordinance, and which contain each of the following:
(i) A safety mechanism to hinder the use of the handgun by unauthorized users. Such devices shall include, but shall not be limited to, trigger locks, combination handle locks, and solenoid use-limitation devices; and,
(ii) A load indicator device that provides reasonable warning to potential users such that even users unfamiliar with the weapon would be forewarned and would understand the nature of the warning;
So, if your handgun does not contain a loaded chamber indicator, you’re screwed and have to turn your gun in to the sheriff. That’s almost all handguns manufactured more than a few years ago.
I’m sure this will make Barack Obama happy since it’s his district and he’s on record as favoring a ban on all semi-automatic firearms.
In a separate proposal, all gun shows in Cook County would be banned and also most gun stores. That last is accomplished by the following zoning requirements:
Sec. 54-154. Limitation on concentration.
(a) No deadly weapons dealer license may be issued to any person seeking a license to operate a gun shop in the County which will be located within ten miles of any other gun shop within or outside of the County as measured from the property lines of the respective properties.
(b) No deadly weapons dealer license may be issued to any person seeking a license to operate a gun shop in the County which will be located within one mile of any public or private school or public park as measured from the property lines of the respective properties.
Is it even possible to find a suitable property for a shop — commercially zoned — that isn’t within a mile of a school or park?
06 January 2008
The New IWI Tavor makes it's debute, in my kitchen!
Lots of our neighbors kids are currently serving in the IDF. One of the new inductees in the IDF's basic training for the Givati Infantry Brigade stopped by my house Thursday evening for a quick visit while on his way home for a weekend furlough. After feeding him some of my wife's famous lasagna (we always feed our servicemen) he gave me a dry demo of the new Tavor Commando and let me try it out.
The Tavor was created by IWI to replace the Vietnam War era M16 rifles (look at my picture on the right) that the IDF has been using almost forever. The Tavor has a lightweight polymer receiver and handles really well. I ran through a few of our standard practice maneuvers and found the Tavor to be a real treat to handle.
The controls are well placed and it uses standard 30 round M16 magazines. It comes equipped with MARS optical gun sight and you can mount a night vision scope behind the MARS and not have to re-zero. The Tavor also has a visible targeting laser and flip-up back-up iron sights that are both co-witnessed with the MARS optical gunsight's red dot reticle.
Take a look at a video of the Tavor as seen on TV.
Taser party anyone???
Taser parties are a great place to buy a Taser for Self Defense.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/01/04/taser.party.ap/
If you've never been Tasered, watch this!
01 January 2008
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