Call me Ahab

posted by Caleb on May 29

I logged into Haloscan recently to see if anyone had been leaving comments at my old blog’s URL, and much to my shock and surprise I found out that people actually had, despite the fact that I haven’t posted any new content there in 6 or so months.

But I don’t want people to think I’m ignoring them, so I’ll answer your comments on the old blog right here.

From DH405:

Considering your taste for Zombie films and such paired with your shooting habit(er, hobby,) I would think you’ve seen these. But just in case :

Zombie range targets.

http://www.zombietargets.net/

Awesome.  I am going to order a 10 pack of those and take them with me next time I go to the range.  No really, those are fantastic.

Also from DH405:

Do you use anything for loading the mags more easily? I have a P22 in the mail this week, and I was looking to see if there’s a good speed loader out there.

That question is in regards to my post on the Walther P-22, the post at the old blog is still in the top 15 google results for “Walther P22″.  To answer the question though - no I haven’t, the magazines still suck to load and my thumb gets sore from holding that little stupid button down long enough to load all five of the mags I have for the gun.

From Peter:

What is the big deal with hats? That is the stupidest unfounded thing I have ever heard of….Makes me crack up if people are that lame in thought that they do something “because it shows respect”. It does no such thing. What a load O’ Crap. You try to knock my hat off and that’ll be the day partner.

This was in response to a really old post, entitled “Take your damn hat off“, in which I railed against people with poor manners.  All I have to say to Peter is “thank you for proving my point”.

There are a whole bunch more comments that I’ve picked up in the last few months that I’ll slowly betting around to responding to.

But seriously, if you’re at my old blog, come over here.  The party is on.

posted by Caleb on Jan 24

Kim asks a truly sad question, a question to which I don’t think he’ll like the answer.

are we conservatives actually in the minority in this country?

I mentioned this in the comments to his blog, but I wanted to elaborate here.  The answer that you seek is yes, yes conservatives are in the minority in this country.  When I use the term “conservative”, I mean people who believe in actual conservative ideals, smaller government, less taxation, and individual liberty.

I can’t speak for older generations, and I can’t speak for the experiences of other people.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m a young man; my 26th birthday is in July.  I live in a “conservative” community, and have friends who label themselves as “conservative”.  I had a sad realization the other day in that save for the people I’ve met through writing and my wife, I don’t know any true conservatives.

All of my friends who call themselves conservative would be happy to throw any number of true conservative ideals right under the bus if it served their interest.  They would support a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, or support an increase in taxes as long as it’s justified using the right language, some of them even support gun control “for the children”.

It is quite depressing for me, when I try to discuss my political views with my friends - my “liberal” friends don’t get me, but then neither do my “conservative” friends.  At the same time, I know that I can’t actually afford to give up.  I may indeed be in the minority in my embracing conservatism, but I can’t just let it go.  So I blog, I volunteer, I talk to people.  Once I’m done traveling back and forth to Vegas for work, I plan on getting involved with the local Republican party.  I realize that nothing is going to change if I just sit around and blog about it, so I need to do something about it.

I don’t think the Empire is falling; but I do think that if you really do care, then you should do something about it.  Anyone can go on blogspot and complain about how my generation is full of big government nanny-staters on both sides of the aisle (which it is), but it’s something else entirely to do something about it.  You want to make a difference?  Teach an 18 year old what liberty really means.

posted by Caleb on Jul 20

From Sebastian, via email discussing the hazards of holding an FFL.

Some days you eat the bear, some days the ATF comes and shoots your dog.

Priceless.

posted by Caleb on Jul 19

But with a twist - and the twist being that the editorial isn’t anti-gun. I know, I’m just as surprised as you are, in fact I damn near fell out of my chair when I read this.

One of the things that makes a gun so unforgiving is that, as a tool, it has no conscience. Unable to operate itself or pull its own trigger, a gun is as safe or dangerous as the person holding it. An unfortunate reality of gun ownership is that when these tools are mishandled, accidents occur — generally to tragic results.

I’m honestly not used to writing about editorials that are intelligent, well written, and express opinions with which I agree. Honestly, I’m writing about this specifically because I wanted to point it out and express my appreciation and surprise that a newspaper (any newspaper) would publish an editorial with such shocking comments as this:

Some gun owners prefer to keep their firearms loaded and within easy reach, just in case an intruder makes an unwelcome appearance in the dead of night. While the right to bear arms is affirmed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, gun ownership also brings with it the legal and moral duty to ensure that children are denied access to firearms. Any rules set for gun owners’ children also should apply to their friends and to untrained adults who visit the home.

The article concludes by telling readers that the local PD offers free gunlocks for safely storing firearms, as well as exhorting parents to take the time to address the issue of proper gun safety with their children.

Constitutional rights, responsible gun safety, and intelligent advice from a newspaper? The Duke would approve.
-

posted by Caleb on Jul 4

“Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I’m not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be.”

And that right there pretty much sums it up. Despite my complaining about the bums in Congress, the thugs in the ATF, and the other sundry warts that our nation has, it is still the finest nation on Earth.

Sure, it could be better. Any system of government run by human beings is bound to have flaws, because we’re not exactly a bunch of flawless people. But for 231 years, the United States has managed to continue, warts and everything. In that time we’ve gone from a pissant bunch of “farmers with pitchforks” to the most powerful nation on the planet.

It is my sincere hope that my children, and their children, and many generations after that continue to remember the ideals of liberty, duty, and everything that has made this a great nation.

posted by Caleb on Jun 7

I’m (finally - ed.) getting around to writing the companion piece to Things I learned from my Dad, which, surprise, is a look back at the lessons that I learned from my Mom.

Mother of Ahab did not have it easy raising us; I have three brothers, one older and two younger than I am. We’re all spread out with about 2 years in between each of us, which lead to some pretty…intense competition between the four of us. Once she had kids, Mom stayed at home to raise us - I’ll never say that she didn’t work because raising me alone would have been a full-time job, much less me plus three.

Things I learned from my Mom

• Blessed are the peacemakers - Just as Dad taught me the value of fighting for things, Mom’s guidance often showed me that “there are alternatives to fighting”. Mom always had the ability to defuse tense situations and negotiate opposing parties into truces. Not just between myself and my brothers, but adults as well. I often observed this behavior at church, as our family was somewhat prominent in our church.
• Raw talent is useless without discipline - I’m kind of scatterbrained, I have no doubt that had I grown up this modern day and age, I would have branded ADD and given mind altering drugs by the school shrink faster than you can say “he’s 8″. One of my mother’s most valuable lessons to me was personal discipline. Without her guiding hand during my early years, my later scholastic aptitude would have been much more difficult to come by.
• You’ll never regret reading - We read before we watched TV. Apparently, my first sentence was “read that book”. Mom always pushed us to read, compiling summer reading lists for us that made the requirements held by public schools look pathetic in comparison. In part, her desire for us to read is what inspired my love for the sea. Books like Moby Dick and the Hornblower novels made a boy raised in the desert wonder what it was like to live on the ocean.
• Sometimes it’s better to be taken advantage of than let your heart be hardened - Mom had an inability to say “no” to people when they asked her for help. She still has it today; sometimes people would (and do) take advantage of her helpful nature. Through Mom I learned that helping people of your own free will, when you stand to gain nothing in return is often its own reward. While that may sound cheesy, it’s also true.
• Don’t be doormat - Going hand in hand with the above entry, I also learned how to say “No” diplomatically. While Mom would sometimes over commit herself to too many obligations, as I grew up I watched how she would say no to people, the reasons she used and the times she did.

Just like my Dad, I learned a lot of lessons from my Mom. There’s no way I could encapsulate everything that she taught me in five bullet points, or in an entire blog. Mom’s instruction often served as an excellent counter to my naturally combative personality; where I lacked patience, moderation, and compassion; Mom was able to nurture those traits in me.

Of course, I still have some work to do on the “patience” issue.

posted by Caleb on Jun 6

Today is the anniversary of D-Day, as most of you know. I wanted to point you to a blog entry by my brother, actually on a subject that is near and dear to my heart as well.

But I can do this. I can get up a half-hour earlier on a Monday morning, answer a bunch of check-box questions about my travel and sexual history, and sit in a chair while someone sticks a tube in my arm and drains out some a pint of blood. And maybe, for somebody, somewhere, one of those pints of O+ has been the difference between life and death.

Like he says, even if you’re not a cop, or an EMT, or anyone else that helps other people; you can give blood. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, that pint of blood really could make the difference in someone’s life. Whether they’re having a “routine surgery”, or someone is pulling a bullet out of them; that pint of blood that you give will go to someone who needs it.

This last bit is for my brother directly - a few pints of O+ once made a big difference for me.

posted by Caleb on May 26

In honor of John Wayne’s 100th birthday today, I’m putting up a collection of quotes from John Wayne movies. Then I’m going to range to shoot all my revolvers; and I’ll finally close the evening with whiskey.

You can call me Dad, you can call me Father, you can call me Jacob and you can call me Jake. You can call me a dirty old son-of-a-bitch, but if you EVER call me Daddy again, I’ll finish this fight. - From Big Jake

I can honestly say that I don’t think I ever called my father “daddy”. It just wasn’t something that you use to refer to your father unless you’re a 12 year old girl. My dad was always “Dad”, “Father”, “Pop”, or occasionally “sir”.

Well, a gun that’s unloaded and cocked ain’t good for nothin’. - From True Grit

I might have used that one before, but it stands to use again. A liberal friend once asked me why I kept a loaded gun in my house; to which I was proud to reply with my best twang that “Well, a gun that’s unloaded ain’t good for nothin’.” I then proceed to giggle in a most un-manful fashion.

know I’m gonna use good judgement. I haven’t lost my temper in 40 years, but pilgrim you caused a lot of trouble this monring, might have got somebody killed… and somebody oughta belt you in the mouth. But I won’t, I won’t. The hell I won’t. [punches man in the mouth] - From McClintock!

Some people just need a good punching, that’s all there is to it. There are times when all the nice words and patience will get you nowhere. Some people only respond to a closed fist, and as unfortunate as that is, we are fortunate that there are people ready to deliver that closed fist. (Happy Memorial Day).

Republic. I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose. Some words give you a feeling. Republic is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat - the same tightness a man gets when his baby takes his first step or his first baby shaves and makes his first sound as a man. Some words can give you a feeling that makes your heart warm. Republic is one of those words. - From The Alamo

I oft wonder if people even realize that we don’t live in a democracy, but rather in a representative republic. Of course, if folks realized the idealized version of what the Duke is talking about above, most of bloggers would be out of business.

I don’t believe in surrenders. Nope, I’ve still got my saber, Reverend. Didn’t beat it into no plowshare, neither. - From The Searchers

Considered one of his all time great movies; this is my favorite line from The Searchers. If I were to apply exegesis to that quote it would serve to reinforce my strongly held belief that it is much preferable to die on one’s feet than to live on your knees. While it is perfectly acceptable for some folks to beat their swords into plowshares when the fighting is done, there must always be men and women who keep their swords in the even they are needed again.

Not me, Mister. From now on, I’m a farmer. - From Angel & the Badman

Ah, movies about redemption. I do believe that there’s a quote that goes something like “the love of a good woman” and its relatively life changing effects on a man. I can personally attest to to that. It’s always enhanced my enjoyment of this movie.

“God, how I hate solemn funerals. When I die, take me into a room and burn me. Then my family and a few good friends should get together, have a few good belts, and talk about the crazy old time we all had together.” - John Wayne on his funeral wishes

Well, I’ll certainly commemorate this day according to his wishes. Which leads me to my final quote, from The Sands of Iwo Jima.

posted by Caleb on May 24

Tomorrow marks what would have been the Duke’s 100th birthday. In case you’re completely blind, you might have noticed that John Wayne pops up from time to time in the themes of this blog. Just like I mentioned in the Star Wars post, I watched a lot of movies growing up, and not as much TV as other kids.

John Wayne movies were as much a factor to me as the Star Wars trilogy, if not more. Nevermind that he always played the same character, to me, the Duke was larger than life. My grandmother had a collection of his really old movies, films like The Man from Utah, or one of his all time classics, Angel and the Badman. The old black and white John Wayne movies were fantastic - the Duke would ride in, kick hell out of the bad guys, and that was that.

One of the interesting things about the approximately 8,000,000 John Wayne movies are the ones that no one seems to know about. Two personal favorites of mine are The Sea Spoilers, and Donovan’s Reef. The Sea Spoilers because it’s about the Coast Guard, and Donovan’s Reef because it’s a departure from the usual war/western movie. No one ever seems to show those on TV, which is kind of bummer.

John Wayne over the years became a cultural icon. He has become synonymous with an image of the “rugged American individual”, to “John Wayne” something was to go it your own way and stick by your guns.

These days, I still enjoy John Wayne movies - party because of the nostalgic value, and partly because it’s nice to get away. The world is pretty complicated, the simplicity of a John Wayne movie where the good guys are good and the bad guys is often quite appealing.

I still want to be John Wayne when I grow up.

posted by Caleb on May 21

There’s a saying that everyone has heard, “It’s not whether you win or loose, it’s how you play the game.” I don’t necessarily buy into that theory, because I really, really like winning. However, I also enjoy doing things that challenge me, whether or not I necessarily succeed at them.

That brings us to the topic of today’s post, the value of losing. I absolutely despise losing, and I hate failure. I mentioned once before that the only way to truly fail at something is if when you don’t succeed, you fail to learn anything from your lack of success. I stand by that statement.

If losing is so bad, and something that I will go to great lengths of effort and expend blood, sweat, and tears to avoid; what value can be found in it? You’d be surprised, and I know that I have been.

To me, losing has always been that bogeyman of failure, and I’ve been guilty on many occasions of losing a game/sport/contest and being a poor sport of the whole thing; which of course impedes my ability to learn from my loss, and thusly win next time. Every now and then (and more often as I get older) I actually do keep my head out of my ass and manage to maintain my dignity if I do lose. When I do that, often the first thing I learn from losing is I get a refresher course in one of my most challenging topics: Humility.

I am not a very humble person, my father tried to teach me humility, and it just didn’t take. I don’t feel too bad about it, because it didn’t take very well with him either. One of the greatest lessons I learned in humility was when I was a very young warthog, home on leave from the Coast Guard Academy. Momma Ahab had introduced me to a nice young lady named Mandy that she knew from the gym where she taught. Mandy offered to play racquetball and I offered to take her shooting. Now, being 19, in excellent shape, I figured that my athleticism would more than make up for my lack of experience at racquetball.

What I didn’t know was that Mandy played on her college team, and was quite good. When she finished kicking my sorry ass all over the court, I could hear the words of my father ringing in my ears. “Son, don’t let your mouth write checks your ass can’t cash” or something to that extent. I suspect to this day that Momma Ahab was setting me up in the hopes of taking me down a couple of pegs. It worked.

Of course, just learning humility would be enough, but there is a lot more value that can be extracted from not succeeding. The 2nd most valuable thing that I’ve ever picked up from not winning is perseverance. I don’t believe in quitting, especially if I want to do something. I quit at something that mattered once, and I don’t want to ever do that again.

When I first started shooting Collegiate pistol for the Coast Guard, I was lousy at Free Pistol. I hated the weird gun, the teeny targets, everything about it. Then I started practicing more. I sucked, and I lost, then I sucked a little less, my scores started to rise, you know how it goes. the point is that it would have been easy to just say “screw it” to Free Pistol and focus on an event I had more natural talent for - but the ability to persevere through my failure and bring my game up was a much more valuable lesson.

The final value of losing that I’ll talk about today is the joy that it adds to victory. This may not apply to everyone, but I don’t particularly like “coasting to victory”; I much prefer scrapping tooth-and-nail for my wins. I love to win, and even more than that I love to win at things that I’ve previously lost at. For instance, when I passed Chemistry at the Academy, the fact that I had struggled, failed assignments, and just had a general bad time with the subject most of my life; finally getting it and stepping up and beating it was delicious.

I don’t want you guys to think I’m going soft, and that I’m saying it’s okay to lose. I hate losing. I absolutely despise it, and I compete to win at everything. Ask Mrs. Ahab; I hate losing at anything from Rock, Paper, Scissors to a game of 9-ball. I can’t even stand to lose at board games. I’m not saying that you should go out and lose a bunch so you can learn lessons, either. But when you lose, you only fail if you don’t learn something from it. There are a lot more lessons than the three basics I mentioned here.