Great Satan, Inc.

New Hoppe’s No. 9 Air Freshener.  For the one or two days a week  we don't already smell like Hoppe's.

Or more appropriately titled "D" classy, as I'm certain that's where I will end up after shooting today's all classifier USPSA match this morning at Phoenix Rod and Gun club.  I was starting to think that I had a chance at C, but the red mist descended quite heavily over me this morning, and ended all hopes of ranking at or above 40 percent of all USPSA shooters.

While the Gods of weather were extremely kind this morning (sub 90 and heavy cloud cover), the Gods of shooting were not so kind to me, or my shooty buddies C. Pig and ExKev.  We all had some malfunctions of the operator error variety and shot the first run through, well, let's just say, not up to expectations.  Kevin stood tough and gave it another go, while I went home, tail tucked and a little frustrated about my performance (or lack thereof).

In order to get a classification with USPSA, you have to shoot four stages that are specifically designed for qualifying.  You score times plus hits on the paper, subtract your misses, add penalties, then do a couple of hocus pocus calculations, and eventually you get your "percentage".

The match today consisted of the following stages:

It's Not Brain Surgery - I might have fared better trying my hand at surgery this morning

Pucker Factor - Factor at 11

Oh, No - Oh, S***, was that another no shoot I just hit?

Table Stakes - I rocked this one.  4 A's, 2 each on the paper targets and no misses on the poppers.  If I did the calculations correctly, I shot this at a (very) low B percentage.  Would have shot it faster too, if it wasn't for that darn popper that wasn't falling the first time for anyone shooting smaller than .45 caliber.

Observations and Notes to Self:

Practice is for thinking, shooting is for doing.  When I wasn't thinking, just trying to stay slow and steady, I rocked it.  Unfortunately, I only did that on one out of the four stages today.  I'm getting to the point where I shoot better when I'm not thinking of the bajillion things I'm supposed to be doing.  At least I think I am.  Hmmm, I'll have to think about that.

Perhaps I should have gotten my feet wet by shooting at least one regular USPSA match (or at least a practice) before getting classified.  Shooting steel and shooting paper are two different things, especially when most of the paper targets are covered up and your misses and no shoots cost you a fortune in points.

Sleep is good.  A good night's sleep is better.  I felt alright after about 5 hours of sleep (NOT a morning person), but the brain was definitely not firing on all cylinders.

A couple of days ago, I wrote a snarky post about the casting call for Season 2 of Top Shot . It seems that the folks at Pilgrim Films, the casting company for Top Shots, have been dropping their press release on the comments section of several gun bloggers websites (Stuff From Hsoi's blog, Say Uncle and In Jennifer's Head), and as you can see at the bottom of the original post, we were also paid a visit.

Since Mr. Aboud from Pilgrim Films was kind enough to leave a personalized comment on our site, I decided to reach out to him to thank him, as well as provide him with some of my own comments about Top Shot. Mr. Aboud promptly respond to my email, and I'd like to share it with you, along with my original email to him:

Hello Mr. Aboud,

Thank you very much for taking the time to comment on our blog at http://www.greatsataninc.com/top-shot-2-casting-call/13/ this afternoon. It appears that my post was taken with the grain of salt that was intended, and I appreciate your professional response. Despite what it may look like, Top Shot is one of a select few shows I make time to watch each week. I do enjoy the shooting aspects of the show and I wish there were even more challenges for the contestants.

The entire shooting community was excited about the prospect of positive national coverage of the shooting sports. The show appears to be shifting to emphasize personality conflicts and strife, which is a shame, as I believe this is the best crop of shooters you will be able to attract if the trend continues.

As a 2nd Amendment advocate, I am concerned that the personality conflict aspect of the show will only perpetuate media driven caricatures of shooters as volatile and dangerous people. This negative image will harm the shooting sports and the shooting community. If interpersonal conflict is the driving force of the show, then I fear that you will only attract marginal shooters from the ugly fringe of possible contestants. I understand that drama is an important and necessary part of a successful reality show, but I question the focus of that drama.

Shooting is a dramatic sport in its own right. Biting personality conflicts and "crises" have already become a distraction from what has made Top Shot uniquely interesting and exciting. Some of the current contestants are outstanding shooters who would probably elicit strong emotional responses if pushed to shoot well beyond their abilities. Shows like "The Deadliest Catch" and "Dirty Jobs" have continued to reign because of the organic nature of the drama, and I believe Top Shot would do well to capture some of that essence, rather than become "Rock of Love" with Firearms.

That being said, I hope my opinion does not disqualify me from being considered as a contestant in the future. After all, I've got the big opinions and personality part covered. ; )

Sincerely,
MzVRWC

Mr. Aboud's response:

By all means, (MzVRWC), apply this season! The one thing we've maintained about this show from the very beginning is that it's a "reality competition" show. Top Shot probably wouldn't have the exposure and popularity that it does if we didn't focus on the personalities as well as the skill. Folks looking for coverage of speed shooting and multi-gun matches can find them on the web. But we think this format has broad appeal. These people are real shooters with some real skill, and these are their real personalities. There will always be critics who think your average gun enthusiast is too "stoic" for television, and there will always be critics who think that anything beyond the stoic professionalism of the average shooting competitor has no place in a shooting competition. I'd like to think Top Shot strives to strike a solid balance in order to educate, entertain and put a human face on the community.

Enjoy the show and best of luck!

FYI, I expect fair royalties when and if Rock of Love: Floozies with Firearms goes on air.

Looks like the new and improved second season of the History Channel's Top Shot will be focusing more on "Big Personalities",  and less on shooting.

According to the Top Shot Season 2 casting call website, you may not have to be a "master shooter" to become Top Shot 2,  instead, it looks like they will be focusing even more on conflict creation and BIG personalities (You know, jerks):

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, a resident or citizen of the United States and reasonably proficient with shooting and marksmanship. Further eligibility requirements are listed in the casting application.

Not sure if you've got what it takes to become the next "Top Shot"? Here's a short list of additional requirements to help you decide if Top Shot 2 is for you:

• Do you know which end of the gun the bullet comes out of?
• Are you always the loudest person in the room?
• Can you find the bang switch?
• Do you have a long list of enemies?

I understand that I'm not the target demographic for the show, but I would think that more shooting and less faux drama would be a more effective way to increase the popularity of the show.

P.S. How did Caleb make it on to this show?  He is the polar opposite of all the above.

Comedy troupe extraordinaire, The Whitest Kids U' Know, brings you the most honest campaign ad you'll never see.

The Bureau of Land Management has confirmed that a total of 15  BLM warning signs were posted about a week ago on BLM land along the Interstate 8 corridor between Gila Bend and Casa Grande in Arizona (roughly 30 miles from the Phoenix Metropolitan area).

BLM also informed us that This is the same area (off I-8 and near milepost 150) where a Pinal County deputy was shot on April 30th, and where 2 bodies were found about 500 to 1,000 yards from a makeshift illegal immigrant camp  known as Antelope Pass.

Click to enlarge image

Click to enlarge image

As you can see from the maps above, Interstate 8 is far from the Arizona/Mexico border at about 120 miles by car.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu recently stated that Mexican drug cartels now control parts of Arizona .  It won't be much longer until they control the Phoenix Metro area, unless our politicians get it in gear and start reclaiming the land that they have already surrendered to drug and human smugglers.

The Melon Head gang needs to find a new line of work. We've got a new Judge that abhors melon heads.

Click the images to enlarge

Taurus Judge Public Defender won at Central Arizona Friends of NRA dinner.

I'm very happy to report that my first Friends of NRA dinner was quite enjoyable and was even better when I found out I was going home with a Judge. It only took a $20 raffle ticket at the Central Arizona Friends of NRA dinner last night to win a new stainless Taurus Judge "Public Defender".

Taurus Judge Cylinder

Barrel Burr on Taurus Judge

It's always nice to have a Judge on your side, especially when the Judge shoots .45 Long Colt and .410 shotgun rounds.


If you'd like to support gun safety education, marksmanship training, and shooting range improvements, go to a Friends of NRA dinner. You'll have a great dinner, meet people with similar interests, support good causes, bid on auction items, and have chances to win some great prizes. Did I mention anything about tax deductions? You just might end up with new friends too.

It may sound like hyperbole when people talk about the Southwestern United States getting overrun by a border invasion, but what else can you call it when the US Government surrenders public lands to armed foreign nationals?

Arizona shouldn't need signs like this. No place in the US should.

You can check the Bureau of Land Management reports to see the damage done to our public lands. The reports document the trash pick up efforts to clean up after the smugglers and illegal aliens; over 234 tons of trash removed in 2009 alone. You'll notice that we pay for security to accompany the people picking up trash in the desert too.

South of Phoenix, Arizona Game and Fish has Coues Deer hunting permits going unclaimed, as hunters avoid areas with dangerous smuggling routes. The Desert Rat outdoor blog has documented some of the environmental damage. The Desert Invasion site has photos documenting smuggling routes and layup areas from the border to Northwest of the Phoenix metro area (Lake Pleasant).

The National Park Service has even closed the Western portion of Organ Pipe National Monument out of concerns for visitor safety. This area has been closed for years. If you're planning a visit to Organ Pipe National Monument, stop at Kris Eggle Visitor Center first.

Coronado National Memorial, Southeast of Tucson has the same problems with smugglers too.

The Federal Government has shrugged off the problems for years, comfortably ensconced in Washington D.C. Now Arizona is trying to solve these problems through enactment of SB 1070, but more needs to be done. Regardless of your feelings about the illegal immigration, we can all agree that allowing criminals to take over public lands, kidnap innocents, and shoot people is unacceptable. It's time to let our elected officials know that they can't surrender any more of our country. They can work on revising the immigration system later. Right now, they must secure the border.

UPDATE posted June 13th, 2010 - CaptDreadlocke commented at Exurban League about the border danger signs and linked to his photo of a warning sign 70 miles North of the border with Mexico.

Additional information about the Federal Government Illegal Activity Warning signs.

Today, we posthumously thank those who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice for this country.  Tomorrow, many of us will go back to our daily grind and not give much thought to those that are either currently fighting, or those who have fought and died for our freedoms until Memorial Day comes around next year.

Uncle Ted has another idea.   Make every day Memorial Day

As parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we owe it to America's finest to educate the youth of the United States that many brave Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. Teach them that freedom isn't free. Teach them that the American military has freed more people from the shackles of tyranny and slavery than any other force in the history of the world. Teach them to remember this not just on Memorial Day, but every day.

Organizations like Soldiers' Angels make remembering our military and showing our thanks throughout the year easier than ever.  Soldiers' Angels is a "volunteer-led 501(c)(3) non-profit with hundreds of thousands of volunteers providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, veterans and their families".

They offer dozens of ways to get involved in making a difference in a soldier's life - none involving a sacrifice as great as the one our military proudly and selflessly provides to us each day.

Happy Memorial Day 2010, Day 1.

Day 2 of the 2010 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Charlotte proved to be a packed day, just like the first day of the NRA convention. Staying in the center of town made for a short walk to Charlotte Convention Center and the few panhandlers I saw didn't pester me. I should note that Charlotte's panhandlers did have the newest and cleanest clothes I've seen on beggars anywhere, the Charlotte Observer should be proud.

Honored American Veterans Afield, also known as HAVA, has a booth in the main lobby area. We've written about the great work HAVA does, backed by the outdoor industry, to help injured and disabled soldiers transition back to civilian life. I participated in their fund raising raffle and happily departed with a few HAVA branded Smith & Wesson lockback knives. We hope you'll support their efforts too. Despite the large attendance at the show, I was able to get a photo of the HAVA booth in main lobby area.

(Click on the pics for a larger version)

Honored American Veterans Afield

Even though the lobby was fairly easy to navigate, the show floor was very active and crowded around the popular booths.

NRA Meeting & Exhibits floor on Saturday.

Lauer Weaponry, maker of Duracote gun paints, had a display of custom painted firearms. I looked at the graffiti laden Manhattan paint scheme momentarily before this brightly painted AR-15 with a rail mounted .45 caught my eye, then apparently blinded me.

Lauer Weaponry displayed their Bloomberg edition gun paints, along with a Manhattan themed rifle, complete with graffiti.

But wait, there's more, click here to see