Friday, May 28, 2010

The SC Republican primary offers some...

The SC Republican primary offers some stark contrasts.  On the one hand you have career politicians like Andre Bauer and Henry McMaster who have never known a "real job".  Then you have Gresham Barrett and Nikki Haley.  Relative newcomers to politics.  Why does this matter?  It matters because power corrupts.  Being in politics is also very jading. 

In SC we need fresh eyes on our state's problems.  New solutions.  What we have done and are doing now isn't working or isn't working fast enough.  Mark Sanford despite his "issues" has tried his best to keep the state in the black.  But, as long as the state of SC is beholding to the US government (thing education) for so much of its programs and funding, managing the "red" and the "black" is never going to be in our own hands.  No party and no person can manage the states finances correctly if we are subject to whims of the Federal Government.

With this in mind, who is our best candidate for Governor of South Carolina?  Well it is not Henry McMaster who has been in politics long enough to be best friends with John Spratt!  Sure he mustered a little courage to stand up to the Feds this year, but he could and SHOULD have had that stance all along.  Which begs the question, why the courage this year... an election year?

Andre Bauer is a career politician like no other.  Politics, minus a short career selling sporting goods, is all that Andre has ever known.  I have nothing against him as a person, and he might even be a "good" politician.  But, he is not Governor material.

This leaves Barrett and Haley.  Both qualified, both capable.  I personally lean towards Halley because she seems the most likely to ATTACK South Carolina's problems.  She also has the benefit of being the opposite of "jaded".  From LEGAL immigrant parents she still appreciates the exceptional nature of South Carolina and the USA.  She sees the benefits and offerings available to all of us.

As a Post Script, to all the people with Vincent Sheheen signs in their yard?  Really?  Have you looked around this world?  Would another democrat in power anywhere in the world be a good thing right now?  Another person who thinks that the Federal government is the best entity to handle problems here at home!  When in fact, shipping our taxes to Washington just to have them redistributed as Washington sees fit IS THE PROBLEM.  If you are a business owner and support Sheheen then come see me.  I want to ask you some tough questions!

The SC Republican primary offers some...

The SC Republican primary offers some stark contrasts.  On the one hand you have career politicians like Andre Bauer and Henry McMaster who have never known a "real job".  Then you have Gresham Barrett and Nikki Haley.  Relative newcomers to politics.  Why does this matter?  It matters because power corrupts.  Being in politics is also very jading. 

In SC we need fresh eyes on our state's problems.  New solutions.  What we have done and are doing now isn't working or isn't working fast enough.  Mark Sanford despite his "issues" has tried his best to keep the state in the black.  But, as long as the state of SC is beholding to the US government (thing education) for so much of its programs and funding, managing the "red" and the "black" is never going to be in our own hands.  No party and no person can manage the states finances correctly if we are subject to whims of the Federal Government.

With this in mind, who is our best candidate for Governor of South Carolina?  Well it is not Henry McMaster who has been in politics long enough to be best friends with John Spratt!  Sure he mustered a little courage to stand up to the Feds this year, but he could and SHOULD have had that stance all along.  Which begs the question, why the courage this year... an election year?

Andre Bauer is a career politician like no other.  Politics, minus a short career selling sporting goods, is all that Andre has ever known.  I have nothing against him as a person, and he might even be a "good" politician.  But, he is not Governor material.

This leaves Barrett and Haley.  Both qualified, both capable.  I personally lean towards Halley because she seems the most likely to ATTACK South Carolina's problems.  She also has the benefit of being the opposite of "jaded".  From LEGAL immigrant parents she still appreciates the exceptional nature of South Carolina and the USA.  She sees the benefits and offerings available to all of us.

As a Post Script, to all the people with Vincent Sheheen signs in their yard?  Really?  Have you looked around this world?  Would another democrat in power anywhere in the world be a good thing right now?  Another person who thinks that the Federal government is the best entity to handle problems here at home!  When in fact, shipping our taxes to Washington just to have them redistributed as Washington sees fit IS THE PROBLEM.  If you are a business owner and support Sheheen then come see me.  I want to ask you some tough questions!

The Physics of Personal Defense

The Physics of Personal Defense

In previous posts we have covered some of this.  But I want to be a bit more specific and make some recommendations.

  1. Newton's Third Law of Motion.  Basically, for ever action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Two people on roller skates pushing off of each other will depart each other in an equal and opposite way (other factors being equal).  Think of your bullet (projectile) as skater 1 and your gun as skater two pushing off of each other.  Of course mass and a few other factors weigh into the effect, but basically you bullet will impact with similar force to what you felt when firing the projectile. 

    This factors into my previous posts on the Myth of knock down power.  Generally handguns have either NONE or very little.  Hollywood has done us no favors here.  When targets go down from being shot with a handgun it is because it was a "good" shot landing in a critical area incapacitating the target, or it was because of a mixture of physical and psychological factors associated with being shot.  Factors like fear and pain.  Even modeling behavior.  You are supposed to stop and fall when you are shot... so you do!
  2. Kinetic Energy.  Or as we like to say... damage or knockdown power.  Mass times Velocity Squared.  The energy imparted on the target is the mass of your projectile times the speed/velocity of your projectile.  The heavier the projectile (mass) the more damage.  The faster the projectile (velocity) the more damage.

    This means that given a choice you GENERALLY will always opt for more speed to gain more damage.  Why??  Because Velocity is Squared.  It follows that more speed adds an exponential increase in damage.  The exception being pistol rounds.  A good rule of thumb would be 2000 ft per second. 

    Until your projectile is traveling MORE than 2000 ft/s you should opt for a larger and heavier bullet to do more damage.  Why?  Until you are traveling around 2000 ft/s the secondary wound channel will be too small to produce significant damage.  There are two wounds a bullet makes.  The primary wound channel is roughly the size of the projectile entering the target.  The secondary wound channel is based on the speed the bullet is moving through the target.  It is like waves coming off of a boat.  Or a rock thrown into a pond.  The faster you throw it the bigger the ripple or waves.

    This "wave" is your second wound channel that in high velocity does so much damage.

So what does this mean in terms of Personal Defense.

  • be able to accurately fire your handgun.  An accurate shot will do more good than two or three that get no where near a critical area.
  • shoot as much gun as is prudent.  If you can handle a 45 acp and it is practical to have it with you... have it with you.  If it is going to be a "left-it" gun, drop a caliber and use a gun you will tote.  (left-it in the house, left-it in the car, left-it on the night stand)
  • if possible and prudent always opt for a high velocity rifle.  If you live in an apartment surrounded on three sides by neighbors, I am not sure a rifle is best.  If you have children, and in a home defense situation you would need to move from your location to their's, a shoulder fired gun might not be best.  This depends on you, your situation and aptitude with a rifle.
  • no matter what gun you use practice and expect to put multiple rounds on target.  In terms of stopping power... more is better.  Accuracy is best.



Friday, May 21, 2010

FEDS: We may not process illegals referred from Arizona...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/21/official-says-feds-process-illegals-referred-arizona/

Really... then AZ should deport them.

When the US federal system isn't doing its job then the states are left to do it.

That is what is going on in AZ. I am actually pro-immigration. I don't want a wall or mass deportations. But I am also a federalist. AZ is within its rights to do what it is doing. IF the federal apparatus doesn't do its job then AZ can do it for them!!!

Monday, May 10, 2010

25 Things No One Asks Politicians

25 Things No One Asks Politicians
 
1.  What is you political philosophy and how did you come to it?  Follow Up:  Would you be willing to publicly defend your political philosophy?  When?

2.  What, is the role of local/state/federal government?  Follow Up:  Is that role being performed now?  Effectively/Efficiently/Honestly?  

3.  What is (will be) your role in government?  Follow Up:  How do you measure yourself as to whether you are being effective/efficient/honest in your role?

4.  Do you agree with the statement "All governments have a natural inertia towards growth."?  Follow Up:  Can you name a time when a government shrank by its own hand and by a significant amount relative to its size at that time in history?

5.  What is the role of government social services?  Follow up:  Anecdotally and Scientifically people appreciate less something that is given to them versus something they earn.  With that in mind, how do you justify a fit person receiving social service aid year after year?

6.  Describe "Private Property" and how it relates to government.  

7.  If a citizen or the press accused you of spin, pandering or evading a question would you be willing to answer those charges publicly to the satisfaction of the citizen/press?

8.  Anecdotally it seems many have a poor view of politicians.  Why do you think that is?  

9.  What is the difference between a "politician" and a "statesman".

10.  How malleable is the Constitution on a scale of 1-10, one being Steel and 10 being Clay?

11.  What do you see as the major successes of our nation/state/municipality?  Follow Up:  Are these successes because of government, nothing to do with government or in spite of government?

12.  What are our major shortfalls?  Follow Up:  Are these shortfalls because of government, nothing to do with government, or in spite of government?

13.  How much money did it take for you to be elected?

14.  Are you part of the "political elite"?  Who is?

15.  What is meant by "Tyrannies of the Majority"?

16.  What is meant by "Tyrannies of the Elite"?  Follow Up:  What systems are in place, if any, to prevent these tyrannies.

17.  What is your view of State's Rights or Federalism?  

18.  Who knows what is best for you and your children, the government or you?

19.  Do you believe that local/state governments are better equipped to handle issues of "morality" and "education" than the federal government?

20.  Assuming that the current tax burden is about right, shouldn't we be paying vastly more money in taxes individually(and business) to state and local governments than to the federal government, the level of government that is furthest from our individual problems/issues/opportunities?  

21.  If governments must redistribute wealth, would not it stand that those governments most local to the citizenry are best equipped to collect and distribute that wealth fairly -because they can see the issues and facts most clearly and distribute that wealth efficiently -because there would be less bureaucracy and better access to those politicians that control the spending?  

22.  What is your opinion of "career politicians"?

23.  Describe a non public sector "real job" (not relating in any way to politics, public policy or government) you have held and were successful doing.

24.  What are your thoughts on this parable as it relates to government:  "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime."

25.  Do you believe in American Exceptionalism?  Explain.


By Benjamin Parrish Cook

Thursday, May 6, 2010

The Key to Wining an Armed Confrontation

A Key to Wining an Armed Confrontation

If you are ever unlucky enough to find yourself in a situation where you must defend yourself with lethal force there is one "trick" to having a serious advantage.  That is to be able to move and shoot.

If you can move laterally and still hit your target you have just created a huge advantage for yourself.  Firing a gun accurately is tough enough.  Doing so in a stressful situation is doubly so.  But, then adding to the mix that your target is on the move and returning fire... well.  No thanks.  I would rather just run, take cover or surrender.  But even if your target isn't as smart as me and doesn't bug-out or surrender you can be assured that the advantage is yours if you learn how to shoot on the move.

Shooting Vid 1     Shooting Vid 2

The Myth of "Knock Down Power".

The Myth of "Knock Down Power".

In a nutshell there is none if your pistol doesn't start in "4" or better.  As well, then it is more of a psychological reaction than a physical reaction to being shot IF you do not score a hit in a critical area.

Newton's law of physics says for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  So, if the gun doesn't knock you down when you shoot it, it won't knock someone down when the bullet hits them.  There are other factors of course. 

A 9mm has been accused of being a poor defense caliber.  I even made such accusations at one time.  NOW, I think 9mm is a fine defense caliber and is perfect for small concealable handguns.  It is fast, and has minimal recoil (except when fired from a small handgun like a Kel-tec PF-9 or Taurus 709 Slim).  It also has NO knock down power.  Nor does a 38spl, or a 357 mag, or a 40 s&w, or a 380 acp or, or, or... 

Now, hold up.  I know many of you reading this want to disagree with me on the 357.  And, I will give you that it has more "knock down power" than any other caliber listed above, but it suffers from a small projectile and a high velocity.  Meaning, it is likely to not expend all of its kinetic energy on the target, but rather pass through.  With a proper defense round, it could stay in target, or leave with minimal force left to impart.  But it still suffers from a small projectile, which means a small primary wound channel.  As well, while it travels fast for a pistol bullet, it travels too slow to create a significant secondary wound channel.

The 45 acp loaded to travel over 950 ft/sec is your best option for knock down.  Even it will only provide limited push in the "opposite" direction on your target.  But, bullet size, type of bullet and projectile speed will make sure that all of the energy it has to impart on a target is transmitted.  Again, remember, if you want to approximate what your target would feel when hit with a bullet... just shoot your firearm.  What you feel is a good approximation. 

What makes most targets "go down" is either a hit in a critical area or the psychological effects of being shot... perceived pain, fear, etc.  So what does this mean for the average shooter.  It means don't be an average shooter.  Be proficient with your chosen personal defense firearm(s).  It means be able to hit what you aim at.  It means be able to put multiple rounds on target.  It means Hollywood isn't real and no ones arm will be blown off and no one will be sent backwards through plate glass.  Physics... It's the LAW.