Archive for July, 2007

Doron Levin is a writer for the New York Times and for Bloomberg News. You may find his recent Bloomberg News article interesting.

Levin highlights an example of the danger of more government intrusion and interference everywhere. (Will the powers that be ban gunsmoke soon? I know it’s smokeless powder but it puts stuff in the air.) First, they’re after your sports car or SUV. (Where are all those rusting Yugo’s? Will we need them again?)

The desire to ban “unnecessary” or “frivolous boy toys” in favor of uniform mediocrity is an envious point of view of some who think it’s not “fair” that some have more than others. They love it when government punishes success and love it more when they can tie it to the global warming issue for justification.

The article is worth reading in it’s entirety.

Cutting CO2 or a Sneak Attack on Porsche, Ferrari?: Doron Levin If one of the more extreme responses to global warming comes true, driving a sports car anywhere but on a racetrack might be relegated to history’s dustbin.

I read an article in the Opinion Journal this morning that made me feel kinda old. 

One of the brightest times of my life was as a Naval Aviator (served from ‘67 to ‘73). It was a long time ago – over 30 years now. I got my wings in ‘68 and my first billet was as a flight instructor in the Basic Training Command - I ended up teaching formation and aerobatics primarily.

After 18 months I went to the fleet, the A-7 Corsair and the USS John F. Kennedy. Spent 11 months in the Med with lots of flying and lots of great liberty. (We kept the Greeks safe from the Swedish girls.) I ended up with 300+ carrier landings and 2,000 flight hours.

When the Military Channel shows videos about aircraft carriers, I watch or record them to watch later. The next generation of aircraft carriers are in the works and they won’t have steam catapults or 4 arresting wires anymore. They’ll have electromagnetic propulsion to shoot the birds off the bow and only 3 crossdeck arresting wires. (The #1 wire closest to the stern was never a desireable target anyway.)

Today’s article in on the Wall Street Journal opinion page by Bret Stephens recounts his recent visit to the USS Harry S. Truman. A nostalgic reminder of how long it’s been.

Thank goodness I have so much I love about my life now. No complaints and many blessings. It’s just nice to look back once in a while.

You might enjoy the article. Any other military pilots out there?

I’ve got a customer in Arizona who buys several guns each month and holsters to go with them. He especially likes the S&W 500 and has several. He began with the 8-3/8″ bbl version and now has the 4″ and the 2-3/4″ for which we made pancake holsters.

Now, things have gotten interesting. He asked for a Tucker Revolver Texas Heritage IWB for the two short 500’s and threw in a Crossdraw Field holster for the big 500 (and a belt to match.) The gun in the Texas Heritage picture below is an L-Frame. Imagine an X-Frame in your pants!

I know the Crossdraw will work. Tucker’s made a number of them.

What’s your bet on the Texas Heritage for the two short-barrelled 500’s?

He already likes the Texas Heritage for his Model 29.

The Boeing Dreamliner really is a big step forward for U.S. Aviation. Here’s a follow up story on the unveiling of the new super airliner. The Boeing 787 will help keep airline fares low, save fuel and keep Europe’s Airbus from dominating commercial aviation.

It’s like Tucker’s Answer holster in one regard - it combines advanced polymer technology with traditional materials to produce a superior hybrid with capabilities never possible before.

Here’s a recent call that came in on the 800 number -

“This is Jim ________. I’ve got a question about your belts before I place an order. Call me back.” 

I didn’t recognize the name and he didn’t leave a number. He may have wondered why I wasn’t courteous enough to call him back.

He didn’t leave a number.

That happens about twice a week.

Please leave a phone number when you call me. 

I think most people will tell you – I’m good about returning calls and emails.

Oh, yeah. Speaking of emails.

If you’re checking status on an order and you email me, please put your name in the email or an order number.

If all I can go on is your email address, crackshot@missedthetarget.com, it may take a while for me to find your order and respond.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Rob

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner may look like a conventional airliner, but it is the most radical development in commercial aircraft since the 707 was brought to market in 1954. In fact, it’s the first new commercial airliner from Boeing in 13 years.

The Dreamliner will be debuted with hoopla and hullabaloo on July 8th and the first flight is scheduled in September. What’s the big deal? It’s sophisticated in every way and mostly plastic construction. Instead of using aluminum, Boeing is relying on manmade carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, known as composite, for the entire airframe.

It’s been written that the new wings are so strong and flexible that there was talk of bending them beyond any reasonable limit in tests and that engineers were arguing over whether they would break before their tips touched.

Why should we be interested? For one thing, it’s a paradigm shift (the rules for how to design and manufacture an airplane are now completely new) and when a paradigm shifts everyone else goes back to zero. That means competitors will have to make a rapid leap to play catch-up. (Like when Tucker brought out the Answer – no one has equaled it yet.)

It will revitalize Boeing in the face of the threat from the European Airbus, save American jobs (even though Boeing is farming out 70 percent of the 787 work to nearly 50 partners and top-tier suppliers at 135 sites spanning four continents) and keep the U.S. commercial aircraft industry viable.

The Dreamliner is sold out until 2013 with 643 orders worth an estimated $100 billion from 45 airline customers.

Boeing’s airline customers have been attracted to the 787 on promises of a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency, 30 percent less maintenance costs and an unprecedented range for a mid-size airplane of 8,000 miles — the diameter of the Earth at the equator — allowing airlines to fly fast-growing, non-stop routes between the United States, Asia and Europe.

It’s a story worth watching. You may be riding on a plastic airplane in a couple of years. Here’s why Boeing thinks there’s a Dreamliner in your future.

If there’s a new holster in your future, then look here.

I’ve posted a list on my website of the Bullhide Belts I have in stock for immediate delivery. No 4-week wait for these belts.

Why a Bullhide Belt? Several years ago I ran accross a belt-maker from North Carolina who makes great gunbelts. It’s his primary business. They are top quality, less expensive than Tucker’s and take much less time to get. They are not available with decorative stamping, but they come in black, brown, tan and cordovan with nickel or brass buckles. Normal delivery time is 3-4 weeks after you place your order.

The reason I carry them is that I’d like to reserve Tucker belts to go along with his full rigs when possible and the Bullhide belts have an advantage for use with IWB holsters. The don’t shout “gunbelt.” They look almost like dress belts, so I wear one every day with slacks for business – (I have other business things I do.)

Everyone who’s bought a Bullhide belt has been impressed with the high quality and great appearance. They are true gunbelts with two layers of leather bonded and sewn together, so they have great tortional stability. The buckles are attached with Chicago screws so you can change the buckle if you like.

So, if you are looking for a Bullhide belt, check this page of belts in stock before you order one elsewhere on my website. Each belt is described with length/width/color/buckle type and has an ”add to cart” button to put it in your shopping cart.

Cal Thomas, reacting to the terror attempts in London and Glasgow, voiced an opinion that prompted a strong reaction, especially from The Council on American-Islamic Relations. Did he go too far?

He says it’s time to take action and I agree. What action do you think we should take? 

One of his points is that, while there are good Muslims and Islamofascist Muslims, they’re kinda hard to tell apart at the mall. 

See the video for yourself.

The Bald Eagles are flourishing. I recently traveled to Alaska and saw bald eagles everywhere, particularly in Ketchikan. I was close enough to watch them train the younger eagles to fish. What a great sight. I’ve never seen one in the wild before, but they’re flourishing in many, many places in the U.S. and are now off the endangered species list.

What a great way to celebrate the 4th of July! Read more here.

Here’s wishing you and yours a Happy 4th of July!

Al Gore’s head is still where the sun don’t shine. Read this.