Jake’s Life

This post is in response to a few comments and e-mails from a previous post asking for information on firearm handling.

First off, I feel that I would be irresponsible if I didn’t outline the fantastic four before getting to anything else:

1. All guns are always loaded. (This is a mindset you have to get into, not a requirement for your gun to always actually be loaded.)
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. (Index your trigger.)
4. Always be sure of your target, and what is behind and beyond it.

More safety information. Even more. Read it. Seriously, don’t move on until you review this information if you’re interested in getting into firearms for defense of safety.If you are seriously considering buying a gun or shooting one and don’t already know all of this information, don’t buy one. Instead, go to your local gun range or NRA chapter and take a class. They will provide the handgun while you can provide your attention to learn this in a practical manner.

Now, from here on out I’m going to talk about basic firearm information, and only as it relates to my firearm (a Springfield XD .45 ACP), not tactics or training. You can’t get training from a web site alone, and frankly I don’t feel qualified to impress much more than basics and then some upon people when it comes to firearms. I’m not an instructor, I only have four years experience of carrying a firearm everyday, and don’t get out to the range as much as I probably should. 

This is my gun, which I purchased new about three years ago now. I originally narrowed it down to a Glock Model 22 .40 or the Springfield XD. Why did I choose this gun? After renting both from the range and doing research online, I chose the newer XD for some features the Glock didn’t have.

Choosing a firearm is like choosing a car, or a computer, or even clothes, albeit the extra responsibility.

Would you carry a gun…To church?
A personal web site that asks a big question for religious packers. I know my answer.

Open Carry
The only time I “open carry,” meaning carrying a firearm not concealed, is when I’m at work or at the range. Sometimes when I’m in my car I will if it’s a warm day, but otherwise I would prefer people not know. Still, there’s way more than open carry discussion at this site, along with some great firearm law maps of the US.

XD Talk
A forum made for enthusiasts of the Springfield XD, of which I carry the .45 ACP variety.

Ethics and Concealed Carry
A personal site regarding just that.

At least that’s what the web site of the Pink Pistols says.

A GLBT/Alt group which advocates for the second amendment, I found the Pink Pistols which reading a random blog that I completely forget right now. They meet monthly at one of the ranges here in the next county over and provide NRA-certified instructors to members, along with other firearms training and recreational events. They have chapters all over so check their web site to see if you have one nearby!

A while back, probably a year and a half ago or so, I found an ad on Craigslist posted by a 22 year old straight guy named Skip looking for gay friends. Surprisingly enough, the friends didn’t have quotations around it and it was in the Strictly Platonic section. I sent an e-mail, he replied, and two days later we met at the gun range to put some holes in paper. My friends Shelly and Dizzle came along as well (this was the Dizzle-put-five-rounds-through-the-same-hole incident). Skip had never handled a gun before, let alone shot anything, so he didn’t do much of it, but I had a great time. We lost track of each other after that and haven’t spoken since. Maybe I wasn’t gay enough for him to hang out with…

I’ve been looking through the platonic posts once more given recent issues and my feeling the need to look for a few more male friends. (Females are fine, but I don’t get along with flaming guys, and women are usually only a few rungs above that.) I love having straight friends—especially hot straight friends—because I usually challenge their stereotypical view of gay guys, as well as the fact that no matter how hot they are and how good of friends we are, the option of sex just isn’t there. I’ve found a few posts, but not in my immediate area, but I’ll keep trying. I haven’t met quality people off of Craigslist (especially as far as friendships go). Most of the platonic ads I’ve read always include something to the effect of “I’m looking for friends but not opposed to something else,” or people looking for walking partners. I don’t know, maybe that’s code for something. I’m not up on the hip lingo I guess.

What luck have you guys had on CL as far as friendships go? Of course, there’s ass-a-plenty on there for those who are looking for it, but I’ve got a booty already.

New toy!

I’m very self-critical: I have expressed this on my blog in the past, either proactively or through my natural writings. Some of you that have talked to me, and all of my friends, know how self-critical I am, but that I balance it with confidence. The main issues I find myself harping on myself for are my weight and fitness, my finances, and my place in life (largely because of my finances).

I’m tall, he’s short: Some of you noticed this from photos of us, but I’m 6’4’’, 200 (-ish) pounds, and Sandro is 5’3’’ and 135. This makes for some interesting looks at us when we’re in public together because I look older than I am, and he looks young enough to be in high school.

I’m an organized chaotic: Everything in my life is organized. For instance, I have a calendar with due dates and amounts for all my bills, I constantly check them online, I have a to-do list on my desk at all times (I recently converted from a notepad to a small dry-erase board), and I set tasks for myself each weekend and constantly monitor them. I do have an issue with procrastinating though, including responding to blog posts and comments. I also have issues with actually completing the tasks instead of staring at them on my list.

I only own one firearm: My pride and joy, a Springfield XD .45 ACP. Classic black, tactical rail standard, 1911 style grip safety and angle, no external hammer (it has a firing pin indicator on the back to show that’s it’s cocked), and a chambered round indicator (a small nub which sticks up on the top of the slide to let you know there’s a round in the pipe). I originally was planning to buy a Glock 22 (.40) but a friend let me shoot his XD and I fell in love with it. I prefer Hydrashok rounds, in case you were wondering. I have been promised a one year anniversary firearm though…hmmm, what to get? (No Adam, an AR-15 is out of the question.)

I love doing nothing: My week usually kicks the crap out of me. You’d think driving around for ten hours is easy, but it’s not. I think the fatigue is more mental because I juggle driving, anticipating others’ driving, radio, cell phone, Nextel, MDT, and am constantly having to be aware of what’s going on around me and my vehicle. By the time I get home my brain is fried. On my weekend, I love sitting around and watching TV, spending time with Sandro, and find it hard to respond to e-mails/blog comments and post comments to others’ blogs because of how much time I spend looking at a computer screen during my week.

Well, I am almost done with college. For the last few years I have worked full time and done college coursework full time. In between assignments and shifts I try to sleep, but it doesn’t always work that way. I will finally be able to free up almost my entire weekends (I usually save my projects for my weekend and spend two of my three days doing that). Having this sort of time free and fitness goals, one could only surmise that I need to get my fat ass going.

Pushups, sit-ups, crunches, weight training, stretching are all no problem. I have a full weight set (adjustable incline bench with pulldown) sitting in the garage collecting dust that I bought last Summer and have touched twice since then–once to actually move the bench itself while I was cleaning. Anyway, it’s the cardio. Running is obviously the best choice for me, but I have a few concerns.

First, I would have to actually drive somewhere to do it. My neighborhood isn’t very well suited for running. Second, cardio to me (well, most working out, really) is not something I want to be observed doing. It would be as if someone were in the bathroom with me watching me punch a grumpy…it just feels icky, I’m a mess afterwards, and I want to be alone while doing it. Third, my firearm isn’t well suited to be carried while running recreationally. It’s a duty model .45 ACP (Springfield XD to be exact), and not concealable while in workout attire. It holds 14 rounds (13+1), which is awesome when I’m at work, but not when I’m not. Being probable that I will be running at night a firearm isn’t something I really want to be without. Personal preference I guess.

The other morning I went to Vince Dizzle’s place for breakfast. Not surprisingly, it involved beer and guns. I helped fix his laptop’s performance (was suffering from  all of the TTDs…Technologically Transmitted Diseases) that come from downloading porn, as well as not clearing off the stock programs installed by most vendors. Anyway, for being a knob he is a surprisingly great chef, but I had already heard the legends.

Since I got my tax return I have hardly followed much of my “plan.” I’m going to make an eye exam appointment tomorrow to get either contacts again or some better suited glasses for work (i.e.: not expensive and plastic). Depending on how much I have left I’m going to contact some places that I hold delinquent accounts and try to resolve those.

I put together a collection of the essays I’ve written over the last almost two years from my Criminology, Criminal Law, Criminal Investigations, Social Problems, Criminal Procedure, Police Operations, Human Relations, and Ethics courses for my grandmother. She’s always complaining about how she doesn’t have many things to read except the TV Guide, and she loves crime and law related readings. I went and picked up a nice presentation binder and have most of my essays printed out so far:

Bail: Concept, Determination, and Denial
Confessions and Guilty Pleas
Right to Speedy Trial and the Statute of Limitations
Motive and Intent
Functionalist Perspective on Crime
Racism and Reverse Racism in Law Enforcement
Polygraph Use in Investigations
Protecting the Integrity of Crime Scenes
Latent Fingerprints as Evidence: Collection and Presentation
Arson
Profiling by Law Enforcement: Gang, Narcotics, Racial, and General
Jury of One’s Peers
The Mistrial
Interstate and International Extradition
Homicide Victimology

I couldn’t find my essays on Specialty Police Units, Ethics of Police Pursuits, or offender profiles, which I’m sure she would have enjoyed. My uncle is putting her in a home soon, which enrages me on one hand, but on the other I know that it will allow her to be more active and more social, two things she really needs right now. Plus, she will be a lot closer to me.

I picked up some overtime for this coming week, but it won’t sound like it. I had Thur-Fri off, tonight (Sat), I work Sunday, off Monday, on Tuesday, off Wednesday, then on Thu-Wed (7 days straight). I’m going to be beat by the time I get another day off.

Despite the so-so week that I had at work, today was pretty great. Spidey and I went out to the range today, where I pleasantly surprised myself. Two mags of ten rounds each, and only three rounds outside of the ten ring. I’ll post a pic later tonight.

The reason I didn’t post it now is because I’m busy transferring all of my files from my old laptop to my new one. I got my tax return and my paycheck today, so we went to Best Buy and picked one up. So far I think Windows Vista Home Premium is fine enough…Flip3D could be a bit quicker. All of my favorite programs work and so do all of my peripherals. I’ll sell my old laptop soon.