bbk

Hello and welcome.

Hello and welcome to the forums.

The store I go to, Princeton, doesn't take that measure-- though, I did experience it when I bought some .223 in Woodbridge. The Princeton store is pretty small though (one story, one entrance/exit).

They got rid of Pleasure Island actually. It happened awhile ago from what my sister told me (she goes at least once a year, if not more... her and her husband are a part of the DVC), and I can confirm as I was there last September. With that said though, there is still plenty to do in Disney. I really find that place to be supremely awesome... a real escape from reality, as childish as it may seem. I agree with jermz, so much to do the question isn't "what to do," but "how will I get everything done."

Egyptology is pretty amazing, I agree... then of course I'm studying to become a cultural anthropologist/archeologist . My only gripe with Egyptology is that its been studied from almost every angle... "all the maps have been filled in" of sorts. Still, pretty awesome field to read in to. You probably have already explored these, but the Met has a pretty good collection. The Louvre is pretty in-depth, and of course the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo (and many others). I guess that leads to my hobby of reading/studying/"scholaring" ancient civ. I focus on the cultural aspect versus the historical, though they commonly intertwine. One of my favorite sub-sections of the field is definitely mythology; this includes epics, poems, Creation/Apocalyptic stories, etc... pretty fascinating and amazing material. Easily one of my favorite writers of the field in general is Joseph Campbell, though if I feel like going outside the box Zecharia Sitchin is interesting. Though, I do enjoy reading all sorts of "mythology," to include TH White, Bradbury, numerous comics, and classics from all sorts of cultures (Greek/Roman, Indian, Native American, Russian, etc). And I guess to be more "normal," I invest a lot of time into gaming! I use to be pretty involved with the gaming community, though at the competitive level, and not development (I failed computer programming basics in high school years ago, lets put it that way). I was an administrator for CAL-cs division (Cyberathlete Amateur League), did some minor work for CPL as well. Also did some management work on the side for an online gaming team, zEx, and still keep in touch with some of the people. Fortunately that was awhile ago, and now gaming is more of a casual thing... just some xbox and ps3 here and there, some pc gaming (real men play on the pc), etc. Once I did the real bang-bang, it kind of took the novelty out of gaming, ha.

Magpul, the guys who brought us Art of the Tactical Carbine v.1 and 2, have made two new DVDs of training materials. One has to do with aerial platform operations, and the other has to do with something that we civilians might actually benefit from more, handguns. Links: Art of the Dynamic Handgun: Aerial Platform Operations: I never got the carbine vids, though I did have the chance of watching them (a friend got them). While its far better to get actual trigger time or an actual class, the vids were surprisingly informative. To me, the carbine vids were a good supplement of knowledge like the books out there... ie. Green Eyes and Black Rifles, but more visual. I'll be interested in hearing what people have to say once they view the handgun one though... if the information is good or if its just hokey. From what I can tell, the DVDs are not yet listed on the Magpul site though! Haha.

Zeenon, if you order an upper online, just have them send it directly to a gunsmith or a place like Adco. Most uppers, unless they're under the NFA regulated length (16''), will not have their flash hider permanently attached-- so, you don't need to worry about cutting off the old hider/re-threading (which at Adco is the package deal). However, if the barrel length is say 14.5''-14.7'' then you might have to go through the process since the flash hider would be permanently attached in that situation (to meet the NFA regulated length). My point being that if you get an upper that is already 16'', you can simultaneously send them the front sight posts you're interested in, or see if they can get it for you directly for a fee, and they'll slap it all together for you. (And make it NJ legal of course.) You would also do the same thing with the lower. As for the options with the Spikes lowers, the stenciling is just aesthetics. No need for the bullet button, as that is a CA thing. You can get the Magpul enhanced trigger guard if you want, but unless you have really beefy fingers or wear gloves when you shoot-- I wouldn't waste money on that option. All this Spikes' talk, and it gives me the itch to order the upper I've been planning for a couple weeks now. I have to wait until I make some more money though :pray:

I love Disney myself. I'm going to agree with everyone else that regardless of what your preferences are, there are tons of things you could do. Disney, not to sound cheesy, really does feel like a magical place when you're there. Maybe its something in the air or in the food, but I've always felt at ease. My personal favorite of the parks is definitely Epcot, though if you're going to be there for a couple days-- definitely get park hopper tickets. Outside of Disney, Daytona is about 50 miles or so to the east, and they do have some interesting places. My favorite part is definitely the coast and the food out there... my favorite place being Crabby Joes (http://www.sunglowpier.com/). But with that said, there are plenty of awesome places to eat in Orlando (off Disney property), my favorite being the different steak houses (Del Frisco, Charley's, Palm, etc).

Thanks for this article. It proves the point that criminals will commit crime regardless, and that weapons (no matter what variety) are a means and not the ends.

I forgot to add something actually. Always have spare parts! This is something that took me awhile to do actually. I always would be a click away from buying some spare parts, but then I figured it'd be money better spent elsewhere (like extra magazines or another box of ammo). Its not a serious thing for the casual user, but you never know when something might crap out and you're stuck with a rifle that has transformed into a bat (not even a spear in NJ! ). I don't want to start the whole topic of what breaks, but I would recommend picking up at least an extra bolt and bolt carrier group. Other things may break, but a busted bolt is a bad day.

No doubt, Hodgie, regarding the Tier 1 uppers. I own a Smith and Wesson myself, and am happy with it. But if I had a little extra for a Noveske or if I wanted to build a new rifle with a BCM, would I take that route? I would think so. The reason why I put the brands where their tiers are is based on reputation. Not necessarily because brand X sounds cooler because everyone talks about them... but because they've repeatedly made very, very high quality products. Colt and BCM are good examples of this without having to break the bank. Do those same brands make some lemons here and there? Of course. I also don't really consider bench-shooting and competition shooting when I consider getting an AR, but that's a personal thing. ARs are what I would consider a battle rifle (same with M1s and M14s), and while the companies make milspec products, not all products are equal... and there are some products I wouldn't necessarily entrust with my life. But you're right, Hodgie, there is no need to spend a crazy amount for quality AR products these days for the casual user. If you can get an Armalite or Bushy for a darn good price compared to a Sabre or LMT, I would definitely take that deal. I guess it doesn't help that we have to neuter everything in NJ as well.

You have a good point, mikey. The assembly part is as easy as slapping together some Legos (reason why we call them Legos right?). Hodgie did point out a lot of good resources, but its still a toss up regarding the parts themselves... unless you know what to look for. My recommendation is to always go for quality parts versus economical. For example, whenever I consider parts, I always look at the best brand on the market, and work my way down the list using the 'wallet' filter. With that said, you can still get high quality items for very economical prices (Magpul for example). I would recommend the following: For complete uppers: Tier 1: Noveske, Colt, Sabre Defence, LMT, Daniel Defense, BCM (Bravo Company Manufacturing) Tier 2: DPMS, Armalite, Bushmaster, Stag, Smith and Wesson, Spikes Tactical, CMMG, Rock River Arms Tier 3: Everything else I'm sure I'm missing some, and others I didn't include. I didn't include company specific products (with the exception of BCM because I really think they have top notch stuff), like rifles/uppers made by ADCO Firearms for example. I also didn't include specific models, like the Ruger AR because it really is their only product. Feel free to add to that list, I know I missed something... Regarding uppers, you can always go relatively cheaper because the quality will still be very good. Just make sure you research the brands and models, and if you have the opportunity to tinker around with one in a store before purchasing-- check for certain things. I recommend to research everything, but you want to check for correct gas keys on the bolt carrier group, and correct feed ramps for example. Personally, I just bought an aftermarket bolt carrier group and charging handle (the BCM BCG [so glad I got mine during their sale], and the Mod 4 Gunfighter CH) because I feel those are pieces that I know I want better then just factory. Something you might want to invest in, but hopefully won't have to worry about for awhile is an extra barrel. There is a wide range of barrels out there, and I would recommend spending the money on the barrels from those "Tier 1" brands I listed. Why? Because those companies tend to go the extra mile (for example, I believe Daniel Defense uses the same barrel designed for the M249-SAW for their AR barrels). Lowers are relatively more simple. As for the parts, you can go relatively economical if you wish. A lot of companies out there sell whole "lower packages" that come with everything you need (DPMS is a company that does this I believe). However, as Hodgie pointed out, while assembling or replacing parts in the lower, it might be a good opportunity to replace the trigger if you wish. There is a very good selection of triggers, and its something I'm not entirely familiar with-- so, I'm sure someone else can explain the brands/types. The only other thing about lowers I would make note of is if you're Left-Handed, you might want to invest in more/different parts. Magpul has their B.A.D lever designed for the bolt catch, making it an ambi. Sorry if I missed anything, and I hope I helped a bit. Sorry for the length of the read :|

The full length isn't a bad choice really. I have a small wing span myself, so I feel your pain. In my experience, keeping the stock pinned at its full extension forces you to maintain a good position-- but its really a preference thing. Retractable stocks were made to accommodate body armor and CQB and SBRs (though I think that last one is more of a "New Age" thing). Your best bet is to do what TJ said, and that's find a stock that hasn't been pinned yet at a store. Or you could always call the company and ask what the length for each pull is (or Google it), and compare that to what you would prefer.

I'm no expert myself and will keep the brief as I'm typing this from my phone, and that's just aggravating. The problem with the bushmaster from what I can tell is that it still has the bayo lug, flash hider (as been noted), and retractable stock. Now you can still get this and NJify it at a smith or a place like ADCO. When I get home I'll add more thoughts-- and maybe post pics of my rifle!

I'm going to really try and be there for this one. Been meaning to shoot for days/weeks now, but things keep coming up.

:text-welcomewave:

http://www.cbs.com/classics/the_twiligh ... =true&cc=2 I'll admit I'm far too young to have grown up with the Twilight Zone, though I did catch many of the episodes on TV (though, faint, faint memories). Here's an episode that was linked from JWR's Survivalblog. Interesting thing about this episode is that it was straightforward with its message, no subtlety or twists... just a message. The episode itself is titled "Shelter," and is about the reactions of people in a certain situation. I don't want to ruin it, and will discuss after people have watched it, or start discussing it. All I have to say is damn the sheeple!

Even better!

UPS was suppose to deliver something yesterday. Due to "adverse weather," it never arrived... and now my tracking says "In Transit," but the field for when it should be arriving has disappeared . Oh well, it'd better arrive today then :?

Sticking to our own seems like the logical answer, but I think if we were to be naive about what was going on, the chances of getting nipped in the butt are pretty good. I think it would be the case because if we don't take a pro-active stance of "policing" the world, who will? I know, that is the root of the problem as it currently stands. And the question that follows that is probably something along the lines of, "who cares about the rest of the world?" Truth is, after the Spanish-American war, and, later, after WWII and really after 1989, when the US finally emerged as the leading world power-- we made it our responsibility... whether we wanted it or not. Sure, its not a glorious position, being at the top, but without defined leadership, the rest of the world would probably be far worse... and then it would sooner or later cause problems that we couldn't even imagine for the homeland. To me, globalism works two-fold. The more obvious reason for spreading our influence is because it is what fuels the economy. The other hand? By creating so-called "spheres of influence," it helps protect the homeland by a means of "buffer zones" of sorts. While these buffer zones are not literally contiguous, the effects of globalism in a sense make them so. Its an abstract theory, but it makes sense... and is the reason why most terrorist (I will never call it "man made disasters," sorry) attacks are US assets (USS Cole, Bosnia, embassies in Africa, military bases in Ghan and Iraq); and not necessarily targets on US soil. Now, the fact that more and more incidents are happening on US soil is troubling, and a different topic in itself-- this thread topic. I agree with Old School that more has to be done to protect the homeland, but without bending the laws that protect the rights of the citizen. Take for example, former President Bush amended parts of the Insurrection Act that would allow him to use US troops more readily. While it had good intentions (the Katrina cleanup was to have been the main reason why), the move was later repealed back to what the Insurrection Act had been because it was giving the President too much power. As for the Insurrection Act and Posse Comitatus, I'm not a legal advocate or JAG, but my understanding is that there are incidents that can trigger a lifting of the two policies. For example, I believe in the case of martial law, the restrictions can be lifted. So, if the mainland were being invaded, I don't know what legal steps have to be taken, but you could bet the BCTs would be rolling. The main reason for the two policies is to protect the country from the President having too much power... a check and balance. Seeing how the President is also the Commander-in-Chief, its natural that he would hold the reins to the military. This limits his ability to use the military for domestic issues. National Guard is a different thing all together.

I agree for the most part with what you're saying. However, for the most part, even if we wanted-- we couldn't deploy military to the border in any other function other then engineers or oversight (which is what the Army does currently). For the better, military personnel are not deputized, and do not have any law enforcement authority... unless Posse Comitatus is lifted and the Insurrection Act is limited as well. However, those incidents are far and few between. Now, sending the National Guard, that's a different story I believe. As for everything else, I would support taking a more pro-active approach that involved some profiling. Not necessarily just looking at a person or their passport and saying 'yay' or 'nay.' But fusing the profiling with a more robust and deeper involvement of intelligence assets and homeland security (not necessarily just the department though)... sounds obvious, right? However, I think human intelligence has become pretty shoddy and the other forms of intelligence have been neutered a bit; which all leads to a lack of complete actionable intelligence.

Hello and welcome

I remember reading about this in the wake of the incident on Christmas. From a purely intelligence standpoint, this measure being taken is not needed and a step back. How in the hell does taking full body scan images of someone going to deter future attempts? Maybe a handful at first, but the bad guys will innovate, and then what will be our counter? Personally, I think maybe the body scans should be a secondary process-- after someone gets flagged down. I know full cavity/strip searches are taboo-- so, why not replace them with this scan instead? However, I do not think it is necessary for EVERY person to go through this process. The intelligence community F'ed up, I think that's obvious. Though, I guess it doesn't help the IC's case when reports show that TSA employees repeatedly fail their basic duties like STANDING AT THEIR POST... however, I'm seriously not pointing fingers because somewhere in the process, the IC dropped the ball. However, maybe someone should streamline more with foreign intelligence agencies, or take the extra five minutes to process someone's report about a possible threat. I think I am going to write to someone in the government about this one because I find this extremely offensive myself.

Here I am on a local train to NYC and nobody to chat with

It is pretty scary. Closest thing to what a battlefield looks like without having to sign any contracts! Though I'd say not as eerie as NOLA was after Lady Destruction.