Category Archives: Review

New Springfield XD-S

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I got the opportunity to try one of these out this weekend, and I liked it.  Blogger friend, Serenity, brought her brand new one out for Schutenfest 2013 (I’ve got pictures too, but I haven’t cleaned them up for posting yet. And hers are better anyway.).

I liked it enough, I was thinking about writing it up for the new writing gig.  And then one of the other writers beat me to it. Curses! My kingdom for content!

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised.  I haven’t been particularly impressed with the XD’s. Sure, they are fine pistols, but I just don’t like them.  They feel awkward and flimsy and just never shoot right for me. The XDM is a vast improvement, but I haven’t felt compelled to add it to my want list.

So when I started thinking about a little .45 to carry when I can’t carry the tactical toaster, the XD-S didn’t even make my radar. I wrote it off too hastily. The Springfield XD-S feels solid and points naturally. The lightweight package does make the .45 surprisingly snappy, but it doesn’t jump out of your hand and stamp your forehead or anything. It has now become a contender in my search. Even if it will never be as pretty as this.

 

My Beauty Routine

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Ha! Like I’ve got time for some personal pampering routine.  That’s rich.

You see, I’m not a morning person and yet I like to leave the house at 7am to both beat the morning rush hour idiots and get my choice in parking spots at the office.  (I have a winter favorite and a summer favorite. Hey, I drive a black sedan.  In summer, shade is far more important than proximity to the door.) Of course, not being a morning person means I’ve got mad snooze button skills. Yo.

So I end up rolling out of bed with just exactly enough time to stumble into the bathroom for a shower. I am not actually awake at this point so routine is very important.  My early morning autopilot software hasn’t been upgraded or defragmented in years.  So it’s facial cleanser to make sure I’ve removed the make-up that I may or may not have actually bothered to apply the previous day but most certainly failed to remove the night before, wash the hair, condition the hair, wash the body, rinse and dry off. Done. (Nope, you didn’t see a mention of dealing with body hair because I rip the little buggers out by the roots on a  regular basis.)

One problem with this routine is that it is way to easy for me to skip the whole moisturize after the shower step. And I have chronically dry skin.  I could write you messages on my legs with my fingernails, dry.  Well I could, but I can’t now.

Why?

Because of this.

Dove Visible Care

It’s the new Dove Visible Care softening creme body wash with the highest concentration of their NutriumMoisture technology across the Dove product line.  Honestly, when they asked me to review it, I wondered what I might possibly have to say about a body wash.  I mean, I review things like ammo here.  But hey, I like to be clean so why not?

I have admit, seeing the ‘visibly more beautiful skin in just one week’ line made me a bit skeptical.  I mean, I’ve got pretty decent skin if I’ll take the time to take care of it.  Really, dryness is the only issue. But this stuff, it shoved that often neglected lotion applying step right into the whole get nice and clean step. Hence the reason I can’t draw pictures on my legs with my fingernails anymore.  Really, I should have taken a before and after picture because my skin even looks softer. Also, it helped sooth and speed up the healing where I had scratched my thigh raw due to mosquito bites. Total surprise there.

So here’s what they have to say about it

  • Designed to soften skin and dry spots
  • Rich, pearlescent creme format with luxurious lather and clean rinse
  • Contains a mild cleanser, glycerin and stearic acid
  • A white floral gourmand fragrance that includes an elegant combination of magnolia and pink jasmine

Soften? check. Dry spots? Check.  OMG! The lather!  I almost forgot to tell you about the lather. It’s thick.  Like soap opera languish in the tub thick.  Even with my hard water. And a little goes a long way.

OMG! Shower Picture

I was actually concerned about the smell when I got it. I don’t like perfumes, particularly overly floral ones, and this stuff smells very strong right out of the bottle.  But it rinses away nicely leaving just a soft clean smell. Honestly, the smell is neutral enough that the EvylRobot didn’t mind when I washed his back with it.

Also, it opens on the bottom.  I know this seems like a little thing, but my shower ends up littered with precariously balanced bottles because I’m cheap and I’m going to get every ounce of that stuff out. Dove was kind enough to save me from the early morning fancy footwork involved when I inevitably knock down all the other bottles.

Bottle Top

Yeah, Dove.  I see what you did there. While everything else is rolling willy nilly in the tub, there you are.  Steadfast and true.  And making sure I get every drop of those 18 ounces without attempting to defy gravity.

This being kinda sorta generally a gun blog, I was going to shoot it when I finished reviewing it. But I love it.  I can’t waste it like that.  When it’s empty, I’ll be spending some of my ill-gotten wheelbarrow of cash to buy more.  So you’re just going to have to settle for a chance at a $500 spa gift card instead (Details on the sweepstakes are at the bottom of the post).

So really, try out the new Dove Visible Care line.  It makes me feel pampered and luxurious and continue my relationship with my snooze button.

Psst. FTC-Yep, they provided product and this is a paid review. And you can kiss my nice soft ass.
Visit Dove® VisibleCare® to get a coupon for $1 off!

Enter to win one of two $500 Spafinder gift certificates!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age
18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 7/18/2012 – 8/22/2012

Be sure to visit the Dove® VisibleCare™ Crème Body Wash brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

 

 

Glock: The Rise Of America’s Gun

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The good folks at Random House sent me a copy Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun a couple weeks ago for review.

Short version: Buy a copy, you won’t be disappointed.

Longer:

First off, it’s an attractive book.  Yes, I’m totally judging it by its cover here.  But really, look at it.

I tip my hat to the graphic artist that used the ugly Glock so strikingly.

I had my doubts about this book when I received it.  I mean, I’m not a Glock girl after all.  I prefer my Smith & Wesson M&P and my FNP over the Glock. Sure, it’s a good, reliable pistol, but the Glock Perfection fanboys just make me roll my eyes.

But they asked me to read and review the book, not to like it.  Honestly, I expected it to be all fawning appreciation of the ‘super gun.’

I could not have been more wrong. Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun tells the intriguing story of Gaston Glock’s transformation from humble curtain rod manufacturer to eccentric billionaire.  And trust me, he’s quite eccentric.  Of course, you can’t tell the story of Glock without meandering through the political climate that surrounded it’s rise. There’s even some sex scandal thrown in the mix.

It’s not some dry history book either.  There are multiple times while reading it that I have laughed out loud.

Note to Paul Barrett,

This is not appreciated.

signed,

the cats

Anti-gunners would be appalled to see how Glock not only worked around gun control laws but also used them to his advantage.  Gun bloggers will laugh at the same.  Funny enough, it will probably be the fanboys that hate this book because it doesn’t gloss over the negatives either.

Really, if you are even the slightest bit interested in the evolution of gun culture and politics, you should read this book.

Review: Fiocchi .45 ACP

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Ammo.net was kind enough to provide me with a box of their Fiocchi .45 ACP for the purpose of review. Negotiations went something like this.

Ammo.net: Want some ammo that you don’t have to pay for?

Me: Um, yeah

Ammo.net: You’ve got to shoot it and talk about it and link back to us, k?

Me: Twist my arm, why don’t ya?

Well it just so happened that we had 4 shooters* with .45′s at undisclosed location, so I decided to have a little fun with it.

It ran flawlessly in my FNP .45 Tactical, EvylRobot‘s M&P45c, Microcosm Overload’s(yes, he needs a blog of his own. And you may have seen him before at the same undisclosed location) Para, and our guest’s compact Kimber.

We shot this with my Nikon Coolpix P80, Evyl’s Samsung Epic, and Microcosm Overlord’s iPhone 4G. I thought it was fun to have all the different angles.  It’s also the first video review that I’ve posted.  Let me know what you think.  Do you want to see me on video more often?  Never again?

Ammo.net is one of several online retailers of drop shipped ammunition.  We all know that.  But did you know that a percentage of every purchase you make through ammo.net goes to support a pro-freedom organization of your choice in your name?

When you order from Ammo.net, we donate a percentage of your order to your chosen pro-freedom organization, which includes organizations that actively support our military personnel, our 2nd Amendment rights, and our political freedoms.  This donation is done on your behalf and doesn’t cost you a dime.

So go buy some Cheap .45 ammo and support a cause we all believe in.

*3 out of 4 shooters are wearing custom leather.  We’ve got to work on our guest.

Why yes, FCC, they did give me ammo. I mentioned that already.

Edited to embed the right video.  Special sometimes…

 

Laughing At Wall Street

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So this arrived in the mail last Saturday.

Totally unsolicited.  Apparently, I was on of the bloggers chosen to receive an advance copy of Laughing At Wall Street. That’s what the included letter said anyway.

Interesting.  I like free stuff. Unsolicited free stuff is especially great.  (You hear that people who send random bloggers free stuff?) So I took the whole press package over to the in-laws for Sunday lunch.

Now, I don’t read investment books.  I have a couple of 401K’s (prior job and current one), but I haven’t done any investing.  I do accounting for a living and was a banker prior to that, so I have a reasonable grasp on financial dealings but know almost nothing about the stock market.  And it’s certainly not a topic I’ve ever talked about here.

But I figured, what the hell and cracked open the book on Sunday afternoon.  I didn’t put it down again until I had finished it that evening.  I plan to read it again.

I don’t read books like this.  One of my favorite gags to pull on company is to point out the one book on the shelf that I’ve never been able to finish.  The title of that one? Getting Things Done.  I love to read.  I just prefer the escape of fiction. And yet I read this one in a single afternoon.

It’s interesting, entertaining, and informative.  Chris Camillo has a passion for this and it really comes through in his writing.  And he just might have some clue what he’s talking about.  When was the last time some financial adviser had their investment returns published online for all the world to see?

The big scary world stocks and stock options and trading doesn’t seem quite so big and scary anymore.  With some careful planning, I may just dip my toes in. (What caliber for big scary stock market?)  I’ll keep you informed of any progress. First I’ve got to budget aside some money I’m not afraid to lose, but it turns out, I can start smaller than I thought.

Do I recommend it?  This total stock market noob says yes.  If you buy Laughing at Wall Street: How I Beat the Pros at Investing (by Reading Tabloids, Shopping at the Mall, and Connecting on Facebook) and How You Can, Too using that link, I’ll get a bit of a return from Amazon. (Hey, I’m a capitalist.  Help the occupiers hate me even more.)  You can also get it directly from the author’s site linked above.

Dear FCC: I didn’t ask for the book; he sent it.  He didn’t ask for a post; I wrote one.  <insert raspberry here>

Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here Today

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For a review and giveaway! But, you have to wait until the end for the giveaway part.

A few weeks ago, I received a comment from a representative of Gun Casket and thought their product looked very interesting. So I asked very nicely if they would provide me one for review purposes. They did even better than that.

From Gun Casket

One for me, and one for a lucky reader! The purple one is mine. It is their electronic dual pistol case. And it will hold a pair of M&P Compact pistols

From Gun Casket

But will the 627PC go in?

From Gun Casket

Why yes! Even with it’s little buddy, the j-frame.  Just barely.

From Gun Casket

It’ll hold a pair of L-Frames

From Gun Casket

But the big FN gets the room all to itself. It will not fit with a magazine inserted.

From Gun Casket

And it will even go in my backpack. Bring it on, office food thief! What?  You could put things in there other than guns.

From Gun Casket

But you don’t want to hear about mine. You want to see what you could win. Hit the jump for more pictures and how you, yes you, could have it for your very own.
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