I wouldn’t normally pick up a Reader’s Digest, but after seeing the cover story for February’s issue, I just had to. It’s about low-carb dieting, something I am very much in favor of, and it’s a very good read. Maybe this is the first step in seeing Paleolithic dieting go mainstream.
It’s a Viking Tactics Sling, but modified for use with a guitar. Although this product would seem to make more sense in the hands of El Mariachi, it’s quite honestly not a bad idea. Guitarists need slings to better utilize guitars just like soldiers need slings to better utilize their weapons. It’s nice to see a company listen to its consumers and produce such a useful and cool product. If I put more effort into learning how to play my guitar, I might actually have to pick one up.
You can get yours at vikingtactics.com.
Some very exciting news from Tactical Night Vision Company. They are now selling Class1 Infrared Lasers for Civilians. Laser Devices, Inc (LDI) has begun manufacturing Class1 (eye safe) IR lasers for commercial sale and TNVC, a distributor for LDI, is now stocking these units. Class1 lasers are 0.07mW, providing a precise weapon-mounted aiming solution out to 75-100 yards. These are the first true, IR lasers available for commercial sale and this is the first time civilians can purchase them. Standard power IR lasers (class IIIb) are restricted to government purchase by the FDA. These units are built using LDI’s legacy Milspec body housings which are precision machined aerospace grade aluminum with a Mil-Spec surface anodizing. They have been proven on the battlefield and will stand up to harsh recoil and field abuse. Class1 lasers are available in four variants:
DBLA-I² – Class1 IR laser/ Class IIIa Visible Laser (red or green)
OTAL – Class1 IR Laser
ITAL – Class1 IR Laser
EOLAD 1L – Class1 IR Laser/ Eotech 552 Holo Sight
Now available at www.TNVC.com
No, it’s not just more video of an old dude kicking ass, it’s Manswers, a show on Spike that “answers all of the burning questions men have been dying to ask, but never found socially acceptable”. Using interviews, re-enactments, and professional input the show introduces such topics as how American soldiers have been taught to survive waterboarding or how to make a radioactive fallout suit for under five dollars, along with plenty of topics dealing with women and alcohol. The new season started yesterday, but it’s not too late to start watching, so check your local listings for the next new episode.
You can also view clips and full episodes on spike.com.
Starting February 5th, Youtube will be hosting a free viewing of the first episode of Cat Shit One: The Animated Series for a period of two weeks. A series by manga artist Motofumi Kobayashi, the original story took place in a Vietnam war where all the humans were replaced by animals. Americans are represented as rabbits simply because the Japanese word for rabbit in romaji is Usagi which leads to: USA G.I. The Blu-ray and DVD editions of the series will also be available on Amazon.com the same day as the episode appears on Youtube.
Check out ida-entertainment.com for the vid when it comes out.
This is a demonstration showing how an elderly man can use a simple rolled up newspaper to kick the ass of a guy with a bad haircut and no fashion sense. My dad used to tell me everything is a weapon. I never believed him, but I guess it’s true. Of course I could argue that shoving anything into a man’s anus is deadly in and of itself, but this is so impressive that it’s worth mentioning.
The first Black Ops map pack is mere days away from release, at least for those with an Xbox 360. 4 new multiplayer maps plus the sixth Zombies map will be released on Feb. 1 on Xbox Live, with the PC and PS3 to follow at some point. The new maps also feature new levels of interactivity not seen in previous CoD multiplayer, including Kowloon’s ziplines and Discovery’s destructible ice bridge. And of course the new zombies map, which takes place in a Soviet launch facility, will feature new weapons, perks, and enemies (Soviet zombie space monkeys!).
Unlike most launch parties I’ve attended, I was actually the first to arrive. And by arrive, I mean arrive early. By 30 minutes.
My enthusiasm left me out in the literal cold.
But it was worth it, because I was the first in line!
Now, compared to the high-capacity Reach or Black Ops parties, this was more of a very small social gathering. There couldn’t have been anymore than 10 people in the store when midnight finally arrived. That’s not to say it wasn’t fun, just a different kind of fun. Discussions with the employees about comics, movies, video games, pop culture, and anything else a fanboy would love to talk about led to the time passing by quickly and with a lot of laughs. I also received some cool promotional materials just for being there, such as an advertisement banner and an oversized game box. And then there was the prize for being first in line: the amazingly awesome necromorph drawing!
Overall, it was one of my favorite launch parties yet. It was fun, I got cool stuff, and most importantly I got the game quick so I could go home and play it. BTW, Dead Space 2 is terrifying! It doesn’t disappoint.
Zippo had some cool products for display at SHOT, such as the Zippo hand warmer. It uses an internal heating system and runs off of standard lighter fluid. The hand warmer can keep its heat for approximately 12 hours before needing a refill and it comes with a filler cup and warming bag. Because the original metal design isn’t tactically friendly, Zippo is also offering a matte black version which will be available mid year. The standard metal design is already available for purchase.
Another product that was shown to me was the Emergency Fire Starter Kit. Built in a similar design as their iconic lighters, it instead houses a number of cotton sticks sealed in wax, along with a flint wheel ignition. You simply remove one of the sticks, fray the end, ignite the stick using the flint wheel, and use the now ignited stick to start a fire. The kit is also water-proof, with an o-ring seal within the lid protecting the sticks, and the sticks themselves are also water-proof. Safety Orange is the only available color as of this time, although as with the hand warmer, a matte black version will be available later this year.
Just a little something cool that isn’t available to the general public, so you’ll have to be content with this photo. And no, constantly harassing Surefire won’t net you one, so don’t even try. 😉
Finally, the wait is over! Well, almost. May 3rd shows the release of the much anticipated Duke Nukem Forever. A well-known source of amusement on the internet due to its constant delays over a developmental period of 10+ years, it was always thought of as nothing more than vaporwear. The final blow seemed to be in 2009 when 3D Realms finally let go of development for various reasons. But now, thanks to 2K Games and Gearbox, we’ll finally see this legendary series return. Now, it’s a bit painful to have to wait even just a little over four months for release day, I know, but if this trailer is any indication of what’s to come, then the wait is well worth it.
Just a reminder: If the title of this article did not give it away, this is DEFINITELY NSFW!
Want to win one of Magpul‘s new Executive field cases for the iPhone 4? All you have to do is draw, sketch, paint, ect. your idea of the perfect ‘Tactical Babe’ and post it, or a link, on my Facebook page! It’s that simple. All entries are due by February 5th, with the winner chosen soon after. The winning image will also be featured on this website as the subject of an article.
One entry per person. Oh, and since it’s going to be on Facebook, keep it fairly clean. Good luck!
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I love Kel-Tec’s new KSG. Fortunately, despite the throngs of people clamoring for it, I finally had the chance to handle one at SHOT. To be honest, it was my pick for number one new product at SHOT Show. I mean, the thing is just cool. It’s a high-capacity bullpup shotgun that’s manufactured in the US! What’s not to love? Even with its fairly high price point ($880), I can tell it’s going to sell like gangbusters when it comes out 3rd quarter this year. Of course such high demand raises the question if I will be able to get a hold of one when it’s released, especially in that slick green polymer. I suppose only time will tell.
Last night at the 14th Annual Wilson Family Fishing Trip. The theme was 80s TV Zombies. Can you guess who I was?
In addition to an entire catalog of weapon accessories, GG&G produces a few fun items and the latest are the 12 gauge Shotgun Shell Salt & Pepper Shakers and 40mm Toothpick Holder.
Walking SHOT Show you see the wildest things and while I’ve seen loads of red guns and blue guns, this is the first time I have seen a rubber pipe wrench. Thank Canadian firm Defenses Tactiques Specialisees for it as well as a whole slew of other implements of destruction including a broken booze bottle. Safe for training with no sharp edges, but don’t hit each other over the head repeatedly and not expect to get a headache.
www.DTS-Inc.ca
Welcome to day two of SHOT Show. Hopefully, this will wake you up.
Thank you Crye Precision and the Hot Shots Calendar.
Was on planes, trains, and automobiles all day making my way to Vegas. Hit a couple of industry gettogethers tonight. Look for lots of coverage tomorrow during the day via Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook.
Badass LEGO Guns: Building Instructions for Five Working Guns by Martin Hudepohl is a pretty cool book. Using parts you’ll most likely have to custom order along with rubberbands and super glue, you can build any of five guns, from the semi-auto “Parabella” pistol to the fully automatic bullpup “Warbeast”, as seen on the cover. There’s also a neat butterfly knife called the “Magic Moth” available as well. If you have a bit of spare time, patience, and a love of LEGOs, then this might just be the next set of projects you could be looking for.
Just a quick reminder that BC2: Vietnam is coming out on Tuesday, December 21st for consoles and was already available for PC via the EA Store on the 18th. It costs $14.99 or 1200 microsoft points.
Are you an active duty or recently retired member of a special ops combat unit? Then you might have what it takes to join the ranks of the new Spike TV show “Most Lethal”. Looking to recruit 12 elite members of Special Forces both from the US and abroad, the show will test a multitude of real-world and unorthodox combat scenarios in a bid to see who is the best of the best. Set to air in Summer 2011, “Most Lethal” could be one skilled Soldier’s path to $100,000 and a Title. If you fit the criteria and are interested in joining, shoot an e-mail to sofsearch@grbtv.com and include some military background information and a recent photo. Also, be aware that you’ll require 45 or so days of leave (and your chain of command’s permission) if still on active duty.
At a first glance, “The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman” by Timothy Ferriss looks to be another ‘miracle’ lifestyle book that promises plenty while offering nothing of real value. However, most of the information inside is actually beneficial. It is possible, though not always practical, through using this book to indeed become “superhuman” as the title so boastfully states.
But how is this achievable? Mostly through the driving principle behind the book: the MED, or Minimum Effective Dose. A simple practice that values doing only what is absolutely necessary to achieve your goals, whether that be losing fat rapidly or quickly gaining muscle. For example, the Slow-Carb Diet described in the book promises to cause you to lose 20 pounds of weight in about 30 days without any exercise. Other techniques further assist with whatever cause you are currently pursuing.
Of course I mentioned the sometimes lack of practicality of this book. Mostly, it would really benefit from a companion publication. A “4-Hour Body Manual” or something similar, which would better define and simplify the information contained within. I say this because it’s a common occurrence to have to read through the author’s personal take on everything before you finally learn what you were looking for. Also, the author went through a wide volume of testing and describes some procedures that aren’t necessarily available or affordable to every reader.
Despite this, it’s a very good buy. It provides some very valuable information and the stories are generally entertaining. Also, the original title of the book was to be some variation of the term “Body Hacking”, so you know you’re in for a treat.
Rooster Teeth, creators of the popular Machinima franchise Red Vs. Blue has recently started a new series they call Immersion, where they introduce video game-related situations to real life scenarios. In one video, they introduce ‘Shane’, a 13 year special operations veteran, who proceeds to fire ten rounds at a target 100 yards out. Afterward, he repeats this exercise, but with the addition of simulated multiplayer trashtalking and all the swearing, name calling, and general annoyance that comes with it, courtesy of the Mega 64 crew.
It’s hilarious stuff, but if the title didn’t give it away, it’s not something you’ll want to view in the work place or near those with sensitive ears. Click at your own risk: Immersion: Online Gaming Distractions
