Monday, June 1, 2009

About the Title

I believe meanings of names to be significant; throughout the Bible, we read of parents who selected names for their children based exclusively on what those names meant. "The Defender" is simply a variation of the meaning of William, which is my first name.

William originated from the Germanic "Wilhelm," which essentially breaks into two words: Wil (will - as in the will to do something) and Helm (helmet - a rather vital piece of protective armor). There are a number of derived renderings of the name's meaning: Resolute Protecter, Determined Guardian, Great Protecter, Strong-willed Warrior, Strong Helmet, Resolute Defender. The wording in each case is slightly different, but the meaning is fairly constant. I tend to visualize words, and words such as these conjure immediately in my imagination a picture of a warrior: grim, determined, his great sword across his back, his dirk at his belt, as he gazes from his look-out; resolved to fight unceasingly and uncompromisingly in defense of truth and justice, and in protection of women, children, and the defenseless. He is resolute, he is determined, he is resolved; he is great and strong; he is a protector, a defender, a very helm to those he guards.

There are such men in history; Christian warriors who understood manhood and the responsibilities associated therewith. Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (whose timeless nickname is rooted in the idea of iron-willed defense); Joshua Gianavel; William Wallace (the Guardian of Scotland . . . ach, man, mah heart swells at the rememberin') and John Knox; Patrick Henry and George Washington; Moses, Joshua, King David, Nehemiah; and most importantly, Jesus Christ - the absolute most amazing, strong and resolved, defender, protector and guardian ever.

In naming my blog, The Defender, I am seeking to honor the Defenders who have lived and died and provided an example for those who would follow. I am also seeking to convey who I desire to be and what I desire to do. I think you will find that most of what I write revolves around this idea.

ABOUT THE PICTURE:

Taken from the opening sequence of HBO's "John Adams," then modified slightly for a better look.  

8 comments:

Stephen said...

Great Post!

So is the gun 7.62x54?

Aimpoint M4???!!!! Seems kinda like putting a Leupold on a pellet rifle! ;P

Really like the blog name.

Mike said...

Awesome post Johnson!

If I could fix the single shot issue, I'd buy a AES-10 quick!
It’s basically a RPK right?

~Mike

Johnson said...

Thanks, guys!

Stephen: the rifle is 7.62x39. Basically, it is an AK system, semi-auto, with a long (24", I think) barrel that is much heavier than a standard AK. I trust the guy who put the CompM4 there . . . he says he can hit targets at 600 yards with it. I only fired it at about 100 yards, but hitting torso sized targets was *easy* . . . and I wasn't particularly trying for "aim small, miss small" precision. Just sort of point and click.

What you are probably thinking of is the SVD (Dragunov) which is 7.62x54R. Both rifles are AK derivatives, so they look rather similar.
Don't underestimate the potential of the AK system, if properly configured . . . the stocks, triggers, and sights stink, but you get those fixed and it's a pretty solid system.

Mike: What single shot issue? An AES-10B is an AK with a long barrel. Throw a 30, 40, or 72 rnd mag or drum in there and roll.

Yes, it is basically an RPK without the full auto function. You can get them with threaded barrels, carry handles, and Russian quick-detach scope mount (yes, Stephen, the Russians make scopes for the RPK).

If you do get one, make sure it's a 10B, not just a 10. The 10 had a really sad, thin barrel that overheated and had all sorts of issues - it was basically an export item for the American civvy market. The barrel on the 10B is more "mil spec," and is much heavier than a standard AK barrel.

Curtis said...

Nice job on the photo, Johnson. I really like it.

Great story behind the blog name too. I agree, names have more significance and importance in a person's life than they realize.

And you're right, the AES-10 is not a single shot, its semi-auto. Big difference. You can't bump fire a bolt action... ;-)

Johnson said...

LOL, Curtis, great to hear from you!

Glad you like the photo. For a first-time-photoshopper on a 30-day CS2 demo, I didn't think it looked to bad, either ; ).

Mike said...

Johnson and Curtis,

I was referring to the fact that it is semi-auto, though the RPK was fully automatic.

I'm certainly not an expert on this subject, but I've been told by a close relative in the SF that civilian legal machine guns are not worth the extra weight, so therefore it would be better to go along with the light and just as potent AK.

And yes, bump firing is cool, even though it may not be tactically viable. ;)

~Mike

Johnson said...

I gotcha, Mike.

I understand where you're coming from. The fact that an AES-10B is an RPK knock-off had no intrinsic value to me; as a light squad machine gun, it is somewhat limited, in my opinion. It is my understanding that an RPK does not have a quick barrel-change ability, so it has the propensity to overheat rather quickly.

I was attracted to the AES-10B because of the longer and heavier barrel. It is not a rifle you can easily run around and clear houses with. But because of the extra weight and extended barrel, recoil is relatively light and the gun is fairly accurate. Was your relative recommending a standard AK vs. an AES-10? I was thinking the AES-10 would be more accurate (especially at distance), but I may be wrong. I'd be interested in finding out.

And as far as full-autos go . . . I'm more of a fan of learning to double and triple tap. Shoot fast and accurate.

Mike said...

I'll have to ask him again, it's been awhile since I talked to him last.

He believes very strongly in "packing light and traveling fast".
In fact, his weapon of choice for fighting covenant breakers is a Ruger Mini 30, which he has recommended to me over the AK.

~Mike