Friday, November 20, 2009
Succession and Thoughts Theiron
This one comes up from time to time. The states mentioned are usually the inland west (ID-MT-WY) and Texas and of course the Free State Project in New Hampshire. It is also the plot of at least one book.
I think we have already pretty much settled this one with numerous small rebelions and of course a Civil War. I just don't think it will happen and I am far less optomistic about a successful succession attempt. Matter of factly the US has a very large and advanced military which in almost any scenario (this could be a wild card) would stand fast with the Federal Government.
The North mollywhopped the South because they had more people and the ability to make more stuff. This fundamental situation will always lead to a predictable outcome provided the bigger stronger group does not loose will. Since we are talking about part of the contiguous US it is not very likely that they would loose will.
The theoretical involvement of the National Guard in such an event could go a lot of ways. I just know that today's battlefield is too complex and technologically advanced (talking tanks and air assets, arty more than satellites and computers) for a hearty group of guy with rifles to stand up against conventional forces in battle. Narry but you and your buddies can't take on a Platoon.
This is where someone would inevitably mention guerrilla warfare and how in that context a group of guys with a few rifles and some explosives can in fact cause some havoc. Insurgents are able to function because they are an accepted part of the population and the distinctly different occupiers are not. I find that scenario flawed for this situation. People would have mixed affiliations and the occupiers (for lack of a better word) would look and talk the same. The Patriot vs Loyalist conflicts of the revolutionary war or the Kansas- Missouri Border War would IMO be better examples.
I just don't see it happening.
However I do think that a serious rebalancing of the relationship between state and federal power could be possible. States staying in the union but just deciding to take greater freedoms could happen. Montana and Tennessee doing their own thing with gun laws could well be a start to that trend.
I think we have already pretty much settled this one with numerous small rebelions and of course a Civil War. I just don't think it will happen and I am far less optomistic about a successful succession attempt. Matter of factly the US has a very large and advanced military which in almost any scenario (this could be a wild card) would stand fast with the Federal Government.
The North mollywhopped the South because they had more people and the ability to make more stuff. This fundamental situation will always lead to a predictable outcome provided the bigger stronger group does not loose will. Since we are talking about part of the contiguous US it is not very likely that they would loose will.
The theoretical involvement of the National Guard in such an event could go a lot of ways. I just know that today's battlefield is too complex and technologically advanced (talking tanks and air assets, arty more than satellites and computers) for a hearty group of guy with rifles to stand up against conventional forces in battle. Narry but you and your buddies can't take on a Platoon.
This is where someone would inevitably mention guerrilla warfare and how in that context a group of guys with a few rifles and some explosives can in fact cause some havoc. Insurgents are able to function because they are an accepted part of the population and the distinctly different occupiers are not. I find that scenario flawed for this situation. People would have mixed affiliations and the occupiers (for lack of a better word) would look and talk the same. The Patriot vs Loyalist conflicts of the revolutionary war or the Kansas- Missouri Border War would IMO be better examples.
I just don't see it happening.
However I do think that a serious rebalancing of the relationship between state and federal power could be possible. States staying in the union but just deciding to take greater freedoms could happen. Montana and Tennessee doing their own thing with gun laws could well be a start to that trend.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Lazy Thursday
Would You Store Your PM's for Safekeeping This Way?
Samantha sent this to me:
A story from Yahoo news:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_
TOR adds: That is certainly a novel idea and at least in this case it was successful. Broadly speaking I think private storage would be safer than storage (in plain sight or hidden/ obscured) because the less people around the smaller the chances that someone will find and steel your precious. Something like putting it into the bottom of a bag of flour in the back of the pantry or doing something like this is probably advisable.
A story from Yahoo news:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_
TOR adds: That is certainly a novel idea and at least in this case it was successful. Broadly speaking I think private storage would be safer than storage (in plain sight or hidden/ obscured) because the less people around the smaller the chances that someone will find and steel your precious. Something like putting it into the bottom of a bag of flour in the back of the pantry or doing something like this is probably advisable.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Your Pistol and Rifle for an Unknown Scenario
I got to thinking about this the other day. What if I could only have two guns to take with me towards an unknown and dangerous situation? It could be in a city or in the wild, mountains or jungle, hot or cold, defensive or a bit more pro active, you don't know.
This is different from the first gun/ rifle and pistol debate for one significant reason, cost isn't an issue. I didn't say what two guns would you take with you that you can afford to buy this week, I asked what two guns you would want.
I would personally take a Glock 9mm (19 or 17 it doesn't really matter) and an M4 with an Aimpoint optic. I would take a Glock pistol because they are utterly reliable and rugged as can be. The M4 is a rifle I am totally familiar with and also one that is very easy to use well between point blank and 300 meters and I imagine could give a decent accounting out another hundred or so.
What would you take with you?
This is different from the first gun/ rifle and pistol debate for one significant reason, cost isn't an issue. I didn't say what two guns would you take with you that you can afford to buy this week, I asked what two guns you would want.
I would personally take a Glock 9mm (19 or 17 it doesn't really matter) and an M4 with an Aimpoint optic. I would take a Glock pistol because they are utterly reliable and rugged as can be. The M4 is a rifle I am totally familiar with and also one that is very easy to use well between point blank and 300 meters and I imagine could give a decent accounting out another hundred or so.
What would you take with you?
How To: Survive in a Redneck Bar
I saw this link and it sort of amused me in a tounge and cheek way. This is not for the prudish. I didn't see anything NSFW on this page but if you cruize the site you will probably find something which is.
Probably enough to keep you amused for part of a coffee break.
Probably enough to keep you amused for part of a coffee break.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Welcome to the Post 1950's World
Today Wifey was offered and accepted a job! She has been going stir crazy here, moreso than in Georgia because the TV is crappy and with the 9 hour time difference it is harder to communicate regularly with folks back home. We don't have any kids and while my schedule is more regular now I still work long days so there is a lot of time to just sit around with the cats watching bad TV and generally being bored.
She won't start for a couple weeks and hours haven't been guaranteed but that doesn't totally matter anyway as any progress is good progress. They said if you want to and can work different shifts you can get 40 hours or so. Also she has a couple of lines on better paying more full timeish jobs anyway which would be ideal.
This is a very good thing.
On the downside it means she will not be a full time domestic engineer which I have really enjoyed. Just having my work be at work and hers at home has worked well in a sorta 50's style. Our division of labor is going to have to shift significantly for the first time in our marriage. In that narrow sense it sort of sucks but probably isn't a bad thing. I lived fully independently for a few years and was 95% fully independent before that but have been forgetting (she thinks it might be intentional) how to do all sorts of basic household things. It will be a shock to the system for awhile but shouldn't be too bad in the long term.
Being more involved in the cooking will give me the opportunity to do some interesting food storage/ staple experimenting which will be nice. We intend to stick with (even though it isn't real convenient) eating real staple foods. Between really long cooking meals (crock pot) and quick meat and taters/ veggies stuff we should do OK there.
Additional income will likely be split between paying off debt and acquiring stuff we can really use like a second and more importantly semi newish reliable car. Of course at least 10% will be saved for the long term.
The big trap for us to not fall into is depending on a second income. First of all we at least want the option for her to stay at home with young kids so we must be capable of being a single income household when that time comes. Secondly I firmly believe that military families need to be able to live on the SM's income comfortably and depending on a second income is a recipe for disaster. Even if the spouse has a really portable skill like nursing there is always a real chance of being stationed somewhere (like Antarctica) where they just can't find a job. We are going to avoid this trap by not letting our regular expenses (and particularly debts) expand with the income growth.
Anyway my wife got a job in a place where jobs are very hard to get so kudos to her for being awesome.
That is all
She won't start for a couple weeks and hours haven't been guaranteed but that doesn't totally matter anyway as any progress is good progress. They said if you want to and can work different shifts you can get 40 hours or so. Also she has a couple of lines on better paying more full timeish jobs anyway which would be ideal.
This is a very good thing.
On the downside it means she will not be a full time domestic engineer which I have really enjoyed. Just having my work be at work and hers at home has worked well in a sorta 50's style. Our division of labor is going to have to shift significantly for the first time in our marriage. In that narrow sense it sort of sucks but probably isn't a bad thing. I lived fully independently for a few years and was 95% fully independent before that but have been forgetting (she thinks it might be intentional) how to do all sorts of basic household things. It will be a shock to the system for awhile but shouldn't be too bad in the long term.
Being more involved in the cooking will give me the opportunity to do some interesting food storage/ staple experimenting which will be nice. We intend to stick with (even though it isn't real convenient) eating real staple foods. Between really long cooking meals (crock pot) and quick meat and taters/ veggies stuff we should do OK there.
Additional income will likely be split between paying off debt and acquiring stuff we can really use like a second and more importantly semi newish reliable car. Of course at least 10% will be saved for the long term.
The big trap for us to not fall into is depending on a second income. First of all we at least want the option for her to stay at home with young kids so we must be capable of being a single income household when that time comes. Secondly I firmly believe that military families need to be able to live on the SM's income comfortably and depending on a second income is a recipe for disaster. Even if the spouse has a really portable skill like nursing there is always a real chance of being stationed somewhere (like Antarctica) where they just can't find a job. We are going to avoid this trap by not letting our regular expenses (and particularly debts) expand with the income growth.
Anyway my wife got a job in a place where jobs are very hard to get so kudos to her for being awesome.
That is all
Monday, November 16, 2009
EDC Knives
I have carried a Spyderco Endura pretty much every day for about 5 years now. Carried the first (better) fully serated one for a really long time. Eventually the plastic around the clip wore out and it was no longer secure in my pocket. Still got it somewhere and it will cut fine but doesn't fill the pocket knife role. I then switched to a partially serated one which I had purchased as part of a long story I won't get into. That was about 5 months ago.
Today my knife was in a screwy position in my pocket so I took it out and looked at it. The darn plastic where the clip attaches to the handle is shot. With the first one I wasn't too bummed because it lasted for about 5 years and 10 bucks a year is not a bad average to have a real cutting machine in your pocket. The second one isn't even broken in yet and it is not useful for pocket carry. Of course it is still a good blade and in a pouch I could find some sort of a use for it. I treated them both the same (carry in pocket and use to cut stuff) and one lasted far longer than the other. Maybe the first one was lucky or maybe the second one was just lame but I am not going to buy another to find out.
So that leaves me without a dedicated folding knife to live in my pocket. I tried the Buck 110 (great knives!) for awhile but carrying it didn't give me a warm and fuzzy. I am just an easy open folder with a clip sort of guy. Not however planning on getting another one with a plastic handle as they get weak around the clip which gives me a big sad face. The good news is that my personal money has just been accumulating for awhile now so buying a new folder is more a matter of choosing and picking up or ordering than cost.
I am looking for a good easy open type folder with a metal handle and a clip. Not enormously concerned about cost but unless it is also a gun and a universal remote I wouldn't want to spend more than $100 or so. Any suggestions?
I am going to look at knives online till dinner time which judging by the good smells coming from the kitchen is about 5 minutes.
Today my knife was in a screwy position in my pocket so I took it out and looked at it. The darn plastic where the clip attaches to the handle is shot. With the first one I wasn't too bummed because it lasted for about 5 years and 10 bucks a year is not a bad average to have a real cutting machine in your pocket. The second one isn't even broken in yet and it is not useful for pocket carry. Of course it is still a good blade and in a pouch I could find some sort of a use for it. I treated them both the same (carry in pocket and use to cut stuff) and one lasted far longer than the other. Maybe the first one was lucky or maybe the second one was just lame but I am not going to buy another to find out.
So that leaves me without a dedicated folding knife to live in my pocket. I tried the Buck 110 (great knives!) for awhile but carrying it didn't give me a warm and fuzzy. I am just an easy open folder with a clip sort of guy. Not however planning on getting another one with a plastic handle as they get weak around the clip which gives me a big sad face. The good news is that my personal money has just been accumulating for awhile now so buying a new folder is more a matter of choosing and picking up or ordering than cost.
I am looking for a good easy open type folder with a metal handle and a clip. Not enormously concerned about cost but unless it is also a gun and a universal remote I wouldn't want to spend more than $100 or so. Any suggestions?
I am going to look at knives online till dinner time which judging by the good smells coming from the kitchen is about 5 minutes.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
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