The weather here is completely fucking insane. Today we had massive thunder storms, hurricanes and flash floods. Tomorrow there is going to be snow. Friday it is supposed to be 75. Seriously, what the fuck?
I was sitting here this morning and the crazy storm was blowing. All of a sudden I heard a siren of some sort. It was coming from outside, an area with more stuff a couple hundred yards away. I realized it must be a tornado siren. I got onto the google and did some looking. There was a tornado warning in our area. Fucking A. I elected to let Wifey sleep because I couldn't think of anything great to do. Without a basement the best I can think of is to go to an interior room if a tornado strikes.
So yeah the weather here is totally nuts.
Also every dog I see seems to be a pit bull. Not sure what to make of that.
Today I swung by the gun shop and they had a nice AK with a folding stock. They wanted $675 for it. Fricking aye. I got my AK (WASR-10, whatever) for a bit under $400 last summer. Not sure if I will ever got another one but definitely won't at these prices.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Glock 19- 33 mags and holsters
I came home to a package in the mail. Either I got the package from Jim Rawles or someone in The Unnamed Western State magically got my address and wanted to send me something awesome and threw a survivalblog fridge magnet in. I got out the Glock 19 and put the mag in. All I can say is G is for Gangster. I found a place that sells 33rd glock mags for a good price and am going to pick up a few more of them.
I feel like endorsing a product I really like, Unkle Mikes IWB holsters. I use these for 3 of my pistols and have had great luck with them. I have a super nice Galco leather IWB holster for the G22 (thanks again Chad) and these are almost as good but 1/5th the price. I personally use the open top variety.
Their sidekick series of holsters I am less of a fan of. The retention strap without a thumb break makes for a slow and awkward draw (by and larg cops went away from em a long time ago for that reason) and IMHO they don't carry particularly well. I got one just to have a holster for a gun I will never carry but am not a fan of em. For the budget conscious I would be more inclined to go with one of their kydex belt holsters. Got one of these for the full sized glock and it is awesome.
I feel like endorsing a product I really like, Unkle Mikes IWB holsters. I use these for 3 of my pistols and have had great luck with them. I have a super nice Galco leather IWB holster for the G22 (thanks again Chad) and these are almost as good but 1/5th the price. I personally use the open top variety.
Their sidekick series of holsters I am less of a fan of. The retention strap without a thumb break makes for a slow and awkward draw (by and larg cops went away from em a long time ago for that reason) and IMHO they don't carry particularly well. I got one just to have a holster for a gun I will never carry but am not a fan of em. For the budget conscious I would be more inclined to go with one of their kydex belt holsters. Got one of these for the full sized glock and it is awesome.
The Credit Card Post.
- It is so interesting what can really get you guys and gals going in the comment section. There was so much commentary about what I thought to be a mundane post that I am going to address it here.
- Dr. Dad said...
Glad to know I'm not the only person experiencing problems with USAA this morning...
- Michael Hawkins said...
check fraud has gone up but I have nothing to back it
Having nothing to back it is exactly what constitutes fraud :p 
Crucis said...I don't use credit cards. All mine are debit/check cards. The principal, however, is the same.
My local credit union, just a few blocks away, is completely automated. There are two employees on site, a receptionist and a customer service rep. The tellers are all remote viewed by a small TV screen and a speaker/phone. Wonder what would happened if the cash becomes jammed in the machine? - Mandi said...
FWIW, sometimes when CC aren't working because the card isn't being read (usually from getting worn out) a trick that works alot of the time is to get a plastic grocery store bag (the ones that fall apart when you have a single gallon of milk in them) and wrap the plastic once or twice around the magnetic strip - then swipe it (with the bag around it).
Don't know why... it just seems to help. 
Samuel Adams said...The 2 girls I work with swear by their debit cards. Must be a chick thing. The guy I work with usually pays cash when all 4 of us go out to lunch on payday. My checking is for those bills that are not automatic payments or transfers like visits to the doc or dentist and the pharmacy or bills that vary wildly like electricity. I decide what gets paid now and what gets deferred. One is less likely to overspend when counting cash!
- The Un-prepared Friend said...
My USAA got declined this morning too, and ironically I had no cash so I used a check.
- The Other Mike S. said...
I use my debit card for almost all purchases - makes me live within my means. I always carry at least $60 in cash on me, just in case.
My credit card is my last resort. - Brad K. said...
A debit card is supposed to differ from credit cards in two ways. First, the amount of a transaction or purchase is to be paid immediately from a drawing account, where a funds available balance exists at the time of purchase.
Second, when a merchant accepts a credit card, the credit card issuer deducts 2% to 4% plus of the transaction amount, and likely adds a fixed fee also. A debit transaction on the other hand is supposed to be processed like a check - the bank provides the entire transaction amount to the merchant.
My bank recently changed their debit card. That smugly smile and claim, "Yes, this is a debit card! Good anywhere!" only they are lying - their new card performs credit transactions against the merchant. Money for the bank, and additional cost of doing business for the merchant. Some stores here in Ponca City have stopped accepting debit cards.
Banks recently stopped processing checks. Instead, a scanned image of the check is emailed to your bank, and often the merchant hands your check back to you - which has already been paid from your bank account to the merchant. It wouldn't surprise me to find that MasterCard and Visa claim these are now "credit card" transactions, too.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, move over for the true villains of the American economy - MasterCard and Visa. - Anonymous said...
Possibly the USAA credit card system was hijacked and numbers stolen? This happened to me with a Discover card which was refused when I tried to buy in a Sam's club. Had to spend 20 minutes on the phone in a busy store to get things straightened out. Their system was hacked and CC numbers stolen. Lots of PO'ed people behind me in the checkout line.
Great thing about USAA is that I can check online to verify charges, which I do every time I use it. Have caught several charges that were wrong quickly and got them taken off. Only takes a few minutes at night to check,between checking the blogs and porn sites.:>)
It pays to check these days, lots of folks trying to steal/scam/ID theft etc. - Dr. Dad said...
USAA apparently had a system failure yesterday morning. It was straightened out around 10am.
The Hermit said...USAA has some serious issues with their credit cards. My kids lived in Canada and essentially used my USAA card (they each had their own, with their name on it) to pay for things other than rent. I was constantly getting called by USAA wanting to know if the charges were "ok", at all hours of the night. Finally I told them to put a note in the system that charges in Canada were ok and the problem got better but never went completely away.
- Brad K, Interesting info but I am not sure how it applies to me.
- Anon, I doubt it. My card worked the next day at the gas station so I think that machine just didn't like it.
Hermit, I have had the same thing with being down here. I changed my address with them but you know how stovepipe structures work. I might have gotten it figured out by now
Friday, February 27, 2009
quote of the day
"The rifle is not about home defense or street protection. The rifle is about the projection of force. Its about forcing your adversaries, vis-a-vis violence and threath of death, to do what you want."
-Gabe Suarez
-Gabe Suarez
What Kind Of Handgun Are You?
I've got one of these is the North Western Arsenal. Like any of these quiz things it pushes you pretty heavily to choose between 2 things which don't describe you. Good for a couple minutes entertainment in any case.
Friday And I'm Tired
Very early this morning was pleasant weather for a foot march but waking up this morning after a couple hours was rough. I put some moleskin on the unhealed blisters from the last march and my feet were good to go. This time we carried 50 pounds instead of 80. That is the difference between a pretty pleasant albeit fast paced walk and a downright unpleasant task.
I have noticed that 50ish pounds is about the heaviest amount most (pretty fit) people can carry and maintain a fast (15min mile) pace over time without being in shit state after a few miles. I know there are some SF guys and other assorted bad asses who can really move over distance with heavy rucks but for most generally fit people that seems to be about the magic number.
Wifey got to shoot an M240B this week. She was knocking down some targets and had a good time doing it. Hubby worked the T&E mechanism for her and we made a pretty good machine gun team. Fun times were had by all except Wifey does not like wearing body armor or a kevlar helmet. I don't blame her as I don't like wearing them either.
One of the nights We (the work folks, not Wifey and I) slept out I noticed a couple of interesting things. First of all a lot of them tried to save space by just bringing just the thin green bag and the bivy. They talked about how it "wasn't suposed to be a cold night". I personally almost always take the thick black one (known affectionately as blackie) and the bivy at a minimum. You can always take off your shirt and keep the bag unzipped to let more cool air in but it is hard to make the green warmer. These folks were grumbling in the morning about getting shitty nights sleep because "it was colder then the weather report said it should be". I duno if they were up all night because I was sound asleep in good ole blackie.
Several folks didn't bother to cover up any of their gear before going to bed because "it wasn't supposed to rain and the sky was clear". I find it interesting that they checked the weather report at all. I plan the whole way through for it to be shitty and am always OK. Even if the sky is clear and such it doesn't take much energy to take a poncho out of your ruck and wrap it around your gear. Once you take your boots off and put your flashlight, glasses and such in there tuck that under the poncho (secured by pinning it under the gear) you can sleep soundly knowing all your gear will be dry in the morning. Some newbies woke to find a heavy dew covering their ACU tops and boots.
The morale is to always plan on it being colder then the seasonal norm and cover up your gear no matter what.
I've got some other thoughts and will probably split them between a weekend post orgy and scheduled articles for next week.
I have noticed that 50ish pounds is about the heaviest amount most (pretty fit) people can carry and maintain a fast (15min mile) pace over time without being in shit state after a few miles. I know there are some SF guys and other assorted bad asses who can really move over distance with heavy rucks but for most generally fit people that seems to be about the magic number.
Wifey got to shoot an M240B this week. She was knocking down some targets and had a good time doing it. Hubby worked the T&E mechanism for her and we made a pretty good machine gun team. Fun times were had by all except Wifey does not like wearing body armor or a kevlar helmet. I don't blame her as I don't like wearing them either.
One of the nights We (the work folks, not Wifey and I) slept out I noticed a couple of interesting things. First of all a lot of them tried to save space by just bringing just the thin green bag and the bivy. They talked about how it "wasn't suposed to be a cold night". I personally almost always take the thick black one (known affectionately as blackie) and the bivy at a minimum. You can always take off your shirt and keep the bag unzipped to let more cool air in but it is hard to make the green warmer. These folks were grumbling in the morning about getting shitty nights sleep because "it was colder then the weather report said it should be". I duno if they were up all night because I was sound asleep in good ole blackie.
Several folks didn't bother to cover up any of their gear before going to bed because "it wasn't supposed to rain and the sky was clear". I find it interesting that they checked the weather report at all. I plan the whole way through for it to be shitty and am always OK. Even if the sky is clear and such it doesn't take much energy to take a poncho out of your ruck and wrap it around your gear. Once you take your boots off and put your flashlight, glasses and such in there tuck that under the poncho (secured by pinning it under the gear) you can sleep soundly knowing all your gear will be dry in the morning. Some newbies woke to find a heavy dew covering their ACU tops and boots.
The morale is to always plan on it being colder then the seasonal norm and cover up your gear no matter what.
I've got some other thoughts and will probably split them between a weekend post orgy and scheduled articles for next week.
CMP Order
I have all the stuff done for the CMP 30.06 order. I am getting three of the 192 round spam cans. Maybe I am just not that good at reading for details but I had a heck of a time with all their stuff. It gave me a headache but I think I got it all figured out. Lucky I am a veteran, the DD 214 seems to help a lot with these folks.
I am going to go back to purchasing precious metals starting next month. Things are getting more wierd (who woulda thought any of this stuff would happen) and I am less worried about defending my residence with a rifle then being ready for inflation. That being said I am taking a sabbatical from gun purchases for awhile. I will either get another Glock or some sort of a surplus rifle (depending on the budget) in a bit more then 5 months for my birthday. Till that time I will focus on rounding out some holes in the preps.
I am going to go back to purchasing precious metals starting next month. Things are getting more wierd (who woulda thought any of this stuff would happen) and I am less worried about defending my residence with a rifle then being ready for inflation. That being said I am taking a sabbatical from gun purchases for awhile. I will either get another Glock or some sort of a surplus rifle (depending on the budget) in a bit more then 5 months for my birthday. Till that time I will focus on rounding out some holes in the preps.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Another Reason To Carry Cash
This morning I after breakfast I ran into a conveniencish store on post to grab a couple quick things before going back to work. I gathered my purchases and got in line. The lady rung up my purchases and I went to pay with my card. I tried 3 times and my card didn't want to play nice. The lady got it to read and for some reason I can't fathom it was declined. I owe almost nothing on the card. The current balance is less then 10% of the cards limit and that is just because the payment I made (to take it back to 0) is heald up in their system. In any case the electronic money gods did not deem this purchase worthy. I reached into my pocket and took out the cash to pay for my purchases and was on my way, somewhat irritated but with the things I needed.
The point of this (aside that usaa cards can be tempermental) is that even if you aren't worried about our economic system collapsing, banking holidays or even the power going out sometimes you need to suddenly make purchases with cash. Checks aren't commonly accepted anymore (I have a personal theory that since the wide spread increase in debit card usage the rate of check fraud has gone up but I have nothing to back it) and Old Ladies at the grocery store aside almost checks are fairly uncommon. Cards might or might not work but people accept cash so carry some around.
The point of this (aside that usaa cards can be tempermental) is that even if you aren't worried about our economic system collapsing, banking holidays or even the power going out sometimes you need to suddenly make purchases with cash. Checks aren't commonly accepted anymore (I have a personal theory that since the wide spread increase in debit card usage the rate of check fraud has gone up but I have nothing to back it) and Old Ladies at the grocery store aside almost checks are fairly uncommon. Cards might or might not work but people accept cash so carry some around.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Quote of the Day
"Yes, Ryan is a Catholic; although you wouldn't know it from looking at him, talking to him, or viewing his actions."
Mike Sparry
Mike Sparry
Good News
Recently TheOtherRyan pointed out that people are starting to get shell-shocked out of blogging because of the large amounts of bad news which seems to be the world nowadays. I thought I would share some of the good news, or at least silver lining, I have seen recently.
Story 1: California talks about legalizing pot
To start with, I am not a pot smoker. Personally, it makes me paranoid (more so than normal, which is a fairly high start point) and I am just not a fan of sitting around staring at the walls. However, that doesn't give me the right to tell other people who seem to enjoy it what to do. People say its a gateway drug, ect... And they might be right. However, people using (or abusing) liberty is one of the things that living in a free society provides. I think this is a huge step forward on the personal liberties front in the war against insane government. A few years ago, this proposal would just be another crazy idea, from some crazy guy from San Fransisco, in the crazy state of California, and would quickly disappear. This time around, with California's budget deficit making GM look solvent, it might actually deserve a second look.
Story 2: CNN warns of gun rights being taken away
Last night, Lew Dobbs again raised the hue and cry about the attacks on the second amendment last night. Now this is a case of silver lining. Downside, the government is determined, post Heller v. DC, to see how far they can go. Sliver lining, when even CNN is running pro-firearm pieces, there has been a fundemental shift in at least that media source, and, I think, this is a good thing. Now, for the most part, CNN has its issues, but in the past, I cannot remember a time when they had a pro-gun stance. This might be the beginning of a shift in public perception about firearms.
Story 3: Monkey Cartoon and the First Amendment
Now again, this is a silver lining case. Last night CNN ran a couple stories about how Rev. Sharpton is trying like hell to punish the NY Post over its monkey cartoon, and is trying petitioning the SEC to start an emergency investigation, in retribution for the cartoon. If he wants to protest, fine, go with God. If he wants to bring in the federal government to punish a news paper for printing something he doesn't agree with, that's a constitutional violation. The silver lining, again, even CNN is calling what he is doing insane, and an attack on the fundamental freedoms in the first amendment. I never thought I would see the day where CNN was at odds with the NAACP and Rev. Sharpton. This is defiantly a move in the right direction.
On a personal note, its Ash Wednesday, so I was at mass at 7 this morning, getting ash put on my forehead. Thus far, people have been staring at me all day in school, pointing out the I have some shit on my face, and asking what the ash is all about. I didn't know that Ash Wednesday was such a well kept secret. If you don't know why all the crazy Catholics are walking around like idiots, check this out.
Story 1: California talks about legalizing pot
To start with, I am not a pot smoker. Personally, it makes me paranoid (more so than normal, which is a fairly high start point) and I am just not a fan of sitting around staring at the walls. However, that doesn't give me the right to tell other people who seem to enjoy it what to do. People say its a gateway drug, ect... And they might be right. However, people using (or abusing) liberty is one of the things that living in a free society provides. I think this is a huge step forward on the personal liberties front in the war against insane government. A few years ago, this proposal would just be another crazy idea, from some crazy guy from San Fransisco, in the crazy state of California, and would quickly disappear. This time around, with California's budget deficit making GM look solvent, it might actually deserve a second look.
Story 2: CNN warns of gun rights being taken away
Last night, Lew Dobbs again raised the hue and cry about the attacks on the second amendment last night. Now this is a case of silver lining. Downside, the government is determined, post Heller v. DC, to see how far they can go. Sliver lining, when even CNN is running pro-firearm pieces, there has been a fundemental shift in at least that media source, and, I think, this is a good thing. Now, for the most part, CNN has its issues, but in the past, I cannot remember a time when they had a pro-gun stance. This might be the beginning of a shift in public perception about firearms.
Story 3: Monkey Cartoon and the First Amendment
Now again, this is a silver lining case. Last night CNN ran a couple stories about how Rev. Sharpton is trying like hell to punish the NY Post over its monkey cartoon, and is trying petitioning the SEC to start an emergency investigation, in retribution for the cartoon. If he wants to protest, fine, go with God. If he wants to bring in the federal government to punish a news paper for printing something he doesn't agree with, that's a constitutional violation. The silver lining, again, even CNN is calling what he is doing insane, and an attack on the fundamental freedoms in the first amendment. I never thought I would see the day where CNN was at odds with the NAACP and Rev. Sharpton. This is defiantly a move in the right direction.
On a personal note, its Ash Wednesday, so I was at mass at 7 this morning, getting ash put on my forehead. Thus far, people have been staring at me all day in school, pointing out the I have some shit on my face, and asking what the ash is all about. I didn't know that Ash Wednesday was such a well kept secret. If you don't know why all the crazy Catholics are walking around like idiots, check this out.
Stocks are Down
I want to restate that the best defense is to relocate out of the cities by cashing in your IRAs Keoughs & 401ks before they are worthless or rolled over into the social security system or some other ponzi plan by the government. The end of the train tracks are near and this summer will probably be your last chance if not before-so get it done. Good Luck Steve
TOR says: Steve sent this to me a few days ago so if the market rallies a little he was factually correct at the time of the writing.
TOR says: Steve sent this to me a few days ago so if the market rallies a little he was factually correct at the time of the writing.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A Use For My Cold Steel Kukuri
I own a cold steel kukuri, not the $20 machete knock off but the real one. Not a financial choice I would probably make today but it isn't a bad thing to have around. That being said I've yet to find much use for it. It would be great for clearing brush but I don't do much of that nowadays. This afternoon Wifey needed me to cut up one of those big logs o hamburger that was totally frozen. If you have ever tried to cut something like that with a normal knife you might as well use a spoon. Two swings with that sucker cut the meat right in half. Not only is it perfect for beheading Zombies but it is great for cutting stuborn frozen food.
Blah
Something Hermit said today really got to me "Maybe, like me, they can't think of a lot that's positive to write about, and they are tired of writing about bad news." He was talking about folks who have dropped off the blogging radar lately. I just can't think of anything particularly positive to say.
I am going to try and think of some positive things: I am warm and dry. There is a half a cold beer sitting beside me and 5 more in the fridge. I smell an awesome dinner being cooked by my wonderful Wifey. I also don't have to wake up till 5 tomorrow. That is the best I can do. Really that isn't good news it just means I am having a pretty good day.
I don't want to write about depressing crap happening in the world any more. It is all just giving me a headache and I don't have the energy. So basically for the foreseeable future that means I will need to avoid talking about the news or politics.
I am going to try and think of some positive things: I am warm and dry. There is a half a cold beer sitting beside me and 5 more in the fridge. I smell an awesome dinner being cooked by my wonderful Wifey. I also don't have to wake up till 5 tomorrow. That is the best I can do. Really that isn't good news it just means I am having a pretty good day.
I don't want to write about depressing crap happening in the world any more. It is all just giving me a headache and I don't have the energy. So basically for the foreseeable future that means I will need to avoid talking about the news or politics.
Box 'O Truth- Buckshot in a Rifled Barrel
Check out what happened. To sum it up for the uninitiated: "If a person asks, "Can I use a rifled barrel to shoot buckshot?", the answer is, "Yes, but it will cause a very large increase in pattern size." And, past 12 yards, you would probably miss with more buckshot than you will hit with. And remember, you are responsible for every round of shot that goes down range."
TOR says: If you happen to have bought one of the Remington combo sets with a 20" rifled barrel and a 28" improved cylinder the short rifled barrel would probably be just fine for "household work" provided your house is fairly small. Do get a couple different types of buckshot and pattern it to find out though. If your house has distances more then 12 yards or so then you should have enough cash to either get a spare dedicated house shotgun or at least a 20" smooth bore barrel.
TOR says: If you happen to have bought one of the Remington combo sets with a 20" rifled barrel and a 28" improved cylinder the short rifled barrel would probably be just fine for "household work" provided your house is fairly small. Do get a couple different types of buckshot and pattern it to find out though. If your house has distances more then 12 yards or so then you should have enough cash to either get a spare dedicated house shotgun or at least a 20" smooth bore barrel.
Random Ways to Save Money
1. Guys can cut their own hair or their Wives/ Significant others/ etc can do it. Wifey cuts my hair. It saves some cash every month and at the end of the year it really adds up. If you wife isn't awesome at cutting hair just shave it.
2. Make your own cleaning supplies. Wifey has decreed that she is going to make almost all cleaning supplies from now on. This will save money and lead to us using better stuff around our home.
3. Drink more water and less soda/ energy drinks/ whatever else. I do drink a few bottles of Gatorade a week but other then that it is pretty cheap stuff (cheap coffee, lipton tea, milk) and some beers. When we have more space we will start making our own beer.
4. Cook at home from scratch as much as possible.
2. Make your own cleaning supplies. Wifey has decreed that she is going to make almost all cleaning supplies from now on. This will save money and lead to us using better stuff around our home.
3. Drink more water and less soda/ energy drinks/ whatever else. I do drink a few bottles of Gatorade a week but other then that it is pretty cheap stuff (cheap coffee, lipton tea, milk) and some beers. When we have more space we will start making our own beer.
4. Cook at home from scratch as much as possible.
Storing Gas For Apartment Dwellers 2.0
I have a couple minutes this morning so I figured I would update on my thoughts about this matter. First of all thanks for the great advice. As for some of the ideas that came up. Moving to the country and getting a farm tank would not be cost effective at this stage. Buying a new vehicle is not something I am in the market to do as I don't get car loans. As for the screw fuel get a bike comment. My concern is if we have one of those wierd weather events where the wise thing to do is to go a couple hundred miles in the other direction. I need to be able to take food, water, clothes, arms and the cats. That means a vehicle.
I think the solution is going to be me being more OCD about topping off the gas tank every other or every third day when at more like 1/4 of a tank. I think I will also get a syphon as we would evac with one car and we own two. Also I know a fellow around here who might just let me stash a couple gas cans. I will give him a call this weekend. That would add a stop on our way out of town but would add enough range to be worth it.
I think the solution is going to be me being more OCD about topping off the gas tank every other or every third day when at more like 1/4 of a tank. I think I will also get a syphon as we would evac with one car and we own two. Also I know a fellow around here who might just let me stash a couple gas cans. I will give him a call this weekend. That would add a stop on our way out of town but would add enough range to be worth it.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Storing Gas For Apartment Dwellers
This has been bothering me for awhile. I really want to keep some gas stored in case we need to GOOD because of real nasty storms or something. Don't need a hundred gallons (yet) but having fill up or two for a car would give us a lot of legs if we needed them. The thing is that I live in an apartment. We have a little storage closet that is accessed from the balcony but essentially to detached storage. I am not particularly comfortable storing gas on the tiny balcony right off our living room.
Don't have a great idea on another place to store some fuel. The cost of a rental storage is prohibitive for the venture. Paying $50 a month to keep 20 gallons of gas in a storage place seems like bad economics to me.
Is keeping a couple gas cans in that outside closet safe? I keep some white gas out there so maybe I am erring on the side of caution. Did I miss anything? Ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Don't have a great idea on another place to store some fuel. The cost of a rental storage is prohibitive for the venture. Paying $50 a month to keep 20 gallons of gas in a storage place seems like bad economics to me.
Is keeping a couple gas cans in that outside closet safe? I keep some white gas out there so maybe I am erring on the side of caution. Did I miss anything? Ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Finances and Visibility #3
Last night we went through our weeks expenses. This was a really cheap week for us. The week to week accounting can be pretty vulnerable to the timing of various purchases. I only bought gas once this week because I filled up on Sunday and since I grabbed a 12 pack of beer so that base was covered also. Wifey cooking from scratch dropped the grocery bill significantly. Me eating more at work probably was a factor also.
This week would have been cheaper but we finally got a bed frame. Wifey had been wanting one for awhile and we are doing fine money wise. It being pretty cheap made the decision easier. We didn't plan to purchase on this week but she was an add for a cheap furniture place. On a lark we went there and ended up coming home with a bed.
Having a cheap week is a good thing since the last one was pretty expensive.
This week would have been cheaper but we finally got a bed frame. Wifey had been wanting one for awhile and we are doing fine money wise. It being pretty cheap made the decision easier. We didn't plan to purchase on this week but she was an add for a cheap furniture place. On a lark we went there and ended up coming home with a bed.
Having a cheap week is a good thing since the last one was pretty expensive.
A Week of Shooting in Review
I spent last week shooting. We zeroed and qualified, did short range marksmanship (SRM/ similar to CQB), shot moving targets, did a barricade shoot at steel targets and ended with a team live fire. I eat this shit up. It was really fun. Here are some thoughts and maybe a few nuggets of useful stuff.
Zero and Qual was the same as always. Like PT tests it is a bi yearly ritual.
SRM is fun stuff and some of the most practical training we do.
Shooting moving targets with a rifle was a humbling experience for me. I am a fucking surgean with the M249 Saw but moving targets and a rifle is a new experience for me. I need to do that a whole lot more often.
The baracade shoot really put it all together. Moving, shooting from prone, kneeling and standing all while hiding behind and using barricades for cover. I did pretty well at this stuff and had a ton of fun doing it.
Broadly speaking being able to shoot quickly at somewhat close targets is probably more useful than being able to take super slow shots at stuff really far away.
Some additional thoughts on shooting:
I really like the CCO (aimpoint M68) a lot. Not a huge fan of electric stuff on guns in general but these are the fucking bees knees. A flip up rear sight post and a couple spare batteries on hand pretty much nulify any potential reliability issues. That being said the CCO is pretty rugged. It is just real easy to shoot well with them. At some point down the road a CCO is going to live on my M4.
I have shot more with the Army in the past few months then every in the past and because of this I am shooting more consistently and better then ever before. My qualification scores have gone up 20+ percent. This leads me to some thoughts.
You aren't going to be able to maintain whatever shooting skills you have without using them, period. Ammo is frickin expensive so often shooting regularly gets bumped in ones budget when money gets tight. One thing recent training has shown me is that IF you have a good sound plan and make every round count you can do some real quality training without shooting boxes and boxes of ammo. Of course it is nice to have more ammo to shoot but resources are finite and desires are limitless.
Going to the range with a couple friends after each throwing a hundred bucks down on ammo and just going to town is a lot of fun. My co authors and I used to do that every couple of months. This is great but for training you are probably better off shooting 50-100 rounds WITH A GOOD PLAN every couple weeks or so. I need to get back into the habit of shooting pistols more regularly.
Shooting skills are somewhat cumulative. No point in trying to shoot at stuff 400 meters away when you can't hit stuff 100 meters away. No point in trying to do fancy drills if you can't hit targets when just plinking. No point trying to shoot while moving if you can't hit stuff while standing still. (.22's are awesome for this) This is all basic fundamentals stuff.
Once you have some basic competencies stuff becomes a less directly cumulative. Being able to shoot well from the kneeling position has little to do with SRM. Shooting at moving targets close up and fixed targets far away don't have much in common. I think that it is a good thing to practice many different kinds of shooting in order to get a good well rounded set of shooting skills.
To make an analogy look at it like exercise. You want to be a well rounded shooter and then maybe specialize a little bit, not very specialized and a bit of well rounded. A guy who can run sprints and distance, do body weight stuff (climb ropes, etc), and lift some heavy stuff is far better off then a champion distance runner who can't carry his own suitcase or a hulking power lifter who gets winded walking up a flight of stairs.
Far too often people like one particular type of shooting so they do it more often, this leads to them being better at it and thus liking it even more, tis a vicious cycle.
Go get some trigger time and while you are at it do some sort of new training, you may be pleasantly suprised and will almost surely learn something new.
Zero and Qual was the same as always. Like PT tests it is a bi yearly ritual.
SRM is fun stuff and some of the most practical training we do.
Shooting moving targets with a rifle was a humbling experience for me. I am a fucking surgean with the M249 Saw but moving targets and a rifle is a new experience for me. I need to do that a whole lot more often.
The baracade shoot really put it all together. Moving, shooting from prone, kneeling and standing all while hiding behind and using barricades for cover. I did pretty well at this stuff and had a ton of fun doing it.
Broadly speaking being able to shoot quickly at somewhat close targets is probably more useful than being able to take super slow shots at stuff really far away.
Some additional thoughts on shooting:
I really like the CCO (aimpoint M68) a lot. Not a huge fan of electric stuff on guns in general but these are the fucking bees knees. A flip up rear sight post and a couple spare batteries on hand pretty much nulify any potential reliability issues. That being said the CCO is pretty rugged. It is just real easy to shoot well with them. At some point down the road a CCO is going to live on my M4.
I have shot more with the Army in the past few months then every in the past and because of this I am shooting more consistently and better then ever before. My qualification scores have gone up 20+ percent. This leads me to some thoughts.
You aren't going to be able to maintain whatever shooting skills you have without using them, period. Ammo is frickin expensive so often shooting regularly gets bumped in ones budget when money gets tight. One thing recent training has shown me is that IF you have a good sound plan and make every round count you can do some real quality training without shooting boxes and boxes of ammo. Of course it is nice to have more ammo to shoot but resources are finite and desires are limitless.
Going to the range with a couple friends after each throwing a hundred bucks down on ammo and just going to town is a lot of fun. My co authors and I used to do that every couple of months. This is great but for training you are probably better off shooting 50-100 rounds WITH A GOOD PLAN every couple weeks or so. I need to get back into the habit of shooting pistols more regularly.
Shooting skills are somewhat cumulative. No point in trying to shoot at stuff 400 meters away when you can't hit stuff 100 meters away. No point in trying to do fancy drills if you can't hit targets when just plinking. No point trying to shoot while moving if you can't hit stuff while standing still. (.22's are awesome for this) This is all basic fundamentals stuff.
Once you have some basic competencies stuff becomes a less directly cumulative. Being able to shoot well from the kneeling position has little to do with SRM. Shooting at moving targets close up and fixed targets far away don't have much in common. I think that it is a good thing to practice many different kinds of shooting in order to get a good well rounded set of shooting skills.
To make an analogy look at it like exercise. You want to be a well rounded shooter and then maybe specialize a little bit, not very specialized and a bit of well rounded. A guy who can run sprints and distance, do body weight stuff (climb ropes, etc), and lift some heavy stuff is far better off then a champion distance runner who can't carry his own suitcase or a hulking power lifter who gets winded walking up a flight of stairs.
Far too often people like one particular type of shooting so they do it more often, this leads to them being better at it and thus liking it even more, tis a vicious cycle.
Go get some trigger time and while you are at it do some sort of new training, you may be pleasantly suprised and will almost surely learn something new.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
What Makes News Reputable?
I've been kicking this one around in my head for awhile and it seemed like a good time for it to pop out. Lots of times I see a link to a "news" type site that has all sorts of crazy shit on it and some folks seem to think it is all true. Mostly this comes with the tin foil hat coast to coast radio kind of stuff. Some topics that seem to come up in this "news" are: the amero, REX 84, the trilateral commission, bilderberg group, and just about anything involving DHS and the UN.
I vividly remember a video that was "proof" of nepharious government plans to imprison massive amounts of americans in detainment camps. It was some dude just taking video of a bunch of empty warehouses and the fences around them. Proof my ass.
What sort of "news" should we consider credible?
Lets get a couple of definitions in common
hearsay there is a reason this stuff is generally not admissible in a court of law.
urban legend
fact
The internet is amazing because basically anyone with a computer can say whatever they feel like saying. At the same time as I'm sure your Mom told you just because someone says it doesn't necessarily make it so. Stuff that the mainstream media wants nothing to do with can be spread to the entire world. In the land of celebrity gossip Wifey says she believes stuff if it is in people. When it comes to evaluating intelligence it is generally considered imprudent to take something as fact if it comes from just one source that is questionable. On a side note almost all sources are questionable. Pay attention to these things but don't go out of your way to act upon them.
When it comes to trusting things I read there are a few things I look at.
1. Does it pass the common sense test? This cuts through a lot of stuff.
2. Is the person talking about their first hand experiences (see hearsay)?
3. Is it a reputable source?
4. Is there some sort of supportive documentation?
5. Is the same thing being reported in multiple places? A bunch of links to the same article/ video/ site doesn't count.
6. Finally I don't want to hear anything that your anonymous highly positioned friend told you.
I vividly remember a video that was "proof" of nepharious government plans to imprison massive amounts of americans in detainment camps. It was some dude just taking video of a bunch of empty warehouses and the fences around them. Proof my ass.
What sort of "news" should we consider credible?
Lets get a couple of definitions in common
hearsay there is a reason this stuff is generally not admissible in a court of law.
urban legend
fact
The internet is amazing because basically anyone with a computer can say whatever they feel like saying. At the same time as I'm sure your Mom told you just because someone says it doesn't necessarily make it so. Stuff that the mainstream media wants nothing to do with can be spread to the entire world. In the land of celebrity gossip Wifey says she believes stuff if it is in people. When it comes to evaluating intelligence it is generally considered imprudent to take something as fact if it comes from just one source that is questionable. On a side note almost all sources are questionable. Pay attention to these things but don't go out of your way to act upon them.
When it comes to trusting things I read there are a few things I look at.
1. Does it pass the common sense test? This cuts through a lot of stuff.
2. Is the person talking about their first hand experiences (see hearsay)?
3. Is it a reputable source?
4. Is there some sort of supportive documentation?
5. Is the same thing being reported in multiple places? A bunch of links to the same article/ video/ site doesn't count.
6. Finally I don't want to hear anything that your anonymous highly positioned friend told you.
Congress attacks privacy.... Again.
The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedoms.
William O. Douglas
So Congress is currently looking at a new bill, which requires people to perserve internet records for police use for two years. Listed as S.436 in the Senate and H.R.1076 in the House, this bill will require "A provider of an electronic communication service or remote computing service shall retain for a period of at least two years all records or other information pertaining to the identity of a user of a temporarily assigned network address the service assigns to that user."
Once again, this bill attacks our most basic rights, and is most likely constitutional. While the "right to privacy" means a lot of things, abortion, sodomy, it does not place any limits on the government's ability to collect and store information about you, as long as it has a rational basis for doing so (rational basis is the weakest possible standard under constitutional law). Although it seems paradoxical, the "right to privacy" has nothing to do with actual privacy. Thank you living constitution!
William O. Douglas
So Congress is currently looking at a new bill, which requires people to perserve internet records for police use for two years. Listed as S.436 in the Senate and H.R.1076 in the House, this bill will require "A provider of an electronic communication service or remote computing service shall retain for a period of at least two years all records or other information pertaining to the identity of a user of a temporarily assigned network address the service assigns to that user."
Once again, this bill attacks our most basic rights, and is most likely constitutional. While the "right to privacy" means a lot of things, abortion, sodomy, it does not place any limits on the government's ability to collect and store information about you, as long as it has a rational basis for doing so (rational basis is the weakest possible standard under constitutional law). Although it seems paradoxical, the "right to privacy" has nothing to do with actual privacy. Thank you living constitution!
quote of the day
"Guns don't kill people, angry wives do"
-Wifey
Wifey is quitting smoking. She has been smoking for almost a decade and I am super duper proud of her. I feel real bad because I didn't recognize she was on edge yesterday in the morning and I reacted to her level of anger and hostility in a disproportionate manner. Hopefully she is successful AND I live through the experience.
-Wifey
Wifey is quitting smoking. She has been smoking for almost a decade and I am super duper proud of her. I feel real bad because I didn't recognize she was on edge yesterday in the morning and I reacted to her level of anger and hostility in a disproportionate manner. Hopefully she is successful AND I live through the experience.
Don't Fuck With Clint Eastwood
I have just watched unforgiven and realized that under no circumstances do you ever fuck with Clint Eastwood no mattter what.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Don't Know Why I'm Putting This On Here
1. What time did you get up this morning? 9:56am
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds I guess.
3. What was the last film You saw at the cinema? Bride Wars
4. What is your favorite TV show? Tie between Burn Notice and Lost.
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? If at home I have a big bowl of cereal. If at work with time I go to the chow hall and have an omlet (ham, cheese, tomato) and cereal. I fat work and on the have no time a couple granola bars.
6. What is your middle name? OPSEC
7. What food do you dislike? Mushrooms. Yuck.
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Don't listen to CD's often.
9. Favorite sandwich? Either a greasy Tuna Melt or turkey and swiss
10.What characteristic do you despise? Weakness
11.If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Australia.
12. Favorite item of clothing? Sweatpants....
13. Favorite brand of clothing? Does Walmart count as a brand?
14. Where would you retire to? NE Washington or NW Idaho.
15.What was your most recent memorable birthday? Guess my last one.
16. Favorite sport to watch? MMA.
17. Farthermost place you are sending this? Hell if I know. Got some readers in Mexico and maybe some farther away.
18. Person you expect to send it back first? Pearls maybe.
19.. When is your birthday? OP to the SEC
20.Are you a morning person or a night person? Night, but mornings are getting easier.
21.What is your shoe size? 9.5w-10.5w depending on the brand.
22.Pets? 2 cats.
23.Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Got a new Glock 19.
24.What did you want to be when you were little? Wanted to be in the Army for a long time.
25.How are you today? Better then yesterday.
26.What is your favorite candy? Reeces peanut butter cups are awesome.
27.What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Fridays are good.
28..What is your full name? OP S EC
29.What are you listening to right now? Some crap on TV.
30.What was the last thing you ate? Cordon Blue and spatz.
31.Do you wish on stars? Yeah.
32.If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Orange
33.How is the weather right now? Probably a little chilly but I'm not going outside to find out.
34.The first person you spoke to on the phone today? Nanny.
35. Favorite soft drink? Diet Coke.
36.. Favorite restaurant? Applebees seems to be our favorite.
37.Real hair color? Red.
38.What was your favorite toy as a child? Does my original boyscout knife count. Still got it somewhere or another.
39. Summer or winter? Winter
40.Hugs or kisses? Who is it from?
41. Chocolate or Vanilla? VANILLA!
42. Coffee or tea? Coffee unless I'm sick then it is tea with honey.
43.Do you want your friends to email you back? if I email them then yeah.
44.When was the last time you cried? I don't
45.What did you do last night? Got home, ate food, took OTC meds and went to bed at 9:30.
46.What are you afraid of? Dying alone.
47. Salty or sweet? Salty!
48.How many keys on your key ring? 7 or so.
49.How many years at your current job? awhile.
50. Favorite day of the week? Friday
51.How many towns have you lived in? really 3.
52.Do you make friends easily? Naw but I gain acquaintances real fast.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds I guess.
3. What was the last film You saw at the cinema? Bride Wars
4. What is your favorite TV show? Tie between Burn Notice and Lost.
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? If at home I have a big bowl of cereal. If at work with time I go to the chow hall and have an omlet (ham, cheese, tomato) and cereal. I fat work and on the have no time a couple granola bars.
6. What is your middle name? OPSEC
7. What food do you dislike? Mushrooms. Yuck.
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Don't listen to CD's often.
9. Favorite sandwich? Either a greasy Tuna Melt or turkey and swiss
10.What characteristic do you despise? Weakness
11.If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Australia.
12. Favorite item of clothing? Sweatpants....
13. Favorite brand of clothing? Does Walmart count as a brand?
14. Where would you retire to? NE Washington or NW Idaho.
15.What was your most recent memorable birthday? Guess my last one.
16. Favorite sport to watch? MMA.
17. Farthermost place you are sending this? Hell if I know. Got some readers in Mexico and maybe some farther away.
18. Person you expect to send it back first? Pearls maybe.
19.. When is your birthday? OP to the SEC
20.Are you a morning person or a night person? Night, but mornings are getting easier.
21.What is your shoe size? 9.5w-10.5w depending on the brand.
22.Pets? 2 cats.
23.Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Got a new Glock 19.
24.What did you want to be when you were little? Wanted to be in the Army for a long time.
25.How are you today? Better then yesterday.
26.What is your favorite candy? Reeces peanut butter cups are awesome.
27.What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Fridays are good.
28..What is your full name? OP S EC
29.What are you listening to right now? Some crap on TV.
30.What was the last thing you ate? Cordon Blue and spatz.
31.Do you wish on stars? Yeah.
32.If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Orange
33.How is the weather right now? Probably a little chilly but I'm not going outside to find out.
34.The first person you spoke to on the phone today? Nanny.
35. Favorite soft drink? Diet Coke.
36.. Favorite restaurant? Applebees seems to be our favorite.
37.Real hair color? Red.
38.What was your favorite toy as a child? Does my original boyscout knife count. Still got it somewhere or another.
39. Summer or winter? Winter
40.Hugs or kisses? Who is it from?
41. Chocolate or Vanilla? VANILLA!
42. Coffee or tea? Coffee unless I'm sick then it is tea with honey.
43.Do you want your friends to email you back? if I email them then yeah.
44.When was the last time you cried? I don't
45.What did you do last night? Got home, ate food, took OTC meds and went to bed at 9:30.
46.What are you afraid of? Dying alone.
47. Salty or sweet? Salty!
48.How many keys on your key ring? 7 or so.
49.How many years at your current job? awhile.
50. Favorite day of the week? Friday
51.How many towns have you lived in? really 3.
52.Do you make friends easily? Naw but I gain acquaintances real fast.
Foot Care
I had planned to write a post on foot care but there was a good one on Survivalblog. The one thing I can really add to this post is that the only way to get your feet ready to cover ground in boots is to actually get off the couch and cover some ground in boots. The only way to get used to covering ground carrying a pack (it is way different on the feet) is to cover ground carrying a pack. This post didn't really address what to do after your feet get in shit state. I will write about that in the near future.
Amazing new information just found
Gabe Suarez is using captured pedophiles for ballistic testing in Africa. This is awesome and if he runs low on ammo I will send a few hundred rounds of 7.62x39 (Gabe seems to favor the AK's) to help the cause.
Saturday and the Livings Easy
Didn't do a whole lot today. I drank a pot of tea with honey and had some leftover home made pizza. Also I got caught up on reading and comments which was good and consumed most of the day. Nice to not have anything overdue. I went to a pawn shop and picked up some Glock stuff. Got an Uncle Mikes IWB holster for the Glock 19, another box of Hydro Shoks and a couple mags. They were aftermarket and didn't work for shit. The springs bound up wicked bad. I will take them back on monday and get factory mags. The guy said some of em don't work and he takes em back so it shouldn't be an issue.
The Glock 19 carries quite well. It is bigger then the taurus .38 but carries about the same since it is equally wide through its entire length. It is definitely the new carry gun for me.
A few more hollow points and a kydex holster and I will be pretty good to go for the Glock 9mm. Still will need a few things but they will be able to wait a bit. I had other plans for this weeks cash but the Glock showing up pushed them back.
We had dinner at a German resturant and it was pretty darn good. I had some kind of a German draft beer and it was awesome. The price was quite reasonable and the only negative is that Wifey forgot her to go box as usual.
The Glock 19 carries quite well. It is bigger then the taurus .38 but carries about the same since it is equally wide through its entire length. It is definitely the new carry gun for me.
A few more hollow points and a kydex holster and I will be pretty good to go for the Glock 9mm. Still will need a few things but they will be able to wait a bit. I had other plans for this weeks cash but the Glock showing up pushed them back.
We had dinner at a German resturant and it was pretty darn good. I had some kind of a German draft beer and it was awesome. The price was quite reasonable and the only negative is that Wifey forgot her to go box as usual.
Elmer Keith: "The .300 Magnum"
"Why it may be the all-around hunting load."
Stephen sent me this article and it was an interesting read. I once had a .300 WinMag and it more or less sat unused (after zeroing the scope and test fire) because it was expensive to shoot and after more then a few shots the recoil was unpleasant. I swapped it for a 1903 Springfield manufactured by Remington.
quote of the day
"You know what I wouldn't be mad if they did? Put that money into homeless shelters. Don't pay peoples mortgages. Homeless shelters are cheap, buy a failed business and some cheap furniture. These people need places to lay their head not a home. If they think they're too good for homeless shelters let them sleep on the street."
-Wifey
*Wifey said that is only if they are assholes who bought a home they couldn't afford. If nothing significant changed and all of a sudden you can't afford the home (usually because the mortgage adjusted) that is just too bad.
TOR says: I don't know the stats but I can make a pretty good guess relying on some stuff TOM said and other sources. There have always been home foreclosures. Most of them come from people suffering a radical change in their lives: a job loss, huge medical bills, divorce, etc. I don't think this core group of home foreclosures has grown a whole bunch. Housing went to shit before jobs did. IMHO most of the growth in home foreclosures is people who never should have been loaned money in the first place and speculating asshats.
I don't want to talk shit about everyone who is facing home foreclosure. Some folks genuinely tried to do the right thing (get a good job, save a few bucks, buy a home they can afford at a fixed rate) and life took them down the road of hard knocks (job layoffs, 7 digit medical bills, etc) but lots of others made very stupid choices. Those who made stupid choices are asshats.
-Wifey
*Wifey said that is only if they are assholes who bought a home they couldn't afford. If nothing significant changed and all of a sudden you can't afford the home (usually because the mortgage adjusted) that is just too bad.
TOR says: I don't know the stats but I can make a pretty good guess relying on some stuff TOM said and other sources. There have always been home foreclosures. Most of them come from people suffering a radical change in their lives: a job loss, huge medical bills, divorce, etc. I don't think this core group of home foreclosures has grown a whole bunch. Housing went to shit before jobs did. IMHO most of the growth in home foreclosures is people who never should have been loaned money in the first place and speculating asshats.
I don't want to talk shit about everyone who is facing home foreclosure. Some folks genuinely tried to do the right thing (get a good job, save a few bucks, buy a home they can afford at a fixed rate) and life took them down the road of hard knocks (job layoffs, 7 digit medical bills, etc) but lots of others made very stupid choices. Those who made stupid choices are asshats.
Saturday Morning, Mortgages and Home Cooking
I went to bed pretty early (for a Friday night) last night. Don't remember if it was 10 or 11 but I got up a couple minutes before 10 this morning. Getting as much sleep as I did in the past two nights combined really helped me feel better. I am on the up side of this cold. Got a big pot of water boiling to make some tea which always helps. Tea with a big glob of honey is great for a sore throat.
Wifey said something that really surprised me yesterday. She is really pissed about all of this bail out/ stimulus crap. She is a self described liberal but still really pissed. She put it in an interesting way. We do not own a home because we aren't ready to buy yet. We could get a loan but it would be tighter then is comfortable and not a great call. We are now subsidizing the people who messed up and bought a home they couldn't really afford. We are paying becasuse someone chose to get an extra bedroom and bathroom that put the home beyond their means. Some of these folks had a job loss or some other sort of rough circumstances but lots of others were asshats and just plain bought a home that there was no way they could pay for (usually once the mortgage adjusted up).
Wifey is a big fan of helping people. She believes everyone should be fed and have some sort of a reasonably decent place to pay their head. That doesn't mean a home they own. She is just tired of all this crap.
I personally think we need to take a deep breath and realize that everyone can't own a home. Some people aren't at the right place to buy now and some of them will never be in the right place. The latter part is sad but true. Some folks don't make enough money to pay a mortgage (in places with higher housing costs).
While I was in the field this week Wifey decided she needed to cook everything from scratch. Since she isn't working now she sees no reason to buy pre made and somewhat pre made stufff at far higher costs. So far this week we had tacos where she made the taco seasoning, beans from dry stored ones and tortillas. They were pretty good. Last night she made some darn good pizza. I am going to nuke some of the leftover stuff for breakfast in a bit. Tonight we are going out for date night, checking out a German resturant in town.
We have not abandoned the whole keeping track of our finances thing. Things got sorta side tracked when it came to going over the info, the keeping track of stuff continued. Wifey ended up going over 2 weeks of stuff a couple days after the second week ended. Aside from the car repair bill our spending was pretty normal. Wifey isn't so sure about the tracking method we have been using, might switch to quicken or something. This week was pretty cheap I think, me being in the field eating Army chow and not buying anything probably helps.
There was a comment on the Suarez International letter I threw up here. Basically an anonymous fellow said something about how Gabe Suarez was not the nicest guy. I figured since my reply will speak to a bigger issue I will throw it up here publicly. I don't have the time or inclination to vet the past or present of the writers of every little bit of stuff that goes up here. If I see something readers will benefit from I put it up here. If I post an article I am saying that I believe the article has value to myself and readers, not that I am prepared to defend every single word in said article or that the writer is a super duper great guy. If it is useful I post it. Not saying the author is a candidate for Sainthood or survivalist of the year. Maybe someone who writes a great article about bugging out for hurricanes likes to kick cats or a guy who writes an awesome article about emergency vehicle repair is a communist. The point is that unless I say "So and So is really nice/ a good gal/ a great person/ etc" I am just saying that I like something they said.
The first cup of tea is pretty good. I am going to catch up on my reading and sit around for a couple hours.
Wifey said something that really surprised me yesterday. She is really pissed about all of this bail out/ stimulus crap. She is a self described liberal but still really pissed. She put it in an interesting way. We do not own a home because we aren't ready to buy yet. We could get a loan but it would be tighter then is comfortable and not a great call. We are now subsidizing the people who messed up and bought a home they couldn't really afford. We are paying becasuse someone chose to get an extra bedroom and bathroom that put the home beyond their means. Some of these folks had a job loss or some other sort of rough circumstances but lots of others were asshats and just plain bought a home that there was no way they could pay for (usually once the mortgage adjusted up).
Wifey is a big fan of helping people. She believes everyone should be fed and have some sort of a reasonably decent place to pay their head. That doesn't mean a home they own. She is just tired of all this crap.
I personally think we need to take a deep breath and realize that everyone can't own a home. Some people aren't at the right place to buy now and some of them will never be in the right place. The latter part is sad but true. Some folks don't make enough money to pay a mortgage (in places with higher housing costs).
While I was in the field this week Wifey decided she needed to cook everything from scratch. Since she isn't working now she sees no reason to buy pre made and somewhat pre made stufff at far higher costs. So far this week we had tacos where she made the taco seasoning, beans from dry stored ones and tortillas. They were pretty good. Last night she made some darn good pizza. I am going to nuke some of the leftover stuff for breakfast in a bit. Tonight we are going out for date night, checking out a German resturant in town.
We have not abandoned the whole keeping track of our finances thing. Things got sorta side tracked when it came to going over the info, the keeping track of stuff continued. Wifey ended up going over 2 weeks of stuff a couple days after the second week ended. Aside from the car repair bill our spending was pretty normal. Wifey isn't so sure about the tracking method we have been using, might switch to quicken or something. This week was pretty cheap I think, me being in the field eating Army chow and not buying anything probably helps.
There was a comment on the Suarez International letter I threw up here. Basically an anonymous fellow said something about how Gabe Suarez was not the nicest guy. I figured since my reply will speak to a bigger issue I will throw it up here publicly. I don't have the time or inclination to vet the past or present of the writers of every little bit of stuff that goes up here. If I see something readers will benefit from I put it up here. If I post an article I am saying that I believe the article has value to myself and readers, not that I am prepared to defend every single word in said article or that the writer is a super duper great guy. If it is useful I post it. Not saying the author is a candidate for Sainthood or survivalist of the year. Maybe someone who writes a great article about bugging out for hurricanes likes to kick cats or a guy who writes an awesome article about emergency vehicle repair is a communist. The point is that unless I say "So and So is really nice/ a good gal/ a great person/ etc" I am just saying that I like something they said.
The first cup of tea is pretty good. I am going to catch up on my reading and sit around for a couple hours.
H. R. 835
Ryan,
Thought you might want to take a look at this!
Brian
-a fellow prepper and an Army CPT (reserve comp.)
The website: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:3:./temp/~c111P6INs2 ::
H. R. 835 To stimulate the economy and provide for a sound United States dollar by defining a value for the dollar, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
Thought you might want to take a look at this!
Brian
-a fellow prepper and an Army CPT (reserve comp.)
The website: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/
February 3, 2009
Mr. POE of Texas (for himself and Mr. FRANKS of Arizona) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To stimulate the economy and provide for a sound United States dollar by defining a value for the dollar, and for other purposes.
- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SEC. 3. DIRECTIVES TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM.
- (a) In General- Before the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall make the value of the U.S. dollar equal to the market value of 0.002 of a troy ounce of gold and maintain the value of the United States dollar at this level.
Friday, February 20, 2009
quote of the day
"The shotgun, if used correctly inside its performance envelope is, potentially, the best CQB weapon in existence today."
Gabe Suarez
TOR adds: I don't think I could have said it better myself. The thing I love the most about shotguns is that they are by far (within their "performance envelope"[what a great phrase, consider it stolen]) the cheapest meanest thing out there. They are not some fancy pretty boy with showy muscles and a black belt; they are a 275 pound construction worker who hangs out in bars and is just really good at fucking people up. Seriously, at 30 meters and under (the exact distance could be debated but it is right around there) a $150 used pump shotgun is a whole hell of a lot meaner then a thousand dollar sub machine gun. Talk about a lot of gun for your money.
Gabe Suarez
TOR adds: I don't think I could have said it better myself. The thing I love the most about shotguns is that they are by far (within their "performance envelope"[what a great phrase, consider it stolen]) the cheapest meanest thing out there. They are not some fancy pretty boy with showy muscles and a black belt; they are a 275 pound construction worker who hangs out in bars and is just really good at fucking people up. Seriously, at 30 meters and under (the exact distance could be debated but it is right around there) a $150 used pump shotgun is a whole hell of a lot meaner then a thousand dollar sub machine gun. Talk about a lot of gun for your money.
Jim Rawlses Generosity and Glock stuff
Jim Rawles left a very nice comment on a recent post. I am somewhat surprised that he actually reads my ramblings on a regular basis and very touched that he wants to give me something awesome and expensive. A sweet Glock factory 33 round extended magazine is going to make an excellent addition to my Glock stuff collection and overall mag stash. It will be super fun to shoot from (at 6 bucks or so to fill it that will not happen all that often) and God forbid if the Evil Times come it could be quite useful. I might have to consider purchasing a couple other ones.
The concept of stocking G17 mags even if you own a G19 was mentioned. I had considered that idea before and talked about it with Chad. I had purchased most of my mags prior to said conversation. I also got 3 with the gun. Since I will probably purchase another Glock 9mm at some point I am going to purchase some additional mags in the near future. I am going to purchase G17 mags for two reasons. First they are compatible with Chads G17. The biggest single advantage of standardized weapons is compatible magazines. We could each be packing our Glock 9mm's and mag swapping could go either way. Hey buddy toss me a mag capability is essential for a gunfight. The second reason is that I am not sure if Glock 9mm 2.0 will be a second 19 or a 17. I could get G17 mags now and be good for either situation.
I doubt going to the pistol range is going to happen this weekend. I am pretty sick and when it costs me money I don't go shooting unless I want to. Aside from some errands this is going to be a quiet weekend at home. Sleep and getting better will be the essential tasks.
When it comes to the blog I am going to pull back a bit from the weekend orgy of posts. With the uncertainty of my work week (might be home at 5 but it could be 8 or we might sleep out) I am going to save some stuff that gets written on the weekend and schedule it for the week. I think you guys would rather have a post or two every day then 15 posts on the weekend and little during the week. If I can write I will but having some stuff up will give the flexibility that a busy schedule requires.
And I have the best Wife in the world,
The End
The concept of stocking G17 mags even if you own a G19 was mentioned. I had considered that idea before and talked about it with Chad. I had purchased most of my mags prior to said conversation. I also got 3 with the gun. Since I will probably purchase another Glock 9mm at some point I am going to purchase some additional mags in the near future. I am going to purchase G17 mags for two reasons. First they are compatible with Chads G17. The biggest single advantage of standardized weapons is compatible magazines. We could each be packing our Glock 9mm's and mag swapping could go either way. Hey buddy toss me a mag capability is essential for a gunfight. The second reason is that I am not sure if Glock 9mm 2.0 will be a second 19 or a 17. I could get G17 mags now and be good for either situation.
I doubt going to the pistol range is going to happen this weekend. I am pretty sick and when it costs me money I don't go shooting unless I want to. Aside from some errands this is going to be a quiet weekend at home. Sleep and getting better will be the essential tasks.
When it comes to the blog I am going to pull back a bit from the weekend orgy of posts. With the uncertainty of my work week (might be home at 5 but it could be 8 or we might sleep out) I am going to save some stuff that gets written on the weekend and schedule it for the week. I think you guys would rather have a post or two every day then 15 posts on the weekend and little during the week. If I can write I will but having some stuff up will give the flexibility that a busy schedule requires.
And I have the best Wife in the world,
The End
Here We Go Again- The Argentinean Retirement Plan
Folks Representative Gary Ackerman NY wants to use the people pension funds to shore up the banks. Well I guess the several trillions so far were not enough. Wake up and get your money out of your 401ks IRAs Keoughs and buy your retreat and stock it up away from the cities! Steve
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Broken Down
I have a bunch of stuff floating around in my head but it is late, I feel like shit and don't have the time.
The last couple days have been awesome and totally crappy at the same time. I've put a bunch of rounds downrange in a variety of great realistic scenarios which was awesome. On the downside I came into the week with a touch of a cold and spending all day and night out in the cold and rain has officially sent it into a full bore cold. I've had a bad headache for 3 days, my throat is killing me and my head is stuffed up. Also I got somewhat nasty blisters on both of my heals. Don't have the time or inclination to write more about shooting or foot care but they will probably both be addressed in subsequent posts.
I am going to drink a little bit more water do some foot care and then get to bed. Saturday I will probably make a big pot of tea, dump some honey in it then catch up on comments and my reading.
The last couple days have been awesome and totally crappy at the same time. I've put a bunch of rounds downrange in a variety of great realistic scenarios which was awesome. On the downside I came into the week with a touch of a cold and spending all day and night out in the cold and rain has officially sent it into a full bore cold. I've had a bad headache for 3 days, my throat is killing me and my head is stuffed up. Also I got somewhat nasty blisters on both of my heals. Don't have the time or inclination to write more about shooting or foot care but they will probably both be addressed in subsequent posts.
I am going to drink a little bit more water do some foot care and then get to bed. Saturday I will probably make a big pot of tea, dump some honey in it then catch up on comments and my reading.
Modern Economics
"What kind of society isn't structured on greed? The problem of social organization is how to set up an arrangement under which greed will do the least harm; capitalism is that kind of a system."
-- Milton Friedman
Today we are in the middle of the worse economic meltdown since, depending on who you listen to, The Dutch Tulip Mania, The Mississippi Bubble, The South Sea Bubble, The Dutch Wind Trade of 1720, The Stock Market Crash of 1929, The Cornfeld Bubble (1969), The Crash of October 1987, The Japanese Asset Price Bubble, The Dot-Com Bubble... In short, no one has any idea of what is going on, let alone how to classify it.
Basically, our problem is this. The free market theory has 5 basic assumptions: Rational Actors, Zero Transactional Costs (things which add cost without adding value), Perfect Information, No Externalities (things outside the transaction itself), and Perfect Competition (no barriers to entering the market or transaction). The further away from these things we get, the poorer our markets do. The standard I am basing this evaluation on is that of maximum utility. There are a limited amount of goods in the world. Those goods should go to those people who value them the most, and can do the most with them. In other words, the people who will use those goods efficiently.
This is basically the purpose of the free market. The person who is willing the pay the most for something is the one who gets it. If they don't use it wisely, they are replaced by someone who will.
The problems with free markets is that there are winners and losers. Some people thrive through competition, and those who have been found lacking, well, don't. The problem with this is that it makes people sad. When people are sad, they either fix their own problems, do nothing, or get someone else to fix it (the government). This is basically what we have happening here.
This creates a problem because it throws the whole free market system into a tailspin. For example, look to the bailout of the "Big 3." Here we have 3 auto companies who have failed, for numerous reasons, but namely, high overheads, and low income. They have been found wanting by the free market, and the invisible hand of the market place is moving in to remove them. This is a classic market self-correction. If I buy a bunch of Glocks, and decide that I am not going to sell any of them for less then $90,000, no one will buy the guns, and I will go out of business. However, with the car companies, the government has decided to keep them alive.
Here is the problem. The reason for the car companies life support has nothing to do with the free market. We talk about the jobs lost, and how much that will harm the economy. We talk about how much it will suck to loose your job if you are 55 and have no other skills. Both those things are true, market corrections are rarely, if ever fun. However, what we don't talk about is how this will fix anything. If the car companies survive for another few months, the same basic problems will exist. The free market has decided they are to die, and then die they shall. Short of an extreme change in the American auto industry, they are still not utilizing goods to their maximum potential, while others are. I drive a Honda, because it is a good car, gets good gas mileage, doesn't break often, is cheep to repair, and lasts forever. I don't own a Chevy for basically the same reasons... Honda makes better cars for less money (I haven't shopped for a car recently, so that might have changed).
My solution: Let the free market do what the free market does. It works well most of the time, it gives us wealth and good results most of the time, and when we artificially inflate it, through insane credit, it self corrects. Not screwing up the free market is easy... Leave it alone.
Now I am not a total free market guy. I believe that some regulation is important, and beneficial. For example, patients are a good idea, and spur innovation and competition. They use human greed for the betterment of all. I also think anti-trust laws, over all (in theory) are good. Note, Rockefeller made more money after the breakup of Standard Oil than before. These things supplement the free market, making it more free markety (I doubt that is a word, but I am using it anyway). What is not a good regulation is something that interferes with the workings of the free market. The invisible hand of the market place is going to do its thing, no matter what we do, and if we piss it off, it will bitch slap us.
Transactions suck, but in the long run, staying with the market is better than messing it up.
To close, another quote from Milton Friedman:
"Industrial progress, mechanical improvement, all of the great wonders of the modern era have meant relatively little to the wealthy. The rich in Ancient Greece would have benefitted hardly at all from modern plumbing : running servants replaced running water. Television and radio? The Patricians of Rome could enjoy the leading musicians and actors in their home, could have the leading actors as domestic retainers. Ready-to-wear clothing, supermarkets - all these and many other modern developments woul have added little to their life. The great achievements of Western Capitalism have redounded primarily to the benefit of the ordinary person. These achievements have made available to the masses conveniences and amenities that were previously the exclusive perogative of the rich and powerful."
-- Milton Friedman, "Free To Choose"
-- Milton Friedman
Today we are in the middle of the worse economic meltdown since, depending on who you listen to, The Dutch Tulip Mania, The Mississippi Bubble, The South Sea Bubble, The Dutch Wind Trade of 1720, The Stock Market Crash of 1929, The Cornfeld Bubble (1969), The Crash of October 1987, The Japanese Asset Price Bubble, The Dot-Com Bubble... In short, no one has any idea of what is going on, let alone how to classify it.
Basically, our problem is this. The free market theory has 5 basic assumptions: Rational Actors, Zero Transactional Costs (things which add cost without adding value), Perfect Information, No Externalities (things outside the transaction itself), and Perfect Competition (no barriers to entering the market or transaction). The further away from these things we get, the poorer our markets do. The standard I am basing this evaluation on is that of maximum utility. There are a limited amount of goods in the world. Those goods should go to those people who value them the most, and can do the most with them. In other words, the people who will use those goods efficiently.
This is basically the purpose of the free market. The person who is willing the pay the most for something is the one who gets it. If they don't use it wisely, they are replaced by someone who will.
The problems with free markets is that there are winners and losers. Some people thrive through competition, and those who have been found lacking, well, don't. The problem with this is that it makes people sad. When people are sad, they either fix their own problems, do nothing, or get someone else to fix it (the government). This is basically what we have happening here.
This creates a problem because it throws the whole free market system into a tailspin. For example, look to the bailout of the "Big 3." Here we have 3 auto companies who have failed, for numerous reasons, but namely, high overheads, and low income. They have been found wanting by the free market, and the invisible hand of the market place is moving in to remove them. This is a classic market self-correction. If I buy a bunch of Glocks, and decide that I am not going to sell any of them for less then $90,000, no one will buy the guns, and I will go out of business. However, with the car companies, the government has decided to keep them alive.
Here is the problem. The reason for the car companies life support has nothing to do with the free market. We talk about the jobs lost, and how much that will harm the economy. We talk about how much it will suck to loose your job if you are 55 and have no other skills. Both those things are true, market corrections are rarely, if ever fun. However, what we don't talk about is how this will fix anything. If the car companies survive for another few months, the same basic problems will exist. The free market has decided they are to die, and then die they shall. Short of an extreme change in the American auto industry, they are still not utilizing goods to their maximum potential, while others are. I drive a Honda, because it is a good car, gets good gas mileage, doesn't break often, is cheep to repair, and lasts forever. I don't own a Chevy for basically the same reasons... Honda makes better cars for less money (I haven't shopped for a car recently, so that might have changed).
My solution: Let the free market do what the free market does. It works well most of the time, it gives us wealth and good results most of the time, and when we artificially inflate it, through insane credit, it self corrects. Not screwing up the free market is easy... Leave it alone.
Now I am not a total free market guy. I believe that some regulation is important, and beneficial. For example, patients are a good idea, and spur innovation and competition. They use human greed for the betterment of all. I also think anti-trust laws, over all (in theory) are good. Note, Rockefeller made more money after the breakup of Standard Oil than before. These things supplement the free market, making it more free markety (I doubt that is a word, but I am using it anyway). What is not a good regulation is something that interferes with the workings of the free market. The invisible hand of the market place is going to do its thing, no matter what we do, and if we piss it off, it will bitch slap us.
Transactions suck, but in the long run, staying with the market is better than messing it up.
To close, another quote from Milton Friedman:
"Industrial progress, mechanical improvement, all of the great wonders of the modern era have meant relatively little to the wealthy. The rich in Ancient Greece would have benefitted hardly at all from modern plumbing : running servants replaced running water. Television and radio? The Patricians of Rome could enjoy the leading musicians and actors in their home, could have the leading actors as domestic retainers. Ready-to-wear clothing, supermarkets - all these and many other modern developments woul have added little to their life. The great achievements of Western Capitalism have redounded primarily to the benefit of the ordinary person. These achievements have made available to the masses conveniences and amenities that were previously the exclusive perogative of the rich and powerful."
-- Milton Friedman, "Free To Choose"
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Gun Law List by Steve
http://www.gunlaws.com/gloa.htm
TOR says: This looks like a great foundation for understanding federal gun laws. If something isn't completely clear cut it is probably worth contacting the ATF (gasp, did that just come out of my mouth?) to be sure. I know things can get awful confusing; especially when it comes to imported weapons and required amounts of US made parts.
As always YMMV when it comes to the accuracy of this book. The author of the book will not go to federal (pound you in the ass) prison if he is mistaken, you will. Two points to whoever gets the movie reference.
TOR says: This looks like a great foundation for understanding federal gun laws. If something isn't completely clear cut it is probably worth contacting the ATF (gasp, did that just come out of my mouth?) to be sure. I know things can get awful confusing; especially when it comes to imported weapons and required amounts of US made parts.
As always YMMV when it comes to the accuracy of this book. The author of the book will not go to federal (pound you in the ass) prison if he is mistaken, you will. Two points to whoever gets the movie reference.
Worried About The Future? What To Do Today?
| WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE? WHAT TO DO TODAY! |
| Many of you are no doubt concern what our "beloved leaders" have in store for us as a nation and a people. I don't think many readers here are as giddy-hope-filled as the half of the nation that actually wanted this s0-called "change". I get calls every day about what to buy and what to do. Seriously, if you haven't already taken care of this, you have been, in fact, very foolish. However, being foolish can be easily fixed. So go out today and fix it. The first thing you need is a good pistol and plenty of magazines. I know one man in another country, down south, in Central America, that made a living selling black market guns during a time of difficulty in his country. I am not suggesting that this may be a future for you one way or the other, only that firearms can be a viable mode of exchange at some times and in some places. As well, magazines. So this is what I suggest you do today. Make sure you have whatever pistol you like to carry, and at least ten magazines for it. I would avoid specialized "niche" calibers. For example, 357 SIG or 10mm may be the bees knees in ballistic tests, but I will bet it will be easier to find and trade for 9mm or 45 ACP. Additionally, while an Ed Brown custom 1911 may be a mouth-watering museum-piece pistol, an XD or a Glock will be far easier to obtain and maintain, as well as to set up redundantly. Redundantly? Yes, that is what I said. Redundant means not just one. You should have several of the same. I know one man who has ten Glock 17s. He has one in each vehicle as well as the ones he and his wife and two adult children have. This redundancy allows him to stockpile magazines, as well as have uniformity of those magazines and ammunition. So what guns to get? CONTINUED BELOW |
| NEW!!! SHOTGUN GUNFIGHTING - DVD |
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All four generations of shotgun development are discussed and shown to include the double barrel, the pump action, the semi auto and the magazine-fed semi auto, as well as what each generastion brings to the table. Most demonstartions are conducted with the Remington 870, the Remington 1100, or the Saiga 12. Most shotgun schools spend a great deal of time discussing modifications and additions to the shotgun, or try to convince the viewer to turn this CQB weapon into some sort of a rifle suitable only for range games, or gun school scores. That is happily not the case in SHOTGUN GUNFIGHTING! In this DVD you will learn what the shotgun is REALLY for, and perhaps as important, learn the weapon's limitations. After a brief overview of the fundamentals, we progress quickly to advanced reality-based drills such as Hostage Rescue Shooting, Ambidextrous Work, and Ammo Transitions. This is the Shotgun version of Close Range Gunfighting. Whether you are a private citizen, a police officer, or a soldier - if you rely on a shotgun as a weapon, the material shown in this DVD is essential. Approximately 90 minutes |
| WHAT TO DO? CONTINUED. |
| |
| I favor Glocks like I do AKs because they are simple to use, fix, clean and maintain. I am not interested in "German" engineering or in clever modifications. When you are trading one of your "banned" Glock 17s for a Jeep, or a loaded Glock 17 magazine for a month's provisions, those things won't matter to you either. When buying up guns consider cost-benefit. That means the super cool HK USP that fits your hand like a glove, might be left on the shelf in favor of something you can get cheaper magazines for. Consider the longevity of a weapon as well. I hear all the time about some really cool new handgun from S&W. Look guys, the M&P, or the Ruger "Whatever" may fit your hand like - well, a glove, but S&W's longevity in pistol designs has not been too healthy, and Ruger's support of fighting weapons (not to mention just about any other US Arms manufacturer) has not been the best. Don't agree? Have you tried to buy a magazine for a Sigma lately? Buy up pistols first. Then get as many magazines as you can justify. Glock magazines are going for about $35 now. A year ago they were under $20, and dealer price two years ago was about $12! At the height of the assault on freedom known as the Crime Bill, they were selling for $125. Forget Ameritrade, buy magazines. Next is ammo. Buy up case lots of "meat ammo". That is, ammo suitable for street carry. Then buy up cases of training ammo. Best case, you can train with it. Worst case, use it as a trade item. Then get a rifle. By rifle I mean a REAL rifle not some "sporting excuse for a rifle". Think AK, FAL, AR, even a semi-auto SMG. In fact, a semi-auto SMG will share the same ammo as your pistol and that alone makes it an excellent choice. Any gun guru that tells you it is not a real rifle, well, invite them to receive a magazine from your Kel-Tec 9mm in the face and see if he still thinks it is a useless toy? Rifle ammo is next. I'd say a case for potential fighting-use and several for training and/or barter. Its getting more expensive, but I will bet ammo prices drop as production catches up. Those of you who have some already, put ammo lower on the list. Those of you who do not have ammo, pay the inflated prices just in case. Finally, use those guns and some of the ammo and come to a gunfighting class. Not some silly "target shooting - liability-avoiding" range class, taught by some clean-shaven altar boy in pressed 5.11s, but a class that will teach you what you need to know to win a fight. Knowledge is forever, knowledge cannot be taken away. Get it now before they attack that as well. I don't think we are facing what some think we are facing. Personally, I think we will all be left alone until after the mid-term elections in 2010. By then, most americans will have realized that socialism is not what they want for a future, and fix the mess they have made. That will set the stage for a Reagan-esque political rebound in 2012. But if I am wrong, and we are really "in for it", you should be ready. Gabe Suarez One Source Tactical Christian Warrior Ministries Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. |
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When I first heard of these from a student, I gotta confess, I thought, "Oh great...another goofy idea from those who can't leave well enough alone".
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