In my little neck of the woods things seem to be getting slightly better. The tap was entirely off for a few months and now it seems to be at a trickle. In the last week or so I have gotten pistol ammo at Wallyworld twice. First it was a box of .38 ammo and today it was a box of 9mm JHP. Today they also had .357mag JHP's, .45 ball, .223 at a good price, a couple mags of 7.62x39, .308 and 30.06. The usual variety of shotgun ammo of course, did not check on .22lr.
I would like to pick up some more 9mm and .38 special ammo in the near future. Nothing huge, just a couple boxes of .38 and 200rds or so of 9mm. Got enough cash to get it now but don't need it bad enough to go someplace except Wallyworld and pay far higher prices. Think I will start going to Wallyworld an extra time a week or two right about when the truck gets unloaded.
How are things in your neck of the woods?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Unconventional Housing Question?
That was good advice for a conventional house buy. Could be you are one of those people who need to look outside the box? Like the guy on thesurvivalistblog who lives in a travel trailer on a paid for lot? That is 'out of the box' thinking.
Are you the sort of person who could do it themselves or do you really need to buy a ready to go place?
A lot depends on where you are, who you are, the climate, the laws and culture. Can you afford to buy just the land (a building lot or maybe acreage)? Can you put up a pole barn and park your travel trailer in there while you build a house.
Will a real 'fixer-upper' work for you? Can you live in and fix a place at the same time? Can you do it paycheck to paycheck and with scrounged materials? There is a whole world of shelter ideas and thoughts (and advice type help) out there if you are able to go 'out of the box' in your search for shelter.
We bought out first place on a land contract out of the back of a magazine. After several years we paid the land off and everything we did to the place was ours.
There are risks but it can be done.
TOR here: Interesting question. As for unconventional housing I think generally speaking we (if you don't include your spouse in the decisions your asking to become single, sorry but its true) are pretty open minded. For a time we lived in in RV both on a relatives land and in a trailer park. Glad we did it but also glad it is over. Can't say we would never do it again but it would not be our first choice.
I have gone over most of the outside the box options in the past and there are some possible options.
Could we do it ourselves? The short answer is YES! We do have the rather unique situation that at least for the foreseeable future we will be moving every 3 years or so. This means it is not worthwhile to do the sweat equity thing that will create a cheap long term place to live unless we could get out money back out of it. Factoring in what our time is worth lots of the conventional outside the box housing ideas do not make sense in this context. Mobile homes don't move real well and finding land that you can purchase which is hook up ready is fairly rare, certainly not something you would want to try and find every 3 years.
I could build a pole barn (be on the phone to my Uncle every few days but that is OK) but again putting improvements into land just to sell it and gamble we will get the $$$ back isn't something I'm going to do.
Of all the ideas you have mentioned getting a real fix er upper is very realistic for us. As long as a home is structurally sound I can do just about everything. The idea of living in a home for a few years during which we do a lot of repairs and increase the value is realistic. Since we are going to move anyway it would fit into our plans pretty well. I think depending on the overall situation (how much we pay for the place, what needs to be done, the market, etc) doing repairs/ improvements as cash comes is would be doable. As for scrounged materials they can work but as I have seen at friends places the end result is a scrounged mis matched place which can hurt value on resale.
Buying land, paying it off and then building (and or fixing up) down the road is a real possibility. It will depend a lot on when we finally settle, our financial situation at the time and what is available. Living in a travel trailer while we substantially repair or build is a very valid option. Wifey's folks lived in a travel trailer and had their stuff in the barn while their home was build and we may well emulate that plan.
Did I miss anything?
Are you the sort of person who could do it themselves or do you really need to buy a ready to go place?
A lot depends on where you are, who you are, the climate, the laws and culture. Can you afford to buy just the land (a building lot or maybe acreage)? Can you put up a pole barn and park your travel trailer in there while you build a house.
Will a real 'fixer-upper' work for you? Can you live in and fix a place at the same time? Can you do it paycheck to paycheck and with scrounged materials? There is a whole world of shelter ideas and thoughts (and advice type help) out there if you are able to go 'out of the box' in your search for shelter.
We bought out first place on a land contract out of the back of a magazine. After several years we paid the land off and everything we did to the place was ours.
There are risks but it can be done.
TOR here: Interesting question. As for unconventional housing I think generally speaking we (if you don't include your spouse in the decisions your asking to become single, sorry but its true) are pretty open minded. For a time we lived in in RV both on a relatives land and in a trailer park. Glad we did it but also glad it is over. Can't say we would never do it again but it would not be our first choice.
I have gone over most of the outside the box options in the past and there are some possible options.
Could we do it ourselves? The short answer is YES! We do have the rather unique situation that at least for the foreseeable future we will be moving every 3 years or so. This means it is not worthwhile to do the sweat equity thing that will create a cheap long term place to live unless we could get out money back out of it. Factoring in what our time is worth lots of the conventional outside the box housing ideas do not make sense in this context. Mobile homes don't move real well and finding land that you can purchase which is hook up ready is fairly rare, certainly not something you would want to try and find every 3 years.
I could build a pole barn (be on the phone to my Uncle every few days but that is OK) but again putting improvements into land just to sell it and gamble we will get the $$$ back isn't something I'm going to do.
Of all the ideas you have mentioned getting a real fix er upper is very realistic for us. As long as a home is structurally sound I can do just about everything. The idea of living in a home for a few years during which we do a lot of repairs and increase the value is realistic. Since we are going to move anyway it would fit into our plans pretty well. I think depending on the overall situation (how much we pay for the place, what needs to be done, the market, etc) doing repairs/ improvements as cash comes is would be doable. As for scrounged materials they can work but as I have seen at friends places the end result is a scrounged mis matched place which can hurt value on resale.
Buying land, paying it off and then building (and or fixing up) down the road is a real possibility. It will depend a lot on when we finally settle, our financial situation at the time and what is available. Living in a travel trailer while we substantially repair or build is a very valid option. Wifey's folks lived in a travel trailer and had their stuff in the barn while their home was build and we may well emulate that plan.
Did I miss anything?
Saturday, May 30, 2009
quote of the day
Simply put: If you can’t qualify for a 30-year fixed, fully amortizing mortgage … save up for a down payment of at least 5 percent or 10 percent … and restrict yourself to a monthly principal, interest, tax, and insurance payment that eats up no more than 28 percent of your gross monthly income, then I’ve got news for you. You should NOT be buying a home!
-Michael Larson
-Michael Larson
New Ways To Save $$$
Those of you who follow us consistently know our household has been trying to save some cash. Our food budget is about as trimmed as it can be without going all Dakin. We have been watching the $$$ on date night with positive results.
We are now doing two new things to save some cash. Wifey has switched from cans of diet coke to 2 litter bottles. They are a heck of a lot cheaper per ounce and can be washed out and refilled. Got about a dozen of them to rinse out and fill with water. Also she is drinking less coke now, roughly cutting the total consumption in half.
I have switched from bottles of Gatorade to the powder. It isn't quite as good but thanks to Rio's suggestion to put some splenda in it the powdered stuff tastes good now. This is a heck of a lot cheaper than the bottles. I just make a pitcher of up and keep it in the fridge so it's nice and cold.
I will guess these two changes will save in the neighborhood of $50 a month.
What do you do to save money?
Also this is the first payday of the new plan to save more. Instead of $190 a paycheck we are going to put away $250.00. This should be about right so we never notice the difference in terms of our lifestyle but the savings account goes up a bit faster. I may write about how it goes.
We are now doing two new things to save some cash. Wifey has switched from cans of diet coke to 2 litter bottles. They are a heck of a lot cheaper per ounce and can be washed out and refilled. Got about a dozen of them to rinse out and fill with water. Also she is drinking less coke now, roughly cutting the total consumption in half.
I have switched from bottles of Gatorade to the powder. It isn't quite as good but thanks to Rio's suggestion to put some splenda in it the powdered stuff tastes good now. This is a heck of a lot cheaper than the bottles. I just make a pitcher of up and keep it in the fridge so it's nice and cold.
I will guess these two changes will save in the neighborhood of $50 a month.
What do you do to save money?
Also this is the first payday of the new plan to save more. Instead of $190 a paycheck we are going to put away $250.00. This should be about right so we never notice the difference in terms of our lifestyle but the savings account goes up a bit faster. I may write about how it goes.
Gold Delivery
It is always nice when a man shows up at the door to give you some GOLD. Of course I paid for it and all that stuff but still. I have been quite impressed with APMEX. Their prices are quite competitive (as always shop around blah blah) especially considering they don't screw you with fees and outrages S&H prices. Their service has been fast and delivery is prompt. To get the best deal you need to pay with a check (PM dealers margins seem quite thin) so you've got to send them one and then wait while it clears but after that it is quick. The turnaround is right about 2 weeks which is quick considering. Not good if it is officially time to freak out and turn the balance of your account(s) into gold and silver but just fine for regular purchases.
Will write something more this evening. Going for a long walk then church and date night sorta fills up the afternoon.
Will write something more this evening. Going for a long walk then church and date night sorta fills up the afternoon.
Friday, May 29, 2009
quote of the day
"Instead of trying to shave a tenth of a second off your draw, or shooting a tighter group, get to the gym!"
-Gabe Suarez
-Gabe Suarez
10 Things I Wish I Had Known About Food Storage 10 Years Ago
This is not my article though I wish I could take credit for it so follow the link.
A Great Post On Money Today
Dakin wrote an article today that covers a lot of money stuff about savings in an easy to understand and concise way. I got something out of it and you may also.
Fuck The Post Office
So I needed some documents (SSN card and Birth Certificate) which Ma had been holding onto for me. She's got a safe and I was moving pretty regular like for awhile so it made sense back then. Probably should have gotten said documents before heading down here but in the midst of all that chaos it is easy for little stuff to slip. In any case said documents were headed to me Express. Said documents did not arrive anywhere near on time. No biggie I figured they just got jammed up after the whole Memorial Day holiday. Ma inquired about the status of said documents a couple days ago but no biggie. Typical government efficiency.
I got a message from a Special Agent with the Postal Service today. Called him back and he told me the envelope was found opened in the postal sorting center (don't recall the proper name) and the contents were missing. He will try to do something BLAH BLAH BLAH.
I got home and took a couple steps to make sure nothing happens to my ID.
1. Put a fraud notice on my credit report
2. Got Life Lock
3. Put alerts on my bank accounts and credit card.
4. Check my credit report.
Nothing new had happened on the credit report so HOPEFULLY I have not been ID jacked. The 'Special Agent' said what most likely happened is that some asshat opened the envelope looking for cash and tossed the contents.
Aside from replacing said documents which I will get on early next week is there anything I am forgetting to do?
May write something a bit more on topic later tonight. Do have some stuff for tomorrow though.
I got a message from a Special Agent with the Postal Service today. Called him back and he told me the envelope was found opened in the postal sorting center (don't recall the proper name) and the contents were missing. He will try to do something BLAH BLAH BLAH.
I got home and took a couple steps to make sure nothing happens to my ID.
1. Put a fraud notice on my credit report
2. Got Life Lock
3. Put alerts on my bank accounts and credit card.
4. Check my credit report.
Nothing new had happened on the credit report so HOPEFULLY I have not been ID jacked. The 'Special Agent' said what most likely happened is that some asshat opened the envelope looking for cash and tossed the contents.
Aside from replacing said documents which I will get on early next week is there anything I am forgetting to do?
May write something a bit more on topic later tonight. Do have some stuff for tomorrow though.
Funny thing I read on Facebook
I like working out. I start off as a fat man, 1 hr & 45 min later, I'm a sweaty fat man. How else can I get results like that?
-A guy on FacebookThursday, May 28, 2009
quote of the day
"All gunfights are 50% shooting and 50% not being shot. I think most sane men would agree that the "not getting shot" is more important that the shooting part."
-Gabe Suarez
-Gabe Suarez
A Hundred Comments
Not quite that many but today sure had the most comments of any day I can remember by a wide margin. Twas an interesting day of moderating and replying. I like that some of the comments really made me think hard about what I believe. Definitely don't agree with everything said here but often you guys make me think about those hard questions.
Thanks for a great day here at the blog.
Thanks for a great day here at the blog.
California Wants 'Loan Guarantees'
They are independent and going to take care of this themselves. They do not want a bailout, just a simple loan guarantee. Basically they want US to be the cosigner. Except unlike that young kid or dysfunctional friend they don't want to buy a car (which could be repossessed), they are trying to get a big wad of cash. It is darn hard to repossess cash which has already been spent.
A bailout by any other name is still a bailout.
NO!
A bailout by any other name is still a bailout.
NO!
Political Beliefs and Reality
We all have political beliefs. Some are pie in the sky while others are very quantifiable and simple. We all probably have at least one place where political beliefs and what we think about concrete reality do not measure up.
I personally do not believe in any foreign aid/ subsidies. As Ron Paul pointed out that it is inherently wrong to forcibly take money from American Citizens to give it to foreign governments is pretty much fucked.
I also think what America should (for a variety of reasons) support Israel.
These two things just don't measure up. Not sure how they could be made to measure up exactly. Since I am not going to be making choices which influence our foreign aid/ subsidies or our support of Israel the point is pretty much academic.
Where don't your political and concrete beliefs measure up?
I personally do not believe in any foreign aid/ subsidies. As Ron Paul pointed out that it is inherently wrong to forcibly take money from American Citizens to give it to foreign governments is pretty much fucked.
I also think what America should (for a variety of reasons) support Israel.
These two things just don't measure up. Not sure how they could be made to measure up exactly. Since I am not going to be making choices which influence our foreign aid/ subsidies or our support of Israel the point is pretty much academic.
Where don't your political and concrete beliefs measure up?
Buying American
The other day I was talking with someone at work, and the topic of buying American. They were of the opinion that people should, whenever possible, buy American. Now I have no problem buying stuff made in the good ol' USofA. However, when I am deciding to buy something, where it comes from doesn't enter into the thought process. For example, when buying a car, I look at what I need the vehicle to do, what kind of mileage it gets, who dependable it is, how much it costs, etc. If the answer comes up with a Ford, I would buy the Ford. If it is a Honda (the car I currently own), I get a Honda. If something is American made doesn't matter.
Personally, I dislike the "buy American" argument. People always make their best argument. When your best argument is that people should buy something because of where it was made, they are automatically giving the stronger arguments (such as superior products) to their opponents. For example, if someone says I should buy a Ford because it is an American Car, the fact that they didn't make the better product argument implies that they couldn't make the better product argument.
I am all for buying American products when they are the best value. But before I will buy them, they have to prove themselves. The mere fact that its an American company is not a selling point.
Personally, I dislike the "buy American" argument. People always make their best argument. When your best argument is that people should buy something because of where it was made, they are automatically giving the stronger arguments (such as superior products) to their opponents. For example, if someone says I should buy a Ford because it is an American Car, the fact that they didn't make the better product argument implies that they couldn't make the better product argument.
I am all for buying American products when they are the best value. But before I will buy them, they have to prove themselves. The mere fact that its an American company is not a selling point.
Totalitarian School Administrators Overstep Boundaries
School shaves boys head. How the fuck could they think that was OK? Schools have standards and whatever, I get that. Being in the mid west this town is probably pretty conservative which is fine. If the kid doesn't meet the dress code/ whatever the fuck they call it just call his parents and say he is not welcome to return until he meets the dress code. If the parent cares they can go to the superintendent and or the school board to argue their case. They had absolutely no call to shave the kids fucking head.
If a school employee cut my kids hair without their (and for a kid that age parental) permission I would go in there and shave their head jackass style. Bet they would like it about as much as my kid like them forcibly cutting his hair.
If a school employee cut my kids hair without their (and for a kid that age parental) permission I would go in there and shave their head jackass style. Bet they would like it about as much as my kid like them forcibly cutting his hair.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
quote of the day
Why can't people just make their own bad decisions and, ya know, just live with them?
another quote of the day- had to post this
"The economy is going to be permanently changed, for the worse"
-Thomas Sowell
This scares me more then I could possibly express
-Thomas Sowell
This scares me more then I could possibly express
Food Storage
It could be said that you can divide food storage into 3 distinct categories. Of course there is some overlap but you get the point anyway.
1. Stuff you normally eat: Some say it is a good idea to build up to 90 days worth of your normal every day foods. Of course the emphasis would be on shelf stable stuff. Cereal, crackers, pasta, sauces, canned goods (they sorta span the categories though), etc. You stock up on this stuff by purchasing extra of what you normally eat or doing something like the $20 a week plan.
2. Emergency rations: This is short term stuff for emergencies where cooking is unrealistic. Maybe you keep them for emergency car trips or times when for various reasons you would not be able to cook. Freeze dried stuff and MRE's are the main things which come up in this category. These can also offer some variety to break up a monotonous diet. They are however the most expensive food per calorie which we will discuss here. Unless you stumble into a great deal it is probably unrealistic to keep a whole bunch of this stuff around. If nothing else it would be wise to get your bulk staples and some other stuff taken care of before using your $$$ to get cases of this stuff.
3. Long term bulk staples: These are your grains, rice, salt, sugar and such. These are cheap and last a long time. Buy em in big bags and store them away in a stable manner for the long term. Though monotonous and such these are usually the backbone of most long term food storage plans.
1. Stuff you normally eat: Some say it is a good idea to build up to 90 days worth of your normal every day foods. Of course the emphasis would be on shelf stable stuff. Cereal, crackers, pasta, sauces, canned goods (they sorta span the categories though), etc. You stock up on this stuff by purchasing extra of what you normally eat or doing something like the $20 a week plan.
2. Emergency rations: This is short term stuff for emergencies where cooking is unrealistic. Maybe you keep them for emergency car trips or times when for various reasons you would not be able to cook. Freeze dried stuff and MRE's are the main things which come up in this category. These can also offer some variety to break up a monotonous diet. They are however the most expensive food per calorie which we will discuss here. Unless you stumble into a great deal it is probably unrealistic to keep a whole bunch of this stuff around. If nothing else it would be wise to get your bulk staples and some other stuff taken care of before using your $$$ to get cases of this stuff.
3. Long term bulk staples: These are your grains, rice, salt, sugar and such. These are cheap and last a long time. Buy em in big bags and store them away in a stable manner for the long term. Though monotonous and such these are usually the backbone of most long term food storage plans.
Palestine Quiz
Found this over at Double Tappers place. It does put something of a damper on the whole argument of Palestinian sovereignty. The whole Arab Israeli thing is pretty complicated and I don't have any real answers. This amused me so I posted it.
Lunch- Cheap Chow
Today for lunch I finished off the fried rice. I like to occasionally eat rice with eggs. Throw a couple of over easy eggs on top of rice and mix it all up. You get a nice goey eggy ricey mix which is pretty good. Great for those times you are going to have rice for the 4th meal in 5 days.
$20 A Week Food Storage
I got to this interesting article via something on face book. There are a lot of theories on the best way to stock your pantry. All have varying degrees of merit. The nicest thing about a plan like this is that you can pretty much turn your brain off, pick up some stuff at the store each week and call it good. The weak part of these plans is that YOU NEED TO STORE WHAT YOUR FAMILY EATS.
One way to go is to combine the two prevalent theories by doing something like this (gets you to a good place with shelf stable and staples) and pick up extras of stuff you regularly eat. Depends if your goal/budget allow larger amounts of weekly (or however often you do the shopping) or not. If I was going to error one way it would be to getting stuff you currently use.
One way to go is to combine the two prevalent theories by doing something like this (gets you to a good place with shelf stable and staples) and pick up extras of stuff you regularly eat. Depends if your goal/budget allow larger amounts of weekly (or however often you do the shopping) or not. If I was going to error one way it would be to getting stuff you currently use.
The Catholic Court
Today CNN ran a post talking about the catholic takeover of the Supreme Court if Obama's lady gets on. While that would bring the total number of Catholic justices to 6, its not the end of the liberal's world. Renquist and O'Conner were Catholic, In fact, Catholics have been the majority on the Supreme Court since Reagan. Its not that big of an issue.
Sorry this is so short, I just discovered I can blog from my phone! I might be able to post some stuff this summer!
Sorry this is so short, I just discovered I can blog from my phone! I might be able to post some stuff this summer!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
quote of the day
"The central bankers have decided to inflate us out of this current situation. Anyone who saves more then they spend is fucked. Anyone who is on a fixed income is fucked. We're pretty much fucked."
-ChristopherGroup Standard Weapons 2- The Verdict
My recent post on Group Standard Weapons got a lot of good comments. I had a conversation with one of the LMI's last night and the group standard weapons discussion is settled.
Ruger 10/22
Remington 870
Glock 9mm
AR-15
We aren't particularly worried about commonality in terms of shotguns and .22 rifles at least right away. Since .22 rifles are for target practice and small game hunting there is no need to be able to cross level mags. With pump shotguns (we all have them but they are different brands) there are no mags to worry about. Future purchases will get us onto the same page in terms of .22's and shotguns. Rifles and pistols are the main concern in terms of compatibility. I think (lets not enter the caliber discussion) the modularity of the AR platform makes it an easy sell.
Down the road we will probably add a semi auto .308. What it will be (maybe HK-91 clones) remains to be seen but since we still need to get on the same page with the above weapons it will be awhile before that bridge needs to be crossed.
Anyway it is good that we have this settled. Now future purchases can be made with a clear direction.
Thoughts?
Ruger 10/22
Remington 870
Glock 9mm
AR-15
We aren't particularly worried about commonality in terms of shotguns and .22 rifles at least right away. Since .22 rifles are for target practice and small game hunting there is no need to be able to cross level mags. With pump shotguns (we all have them but they are different brands) there are no mags to worry about. Future purchases will get us onto the same page in terms of .22's and shotguns. Rifles and pistols are the main concern in terms of compatibility. I think (lets not enter the caliber discussion) the modularity of the AR platform makes it an easy sell.
Down the road we will probably add a semi auto .308. What it will be (maybe HK-91 clones) remains to be seen but since we still need to get on the same page with the above weapons it will be awhile before that bridge needs to be crossed.
Anyway it is good that we have this settled. Now future purchases can be made with a clear direction.
Thoughts?
Monday, May 25, 2009
quote of the day
"If a woman with all her teeth will (agree to) blow you for ten dollars she is a cop"
-Wifeys thoughts about the street walker sting on Cops.
-Wifeys thoughts about the street walker sting on Cops.
Cheap Food
Yesterday it was my day to cook. We had eaten meat for the last couple nights and wanted something different. I ended up making fried rice. Definitely a pretty cheap meal. Ours was a couple carrots, 3 slices of bacon, 2 green onions, 2 scrambled eggs (thanks Flea, forgot to mention that), a cut up chunk of sweet onion, some soy sauce and 3 cups of rice. If I can make it you certainly can. Basically the recipe goes as follows:
1 cook the rice
Cut bacon into little pieces and throw it into the wok (or fry pan) to cook.
While bacon is cooking cut up the veggies.
When bacon is done throw veggies into the wok.
Wait till veggies are cooked.
Put scrambled eggs in (thanks again Flea)
Stir rice into wok
Put soy sauce in and keep stirring till it seems done.
Now you have a big ole thing of fried rice. We like it best with a bit of Ketchup.
You could do it with flavored chicken or something but we eat enough meat that having it largely absent from a meal is just fine. We had leftovers tonight as a light dinner. Got a couple meals left in the fridge. Probably lunches for me for the first half of next week.
1 cook the rice
Cut bacon into little pieces and throw it into the wok (or fry pan) to cook.
While bacon is cooking cut up the veggies.
When bacon is done throw veggies into the wok.
Wait till veggies are cooked.
Put scrambled eggs in (thanks again Flea)
Stir rice into wok
Put soy sauce in and keep stirring till it seems done.
Now you have a big ole thing of fried rice. We like it best with a bit of Ketchup.
You could do it with flavored chicken or something but we eat enough meat that having it largely absent from a meal is just fine. We had leftovers tonight as a light dinner. Got a couple meals left in the fridge. Probably lunches for me for the first half of next week.
quote of the day
"The very idea of the rule of law would become meaningless when it is replaced by the empathies of judges."
-Thomas Sowell
-Thomas Sowell
Open Carry
Open Carry is a topic I believed had already been covered here but it turns out that it hadn't. Don't want to write about any of the other stuff which is floating around in my head so its going to be OC.
I think open carry has value for a few of reasons. First of all it is a great political movement for us. Nothing says gun owners aren't criminals or scary or violent to non gun owners like seeing a guy in a coffee shop packing a revolver just get his coffee then peacefully walk out one day and the next seeing a guy with a pistol and his wife in a grocery store choosing fruit. Peaceable gun owners are out best ambassadors.
Second I believe open carry has value because it is a pretty definite deterrent to being accosted. If you question that tell me the last time a cop or armed security guard got held up for their wallet while getting a cup of coffee on their way to work.
Third it is plain convenient. It is much easier to carry a full sized handgun and a couple reloads out in the open then concealed.
Fourth it allows pretty much everyone (who can legally own a gun) to carry it. Maybe you are vacationing in a free state or fucked up bad (felony) a couple decades ago and recently got your gun rights back but this unique feature of (most) open carry states can be beneficial for lots of folks. Also since some states are finicky about which CCW licenses they will accept OC is a good way to be able to be legally armed whilst traveling.
Open carry does have a couple downsides. There is a chance it will bring attention from LEO's. In some places where it is totally legal cops aren't used to seeing it. Odds that you could get in trouble (if it is legal) are slim but it could inconvenience you for a few minutes or a half hour.
Also as Rio once pointed out OC does eliminate the advantage which bringing a concealed weapon into play in the middle of a mugging would give.
OpenCarry.org is a great source of information. They can't guarantee their info is totally accurate (so consult with your friendly local LEO's or a member of the bar association, consider yourself disclaimed) but I have found it to be pretty good.
I find open carry best for carrying comfortably during warm weather. Where we used to live the only decent sized town (mall, walmart, etc) was pretty sketchy. I open carried there. Also OC was nice for when we drove across the country because it let me carry in a lot of places.
It may not be for everybody but certainly has value for some.
I think open carry has value for a few of reasons. First of all it is a great political movement for us. Nothing says gun owners aren't criminals or scary or violent to non gun owners like seeing a guy in a coffee shop packing a revolver just get his coffee then peacefully walk out one day and the next seeing a guy with a pistol and his wife in a grocery store choosing fruit. Peaceable gun owners are out best ambassadors.
Second I believe open carry has value because it is a pretty definite deterrent to being accosted. If you question that tell me the last time a cop or armed security guard got held up for their wallet while getting a cup of coffee on their way to work.
Third it is plain convenient. It is much easier to carry a full sized handgun and a couple reloads out in the open then concealed.
Fourth it allows pretty much everyone (who can legally own a gun) to carry it. Maybe you are vacationing in a free state or fucked up bad (felony) a couple decades ago and recently got your gun rights back but this unique feature of (most) open carry states can be beneficial for lots of folks. Also since some states are finicky about which CCW licenses they will accept OC is a good way to be able to be legally armed whilst traveling.
Open carry does have a couple downsides. There is a chance it will bring attention from LEO's. In some places where it is totally legal cops aren't used to seeing it. Odds that you could get in trouble (if it is legal) are slim but it could inconvenience you for a few minutes or a half hour.
Also as Rio once pointed out OC does eliminate the advantage which bringing a concealed weapon into play in the middle of a mugging would give.
OpenCarry.org is a great source of information. They can't guarantee their info is totally accurate (so consult with your friendly local LEO's or a member of the bar association, consider yourself disclaimed) but I have found it to be pretty good.
I find open carry best for carrying comfortably during warm weather. Where we used to live the only decent sized town (mall, walmart, etc) was pretty sketchy. I open carried there. Also OC was nice for when we drove across the country because it let me carry in a lot of places.
It may not be for everybody but certainly has value for some.
Keeping A Low Profile
Keeping a low profile. Stumbled onto this while looking for something else. Threw it up here for no good reason, just felt like it.
Top 5 Survival Guns
Normally this is TOR's area, but I thought I would expand a bit. So here, in no particular order, is my Top 5 Survival Guns
Remington Model 870- This is your standard "boom-clack," able to be configured into basically whatever you could want, and lasts forever (Rudy Etchen put 4 million rounds through his 870 with just some minor parts replacement to keep it going). It basically doesn't get better than that. And, as is true with all shotguns, there is basically nothing it can't do.
Ruger 10/22- This is basically the king of the .22. It is the most versatile .22 I have found; if there is something that a .22 can do, the 10/22 can do it better then most. Ammo is just about as cheap as it gets, making stocking up also cheap.
Lee-Enfield- Personally I just love this gun. Its a nail-driver, and has the sweetest bolt I have ever felt. There is a big down side, called the British .303, but this gun gets me hard just thinking about it. I might be biased, but I love this damn gun.
Glock- I didn't list a specific caliber, because, well, I didn't want to turn this into a .45 v. 9mm debate. Glocks are great guns. They are basically invincible. Enough said.
AK 47- There is a reason this is the most popular weapon in the world. Designed to be buried in a rice field for 50 years, dug up, and able to kill the invaders, this piece of stamped metal is a epic weapon (as long as you are within 50m of what you are trying to kill). There is a reason it is on everyone's list. Cheap ammo is a plus.
I know there is nothing new here, but I thought it would be fun to write it down... And it was!
Remington Model 870- This is your standard "boom-clack," able to be configured into basically whatever you could want, and lasts forever (Rudy Etchen put 4 million rounds through his 870 with just some minor parts replacement to keep it going). It basically doesn't get better than that. And, as is true with all shotguns, there is basically nothing it can't do.
Ruger 10/22- This is basically the king of the .22. It is the most versatile .22 I have found; if there is something that a .22 can do, the 10/22 can do it better then most. Ammo is just about as cheap as it gets, making stocking up also cheap.
Lee-Enfield- Personally I just love this gun. Its a nail-driver, and has the sweetest bolt I have ever felt. There is a big down side, called the British .303, but this gun gets me hard just thinking about it. I might be biased, but I love this damn gun.
Glock- I didn't list a specific caliber, because, well, I didn't want to turn this into a .45 v. 9mm debate. Glocks are great guns. They are basically invincible. Enough said.
AK 47- There is a reason this is the most popular weapon in the world. Designed to be buried in a rice field for 50 years, dug up, and able to kill the invaders, this piece of stamped metal is a epic weapon (as long as you are within 50m of what you are trying to kill). There is a reason it is on everyone's list. Cheap ammo is a plus.
I know there is nothing new here, but I thought it would be fun to write it down... And it was!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
We Are On Facebook
Click here to get to our fan page. If you are on face book by all means feel free to become our friend. It might be wise to review my online opsec post.
To be honest how active I am on this or our myspace account is going to be related to how much of a reader presence there is. Anyway have a good Monday off.
To be honest how active I am on this or our myspace account is going to be related to how much of a reader presence there is. Anyway have a good Monday off.
Hollowpoint Ammunition- How Much and Why?
FerFal brought this one to the fore front thought it has been sitting on the back burner for awhile. Simply put hollow point ammunition is ammunition with a hollow point that is designed to expand when it hits an object. This does two things for you. First it makes the bullet expand which means it is more effective at incapacitating goblins and terrorists. Second this means the bullets are more likely to use their energy up inside said Goblin and not over penetrate going through a couple walls to hit little Suzie the neighbor girl.
I will discuss my thoughts on hollow point ammunition for pistols and rifles separately.
For pistols I would say the question is now 'why should I use hollow points?' instead it is 'why shouldn't I use hollow points'. For self defense against two legged evil doers quality hollow point ammunition is a requirement IMO. Even if stopping power (not gonna broadly open that can of worms) isn't an issue because you are carrying a big .44 or .45 that hollow points tend to curb over penetration alone makes it worth loading them. The notable exception to this is if you primary concern is dangerous animals and penetration is a real concern. As JWR noted 185 grain .45 hard ball is a good load for black bear. I believe Jeff Cooper once mentioned someone he knew who carried 230 grain .45 ball as a last ditch defense against lions.
The main problem with this stuff is that it is expensive. Quality (federal, corbon, etc) hollow point ammunition tends to cost just short of a buck a bullet (+ or - depending on caliber). I think it is reasonable to keep enough of this ammo to load your pistol a few times, maybe 15-20% of your overall amount of pistol ammo would be a good way to think about it. I say this because at the end of the day it is more important to have something to put in your pistol to have it be an effective weapon instead of a crappy bludgoen. Ball ammo beats the heck out of no ammo.
For rifles I am far more concerned with over penetration then stopping power. If you hit a Goblin center mass with a military caliber rifle their race is run. Getting hollow points for a rifle IMO is about getting the round to stay in the target. Military pattern rifles get tricky because they are almost universally designed to feed fully metal jacketed ball ammunition. If the pattern rifle you are using will feed HP ammo then it might not be a bad idea to pick some up. If it doesn't (Garand, some FN-FAL's) and over penetration is a concern for you look at Hornady's TAP series ammo.
I would be less concerned with having a good amount of HP ammo for a rifle (though a couple mags worth might be nice) because if you are using a rifle for home defense things have gone completely to shit.
What are your thoughts?
I will discuss my thoughts on hollow point ammunition for pistols and rifles separately.
For pistols I would say the question is now 'why should I use hollow points?' instead it is 'why shouldn't I use hollow points'. For self defense against two legged evil doers quality hollow point ammunition is a requirement IMO. Even if stopping power (not gonna broadly open that can of worms) isn't an issue because you are carrying a big .44 or .45 that hollow points tend to curb over penetration alone makes it worth loading them. The notable exception to this is if you primary concern is dangerous animals and penetration is a real concern. As JWR noted 185 grain .45 hard ball is a good load for black bear. I believe Jeff Cooper once mentioned someone he knew who carried 230 grain .45 ball as a last ditch defense against lions.
The main problem with this stuff is that it is expensive. Quality (federal, corbon, etc) hollow point ammunition tends to cost just short of a buck a bullet (+ or - depending on caliber). I think it is reasonable to keep enough of this ammo to load your pistol a few times, maybe 15-20% of your overall amount of pistol ammo would be a good way to think about it. I say this because at the end of the day it is more important to have something to put in your pistol to have it be an effective weapon instead of a crappy bludgoen. Ball ammo beats the heck out of no ammo.
For rifles I am far more concerned with over penetration then stopping power. If you hit a Goblin center mass with a military caliber rifle their race is run. Getting hollow points for a rifle IMO is about getting the round to stay in the target. Military pattern rifles get tricky because they are almost universally designed to feed fully metal jacketed ball ammunition. If the pattern rifle you are using will feed HP ammo then it might not be a bad idea to pick some up. If it doesn't (Garand, some FN-FAL's) and over penetration is a concern for you look at Hornady's TAP series ammo.
I would be less concerned with having a good amount of HP ammo for a rifle (though a couple mags worth might be nice) because if you are using a rifle for home defense things have gone completely to shit.
What are your thoughts?
Back for a bit
Well folks, I have moved over to my new place, and, don't have the internet. I am not sure how much I am going to be able to blog very much... Hopefully I will have it in the next couple weeks.
I have been giving a lot of thought recently to combining my libertarian side to my DA side. The basic conflict being that right now its my job to put people in jail for actions which I don't believe should be punished criminally. A good example is pot (people don't go to jail, but you get the idea). Should it be legal? I think so. However, that really doesn't matter. Regardless of whether it should be legal, it is illegal. As Putin said, "
You must obey the law, always, not only when they grab you by your special place." Basically, the libertarian movement is a political movement, not a legal movement.
One of the things which is debated in libertarian legal circles, is which form of constitutional interpretation ought to be used. Justice Douglas used a living constitution theory. This used legal activism to push libertarian ideals. I think this is the wrong way to do things. The great thing about this country is that we create our own world. If we get enough people to agree with us we can basically do what ever we want. The constitution rarely gets in the way. However, just because we don't have the votes doesn't give us a reason to use the constitution to achieve the ends we cannot get democratically.
I have been giving a lot of thought recently to combining my libertarian side to my DA side. The basic conflict being that right now its my job to put people in jail for actions which I don't believe should be punished criminally. A good example is pot (people don't go to jail, but you get the idea). Should it be legal? I think so. However, that really doesn't matter. Regardless of whether it should be legal, it is illegal. As Putin said, "
You must obey the law, always, not only when they grab you by your special place." Basically, the libertarian movement is a political movement, not a legal movement.
One of the things which is debated in libertarian legal circles, is which form of constitutional interpretation ought to be used. Justice Douglas used a living constitution theory. This used legal activism to push libertarian ideals. I think this is the wrong way to do things. The great thing about this country is that we create our own world. If we get enough people to agree with us we can basically do what ever we want. The constitution rarely gets in the way. However, just because we don't have the votes doesn't give us a reason to use the constitution to achieve the ends we cannot get democratically.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
CMP Order Update 4- Ammo On The Way?
Was just on my banking site doing other stuff and noticed a fairly high balance on the credit card. I occasionally end up charging a tank of gas or lunch or whatever but the balance was over $250. Immediately I went to see what was going on. Apparently the CMP purchase was charged to my credit card. I am fairly confident this means the ammo will show up at my residence pretty soon. I will feel a lot better about my situation down here (in case of Zombies or whatever) when that M1 Garand ammo shows up. I am eagerly awaiting getting those spam cans chock full of 30.06 ammo already in en block clips. I don't plan to shoot any of it. Just going to stash these suckers away for the Evil Times.
Don't need to get much more for the Garand right away (plan to keep buying ammo off and on as long as it is available) except a nice leather sling. Down the road aways a bayonet would be nice but it is not essential.
Don't need to get much more for the Garand right away (plan to keep buying ammo off and on as long as it is available) except a nice leather sling. Down the road aways a bayonet would be nice but it is not essential.
Epic Revolver Fail; General Revolver Discussion
I found this over at Creedmore's place and it interested me. Anything can fail. I've had hammers break and really it doesn't get much simpler then a piece of metal with a stick jammed into it. As for revolvers I don't think anyone would argue against the general consensus that they are far more reliable (in terms of jam's) than automatics. There is also the significant plus that when a round fails (a significant % of pistol malfunctions come from ammo) 'clearing' the malfunction is as easy as just pulling the trigger again.
The only revolver reliability issues I have had were with a relatively older Taurus .22 revolver which Ma owns that doesn't always (say 15% of the time) eject all of the shells. That is managed by keeping a little screwdriver in the soft case it lives in to push said shells out. If the Taurus was a defensive firearm that solution would be unacceptable but for a plinker it isn't a big deal.
Since my only story of a revolver being anything but wonderfully functional was about a Taurus I feel it is proper to give the company their due. I have heard that in the past their firearms had some assorted issues and I believe the .22 mentioned above falls into that era. I personally have owned 4 of their revolvers. All were good guns if not for me. I currently have a little M85 Ultralight .38 and a big model 66 6" .357. I love the heck out of both of these guns. The big M66 is ergonomically, aesthetically and functionally wonderful. Got some others but nothing really worth discussing.
This got me to thinking about revolvers in a more broad context.
Revolvers seem to shine in the biggest and smallest sizes. Big old magnum revolvers and little snubbies seem to get the most sales for some reason. While these are interesting trends I would remind readers that a nice 4" medium frame revolver is a great all around pistol.
.38/.357magnum revolvers are the only category where I have depth in pistols. Admittedly this is more by chance and circumstance then any conscious planning. Starting out buying guns more as an enthusiast and collector then a survivalist lead me to a shotgun pattern of different calibers and platforms. If had it to do over again it would begin with a pair of Remington shotguns, Glock 19's, Ruger 10/22's and AR's, in any case I am where I am now.
I like revolvers and would not think twice about having a revolver as my weapon for just about any purpose; certainly any purpose an individual private citizen will get into. We often get too sucked into the newest pistol which holds a dozen and a half bullets. If you can do your job a good revolver will certainly hold up its end of the bargian. I will not get into this caliber or that manufacturer but sticking to major manufacturers, common models and common calibers is certainly good advice. These manufacturers, models and calibers are common for a reason.
It is true that revolvers are far slower to reload (for all but a few pro's) then automatics. It can be argued that Cops and the Military carry auto's for this reason based on their jobs. For an individual I think that broadly speaking (yes there is a case or two but that is always true) a revolver holds plenty of bullets to deal with any situation. If said revolver (or 6 shots in general) can't deal with the problem it is because the shooter is missing. All the bullets in the world don't fix that problem.
Revolvers also have the bonus that you don't need magazines. This greatly lowers the cost of properly equipping a revolver in comparison to an auto. With my last pistol purchase I spent 2/3rds the cost of the gun on magazines. Get a good holster, a couple speed loaders if you are so inclined, a cleaning kit and bullets and you are ready to rock.
In comparison to automatics revolvers are easier to operate for a variety of reasons. They are just plain simpler. Also they lack a manual safety which is a plus IMHO because it cuts out another thing to remember and train for. You can hand anyone who is reasonably competent with fireams a wheel gun and they are ready to defend themself without needing to know if they are familiar with the newest SA/DA pistols little eccentricities or whatever. Revolvers also rarely jam or break. For the most part they just tend to keep on shooting. It is true that fixing an auto is as easy as getting the right part while fixing a wheelgun is as close as the nearest gunsmith.
People like what they like for often unquantifiable reasons. Often they want X or Y gun because they think it is cool. Don't let your friends plastic high capacity tendencies put you off from purchasing a wheelgun. If you can do your part the wheelgun will do its part.
quote of the day
"Be wary of strong drink, it can make you shoot at the tax collector...and miss."
- Robert Heinlein
- Robert Heinlein
Friday, May 22, 2009
So Funny But Horrible- I wasn't a very good husband
Background: I wake up pretty early and thus go to bed relatively early. My wife doesn't so she can go to bed late if so inclined. Usually she doesn't wake me (when she does I say hi and go back to bed) so it isn't an issue, except last night. Apparently I was talking but was not actually awake/ aware.
She came into the bedroom and (though I have no memory of this) apparently I told her it was too late and that she had to sleep on the couch because I was already sleeping. She laid down in bed and went to sleep. We had a conversation about this in the afternoon and while I would not apologize it is generally agreed upon that sleeping Ryan wasn't very nice and that his wife is forgiving.
She came into the bedroom and (though I have no memory of this) apparently I told her it was too late and that she had to sleep on the couch because I was already sleeping. She laid down in bed and went to sleep. We had a conversation about this in the afternoon and while I would not apologize it is generally agreed upon that sleeping Ryan wasn't very nice and that his wife is forgiving.
Random Stuff
This week when we were at Walmart I noticed something. Our cart had soda, beer, milk, noodles and sauce. Stuff we can't readily make and basic ingredients. This is a good thing. Thanks entirely to my wife we have pretty much internalized cooking real food instead of eating crap.
Also we have started eating dinner at the table again. Not sure exactly why this stopped but it is nice that it is going again. Also we have been going for a walk every night this week which is pretty nice. There is a pretty nice two mile walk with a huge hill right by our house and we've been doing that every evening. Too easy to just veg out with the TV or computer or whatever and not really talk all that much.
Tomorrow we are going to go for a two hour walk. I am going to wear a rucksack as I haven't had one on my back in more than a month. Walking probably will not redefine my fitness but I could loose a few pounds and burning calories in any way always helps. Mainly just hanging out together is the goal.
Also we have started eating dinner at the table again. Not sure exactly why this stopped but it is nice that it is going again. Also we have been going for a walk every night this week which is pretty nice. There is a pretty nice two mile walk with a huge hill right by our house and we've been doing that every evening. Too easy to just veg out with the TV or computer or whatever and not really talk all that much.
Tomorrow we are going to go for a two hour walk. I am going to wear a rucksack as I haven't had one on my back in more than a month. Walking probably will not redefine my fitness but I could loose a few pounds and burning calories in any way always helps. Mainly just hanging out together is the goal.
FML and how TOR would deal with the situation
Today, my company filed for bankruptcy, but the reorganize kind where it still functions . There are no funds to give out paychecks any time soon. They won't fire me. If I voluntarily quit, I cannot file for unemployment. I'm now an unpaid intern. FML
I feel bad for this person. I would tell my boss they could either fire me or pay me in goods. If they refused I would make it worth their while to fire me. Trying to get fired might be fun. I've had jobs where I absolutely didn't care of they fired me but have never really consciously tried to get fired. Here are some ideas:
Double park blocking the bosses car in
Wear pajamas
Drink alcohol openly at work
Blast obnoxious music through my computer
Refer to my boss by a pet curse word
Tell funny absolutely non pc jokes in a loud voice
Throw things
Break stuff intentionally
If doing those things over the course of a morning would not get me fired by lunch time I would be forced to move to more drastic measures.
Dollars to doughnuts I could get fired in a single day.
Interesting Group
(563): that's just what I need...drunk ass people throwin hatchets in the dark.
-Gosh I like this page.
-Gosh I like this page.
quote and discussion: staying safe
A very wise grizzled old 1SG (who spent most of his career shooting assholes in the face with Ranger Regiment) beat something into our heads "Nothing good happens in any city in America after 2300". He probably said this to us on a daily basis and repeated it several times before letting us go for the weekend. With very notable exceptions he was right.
This is not to say don't have fun. If you want to meet friends and have a couple rounds of drinks or get a bite to eat that is great but you are better off if it happens at a reasonable hour.
Sometimes a movie ends late or you need to go get something from the store or you don't get off work till 9:30 but still want to get dinner or whatever. Rare exceptions excluded it is just a darn good policy to have your happy ass at home or wherever you are bedding down for the night by 11:00.
As this magic hour passes criminals come out and the amount of drunks on the road and in various establishments goes up sharply. Cops start pulling over a lot more people. Every neighborhood drops a notch down on the sketchiness scale when it gets late.
Yes these risks are few but since there is nothing to gain by being out late why take them.
This is not to say don't have fun. If you want to meet friends and have a couple rounds of drinks or get a bite to eat that is great but you are better off if it happens at a reasonable hour.
Sometimes a movie ends late or you need to go get something from the store or you don't get off work till 9:30 but still want to get dinner or whatever. Rare exceptions excluded it is just a darn good policy to have your happy ass at home or wherever you are bedding down for the night by 11:00.
As this magic hour passes criminals come out and the amount of drunks on the road and in various establishments goes up sharply. Cops start pulling over a lot more people. Every neighborhood drops a notch down on the sketchiness scale when it gets late.
Yes these risks are few but since there is nothing to gain by being out late why take them.
If You Want To Use Something On Here.
Jungle Mom asked something to this effect in a comment which I figured should be addressed in a post. Basically my thoughts are as follows. With some reservations you are welcome to use whatever you find on here. For the time being (and probably forever) I will gladly allow use of my works if they are unedited (taking a quote/ section that interests you is fine but don't do any editing unless I give permission.) attributed to me and not used for profit. However if you are into some criminal/ extremist stuff please don't take my works and put it up on your sites/ forums which advocate said shit.
If you want to copy and paste a thing or two onto your page/ blog/ site that is great just make sure it is clear what I wrote and what I did not write. Also lots of stuff I find here comes from various places. I do not knowingly use the copy writed works of others however lots of stuff comes from all over the place so if you use something from here and get in trouble for it that is on you. Though the odds that you will get in real trouble for use which is of no financial gain is minimal it is something to consider.
Oh yeah I also mention lots of things I have done, may do or thought about which can potentially be very dangerous. I am not a doctor, lawyer, investment adviser, explosives expert, firearms instructor, cook or a ninja. What I write is for entertainment purposes only. I expect you to be a big boy or girl and not go fooling around with something dangerous that you do not fully understand.
Collaboration is IMHO what puts us leaps and bounds ahead of some guy in an off grid shack in ID who never talks to anyone. None of us know everything but together we know a heck of a lot. With the above reservations please feel welcome to use my works.
Have a good day.
If you want to copy and paste a thing or two onto your page/ blog/ site that is great just make sure it is clear what I wrote and what I did not write. Also lots of stuff I find here comes from various places. I do not knowingly use the copy writed works of others however lots of stuff comes from all over the place so if you use something from here and get in trouble for it that is on you. Though the odds that you will get in real trouble for use which is of no financial gain is minimal it is something to consider.
Oh yeah I also mention lots of things I have done, may do or thought about which can potentially be very dangerous. I am not a doctor, lawyer, investment adviser, explosives expert, firearms instructor, cook or a ninja. What I write is for entertainment purposes only. I expect you to be a big boy or girl and not go fooling around with something dangerous that you do not fully understand.
Collaboration is IMHO what puts us leaps and bounds ahead of some guy in an off grid shack in ID who never talks to anyone. None of us know everything but together we know a heck of a lot. With the above reservations please feel welcome to use my works.
Have a good day.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
NONE OF THEM READ ANYTHING!
I have been hearing more and more that none of our legislators/ politicians read any of the stuff they pass. Our congress hired a fucking speed reader to read the climate change bill which is 900 pages long. This entire thing is totally fucking out of control. This might be the scariest and most insane thing going on.
I read things that I am going to sign. Well at least big things; I don't read the paperwork at the movie store to get a rental card or the user agreement on a normal website but I read everything which is remotely important. These politicians spend our hard earned money and control our lifestyle, property, livelihoods and security in their hands. Is it really too much to ask that they read things they are going to vote on?
I honestly think politicians should be required to read a bill and then pass a multiple choice (think 8th grade standardized test style) exam which tests their understanding of the bill before being able to vote on it. If don't even know what a bill is about then why should we possibly let them vote on it, no matter how smart they are?
I read things that I am going to sign. Well at least big things; I don't read the paperwork at the movie store to get a rental card or the user agreement on a normal website but I read everything which is remotely important. These politicians spend our hard earned money and control our lifestyle, property, livelihoods and security in their hands. Is it really too much to ask that they read things they are going to vote on?
I honestly think politicians should be required to read a bill and then pass a multiple choice (think 8th grade standardized test style) exam which tests their understanding of the bill before being able to vote on it. If don't even know what a bill is about then why should we possibly let them vote on it, no matter how smart they are?
We Are On Myspace
Some of you are into social networking and others only leave their gardens or reloading benches to get onto the net to read stuff which will make you more paranoid and download midget porn. Anyway if you want to be our friend here is our page. Can't guarantee it will get checked super often so if something is important shoot it to my gmail. I will try to check it a couple times this week and from there maybe more if people seem interested.
Cars, Financing and Life
Recently the car my wife has been driving died. It was an inexpensive ($2,500ish) car and we had problems with it almost from the get go. Since we will not be here that long it is not getting replaced. My little Asian go cart with doors is still going along like it always has. When we get to the next place depending on our situation (where we live and if she works) replacing that car may or may not be a high priority.
The first lesson is that we fucked up not taking that car to a mechanic. It is a small comfort that it took multiple mechanics to eventually figure out what was wrong with the engine so maybe they would not have noticed. In any case it is a good idea to take a used car to a mechanic for a checkup.
The second lesson is that cheap little cars can turn into a real pain in the ass. Not getting a car in that price range again. The next car will be used and probably in the 7-9k range depending. Getting something reasonably new and driving it till the wheels fall off is the plan.
Unless there absolutely is not an option to wait and save the cash we will not get a loan. Better to save up and have it actually be yours. Also I hate borrowing money and paying interest.
The first lesson is that we fucked up not taking that car to a mechanic. It is a small comfort that it took multiple mechanics to eventually figure out what was wrong with the engine so maybe they would not have noticed. In any case it is a good idea to take a used car to a mechanic for a checkup.
The second lesson is that cheap little cars can turn into a real pain in the ass. Not getting a car in that price range again. The next car will be used and probably in the 7-9k range depending. Getting something reasonably new and driving it till the wheels fall off is the plan.
Unless there absolutely is not an option to wait and save the cash we will not get a loan. Better to save up and have it actually be yours. Also I hate borrowing money and paying interest.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
quote of the day
"The parties stand for nothing except get us (their party) elected."
-Glenn Beck on the two major political parties in our nation
-Glenn Beck on the two major political parties in our nation
"You Didn't See The Signs Joe."
So most of us have some cash in the bank. The exact amount and more importantly what it means to us proportionately to income varies widely. Often we have plans for what we would do with this cash if a hyper inflationary situation was upon us. As was mentioned recently in Survivalblog and I think FerFal's place during the onset of these conditions it is essential to act fast. Acting fast can be the difference between preserving your savings, loosing it to a banking holiday or having its value stolen via inflation while you can only get fixed amounts out in a day.
We all probably have the same ideas of where to secure out savings so that doesn't interest me.
What I am interested in is the signs that will lead you to pursuing these measures.
This summer (I think late Aug) things were going pretty badly in our economy. One particular day (if I remember correctly) a couple of banks failed and the stock market dropped 300+ points. I was pretty concerned and decided (after consulting Wifey) to go get a few hundred dollars more out of the bank. I genuinely would have put the odds of a "banking holiday" at 50% on that day. The world didn't end and most of the cash is still safely locked away.
So my question is as follows.
1. What sort of events would lead you to take a moderate step like I took above?
The second question is more interesting and imporant to me.
2. What sort of events would lead you to taking a serious step like emptying out your bank accounts and using most of it to purchase precious metals or other tangibles (guns, power tools, etc) to preserve your savings?
Basically my decision to write this post is totally selfish (though it very well may help some of you). I want to get some ideas to solidify my own list. It is hard to react decisively if you don't know what you are reacting to. Without a clear cut and quantifiable decision point it would be too easy to see what is going to happen tomorrow which could mean loosing your savings forever.
We all probably have the same ideas of where to secure out savings so that doesn't interest me.
What I am interested in is the signs that will lead you to pursuing these measures.
This summer (I think late Aug) things were going pretty badly in our economy. One particular day (if I remember correctly) a couple of banks failed and the stock market dropped 300+ points. I was pretty concerned and decided (after consulting Wifey) to go get a few hundred dollars more out of the bank. I genuinely would have put the odds of a "banking holiday" at 50% on that day. The world didn't end and most of the cash is still safely locked away.
So my question is as follows.
1. What sort of events would lead you to take a moderate step like I took above?
The second question is more interesting and imporant to me.
2. What sort of events would lead you to taking a serious step like emptying out your bank accounts and using most of it to purchase precious metals or other tangibles (guns, power tools, etc) to preserve your savings?
Basically my decision to write this post is totally selfish (though it very well may help some of you). I want to get some ideas to solidify my own list. It is hard to react decisively if you don't know what you are reacting to. Without a clear cut and quantifiable decision point it would be too easy to see what is going to happen tomorrow which could mean loosing your savings forever.
Blah- Money In These Times
Between Kalifornia and China being constantly in my mind and some less than ideal news about our upcoming move I am kinda in a funk. Got stuff in my head but am having a hard time putting it onto the page.
Starting to be less and less certain on what sort of personal actions I can take to make the upcoming events have less of an impact on our standard of living. Unless I colossally mess up at work my job is secure; maybe not for ever but certainly for several years. That means employment is covered which probably puts us ahead of the curve.
I am not particularly sure what to do with our money. Not that we have or make a ton of it but the less you have the more important it is.
Right now we are putting 5% into my TSP account for retirement. I really like that it comes strait out of my check but don't like that my ability to control where it goes is relatively limited. Would another option (ROTH IRA, mutual fund) be better? I am not so concerned about the long term cash because it is wise to put it away (odds are way higher that I get old then that the world ends) and 3-4 decades is a lot of time for things to work themselves out.
We bank 10% of the remainder (going up to 13ish next paycheck) every payday. Right now that is going into savings/ emergency fund. In the not too distant future that will get capped off for the time being. I know after that our goals are to start saving for a new car and a home down payment.
Keeping our emergency fund (the non cash one) in savings in the bank makes the most sense to me. Can't really see a better option. If we need to get a plane ticket or replace a transmission tomorrow I don't want to be selling precious metals or whatever on ebay to get the cash. I feel pretty secure about this one unless things go all hyperinflation. If it looks like that is going to happen (not conceptually but in a week/ month) a good chunk of this cash will turn into silver and gold.
My main concern is that we are quickly going to start saving for an eventual home down payment. This process will probably take 5 years or so depending on exactly how much we can save monthly and how expensive homes are where we will be looking to buy. This money is going to be sitting around for long enough and be a big enough amount (especially in the last couple years) that things going screwy would be a real problem. I am not particularly comfortable with precious metals as a short term investment vehicle (a whole nother discussion itself) because they swing wildly. Also I would rather get shitfaced and play craps with it then put it into the market. At best I would like to have it grow and at worst I want to keep up with inflation. I would not need it to be totally liquid but then again that would have its advantages.
I am purchasing some tangibles. Precious metals are being purchased as a hedge against inflation and guns/ ammo are being purchased because well I like them. If I had more coin I would be buying land right now, alas I don't.
Suggestions? Ideas? Complaints?
Starting to be less and less certain on what sort of personal actions I can take to make the upcoming events have less of an impact on our standard of living. Unless I colossally mess up at work my job is secure; maybe not for ever but certainly for several years. That means employment is covered which probably puts us ahead of the curve.
I am not particularly sure what to do with our money. Not that we have or make a ton of it but the less you have the more important it is.
Right now we are putting 5% into my TSP account for retirement. I really like that it comes strait out of my check but don't like that my ability to control where it goes is relatively limited. Would another option (ROTH IRA, mutual fund) be better? I am not so concerned about the long term cash because it is wise to put it away (odds are way higher that I get old then that the world ends) and 3-4 decades is a lot of time for things to work themselves out.
We bank 10% of the remainder (going up to 13ish next paycheck) every payday. Right now that is going into savings/ emergency fund. In the not too distant future that will get capped off for the time being. I know after that our goals are to start saving for a new car and a home down payment.
Keeping our emergency fund (the non cash one) in savings in the bank makes the most sense to me. Can't really see a better option. If we need to get a plane ticket or replace a transmission tomorrow I don't want to be selling precious metals or whatever on ebay to get the cash. I feel pretty secure about this one unless things go all hyperinflation. If it looks like that is going to happen (not conceptually but in a week/ month) a good chunk of this cash will turn into silver and gold.
My main concern is that we are quickly going to start saving for an eventual home down payment. This process will probably take 5 years or so depending on exactly how much we can save monthly and how expensive homes are where we will be looking to buy. This money is going to be sitting around for long enough and be a big enough amount (especially in the last couple years) that things going screwy would be a real problem. I am not particularly comfortable with precious metals as a short term investment vehicle (a whole nother discussion itself) because they swing wildly. Also I would rather get shitfaced and play craps with it then put it into the market. At best I would like to have it grow and at worst I want to keep up with inflation. I would not need it to be totally liquid but then again that would have its advantages.
I am purchasing some tangibles. Precious metals are being purchased as a hedge against inflation and guns/ ammo are being purchased because well I like them. If I had more coin I would be buying land right now, alas I don't.
Suggestions? Ideas? Complaints?
Beautiful Women Wednsday- Eliza Dushku
Let me see. First of all she has an exotic name which is always +2 points. Second of all she is a stone cold fox. Third she hunts, apparently with a bow. Fourth she killed a deer on Christmas. Fifth anyone PETA hates is at least OK in my book.
quote of the day
"EVERY EXAMPLE OF PRINTING MONEY ENDED IN DISASTER - EVERY TIME !"
-Nadeem Walayat on Quantitative Inflation
-Nadeem Walayat on Quantitative Inflation
Go Kalifornia
Rarely does this state do anything that pleases me but Kalifornians refused to increase taxes. It looks like their government is going to need to shrink by 20%. We will see what happens.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
China, China, China
China holds sway over our balls, scratch that I mean money.
Asia can take US off a cliff for sure however because they are in the drivers seat.
I found those two thanks to survivalblog.
Since the best title I could come up with made a third article necessary I found one.
Pentagon Preps for Economic Warfare
Asia can take US off a cliff for sure however because they are in the drivers seat.
I found those two thanks to survivalblog.
Since the best title I could come up with made a third article necessary I found one.
Pentagon Preps for Economic Warfare
Pen on Strait Marraige
"I'm totally against strait marriage even though I am married. I don't think heterosexual marriage is any of the governments business. I think you make any contract you want. If you want to marry several women or several men. If you want to marry another man or another woman make a contract. Make a contract, make a civil union. Get the government out of business of who we have sex with."
-Penn
-Penn
Some More Fiction
I got a couple comments on some more reader written fiction. I haven't had time to read these two yet but they both seem promising. I will get to them ASAP.
Wolfe has got a cover with a prelude and a chapter done.
Bryce has a whole Zombie story written.
Wolfe has got a cover with a prelude and a chapter done.
Bryce has a whole Zombie story written.
Employment: Another Perspective
Nobody seems to be writing much this week. Maybe it is the oddball weather or the long weekend coming up. My mind is still working but my energy to sit down and type it out is lower then normal.
Everyone in this little community of ours seems to think that having your own small business(es) is the best answer to employment. This does have some real advantages like making your own hours, not having to take a bosses shit, working from home and potentially being able to live way out in the boonies. While all of these are wonderful theories reality is often a lot less pretty.
Small businesses fail quite often. When times get bad and all businesses get squeezed the small guys have the least padding (savings and potential easy cost cuts). If you are wise enough not to put much (could be 5k or $500 depends on your finances) the time that you aren't somewhere else earning money is a problem. The two small businessmen I know well enough to have some idea of how they are doing are doing bad. Cuts of 30% in earnings area real problem.
Particularly the idea of "recession proof" small businesses is sticking in my teeth like a little piece of tough meat. In fact I would say that genuinely recession proof small businesses which do not require highly specialized skills or large start up costs is at best very rare. Don't let me get you down but I'm just a guy calling it how I see it.
There is something to be said for having a secure job at a viable business or institution which is not going to fail. I will not make a ton of money where I am now but that check is going to hit my account on the 1st and the 15th.
My mother works for a state agency. She has been there for almost 20 years and short of committing a felony at work she would be impossible to fire. As she put it in a conversation we once had "I could start smoking crack now and they still couldn't get rid of me. I would be able to string along pretending to go to rehab and stuff for the last couple years."
Now someone is saying that as a guy who writes a blog that has the word libertarian in it I should be against working in anything but the private sector. Eh conceptually you may be right but in real world terms what an individual or two do or don't do for work isn't going to change anything in any way.
There is some wisdom to getting the most secure employment you can and staying there, particularly in times like these and I fear that rapidly security will become at least as important as compensation.
Everyone in this little community of ours seems to think that having your own small business(es) is the best answer to employment. This does have some real advantages like making your own hours, not having to take a bosses shit, working from home and potentially being able to live way out in the boonies. While all of these are wonderful theories reality is often a lot less pretty.
Small businesses fail quite often. When times get bad and all businesses get squeezed the small guys have the least padding (savings and potential easy cost cuts). If you are wise enough not to put much (could be 5k or $500 depends on your finances) the time that you aren't somewhere else earning money is a problem. The two small businessmen I know well enough to have some idea of how they are doing are doing bad. Cuts of 30% in earnings area real problem.
Particularly the idea of "recession proof" small businesses is sticking in my teeth like a little piece of tough meat. In fact I would say that genuinely recession proof small businesses which do not require highly specialized skills or large start up costs is at best very rare. Don't let me get you down but I'm just a guy calling it how I see it.
There is something to be said for having a secure job at a viable business or institution which is not going to fail. I will not make a ton of money where I am now but that check is going to hit my account on the 1st and the 15th.
My mother works for a state agency. She has been there for almost 20 years and short of committing a felony at work she would be impossible to fire. As she put it in a conversation we once had "I could start smoking crack now and they still couldn't get rid of me. I would be able to string along pretending to go to rehab and stuff for the last couple years."
Now someone is saying that as a guy who writes a blog that has the word libertarian in it I should be against working in anything but the private sector. Eh conceptually you may be right but in real world terms what an individual or two do or don't do for work isn't going to change anything in any way.
There is some wisdom to getting the most secure employment you can and staying there, particularly in times like these and I fear that rapidly security will become at least as important as compensation.
Blogger Friends Write Fiction
Some pals have been cranking away on the fiction. I like reading peoples fiction work, doubly so if it is free. If I pay money for stuff it really lifts the bar of my expectations which has lead to at least one disappointment in the past. Anyway these guys have been writing good stuff. As of now I have no plans to write fiction in the foreseeable future. Unless I stumble into an idea which is novel or otherwise exceptional I will stay out of the genre.
In alphabetical order:
Bison
TEOTWAWKIAIFF
YeOldFurt
As a final thought: These guys are not professional writers. Just read what they write and take it for what its worth. Don't bitch about conventions or if they wander a bit in terms of focus. You will probably get a laugh or two, some interesting ideas and will surely be entertained.
In alphabetical order:
Bison
TEOTWAWKIAIFF
YeOldFurt
As a final thought: These guys are not professional writers. Just read what they write and take it for what its worth. Don't bitch about conventions or if they wander a bit in terms of focus. You will probably get a laugh or two, some interesting ideas and will surely be entertained.
Monday, May 18, 2009
quote of the day
"You spent like drunken sailors; which is an offense to drunken sailors because they are spending their own money"
Neil Cavuto to Cathie Adams
Neil Cavuto to Cathie Adams
Good News in the Blogosphere
Mayberry got his RV. The guy has been wanting one for as long as I can remember and he finally got it. Good times.
House Gun VS Carry Gun: Choosing Your Handgun
First of all read the article which inspires this post as a lot of what I am going to say is based upon it.
I think it depends. As noted many times I suggest every household gets at least a basic firearms battery. Lots of folks will stop there and that is fine though spares for family members would be nice.
If you are going to own one pistol (for at least the foreseeable future) I strongly suggest it is one you can carry without totally changing your wardrobe and clothing choices. You may not want to carry but it would be good if you have the option to do in in a concealed manner. For someone 6 something and 200 something who lives in either an open carry state or one with a colder climate you can get just about whatever you want. Maybe you are skinny or maybe you live in the deep south or just love those super tight emo kid jeans, whatever. I am a normalish sized guy and prefer compact sized handguns for a "compromise gun". Keep in kind that a 3" barrel is pretty much the smallest you can go and with real sights you still have decent shootability. It is to concealed carry what the 4" is to open carry (the best compromise between carry and shootability) There are a a variety of revolvers (Ruger SP101 comes to mind) and semi auto's (too many to list) in this range. This will be a gun that you can readily conceal AND enjoy taking to the range on the weekend.
If you can afford to have a house gun and a carry gun the options open up a lot more as you are no longer compromising. The combinations are just about endless. Keep in kind that it is aweful convenient if both handguns take the same ammunition and mags such as a pair of revolvers (FWIW I came down here with a snubby .38 and a 6" .357 mag), G26/19/17, G27/23/22, etc. This is not essential to have the pistols be compatible so if you love the Walther PPK and the 1911 or whatever that just makes your logistics a bit more compromised.
Thoughts?
I think it depends. As noted many times I suggest every household gets at least a basic firearms battery. Lots of folks will stop there and that is fine though spares for family members would be nice.
If you are going to own one pistol (for at least the foreseeable future) I strongly suggest it is one you can carry without totally changing your wardrobe and clothing choices. You may not want to carry but it would be good if you have the option to do in in a concealed manner. For someone 6 something and 200 something who lives in either an open carry state or one with a colder climate you can get just about whatever you want. Maybe you are skinny or maybe you live in the deep south or just love those super tight emo kid jeans, whatever. I am a normalish sized guy and prefer compact sized handguns for a "compromise gun". Keep in kind that a 3" barrel is pretty much the smallest you can go and with real sights you still have decent shootability. It is to concealed carry what the 4" is to open carry (the best compromise between carry and shootability) There are a a variety of revolvers (Ruger SP101 comes to mind) and semi auto's (too many to list) in this range. This will be a gun that you can readily conceal AND enjoy taking to the range on the weekend.
If you can afford to have a house gun and a carry gun the options open up a lot more as you are no longer compromising. The combinations are just about endless. Keep in kind that it is aweful convenient if both handguns take the same ammunition and mags such as a pair of revolvers (FWIW I came down here with a snubby .38 and a 6" .357 mag), G26/19/17, G27/23/22, etc. This is not essential to have the pistols be compatible so if you love the Walther PPK and the 1911 or whatever that just makes your logistics a bit more compromised.
Thoughts?
Something New- Wanna Read Some Gun Stuff?
Stephen sent me a link to High Power's and Handguns. I did some cruising around this page and it sure has some interesting stuff. I've got at least one article coming based on this page.
This is a Great Reason to Just Call The Cops
This story was sent to me. I am not entirely sure what to say about it. Tis a pretty ridiculous situation. To be honest this is why I am a fan of just calling the Cops to deal with that sort of shit, doubly so if what is stolen is a lethal weapon. In another state they easily could be charged with manslaughter. Unless it is legal to drill them with a rifle from a safe distance my happy ass will just dial 911 and call my insurance in the morning.
Kalifornia Wants a Bailout
The Peoples Republic of Kalifornia thinks the Federal Government should bail them out. NO NO NO NO NO! They spent like drunken sailors except that drunken sailors are spending money they earned during a long time on ship. They will wake up with an empty wallet and a pounding headache and go back on board the ship to shortly leave port. Kalifornia kept spending like their income (which can go up and down) would never go down, in fact would keep going up.
Kalifornia is about to vote on emergency budgeting measures (income tax, sales tax, car registration) which probably will not pass. The state is rapidly on their way to the red. California is facing a 21 billion dollar deficit without these measures.
Want to cosign for an unemployed spendaholic to get loan to pay their living expenses? Me neither. That is exactly what their state treasurer wants us to do. Nobody will loan them money because THEY ARE NOT CREDIT WORTHY so they want Uncle Sugar to step up and cosign. Since that car company and the banks I already own a chunk of are sending me such great dividends I am thrilled about this idea.
There have been times in the past where I lived beyond my means for long enough that it caught up with me. The first thing they must do is to STOP SPENDING. Trying to raise the amount of money they are bringing in is also essential but that can be hit or miss. An individual might be able to get a part time job or negotiate a raise from their boss but in times like these that will be tough. YOU CAN HOWEVER CONTROL YOUR SPENDING. Taking a look at what a state or household really needs to do would be a good start. A state needs to provide some basic services (law enforcement, dep. of agriculture, etc) and infrastructure (roads, ports, etc) just like you need a roof over your head, utilities, food and such. Now a state may WANT to offer food stamps, health care, welfare and a variety of other stuff (services for illegal immigrants come to mind) the same way that I like having cable tv, internet, eating out, etc. You pay for the stuff you NEED first and then see what if anything is left over for luxuries.
An unwillingness to cut anything out of your expenses or to find additional revenue is a big problem. It is a much bigger problem if you choose to use credit (bonds for a state or HELOC/ credit cards for an individual) to stay at an artificially high level of spending. In a situation where you have reliable long term stable income and are just having a real bad month for whatever reason (between contracts, miss work for an illness, etc) it is a little bit of a pain and a good reminder on why you should have a couple/ few months worth of cash set aside for emergencies. However if it is a fundamental problem of more money going out then is coming in credit is not the solution and it will make a spending spree hangover be drawn out into a much more painful problem then it must be.
The scary part is that a few other states (MA, NJ,NY) are not far behind.
It pisses me off and they need to deal with it themselves.
Kalifornia is about to vote on emergency budgeting measures (income tax, sales tax, car registration) which probably will not pass. The state is rapidly on their way to the red. California is facing a 21 billion dollar deficit without these measures.
Want to cosign for an unemployed spendaholic to get loan to pay their living expenses? Me neither. That is exactly what their state treasurer wants us to do. Nobody will loan them money because THEY ARE NOT CREDIT WORTHY so they want Uncle Sugar to step up and cosign. Since that car company and the banks I already own a chunk of are sending me such great dividends I am thrilled about this idea.
There have been times in the past where I lived beyond my means for long enough that it caught up with me. The first thing they must do is to STOP SPENDING. Trying to raise the amount of money they are bringing in is also essential but that can be hit or miss. An individual might be able to get a part time job or negotiate a raise from their boss but in times like these that will be tough. YOU CAN HOWEVER CONTROL YOUR SPENDING. Taking a look at what a state or household really needs to do would be a good start. A state needs to provide some basic services (law enforcement, dep. of agriculture, etc) and infrastructure (roads, ports, etc) just like you need a roof over your head, utilities, food and such. Now a state may WANT to offer food stamps, health care, welfare and a variety of other stuff (services for illegal immigrants come to mind) the same way that I like having cable tv, internet, eating out, etc. You pay for the stuff you NEED first and then see what if anything is left over for luxuries.
An unwillingness to cut anything out of your expenses or to find additional revenue is a big problem. It is a much bigger problem if you choose to use credit (bonds for a state or HELOC/ credit cards for an individual) to stay at an artificially high level of spending. In a situation where you have reliable long term stable income and are just having a real bad month for whatever reason (between contracts, miss work for an illness, etc) it is a little bit of a pain and a good reminder on why you should have a couple/ few months worth of cash set aside for emergencies. However if it is a fundamental problem of more money going out then is coming in credit is not the solution and it will make a spending spree hangover be drawn out into a much more painful problem then it must be.
The scary part is that a few other states (MA, NJ,NY) are not far behind.
It pisses me off and they need to deal with it themselves.
quote of the day
Anyone that thinks government can do a good job of administering anything should go stand in line at the DMV.
-Been spread around I got it from Bitmap
-Been spread around I got it from Bitmap
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Moving This To The Forefront.
I have been having a conversation with Sgt. Jarhead in the comments section of a past post. To give my reply:
Lets think about some relatively recent currency collapses in no particular order: Russia, basically all of South America during the 80's or 90's, and most important to our discussion Argentina.
It is not that a currency totally fails forever. It is usually that they hyper inflate. So all of a sudden a gallon of milk costs 50 bucks. As we know hyperinflation inflation is an issue because it doesn't happen evenly. Your savings in cash are screwed and your wages will not rise quickly to catch up. In fact you might loose your job because of the economic turmoil.
That being said most stores will still be open and commerce will go on in one way or another. Some business may be done in precious metals or barter but other stuff needs to be done in cash. The manager of a gas station is probably not authorized to barter.
Anyway back to Argentina. After a decade or so of real down swing things finally came to a head in 2000-2001. It became apparent that things were not maintainable and runs on the banks started. They were followed by a banking holiday and limits on how much of your money could be withdrawn in a day. Massive inflation started. Anyway this fellow FerFal lived through it and has a blog which everyone should read at least once. Cruise through the older posts and you will find some eye opening stuff.
Often you need cash to buy stuff so you go to someone who buys and sells precious metals. You aren't bartering over your basket full of groceries at the local Safeway. Anyway that pretty much wraps it up.
Lets think about some relatively recent currency collapses in no particular order: Russia, basically all of South America during the 80's or 90's, and most important to our discussion Argentina.
It is not that a currency totally fails forever. It is usually that they hyper inflate. So all of a sudden a gallon of milk costs 50 bucks. As we know hyperinflation inflation is an issue because it doesn't happen evenly. Your savings in cash are screwed and your wages will not rise quickly to catch up. In fact you might loose your job because of the economic turmoil.
That being said most stores will still be open and commerce will go on in one way or another. Some business may be done in precious metals or barter but other stuff needs to be done in cash. The manager of a gas station is probably not authorized to barter.
Anyway back to Argentina. After a decade or so of real down swing things finally came to a head in 2000-2001. It became apparent that things were not maintainable and runs on the banks started. They were followed by a banking holiday and limits on how much of your money could be withdrawn in a day. Massive inflation started. Anyway this fellow FerFal lived through it and has a blog which everyone should read at least once. Cruise through the older posts and you will find some eye opening stuff.
Often you need cash to buy stuff so you go to someone who buys and sells precious metals. You aren't bartering over your basket full of groceries at the local Safeway. Anyway that pretty much wraps it up.
Last Nights Adventures in Baking
This is most of the reason I was up so late last night. That everything just happened a couple hours later then normal was part of it but I was on a gag order until just a minute ago. Wifey and I have an agreement that all but the most benign (ex, Wifey and I went to the Farmers Market, etc) that mentions her is only after prior coordination. After a misunderstanding or two this system came about. Anyway.
This week Wifey wanted to bake something new and ended up settling on Cinnamon Rolls. The intent was that she made them Saturday night so we could have them Sunday morning. The best I can say is that the first recipe she got was somehow flawed or we didn't have quite the right ingredients or something. The first attempt the yeast proofed but would not rise. The second time they rose and were baked. They went from raw to burned in a minute. This recipe was abandoned and some research was done. For the third attempt a new recipe was used. Also they were positioned in the pan so they were touching and could not unravel. They were covered with tin foil also. By this time it was a bit after four in the morning. It really wasn't a bad night all said and done. Wifey got somewhat frusterated and mentioned that permenant harm might be done to me if I did pretty much anything but stayed in the living room quietly.
[Editor note, that might not be exactly how it went down.]
Not entirely sure what the morale of this one is. Maybe it is that baking is a lot more sensitive than cooking. Also that some recipes just don't work.
This week Wifey wanted to bake something new and ended up settling on Cinnamon Rolls. The intent was that she made them Saturday night so we could have them Sunday morning. The best I can say is that the first recipe she got was somehow flawed or we didn't have quite the right ingredients or something. The first attempt the yeast proofed but would not rise. The second time they rose and were baked. They went from raw to burned in a minute. This recipe was abandoned and some research was done. For the third attempt a new recipe was used. Also they were positioned in the pan so they were touching and could not unravel. They were covered with tin foil also. By this time it was a bit after four in the morning. It really wasn't a bad night all said and done. Wifey got somewhat frusterated and mentioned that permenant harm might be done to me if I did pretty much anything but stayed in the living room quietly.
[Editor note, that might not be exactly how it went down.]
Not entirely sure what the morale of this one is. Maybe it is that baking is a lot more sensitive than cooking. Also that some recipes just don't work.
Finances 5
Wifey and I talked about money some this weekend. We are doing fine but not getting ahead as fast as we would like. There where two corresponding decisions made. First we are going to cut back a little bit on expenses by looking for deals when going out to eat (still once a week) for date night. Also we are going to save a little bit more out of every paycheck. Right now 5% is going for long term retirement and 10% is going into savings. We are going to keep long term the same but kick up savings to about 13%. Kind of calculated that is enough of a difference so it will add up but not so much it will really change our financial situation.
For the short term savings we are currently building up an emergency fund. Once that hits two months of wages (in about 2 months) it is going to be left alone for awhile. Yeah 6 months is nice but that is a ton of cash and my job is pretty secure so that is enough to deal with a sudden car repair or emergency plane ticket home. We have other fish to fry.
We need to start saving for a new reasonably decent and reliable car and a down payment for a home. One of these is going to take awhile and the other is going to take a long while but you don't get anywhere unless you start. As my wages increase it will be easier to allocate more toward savings.
For the short term savings we are currently building up an emergency fund. Once that hits two months of wages (in about 2 months) it is going to be left alone for awhile. Yeah 6 months is nice but that is a ton of cash and my job is pretty secure so that is enough to deal with a sudden car repair or emergency plane ticket home. We have other fish to fry.
We need to start saving for a new reasonably decent and reliable car and a down payment for a home. One of these is going to take awhile and the other is going to take a long while but you don't get anywhere unless you start. As my wages increase it will be easier to allocate more toward savings.
Gun Rags
I got a copy of the new CDNN magazine in the mail this weekend. I have done business with them on several occasions and they have been positive experiences. The merchandise was delivered quickly and as described. If there was any sort of a problem they handled it in a friendly and professional manner willing to accept returns if need be. I flip through these mostly because it is interesting to see how much prices have changed and if anything new or novel is available.
On the novel side they had Steyre Aug's or something that looks a heck of a lot like them.
They also have used Beretta 92's for $339.99 and factory mags for $15. That is a pretty good deal on a nice pistol.
They seem to have mags for anything I can think of at reasonable prices. It is worth noting that surplus (92FS and High Power) mags are significantly cheaper than any others. Glock mags for $25, Sig mags for $33 and HK mags in the 40's. If you are short on mags they are available at reasonable prices. I think unless something serious and new happens in terms of gun control I believe the high point for mag prices has passed. Prices may drop a bit more but then again some sort of legislation might happen so it would be wise to have a few extra mags in a plastic bag somewhere.
M1A GI spec mags marked "W" are a penny under 20 bucks.
DPMS 308 20rd mags (also fit Knight SR-25) made by C products are running $29.99.
They have good deals on collapsible buttstocks for AR's also.
On the novel side they had Steyre Aug's or something that looks a heck of a lot like them.
They also have used Beretta 92's for $339.99 and factory mags for $15. That is a pretty good deal on a nice pistol.
They seem to have mags for anything I can think of at reasonable prices. It is worth noting that surplus (92FS and High Power) mags are significantly cheaper than any others. Glock mags for $25, Sig mags for $33 and HK mags in the 40's. If you are short on mags they are available at reasonable prices. I think unless something serious and new happens in terms of gun control I believe the high point for mag prices has passed. Prices may drop a bit more but then again some sort of legislation might happen so it would be wise to have a few extra mags in a plastic bag somewhere.
M1A GI spec mags marked "W" are a penny under 20 bucks.
DPMS 308 20rd mags (also fit Knight SR-25) made by C products are running $29.99.
They have good deals on collapsible buttstocks for AR's also.
Gosh
I am up pretty late today. Can remember many times in the last few months I woke up at this time or earlier (many) but can't remember the last time I still awake from the day before . Hasn't been a bad night really. Somehow everything just ended up being 3 hours or so later than normal, not exactly sure why. I made dinner at around 8:30 and had my first beer around 9. Been sitting around and reading some blogs I don't regularly follow and Wifey was doing some baking. Now it is 4am and I have a pitcher of water beside me. Going to drink it then eat a burger and go to bed.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
quote of the day
"Need the police to respond right away, call ahead. (editor note, 3 minutes or so should do it in an urban area) If you've reported a few minor crimes within a 6 block radius you can be sure someone will arrive when you need them."
- Burn Notice
This show is fairly amusing to me and from time to time I hear something worth keeping in the back of my head.
- Burn Notice
This show is fairly amusing to me and from time to time I hear something worth keeping in the back of my head.
The Minimalist Firearms Battery: A Short Term Pause
Between FerFal's great post today and some conversations with Maggy I have been thinking on this topic more or less for awhile. I genuinely believe everyone can and should have at least a basic firearms battery [It is wise to have some additional guns allocated for the spouse and older children but that is a whole different post.] and a good amount of ammunition for each.
The biggest stumbling block in terms of getting a basic firearms batters is usually cash. Getting good quality self defense weapons is not a cheap venture. I personally think my life is worth taking careful consideration and saving up to get good quality reliable weapons designed for anti personnel tasks. If you want to bet your life on the cheapest guns good luck and God speed but I'm sure not going to. Getting a couple of guns and taking some time to firm up your ammo stash for them a bit, save for the next couple guns and put money towards other purposes would be a reasonable way to go. The question is, what to get first?
It is wise to get a pistol and a long gun. For most people getting themselves a good pistol and a pump shotgun then taking the above mentioned pause would be the best way to go. I say this for the following reasons. 1) You can certainly get the sort of shotgun you need for $300 or less, often in the $200 range. Usually you can get a pistol and a shotgun for the price of a rifle. 2) A shotgun can be learned in an afternoon while it takes a long time to get to the same point of competence with a rifle. 3) Shotguns are by nature a defensive weapon and that is the most realistic use we have for a long gun. The idea of shooting looters while they stalk through the field is nice but waking up at 2am to the door going crash or a couple of voices in the living room is probably a lot more realistic. Unless you already have a rifle or live in a place where neighbors are so far away that you can put a high powered rifle round through the wall and know it is not going to hit anyone a shotgun is almost surely the way to go. Since this applies to 90% of you we will assume for the rest of this article that a shotgun is what you go with.
As for which of these two guns to purchase first I think it is a question of if you are going to carry. Some people have little to no desire to carry a handgun. Maybe they like clothes that do not facilitate hiding a gun or regularly go to places where it is illegal to carry or just plain don't want to. I am not making a value judgment on this just looking at it pragmatically. If you are not going to carry then a pump shotgun would probably be a better first purchase.
There is a good point that you can't discretely answer the door with a shotgun. While I will not disagree with that you can take a shotgun to the door to ask who it is and then look through the peep hole. If you know them say "please wait a second" and stash your scatter gun in the closet. There are weaknesses to this plan. If suddenly things go to hell and it is worth wearing that big ugly sweater to carry a handgun you can't because you don't got one. Do keep in mind that this is a temporary situation while you save up for a handgun.
For this shotgun get the following: a butt stock shot shell holder, a sling, a cleaning kit, 100 rounds of 2 3/4 buckshot, 50 slugs and 100 rounds of assorted shot to kill a random bird with or whatever. To be honest if you need more ammo then that you are fucked. Get this stuff before putting anything away for the pistol because without ammo that shotgun is less useful than an aluminum baseball bat or that machete you got for those damn Zombies.
So now you are working on the pistol. I suggest getting something big enough to be really shoot able but small enough to readily conceal given your size and clothing choices. I am a big fan of compact sized pistols, going smaller than that you loose shoot ability really fast. Getting a .38 special or a 9mm with at least a 3" barrel is probably wise. If you are small of frame or live in a very warm environment a single stack .380 like a Walther PPK or a Bersa could be an option.
For the pistol I suggest getting the following gear: a concealable holster like an IWB, an OWB holster like a kydex one (lot cheaper than leather), a cleaning kit, a mag pouch (even if you don't plan to use it get one), if it is an auto get 4 more magazines or whatever it takes to get 6 total, enough good defensive ammo to load all your mags (or 100 rounds if the mags are small or you got a revolver), and lastly 250 rounds of hardball ammo because it is cheap so you can get a lot and will harm someone if you shoot them with it. Yes I am fully aware that .380 hardball (or to a slightly lesser extent 9mm or .38 sp) is not a fearsome load but I ask a simple question. Would you like to take a round of .380 hardball to the face? I personally would not, discussion ended.
[I personally like to have closer to 1,000 rounds of assorted shotgun ammo, 10 mags for a pistol and a full case of ammo for it but admittedly tend to go a bit overboard. Half of my ideal ammo count and 6 magazines is probably a reasonable long term stopping point.]
Some people do not have the inclination to learn to use a rifle. If you can't use a rifle to a reasonable standard then purchasing it is a waste of precious resources. You can always pick one up down the road if you move out into the sticks, get more paranoid or want to start hunting.
Now you can put some cash towards other stuff or enjoy having a few more bucks in your pocket for a couple paydays before starting saving for center fire rifle or .22. I would be inclined to get the center fire rifle first because if somehow things do go all TEOTWAWKI it is what you want to have. I suggest the purchase of a good quality rifle, you will not regret saving over a couple more pay periods to get the one you want. There is a balance between getting a good gun and being realistic. If it is going to take 3 years of saving up enough money just to get the rifle then you've got to be more realistic about what you can afford. Be sure to consider the cost of equipping the rifle with ammo and if applicable magazines. Also take into account your locale. A nice little brush gun would be great for a good ole Boy in Alabama or Georgia but someone out in Wyoming needs a longer shooting gun.
Think I said my peace on this which is good because I am tired of writing.
Talk to you all tomorrow.
The biggest stumbling block in terms of getting a basic firearms batters is usually cash. Getting good quality self defense weapons is not a cheap venture. I personally think my life is worth taking careful consideration and saving up to get good quality reliable weapons designed for anti personnel tasks. If you want to bet your life on the cheapest guns good luck and God speed but I'm sure not going to. Getting a couple of guns and taking some time to firm up your ammo stash for them a bit, save for the next couple guns and put money towards other purposes would be a reasonable way to go. The question is, what to get first?
It is wise to get a pistol and a long gun. For most people getting themselves a good pistol and a pump shotgun then taking the above mentioned pause would be the best way to go. I say this for the following reasons. 1) You can certainly get the sort of shotgun you need for $300 or less, often in the $200 range. Usually you can get a pistol and a shotgun for the price of a rifle. 2) A shotgun can be learned in an afternoon while it takes a long time to get to the same point of competence with a rifle. 3) Shotguns are by nature a defensive weapon and that is the most realistic use we have for a long gun. The idea of shooting looters while they stalk through the field is nice but waking up at 2am to the door going crash or a couple of voices in the living room is probably a lot more realistic. Unless you already have a rifle or live in a place where neighbors are so far away that you can put a high powered rifle round through the wall and know it is not going to hit anyone a shotgun is almost surely the way to go. Since this applies to 90% of you we will assume for the rest of this article that a shotgun is what you go with.
As for which of these two guns to purchase first I think it is a question of if you are going to carry. Some people have little to no desire to carry a handgun. Maybe they like clothes that do not facilitate hiding a gun or regularly go to places where it is illegal to carry or just plain don't want to. I am not making a value judgment on this just looking at it pragmatically. If you are not going to carry then a pump shotgun would probably be a better first purchase.
There is a good point that you can't discretely answer the door with a shotgun. While I will not disagree with that you can take a shotgun to the door to ask who it is and then look through the peep hole. If you know them say "please wait a second" and stash your scatter gun in the closet. There are weaknesses to this plan. If suddenly things go to hell and it is worth wearing that big ugly sweater to carry a handgun you can't because you don't got one. Do keep in mind that this is a temporary situation while you save up for a handgun.
For this shotgun get the following: a butt stock shot shell holder, a sling, a cleaning kit, 100 rounds of 2 3/4 buckshot, 50 slugs and 100 rounds of assorted shot to kill a random bird with or whatever. To be honest if you need more ammo then that you are fucked. Get this stuff before putting anything away for the pistol because without ammo that shotgun is less useful than an aluminum baseball bat or that machete you got for those damn Zombies.
So now you are working on the pistol. I suggest getting something big enough to be really shoot able but small enough to readily conceal given your size and clothing choices. I am a big fan of compact sized pistols, going smaller than that you loose shoot ability really fast. Getting a .38 special or a 9mm with at least a 3" barrel is probably wise. If you are small of frame or live in a very warm environment a single stack .380 like a Walther PPK or a Bersa could be an option.
For the pistol I suggest getting the following gear: a concealable holster like an IWB, an OWB holster like a kydex one (lot cheaper than leather), a cleaning kit, a mag pouch (even if you don't plan to use it get one), if it is an auto get 4 more magazines or whatever it takes to get 6 total, enough good defensive ammo to load all your mags (or 100 rounds if the mags are small or you got a revolver), and lastly 250 rounds of hardball ammo because it is cheap so you can get a lot and will harm someone if you shoot them with it. Yes I am fully aware that .380 hardball (or to a slightly lesser extent 9mm or .38 sp) is not a fearsome load but I ask a simple question. Would you like to take a round of .380 hardball to the face? I personally would not, discussion ended.
[I personally like to have closer to 1,000 rounds of assorted shotgun ammo, 10 mags for a pistol and a full case of ammo for it but admittedly tend to go a bit overboard. Half of my ideal ammo count and 6 magazines is probably a reasonable long term stopping point.]
Some people do not have the inclination to learn to use a rifle. If you can't use a rifle to a reasonable standard then purchasing it is a waste of precious resources. You can always pick one up down the road if you move out into the sticks, get more paranoid or want to start hunting.
Now you can put some cash towards other stuff or enjoy having a few more bucks in your pocket for a couple paydays before starting saving for center fire rifle or .22. I would be inclined to get the center fire rifle first because if somehow things do go all TEOTWAWKI it is what you want to have. I suggest the purchase of a good quality rifle, you will not regret saving over a couple more pay periods to get the one you want. There is a balance between getting a good gun and being realistic. If it is going to take 3 years of saving up enough money just to get the rifle then you've got to be more realistic about what you can afford. Be sure to consider the cost of equipping the rifle with ammo and if applicable magazines. Also take into account your locale. A nice little brush gun would be great for a good ole Boy in Alabama or Georgia but someone out in Wyoming needs a longer shooting gun.
Think I said my peace on this which is good because I am tired of writing.
Talk to you all tomorrow.
Linkage fun
"Recommended site: The Survivalist Blog - Live better, live cheaper and survive when things get tough."
Successful Errands Trip: Books and Farmers Market
We got moving a bit late today. Once I got my requisite lazy morning quotient of caffeine we got moving down the road. Wifey has been needing an apron. Getting her clothes covered in flour all the time is a pain in the butt and a couple of her shirts have been ruined by oil stains. The store only had one apron and it was conveniently in colors she liked and on sale. After that we went to the book store. She got a couple books and I picked up The Protectors War by SM Stirling. I've read a couple of heavy non fiction books lately and can use a fun quick fiction read. After this I will get back to Ghost Wars probably with some renewed reading vigor. Alternating fiction and non fiction works well for me.
On the way home we went to a new Farmers Market which was an absolute success. We got all sorts of good stuff: strawberries, pears, watermelon, grape fruit, snap beans, pole beans, sweet potatoes, corn, avocado, and probably some other stuff can't recall at the moment. Didn't get too much of any one thing, just enough for a meal or two but that is sorta how these things are supposed to work. This place was a bit further away but it was nice and the prices were a heck of a lot better. We probably got 2x the stuff for almost the same price and it wasn't sketchy at all which is always a plus.
FerFAL just wrote a really good post. It covers a lot of ground (can't say I agree 100% with all of them) that makes a lot of great points. In any case anything which inspires me towards a couple ideas is probably worth reading. Anyway I will probably write some more stuff later today.
On the way home we went to a new Farmers Market which was an absolute success. We got all sorts of good stuff: strawberries, pears, watermelon, grape fruit, snap beans, pole beans, sweet potatoes, corn, avocado, and probably some other stuff can't recall at the moment. Didn't get too much of any one thing, just enough for a meal or two but that is sorta how these things are supposed to work. This place was a bit further away but it was nice and the prices were a heck of a lot better. We probably got 2x the stuff for almost the same price and it wasn't sketchy at all which is always a plus.
FerFAL just wrote a really good post. It covers a lot of ground (can't say I agree 100% with all of them) that makes a lot of great points. In any case anything which inspires me towards a couple ideas is probably worth reading. Anyway I will probably write some more stuff later today.
Friday, May 15, 2009
quote of the day
"Government can't do anything better then private industry, look at fedex and the post office (fedex makes a profit and the post office doesn't)."
Craig Smith
CEO, Swiss America
Craig Smith
CEO, Swiss America
An Interesting Perspective On Ammo Shortages
Gunshow dealers gouging? I think it is interesting to hear something aside from the usual AHH WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF AMMO NOW BUY EVERYTHING YOU CAN RIGHT NOW NO MATTER THE PRICE!
Yeah I have been reading 3rdmans blog.
Yeah I have been reading 3rdmans blog.
Ode To The Glock Two
Oh yeah I thought of some more stuff. I like that they hold a lot of bullets. I like that their mags are relatively low priced. I like that if a holster/ accessory exists it is made to fit the Glock. I like that they are easy to use and train people to use. I like that they are light but still shoot well. I like that you don't need to worry about sweating on it while concealed carrying on a hot day. I like that lots of people make fun of them but readily admit that Glocks are more durable and reliable then whatever gun they prefer.
Texts From Last Night and a Great Potential Invention
(413): my phone needs a breathalizer
I have a theory for a wonderful idea but absolutely no clue how to do it. If anyone figures it out I just ask that they hook one up to my phone. Simply put a breathalizer on a phone with pre programmed lists that also factor in time.
EX
Buzzed list (can call):
Wife
Dad
Mom
Grandparents
(we are pretty Irish so it is cool)
Friends
Pizza
Cabs
Drunk list:
Wife
Friends
Pizza
Cabs
Also you would be able to program in numbers which you cannot call if there is any alcohol in your system. Ex that chick you were kinda dating a few months back or whatever.
I don't really need this now but it sure would have saved me a lot of grief a couple years ago. I would gladly pay another 5 bucks a month on my phone bill for this feature.
I have a theory for a wonderful idea but absolutely no clue how to do it. If anyone figures it out I just ask that they hook one up to my phone. Simply put a breathalizer on a phone with pre programmed lists that also factor in time.
EX
Buzzed list (can call):
Wife
Dad
Mom
Grandparents
(we are pretty Irish so it is cool)
Friends
Pizza
Cabs
Drunk list:
Wife
Friends
Pizza
Cabs
Also you would be able to program in numbers which you cannot call if there is any alcohol in your system. Ex that chick you were kinda dating a few months back or whatever.
I don't really need this now but it sure would have saved me a lot of grief a couple years ago. I would gladly pay another 5 bucks a month on my phone bill for this feature.
WOW- Texts From Last Night
(734): I'm drunk at a fancy martini bar, wearing jeans, drinking cheap vodka that I brought in my purse. Got thrown out of court for using my cell phone. All in all calling Thursday a success.
Cops, Hilarity Ensued
"When the cops are questioning you because you were drunkenly attacking your boyfriend and they ask you for ID do not reach into your pocket and take out a random piece of paper and a joint." Know where your ID is or at least know where your frickin drugs are.
Ode To The Glock
First of all there is something I noticed in this picture. The person has a Glock and Sig which is incredibly unusual. I know lots of people who have Glocks and lots of people who have Sigs. I only know one person who owns a glock and a sig and that individual seems to have a Noahs Arc philosophy when it comes to collecting guns (two of every single kind). People seem to like one but not the other for some reason. In any case back to my point.I like Glocks. I like that they are reliable. I like that they are rugged. I like that they are cheap or at least a lot of gun for the money. I like that (at least for me) they have good pointability. I like that they are common. I like that the mags from larger glocks can be used in smaller ones. I like that (to a large extent) parts from one Glock of the same caliber are compatible with another sized Glock of the same caliber. They are not for everyone but I sure like them.
Something New
Dakin has started a blog dedicated to his fiction work. It may not interest you but I like it.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
quote of the day
"It's come down to this boys, we're gonna be rich or we are goin the fuck back to jail."
-Jillian in Trailer Park Boys. I love this show.
-Jillian in Trailer Park Boys. I love this show.
Precious Metals, What to Buy
There has been an interesting conversation (1,2) going on at Survival blog. It has gotten me to thinking and since I ended up writing today's article last night and it is now evening time and I feel like writing something you get my thoughts on this topic. Anyway here I go.
I really like the idea of splitting your precious metals stash into two distinct groups as JWR suggested. Personally I do not look at precious metals as an investment. Some people do and it can be a good one but I do not. In any case I do think that splitting between easily divisible/ barterable precious metals and those which have a lower cost in relation to spot.
JWR has a thing for 90% Silver coins. I like the 90% just fine but am unwilling to pay significantly more than the price of other silver. I consider one ounce rounds more or less comparable to the 90% stuff for my purpose. Having some silver dimes for really small transactions would be wise but I am comfortable with a mix of one ounce rounds and 90%. I sort of look at precious metals in the same way as The Moneychanger does Ultimately you are buying metal and the goal is to get it at the best price you can.
As for how much should go in this pile. $1,000 face costs about 10k these days. I imagine we will be purchasing precious metals consistently for the foreseeable future so we will probably get close to that amount (715 ounces) at some point. After that if we continue to purchase silver doing it in larger amounts (which are lower in relation to spot) would make sense.
Gold was not mentioned in the above posts but I look at it the same way. Having a good stash of 1/4oz and smaller stuff before going on to just one ounce coins seems to make sense. As mentioned before I am not too strung up on this coin or that coin or an ingot from that company or whatever. To be honest I get stuff that is at a decent price which I think is cool. Get stuff at a decent price and you are going to do fine.
I really like the idea of splitting your precious metals stash into two distinct groups as JWR suggested. Personally I do not look at precious metals as an investment. Some people do and it can be a good one but I do not. In any case I do think that splitting between easily divisible/ barterable precious metals and those which have a lower cost in relation to spot.
JWR has a thing for 90% Silver coins. I like the 90% just fine but am unwilling to pay significantly more than the price of other silver. I consider one ounce rounds more or less comparable to the 90% stuff for my purpose. Having some silver dimes for really small transactions would be wise but I am comfortable with a mix of one ounce rounds and 90%. I sort of look at precious metals in the same way as The Moneychanger does Ultimately you are buying metal and the goal is to get it at the best price you can.
As for how much should go in this pile. $1,000 face costs about 10k these days. I imagine we will be purchasing precious metals consistently for the foreseeable future so we will probably get close to that amount (715 ounces) at some point. After that if we continue to purchase silver doing it in larger amounts (which are lower in relation to spot) would make sense.
Gold was not mentioned in the above posts but I look at it the same way. Having a good stash of 1/4oz and smaller stuff before going on to just one ounce coins seems to make sense. As mentioned before I am not too strung up on this coin or that coin or an ingot from that company or whatever. To be honest I get stuff that is at a decent price which I think is cool. Get stuff at a decent price and you are going to do fine.
quote of the day
"If I overspent my budget by 50% and paid for it with a credit card, it wouldn't be long before I was down the drain. I think that has to apply to a country, as well."
-Hermit
-Hermit
Food Saver Deals
Really good prices on food savers and accessories. The bags are just a buck cheaper then the club store so we will not be ordering any. However if you need a food saver or a lot of bags or something else this would be a good time to buy em.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Group Standard Weapons
The guys and I have been kicking this one around in a low intensity way for awhile. As I have done a couple times in the past I am going to avoid discussing specific weapons (as much as possible) because it just degenerates into the same old arguments. For better or worse by a combination of personality and experience I am the closest thing to a leader our 'group' is going to have in the foreseeable future. I have a tiny bit of experience with leadership and this whole thing leaves me with two thoughts. First of all anyway you cut it peer leadership is hard. Second of all leading libertarians is like herding cats, it doesn't work very well.
In our discussions we have gained some consensus but for the most part are still bogged down. I will get back to that later.
I got to thinking about what the positive characteristics of good group weapons would be:
First a common caliber, duh.
Second a common platform: browning, glock, sig, beretta, hk, ar, ak, fnfal, hk91, m1a, etc.
Third is economy. Since a group of people are going to be purchasing this stuff, some of them not entirely thrilled by it the sell is easier if a pistol costs $600 instead of $1200. Also consider the cost to fully equip the firearm with ammo and mags. Also depending on financial situations of you and your mates cost can be a real issue.
Fourth is modularity. Since multiple people are going to be spending their hard earned dollars on a weapon they might not even like it will help a lot for them to be able to adapt it to their tastes. You can do just about anything with an AR and a whole lot with a Rem 870 or a Moss 500 but (I imagine) can do little to change a Valumet or an Ithica Model 37.
We may or may not be able to get through this impasse with back and forth phone conversations. My idea on how to get the breakthrough we need is as follows: We all get together and agree to do two things 1) abide by the group decision and purchase the weapons and 2) not leave until it is eventually settled with a simple majority vote. Unless I really miss my guess we will probably cook a bunch of brawts and drink plenty of beer during this process because that is what we like to do.
As a note this would have been a whole lot easier if we had sat down and figured this out a few years ago before we all made a bunch of purchases. Of course back then we were just gun enthusiasts and none of that stuff mattered. The morale of is with your friends if you are even considering forming a group start having this conversation now because it will just get harder down the road.
Thoughts or experiences?
In our discussions we have gained some consensus but for the most part are still bogged down. I will get back to that later.
I got to thinking about what the positive characteristics of good group weapons would be:
First a common caliber, duh.
Second a common platform: browning, glock, sig, beretta, hk, ar, ak, fnfal, hk91, m1a, etc.
Third is economy. Since a group of people are going to be purchasing this stuff, some of them not entirely thrilled by it the sell is easier if a pistol costs $600 instead of $1200. Also consider the cost to fully equip the firearm with ammo and mags. Also depending on financial situations of you and your mates cost can be a real issue.
Fourth is modularity. Since multiple people are going to be spending their hard earned dollars on a weapon they might not even like it will help a lot for them to be able to adapt it to their tastes. You can do just about anything with an AR and a whole lot with a Rem 870 or a Moss 500 but (I imagine) can do little to change a Valumet or an Ithica Model 37.
We may or may not be able to get through this impasse with back and forth phone conversations. My idea on how to get the breakthrough we need is as follows: We all get together and agree to do two things 1) abide by the group decision and purchase the weapons and 2) not leave until it is eventually settled with a simple majority vote. Unless I really miss my guess we will probably cook a bunch of brawts and drink plenty of beer during this process because that is what we like to do.
As a note this would have been a whole lot easier if we had sat down and figured this out a few years ago before we all made a bunch of purchases. Of course back then we were just gun enthusiasts and none of that stuff mattered. The morale of is with your friends if you are even considering forming a group start having this conversation now because it will just get harder down the road.
Thoughts or experiences?
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