We do not exactly have a budget. After my pay hits the bank we take out money for savings and precious metals. Retirement money comes out automatically. After that as long as we don't go broke we don't worry too much. Of course since our bills are very reasonable and we spend a relatively small amount of money on food and are generally cheap the checking account usually builds up some most pay periods. I have come to see at least one emergency every other month not as something which will come from the emergency fund but just as a normal expense.
We seem to have something random happen which costs us about $400 every other month.
If every unexpected expense means you have to raid savings you're going to keep taking two steps forward and then one or two steps back. Saving money every pay period is great but if you put it in then pulling it out in a week or two there is no point. If the balance in the bank or the cash under the bed or the silver in the bottom of the bag of flour isn't accumulating (and you aren't at your stopping point where the emergency fund is fully funded) then you are doing something wrong.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Pants, Guns and Retreats
Has anyone else noticed this phenomena called 'skinny jeans'? They are worn by guys and girls, apparently in some circles it is cool to be sorta androgynous again. Anyway I have seen a couple girls wearing these who just should not have been and it got me thinking.
It definitely takes a certain type of body to wear these things. Seen a couple girls in them who were not fat or anything but they just didn't work at all. Ass and hips don't go well in them and an otherwise nice looking girl ends up looking really stupid. Wifey observed that teens say "this is cool so I am going to wear it" regardless of if it works for them and it takes till the 20's to figure out that even if something is 'cool' if you look stupid in it you don't get the 'cool points' but do look stupid.
I wasn't going to write about this because it doesn't really have anything to do with anything. Today I tied it to something meaningful.....
It doesn't matter what is cool or good or whatever. It matters what is cool or good or whatever FOR YOU!
If some expert says that a 1911/ G17/XLY 83 is the best pistol ever that is fine but if it isn't right for you then get something else. What is right for you is what matters. [On this specific matter I strongly suggest sticking with a popular pistol from a major manufacturer in a common caliber. There are plenty of options to fit any need but popular pistols from major manufacturers are such for a very good reason. Ditto for common (or at least pretty common) calibers are such for a reason.]
If the coolest expert says living this way in that place is best that is fine. Sure they have some great points but you need to live in the way and place that is best for you and your situation. Maybe a house with a basement on an oversized lot with a big garden in a small town is better for you than a compound out in the hinderboonies.
The bottom line is that no matter what anyone else says if it doesn't work for your situation then things are going to be dysfunctional and awkward. Major choices have far greater consequences than some girl looking dumb at the mall.
It definitely takes a certain type of body to wear these things. Seen a couple girls in them who were not fat or anything but they just didn't work at all. Ass and hips don't go well in them and an otherwise nice looking girl ends up looking really stupid. Wifey observed that teens say "this is cool so I am going to wear it" regardless of if it works for them and it takes till the 20's to figure out that even if something is 'cool' if you look stupid in it you don't get the 'cool points' but do look stupid.
I wasn't going to write about this because it doesn't really have anything to do with anything. Today I tied it to something meaningful.....
It doesn't matter what is cool or good or whatever. It matters what is cool or good or whatever FOR YOU!
If some expert says that a 1911/ G17/XLY 83 is the best pistol ever that is fine but if it isn't right for you then get something else. What is right for you is what matters. [On this specific matter I strongly suggest sticking with a popular pistol from a major manufacturer in a common caliber. There are plenty of options to fit any need but popular pistols from major manufacturers are such for a very good reason. Ditto for common (or at least pretty common) calibers are such for a reason.]
If the coolest expert says living this way in that place is best that is fine. Sure they have some great points but you need to live in the way and place that is best for you and your situation. Maybe a house with a basement on an oversized lot with a big garden in a small town is better for you than a compound out in the hinderboonies.
The bottom line is that no matter what anyone else says if it doesn't work for your situation then things are going to be dysfunctional and awkward. Major choices have far greater consequences than some girl looking dumb at the mall.
This was too funny not to pass on!
Nancy Reagan's letter of forgiveness
You might recall that John Hinckley was a seriously deranged young man who shot President Reagan in the early 1980's.
Hinckley was absolutely obsessed with movie star Jodie Foster, extremely jealous, and in his twisted mind, loved Jodie Foster to the point that to make himself well known to her, he attempted to assassinate President Reagan.
There is speculation Hinckley may soon be released as having beenrehabilitated. Consequently, you may appreciate the following letter from Nancy Reagan to John Hinckly:
*To: John HinckleyFrom: Mrs. Nancy Reagan
My family and I wanted to drop you a short note to tell you how pleased we are with the great strides you are making in your recovery. In our fine country's spirit of understanding and forgiveness, we want you to know there is a nonpartisan consensus of compassion and forgiveness throughout.
The Reagan family and I want you to know that no grudge is borne against you for shooting President Reagan. We, above all, are aware of how the mental stress and pain could have driven you to such an act of desperation. We are confident that you will soon make a complete recovery and return to your family to join the world again as a healthy and productive young man.
Best wishes,Nancy Reagan & Family
P.S. While you have been incarcerated, Barack Obama has been banging Jodie Foster like a screen door in a tornado. You might want to look into that.
(TOR here: I am 99% sure this is fake as I got it in an email instead of seeing it on the news. In any case it is still funny.)
You might recall that John Hinckley was a seriously deranged young man who shot President Reagan in the early 1980's.
Hinckley was absolutely obsessed with movie star Jodie Foster, extremely jealous, and in his twisted mind, loved Jodie Foster to the point that to make himself well known to her, he attempted to assassinate President Reagan.
There is speculation Hinckley may soon be released as having beenrehabilitated. Consequently, you may appreciate the following letter from Nancy Reagan to John Hinckly:
*To: John HinckleyFrom: Mrs. Nancy Reagan
My family and I wanted to drop you a short note to tell you how pleased we are with the great strides you are making in your recovery. In our fine country's spirit of understanding and forgiveness, we want you to know there is a nonpartisan consensus of compassion and forgiveness throughout.
The Reagan family and I want you to know that no grudge is borne against you for shooting President Reagan. We, above all, are aware of how the mental stress and pain could have driven you to such an act of desperation. We are confident that you will soon make a complete recovery and return to your family to join the world again as a healthy and productive young man.
Best wishes,Nancy Reagan & Family
P.S. While you have been incarcerated, Barack Obama has been banging Jodie Foster like a screen door in a tornado. You might want to look into that.
(TOR here: I am 99% sure this is fake as I got it in an email instead of seeing it on the news. In any case it is still funny.)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Survival Sunday
As many of you already know, I am the libertarian wing of the TSLR, while TOR is the survivalist wing. That said, I am working on increasing my knowledge of survivalism. One thing which we don't have much of on this blog is actual "how to" posts. Therefore, I am starting a new weekly post- Survival Sunday, which I am going to either link, or write my own, "how to" posts. This should help me acquire some of this knowledge, and link you guys to stuff you know, or give you new information. Some of it will be really simple, but hopefully it should get more complex. So without further adieu,
Water Purification
Water purification is of utmost importance. There is what I call the 4-4-40 rule- You can live 4 minutes without air, 4 days without water, and 40 days without food. Air purification is a little more complex than what I am doing today, so water purification becomes important.
Building a water purifier isn't all that tough.
Materials Required
Water Container
Activated Charcoal
Coarse Sand & Fine Sand (separately)
Coarse Gravel & Fine Gravel (separately)
Cotton or Pebbles
Knife/Scissors
Method
1) The first step would be to put the water container upside down. Cut the bottom (now top) of the bottle. This is where water would pour in, once the water filter is done.
2) Now, block the mouth (now base) of the container with cotton. Cotton would prevent filtering materials from entering the bottle. In case you do not have cotton, use a couple of inches of pebbles for this purpose.
3) Put an inch of fine sand over the layer of cotton. Now, place a layer of activated charcoal on the top of the sand.
4) Once this is done, fill in layers of coarse sand, fine gravel and coarse gravel, in that order, from bottom to top
5) Now, pour water into the top end of the filter and collect the filtered water at the bottom, into another container.
Another way
Material Required
Plastic Bottle
1/2 cup Dirt
2 cups Sand
2 cups Gravel
Glass of Water
Knife/Scissors
Method
1) The first step would be to cut the base of the bottle using a sharp knife or a pair of scissors.
2) Place the bottle in an inverted position, so that the cut base is on the top and the mouth lies below.
3) Pour gravel in the container, so as to stuff the base. Make sure you put larger gravel in first, because it will plug up the hole easily.
4) Now, pour the sand over the gravel. This would help seal the base, as it would occupy space in between the gravel.
5) Though this might be very yucky, you need to mix dirt with water. Now, pour the dirty water on top of the sand in the bottle.
6) Carefully remove the cap from the bottle and place the bottle into a tall glass or some container that holds your filter upright.
No, I didn't come up with these on my own, I got them from here
A few more links worth checking out are, Distillation of Water, and Filtering Radioactivity
Water Purification
Water purification is of utmost importance. There is what I call the 4-4-40 rule- You can live 4 minutes without air, 4 days without water, and 40 days without food. Air purification is a little more complex than what I am doing today, so water purification becomes important.
Building a water purifier isn't all that tough.
Materials Required
Water Container
Activated Charcoal
Coarse Sand & Fine Sand (separately)
Coarse Gravel & Fine Gravel (separately)
Cotton or Pebbles
Knife/Scissors
Method
1) The first step would be to put the water container upside down. Cut the bottom (now top) of the bottle. This is where water would pour in, once the water filter is done.
2) Now, block the mouth (now base) of the container with cotton. Cotton would prevent filtering materials from entering the bottle. In case you do not have cotton, use a couple of inches of pebbles for this purpose.
3) Put an inch of fine sand over the layer of cotton. Now, place a layer of activated charcoal on the top of the sand.
4) Once this is done, fill in layers of coarse sand, fine gravel and coarse gravel, in that order, from bottom to top
5) Now, pour water into the top end of the filter and collect the filtered water at the bottom, into another container.
Another way
Material Required
Plastic Bottle
1/2 cup Dirt
2 cups Sand
2 cups Gravel
Glass of Water
Knife/Scissors
Method
1) The first step would be to cut the base of the bottle using a sharp knife or a pair of scissors.
2) Place the bottle in an inverted position, so that the cut base is on the top and the mouth lies below.
3) Pour gravel in the container, so as to stuff the base. Make sure you put larger gravel in first, because it will plug up the hole easily.
4) Now, pour the sand over the gravel. This would help seal the base, as it would occupy space in between the gravel.
5) Though this might be very yucky, you need to mix dirt with water. Now, pour the dirty water on top of the sand in the bottle.
6) Carefully remove the cap from the bottle and place the bottle into a tall glass or some container that holds your filter upright.
No, I didn't come up with these on my own, I got them from here
A few more links worth checking out are, Distillation of Water, and Filtering Radioactivity
Reality TV
I hate reality TV. I mean really really hate reality TV. Big Brother is boring, American Idol has no point, and dont even mention Who Wants to Marry and then Divorce a Millionaire. However, there are two that I like.
The Colony
I have just started watching this one. It seems pretty bad ass. Informitive, and entertaining. I think this is really the point of reality TV. None of this singing crap, or getting voted off the island because you didnt create the correct alliances (although I am not sure even what that means, or how it affects anything... But thats not the point). I havent watched much of it, but I will report back once I get to watch some more.
However, this is really more about the greatest reality TV show ever: Combat Missions.
This show is from 2001-2002. ITS AWESOME! Our entire group would get together for Combat Missions every week. If you were caught talking during the show, we would lock you out of the house until the next commercial break. I haven't been able to find it on DVD, however, all the episodes are on Youtube, and while they are broken into pieces, it still works.
Check them out.
The Colony
I have just started watching this one. It seems pretty bad ass. Informitive, and entertaining. I think this is really the point of reality TV. None of this singing crap, or getting voted off the island because you didnt create the correct alliances (although I am not sure even what that means, or how it affects anything... But thats not the point). I havent watched much of it, but I will report back once I get to watch some more.
However, this is really more about the greatest reality TV show ever: Combat Missions.
This show is from 2001-2002. ITS AWESOME! Our entire group would get together for Combat Missions every week. If you were caught talking during the show, we would lock you out of the house until the next commercial break. I haven't been able to find it on DVD, however, all the episodes are on Youtube, and while they are broken into pieces, it still works.
Check them out.
Random Thought
Some planes now have a little tv in the back of every seat so you can watch tv or whatever. I like this because it helps to pass the time. Got 3 books for the trip but am almost done reading one of them. Got a weakness for Spencer novels. Hard to fault a good enjoyable book you can pick up again but also is predictable and easy to put down if need be. I did get a non fiction book which looks interesting. Imagine you will hear about it later.
May Be A Bit Of Disruption
I am starting traveling again. Got a couple of days auto posts set up and assuming everything works almost sort of like it should there will be no disruption in regular posting. If there is it should just be a couple of days. After this things will return to normal for awhile.
Sharing the Wealth
I pass along books. Some books I am not going to read again and others I really want friends to read. It certainly helps that I have been getting some books at no cost recently. Chad has HTSTEOTWAWKI and Ryan got Fairtax: The Truth: Answering The Critics. I hope to eventually get that copy of the Rawles book back but if I end up buying one it won't be the end of the world.
Passing along books is a great way to share knowledge with others and recieve it at little to no cost. Take a book that has been gathering dust on your shelf and pass it along to a friend who can benefit from its contents.
Passing along books is a great way to share knowledge with others and recieve it at little to no cost. Take a book that has been gathering dust on your shelf and pass it along to a friend who can benefit from its contents.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
What I Did To Prepare This Week?
Yeah I am aware I am pretty much stealing M.D. Creekmores awesome idea for a regular post. Also I appologize for saying his name wrong forever. I will say it correctly from now on but can't change the label without massive complication so that will stay the same.
The main reason I am toying with making this a regular thing is to make myself accountable. I have too many weeks where there is a lot of writing/ blogging/ reading/ thinking but not enough action. If a week goes by and I don't do anything to make myself more prepared than I was previously it might just be a lame week or I was busy or whatever. However if weeks go by regularly where I do nothing to prepare I need to reevaluate things.
This weeks major movement was in storing ammo. Last weeks was selling the Glock .40 which secured funds for some mags and more importantly spare parts.
Next week is probably going to be a wash. Got a few very basic ideas of what can be done but who knows exactly what will be going down until we get boots on the ground. Until we are situated in housing not a whole lot can be done.
The main reason I am toying with making this a regular thing is to make myself accountable. I have too many weeks where there is a lot of writing/ blogging/ reading/ thinking but not enough action. If a week goes by and I don't do anything to make myself more prepared than I was previously it might just be a lame week or I was busy or whatever. However if weeks go by regularly where I do nothing to prepare I need to reevaluate things.
This weeks major movement was in storing ammo. Last weeks was selling the Glock .40 which secured funds for some mags and more importantly spare parts.
Next week is probably going to be a wash. Got a few very basic ideas of what can be done but who knows exactly what will be going down until we get boots on the ground. Until we are situated in housing not a whole lot can be done.
How My Life Is Going To Change
Tonight in about 50 minutes I am going to be watching Cops live on TV for the last time in the forseeable future. Of course I will be sitting on a couch drinking a light domestic beer which is the only way to watch this show.
Hanging with the guys
Well, for those of you who don't know, TOR is in the middle of yet another move. Currently he is on pre-moving vacation, and was able to make a stop in my neck of the woods. Chadly (who is another co-author) was able to make it, and we got together for lunch. TOR gave me a copy of "Fair Tax: The Truth" by Neal Boortz, John Linder and Rob Woodall. I am in the middle of reading Collapse, buy the guy who did Guns, Germs, and Steel, but once I finish it, I am moving on to the new one.
I just finished Guns, Germs and Steel. Interesting book, and if you haven't read it, I would strongly recommend it. Collapse is something I am less certian about, but I am only about 100 pages into it, so we shall see.
Anyway, lunch was a good time. Always nice to get the guys together, which is something, due to geographical issues, that happens way less than it should. Anyway, this post isn't really about anything, so I am going to cut it short. Hopefully some inspiration will strike me later, and I will actually write something worth reading.
I just finished Guns, Germs and Steel. Interesting book, and if you haven't read it, I would strongly recommend it. Collapse is something I am less certian about, but I am only about 100 pages into it, so we shall see.
Anyway, lunch was a good time. Always nice to get the guys together, which is something, due to geographical issues, that happens way less than it should. Anyway, this post isn't really about anything, so I am going to cut it short. Hopefully some inspiration will strike me later, and I will actually write something worth reading.
Getting Armed
Over an evening around the fireplace somehow our family discussion turned to guns. My (absolutely not at all evil) Stepmom is totally against guns. She has never handled one and intends to keep it that way. However unlike the gun grabbing totalitarians she sees no reason other people should be prevented from owning them. The rest of my family are armed.
My Grandmother was raised by Montana ranch folks and owns 3 guns.
Almost Brother In Law owns a Glock 19 and talked of getting a shotgun with his tax return. He spoke of getting a pistol grip Mossberg 500. Mentioned that having owned both the Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870 I prefer the Remington. Its fit and finish seem to be better and the gun is a lot more smooth of action. Just about every police department seems to use them which may or may not mean much to you. I did specifically caution him about the pistol grip shotgun. Aside from being difficult for the small or weak of hand/ arm to handle in recoil they are very difficult to shoot well. Long guns are inherantly easy to shoot well. Assuming ones stance doesn't suck 2/3rds of aiming a shotgun (and you do need to AIM it) is done by orrienting your body to the target. Pistol grip shotguns are far more difficult to hit anything with. Regardless of the choice of Mossberg or Remington (functionally equivalent is probably a fair term) I urged him to get an 18.5-20 barreled shotgun with a full stock. He also mentioned wanting to get a Mini-14 somewhere down the line. He shot a relatives in Tennessee and liked it a lot.
My youngest sister mentioned that she is going to get a pistol soon. She regularly leaves work late at night and would like to have the option of carrying. I gave her some specific advice and we are going to talk more about it as she gets closer to making a purchase.
My Grandmother was raised by Montana ranch folks and owns 3 guns.
Almost Brother In Law owns a Glock 19 and talked of getting a shotgun with his tax return. He spoke of getting a pistol grip Mossberg 500. Mentioned that having owned both the Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870 I prefer the Remington. Its fit and finish seem to be better and the gun is a lot more smooth of action. Just about every police department seems to use them which may or may not mean much to you. I did specifically caution him about the pistol grip shotgun. Aside from being difficult for the small or weak of hand/ arm to handle in recoil they are very difficult to shoot well. Long guns are inherantly easy to shoot well. Assuming ones stance doesn't suck 2/3rds of aiming a shotgun (and you do need to AIM it) is done by orrienting your body to the target. Pistol grip shotguns are far more difficult to hit anything with. Regardless of the choice of Mossberg or Remington (functionally equivalent is probably a fair term) I urged him to get an 18.5-20 barreled shotgun with a full stock. He also mentioned wanting to get a Mini-14 somewhere down the line. He shot a relatives in Tennessee and liked it a lot.
My youngest sister mentioned that she is going to get a pistol soon. She regularly leaves work late at night and would like to have the option of carrying. I gave her some specific advice and we are going to talk more about it as she gets closer to making a purchase.
Spending Some Cash
Been thinking about that envelope of hundreds. Decided that I don't need to put much if anything into the gun fund, maybe a few bucjs will go to it depending on how other stuff . The remainder is going to go to three areas.
A few accessories: Another double mag pouch and another kydex glock 9mm holster namely. This will cost $40ish but needs to be addressed.
Mags: A couple assorted mags (to finish things off) and several Glock 9mm mags. $350ish will finish me buying
Spare Parts: The balance will go to spare parts. This will not finish it up but will give me a real good start.
On and to the guy who mentioned getting a safe. Some logistical nuances currently provent me from getting a safe. As soon as I return from my next duty station I will get a big heavy safe.
Thoughts?
A few accessories: Another double mag pouch and another kydex glock 9mm holster namely. This will cost $40ish but needs to be addressed.
Mags: A couple assorted mags (to finish things off) and several Glock 9mm mags. $350ish will finish me buying
Spare Parts: The balance will go to spare parts. This will not finish it up but will give me a real good start.
On and to the guy who mentioned getting a safe. Some logistical nuances currently provent me from getting a safe. As soon as I return from my next duty station I will get a big heavy safe.
Thoughts?
Friday, August 28, 2009
Friends, Travel and Ammo Storage
I got to see Ryan and Chad today. Had some lunch and hung around BSing for an hour afterwords. Wish we could have hung out more but it was good that we were able to make getting together happen. Haven't seen both of them together since Wifey and my wedding a bit more than a year ago and I shutter to think of when the next time will be. Guess my work has its costs.
Arrived back at home base and we are close to getting out of here. Got a busy day tomorrow and then things are about wrapped up here. It has been a good vacation. Got to see everyone pretty mcuh everyone which was a miracle in and of itself. Got to set foot in Washington, Oregon and Idaho so I saw a heck of a lot of the great Pacific North West.
As to my last discussion about the Pacific North West I should probably clarify. I am not saying conclusively that in some quantuntative way the PNW is better then else where. [I am talking in a completely subjective way. If you want to look at an objective assessment of states for retreat potential Rawles did a lot of smart stuff and ranked the states here. Don't have the time or energy to discuss my thoughts on this now but I can't help noting that the PNW occupies 3 of the top 4 spots with Montana just a bit to the east occupying the other spot. ] Admittedly most of my bias is almost entirely because this is where I am from. It is home and I love it. Not saying it is right for you but it is sure right for me. You probably like your region and that is great, not knocking it. I know a few good old boys from Georgia who would probably think it is the place to be.
Asside from some driving and seeing the guys I did accomplish one big thing today. Got all of my ammo put away properly and stored for the long term. I personally store my ammo in military surplus ammo cans with good gaskets and some silica gel inside, might be a bit cautious but ammo is a big investment. For silica gel I go to the cat litter aisle and look for the crystals then check the ingredient label till I find one that is 99% silica gel. [I would be very careful using this stuff for food storage but I don't care if my ammo gets a bit of a scent.] Last time I got some window screen like stuff and string but this time I got panty hoes which did the same thing much easier and with less effort. I did the same thing a year ago but figured since I am not sure when I will get back here to replace them and had to put some in the new cans it would be easy enough to go just put new silica gel in all of them.
Arrived back at home base and we are close to getting out of here. Got a busy day tomorrow and then things are about wrapped up here. It has been a good vacation. Got to see everyone pretty mcuh everyone which was a miracle in and of itself. Got to set foot in Washington, Oregon and Idaho so I saw a heck of a lot of the great Pacific North West.
As to my last discussion about the Pacific North West I should probably clarify. I am not saying conclusively that in some quantuntative way the PNW is better then else where. [I am talking in a completely subjective way. If you want to look at an objective assessment of states for retreat potential Rawles did a lot of smart stuff and ranked the states here. Don't have the time or energy to discuss my thoughts on this now but I can't help noting that the PNW occupies 3 of the top 4 spots with Montana just a bit to the east occupying the other spot. ] Admittedly most of my bias is almost entirely because this is where I am from. It is home and I love it. Not saying it is right for you but it is sure right for me. You probably like your region and that is great, not knocking it. I know a few good old boys from Georgia who would probably think it is the place to be.
Asside from some driving and seeing the guys I did accomplish one big thing today. Got all of my ammo put away properly and stored for the long term. I personally store my ammo in military surplus ammo cans with good gaskets and some silica gel inside, might be a bit cautious but ammo is a big investment. For silica gel I go to the cat litter aisle and look for the crystals then check the ingredient label till I find one that is 99% silica gel. [I would be very careful using this stuff for food storage but I don't care if my ammo gets a bit of a scent.] Last time I got some window screen like stuff and string but this time I got panty hoes which did the same thing much easier and with less effort. I did the same thing a year ago but figured since I am not sure when I will get back here to replace them and had to put some in the new cans it would be easy enough to go just put new silica gel in all of them.
Home Made Shotgun Slugs
TORyou gotta check this out!
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/08/24/turning-birdshot-into-slugs-for-self-defense/#more-7456
So for 25$ for 100 shells (bird shot) and some elbow grease and a bit o' light machining aka drill press and welder you got some cheap azz slugs!!I TOLD YOU! heh hehNow to make up the mold.. If I get a good design I will reproduce it.. send your orders now!
FarmerMechanic
TOR says: Very interesting proposition. As usual any sort of reloading should only be done by those with a thurough understanding of every process involved, what exactly they are doing and proper equipment. Consider yourselves disclaimed.
Edited to include. TOR says not sure I would have said it is impossible. I probably said it was out of my level of expertise. I would be interested in the ballistics and such of these home made slugs. Might they have less powder than a normal slug? Not sure how their energy/ballistics/accuracy is going to be. If you are going to make a lot of these and rely on them it would be wise to take a couple dozen and do some testing then write about it and shoot me an email.
FarmerMechanic said...
I shoulda put a disclaimer with that email! heh heh. I was excited that it is possible. So long as your not adding any more weight or over or under sizing the slug it would work and be cheap.. However, I would warn everyone that if you try this it could blow up in your face.. I think the idea could be viable in a SHTF situation that could turn "cheap birdshot" into a defensive slug round. Earlier today took a look at some Winchester Upland game/clay rounds I have to see what the shells crimp looks like. It is different than that of the shell in the article over at The Firearm Blog. I couldn't tell what brand they were using (could be in another country). win round is crimped and doesn't have the plastic disk. This could pose a problem with chamber/barrel pressures. One could trim the crimp so it looks like a traditional slug round. Im going to check on some other brands to see if there is that plastic disk they showed when they dissasembled the round.
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/08/24/turning-birdshot-into-slugs-for-self-defense/#more-7456
So for 25$ for 100 shells (bird shot) and some elbow grease and a bit o' light machining aka drill press and welder you got some cheap azz slugs!!I TOLD YOU! heh hehNow to make up the mold.. If I get a good design I will reproduce it.. send your orders now!
FarmerMechanic
TOR says: Very interesting proposition. As usual any sort of reloading should only be done by those with a thurough understanding of every process involved, what exactly they are doing and proper equipment. Consider yourselves disclaimed.
Edited to include. TOR says not sure I would have said it is impossible. I probably said it was out of my level of expertise. I would be interested in the ballistics and such of these home made slugs. Might they have less powder than a normal slug? Not sure how their energy/ballistics/accuracy is going to be. If you are going to make a lot of these and rely on them it would be wise to take a couple dozen and do some testing then write about it and shoot me an email.
FarmerMechanic said...
I shoulda put a disclaimer with that email! heh heh. I was excited that it is possible. So long as your not adding any more weight or over or under sizing the slug it would work and be cheap.. However, I would warn everyone that if you try this it could blow up in your face.. I think the idea could be viable in a SHTF situation that could turn "cheap birdshot" into a defensive slug round. Earlier today took a look at some Winchester Upland game/clay rounds I have to see what the shells crimp looks like. It is different than that of the shell in the article over at The Firearm Blog. I couldn't tell what brand they were using (could be in another country). win round is crimped and doesn't have the plastic disk. This could pose a problem with chamber/barrel pressures. One could trim the crimp so it looks like a traditional slug round. Im going to check on some other brands to see if there is that plastic disk they showed when they dissasembled the round.
New TV Show on Spike Starting Sep 1st
http://www.specialopsmedia.com/assets/SpikeTV/Assets.zip Surviving Disaster Show Page:http://www.spike.com/show/33200 SPIKE TV’S DISTINCTIVE NEW SERIES SIMULATES TERRIFYING DISASTERS TO ARM VIEWERS AND SAVE LIVES Navy SEAL Cade Courtley To Host Ten One-Hour Episodes Premiere Starting Tuesday, September 1 On Spike TV Picking up a few last minute items at the mall when violent gunmen storm the store…what to do? What if, on the daily subway commute, a bio weapon is released? Or a fire is blazing in the 12th floor office and the only way out is blocked? Disasters can strike at the most unexpected times, but Spike TV’s new original series “Surviving Disaster,” led by Cade Courtley, vividly takes viewers through catastrophic scenarios and arms them with the knowledge needed to survive the unthinkable. Navy SEAL Courtley is the ideal host for this timely series, having faced imminent danger for a living, conducting clandestine missions from the sea, air and land that include counter-terrorism operations, special reconnaissance and unconventional warfare. The series premieres Tuesday, September 1 (10:00-11:00pm ET/PT) with an episode dedicated to a plane hijacking. Each week, Navy SEAL Courtley tackles worst-case scenarios and equips viewers with the practical information needed to save their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. Whether the threat is natural or man-made or on a national or personal level, Courtley speaks directly to the viewers and guides them through a comprehensive, step-by-step process to not only survive the big picture disaster, but endure the many dangerous obstacles that may occur within each catastrophic event. While leading viewers out of danger, Courtley not only provides helpful tips and hands-on instruction, but swiftly points out common misconceptions and fatal mistakes. Unlike any other series, “Surviving Disaster” may actually save lives by providing actions that anyone can perform. Other disaster-themed episodes this season include: Nuclear Attack, Home Invasion, Fire, Avalanche, Lost at Sea, Hurricane, Bio-Chemical Attack, Mall Shooting and Earthquake. A standout from the beginning of his military career as a Naval Officer, Courtley was the Class Leader in his BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training and was chosen to attend the elite SEAL Sniper school, a privilege given only to a select few. While on active duty, he served tours in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Southeast Asia, where he led highly classified, high-risk operations. He continued this high-risk profession with several tours to Iraq in the private sector. His strong background in military Special Operations has given him the unmatched skills to survive and adapt in the direst of circumstances. “Surviving Disaster” featured content on Spike.com will present an introduction to host Cade Courtley, including videos, a biography and an exclusive multi-week breakdown of the “Top 10 Most Impressive Survival Stories of All Time,” presented by Courtley. The promotion will be timed to lead up to the premiere of the show. The show page will also feature exclusive downloadable survival guides based on each upcoming episode, sneak peeks, video clips and a forum for viewer commentary. “Surviving Disaster” is produced for Spike TV by Shed Media US (“Man On Wire,” “Supernanny,” “The Real Housewives of New York City”). The series is executive produced by Alex Graham and Nathaniel Grouille. Sharon Levy, Tim Duffy and Joe Weinstock are Spike TV’s executives in charge of production.
Is the Legal System a Joke?
Yesterday I wrote a post about how the State of Oregon is basically hiding its catch and release program for felons. Brass left a comment which I think is worth responding to.
The legal system is not a joke. To be frank, it is very serious. The idea that it is basically a kangaroo court is, for the most part, unfounded. To begin with, just because the defense and the DA are paid by the state (which is not totally true, most states have laws requiring you to pay for your court appointed lawyer after the trial, win or loose) does not mean that they are working together. Rather they are normally adversaries. Also, the idea that there are statute worshiping juries out there may be true... I haven't met any, but they could be out there. One of the big factors I have to deal with when prosecuting a case is the "who gives a fuck factor." I had a defendant earlier this week who was dead to rights... But I couldn't over come the "Who gives a fuck" factor.
Our legal system is not perfect, and I am not pushing that point. However, it is the least imperfect. It has its flaws, but it is really as fair as it gets. Stare decisis is used to ensure that the law doesn't just randomly change from one case to the next. While these decisions might seem to be arbitrary, all law to some extent is arbitrary. The question of fairness in a legal system is not whether the law being enforced is good or bad, but rather, how the law is enforced. What the law is comes from the political world, while how the law is enforced is of the legal world.
My criticism of Brass's private legal system is similar to his criticism of mine. First, having a private legal system is fool-hearty. One of the few valid roles of government is having a fair legal system. By fair, I am not referring to the laws being enforced, but how they are enforced. Second, the logical law proposed by Brass is still just as arbitrary. He notes that you have the right to use lethal force to fend off a rapist. Why? That's true under our current law, but our current law is arbitrary. Furthermore, how would a private legal system work? Are we talking about privately paid judges? This also ignores the power of the state to compel testimony for the benefit of both sides. A private court system wouldn't have that same authority.
Most of the criticism of our legal system stem from the political, not the legal, world. Its not the courts which make stupid fucking laws, and its not the courts which limit peoples freedom. It is the courts which enforce the laws made by others (this is referring to the criminal world), but restructuring the courts wont change that fact. The courts are force, compelling people to do things they don't want to do. The key is how fair are they when they are compelling people. Our system isn't prefect, but its the best one out there. Finally, Brass notes "Why should judges, prosecutors, policemen be "reasonable" when they have little natural incentive to be so, unlike individuals in free society?" This ignores the fact that judges, DAs and Sheriffs are elected officials in many places, who are responsible to the people. The fact that most people don't seem to be strong libertarians, and hold those people to the principals I believe in, doesn't mean the system itself is flawed. The fault lies not in our stars, it lies within ourselves.
The legal system is not a joke. To be frank, it is very serious. The idea that it is basically a kangaroo court is, for the most part, unfounded. To begin with, just because the defense and the DA are paid by the state (which is not totally true, most states have laws requiring you to pay for your court appointed lawyer after the trial, win or loose) does not mean that they are working together. Rather they are normally adversaries. Also, the idea that there are statute worshiping juries out there may be true... I haven't met any, but they could be out there. One of the big factors I have to deal with when prosecuting a case is the "who gives a fuck factor." I had a defendant earlier this week who was dead to rights... But I couldn't over come the "Who gives a fuck" factor.
Our legal system is not perfect, and I am not pushing that point. However, it is the least imperfect. It has its flaws, but it is really as fair as it gets. Stare decisis is used to ensure that the law doesn't just randomly change from one case to the next. While these decisions might seem to be arbitrary, all law to some extent is arbitrary. The question of fairness in a legal system is not whether the law being enforced is good or bad, but rather, how the law is enforced. What the law is comes from the political world, while how the law is enforced is of the legal world.
My criticism of Brass's private legal system is similar to his criticism of mine. First, having a private legal system is fool-hearty. One of the few valid roles of government is having a fair legal system. By fair, I am not referring to the laws being enforced, but how they are enforced. Second, the logical law proposed by Brass is still just as arbitrary. He notes that you have the right to use lethal force to fend off a rapist. Why? That's true under our current law, but our current law is arbitrary. Furthermore, how would a private legal system work? Are we talking about privately paid judges? This also ignores the power of the state to compel testimony for the benefit of both sides. A private court system wouldn't have that same authority.
Most of the criticism of our legal system stem from the political, not the legal, world. Its not the courts which make stupid fucking laws, and its not the courts which limit peoples freedom. It is the courts which enforce the laws made by others (this is referring to the criminal world), but restructuring the courts wont change that fact. The courts are force, compelling people to do things they don't want to do. The key is how fair are they when they are compelling people. Our system isn't prefect, but its the best one out there. Finally, Brass notes "Why should judges, prosecutors, policemen be "reasonable" when they have little natural incentive to be so, unlike individuals in free society?" This ignores the fact that judges, DAs and Sheriffs are elected officials in many places, who are responsible to the people. The fact that most people don't seem to be strong libertarians, and hold those people to the principals I believe in, doesn't mean the system itself is flawed. The fault lies not in our stars, it lies within ourselves.
California Spends 10% of its Operating Budget on Prisons
Read the article here. More and more I think Panhandle Tex (where did he go anyway?) 's idea that there should only be two punishments; restitution and execution is the way to go.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Can One Country Collapse Without Others?
FerFal had some thoughts on this matter which sort of helped remind me of what I was thinking last night. Anyway here we go.
I think it depends a lot about how we define collapse. The way we define is is certainly significant. One country having a major national disaster (katrina or a tsunami or whatever) does not significantly affect the fortunes of countries outside that immediate area. While the terrorist attacks of 9/11 did change the world as we know it the immediate lives of Germans or Brazilians at large did not change.
As for an economic collapse that is another interesting question. In the curent system one currency collapsing will tank a lotof businesses intertwined with that currency and some traders. [except the dollar which is the reserve currency but that is another matter] A currency collapse in Argentina certainly changed the lives of those countries residents and their immediate neighbors (unless I missed something) they didn't change the world landscape. It is however worth noting that Argentina was a fairly small nation at least in its world influence.
I am not so certain a single country in our modern connected society can collapse without seriously affecting the rest of the world it connects with.
Thoughts?
I think it depends a lot about how we define collapse. The way we define is is certainly significant. One country having a major national disaster (katrina or a tsunami or whatever) does not significantly affect the fortunes of countries outside that immediate area. While the terrorist attacks of 9/11 did change the world as we know it the immediate lives of Germans or Brazilians at large did not change.
As for an economic collapse that is another interesting question. In the curent system one currency collapsing will tank a lotof businesses intertwined with that currency and some traders. [except the dollar which is the reserve currency but that is another matter] A currency collapse in Argentina certainly changed the lives of those countries residents and their immediate neighbors (unless I missed something) they didn't change the world landscape. It is however worth noting that Argentina was a fairly small nation at least in its world influence.
Lots of countries have had their currencies collapse but had things more or less continue with power and water mostly working and police/fire/ems and government moving along at decreased effectiveness but still being very present.
Could a big country have a currency collapse without changing the world market and by default the lives of people all over? The Soviet Union collapsed and it drastically changed the lives of everyone involved in it but because of their limited connections to the rest of the world it did not have the effect it could have. Also their collapse wasn't purely economic (currency collapse) so it isn't exactly apples and apples.
It is worth noting that a currency collapse of a small nation leads to hyperinflation and things generally sucking but the currency collapse of a big nation can lead to war. I recall Germany during the Weimar Republic era. If you haven't kept up on your history there was this guy called Hitler who (at least in part) caused all sorts of problems.I am not so certain a single country in our modern connected society can collapse without seriously affecting the rest of the world it connects with.
Thoughts?
Lying to the People
I have taken, as of late, an acute interest in Oregon criminal law. One of the interesting things about Oregon is that it has sentencing guidelines which are mandatory. While under federal law, there are sentencing guidelines, those are merely guidelines; in Oregon they are mandatory. Another interesting thing is that they only apply to felonies; misdemeanors are still left basically to the judges discretion, limited only by the maximum time possible for a misdemeanor, 365 days in jail.
There are some serious issues with the sentencing guidelines. For starters, under the guidelines, a crime category 1 or 2, is punishable by a maximum of 90 days. This is a felony which is punished much less harshly than a misdemeanor. Furthermore, there is a fraud being perpetrated on the people of Oregon. There is an administrative rule which states that all sentences under the guidelines are divided by 3. That means when the sentencing guidelines say 90 days, it really means 30 days. Why not change the guidelines to reflect this change? This allows the state to maintain its catch and release program while still looking like its tough on crime. Politics at its finest.
The reason the times are shorter for some felonies then they are for misdemeanors is that there is mandatory probation, time where the person is supervised, and if they screw up again, the maximum sentence can be imposed, which is normally up to about 5 years. At least that is how it used to work. Oregon passed House Bill 3805 this year, which makes the maximum possible jail sentence for a probation violation 60 days. That means, if you commit a crime category 1 or 2 felony the maximum jail sentences you can do, even if you screw up probation, is 70 days. Max. Compare that to Failure to Carry and Present a License (having a drivers license but not having it on your person) which is a C misdemeanor, the lowest form of misdemeanors. That crime is punishable by up to 90 days in jail. The insanity is apparent.
This post isn't about whether people should be spending more or less time in jail. What drives me crazy is when politicians play games like this; they pretend they are doing one thing, but actually do the other. If you are going to change the law, change it. Don't lie to the people, pretending to do one thing, while actually doing another.
There are some serious issues with the sentencing guidelines. For starters, under the guidelines, a crime category 1 or 2, is punishable by a maximum of 90 days. This is a felony which is punished much less harshly than a misdemeanor. Furthermore, there is a fraud being perpetrated on the people of Oregon. There is an administrative rule which states that all sentences under the guidelines are divided by 3. That means when the sentencing guidelines say 90 days, it really means 30 days. Why not change the guidelines to reflect this change? This allows the state to maintain its catch and release program while still looking like its tough on crime. Politics at its finest.
The reason the times are shorter for some felonies then they are for misdemeanors is that there is mandatory probation, time where the person is supervised, and if they screw up again, the maximum sentence can be imposed, which is normally up to about 5 years. At least that is how it used to work. Oregon passed House Bill 3805 this year, which makes the maximum possible jail sentence for a probation violation 60 days. That means, if you commit a crime category 1 or 2 felony the maximum jail sentences you can do, even if you screw up probation, is 70 days. Max. Compare that to Failure to Carry and Present a License (having a drivers license but not having it on your person) which is a C misdemeanor, the lowest form of misdemeanors. That crime is punishable by up to 90 days in jail. The insanity is apparent.
This post isn't about whether people should be spending more or less time in jail. What drives me crazy is when politicians play games like this; they pretend they are doing one thing, but actually do the other. If you are going to change the law, change it. Don't lie to the people, pretending to do one thing, while actually doing another.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
quote of the day
"(209): kindergarten is hard when you're hung over.
-TFLN
So is teaching 4th grade. Only made that mistake once.
-TFLN
So is teaching 4th grade. Only made that mistake once.
Guest Post
I was reading a science blog called Respectful Insolence when I cameacross a post linking to this medical paper. I find it hilarious thatthese people decided to do a serious infections disease paper about azombie Apocalypse. It's fun reading, and I thought you might like tolink to the paper as well.
Enjoy:http://www.mathstat.uottawa.ca/~rsmith/Zombies.pdf
-Michael
PSThanks again for helping with the GF issue, some of the advice has helped a lot.
Found a blog that went into more details and less math. Very fun reading.
http://confoundingblog.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/night-of-the-living-model/
TOR here: Michael, I am glad that you got something on the GF front from our discussion. Assuming the fundamentals of your relationship are solid I hope preparadness can coexist with y'alls future.
Enjoy:http://www.mathstat.uottawa.ca/~rsmith/Zombies.pdf
-Michael
PSThanks again for helping with the GF issue, some of the advice has helped a lot.
Found a blog that went into more details and less math. Very fun reading.
http://confoundingblog.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/night-of-the-living-model/
TOR here: Michael, I am glad that you got something on the GF front from our discussion. Assuming the fundamentals of your relationship are solid I hope preparadness can coexist with y'alls future.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Two More Reasons the PNW is the Best Place On Earth
I have had some help with this one. The observations of other PNWerners who have gone to other places to live have created this post.
Apparantly you can not get good Chinese bbqed pork in other places. I am talking about the stuff with the red outside which you get in a piece or sliced from the store or a Chinese resturant. An Uncle who has lived in a few other random states (in big enough cities it should have been there) always tries to get this when he comes home. I remembered this and got some of it at the store this morning.
Also Maple Bars are apparantly non existent outside the PNW. I learned about this because Bro In Law moved to Charleston, SC. They get doughnuts when big wigs show up and he asked why they never get maple bars. They said "WTFare maple bars?" and he told them to "google image that shit" and after some research it became apparant they exist only here.
It is so easy not to notice little things when they aren't present but I have been sure to get both of these things while back home.
Apparantly you can not get good Chinese bbqed pork in other places. I am talking about the stuff with the red outside which you get in a piece or sliced from the store or a Chinese resturant. An Uncle who has lived in a few other random states (in big enough cities it should have been there) always tries to get this when he comes home. I remembered this and got some of it at the store this morning.
Also Maple Bars are apparantly non existent outside the PNW. I learned about this because Bro In Law moved to Charleston, SC. They get doughnuts when big wigs show up and he asked why they never get maple bars. They said "WTFare maple bars?" and he told them to "google image that shit" and after some research it became apparant they exist only here.
It is so easy not to notice little things when they aren't present but I have been sure to get both of these things while back home.
Monday, August 24, 2009
quote of the day
"Let's have a market-based solution to piracy. All ships and crews are be allowed to be armed for self-defense, and we could pay per-head bounty for pirates."
-The Freeholder
-The Freeholder
What I Want Out of Preparadness
Last night I couldn't really get to sleep. As I lay there I thought about what I really want out of preparadness. I mean when it is all done and I have built for myself and family the situation I want what would be the desired end result?
It is easy to think about different quantifiable preps such as food and weapons stored or about skills acquired and practiced. What however is the end point?
These things ae best measured by concepts than the boringly quantifiable (3,000 pounds of wheat or $2,000 face in 90% or 6 AR's or whatever) stuff which supports them.
My ultimate goal of preparadness is to be able to keep my life as normal as possible in a broad variety of different circumstances. I want to be able to purchase goods and services when the credit card/ debit card grid is down. I want to be able to cook a decent dinner even if our JIT delivery system faulters. I want to be able to stay warm if electricity/ gas/ whatever stops working. I want to have lighting at night when the power is out. I want to be able to defend my home and interests if a goblin kicks in the door or if things go all crazy and we have to fight another town a la Jericho.
This ultimate goal is really an umbrella under which everything else I do falls.
I thought surival was my ultimate goal but I am not increadibly worried about that. Not saying I am sure I am such a bad ass I can deal with anything but in most situations I will almost surely survive, it is just a question of how much it is going to suck and I don't want it to suck very much at all.
It is easy to think about different quantifiable preps such as food and weapons stored or about skills acquired and practiced. What however is the end point?
These things ae best measured by concepts than the boringly quantifiable (3,000 pounds of wheat or $2,000 face in 90% or 6 AR's or whatever) stuff which supports them.
My ultimate goal of preparadness is to be able to keep my life as normal as possible in a broad variety of different circumstances. I want to be able to purchase goods and services when the credit card/ debit card grid is down. I want to be able to cook a decent dinner even if our JIT delivery system faulters. I want to be able to stay warm if electricity/ gas/ whatever stops working. I want to have lighting at night when the power is out. I want to be able to defend my home and interests if a goblin kicks in the door or if things go all crazy and we have to fight another town a la Jericho.
This ultimate goal is really an umbrella under which everything else I do falls.
I thought surival was my ultimate goal but I am not increadibly worried about that. Not saying I am sure I am such a bad ass I can deal with anything but in most situations I will almost surely survive, it is just a question of how much it is going to suck and I don't want it to suck very much at all.
Offline For A Few Days
At the time this gets posted I am going to be on my way to my Grandma's super sweet vacation house to hang out with her and most of the fam for a few days. No computer which isn't really a bad thing for a few days. I have scheduled auto posts so there will be something to read but comment moderation and posting are likely to be delayed.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Adsense Is Cranking Today
Today I have earned $11 on Adsense. Usually the blog earns 2-4ish depending. Tis a good blog advertising day. Got a lot of clicks today which really makes the difference. Not sure if a great ad came up or someone just felt like clicking but I'm loving it.
What to do with the Cash
As of last night I have $800 sitting around. Don't think I would quite say it is burning a hole in my pocket but I have been thinking about what I want to do with it. To narrow the topic some I am putting it back into the general firearms field.
Part of me wants to put it all into a fund towards the purchase of an M1A (yeah mags for HK 91's and their clones are a lot cheaper I know). I really want one of those. Also I've been lusting after the stainless PPKs for awhile but since I'e got a Glock 19 it would be largely superfluous so it is not an immediate priority. In any case being able to check off another item on the wish list is tempting but I have some other more urgent needs.
I am thinking of putting the cash towards a couple different things.
$300-400 towards the eventual purchase of some sort of firearm. Been kind of wanting to set up a gun fund so I can jump at those great random deals (sale, someone needs cash, etc) which come up from time to time.
$200-250 towards spare parts for firearms. Probably AR parts mostly and maybe a couple things for the 870 and Glock 9mm. This amount will not take care of all my spare parts needs but it will sure put a dent in it.
$200-250 towards magazines. I could use a bunch of Glock 9mm mags and a couple miscilaneous others. This would get me quite close to done with mags for firearms I currently own.
FarmerMechanics thought to get a reloader is intrigueing. [On a somewhat related topic I recall this post over at Commander Zero's place where he made a minimalist reloading kit for a revolver. Putting one of those kits with an old wheel gun in a safe place is on my long list of things to do] Don't think I am going to go this route because it is a time/energy/ effort commitment and really something of a hobby (if just by necessity). Think I will start and get some traction with Brewing Beer before reloading.
Thoughts?
Part of me wants to put it all into a fund towards the purchase of an M1A (yeah mags for HK 91's and their clones are a lot cheaper I know). I really want one of those. Also I've been lusting after the stainless PPKs for awhile but since I'e got a Glock 19 it would be largely superfluous so it is not an immediate priority. In any case being able to check off another item on the wish list is tempting but I have some other more urgent needs.
I am thinking of putting the cash towards a couple different things.
$300-400 towards the eventual purchase of some sort of firearm. Been kind of wanting to set up a gun fund so I can jump at those great random deals (sale, someone needs cash, etc) which come up from time to time.
$200-250 towards spare parts for firearms. Probably AR parts mostly and maybe a couple things for the 870 and Glock 9mm. This amount will not take care of all my spare parts needs but it will sure put a dent in it.
$200-250 towards magazines. I could use a bunch of Glock 9mm mags and a couple miscilaneous others. This would get me quite close to done with mags for firearms I currently own.
FarmerMechanics thought to get a reloader is intrigueing. [On a somewhat related topic I recall this post over at Commander Zero's place where he made a minimalist reloading kit for a revolver. Putting one of those kits with an old wheel gun in a safe place is on my long list of things to do] Don't think I am going to go this route because it is a time/energy/ effort commitment and really something of a hobby (if just by necessity). Think I will start and get some traction with Brewing Beer before reloading.
Thoughts?
Question Of The Day
Are you worried about gun confiscation? Has your worry (or lack theirof) affected your firearms purchases?
I would love to hear in everyones opinions but most particularly eager to hear the thoughts of those with detailed knowledge of US and state firearms registration systems and/or LEO backgrounds.
I would love to hear in everyones opinions but most particularly eager to hear the thoughts of those with detailed knowledge of US and state firearms registration systems and/or LEO backgrounds.
quote of the day
(518):" im starting to measure my showers by the number of beers i drink while im in there. "
TFLN
I have found the two beer shower is a great way to clean up and transition from a long work week to going out or whatever you're going to do with a Friday night.
TFLN
I have found the two beer shower is a great way to clean up and transition from a long work week to going out or whatever you're going to do with a Friday night.
Im back
Hey there everyone. I have, if you haven't noticed, been gone from the blog for basically the whole summer. During this summer, basically the only internet connection I had was at work, so blogging was a no no. However, I am back in school, starting tomorrow, and will have lots of time and energy to start actually writing some posts for you guys.
U.S. Government Stages Fake Coup To Wipe Out National Debt
Ok, Im going to unpack for a while.
U.S. Government Stages Fake Coup To Wipe Out National Debt
Ok, Im going to unpack for a while.
Waiting For Wifey To Get Ready
In writing today I stumbled into this old post from way back. Interestingly enough I have done more or less what I planned to then. No longer own the .45 colt and just sold the .40cal. Picked up some duplicates and am now vested in 9mm and 30.06.
Glock Sold
I met up with some friends last night. One of them was the fellow who wanted my Glock .40. I sold it with all of its mags and ammo to him. Interestingly enough a Glock .40 in its box, 920 rounds of ammo and 10 mags fits perfectly into one of those Cabellas green boxes.
So I am no longer vested in .40 cal and have several $100 bills to show for it. Also gave him the shoulster I had for that particular gun. Can't remember the last time I used it so it will be of more use to my friend who often carries with a shoulder holster while hunting.
So I am down a pistol caliber which is good. That probably puts me in a better place by simplifying logistics and just owning very common pistol calibers, if I had to guess the 3 I now have are the 3 most common.
As for what to do with that cash I have some thinking to do. There is an urge to go get something new but my practical side says a half dozen more Glock 9mm mags and some miscellaneous ammo could be a better choice. Thoughts?
So I am no longer vested in .40 cal and have several $100 bills to show for it. Also gave him the shoulster I had for that particular gun. Can't remember the last time I used it so it will be of more use to my friend who often carries with a shoulder holster while hunting.
So I am down a pistol caliber which is good. That probably puts me in a better place by simplifying logistics and just owning very common pistol calibers, if I had to guess the 3 I now have are the 3 most common.
As for what to do with that cash I have some thinking to do. There is an urge to go get something new but my practical side says a half dozen more Glock 9mm mags and some miscellaneous ammo could be a better choice. Thoughts?
Another Thing From The Book
I keep remembering signifigant things from HTSTEOTWAWKI which is Jim Wesley's newest book with a title long enough to deserve an abreviation.
The signifigant point came up in the discussion of isolated retreats vs small (read 200-3,000 people) towns. The list of pro's and con's of each situation were listed out in a thurough and completely dispassionate manner which is typical of most of JWR's writing. I will not attempt to go through the lists.
Small towns are better because you are more likely to benefit from collective security via local police (small town cops will still come to work for the most part) and potentially be able to pool labor for bigger projects and such. It is however more difficult to grow significant amounts of your own food and the potential for 'emergency rationing' (read food and fuel confiscation) could be significant. Maintaining good OPSEC in town would be a lot harder.
Isolated retreats are very difficult or impossible for a single family to maintain. You are quite vulnerable and even a relatively small group of 4-5 motivated individuals can completely mess up your plans. You do however have the benefit of being able to stock what you want, store almost limitless (see county codes, blah blah blah) amounts of fuel and grow lots of food.
I would say the biggest weaknesses of town are limited food growing and fuel storage options plus the risk of 'emergency rationing' and the biggest risk of being isolated is a lack of security which comes from numbers of organized security personnel (cops or neighborhood watch with duck guns and deer rifles.
The significant thing I got was that you need to be distinctly in or out of town. A house at the end of an isolated culdesac in town might as well be 10 miles from town at 3 am if a couple goblins come a calling. Being right on the edge of town will leave you with all of the drawbacks of both scenarios and none of the plus sides of either. That house on 3 acres in town with the back to the woods is probably the worst place you could choose to settle.
If you choose to live in an isolated farm or a small town is a very personal decision but you should be distinctly in town or out of it. Right on the edge is a bad place to be.
The signifigant point came up in the discussion of isolated retreats vs small (read 200-3,000 people) towns. The list of pro's and con's of each situation were listed out in a thurough and completely dispassionate manner which is typical of most of JWR's writing. I will not attempt to go through the lists.
Small towns are better because you are more likely to benefit from collective security via local police (small town cops will still come to work for the most part) and potentially be able to pool labor for bigger projects and such. It is however more difficult to grow significant amounts of your own food and the potential for 'emergency rationing' (read food and fuel confiscation) could be significant. Maintaining good OPSEC in town would be a lot harder.
Isolated retreats are very difficult or impossible for a single family to maintain. You are quite vulnerable and even a relatively small group of 4-5 motivated individuals can completely mess up your plans. You do however have the benefit of being able to stock what you want, store almost limitless (see county codes, blah blah blah) amounts of fuel and grow lots of food.
I would say the biggest weaknesses of town are limited food growing and fuel storage options plus the risk of 'emergency rationing' and the biggest risk of being isolated is a lack of security which comes from numbers of organized security personnel (cops or neighborhood watch with duck guns and deer rifles.
The significant thing I got was that you need to be distinctly in or out of town. A house at the end of an isolated culdesac in town might as well be 10 miles from town at 3 am if a couple goblins come a calling. Being right on the edge of town will leave you with all of the drawbacks of both scenarios and none of the plus sides of either. That house on 3 acres in town with the back to the woods is probably the worst place you could choose to settle.
If you choose to live in an isolated farm or a small town is a very personal decision but you should be distinctly in town or out of it. Right on the edge is a bad place to be.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Ammo Unpacking and Consolidation
Got all the ammo unpacked today. Wasn't too big of a deal but I also went through some of the old cans and organized things placing like items together. Luckly I had two huge (6x18x40ish) ammo cans which were almost completely empty. They are now full. One is full of pistol ammo and the other is full of shotgun ammo. Between two of those Cabellas green cans and what I shipped home they are now full.
I laid out a bunch of stuff and did an informal inventory. I am right about at my comfortable numbers for all calibers of pistol. Can use a couple cases of .223, a case of 7.62x39 and a case of 30.06 (half in en block clips for the Garand and half loose) plus a few bricks of .22lr but I have fairly paranoid ideas of what is a desirable amount so things aren't too bad.
Was pleasantly suprised to see that in the roughly 900 rounds of .38/.357 I stocked previously there was 400 rounds of .38 JHP and 100 rounds of .357mag JHP. I recall that Walmart had a great deal on those (same price as ball) for awhile and I got some. Good to know I have plenty of defensive ammo for the wheel guns. Just about everyone I know who is over 50 and has a handgun (but isn't really a gun person) it is a .38 or a .357 mag. That plus what I picked up down South will keep the wheel guns going for a long time.
Getting everything consolidated will aid in storage and keeping ammo good for the long term. Tomorrow I am going to clean the guns we recently shot and put some silica gel into the ammo cans before repacking them in the warehouse for the next few years.
It is good to have ammo security. I do not reload (yet, yeah I know I should yatta yatta yatta) but have reserves enough to last for a very long time with occasional use and a bit of practice now and then. No worrying about if Walmart has a given caliber other than how it will effect the next day at the range. This is a good thing.
I laid out a bunch of stuff and did an informal inventory. I am right about at my comfortable numbers for all calibers of pistol. Can use a couple cases of .223, a case of 7.62x39 and a case of 30.06 (half in en block clips for the Garand and half loose) plus a few bricks of .22lr but I have fairly paranoid ideas of what is a desirable amount so things aren't too bad.
Was pleasantly suprised to see that in the roughly 900 rounds of .38/.357 I stocked previously there was 400 rounds of .38 JHP and 100 rounds of .357mag JHP. I recall that Walmart had a great deal on those (same price as ball) for awhile and I got some. Good to know I have plenty of defensive ammo for the wheel guns. Just about everyone I know who is over 50 and has a handgun (but isn't really a gun person) it is a .38 or a .357 mag. That plus what I picked up down South will keep the wheel guns going for a long time.
Getting everything consolidated will aid in storage and keeping ammo good for the long term. Tomorrow I am going to clean the guns we recently shot and put some silica gel into the ammo cans before repacking them in the warehouse for the next few years.
It is good to have ammo security. I do not reload (yet, yeah I know I should yatta yatta yatta) but have reserves enough to last for a very long time with occasional use and a bit of practice now and then. No worrying about if Walmart has a given caliber other than how it will effect the next day at the range. This is a good thing.
quote of the day
(973): "Coffee is gods way of saying go ahead, get absolutly trashed on weeknights, I got your back"
-Texts From Last Night
-Texts From Last Night
The Colony
I haven't been able to keep up on this show as much as I wanted but it is on right now. Kind of interesting. Got me thinking more about Solar Panels. When we have a semi permenant residence I will get a few of these with a battery bank to support them.
Ammo Shipping Finished
I believe the last box of ammo has arrived safely. If nothing else all the CMP 30.06 and the two big boxes are already in mu posession. The last one was a little bit of everything and a glock mag but UPS said it has arrived at the destination. I have not been by to pick it up.
To My Sister
We were all sitting around doing the family gaggle around the kitchen before dinner thing and I was fiddling on the blog. Checked the adsense and realized that it had made a couple bucks so far that day. Somebody asked about that and I said it made about $80 last month. Somebody else got excited about the idea of making money from blogs and I sort of tempered their expectations by mentioning that I would do a lot better $/hour wise working at Donalds. Did mention that if he had an area he liked writing about then to go for it.
Anyway my little sister wanted a link to the place so I figured it deserved a post. Also trying to build up enough so there is something daily when I am offline (I believe) next week sets the bar for turning an idea to a post fairly low.
Anyway I thought it would be good to bring a few things from the archives for sis.
So if you end up visiting the blog I suggest reading these links.
Letter to a friend, Letter to a friend two and The Emergency Fund
Anyway my little sister wanted a link to the place so I figured it deserved a post. Also trying to build up enough so there is something daily when I am offline (I believe) next week sets the bar for turning an idea to a post fairly low.
Anyway I thought it would be good to bring a few things from the archives for sis.
So if you end up visiting the blog I suggest reading these links.
Letter to a friend, Letter to a friend two and The Emergency Fund
Friday, August 21, 2009
Foreign Enemies Review
I finished the last of the Enemies Trilogy by Matthew Bracken. Really enjoyed this one. Some of the same characters appeared which was fun. It portrayed an interesting vision of the mid south after a major disaster amidst a dissheveled socialist totalitarian government which is using foreign soldiers for 'pacification'. In typical Matthew Bracken fashion the events were entirely plausible and disturbingly realistic.
In fact some pieces of the book were realistic enough to be downright disturbing and parraleled the nightly news.
This book was admittedly low on real lessons and high on entertainment. It did enforce the wisdom of having some small fractional coins. Silver is great for small trading and such but a person could easily conceal a small fortune in gold on their person.
The utility of a very compact pistol was strongly enforced. A well concealed keltech P3AT .380 will evade all but the closest search but could sure change the momentum of a bad situation. One of these is definitely on my wish list. I will probably get one prior to the PPK/S. I like the Walther a lot but it really doesn't fill a new nitche in the collection as it is just a bit smaller than the Glock 19 while a P3AT sure would.
In any case I enjoyed this book.
In fact some pieces of the book were realistic enough to be downright disturbing and parraleled the nightly news.
This book was admittedly low on real lessons and high on entertainment. It did enforce the wisdom of having some small fractional coins. Silver is great for small trading and such but a person could easily conceal a small fortune in gold on their person.
The utility of a very compact pistol was strongly enforced. A well concealed keltech P3AT .380 will evade all but the closest search but could sure change the momentum of a bad situation. One of these is definitely on my wish list. I will probably get one prior to the PPK/S. I like the Walther a lot but it really doesn't fill a new nitche in the collection as it is just a bit smaller than the Glock 19 while a P3AT sure would.
In any case I enjoyed this book.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
It is all Relative
One interesting development of our time in the South is that it completel redefined what is and is not sketchy. [I have not done the research of crime rates in the South so I will not generalize but the area I lived in was a very dangerous place.] Today we drove the length of a major street which regularly appears on Cops. It actually looked real nice to me. We used to drive it at redcon 1 but it actually seems pleasant now. Of course the doors were locked and I had a gun but there was no worry at all. That it was predominantly people conducting business and generally going about their affairs instead of walking across the road randomly and just idly wandering around. Living in a pretty darn sketchy place sure redefines things.
Also it is 'hot' here and we have been on the verge of being cold the entire time. Our friends and family are wilting in the heat and Wifey is wearing a long sleeved t shirt.
Also it is 'hot' here and we have been on the verge of being cold the entire time. Our friends and family are wilting in the heat and Wifey is wearing a long sleeved t shirt.
Survival on YOUR Budget
This is in part a continuation of my discussion on How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It. A couple of my most favorite blogs (Creekmore and Dakin) are built around the premace of budget frugal survivalism. I enjoy their blogs imensely and often learn great stuff there.
Simply put I believe that people should spend as much money on gear, equipment and assorted other preps as they can reasonably afford and desire to. If things go all TEOTWAWKI there will not be an award afterwords for the guy who survived with the smallest amount of cheap stuff.
Many people go the budget route because they do not have another option. Others choose it because that is the amount of money they are willing to spend. They don't want to change their lifestyle drastically but figure a used travel trailer, an acre of land in the boonies, a couple guns and a bunch of wheat in gallon pales is a pretty cheap insurance policy. This is fine and good.
However it makes no sense to me that somebody who can afford plenty of great gear and equipment should do anything else but get that stuff.
Back to JWR's new book. His blog/ philosophy takes flack in some circles for being really high dollar. I will have to agree to disagree with these folks. In any case one thing I really liked about the book is that for each chapter it works its way through different options for different budgets. It went more or less like: If you are on a budget go with A, in you have a few more dollars to spend get A and B, if you make a good living pick up A,B and C, if you are independently wealthy get A,B,C and D. In addition to being a very useful way to look at an area of equipment I think this is a great way to look at things.
Start with pretty basic budget stuff and as time goes by get better stuff and build redundancy.
Simply put I believe that people should spend as much money on gear, equipment and assorted other preps as they can reasonably afford and desire to. If things go all TEOTWAWKI there will not be an award afterwords for the guy who survived with the smallest amount of cheap stuff.
Many people go the budget route because they do not have another option. Others choose it because that is the amount of money they are willing to spend. They don't want to change their lifestyle drastically but figure a used travel trailer, an acre of land in the boonies, a couple guns and a bunch of wheat in gallon pales is a pretty cheap insurance policy. This is fine and good.
However it makes no sense to me that somebody who can afford plenty of great gear and equipment should do anything else but get that stuff.
Back to JWR's new book. His blog/ philosophy takes flack in some circles for being really high dollar. I will have to agree to disagree with these folks. In any case one thing I really liked about the book is that for each chapter it works its way through different options for different budgets. It went more or less like: If you are on a budget go with A, in you have a few more dollars to spend get A and B, if you make a good living pick up A,B and C, if you are independently wealthy get A,B,C and D. In addition to being a very useful way to look at an area of equipment I think this is a great way to look at things.
Start with pretty basic budget stuff and as time goes by get better stuff and build redundancy.
Ladies Don't Go Walking Alone
I saw a snippet on the news about a woman from GA who was kidnapped a few days ago. I personally do not think it is a good idea for women to walk/run/hike/bike alone in isolated areas or at night. Find a friend to run with or drag your spouse out of the chair or go to a public park during hours where is it busy or buy a treadmill.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Today's Update
Had a nice leasurely morning. Went for a jog with Wifey and then had a fairly leasurely morning. After that we took Pop's boat to the lake and had big fun. Got to water ski and inner tube which was sweet. Had the little nephews on the boat which was a riot; those little guys are hilarious.
Left the lake and wen't to Ma's place. Been hanging out and having drinks with my uncle and Ma. Went through the arsenal and moved some stuff around. We walked to the store to get my uncle some smokes and stopped at the tavern for a beer. Left the tavern and went to the store for some necessities then came back home. Cooked some dinner and now we are sitting around having fun and such.
Also I talked to Chad which was cool.
Left the lake and wen't to Ma's place. Been hanging out and having drinks with my uncle and Ma. Went through the arsenal and moved some stuff around. We walked to the store to get my uncle some smokes and stopped at the tavern for a beer. Left the tavern and went to the store for some necessities then came back home. Cooked some dinner and now we are sitting around having fun and such.
Also I talked to Chad which was cool.
Saving, If You Aren't Doing It Something is Wrong
I am going to tell you the hard truth. If you aren't saving you are doing things wrong. You are not getting ahead and preparing for an uncertain future. Instead of constantly seeking to improve your position you are sitting idly by hoping itmagically get out of whatever unpleasant situation you are currently in. Saving is not easy, there is always something you could do with that money instead and the temptation is certainly there.
However the bottom line is that you need to put money into savings very close to every paycheck. Say 10 out of 12 just to throw out a number.
If you are not saving I urge you to make the hard choices necessary to save every (or almost every) pay period. It doesn't need to be 10% (though that is ideal;) but it shouldn't be a crumpled dollar and a bit of change either.
This is where someone says 'I put all my money into preps'. Maybe for a short period of time this could be prudent to get some food set aside. However in the long run you will almost certainly get old or loose your job or need cash suddenly for X but S very well may not Hit TF.
Edited to include: For the sake of this discussion I am not so much concerned with how you are saving (in the bank, cash, tangibles, etc) as with that you are fundamentally saving in some form or another.
However the bottom line is that you need to put money into savings very close to every paycheck. Say 10 out of 12 just to throw out a number.
If you are not saving I urge you to make the hard choices necessary to save every (or almost every) pay period. It doesn't need to be 10% (though that is ideal;) but it shouldn't be a crumpled dollar and a bit of change either.
This is where someone says 'I put all my money into preps'. Maybe for a short period of time this could be prudent to get some food set aside. However in the long run you will almost certainly get old or loose your job or need cash suddenly for X but S very well may not Hit TF.
Edited to include: For the sake of this discussion I am not so much concerned with how you are saving (in the bank, cash, tangibles, etc) as with that you are fundamentally saving in some form or another.
Muscles Make The Best Pads
Often the difference between an injury being slightly unpleasant and short term debilitating is wether you are in shape or not. I saw a guy wrench his shoulder pretty bad on an obstactle course once. He tore the heck out of the muscle but if he hadn't been a guy with a lot of muscle it would have certainly seperated the shoulder. The other day my father pulled his hamstring, huge bruise from hip to knee. If he had been semi regularly running and doing some weights it would have just been sore instead of sidelining him for a week. Because of this father is going to get on a physical fitness regimen.
Lots of folks who read this are a bit older. The shock of going from a sedentary non physical job to a rather physical 19th century world could lead to a lot of strained backs, sore elbows and knees. Unfortunately in that sort of situation (particularly for smaller groups or individuals) this could be a real serious problem.
You don't need to look like the hulk but having the first time in a long time that you lift something heavy be trying to get those 5 gallon buckets up the stairs in a hurry is just asking for trouble.
WOD Go for a jog with your spouse. If you cannot both jog then go for a brisk walk.
Lots of folks who read this are a bit older. The shock of going from a sedentary non physical job to a rather physical 19th century world could lead to a lot of strained backs, sore elbows and knees. Unfortunately in that sort of situation (particularly for smaller groups or individuals) this could be a real serious problem.
You don't need to look like the hulk but having the first time in a long time that you lift something heavy be trying to get those 5 gallon buckets up the stairs in a hurry is just asking for trouble.
WOD Go for a jog with your spouse. If you cannot both jog then go for a brisk walk.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Hermit's Status
I have seen this question a couple times. Hermit is taking a hiatus from blogging. He is focusing on getting used to spending more time at home, going to the range a bit more and generally worrying more about his life and less about politics and such. He will probably appear in the comments sections from time to time.
The Importance of Padding in Your Checking Account
Alternate Title: Fuck Direct TV
I have talked about Emergency Funds and Saving enough that I don't feel the need to rehash that stuff. Today I am talking specifically about having padding in the checking account.
Lots of folks on here are into tangibles and all that stuff. More than once I have heard of people who put exactly enough to cover their bills into their accounts. I believe this is at best asking for irritations and at worst completely foolhardy.
Here is what happened to us recently: As part of our moving we canceled the Direct TV. Wifey was told 3 times that since I am moving outside of the country for work we could cancel at any time with no penalty. They randomly took a bit less then $300 from our checking account. We do not have direct payments they just somehow reached in and stole our money. The only reason I noticed is that after some concerns about banking security I got phone alerts.
Wifey called and they credited it back to our account. A couple days later they decided to take the same amount out again without telling us. Wifey called and spent 20 minutes on the phone with them again and this time they said they would have to send us a refund check....... in 8019 weeks.
If we had not known about this and had minimal amounts of cash in the account this could have easily lead to us becoming overdrawn and getting hit with a $20-30 fee every time I used my card to buy a pack of gum, a meal or a tank of gas. From experiences friends have had in the past I know those charges can add up to real money in a couple days. Even if you have plenty of money this is just a real pain in the butt. If you have smaller reserves this is the sort of thing that could start you on a snowball to financial disaster.
Even if you aren't big on having money in the bank/ checking account I strongly suggest having at least a couple/ few hundred dollar buffer in there in case you make a small mistake or someone else fucks something up.
Oh yeah and FUCK DIRECT TV.
I have talked about Emergency Funds and Saving enough that I don't feel the need to rehash that stuff. Today I am talking specifically about having padding in the checking account.
Lots of folks on here are into tangibles and all that stuff. More than once I have heard of people who put exactly enough to cover their bills into their accounts. I believe this is at best asking for irritations and at worst completely foolhardy.
Here is what happened to us recently: As part of our moving we canceled the Direct TV. Wifey was told 3 times that since I am moving outside of the country for work we could cancel at any time with no penalty. They randomly took a bit less then $300 from our checking account. We do not have direct payments they just somehow reached in and stole our money. The only reason I noticed is that after some concerns about banking security I got phone alerts.
Wifey called and they credited it back to our account. A couple days later they decided to take the same amount out again without telling us. Wifey called and spent 20 minutes on the phone with them again and this time they said they would have to send us a refund check....... in 8019 weeks.
If we had not known about this and had minimal amounts of cash in the account this could have easily lead to us becoming overdrawn and getting hit with a $20-30 fee every time I used my card to buy a pack of gum, a meal or a tank of gas. From experiences friends have had in the past I know those charges can add up to real money in a couple days. Even if you have plenty of money this is just a real pain in the butt. If you have smaller reserves this is the sort of thing that could start you on a snowball to financial disaster.
Even if you aren't big on having money in the bank/ checking account I strongly suggest having at least a couple/ few hundred dollar buffer in there in case you make a small mistake or someone else fucks something up.
Oh yeah and FUCK DIRECT TV.
How To Survive the End of the World as We Know It
So I got a copy of this book awhile back. I pretty much read it during the flight home. It has been awhile between now and then because things have been busy. I will probably talk about this book a bit more later but here are my initial impressions.
For the sake of full disclosure it is worth mentioning that I really like Jim Rawles. He has been very kind to me and this blog giving time to answer my silly questions (which is a big deal considering he has a consulting business;) and plenty of links to the blog plus also a sweet 33rd mag for my new Glock and this book. I don't think it will really shade my perspective but I thought it was worth noting. Moving on.
I had some doubts about this book because I read his blog pretty regularly and have read his novel Patriots. Wasn't sure it would have a lot of new stuff worth reading but I was pleasantly suprised and really liked this book. Think almost everyone will get something out of it and it is well worth the price. I would sort of compare it to Storeys Basic Country Skills or one of those Time Life Anthologies on building or electrical skills or whatever. It might not go into totally mundane turn by turn directions on everything but at least it will give you a great starting point and a lot of info on many areas. If you had to give someone one book to prepare for all manner of disasters from this would probably be it. If I bought my friends gifts a few of them would get this book for Christmas, come to think of it a relative or two might get copies.
I think that in addition to being great for total newbies or whatnot this book also could be useful for people more developed into preparedness simply because it compiles so much useful stuff into a single book. It might not answer every complex question on water filtration or alternative energy but it would be a great place to look first. Unless you completely disagree with everything Rawles says or dislike some belief he has so much you are willing to forgo a very useful resource just to deny him a couple bucks this book has a place in your collection.
Without going too much into detail on specifics I have two general pieces of criticism. First of all I think the book would have really benefited from some pictures. A few different things were described where I was totally lost without a photo but then again I am a visual learner. I imagine glossy color pictures would drag up publishing costs but a few simple drawn black and white diagrams couldn't cost that much and would really help. (Then again I got a proof copy so maybe the final has some pics.)
Secondly the level of detail in a couple areas was in my opinion slightly awkward. In any sort of cover a lot of areas briefly type book you need to decide exactly how much information to give and how much to leave out. This is important because books like this would be 50 pages or 1,278 depending on the level of detail. A couple little spots went beyond the level of brief summary but not far enough to actually complete the task described.
These two little pieces do not significantly detract from the overall quality of the book. Guess I can't write about any book without at least mentioning one thing which could be better.
Will write about how this book has affected or effected my preparadness plans closer to book bomb day.
Do remember that a book bomb day is planned for September 29th so by all means hold off till then to purchase a copy or 5.
For the sake of full disclosure it is worth mentioning that I really like Jim Rawles. He has been very kind to me and this blog giving time to answer my silly questions (which is a big deal considering he has a consulting business;) and plenty of links to the blog plus also a sweet 33rd mag for my new Glock and this book. I don't think it will really shade my perspective but I thought it was worth noting. Moving on.
I had some doubts about this book because I read his blog pretty regularly and have read his novel Patriots. Wasn't sure it would have a lot of new stuff worth reading but I was pleasantly suprised and really liked this book. Think almost everyone will get something out of it and it is well worth the price. I would sort of compare it to Storeys Basic Country Skills or one of those Time Life Anthologies on building or electrical skills or whatever. It might not go into totally mundane turn by turn directions on everything but at least it will give you a great starting point and a lot of info on many areas. If you had to give someone one book to prepare for all manner of disasters from this would probably be it. If I bought my friends gifts a few of them would get this book for Christmas, come to think of it a relative or two might get copies.
I think that in addition to being great for total newbies or whatnot this book also could be useful for people more developed into preparedness simply because it compiles so much useful stuff into a single book. It might not answer every complex question on water filtration or alternative energy but it would be a great place to look first. Unless you completely disagree with everything Rawles says or dislike some belief he has so much you are willing to forgo a very useful resource just to deny him a couple bucks this book has a place in your collection.
Without going too much into detail on specifics I have two general pieces of criticism. First of all I think the book would have really benefited from some pictures. A few different things were described where I was totally lost without a photo but then again I am a visual learner. I imagine glossy color pictures would drag up publishing costs but a few simple drawn black and white diagrams couldn't cost that much and would really help. (Then again I got a proof copy so maybe the final has some pics.)
Secondly the level of detail in a couple areas was in my opinion slightly awkward. In any sort of cover a lot of areas briefly type book you need to decide exactly how much information to give and how much to leave out. This is important because books like this would be 50 pages or 1,278 depending on the level of detail. A couple little spots went beyond the level of brief summary but not far enough to actually complete the task described.
These two little pieces do not significantly detract from the overall quality of the book. Guess I can't write about any book without at least mentioning one thing which could be better.
Will write about how this book has affected or effected my preparadness plans closer to book bomb day.
Do remember that a book bomb day is planned for September 29th so by all means hold off till then to purchase a copy or 5.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Tip Of The Day
If you are staying in a (m) hotel try to stay between the fourth and tenth floors. By the fourth floor the power of car bombs and such has greatly decipitated and most fire departments rescue equipment only reaches the tenth floor. Absolutely avoid the first floor because of the higher likelihood of break ins and strongarm robberies.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Camping, Family, Drinking and Driving Around
We are a few days into being home. The second night we went out and had way too many drinks with my folks and uncles. Wifey definitely had the dreaded two day hangover and I have been taking it pretty easy since.
We went camping for two nights with Wifeys folks and some of their real close friends. Cooked some hotdogs, made smores and had a few beers. Got to try some home brew my uncle made which was cool. I do not make a habit of sleeping on the ground when not required to by work but otherwise it was a lot of fun.
Now we find ourselves in a hotel in a new town. Getting to see a part of the PNW I had never been to has been great. I really like it and Wifey does also. Going to be here for another day and then wake up read early and get headed back towards home.
We have definitely covered a lot of miles the past couple of days. Thankfully my sister had a car she could loan us for our visit. It has been a real help. We would have gotten everywere without it but not needing to worry about who is driving us here and who is picking us up there makes things a lot easier.
Haven't seen the news in 4 days or so and that is kind of nice.
Finished the book Rawls sent me so I will probably write a bit about that tomorrow.
We went camping for two nights with Wifeys folks and some of their real close friends. Cooked some hotdogs, made smores and had a few beers. Got to try some home brew my uncle made which was cool. I do not make a habit of sleeping on the ground when not required to by work but otherwise it was a lot of fun.
Now we find ourselves in a hotel in a new town. Getting to see a part of the PNW I had never been to has been great. I really like it and Wifey does also. Going to be here for another day and then wake up read early and get headed back towards home.
We have definitely covered a lot of miles the past couple of days. Thankfully my sister had a car she could loan us for our visit. It has been a real help. We would have gotten everywere without it but not needing to worry about who is driving us here and who is picking us up there makes things a lot easier.
Haven't seen the news in 4 days or so and that is kind of nice.
Finished the book Rawls sent me so I will probably write a bit about that tomorrow.
Gone Camping
I am off camping with the Fam. May write something this evening. Hope you all have a good weekend.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Shipping Guns and Ammo
Shipping ammo is easy enough. Go to UPS with some ORMD stickers that say "Cartridges, Small Arms" on them and they ship boxes of non huge weight (read 66lbs is the point for HazMat stuff) no problem. The bad part is that it cost right around a buck a pound. Some asshole bought about 200lbs of ammo and stashed it at my house!
For shipping guns I did a lot of reading on the matter. From what I read it is legal to ship guns to yourself by 'common carrier' (read Fed Ex and UPS). However their policies as I saw were both that they refuse to deal with shipping guns (except to manufacturers) without an FFL. Also read somewhere that violating their policies was a federal offense. Considered shipping them FFL to FFL but the guys I called on this end wanted $50 a gun to fill out paperwork for guns I already own! Ended up taking them with us on the plane. Read a lot on that and basically you just need to have them empty and in a hard sided locking case. Delta would let you check a case with 4 rifles/ shotguns or 5 pistols without any extra charges. You can have 11 pounds of ammo for either. Got a locking rifle case and put the pistols into a pelical case I had for an old computer. Checking them was a total non issue. They wrote a thing I had to sign saying they were unloaded and took them to the TSA people to put them into the plane. We got there way early in case there was some sort of FUBAR event but it took maybe 5 minutes total. In my experience flying with guns was easy.
For shipping guns I did a lot of reading on the matter. From what I read it is legal to ship guns to yourself by 'common carrier' (read Fed Ex and UPS). However their policies as I saw were both that they refuse to deal with shipping guns (except to manufacturers) without an FFL. Also read somewhere that violating their policies was a federal offense. Considered shipping them FFL to FFL but the guys I called on this end wanted $50 a gun to fill out paperwork for guns I already own! Ended up taking them with us on the plane. Read a lot on that and basically you just need to have them empty and in a hard sided locking case. Delta would let you check a case with 4 rifles/ shotguns or 5 pistols without any extra charges. You can have 11 pounds of ammo for either. Got a locking rifle case and put the pistols into a pelical case I had for an old computer. Checking them was a total non issue. They wrote a thing I had to sign saying they were unloaded and took them to the TSA people to put them into the plane. We got there way early in case there was some sort of FUBAR event but it took maybe 5 minutes total. In my experience flying with guns was easy.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Request For Help
Ryan,
I need some advice from you and the community.
I've been having some trouble (In the same way Sisyphus had some
difficulty) trying to get my girlfriend to understand the preparedness
mentality. We may be moving in together soon and it's an issue. I can
live with her not joining in, but I can't even get her to Understand.
She's a highly educated and intelligent woman. She's an Engineer who
works with local government contracts, but she just can't see it.
I tried explaining that guns in the hands of the victims could have
turned the tide in many mass-shootings.
I tried to explain that the Katrina victims who starved could have
laid in supplies to get through.
And I then had to try to explain how I'm not "Blaming the victims"
when I talk about real-world situations that could have been averted.
She talked about people vainly waiting for the government to help them
in a crisis like somehow that would change. If I suggest that sane
people shouldn't rely on outside help, I'm suddenly an asshole for
blaming the victims. She hates the idea of me having guns in our home.
I don't know if there is anything I can say that can change her
opinions. She was horribly assaulted a few years back and Still
resists the idea that you shouldn't rely on strangers (government
employees) coming to the rescue. I'm at a loss. I'm hoping someone has
suggestions on how to present preparedness to her.
Regards,
Michael
TOR here: I got this email and really wanted to respond to it as quickly as possible. I may not be able to solve anything but can at least share my thoughts on the matter and a bit of experience from preparing while in a relationship. First to the gun thing.
Does she have a basic understanding of how guns work? Sometimes people who have only heard about them from the liberal media and such have a view where guns are about equal to a dozen rusty razor blades welded together at weird angles covered in AIDS and stored on the floor in the hallway. I know many women don't like their residence looking like the Alamo or a COP with random loaded guns all over the place. Maybe keeping guns in the safe/ locking steel cabinet or physically on your person would help.
I need some advice from you and the community.
I've been having some trouble (In the same way Sisyphus had some
difficulty) trying to get my girlfriend to understand the preparedness
mentality. We may be moving in together soon and it's an issue. I can
live with her not joining in, but I can't even get her to Understand.
She's a highly educated and intelligent woman. She's an Engineer who
works with local government contracts, but she just can't see it.
I tried explaining that guns in the hands of the victims could have
turned the tide in many mass-shootings.
I tried to explain that the Katrina victims who starved could have
laid in supplies to get through.
And I then had to try to explain how I'm not "Blaming the victims"
when I talk about real-world situations that could have been averted.
She talked about people vainly waiting for the government to help them
in a crisis like somehow that would change. If I suggest that sane
people shouldn't rely on outside help, I'm suddenly an asshole for
blaming the victims. She hates the idea of me having guns in our home.
I don't know if there is anything I can say that can change her
opinions. She was horribly assaulted a few years back and Still
resists the idea that you shouldn't rely on strangers (government
employees) coming to the rescue. I'm at a loss. I'm hoping someone has
suggestions on how to present preparedness to her.
Regards,
Michael
TOR here: I got this email and really wanted to respond to it as quickly as possible. I may not be able to solve anything but can at least share my thoughts on the matter and a bit of experience from preparing while in a relationship. First to the gun thing.
Does she have a basic understanding of how guns work? Sometimes people who have only heard about them from the liberal media and such have a view where guns are about equal to a dozen rusty razor blades welded together at weird angles covered in AIDS and stored on the floor in the hallway. I know many women don't like their residence looking like the Alamo or a COP with random loaded guns all over the place. Maybe keeping guns in the safe/ locking steel cabinet or physically on your person would help.
Some people particularly women have a real thing about not wanting guns around. I have an aunt whose husband kept his Glock with my Grandparents for probably 5 years. Eventually he got a gun safe and it moved to their place. All I can say is that if the is absolutely not willing to work with you and come to an agreement (guns in safe or whatever) then you have to choose. If I was in that situation I would tell a chick who was unwilling to work with me on that to take a hike.
I would not worry so much about her accepting the 'mentality'. I would worry about her ACTIONS and HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR PREPARADNESS. For perspective my wife does not share a lot of my opinions on life and preparadness but we keep plenty of food around and put money towards preps and precious metals every month.
Spouses generally fall into 4 rough groups when it comes to this.
The first group is whole hog into it. Their idea of an awesome weekend is going to shoot an animal, cooking it over a fire and then sleeping in an improvised shelter with just their BOB's to comfort them. Few spouses fall into this group.
The second group is into some aspects of preparadness but not others. Maybe they hate to shoot/hunt/ whatnot but loves to cook from staples or sew or hike or camp. Wifey falls loosely into this group.
The third group wants nothing to do with preparadness at all but within certain circumstances is open to you pursueing it. This isn't ideal but you can work with it.
The fourth group wants nothing to do with preparadness and doesn't want you to either. This often leads to guys sneeking around and stashing preps in weird places, etc. [Just the same way as if you were sneeking around with Suzzie Rotten Crotch or Jim Gonaherpisiphilades] this will not end well. I personally consider a spouse absolutely refusing to 'let' you participate in something which is important to you a serious lack of respect and that would probably be a deal maker for me.
Again back to perspective and such. I assume there is some reason you love this gal. Maybe she has a short skirt and a long jacket or whatever. Trying to convert her in a modest way may be possible. Focusing on realistic and likely situations 'remember when the power went out last winter, wouldn't it be nice to have some food and a kerosene heater', etc is probably a reasonable course of action.
I know lots of couples who don't totally see eye to eye on everything but have plenty of stuff in common and a generally good relationship. Coming to reasonable agreements when it comes to space, finances (if you share them) and such is probably more important than 'perspective'.
Does anyone else have thoughts on this?
Savings, "I Deserve It" and Observations
Wifey and I have been spending a lot of time in the car. Sometimes we listen to the radio but mostly we talk. Got to talking about money, finances and such. We played a little game called "guess how much they have in savings" about various people we know. The game itself was based upon out observations of their spending and the amount of problems they ride through before it becomes and issue. Admittedly there was some guess work involved and no real way to verify numbers but it was interesting all the same.
Some of the people involved were college grads and others were not. Most were within their 20's so age was probably the most limiting factor. Interestingly enough peoples education level and income (beyond basic subsistence levels) had relatively little to do with how well they saved. The common denominator in people who did well (difficult to quantify) and were able to do things like live decently through a few months of unemployment (quantifiable) is that they lived below their income level and avoided excess debt. Gee, live below your income level and don't get into debt, really novel ideas here.
We also observed some things about people who were constantly drowning in debt or just barely treading water. These people often fall into what I call the "I Deserve It" trap. They believe for some reason I can not understand that they should have these things they do not have the money for. This leads to borrowing money in order to pay for all sorts of shit they do not need. At best they "deserve" more expensive versions of things they actually need and at worst it is cars, big tv's, sterio's and other crap. It is too easy to think that a relatively small payment (credit card, financing, rent a center, etc) is not a big deal. If you can't afford to pay for fairly small items (say under $1,000) then clearly your money situation isn't awesome and it is in fact a big deal.
I am not saying that never borrowing any money (aside from paying for an education, a reasonable home or maybe a decent used vehicle) is the only way to go. Reasonable people can make reasonable choices which wisely use debt. Maybe money is tight the washer or dryer dies and you live far from a laundromat and have 3 kids. Getting a new washer on a Sears credit card and paying it off over 2-3 checks is probably a reasonable choice. Yes this person should have an emergency fund for this sort of thing but real life and what is ideal don't always match.
The typical problem with the "I deserve it" method is that it isn't just one thing. A person who decides to just charge and then pay off a big tv or whatever over several months isn't making a great choice but that $100 a month or whatever is not going to sink them. It is that these people "deserve" a lot of things. We know one guy who is up to his eyeballs in assorted consumer debt. He has a sweet car, great furniture, a huge super fancy tv and all that stuff. The thing is that he is paying off all of them slowly at high interest rates. As soon as something is paid off or close he goes out and gets a fancier version. The guy probably owes two years of take home pay. It is also a great way to show that $50 a month for this and $110 a month of that adds up to real money pretty darn quick. I think this is sort of like when a frog is put into cold water and it heats up to boiling slowly. By the time they realize it is a problem it is already too late.
I don't know anyone who hasn't said "I deserve it" at least once. Everyone has got to splurge a little on something from time to time. I know we probably should not have gotten the new Glock for my birthday and instead should have gotten something cheaper.
About twenty years ago my Father in Law was laid off with a new baby at home. There were no job prospects and they didn't have a ton of cash. While on a weekend trip MIL saw a pair of diamond earings and absolutely fell in love with them, the diamonds came home with them. Spending a grand when they didn't have a clue when the next check was coming is was probably not smart but at the end of the day we are human beings not biologically functioning machines. He got another job and everything ended up just fine. She still wears the earings daily.
The difference we have observed is that the successful (in terms of finances) people are spending money they have but know they probably shouldn't spend while the unsuccessful ones are borrowing money for this stuff. The bottom line is that if you do not have cash to pay for it you do not deserve it no matter how much you may want it.
The thing people don't realize is that when they borrow money they are limiting their options. Also they are preventing themselves from being able to save and get ahead because in addition to normal living expenses they have to service the debt. Want to go back to school? Too bad you can't afford to. Want to take an extra (unpaid) week off of work to go camping? Too bad you can't afford it. Want to move to a less stressful and lower paying job to spend more time with family? Too bad you can't afford it. When you have to work to pay off debts you are giving up a lot of your freedom.
Some of the people involved were college grads and others were not. Most were within their 20's so age was probably the most limiting factor. Interestingly enough peoples education level and income (beyond basic subsistence levels) had relatively little to do with how well they saved. The common denominator in people who did well (difficult to quantify) and were able to do things like live decently through a few months of unemployment (quantifiable) is that they lived below their income level and avoided excess debt. Gee, live below your income level and don't get into debt, really novel ideas here.
We also observed some things about people who were constantly drowning in debt or just barely treading water. These people often fall into what I call the "I Deserve It" trap. They believe for some reason I can not understand that they should have these things they do not have the money for. This leads to borrowing money in order to pay for all sorts of shit they do not need. At best they "deserve" more expensive versions of things they actually need and at worst it is cars, big tv's, sterio's and other crap. It is too easy to think that a relatively small payment (credit card, financing, rent a center, etc) is not a big deal. If you can't afford to pay for fairly small items (say under $1,000) then clearly your money situation isn't awesome and it is in fact a big deal.
I am not saying that never borrowing any money (aside from paying for an education, a reasonable home or maybe a decent used vehicle) is the only way to go. Reasonable people can make reasonable choices which wisely use debt. Maybe money is tight the washer or dryer dies and you live far from a laundromat and have 3 kids. Getting a new washer on a Sears credit card and paying it off over 2-3 checks is probably a reasonable choice. Yes this person should have an emergency fund for this sort of thing but real life and what is ideal don't always match.
The typical problem with the "I deserve it" method is that it isn't just one thing. A person who decides to just charge and then pay off a big tv or whatever over several months isn't making a great choice but that $100 a month or whatever is not going to sink them. It is that these people "deserve" a lot of things. We know one guy who is up to his eyeballs in assorted consumer debt. He has a sweet car, great furniture, a huge super fancy tv and all that stuff. The thing is that he is paying off all of them slowly at high interest rates. As soon as something is paid off or close he goes out and gets a fancier version. The guy probably owes two years of take home pay. It is also a great way to show that $50 a month for this and $110 a month of that adds up to real money pretty darn quick. I think this is sort of like when a frog is put into cold water and it heats up to boiling slowly. By the time they realize it is a problem it is already too late.
I don't know anyone who hasn't said "I deserve it" at least once. Everyone has got to splurge a little on something from time to time. I know we probably should not have gotten the new Glock for my birthday and instead should have gotten something cheaper.
About twenty years ago my Father in Law was laid off with a new baby at home. There were no job prospects and they didn't have a ton of cash. While on a weekend trip MIL saw a pair of diamond earings and absolutely fell in love with them, the diamonds came home with them. Spending a grand when they didn't have a clue when the next check was coming is was probably not smart but at the end of the day we are human beings not biologically functioning machines. He got another job and everything ended up just fine. She still wears the earings daily.
The difference we have observed is that the successful (in terms of finances) people are spending money they have but know they probably shouldn't spend while the unsuccessful ones are borrowing money for this stuff. The bottom line is that if you do not have cash to pay for it you do not deserve it no matter how much you may want it.
The thing people don't realize is that when they borrow money they are limiting their options. Also they are preventing themselves from being able to save and get ahead because in addition to normal living expenses they have to service the debt. Want to go back to school? Too bad you can't afford to. Want to take an extra (unpaid) week off of work to go camping? Too bad you can't afford it. Want to move to a less stressful and lower paying job to spend more time with family? Too bad you can't afford it. When you have to work to pay off debts you are giving up a lot of your freedom.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Range Report
Bro in Law and I shot a decent amount of ammo this afternoon, well decent considering what the stuff costs these days. He loved the AR and the AK plus also the pistols. Particularly thought my little Browning Buckmark was nice. If time hadn't been an issue I think he would have put a whole brick of .22 through that thing.
Took some pics of him shooting which was cool. Of course he had to do the two pistol Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid thing also.
I didn't shoot a whole lot but that wasn't really the goal. I shoot rifles enough at work anyway. Put a mag through the Buckmark, a couple through the 1911, 3 mags through the Glock and some rounds through the AK. Forgot how much fun it is to shoot the AK. Confirmed my desire to sell the Glock .40, in the full sized auto pistol market I distinctly prefer the 1911.
Unfortunately because of a FUBAR situation with keys we didn't get to shoot the 9mm's but oh well. He had fun, I had fun, lots of lead went down range so it was a good day.
Going to do family dinner then meet my Uncles for beers at the local tavern.
Got to run.
Took some pics of him shooting which was cool. Of course he had to do the two pistol Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid thing also.
I didn't shoot a whole lot but that wasn't really the goal. I shoot rifles enough at work anyway. Put a mag through the Buckmark, a couple through the 1911, 3 mags through the Glock and some rounds through the AK. Forgot how much fun it is to shoot the AK. Confirmed my desire to sell the Glock .40, in the full sized auto pistol market I distinctly prefer the 1911.
Unfortunately because of a FUBAR situation with keys we didn't get to shoot the 9mm's but oh well. He had fun, I had fun, lots of lead went down range so it was a good day.
Going to do family dinner then meet my Uncles for beers at the local tavern.
Got to run.
Home Safe, Off To The Range
We got home safely. Also got the guns home just fine but more will be written on that later. I am not off to the range and then my favoritest chinese resturant ever with my bro in law.
Later
Later
Take Somebody Shooting
If plans go as they are supposed to when you read this I will be taking my brother in law shooting. He has limited firearms experience shooting 1-2x a year with the Scouts. In any case I have some cool shit that he has wanted to shoot for awhile so we will be going.
The more people who own guns and or appreciate the significance of gun ownership the more who will vote to protect our rights. This is a good thing so take somebody shooting.
Take somebody shooting.
The more people who own guns and or appreciate the significance of gun ownership the more who will vote to protect our rights. This is a good thing so take somebody shooting.
Take somebody shooting.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Got an Email
Howdy,
Saw a comment you made over at women of caliber comparing pistol types. My roommate hates wheelguns and when she skimmed through the comments and began railing against the revolver fans I got yanked into the discussion. The first good ol boy at the range talked down to her and now she hates the guys at the range and wheelguns too.
I’m also dealing with another female novice shooter and she’s completely freaked out by the media’s propaganda about semi-automatic and automatic weapons so this particular terminology is kind of fresh in my brain.
Anyway, I don’t usually nit-pick other comments but I was wondering if you meant to use “automatic” or if you meant to use “semi-automatic” in your comparison.
Either you have a typo and I agree with you or I have to disagree with your statement: “To say it takes a whole lot more practice to shoot an auto isn’t accurate.” ‘cuz shooting auto is a whole different type of shooting and I would never recommend an auto pistol for a novice.
Not trying to be a prick. Probably failing….I figured better to ask direct than derail the thread
Thanks.
Mulligan
TOR says: Howdy back Mulligan,
No worries about how anything looks. You had a valid if slightly English Teacher like question [of course you CAN go to the bathroom but MAY you go to the bathroom]. I meant to say automatic just the same way that I often refer to my 1911 as a .45 automatic. I do not always use proper terminology and am pretty OK with that. Almost without exception what I mean can be figured out through context. Do not think that Glock 18 or a Beretta 93R would be good choices for beginner handguns. The image of some gal pulling a Mac-10 out of her purse and a Goblin with a knife shitting his pants amuses me but like the above mentioned pistols it would probably not be a great choice either.
As for hand guns for beginners in general and specifically women. I think the point Kellene was trying to make is that women shouldn't let themselves get caught up in a 'beginners gun'. [that gun they are going to use till they figure out how to use guns then get a different gun which is more suited to 'experienced' people] This is often a frusterating experience from both training and financial perspectives. I think there is a reasonably high % of women who get poorly advised (by gun shop folks, friends or well intentioned but misguided individuals) and end up with a weapon which will not suit their needs well. [Typically this weapon will be a snub nosed .38 special or some sort of a very small semi automatic pistol. I am not bashing any of these weapons but they do not suit the needs of every individual.] Now they spent a bunch of money on some gun they can't shoot well and at this point the odds are 50/50 they will load it, put it in the nightstand and that is their firearms experience.
There are basically two ways to give advice to individuals about firearms or really anything else.
The first is to have a blanket answer which you give to that question every single time. A gun shop worker who tells everyone that asks to buy a full sized Kimber 1911 or a Glock 19 or a Smith 686 or whatever is consistent. He might not be right but even a broken clock is right twice a day. He is saying this because he believes it is the best pistol out there and wants people to be well equipped. The guy who preaches 1911's may be a broken record but he is not sexist/ whatever.
The second way would be to ask an individual some questions and try to come up with an answer that fits the individual. If they answer ABCD then a Glock 17 is the right gun, if they answer BDEC then a Ruger SP101 could be the right gun. This is often where assumptions and sexism come into play. If nothing else even the most well intentioned guy working a counter at a gun shop can only do so much if the place is packed and he just has a minute.
The advice to shoot as many guns as possible prior to buying is very wise. Maybe you have a friend (or friends) who have a gaggle of guns they will let you shoot. Most decent sized towns have a gun range with some loaner/ rental pistols. Narrowing your choices down to 2-3 different pistols and then shooting them all would be money well spent. You are probably looking at a $60-100 day repending on gas, ammo, rental fees, etc but in the grand scheme of things I would look at it as saving $400-600 by not buying the wrong gun. Often taking a basic pistol class may give some exposure to a couple different types of handguns. In any case handling and shooting these guns is essential. If the book/ internet/ experts say it is a great gun but it feels like crap in your hand and you can't hit anything with it then tis probably not for you. Who can shoot what gun well (or poorly) is a very individual matter that escapes rhyme or reason.
Choosing the right gun isn't about how the gun performs it is about how well it will perform your needs. I hesitate to say there is one right answer even for a fairly narrow group such as women who are beginners. There are many potential factors which can affect choices including: physical size (frame and hand), carry or house gun, budget, and training goals/ plans.
Lets take a step back from this caliber or that style and look at basic characteristics. Someone who needs a handgun should get one that is small enough they can carry it, that they can (given appropriate instruction) shoot with reasonable accuracy, is utterly reliable and simple to operate. In all fairness I would give this advice to anyone regardless of their experience level. Having a gun that is more complicated because you are so highly trained you can use it would be stupid.
Take these basic guidelines, throw in individual factors and the wildcard of 'personal preference' and reasonable choices can be made.
Both revolvers and semi automatics have strengths and weaknesses. Revolvers are super simple and there is no worry about clearing a jam/failure but they hold relatively few bullets and are slow to reload. Automatics hold a lot more bullets and some people tend to find them easier to shoot well but they are more prone to failure. Get the experience necessary to weigh these for your individual situation and the odds are high your first pistol will fit your needs.
For the sake of full disclosure I own more revolvers than semi automatic pistols. I love their simplicity, ease of use and reliability. On the semi automatic side I am a huge fan of Glocks, particularly compact 9mm Glock 19.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Limited Connectivity
Yesterday I was replying to am email from a fellow who needs some advice about preparadness and relationships when our internet died. It was supposed to go out at midnight but they decided that 5:30 would be a better time. I had auto posts set up for a few days which was good.
In any case I believe there is stuff for thru Thursday posted. Don't be offended if comments are posted late.
Things are nuts with the move. Going back to an empty house to clean tonight. Almost home for vacation which is going to be awesome. Hopefully tomorrow goes without a hitch and checking the guns at the airline will be pain free. Anyway have a good week.
In any case I believe there is stuff for thru Thursday posted. Don't be offended if comments are posted late.
Things are nuts with the move. Going back to an empty house to clean tonight. Almost home for vacation which is going to be awesome. Hopefully tomorrow goes without a hitch and checking the guns at the airline will be pain free. Anyway have a good week.
Best $15 I've Spent in a Long Time
We picked up a cheap $15 12 volt tire pump at Walmart the other day. It is sort of like this one. A tire on my car gets low from time to time and this is very useful. Aside from running out of gas tires are probably the weakest link in cars. One of these might be helpful for a slow leak or coming back to a flat tire after leaving your car for a period of time.
Every car should probably have one.
Every car should probably have one.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Life in The South, The Final Chapter
This is going to be the last entry in this thread because very shortly we will no longer be in the South. Interestingly this last weekend we did a pretty long drive across a good chunk of this region. We went from Eastern Alabama to Charleston, SC. About half of the 350ish mile drive was small back roads. It was a pretty pleasant drive and Charleston is a truly amazing city. Saw a few Gadsteen flags and they advertise guns in the newspaper; not that Bobs guns or whatever has guns but that they are selling Benelli Nova's for this price, X pistol for Y price, Z pistol for L price, etc.
If you get the chance I strongly suggest going. We got to walk all around the old downtown with amazing houses and cool buildings. Also went to a plantation and saw a wild alligator albeit about a 2' long one.
I have really enjoyed the amazing food and wonderful people of the South. Also its interesting and long history is really cool. I love that the South is unapologetic ally American. They love their guns and their religion and would likely be quite willing to use one to protect the other. Even those who are not at all religious do not attempt to force their atheist beliefs onto others. I also like that for the most part they are generally for unobtrusive minimal government 'cept if you want to drink beer on Sundays some prior planning may need to be done.
I do not like the summer heat down here. I do not like the high crime rates. In my humble opinion the place is a racial powderkeg, particularly major urban areas and areas in their immediate vicinity. Seeing as I basically drove across two states with a single tank of gas most of the South is not that far from some sort of an urban area.
As for the South's potential for preparedness minded folks. Decided to look at the population density of the South in comparison to the rest of the country. There are probably some places far enough from population centers and highways in Alabama and Georgia. I drove across Georgia and there was a lot of open land with farms and small 5-15 acre and a house/ mobile home sort of stuff. Lots of gardens, animals and wood stoves with big piles of firewood. The land down here is quite productive and growing plenty of food is relatively easy. Also the lack of a prolonged bitter cold winter is a big plus. These folks are fairly far (50+ miles) from urban areas and I think they would probably fair decently if things got ugly.
If you are able to live anywhere and are preparedness minded the South probably would not be the first choice. Then again most of us can't or won't live anywhere. Maybe your family is in Maryland and you don't want to get too far from them. Maybe you can't just pick up and move anywhere but your company has an office in Chatanooga, I don't know. Short of a cabin miles from anything in far northern Maine I don't think you will do much better then the rural South while still being on the eastern seaboard. Shoot Creedmore and email and maybe there is a cheap lot in his neck of the woods, play nice and maybe you could be trailer buddies.
I have enjoyed my time here.
If you get the chance I strongly suggest going. We got to walk all around the old downtown with amazing houses and cool buildings. Also went to a plantation and saw a wild alligator albeit about a 2' long one.
I have really enjoyed the amazing food and wonderful people of the South. Also its interesting and long history is really cool. I love that the South is unapologetic ally American. They love their guns and their religion and would likely be quite willing to use one to protect the other. Even those who are not at all religious do not attempt to force their atheist beliefs onto others. I also like that for the most part they are generally for unobtrusive minimal government 'cept if you want to drink beer on Sundays some prior planning may need to be done.
I do not like the summer heat down here. I do not like the high crime rates. In my humble opinion the place is a racial powderkeg, particularly major urban areas and areas in their immediate vicinity. Seeing as I basically drove across two states with a single tank of gas most of the South is not that far from some sort of an urban area.
As for the South's potential for preparedness minded folks. Decided to look at the population density of the South in comparison to the rest of the country. There are probably some places far enough from population centers and highways in Alabama and Georgia. I drove across Georgia and there was a lot of open land with farms and small 5-15 acre and a house/ mobile home sort of stuff. Lots of gardens, animals and wood stoves with big piles of firewood. The land down here is quite productive and growing plenty of food is relatively easy. Also the lack of a prolonged bitter cold winter is a big plus. These folks are fairly far (50+ miles) from urban areas and I think they would probably fair decently if things got ugly.
If you are able to live anywhere and are preparedness minded the South probably would not be the first choice. Then again most of us can't or won't live anywhere. Maybe your family is in Maryland and you don't want to get too far from them. Maybe you can't just pick up and move anywhere but your company has an office in Chatanooga, I don't know. Short of a cabin miles from anything in far northern Maine I don't think you will do much better then the rural South while still being on the eastern seaboard. Shoot Creedmore and email and maybe there is a cheap lot in his neck of the woods, play nice and maybe you could be trailer buddies.
I have enjoyed my time here.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Came Home To A Happy Suprise!
I got home a few hours ago and saw a package leaned against my door. I opened it up and found a copy of How To Survive The End of The World As We Know It by Jim Wesley, Rawles. Pretty psyched about the whole thing. You will see some sort of posting on the matter in a week or so.
Guns You Can Own in Canada, by John
Hi Ryan,
Good thing you're a thinking man. I should have added that. Handguns are limited to 10 rounds ( used to be no limit before c68). Rifle limits are 5 rounds. Shotgun limits are 4 while hunting and whatever it can hold if you're clay shooting. The only thing i can't find is about .22 rifles. They sell 25 shot mags for them here so i would assume it's legal.
Unless you owned a handgun with a barrel under 4.14" before c68 you are not allowed to own/ buy one. If you did have one before then, you can purchase more, but you can't sell them to anyone that doesn't fall under this grandfathered clause. Rilfes are legal as long as the barrel is at least 25 inches. Shotguns are legal no shorter than 18.5 inches. If you cut a shotgun barrel shorter than 17 7/8" it is prohibited.
All full automatic or converted automatics gun are prohibited. If the Liberial party resumes power in Canada, they want to ban semi-auto hunting rifles and mini 14s.
The most common gun here are your usual hunting rifles. 270, 30-06, 308, 300 win mag and 22-250 for predators. For handguns, 45s, 9mm 22s and 357s are very common.
I can't find any info about ammo limits for personial use in Canada. The fourms i read basically said " just don't talk about it"
John
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Jumping Out of Airplanes
If you ever get the chance to jump out of an airplane I strongly suggest it. It is truly fucking awesome. Seriously I believe it is the most fun you can have with your pants on. The rush is amazing.This has almost nothing to do with preparedness except that if I ever have to jump out of an airplane I know how to do it.
Seriously though you need to jump out of an airplane; it is really fucking amazing. Getting to peacefully float down to earth is such an awesome experience. I didn't land bad at all. Some folks did but I just sort of bent my knees and crumpled when I landed. Jui Jitsu back in the day got me used to just sort of going with it which seemed to go well.
I enjoy this and plan to do it again. Getting to do some free fall would be fun.
Friday, August 7, 2009
IPR: Foreign Enemies and Traitors
I am about halfway through Foreign Enemies and Traitors the last in Matthew Bracken's trilogy. It has been pretty enjoyable and difficult to put down. That I am slightly behind on sleep and miscellaneous stuff because of reading a book when I really don't have time to is a testament to its quality.
More over given my current profession this book has lead me to contemplating some very difficult questions. While situations are complicated plus hard and fast rules are always difficult I drew some lines for myself. I also think I will keep them to myself.
Still haven't found a duffel bag full of guns yet. Everyone awesome in an action movie seems to have one and I want one also.
Got to get ready to start actually doing stuff.
Loving the book. I would suggest the whole trilogy.
More over given my current profession this book has lead me to contemplating some very difficult questions. While situations are complicated plus hard and fast rules are always difficult I drew some lines for myself. I also think I will keep them to myself.
Still haven't found a duffel bag full of guns yet. Everyone awesome in an action movie seems to have one and I want one also.
Got to get ready to start actually doing stuff.
Loving the book. I would suggest the whole trilogy.
WOD
3x15 Burpies and go for a walk of at least 30 minutes with your spouse. You are both also required to talk the whole time for conditioning purposes.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
PCS Pizza
We currently have one frying pan, one pot, a cookie sheet and not much else. No dishes and no microwave. We haven't bought groceries in the conventional sense for almost a month.
Anyway two wheat tortillas, some marinara sauce, turkey pepperoni, and whatever cheeses you have lying around can be put on a cookie sheet and broiled to make a pretty decent pizza; well decent for late night if you have had a few drinks and are hungry for something that doesn't come directly from a can. Cook it for about 6 minutes then serve hot.
Anyway two wheat tortillas, some marinara sauce, turkey pepperoni, and whatever cheeses you have lying around can be put on a cookie sheet and broiled to make a pretty decent pizza; well decent for late night if you have had a few drinks and are hungry for something that doesn't come directly from a can. Cook it for about 6 minutes then serve hot.
Random Thoughts
I don't know about how gun control in Canada works but Ricky and Julian always seem to have ready access to guns.
I would really like to have a duffel bag full of guns. Suppose I could take some of my guns and put them in a duffel bag but it just would not be the same. Where do you go to buy a duffel bag full of guns anyway? Do you get some sort of a discount for duffel bag amounts of guns?
Tomorrow we are going out of town. Posting will not be disrupted but comments may not get posted immediately. Come to think of it for the next month or so thinks are going to be hit and miss. We are getting out of here the middle of next week and going home for a bit over two weeks. It will be really nice to go home, see everyone and such. Got a couple of cool things lined up too. Going to see a concert, do some shooting, eat at my favorite Chinese place ever; and go to one of my favorite places. May have internet access and may not but I am not going to stress it at all. Will post when I can and won't when I can't.
Life without a microwave sucks.
Anyway I am going to get super creative and try to make some food. Wheat tortillas+ pasta sauce+turkey pepperoni+cheese+oven might = great pizza or a total fail. Will know in a half hour or so.
I would really like to have a duffel bag full of guns. Suppose I could take some of my guns and put them in a duffel bag but it just would not be the same. Where do you go to buy a duffel bag full of guns anyway? Do you get some sort of a discount for duffel bag amounts of guns?
Tomorrow we are going out of town. Posting will not be disrupted but comments may not get posted immediately. Come to think of it for the next month or so thinks are going to be hit and miss. We are getting out of here the middle of next week and going home for a bit over two weeks. It will be really nice to go home, see everyone and such. Got a couple of cool things lined up too. Going to see a concert, do some shooting, eat at my favorite Chinese place ever; and go to one of my favorite places. May have internet access and may not but I am not going to stress it at all. Will post when I can and won't when I can't.
Life without a microwave sucks.
Anyway I am going to get super creative and try to make some food. Wheat tortillas+ pasta sauce+turkey pepperoni+cheese+oven might = great pizza or a total fail. Will know in a half hour or so.
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