I had wanted to put out the my New Years Resolutions for 2011 today. However it doesn't look like that is going to happen. I dodn't work on them much prior to now and would rather think about it a little more and have good ones in a week then mediocre ones now.
In the comments on a previous post a fellow mentioned the idea of selling the 1903 Springfield. While the specific issue of its peculiarity that was in qustion is figured out, the topic stuck in my head. A bolt action rifle with iron sights isn't so useful. Its capacity and rate of fire are low for a defensive weapon and lacking a scope and the easy ability to mount one means it can't be a sharpshooter type rifle. I could sell/ trade it for another more useful weapon like an AK or part of something else. Scoping it could also give it a new purpose for hunting or as a sharpshooter. I will mull the idea for awhile. Most likely at some point I plan to sell a couple guns anyway.
Not a whole lot going on here for New Years. Went out for drinks and appetizers earlier which was nice. Just kinda hanging out for the rest of the evening.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Range Report Two
Took Bro In Law to the range today. It was also just kind of my 'do some training and break the cobwebs off some stuff because I am back home' day. Took the Glock 19, the AK, my Browning Buckmark and the Springfield 1903. The following events occured:
-Couldn't find any 7.62x39 ammo in the two places we drove by. No biggie, just took a few boxes from the stash and mentally allocated money to replace it on my next order.
-Picked up all the stuff and headed out. Realized we didn't have hearing protection and stopped at a hardware store. Ended up with a big box of the disposable ones instead of just enough for today. Realized we didn't have any targets so I got a case of cheap soda to shoot at the store. Realized I can use a dedicated range bag. Something to keep hearing protection, targets, a few mags, etc in all the time. Just add guns and ammo and I will be good to shoot. Since I won't be shooting again for awhile this isn't a hugely pressing issue but I will add it to the list.
-Got to the range and laid everything out. Put on hearing protection, loaded Springfield and pulled trigger, hit target and cycled bolt then pulled the trigger again, nothing happened so I cycled bolt to see if it hit the primer, nothing came out and the chamber was empty. Said a dirty word. Pull bolt back and try again, it doesn't seem to go back far enough to catch the round in the magazine. Said a dirty word. Fiddled with safety and took bolt out of gun. Put bolt back in and it then picked up a round, pulled trigger and hit target, repeat 2x including curse words. Decide the problem will not be immediately corrected and I will mess with it later. Curse more and move onwards. On the plus side it shoots but on the down side it won't feed. It looks like the mag portion is working fine and the bolt just won't go back the last fraction of an inch to grab the round. So that was kind of a big sad face. Any ideas?
-Get Bro In Law shooting. Help and coach as necessary.
-Take out Browning Buckmark. Shoot it. Man I wish they made a mag for that thing which held more bullets. Bringing the .22 pistol was a great idea. They are really the only gun which an average guy can afford to take to the range and shoot until he is bored. Always coming from now on when I shoot pistols.
-Shoot Glock. Practice rapidly drawing from my concealed carry setup and shooting controlled pairs. Repeat at various distances and practice transitioning from one target to another. Shoot a couple rounds further out.
-Alternate between the Glock and the Browning. Fun times and good practice ensue.
-Shoot AK. The more I am shooting it the more I am enjoying that gun. Simple, reliable, pleasant to shoot and (reasonably) accurate. It doesn't jam and will shoot dirt cheap ammo all day long.
-See a guy with an AK that had one of those side folding wire type stocks. Decide I should ask how he likes it. I catch them as they are just about to leave and ask how he likes it. He said he really liked it. He then took it out of the bag and let me fiddle with it. I too liked it. Asked where he got it and he said one source tactical. It also had a grip they sell which he strongly suggested I get also. I know where my next $100 or so of gun money is going.
- We shot some more. Bro In Law was a quick learner. Taught him to load and clear manfunctions and all that good stuff. He greatly improved at pistols over the course of the range day and just plain did well with the AK. Right before it was time to leave I did a couple mags of deliberate fire at 100 meters with the Glock. We used to always finish that way. I did it this time both for tradition and because it is a good idea to know how my carry piece shoots at distance. After a couple mags I have the answer. It would be generous to call my grouping minute of man but it was much tighter than minute of SUV. I will call it minute of fat man.
-It was time to leave. We picked up the last of the brass, did a quick inventory to make sure we had all the mags and stuff and left. We ran out of time before ammunition but that was OK. It is always one or the other.
I was disappointed with the Springfield and there is just no way around that. However this is why test fires are important. At the range this was lame but at the end of the day not a big deal. An issue like this while hunting could mean a missed opportunity or worse a wounded animal getting away. In a defensive situation the stakes would be far higher. On the bright side I have some redundancy and worst case this isn't a core weapon anyway.
All things considered it was a good range day.
-Couldn't find any 7.62x39 ammo in the two places we drove by. No biggie, just took a few boxes from the stash and mentally allocated money to replace it on my next order.
-Picked up all the stuff and headed out. Realized we didn't have hearing protection and stopped at a hardware store. Ended up with a big box of the disposable ones instead of just enough for today. Realized we didn't have any targets so I got a case of cheap soda to shoot at the store. Realized I can use a dedicated range bag. Something to keep hearing protection, targets, a few mags, etc in all the time. Just add guns and ammo and I will be good to shoot. Since I won't be shooting again for awhile this isn't a hugely pressing issue but I will add it to the list.
-Got to the range and laid everything out. Put on hearing protection, loaded Springfield and pulled trigger, hit target and cycled bolt then pulled the trigger again, nothing happened so I cycled bolt to see if it hit the primer, nothing came out and the chamber was empty. Said a dirty word. Pull bolt back and try again, it doesn't seem to go back far enough to catch the round in the magazine. Said a dirty word. Fiddled with safety and took bolt out of gun. Put bolt back in and it then picked up a round, pulled trigger and hit target, repeat 2x including curse words. Decide the problem will not be immediately corrected and I will mess with it later. Curse more and move onwards. On the plus side it shoots but on the down side it won't feed. It looks like the mag portion is working fine and the bolt just won't go back the last fraction of an inch to grab the round. So that was kind of a big sad face. Any ideas?
-Get Bro In Law shooting. Help and coach as necessary.
-Take out Browning Buckmark. Shoot it. Man I wish they made a mag for that thing which held more bullets. Bringing the .22 pistol was a great idea. They are really the only gun which an average guy can afford to take to the range and shoot until he is bored. Always coming from now on when I shoot pistols.
-Shoot Glock. Practice rapidly drawing from my concealed carry setup and shooting controlled pairs. Repeat at various distances and practice transitioning from one target to another. Shoot a couple rounds further out.
-Alternate between the Glock and the Browning. Fun times and good practice ensue.
-Shoot AK. The more I am shooting it the more I am enjoying that gun. Simple, reliable, pleasant to shoot and (reasonably) accurate. It doesn't jam and will shoot dirt cheap ammo all day long.
-See a guy with an AK that had one of those side folding wire type stocks. Decide I should ask how he likes it. I catch them as they are just about to leave and ask how he likes it. He said he really liked it. He then took it out of the bag and let me fiddle with it. I too liked it. Asked where he got it and he said one source tactical. It also had a grip they sell which he strongly suggested I get also. I know where my next $100 or so of gun money is going.
- We shot some more. Bro In Law was a quick learner. Taught him to load and clear manfunctions and all that good stuff. He greatly improved at pistols over the course of the range day and just plain did well with the AK. Right before it was time to leave I did a couple mags of deliberate fire at 100 meters with the Glock. We used to always finish that way. I did it this time both for tradition and because it is a good idea to know how my carry piece shoots at distance. After a couple mags I have the answer. It would be generous to call my grouping minute of man but it was much tighter than minute of SUV. I will call it minute of fat man.
-It was time to leave. We picked up the last of the brass, did a quick inventory to make sure we had all the mags and stuff and left. We ran out of time before ammunition but that was OK. It is always one or the other.
I was disappointed with the Springfield and there is just no way around that. However this is why test fires are important. At the range this was lame but at the end of the day not a big deal. An issue like this while hunting could mean a missed opportunity or worse a wounded animal getting away. In a defensive situation the stakes would be far higher. On the bright side I have some redundancy and worst case this isn't a core weapon anyway.
All things considered it was a good range day.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Ashton Kutcher Preparing For Armageddon
Saw this interesting piece via Surviving in Argentina. Good for him.
Quote of the Day
I couldn't break my teenage daughter with the techniques in the Army field manual."
-Mike Baker former CIA officer.
-Mike Baker former CIA officer.
Book Recommendation
Ryan,
I just read "Seven Deadly Scenarios" (Seven Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century - by Andrew Krepinevich) from the CSAF's reading list. I found it interesting that two of the scenarios -- in a book explicitly about the DoD -- involved civil defense/disorder scenarios in CONUS. One pandemic ("What if the pig flu really killed people?") and one terrorist ("What if a terrorist group got ahold of some WMD and used them on US cities?").
Anyways, while I usually enjoy the books on the Army reading list as much or more than the AF ones, this one was thought provoking and possibly worth a read. I am looking forward to starting Washington's Crossing from the Army list (seemed appropriate for the season) next. You may be able to convince your unit to fund acquisition of the books as they are on the approved secretary reading lists.
Hope all is well with you and your family this holiday season.
Cheers,
A Reader
I just read "Seven Deadly Scenarios" (Seven Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century - by Andrew Krepinevich) from the CSAF's reading list. I found it interesting that two of the scenarios -- in a book explicitly about the DoD -- involved civil defense/disorder scenarios in CONUS. One pandemic ("What if the pig flu really killed people?") and one terrorist ("What if a terrorist group got ahold of some WMD and used them on US cities?").
Anyways, while I usually enjoy the books on the Army reading list as much or more than the AF ones, this one was thought provoking and possibly worth a read. I am looking forward to starting Washington's Crossing from the Army list (seemed appropriate for the season) next. You may be able to convince your unit to fund acquisition of the books as they are on the approved secretary reading lists.
Hope all is well with you and your family this holiday season.
Cheers,
A Reader
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Quote of the Day, an Interesting Post and a Good Blog
“Poverty is more than a lack of income. It is also the consequence of specific behaviors and decisions. The 2001 Census data clearly show that dropping out of high school, staying single, having children without a spouse, working only part time or not working at all substantially increase the chances of long-term poverty. Certain behaviors are a recipe for success. Among those who finish high school, get married, have children only within a marriage and go to work, the odds of long-term poverty are virtually nil.”
-Blake Bailey
[I do think it is worth noting that this statement has so many very specific qualifiers that it would be difficult to really examine the statistics. However I certainly do agree that “Poverty is more than a lack of income. It is also the consequence of specific behaviors and decisions."]
This quote was part of a very interesting post over at Rural Revolution. Even if you are ambivalent about the whole Christianity thing the overall advice is still really sound. Don't let someones religious stance get in the way of really good info. A lot of people who know great stuff come from Christian backgrounds. The Mormon church really has their stuff together in a lot of ways, especially food storage and organization.
-Blake Bailey
[I do think it is worth noting that this statement has so many very specific qualifiers that it would be difficult to really examine the statistics. However I certainly do agree that “Poverty is more than a lack of income. It is also the consequence of specific behaviors and decisions."]
This quote was part of a very interesting post over at Rural Revolution. Even if you are ambivalent about the whole Christianity thing the overall advice is still really sound. Don't let someones religious stance get in the way of really good info. A lot of people who know great stuff come from Christian backgrounds. The Mormon church really has their stuff together in a lot of ways, especially food storage and organization.
Nobody Cares, Good Politics but Bad Economics, Etc
It has become clear that Congress (as a general term for all our reps to include the Senate) just doesn't care what we think. They voted overwhelmingly for the Insurance Company Kickback (Obamacare) despite the people they claim to represent making it abundantly clear that we did not want it. Recently the Executive Branch made it clear that they do not care what Congress thinks, laws and traditions be damned. They did this by reinserting Death Panels (seriously not that big of a thing and grossly misunderstood, but that's not the point) back into the program by decree despite Congress taking it out.
This could be continued down through the state and sometimes county/ city level. They care most consistently about pursueing whatever agenda they happen to have, securing easy paychecks and enjoyable perks as well as solidifying their positions. After that it is paying back the people who helped them get into office and just enjoying things.
Other than bribing and scaring enough people to secure reelection none of these representatives care at all about us and what we want. Really keeping their positions secure (especially in homogenuis districts) is pretty easy and is just about maintenance and continued favors. I am not going to say it is right or wrong, it's just how things are.
My point is that nobody cares. Even if you fall into a group that (outside of big business/ key sectors able to levy significant and regular bribes campaign contributions) is supposidly championed by a certain political group like minorities, gun owners or small businessmen when the chips are down they really just don't care. They care in terms of talking points and sound bites but not in terms of taking a stand or putting out actuall effort to help these people. Since nobody cares you had better start caring.
Strive to get ready for all sorts of different scenarios because as I noted nobody is going to help you. In particular I think it would be prudent to get ready to take care of yourself. Consider basic stuff like power outages, local disasters, home invasions and income disruptions and go from there. Don't forget about inflation as it may be rearing its ugly head.
I have listened to a lot of conservative talk radio over the last couple days as I drove across a big chunk of the PNW. An interesting concept was talked about. The idea of something that is simumtaneousle good politics and really bad economics. For example minimum wage laws. Oregon which is already hurting pretty badly just recently raised their minimum wage. There is a broad consensus among economists that artificially high minimum wages push low skilled people out of the legal labor market. These people are not allowed to work for the kind of wages they are qualified to earn. This really hurts young adults and seems to hit minorities the hardest.
Another great example is what happened with American unions, in particular the UAW. The head guys kept getting beat up by unions and so they gave them concessions. The easiest concessions to give were very generous pensions because they cost money in the future as opposed to wages or other benefits (though they weren't tight fisted here either) which cost money right away. These were also a real easy decision in hindsight because none of the real decision makers were around when things came to a head.
I could probably keep giving examples (SS, Medicare, etc) all day long. However since I don't have all day you will have to try and follow me. Politicians are willing to do something that is obviously bad economics if it is good politics. They will build airports nobody flys through, bridges people don't want to drive on, give kickbacks to farmers in Iowa and such. I think politicians would burn giant piles of cash on television if they should it would help them politically.
This could be continued down through the state and sometimes county/ city level. They care most consistently about pursueing whatever agenda they happen to have, securing easy paychecks and enjoyable perks as well as solidifying their positions. After that it is paying back the people who helped them get into office and just enjoying things.
Other than bribing and scaring enough people to secure reelection none of these representatives care at all about us and what we want. Really keeping their positions secure (especially in homogenuis districts) is pretty easy and is just about maintenance and continued favors. I am not going to say it is right or wrong, it's just how things are.
My point is that nobody cares. Even if you fall into a group that (outside of big business/ key sectors able to levy significant and regular bribes campaign contributions) is supposidly championed by a certain political group like minorities, gun owners or small businessmen when the chips are down they really just don't care. They care in terms of talking points and sound bites but not in terms of taking a stand or putting out actuall effort to help these people. Since nobody cares you had better start caring.
Strive to get ready for all sorts of different scenarios because as I noted nobody is going to help you. In particular I think it would be prudent to get ready to take care of yourself. Consider basic stuff like power outages, local disasters, home invasions and income disruptions and go from there. Don't forget about inflation as it may be rearing its ugly head.
I have listened to a lot of conservative talk radio over the last couple days as I drove across a big chunk of the PNW. An interesting concept was talked about. The idea of something that is simumtaneousle good politics and really bad economics. For example minimum wage laws. Oregon which is already hurting pretty badly just recently raised their minimum wage. There is a broad consensus among economists that artificially high minimum wages push low skilled people out of the legal labor market. These people are not allowed to work for the kind of wages they are qualified to earn. This really hurts young adults and seems to hit minorities the hardest.
Another great example is what happened with American unions, in particular the UAW. The head guys kept getting beat up by unions and so they gave them concessions. The easiest concessions to give were very generous pensions because they cost money in the future as opposed to wages or other benefits (though they weren't tight fisted here either) which cost money right away. These were also a real easy decision in hindsight because none of the real decision makers were around when things came to a head.
I could probably keep giving examples (SS, Medicare, etc) all day long. However since I don't have all day you will have to try and follow me. Politicians are willing to do something that is obviously bad economics if it is good politics. They will build airports nobody flys through, bridges people don't want to drive on, give kickbacks to farmers in Iowa and such. I think politicians would burn giant piles of cash on television if they should it would help them politically.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Book Suggestion and Report
Dear TOR and family,
Glad to hear you had such a nice Christmas.
I have a suggestion for one of the first books for the New Year: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption written by Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit.
As you know, I am learning all I can re WWII and the heroics of the Greatest Generation. POW Louis Zamperini, an Army Air Corps bombadier in the Pacific Theater, is one of the greatest of the Great. To say that he is an inspiration for survivors is likely the understatement of the century.
The Wall Street Journal published a two-page review/story. You can possibly access it online. Friday, November 12, 2010.
BTW: I was unaware until reading Unbroken that Pappy Boyington, leader of the Black Sheep Squadron, was also a POW at one of the same camps as Zamperini. He is quoted several times in the book.
You are probably too young to recall, but in the 70's, there was an excellent TV series starring Cliff Robertson, called Black Sheep Sqaudron. It might be available on DVD.
Robertson had earlier starred in the film 633 Sqadron, about an RAF pilot and a mission to Norway. Also a true story. Definitely available on DVD.
Best wishes to you all.
SaddleTramp
Glad to hear you had such a nice Christmas.
I have a suggestion for one of the first books for the New Year: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption written by Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit.
As you know, I am learning all I can re WWII and the heroics of the Greatest Generation. POW Louis Zamperini, an Army Air Corps bombadier in the Pacific Theater, is one of the greatest of the Great. To say that he is an inspiration for survivors is likely the understatement of the century.
The Wall Street Journal published a two-page review/story. You can possibly access it online. Friday, November 12, 2010.
BTW: I was unaware until reading Unbroken that Pappy Boyington, leader of the Black Sheep Squadron, was also a POW at one of the same camps as Zamperini. He is quoted several times in the book.
You are probably too young to recall, but in the 70's, there was an excellent TV series starring Cliff Robertson, called Black Sheep Sqaudron. It might be available on DVD.
Robertson had earlier starred in the film 633 Sqadron, about an RAF pilot and a mission to Norway. Also a true story. Definitely available on DVD.
Best wishes to you all.
SaddleTramp
Monday, December 27, 2010
Working In And Around The Underground Economy
There was an interesting ad on the radio today. It was about ratting out reporting to the proper authorities unlicensed businesses in general and contractors specifically. On a random note blogger seems to have eaten my past posts on the underground economy. Anyway moving on. I got to thinking about the underground economy. More specifically the benefits and issues that come with this sort of thing.
Personally there are some areas where I would be concerned about getting involved with the underground economy. One issue that keeps coming to mind is liability. For example one of the big benefits of legitimate and licensed contractors is that they are bonded and insured. Not so much a concern if somebody is doing a couple odd jobs or some general labor but you want the guy cutting down a 60" tree that is right next to your house to have insurance.
I would also be worried if somebody was doing a dangerous job. The odds that somone will get injured mowing a lawn or replacing a few shingles on a roof are slim. However if you start getting people working at heights, around animals and with power tools there is an element of risk. It's all good with Bob the underground carpenter until he slips and gets badly cut, working for you on your land. I don't know how that would play out in court but I am pretty sure it would end up there, which is never good.
As an individual (of course I always pay my taxes and even send a few extra bucks just to be nice) I would have some concerns working underground. It makes collecting unemployment difficult to impossible but if you save it isn't a big issue. More significantly is workmens comp and disability concerns. Again risk is a concern. Working with power tools, at heights, etc are probably risk factors. One mitigating factor in this area is that most people who are part of the underground economy still have one foot in the regular economy. These folks do stuff like sidework off the books, fail to report cash sales, barter or otherwise minimize their tax liability.
Think about the potential implications of doing a certain activity in both economies. Be sure to at least keep an eye on the worst case scenario. Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish.
Personally there are some areas where I would be concerned about getting involved with the underground economy. One issue that keeps coming to mind is liability. For example one of the big benefits of legitimate and licensed contractors is that they are bonded and insured. Not so much a concern if somebody is doing a couple odd jobs or some general labor but you want the guy cutting down a 60" tree that is right next to your house to have insurance.
I would also be worried if somebody was doing a dangerous job. The odds that somone will get injured mowing a lawn or replacing a few shingles on a roof are slim. However if you start getting people working at heights, around animals and with power tools there is an element of risk. It's all good with Bob the underground carpenter until he slips and gets badly cut, working for you on your land. I don't know how that would play out in court but I am pretty sure it would end up there, which is never good.
As an individual (of course I always pay my taxes and even send a few extra bucks just to be nice) I would have some concerns working underground. It makes collecting unemployment difficult to impossible but if you save it isn't a big issue. More significantly is workmens comp and disability concerns. Again risk is a concern. Working with power tools, at heights, etc are probably risk factors. One mitigating factor in this area is that most people who are part of the underground economy still have one foot in the regular economy. These folks do stuff like sidework off the books, fail to report cash sales, barter or otherwise minimize their tax liability.
Think about the potential implications of doing a certain activity in both economies. Be sure to at least keep an eye on the worst case scenario. Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
It Was a Merry Christmas
It was a very nice Christmas Day for the TOR Clan. Pretty traditional really; we opened presents, had some breakfast, relaxed for awhile, watched some movie FIL watches every year (don't remember what) and then had a big dinner. After that we watched Toy Story 3 which little sister in law really enjoyed. It has been a quiet evening. I really enjoyed being able to take about a nice long nap between lunch and dinner.
We had a really good Christmas haul this year. I got a mag light, an energizer LED lantern, a Garmin E Trex series GPS, a Kindle, a silver dollar (I was pleased to hear they got it awhile back when silver was a lot lower), enough cash to buy an external hard drive and a few other things. Wifey got some cash, a Kitchen Aid mixer with some accessories, a kit to make baby food at home and some various other stuff. Walker got a ton of clothes, toys, various other stuff and almost a hundred bucks to go into his college fund.
I noticed that most people spent about as much as they normally do this year. The last couple of years may have been down a bit. I did however also notice that people (us included) seemed to put more thought than normal into the gifts they purchased. Instead of just grabbing something as people can do they seem to be putting some real thought into it.
I am looking forward to getting the GPS up and running. I have an old Magellan somewhere but the user interface is seriously lacking. That was back when them and Garmin were neck and neck. Since then quality has improved a lot and the Etrex is pretty darn easy to use. I am quite eager to check out the Kindle. I think it will be useful instead of hauling a dozen books here or there. It won't replace a good old fashioned book for situations where there is inclimental weather, rough use and such. However for something like a deployment or other situation where I will have decent (using a very low standard of dry, minimal electricity acccess, etc) accomodations this will be a lot easier than 30 pounds of books. Also seeing as we move a lot sooner or later the sheer weight of physical books will start to be an issue. Of course I will continue to purchase prep type books in a physical format but for a new fiction novel or just something I want to read the Kindle may be the way forward.
I hope everybody had a really nice Christmas.
We had a really good Christmas haul this year. I got a mag light, an energizer LED lantern, a Garmin E Trex series GPS, a Kindle, a silver dollar (I was pleased to hear they got it awhile back when silver was a lot lower), enough cash to buy an external hard drive and a few other things. Wifey got some cash, a Kitchen Aid mixer with some accessories, a kit to make baby food at home and some various other stuff. Walker got a ton of clothes, toys, various other stuff and almost a hundred bucks to go into his college fund.
I noticed that most people spent about as much as they normally do this year. The last couple of years may have been down a bit. I did however also notice that people (us included) seemed to put more thought than normal into the gifts they purchased. Instead of just grabbing something as people can do they seem to be putting some real thought into it.
I am looking forward to getting the GPS up and running. I have an old Magellan somewhere but the user interface is seriously lacking. That was back when them and Garmin were neck and neck. Since then quality has improved a lot and the Etrex is pretty darn easy to use. I am quite eager to check out the Kindle. I think it will be useful instead of hauling a dozen books here or there. It won't replace a good old fashioned book for situations where there is inclimental weather, rough use and such. However for something like a deployment or other situation where I will have decent (using a very low standard of dry, minimal electricity acccess, etc) accomodations this will be a lot easier than 30 pounds of books. Also seeing as we move a lot sooner or later the sheer weight of physical books will start to be an issue. Of course I will continue to purchase prep type books in a physical format but for a new fiction novel or just something I want to read the Kindle may be the way forward.
I hope everybody had a really nice Christmas.
Friday, December 24, 2010
It's Christmas Eve, I'm Smoked and Random Observations
Yesterday and today have been a definite success. We got together yesterday with some family friends for an annual holiday thing. That was a ton of fun and the White Elephant was a definite success. Today was Christmas with my family. Between multiple families, a couple divorces and other stuff it cracks out that we end up doing the steriotypical Christmas thing twice when we are home. We did presents with my folks then everyone came over. Did the whole drinks, snacks and cookies thing followed by a big prime rib dinner. It was nice to be able to catch up with some folks I don't see a lot, catch up and just talk about life. It was one of those times we get rare combinations of people which is always entertaining.
This has all been a ton of fun but I am just about worn out. A real good friend who I don't see a lot had texted me about getting together this evening. At 2pm I was pretty receptive but at 7pm when people had cleared out and things were cleaned up it was a different story. On the bright side things are starting to settle down, the kids have gotten over the days sensory overload and I don't have much to do. Really just plan to finish up this post, call a friend to wish him a Merry Christmas then try to get a decent nights sleep.
Last night at happy hour a close family friend said a few things about money, finances and spending which could have easily came out of my mouth on this blog. It was like a breath of fresh air for me. Wifey and I realized over this trip is that we really enjoy being around people who are cheap/ frugal and proud of it. It is really great for me to hear other people use and talk about the same sort of common sense thinking we do. Not needing to worry about offending anyone or making it awkward with someone when you mention the concept of saving or living below your means. While I know lots of these people in the blogosphere the ones in my real actual life are especially prized.
I thought about common denominators with these folks. Stuff other than the obvious that they are in our life and are cheap/ frugal. Most of them have decent to above average incomes. Most of them own a nice relatively large TV. Most of them forgo any sort of debt/ financing except maybe some student loans or a modest mortgage. They are without exception not people you would see walking down the street and think, man that guy is really cheap. Most of them have a few nice things/ toys/ whatever you wanna call it. One has a motorcycle and another enjoys ATV's. Some put a bit of their extra money into vehicles and others travel a lot.
The additional common denominators are that while they all have a thing or two they splurge on they do it in a reasonable manner (saving a few bucks every paycheck to get a nice TV in a few months vs putting the biggest best TV the store has on the Visa and making minimum payments forever.) and probably more importantly they pick and choose there they put extra money. They do this because they simply cannot splurge on every single thing and have reasonable finances. They also at the end of the day live a lifestyle that is solidly reasonable with their spending and debt load when compared to their income.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas with their family and loved ones. Unfortunately there are a lot of accidents this time of year. Remember not to drink and drive. Also be extra careful with firearms. Stay safe and I look forward to finishing out another year here with you folks.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! A very happy whateverelseitisyoucelebrate to readers who do not celebrate Christmas too. However since I am not going to say some junk like happy holidays, I always misspell the Jewish holiday (it's really nothing personal guys:) and Kwanza is as real as Dolly Partons boobs it is just going to be Merry Christmas. Sort of how Army manuals say in one sentence "Unless otherwise noted all male pronounse are gender neutral" just consider it Merry Christmasandorwhateverelseitisyoucelebrate unless otherwise noted.
I will post tomorrow if it is convenient and the mood strikes me. Otherwise I will resume regular posting on the 26th.
This has all been a ton of fun but I am just about worn out. A real good friend who I don't see a lot had texted me about getting together this evening. At 2pm I was pretty receptive but at 7pm when people had cleared out and things were cleaned up it was a different story. On the bright side things are starting to settle down, the kids have gotten over the days sensory overload and I don't have much to do. Really just plan to finish up this post, call a friend to wish him a Merry Christmas then try to get a decent nights sleep.
Last night at happy hour a close family friend said a few things about money, finances and spending which could have easily came out of my mouth on this blog. It was like a breath of fresh air for me. Wifey and I realized over this trip is that we really enjoy being around people who are cheap/ frugal and proud of it. It is really great for me to hear other people use and talk about the same sort of common sense thinking we do. Not needing to worry about offending anyone or making it awkward with someone when you mention the concept of saving or living below your means. While I know lots of these people in the blogosphere the ones in my real actual life are especially prized.
I thought about common denominators with these folks. Stuff other than the obvious that they are in our life and are cheap/ frugal. Most of them have decent to above average incomes. Most of them own a nice relatively large TV. Most of them forgo any sort of debt/ financing except maybe some student loans or a modest mortgage. They are without exception not people you would see walking down the street and think, man that guy is really cheap. Most of them have a few nice things/ toys/ whatever you wanna call it. One has a motorcycle and another enjoys ATV's. Some put a bit of their extra money into vehicles and others travel a lot.
The additional common denominators are that while they all have a thing or two they splurge on they do it in a reasonable manner (saving a few bucks every paycheck to get a nice TV in a few months vs putting the biggest best TV the store has on the Visa and making minimum payments forever.) and probably more importantly they pick and choose there they put extra money. They do this because they simply cannot splurge on every single thing and have reasonable finances. They also at the end of the day live a lifestyle that is solidly reasonable with their spending and debt load when compared to their income.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas with their family and loved ones. Unfortunately there are a lot of accidents this time of year. Remember not to drink and drive. Also be extra careful with firearms. Stay safe and I look forward to finishing out another year here with you folks.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! A very happy whateverelseitisyoucelebrate to readers who do not celebrate Christmas too. However since I am not going to say some junk like happy holidays, I always misspell the Jewish holiday (it's really nothing personal guys:) and Kwanza is as real as Dolly Partons boobs it is just going to be Merry Christmas. Sort of how Army manuals say in one sentence "Unless otherwise noted all male pronounse are gender neutral" just consider it Merry Christmasandorwhateverelseitisyoucelebrate unless otherwise noted.
I will post tomorrow if it is convenient and the mood strikes me. Otherwise I will resume regular posting on the 26th.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Hold? Sell? A Precious Metals Perspective
I read something by a smart person on this. I think it depends a lot on why you purchase precious metals. If you bought them some time ago as an investment this may well be a profit taking opportunity. However if you purchase precious metals as a store of value or emergency currency in case of massive inflation or a full on economic collapse then you would not want to sell.
In precious metals if you lean toward the store of value/ emergency currency side I think it makes sense to have a core holding. This is stuff you do not sell if the price goes up or whatever. Kind of an 'in case of hyperinflation break glass' thing. How much would be in your core holding depends on your income, financial situation, liquid assets and concerns. For a low income family a core holding might be 500 90% silver dimes (about 35 ounces). For an average family a couple hundred ounces of silver and a few ounces of gold would be a very nice stash. A rich man might have a thousand ounces of silver and 100 ounces of gold.
I think one should just buy and hold until they meet their core holding goal. I think life changes could dictate a change in your ideal core holding and it might be a good idea to review it every few years or if you have major life changes.
In precious metals if you lean toward the store of value/ emergency currency side I think it makes sense to have a core holding. This is stuff you do not sell if the price goes up or whatever. Kind of an 'in case of hyperinflation break glass' thing. How much would be in your core holding depends on your income, financial situation, liquid assets and concerns. For a low income family a core holding might be 500 90% silver dimes (about 35 ounces). For an average family a couple hundred ounces of silver and a few ounces of gold would be a very nice stash. A rich man might have a thousand ounces of silver and 100 ounces of gold.
I think one should just buy and hold until they meet their core holding goal. I think life changes could dictate a change in your ideal core holding and it might be a good idea to review it every few years or if you have major life changes.
Round Out What You Already Have
I was able to spend some time with my friend and at least nominal co author Ryan the other day. He is done with school, officially a lawyer and now is an employed lawyer. Really cool stuff and we are all super proud of him. Also I informed him that he is my lawyer, with little or no compensation. Last time I was in town I was only really able to see him for lunch. Fortunately this time we got to hang out, knock back a few beers and really catch up.
In the next year he is planning on getting a Glock 9 and either an AR or an AK. I encouraged him to first take the time to properly equip what he already has. I told him what I personally like to keep around (core pistol 10 mags and a case of ammo, defensive rifle 20 mags and 3k ammo, shotguns and hunting rifles 1kish, .22's several bulk packs.) and then encouraged him to do his own thinking and come up with what he thinks makes sense. This led me to a do some thinking.
For a variety of reasons I think you should properly equip the firearms you already own before purchasing new ones. The first reason is that weapons are expensive and it can take a long time to save for them. It makes more sense to have ammo, mags and other ancillary equipment, at least to some minimal level that suits your concerns, than a couple hundred bucks stashed in a savings account, envelope or coffee can waiting to buy a new gun.
Secondly unless you plan to sell the gun you have then it should be properly equipped. I have found that it is real easy to get a gun, save up for the next one (either as a survivalist or a gun collector you usually want a few different guns) and never stop and take the time to get what you have strait. A new gun, particularly a neat one that is new to you is cool while a box of mags and a case of ammo isn't.
I know that for a long time I was guilty of this. Part of it early on was my transition from a more typical collector to getting more seriously into preparedness. As a collector I thought it made sense to keep a few spare mags and a couple hundred rounds of ammo around just in case. As a survivalist I like to keep a bigger stash of mags and a lot more ammo. However that being said I still got sort of sucked into getting the next gun, much to the detriment of ancillary equipment. Over the last two years or so I have greatly upped my purchasing of mags, ammo, spare parts and accessories. Not buying a gun has helped with this for sure.
At this point I am getting close to a happy place in terms of actually properly equipping the stuff I have. This way at some point when I get another gun (in my defense 1) I can use some more redundancy 2) We will eventually have to arm Walker and 3) Everybody needs something to waste their money on in order to keep the whole capitalism thing working.) it will not be at the detriment of another area in the arms subcategory. I will then focus the money I put into the arms category towards properly equipping that gun. Just makes things simple and easy.
So if a .38, 30-30 or 12 gauge shotgun is what you have then just go ahead and get some ammo for it as well as whatever else you may need. Better to have 2 properly equipped guns than 15 guns with one magazine and a couple boxes of ammo.
Go forth and square your stuff away,
Merry Christmas
In the next year he is planning on getting a Glock 9 and either an AR or an AK. I encouraged him to first take the time to properly equip what he already has. I told him what I personally like to keep around (core pistol 10 mags and a case of ammo, defensive rifle 20 mags and 3k ammo, shotguns and hunting rifles 1kish, .22's several bulk packs.) and then encouraged him to do his own thinking and come up with what he thinks makes sense. This led me to a do some thinking.
For a variety of reasons I think you should properly equip the firearms you already own before purchasing new ones. The first reason is that weapons are expensive and it can take a long time to save for them. It makes more sense to have ammo, mags and other ancillary equipment, at least to some minimal level that suits your concerns, than a couple hundred bucks stashed in a savings account, envelope or coffee can waiting to buy a new gun.
Secondly unless you plan to sell the gun you have then it should be properly equipped. I have found that it is real easy to get a gun, save up for the next one (either as a survivalist or a gun collector you usually want a few different guns) and never stop and take the time to get what you have strait. A new gun, particularly a neat one that is new to you is cool while a box of mags and a case of ammo isn't.
I know that for a long time I was guilty of this. Part of it early on was my transition from a more typical collector to getting more seriously into preparedness. As a collector I thought it made sense to keep a few spare mags and a couple hundred rounds of ammo around just in case. As a survivalist I like to keep a bigger stash of mags and a lot more ammo. However that being said I still got sort of sucked into getting the next gun, much to the detriment of ancillary equipment. Over the last two years or so I have greatly upped my purchasing of mags, ammo, spare parts and accessories. Not buying a gun has helped with this for sure.
At this point I am getting close to a happy place in terms of actually properly equipping the stuff I have. This way at some point when I get another gun (in my defense 1) I can use some more redundancy 2) We will eventually have to arm Walker and 3) Everybody needs something to waste their money on in order to keep the whole capitalism thing working.) it will not be at the detriment of another area in the arms subcategory. I will then focus the money I put into the arms category towards properly equipping that gun. Just makes things simple and easy.
So if a .38, 30-30 or 12 gauge shotgun is what you have then just go ahead and get some ammo for it as well as whatever else you may need. Better to have 2 properly equipped guns than 15 guns with one magazine and a couple boxes of ammo.
Go forth and square your stuff away,
Merry Christmas
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Range Report
Today I went shooting. With the high price of ammo (down from a year or two ago but still not exactly cheap.) these days I do not go shooting without a task and purpose. However if you really want to go shooting it is easy enough to find a task and purpose. In any case thinking it through and having something worthwhile to accomplish is probably a sound idea.
I had 3 tasks to accomplish at the range. First I needed to test fire the Garand. Really just wanted to make sure the thing works. Second I wanted to check the zero on my AK. I had the secondary task of ensuring that it feeds hollow points. Third I wanted to confirm that the new hollow points I got feed in my Glock.
We got to the range and laid our stuff down. I loaded an en bloc clip into the Garand, slapped the bolt home (it doesn't snap forward after the clip seats very reliably) then got a sight picture and pulled the trigger. There was an authoritative report and moderate recoil (more than an AK and less than a 12 gauge game load) which was enough to let you know you definitely fired a shot but not so much that it would get unpleasant if you shot it for awhile. The gun cycled perfectly and the clip sprung out with a nice ping when it ran dry.
I was pleased that it hit exactly what I was aiming at and blew the heck out of it. Considering it is a 30.06 second shot acquisition is suprisingly good. Shooting targets offhand at 100 meters was easy and fun. At some point if I find myself at a nice range with a rest to really dial in a good 50 meter zero then move out to a couple hundred meters to confirm I will. Until that time I am pretty happy with its accuracy. It was fun to shoot and I was bummed when all the ammo was gone.
Next up was the AK. I popped in a mag of Wolf JHP and let it rip. The AK hits where it is aimed at 100 meters and cycled flawlessly. From the way it was shooting I would say 200 meters would be just fine and, at least given my current skill with the rifle 300 would be pushing it to accurately engage a man sized target. If I practiced more with it and took the time to fine tune and confirm the zero it could bring it back inside a good minute of man. Going out to 400 meters would be minute of SUV. In any case that is all you really all you need out of a defensive rifle, especially as a civilian.
Last was the Glock 19 with 115 grain Federal JHP's. Just put a mag through to make sure it fed and things were fine. I work under the assumption that a Glock will shoot a properly sized rock stuffed in a casing with a live primer with a fire cracker for a load. However it is always good to be sure. Wish I had brought some ball ammo to really practice with as the Glock 19 is sure a fun gun to shoot.
I went back and cleaned the Garand because old Pakistani machine gun (it came linked) ammo I shot was surely corrosive. Not a big deal, just a quick cleaning with emphasis on the bore. I will go back and do a good cleaning before putting it away.
It was a great range day. The weather was nice and we talked a little with some nice folks. The Garand got a lot of interest. Most importantly everything I brought cycled and hit what it was pointed at. Hard to have a better range day though more ammo would have helped;).
Quote of the Day
"Object lesson: Always face-shoot assholes, because it's less tiring than fighting."
-R
Seen over at a discussion on Gun Rights 4 US.
-R
Seen over at a discussion on Gun Rights 4 US.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Stay At Home Mom's, Lifestyle Choices and the American Family.
In a recent discussion I saw stay at home mom refered to by the acronym SAHM. I am unsure where this came from and until proven otherwise I will credit it to Patrice who writes the great blog Rural Revolution. Anyway moving forward. I have been thinking about the whole stay at home mom thing.
I find the excuses for why people say they can't have mom (or I suppose dad) at home to be just that, excuses. The fundamental issue is that to be able to have mom at home you need to be able to live on what dad makes. Simply take the amount he brings in, subtract some for savings and a cushion then the rest is what you've got to live on. Simple but not easy.
All the excuses boil down to we would rather have stuff than mom at home. Living on less may well mean a smaller, simpler residence like most things in life, it is attainable if you want it bad enough. I can however see that not every woman wants to be a SAHM. They may have goals outside of the home, want the social interaction that comes with working outside of the home. I guess my point is that having momma at home is possible if you are willing to make the sacrifices.
For some reason I am still not clear on I watched a couple hours of 16 and Pregnant today. My first thought was "life is hard; its harder if you're stupid". John Wayne said that. The whole getting pregnant really young thing is stupid.
Seriously the impact of lifestyle choices like having a kid cannot be overstated. These kids are going to have a seriously rough go of it based upon the stupid choice they made.
I find the excuses for why people say they can't have mom (or I suppose dad) at home to be just that, excuses. The fundamental issue is that to be able to have mom at home you need to be able to live on what dad makes. Simply take the amount he brings in, subtract some for savings and a cushion then the rest is what you've got to live on. Simple but not easy.
All the excuses boil down to we would rather have stuff than mom at home. Living on less may well mean a smaller, simpler residence like most things in life, it is attainable if you want it bad enough. I can however see that not every woman wants to be a SAHM. They may have goals outside of the home, want the social interaction that comes with working outside of the home. I guess my point is that having momma at home is possible if you are willing to make the sacrifices.
For some reason I am still not clear on I watched a couple hours of 16 and Pregnant today. My first thought was "life is hard; its harder if you're stupid". John Wayne said that. The whole getting pregnant really young thing is stupid.
Seriously the impact of lifestyle choices like having a kid cannot be overstated. These kids are going to have a seriously rough go of it based upon the stupid choice they made.
Dear TOR:
You are obviously a very thoughtful, fiscally conservative, and intelligent young man. Those traits will do you well in the future.
I agree entirely with your observations and conclusions, but have an addition or two that might help your readers. DH and I have been around the block a few times over the years and have experienced various episodes of TEOTWAWeKI.
Many people don't realize that serious illness, auto accidents, deaths in the family, divorces, even something as joyous as the birth of a child, can indeed be TEOTWAYouKI. Life often makes 90-degree turns, some good, some bad, some really bad. Being able to make the mental adjustment to the new direction is often much more important than having a Glock or a stash of beans. The people who can adjust to new circumstances or a new, unforeseen, situation have always been called "survivors."
Not "survivalists." Survivors. IMO, it is more important to be a survivor than a survivalist.
To be a survivor requires being able to adapt. You don't have to be as creative as a MacGiver, for example, but you do have to be able to look at a problem, think through it rationally and cooly, and apply your experience and training to dealing with it. That implies that you have some experience and training to fall back on.
I'm not talking about a degree in Chemistry, or a certificate from Backwoods U. I'm talking about applying your past experience in just plain day-to-day living, or having external resources that you can go to. This is where "having friends in low places" is so important.
Those of you who live in rural or small town America already know what I'm talking about. Folks in the military do too. You have close personal contacts with people who have friends-of-a-friend or a cousin twice removed or know Bubba, the "go-to-guy" who can do anything or knows someone who does -- and owes him something. Having people-who-have-people is the best prep you can get. (If you watch some of my favorite TV programs, Human Target or Burn Notice, you see this in the plot all the time.)
Spend a little time and effort making friends, through your church, a local soup kitchen, the first responders groups, at school, in AA, your gun club, brotherhood organizations like the Lions, Masons or other lodges. Whatever. Be a stand-up guy and meet more like you - people who need people and who are willing to help others. The friendships you make in these organizations will often be lifelong and form a fallback team that you can rely on.
These friendships are what I call "emotional currency," -- as important as any bullion in your pocket.
TOR, I know you have addressed getting in shape in your blogs many times. You have written about physical training and keeping fit. As we all know, there are folks who talk a good game, but never really get off the couch and go do things that improve their health.
Riding shotgun with this concept is the idea that enjoying life is critical to being able to respond to not-so-enjoyable situations. It gives you a certain resiliency that enables your brain to function in creative and responsive ways. Everyone should find something that they like to do and do it regularly. It can even cost a little money. The cash you spend on this mental renewal is every bit an investment as for any other prep.
Use common sense, though - every thing in moderation. Don't pour zillions of bucks into becoming the world's expert in underwater basketweaving if you don't have zillions left to spend after the mortgage, utilities, etc. You could instead take a course at your local community college (usually pretty inexpensive), join a club, or virtually mingle with fellow enthusiasts in blogs and fora online.
Soothe your soul, but you don't have to make a career out of it. (Or do - if the thing you love has potential for making money, go for it!)
There's also a dark side to this topic. Some folks, quite a number actually, suffer from depression. Although this has been shown to be the result of chemical (in)activity in the brain, too many people still feel that this is some sort of personal failing and they don't even tell their doctors about it. Worse, many sufferers try to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. It's a no-win situation.
As someone who personally suffers from Seasonally Affective Disorder (SAD), especially in the winter months, I can assure those of you out there that the proper treatment will make a huge difference in your life. In many cases, just a little additional Vitamin D helps tremendously. If you are one of the people who tend to see the world thru darker lenses and don't ever seem to be enjoying life, please do something about it. (I was also experiencing severe physical manifestations - I thought I was having a long-term, continual heart attack... Fortunately, a very insightful and experienced CARDIOLOGIST diagnosed my depression and turned my life around).
This will be one of the most important prep activities you can do.
Being a survivor requires taking risks and being willing to "put yourself out there." I strongly encourage your readers to reach out both for themselves and to benefit others.
Best wishes to all in the Yuletide Season.
SaddleTramp
You are obviously a very thoughtful, fiscally conservative, and intelligent young man. Those traits will do you well in the future.
I agree entirely with your observations and conclusions, but have an addition or two that might help your readers. DH and I have been around the block a few times over the years and have experienced various episodes of TEOTWAWeKI.
Many people don't realize that serious illness, auto accidents, deaths in the family, divorces, even something as joyous as the birth of a child, can indeed be TEOTWAYouKI. Life often makes 90-degree turns, some good, some bad, some really bad. Being able to make the mental adjustment to the new direction is often much more important than having a Glock or a stash of beans. The people who can adjust to new circumstances or a new, unforeseen, situation have always been called "survivors."
Not "survivalists." Survivors. IMO, it is more important to be a survivor than a survivalist.
To be a survivor requires being able to adapt. You don't have to be as creative as a MacGiver, for example, but you do have to be able to look at a problem, think through it rationally and cooly, and apply your experience and training to dealing with it. That implies that you have some experience and training to fall back on.
I'm not talking about a degree in Chemistry, or a certificate from Backwoods U. I'm talking about applying your past experience in just plain day-to-day living, or having external resources that you can go to. This is where "having friends in low places" is so important.
Those of you who live in rural or small town America already know what I'm talking about. Folks in the military do too. You have close personal contacts with people who have friends-of-a-friend or a cousin twice removed or know Bubba, the "go-to-guy" who can do anything or knows someone who does -- and owes him something. Having people-who-have-people is the best prep you can get. (If you watch some of my favorite TV programs, Human Target or Burn Notice, you see this in the plot all the time.)
Spend a little time and effort making friends, through your church, a local soup kitchen, the first responders groups, at school, in AA, your gun club, brotherhood organizations like the Lions, Masons or other lodges. Whatever. Be a stand-up guy and meet more like you - people who need people and who are willing to help others. The friendships you make in these organizations will often be lifelong and form a fallback team that you can rely on.
These friendships are what I call "emotional currency," -- as important as any bullion in your pocket.
TOR, I know you have addressed getting in shape in your blogs many times. You have written about physical training and keeping fit. As we all know, there are folks who talk a good game, but never really get off the couch and go do things that improve their health.
Riding shotgun with this concept is the idea that enjoying life is critical to being able to respond to not-so-enjoyable situations. It gives you a certain resiliency that enables your brain to function in creative and responsive ways. Everyone should find something that they like to do and do it regularly. It can even cost a little money. The cash you spend on this mental renewal is every bit an investment as for any other prep.
Use common sense, though - every thing in moderation. Don't pour zillions of bucks into becoming the world's expert in underwater basketweaving if you don't have zillions left to spend after the mortgage, utilities, etc. You could instead take a course at your local community college (usually pretty inexpensive), join a club, or virtually mingle with fellow enthusiasts in blogs and fora online.
Soothe your soul, but you don't have to make a career out of it. (Or do - if the thing you love has potential for making money, go for it!)
There's also a dark side to this topic. Some folks, quite a number actually, suffer from depression. Although this has been shown to be the result of chemical (in)activity in the brain, too many people still feel that this is some sort of personal failing and they don't even tell their doctors about it. Worse, many sufferers try to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. It's a no-win situation.
As someone who personally suffers from Seasonally Affective Disorder (SAD), especially in the winter months, I can assure those of you out there that the proper treatment will make a huge difference in your life. In many cases, just a little additional Vitamin D helps tremendously. If you are one of the people who tend to see the world thru darker lenses and don't ever seem to be enjoying life, please do something about it. (I was also experiencing severe physical manifestations - I thought I was having a long-term, continual heart attack... Fortunately, a very insightful and experienced CARDIOLOGIST diagnosed my depression and turned my life around).
This will be one of the most important prep activities you can do.
Being a survivor requires taking risks and being willing to "put yourself out there." I strongly encourage your readers to reach out both for themselves and to benefit others.
Best wishes to all in the Yuletide Season.
SaddleTramp
Monday, December 20, 2010
Financial Preps for WTSHTF or Your Own Personal TEOTWAWKI
Preparing for the worst can be daunting. It is also easy to focus on putting back several rifles, cases of ammo and everything else that goes along with it (Now you need some optics, a safe, spare mags, lights, another safe, etc.), or other emergency gear that we could spend hours listing. Let’s face it – acquiring the cool gear is fun! It’s also one of the most often talked about topics in this community. People like their toys and that’s perfectly fine. But it’s only one leg on your stool. Food and medical preps are covered to a lesser extent but still fairly regularly. Something I feel that is of equal importance, though not near as fun to discuss, is financial security.
I think many people avoid the financial preparedness topic because it can bring you back to reality: sometimes it’s hard to find enough to go around. How can you pay the bills, buy your beans, bullets, band-aids and still find money to save when disaster seems to be looming over the horizon? You better make room for it. That EMP may happen tomorrow or your small town might look like “Jericho” (TV series) next week, but I guarantee you sometime this year your own personal TEOTWAWKI will happen if you don’t put some cash back now. It could be a transmission that starts slipping, a layoff, an ER visit – Murphy will throw something at you when you least expect it. So where do we start?
Rotate Your Stocks AND Your Priorities
Several thousand rounds of center-fire rifle ammo and several reliable battle rifles for you and the family is a noble effort, but not at the expense of everything else. Set up some sort of system where all of your goals are slowly being met. One example can be found below:
Discretionary Spending Schedule:
Week 1: Guns and Gear
Week 2: Medical Supplies
Week 3: Trip to the Local Sam’s or Costco for Food Stocks
Week 4: Cash, Savings or Silver/Gold
Rinse and Repeat Next Month
It doesn’t have to be as rigid as the above example. I grocery shop at Wal-Mart; I’ll throw a box of 9mm and something for the first aid kit in the buggy every week on the grocery trip. I also will put some money back every week to slowly build our reserve. There is no right way to do this, find something that works and stick to it.
So, you’ve got some money set aside for financial preps. What now?
Cash is (for now) Still King
The manager at your local grocer is going to be pretty darn reluctant to let you leave the store with a gallon of milk for a 1964 quarter. Sure he may exchange it for some cash in his pocket but I bet you’re not going to get the most recent spot price from this transaction. If the power is out from the ____ (insert your regional disaster of choice – hurricane, snow storm, earthquake, etc. - here), chances are that credit card is not going to cut it either. Cash still has its place in your safe. One week’s paycheck is probably a good start to get you through most bumps in the road, especially if you already have at least a few weeks of food and a good first aid kit (you do, right?). For larger bumps in the road…
Make a War chest
Not literally, but treat your savings account with the same passion as you would a chest full of sharp pointy battle implements. A lot of folks say aim for 2-3 months worth of expenditures (everything from the mortgage down to gas for you vehicle). My wife and I are taking it a step further and have set the bar at 3 months worth of income (big difference). This is going to take some people longer than others; that’s OK. As long as you are making progress then don’t get discouraged! If an emergency comes up one month and it cuts your war chest in half then look at it like this: Success! You took a hit on the chin and are still standing! Our strategy has another benefit; life is all about timing. Opportunities come and go; if a great deal comes your way on a piece of land or something else and you have the spare cash to jump on it, do it. Just don’t look for excuses to raid your war chest. Make sure it is a worthwhile investment. Then proceed to build your savings back up immediately. Get your savings built up and then start considering…
Silver and Gold
How much precious metal (PM) is enough? It all depends on whom you ask. Just remember, PMs aren’t an investment (well they can be, more in a minute), they are insurance. Investments grow your wealth. Over the long haul, PMs will simply store your wealth. Short-term plays on PMs can be done to turn a profit, but buying and selling coins is the least efficient way to do it. You might as well trade paper gold on the stock market, and that’s not why we’re here. I once read a very interesting article that stated that an ounce of silver today buys approximately what an ounce of silver bought 2,500 years ago (I believe their example was loaves of bread). Try that with any fiat currency in the world! (Well, you can’t – it never stays in circulation long enough) We want to hedge against inflation. PMs are our insurance against the failure of our currency. Whatever currency becomes the world reserve when ours fails, silver and gold will hold value in that denomination as well.
My personal goal would be to eventually (long term) have 1 year’s salary in PMs. I think an 80/20 gold/silver holdings ratio is reasonable, but do your own Due Diligence and find what is right for you. You will probably want to start with silver, but at some point you have to switch to gold because silver gets bulky quick. I’d recommend starting with Pre-64 junk silver and 5-10 oz. bars. If you run across a good deal on some silver eagles, buy them! I bought some silver eagles last week for under spot! How did I do it? I deal solely with a local merchant who I trust completely and him likewise. I can’t stress the importance of dealing locally. If I find a 1965 dime (no silver content) in my roll I bought from my local guy, he graciously exchanges for a silver dime. No questions asked. Try that on E-bay.
I won’t talk about gold much because if you invest in silver first, by the time you are ready to dive into it, you will be fairly savvy with PMs; you will have done extensive research, right?
Now that we’ve covered some financial ground, let’s see if we can change the way we look at our other areas of preparedness to save us some money.
Streamline Your Gear
I have approached my firearms purchases in a manner that reduces the amount of different ammo we have to purchase. We have multiple pistols and carbines serving multiples purposes chambered in 9mm. We have also chose to standardize 12 gauge and 7.62x39.
A case of ammo in any of the above 3 calibers has the immediate benefit of being utilized by multiple firearms. Stocking up is much easier and cheaper.
Of course we have other firearms that are not in our standard calibers, but we don’t stock ammo for them like we do for the standard calibers. In theory you would want not only the same caliber, but the same brand as well. I say “In theory” because this is a tough one. In practice everyone in the family will have different tastes so it may be hard to convince everyone that carrying Glock 19s is in their best interest when they cringe when they have to hold the ugly bugger. A good goal would be to aim for full uniformity, and settle for caliber uniformity.
Another cost saving measure is go out and buy a .22 rifle and pistol if you don’t already have one as soon as it is financially sound to do so. This will obviously save you countless money over the years.
This doesn’t simply go for firearms. Try to buy battery-operated equipment that takes the same size batteries. Once again, this makes stocking up much easier and cheaper.
Make a Budget
The word “budget” can strike so much fear in a man, you would swear Hessians had just breached the privacy fence and are now occupying the pool house. It doesn’t have to be so scary, however. Your budget can be as loose or strict as you like, as long as it serves its purpose. One of the main benefits of the budget is it forces you to think through your expenditures.
I create a simple budget on spreadsheet that first tallies our income for the month, and then deducts all of our estimated expenditures. This allows me to determine our surplus and project what our end of the month balance should be in our account. If we surpass our goal, I do a little dance and then try to determine where I’m overestimating. If we miss our goal, we take step back and determine what went wrong. I don’t subscribe to the Dave Ramsey School of budgeting (budget down to the very last penny) because to me it seems like a lot of effort for not much of an improvement over my simple system. It works for many people, so I’m not knocking it. Find something that works for YOU.
Trim the Fat
Often people tell themselves that they just don’t have the money to save (you may even hear them say this on their brand new iPhone). They’ll say maybe next year, or after the house/car/boat is paid off or the kids are older/grown/etc. – that’s procrastination. One day you may wake up retired and struggling to make it; let’s avoid that outcome.
Internet, home phone lines, cable TV, cell phones, new vehicles every five years, too much house, etc. are all traps people fall in. I won’t tell you to turn off all of your services and move to the hills, but do take a rational look at your expenses and determine what you can reasonably cut or downgrade to allow you to put back some money. One thing I do recommend that has saved me over the years is brown bagging your lunch. Learn to love it. In one year brown bagging can save you enough money to buy that AR you want (Or – several pounds of silver).
Prepare for TSDTWAWKI (The Slow Decline of the World as We Know It)
TEOTWAWKI has happened for thousands of years, but the sun still rises in the east and the birds still fly south for the winter. If you were born in 1910 in Germany and lived 70 years, I’d say you lived through several TEOTWAWKIs (Weimer Germany, WW2, a literal divided nation, etc.). Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers had it hard at times; but they raised families, grew old, and hopefully were able to enjoy some sort of retirement after decades of work. The world may not end tomorrow, but it may slowly change for the worse for the rest of your life. Don’t rely on entitlement programs in your retirement years. Stock up on beans, bullets, band-aids and bullion, but also contribute to your 401K (at least get your company match, if offered), sock away some cash, buy real estate – diversify. Do not over-leverage yourself in our economy, but at the same time don’t rely solely on tangibles as a store of your wealth.
A true survivor plans for all contingencies. His portfolio is as diverse as his options. He buys cases of ammo and rolls of old coins, but he also contributes to his 401K to at least get the match his company offers. He has several acres of land in God’s country somewhere far from the city lights, but he also strives to be debt free. He has the cash on hand to G.O.O.D. and the savings and insurance to come back and rebuild (and the larder to live on until then). He doesn’t know the future so he prepares for all outcomes; no matter what happens his family will have options. He also recalls that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and American affluence has been squandered slowly for a while now; there is trouble on the horizon, so he starts now.
I think many people avoid the financial preparedness topic because it can bring you back to reality: sometimes it’s hard to find enough to go around. How can you pay the bills, buy your beans, bullets, band-aids and still find money to save when disaster seems to be looming over the horizon? You better make room for it. That EMP may happen tomorrow or your small town might look like “Jericho” (TV series) next week, but I guarantee you sometime this year your own personal TEOTWAWKI will happen if you don’t put some cash back now. It could be a transmission that starts slipping, a layoff, an ER visit – Murphy will throw something at you when you least expect it. So where do we start?
Rotate Your Stocks AND Your Priorities
Several thousand rounds of center-fire rifle ammo and several reliable battle rifles for you and the family is a noble effort, but not at the expense of everything else. Set up some sort of system where all of your goals are slowly being met. One example can be found below:
Discretionary Spending Schedule:
Week 1: Guns and Gear
Week 2: Medical Supplies
Week 3: Trip to the Local Sam’s or Costco for Food Stocks
Week 4: Cash, Savings or Silver/Gold
Rinse and Repeat Next Month
It doesn’t have to be as rigid as the above example. I grocery shop at Wal-Mart; I’ll throw a box of 9mm and something for the first aid kit in the buggy every week on the grocery trip. I also will put some money back every week to slowly build our reserve. There is no right way to do this, find something that works and stick to it.
So, you’ve got some money set aside for financial preps. What now?
Cash is (for now) Still King
The manager at your local grocer is going to be pretty darn reluctant to let you leave the store with a gallon of milk for a 1964 quarter. Sure he may exchange it for some cash in his pocket but I bet you’re not going to get the most recent spot price from this transaction. If the power is out from the ____ (insert your regional disaster of choice – hurricane, snow storm, earthquake, etc. - here), chances are that credit card is not going to cut it either. Cash still has its place in your safe. One week’s paycheck is probably a good start to get you through most bumps in the road, especially if you already have at least a few weeks of food and a good first aid kit (you do, right?). For larger bumps in the road…
Make a War chest
Not literally, but treat your savings account with the same passion as you would a chest full of sharp pointy battle implements. A lot of folks say aim for 2-3 months worth of expenditures (everything from the mortgage down to gas for you vehicle). My wife and I are taking it a step further and have set the bar at 3 months worth of income (big difference). This is going to take some people longer than others; that’s OK. As long as you are making progress then don’t get discouraged! If an emergency comes up one month and it cuts your war chest in half then look at it like this: Success! You took a hit on the chin and are still standing! Our strategy has another benefit; life is all about timing. Opportunities come and go; if a great deal comes your way on a piece of land or something else and you have the spare cash to jump on it, do it. Just don’t look for excuses to raid your war chest. Make sure it is a worthwhile investment. Then proceed to build your savings back up immediately. Get your savings built up and then start considering…
Silver and Gold
How much precious metal (PM) is enough? It all depends on whom you ask. Just remember, PMs aren’t an investment (well they can be, more in a minute), they are insurance. Investments grow your wealth. Over the long haul, PMs will simply store your wealth. Short-term plays on PMs can be done to turn a profit, but buying and selling coins is the least efficient way to do it. You might as well trade paper gold on the stock market, and that’s not why we’re here. I once read a very interesting article that stated that an ounce of silver today buys approximately what an ounce of silver bought 2,500 years ago (I believe their example was loaves of bread). Try that with any fiat currency in the world! (Well, you can’t – it never stays in circulation long enough) We want to hedge against inflation. PMs are our insurance against the failure of our currency. Whatever currency becomes the world reserve when ours fails, silver and gold will hold value in that denomination as well.
My personal goal would be to eventually (long term) have 1 year’s salary in PMs. I think an 80/20 gold/silver holdings ratio is reasonable, but do your own Due Diligence and find what is right for you. You will probably want to start with silver, but at some point you have to switch to gold because silver gets bulky quick. I’d recommend starting with Pre-64 junk silver and 5-10 oz. bars. If you run across a good deal on some silver eagles, buy them! I bought some silver eagles last week for under spot! How did I do it? I deal solely with a local merchant who I trust completely and him likewise. I can’t stress the importance of dealing locally. If I find a 1965 dime (no silver content) in my roll I bought from my local guy, he graciously exchanges for a silver dime. No questions asked. Try that on E-bay.
I won’t talk about gold much because if you invest in silver first, by the time you are ready to dive into it, you will be fairly savvy with PMs; you will have done extensive research, right?
Now that we’ve covered some financial ground, let’s see if we can change the way we look at our other areas of preparedness to save us some money.
Streamline Your Gear
I have approached my firearms purchases in a manner that reduces the amount of different ammo we have to purchase. We have multiple pistols and carbines serving multiples purposes chambered in 9mm. We have also chose to standardize 12 gauge and 7.62x39.
A case of ammo in any of the above 3 calibers has the immediate benefit of being utilized by multiple firearms. Stocking up is much easier and cheaper.
Of course we have other firearms that are not in our standard calibers, but we don’t stock ammo for them like we do for the standard calibers. In theory you would want not only the same caliber, but the same brand as well. I say “In theory” because this is a tough one. In practice everyone in the family will have different tastes so it may be hard to convince everyone that carrying Glock 19s is in their best interest when they cringe when they have to hold the ugly bugger. A good goal would be to aim for full uniformity, and settle for caliber uniformity.
Another cost saving measure is go out and buy a .22 rifle and pistol if you don’t already have one as soon as it is financially sound to do so. This will obviously save you countless money over the years.
This doesn’t simply go for firearms. Try to buy battery-operated equipment that takes the same size batteries. Once again, this makes stocking up much easier and cheaper.
Make a Budget
The word “budget” can strike so much fear in a man, you would swear Hessians had just breached the privacy fence and are now occupying the pool house. It doesn’t have to be so scary, however. Your budget can be as loose or strict as you like, as long as it serves its purpose. One of the main benefits of the budget is it forces you to think through your expenditures.
I create a simple budget on spreadsheet that first tallies our income for the month, and then deducts all of our estimated expenditures. This allows me to determine our surplus and project what our end of the month balance should be in our account. If we surpass our goal, I do a little dance and then try to determine where I’m overestimating. If we miss our goal, we take step back and determine what went wrong. I don’t subscribe to the Dave Ramsey School of budgeting (budget down to the very last penny) because to me it seems like a lot of effort for not much of an improvement over my simple system. It works for many people, so I’m not knocking it. Find something that works for YOU.
Trim the Fat
Often people tell themselves that they just don’t have the money to save (you may even hear them say this on their brand new iPhone). They’ll say maybe next year, or after the house/car/boat is paid off or the kids are older/grown/etc. – that’s procrastination. One day you may wake up retired and struggling to make it; let’s avoid that outcome.
Internet, home phone lines, cable TV, cell phones, new vehicles every five years, too much house, etc. are all traps people fall in. I won’t tell you to turn off all of your services and move to the hills, but do take a rational look at your expenses and determine what you can reasonably cut or downgrade to allow you to put back some money. One thing I do recommend that has saved me over the years is brown bagging your lunch. Learn to love it. In one year brown bagging can save you enough money to buy that AR you want (Or – several pounds of silver).
Prepare for TSDTWAWKI (The Slow Decline of the World as We Know It)
TEOTWAWKI has happened for thousands of years, but the sun still rises in the east and the birds still fly south for the winter. If you were born in 1910 in Germany and lived 70 years, I’d say you lived through several TEOTWAWKIs (Weimer Germany, WW2, a literal divided nation, etc.). Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers had it hard at times; but they raised families, grew old, and hopefully were able to enjoy some sort of retirement after decades of work. The world may not end tomorrow, but it may slowly change for the worse for the rest of your life. Don’t rely on entitlement programs in your retirement years. Stock up on beans, bullets, band-aids and bullion, but also contribute to your 401K (at least get your company match, if offered), sock away some cash, buy real estate – diversify. Do not over-leverage yourself in our economy, but at the same time don’t rely solely on tangibles as a store of your wealth.
A true survivor plans for all contingencies. His portfolio is as diverse as his options. He buys cases of ammo and rolls of old coins, but he also contributes to his 401K to at least get the match his company offers. He has several acres of land in God’s country somewhere far from the city lights, but he also strives to be debt free. He has the cash on hand to G.O.O.D. and the savings and insurance to come back and rebuild (and the larder to live on until then). He doesn’t know the future so he prepares for all outcomes; no matter what happens his family will have options. He also recalls that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and American affluence has been squandered slowly for a while now; there is trouble on the horizon, so he starts now.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
What Did You Do To Prepare This Week?
I got a bit of ammo this week. 2,200 rounds of .22 long rifle, 45 shotgun slugs and 3 boxes of rifle ammo. Also got a chance to inspect our firearms battery and do some maintenance (more on that tomorrow). I unpacked and inspected a bunch of stuff and much to my pleasure everything was as it should be. Going to finish the repacking as soon as I get to the store for some one gallon plastic bags.
I saw a couple M1 Carbines for sale.
Put a new collapsible buttstock on my AR. It took a second to figure out and getting that little spring in right and the plate down was annoying but it didn't take 5 minutes. My rifle is now nice and as it should be. Also that means I have a spare buttstock and buffer/ buffer spring lying around which never hurts.
Started using a Biachi 100 professional to carry my Glock 19. This deserves its own post at some point but to skip ahead a bit, if you like carrying IWB then order one. It is a very nice holster at a very good price.
Been making an effort to keep up with current events better. I have been off in the woods so much that it has gotten out of my routine. I try not to get all doom and gloom but it is good to stay abreast with current events. I don't need to spend an hour reading the news but 15 minutes a day is probably a good idea.
Merry Christmas!
I saw a couple M1 Carbines for sale.
Put a new collapsible buttstock on my AR. It took a second to figure out and getting that little spring in right and the plate down was annoying but it didn't take 5 minutes. My rifle is now nice and as it should be. Also that means I have a spare buttstock and buffer/ buffer spring lying around which never hurts.
Started using a Biachi 100 professional to carry my Glock 19. This deserves its own post at some point but to skip ahead a bit, if you like carrying IWB then order one. It is a very nice holster at a very good price.
Been making an effort to keep up with current events better. I have been off in the woods so much that it has gotten out of my routine. I try not to get all doom and gloom but it is good to stay abreast with current events. I don't need to spend an hour reading the news but 15 minutes a day is probably a good idea.
Merry Christmas!
Even More on Shotguns
Kansas Scout said: This is the typical knee jerk advice on pump versus auto's. This is long since outdated and no longer true. Auto's work fine and even the military has gone to them. My Benelli NEVER malfunctions (as you would expect) I doubt you could find that many cheaper autos to jam either. Why pump when you can just pull the trigger? No reason at all.
BTW, I LOVE my Browning Pump. I have owned three of them and they should be considered.
TOR here: As always YMMV. I do agree that semi auto is ideal for defense. I would say that Benelli's and Siaga's have proven to be reliable and rugged enough for the task. I do agree that a Benelli M4 Super 90 as well as the Siaga (in a defensive configuration w/ short barrel, maybe folding stock, etc) are just really great guns. Siaga's probably have the edge as they can hold more rounds and reload much more rapidly. However they also come at a heck of a price. I previously noted that for the price of a Benelli or a Siaga I could probably get a half dozen used pumps or an actual defensive rifle like an AK/ AR. As for other more affordable semi auto shotguns I am sceptical but will try to keep an open mind.
To say that some semi auto shotguns being reliable automatically means ALL semi auto shotguns are reliable is just stupid. That would be like saying that since a Glock/ Sig/ HK is reliable every semi auto pistol on the market is also equally reliable. I can honestly say I haven't done much looking in terms of affordable semi auto shotguns. However I haven't heard of a cheaper priced semi automatic shotgun which has a well earned (fielded by .gov/.mil, harshly tested by someone reputable, not just the word of a guy in a forum) reputation for utter reliability and ruggedness. Show me one that has been consistently proven to shoot/ cycle every time under less than perfect conditions with any load by any manufacturer put in it and I will reconsider. Seriously if there is one out there and there is some documentation of its reliability please tell me.
I imagine Browning makes a nice pump shotgun. The issue is with affordability, availability of accessories and replacement parts. I think the cost to get one with a short barrel and a modest stash of spare parts would add up fast. However if you could find a deal on one and had a source for a reasonably priced short (18.5-22") barrel then it could be a decent option.
The reason I specifically suggest Remington 870's and Mossberg 500's is that they are rugged, reliable, widely available and affordable. I am certainly not saying there are not better guns out there (read: Benelli and Siaga). However I do not think there are better guns as assessed by the characteristics listed above, ruggedness, reliability, commonality and affordability out there for anything close to what these pump's cost.
Thoughts?
BTW, I LOVE my Browning Pump. I have owned three of them and they should be considered.
TOR here: As always YMMV. I do agree that semi auto is ideal for defense. I would say that Benelli's and Siaga's have proven to be reliable and rugged enough for the task. I do agree that a Benelli M4 Super 90 as well as the Siaga (in a defensive configuration w/ short barrel, maybe folding stock, etc) are just really great guns. Siaga's probably have the edge as they can hold more rounds and reload much more rapidly. However they also come at a heck of a price. I previously noted that for the price of a Benelli or a Siaga I could probably get a half dozen used pumps or an actual defensive rifle like an AK/ AR. As for other more affordable semi auto shotguns I am sceptical but will try to keep an open mind.
To say that some semi auto shotguns being reliable automatically means ALL semi auto shotguns are reliable is just stupid. That would be like saying that since a Glock/ Sig/ HK is reliable every semi auto pistol on the market is also equally reliable. I can honestly say I haven't done much looking in terms of affordable semi auto shotguns. However I haven't heard of a cheaper priced semi automatic shotgun which has a well earned (fielded by .gov/.mil, harshly tested by someone reputable, not just the word of a guy in a forum) reputation for utter reliability and ruggedness. Show me one that has been consistently proven to shoot/ cycle every time under less than perfect conditions with any load by any manufacturer put in it and I will reconsider. Seriously if there is one out there and there is some documentation of its reliability please tell me.
I imagine Browning makes a nice pump shotgun. The issue is with affordability, availability of accessories and replacement parts. I think the cost to get one with a short barrel and a modest stash of spare parts would add up fast. However if you could find a deal on one and had a source for a reasonably priced short (18.5-22") barrel then it could be a decent option.
The reason I specifically suggest Remington 870's and Mossberg 500's is that they are rugged, reliable, widely available and affordable. I am certainly not saying there are not better guns out there (read: Benelli and Siaga). However I do not think there are better guns as assessed by the characteristics listed above, ruggedness, reliability, commonality and affordability out there for anything close to what these pump's cost.
Thoughts?
Saturday, December 18, 2010
RE: BUILDING UP YOUR CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS IN THE SEWING DEPARTMENT
Dear TOR:
Welcome back home. Looks like we will be having a white Christmas....
Re the article.
During WW2, while most things in the UK were going down the tube, second hand stores were doing a booming, and unrationed, business. I think the same thing will happen in the US when TSHTF. There are so many people with excess clothing, both cheap and well-made types, that I don't really foresee needing to do a lot of sewing "from scratch."
Patching, general repairs and alterations, otoh, will be very important. These are entirely different skills, and in many ways, much easier to do. I recently found some excellent beginner sewing books for sale at our library book sale. Paid 50 cents each and bought all they had. For fancy hand-sewing (decorative knots and stitching, get books on needle-point, embroidery, petit-point, cross-stitch, etc. There are many magazines and blogs available, too.)
For those folks who are sewing shy, just learning how to hem, put in a fold at a waistband, or put on buttons and snaps, are very good places to start. Actually, just learning how to thread a needle is a good first step. In fact, realizing that you need to stockpile sewing supplies (called notions) and putting together a sewing kit might be an "adjustment reaction" that a lot of people need to go thru.
Suggested items for a hand-sewing kit:
Needles in a variety of sizes, including self-threading ones if you can find them.
Cotton or cotton/polyester thread in different colors, but esp. black, white, brown(s), blue(s), red and green. Pure cotton thread sometimes shrinks in hot water when you wash clothing, so I try to go with a combination-type.
Very fine fishing line (use for hemming or repairing heavy duty clothing)
Waxed dental floss (excellent for sewing on buttons)
Straight fabric shears and pinking shears (these are the ones that have the sawtoothed edge and are used for cutting cloth so that it doesn't unravel)
Thimble(s)
Pin cushion (I use a bar of soap which helps to keep the pins and needles slick)
Straight pins (the larger the head the better) and safety pins, several sizes, including diaper pins
Ruler (12 and 36 inches)
Measuring tape (not metal ones like those used for carpentry. Sewing tapes are made out of soft cloth or other bendable material so you can measure around waists, etc.)
Wooden darning egg (I was taught to darn using an old lightbulb. Cheaper, but a bit more difficult to handle)
Darning needles
Marking chalk or transfer paper (to transfer pattern lines onto cloth. We used to use true carbon paper, but there are probably other products available now)
Marking roller (a pizza cutter with a light hand will do in a pinch. You have to be careful not to cut through the pattern OR the material.)
Sewing hoop (used primarily for fine hand work like cross-stitch, appliques, needle point, etc., but also very useful for small repairs where it helps to stretch out or stabilize the material)
You can also add various standard patterns, extra zippers, extra buttons. I keep a button jar and cut all the buttons off any shirts that I am recycling into rags or other projects.
If you will be using a sewing machine:
You will need much more thread and BOBBINS, which are parts of the machine that enable simultaneous stitching on both sides of the fabric. Usually, you fill the bobbin with the same thread you use for the top stitch, but you don't have to. Some projects intentionally use two colors for contrast.
If you are really concerned about having to live off-grid, you might want to start looking for a "treadle" sewing machine, which uses foot-power, not electricity. They are still available, and though might require some repairs, are often comparatively inexpensive.
Best Yuletide Greetings to you and yours,
SaddleTramp
Welcome back home. Looks like we will be having a white Christmas....
Re the article.
During WW2, while most things in the UK were going down the tube, second hand stores were doing a booming, and unrationed, business. I think the same thing will happen in the US when TSHTF. There are so many people with excess clothing, both cheap and well-made types, that I don't really foresee needing to do a lot of sewing "from scratch."
Patching, general repairs and alterations, otoh, will be very important. These are entirely different skills, and in many ways, much easier to do. I recently found some excellent beginner sewing books for sale at our library book sale. Paid 50 cents each and bought all they had. For fancy hand-sewing (decorative knots and stitching, get books on needle-point, embroidery, petit-point, cross-stitch, etc. There are many magazines and blogs available, too.)
For those folks who are sewing shy, just learning how to hem, put in a fold at a waistband, or put on buttons and snaps, are very good places to start. Actually, just learning how to thread a needle is a good first step. In fact, realizing that you need to stockpile sewing supplies (called notions) and putting together a sewing kit might be an "adjustment reaction" that a lot of people need to go thru.
Suggested items for a hand-sewing kit:
Needles in a variety of sizes, including self-threading ones if you can find them.
Cotton or cotton/polyester thread in different colors, but esp. black, white, brown(s), blue(s), red and green. Pure cotton thread sometimes shrinks in hot water when you wash clothing, so I try to go with a combination-type.
Very fine fishing line (use for hemming or repairing heavy duty clothing)
Waxed dental floss (excellent for sewing on buttons)
Straight fabric shears and pinking shears (these are the ones that have the sawtoothed edge and are used for cutting cloth so that it doesn't unravel)
Thimble(s)
Pin cushion (I use a bar of soap which helps to keep the pins and needles slick)
Straight pins (the larger the head the better) and safety pins, several sizes, including diaper pins
Ruler (12 and 36 inches)
Measuring tape (not metal ones like those used for carpentry. Sewing tapes are made out of soft cloth or other bendable material so you can measure around waists, etc.)
Wooden darning egg (I was taught to darn using an old lightbulb. Cheaper, but a bit more difficult to handle)
Darning needles
Marking chalk or transfer paper (to transfer pattern lines onto cloth. We used to use true carbon paper, but there are probably other products available now)
Marking roller (a pizza cutter with a light hand will do in a pinch. You have to be careful not to cut through the pattern OR the material.)
Sewing hoop (used primarily for fine hand work like cross-stitch, appliques, needle point, etc., but also very useful for small repairs where it helps to stretch out or stabilize the material)
You can also add various standard patterns, extra zippers, extra buttons. I keep a button jar and cut all the buttons off any shirts that I am recycling into rags or other projects.
If you will be using a sewing machine:
You will need much more thread and BOBBINS, which are parts of the machine that enable simultaneous stitching on both sides of the fabric. Usually, you fill the bobbin with the same thread you use for the top stitch, but you don't have to. Some projects intentionally use two colors for contrast.
If you are really concerned about having to live off-grid, you might want to start looking for a "treadle" sewing machine, which uses foot-power, not electricity. They are still available, and though might require some repairs, are often comparatively inexpensive.
Best Yuletide Greetings to you and yours,
SaddleTramp
Friday, December 17, 2010
Random Question
Does anybody know a place where I can get nice wood furniture for an AK? The crappy wood stock on my AK has been aggravating me for some time. I would like to replace it with a decent piece of wood (not that plywood crap) that has a good finish on it.
Interesting Stuff
This morning Wifey noted that I am back to my normal self. Getting away from work and my normal routine has really helped. Also I just plain like America a lot. There it great cheap stuff all over the place. Man this country is just awesome.
Went to Walmart for the first time in about 16 months. Looked at ammo just to check it out and see what I want. They didn't have a whole lot of pistol ammo but that is really just hit or miss. The only real big suprise was that 500 round packs of .22 ammo cost $19 bucks. Think the last one I got (almost 3 years ago) was about $13. Think I will pick up another 2,500 rounds to put away. The observation from One Second After that the ammo people actually ran out of was .22 and game shot has been registering with me recently. I am getting close to warm and fuzzy stages with centerfire ammo anyway. They had 15 round packs of buck and slugs for 9 bucks. That is right at the breakover point where if you plan to purchase a few hundred rounds of the stuff then ordering from an online dealer like Lucky Gunner is the way to go.
I got a couple new pair of pants which were much needed. I don't wear civilian clothes except hanging around the house stuff very much so it is easy to all of a sudden realize I have 2 pair of pants I actually wear. Also it was just great to be at a place with all kinds of options of stuff I like and cheap prices. A real culture shock after being overseas.
Tonight we are having awesome giant steaks for dinner. Tomorrow evening is Cops which I am super excited about.
Merry Christmas,
Ryan
Went to Walmart for the first time in about 16 months. Looked at ammo just to check it out and see what I want. They didn't have a whole lot of pistol ammo but that is really just hit or miss. The only real big suprise was that 500 round packs of .22 ammo cost $19 bucks. Think the last one I got (almost 3 years ago) was about $13. Think I will pick up another 2,500 rounds to put away. The observation from One Second After that the ammo people actually ran out of was .22 and game shot has been registering with me recently. I am getting close to warm and fuzzy stages with centerfire ammo anyway. They had 15 round packs of buck and slugs for 9 bucks. That is right at the breakover point where if you plan to purchase a few hundred rounds of the stuff then ordering from an online dealer like Lucky Gunner is the way to go.
I got a couple new pair of pants which were much needed. I don't wear civilian clothes except hanging around the house stuff very much so it is easy to all of a sudden realize I have 2 pair of pants I actually wear. Also it was just great to be at a place with all kinds of options of stuff I like and cheap prices. A real culture shock after being overseas.
Tonight we are having awesome giant steaks for dinner. Tomorrow evening is Cops which I am super excited about.
Merry Christmas,
Ryan
More on Shotguns
The last post got some interesting comments. As Commander Zero said shotguns are a really polarizing topic. I think a lot of how you value a shotgun is based upon what you are looking at it for. Shotguns can do a lot of things and as a general purpose weapon they are great. You can take small, medium and fairly large game with them. They can be used against predators or for defense. There is a reason that I and most other people would consider a shotgun part of a basic firearms setup (centerfire pistol, centerfire rifle, .22 and shotgun). A Remington 870 (or a Mossberg 500) with both short and long barrels is increadably versatile. They are a weapon that can do a lot of things. However I think when we look at them strictly as a defensive (or tactical) weapon they are kind of a one trick pony as they don't hold a lot of rounds, are slow to reload and have a fairly narrow envelope of performance.
When it comes to shotguns I favor Remington or Mossberg pump shotguns. They are common, cheap, reliable and rugged. I am disinclined to go with semi auto's because the affordable ones are just not consistently reliable, let alone consistently reliable with a wide variety of ammunition. Siaga's seem nice but you could buy everyone on the block a good used pump for the price of one.
When it comes to shotguns I favor Remington or Mossberg pump shotguns. They are common, cheap, reliable and rugged. I am disinclined to go with semi auto's because the affordable ones are just not consistently reliable, let alone consistently reliable with a wide variety of ammunition. Siaga's seem nice but you could buy everyone on the block a good used pump for the price of one.
BUILDING UP YOUR CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS IN THE SEWING DEPARTMENT
When the SHTF it's unlikely that the big box store from which you buy your pants and shirts is going to be open for business. I strongly feel that in order to be a well-rounded prepper you need to learn the the basics of sewing. This is the story about how I got on the road to learning the absolute basics.
I started off buy making patch work quilts by hand. Patch work quilts are easy because they only involve straight lines. You can use just about anything to make a patch work quilt - old work shirts, old bed sheets, clothes the kids have outgrown, etc. Start small so you don't get overwhelmed or frustrated. Make a patch work quilt that would fit a twin size bed. If that sounds like too much work think about making a lap quilt. Curtains are also a great project for beginners because they usually need only simple stitches and straight lines. Curtains can be made in an afternoon.
The next thing I did was buy an old Singer sewing machine and I made patch work quilts on the machine. I bought a sewing machine that only had the easy and basic stitches. There are a lot of sewing machines on the market ranging from a $125 (for a used one) up to several thousand dollars. I suggest putting off a purchase of an expensive sewing machine until you feel comfortable on a basic model.
My next step was to buy sewing "projects" that came in boxes. For example, I made two teddy bears from a sewing kit that I bought at the fabric store. The kit was inexpensive and the instructions told me exactly what to do. The kit allowed me to understand the importance of patterns. It also helped me to understand how sewn objects are put together. As silly as it sounds that teddy bear kit was a real confidence booster for me.
Another great way to understand how clothes (or other sewn items) are put together is to take them apart piece by piece. Learn how they are constructed by deconstructing them.
A few days ago I bought another sewing kit with instructions and material for an apron inside. My confidence waxed and waned as I worked through the project. The lady at the fabric store told me that it only took her an hour to complete the project. It has taken me a day and I'm still not done, but I must admit that the apron looks pretty good. By using this kit I was able to learn even more about patterns and sewing techniques such as how to sew on a ruffle. My confidence is slowly rising even further.
My next (and last) step will probably be to buy a simple pattern to make a shirt or maybe a skirt. I'm excited because it's taken me a while to get to this skill level.
I began sewing about 3 years ago. Sewing is part art, part science, part skill, and part luck. It is not something you can learn overnight!!! Start small, stay within your skill range, don't give up, go slow, and only work on projects that look fun so you will stay interested.
If TSHTF and the big box store and the local seamstress is AWOL it's important that you be able to know how to make basic clothing. Food and firearms are important but clothing to brave the elements is essential also.
by Sam In The Trailer Park
TOR HERE: I just want to thank Sam for the post. On another note I am pleased to announce that her trailer park still hasn't been wiped out by a tornado.
I started off buy making patch work quilts by hand. Patch work quilts are easy because they only involve straight lines. You can use just about anything to make a patch work quilt - old work shirts, old bed sheets, clothes the kids have outgrown, etc. Start small so you don't get overwhelmed or frustrated. Make a patch work quilt that would fit a twin size bed. If that sounds like too much work think about making a lap quilt. Curtains are also a great project for beginners because they usually need only simple stitches and straight lines. Curtains can be made in an afternoon.
The next thing I did was buy an old Singer sewing machine and I made patch work quilts on the machine. I bought a sewing machine that only had the easy and basic stitches. There are a lot of sewing machines on the market ranging from a $125 (for a used one) up to several thousand dollars. I suggest putting off a purchase of an expensive sewing machine until you feel comfortable on a basic model.
My next step was to buy sewing "projects" that came in boxes. For example, I made two teddy bears from a sewing kit that I bought at the fabric store. The kit was inexpensive and the instructions told me exactly what to do. The kit allowed me to understand the importance of patterns. It also helped me to understand how sewn objects are put together. As silly as it sounds that teddy bear kit was a real confidence booster for me.
Another great way to understand how clothes (or other sewn items) are put together is to take them apart piece by piece. Learn how they are constructed by deconstructing them.
A few days ago I bought another sewing kit with instructions and material for an apron inside. My confidence waxed and waned as I worked through the project. The lady at the fabric store told me that it only took her an hour to complete the project. It has taken me a day and I'm still not done, but I must admit that the apron looks pretty good. By using this kit I was able to learn even more about patterns and sewing techniques such as how to sew on a ruffle. My confidence is slowly rising even further.
My next (and last) step will probably be to buy a simple pattern to make a shirt or maybe a skirt. I'm excited because it's taken me a while to get to this skill level.
I began sewing about 3 years ago. Sewing is part art, part science, part skill, and part luck. It is not something you can learn overnight!!! Start small, stay within your skill range, don't give up, go slow, and only work on projects that look fun so you will stay interested.
If TSHTF and the big box store and the local seamstress is AWOL it's important that you be able to know how to make basic clothing. Food and firearms are important but clothing to brave the elements is essential also.
by Sam In The Trailer Park
TOR HERE: I just want to thank Sam for the post. On another note I am pleased to announce that her trailer park still hasn't been wiped out by a tornado.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Long Day
We traveled back home today. It was a long flight and Walker was suprisingly and remarkably chill, he just slept a lot. Got a bottle of Glennfiddich 15 at the duty free for 30% off which is cool. I am eager to sample it at some point. Other than that it was nice to see some of our old stomping grounds on the ride from the airport. I had some Arby's which I was really looking forward to.
Anyway I just wanted to let you guys know we arrived safely and didn't get stuck in Philidelphia again.
Anyway I just wanted to let you guys know we arrived safely and didn't get stuck in Philidelphia again.
Random Thoughts On Fitness
The thing the form folks fail to see is that while form can appear alone it also follows function. Particularly if you exercise in a diverse and proportional manner appearance takes care of itself. Look at an MMA fighter or a wrestler, a competitive crossfitter, triathelete or the like. These folks generally have what could be considered pleasing physiques. However do they spend hours sculpting their muscles or doing strange exercises to work a new part of their abs, no way. They are lifting weights or doing body control stuff, running or whatever. Show me a guy who can power clean 1.5 times his body weight and run five miles at a decent pace and I will show you a guy who probably looks like he is in good shape. A gal who has the strength to be an effective fighter and the stamina to fight for 20 minutes has decent looking legs and a nice stomach.
Personally I don't care much what I look like. I care about capabilities. If given the choice between looking like a Greek god with minimal abilities and looking like a sloppy everyday Joe but being able to lift and do body weight/ control stuff like a beast then run well I would look sloppy any day.
Maybe a guy wants to fill out a t shirt a bit better or a woman would like to look better in a pair of jeans. I am not judging folks for this. However as a prepper/ survivalist your goal is to be more physically capable so focus not on appearance but on capability. You will almost surely find that appearance follows anyway.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
An Interesting Discussion on Shotguns
Is going on at Surviving in Argentina AKA FerFal's blog. My thoughts, rehashed from previous posts and maybe slightly evolved are as follows. The shotgun has some real benefits which relate just loosely to the weapon itself.
A servicable defensive rifle such as an AK, AR or some sort of .308 can be a real trial on a modest budget. For some folks it would take a very long time to save up for or just not be affordable until their situation changes. Defensive shotguns in the form of Mossberg 500's and Remington 870's are cheap. You can get them gently used and perfectly servicable for under $200 in used gun racks and pawn shops until you run out of cash or closet space. Of course like anything you can spend as much as you want. Somebody out there makes a $3,000 high tech custom defensive shotgun (interestingly unless it's a semi auto I would go dollars to doughnuts it's an 870 with lots of bells and whistles). However an 18-20" barreled pump shotgun will do 90% of what it will do at 10% of the cost. Bison's 90/10 rule definitely applies here. My advise is not to church it up. Get a pump shotgun, a sling and something to hold extra shells and practice.
Also there are a lot of bird/ deer/ skeet guns out there which can be readily put into defensive service with an appropriate length barrel and some buckshot. $10 bucks in buckshot and $5 in slugs turns a dove gun into a house gun. Versatility is a strongpoint here. If you live in an oppressive area then shotguns have another plus. They are not specifically targeted by much in the way of anti gun legislation. They are umbiquitious and within their performance envelope an effective weapon.
If you can afford a good semi auto rifle then you should get one. It might be the way to go for a home defense long gun. However if your budget or inclination lean towards a shotgun that is fine too. Understand your chosen weapons strengths and weaknesses and train with it. It is generally more about the person behind the gun than the gun itself.
A servicable defensive rifle such as an AK, AR or some sort of .308 can be a real trial on a modest budget. For some folks it would take a very long time to save up for or just not be affordable until their situation changes. Defensive shotguns in the form of Mossberg 500's and Remington 870's are cheap. You can get them gently used and perfectly servicable for under $200 in used gun racks and pawn shops until you run out of cash or closet space. Of course like anything you can spend as much as you want. Somebody out there makes a $3,000 high tech custom defensive shotgun (interestingly unless it's a semi auto I would go dollars to doughnuts it's an 870 with lots of bells and whistles). However an 18-20" barreled pump shotgun will do 90% of what it will do at 10% of the cost. Bison's 90/10 rule definitely applies here. My advise is not to church it up. Get a pump shotgun, a sling and something to hold extra shells and practice.
Also there are a lot of bird/ deer/ skeet guns out there which can be readily put into defensive service with an appropriate length barrel and some buckshot. $10 bucks in buckshot and $5 in slugs turns a dove gun into a house gun. Versatility is a strongpoint here. If you live in an oppressive area then shotguns have another plus. They are not specifically targeted by much in the way of anti gun legislation. They are umbiquitious and within their performance envelope an effective weapon.
If you can afford a good semi auto rifle then you should get one. It might be the way to go for a home defense long gun. However if your budget or inclination lean towards a shotgun that is fine too. Understand your chosen weapons strengths and weaknesses and train with it. It is generally more about the person behind the gun than the gun itself.
New Years Resolutions Concluded
Well the year isn't quite over yet but it seemed like a good time to see how I have done on my goals. Lined through are completed.
My goals for this year.
Personal:
1.Pay more attention to my wife. This one is continual but I think it went OK.
2. Travel a lot. We did pretty good at this one. Went to Croatia, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic and Paris.
Personal Stuff:
3.We can use a few smaller things like a new TV and another laptop. The main push however is to get a reliable second car which we pay cash for.
Financial:
4.Stash some more Euro's. Say E400 or so. Didn't quite get to 400 but I am calling it close enough.
5.Contribute 10% of our total take home to retirement.
6. Stash at least a half an ounce of gold and 40 ounces of silver. Didn't get too far on
the silver. Sorta misestimated what we were capable of. Also prices going up did not help.
7.Continue to not make stupid choices.
Skills:
8. Take an automotive class. They offer them on base and I need to know more about car repair.
This one got replaced by brewing some beer which I did.
9. Be able to setup and trouble shoot a small solar setup. Sorta mute since I went with a solar charger and a bunch of eneloop batteries.
Preparedness Stuff :
10. A good radio that can pick up everything. Probably a Grundig.
11.Maybe a Berkey water filter and maybe some spare elements for it and the portable filter.
12.A basic solar setup.
Gun Stuff:
12.Buy a full case of .223
13.Buy a full case of 9mm.
14.Glock 9mm mags. At least 10 and ideally closer to 20.
15.Some M1a mags. At least 10 and ideally closer to 20.
16.A few more spare parts and at least one AR15 full bolt carrier group.
Also picked up a full case of 7.62x39 and another 10 mags for that gun.
Food Rotation:
17. Get a pressure canning setup and can something.
This one just didn'thappen. We can't get any of the stuff locally and paying shipping negates any financial benefits. I am willing to do it just for the sake of the skill but not with that hassle.
18.Get a dehydrator and dehydrate something. Did this.
And Just To Get To An Even 20......
19. Get a subscription to Backwoods Home Magazine and otherwise work on my self sufficiency/ preparedness library.
20. Join a gun rights organization.
Time for discussion. Things went pretty well. All the more expensive goals have been met. A couple goals just didn't pan out. I never got around to more spare parts because I ended up getting other stuff. On the whole I am happy with this years accomplishments.
Oh yeah and click on my advertisers links and buy lots of their stuff.
My goals for this year.
Personal:
1.
2.
Personal Stuff:
3.
Financial:
4.
5.
6.
the silver. Sorta misestimated what we were capable of. Also prices going up did not help.
7.
Skills:
8. Take an automotive class. They offer them on base and I need to know more about car repair.
9. Be able to setup and trouble shoot a small solar setup.
Preparedness Stuff :
10.
11.
12.
Gun Stuff:
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Food Rotation:
17. Get a pressure canning setup and can something.
This one just didn'thappen. We can't get any of the stuff locally and paying shipping negates any financial benefits. I am willing to do it just for the sake of the skill but not with that hassle.
18.
And Just To Get To An Even 20......
19. Get a subscription to Backwoods Home Magazine and otherwise work on my self sufficiency/ preparedness library.
20. Join a gun rights organization.
Time for discussion. Things went pretty well. All the more expensive goals have been met. A couple goals just didn't pan out. I never got around to more spare parts because I ended up getting other stuff. On the whole I am happy with this years accomplishments.
Oh yeah and click on my advertisers links and buy lots of their stuff.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Silver, Gold or Lead
I really don't think precious metals are for the faint of heart. I have had significant paper losses and recently paper huge gains (informally defined as changes in value of a commodity or stock you own but do not plan to sell so they are not actually realized). If you can't handle that then stay out of PM's. Anyway in general I do not try to time the market but right now things are IMO getting stupid. At the time of this writing silver is at $29.81 and gold is at $1405. Just look at the charts over the last 2,5,10 or 15 years. To me it is 1980 all over again and I don't want to buy at or close to the top.
On the bright side ammo prices have gone down significantly. For awhile ammo was unavailable entirely and prices were stupid when it was. The hysteria after our President's election has calmed down and supply has caught back up with demand. Anyway my point is that there is plenty of ammo available at very reasonable prices.
I do not think that one replaces the other. Ammunition is very important and you should get at least a few hundred rounds per gun as well as some food, etc before considering financial moves like an emergency fund, paying off debt and precious metals. I look at PM's as the tangible and contrarian piece in our overall financial plans. A gold coin can buy your way across a borderm, get you a place to stay or food to eat. Ammo can let you sustain your shooting skills, put food on the table or shoot people.
Obviously very different items for very different needs. I just think that one being high and the other low is interesting. It makes some sense to shift from purchasing items which have gone drastically up in price for ones that are low or stable.
Personally I pondered this one for most of today. I think I will just let cash accumulate in the precious metals fund for awhile in anticipation of a buying opportunity. Took an approximate (not 100% but I have a decent idea) inventory our magazine. While it would be nice to have 3 more cases of every caliber (also a sailboat and a tube of Krudgerrand's;) and I plan to purchase some ammunition next year (probably a half case of .38 special, a half case of buckshot and just maybe some random rifle ammo) on the whole we are doing fine.
Each unique situation is different and you need to assess your own concerns and needs. I just think that if you have a few prep dollars to spare and are disinclined to put it into PM's right now, then this is a good time to fill any ammo needs you may have.
On the bright side ammo prices have gone down significantly. For awhile ammo was unavailable entirely and prices were stupid when it was. The hysteria after our President's election has calmed down and supply has caught back up with demand. Anyway my point is that there is plenty of ammo available at very reasonable prices.
I do not think that one replaces the other. Ammunition is very important and you should get at least a few hundred rounds per gun as well as some food, etc before considering financial moves like an emergency fund, paying off debt and precious metals. I look at PM's as the tangible and contrarian piece in our overall financial plans. A gold coin can buy your way across a borderm, get you a place to stay or food to eat. Ammo can let you sustain your shooting skills, put food on the table or shoot people.
Obviously very different items for very different needs. I just think that one being high and the other low is interesting. It makes some sense to shift from purchasing items which have gone drastically up in price for ones that are low or stable.
Personally I pondered this one for most of today. I think I will just let cash accumulate in the precious metals fund for awhile in anticipation of a buying opportunity. Took an approximate (not 100% but I have a decent idea) inventory our magazine. While it would be nice to have 3 more cases of every caliber (also a sailboat and a tube of Krudgerrand's;) and I plan to purchase some ammunition next year (probably a half case of .38 special, a half case of buckshot and just maybe some random rifle ammo) on the whole we are doing fine.
Each unique situation is different and you need to assess your own concerns and needs. I just think that if you have a few prep dollars to spare and are disinclined to put it into PM's right now, then this is a good time to fill any ammo needs you may have.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Someone's Got a Case of the Mondays
As a blogger every now and then I have the idea for my next post fully formed and the thing practically written in my head when I see a post elsewhere that says exactly what I was going to say better than I could. This morning was sort of one of those days. SHTF Blog's post Prepper Burnout- Identify and combat it really struck a cord with me.
I've been feeling sort of burned out recently. Since I got back last Friday it has been evident enough that people I talk to are noticing it during conversation. I got to really thinking about why this was last night. I laid there for about 3 hours just thinking.
A bit of it is just life. Work has recently (last 2-3 months or so) been busy, not particularly rewarding and more stressful than in the past. That is definitely a factor. I am pretty ready to take a break for the holidays.
I got to thinking that a lot of it however is what SHTF Blog keenly identified as Prepper Burnout. Right now our big push is to become debt free by paying off my school loan. We are putting an almost rediculous percentage of our income toward that goal. Things are working but it isn't fun. While we have decent reserves our general operating budget is tight. This is creating a lot of stress in our finances that would not otherwise exist. The payoff date is pretty darn close so it isn't really worth tweeking things. However if we had it to do over again a slightly less aggressive (about 10-15% less a month) repayment plan would have given us most of the benefit with a lot less stress.
Also not being colocated with a lot of my preps stresses me. Not so much in a worring about if things happen and I am not there sort of way as I am comfortable with our situation here. More that I got a lot of joy in seeing my stocks and watching stuff accumulate. It makes the work and effort I put into stuff worthwhile and also has a real calming effect on me. The work is still there but the calming effects are not.
It probably doesn't help that we are currently living through a preparedness scenario. Just because it isn't a fun, quick or sexy scenario doesn't make it any less real. Employment is bad, the economy is at best uncertain, crime is up, there is inflation in normal purchases and all kinds of other bad stuff. That you can't carry a rifle everywhere and there is still electricity doesn't mean real stuff isn't going down.
Anyway enough with the pitty party. The real question is what am I going to do about it. Today I started making a couple conscious efforts and made a bit of progress. The day sucked especially bad and my mood is, at least relatively speaking pretty good. The first thing I decided was to do at least a couple things in a day just because I enjoy them. Today I had a doughnut for breakfast on a work day. Also I had a little time with no TV/ computer or other noise just hanging out with Walker. That was nice and took my mind off things.
Really wanted to get back into the gym today but it just didn't work with my schedule. Tomorrow I think it will. Lifting once in a blue moon or a couple times in a row randomly won't do much for my body but I enjoy it and it gets those good endorphins going. Lastly I am just trying to enjoy the little things and force myself to be happier. Remember, fake it until you make it. Going home, seeing friends and family, shooting my own guns, repacking all my new awesome stuff and just plain taking a break will hopefully help a lot.
See you all tomorrow
I've been feeling sort of burned out recently. Since I got back last Friday it has been evident enough that people I talk to are noticing it during conversation. I got to really thinking about why this was last night. I laid there for about 3 hours just thinking.
A bit of it is just life. Work has recently (last 2-3 months or so) been busy, not particularly rewarding and more stressful than in the past. That is definitely a factor. I am pretty ready to take a break for the holidays.
I got to thinking that a lot of it however is what SHTF Blog keenly identified as Prepper Burnout. Right now our big push is to become debt free by paying off my school loan. We are putting an almost rediculous percentage of our income toward that goal. Things are working but it isn't fun. While we have decent reserves our general operating budget is tight. This is creating a lot of stress in our finances that would not otherwise exist. The payoff date is pretty darn close so it isn't really worth tweeking things. However if we had it to do over again a slightly less aggressive (about 10-15% less a month) repayment plan would have given us most of the benefit with a lot less stress.
Also not being colocated with a lot of my preps stresses me. Not so much in a worring about if things happen and I am not there sort of way as I am comfortable with our situation here. More that I got a lot of joy in seeing my stocks and watching stuff accumulate. It makes the work and effort I put into stuff worthwhile and also has a real calming effect on me. The work is still there but the calming effects are not.
It probably doesn't help that we are currently living through a preparedness scenario. Just because it isn't a fun, quick or sexy scenario doesn't make it any less real. Employment is bad, the economy is at best uncertain, crime is up, there is inflation in normal purchases and all kinds of other bad stuff. That you can't carry a rifle everywhere and there is still electricity doesn't mean real stuff isn't going down.
Anyway enough with the pitty party. The real question is what am I going to do about it. Today I started making a couple conscious efforts and made a bit of progress. The day sucked especially bad and my mood is, at least relatively speaking pretty good. The first thing I decided was to do at least a couple things in a day just because I enjoy them. Today I had a doughnut for breakfast on a work day. Also I had a little time with no TV/ computer or other noise just hanging out with Walker. That was nice and took my mind off things.
Really wanted to get back into the gym today but it just didn't work with my schedule. Tomorrow I think it will. Lifting once in a blue moon or a couple times in a row randomly won't do much for my body but I enjoy it and it gets those good endorphins going. Lastly I am just trying to enjoy the little things and force myself to be happier. Remember, fake it until you make it. Going home, seeing friends and family, shooting my own guns, repacking all my new awesome stuff and just plain taking a break will hopefully help a lot.
See you all tomorrow
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Survey Says
So congratulations to Bro Brandon B. who gets his choice of:
500 rounds of http://www.luckygunner.com/40-sandw-180-gr-fmj-flat-magtech-50-rounds
500 rounds of http://www.luckygunner.com/45-acp-230-gr-fmj-armscor-50-rounds
500 rounds of http://www.luckygunner.com/9mm-115-grain-fmc-magtech-50-rounds
Plus an ammo can: http://www.luckygunner.com/surplus-ammo-can-50-cal-green-new-1
Again I want to thank the good folks at Lucky Gunner for making this contest possible. They support this blog so you should support them. If you plan to purchase ammo then check them out before going elsewhere.
Merry Christmas,
Ryan
What Did You Do To Prepare This Week?
The early part of the week I was busy with work. Did some good training which I may talk about later. Also I read most of a book on investing. Got home late Friday. Saturday I decided to inventory a bunch of stuff including our cash and precious metals. I had a pretty good idea what we had but now I know exactly.
Put another 20 Euro's into our foreign currency reserves. Also I counted and divide up all of our Euro change. Going to change in E30 at my next trip to the bank and put it into the reserves also. It is amazing how change can add up, especially since there are one and two Euro coins as well as 50 cent pieces.
Ordered a 1,000rd case of 9mm Federal 115 gr JHP from Lucky Gunner for $350. The price is usually $380 which is very competitive already but it is on sale for the awesome price of $350 until the 16th. The holidays are definitely an expensive time of year but if you are a bit light on defensive 9mm ammo and have the cash to spare this is a great deal. Also I was pleased to see that they don't stick it to you for shipping. It looks like they just pass on the actual cost of shipping and forgo the punitive 'handling' charges.
Personally I store 3 tiers of ammo for defensive rifles and handguns. The first is real premium stuff (Federal Hydroshok's, Corbon, etc), ya know the kind that costs around a buck a bullet or more. Stocking up is really cost prohibitive so I just keep a few boxes of this stuff. Next is the more generic type of JHP or soft points. This stuff probably isn't quite as good as the real high dollar ammo but it is at a price where I can actually afford to stock up on it. Certainly I would be better off loading this stuff than ball and it doesn't usually cost that much more. This is the Walmart white box hollow points and the like. Lastly is cheap ball ammo which I store mostly for practice.
I also purchased a nice two point adjustable sling. Did some looking and ended up purchasing a Vickers Padded Sling. For most folks a generic sling works fine but I have recently found them to be wanting. As I spend a lot of time carrying a rifle the added utility and comfort should be well worth the $52.
Ended up reordering a Biachi 100 professional holster for my Glock 19. Thought I had got one already (sometimes unfamiliar websites are finicky AKA I am just stupid) but when I went to check on the order it said I didn't exist. Reordered from another site and actually saved $16 which was an added bonus. Hopefully it will get home soon enough to use it at home.
We are headed home for the holidays which I am looking forward to. Haven't been home in awhile so it will be good to be able to see everybody. It looks like I am going to be able to spend some time with my co author's Ryan and Chad which I am excited about. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will be the three of us. However between getting a bit spread out geographically, varying travel/ work schedules and grown up type life commitments we have to take what we can get.
The manager of the warehouse which receives and stores stuff for me said I am going to have my own early Christmas just opening everything. I will have to pick up some ammo cans and properly store the ammo in them. Also I need to organize spare parts in some meaningful way. I am definitely looking forward to shooting.
Considering it was a short week in terms of prep time I am pretty happy how it turned out.
What did you do to prepare this week?
Put another 20 Euro's into our foreign currency reserves. Also I counted and divide up all of our Euro change. Going to change in E30 at my next trip to the bank and put it into the reserves also. It is amazing how change can add up, especially since there are one and two Euro coins as well as 50 cent pieces.
Ordered a 1,000rd case of 9mm Federal 115 gr JHP from Lucky Gunner for $350. The price is usually $380 which is very competitive already but it is on sale for the awesome price of $350 until the 16th. The holidays are definitely an expensive time of year but if you are a bit light on defensive 9mm ammo and have the cash to spare this is a great deal. Also I was pleased to see that they don't stick it to you for shipping. It looks like they just pass on the actual cost of shipping and forgo the punitive 'handling' charges.
Personally I store 3 tiers of ammo for defensive rifles and handguns. The first is real premium stuff (Federal Hydroshok's, Corbon, etc), ya know the kind that costs around a buck a bullet or more. Stocking up is really cost prohibitive so I just keep a few boxes of this stuff. Next is the more generic type of JHP or soft points. This stuff probably isn't quite as good as the real high dollar ammo but it is at a price where I can actually afford to stock up on it. Certainly I would be better off loading this stuff than ball and it doesn't usually cost that much more. This is the Walmart white box hollow points and the like. Lastly is cheap ball ammo which I store mostly for practice.
I also purchased a nice two point adjustable sling. Did some looking and ended up purchasing a Vickers Padded Sling. For most folks a generic sling works fine but I have recently found them to be wanting. As I spend a lot of time carrying a rifle the added utility and comfort should be well worth the $52.
Ended up reordering a Biachi 100 professional holster for my Glock 19. Thought I had got one already (sometimes unfamiliar websites are finicky AKA I am just stupid) but when I went to check on the order it said I didn't exist. Reordered from another site and actually saved $16 which was an added bonus. Hopefully it will get home soon enough to use it at home.
We are headed home for the holidays which I am looking forward to. Haven't been home in awhile so it will be good to be able to see everybody. It looks like I am going to be able to spend some time with my co author's Ryan and Chad which I am excited about. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will be the three of us. However between getting a bit spread out geographically, varying travel/ work schedules and grown up type life commitments we have to take what we can get.
The manager of the warehouse which receives and stores stuff for me said I am going to have my own early Christmas just opening everything. I will have to pick up some ammo cans and properly store the ammo in them. Also I need to organize spare parts in some meaningful way. I am definitely looking forward to shooting.
Considering it was a short week in terms of prep time I am pretty happy how it turned out.
What did you do to prepare this week?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Snow Shoes and Cross Country Ski's
Bro Brandon B inspired today's post with his comment yesterday. I can honestly say I do not know a whole lot about field expedient methods for making snow shoes. I read about it in a miltiary survival manual once. Basically you take a pine branch and then bend in back around on itself (thinning the part that bends or heating it up a bit helps) tying it together and then tying the thing to your foot is the jist of it. I don't think they work very well though they are better than post holing/ wading through the snow.
[A bit of background. I grew up doing a lot of cross country skiing and have done enough snow shoeing to know my way around it.]
Basically the whole point of ski's and snow shoes is to spread out your weight and keep you on top of the snow instead of sinking into it. They both help you move, relatively unimpeeded through snow when it is otherwise difficult or impossible to do so on foot. They are traditionally used in places that have significant amounts of snow throughout the winter. These traditions are especially strong in Northern Europe. I will discuss the characteristics of both then briefly discuss their pro's and con's.
Snow shoes are basically just a big thing that attaches to your foot to spread your weight out over a larger area. The old ones look like a big tennis racket and the more modern ones are made out of metal and or plastic. They vary in size based upon technology and the conditions and weight they are designed to handle. When you look at boyancy snow shoes are sort of like life jackets, they need to be purchased for an individual and their intended use. A set that works for a 90 pound kid will not work for a 200 pound man with a 50 pound pack.
The biggest advantage of snow shoes is that they are relatively easy to use. You need to walk a bit wide (think of the steriotypical bow legged cowboy from the old movies) and be very careful not to get the snowshoes crossed over eachother but fundamentally you are just walking. Most people can get comfortable on snow shoes by taking a short walk in them. Also snow shoes do well in varried/ uneven terrain (particularly in the woods where the holes around the bottom of trees, the snow doesn't accumulate under a pine tree so there is a big hole, can make skiing impossible, and lack of space for relatively long ski's is a real issue) and really deep powder. The disadvantage of snow shoes is that they are a lot slower to use than cross country ski's.
Cross country ski's are how people who live in really snowy places get around. Since you can glide on top of the snow (like water skiing or skating) you can move much faster and burn less energy than on snow shoes. Also on ski's you can go down a hill in two or three minutes that will take a half hour on snow shoes. I find that it is a lot easier to get into a rhythm and really cover ground on ski's than snow shows. However ski's do have some downsides also. First they are, while not too difficult to learn to use, certainly more difficult than snow shoes. In particular the less than ideal slopes (not a nice even cleared downhill style ski slope) inherant of cross country conditions and flexible bindings make it difficult to safely move downhill without a decent amount of skill. If I was keeping a spare set of something around to equip a random friend that came to my beautiful mountain cabin (I wish!) it would be snowshoes. Also some situations are better for snow shoes. Deep powder and moving through the woods are areas where show shoes beat out ski's.
Being able to move over snow under human power is a skill that has become a lower priority in a world of snow mobiles, snow plows and vehicles of all types. However if there wasn't fuel and the snow plows stopped moving it would, for folks in heavy snow areas, be the difference between utter isolation and being able to travel freely. Also cross country skiing and snoe shoeing are great cardiovascular exercise.
Some of my readers might be interested in how these winter travel skills have been employed by guerilla and partisan forces in the past. Some folks, if memory serves me correctly the Norwegians and the Finn's in particular capitalized on the mobility of their skiing skills to mount daring actions against much stronger but less agile and mobile enemies during WWII. In heavy snow areas a person who is a natural on ski's and a decent shot with a rifle could raise hell with a bunch of soldiers on foot.
If you live in an area with heavy snowfall then I urge you to learn to ski and snow shoe this winter.
[A bit of background. I grew up doing a lot of cross country skiing and have done enough snow shoeing to know my way around it.]
Basically the whole point of ski's and snow shoes is to spread out your weight and keep you on top of the snow instead of sinking into it. They both help you move, relatively unimpeeded through snow when it is otherwise difficult or impossible to do so on foot. They are traditionally used in places that have significant amounts of snow throughout the winter. These traditions are especially strong in Northern Europe. I will discuss the characteristics of both then briefly discuss their pro's and con's.
Snow shoes are basically just a big thing that attaches to your foot to spread your weight out over a larger area. The old ones look like a big tennis racket and the more modern ones are made out of metal and or plastic. They vary in size based upon technology and the conditions and weight they are designed to handle. When you look at boyancy snow shoes are sort of like life jackets, they need to be purchased for an individual and their intended use. A set that works for a 90 pound kid will not work for a 200 pound man with a 50 pound pack.
The biggest advantage of snow shoes is that they are relatively easy to use. You need to walk a bit wide (think of the steriotypical bow legged cowboy from the old movies) and be very careful not to get the snowshoes crossed over eachother but fundamentally you are just walking. Most people can get comfortable on snow shoes by taking a short walk in them. Also snow shoes do well in varried/ uneven terrain (particularly in the woods where the holes around the bottom of trees, the snow doesn't accumulate under a pine tree so there is a big hole, can make skiing impossible, and lack of space for relatively long ski's is a real issue) and really deep powder. The disadvantage of snow shoes is that they are a lot slower to use than cross country ski's.
Cross country ski's are how people who live in really snowy places get around. Since you can glide on top of the snow (like water skiing or skating) you can move much faster and burn less energy than on snow shoes. Also on ski's you can go down a hill in two or three minutes that will take a half hour on snow shoes. I find that it is a lot easier to get into a rhythm and really cover ground on ski's than snow shows. However ski's do have some downsides also. First they are, while not too difficult to learn to use, certainly more difficult than snow shoes. In particular the less than ideal slopes (not a nice even cleared downhill style ski slope) inherant of cross country conditions and flexible bindings make it difficult to safely move downhill without a decent amount of skill. If I was keeping a spare set of something around to equip a random friend that came to my beautiful mountain cabin (I wish!) it would be snowshoes. Also some situations are better for snow shoes. Deep powder and moving through the woods are areas where show shoes beat out ski's.
Being able to move over snow under human power is a skill that has become a lower priority in a world of snow mobiles, snow plows and vehicles of all types. However if there wasn't fuel and the snow plows stopped moving it would, for folks in heavy snow areas, be the difference between utter isolation and being able to travel freely. Also cross country skiing and snoe shoeing are great cardiovascular exercise.
Some of my readers might be interested in how these winter travel skills have been employed by guerilla and partisan forces in the past. Some folks, if memory serves me correctly the Norwegians and the Finn's in particular capitalized on the mobility of their skiing skills to mount daring actions against much stronger but less agile and mobile enemies during WWII. In heavy snow areas a person who is a natural on ski's and a decent shot with a rifle could raise hell with a bunch of soldiers on foot.
If you live in an area with heavy snowfall then I urge you to learn to ski and snow shoe this winter.
Truths For Grown Ups
1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch three consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from three feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!
24. The first testicular guard, the "cup," was used in hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.
To give credit where it is due I stole this from Patrice who writes the excellent blog Rural Revolution.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch three consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from three feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!
24. The first testicular guard, the "cup," was used in hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.
To give credit where it is due I stole this from Patrice who writes the excellent blog Rural Revolution.
Quote of the Day, an Interesting Post and a Good Blog
-American Mercenary
I follow a lot of blogs to varying degrees. One of them is American Mercenary. I particularly enjoyed this recent post about information security and cyber warfare. If you are looking to expand your reading check out his stuff.
Friday, December 10, 2010
I'm Baaack!
It was cold, snowy and just plain nasty. Average temperature was around 20f or so. It snowed a lot and there was a biting wind. The foot or so of unpacked snow played hell with walking, let alone running and other more vigerous activities. However it wasn't too bad. We do have pretty good gear which makes a huge difference. Also I had a warm dry place to go in my off hours and generally got decent sleep which helps a lot.
I did write every day (just no net to post) so next time this happens there will be posts which is good. Been thinking and fiddling with slings a lot lately. Decided I need to just throw down the cash for a purpose built two point adjustable sling. Will announce the winner of our awesome contest as soon as I can.
Got home pretty late tonight. Wifey made a nice dinner and I got to spend some time with Walker which was cool. He smiles and sort of tries to play now which is cool. Makes him a bit more interesting to hang out with. I am looking forward to a calm weekend at home. Anyway I have nothing else huge to say so I will talk to you tomorrow.
Ryan
I did write every day (just no net to post) so next time this happens there will be posts which is good. Been thinking and fiddling with slings a lot lately. Decided I need to just throw down the cash for a purpose built two point adjustable sling. Will announce the winner of our awesome contest as soon as I can.
Got home pretty late tonight. Wifey made a nice dinner and I got to spend some time with Walker which was cool. He smiles and sort of tries to play now which is cool. Makes him a bit more interesting to hang out with. I am looking forward to a calm weekend at home. Anyway I have nothing else huge to say so I will talk to you tomorrow.
Ryan
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