Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
What Did You Do To Prepare This Week?
With having another kid and all not a lot happened this week. Did pick up various extra hygiene stuff and OTC meds. Also replaced some batteries that had been used.
Also I did some tweeking to my GHB. I think at this point it is going to slide from a true EDC to a lives in the car GHB. Adding that $20 brand new USGI gore tex and a couple light weight tops, 2 spare mags for the Glock, 100 rounds of 9mm,100 rounds of .22 and about 2k more in calories in food. It was annoying to haul for my few strictly EDC things but now I don't really want to haul it to class and whatnot. If I was going in someone elses car or whatever I would put my few EDC things in it but otherwise it's just going to live in the vehicle/ near me. Will likely get another bag to fill the EDC in the near future.
I'm working on swapping another gun or two. Noticed two interesting phenomenons worth discussing. The first are folks who think that they can get new gun prices for their barely *cough they are all barely used come selling time cough* used gun. Sorry folks, when you take it out of the gun shop it becomes used. Period. END OF STORY. The second are the people who send you a note asking what the absolute lowest price you will take is. Most smart folks build in some bargaining room to their asking price so there is some wiggle room but come on. If you are too lazy to bargain you pay asking price or walk. Anyway these two things have been annoying me lately.
Also as a bonus I almost appreciate the guy who sends an email offering half the going price of guns. Helll no I won't sell him a Glock for $300 but can't blame the guy for trying. Guess he is sort of the used gun equivalent of the dude who asks every woman he meets if she wants to have sex. Even if the rate is 3% if he asks 100 folks week he does pretty decent.
This coming week I am getting back to eating right and serious PT which is good. Planning to review the Solo Pot 900 also. Will put some work in on my BOB and just maybe talk about my GHB.
What did you do to prepare this week?
Also I did some tweeking to my GHB. I think at this point it is going to slide from a true EDC to a lives in the car GHB. Adding that $20 brand new USGI gore tex and a couple light weight tops, 2 spare mags for the Glock, 100 rounds of 9mm,100 rounds of .22 and about 2k more in calories in food. It was annoying to haul for my few strictly EDC things but now I don't really want to haul it to class and whatnot. If I was going in someone elses car or whatever I would put my few EDC things in it but otherwise it's just going to live in the vehicle/ near me. Will likely get another bag to fill the EDC in the near future.
I'm working on swapping another gun or two. Noticed two interesting phenomenons worth discussing. The first are folks who think that they can get new gun prices for their barely *cough they are all barely used come selling time cough* used gun. Sorry folks, when you take it out of the gun shop it becomes used. Period. END OF STORY. The second are the people who send you a note asking what the absolute lowest price you will take is. Most smart folks build in some bargaining room to their asking price so there is some wiggle room but come on. If you are too lazy to bargain you pay asking price or walk. Anyway these two things have been annoying me lately.
Also as a bonus I almost appreciate the guy who sends an email offering half the going price of guns. Helll no I won't sell him a Glock for $300 but can't blame the guy for trying. Guess he is sort of the used gun equivalent of the dude who asks every woman he meets if she wants to have sex. Even if the rate is 3% if he asks 100 folks week he does pretty decent.
This coming week I am getting back to eating right and serious PT which is good. Planning to review the Solo Pot 900 also. Will put some work in on my BOB and just maybe talk about my GHB.
What did you do to prepare this week?
Sunday, December 23, 2012
A Couple New Blogs
Max in Colorado Springs has been around for awhile but this is the first time I've seen it. He is a frequent commenter here and seems like a good dude.
Backup Disaster Recovery is a new site. Seems to be sort of an aggregator but it's a bit soon to tell exactly what it's going to be like.
Both are worth checking out if you have spots open on the ole internet reading list.
Backup Disaster Recovery is a new site. Seems to be sort of an aggregator but it's a bit soon to tell exactly what it's going to be like.
Both are worth checking out if you have spots open on the ole internet reading list.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
3 Guns For ....
Some folks have talked about a 3 gun scenario and due to boredom I feel like chiming in.
My thoughts on a basic battery (rifle, shotgun, pistol, .22) are on the record being an AR, Remington 870, Glock 9mm and Ruger 10/22. I talked about my families survival guns awhile back. Those are my Glock 19 and AR, Ruger 10/22 and Remington 870 and Wifey's .38 and if we can fit it in a 30'06. I have thought about this one for awhile and 3 guns is a lot less than ideal. While it is worth noting that the 3 gun scenarios folks have talked about are for an individual so I will go that route. For a family I would be pretty unhappy with anything but a basic battery. A basic battery would let a viable defensive long gun be at home and with the person going out with a pistol somewhere in the mix so it has some options.
My first two guns in almost any conceivable scenario are an AR, pretty happy with Project AR but any good functional rifle works and a Glock 19. The third gun is the rub. I have a hard time going generic here so it has to be somewhat scenario specific.
If I really cared about legally hunting (within this contrived scenario) the rifle would need to be something that is legal to hunt with. This is a great case for a semi auto .308 like a PTR-91 or an FN-FAL.
For an economic collapse or long term survivalist scenario I would have the 3rd gun be a Remington 870. This gives me the ability to take a wide variety of game and to use one of the most common types of ammunition out there. Since a .22 conversion bolt will let me shoot .22LR out of the AR (almost cheating but since it is just a $200 bolt and magazine that can fit in a mag pouch it isn't too bad IMO) I have a lot of options. In general for anything except a very military context this is the way I would go.
If I was in some sort of a Red Dawn scenario the third gun would be a .30 caliber scoped 'precision' rifle. The .22 conversion kit and AR could keep me fed if I was scavenging. The AR is good for just about everything with the Glock 9 as a backup. In a military context the only other gun (aside from multiples stashed away) that would buy me something is a rifle that could be used from a really long distance.
Anyway those are my thoughts on that. If somehow you were stuck with just 3 guns what would they be?
My thoughts on a basic battery (rifle, shotgun, pistol, .22) are on the record being an AR, Remington 870, Glock 9mm and Ruger 10/22. I talked about my families survival guns awhile back. Those are my Glock 19 and AR, Ruger 10/22 and Remington 870 and Wifey's .38 and if we can fit it in a 30'06. I have thought about this one for awhile and 3 guns is a lot less than ideal. While it is worth noting that the 3 gun scenarios folks have talked about are for an individual so I will go that route. For a family I would be pretty unhappy with anything but a basic battery. A basic battery would let a viable defensive long gun be at home and with the person going out with a pistol somewhere in the mix so it has some options.
My first two guns in almost any conceivable scenario are an AR, pretty happy with Project AR but any good functional rifle works and a Glock 19. The third gun is the rub. I have a hard time going generic here so it has to be somewhat scenario specific.
If I really cared about legally hunting (within this contrived scenario) the rifle would need to be something that is legal to hunt with. This is a great case for a semi auto .308 like a PTR-91 or an FN-FAL.
For an economic collapse or long term survivalist scenario I would have the 3rd gun be a Remington 870. This gives me the ability to take a wide variety of game and to use one of the most common types of ammunition out there. Since a .22 conversion bolt will let me shoot .22LR out of the AR (almost cheating but since it is just a $200 bolt and magazine that can fit in a mag pouch it isn't too bad IMO) I have a lot of options. In general for anything except a very military context this is the way I would go.
If I was in some sort of a Red Dawn scenario the third gun would be a .30 caliber scoped 'precision' rifle. The .22 conversion kit and AR could keep me fed if I was scavenging. The AR is good for just about everything with the Glock 9 as a backup. In a military context the only other gun (aside from multiples stashed away) that would buy me something is a rifle that could be used from a really long distance.
Anyway those are my thoughts on that. If somehow you were stuck with just 3 guns what would they be?
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Busy Saturday: Night Sights, Good Food and Big Fun
Today we were all over the place. This morning we went to the farmers market in town. It was pretty small but was still fun. We got some pistachios and kiddo got a cookie. Ran down to Wally World for a garden hose and picked up some .357 ammo to help fill that shortage and a Blackhawk holster for the Glock 19. After taking it home and fiddling with it I wasn't very happy. The retention seems to be some weird little plastic thing that seems really flimsy. It will get returned on our next trip there.
Recently Tam talked about some night sights. Since I likestealing borrowing ideas from folks who are more knowledgable than me on a given subject and I needed some night sights for my heater a set were ordered. They showed up the other day and I took them to the local gun shop for installation. I should order the tools to do this sort of thing myself but it would probably take forever to recoup the costs. Anyway they were nice enough to put them on right away and didn't charge me anything. These folks understand building relationships and the concept of a loss leader. Since I owed them one and needed some things anyway one of those new 25 round .22 magazines and a Galco Matrix paddle holster came home with me. Both were on the list so it was an easy decision. For small purchases a local dealers slightly higher price is less than shipping anyway. The sites seem quite nice, fast to acquire but still capable of deliberate shots.
We also checked out the local food coop which was great. They had all sorts of interesting food and homeopathic/ alternative medicine stuff. After that we hit a new park which was big fun for the kid. Shortly therafter we went home to make dinner and were in for the night.
Anyway lots of fun stuff happened and the Glock has sweet new sights.
Recently Tam talked about some night sights. Since I like
We also checked out the local food coop which was great. They had all sorts of interesting food and homeopathic/ alternative medicine stuff. After that we hit a new park which was big fun for the kid. Shortly therafter we went home to make dinner and were in for the night.
Anyway lots of fun stuff happened and the Glock has sweet new sights.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Odds N Ends: Interwebz, Ammo and Big Fun
I got internet set up today at the new place which is nice. Generally trying to get settled in here. As I am running advon for the family I find myself doing a lot of stuff that has previously been Wifey's job. That means it is new to me so there has been some wasted efforts. Oh well.
Did the ammo inventories today. Some interesting stuff for sure. We are pretty short on 30-30 at just 320 rounds and .357 magnum at 150. The 30-30 is more pressing. The big wheel gun could get fed .38 special if needed we have plenty of that. Granted I really don't NEED the 30-30 ammo so much but can't see a reason not to have a reasonable amount of ammo for a rifle I really like. Would like to be at 500 rounds for both calibers.
On the bright side we have more 7.62x39 than I thought. Plenty of .30.06 (especially since the Garand is marked for sale), .38 special, and 9mm. The .223 situation is OK though I would like to set back 2 more cases. Old .22 long isn't doing bad but could use about three thousand more rounds. Over the next year or so I suspect these deficiencies will get fixes unless the world ends. Regardless I am not too worried. We have enough ammo that it is not likely to be a pressing problem.
Most of the ammo is nicely organized now. Boxes are generally 1 caliber (a few orphan cases are inevitable) and are clearly marked with caliber and quantity of contents. I do plan to try and pick up a few more ammo cans to get everything packed away right instead of putting the rest in a giant 120mm mortar can. Will try and do that tomorrow.
The 'go cans' got packed at least with their tentative contents. Going to mull it a bit then talk it with you all tomorrow.
Anyway that is what I have been up to today.
Did the ammo inventories today. Some interesting stuff for sure. We are pretty short on 30-30 at just 320 rounds and .357 magnum at 150. The 30-30 is more pressing. The big wheel gun could get fed .38 special if needed we have plenty of that. Granted I really don't NEED the 30-30 ammo so much but can't see a reason not to have a reasonable amount of ammo for a rifle I really like. Would like to be at 500 rounds for both calibers.
On the bright side we have more 7.62x39 than I thought. Plenty of .30.06 (especially since the Garand is marked for sale), .38 special, and 9mm. The .223 situation is OK though I would like to set back 2 more cases. Old .22 long isn't doing bad but could use about three thousand more rounds. Over the next year or so I suspect these deficiencies will get fixes unless the world ends. Regardless I am not too worried. We have enough ammo that it is not likely to be a pressing problem.
Most of the ammo is nicely organized now. Boxes are generally 1 caliber (a few orphan cases are inevitable) and are clearly marked with caliber and quantity of contents. I do plan to try and pick up a few more ammo cans to get everything packed away right instead of putting the rest in a giant 120mm mortar can. Will try and do that tomorrow.
The 'go cans' got packed at least with their tentative contents. Going to mull it a bit then talk it with you all tomorrow.
Anyway that is what I have been up to today.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Notes From The Road- Day 3
Well I am safely in Arizona. Got a late start today. Partially because I slept in which was totally worth it. Then I ordered what looked like a quick to go breakfast and waited almost an hour. Ended up not really getting onto the road until close to 11.
The miles flew by and I got some good pictures. Hit rush hour in Phoenix which sucked. Ended up getting a late linner (lunch-dinner) in Tuscon at In and Out Burger. First time I had ever been there. The burger was good but I am not so sure about the fries. Will have to try again to see if it was an anomaly.
Anyway I am at my destination and in a motel for the night. Tomorrow if all goes well I will get into our residence. Wifey and kiddo will follow in a couple weeks when things are set up.
So far Constitution Carry and In and Out are compelling reasons that Arizona is pretty awesome.
Think I am going to take a shower and hit the sack,
R
The miles flew by and I got some good pictures. Hit rush hour in Phoenix which sucked. Ended up getting a late linner (lunch-dinner) in Tuscon at In and Out Burger. First time I had ever been there. The burger was good but I am not so sure about the fries. Will have to try again to see if it was an anomaly.
Anyway I am at my destination and in a motel for the night. Tomorrow if all goes well I will get into our residence. Wifey and kiddo will follow in a couple weeks when things are set up.
So far Constitution Carry and In and Out are compelling reasons that Arizona is pretty awesome.
Think I am going to take a shower and hit the sack,
R
Sunday, September 30, 2012
The Little Stuff
Some little things let you make the most of what we already have.
Maybe you just like shooting and are not all that big into preparing to be a guerrilla or whatever. Spending a couple/ few hundred bucks on a setup might not be something you want to do. However an old school ALICE setup can often be had for less than $30 or you can get a MOLLE rifleman's setup for $40.
You may or may not want to get new cool guy guns. One could argue with some validity that any reasonable choices including revolvers, bolt or lever action rifles and all manner of pump shotguns are just fine. Buy some ammo for your Grandads old .38 or .44 and some buckshot for the bird gun or whatever guns are lying around the house and call it good.
Slings are really useful if you are going to carry a rifle around a lot. Having a well thought out quality sling for your practical rifles is important. For the others at least have something. Heck a half dozen extra cheap slings 1, 2 tacked onto an order at some point might not be a bad idea. Some folks will be caught short and for 5 or 6 bucks now you could help them out.
The same could be said for holsters except they are more of a hassle. A rifle needs 1 good sling (though it may take awhile to find which one that is) while pistols usually need multiple holsters. Which ones depends on the gun and what you want it to do. For an all around setup for a general type handgun a concealment and an open carry/ tactical type holster are a solid solution. For a smaller gun you might have a pocket holster and an ankle holster or whatnot. This is the benefit of sticking with a platform or two instead of 5 or 6. Getting good holsters for the guns you use and something for the others and a few to spare is prudent. While an el cheap $20 Uncle Mikes holster is nobody's first choice it beats sticking the darn thing in your back pocket or waistband. Beggar friends and neighbors do not get to be choosers.
Good durable work gloves are something that is easy to forget about. Many life patterns these days do not require them often so it is easy to miss. However if you are going to start doing a lot more manual labor like digging a bunch of fighting positions they are important. 2-3 sets per person would not be a bad idea. You could do it for not a lot of money. Also unlike boots they come in just a few sizes which would make them a more practical gift/ charity item if that is your thing.
Needles and fishhooks cost next to nothing. Yes you can fabricate them but literally spending the change from your couch cushions and the console of your vehicle would give enough of both for years. Or course you would need thread and fishing line also but they are not exactly expensive either.
There are probably a dozen other things that fit into this sort of category I cannot think of right now. While they don't always the basic categories we look for
Maybe you just like shooting and are not all that big into preparing to be a guerrilla or whatever. Spending a couple/ few hundred bucks on a setup might not be something you want to do. However an old school ALICE setup can often be had for less than $30 or you can get a MOLLE rifleman's setup for $40.
You may or may not want to get new cool guy guns. One could argue with some validity that any reasonable choices including revolvers, bolt or lever action rifles and all manner of pump shotguns are just fine. Buy some ammo for your Grandads old .38 or .44 and some buckshot for the bird gun or whatever guns are lying around the house and call it good.
Slings are really useful if you are going to carry a rifle around a lot. Having a well thought out quality sling for your practical rifles is important. For the others at least have something. Heck a half dozen extra cheap slings 1, 2 tacked onto an order at some point might not be a bad idea. Some folks will be caught short and for 5 or 6 bucks now you could help them out.
The same could be said for holsters except they are more of a hassle. A rifle needs 1 good sling (though it may take awhile to find which one that is) while pistols usually need multiple holsters. Which ones depends on the gun and what you want it to do. For an all around setup for a general type handgun a concealment and an open carry/ tactical type holster are a solid solution. For a smaller gun you might have a pocket holster and an ankle holster or whatnot. This is the benefit of sticking with a platform or two instead of 5 or 6. Getting good holsters for the guns you use and something for the others and a few to spare is prudent. While an el cheap $20 Uncle Mikes holster is nobody's first choice it beats sticking the darn thing in your back pocket or waistband. Beggar friends and neighbors do not get to be choosers.
Good durable work gloves are something that is easy to forget about. Many life patterns these days do not require them often so it is easy to miss. However if you are going to start doing a lot more manual labor like digging a bunch of fighting positions they are important. 2-3 sets per person would not be a bad idea. You could do it for not a lot of money. Also unlike boots they come in just a few sizes which would make them a more practical gift/ charity item if that is your thing.
Needles and fishhooks cost next to nothing. Yes you can fabricate them but literally spending the change from your couch cushions and the console of your vehicle would give enough of both for years. Or course you would need thread and fishing line also but they are not exactly expensive either.
There are probably a dozen other things that fit into this sort of category I cannot think of right now. While they don't always the basic categories we look for
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Questions I Have Been Mulling- Mag Pouches and Private Party Firearms
A couple things have been in my head recently and I am curious about your take on them.
1) How do you guys carry a spare mag (or mags) for concealed carry? What sort of mag pouch do you prefer?
2) What weight, if any, do you give to purchasing guns via private party. Some folks only purchase guns this way and others do not care at all. I am curious about your take on the matter. If you wanted to mention (with OPSEC considerations) what you have done and why it would be appreciated.
Thanks,
R
1) How do you guys carry a spare mag (or mags) for concealed carry? What sort of mag pouch do you prefer?
2) What weight, if any, do you give to purchasing guns via private party. Some folks only purchase guns this way and others do not care at all. I am curious about your take on the matter. If you wanted to mention (with OPSEC considerations) what you have done and why it would be appreciated.
Thanks,
R
Friday, September 28, 2012
All Sorts of Awesomeness: Free Clothes, Camping Gear and a Great Meal
Today was pretty darn good in general and from a free stuff angle.
We stumbled into a big box of little girl clothes from a friend of a friend who has a girl Walkers age. She was just waiting for somebody who could use them and we lucked out. Wifey took a look and most of them were tiny baby stuff. This means right away we do not need to buy any clothes for when she comes which is great. This means we can shift focus on getting the next size or two filled out.
We are getting a whole bunch of free camping gear. The in laws are downsizing and thus getting rid of a lot of stuff. FIL and the boys were really involved in scouting for years and acquired enough stuff for a squad minus to go camping either from a car or via backpack. Seriously too much good stuff to list, that will probably be another post. It was like a crazy survivalist Christmas for me.
Today dinner was particularly awesome. We had stuffed pork chops, basically a big 2 inch thick chop,slit down the middle and filled with stuffing. The result was wonderful. We had them with mashed potatoes and veggies. They went well with a bottle of Moose Drool.
I started reading the new Jim Rawles new book Founders today and am about halfway into it. A review will follow in due course but so far it has been a nice part of a pretty nice day. Huge thanks to Jim Rawles and Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy to review.
On yeah and I have run 4 more miles so far this week which puts me at 28.5. Not ideal and far from 50 but considering I am on leave; where my track record of doing any PT is terrible I am happy with it.
Anyway that is what has been going on here today. It has been a real nice day here and I hope things are going equally well for you.
Have a wonderful weekend.
We stumbled into a big box of little girl clothes from a friend of a friend who has a girl Walkers age. She was just waiting for somebody who could use them and we lucked out. Wifey took a look and most of them were tiny baby stuff. This means right away we do not need to buy any clothes for when she comes which is great. This means we can shift focus on getting the next size or two filled out.
We are getting a whole bunch of free camping gear. The in laws are downsizing and thus getting rid of a lot of stuff. FIL and the boys were really involved in scouting for years and acquired enough stuff for a squad minus to go camping either from a car or via backpack. Seriously too much good stuff to list, that will probably be another post. It was like a crazy survivalist Christmas for me.
Today dinner was particularly awesome. We had stuffed pork chops, basically a big 2 inch thick chop,slit down the middle and filled with stuffing. The result was wonderful. We had them with mashed potatoes and veggies. They went well with a bottle of Moose Drool.
I started reading the new Jim Rawles new book Founders today and am about halfway into it. A review will follow in due course but so far it has been a nice part of a pretty nice day. Huge thanks to Jim Rawles and Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy to review.
On yeah and I have run 4 more miles so far this week which puts me at 28.5. Not ideal and far from 50 but considering I am on leave; where my track record of doing any PT is terrible I am happy with it.
Anyway that is what has been going on here today. It has been a real nice day here and I hope things are going equally well for you.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Random Thoughts: Money, Life and Stuff
This weekend I got to catch up with some long time friends. One guy I grew up with just happened to be in town for the weekend to go to a wedding and we were able to catch up. That was great.
In particular it was great to see one friend with whom I have a lot in common. At the surface we are very different but a lot of core beliefs and attitudes are the same. Stuff like meeting a girl, getting to know her, getting hitched and then having a kid and how we deal with finances and such.
We talked a lot about all manner of things. He has done real well for himself. It was a reminder to me that I need to put some energy into developing additional streams of income or at least the skills and stuff to do so if needed. Also I need to get better at mechanical stuff. We talked about a few things and I was pleased he was on the right track and gave him some ideas to think about.
I was disappointed to hear that a couple we know was going through bankruptcy. I do believe that bankruptcy is a necessary legal mechanism. Things can happen that make it so people cannot meet their debts. Somebody could do all the right things and get hurt or disabled or whatever. This is not one of those cases. They seem to have just bought a bunch of toys on credit and generally lived a lifestyle they could not afford. My friend also mentioned that the guy thought his wife did not need to work as a contributing factor. He sort of implied this was an antiquated or impractical way of living.
I sort of dissented at this point. I said it is perfectly possible and relatively simple. Figure out what Dad (or really mom if you want to go that way) makes, chop out some to save and then live on it. Simple, though not necessarily easy. He makes enough money that it could work but they would have a pretty modest life. No big fancy trucks or boats or expensive hobbies. Apparently they wanted to have their cake and eat it too.
Anyway I have a hard time with this. I suppose they had good intentions to honor the debts they took on. However at some point before deciding to file for bankruptcy I wonder if they knew the jig was up. Maybe they decided to have some fun going down. I don't know. The idea that they are deciding it is too unpleasant to honor their debts and it is easier to default is difficult for me. It isn't that Chevy or Visa or Cabellas or whatever are going to be unduly hurt or are worth anything in particular. More that I have, maybe theoretically to my own detriment, a sense of honor about these things. [ Wifey once said there are two things to know about me. I don't do things I don't want to do and I do what I say I will do.] Doesn't matter if the other party is worthy, like a friend or relative, or not. If I say I will do something then I do it, or at least give it my best.
Went for a little run today. It is amazing how a half dozen long (150m ish) sprints totally change the character of a 2 mile run. Between that and the 3 miler I did late last week puts me at 20.5. Getting to 50 might be rough this month. However in the big picture considering I have never done any sort of exercise program on leave getting halfway would be something solid.
Today we had a family dinner. That was pretty good. A couple relatives drove a long way to make it which was totally surprising and great. One of them who is pretty like minded and I got to talking about life and our economy. The benefits of diversification came up. Having some silver and an extra gun or three you could sell or swap without shorting yourself is a good thing.
I saw the new show Revolution which was interesting. Will watch next week. Between it and Sons of Anarchy my TV lineup is getting going again. Big fun.
Sorry for a rather random post. I had planned on something else but the evening kind of got away from me. Anyway I hope all is well for everybody.
In particular it was great to see one friend with whom I have a lot in common. At the surface we are very different but a lot of core beliefs and attitudes are the same. Stuff like meeting a girl, getting to know her, getting hitched and then having a kid and how we deal with finances and such.
We talked a lot about all manner of things. He has done real well for himself. It was a reminder to me that I need to put some energy into developing additional streams of income or at least the skills and stuff to do so if needed. Also I need to get better at mechanical stuff. We talked about a few things and I was pleased he was on the right track and gave him some ideas to think about.
I was disappointed to hear that a couple we know was going through bankruptcy. I do believe that bankruptcy is a necessary legal mechanism. Things can happen that make it so people cannot meet their debts. Somebody could do all the right things and get hurt or disabled or whatever. This is not one of those cases. They seem to have just bought a bunch of toys on credit and generally lived a lifestyle they could not afford. My friend also mentioned that the guy thought his wife did not need to work as a contributing factor. He sort of implied this was an antiquated or impractical way of living.
I sort of dissented at this point. I said it is perfectly possible and relatively simple. Figure out what Dad (or really mom if you want to go that way) makes, chop out some to save and then live on it. Simple, though not necessarily easy. He makes enough money that it could work but they would have a pretty modest life. No big fancy trucks or boats or expensive hobbies. Apparently they wanted to have their cake and eat it too.
Anyway I have a hard time with this. I suppose they had good intentions to honor the debts they took on. However at some point before deciding to file for bankruptcy I wonder if they knew the jig was up. Maybe they decided to have some fun going down. I don't know. The idea that they are deciding it is too unpleasant to honor their debts and it is easier to default is difficult for me. It isn't that Chevy or Visa or Cabellas or whatever are going to be unduly hurt or are worth anything in particular. More that I have, maybe theoretically to my own detriment, a sense of honor about these things. [ Wifey once said there are two things to know about me. I don't do things I don't want to do and I do what I say I will do.] Doesn't matter if the other party is worthy, like a friend or relative, or not. If I say I will do something then I do it, or at least give it my best.
Went for a little run today. It is amazing how a half dozen long (150m ish) sprints totally change the character of a 2 mile run. Between that and the 3 miler I did late last week puts me at 20.5. Getting to 50 might be rough this month. However in the big picture considering I have never done any sort of exercise program on leave getting halfway would be something solid.
Today we had a family dinner. That was pretty good. A couple relatives drove a long way to make it which was totally surprising and great. One of them who is pretty like minded and I got to talking about life and our economy. The benefits of diversification came up. Having some silver and an extra gun or three you could sell or swap without shorting yourself is a good thing.
I saw the new show Revolution which was interesting. Will watch next week. Between it and Sons of Anarchy my TV lineup is getting going again. Big fun.
Sorry for a rather random post. I had planned on something else but the evening kind of got away from me. Anyway I hope all is well for everybody.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
How To Not Get Killed In a Riot- Random Repost
For whatever reason this post has gotten a ton of hits lately. Maybe folks are getting scared or it got into a forum/ email type chain. Anyway it is a pretty awesome post if I do say so myself so you should check it out.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Black Duffelbag Full of Guns
In every decent action, adventure, crime type drama if the main characters get into some totally crazy situation they have a black duffel bag full of guns they grab. These seem to be kept in attic's, closet's, garages and basements. Sometimes they are hidden in crazy locations.
I currently have the components necessary for this. While I have backed off on talking specifics over the last couple years folks who've been reading for awhile with decent memories know I have a fairly solid gun collection. I also happen to own a black duffel bag.
Part of the coolness of this TV staple setup is that all of the stuff is dedicated to the purpose. It takes away a lot of the utility and cool factor if things get crazy and I go dumping out my duffel from our last long trip and stuffing it with guns. Needless to say for this to be stored all together it couldn't have the pistol I carry every day either.
Allocating a certain portion of the battery for this sort of setup makes sense. It meshes well with a sort of PACE plan and spreading my proverbial eggs out. With a little bit of forethough and a few more purchases I could fill out (not totally full but worth the while) a duffel bag.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Lizard Farmer talks breaking contact and evading in the case that your home/ retreat/ compound/ bunker is overwhelmed. Lizard Farmer's words do not need to be rehashed but I have a few things to add. First I cannot tell you what would sort of situation would make you need to pull a runner. It is all METTC (mission, enemy, terrain, troops, time, civilians) dependent. Since I do not rely on acronyms I will spell it out in plain English. If you have a stone house that would stop anything short of an anti tank weapon with 600 meters of standoff and 12 shooters all of whom can ring 12" steel all day and night long at 600 meters and are being attacked by 4-5 goblins your situation is very different than a family with 2-3 shooters in a wood framed house that will not stop a .22 with 50 meters standoff being attacked by 8 goblins. I cannot say exactly what your bail out criteria should be but you would be well advised to put some thought into it. Second this is a reminder about the importance of caches. You don't want to die valiantly in place defending the doomstead. That is just really stupid. Either gather your tribe and take it back later or go someplace else, at least you and yours will still be alive.
This brings us back to caches.You are a lot less likely to do something stupid fighting an untenable situation and get your family killed (or worse) if all your food, weapons and equipment are not in the basement. Knowing there is ample food and equipment in caches or alternate locations will make the hard decision to abandon your home easier.
Anyway please do check out the excellent post from Lizard Farmer.
Brigid wrote about home defense and it is solidly worth checking out. Some stuff has been covered here or elsewhere and some is new ground.
In putting together this post I stumbled into an old guest post Dispersing for a Bit that was written by a man who made his living chasing down folks who did just what he writes about for a long time.
This brings us back to caches.You are a lot less likely to do something stupid fighting an untenable situation and get your family killed (or worse) if all your food, weapons and equipment are not in the basement. Knowing there is ample food and equipment in caches or alternate locations will make the hard decision to abandon your home easier.
Anyway please do check out the excellent post from Lizard Farmer.
Brigid wrote about home defense and it is solidly worth checking out. Some stuff has been covered here or elsewhere and some is new ground.
In putting together this post I stumbled into an old guest post Dispersing for a Bit that was written by a man who made his living chasing down folks who did just what he writes about for a long time.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Commo Check
Milleniumfly, Please email me at theotherryan@Yahoo.com if you would like to talk collaboration.
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