My ex-marine son called tonight and asked if I was interested in any 30 Cal carbine magazines. A friend of his has a box full and he's willing to part with some. Since I only had 2 magazines to start with, yes I'm interested because one got blown into pieces when the bolt failed to close properly.
OOps!! I forgot there's no such thing as an ex-marine.
During our conversation, he said he's getting geared up for a tactical shotgun training class. Several years ago he acquired a Spas 12, that he intends to use for the class. It's a bit heavy, but firing that many rounds could be problematic if using a lighter weight weapon.
For the last couple of years I've been wanting to attend TDI for some advanced defensive handgun training. Unfortunately time, money or my physical condition has gotten in the way. Maybe some day it'll happen. The place is less than 2 hours drive from home, so there's not much room for excuses.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Merry Christmas
I hope all had a great Christmas this year.
The youngsters seemed to have had a good time and I know the youngest were thrilled with their gifts. The Boss liked hers as well. She's now the proud owner of a 2008 Mercury Malon, loaded with options and only 13,000 miles. It's replacing her 2000 Taurus.
As a bonus we're expecting all new furniture (sofa, love seat, 2 chairs - all recliners) for the family room sometime this week.
With all the money spent you'd think we had a big surplus of cash flow, but that's not the case. Cash flow is terrible because of my absence from work this fall. Fortunately the checking account was very healthy due to past wages combined with poor investment opportunities.
The youngsters seemed to have had a good time and I know the youngest were thrilled with their gifts. The Boss liked hers as well. She's now the proud owner of a 2008 Mercury Malon, loaded with options and only 13,000 miles. It's replacing her 2000 Taurus.
As a bonus we're expecting all new furniture (sofa, love seat, 2 chairs - all recliners) for the family room sometime this week.
With all the money spent you'd think we had a big surplus of cash flow, but that's not the case. Cash flow is terrible because of my absence from work this fall. Fortunately the checking account was very healthy due to past wages combined with poor investment opportunities.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Not So healthy Care
Once the Fed takes control of our health care we can expect nothing but misery. Once the pain in my hip got to the point where I needed to get it fixed, surgery was only 2 weeks away. And that included pre-operation tests.
To glimpse our future of government control all we need to do is look to our north, Canada.
Patients wait longest to undergo orthopedic surgery (35.6 weeks) That's a wait of almost nine months, spent in pain, and in my case popping Vicodin just to sleep. And all that drug did was reduce the edge.
Government has no business messing with any private industry, especially because government by it's very nature is incompetent.
To glimpse our future of government control all we need to do is look to our north, Canada.
Patients wait longest to undergo orthopedic surgery (35.6 weeks) That's a wait of almost nine months, spent in pain, and in my case popping Vicodin just to sleep. And all that drug did was reduce the edge.
Government has no business messing with any private industry, especially because government by it's very nature is incompetent.
Ass Bachwards
It appears that tax cuts for the rich is "morally troubling", according the VP Biden. So I assume that punishing the financially successful is morally the right thing to do.
He couldn't have it more ass backwards if he was a communist. No wonder the Dems are depicted by a jack ass.
He couldn't have it more ass backwards if he was a communist. No wonder the Dems are depicted by a jack ass.
Continuation Bill
So the big Momma passed a continuation of the existing spending bill, once again. And once again instead of doing their job, congress has been spending their time and our money on insignificant and/or issues that's not their business.
Without this continuation bill, the federal government would not have any funding and be forced to shut down. Why am I complaining? We might be better off if the government did shut down. Doing nothing is certainly better than the crap they've been up to lately.
Without this continuation bill, the federal government would not have any funding and be forced to shut down. Why am I complaining? We might be better off if the government did shut down. Doing nothing is certainly better than the crap they've been up to lately.
Friday, December 17, 2010
House Gun
A freedom lover at work just acquired a coach gun for home defense. His reasoning is that it's short and would be great down the hallway. I can't argue much against his choice. He is a gun-nut and defense-nut, much more so than I am.
Personally I'd go for a pump or semi-auto because of magazine capacity. If I have to clear the house by myself I'm using a pistol. Shotguns are just too long for anything but barricade use or to be carried by a partner.
For a shotgun I also prefer the smaller 20 over the 12. I know the 12 carries a heavier load, but in my opinion not enough extra to offset the slower target re-acquisition time, especially in the home.
Personally I'd go for a pump or semi-auto because of magazine capacity. If I have to clear the house by myself I'm using a pistol. Shotguns are just too long for anything but barricade use or to be carried by a partner.
For a shotgun I also prefer the smaller 20 over the 12. I know the 12 carries a heavier load, but in my opinion not enough extra to offset the slower target re-acquisition time, especially in the home.
Employment Status
Being an open ended contract engineer (11 months to date) I thought my extended absence for hip replacement surgery was also the end of my employment. Apparently they liked my work and expertise/experience. Being up the learning curve probably didn't hurt either.
Instead they brought in a designer with less education and expertise to help fill the void. Initially he was to stay a few weeks past my return, and that was it. I haven't put in a full work week since returning to work due to physical therapy, and at first just because I didn't have the energy. That may be partly why he's still working, but not the whole story. I just learned he'll be staying at least through the end of February.
Frankly I'm glad he's still working because he has been doing the important grunt work that would bore me to death. Besides, there's enough work stacked up to bury me without the help, as far as I can see anyway.
I also hear that one of the past co-op students will be joining us in the middle of January. They're also looking for a new R&D Process Engineer.
It sure looks like the silicon semiconductor business is on the rise. We can't grow enough crystals, of the right type, to supply the demand and the projections are for an increase in demand. I'll be heavily involved in converting growers, and creating handling equipment, for production of different product and more efficient processing.
I think I'll be working there for a while, unless I stumble upon a direct hire position that I'll like.
Instead they brought in a designer with less education and expertise to help fill the void. Initially he was to stay a few weeks past my return, and that was it. I haven't put in a full work week since returning to work due to physical therapy, and at first just because I didn't have the energy. That may be partly why he's still working, but not the whole story. I just learned he'll be staying at least through the end of February.
Frankly I'm glad he's still working because he has been doing the important grunt work that would bore me to death. Besides, there's enough work stacked up to bury me without the help, as far as I can see anyway.
I also hear that one of the past co-op students will be joining us in the middle of January. They're also looking for a new R&D Process Engineer.
It sure looks like the silicon semiconductor business is on the rise. We can't grow enough crystals, of the right type, to supply the demand and the projections are for an increase in demand. I'll be heavily involved in converting growers, and creating handling equipment, for production of different product and more efficient processing.
I think I'll be working there for a while, unless I stumble upon a direct hire position that I'll like.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wimps
I'm sure by now you've seen at least some clips of the wack-o that tried to shoot (kill) some school board members in Florida. Besides being a complete mental case a couple of things come to mind.
The shooter was certainly one of the worst shots I've ever seen. I wonder if he ever fired a gun before in his life.
The school board members in that room were/are spineless sheep. Not one of them made an effort, at any time to stop the madman. The only person with any balls at all was the woman who tried to knock the gun out of that guys hand with her purse. The rest of the group should have rushed him then, but no, they just sat on their collective yellow asses. Has political correctness and dependency on law enforcement made us a nation of wimps?
The shooter was certainly one of the worst shots I've ever seen. I wonder if he ever fired a gun before in his life.
The school board members in that room were/are spineless sheep. Not one of them made an effort, at any time to stop the madman. The only person with any balls at all was the woman who tried to knock the gun out of that guys hand with her purse. The rest of the group should have rushed him then, but no, they just sat on their collective yellow asses. Has political correctness and dependency on law enforcement made us a nation of wimps?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Hospital Bill
We now have a copy of the bottom line hospital bill sent to the insurance company. Insurance paid all but $21 of the $60,000+ bill. Since what I got was bottom line only I'm going to ask for an itemized account of all the charges. I am a curious person. I don't know if that price is reasonable or not for OR time, recovery time and 3 days stay. I also don't know if the anesthesiologist is included. I was expecting maybe $30,000-$40,000 but not this high.
So far the cost for my surgery is about $64,000 with support doctor and therapy costs as yet undetermined. And that doesn't count the lost wages from not being able to work. This is one hell of an expensive hip I have.
At least other than muscle soreness and stiffness, the pain is history.
So far the cost for my surgery is about $64,000 with support doctor and therapy costs as yet undetermined. And that doesn't count the lost wages from not being able to work. This is one hell of an expensive hip I have.
At least other than muscle soreness and stiffness, the pain is history.
Face
Why is it that women don't have faces? The Boss must not have a face because every morning she paints on a new one. Some time between childhood and adulthood the face must gradually go away. I find that very curious.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Pink ??
Unlike some women, the Boss doesn't like pink guns, or for that matter anything pink. When gun shopping she definitely turned away from anything pink. She said guns should be black or maybe stainless, not some wierd color.
Never all that good looking
but extremely reliable is how I remember Ithica shotguns. Well it seems they are back. I could use a reliable defensive scatter gun. If I see one I'll have to check it out.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
357 Cruel to Animals ??
Yesterday I went out for lunch with a couple of the other engineers and the director of production. The other engineers are all process types and one that I work with regularly has a PHD. He's also from Finland.
He asked me about deer hunting here in Ohio. In particular he was very surprised that hunting with a hand gun is legal. In his home country only rifles are allowed and a marksmanship test is required to get a hunting license. In his mind a handgun is cruel to the animals.
I explained that a 357Mag is very capable of dispatching a deer just as quickly, and maybe quicker than the typical shotgun slug. I told him that I've taken many deer with my 357 at distances of 20-120 yards. As long as there is sufficient penetration, it's all about bullet placement, not bullet size or velocity. I'm not at all sure he was convinced.
He asked me about deer hunting here in Ohio. In particular he was very surprised that hunting with a hand gun is legal. In his home country only rifles are allowed and a marksmanship test is required to get a hunting license. In his mind a handgun is cruel to the animals.
I explained that a 357Mag is very capable of dispatching a deer just as quickly, and maybe quicker than the typical shotgun slug. I told him that I've taken many deer with my 357 at distances of 20-120 yards. As long as there is sufficient penetration, it's all about bullet placement, not bullet size or velocity. I'm not at all sure he was convinced.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
So Sad, So True
via e-mail
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and Maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and Maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
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