I mentioned in "If I had a Million Dollars" that Mel and I figured somewhere between 5 and 10 million would have us set for life, with whatever we wanted. Now that sounds like a lot; it's more than 30 years of work at my current salary for example; but really it's not all that much on the "rich" scale.
Also that covers pretty much anything we would ever want materially speaking. Our wish list isnt huge, but it isnt cheap either. Basically our dream list looks something like this:
1. a nice house, with a few acres, near a small airport and a navigable body of water leading either to the ocean or a large lake, wooded areas, and a reasonable climate with seasons - mountains a plus. The house shouldn't be huge, but we want four or five kids, so at least 6 bedrooms. I figure 4000 square feet would be more than enough. Also a good sized workshop, at least a 4 car garage, a pasture, and a paddock. In an ideal world I could even have a private shooting range and airstrip (they could easily use the same land). Call it 1 million to 2 million assuming we move someplace reasonable; or maybe as little as half a million someplace cheap.
2. Nice home furnishings, including decent computers, professional grade kitchen, nice home theater etc... call it another .25 mil to .5mil
3. A couple decent cars (a high end sports sedan, and a nice SUV), a couple boats (one sail one power), a couple motorcycles and dirt bikes (two street, two dirt), and a truck to tow them. Maybe throw in a "play" car or two (a jeep and an AC cobra kit car or something similar), a couple watercraft, a couple quads, maybe a couple snowmobiles... Call it another .25 mil for the short list, and maybe as much as .5mil for everything.
4. A machine shop and woodworking shop. I want all the tools I'd ever need to build the stuff I want to build (cars, boats, motorcycles, guns, furniture, and airplanes).
Probably another .25 mil
5. Horses. My wife wants two horses. And of course along with that goes all the ancilary stuff. Figure it at .25mil
6. Gun and Accessories. Lots of guns and accessories. And ammo, lots and lots and lots of ammo. A few class three items, but no straight collectors pieces. Some nice custom rifles and pistols. Call it $125,000
7. Books, CDs and DVDs. We want an EXTENSIVE library of all three. Everything on our amazon wish lists and more. Call it another $125,000
8. Supplies... I mean raw materials and plans for ... everything. Like I said, we want to build and make stuff. Lots of stuff. Airplanes, boats, cars, guns, ammo, furniture, other woodworking, quilting, clothing... stuff. And we want to build a lot of it so make it $250,000 worth of raw materials and parts
The final material one is almost certainly the most expensive thing we can't actually live in...
9. A six to eight seat light plane. A large piston twin or light turbine are really our only chices here if we want an 8 seater; but there are reasonable six seat singles. Of course in the general aviation world reasonable takes on a different meaning. We'd also need a hangar for it, and for the homebuilt projects I'd want to work on.
The worst part there though is the price. Not only is it high, it's highly variable. It could go anywhere from $250,000 all the way up to 2 million.
10. Education. On the immaterial side we'd both like to go back for masters degrees, and some additional professional training (I'd like to learn advanced machine work, and better welding, also lots of additional firearms training). And of course we'd want to put money away for the kids colleges as well. Hell we could put aside anywhere from $500k to over a million there.
Anyway, I can't imagine ever wanting anything more than that materially; and I already have everything I want in my family, except maybe more of them. Plus that would let me pursue what I really want to do professionally (which I'll go into at some later time).
The total cost for all that? Somewhere between 3 million and 6 million.
It's a good goal to shoot for really; and it's entirely achievable.
Hell, I'd be pretty happy with about a third of that. Basically all the same stuff, just less of it; and I could actually do THAT in the next four or five years without too much difficulty (and WITH a lot of debt) if the universe doesnt kick me in the balls again any time soon.
Friday, June 16, 2006
If I had a million dollars
It's a cute song by the canadian socialist social crusader geek rock band barenaked ladies. It's also a fond wish of billions; which of course is the genesis of the song.
Unfortunately, these days a million just aint all that much. A few days ago Connie DuToit posts a gag thread in The Other Side of Kim Forums, saying "Wanted: 10 million dollars"; figuring half would go to taxes, 25% of what was left would go to debt and living expenses and practical necessities etc... and that they could live off the rest, never having to work a "normal" job again. Funny enough, thats what the wife and I figured as well; we don't have any debt thankfully, btu we figured that somewhere between 5 million and 10 million would cover all of our material wants (which arent really all that great) in perpetuity, as well as providing a solid investment base, and inheritance for our kids.
One of the commenters posted this:
Hell, 10 milion aint what it used to me.
I personally (well, I and the teams I was working with anyway) came up with two completely new security technologies, that are now in widespread use throughout IT. Not the theoretical backing for the technologies, but I applied the theory to new products and techniques that had never been used before.
This made me quite rich for a while, but I got screwed pretty throughly in the .bomb
In 1999 I was sitting on 12.5 million in cash and convertible assets; which I was barred from selling until 2001 (I was employee 14 at a startup that hit moderately big). In late 2000 The management of the company was ousted by the VC’s, given golden parachutes, and replaced with a breakup specialist. This scumbag proceeded to sell us off piece by piece, until the stock I was holding was only worth 300k.
They did it to deliberately devalue the employee stock holdings, because the IRS was saying that the company would have to take a HUGE tax hit because our optons and grants were all at $0.05 to $0.25 and the value was around $45 (I had 25000 shares grant at $0.05 a share, and an additional 25,000 options at $0.25 a share).
They structured the deal so that upper management and VC’s wouldnt have to take the tax hit when we all converted and cashed out. They also made sure that no-ones options vested, that we were just stuck with our grants, which we couldnt sell until after they were done stripping the company bare. Basically the chiefs all got a few million bucks, and everyone below the C level got royally fucked.
I went and took that 300k, and co-founded a business in ireland in late 2000. We had just signed contracts that guaranteed us at least 16 million in revenue (about 30% profit, and I owned 24% of the company) a year for at least four years. We OWNED our IP, and none of our competitors could touch us. By conventional valuation methods, that would make the company worth between 64, and 112 million (between 4 and seven years of booked revenue, plus assets, minus liabilities); and my share from 15 to 28 million.
9/11 hit, and two of our partners, who were established businesses (I as the CTO had 24%, the managing director had 24% and the two established companies each had 26%); deliberately starved the company of operating capital to make it fail as a going concern, then backdoored the contracts out from under us.
They used the loss of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2001 as the excuse, and by January 2002 we were dead. I thought about suing, but I didnt have the money for the fight.
Believe me, a million bucks seems like a lot of money, but in business it’s nothing.
Unfortunately, these days a million just aint all that much. A few days ago Connie DuToit posts a gag thread in The Other Side of Kim Forums, saying "Wanted: 10 million dollars"; figuring half would go to taxes, 25% of what was left would go to debt and living expenses and practical necessities etc... and that they could live off the rest, never having to work a "normal" job again. Funny enough, thats what the wife and I figured as well; we don't have any debt thankfully, btu we figured that somewhere between 5 million and 10 million would cover all of our material wants (which arent really all that great) in perpetuity, as well as providing a solid investment base, and inheritance for our kids.
One of the commenters posted this:
$10 million?It did from 1996-2001, and 1 million isn’t rich anymore; in fact it’s barely in the “comfortably well off” category. Between houses costing half a mill, taxes, the cost of colleges, and kids in general... well a million jsut aint what it used to be.
If you happen to come across a lump sum of $1 million (or even in several installments) and blow it, you’re not only a fool, you’re a damn fool. It doesn’t take that much money to stay “rich” once you are.
Hell, 10 milion aint what it used to me.
I personally (well, I and the teams I was working with anyway) came up with two completely new security technologies, that are now in widespread use throughout IT. Not the theoretical backing for the technologies, but I applied the theory to new products and techniques that had never been used before.
This made me quite rich for a while, but I got screwed pretty throughly in the .bomb
In 1999 I was sitting on 12.5 million in cash and convertible assets; which I was barred from selling until 2001 (I was employee 14 at a startup that hit moderately big). In late 2000 The management of the company was ousted by the VC’s, given golden parachutes, and replaced with a breakup specialist. This scumbag proceeded to sell us off piece by piece, until the stock I was holding was only worth 300k.
They did it to deliberately devalue the employee stock holdings, because the IRS was saying that the company would have to take a HUGE tax hit because our optons and grants were all at $0.05 to $0.25 and the value was around $45 (I had 25000 shares grant at $0.05 a share, and an additional 25,000 options at $0.25 a share).
They structured the deal so that upper management and VC’s wouldnt have to take the tax hit when we all converted and cashed out. They also made sure that no-ones options vested, that we were just stuck with our grants, which we couldnt sell until after they were done stripping the company bare. Basically the chiefs all got a few million bucks, and everyone below the C level got royally fucked.
I went and took that 300k, and co-founded a business in ireland in late 2000. We had just signed contracts that guaranteed us at least 16 million in revenue (about 30% profit, and I owned 24% of the company) a year for at least four years. We OWNED our IP, and none of our competitors could touch us. By conventional valuation methods, that would make the company worth between 64, and 112 million (between 4 and seven years of booked revenue, plus assets, minus liabilities); and my share from 15 to 28 million.
9/11 hit, and two of our partners, who were established businesses (I as the CTO had 24%, the managing director had 24% and the two established companies each had 26%); deliberately starved the company of operating capital to make it fail as a going concern, then backdoored the contracts out from under us.
They used the loss of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2001 as the excuse, and by January 2002 we were dead. I thought about suing, but I didnt have the money for the fight.
Believe me, a million bucks seems like a lot of money, but in business it’s nothing.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Ann Coulter on Leno
Worth watching. She's a sharp lady, even if I dont always care for how she phrases things.
It must be an omen
The code that came up on my secureID token earlier today when I was logging in to my VPN bears comment.
For those of you who don't know what that is, let me explain. A SecureID token is effectively a number generator. Each token has a unique seed number, a clock, and chip which processes those two through an algorithm to come up with a number.
A server back at the office has a copy of that same number, and a record of your tokens clock synchronizations so that it can generate the exact same number at the exact same time as your token.
That number is called a tokencode, and it can be up to 8 digits long; is only good for between 30 seconds, and a few hours (usually 1-3 minutes); and must be combined with an alphanumeric pin which can be as long (or logner) than the token code.
It's effectively a one time pad system for passwords, and it is extremely secure
So I'm about to write a post about the recent report that 5.56n is "adequate" for combat use, but I have to log in to the work VPN to check my mail, and the token code comes up as:
wait for it...
We now return you to our regular scheduled ranting.
UPDATE: Holy crap, and I did not manipulate this, I originally posted this entry at 3:08 pm MWAHAHAHAHAHA
For those of you who don't know what that is, let me explain. A SecureID token is effectively a number generator. Each token has a unique seed number, a clock, and chip which processes those two through an algorithm to come up with a number.
A server back at the office has a copy of that same number, and a record of your tokens clock synchronizations so that it can generate the exact same number at the exact same time as your token.
That number is called a tokencode, and it can be up to 8 digits long; is only good for between 30 seconds, and a few hours (usually 1-3 minutes); and must be combined with an alphanumeric pin which can be as long (or logner) than the token code.
It's effectively a one time pad system for passwords, and it is extremely secure
Note: for you crypto geeks, yes I know I'm oversimplifying. Believe me you do not want to compare your internet crypto ween to mine. Unless you are PRZ, Tim May, Len Sassaman, Bruce Schneier, Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, Len Adelman, Whit Diffie (who finally got a decent haircut BTW), Martie Hellman or you are currently working for GCHQ or NoSuch, mine is probably bigger - Oh wait, Zane McCarthys is about the same size.Anyway, that's neither here nor their as to why the token code was interesting; just an explanation for what it is.
So I'm about to write a post about the recent report that 5.56n is "adequate" for combat use, but I have to log in to the work VPN to check my mail, and the token code comes up as:
wait for it...
762556
We now return you to our regular scheduled ranting.
UPDATE: Holy crap, and I did not manipulate this, I originally posted this entry at 3:08 pm MWAHAHAHAHAHA
Creeping up on 500,000
Well actually I just passed 450,000 unique visits a few days ago; and at this rate I'll hit 500,000 around the end of next month.
Of that, a little less than 250,000 is in the last 12 months; since my blog really became popular.
I had 150,000 hits on my old site in a total of 10 YEARS. Once I started the blog, it took me five months to get 50,000 hits, two more months to hit 100,000 and in the 9 months since, I've managed another 200,000 more.
So the growth has slowed, but I'm still edging up. In the last two months I'm up to aronud 800-900 unique daily visitors (multiple visits from the same workstation don't get counted unless it's from a different IP, or hours apart) after a long plateau of around 700 visitors a day for months.
Also it used to be my gun blogging got the most traffic, but lately it seems my life and political blogging are seeing more; even though I've been blogging a bit less.
So what's to come?
Well I'm going to do more gun blogging, because I've been slacking off on it lately. Also more geek blogging. Both will be proportional to the funds that are becoming available for the activities which inspire the blogging.
Also I'm pushing Mel to write more. If you want to see more from her let her know; she's being stubborn.
We're coming into mid-term season so I think you can guarantee a lot more poli-blogging as well; as the stupidity of the moment enrages and infuraiates me to the point where I need a non-felonious outlet for my agressions.
Oh and since I AM working now, there will be workblogging and life bloging as usual; but you may be seeing more stuff late in the day from me instead of in the middle.
Anyway, thanks all for reading. As long as you keep coming, I'll keep building it.
Actually I'd write whether anyone read me or not, but since y'all seem to like it... bonus.
Of that, a little less than 250,000 is in the last 12 months; since my blog really became popular.
I had 150,000 hits on my old site in a total of 10 YEARS. Once I started the blog, it took me five months to get 50,000 hits, two more months to hit 100,000 and in the 9 months since, I've managed another 200,000 more.
So the growth has slowed, but I'm still edging up. In the last two months I'm up to aronud 800-900 unique daily visitors (multiple visits from the same workstation don't get counted unless it's from a different IP, or hours apart) after a long plateau of around 700 visitors a day for months.
Also it used to be my gun blogging got the most traffic, but lately it seems my life and political blogging are seeing more; even though I've been blogging a bit less.
So what's to come?
Well I'm going to do more gun blogging, because I've been slacking off on it lately. Also more geek blogging. Both will be proportional to the funds that are becoming available for the activities which inspire the blogging.
Also I'm pushing Mel to write more. If you want to see more from her let her know; she's being stubborn.
We're coming into mid-term season so I think you can guarantee a lot more poli-blogging as well; as the stupidity of the moment enrages and infuraiates me to the point where I need a non-felonious outlet for my agressions.
Oh and since I AM working now, there will be workblogging and life bloging as usual; but you may be seeing more stuff late in the day from me instead of in the middle.
Anyway, thanks all for reading. As long as you keep coming, I'll keep building it.
Actually I'd write whether anyone read me or not, but since y'all seem to like it... bonus.
Still sittin on my ass
So there's STILL a paperwork problem, and so far I'm out 5 days pay.
This is not an insignificant amount of money; especially since it was rather critically needed. I mean, we're going to be all right; it just means that I'll be getting a half paycheck again instead of the full paycheck we had budgeted for.
My contract company has agreed to make up the difference in overtime once I get back to work (i.e. they'll pay me overtime for hours I didn't work to compensate for the lost week), which is great, but it still leaves me screwed on this paycheck.
Well, not screwed. We didn't just go out and spend every dime of the first check, we paid bills and bought all the food we need for a while etc... but I had planned on starting to pay back the people I owe, and now that's getting put off.
Also I made a couple of luxury purchases; the entirety of the Sopranos on DVD (I already had season 4 so it was $200), and some books that I'd been waiting to buy for about $150 but otherwise we haven't gone wild. Mostly we've just bought some of the stuff that we put off since we moved in to the house in February.
Of course those things amounted to $1700...
Anyway Of the 88 possible paid hours this period, I'm getting paid for 48 of them, which will give me a check a bit smaller than last periods. Our bills are covered, our food and gas are covered etc... We aren't in any trouble with this one.
It's just disappointing because I was hoping to be dug out of the hole the last few months put me in with my second paycheck; and be able to actually start getting ahead with the third one.
Instead we're going to be keeping even with the second check, digging out with the third, and only getting ahead with the fourth.
I really shouldn't be bitching, I'm in a hell of a lot better position than a lot of folks are; I'm just tired of the universe deciding to screw with me just for the hell of it is all.
UPDATE: 9:10 am, and I'm finally cleared. So it's back to work I go, thank frikken god.
This is not an insignificant amount of money; especially since it was rather critically needed. I mean, we're going to be all right; it just means that I'll be getting a half paycheck again instead of the full paycheck we had budgeted for.
My contract company has agreed to make up the difference in overtime once I get back to work (i.e. they'll pay me overtime for hours I didn't work to compensate for the lost week), which is great, but it still leaves me screwed on this paycheck.
Well, not screwed. We didn't just go out and spend every dime of the first check, we paid bills and bought all the food we need for a while etc... but I had planned on starting to pay back the people I owe, and now that's getting put off.
Also I made a couple of luxury purchases; the entirety of the Sopranos on DVD (I already had season 4 so it was $200), and some books that I'd been waiting to buy for about $150 but otherwise we haven't gone wild. Mostly we've just bought some of the stuff that we put off since we moved in to the house in February.
Of course those things amounted to $1700...
Anyway Of the 88 possible paid hours this period, I'm getting paid for 48 of them, which will give me a check a bit smaller than last periods. Our bills are covered, our food and gas are covered etc... We aren't in any trouble with this one.
It's just disappointing because I was hoping to be dug out of the hole the last few months put me in with my second paycheck; and be able to actually start getting ahead with the third one.
Instead we're going to be keeping even with the second check, digging out with the third, and only getting ahead with the fourth.
I really shouldn't be bitching, I'm in a hell of a lot better position than a lot of folks are; I'm just tired of the universe deciding to screw with me just for the hell of it is all.
UPDATE: 9:10 am, and I'm finally cleared. So it's back to work I go, thank frikken god.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
This aint no rag
This ain't no rag it's a flag
And we don't wear it on our heads
It's a symbol of the land where the good guys live
Are you listening to what I said
You're a coward and a fool
And you broke all of the rules
And you wounded our American pride
And now we're coming with a gun
And we know you're gonna run
But you can't find no place to hide
We're gonna hunt you down like a mad dog hound
Make you pay for the lives you stole
We're all through talking and a messing around
And now it's time to rock and roll
These colors don't run and we speak as one
When we say united we stand
When you mess with one, you mess with us all
Every boy, girl, woman and man
You've been acting mighty rash
And talking that trash
Let me give you some advice
You can crawl back in your hole
Like a dirty little mole
But now it's time to pay the price
You might of shot us in the back
Now you have to face the fact
That the big boys' in the game
And the lightning's been flashing
And the thunder's been crashing
And now it's getting ready to rain
This is the United States of America
The land of the brave and the free
We believe in God and we believe in justice
We believe in liberty
You've been pulling our chain
We should've done something 'bout you a long time ago
But now the flag's flying high and the fur's gonna fly
And soon the whole world's gonna know
This ain't no rag, it's a flag
Old Glory red, white and blue
The stars and the stripes when it comes to a fight
We can do what we have to do
Our people stand proud
The American crowd is faithful, loyal and tough
We're as good as the best and better than the rest
And you're gonna find out soon enough
When you look up in the sky
And you see the eagle fly
You better know he's a heading your way
Cause this ain't no rag it's a flag
And it stands for the USA
USA
USA
USA
When you look up in the sky
And you see the eagle fly
You better know he's a heading your way
Cause this ain't no rag it's a flag
And it stands for the USA
USA
USA
USA
I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the united states of America
And to the republic, for which it stands
One nation, under God
Individisble
With liberty, and justice, for all
-- Charlie Daniels
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Androgens and Antagonists
I have an unfortunate medical condition, called Ulcerative Colitis (non-Crohns) . Doctors dont understand the causes of the disease (other then there seems to be a genetic risk for it), there are no real effective treatments; and though some therapies work on some people, nothing has really worked on me.
The most common treatment is a combination of steroids (mostly prednizone), H2 receptor antagonists (Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid), antacids, and sometimes proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid).
Well I went on prilosec years ago when it first came out, and it was moderately effective, but even under insurance it was ridiculously expensive, all out of proportion to its effect (about $14 a day). Priolsec is supposed to be taken as a 14 day course of treatment, then it is suppsoed to remain effective for up to 4 months.
In my case, a 14 day course of treatment is effective for... about 14 days. My body juat seems to be very resistant to drugs.
Because of my body mass, my natural resistance, the degree of acid production, and aggravating factors, none of these treatements have all that much effect, but they all at least help.
For me, the most effective was very large doses of Cimetidine (tagamet), and by very large I mean 8 times the standard over the counter doses (the max prescription dose). With enough cimetidine, I can stay free of reflux and other acid issues, cramping etc... for about 8 hours at a time. I can get the same effect by taking about as much famotidine and ranitidine each as I do cimetidine (i.e. 8 times the OTC dose for each, COMBINED - effectively taking twice as much drugs total when not using Cimetidine).
I've been to every internist, and gastroenterologist I could find; al they could really do for me wa ssuggest the treatments already taken, and charge me more money for useless advice. Now there's supposed to be a new way of controlling it that was developed out of research into MS, but its still unproven (it treats the disease on an auto-immune basis) so I'mna keep a close watch and see what happens.
Anyway, for a long time I pretty much just suffered through, because all of the above were rather expensive to take all the time, but in the last three years, my illness has become more severe, and just living with it has become very painful.
At the same time the H2 Antagonists have come down in price significantly, and Prilosec has been made available in an over the counter formulation. Over the past 10 years, Cimetidine went from $2 a pill, down to $8 for 120; with corresponding reductions in the other H2As; and Prilosec went from $14 a pill down to $1-2 a pill.
Anyway, for the last three years I've been taking a LOT of Cimetidine.
At the same time, I've been trying to lose weight.
Apparently, and unknown to me, these two things are mutually exclusive. The doctors never told me of that particular side effect of cimetidine, and I hadn't really noted it in any side effect sheets either. Its not that it wasnt there, it's just it wasn't noted as significant.
I've been wondering why, even when I am excercising and eating right, I cant seem to drop any bodyfat, I'm just gaining muscle; and not much muscle tone at that, mostly jsut mass (which I already have more than enough of). Well it turns out the reason is that cimetidine causes the normal mechanisms in Males that burn off estrogen to shut down.
I was reading an article last night about it, and the effect is especially pronounced among those with gynocomastia already; as well as those of higher body mass, and higher body fat. Larger doeses of course make for a larger effect, and I'm taking a very large dose, almost every day. This one set of side effect is apparently what prompted the major switch from Tagamet to Zantac and Pepcid in the late 80s and early 90s.
The effects of this excessive estrogen include excessive water retention, bodyfat gain, difficulty in weight loss and muscle toning, lack of energy, lack of endurance, feelings of dehydration or constant thirst, and gynocomastia. Additinally there is a highly elevated risk of cancer.
Yeah, I've got all of that going on. Thing is, those are also (in a milder form) side effects of the disease itself; I just thought they were getting worse on their own. Plus, since I'm already gynocomastic genetically, this simply aggravates the problem.
Anyway, as of today, I'm dropping the cimetidine completely from my regimen.
My plan as of now is to take Prilosec, and if I have breakthrough reflux or other acid effects, I'll treat them with Ranitidine and Famotidine; as well as conventional antacids. Heres hoping this will help in the weight loss, but even if it doesnt the reduction of side effects, and especially cancer risk is well worth it.
The most common treatment is a combination of steroids (mostly prednizone), H2 receptor antagonists (Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid), antacids, and sometimes proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid).
Well I went on prilosec years ago when it first came out, and it was moderately effective, but even under insurance it was ridiculously expensive, all out of proportion to its effect (about $14 a day). Priolsec is supposed to be taken as a 14 day course of treatment, then it is suppsoed to remain effective for up to 4 months.
In my case, a 14 day course of treatment is effective for... about 14 days. My body juat seems to be very resistant to drugs.
Because of my body mass, my natural resistance, the degree of acid production, and aggravating factors, none of these treatements have all that much effect, but they all at least help.
For me, the most effective was very large doses of Cimetidine (tagamet), and by very large I mean 8 times the standard over the counter doses (the max prescription dose). With enough cimetidine, I can stay free of reflux and other acid issues, cramping etc... for about 8 hours at a time. I can get the same effect by taking about as much famotidine and ranitidine each as I do cimetidine (i.e. 8 times the OTC dose for each, COMBINED - effectively taking twice as much drugs total when not using Cimetidine).
I've been to every internist, and gastroenterologist I could find; al they could really do for me wa ssuggest the treatments already taken, and charge me more money for useless advice. Now there's supposed to be a new way of controlling it that was developed out of research into MS, but its still unproven (it treats the disease on an auto-immune basis) so I'mna keep a close watch and see what happens.
Anyway, for a long time I pretty much just suffered through, because all of the above were rather expensive to take all the time, but in the last three years, my illness has become more severe, and just living with it has become very painful.
At the same time the H2 Antagonists have come down in price significantly, and Prilosec has been made available in an over the counter formulation. Over the past 10 years, Cimetidine went from $2 a pill, down to $8 for 120; with corresponding reductions in the other H2As; and Prilosec went from $14 a pill down to $1-2 a pill.
Anyway, for the last three years I've been taking a LOT of Cimetidine.
At the same time, I've been trying to lose weight.
Apparently, and unknown to me, these two things are mutually exclusive. The doctors never told me of that particular side effect of cimetidine, and I hadn't really noted it in any side effect sheets either. Its not that it wasnt there, it's just it wasn't noted as significant.
I've been wondering why, even when I am excercising and eating right, I cant seem to drop any bodyfat, I'm just gaining muscle; and not much muscle tone at that, mostly jsut mass (which I already have more than enough of). Well it turns out the reason is that cimetidine causes the normal mechanisms in Males that burn off estrogen to shut down.
I was reading an article last night about it, and the effect is especially pronounced among those with gynocomastia already; as well as those of higher body mass, and higher body fat. Larger doeses of course make for a larger effect, and I'm taking a very large dose, almost every day. This one set of side effect is apparently what prompted the major switch from Tagamet to Zantac and Pepcid in the late 80s and early 90s.
The effects of this excessive estrogen include excessive water retention, bodyfat gain, difficulty in weight loss and muscle toning, lack of energy, lack of endurance, feelings of dehydration or constant thirst, and gynocomastia. Additinally there is a highly elevated risk of cancer.
Yeah, I've got all of that going on. Thing is, those are also (in a milder form) side effects of the disease itself; I just thought they were getting worse on their own. Plus, since I'm already gynocomastic genetically, this simply aggravates the problem.
Anyway, as of today, I'm dropping the cimetidine completely from my regimen.
My plan as of now is to take Prilosec, and if I have breakthrough reflux or other acid effects, I'll treat them with Ranitidine and Famotidine; as well as conventional antacids. Heres hoping this will help in the weight loss, but even if it doesnt the reduction of side effects, and especially cancer risk is well worth it.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Ha Ha, I Triumph over beuridiocracy and identity theft.
In 1994 I had a car accident; in Oklahoma city, OK, on I-40. My roommate was driving my 1991 Ford Country Squire police wagon (it was a police chiefs car, and FULLY optioned out. I bought it at the end of the three year lifecycle at the town auction with only 60,000 miles on it - a MIRACLE for a cop car); and we were towing an 8 foot trailer loaded with pretty much everything I owned that would fit into it, across the country from Boston to Arizona.
A late '80s Buick Riviera made an overly aggressive passing maneuver and clipped the edge of the trailer which sent us guardrail, to guardrail, to guardrail. We then flipped over, the trailer flipped on top of us, and we spun around on the roof back to the other side of the highway.
I wrote Ford a letter thanking them for making such a tough car, since it certainly saved my life. The rivvie sped off.
Anyway, all my worldly possessions were scattered across the great state of Oklahoma.
A few months later I started getting collections notices, summons, even warrants for my arrest for bad checks. It turns out that for the first time someone had stolen my identity.
I have spent the last twelve years variously cleaning up the mess, and the messes which followed on after it. Every few months something new jumps up; and it takes me months of time and effort to clear it up, only to have more show up.
In 1999, my drivers license was suspended in Massachusetts, because of a bureaucratic error in Arizona (they said I had an unpaid ticket that I paid). Every six months until I moved to Ireland in 2000 I had my drivers license suspended as more crap piled up; none of it legitimate, all a combination of identity theft and bureaucratic bullshit; but I finally managed to clear everything out.
I then moved to Ireland for three years; and when I cam back I found out that even MORE bullshit had happened while I was gone. The social security administration informed me that had me working at 18 different jobs and addresses during the three years I was in Ireland, but they STILL wouldn't give me a new SSN. Massachusetts was saying I'd run out on my taxes, and had a half dozen tickets and arrest warrants now. California, New Jersey, Indiana, New Hampshire, Kentucky, and Washington state all had outstanding fines, warrants, tickets, or something or other.
Well, it took me six months, but I finally got it all sorted out, and got my drivers license re-instated, and my credit mostly fixed.
Then last summer, I was pulled over for making a right turn on red when it was posted no right turn (I didn't see the sign), and AGAIN I find out my license has been suspended.
This time it was Massachusetts saying that AGAIN I had unpaid tickets, fines, and taxes including warrants for failure to appear etc...
Not only that, but because I had active arrest warrants, they suspended my CCW.
This time I got my lawyer on it, because I couldn't get back to MA to take care of it, but I hadn't heard back from him about the issue since February.
Well, my temporary ID card (which AZ issues you when your DL is suspended) expired a couple weeks ago, and I am planning on buying a couple guns in the near future, so I had to renew it; plus we never changed the address on the car registration or on my ID. So anyway we went down to the MVD today.
We got in, and I filled out the forms for a renewal of m ID card, but when I went to the window I asked her to check and see if my re-instatement status had been cleared yet. Low and behold it had; my lawyer must have gotten things straightened out and forgotten to tell me (he's a family friend and he refuses to accept my money).
So finally, after THREE CONTINUOUS YEARS, and a total of SEVEN YEARS of this bullshit, I've got my driving record cleared again, and my license re-instated.
Now lets just hope in another six months MORE bullshit doesn't pop up to screw me over. Of course I've still got bullshit to clear up on my credit... That's a nightmare in itself. Ever couple months I write the letters, and they clear things up, and three to six months later it's all back again.
A late '80s Buick Riviera made an overly aggressive passing maneuver and clipped the edge of the trailer which sent us guardrail, to guardrail, to guardrail. We then flipped over, the trailer flipped on top of us, and we spun around on the roof back to the other side of the highway.
I wrote Ford a letter thanking them for making such a tough car, since it certainly saved my life. The rivvie sped off.
Anyway, all my worldly possessions were scattered across the great state of Oklahoma.
A few months later I started getting collections notices, summons, even warrants for my arrest for bad checks. It turns out that for the first time someone had stolen my identity.
I have spent the last twelve years variously cleaning up the mess, and the messes which followed on after it. Every few months something new jumps up; and it takes me months of time and effort to clear it up, only to have more show up.
In 1999, my drivers license was suspended in Massachusetts, because of a bureaucratic error in Arizona (they said I had an unpaid ticket that I paid). Every six months until I moved to Ireland in 2000 I had my drivers license suspended as more crap piled up; none of it legitimate, all a combination of identity theft and bureaucratic bullshit; but I finally managed to clear everything out.
I then moved to Ireland for three years; and when I cam back I found out that even MORE bullshit had happened while I was gone. The social security administration informed me that had me working at 18 different jobs and addresses during the three years I was in Ireland, but they STILL wouldn't give me a new SSN. Massachusetts was saying I'd run out on my taxes, and had a half dozen tickets and arrest warrants now. California, New Jersey, Indiana, New Hampshire, Kentucky, and Washington state all had outstanding fines, warrants, tickets, or something or other.
Well, it took me six months, but I finally got it all sorted out, and got my drivers license re-instated, and my credit mostly fixed.
Then last summer, I was pulled over for making a right turn on red when it was posted no right turn (I didn't see the sign), and AGAIN I find out my license has been suspended.
This time it was Massachusetts saying that AGAIN I had unpaid tickets, fines, and taxes including warrants for failure to appear etc...
Not only that, but because I had active arrest warrants, they suspended my CCW.
This time I got my lawyer on it, because I couldn't get back to MA to take care of it, but I hadn't heard back from him about the issue since February.
Well, my temporary ID card (which AZ issues you when your DL is suspended) expired a couple weeks ago, and I am planning on buying a couple guns in the near future, so I had to renew it; plus we never changed the address on the car registration or on my ID. So anyway we went down to the MVD today.
We got in, and I filled out the forms for a renewal of m ID card, but when I went to the window I asked her to check and see if my re-instatement status had been cleared yet. Low and behold it had; my lawyer must have gotten things straightened out and forgotten to tell me (he's a family friend and he refuses to accept my money).
So finally, after THREE CONTINUOUS YEARS, and a total of SEVEN YEARS of this bullshit, I've got my driving record cleared again, and my license re-instated.
Now lets just hope in another six months MORE bullshit doesn't pop up to screw me over. Of course I've still got bullshit to clear up on my credit... That's a nightmare in itself. Ever couple months I write the letters, and they clear things up, and three to six months later it's all back again.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Ahh the sweet smell of arm hair
So I got my first paycheck from the new job yesterday, and did a big Costco run, picking up all that stuff we've been putting off since February; and a few celebratory items.
A normal Costco run for us is... a lot. This one was twice a lot. One of the things we picked up was a fill tenderloin primal cut (PSMO). Basically you get your filet mignon, tenderloin roast/ chateaubriand etc.. for about $6 a pound instead of $10-$20 a pound. Of course it's Costco so they only have choice meat and not prime, but hell, choice tenderloin is pretty damned good.
Even better, buying it from Costco is cheaper than buying chicken McNuggets from McDonalds.
Then we did a double sized Wal-Mart run this morning, including grabbing something I've been waiting for ever since we moved in to this place... a GRILL.
No, it's not a barbeque, so don't call it that. Barbeque involves slow cooking with smoke; and while we are eventually going to get a smoker as well, for right now we've just picked up a cheapo charcoal grill.
See, in order to get a half decent gas grill, you need to spend RIDICULOUS amounts of money. A charcoal grill on the other hand is a. MUCH better, and b. one of the simplest things on the planet. So long as they make the thing out of the right thickness of a decent steel, and so long as you treat it right, they are simplicity itself. This one was $80, has a half decent grill cart, and reasonable construction; and that's all we need.
Charcoal is better than gas for a lot of reasons. First, charcoal gives some natural smoke flavor to the food; and that's always (well... usually) a good thing. Second charcoal is a much dryer, and if done properly much hotter heat source. Third, the additives placed in propane are quite unpleasant to smell (which is WHY they are there actually), and though the flame burns MOST of them away, some odors still remain.
Yes, eventually we're going to pick up a nice gas grill as well; but in a gas grill, you really do get what you pay for (well, up to a point anyway), and at the moment I don't want to spend the money.
Oh and why bother with a gas grill at all, since charcoal is so much better?
Basically convenience. Charcoal grilling isn't a TON of work, but it's a lot more work than just turning the knob and clicking the button. I intend to do a LOT of grilling, and I don't feel like the hassle of charcoal every other night.
Oh, and a gas burner is better for using cast iron on the grill; one of my favorite ways to cook.
Anyway, back to charcoal.
The secret to good charcoal grilling is in the fire, not in the grill. Yes a good grill design helps: Thick steel makes for good thermal mass and reflectivity, as does lining the thing with firebrick or lava rock (like you would a gas grill). Proper ventilation is important. Laying a thick, but not too thick ash bed is important.
That said, it all comes down to the fire. Use good charcoal, and build your fire properly, with good air flow, and good thickness (at least four coals thick) in the hot areas, tapering down to a single coals thickness, and a clear area to one side. This allows for multiple heat zones; and you are now in grilling heaven.
Now when you fist get a new grill there are a lot of different ways people like to prepare it. Me, I like a well seasoned grill to start with, so I coat the entire inside of the grill lightly with olive oil.
Start your fire with as much charcoal as you can evenly spread over your grate in one solid layer. DON'T use lighter fluid or match light charcoal for this, use a charcoal chimney to get a good hot fire going.
what's that? You always use matchlight because your fire goes out? That stuff adds nasty flavors to your food, and makes your smoke hurt your lungs and eyes more. Even worse, it's completely unnecessary and expensive. Just pick up a chimney charcoal starter for $10.
The way it works is simple. Its basically a big tin can with a grate in the middle, and some holes punched in the sides near the bottom. You crumple up a couple sheets of newspaper in the bottom, fill the top with your charcoal, put it on your grate, and then light the newspaper. In 10-20 minutes you'll have red hot slightly ashed coals to dump into your fire. The can acts as a chimney to direct the heat and flame up through the pile of charcoal, and the holes allow convection to suck air in like a little ramjet.
Once the coals are red, and have grayed over slightly, spread the fire evenly over the charcoal grate (which you generally DON'T want to do, because you want different heat zones in your grill, and a spread fire makes for relatively low heat with cold spots)and let it reduce to ash while the olive oil smokes and carbonizes on everything.
Let the fire burn down completely, and DON'T clean the ashes out; they are for your ash bed. This acts as an insulator against heat loss from the grill. Unfortunately it's not all that effective unless its REALLY thick, so we have our next step.
Once you have started your ash bed, let the grill cool, and lay down a bed of thin firebrick, quarry tile, sandstone, or lavarock under the fire grate. This is to absorb and reflect heat and allow air motion under the fire. It's important that you still have room for ashes to fall through, and air to move under the firegrate.
Now you want another fire going, this one nice and hot. Wipe down the grill bars with oil again, and build the fire high so that the flames are touching the bars; and let the bars season.
Once that fire has burned down to hot coals, THEN you are ready to wipe the grill bars one more time with the oil, and COOK.
Oh and the reason for the title above?
Well a grill isn't PROPERLY christened until you've managed to burn all your armhair off in a flare up.
Suffice it to say our new grill is properly christened.
UPDATE: Tournedos you could cut with a fork... in fact I did. Those were the second best tenderloins I've ever done at home; and I've done them a few hundred times. At first I thought they were underdone because they were so soft to the touch, but they were perfect inside and out, the texture was just that good.
Since we cut it ourselves we were able to trim and section it properly, and the meat cuts were perfect 2" thick, with no unrendered fat and no connective tissue (try getting cuts that good from the supermarket. You HAVE to go to abutcher to get it done right).
The only better I've had is from our butcher, who does dry aged prime.
The best part though, is the cost. Total cost for the whole meal for the two of us was maybe $20; and we had about a pound of tenderloin each. Even better, the Chateaubriand roast, and the chain are still waiting in the fridge.
A normal Costco run for us is... a lot. This one was twice a lot. One of the things we picked up was a fill tenderloin primal cut (PSMO). Basically you get your filet mignon, tenderloin roast/ chateaubriand etc.. for about $6 a pound instead of $10-$20 a pound. Of course it's Costco so they only have choice meat and not prime, but hell, choice tenderloin is pretty damned good.
Even better, buying it from Costco is cheaper than buying chicken McNuggets from McDonalds.
Then we did a double sized Wal-Mart run this morning, including grabbing something I've been waiting for ever since we moved in to this place... a GRILL.
No, it's not a barbeque, so don't call it that. Barbeque involves slow cooking with smoke; and while we are eventually going to get a smoker as well, for right now we've just picked up a cheapo charcoal grill.
See, in order to get a half decent gas grill, you need to spend RIDICULOUS amounts of money. A charcoal grill on the other hand is a. MUCH better, and b. one of the simplest things on the planet. So long as they make the thing out of the right thickness of a decent steel, and so long as you treat it right, they are simplicity itself. This one was $80, has a half decent grill cart, and reasonable construction; and that's all we need.
Charcoal is better than gas for a lot of reasons. First, charcoal gives some natural smoke flavor to the food; and that's always (well... usually) a good thing. Second charcoal is a much dryer, and if done properly much hotter heat source. Third, the additives placed in propane are quite unpleasant to smell (which is WHY they are there actually), and though the flame burns MOST of them away, some odors still remain.
Yes, eventually we're going to pick up a nice gas grill as well; but in a gas grill, you really do get what you pay for (well, up to a point anyway), and at the moment I don't want to spend the money.
Oh and why bother with a gas grill at all, since charcoal is so much better?
Basically convenience. Charcoal grilling isn't a TON of work, but it's a lot more work than just turning the knob and clicking the button. I intend to do a LOT of grilling, and I don't feel like the hassle of charcoal every other night.
Oh, and a gas burner is better for using cast iron on the grill; one of my favorite ways to cook.
Anyway, back to charcoal.
The secret to good charcoal grilling is in the fire, not in the grill. Yes a good grill design helps: Thick steel makes for good thermal mass and reflectivity, as does lining the thing with firebrick or lava rock (like you would a gas grill). Proper ventilation is important. Laying a thick, but not too thick ash bed is important.
That said, it all comes down to the fire. Use good charcoal, and build your fire properly, with good air flow, and good thickness (at least four coals thick) in the hot areas, tapering down to a single coals thickness, and a clear area to one side. This allows for multiple heat zones; and you are now in grilling heaven.
Now when you fist get a new grill there are a lot of different ways people like to prepare it. Me, I like a well seasoned grill to start with, so I coat the entire inside of the grill lightly with olive oil.
Start your fire with as much charcoal as you can evenly spread over your grate in one solid layer. DON'T use lighter fluid or match light charcoal for this, use a charcoal chimney to get a good hot fire going.
what's that? You always use matchlight because your fire goes out? That stuff adds nasty flavors to your food, and makes your smoke hurt your lungs and eyes more. Even worse, it's completely unnecessary and expensive. Just pick up a chimney charcoal starter for $10.
The way it works is simple. Its basically a big tin can with a grate in the middle, and some holes punched in the sides near the bottom. You crumple up a couple sheets of newspaper in the bottom, fill the top with your charcoal, put it on your grate, and then light the newspaper. In 10-20 minutes you'll have red hot slightly ashed coals to dump into your fire. The can acts as a chimney to direct the heat and flame up through the pile of charcoal, and the holes allow convection to suck air in like a little ramjet.
Once the coals are red, and have grayed over slightly, spread the fire evenly over the charcoal grate (which you generally DON'T want to do, because you want different heat zones in your grill, and a spread fire makes for relatively low heat with cold spots)and let it reduce to ash while the olive oil smokes and carbonizes on everything.
Let the fire burn down completely, and DON'T clean the ashes out; they are for your ash bed. This acts as an insulator against heat loss from the grill. Unfortunately it's not all that effective unless its REALLY thick, so we have our next step.
Once you have started your ash bed, let the grill cool, and lay down a bed of thin firebrick, quarry tile, sandstone, or lavarock under the fire grate. This is to absorb and reflect heat and allow air motion under the fire. It's important that you still have room for ashes to fall through, and air to move under the firegrate.
Now you want another fire going, this one nice and hot. Wipe down the grill bars with oil again, and build the fire high so that the flames are touching the bars; and let the bars season.
Once that fire has burned down to hot coals, THEN you are ready to wipe the grill bars one more time with the oil, and COOK.
Oh and the reason for the title above?
Well a grill isn't PROPERLY christened until you've managed to burn all your armhair off in a flare up.
Suffice it to say our new grill is properly christened.
UPDATE: Tournedos you could cut with a fork... in fact I did. Those were the second best tenderloins I've ever done at home; and I've done them a few hundred times. At first I thought they were underdone because they were so soft to the touch, but they were perfect inside and out, the texture was just that good.
Since we cut it ourselves we were able to trim and section it properly, and the meat cuts were perfect 2" thick, with no unrendered fat and no connective tissue (try getting cuts that good from the supermarket. You HAVE to go to abutcher to get it done right).
The only better I've had is from our butcher, who does dry aged prime.
The best part though, is the cost. Total cost for the whole meal for the two of us was maybe $20; and we had about a pound of tenderloin each. Even better, the Chateaubriand roast, and the chain are still waiting in the fridge.
Too good to be "Tactical" ?
Okay, so the Tactical Tommy thing has gone way too far. There are light rails on pistols that are too small to put a light on for chrissakes (the KelTec PF9 for example).
For most guns the light rails is a useless appendage that will just snag on things. Weapon lights have their uses (clearing house for example), and I think any defensive shotgun or carbine should have some kind of lighting system available to it; and MAYBE bedside guns if you want to train with the light, but on a MINI POCKET PISTOL FER CHRISSAKES?
Then theres the tactical tommy mall ninjas. Funy to read about, sad to see; and giving a bad name to all shooters everywhere.
I won't even talk about the SAS (Special Air Softers), and counterstrike commandos. Just one thing guys, videogame physics, no matter how good, are NOT REAL.
And what's this with everyone labeling everything "tactical"; I'm getting damn sick of seeing that word.
That said though, there are a few good things to come out of the tactical craze. I can think of a few more, but here's my top ten; in approximate reverse order of "goodness".
10. Lots of sling/carry/holster options: Prior to the tactical craze it was pretty much GI canvas/nylon, GI leather, or padded hunter slings. The holster market was mostly "fancy" or "plain" with far fewer designs and variations available; and pretty much only in leather and cheezy ballistic nylon (not that the new materials are better). Now, you have every kind of carry option you can think of, in every material you can think of.
Oh and one thing on that... for most rifles, in most situation, the GI leather sling (1917 sling) is still one of the best options, "tactical" or not.
9. Good quality, very hard to break folding knives: A few years ago you wouldn't even think of abusing a folder the way they can be now without worrying about it closing on your fingers or breaking the blade.
8. Speed load/reload gear: Much better mag pouches, magpulls, mag followers, speedloaders etc.. are available now than before the tacticool invasion.
7. Tougher gun finishes available on almost everything: Before Glock and the tactical craze you pretty much had the choice of Blue, Nickel, Parkerized, or Stainless. Now even from the factory you can get seriously tough finishes in many colors.
6. High intensity flashlights; These are FAR more useful than the old maglight and minimag light etc... I wouldnt be caught dead without my surefires and the like.
5. Common accessory rails: Prior to this whole tactical thing, very few weapons used common mounting systems. If you wanted to attach something to your gun you could either use hun tape (or for advanced OSTers, 550 cord), or see a gunsmith. Now, like them or not, if you want to mount something, you generally just need a 1913 rail mount.
4. A lot less sharp edges and snags: The tactical craze and widespread CCW brought with it guns and accessories designed not to snag on things; straight from the factory. Prior to this you had to go to ASP or a high end custom smith for a meltjob
3. Tough field optics and night sights: The tactical boom has brought the red dot, and holographic sighs, and tritium night sights along with it. 20 years ago you had the AimPoint, and the CMore, and both were expensive; and though much tougher than a regular scope, both were relatively fragile. The thought of getting Trijicons or Meprolights straight from the factory was almsot ludicrous. Factory iron sights were even worse than the optics (and in some cases are still as bad). Factory sights on auto pistols for example, were generally horrid little invisible things and were almost considered sacrifical; as they would be the first thing the gunsmith would change. Now you have dozens of manufacturers making sights that you can quite literally SHOOT with another gun, and then still use; in the dark; and jsut about every gun is availabe from the factory with high wuality, ow profile tritium night sights.
2. A general emphasis on toughness, reliability, and field usefulness: When I first started shooting over 20 years ago (and lord knows there are many of you who've been doing this far longer than that), it was generally considered normal (not acceptable, but not uncommon) that sometimes things would just break for no reason, or just not work, without being specially tuned by a gunsmith or armorer. Nowadays this is simply not acceptable from any reputable factory. In fact you can now buy guns straight from the factory with all the bells and whistles that custom gunsmiths used to add (and still do) for less than 1/3 the cost of a custom build up. Sure they aren't quite as good, but are the custom guns $1600-$2600 better for most folks?
1. The proliferation of advanced training: 20 years ago we had Gunsite, Clint Smith, Massad Ayoob, and a few other travelling trainers (yes I can think of a half dozen too, I jsut didnt want to make long lists). If you were LUCKY you had a local facility giving a CCW training course. Other than that, you were pretty much out of luck. Now you can get at least decent quality training in most states that are gun friendly; and really great training is usually a short trip away. Not only that, but the expectation that someone SHOULD take training if they can afford it, is a good and useful thing.
So do not bemoan all things tactical; for the flipside of the mall ninja is the advantage brought to you, the serious and/or professional shooter.
For most guns the light rails is a useless appendage that will just snag on things. Weapon lights have their uses (clearing house for example), and I think any defensive shotgun or carbine should have some kind of lighting system available to it; and MAYBE bedside guns if you want to train with the light, but on a MINI POCKET PISTOL FER CHRISSAKES?
Then theres the tactical tommy mall ninjas. Funy to read about, sad to see; and giving a bad name to all shooters everywhere.
I won't even talk about the SAS (Special Air Softers), and counterstrike commandos. Just one thing guys, videogame physics, no matter how good, are NOT REAL.
And what's this with everyone labeling everything "tactical"; I'm getting damn sick of seeing that word.
That said though, there are a few good things to come out of the tactical craze. I can think of a few more, but here's my top ten; in approximate reverse order of "goodness".
10. Lots of sling/carry/holster options: Prior to the tactical craze it was pretty much GI canvas/nylon, GI leather, or padded hunter slings. The holster market was mostly "fancy" or "plain" with far fewer designs and variations available; and pretty much only in leather and cheezy ballistic nylon (not that the new materials are better). Now, you have every kind of carry option you can think of, in every material you can think of.
Oh and one thing on that... for most rifles, in most situation, the GI leather sling (1917 sling) is still one of the best options, "tactical" or not.
9. Good quality, very hard to break folding knives: A few years ago you wouldn't even think of abusing a folder the way they can be now without worrying about it closing on your fingers or breaking the blade.
8. Speed load/reload gear: Much better mag pouches, magpulls, mag followers, speedloaders etc.. are available now than before the tacticool invasion.
7. Tougher gun finishes available on almost everything: Before Glock and the tactical craze you pretty much had the choice of Blue, Nickel, Parkerized, or Stainless. Now even from the factory you can get seriously tough finishes in many colors.
6. High intensity flashlights; These are FAR more useful than the old maglight and minimag light etc... I wouldnt be caught dead without my surefires and the like.
5. Common accessory rails: Prior to this whole tactical thing, very few weapons used common mounting systems. If you wanted to attach something to your gun you could either use hun tape (or for advanced OSTers, 550 cord), or see a gunsmith. Now, like them or not, if you want to mount something, you generally just need a 1913 rail mount.
4. A lot less sharp edges and snags: The tactical craze and widespread CCW brought with it guns and accessories designed not to snag on things; straight from the factory. Prior to this you had to go to ASP or a high end custom smith for a meltjob
3. Tough field optics and night sights: The tactical boom has brought the red dot, and holographic sighs, and tritium night sights along with it. 20 years ago you had the AimPoint, and the CMore, and both were expensive; and though much tougher than a regular scope, both were relatively fragile. The thought of getting Trijicons or Meprolights straight from the factory was almsot ludicrous. Factory iron sights were even worse than the optics (and in some cases are still as bad). Factory sights on auto pistols for example, were generally horrid little invisible things and were almost considered sacrifical; as they would be the first thing the gunsmith would change. Now you have dozens of manufacturers making sights that you can quite literally SHOOT with another gun, and then still use; in the dark; and jsut about every gun is availabe from the factory with high wuality, ow profile tritium night sights.
2. A general emphasis on toughness, reliability, and field usefulness: When I first started shooting over 20 years ago (and lord knows there are many of you who've been doing this far longer than that), it was generally considered normal (not acceptable, but not uncommon) that sometimes things would just break for no reason, or just not work, without being specially tuned by a gunsmith or armorer. Nowadays this is simply not acceptable from any reputable factory. In fact you can now buy guns straight from the factory with all the bells and whistles that custom gunsmiths used to add (and still do) for less than 1/3 the cost of a custom build up. Sure they aren't quite as good, but are the custom guns $1600-$2600 better for most folks?
1. The proliferation of advanced training: 20 years ago we had Gunsite, Clint Smith, Massad Ayoob, and a few other travelling trainers (yes I can think of a half dozen too, I jsut didnt want to make long lists). If you were LUCKY you had a local facility giving a CCW training course. Other than that, you were pretty much out of luck. Now you can get at least decent quality training in most states that are gun friendly; and really great training is usually a short trip away. Not only that, but the expectation that someone SHOULD take training if they can afford it, is a good and useful thing.
So do not bemoan all things tactical; for the flipside of the mall ninja is the advantage brought to you, the serious and/or professional shooter.
Friday, June 09, 2006
John OC in major car acccident after forum meetup lunch
First things first, John is OK, but his car is probably totalled.
Mel, myself, our good friend and regular commenter JohnOC, reader and frequent commenter CerbralFix, and his brother in law, all met up today in north Scottsdale for lunch; while CF and company waited for a third member of their party going to a training class up in Prescott (Gabe Suarezes AK combat class —review forthcoming from CF).
We had just finished lunch, and John was taking them over to see the Scottsdale gun club; when a woman in a lexus pulled out directly in front of him without looking.
John made what would have been a successful avoidance maneuver, but the woman in the lexus saw that she was about to cause an accident, and rather than continue moving out of the way, she slammed on her brakes. John attempted to correct for this but when the woman saw she was still in the way she hit the gas making the situation worse yet again. John hit her side on, quartering; making a nice lexus wheel impression right in the middle of his grill, and stoving in his front end quite thoroughly.
Thankfully john wasn’t seriously hurt, just bumping his head on the headliner of the car, and hurting his wrist and forarm when the steering wheel caught his watch. Neither of the two women occupying the lexus were hurt. Neither airbag deployed, and all were wearing seatbelts.
CF and his brother in law helped us unload johns car, and Mel took John home while CF and I dropped the cargo back at our place. John is resting at home, OK, and waiting on the verdict from the estimator and his insurance company.
Mel, myself, our good friend and regular commenter JohnOC, reader and frequent commenter CerbralFix, and his brother in law, all met up today in north Scottsdale for lunch; while CF and company waited for a third member of their party going to a training class up in Prescott (Gabe Suarezes AK combat class —review forthcoming from CF).
We had just finished lunch, and John was taking them over to see the Scottsdale gun club; when a woman in a lexus pulled out directly in front of him without looking.
John made what would have been a successful avoidance maneuver, but the woman in the lexus saw that she was about to cause an accident, and rather than continue moving out of the way, she slammed on her brakes. John attempted to correct for this but when the woman saw she was still in the way she hit the gas making the situation worse yet again. John hit her side on, quartering; making a nice lexus wheel impression right in the middle of his grill, and stoving in his front end quite thoroughly.
Thankfully john wasn’t seriously hurt, just bumping his head on the headliner of the car, and hurting his wrist and forarm when the steering wheel caught his watch. Neither of the two women occupying the lexus were hurt. Neither airbag deployed, and all were wearing seatbelts.
CF and his brother in law helped us unload johns car, and Mel took John home while CF and I dropped the cargo back at our place. John is resting at home, OK, and waiting on the verdict from the estimator and his insurance company.
But what to feed them?
In JKLNX we talked about the different sizes of revolver made by Smith and Wwesson, and their various applications; with particular focus on the K and J frames.
By far the dominant chamberings discussed here in relation to S&W revolvers have been .38 and .357 magnum. They were the predominant law enforcement, and personal protection chamberings, for the best part of 100 years; and they continue to be so today.
These pistol series were both originally designed with .38spl in mind, but were later strengthened and modified to take .357 magnum. In reality they are still best used with .38spl; both for the longevity of the gun, and the accuracy, and comfort of the shooter.
Unfortunately as discussed in the linked article, .38spl is a marginal defensive chambering even from a long barreled pistol; and .357 magnum is a very high pressure, high intensity round. It has a massive muzzle blast and heavy recoil that are detrimental to efffective usage of small pistols in the chambering.
So what DO you load in a .38, or small framed .357 and still have it be effective? And what if you have a .38 that isn't specifically rated for +p+ ammunition? How do you stay effective with a chambering thats almost 110 years old?
There are four understood stopping mechanisms with regard to relatively low engery and low velocity gun shots, as produced by most pistol rounds. They are ranked here in order of speed of stop, and coincdentilly in reverse order of their reliabilty (i.e. you can count on significant exsangunation almost always occuring given a good shot, but it's slow. CNS damage is fast, but much harder to achieve):
1. Critical Central Nervous System (CNS) disruption
2. Critical organ or joint destruction
3. Wound shock (this can be several different types)
4. Exsanguination
The two primary factors in causing any of these wounding mechanisms except wound shock, are depth of penetration, and the size of the permanent wound cavity. Both are a function of the mass, velocity, diameter, shape, and construction of the bullet in question; and it is difficult to make predctions as to what bullets will wound better outside of some very basic generalizations
a. up to a point, faster is better (too fast an you overpentrate, or the bullet disintegrates)
b. Assuming decent velocity is maintained, greater mass creates bigger, and deeper wounds
c. Assuming decent velocity is maintained, greater diameter means wider wounds, but also means shallower penetration.
C above is why expanding rounds penetrate less; but assuming adequate massa and penetration, they damage the target far mroe than non expanding rounds, which may zip right through a target, leaving only a bullet sized hole; which may very will bleed very little and not effect a stop on target.
To do vital damage based solely on penetrative trauma (excluding wound shock, CNS shock, and other secondary efects) one must consistently penetrate a minimum of 4” on the “average” human.
Testing of ammunition generally consistes of calbrated ballistic gelatin, which although it isn't much like human flesh, rovides a consistent and repeatable medium for testing. Generally speaking, for every 2-4" of gelatin penetration, there is 1-2" of body penetration, depengin on body composition, shot placement, clothing, and exactly bullet construction.
Given the 4" of penetration requried to vitally damage a target, this translates into 8-16” of bare gelatin penetration.
In order to avoid overpentration, a bullet should not penetrate more than 8-10” on an averate human. This works out to anywhere from 16"- 40” of gelatin penetration; which shows you jsut how useful that test really is but anyway…
Based on these numbers, the FBI has determined that 14” is the ideal penetration amount in bare ballistic gelatin. They have also determined that 10” is unacceptable on the low side, and that 18” is unacceptable on the high side.
Clothing has two opposite effects on bullets. If the bullet still expands after passing through the clothing, it reduces the penetration moderately for average clothing, and significantly for heavy clothing (like denim and leather - for all you saxon fans). If the bullet DOES NOT expand after passing through clothing, because the hollowpoint has been plugged or crushed by that clothing, then penetration is generally drastically INCREASED. because the bullet effectively becomes an RN or SWC FMJ.
The FBI rates the ideal penetration as 14”, unfortunately no standard pressure .38 hollowpoint will do that. In fact many FMJ rounds wont even do that at the standard 800fps loadings. Most +p .38s wont do it either unless you’re shooting hardball, JSWC, or VERY hard cast lead SWC. Realy, you need a +p+ hollowpoint or SWC to ensure you make 14”.
Note that the only commercial pistol chambering and loading which recieved a 100% rating in both bare and clothed gelatin, without overpentration; was the full power winchester silvertip 10mm.
Yes, the ONLY chambering and loading, among all tested chamberings and loadings (multiple loadings of .38spl, 9mm, .357 magnum, .40S&W, 10mm, .41magnum, .44spl, .45acp, and .44 magnum were tested originally, and .357SIG was tested a few years ago).
The lower power 10mm “fbi” load only scored about 90%. The higher power norma 10mm proof load scored 100% but sometimes overpentrated. The same happened with the federal .357 158gr load at 1185fps (from a 3” barrel). That same federal 158gr semi-wadcutter load in .38spl at 900-1000fps forma 3" barrel was the FBI standard load for .38spl for years; until the miami shootout.
When only that one 10mm load was able to pass the test, the FBI redesigned the test. Now several .45+p, 9mm +p+, .40s&w +p, and .357 sig loads have also passed the test, some with 100% ratings. No .38spl has passed it with 100%, but the 125gr and 158gr +p+ loadings come close to 90%.
Ok so what do you shoot in a light weight, short barreled gun?
The key to controlling recoil in a light weight gun, is to use a lightweight bullet. The key to penetration in a light bullet is velocity. Out of a 2” lightweight gun, you really want a light bullet at the highest possible velocity. For a 3” or 4” gun I would recommend a heavier load, but still at the highest possible velocity.
I GENERALLY wouldn’t recommend any standard pressure .38 loads for defensive purposes, especially not from a 2” gun, except MAYBE one of the 110gr low velocity expanding loads. The heavier loads simply do not have the velocity out of the 2” barrel to penetrate consistently (even in hardball). The Federal low recoil loads are specifically designed to be fired from short barreled, light weight guns, and still retain similar performance to the higher power loadings. Hornady and others are both producing similar loadings.
Of course theres no such thing as a free lunch, but these loads should have adequate penetration and expansion from a 2” gun, without being punishing (in comparison to other loads anyway) from the lightweights.
That said, either are what I would consider rather light loads (because standard .38 is such a low pressure chambering), chosen because of their low recoil, not maximum performance. From a 3” or 4” gun chambered in .357 that you want to shoot .38spl out of, I’d HIGHLY recommend one of the medium or heavy weight +p+ loads from several manufacturers.
A 158gr Semi-jacketed HP at 1150fps is nothing to sneeze at (buffalo bore from a 4” barrel). Thats 350fps over standard pressure velocities; and in fact it’s near the low end of .357 magnum pressures (the same .357 loading would be at 1250fps for standard and 1350-1450fps for heavy magnum loads). The loading itself is roughly ballistically equivalent to a .40s&w.
The big thing is to find a bullet weight that shoots to near point of aim with your gun, at your chosen range (for a 2” gun max of 7 yards). In that weight, then try different loads to see how they group.
That said, don’t go for any load that doesn’t push at least 1000fps from YOUR barrel (typically a 2” gun will shoot 100 fps less than the 4” guns they usually publish the numbers for).
Now personally, I’m not very recoil sensitive, so if I were carrying the 340pd (and I’m still thinking about buying one), I’d probably stoke it with one cylinder of full bore ultra light weight .357, and carry medium weight +p+ .38s loaded to maximum pressures as reloads. I’m thinking along the lines of 125gr at 1250-1350fps nominal (and about 100fps less from the 2” J-Frame).
Buffalo bore stocks a 125gr load that pushes 1050fps with the low velocity gold dot JHP (they are designed to expand at 800fps but not shed mass at higher velocities) from a 2” j frame, which is about 1150 nominal from a 4” barrel. I figure I can probably load up to 1150, and MAYBE as high as 1250 out of the 2” without pressure issues, using the same LV bullet (the equivalent .357 load from buffalo bore is at 1600fps from a 4” and 1475fps out of a 3” j frame).
By far the dominant chamberings discussed here in relation to S&W revolvers have been .38 and .357 magnum. They were the predominant law enforcement, and personal protection chamberings, for the best part of 100 years; and they continue to be so today.
These pistol series were both originally designed with .38spl in mind, but were later strengthened and modified to take .357 magnum. In reality they are still best used with .38spl; both for the longevity of the gun, and the accuracy, and comfort of the shooter.
Unfortunately as discussed in the linked article, .38spl is a marginal defensive chambering even from a long barreled pistol; and .357 magnum is a very high pressure, high intensity round. It has a massive muzzle blast and heavy recoil that are detrimental to efffective usage of small pistols in the chambering.
So what DO you load in a .38, or small framed .357 and still have it be effective? And what if you have a .38 that isn't specifically rated for +p+ ammunition? How do you stay effective with a chambering thats almost 110 years old?
There are four understood stopping mechanisms with regard to relatively low engery and low velocity gun shots, as produced by most pistol rounds. They are ranked here in order of speed of stop, and coincdentilly in reverse order of their reliabilty (i.e. you can count on significant exsangunation almost always occuring given a good shot, but it's slow. CNS damage is fast, but much harder to achieve):
1. Critical Central Nervous System (CNS) disruption
2. Critical organ or joint destruction
3. Wound shock (this can be several different types)
4. Exsanguination
The two primary factors in causing any of these wounding mechanisms except wound shock, are depth of penetration, and the size of the permanent wound cavity. Both are a function of the mass, velocity, diameter, shape, and construction of the bullet in question; and it is difficult to make predctions as to what bullets will wound better outside of some very basic generalizations
a. up to a point, faster is better (too fast an you overpentrate, or the bullet disintegrates)
b. Assuming decent velocity is maintained, greater mass creates bigger, and deeper wounds
c. Assuming decent velocity is maintained, greater diameter means wider wounds, but also means shallower penetration.
C above is why expanding rounds penetrate less; but assuming adequate massa and penetration, they damage the target far mroe than non expanding rounds, which may zip right through a target, leaving only a bullet sized hole; which may very will bleed very little and not effect a stop on target.
To do vital damage based solely on penetrative trauma (excluding wound shock, CNS shock, and other secondary efects) one must consistently penetrate a minimum of 4” on the “average” human.
Testing of ammunition generally consistes of calbrated ballistic gelatin, which although it isn't much like human flesh, rovides a consistent and repeatable medium for testing. Generally speaking, for every 2-4" of gelatin penetration, there is 1-2" of body penetration, depengin on body composition, shot placement, clothing, and exactly bullet construction.
Given the 4" of penetration requried to vitally damage a target, this translates into 8-16” of bare gelatin penetration.
In order to avoid overpentration, a bullet should not penetrate more than 8-10” on an averate human. This works out to anywhere from 16"- 40” of gelatin penetration; which shows you jsut how useful that test really is but anyway…
Based on these numbers, the FBI has determined that 14” is the ideal penetration amount in bare ballistic gelatin. They have also determined that 10” is unacceptable on the low side, and that 18” is unacceptable on the high side.
Clothing has two opposite effects on bullets. If the bullet still expands after passing through the clothing, it reduces the penetration moderately for average clothing, and significantly for heavy clothing (like denim and leather - for all you saxon fans). If the bullet DOES NOT expand after passing through clothing, because the hollowpoint has been plugged or crushed by that clothing, then penetration is generally drastically INCREASED. because the bullet effectively becomes an RN or SWC FMJ.
The FBI rates the ideal penetration as 14”, unfortunately no standard pressure .38 hollowpoint will do that. In fact many FMJ rounds wont even do that at the standard 800fps loadings. Most +p .38s wont do it either unless you’re shooting hardball, JSWC, or VERY hard cast lead SWC. Realy, you need a +p+ hollowpoint or SWC to ensure you make 14”.
Note that the only commercial pistol chambering and loading which recieved a 100% rating in both bare and clothed gelatin, without overpentration; was the full power winchester silvertip 10mm.
Yes, the ONLY chambering and loading, among all tested chamberings and loadings (multiple loadings of .38spl, 9mm, .357 magnum, .40S&W, 10mm, .41magnum, .44spl, .45acp, and .44 magnum were tested originally, and .357SIG was tested a few years ago).
The lower power 10mm “fbi” load only scored about 90%. The higher power norma 10mm proof load scored 100% but sometimes overpentrated. The same happened with the federal .357 158gr load at 1185fps (from a 3” barrel). That same federal 158gr semi-wadcutter load in .38spl at 900-1000fps forma 3" barrel was the FBI standard load for .38spl for years; until the miami shootout.
When only that one 10mm load was able to pass the test, the FBI redesigned the test. Now several .45+p, 9mm +p+, .40s&w +p, and .357 sig loads have also passed the test, some with 100% ratings. No .38spl has passed it with 100%, but the 125gr and 158gr +p+ loadings come close to 90%.
Ok so what do you shoot in a light weight, short barreled gun?
The key to controlling recoil in a light weight gun, is to use a lightweight bullet. The key to penetration in a light bullet is velocity. Out of a 2” lightweight gun, you really want a light bullet at the highest possible velocity. For a 3” or 4” gun I would recommend a heavier load, but still at the highest possible velocity.
I GENERALLY wouldn’t recommend any standard pressure .38 loads for defensive purposes, especially not from a 2” gun, except MAYBE one of the 110gr low velocity expanding loads. The heavier loads simply do not have the velocity out of the 2” barrel to penetrate consistently (even in hardball). The Federal low recoil loads are specifically designed to be fired from short barreled, light weight guns, and still retain similar performance to the higher power loadings. Hornady and others are both producing similar loadings.
A note on extremely light, and extremely heavy loads: In very light weight guns, the extreme weight ranges of bullets have issues. Particularly, high pressure loads under 120gr in .38 or .357 may pull under heavy recoil in the extremely light weight guns; which could bind the cylinder, or in an extreme case result in a chainfire. The reverse problem, and possibly the more dangerous one, exists for very heavy loads; in that high pressure loads over 147gr may set back in the case under heavy recoil, and cause excessive pressures (and thus possibly a blown cylinder). Also if the seating depth or crimp are insufficient on the very heavy loads, or too deep on the very light loads, the problems can reverse.My wife has the 3” SP101, and I LOVE shooting the Cor-Bon 125gr at 1125fps through it, which I think shoot like .22s; but my wife doesnt like the recoil and muzzle flash. SHE really likes the 110 gr federal low recoil loads. Those are standard pressure, but loaded up to 1000fps (because of their low weight) from a 2” gun. They are in theory able to penetrate adequately but I’d really like to water box them just to be sure. Also out of the SP, they shoot softer than the standard 148gr or 125gr FMJ at 800fps.
Of course theres no such thing as a free lunch, but these loads should have adequate penetration and expansion from a 2” gun, without being punishing (in comparison to other loads anyway) from the lightweights.
That said, either are what I would consider rather light loads (because standard .38 is such a low pressure chambering), chosen because of their low recoil, not maximum performance. From a 3” or 4” gun chambered in .357 that you want to shoot .38spl out of, I’d HIGHLY recommend one of the medium or heavy weight +p+ loads from several manufacturers.
A 158gr Semi-jacketed HP at 1150fps is nothing to sneeze at (buffalo bore from a 4” barrel). Thats 350fps over standard pressure velocities; and in fact it’s near the low end of .357 magnum pressures (the same .357 loading would be at 1250fps for standard and 1350-1450fps for heavy magnum loads). The loading itself is roughly ballistically equivalent to a .40s&w.
The big thing is to find a bullet weight that shoots to near point of aim with your gun, at your chosen range (for a 2” gun max of 7 yards). In that weight, then try different loads to see how they group.
That said, don’t go for any load that doesn’t push at least 1000fps from YOUR barrel (typically a 2” gun will shoot 100 fps less than the 4” guns they usually publish the numbers for).
Now personally, I’m not very recoil sensitive, so if I were carrying the 340pd (and I’m still thinking about buying one), I’d probably stoke it with one cylinder of full bore ultra light weight .357, and carry medium weight +p+ .38s loaded to maximum pressures as reloads. I’m thinking along the lines of 125gr at 1250-1350fps nominal (and about 100fps less from the 2” J-Frame).
Buffalo bore stocks a 125gr load that pushes 1050fps with the low velocity gold dot JHP (they are designed to expand at 800fps but not shed mass at higher velocities) from a 2” j frame, which is about 1150 nominal from a 4” barrel. I figure I can probably load up to 1150, and MAYBE as high as 1250 out of the 2” without pressure issues, using the same LV bullet (the equivalent .357 load from buffalo bore is at 1600fps from a 4” and 1475fps out of a 3” j frame).
jklnx
A few weeks ago we were talking about defensive handguns, and the subject of revolver frame sizes came up. Specifically, the lettering that Smith and Wesson uses to describe their various frames over the past 70 or so years.
There are five basic frames currently in production from S&W, the J, K, L, N, and X frames, ranked in order of size. There have been others, but since the original development of these classifications in the early 30's (prior models were mostly identified by caliber. For example the .38/44 was said to be on the "44 frame")the models outside of this canon have been mostly of limited production.
The K frame Smith and Wesson revolver in .38 spl is a true classic, and the oldest of the frames under discussion. It is one of the most shootable, controllable handguns every designed; and in the right hands and a 4" barrel, it is deadly accurate.
The K frame has been manufactured since 1902 (and in slightly earlier form since 1899, and before that 1892), beginning as the ".38 Hand Ejector", evolving through the "Military and Police" model, and still manufactured today (and since 1958) as the Model 10. The K frame .38 and it's variants were the dominant police issue weapon for something on the order of 60 years; from the late teens and early 1920s all the way to the early 1980s.
The majority of shooters alive in this country today grew up with, and have in their memories strong images of cops on TV with their .38's; and FBI agents with their very similar .357 magnums. Heck, some NYPD detectives are still carrying the .38 detective special (older detectives were allowed to continue using the weapons they qualified with, than switch to Glocks and Kahrs).
The first medium frame .357's were really just strengthened K frame .38s with longer cylinders, which is rather appropriate since the .357 is just a stretched and strengthened .38. These eventually evolved into the model 19 combat magnum in 1955, which was issued by many police agencies for over 30 years, and has only recently left production (under a different model number - actually several - in stainless).
Unfortunately, .38spl is a marginal defensive caliber in it's standard pressure loadings, even from a 4" barrel; and the 4" K frame isn't the most carryable gun in the world, with a length and height greater than a full size 1911.
.357 magnum on the other hand is a real handful of a round, pushing the same bullets as the .38spl up to 500fps faster for a given weight of bullet (for up to 3 times as much energy)
The original medium frame .357 magnum guns really weren't designed to shoot the heavy .357 loads all the time. They were meant to use practice loads, and hot .38spl most of their lives; so as to not put undue wear and tear on the frame. This isn't to say they couldn't do it, but there would be a lot of wear on the guns, and a lot of wear on the shooters. Metallurgy caught up during the model 19s production run, and later model 19s are up to the task, but it is still recommended they live mostly on .38s.
S&W specifically developed the later L frame models in the late 1970's to early '80s as guns that would be both comfortable for the shooter, and stand up to a lifetime of the heaviest standard .357 loads. If anything in fact the L frame models (the 386, 586, 596, 681, 686, and 696 - only the 386 and 686 are still in full standard production, but the others are sometimes made in limited runs) are somewhat OVERbuilt; but they are among the best shooting pistols ever made. The L frame is also a very flexible platform, and since it is a bit larger, it can accommodate a 7 shot cylinder with full power .357 magnum (and also a 5 shot .44spl, though production is very limited).
Above I said the 4" K frames weren't the most carryable pieces in the world. Really they aren't very concealable at all; and this was a competitive problem for S&W in the plainclothes police and personal protection market.
In 1927 Colt introduced a scaled down model of their "Police Positive" revolver, with a rounded butt and a bobbed 2" barrel as the "detective special". They manufactured it in this form until 1936 when they shifted production to arms for the upcoming war. After the war, in 1949, or 1950 they started production back up again, and they sold as many as they could make, up until they permanently discontinued the model in 1973 (though other variants such as the colt cobra remained in production sporadically through the '90s).
This pistol was a real problem for S&W, as they didn't have anything comparable in size. They DID make 2" bobbed models of their military and police pistols, and there was a thriving custom gunsmithing business chopping down K frames into custom carry pistols (we'll talk about Fitz specials at a later date); but nothing small and concealable was available from the factory.
In 1950, finally responding to the Detective Special, S&W decided to do Colt one better, and came out with a slightly smaller pistol they called the "Chiefs Special". It too had a 2" barrel, but it was considerably thinner and slightly lighter than the detective special, because it used a five shot cylinder in a smaller frame. Thus the J frame Smith was born.
The J frame has remained in continuous production, in various materials (carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, titanium, and now an alloy of aluminum, titanium, and scandium) and at various lengths and weights, but otherwise mostly unchanged, for that entire 56 year period. While the detective special was in production it gee rally outsold the chiefs special, but Smith and Wesson J frame production has outstripped Detective Special production by more than 5 to one over the past 56 years.
In the mid 1990s, the Clinton administration managed to get bans passed on the production of new high capacity magazines for semi-automatic pistols and rifles. At the same time, laws allowing for more concealed carry were being passed around the nation, and with the lack of availability of higher capacity magazines; people interested in carrying concealed to protect themselves were more interested in very small guns, firing very powerful rounds like .45 acp and .357 magnum.
Smith and Wesson went back to the drawing board... or rather to their metallurgists... and they beefed up the J frame to handle .357 magnum loads.
Unfortunately, the laws of physics cannot be repealed. Loads that were damaging 4" K frame revolvers weighing 36 ounces in the 1950s do very unpleasant things in a 2" barreled gun that weighs less than a pound; even if the metal can take the stress. Realistically just as the earlier K frame .357's these guns are not designed to be fed a steady diet of .357 magnum loads. Instead they are PERFECT for the newer high intensity +p and +p+ .38 spl loadings, that can sometimes approach near .357 magnum performance without near the recoil or muzzle blast.
From smaller, we now jump to bigger. Specifically we go to 1908, and the Smith and Wesson "New Century hand ejector" revolver, which was originally called the "44 frame", after it's original chambering of .44 Smith and Wesson (which became .44spl). The gun was also called the "Triple Lock" after it's three part locking mechanism, which in part gave the gun it's exceptional strength and accuracy.
In 1915 S&W revised the ejection, the barrel, and the locking mechanism of the gun, removing the triple lock feature (because it saved about 10% of the cost of the gun). The frame then reached the form it would have until 1956.
In 1929, S&W uprated the pressure of some standard .38spl rounds, and called them variously the ".38 high velocity" or ".38 heavy duty", and produced a .38 caliber revolver built on the heavy frame called the .38/44 heavy duty. This led directly to the production of the .357 magnum round, and the first guns chambered for it. The original production .357s were called "Registered Magnums" and were developed in 1934 at the request of noted gun writers Phil Sharpe and Elmer Keith, the FBI, and various police agencies. The registered magnums were essentially hand built heavy barrel large framed .38s, much like the earlier .38/44s, with a lengthened cylinder, and revised heat treating.
In 1956 these "registered magnums" became the model 27, soon followed by the model 28; and still available on a limited production basis as the 627.
Let me tell you, .38spl out of a model 27 is about the smoothest shooting experience there is in the centerfire world. You haven't FELT a good trigger til you've stroked a pre 1969 (or even better pre-'56) S&W DA revolver; and the mass of the N frame soaks up what little recoil the .38 has like water to a sponge.
In the mean time, Elmer Keith had been messing around with the new guns, in their original chambering of .44 S&W special. See Elmer liked to shoot things at LOOOOOOONG range, and he liked to shoot things with big bullets, moving very fast, and hitting very hard.
It's just the kind of guy he was really.
Anyway, Elmer risked life and limb to really push the envelope with .44spl loadings, all the way out to around doubling (and sometimes more than doubling) the pressure and velocity of factory loadings.
He just couldn't break the damn guns. Pretty much no matter what he did, he ran out of room for powder before he blew up the guns. Not that he didn't shoot more than a few of them loose; and he really wanted a gun that would take his hot loads, 100% of the time, for a lifetime.
Elmer was already long famous for his long range shooting, and his hunting skills and activities; and he really wanted his hot .44s, so he pretty much ramrodded S&W into making a new .44 in the model of the .38/.357 magnum; the .44 magnum, introduced into full production in 1955-56, as the model 29 (and still available today as a 629).
At the time of it's manufacture, the .44 magnum really was the most powerful handgun in the world by most standards, but it didn't hold on to that title for long. It was certainly not true by the time the Dirty Harry movie was made, but "This is the fifth most powerful handgun in the world" doesn't sound very good; and besides, from the range he was shooting at it really would have blown the punks head clean off.
At any rate, a few years back S&W decided they really DID want to have the most powerful revolver in the world again, but the N frame (already pretty damned big) just wasn't quite big enough for what they were looking for. Their basic design parameter was "How big can we make this thing out to the point where a sportsman can still carry and shoot it, and the ATF doesn't classify it as a destructive device?".
It turns out how big is "pretty damned huge". The .500 Smith and Wesson is built on the new X frame; and even in it's lightest format, with a 4" barrel, it weighs in at a good 4lbs. The full on hunter 10" model weighs almost SIX lbs.
Unsatisfied with the biggest and most powerful production pistol, last year S&W decided that they were also going to make the FASTEST pistol caliber, the .46xvr (which stands for "eXtreme Velocity Revolver); and they've made a dedicated pistol round (though it'd make a damned nice carbine), that can launch a .45 caliber 200gr bullet into the 2700fps range (or a 300gr at 2000fps); with energies approaching that of a 7mm magnum rifle.
Which funny enough, the gun weighs about as much as...
Today, S&W's best selling models over all are the medium and small frame .357 magnums, the majority of which are most often fired with .38spl through them; though the single best selling model for the past three years has been the .500(which just goes to show how some folks think). Sensibly though, the second most popular is the little J frame .357 in it's various models and materials.
Originally, Smith and Wesson revolvers from the 'teens, up until recently had pinned barrels, and many models had recessed chambers. A pinned barrel secures the barrel against twisting out of true. Recessed chambers lay the rim of the cartridge semi-flush with the cylinder face, which looks neater and helps prevent the cylinder from binding in dirty conditions.
Unfortunately staring the in the 1970s S&W started economizing their production lines, and over time the pinned and recessed revolvers have disappeared from standard production models.
Also, S&W triggers, while still generally good, are just not up to the standards set in the '50s (in fact the same could be said of all their machine work). If you want to feel the best production trigger of just about any gun ever, pick up an original 1955-59 Model 29, or K22 masterpiece. There simply is no better.
You all can get someone else to go into the history of Colt revolver frames for you, it's a lot more convoluted, and to my mind less interesting. If I'mna have a wheel gun it's going to be a Smith, or MAYE a Taurus or Ruger. I can appreciate the fine weapon that is the Python, but Colts revolvers just hold little interest for me.
Oh and for you S&W maniacs out there (and lord I know there are a lot of you), yes there are details I glossed over, things I over simplified, and since I was working entirely from memory without my S&W bible (the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson by Jim Supica); I'm sure I got a bunch of stuff slightly wrong.
Feel free to correct as you see fit, and I'll update as necessary, but I think I did a good job for 3am on a Friday morning.
Oh and as to what revolver I choose?
Well that's a toughie.
I'm definitely a S&W lover. My like of Taurus and some Rugers notwithstanding ,my choice overall is a Smith. As to the model that's a bit harder.
My beside gun is a lightly customized 625 (n-frame .45acp with moon clips), with an action job, Hogues, and an SDM fibersight.
I love the gun, but it's not my ideal revolver choice.
A 4" model 29 is a serious temptation. I'm not a big .44magnum fan, but I really like .44spl; and I like the option of the more powerful round; PLUS there are some great companion carbines.
I'd also love a 2" scandium airweight J-frame .357. In my case I'd go for a 340pd. It's not quite as good a pocket pistol as my KelTec P3AT, but you can't deny the power of the .357. Even if it's going to mostly be loaded with +p+ .38 that's still a damn sight better than the hottest .380.
But really none of those is my ideal. Actually I can't pick one single ideal, I've got to have two.
First, a model 25-5 mountain gun in .45 colt. I just love that chambering, and I love the gun... the combo... can't beat it.
...but you CAN equal it, and doing the job for me is a 4" 686p, pp, or 386 mountain gun. I can't decide between them, and I'd take any on my hip any day... though the 386 would be the best to carry on a daily basis.
There are five basic frames currently in production from S&W, the J, K, L, N, and X frames, ranked in order of size. There have been others, but since the original development of these classifications in the early 30's (prior models were mostly identified by caliber. For example the .38/44 was said to be on the "44 frame")the models outside of this canon have been mostly of limited production.
The K frame Smith and Wesson revolver in .38 spl is a true classic, and the oldest of the frames under discussion. It is one of the most shootable, controllable handguns every designed; and in the right hands and a 4" barrel, it is deadly accurate.
The K frame has been manufactured since 1902 (and in slightly earlier form since 1899, and before that 1892), beginning as the ".38 Hand Ejector", evolving through the "Military and Police" model, and still manufactured today (and since 1958) as the Model 10. The K frame .38 and it's variants were the dominant police issue weapon for something on the order of 60 years; from the late teens and early 1920s all the way to the early 1980s.
The majority of shooters alive in this country today grew up with, and have in their memories strong images of cops on TV with their .38's; and FBI agents with their very similar .357 magnums. Heck, some NYPD detectives are still carrying the .38 detective special (older detectives were allowed to continue using the weapons they qualified with, than switch to Glocks and Kahrs).
The first medium frame .357's were really just strengthened K frame .38s with longer cylinders, which is rather appropriate since the .357 is just a stretched and strengthened .38. These eventually evolved into the model 19 combat magnum in 1955, which was issued by many police agencies for over 30 years, and has only recently left production (under a different model number - actually several - in stainless).
Unfortunately, .38spl is a marginal defensive caliber in it's standard pressure loadings, even from a 4" barrel; and the 4" K frame isn't the most carryable gun in the world, with a length and height greater than a full size 1911.
.357 magnum on the other hand is a real handful of a round, pushing the same bullets as the .38spl up to 500fps faster for a given weight of bullet (for up to 3 times as much energy)
The original medium frame .357 magnum guns really weren't designed to shoot the heavy .357 loads all the time. They were meant to use practice loads, and hot .38spl most of their lives; so as to not put undue wear and tear on the frame. This isn't to say they couldn't do it, but there would be a lot of wear on the guns, and a lot of wear on the shooters. Metallurgy caught up during the model 19s production run, and later model 19s are up to the task, but it is still recommended they live mostly on .38s.
S&W specifically developed the later L frame models in the late 1970's to early '80s as guns that would be both comfortable for the shooter, and stand up to a lifetime of the heaviest standard .357 loads. If anything in fact the L frame models (the 386, 586, 596, 681, 686, and 696 - only the 386 and 686 are still in full standard production, but the others are sometimes made in limited runs) are somewhat OVERbuilt; but they are among the best shooting pistols ever made. The L frame is also a very flexible platform, and since it is a bit larger, it can accommodate a 7 shot cylinder with full power .357 magnum (and also a 5 shot .44spl, though production is very limited).
Above I said the 4" K frames weren't the most carryable pieces in the world. Really they aren't very concealable at all; and this was a competitive problem for S&W in the plainclothes police and personal protection market.
In 1927 Colt introduced a scaled down model of their "Police Positive" revolver, with a rounded butt and a bobbed 2" barrel as the "detective special". They manufactured it in this form until 1936 when they shifted production to arms for the upcoming war. After the war, in 1949, or 1950 they started production back up again, and they sold as many as they could make, up until they permanently discontinued the model in 1973 (though other variants such as the colt cobra remained in production sporadically through the '90s).
This pistol was a real problem for S&W, as they didn't have anything comparable in size. They DID make 2" bobbed models of their military and police pistols, and there was a thriving custom gunsmithing business chopping down K frames into custom carry pistols (we'll talk about Fitz specials at a later date); but nothing small and concealable was available from the factory.
In 1950, finally responding to the Detective Special, S&W decided to do Colt one better, and came out with a slightly smaller pistol they called the "Chiefs Special". It too had a 2" barrel, but it was considerably thinner and slightly lighter than the detective special, because it used a five shot cylinder in a smaller frame. Thus the J frame Smith was born.
The J frame has remained in continuous production, in various materials (carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, titanium, and now an alloy of aluminum, titanium, and scandium) and at various lengths and weights, but otherwise mostly unchanged, for that entire 56 year period. While the detective special was in production it gee rally outsold the chiefs special, but Smith and Wesson J frame production has outstripped Detective Special production by more than 5 to one over the past 56 years.
In the mid 1990s, the Clinton administration managed to get bans passed on the production of new high capacity magazines for semi-automatic pistols and rifles. At the same time, laws allowing for more concealed carry were being passed around the nation, and with the lack of availability of higher capacity magazines; people interested in carrying concealed to protect themselves were more interested in very small guns, firing very powerful rounds like .45 acp and .357 magnum.
Smith and Wesson went back to the drawing board... or rather to their metallurgists... and they beefed up the J frame to handle .357 magnum loads.
Unfortunately, the laws of physics cannot be repealed. Loads that were damaging 4" K frame revolvers weighing 36 ounces in the 1950s do very unpleasant things in a 2" barreled gun that weighs less than a pound; even if the metal can take the stress. Realistically just as the earlier K frame .357's these guns are not designed to be fed a steady diet of .357 magnum loads. Instead they are PERFECT for the newer high intensity +p and +p+ .38 spl loadings, that can sometimes approach near .357 magnum performance without near the recoil or muzzle blast.
From smaller, we now jump to bigger. Specifically we go to 1908, and the Smith and Wesson "New Century hand ejector" revolver, which was originally called the "44 frame", after it's original chambering of .44 Smith and Wesson (which became .44spl). The gun was also called the "Triple Lock" after it's three part locking mechanism, which in part gave the gun it's exceptional strength and accuracy.
In 1915 S&W revised the ejection, the barrel, and the locking mechanism of the gun, removing the triple lock feature (because it saved about 10% of the cost of the gun). The frame then reached the form it would have until 1956.
In 1929, S&W uprated the pressure of some standard .38spl rounds, and called them variously the ".38 high velocity" or ".38 heavy duty", and produced a .38 caliber revolver built on the heavy frame called the .38/44 heavy duty. This led directly to the production of the .357 magnum round, and the first guns chambered for it. The original production .357s were called "Registered Magnums" and were developed in 1934 at the request of noted gun writers Phil Sharpe and Elmer Keith, the FBI, and various police agencies. The registered magnums were essentially hand built heavy barrel large framed .38s, much like the earlier .38/44s, with a lengthened cylinder, and revised heat treating.
In 1956 these "registered magnums" became the model 27, soon followed by the model 28; and still available on a limited production basis as the 627.
Let me tell you, .38spl out of a model 27 is about the smoothest shooting experience there is in the centerfire world. You haven't FELT a good trigger til you've stroked a pre 1969 (or even better pre-'56) S&W DA revolver; and the mass of the N frame soaks up what little recoil the .38 has like water to a sponge.
In the mean time, Elmer Keith had been messing around with the new guns, in their original chambering of .44 S&W special. See Elmer liked to shoot things at LOOOOOOONG range, and he liked to shoot things with big bullets, moving very fast, and hitting very hard.
It's just the kind of guy he was really.
Anyway, Elmer risked life and limb to really push the envelope with .44spl loadings, all the way out to around doubling (and sometimes more than doubling) the pressure and velocity of factory loadings.
He just couldn't break the damn guns. Pretty much no matter what he did, he ran out of room for powder before he blew up the guns. Not that he didn't shoot more than a few of them loose; and he really wanted a gun that would take his hot loads, 100% of the time, for a lifetime.
Elmer was already long famous for his long range shooting, and his hunting skills and activities; and he really wanted his hot .44s, so he pretty much ramrodded S&W into making a new .44 in the model of the .38/.357 magnum; the .44 magnum, introduced into full production in 1955-56, as the model 29 (and still available today as a 629).
At the time of it's manufacture, the .44 magnum really was the most powerful handgun in the world by most standards, but it didn't hold on to that title for long. It was certainly not true by the time the Dirty Harry movie was made, but "This is the fifth most powerful handgun in the world" doesn't sound very good; and besides, from the range he was shooting at it really would have blown the punks head clean off.
At any rate, a few years back S&W decided they really DID want to have the most powerful revolver in the world again, but the N frame (already pretty damned big) just wasn't quite big enough for what they were looking for. Their basic design parameter was "How big can we make this thing out to the point where a sportsman can still carry and shoot it, and the ATF doesn't classify it as a destructive device?".
It turns out how big is "pretty damned huge". The .500 Smith and Wesson is built on the new X frame; and even in it's lightest format, with a 4" barrel, it weighs in at a good 4lbs. The full on hunter 10" model weighs almost SIX lbs.
Unsatisfied with the biggest and most powerful production pistol, last year S&W decided that they were also going to make the FASTEST pistol caliber, the .46xvr (which stands for "eXtreme Velocity Revolver); and they've made a dedicated pistol round (though it'd make a damned nice carbine), that can launch a .45 caliber 200gr bullet into the 2700fps range (or a 300gr at 2000fps); with energies approaching that of a 7mm magnum rifle.
Which funny enough, the gun weighs about as much as...
Today, S&W's best selling models over all are the medium and small frame .357 magnums, the majority of which are most often fired with .38spl through them; though the single best selling model for the past three years has been the .500(which just goes to show how some folks think). Sensibly though, the second most popular is the little J frame .357 in it's various models and materials.
Originally, Smith and Wesson revolvers from the 'teens, up until recently had pinned barrels, and many models had recessed chambers. A pinned barrel secures the barrel against twisting out of true. Recessed chambers lay the rim of the cartridge semi-flush with the cylinder face, which looks neater and helps prevent the cylinder from binding in dirty conditions.
Unfortunately staring the in the 1970s S&W started economizing their production lines, and over time the pinned and recessed revolvers have disappeared from standard production models.
Also, S&W triggers, while still generally good, are just not up to the standards set in the '50s (in fact the same could be said of all their machine work). If you want to feel the best production trigger of just about any gun ever, pick up an original 1955-59 Model 29, or K22 masterpiece. There simply is no better.
You all can get someone else to go into the history of Colt revolver frames for you, it's a lot more convoluted, and to my mind less interesting. If I'mna have a wheel gun it's going to be a Smith, or MAYE a Taurus or Ruger. I can appreciate the fine weapon that is the Python, but Colts revolvers just hold little interest for me.
Oh and for you S&W maniacs out there (and lord I know there are a lot of you), yes there are details I glossed over, things I over simplified, and since I was working entirely from memory without my S&W bible (the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson by Jim Supica); I'm sure I got a bunch of stuff slightly wrong.
Feel free to correct as you see fit, and I'll update as necessary, but I think I did a good job for 3am on a Friday morning.
Oh and as to what revolver I choose?
Well that's a toughie.
I'm definitely a S&W lover. My like of Taurus and some Rugers notwithstanding ,my choice overall is a Smith. As to the model that's a bit harder.
My beside gun is a lightly customized 625 (n-frame .45acp with moon clips), with an action job, Hogues, and an SDM fibersight.
I love the gun, but it's not my ideal revolver choice.
A 4" model 29 is a serious temptation. I'm not a big .44magnum fan, but I really like .44spl; and I like the option of the more powerful round; PLUS there are some great companion carbines.
I'd also love a 2" scandium airweight J-frame .357. In my case I'd go for a 340pd. It's not quite as good a pocket pistol as my KelTec P3AT, but you can't deny the power of the .357. Even if it's going to mostly be loaded with +p+ .38 that's still a damn sight better than the hottest .380.
But really none of those is my ideal. Actually I can't pick one single ideal, I've got to have two.
First, a model 25-5 mountain gun in .45 colt. I just love that chambering, and I love the gun... the combo... can't beat it.
...but you CAN equal it, and doing the job for me is a 4" 686p, pp, or 386 mountain gun. I can't decide between them, and I'd take any on my hip any day... though the 386 would be the best to carry on a daily basis.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Twiddling my thumbs, but on an up note...
So I'm sitting at home twiddling my thumbs, because of a paperwork error.
Yasee prior to starting with my new employer, I was required to submit to a very thorough background check.
This background check was nearly to the level of a basic security clearance, in as much as they actually called and interviewed people close to me etc...
However, due to administrative requirements for the company I'm working with, there is also a SECOND background check, consisting of nothing more than a computer records check. Because of the beurocratic mentality, the second cannot be waived by the first.
Anyway, for some reason the seocnd wasn't done. The paperwork was still with the VP responsible for this project, who was fired a couple days ago. They only discovered the lack of the second check then.
Now I've been onsite for three weeks already, and they call me up and tell me I can't work until the second check comes back.
Which SHOULD be by next tuesday. Of course they've screwed everything else up...
Thus, a four (or more) day unpaid vacation. That's a couple grand less in my pocket next paycheck.
The god news though?
Thank you president Bush, and the republican congress for the tax cuts which I am about to recieve (the benefit of). My taxes are much lower than I'd estimated, so I'll actually be taking home almsot as much as I thought I was going to BEFORE missing those four days of work.
Actually I'll be taking home about $15k more than I'd estimated this year because of it.
Yasee prior to starting with my new employer, I was required to submit to a very thorough background check.
This background check was nearly to the level of a basic security clearance, in as much as they actually called and interviewed people close to me etc...
However, due to administrative requirements for the company I'm working with, there is also a SECOND background check, consisting of nothing more than a computer records check. Because of the beurocratic mentality, the second cannot be waived by the first.
Anyway, for some reason the seocnd wasn't done. The paperwork was still with the VP responsible for this project, who was fired a couple days ago. They only discovered the lack of the second check then.
Now I've been onsite for three weeks already, and they call me up and tell me I can't work until the second check comes back.
Which SHOULD be by next tuesday. Of course they've screwed everything else up...
Thus, a four (or more) day unpaid vacation. That's a couple grand less in my pocket next paycheck.
The god news though?
Thank you president Bush, and the republican congress for the tax cuts which I am about to recieve (the benefit of). My taxes are much lower than I'd estimated, so I'll actually be taking home almsot as much as I thought I was going to BEFORE missing those four days of work.
Actually I'll be taking home about $15k more than I'd estimated this year because of it.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Gotta love blogger
So blogger has been down all day and I've been unable to spew forth my irritations of the day; and they are legion.
I'mna try and write something before bed, otherwise tomorrow it is.
I really should finish up my .mu.nu blog setup. I had a template set up, but I still havent figured out a way to import my comments etc... and I REALLY dont want to lose them; nor do I particularly want to break my blog in two pieces; but it looks like I may have to.
Anyway I still need to tweak my stylesheets and reexport/reimport stuff.
I'mna try and write something before bed, otherwise tomorrow it is.
I really should finish up my .mu.nu blog setup. I had a template set up, but I still havent figured out a way to import my comments etc... and I REALLY dont want to lose them; nor do I particularly want to break my blog in two pieces; but it looks like I may have to.
Anyway I still need to tweak my stylesheets and reexport/reimport stuff.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Ummm OW!
God damn it... this frikken sucks.
So I'm making a beautiful roast marinated honey vinegar glazed pork loin, with seasoned rice and a sour butter peppercorn sauce; which requires a fair bit of aluminum foil (I roast the pork in the foil).
Said foil ends up in the garbage, and while my back is turned, Mac (the dog) decides it is his DUTY to get the last of any possible tasty bits from said foil.
Of course this results in him shredding the foil, getting it caught in his teeth, and in his throat. A very not good situation.
Now normally Mac is very well tempered, but the combination of messin with his food, and the irritation of the foil made him snappy.
Snappy being a complete close of his mouth on my thumb.
8 nice clean puncture wounds on my right thumb, and a torn and separated nail on my left hand.
My right thumb is now throughly swaddled. No blood vessels hit, no tearing, just the forementioned, and quite painful, puncture wounds.
Theres no swelling, no subcutaneous edema, no blood vessel damage.. I'm probably going to lose the separated nail, theres a fair bit of bleeding in the nail bed.
I looked at it, saw it was clean and had no real damage, and I've got an up to date booster; so I'm not gonna bother with the ER. If I get any swelling, or improper healing I'll hit the docs, but I've had punture wounds (including bite wounds) before; and I've been trained for this as well as any ER doc. All they're going to do is clean it up (done that), disinfect it (again done), slather it with ointment, and then gauze it up. Then I'll get some not very useful antibiotics (precautionary anti-biotics are one of the worst ideas in modern medicine) and a big bill for pretty much nothing.
The dog is... I dont know what the right term is. Mac is VERY much a pack animal, and he has an extremely strong snese of place. I am his alpha, and I make sure he knows it. Right now he's the doggy equivalent of mortified because he's hurt me. He's making submission gestures all over the place ETC... He's showing signs of being afraid I'll kill him or kick him out of the pack.
For those of you who try and interpret dog behavior as a human, I got news for you. Dogs are about thiiiiiiiiiis far from wolves, and EVERYTHING they do is about pack behavior (assuming they are properly socialized anyway). He knows he's in deep shit.
Plus he's got the aluminum foil to deal with. That should be kinda funny cleaning it up in the morning.
In the mean time I've got an imobilized, and painful right thumb, and the same for one of my left fingers; which is jsut great fun considering my job consists primarily of tallking on the phone and typing.
Oh and the pork loin? EXCELENT. Not quite perfect, but damn close. I need some naranja agria for next time.
So I'm making a beautiful roast marinated honey vinegar glazed pork loin, with seasoned rice and a sour butter peppercorn sauce; which requires a fair bit of aluminum foil (I roast the pork in the foil).
Said foil ends up in the garbage, and while my back is turned, Mac (the dog) decides it is his DUTY to get the last of any possible tasty bits from said foil.
Of course this results in him shredding the foil, getting it caught in his teeth, and in his throat. A very not good situation.
Now normally Mac is very well tempered, but the combination of messin with his food, and the irritation of the foil made him snappy.
Snappy being a complete close of his mouth on my thumb.
8 nice clean puncture wounds on my right thumb, and a torn and separated nail on my left hand.
My right thumb is now throughly swaddled. No blood vessels hit, no tearing, just the forementioned, and quite painful, puncture wounds.
Theres no swelling, no subcutaneous edema, no blood vessel damage.. I'm probably going to lose the separated nail, theres a fair bit of bleeding in the nail bed.
I looked at it, saw it was clean and had no real damage, and I've got an up to date booster; so I'm not gonna bother with the ER. If I get any swelling, or improper healing I'll hit the docs, but I've had punture wounds (including bite wounds) before; and I've been trained for this as well as any ER doc. All they're going to do is clean it up (done that), disinfect it (again done), slather it with ointment, and then gauze it up. Then I'll get some not very useful antibiotics (precautionary anti-biotics are one of the worst ideas in modern medicine) and a big bill for pretty much nothing.
The dog is... I dont know what the right term is. Mac is VERY much a pack animal, and he has an extremely strong snese of place. I am his alpha, and I make sure he knows it. Right now he's the doggy equivalent of mortified because he's hurt me. He's making submission gestures all over the place ETC... He's showing signs of being afraid I'll kill him or kick him out of the pack.
For those of you who try and interpret dog behavior as a human, I got news for you. Dogs are about thiiiiiiiiiis far from wolves, and EVERYTHING they do is about pack behavior (assuming they are properly socialized anyway). He knows he's in deep shit.
Plus he's got the aluminum foil to deal with. That should be kinda funny cleaning it up in the morning.
In the mean time I've got an imobilized, and painful right thumb, and the same for one of my left fingers; which is jsut great fun considering my job consists primarily of tallking on the phone and typing.
Oh and the pork loin? EXCELENT. Not quite perfect, but damn close. I need some naranja agria for next time.
On this day, June 6th, 62 years ago
62 Years ago on this day, June 6th 1944; the greatest invasion ever mounted was launched.
Operation Overlord, the invasion of mainland Europe. We commonly refer to it as:
Gentlemen, raise your glasses on this day...
Operation Overlord, the invasion of mainland Europe. We commonly refer to it as:
Gentlemen, raise your glasses on this day...
"To Absent Companions, and Fallen Comrades"
6.6.6
I left alone my mind was blank
I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind
What did I see can I believe that what I saw
that night was real and not just fantasy
Just what I saw in my old dreams were they
reflections of my warped mind staring back at me
Cos in my dreams it's always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair
The night was black was no use holding back
Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
was all this for real or some kind of hell
666 the Number of the Beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released
Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised
as they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
the ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the Number of the Beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight
This can't go on I must inform the law
Can this still be real or some crazy dream
but I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
they seem to mesmerise me...can't avoid their eyes
666 the Number of the Beast
666 the one for you and me
I'm coming back I will return
And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take its course
-- "The Number of the Beast" - Iron Maiden
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Replacing the G36
So a few weeks ago, I sold JohnOC my custom G36, not because it was a bad gun, but because I really didnt like shooting it.
Even with the finger grip extensions, it just doesnt feel right in my hands; it jumps too much and doesn't point quite right.
Of course I still want a very compact .45 to replace it. I was looking for one before I settled on the G36; and now again, I'm looking; and now again I've been thinking compact 1911.
Now I already carry my custom champion all the time, but I want something a bit smaller. Say a 3" or 3.5" barrel. In general though, I don't like officers ACP sized guns; because the grip frame is just a little bit too short, and they dont feel properly balanced to me.
Well today I fingerprinted this Kimber Ultra Tactical II:
And I REALLY liked the feel of it. Now I was thinking of an Ultra RCP or Ultra CDP (similar models to the Ultra Tac II - the RCP is now called the Eclipse), and I fired both of them in slightly eariler versions, but my hand was always just the tiniest bit too big for the grip frame. Maybe 1/8" longer and I'd be comfy.
You might notice that the Tac II has an integrated magwell. Well it seems to make all the difference in grips, and I'm thinking that it is probably what I'm going to pick up to replace the G36. It points well, feels good in the hand, and balance sperfectly at the base of the trigger guard on my support finger.
Of course I dont like the sights all that much (I prefer Novaks), and like most factory triggers it isn't great, but those are relatively minor issues. My only reservation? I like an arched or wedge mainspring housing (big hands), and the magwell is part of the mainspring housing, so replacing it with an arched model might be a bit more difficult/expensive. And of course why buy the Tac II if I could just get another model and put the magwell on the bottom for the same effect anyway (not that it's more expensive than the other Kimbers; it's right in line).
Actually, a better choice might be to add a magwell to the Ultra CDP (which has a meltjob):
Or to do something similar with the Springfield Ultra Compact:
Which already has the Novaks that I like (vs. the Heine style that the Kimber wears), and though it's just a bit larger, has an extra .5" of barrel as well (or the micro compact which is a shorter 3" gun). Unfortunately the Springers are just a little bit shorter in the grip than the Kimbers, and that little bit has been a problem for me before. I don't know if the magwell would make a difference or not. Oh and that slightly shorter grip, and slightly different magazine means losing a round in capacity to the Kimber, but I think that can be corrected with the magwell and a different magazine.
Funny enough, either pistol are less than an inch longer than my Kahr K9 (my compact CCW benchmark), only about 1/10th inch thicker, really no taller (less than half an inch for the kimber, same height for the springer), and only a few ounces heavier (the kimber just an ounce). Even better, the Kimber is just .03" longer than the G36, 30z heavier, and only 1/8th inch taller. In fact the Kimber is actually not even close to as tall as the glock with a +0 or+1 grip extension (the only way I can shoot it).
Ahhh the joys of being fully employed again. Yeah it's a couple months away, but it's in sight.
Even with the finger grip extensions, it just doesnt feel right in my hands; it jumps too much and doesn't point quite right.
Of course I still want a very compact .45 to replace it. I was looking for one before I settled on the G36; and now again, I'm looking; and now again I've been thinking compact 1911.
Now I already carry my custom champion all the time, but I want something a bit smaller. Say a 3" or 3.5" barrel. In general though, I don't like officers ACP sized guns; because the grip frame is just a little bit too short, and they dont feel properly balanced to me.
Well today I fingerprinted this Kimber Ultra Tactical II:
And I REALLY liked the feel of it. Now I was thinking of an Ultra RCP or Ultra CDP (similar models to the Ultra Tac II - the RCP is now called the Eclipse), and I fired both of them in slightly eariler versions, but my hand was always just the tiniest bit too big for the grip frame. Maybe 1/8" longer and I'd be comfy.
You might notice that the Tac II has an integrated magwell. Well it seems to make all the difference in grips, and I'm thinking that it is probably what I'm going to pick up to replace the G36. It points well, feels good in the hand, and balance sperfectly at the base of the trigger guard on my support finger.
Of course I dont like the sights all that much (I prefer Novaks), and like most factory triggers it isn't great, but those are relatively minor issues. My only reservation? I like an arched or wedge mainspring housing (big hands), and the magwell is part of the mainspring housing, so replacing it with an arched model might be a bit more difficult/expensive. And of course why buy the Tac II if I could just get another model and put the magwell on the bottom for the same effect anyway (not that it's more expensive than the other Kimbers; it's right in line).
Actually, a better choice might be to add a magwell to the Ultra CDP (which has a meltjob):
Or to do something similar with the Springfield Ultra Compact:
Which already has the Novaks that I like (vs. the Heine style that the Kimber wears), and though it's just a bit larger, has an extra .5" of barrel as well (or the micro compact which is a shorter 3" gun). Unfortunately the Springers are just a little bit shorter in the grip than the Kimbers, and that little bit has been a problem for me before. I don't know if the magwell would make a difference or not. Oh and that slightly shorter grip, and slightly different magazine means losing a round in capacity to the Kimber, but I think that can be corrected with the magwell and a different magazine.
Funny enough, either pistol are less than an inch longer than my Kahr K9 (my compact CCW benchmark), only about 1/10th inch thicker, really no taller (less than half an inch for the kimber, same height for the springer), and only a few ounces heavier (the kimber just an ounce). Even better, the Kimber is just .03" longer than the G36, 30z heavier, and only 1/8th inch taller. In fact the Kimber is actually not even close to as tall as the glock with a +0 or+1 grip extension (the only way I can shoot it).
Ahhh the joys of being fully employed again. Yeah it's a couple months away, but it's in sight.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Cost of Living part 2
A comenter on "Blown Budgets" asked about our current cost of living details, comparing them to his own. I went into more detail last month in "Cost of Living".
In that post, I went through our BUDGETED expenses in some detail, coming up with these numbers:
Early last year, long before I met Mel, I wrote this about the absolute minimum I would need to make to maintain my current lifestyle:
Basically the difference in our current expenses works out to the difference between the cost of living in the apartment, and the cost of living in the house; or something like $1100 or $1200 more a month (well... mostly. the rent is $600 more, utilities etc... are about $400 more. I guess the other $100-$200 is the increased cost of incidentals.)
Of course the difference between single "me", and married with kids, a house, and a dog "us"; is something like $1400 to $1900 a month more. Basically about twice what it costs to live alone in an appartment.
We've done the numbers for income, while we were looking at wheterh or not Mel would be a stay at home mom (both of our preferences); and we figured out that just for us to break even on her working (taxes, insurance, extra expenses, child care), she'd need to make more than $40,000 a year. Then we looked at my earning potential, and our expenses, and made the decision, which we in fact celebrate, never mind regretting.
When we were still at the old place, I needed to gross $27,000 - $30,000 minimum to maintain lifestyle, and $35,000 to $40,000 to be reasonably comfortable. After Mel and the kids moved in, she and I worked out we had to gross a minimum of about $45,000 to maintain that standard of living, and $60,000 to be comfortable. As it is now, we need to gross a minimum of about $60,000 to maintain it, and about $80,000 to be comfortable.
Yes, we could do it with two much lower incomes (to be realistic $60k on my part and $20k on hers), but since I can earn that (and a lot more) by myself, we are much happier doing it with one.
So yes, a wife, kids, and a house are expensive; but believe me, they're worth every penny; and a thousand times more.
In that post, I went through our BUDGETED expenses in some detail, coming up with these numbers:
Rent is a little less than $1300That works out to a total of $3500, which other than the odd months of January and february is about correct. We seem to be spending more on food, and less on some other things, but it's pretty much balancing out. Our electric is also going up a bit, but gas is coming down etc.. etc...
Food for a family of four is about $600
Gasoline is about $300
Electric is about $200
Water (including sewer and garbage)is about $100
Insurance is about $200
Natural Gas is about $100
Cable and internet is about $100
Phone and Cellphone is about $100
Other random monthly bills run up to about $200 (water delivery, memberships, news paper etc...)
Everything Else is about $250
Early last year, long before I met Mel, I wrote this about the absolute minimum I would need to make to maintain my current lifestyle:
I'd be able to get by pretty cheaply, but I'd still need to make about 3.5 times the minimum wage (assuming I keep doing the job I do now, same home, car, lifestyle etc...).After Mel and the kids moved in, our monthly expenses went up from $1600-$1800 to about $2300-2400 a month; but that was in our old apartment, where rent was half as much (literally), water was included, and nat gas wasn't an issue (actually, Mels expenses would have been about $1200-$1400 a month, and mine were about $1600-$1800, so we combined went DOWN to $2400 from about $3200). As I said above our current expenses in the new house run $3200-$3500 a month.
I'm single with no kids, I own my car outright, I have zero debt, and I primarily work from home, or while traveling on the clients dime.
So breaking it out:
1. Rent - $650 (2 bed condo in scottsdale)
2. Food and beverages - $200 (minimum, I spend more like $400 now)
3. Insurance - $140
4. Cable, phone, internet (1 bill) - $175
5. Gas - $160
6. Electric - $100
7. Cell - $50
8. Assorted small bills - $150
So my monthlies end up a bit over $1600 x 12 = $19200. Add three months worth of expenses (for emergencies) at $4800 to bring it up to $24,000 and then multiply by 1.4 for the governments cut (I'm self employed, no kids, no mortgage), and I come out with $33,600 gross, so let's call it $35k, or $27k without any reserves.
Of course looking at what two people make at minimum wage, assuming a 1940 hour work year (standard average work year), it works out to about $20k. They won't be paying any taxes in most states, but you'll still have to take 12% off that for the various social insurance programs, leaving a bit under $17,600. Add EITC, of $800 (assuming no kids), and you have a total of $18,400.
That's pretty tight.
Basically the difference in our current expenses works out to the difference between the cost of living in the apartment, and the cost of living in the house; or something like $1100 or $1200 more a month (well... mostly. the rent is $600 more, utilities etc... are about $400 more. I guess the other $100-$200 is the increased cost of incidentals.)
Of course the difference between single "me", and married with kids, a house, and a dog "us"; is something like $1400 to $1900 a month more. Basically about twice what it costs to live alone in an appartment.
We've done the numbers for income, while we were looking at wheterh or not Mel would be a stay at home mom (both of our preferences); and we figured out that just for us to break even on her working (taxes, insurance, extra expenses, child care), she'd need to make more than $40,000 a year. Then we looked at my earning potential, and our expenses, and made the decision, which we in fact celebrate, never mind regretting.
When we were still at the old place, I needed to gross $27,000 - $30,000 minimum to maintain lifestyle, and $35,000 to $40,000 to be reasonably comfortable. After Mel and the kids moved in, she and I worked out we had to gross a minimum of about $45,000 to maintain that standard of living, and $60,000 to be comfortable. As it is now, we need to gross a minimum of about $60,000 to maintain it, and about $80,000 to be comfortable.
Yes, we could do it with two much lower incomes (to be realistic $60k on my part and $20k on hers), but since I can earn that (and a lot more) by myself, we are much happier doing it with one.
So yes, a wife, kids, and a house are expensive; but believe me, they're worth every penny; and a thousand times more.
Mary Sue and Democracy Too
So a few days ago I finished reading the latest of John Ringos Council War series "East of the Sun, West of the Moon".
A lot of people take issues with this series, in that the two main characters, Edmund and Herzer, are major league Mary Sues (its a fanboy term, click the link if you don't know it).
I've also recently read the three books (so far) in Ringos "Paladin of Shadows" series. The main character of these books Mike Harmon, is a COMPLETE Mary Sue, and intentionally so. His entire purpose is to act as a fantasy and wish fulfilment outlet for the author. Ringo didnt even want to PUBLISH these books, he jsut wrote them to get them out of his head, and his publisher asked to read them, thought there would be a market, and pretty much forced Ringo to do it by waving dollars in front of his face.
A very common conceit in fantasy and SF, is the "time traveller gets stuck in the past and builds an ideal society", and it has been through the entire history of the genre going back a few hundred years. In fact I think the very first SF/F book I ever read was "A Connetticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court" by Mark Twain. It's absolutely iconic of this type of SF/F.
Anyway, theres a good reason for the popularity of the type, in that it makes a good story. Theres just remendous potential for exploration, and it engages the authors mind and passions, which although it can degenerate into wankerism, can also produce amazing things.
Even more so, it engages the readers mind (assuming they are an engineer type, social, political, or hard sciences oriented) in similar pursuit. I dont think theres a group of geeks, gun guys, or re-creationist (funny how much overlap there is there) who hasnt had discussions about what they would take back in time with them, or how they would rebuild civilization after the fall or some such thing.
My favorite series in this subgenre is definitely Eric Flints (and others) "Ring of Fire" series; and I would guess that in recent years it has been the best selling of the type. It is also one of the few stories of the type that to a great extent avoids th aforementioned MarySueism.
My SECOND favorite series of the type however, not only doesn't avoid it, it wholeheartedly embraces it.
In fact, reading Kildar, the thrid book in the Paladin series, I am almost certain that Ringo is also a big fan of THIS series, as they were written well before Kildar (the author started the first book almsot 30 years ago, and finally got it published 20 years ago this year), but seemingly whole passages in Kildar were almost directly lifted from them. Not that there was plagarism, but that Ringo so clearly loved the books that we was writing his own version of the same story (only of course with Ringos geekout items in there instead).
The series is collectively called "The Adventures of Conrad Stargard", by Leo Frankowski; and he is still writing them today. The last one was published online only in 2005, after the author moved to Russia with his new wife, and apparently had a contract dispute with Baen. I'm hoping Frankowski has patched his problems with Jim Baen and it gets published in the U.S. They are still publishing his back catalogue - new editions out later this year - so perhaps there is hope (oh and read the guys site, it's interesting stuff).
At any rate, there is no clearer example of an authors engineering (both social and technical) fantasy fulfilment than these books; and the fact that they are written by a former specialty equipment controls engineer (they make the systems which control large complex custom machines, like entire assmebely lines etc...) means that the TECHNICAL detail is great fun (and not really excessive to my mind... but I'm an engineer myself).
Also though, and I think more significantly, the author goes extensively into how technology effects social factors, and vice versa. So along with the technological engineering, he is a social engineer; but at the same time the technology and society of the time are re-engineering the main character.
Well, after reading "Kildar", I was so strongly put in mind of the Stargard series that I decided to re-read it as well; and I've been enjoying it in my down-ish time for the last few days (it's eight relatively thin books long).
While reading, I came across this passage, while Conrad was going over various political systems in his mind:
See, there are idealistic reasons to democratize the mid-east, but there are also very practical reasons. Democraces are generally so busy with their own internal politics, that they dont have the time or energy to attack the rest of the world.
Or maybe I'm jsut reading to much into this...
A lot of people take issues with this series, in that the two main characters, Edmund and Herzer, are major league Mary Sues (its a fanboy term, click the link if you don't know it).
I've also recently read the three books (so far) in Ringos "Paladin of Shadows" series. The main character of these books Mike Harmon, is a COMPLETE Mary Sue, and intentionally so. His entire purpose is to act as a fantasy and wish fulfilment outlet for the author. Ringo didnt even want to PUBLISH these books, he jsut wrote them to get them out of his head, and his publisher asked to read them, thought there would be a market, and pretty much forced Ringo to do it by waving dollars in front of his face.
A very common conceit in fantasy and SF, is the "time traveller gets stuck in the past and builds an ideal society", and it has been through the entire history of the genre going back a few hundred years. In fact I think the very first SF/F book I ever read was "A Connetticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court" by Mark Twain. It's absolutely iconic of this type of SF/F.
Anyway, theres a good reason for the popularity of the type, in that it makes a good story. Theres just remendous potential for exploration, and it engages the authors mind and passions, which although it can degenerate into wankerism, can also produce amazing things.
Even more so, it engages the readers mind (assuming they are an engineer type, social, political, or hard sciences oriented) in similar pursuit. I dont think theres a group of geeks, gun guys, or re-creationist (funny how much overlap there is there) who hasnt had discussions about what they would take back in time with them, or how they would rebuild civilization after the fall or some such thing.
My favorite series in this subgenre is definitely Eric Flints (and others) "Ring of Fire" series; and I would guess that in recent years it has been the best selling of the type. It is also one of the few stories of the type that to a great extent avoids th aforementioned MarySueism.
My SECOND favorite series of the type however, not only doesn't avoid it, it wholeheartedly embraces it.
In fact, reading Kildar, the thrid book in the Paladin series, I am almost certain that Ringo is also a big fan of THIS series, as they were written well before Kildar (the author started the first book almsot 30 years ago, and finally got it published 20 years ago this year), but seemingly whole passages in Kildar were almost directly lifted from them. Not that there was plagarism, but that Ringo so clearly loved the books that we was writing his own version of the same story (only of course with Ringos geekout items in there instead).
The series is collectively called "The Adventures of Conrad Stargard", by Leo Frankowski; and he is still writing them today. The last one was published online only in 2005, after the author moved to Russia with his new wife, and apparently had a contract dispute with Baen. I'm hoping Frankowski has patched his problems with Jim Baen and it gets published in the U.S. They are still publishing his back catalogue - new editions out later this year - so perhaps there is hope (oh and read the guys site, it's interesting stuff).
At any rate, there is no clearer example of an authors engineering (both social and technical) fantasy fulfilment than these books; and the fact that they are written by a former specialty equipment controls engineer (they make the systems which control large complex custom machines, like entire assmebely lines etc...) means that the TECHNICAL detail is great fun (and not really excessive to my mind... but I'm an engineer myself).
Also though, and I think more significantly, the author goes extensively into how technology effects social factors, and vice versa. So along with the technological engineering, he is a social engineer; but at the same time the technology and society of the time are re-engineering the main character.
Well, after reading "Kildar", I was so strongly put in mind of the Stargard series that I decided to re-read it as well; and I've been enjoying it in my down-ish time for the last few days (it's eight relatively thin books long).
While reading, I came across this passage, while Conrad was going over various political systems in his mind:
I believe that democracy is the best possible system for a nation with an educated, concerned, and reasonable population.One should note, Frankowski is a bit of a socialist libertarian anarchist mix... Not really an anarcho syndicalist, one might call him a social democrat in the literal sense. Although I'm a bit more idealistic about democracy than that, I can't say as I disagree with it, and I think it is a good point to make about our current situation in the mddle east.
It is not that the people are particularly wise. They aren't. And the larger the number of people involved in a decision, the poorer the decision is likely to be. To find the IQ of a group, take the average IQ of the people involved and divide by the number-of people in the group.
Anyone who has ever marched troops can verify that a hundred men have the collective intelligence of a centipede. Worse. A centipede doesn't step on its own feet.
No. Democracy is a good system because it is an extremely stable system.
In many parts of South America and Africa, when an individual becomes truly disgruntled, he gets together with six hundred friends, three hundred rifles, and maybe a hundred bullets and starts a revolution. This practice is socially disruptive and results in lost worktime, destroyed property, and dead bodies.
In America, such an individual does not go off to the hills with a gun. He becomes a political candidate.
Of course, he knows that, to be effective, he must start at the bottom-say, sewer commissioner. So he runs against six other social misfits for that office. If he loses, at least he feels that he has done his best to straighten things out, that if the people don't appreciate him, they don't deserve him. Anyway, an election is so exhausting, physically, financially, and emotionally, that he is likely to be over his initial anger. If he wins, well, he can't really do much harm. There are engineers to make sure that shit flows downhill. And who knows? Maybe he will turn out to be a good sewer commissioner. In any case, society is the winner. Seven potential troublemakers have been defused, only one of them has to be paid, and they just might get some useful work out of that one.
See, there are idealistic reasons to democratize the mid-east, but there are also very practical reasons. Democraces are generally so busy with their own internal politics, that they dont have the time or energy to attack the rest of the world.
Or maybe I'm jsut reading to much into this...
The Double Double Nickel
Jesus H. Christ on a Pogo Stick, it's June 2nd and we've already hit 110. It's only 1 o clock here too, so we've still got a few degrees to climb.
The official temp is 105 right now at the airport, but locations all over the valley are reporting 110+ including the outdoor thermometer when I went out for lunch.
The forecast high for today is 109. If the offical temp is 105 now, and we usually see another 5 degrees between now and 4pm, I'd guess we're gonna hit 110 official today, and maybe 115 actual observed.
Did I mention it's only June 2nd. If it gets over 110 before the middle of June, that usually means a BAAAAAD summer here.
Oh well, such is life.
The official temp is 105 right now at the airport, but locations all over the valley are reporting 110+ including the outdoor thermometer when I went out for lunch.
The forecast high for today is 109. If the offical temp is 105 now, and we usually see another 5 degrees between now and 4pm, I'd guess we're gonna hit 110 official today, and maybe 115 actual observed.
Did I mention it's only June 2nd. If it gets over 110 before the middle of June, that usually means a BAAAAAD summer here.
Oh well, such is life.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Blown Budgets
So I just reviewed our budgeting vs. actuals for Q1 and Q2..
HOLY SHIT!!!!
I've been thinking for a while "Why don't I have any damn money" after all, I was making a lot for a while, and only out of work for 3 months.
What it comes down to is that theres about $2100 that I can't account for, as in I know that I recieved it (I have careful records of my reciepts), but can't account for where it went; and this is AFTER accounting for cash withdrawals and ATM transactions.
So if it went into my bank account, and came out again, I've got a record, and I've got a record of all the cash that I've recieved, but not how much I've spent.
I genreally don't use very much cash. My wife does more than I do, but still, not all that much.
Anyway, I'm looking at our life the last few months and wondering, where exactly did all of it go?
I've mentioned, our expenses add up to around $3500 a month, and that has played out for every month except for some reason January which was over twice that.
Yeah I dont get it either, because I moved in February, and the move cost a lot, but my february expenditures werent all that much; about $2200 over normal (utility deposits, Ikea, extra half months rent, and the cleaning deposit).
March, April, and May lined up right where I expected them, in around $3500 a piece.
I'm not putting any of this on credit so the payments arent being deferred around or anything either.
At first I thought it was $5000 unaccounted for, but then I put together some of my cash with some of my deposits etc... so I know where $2700 of it went.
But where did that other $2100 go?
Well, I suppose $2100 over six months isn't all that weird to be unaccounted for. That's just an average of $350 a month, which isn't nothing, but its only about 10% of the budget.
I really need to start keeping better track of things though. I mean I KNOW that, and I used to, I just haven't been on top of it.
Oh well, on the list for second paycheck, new bookeeping software; and get into the routine of entering expenditures at least every week. The first step to controlling your expenditures is knowing what they REALLY are.
I bet if most families did this same excercise, they'd find money.
Wait a second... Ok I think I found where some of it went... yep, ok I'm an idiot, and I've managed to account for everything but about $500.
Welllll.... that includes cash transactions I have a record for (ATM withdrawals and cash debits), and don't have a corresponding purchase record for.. which is most of them, and which adds up to... yowza... almost $5,000 (including the unaccounted for $500).
Oh and one thing that kinda pissed me off, almost $600 in bank fees so far this year; almsot all stemming from two weeks where money I was expecting didnt come in, but a bunch of transactions were processed anyway.
It WAS a lot more, but I was able to get some of that refunded.
Now, biggest expenses for the year so far...
Rent: appx $9,000 including security deposit, and paying extra for half of feb.
Food: including restaurants and supermarkets appx $6,000
Utilities: inc phone internet and cable appx $4,000
Untracked cash purchases not including food: appx $2500
Gas: appx $1600
Everything Else: appx. $4,000
If we break that out monthly for six months we get
Rent: $1500 (its actually $1300, but we paid a big deposit and thats included in the avg.)
Food: $1000 (all food including restaurants)
Utilities: $675 (gas, electric, water, cable, phone, and internet)
Cash transactions: $425
Gas: $275
Everything Else: $675
Total: $4550
So on AVERAGE my expenditures have been about $1000 higher per month than "normal" and budgeted; but almost all of that comes from the moving costs of February, and the strangeness of January.
I still have really no idea where that extra $3500 in January went too though... weird. I mean I have the transactions recorded but I don't really know why that month cost us twice as much as most other months, without any large purchases or real reason...
HOLY SHIT!!!!
I've been thinking for a while "Why don't I have any damn money" after all, I was making a lot for a while, and only out of work for 3 months.
What it comes down to is that theres about $2100 that I can't account for, as in I know that I recieved it (I have careful records of my reciepts), but can't account for where it went; and this is AFTER accounting for cash withdrawals and ATM transactions.
So if it went into my bank account, and came out again, I've got a record, and I've got a record of all the cash that I've recieved, but not how much I've spent.
I genreally don't use very much cash. My wife does more than I do, but still, not all that much.
Anyway, I'm looking at our life the last few months and wondering, where exactly did all of it go?
I've mentioned, our expenses add up to around $3500 a month, and that has played out for every month except for some reason January which was over twice that.
Yeah I dont get it either, because I moved in February, and the move cost a lot, but my february expenditures werent all that much; about $2200 over normal (utility deposits, Ikea, extra half months rent, and the cleaning deposit).
March, April, and May lined up right where I expected them, in around $3500 a piece.
I'm not putting any of this on credit so the payments arent being deferred around or anything either.
At first I thought it was $5000 unaccounted for, but then I put together some of my cash with some of my deposits etc... so I know where $2700 of it went.
But where did that other $2100 go?
Well, I suppose $2100 over six months isn't all that weird to be unaccounted for. That's just an average of $350 a month, which isn't nothing, but its only about 10% of the budget.
I really need to start keeping better track of things though. I mean I KNOW that, and I used to, I just haven't been on top of it.
Oh well, on the list for second paycheck, new bookeeping software; and get into the routine of entering expenditures at least every week. The first step to controlling your expenditures is knowing what they REALLY are.
I bet if most families did this same excercise, they'd find money.
Wait a second... Ok I think I found where some of it went... yep, ok I'm an idiot, and I've managed to account for everything but about $500.
Welllll.... that includes cash transactions I have a record for (ATM withdrawals and cash debits), and don't have a corresponding purchase record for.. which is most of them, and which adds up to... yowza... almost $5,000 (including the unaccounted for $500).
Oh and one thing that kinda pissed me off, almost $600 in bank fees so far this year; almsot all stemming from two weeks where money I was expecting didnt come in, but a bunch of transactions were processed anyway.
It WAS a lot more, but I was able to get some of that refunded.
Now, biggest expenses for the year so far...
Rent: appx $9,000 including security deposit, and paying extra for half of feb.
Food: including restaurants and supermarkets appx $6,000
Utilities: inc phone internet and cable appx $4,000
Untracked cash purchases not including food: appx $2500
Gas: appx $1600
Everything Else: appx. $4,000
If we break that out monthly for six months we get
Rent: $1500 (its actually $1300, but we paid a big deposit and thats included in the avg.)
Food: $1000 (all food including restaurants)
Utilities: $675 (gas, electric, water, cable, phone, and internet)
Cash transactions: $425
Gas: $275
Everything Else: $675
Total: $4550
So on AVERAGE my expenditures have been about $1000 higher per month than "normal" and budgeted; but almost all of that comes from the moving costs of February, and the strangeness of January.
I still have really no idea where that extra $3500 in January went too though... weird. I mean I have the transactions recorded but I don't really know why that month cost us twice as much as most other months, without any large purchases or real reason...
Some Assembly Required
So as I reported a few months back, my younger brother got drunk on his birthday, and wrecked my mothers car . At this time he was DUI, driving without a license, violating his probation, and had three warrants for failure to appear. He was fairly badly injured in the accident; and then arrested for the above mentioned offenses.
Well he went to his preliminary hearing and they decided not to charge him with DUI, but he still had the probation violation, and driving without a license/driving uninsured over his head, PLUS the other warrants.
We were all pretty much sure that he was going to get 90 days minimum, including the lawyer, and could end up with a two year sentence, doing 9 months of it (because he violated probation on a suspended sentence).
Well, his second hearing was two weeks ago, and he got off with 3 years UNSUPERVISED PROBATION, and NO FINE.
WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!
The state of Arizona pretty much told him it was OK to do what he did.
THe only good news there was that because he wasnt charged with DUI, the insurance SHOULD pay off on the car.
In the mean time, my mother has no way of getting to doctors appointments etc...
Anyway, I'm a few hundred short for the end of the month bills, but I get paid next week, (and with the paycheck after that -the first full check I've had since the first week of February we'll be good to go) so I called my mom up to ask if she could float me a few hundred until then.
Well, she said she didnt have ANY cash right then, because Rob had jsut gone out and bought them a car.
Needless to say I was somewhat surprised. The insurance company still hasn't paid out, and they may still deny the claim, and here she is spending money she doesnt have on a CAR.
Ok ... I can see this. Aafter all she needs to get to the hospital and all.
So what does he buy?
A BMW she says.
WHAT!!!
Ok, don't get angry, maybe he bought a used X5, thats a great SUV and....
NO, its a fucking 318i sport. yes folks, a two door sports sedan.
The little piece of shit takes my mothers last frikken dime and buys himself, the one who wrecked her other car, A CAR SHE CAN'T EVEN GET INTO.
$6200 for a '96 320i with 60,000 miles. All around it's a good deal actually, and a great car; but my mom needs an SUV. Something she doesn't have to bend or fold to get into, and something where she can be loaded flat into the back if necessary. Not only that, but it took all her ready cash, and the insurance hasnt paid out yet, if it even will pay out.
... and that worthless useless piece of scum fucking trash buys a god damned sports car; so he can look good while illegally driving with his drug dealer friends.
A bullet in the head is too good for him.
Rope
Tree
Brother
Well he went to his preliminary hearing and they decided not to charge him with DUI, but he still had the probation violation, and driving without a license/driving uninsured over his head, PLUS the other warrants.
We were all pretty much sure that he was going to get 90 days minimum, including the lawyer, and could end up with a two year sentence, doing 9 months of it (because he violated probation on a suspended sentence).
Well, his second hearing was two weeks ago, and he got off with 3 years UNSUPERVISED PROBATION, and NO FINE.
WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!
The state of Arizona pretty much told him it was OK to do what he did.
THe only good news there was that because he wasnt charged with DUI, the insurance SHOULD pay off on the car.
In the mean time, my mother has no way of getting to doctors appointments etc...
Anyway, I'm a few hundred short for the end of the month bills, but I get paid next week, (and with the paycheck after that -the first full check I've had since the first week of February we'll be good to go) so I called my mom up to ask if she could float me a few hundred until then.
Well, she said she didnt have ANY cash right then, because Rob had jsut gone out and bought them a car.
Needless to say I was somewhat surprised. The insurance company still hasn't paid out, and they may still deny the claim, and here she is spending money she doesnt have on a CAR.
Ok ... I can see this. Aafter all she needs to get to the hospital and all.
So what does he buy?
A BMW she says.
WHAT!!!
Ok, don't get angry, maybe he bought a used X5, thats a great SUV and....
NO, its a fucking 318i sport. yes folks, a two door sports sedan.
The little piece of shit takes my mothers last frikken dime and buys himself, the one who wrecked her other car, A CAR SHE CAN'T EVEN GET INTO.
$6200 for a '96 320i with 60,000 miles. All around it's a good deal actually, and a great car; but my mom needs an SUV. Something she doesn't have to bend or fold to get into, and something where she can be loaded flat into the back if necessary. Not only that, but it took all her ready cash, and the insurance hasnt paid out yet, if it even will pay out.
... and that worthless useless piece of scum fucking trash buys a god damned sports car; so he can look good while illegally driving with his drug dealer friends.
A bullet in the head is too good for him.
Rope
Tree
Brother
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