MacGyver

I scored a second piece of pecan pie.

I sit here tonight in the company of a family that I'm blessed to call my own. This weekend, I'll do the same again with my wife's family. We have so much for which to be thankful.

$540 is about the best I've seen it with a mount. Saw an early deal at Elite Tactical with no mount for $479.

If anybody sees a Trijicon MRO with a full cowitness mount, post it up.

I got family heading to Lafayette this week for Thanksgiving.  I'd be glad to send these over so you can try them out if you'd like.  You're welcome to take them out in the field if you like.     My dad got a pair of the Nikon Acculon 8x24's recently.  How they got that much brightness out of a pair of glasses that small amazes me, but I wouldn't turn those down for their size (pocketable) either.  I don't know how they'd fair at either end of legal light, but they've been great when I've looked through them.

Sorry, that somehow got lost in my typing.  I've got the BX-2 Acadia line.     That's a "green ring", I think.  I remember being disappointed that they weren't being made here in the US like the Gold Ring line.   Seems like they were about $150 with the rebate.   I made a personal choice to stay in and have another piece of pie as opposed to taking part in the Black Friday madness a few years ago. My life has been better for it. I bet there will be some decent deals to be had online on field glasses, though.

That's something we looked at.  In our case it wouldn't be cheaper - especially when you consider the time cost in the equation.  Most of the "unapproved" plans renew every 90 days.  Basically, you're reapplying every 90 days - new deductible, the whole 9 yards.     When you look at it this way, you totally see the path to single payer.  And, it's a brilliant opening move.    The sad thing about it is that the people whom the law is supposed to help aren't really consuming it anyway.  If you're making minimum wage, you don't have a lot of room in the budget for health insurance - regardless of the stipend.   My wife is fired up.  We're lucky that we're in a position that we're even having the conversation, but she's considered going back to work just to get insurance.

We got new coverage for our family this week.  BCBS of TN cancelled our old policy which had been grandfathered in that famous, "if you like your doctor you can keep them" lie.  We had been paying about $500/month for decent coverage with an $11,000 deductible.  Basically, since our family is generally healthy, we know that we're paying for everything, and the insurance really only serves as a catastrophic backup.   Seems that this type coverage is the new norm, because after consulting with an advisor, we bought the same policy - albeit with a new "ACA compliant" label and paid right at twice as much for it.   Our agent had a good analogy from an automotive perspective- basically that I'm a good driver with a clean record, and there's another driver with 3 DUI's and 50 points on his record.  We're now paying the same thing for car insurance.   Now I've got another struggle as a small business owner, too.  All of this is definitely affecting my hiring plans for the new year.  I've got some real thinking to do...

TATP, really? This is going to be a self-correcting problem eventually. If these fools ever had even an introductory college Chemistry class, they would know that if you play with that stuff long enough and you will blow yourself up.

I got a pair of Leopold 10x42's a couple of years ago that I've been really pleased with. They're super bright and at least as clear as some more expensive ones that I've used in the past. Seem like I got them when Bass Pro had one of their trade in promotions going on where you bring in any old pair and get a credit back. That was a major factor in their favor before. That said, I'd buy them again at full price.

  I miss Guns for America!

I'll be in with a black blade. The usual.

He's a bit east of the mid-state, but Mike over at Law Enforcement Sales is the most professional Class III person I've dealt with.  You'll only have to drive over once to pick it up.

Were the jacks on wheels?  That's your culprit if so.  You've basically got a 2500 pound car up on 4 legs - two of which aren't stable.  Wind, any instability, even you torquing on the oil drain plug too much could cause the whole thing to come tumbling down.

Was it on uneven ground?  Were the jacks and stands in the specified locations.  My wife used to have a Focus, and you're right, the clearance was minimal but it sounds like you must have had something else going on to cause a failure that sudden.

Looks great.  How's it shoot?

The philosophers have it right. Only the dead have seen the end of war...   I'm about as religious as they come, but don't really get these "last days" conversations as anything other than a way for somebody who's selling something to make some money off of people who want to believe in something.  Religious profiteers, I guess?   That said, I'm a church of Christ guy who's looking forward to the start of Advent in a couple of weeks - so maybe the end times are at hand :)

That looks great.  Can't wait to see how the paper patching works out.

I'm driving on my way back from Savannah. I needed to boot him or I was going to be the one in the wreck.

Like the late Lewis Grizzard, "I was intrigued, so I just waited." This isn't the first forum that's booted you. I'm certain we won't be the last. But, this pig eater is done with this.

I think it is kind of what you get when you let Western indivualism and the American dream run amok in Christianity. We've somehow allowed ourselves to believe that America is special and God wants us all to be happy. I wish God wanted me to have a beach house. Problem is, that's not how it works. And, I'm not so sure that Jesus cares about me living my best life now or any of that other self help drivel we've watered the Gospel down into. Turns out that the prophetic voice is pretty strong - even today - even against America. American exceptionalism is based on the theory that we're better because of our recognition and respect for certain rights that are "endowed by the creator." It sure doesn't seem like we believe that this week, does it? I was in 1WTC the morning of September 11. For nine months, I looked at this beacon of hope out across the water every morning as a part of the rescue and recovery effort. I carried that image with me as my travels took me around the world in the so called global war on terror. But, all these years later we may as well free up some space in New York harbor. It's clear we no longer have a use for that old statue.

While I wont claim to be a religious scholar, I did have a religious education. Most of my bible seems to point towards the Gospel, and I'm definitely not seeing that here - either in this thread or in our actions towards those who aren't like us. Truthfully, my reading of the Old Testament seems to be pretty concerned with the treatment of the foreigner/strangers in our midst. There will always be folks who look to use religion to further their own power - I just don't see reading the bible like some secret code book pointing towards white conservative American superiority.

This is a single warning to everyone to watch your rhetoric.

Do you actually believe this stuff?

I've spent extended periods of time at altitude (over 10,000 feet) over the years.  Cardio now is really important as you prepare.  Like Rob said above, once you get out there it's all about hydration.  Hydrate. Hydrate. And, hydrate some more.  Water by itself is not only sufficient, but also ideal.