peejman

    Generally...  pocket knives, multi-tools, and other "utility" blades are 25 deg for the best combination of sharpness and durability.   Kitchen knives are generally 20 deg edges for better sharpness.  Durability is less of a concern as you're typically not cutting rope or cardboard with a kitchen knife.    You can set the kit up and use a flashlight and magnifying glass to look closely at the angle of the blade and angle the sharpener it at to determine if they match.  Put the light behind the stone and look for light leaking through the gap between the blade and stone.    My assumption is the 25 deg version on my kit is a little off.  It doesn't take more than 1 deg of error for the sharpener to not work very well.  That said, it only took a few passes with the coarse stone to reshape the edge.  It doesn't remove a lot of metal. 

I have that Smiths kit and it works pretty well. I'm terrible at sharpening by hand so having the guides helps a lot. One thing I've learned is that the angle on the blade and the angle of the sharpener don't always match, even if they're supposed to be the same. I had trouble with one of my pocket knives which should have been a 25 deg edge. I tried to just touch up the edge because it wasn't that dull. The more I tried, the duller it got. I looked at the edge with a magnifying glass and it was clear the sharpener was at a different angle than the factory edge. I ended up having to reprofile it with the coarse stone to get it sharp.

That's a bit of a drive. Hmmmmm

  Seer is just a measurement of efficiency.  The higher, the better.  That said, buying a very high seer unit may not be most cost effective energy saving method.  Look long and hard at things like type of windows and their locations, insulation, orientation of the house with respect to sun/shade, passive heating and cooling, etc.    Do the math on the dual fuel option as well.  It's just a gamble based gas prices vs. electric prices.  Personally, I don't see either changing much in the foreseeable future.  My parents have a Carrier dual fuel unit.  The gas (propane) rarely runs and the whole unit has had far more problems than expected from a "Carrier".  The 10yr parts/labor warranty turned out to be a wise choice.  If you've got natural gas service available, I'd go with a standard gas furnace.  They're simpler and gas heat feels warmer.  If/when the power goes out, it takes much less electricity to run a gas furnace compared to a heat pump. 

A friend of ours works in the NICU.  You should hear the stories of what parents try to name their kids.  Best one I heard from her was a little girl named... "Deliverytruck"... pronounced... "del li vee trk".   My friend said the attending nurse vetoed that one on the spot.  The parents handed her the paperwork and she looked back at them and said... "All the crap this kid has been through before even leaving the hospital (spent months in NICU), and you wanna name her delivery truck??  Seriously?  Not on my watch."   Likely not the nurse's place to criticize, but as stated, I have zero respect for people who try to name their kids something cute or funny and fail miserably. 

The wife found this at the local store a week or so ago. Supposedly its only available in this area. Surprisingly strong chocolate flavor, way more than I expected. It's fairly sweet and at only 60 proof, doesn't have much bite (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). It smells kinda like a chocolate malted, and has very much that sort of vibe when mixed with coke. It's not something I think I'll sip over ice, but it's not bad that way. Here's the "not a bad thing part"... the wife loved it. When she mixes a drink, sometimes I can tell there's booze in it. When I mix a drink, she normally won't even taste it as the smell alone is too much for her. I mixed her a drink with this and she said... "yummmmm". :)

I had a bit of birthday cash so I picked up one of the Home Depot Defiant 3D flashlights based on what I read here.    http://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-ArmorMax-3D-Tactical-Flashlight-809-3731-D/203657321#.UgjK8KxYVdA     Darn bright flashlight.  Puts my 3D Mag light (incandescent) to shame.  Build quality is almost as good as the mag light, but I'm not in the habit of using my flashlights as hammers so I don't suspect it'll be a big deal.  The only negative is lack of mode memory.  You have to cycle through the modes (hi/low/strobe) each time.  Heckuva deal for $30, IMO. 

I used to live near there and suspect this is essentially the case. Small town politics and the "good ol boy" system hard at work. Erwin ain't exactly the most progressive place, even if they do make nuclear reactor fuel.

I've always carried my wallet on the left... I'm left handed. The switch for me was shooting right handed.

HA!!!

I've traced Dad's family back 9 generations to the 1740's in England. Dad's got a picture of the family coat of arms, but I don't know any history of that. I found very little info on Mom's family, only the 2 generations she knew of.

My "miss" with my P85 is always left and a little low. Try shooting one handed, "bullseye" style. That can help determine if its you or the gun.

It already is.... The Appalachian mtns are classified as a temperate rain forest. And yes, I've had enough rain.

Thanks for the explanation.  I carry my wallet on the left and my gun on the right.  

Can't fit your wallet in the back pocket?  Care to elaborate?

    Good info.  And who else had to google "oviparous" and "viviparous"?  :)             That's what we assume the snakes were doing in my in-laws garage.  They had a mouse infestation at that time.    And its also what make them good to have around.  They do an excellent job of pest control.  Though given the option, I prefer owls and raptors. 

I assumed all snakes lay eggs... . But yes, there were a number of tiny copperheads in their garage.

  Typically green sky means tornadoes.

  Time is at a premium these days (kids starting school and such).  Holler if you're going and I'll see if I can get a kitchen pass. 

I like watching it storm, as long as the sky doesn't turn green.  But I really wish I could sleep through them when they arrive at 3am. 

My in-laws had a Copperhead lay eggs and have lots of tiny copperhead babies... in their garage.

  13 lbs?  Dayum!   Thanks for the offer, I'd love to shoot it... if I ever get to a range again... :-\

Kewl!   Honestly, I'd never even heard of these before now.   My google-fu tells me parts kits are pretty cheap.  Receivers on the other hand... not so much.  I see unfinished receivers.  Is that what you used?  How much work to finish it?

  Check out Hamburger Hill.   And speaking of 'nam movies...   Here's an old school game for any college students listening in...   Watch Full Metal Jacket with friends and booze.  Level 1:  Take a drink every time Gunny says F__k.   Level 2: Take a drink every time anyone says F__k.  If you're still conscious at the end of the movie, you win!  I never won. 

:taunt: Now get on with it. One more thing...