Thought for the day:
" Ideals are peaceful, history is violent"
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I planned on following up asking about what kind of treatments you’ve sought, but, you beat me to the punch haha.
My line of work is directly related to treating symptoms you’re dealing with, but since you’ve already had the implant surgeries there’s not much more one could do except hope that a revision of the surgery could open up a little more room for those nerves.
Sorry to hear man, but glad you’re still working around it the best you can.
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WTF= Some of our brothers not stepping up and being the leader kids must have to develop well. No guide = no destination.
If only that many can serve at all, I wonder how small it shrinks the pool of potential Tier 1 men :/. Not good. It seems a bunch of men my age and younger haven’t trained their children who, left to their own devices will, like sheep, wander around without a clue until it’s time for lamb chops.
I can’t count how many guys have commented they thought my son was a soldier. He was not I tell them I didn’t raise him so much as train him.
Poor guy is ASD and would’ve done anything to serve. USMC was going to take him with a medical waiver but thank God it didn’t happen.
But if fathers would give more consideration to what precisely men must be prepared to do upon reaching legal age, perhaps we wouldn’t have a generation of fat lazy uncooperative non-conforming brats in that age bracket. In fact, soldiers must conform - it’s where their strength lies - all in the same boat = better team work, and everyone in the same uniform makes them feel like a team. Uniformity. Discipline. Honor. Valor. Are these the qualities of a generation riddled with obesity resulting from laziness, along with crime and a generally poor record that we even want to choose from anyway? We need to focus on improving the size and quality of the pool.
Holiday reminders, and more for myself…
.gifts are never deserved
.some kids still believe in Santa - Shhh!
.say please and thank you
.smile
.count blessings. If you think you’re out, look overseas then think again
.embrace that which you love most
And always remember The Four Last Things 
death, judgement, heaven or hell. Act accordingly
Lastly, the best gift you can give another is that of yourself and your time.
Merry Christmas Ya All
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Apologies, it appears I’m hogging thread space.
Today the question is, if you HAD to choose a revolver for EDC AND you want as discreet a 4” barrel as possible, what specifically do you choose?
You see I tried a S&W 642 Airweight for a BUG but I couldn’t hit anything at all with it. Need a longer barrel and larger frame .
I’d be all for packing a Vaquero if I could conceal one - a BIG If.
Thx for any suggestions and please, @Idaho, tell me if this sort of ask is off topic.
You all take care
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Not in the least, ask away.
I know the .38 Special doesn’t receive a lot of attention in this age, but, with modern ammo it will get the job done. This is an excellent revolver with a great price:
856 Executive Series Revolver: Taurus Enters the World of Cu - Guns and Ammo
Thank you sir that puts Taurus on the list of maybes, appreciate it.
Very much agree about the ammo/caliber with .38 because of modern JHP loads. Glad I reminded me of that. I probably was leaning towards 357 bc the gun is bigger by default & I like as much heft as I can handle & conceal. May be time to change that paradigm.
I’m scrolling through things I’ve missed.
For the Revolutionary era let’s not forget the USM’s Brigadier General Christopher Gadsden.
Plenty about him on google so I won’t get into it.
Re: post about things learned on tv
This article states we need to know our own limitations. Very true and very difficult, especially as we age.
This time I’d like to share a mindset that serves me and probably countless others very well.
That mindset is most easily summarized by “Never Surrender.”
I’m a survivor. I survived a challenging childhood, followed my military service that included an injury that was eventually totally disabling.
If one wants to find out how well one can adapt to a situation, try not only losing the use of your dominant hand but also make it hurt like hell into eternity.l, and spend 31+ years trying to get any help from them for the pain they caused.
In my case, the injury occurred during an aircraft maintenance call and included the factor of human error because a crew member didn’t follow instructions.
Suddenly becoming unable to do things with your dominant hand will, I promise, force you to consider doing everything ambidextrously from then onward and will make one appreciate so many little things we do it is mind blowing.
But it’s the attitude of “I don’t give up or surrender to anyone or anything” that has gotten me through some very challenging times, like times when a man starts to think about totally giving up. Yep, I once spent an entire night praying & asking God if He’d forgive me for using the shotgun that was in my lap, or the power miter saw in the garage to cut it off….injuries can be very mentally challenging esp when it involves long-term loss of use and chronic pain. Those of us that are still alive, are mostly estranged at this point. Only person of my blood family I talk to is my mom. I’m quite blessed to have my husband around though. We’ve been through a lot of stuff, some that was recent, and quite heavy, but I can appreciate that he understands how to make room for when I just shut down.
They are, however, a fact in the lives of folks who physically push limits with anything. So get used to the idea that you damn well could face an injury that alters how you live from 5 minutes to 5 + decades…
We of course hope nobody has to deal with these things but reality and numbers dictate that we will at a minimum witness an injury and odds are we will experience one or more. The harder we play the more our bodies pay. But nowhere near the cost of doing nothing!
I simply encourage all men of honor to remain disciplined and brave even when the enemy is within.
I don’t know the current stats but 22 vets/day were succumbing to that very enemy. I want no more if my felllow soldiers to meet that end. One was too many.
Further, if you have experienced trauma, combat related or otherwise, know that some of us have walked thru this section of Hades and survived. You can do it as well. It’s in the heat of these moments that we have the chance to be valorous.
Best wishes & God Bless,
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Glad I scrolled up to this!
Great photo and PJ’s are some tough guys!
Ooh Rah Air Force!
My gratitude for his service!
The propensity about which you speak is so common in the military. Who knows where it starts?!! Hahahaaaa, most soldiers I worked with have the very same issue, as do I.
Sure, my father + uncles on both sides were in WWII, Korea + ‘nam acted the sane way, so perhaps I was predisposed due to being around all that.
Thought for the day:
Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. For defeat brings worse things than any that can ever happen in war.
Hemingway.
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Yeah no kidding. I’ll take a war over subjugation any day!
*Thought for the day:
And it is winter where I am:
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Great photos!!!
The C-17 I think was easier to marshal in while in the desert!!! That snow would IMO be 5 times as bad as the Arabian desert.
Thought for the day:
Don’t be under any illusions as to who you are, and what you’re capable of … Reality, crucifies solutions.
Thought for the day:
A good way to end the Christmas holidays:
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I’ve some experience I’d like to share.
Preparedness we usually think of as food/water, protection.
True and those are critically important.
However, those of us fortunate to have houses have more to be prepared for. E.g., our heat went out the other night it was -6F outside We were frickin very cold for a long time that day.
I had to get the repair estimate then get the funds, plus the water pipe bursting is a homeowners claim that now has me in a good hotel w/water + heat.
What would I do different to be ready for this again? Heaters last maybe 12 years so I hope to witness the next one goin south. The things we(I) should’ve Gad was cold weather clothing beyond our typical wardrobe. A heavy spare blanket for each person in my home. About ten gallons of purified water stored at room temp just in case . Coffee, drinks, bathroom - water is critical after all.
I guess the appropriate way to avoid heartache like this is to be prepared for all possible weather extremes in a given location so when utilities are gone you can still survive and do so a bit more comfortably.
Had it been a brownout or the like, I’ve two fire table things out back with propane burners too & 4 sides, plus a big smoker grill I could cook on. Water is the challenge this time and I’ll damn well get some stocked expeditiously.
About 14 years ago we had a weather event came in from a hurricane I think it was. Power was out for days & we had to stay at the house where I grew up to use the fireplace for heat, a gas grill outside to cook, etc. During those days the apartment we’d lived in had nada. No utilities at all.
What I want to say here is simply that we need to focus even more on these basic things than we do in tactics, weapons etc. Freeze or starve we ain’t worth a shit in a fight so….
And, not being prepared can make one somewhat vulnerable as well simoly bc all the attention is on one’s own problem, to the detriment of tactical awareness. It’d be much easier to invade and pillage a house if there’s no resistance obviously.
We gotta have protective clothing for every possible weather event and the problems they cause .
Pretty sure my pipe that froze & busted was one result of a -6F temperature huh?!
Then there’s the ability to get or perform repairs. Not everyone can get the $$$ for a big repair. We’re fixing at 2700 whereas the replacement would be 7k. If you can’t repair an HVAC system and acces the parts to do it, then you better by God have a plan for when it goes out. It is mechanical, ergo it will fail. Knowing this we can hopefully set aside enough cash to fix or replace. If not then be ready to apply for a loan or something. If u have bad credit & can’t get a loan u really better out money aside for this stuff.
I believe we humans as a species have become too accustomed to creature comforts. Then when they’re screwed up the level of DIScomfort can be stressful to deadly. Our house temp got down to 43F and it IS possible to get hypothermia at that temp.
For me, it was especially challenging bc cold exacerbates a chronic pain condition.
Stay strong and be ready for anything you are used to making you comfortable to be inoperable.
Here’s how I am feeling (yeh I get those on occasion) is like I’ve done a 10mi run, was trying for 11, and am so tired now the first 10 feels impossible….Iike when you’re sucking air, your muscles feel as if they’re failing, and that second wind feels infinitely far away. The mental response that would elicit is quite similar to my having to be sure my wife & adult son don’t freeze to death and to ensure they have all their needs met in a safe, comfortable manner
Today I now want to brag on my woman. Married 33.5, together 36. The insurance booked us at a local Hilton but she refused to leave our home for it. I’d had enough so I had dinner+drinks and brought my ass to a warm hotel suite, then had breakfast free at 0700 (was up at 0500, they’re lazy), and a much needed shower to be rid of some ‘stank’
She on the other hand stayed home w/o a functional HVAC unit, using 120v ceramic heaters in the bedroom, and probably are a cup of oatmeal.
Her choice and I REALLY tried to talk her into coming to the room. Too stubborn to leave the house. She touched it out fine I just spoke to her OTP.
The frickin stress from this stuff is nuts. After all that, now today will be spent dealing with contractors in my home and I don’t like strangers in there ! Sure I’m whining some right now but you know damn well if you spent 8 hours nearly shivering only to find out it could be six weeks to get parts & the repair done. That’ll screw your morale bad. On top of that is the monetary cost and some physical risks.
If I were wealthy it would have been quite different. I’m a regular man, not a Soros or Gates for Chrissake.
You hear the desperation in what I’m saying here? Stay ready to replace whatever U use for heat else you’ll feel precisely the same as I, sorry to say.
I’m trying to convey how damn important it remains to be prepared for cold weather w/o a heater cause this could easily be you otherwise.
Another item of interest related to this…I was once told that if a disabled veteran had such a problem the County VSO would have it covered. Not so. To get it covered the vet 1st must be low income. It’s a damn social service AKA welfare that does it. Not an earned benefit.
May God Protect and Bless You All!
~S
Damn, feel for what you going through. Hang in there and thank you for the thoughts.
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