ReeferMac

Sign me up! Thanks for offering it.   - Kevin  

Bless you.... Gosh, I just love Tennessee! LOL! (spoken as a transplant from ny....)   - K  

One less mouth I have to feed on Welfare.

  It's a combination of moisture and temp. Need warm days (about 2-weeks worth where daytime temps <=60), avoid cold nights (no frost/freezing). Water in the morning, again in afternoon/evening if it dries out.

Woo Hoo, I'll be in VA for Spring Break!   - K  

Sounds like fun! (but you might want to blur your addy off the pic prior to posting). Huge Jimi fan, can you steal one of your street-signs for me? LOL!   - K  

  As a transplant from the gulag known as New York State, I concur! Welcome back.

Thanks for sharing... it's one I've been thinking about as well.

Yes, wifey brought it home from Fontier one day, NIB... I'll have to check the box. I always just assumed those holes were for scope mounts. Funny you mention getting together... PM inbound.

  Yep. I can see 4 little holes w/ screws in them on the top (2 sets of 2 holes). So I should look for "Weaver #12" base scopes/mounts, and go from there? Thanks.

Thanks Jim, I may take you up on that.... I like the price-point of those scopes, too! I noticed some scopes come w/ included rings, other's sold-separately. This rifle is already tapped for mounts, so do I need to buy a set of rings compatible w/ this rifle, or will any of them work? Is it preferable to get mounts separate from the scope, or whatever comes in the box will be fine? I know it's just a little plinker-rifle, but it does seem to be high quality and quite accurate (I've hit 7/10 @ 100yds regularly before...) I don't want to downgrade the rifle's performance w/ a cheap scope that's poorly mounted? Thanks.

We acquired a Ruger American .22 cal Bolt Action Rifle w/ open sights a little while back, and I really enjoy taking it to the range, kids like it, too. I've been taking the NRA small-bore rifle class at my local club, which uses .22 rifle's w/ aperture sights. I no longer like the open sights very well, nor can I seem to shoot them for anything (pulled about 200 rds today, think I hit the 100-yd. plate 10x!)?   Rifle is drilled at tapped w/ 4 holes all ready for a scope, but I don't want to break the bank - it's just a plinker. Any suggestions? This rifle will be used by my entire family @ the local range, as well as occasionally out in the open (e.g. varmints).   I don't know the correct term, but I've noticed some scopes are harder to look through than others? You need to be lined up just right to see properly, otherwise the lenses don't seem to line-up, and you can't see anything. Other's seem to have a large range of positions that are useful. Since my kids will be using this thing too, I want it to be easy and simple to use. We won't be doing any long distance shooting, 100-150 yds max no doubt.   Thanks.   - K

If you want to place an order some place online Bob, I could go-in w/ you, need to get a quantity of 124 grain 9mm.

Love my Ruger American Rifle. Great gun.   - K

  Only about 15% of trades made today are made by humans. We have very little direct influence on market direction.

Oh gosh, this has gone way far off the deep end. :wall:   Every option contract has a buyer and a seller. The buyer of the contract hits zero-sum if it expires Out-the-money, and the contract seller... they're rather happy about it! I've been doing both for the last 10-years.   Money made on the retail-side of the market is usually accumulated over the long-term by market appreciation, but invariably reversion to the mean cap's you somewhere's around 7% per annum.... And right now is most certainly one of the worst times to be putting cash into stocks in the last 8-years! Unless you're trading some of the inverse ETF's, however due to the decay inherent in these products, timing market moves is more critical.   If you've got debt charging you more than 7% interest, you're better off putting the money there. Unless you are putting that money into the market for the long-term, it's not the best place to put it (will that stock be lower or higher in 1 year, 2, years, 5 years... what's your timeline? Suggesting that 'markets will always appreciate' is repeating the mistakes made during the real estate crisis in 2008. Over the long-term perhaps, but that's dependent on your timeline! Paying off debt is not dependent on timing, it's instantaneous.)   If you've got some extra cake in the budget there are some great suggestions on how to allocate it in this thread. The market is NOT one of them.

  Yes and no... While true, adding extra to your monthly payment does reduce the principle.... The Bi-weekly payment schedule reduces the balance by 50% of the monthly principle payment 14-days earlier than sending in extra at the end of the month. While not huge (maybe a couple hundred bucks for most people?), you're not paying interest on that portion of the principle for 14 days, that you would be if you were just paying extra on a monthly mortgage. It's getting the principle off quicker, that reduces the interest payment over time more greatly, than simply whacking extra on the tab? The bi-weekly schedule puts the payments on the principle faster, and more frequently, so the interest will be reduced... One reason some banks don't offer it! I had to shop around.

The question is a little tough to answer, as it's predicated on your belief about the short-term future market direction. Of course that can't be known, however from a technical perspective, the markets are not healthy, to say the least. We're looking at a short-term bounce for a little spell here, but I'd advise lightening the portfolio and moving into more protective asset classes. As to the mortgage, I've had a couple... the most recent one we opted for a bi-weekly mortgage. Half the monthly nut every 2 weeks, however due to the calendar, you end up putting down 26 half-payments vs. 12 full one's.... and if you're quick on the math, you'll see you're making 1-full month's extra payment. Some people kick part of their tax return over annually and accomplish the same thing. However having studied my amoritization tables until numb, you DO chip a little off the principle every 2-weeks, which compounded over time, reduces the interest total paid on the loan. If it fit my pay-schedule, I'd opt for a bi-weekly mortgage again any time. It did make a difference in the principle IMO.

  Ummmmm.... been watching the news lately? Personally I think some of the more northern states are likely to erupt first, they're having more public issue's, but the stuff that's going on in all of Europe, is quite interesting to read once you get outside of Western Dominated News feeds. How the heck a country that restricts gun-usage has people lobbing grenade's at safe-houses, I'll never understand, but it's one way to get your message across!   - K  

    LOL! That was one thing that put the M&P compact ahead of much of the competition. I keep a 17rd. full-size mag for backup, but carry w/ the 12, so it's very easy to keep concealed.

I'm IN! :D  

Wow, great ideas and suggestions on all! Can't wait to try some of these out (now I just need to get that key to the indoor range!)

I shot every glock my LGS had in their rental case, and bought an M&P Compact 9mm. LOVE the thing. Coming up on 2k rnds. Thing just shoots great for me.

  Ditto what he said... just haven't found the old farmhouse yet. If you have school aged children, start shopping by school district first, there are big differences from one town to the next. Made a big impact on our search (and why we ended up in Kingston!). Welcome, you'll like it down here (left NY in August).

Would be more than happy to... bring my lawnmower over, and offer it's opinion of your fuel once ready. :D I still have fond memories of a dear family friend in Germany INSISTING I have a hit of Apfelwein he made before turning in. Nightly. Man, that stuff was triple distilled, could clean the varnish off your carburetor! I'd bitch about a sore stomach, he swore it'd help. Headache? Old Jupp's got the cure, come with me into the basement.... LOL!   - K