Jamie Jackson

BTDT David. Mine went from viral to bacterial and therefore required antibiotics...and my "flu swab" was negative, and I had the influenza vaccine in 2016 for the 1st time since 1975...because it was mandatory for my workplace. (Emergency Room). We've seen quite a few people with obvious influenza. I would guess that 75-80% had the flu vaccine. Not all of them "popped positive" for our flu swabs, which is not unusual. Our physicians will generally, usually, treat them based on symptoms and examination, and if within the first 24-48 prescribe anti-viral medications (as most folks know, antibiotics do not work against viruses.), but a virulent virus can weaken the immune system and allow a bacterial infection to set in...therefore requiring antibiotics...it's a conundrum my friend. fwiw in the over 40 years that I have not had the flu vaccine, I also have not had the flu... Even the CDC will admit that the flu vaccine is only effective about 50% of the time,even though they tout that the effectiveness is close to 90% at other times...it's not even near 90% from what I've witnessed over the past decades. Not even close... Physicians are hesitant to prescribe antibiotics without sound cause, and for good reason, as antibiotics have been so over-prescribed, or inappropriately prescribed, for so long that we are running out of effective antibiotics to treat some pretty virulent bacterial infections. That said, if you are hacking up green phlegm, febrile, and have an elevated white blood cell count...well, antibiotics might just be in order... Disclaimer...this is not medical advice, just and opinion and observation.

LOL. Same here Randall! I unholster several times a day. Done safely, appropriate backstop etc. It's free drawstroke practice. I use my carry gun as my "nightstand" gun lying beside one of my Surefire's. I have my jeans on a chair at bedside with holster, spare mags, flashlight, BOK, cellphone, BUG etc. If, God forbid, there is a fire or other emergency and I need to unass the area quickly, then I'm ready. We have 2 small yappy and territorial dogs that sleep in our bedroom. Their hearing is better than mine!

Good interview and worth the time to watch imho...Thanks for posting this Sam.

I'm glad to see this trend. I think 2.ooohhh hit the nail on the head. How long this all will last is anybodies guess. The anti's will not rest, so it's great to be able to affordably purchase things you believe you'll need in the future, or even just simply want/choose to own. But there will most likely be a time in the near future when we look back at this time as the "good ole days". Just my ever devaluing $0.02 worth...

I've never used these before, and quite honestly I have more than enough magazines for my perceived needs ... but Graf's is running a heck of a special on these right at this moment. They are running them at $4.79 each for the 30 rd mags, but they limit you to 4 per order. So if you're needing some other gear from Graf's (decent reloading gear pricing) this might meet your needs. fwiw the reviews I've seen on these are quite good. I'm just glad to see pricing coming down on guns & gear. Hopefully it's a trend that'll continue for awhile. https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/74528

I clicked the like button before the Ruskie's took it away!

I really liked the A. American series Wilson. Entertaining Gun Guy Post Apocalyptic fiction. The Bracken Trilogies are usually free to download a couple of times a year on Amazon. I'm actually rereading them and on book two right now. Forstchen did a remarkable job on his little novella "Day of Wrath (Dies Irae)"...he just didn't seem to maintain his mojo in "One Year After" imho.

I didn't care much for "One Year After" either. The library, or at least a few months of Amazon reviews is what I'll wait on. It looks like we're having a bit of a slump in this genre.

Glad to have you onboard Mark. Welcome to TN and to TGO!

Congrats to David and to all that post here! There's a wealth of information here, and shall we say, some interesting discussions? Joined in '09 myself. Tempus Fugit!!

I've not tried CFE powder, but have loaded quite a few Berry's over the years using same weight load data for the round... with many different powders. You can even e-mail Berry's for suggestions. I've found them quite helpful and very prompt. I hope this helps. This is from Berry's FAQ section: Question: Do you have load data available? COL or OAL? We do not research or publish the load data. Please consult load data books or your powder manufacturers' website for load information. You can use published load data for lead/cast bullets or low to mid-range FMJ data, as long as it is the same weight bullet. Berry's offers our standard plate bullets which can handle velocities up to 1,250 fps and 1,500 fps for our Thick Plate (TP) versions. https://www.berrysmfg.com/faq#FAQ3

I have a Dillon 550 and have had that sucker since '89-'90 or so. It's currently set up for 9mm and I handload between 10-15 k of 9 each year. I still use my Lee, which I've had since the mid-1980's for 5.56 and .38 spl. I learned the basics on the Lee and neither press is worn out yet...believe me, I've tried LOL. As has been mentioned, Dillon customer service is second to none. They rebuilt my 550 for a nominal fee a few years ago...so I reckon it'll outlast me. Please excuse the mess, but I love being able to crank out a few rounds of whatever I need when I have the time or inclination. I am so habituated to hand feeding the brass I'm not sure that feature is something I need. Hand feeding the brass allows a last minute inspection and I still easily manage 300-400 rounds an hour. We (as a group) cast and powdercoat our 9mm rounds, purchase our components in bulk, so we have an affordable source of accurate and functional handgun rounds. Over the past several years, with the component shortage we had, we developed several powder use options and a chronograph proved invaluable in that endeavor. Welcome to a great and fruitful learning experience.

I've cared for numerous patients with ITP back in my ICU days (decades). Sorry to hear this. You make a good point Mike. All medicines are essentially poisons. (Risk benefit ratio thing). Many illnesses preclude medications that are common OTC preparations. Knowledge about a person's own conditions and the effects of medications on those states are necessary. I see the end effect of this lack of knowledge more than I'd like. Doctor's and Nurses need to do a better job of "teaching" than they usually do. Hope you feel better soon.

Excellent and informative tutorial. Thank you for taking the time. Great job!

There is some wisdom in having multiples and the reasons are well covered above. But like hlb14 mentioned above, having a (trusted and proven) duplicate of your carry gun for training and practice makes sense to me. I want another G19, but own a 17 & a 26 as well. Functional transition, magazine, ammo, and holster interchangeability and compatibility make sense to me. I reread this thread and don't recall reading that, if, God Forbid, you are involved in a self defense shooting...your gun will more likely than not, be taken into evidence and for a long time. Badguys have friends and family that may well wish to seek retribution. After all, you just smoked their source of income or drugs, perhaps a member of the gang they recently been jumped into, their "baby daddy" or "baby momma" ( criminals come in all shapes, sexes, and sizes). Being able to remain armed with a reliable handgun whose format you are intimately familiar with (same trigger pull, manual of arms, sights etc.) just makes sense to me. Just food for thought and the opinion of an old fart.

Holy Cow Brother! Darn! I hate to hear this. Call me or PM if there's anything I can do...maybe text...I've developed laryngitis through the night... Diverticulitis is rough any day, perforation or bleeding = double rough! Prayers out my friend.

Yeah...they are remarkably communicable! I was awakened last night with my throat on fire, headache and fever. I probably wash my hands 50-60 times a day and wear gloves with patient contact...but some adults still cough right in your face! With viral illnesses, such as this crap I caught, all you can do is treat the symptoms, stay hydrated, isolate yourself from others and ride it out. In my case ibuprofen or naproxen, OTC sinus meds and good old Berkey water and lots of it! If a person takes blood pressure meds (I don't) make sure if you use OTC meds they are "HBP" friendly...they should be labeled so. And be patient, and Good Luck! Any specific questions just ask. I'll help as I can.

We've been seeing a lot of viral respiratory illnesses, along with viral GI illnesses, at work the past several weeks...but only a few positive flu cases...they all suck for those that have them! Positive thoughts and Prayers for you GTG! Hang tough my friend. It will pass...hopefully sooner rather than later brother.

Looking Good my friend!

Wisdom here! I learned the hard way to only load 10-15 each when working up a load with new to me components... function check and chrono before any mass loading. Saves a lot of unnecessary work. And Yep...kinetic pullers are fine for a few rounds only.

May God Bless and keep you and yours hipower. Well spoken. Merry Christmas to all on TGO. I'll be working tomorrow, but will embrace the reason for the season and celebrate His birth.

I saw this linked off of Drudge when I got in from work last evening. It is a definite possibly that this segment of our population may well gain a positive, and more self reliant (leaning towards conservatism), insight by doing this, albeit unintentional. Once you lessen your dependence on "systems" of support, like .gov, you gain more actual freedom, along with the peace of mind inherent in this lifestyle. Their initial rationale is of course flawed imho, but hopefully the end point of their journey may prove positive for all involved. A good point brought up is that with Trump being elected some, maybe many in the Prepper Community may have been lulled into a false sense of security. As has been mentioned here on TGO many times and in many ways...Trump's election may only be a brief reprieve...very brief. There is absolutely no reason to ease up or think things will go sunshine and roses...just as there isn't a reason to lock yourself up in a bunker. But it is probably a good time to "buy it cheap and stack it deep" on many levels. We're seeing unprecedented bargains on items that will improve our future safety and security, and I'm not only talking guns, ammo, and shooting gear. Prepper oriented websites are have incredible sales as well... water filters, LTS foods, power/energy, etc. As to the OP...You might well be a Prepper if you shop "loss leaders" weekly after inventorying your main pantry (where you've dated and rotated your stores) and make sure you purchase by the case lot when these "loss leaders" match your needs (maintaining 6-12 month supply). You may not shoot everyday, but I bet you eat every day.

While I'm not in the market, I certainly hope this is a trend.

That is interesting. I've seen wounds from quite a few calibers, but not a .357 Sig and especially with a boutique ammo such as the one cited. My experience has been the same regarding guessing the caliber from the entry wound appearance. The skin is simply too elastic, and humans can tolerate a lot of damage and keep functioning. Good insight from the responding officer.

Memphis is not a war zone Cap. Far from it. I worked a stent at Kaiser Richmond Hospital, San Francisco's North Bay area. The ER registration clerks sat behind bullet resistant glass with a Sheriff's Deputy. You got wanded coming in for your shift...all the patients had to be wanded. You could hear the gun shots outside at night. Heck, we've had shootouts in 2 of the "Charity" hospitals I've worked at in New Orleans and one in a hospital when I worked in Kansas City. I haven't run across anything like that in Memphis. You just learn what areas of any city you have no business being in ... kinda hard to stop what slithers into the E.R sometimes though...LOL