MacGyver

Here's a posthumous reprint of the article. Marshall was a great asset to this forum who will be sorely missed. Self Defense - A Christian Viewpoint

Mousegunner also wrote a great article on gun ownership and self defense from a Christian perspective. I'll see if I can find it.

I hunt with a suppressed SBR. It frankly suits my needs at every range I'm going to feel like I can ethically take a shot at. Firing 250 and 300 grain rounds, it has plenty of stopping power in it's advisable range. Once you start shooting "ear-safe", it will affect every firearm decision you make from that point forward. I wasn't the one shooting, but I've seen a pig hunt with a suppressed .458SOCOM where at 110 meters the other pigs in the group didn't even react when their buddy went down. The 500gr round put it down immediately and quietly.

Got this from Netflix today. Man, they've screwed this up in a major way. Say hello to shareholder lawsuits. I'd guess we'll be saying goodbye to at least the CEO in the near future.

I've spent some time here over the years as well. When I was single, it didn't really matter; this whole question was just a philosophical debate. But, when I got married the issue certainly changed for me. It was strengthened even more when I had kids. I think as a Christian, I have a responsibility to protect and provide for my family. I can't do that if I'm not here because some thug killed or seriously injured me to take what I have. I've carried everyday since the day I got my permit 15 years ago. Because of my line of work, I have a price on my head from two nations and one person who is currently on trial for war crimes at the Hague. I don't really lose much sleep over those threats. I do lose sleep about not being able to adequately protect or provide for my family. There is no reconciliation needed here for me. My faith, my perceived responsibility to my family and my decision to train and carry as a part of that all fit within my worldview.

Why the Rangers over the HSTs? I carry 147gr HSTs, but am interested in your opinion since I expect you guys have shot plenty of both. I have in my mind y'all shooting a bunch of HSTs in .40 at one point and having some issues.

I think it's civilian branded Winchester Ranger. It's not moly coated like the talons were.

My Benelli loves that stuff! It's great ammo.

They have groups for people like you, Mac. edit - this may be a case of the pot calling the kettle, black.

I really like that, Mac. I haven't seen one of that style in years, but it seems like it would really have some utility in the right situations.

I don't drink, smoke or do any type of drugs (immoderate amounts of coffee, butter and half-and-half excluded). That said, I'm mostly of the opinion that so long as you don't bother me about my guns, I'll leave you alone with your pot. This book has been out of copyright for decades, so I'll post the text of one of my favorite stories. If you haven't ever read Mark Twain's travel epilogue Following the Equator, do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy. You won't be disappointed:

Most of the Dovos are really quality razors at a great price. Have fun!

Get ahold of that .458 SOCOM of yours the wrong way and it'll likely feel about the same.

I've got the non-trench version, but have fired both. They're both reliable copies of the model 1897 right down to the ability to slam fire it if you're so inclined.

I cannot encourage you enough. You have no idea now how much of an influence you may be to a kid. My dad was an assistant scoutmaster, went camping with us every month and just made himself available. Twenty five years later, I have friends and former troop mates that I don't really stay in close contact with, but who still call my dad regularly just to say hey or ask his advice. Despite the flack they get in today's overly pansified world, scout troops - properly run let boys grow into leaders by working through problems on their own. The scoutmasters should really be there to serve as a good role model, to teach, offer advice when solicited, and make sure they don't kill themselves in the process. If you really look at those qualities, you realize how rare those traits are in today's world. Good work! Stay involved. As Gerald Ford used to say, "Boy, do we need scouting."

Great post! Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

The drier and hotter the better. When I was in Saudi Arabia, you could get hypothermia getting out of the swimming pool, even though it was at least 110F outside. The evaporative cooling took place that quickly. I've always wanted to try this on a large scale. Think of a root cellar sized room with two porous walls.

Netflix is being completely split into two companies. One company "Qwikster" will be for DVDs and the other "Netflix" for streaming. If someone wants both, they will be charged by each of the companies.

It will be a few years yet before my son is old enough to be in scouts, but I know some things have changed since I was a kid. Today's dens and troops have a lot of kids whose parents never get outdoors and will not naturally pass these skills down to their sons (or daughters). I would definitely take the opportunity to send something home with the kids letting the parents know what you're doing with the whittling chip, and the fact that you're talking about knife safety. Hopefully for some of them, this won't be the first time they've heard it, but for some of the kids, it certainly will be. When you have the advancement ceremony where you present the chips, really praise the kids to their parents. That may be the stimulus some parents need to continue a conversation they wouldn't have had otherwise with their kid. And, it may prompt some of them to get their kid that first knife! I've been in situations twice in the last month where I've watched adults who weren't raised in scouting use an axe. Their handling skills were downright dangerous. I've used both situations as teaching opportunities, and both times the participants said that they wished someone had taught them this stuff as a kid. You can really make a lifelong difference in a kid's life as a Scoutmaster. Nice work!

btw...I don't know many kids who can say their first knife was a Benchmade. Lucky kid. And, if you can teach him to sharpen D2, he'll be able to sharpen anything.

If they're just using them to carve soap to get their whittling chip, I'd likely have a good conversation on knife safety, pass them out, and then take them back up. I might also mention to the parents in the den what you're doing, so that if they want to get their kid that special knife, this might be a good time to do it.

Your first knife is a special thing. I've got the Swiss Army knife my grandfather gave me for my 8th birthday to this day. I don't know that I really have a firm opinion one way or another as to what you should do, but I know that I cherished my first knife. I used it all the way through scouting. I carried it all the way through school, and had it in my pocket the day I got my Eagle Scout. The one thing I would consider in your case is that kids (and adults too) get cut a lot worse by cheap knives that dull quickly than they do with good quality sharp ones. You have to work a lot harder with a dull knife, and then due to poor handling, when it contacts flesh, it does a lot more damage. I know they're carving soap now, but they'll soon progress beyond that. I decided a long time ago that if I planned to use something more than once that I would get the best I could afford. I've never been disappointed by that. Not that this maxim really applies to your situation, but you can get a lot better knife for not much more money.

I think the studios are going to screw Netflix, and then end up screwing themselves by proxy. Starz reportedly walked away from talks last week after demanding 10 times their previous $30 million to conti ue their deal. The studios can't stand them; I think they're going to be late to the game, just like they were with digital music. While I applaud Netflix for having the guts to just focus on streaming, I increasingly think that the dominant position will eventually go to someone else. Netflix really botched the transition. That's cost them half their market cap, a lot of their brand integrity and their reputation. Add the fact that every major studio would love for them to fail, and I think that may wind up costing them the game.

Pretty much as soon as we notice. It's the Calvinist side of TGO. "Once banned, always banned."

I'm sorry to hear this.