Instructions unclear, Or how I stopped worrying and set up us the bomb.

 I saw a cute kids Disney whiteboard at the dollar store today. 

YOU MAKE THE SUNSHINE!

Do you REALLY want me to embrace my inner super villain? Really! How many sternly worded letters from the UN does a man need?

Sometimes my friends amaze me.

 The backstory goes thusly:

A very talented friend of mine has a developmentally disabled sibling. Their mom was talking with a bunch of us on the internets about the siblings interest in helping making coffee in the morning. This resulted in the acquisition of a simple keurig style pod coffee maker. 

The friend then proceeded to whip up a kids song about how to make coffee. 

WOW! 

But it was lacking a certain something. What could it be?

OH! I got this!

I requested a hardstyle remix.

It's a subgenre of EDM/Techno that is very high energy and baseline forward. 

This was such an amazeballs idea I was looking into the tools to do it myself. 

Well said talented friend did it. I was told I was not right. A very high compliment in this friend group.

No it's not wrong that she had the strong urge to dance along. Earworm warning.

I give you-

Morning Coffee (partyHARD mix)

I'll be over here making more coffee. Want some?

UPDATE

Link updated BLEEPing Blogger WHY can't I embed a MP3? 

Oh and go give that talented friend of mine some traffic.

Cedar's Substack

So you want to buy a first handgun.

*gets out soapbox* *Adjusts microphone*

I'm presuming you have little to no experience with them. I'm also presuming you have the basics of gun safety. If not beginner classes are everywhere. 

1. Stay away from subcompacts, airweights, and snubnose revolvers. They are not beginner friendly. 

The minimum barrel length you should be looking at is 3-4in

Recoil is going to be more noticeable the smaller and lighter the gun is. Shorter barrels reduce accuracy.  

2. A .22lr such as a Ruger MKIV, S&W victory, and Browning buckmark. Is ok, but note that the .22lr is suboptimal for defense, but still very much lethal. If you are planning on mostly a learning platform they are excellent for this purpose. 

3. Caliber 

Just as .22lr is considered too light you can also go too heavy. Bigger calibers mean more recoil and more expensive cartridges.  Uncommon calibers means expensive or unavailable ammunition. Recommendations:

Autos- 380acp/9mm/40S&W/45acp

Revolver .38special/.357

4. Revolvers are a good choice for those who are looking for a sock drawer gun. Mostly for just in case and carried infrequently. They are also the most versatile when it comes to grip choices. Most autos you are stuck with what it is and few have changeable grip inserts. 

As long as it's 3-4in you should be good to go. 4in is a common barrel length. Again stay away from airweights! 

5. Brands. They ALL have stinkers in their lineups. 

KelTEC and Highpoint- Are your absolute minimum brands. Cheaper guns with poor ergonomics. Guns are usually safe and function OK but I recommend saving up.

Taurus- Has some to recommend for the budget constrained. G2C, G3C, TX22, Some of their revolvers.

S&W 

Springfield

Ruger

Glock

Beretta

Colt

Walther

CZ 

Sig Sauer (365 and 320 models are not recommended for now)

FN

Canik

6. When shopping take someone experienced with you. Most of us would be happy to help. Do not trust the gunstore clerk's advise by itself. Multiple opinions make for informed choices. Discount advice that says you need a specific gun. They are like shoes what fits personA will not fit personB.

Look for something that feels comfortable in your hands. Your fingers should be able to reach the controls easily. The gun should point naturally for you. A test of this is to point it in a safe direction and close your eyes for 15 seconds. When you open them is the gun pointed in the same spot or is it off to the right or left?

If you have a range nearby that has a rental counter they are an excellent opportunity to try out several and see what fits you. 

Of note I had a Beretta 92FS. Fit my hands BUT I could not shoot it accurately two handed. I've had instructors and even Beretta reps watch me shoot and have no idea why this is. I've also tried different models of the same gun and they all performed the same way. 

7. Optics, fiber, and night sights.

Night sights are glowing inserts that make them easy to see in low light. They also fade and need replaced every 12 years or so. Expect them to be $50-100. 

Fiber optic sites collect light and can be useful for low light situations. They can be more fragile than traditional sights but for most of us it's fine.

Optics such as red dots are featured more and more on handguns. They can be very useful for those with vision issues. You do have to deal with batteries and other considerations. Expect this to be a $150+ addon. Also be aware that holster choices will need to accommodate the sites as well.

Is this recommended for new handgun shooters? I don't have an opinion since I just bought my first one. 

8.Flashlights/Lasers

For a beginner get comfortable with the basics before looking at accessories. 

9. Homes with children or adults that are questionable.

If it's not on you LOCK IT UP!

A basic handgun gun safe is about $50. A locker that can handle rifles and handguns run $125. I like GunVault products. I don't recommend biometric locks such as fingerprints. Do not rely on putting them on a high shelf or hiding them. Every gunstore should have a basic cable or trigger lock available for $10 if it's not included. That is the bare minimum and would get a safe/locker asap since they would only stop a curious young child. 

10. New or Used?

As a new shooter, new.

Used can save money, but as with a used car it can bite you in the behind unless you know all the things to look for. Just because it's for sale at a gunstore or gunshow does not mean it's in working condition let alone safe to fire. 

Practice frequently. Be Safe. Have fun. 

Feedback appreciated. I'm sure I missed something. 

New job hunt.

 Job title: IT Specialist. 

That's your first "clue" they are wanting a "jack of all IT trades" for two industrial facilities. This is a large multinational company. 

 they want:

First and Second level technical support.

Network administration. 

End user services duties. 

VOIP, CCTV, Physical access,

IT support for industrial and lab equipment. 

 Bachelors and 3+ years experience wanted. And CCNA/CCNP, MCSA/MCSE, certs.

Must be flexible to support 2nd and 3rd shift operations.  

 

I'm sure they are trying to replace numerous people with one probably overworked and underpaid person. 

That's three or four different IT specialties. It's like trying to hire a neurosurgeon/podiatrist/virologist. Oh and probably paying like your fresh out of medschool. 

Reason $integer +1 why we can't have nice things.  

 

New job hunt.

Old cubeville is no more. Searching for new cubeville.

I'm going to share the absolute DERP that is job postings nowadays. Sarcasm is italicized. 

 BAD:

Service Desk Analyst I

First hint there NOT an "Analyst", just ENTRY level external help desk. 

ITIL everywhere! ( Information Technology Infrastructure Library)

A best practices framework for IT. Almost definitely this is a Managed Service Provider. I.E. outsourced 3rd party IT I'm going to bet the overuse of ITIL is their HR drone trying to speak IT and failing. Perhaps overuse of cut and paste from the company's sales materials. 

Management 

Really? ASSET management? TICKET management? This is for entry entry level IT. 

PMI certification wanted. 

Project Management Institute certification for entry level help desk? HR drone on something not prescribed by a real doctor??? 

OH! they offer project managers as a MSP. HR being sloppy.

 Not BAD:

 Pay rate was posted and is realistic for entry level help/service desk I

HS Diploma needed. Associates preferred. 

 

 

Bucke up!

 47

On one hand the media will now be very interested in any wrongdoing by the executive branch. Judging by last time around they will condemn him for everything including getting an extra scoop of ice cream.

Storm with power outage - Random thoughts.

 A few weeks ago the weather got a bit spicy. As in four tornado spicy. No damage at the compound but we did loose power for a few days. Here are some random thoughts.

The contents of fridge/freezer vs backup power pack/generator cost needs to be revisited.

Need more tool batteries. Perhaps a small battery chainsaw?

It is always a good idea to have a few chest coolers handy. Even if they are the older plastic coleman ones and not the pricier rotomold models that swear to keep ice solid for days. A chest cooler saved most of my fridge/freezer contents. 

Wow I had alot of expired food. 

Tactical flashlights are not regular flashlights. Different tools for different situations. You don't need ALL the lumens at 5am when you need to pee. 

Traffic lights without power are four way stops. Dumb ass!

Rechargeable/battery lanterns are excellent.

Headlamps especially ones with red light are excellent. 

I got a few snap on LED packs for 9v batteries that make small flashlights. They where surprisingly handy and a good use for 9V that where swapped out of smoke detectors and other devices.

Several people where having bad days as wired smoke detectors started to beep. I hate you so much right now.

Battery powered fans are a good idea that needs further investment.

It is wise to have multiple ways to cook and make coffee. 

First morning I was on my third backup plan (of MANY) before the don't stab people potion was made. A butane stove and alcohol stove didn't work or worked poorly. A second butane stove worked. The world saved.

This of course justified even more coffee making equipment being ordered.