Obiglatory EDC post; Whats in your pockets?

So, its cold, I'm tired of shoveling/driving in snow, and as I'm a little cabin feverish I thought I would keep my mind busy by showing random people whats in my pockets every day.
So, I'm pretty basic; as you can see I carry a slim bi-fold wallet by Wenger, my Zebra F-301 Bold which is an awesome roller ball pen, a cheap AA LED 3-mode high-lumen flashlight, my iPhone 4s in an OtterBox and my CRKT M16-10KZ folding knife. These are with me anytime I step out the house and I'm wearing pants. This has been my EDC for going on 5 years now, except that I switched from a Surefire to the cheap CREE b/c the el-cheap-o light has way higher lumen count and a strobe mode.
I own another cell phone, which is my 'personal' number (the iPhone was issued by work), but the fact that I didnt have it with me for this picture just goes to show its not an EDC. I have the voicemail for that phone tied into my Google account and I have a tendency to leave that cell at home more than I carry it.
I have a laptop bag that is usually within easy reach that has a duplicate flashlight and a little bitty Buck knife, an extra pen and micro first-aid kit with some bandaids and alcohol wipes, but since I dont walk around with that bag on my shoulder all the time, I don't consider it part of my EDC. Don't get me started on the "get home bag" in the trunk of my car b/c again, I dont consider that to be EDC and the contents of that bag changes based on the seasons of the year.

Notice no keys? Thats right, as soon as I get where I'm going the car fob comes out of my pocket and gets thrown on my desk at work, or dresser at home (I also hate walking around with coins in my pocket). During the winter the key fob stays in my outer coat pocket. We have an electronic lock at home, so I type a code to get in the house or garage.

What do carry every day?

Right handed but left eye dominant

So I find out out yesterday, after taking my #1 kid to a 4H shooting safety training course that said child is right handed (I knew that) but left eye dominant. Since all I knew about eye dominance I can sum in up two words (not much) I'm looking for help from the intarwebz.
We ended up after multiple iterations and options having the kid shoot with from the left shoulder on a right handed rifle (we had left and right handed savage mark II's available). This resulted in pretty good groupings and the cheek weld was natural while aiming with the left eye, but it still made working the bolt awkward. Using a lefty rifle was tough b/c there was no fine motor control in the left arm, and using the right handed rifle was tough b/c the right arm had to come back from the forend. This worked b/c we were using a bench rest setup and the barrel and forend were supported without the kid's arm.
Of course in a standing or prone situation this would be difficult for a kid to hold up the rifle entirely from the trigger guard area since that would be so far behind the center of balance for the rifle.

So, should we stick with left shoulder, right hand rifle or maybe just move straight from bolt-action to semi-auto to avoid any issues with the bolt altogether?

The kid also wants to get into archery and there just happened to be an archery instructor on site yesterday who said we were going to be pretty much looking at a left handed bow as the only option for someone using their left eye to aim.

I spend all these years making sure both my kids are right handed and no one ever told me to also put a patch over their left eye and make damn sure they are right eye dominant. ;)

Anybody have any experience or thoughts? By the way, the #1 child has gone through a couple of doses of vision therapy over the years to cure the kid of being cross-eyed and we have absolutely no interest in trying to go back at 10 years of age and re-train the eyes on something else, so using the right eye isn't an option.
Anyone with any feedback is appreciated.

Repost - Solar Water Heater Offer from DR Power - New update

Solar Water Heater Offer from DR Power

for comments see original post  http://seanownsthemoon.blogspot.com/2010/03/solar-water-heater-offer-from-dr-power.html

I like DR products, made like tanks and made in the USA.

They are partnering with built by a sister company firm that build solar water heaters, selling a DIY kit that includes solar collector, heat exchanger and a water storage tank that connects to your current hot water heater. Plus the solar collector has a small photovoltaic cell that powers the pump, which A: means you don't need to run any new electric for this system and B: the solar water heater only runs when their is sun enough to power the PV cell. So another one on the plus side is that it looks easy to install in that you don't have to re-plumb your house. 

This is all well and good and I have been considering one, especially with the federal and state tax credits knocking about $4K off the price, plus as a previous DR owner, I get a special $450 coupon.

I initially was confused by Sunward's pricing information, but thanks to their help I have seen that it is pretty straight forward and I hope to be able to place an order in 2010.
Heating water in your home and refrigerating food are about 80% of an average homes energy usage. If I can knock a dent in one of those, that's not a bad thing. Running a fridge on alternate power.....now that's for another blog post on anther day.

UPDATE, August 2011: Well, with my change of vocation at the end of 2009 and the ongoing economic troubles making me save every dime I could for a rainy day, I still haven't bought this system.....but I still want to. Anyone out there own one that wants to give a review? DR and Sunward, any chance you'd long term loan me one to try?  ;)

UPDATE, Feb 2013

Their new website does a much better job of marketing the whole kit. I'm seriously considering buying one still, I have about half the $$ saved up, and while I normally don't like debt, I may finance one soon as this would be a good time to become less grid reliant. We've lost our power multiple times this winter and I really enjoy hot showers.

Gun ownership up, especially among women

A right not exercised soon becomes a privilege.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbc-news-channel/45897106#45897106

But the anti-gunners tell me gun ownership is down
http://www.saysuncle.com/2012/01/05/but-the-anti-gunners-tell-me-gun-ownership-is-down/

This country is going down fast, Linoge sums it up

Linoge has an interesting essay on the video I posted earlier, its a good read on how we can't expect things to get better b/c everyone wants what they feel is coming to them.
My generation and the generation coming after are all about "show me the money" and damn the consequences. When we hit a wall with the global economy eventually, its going to be sad seeing them all standing in soup lines saying "this isn't right, wheres my check?".
 None of them, including my own kids, comprehend whats going to happen due to the unstoppable deficits and debts being left them by the baby boomers. I stay up at night worrying sometimes, but I don't think I can do more than put away a few more cans of soup in the basement.

OK, so now they are taking over 100 miles from any border

let me measure the distance from my house to central Lake Erie and make sure I'm still under State authority....
Why does no one else not worry when our Dept of Homeland Security is making work for itself?

Courtesy of wirecutter.

Its worse than you think

If you read anything this week, it should be this
"Please soberly consider the implications of the National Debt, and think through what it means for you and your children. In the years to come, we can expect to see higher taxes, a panoply of new fees and fines, decreased pension benefits, and orchestrated currency inflation. Simultaneously, we will face a declining standard of living, shortages, riots, higher property crime rates, labor protests, currency devaluations, currency expatriation controls, bank runs, forced redistribution of wealth, and "social justice" programs that will nationalize entire industries and expropriate productive farmland. This may very well spin out of control until the wealth redistribution and social engineering schemes resemble those in Pol Pot's Cambodia, or Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe."
James Wesley, Rawles
Survivalblog.com

Top 5 Places Not to be if things go bad with the Global Economy

1. Israel
2. Southern California
3. England
4. New York City
5. Washington, DC
"To sum up, those areas that have lived highest on the hog in the dollar paradigm will most likely be the worst places to live when the dollar collapses."
More here

“You can ignore reality,but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” -Ayn Rand

I don't think my neighborhood would fair too well either, but central Ohio will likely do better than NYC or DC and a damn site better than the deserts of the US Southwest. At least here we have rain and land to farm.

Alan Greenspan says we're screwed, S&P says we're boned, Obama says things are looking up!

Greenspan says we are likely headed for another recession (this one ended at some point?) if a major economic bump in the road such as a Greek default, hits us anytime soon.

S&P says they are again warning the .gov that a downturn in their credit rating is in store if they don't stop playing games and fix something quickly

Obama and his financial gurus would have you believe things are getting better

Some folks who are big in the markets are calling for drastic changes soon to avoid Greek-style riots in the streets here in the good 'ol US of A. That's never good.

All I know is that between gas for my car and cereal for breakfast, I have no 'extra' funds for what life throws at me like I used to. Here's hoping a major appliance doesn't croak any time soon.

Weed your garden after a good rain

Its that time of year again, and you should be watching out in the garden for those pesky weeds. They steal nutrients and water from your actual plants and if they touch, can pass diseases. Wait until after a good soaking thunderstorm and you should be able to easily pull those weeds, roots and all, right from the garden bed. Then they don't grow back and the wet ground pulls apart easily. This leaves more soil in the ground and doesn't disturb the roots of what you want to grow.
It might be a little muddy, but I promise that the dirt will come off your hands with a little soap and warm water.  :)

Michelle Obama doesn't like Jelly

So my mother-in-law comes home from working a shift at the church food pantry and she says that they can no longer get .gov assistance in receiving jelly to pass out with the peanut butter and loaves of bread. Apparently Michelle O' feels that Jelly is nothing but hollow calories.
Great, so the poor kids should eat nothing at all if they can't eat "healthy"? Somehow this is the opposite of "let them eat cake" and it rings just as false in my ears.
I was raised on PB&J, hell I ate two of them for dinner one night this week, and I'm not obese, I don't have diabetes and I don't have unhealthy eating habits. I would wager in fact that Michelle has the same BMI that I do.
Maybe the Nanny-In-Chief can just stick to campaigning for bigger nutrition labels on food and stop branding staple food items as 'trash'.
I will be buying jelly for the food pantry from now on, instead of my normal cans of tuna fish.

Good deal on a good meal. Yum.

Preparedness Pantry/Emergency Essentials (beprepared.com) is having a product giveaway for their new Mexican Food Combo. Emergency Essentials is one of my favorite places to shop online, Give it a look, whether you win or not, its not a bad combo to have around, I'm going to buy one, either way. One question; I wonder how well tortilla's freeze?

Mexican Food Combo:
1 Can of spiced "taco" TVP
1 Can of white rice
1 Can of dehydrated re-fried beans
1 Can of freeze dried super sweet corn
1 Can of black beans
1 Can of dehydrated chopped onions

Mix in some salsa and sour cream with some flour tortilla's, splash a little lime juice in the rice, and you've got my favorite Chipotle burrito (although I always use black beans and leave out the re-fried). I'm going to see if I can figure out how to take this recipe backpacking......

We are now running the government off federal workers retirement money

Um, just when are we supposed to notice things have gone down the crapper? When they tell us they have or when they run out of smoke and mirrors?
This will only get worse before it gets better. We still owe billions to the social security trust fund we haven't paid back and now we're 'borrowing' from the federal employees retirement fund to actively run the government?

Plus I hate to be the one to point this out, but isn't that still debt?
We're doing this to avoid selling treasuries (debt) b/c the debt ceiling was hit this morning. but, isn't what we're doing creating more debt? Shouldn't we just close down the .gov for a few days until Congress decides to buckle under to the pressure from the treasury and the federal reserve and raise the debt limit?
I mean, we all know that's what they are going to do, they might as well get around to it. No way that they could stomach doing the right thing and making the .gov live of revenues.

Get your 'preps' ready, b/c if someone sneezes in the petrodollar/gold/silver/insert important economic indicator here market, we're looking for a rough summer.

Zombie Proof house? Maybe, but I don't want to pay the $$$

This house is awesome, and awe inspiring. Don't think I could afford it though, but still pretty nifty.

Age of America nears end

For the first time, the international organization has set a date for the moment when the “Age of America” will end and the U.S. economy will be overtaken by that of China. 

5 years, and then we will no longer be the dominant economy. Oil won't be traded in USD, international trade wont be conducted in USD and the USD will be worth a lot less then it is even now.
My kids will be 13 and 8 and they will be entering a new world, where the US is sliding towards default, permanent recession and 1 in 5 will be unemployed.

I just have to pray that things don't get as bad as they possibly can. Any chance we can get that balanced budget Constitutional Amendment we need?

We have to act

Wow, thats a lot of pessimistic news....better get my garden planted

Economics and Investing:

 End of the Dollar?

 The Dollar Will Collapse Within 3-4 Months

Connecting the Dots … Grain Shortages & Food Inflation Quietly Accelerating Due to Perfect Storm

 Fears rise that Japan could sell off U.S. debt

Items from The Economatrix:
 Postal Service to Cut 7,500 Jobs, Close Offices  
Asian Shares Higher After Wall Street Closes  
US Experiencing Uneven Job Growth Across States  
Oil Hits Highest Levels Since Recession  
Private Corporation Official Admits Impending US Bankruptcy  
US Consumer Confidence In US Falls More Than Forecast On Rising Fuel Prices  
When Silver Investors Finally Wise Up

Time to plant your garden (in Ohio anyway)

You really should have started your sprouts by now (I have mine in an indoor greenhouse thingy). As soon as the snow stops falling (we got some yesterday) I'll plant everything outdoors.

Types

• Cool-season and warm-season vegetables can be grown in Ohio. Cool-season crops withstand light frost and include many leaf and root vegetables. Warm-season crops, such as cucumbers, squash, melons and tomatoes must be planted after the threat of frost passes.

Time Frame

• Experienced Ohio gardeners begin planting cool-season vegetables in Mid-March, according to the Ohio State University Extension web site. Ohio is located in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 and 6, with an average last frost date occurring in April-May. Warm-season vegetables can be planted after the last killing frost.

Considerations

• Starting vegetable seeds indoors during late winter can result in transplants by the early spring planting season. Using transplants instead of direct seeding can add a few weeks to your harvest season. Successive planting can also make the most of a season. Plant new crops as soon as the previous ones are harvested.

Like New Again

So, my CRKT Carson Design M16-10KZ (which is a really long name for a knife btw CRKT, more on that later) came apart, mostly, in my pocket today at work. Nothing was damaged, just the main screw had worked itself loose and the blade had popped free from its pivot point. So, I took this as a sign that it would be a good time to take the knife completely apart* and clean it.

Now, its always important to maintain your gear and while I do sharpen the high carbon blade from time to time, I do admit that my everyday carry knife (EDC) does get a little less loving than some of my other backpacking, outdoors, fishing, camping, etc equipment. I just don't normally think about it, honestly. It goes in my pocket every morning with my wallet and cell phone and gets dumped in my wallet box every evening when I come home from work. I use it almost daily at work, giving it un-dignified work such as opening packages and mail.

Well, I was once again amazed at the quality of craftsmanship that convinced me to buy the knife originally. After cleaning all the parts and re-assembling it (I did have a little trouble getting the brass and the teflon bearings back in place) the knife works as good as new and I have a big smile on my face. 

I've had it over 3 years and have been very pleased with the blade and the feel of the handle; many folders feel loose or slippery in your hands and can lead to you cutting yourself, this model just "fits". This good grip allows me to be confident when I am using it for something other than packing tape and I have yet to nick myself with it. As far as EDC's go, this one gets 4.5 stars (I would give it a full five if it had an easier name).

As for the name (CRKT Carson Design M16-10KZ), CRKT has a number of (Kit) Carson Design blades and they have a number of variations named M16-##XX, so many so that I have long since forgotten what my designation actually means, although I assume it refers to the tanto style blade. A simpler name might have been the CRKT M16 Tanto. For a company that does a really good job with their own acronym (CRKT stands for Columbia River Knife and Tool and I pronounce it "cricket") you think they would find a way to make saying the names of their knives a little less hard. Spyderco's habit of giving their knives one word names comes to mind. Its kind of like Ford vs Lexus. While a Mustang may be lacking in certain specs when compared to the IS F11, I would much rather tell people I owned a Mustang versus admitting to owning the Lexus alphanumeric mouthful. Just MHO.

*I didn't take the zytel scales off the steel frame as I saw nothing to be gained doing that, it would likely just loosen the factory screws forever and I also didn't take apart the nifty CRKT Auto-LAWKS safety as I figured that was just asking for re-assembly hell.

For anyone shopping for an EDC, I would highly recommend you at least glance at the knife in question, its about $25 on Amazon and no I don't get any money from Amazon for sending you there, I turned off all the commerce settings on my blog months ago.

Dimensions
Open Overall Length	7.125 inches
Closed Length	4 inches
Weight	2.3 ounces

Blade
Length	3 inches
Thickness	0.08 inches
Material	8Cr15MoV
Blade-HRC	58-59
Finish	EDP
Grind	Hollow
Style	Tanto
Edge	Triple-Point Serrations

Handle
Material	Zytel
Liners	2CR13

Lock
Type	Locking Liner
Safety System	AutoLAWKS

Carry
Carry System	1 Position Clip

Here is Kit Carson's M16^® Every Day Carry (EDC) with our Zytel^® InterFrame build. Our knife users told us, "We want an affordable work knife that we can give hard use without feeling guilty, and one that won't break us up if we leave it on a job site or drop it in the river."

We heard you. So we set about to make the Zytel EDC the best value in the work and sport knife world.

That starts with textured Zytel^® scales and a dual 2CR13 stainless steel liner InterFrame. Assembled with Zytel back spacers and Torx^® fasteners, the result is amazingly rigid. Zytel is a fiberglass-filled nylon that offers excellent toughness and resistance to solvents. Teflon^® bearings at the blade pivot and an adjustable pivot screw allow for perfect blade action.

The blade is 8CR15MoV high-carbon stainless steel which gives an ideal combination of toughness and edge-holding ability in a work knife, and also allows easy field-sharpening.

The M16^®-10KZ features a dual hollow grind Tanto-style blade with Combined Razor-Sharp and Triple-Point^™ Serrated edges similar to our "Big Dog" M16 models. The result is maximum blade strength and ability to saw through cord, webbing, nets or vegetation quickly. It has a black EDP blade, black frame and hardware for a non-flective tactical look.

Of course, it features the Carson Flipper, which speeds opening of the blade and acts as a blade guard when the blade is open.

The real breakthrough was our ability to engineer our patented* AutoLAWKS^™ knife safety into all models, which automatically actuates when the blades are open, making these folders into virtual fixed blades when locked.

Add to these features the standard removable Teflon^®-plated stainless steel clothing/gear clip plus the CRKT limited lifetime warranty, and you have one of the truly great knife values of our time.

That whooshing sound....

Ross Perot had his "sucking sound" to describe job lass with NAFTA, I hear a "whooshing sound" as every price around me seems to be shooting up, especially food. Hope you've put away some tangibles like canned fruits and veggies for this winter, I have a feeling the prices will get worse before they get better and you cant go too long on vitamin supplements alone.
Giant Eagle has 20 cans of veggies for ten dollars, I'm stocking up myself before I cant afford to eat peas with my dinner and put pineapple on my pizza. Hate to be all doom and gloom, but just read one too many articles about the coming inflation tidal wave.
Well, hold on for the ride and stay warm this winter,