Frank N. Ernest - Member - The Prepared

Discussions

Reply to: If you just started gardening or raising chickens/rabbits, how has it gone? Posted June 16, 2020

I’m only growing a few things for fun. But it’s not going all that well frankly. Especially on the tomatoes. they have plenty of blossoms, but few fruits starting. Not enough pollinators, I suspect.

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted June 10, 2020

Update on buying a rifle in NJ: So I finally convinced the wife that it was a good idea to at least get the paperwork done, so that we could get a firearm on short notice if needed. I signed up for the fingerprinting just now, and paid the $56 fee. First, I was shocked that in the entire state of NJ, there seemed to be no fingerprinting appointments available for two weeks. Apparently the riots have really gotten potential buyers in gear, and the system is swamped. My second observation, was “What an interesting set of hassles for exercising a constitutionally guaranteed right.” Can you imagine the absolute shitstorm that would ensue if there were a proposal to set up a voter registration process that involved: 1.) sending in names of two references, (each had to return a form) 2.) getting fingerprinted, 3.) paying $56 4.) A 2-3 month lead time The courts would say that you’re trying to suppress exercise of a constitutional right. And they would be correct.

Reply to: Turns out an old wives tale about magic soil from an Irish church was real Posted June 1, 2020

Well, whatever the antibacterial properties of the soil, I’m pretty sure it won’t do any good if you put it under under your pillow.

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted June 1, 2020

Yeah, I agree with that. If I get unwanted visitors in my house, they are likely to be younger, meaner, and more numerous than me. Responding to their home invasion with condiments and spices seems unlikely to get the job done. I have a wife and three kids. If somebody threatens them by breaking into our home, I am willing to end their life, and I will sleep well afterwards.

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted June 1, 2020

Thanks, I would also rather have a pistol. Unfortunately, my wife is the New York anti-gun type… probably not a situation that many here have to contend with. My hope that was a rifle, especially one that could be used for target plinking with our son, would pass muster. I have taken him to shoot targets at the range several times, and she is OK with that. But alas, I’m getting domesticaly stymied even on the rifle acquisition. She just won’t hear of having it in the house. It’s an emotional thing with her, not even subject to rational discussion about safe storage. Go figure. I guess if pissed off rioters from Newark drop by, we’ll be greeting them with milk and cookies instead. Maybe I’d better brush up on the lyrics to Kumbayah for the sing-along.

Reply to: Weird pandemic coping mechanisms? Posted May 21, 2020

My thing is buying more canned goods and other storable food. And organizing the pantry in the basement. It’s not really weird, but it’s definitely a stress response

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted May 17, 2020

John, thanks, interesting point about air rifles. I didn’t know anything about them as an option until I read your piece.

Reply to: Hobby farm or homestead? Posted May 16, 2020

As an exercise, it might be worth doing a estimate of how much food you could expect to grow on the plot you’re willing to work. Then calculate the amount of money that would be required to buy those things wholesale, and convert that to the numbers of hours you would have to work at your current job to pay for it. For me, it works out that about a few days at my “real” job lets me buy more produce than I could grow in a year. Say what you will about factory farming, it’s efficient as hell. Now of course, there are lots of other reasons to grow your own food, especially a few items (tomatoes, lettuce, etc) that are just way better that way. And of course, you may enjoy it, especially if you’re just growing some key items as hobby. But still, if you plan to really do it as major part of feeding your family, you have to take a cold-hearted look at the economic realities of the proposition.

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted May 16, 2020

Thanks for your comments. Ha, ha, yes… an AR-15 would be exquisitely illegal in NJ. I don’t think a lot of the Yankee gun laws up here, but I’m not gonna break the law, either. Life’s too short for legal entanglements.The .357 lever action idea is interesting, I’ll try to check it out. I always used bolt action growing up, but I feel like maybe lever action would be faster. It was never a consideration before 🙁 I like the idea that you can get them with tapped holes for easy scope attachment. My son and I like to do target shooting every once in a blue moon. Thanks, I’ll check out the safe too.

Opinions on rifles?

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18

Posted May 15, 2020

Reply to: What if history really isn’t any guide? Posted May 15, 2020

Sure, when it comes to the possible dynamics of the pandemic itself, I expect there is a lot to be learned from 1918. I was thinking more about the social, economic, and political impacts on the USA. In those areas, we are just to too different for useful analogies, I think.

Reply to: What if history really isn’t any guide? Posted May 15, 2020

Jim Grant has writtten many wonderful histories of credit and equity markets in the 19th and 20th centuries. As he likes to say, “Financial history repeats, but not in such a literal fashion as to enrich financial historians.” I think the sentiment applies more generally when trying to relate the past to the present. I find the comparisons to the 1918 flu to be particularly unhelpful. Aside from the obvious differences in medical and biological technology, the overall character of the country is completely different. In 1918, ~40% of the nation farmed for a living, and the country was a low-debt, small-government affair. 100 years later, not one in a hundred of us could feed himself on an ongoing basis. And of course government has become a 20%-of-GDP behemoth, preciously perched on an ocean of debt and future promises that can never be kept.

Opinions on rifles?

28

18

Posted May 15, 2020

Reply to: If you just started gardening or raising chickens/rabbits, how has it gone? Posted June 16, 2020

I’m only growing a few things for fun. But it’s not going all that well frankly. Especially on the tomatoes. they have plenty of blossoms, but few fruits starting. Not enough pollinators, I suspect.

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted June 10, 2020

Update on buying a rifle in NJ: So I finally convinced the wife that it was a good idea to at least get the paperwork done, so that we could get a firearm on short notice if needed. I signed up for the fingerprinting just now, and paid the $56 fee. First, I was shocked that in the entire state of NJ, there seemed to be no fingerprinting appointments available for two weeks. Apparently the riots have really gotten potential buyers in gear, and the system is swamped. My second observation, was “What an interesting set of hassles for exercising a constitutionally guaranteed right.” Can you imagine the absolute shitstorm that would ensue if there were a proposal to set up a voter registration process that involved: 1.) sending in names of two references, (each had to return a form) 2.) getting fingerprinted, 3.) paying $56 4.) A 2-3 month lead time The courts would say that you’re trying to suppress exercise of a constitutional right. And they would be correct.

Reply to: Turns out an old wives tale about magic soil from an Irish church was real Posted June 1, 2020

Well, whatever the antibacterial properties of the soil, I’m pretty sure it won’t do any good if you put it under under your pillow.

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted June 1, 2020

Yeah, I agree with that. If I get unwanted visitors in my house, they are likely to be younger, meaner, and more numerous than me. Responding to their home invasion with condiments and spices seems unlikely to get the job done. I have a wife and three kids. If somebody threatens them by breaking into our home, I am willing to end their life, and I will sleep well afterwards.

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted June 1, 2020

Thanks, I would also rather have a pistol. Unfortunately, my wife is the New York anti-gun type… probably not a situation that many here have to contend with. My hope that was a rifle, especially one that could be used for target plinking with our son, would pass muster. I have taken him to shoot targets at the range several times, and she is OK with that. But alas, I’m getting domesticaly stymied even on the rifle acquisition. She just won’t hear of having it in the house. It’s an emotional thing with her, not even subject to rational discussion about safe storage. Go figure. I guess if pissed off rioters from Newark drop by, we’ll be greeting them with milk and cookies instead. Maybe I’d better brush up on the lyrics to Kumbayah for the sing-along.

Reply to: Weird pandemic coping mechanisms? Posted May 21, 2020

My thing is buying more canned goods and other storable food. And organizing the pantry in the basement. It’s not really weird, but it’s definitely a stress response

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted May 17, 2020

John, thanks, interesting point about air rifles. I didn’t know anything about them as an option until I read your piece.

Reply to: Hobby farm or homestead? Posted May 16, 2020

As an exercise, it might be worth doing a estimate of how much food you could expect to grow on the plot you’re willing to work. Then calculate the amount of money that would be required to buy those things wholesale, and convert that to the numbers of hours you would have to work at your current job to pay for it. For me, it works out that about a few days at my “real” job lets me buy more produce than I could grow in a year. Say what you will about factory farming, it’s efficient as hell. Now of course, there are lots of other reasons to grow your own food, especially a few items (tomatoes, lettuce, etc) that are just way better that way. And of course, you may enjoy it, especially if you’re just growing some key items as hobby. But still, if you plan to really do it as major part of feeding your family, you have to take a cold-hearted look at the economic realities of the proposition.

Reply to: Opinions on rifles? Posted May 16, 2020

Thanks for your comments. Ha, ha, yes… an AR-15 would be exquisitely illegal in NJ. I don’t think a lot of the Yankee gun laws up here, but I’m not gonna break the law, either. Life’s too short for legal entanglements.The .357 lever action idea is interesting, I’ll try to check it out. I always used bolt action growing up, but I feel like maybe lever action would be faster. It was never a consideration before 🙁 I like the idea that you can get them with tapped holes for easy scope attachment. My son and I like to do target shooting every once in a blue moon. Thanks, I’ll check out the safe too.

Reply to: What if history really isn’t any guide? Posted May 15, 2020

Sure, when it comes to the possible dynamics of the pandemic itself, I expect there is a lot to be learned from 1918. I was thinking more about the social, economic, and political impacts on the USA. In those areas, we are just to too different for useful analogies, I think.

Reply to: What if history really isn’t any guide? Posted May 15, 2020

Jim Grant has writtten many wonderful histories of credit and equity markets in the 19th and 20th centuries. As he likes to say, “Financial history repeats, but not in such a literal fashion as to enrich financial historians.” I think the sentiment applies more generally when trying to relate the past to the present. I find the comparisons to the 1918 flu to be particularly unhelpful. Aside from the obvious differences in medical and biological technology, the overall character of the country is completely different. In 1918, ~40% of the nation farmed for a living, and the country was a low-debt, small-government affair. 100 years later, not one in a hundred of us could feed himself on an ongoing basis. And of course government has become a 20%-of-GDP behemoth, preciously perched on an ocean of debt and future promises that can never be kept.