radiochaser

My wife is seriously considering remodeling the house we are in now. Even though we have already paid serious money to the architect. It would be a lot cheaper than her dream house. Then do just as you say, wait it out, and when the costs (hopefully, barring an Armageddon event), then using the already drawn blue prints, build the dream house cheaper, then move the grand kids and their mom into the remodeled house and me and the wife move into the dream house. I think contractors are trying to find new build work now. Not to sure about that.

Over the last few years, I have occasionally built table tops for restaurants in the Philadelphia PA area. (I am retired and have the time to do it, when not babysitting grandkids.) Usually through word of mouth advertising. My materials cost the last time I did this was $175.00 with 6% tax, for 8 tabletops. I sold those for $400.00. Now, that same material cost $375.00 plus 6% tax! Prices of materials have gone up, in some cases, more than 100% what they cost 1 1/2 to 2 years ago. I don't need to make tabletops for restaurants. People liked the ones I made for my wife's restaurant and on finding out I made them asked me to make some for them. One restaurant told another. I can make 8 tabletops in 6 hours over a period of 3 or 4 days. I let the varnish cure for 24 hours between each coat. With the cost of materials today, I will not make them. I have no idea how many square meters the house would be (not looking for a formula). About 2700 square feet not counting the garage and workshop.

Materials cost has sky rocketed. It's my wife's dream house, she could afford $350,000.00.

Warm and muggy. South East Pennsylvania.

Here is a complaint that might fit in here. The family will go to Thailand soon. 3 adults and 2 children (4 Thai and 1 white guy). The children's mom wants to get travel vaccinations (not covid). One of the vaccinations suggested for Thailand, by the CDC, is for Japanese Encephalitis. Two shots per person x 10 = $4,650.00 / 164,482 baht. When I told the wife, she says, we are not going to the jungle. We don't need those!

Wife and I want to build a custom designed house. Original estimate 1 1/2 years ago, $350,000.00. Now, after covid and other issues, $750,000.00!

Here in the U.S., last month, I had to fill up tanks on three different vehicles. Fortunately the two vehicles that had the largest tanks, 31 gallons and 50 gallons, were only half empty. 13,908 baht!

I like my women too. I just don't like beer!

Yes, I do.

I disagree that the incidents are as few and far between as you imply. If you have an agenda, to remove firearms from the general public, excluding law enforcement and military, would you broadcast the number of times that one person has saved multiple lives, or would you publish stories, ad nauseum, about incidents where multiple people are killed?

Criminals are less likely to commit crimes in areas where it is unknown who is or is not carrying a firearm. By the way, what is your area of expertise in law enforcement that gives you inside knowledge? I am curious about that! In my case, I was a Federal Agent that provided assistance to small city police all the way up to working with the Secret Service when they were guarding politicians, including Presidents! As I replied to another post, I also worked with law enforcement agencies that provided border protection for land, sea, and air.

Yes, I am a retired Federal Agent and worked to provide assistance to other Federal Law Enforcement agencies. My experience is a bit dated as to the technology used, but the activities that were monitored and reported on are an ongoing issue. The general public is woefully lacking in the knowledge of what is actually transpiring on the American / Mexican border. It is also not just the country borders. There is a lot of smuggling of contraband by sea and air. I worked in all areas!

As I understand the decision, from my reading as well as others who wrote about the decision, the short barreled shotgun was deemed an illegal firearm, not because of a well regulated militia, but because it was not considered to be a firearm that would be used by the military. As to the militia, back then, after the United States became a new nation, someone wrote the question, who is the militia, and answered his own question with, it is the whole of the people. Meaning, the militia are the citizens of the United States of America.

That was the point of my anecdote .

Years ago in California in California an auto parts store employee was fired. He threatened to come back and kill all the employees and anyone else in the store. He did go back, well armed with several pistols, a bunch of magazines and the store was filled with customers. The fired employee yelled something about killing everyone in the store starting with you and he shot at an employee and missed. The employee that was shot at told the police that a customer who was waiting for his turn, pulled a pistol from a concealed shoulder holster and shot the would be killer in the back of the head. Due to the small number of legal concealed carry permits issued in California, law enforcement was able to determine the customer who shot the would be killer, was carrying a concealed weapon illegally! This was mentioned in the news paper report as well as something about the police wanting any witness' to come forth, that could identify the man who had an illegally concealed weapon, so they could arrest the man, for carrying a concealed firearm, without a legal license to do so.

Grandma?

Just that at one time, Mexican criminals were purchasing firearms from other sources than the United States. Also that some politicians have a bent toward giving out misinformation or outright lying! As to the flow of firearms, drugs, etc, from the U.S. to Mexico, or vice versa, being a retired Federal Agent now for 11 years, I no longer have any contacts that work directly with the border and so I am out of that knowledge loop. My contacts have also retired or gone on to other jobs in the U.S. Government that have left them out of the loop of knowledge as well. I still have contacts with other Federal Agents that work other areas of the United States, but they usually work different fields of law enforcement.

I like your thinking, but buying some won't happen if my wife is with me! ????

Years ago criminals in Mexico were caught with an M16. Originally it was believed that the rifle was taken into Mexico across the American / Mexican border. After research by some American government agency, it was determined from the serial number, that the M16 was left in Vietnam. Someone, probably in the Vietnamese government, sold the rifle either directly to criminals in Mexico, or through an international arms trader. As an aside, also years ago, someone in the American congress claimed that semi-automatic versions of the Russian AK47 were being converted into select fire weapons and sold in Mexico to the drug cartel, for $1,500.00. That story died quickly when it was pointed out, that at the time actual military AK47's were being sold on the international arms market for between $5.00 (yes!) and $500.00! The question was asked, why spend $1,500.00 for a converted rifle, that had problematic issues with firing, when it was 3 times the cost of a real AK47, that worked almost 99% of the time, even when damaged! I stated $5.00 in the above paragraph, but now think it could have been $50.00.

You forgot to post this part of the decision: In the absence of any evidence tending to show that possession or use of a 'shotgun having a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length' at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia, we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument. Certainly it is not within judicial notice that this weapon is any part of the ordinary military equipment or that its use could contribute to the common defense. Aymette v. State of Tennessee, 2 Humph., Tenn., 154, 158.

I say teeth!

When did Thai police start wearing badges?

At the time the First Amendment was written, the predominant writing implement was a goose quill. Everybody should return to that and then we can send comments by the same type of mail system they had back then! Nobody needs the internet, or computers! By the way, an RPG requires extensive licensing and permissions from the U.S. government before it can be purchased. Much more stringent regulations than any mere rifle or pistol. Getting the tax stamp to purchase an RPG could take as long as 1 year before it is issued. As an aside, there is a company in Texas that makes RPG's and launchers. But their customers are military organizations outside the United States. Oh, and an assault rifle, the M16, costs between $30,000.00 to $60,000.00 and the permit to buy one also takes up to a year before it is issued.

When did they institute rules? I have seen bigger than that on trucks, I think were being taken to a launch site. Also seen bigger than that being fired off.

Out of curiosity, what was the problem with the dormitories?