philoshop

The problem I have with coal and pellets is that you're still chained to a fluctuating market where someone else has control over the cost and availability of your fuel supply. The only serious expense I have is when buying gas for the truck if I decide to travel for the wood, and I rarely have to travel very far. The beer and pizza I mentioned a while back in this thread adds up a lot faster than the actual costs that go into the wood production, but that comes back when, in turn, I help out one of those friends and get free beer and pizza.

Up until recently I never minded doing all the work; from felling to bucking to skidding to splitting and stacking. Now it hurts more than it really should so I generally ask for help. It's amazing how much faster splitting and stacking goes with two people, one loading and operating the splitter and the other stacking the splits. It's not twice as fast, but more like three to four times as fast.

The only deer I've ever shot with a .223 was a doe that taunted me for over a week by walking along the edge of a ravine every afternoon during shotgun season. I was hungry, and used a 14" TC contender to drop her in her tracks with a head shot. I won't apologize for it.

It depends on the species of wood, Dom, and how much sun/wind the stacks get. What I've been burning this year was cut and split just last Spring. It's sugar maple and honey locust, and it's burning just fine with no chimney build-up at all. Black walnut, on the other hand, takes at least two or three years to 'season' for firewood use no matter how much sun/wind it gets.

I have an acre of black locust behind my house. The first year I was here without a splitter I probably could have heated my entire house for the winter with the energy I expended trying to split that stuff with malls and wedges. If I supply the beer and pizza, people will now show up for a 'splitting-n-stacking party'. It borders on fun. Kinda like a poker night during the day.

Buy a splitter. I have a small 20 ton Huskee from TSC that has never met a round it couldn't break apart, and I cut some nasty wood. Even if you have to hire a few neighbor kids to do the stacking you'll end up way ahead. JMO

I've burned more than I expected this year, but most of it has been due to damp and chilly days rather than frigid temps. The sugar maple has taken a beating, but a lot of the honey locust will still be in the stacks next year, and I have more coming this spring. Just wondering how others are making out.

Litigation concerns?

That's an important point. He was there primarily to protect the 'school system' and it's bureaucracy. Let me know if I'm mis-characterizing your statement. The loser kid probably knew exactly where that 'officer' would be and planned his assault accordingly. The Resource Officer then either showed his cowardice or his allegiance to 'the system', depending on how you look at it. The agreement between the Broward Sheriff's office and the school board was that no arrests were allowed in the school or on school grounds. I find it likely that this entire conflict was about the mandate that no action be taken on school grounds. That's pathetic. The nearby Coral Springs cops had no problem charging into that building, although it was too late by then, because they had no such non-action agreement with the school system. Again, pathetic. Four minutes of inaction while listening to gunfire in a building full of kids?

That is precisely the disconnect that's keeping people from discussing this in any rational way. Anyone carrying a gun is seen as a Rambo or a psychopath. The issue of self-defense is entirely ignored by the left, because it doesn't fit the narrative that "the government can protect you". The government can not, and will not protect you in these situations. That's a personal responsibility and a personal right that needs to be defended.

It's not about arming teachers and creating Rambo figures. It's about allowing teachers to defend themselves and their students in horrible situations. A teacher who has no desire to do that won't be required to do so. But a school system that won't even allow a teacher to be armed is being very short-sighted.

Are you assuming that a trained security guard (or a county Sheriff or School Superintendent) couldn't somehow go "batshit" crazy as well? Doesn't work for me Belo. The teacher is the last and strongest point of defense. If there is an announcement of an 'active shooter' the response is to shelter in place. Lock the door and move some furniture around to provide barriers, but if the shooter gains entry to that classroom the teacher should be able to shoot back. The shooting in Parkland was caused by policies that made sure that kid was not stopped or even questioned along his route toward becoming a mass murderer. He wasn't stopped because policies were in place to reward certain people for ignoring every sign along the way so that charts and graphs regarding the school system would look better. This is happening right now all over the country.

The only reason there is push-back at all on what Trump is doing is that certain folks; the US Chamber of Commerce, the Business Round-table, the Bilderberg Group, the Davos crowd, and the rest of Wall Street have figured out how to game the current system to make money for themselves. They don't like the thought of putting money back in the hands of Main Street because then they won't be able to control it. As far as actual consumer price impacts of these tariffs: A six-pack of beer or soda might go up by one cent; The price of a $35,000 automobile might jump by almost $200 dollars; A store cart full of soup and tuna fish might go up by about a buck... But these critical industries will grow again in the U.S. and employ citizens. That's what's important. I just hope that a few college students put down the "Underwater Basket Weaving" textbooks and pick up texts on metallurgy and foundry management.

Why would it even be suggested in this country that I should surrender my own rights because someone else did something wrong? That's the big question here. Only on the issue of guns do we see this sort of hysteria. Think about it.

"...one nation , under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." It's not just part of some saying from the past.

Neither you nor I are smart enough, or 'inside' enough, to know what the President is thinking or doing on this issue. You distrust him, and that's you're right. I trust him. Take into account the media crap surrounding the Jeff Sessions comments, the hype over Hope Hicks' resignation, and the imminent end to NAFTA that's occurred over the last few days. If you think this is all arbitrary and meaningless, you're not paying attention.

I posted this video to a few who I knew would go completely apes**t about it. Their reactions were entertaining. I love our Constitution.

I'm registered as an Independent, even though I'm a staunch Conservative, and have been for life. For the most part it cuts down on the junk mail. I re-register frequently according to who's running in any particular primary. If I can help someone I like, I'll re-register to help them. If I can hurt someone I dislike I'll re-register so I can do that.

President Trump said in a similar setting (press-wise) that he was open to Feinstein's suggestion for total amnesty. That wasn't his position then, and it's not his position now. I think he's playing a whole bunch of people via political theater. He's really good at it, and it gets people to drop their guard. JMHO

...and hats, belt buckles, knives, I think I have an NRA camp stool somewhere... I usually use the phone to re-up my membership and specifically ask them not send me the promo stuff. I'd rather they use all of my dues for things that matter to me. JMO

Great story!! And a message to everyone to not leave your trash in the outdoors.

Ohio, of all places. That'd definitely ruin your day.

My Dad can't hear a damn thing and my Mom yells at him in Italian to put more sauce on the noodles. Sounds like a match!

This is too funny!!

That was the point of my post above. Until the actual legislation is proposed we don't know if it's about 'purchase' or 'ownership/use'. That's an important distinction.