Early in our courtship I found my wife could defend herself. She studied a little Kung Fu, which helped, but more importantly she knew to stand up for herself, was aware of her surroundings, and was (and is) self confident. Sometimes she doesn't know when to back down (remind me to tell the tale of the drunk who was urinating in the bushes), but I normally feel confident she can protect herself. Oh yeah, she is also a better shot than I am.
Having firearms required some serious thought on our part. Having a gun in the house means that you may use it - sounds obvious, I know, but if you are required to use that firearm, you will likely injure or kill someone. One must know that in advance, accept it, know the ramifications it will bring, and pray that you will never need to use it.
Having a firearm for self defense and having children in the house adds another dimension entirely. The firearm is for self defense - in other words, it is a safety issue - but the children need to be protected from the possibility of injury due to misuse - in other words (again), their own curiosity.
One tool is the Eddie Eagle program that the NRA sponsors. It is a good starting point. Another tool is the dulling of the child's curiosity - if the weapon is not a mystery, and the child can handle it (with supervision, after the weapon has been rendered inoperative), then curiosity is lessened, as is the chance that the child will gravitate toward the weapon unsupervised. I've also taken the girls to an outdoor range - not so they could fire the weapon, but so they could hear the noise (with ear protection, of course) and see how destructive a bullet can be.
I would recommend Cornered Cat as a web site worthy of note for anyone, but especially women who may be considering (or already have) a firearm for self protection. My daughters will study the information here when they reach the right age.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Camera Repair - a cheap Dad strikes again!
My daughter's little Nikon Coolpix 2100 has been a great camera, but the plastic latch that the battery door slides into broke. Nikon wanted $95 + shipping to repair the darn thing, which is more than we paid for it!
This is the offending part - cheap plastic holding a spring-loaded door. A poor design, one which affects the 2100, 3100, and 3200 models - and one which Nikon changed in later models.
A glob of JB Weld, an epoxy with metal mixed in for extra strength. The stuff is versatile, easy to use, and strong.
This is a piece of silver wire I just happened to have on hand - I bought a roll to repair my Rosary a while back (yes, I really am cheap... er, I mean frugal). I attached it to the remaining latch with the epoxy, and tested it once the epoxy set. I then used more epoxy to fill in around and beneath the wire, so that the door would close and latch properly. An inexpensive and relatively elegant solution (I've seen some repair efforts that involve all sorts of external clamps and screws). My daughter is thrilled to have her camera back.
This is the offending part - cheap plastic holding a spring-loaded door. A poor design, one which affects the 2100, 3100, and 3200 models - and one which Nikon changed in later models.
A glob of JB Weld, an epoxy with metal mixed in for extra strength. The stuff is versatile, easy to use, and strong.
This is a piece of silver wire I just happened to have on hand - I bought a roll to repair my Rosary a while back (yes, I really am cheap... er, I mean frugal). I attached it to the remaining latch with the epoxy, and tested it once the epoxy set. I then used more epoxy to fill in around and beneath the wire, so that the door would close and latch properly. An inexpensive and relatively elegant solution (I've seen some repair efforts that involve all sorts of external clamps and screws). My daughter is thrilled to have her camera back.
Lenten Purple Potato Soup
A side benefit of our recent trip to Monte Vista was the purchase of some nice potatoes, which happened to be purple in color. I thought of our upcoming Friday evening soup and bread supper at our Parish (this normally follows Evening Prayer, and precedes the Stations of the Cross). I thought it might be fun for the kids, and certainly it would be the proper liturgical color!
The image above shows one uncooked potato with the skin intact, one peeled. I learned that to keep the color, the potatoes should be baked or microwaved, then added to the soup stock (in our case, for Lent, we use either just plain old water or a home-made vegetable stock). I found there is less waste if the potato is cooked skin on, then peeled before being added to the stock. Some herbs and salt, a little milk to make it creamier, and you have purple soup.
Most thought it tasted very good. One young lady wouldn't try it because of the color. The purple potatoes have a little different flavor, perhaps a bit sweeter.
Still, a fun dish to make and serve.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thank God for the United States Marine Corps
Not normal home-school stuff here, but let me tell you a little story....
We took a long weekend to drive down into the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. Sandhill Cranes migrate through this area in the spring, and it is a sight to behold. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of the birds in the fields and in the air. If you have never heard their call, check out this video.
The festival is always fun, the kids get to eat, shop, view the cranes, and maybe even learn a little about birding. And, frankly, the trip down there is through some beautiful countryside, the sight of these magnificent birds against the snow covered peaks is awesome, and the entire experience is great! Don't expect to find gourmet food or five star lodging, but do expect to find friendly people.
So where does the Marine Corps fit into this story?
As we descended into the valley, my attention was on the road, as a driver ahead of us was pulling over to the shoulder. My wife exclaimed, "Did that just happen, or is it old?" I looked where she was looking, and saw the overturned car. It was still smoking/steaming, so I pulled over and called it in. She hopped out, and started back to the wreck, and I turned our car around and drove back to the accident site.
When I got out, I handed the phone to my wife, and headed toward the wreck, hoping that the first aid I learned a hundred years ago in Boy Scouts would suffice. There were two women at the scene, with one man laying on the ground. I was relieved when one of the women told the man on the ground that she was trained in emergency first aid and CPR. I asked if there was anyone else in the car, and yes, there was a woman in there. She was being helped out, so I escorted her up the grade to the side of the road.
When I returned, the first woman was trying to get the man to his feet. "Should we move him?" asked the second woman. "From my experience with overturned, smoking vehicles in the Marines - yes, we move him. If that car blows up, we don't want to be near it."
OK, if she wasn't in charge of this scene before, she is now. I helped her get this man to his feet. Once he was up, head bleeding, dazed, he looked at me and politely said "Hello". We must observe the proprieties, mustn't we. I grinned and kept him moving.
When we had him to the road side, another danger was evident - we are away from the possible fire, but the danger of a car hitting one of the parked cars was high, as we were just past a blind curve in the road. I sent my wife for our first aid kit, and our Marine started issuing more orders. She had already sent someone to a nearby house to phone emergency on a land line, and as she started to tend to this gentleman's head wound she said "I need someone to flag traffic." I took off - never in the military, but I know how to follow orders! When the emergency crews arrived they noted, pleased, that everything was already under control.
I regret I didn't get this woman's name, but I did shake her hand and thank her for her service. I also told her how lucky the injured man was to have her there. She humbly said she was just happy to be able to help. She is not currently enlisted, but she is a shining example of all the Corps represents.
As I told my girls, if I am ever in that kind of situation, send in the Marines!
We took a long weekend to drive down into the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. Sandhill Cranes migrate through this area in the spring, and it is a sight to behold. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of the birds in the fields and in the air. If you have never heard their call, check out this video.
The festival is always fun, the kids get to eat, shop, view the cranes, and maybe even learn a little about birding. And, frankly, the trip down there is through some beautiful countryside, the sight of these magnificent birds against the snow covered peaks is awesome, and the entire experience is great! Don't expect to find gourmet food or five star lodging, but do expect to find friendly people.
So where does the Marine Corps fit into this story?
As we descended into the valley, my attention was on the road, as a driver ahead of us was pulling over to the shoulder. My wife exclaimed, "Did that just happen, or is it old?" I looked where she was looking, and saw the overturned car. It was still smoking/steaming, so I pulled over and called it in. She hopped out, and started back to the wreck, and I turned our car around and drove back to the accident site.
When I got out, I handed the phone to my wife, and headed toward the wreck, hoping that the first aid I learned a hundred years ago in Boy Scouts would suffice. There were two women at the scene, with one man laying on the ground. I was relieved when one of the women told the man on the ground that she was trained in emergency first aid and CPR. I asked if there was anyone else in the car, and yes, there was a woman in there. She was being helped out, so I escorted her up the grade to the side of the road.
When I returned, the first woman was trying to get the man to his feet. "Should we move him?" asked the second woman. "From my experience with overturned, smoking vehicles in the Marines - yes, we move him. If that car blows up, we don't want to be near it."
OK, if she wasn't in charge of this scene before, she is now. I helped her get this man to his feet. Once he was up, head bleeding, dazed, he looked at me and politely said "Hello". We must observe the proprieties, mustn't we. I grinned and kept him moving.
When we had him to the road side, another danger was evident - we are away from the possible fire, but the danger of a car hitting one of the parked cars was high, as we were just past a blind curve in the road. I sent my wife for our first aid kit, and our Marine started issuing more orders. She had already sent someone to a nearby house to phone emergency on a land line, and as she started to tend to this gentleman's head wound she said "I need someone to flag traffic." I took off - never in the military, but I know how to follow orders! When the emergency crews arrived they noted, pleased, that everything was already under control.
I regret I didn't get this woman's name, but I did shake her hand and thank her for her service. I also told her how lucky the injured man was to have her there. She humbly said she was just happy to be able to help. She is not currently enlisted, but she is a shining example of all the Corps represents.
As I told my girls, if I am ever in that kind of situation, send in the Marines!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Dancing - manly yet fun
I have committed to dancing at my daughters' recitals again this year. No, I am not a dancer - the instructor is patient, the dance fairly easy, and I pay attention, so I get by. Last year was a bit of James Brown (love the music, but I am as far from funky as you can get); the previous year was a Viennese Waltz to Chicago's Color My World.
At any rate, with that in mind, I came across a superb example of dance from a couple of fellows not normally known for dancing.
Nah, I'm not anywhere near that talented!
At any rate, with that in mind, I came across a superb example of dance from a couple of fellows not normally known for dancing.
Nah, I'm not anywhere near that talented!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Antikythera Mechanism
OK, another treat for those interested in mechanical devices - with an archaeological twist, as this mechanism is 2100 years old. It was designed to track cycles of the solar system, including eclipses, and as a bonus kept track of the four year Olympiad cycles. Read about its discovery and the amazing tools used to analyze the remaining fragments here.
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