Pythagoras

Yes, of course I see the investment I'm making in myself. Takes a lot of planning to spend 10 years of your life earning a degree, and I didn't make the decision lightly - but the degree/research experience is necessary for what I want to spend my life doing. I'm not whining or complaining about any of this, and if you some of you older guys think I am, then you're mistaken. All I said was that it's hard work - which it is. Very difficult material, long assignments to figure out, sleep deprivation to get it all done, 20 hrs/week of a teaching commitment, plus research responsibilities. I work more than fulltime for classes, teaching, and research, and I have very little free time... but I have wanted a physics PhD since I was a kid (yes, I was the geek who got bullied on the playground) so it's worth it to me. Again, I don't mind any of this and I'm not "whining or complaining" about anything. I just don't like the way certain posters are trivializing the work I'm doing simply because of the age I'm doing it at. If you're going to sit there and tell me that it's not hard, then you don't know what you're talking about: you try earning a Physics PhD Anyway, here's what I was trying to say before: Not all of us 22 year olds are dumbasses who study basket-weaving in college and then whine about not being able to get a job with a useless degree. Some of us work hard, learn useful things, and pay our own way 1,000 miles from home. That's all I was trying to say before.

Haha, nice one . Yeah you're right, I overreacted a bit. Sorry everyone, I had just finished pulling an all-nighter (for said grad school) and was a bit cranky Of course our perspectives change, and I'll probably say the same stuff about 22 year olds when I get older....

Another 22 year old here. Sure, a lot of my peers ARE too busy chasing poon and being stupid and thinking thy know everything. You know what I'm doing? Working my fanny off in grad school. You think we're coddled and sissies? You try graduating from Rutgers with a suma cum laude physics degree and then go to school for a Physics PhD..... and I'll show you the meaning of hard work. I'm with the above regarding Goldeneye on N64. My friends and I dedicated ourselves to memorizing the different guns and "playing with them" at recess, progressive nonviolent teacher types be damned.... and I'm growing up to be a law-abiding, gun-owning educator. I have a question for you older folks: where the hell were you when all this antigun bullshit started? How'd you let it get so bad that we had a freaking state AND national assault weapons ban before I could walk and talk?

Yep, home carry all the way. It's basically the only place we CAN carry in New Jersey... so why the heck wouldn't you carry there?

I'm with Banka871 on this one: this unreliable electronic "safety" that does more harm than good is my line in the sand.

At least they've gotten a *little* better about trigger discipline...

Yep, Zach might as well have been wearing a bright Red Shirt.... (I'm in my 20s, but you gotta love reruns)

So Rick found a 1911 buried in the dirt and tossed it in a wheelbarrow to clean it later. My first thought? "If that was a Glock, you could use it right now"

So glad to hear this. Long live the necro-thread!

Thanks for keeping us abreast of these developments, ryan_j

J! E! T! S!

I think you're right, we should be in an amnesty period right now. I think anyone with banned rifle should be good to send it off to safety, including the Colt AR15, the M1 Carbine, or even the super evil old-school fullsized-magazine Marlin 60.

"Silver on the Sage, Starlit skies above, Aspen covered hills, Country that I love" Nice one, SFDevine. If I ever get ink, it will probably be about Philmont.

Carguy, you sound a lot like someone I know IRL. I know it's not you cuz you would recognize my username, but it's uncanny. Thank you for your analysis, it really was great. I've never thought about health insurance in that context before, and you're right. It only works if more people buy it than need it. (Spoiler: that's why they're making it mandatory.) I have asthma, so I need a maintenance inhaler every day of my life to breathe normally. My copay is only about a quarter of the drug's price, so health insurance covers most of it....but I'd probably do better financially if my job would pay me the full amount they spend to insure me and let me buy the drug on my own. I don't think it's fair to tax other people to pay for my meds so that's why I oppose the mandate.

Yep. When you're in high school, it's real easy for people to make fun of the kid with duct tape in his backpack.... until that one day they need it, and thank you profusely. Same thing with guns.

*the lone Jets fan gets up and hides in the corner* That would be me. At least I don't have to worry about fair weather fans......

As others have said, you can't go wrong with a sweet little .22 pistol. With that said, if you like the Beretta 92FS but think it's too expensive, consider the Taurus PT92. Some might call it a knock-off, but it's really more like a clone. According to TTAG (link), Taurus bought all the original equipment and kept all the workers at the Beretta factory in Brazil, so it's supposed to be a top notch copy. It is also well-loved by YouTube gun guy NeverEnuffAmmo (I love that guy) so take that for what it's worth. Also worth noting is the PT92 has the frame-mounted "1911 style" safety rather than the "backwards" slide-mounted safety if that matters to you. Disclaimer: I own a Beretta 92FS and I love it... and I will probably buy a Taurus PT92 when the funds/opportunity present themselves. I feel like they're sister pistols and they belong together.

I'm also a lifelong rescuer. We're mostly a cat family, but we did have one dog. She was a total mutt and not the brightest, but she was the sweetest dog ever (I'm biased of course). Nothing but love and warmth from her. If you need a dog for security, hunting, or any other specific purpose, then I totally understand wanting a specific breed that is best-suited to that purpose. But if you're looking for a four-legged family member, please consider adopting from a shelter. These animals feel love, so they miss it when they don't receive it. This is one of the best and easiest ways to have more love in your life

Lol, I was thinking the same thing

Yes, I absolutely carry at home. I open carry my Beretta 92fs OWB in either the Bianchi M12 with flap, or this leather fitted American Pride Holster* depending on what I'm doing/how much retention I need. (Goes without saying, I keep a round in the chamber with the safety on) I choose to open carry because this is one of the few places where the law is 100% explicitly clear to be on the side of gunowners. It's one of the few gun rights we have left in the PRNJ, and I intend to exercise it fully. *Shout out to this company for making a holster that I am VERY happy with, here in America, for an affordable price: http://www.amazon.com/Leather-belt-Slide-holster-beretta/dp/B0033ZCM96/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&qid=1380293278&sr=8-33&keywords=beretta+92fs+holster

My 92FS ate 500 rounds without so much as a hiccup

Welcome! I have a cousin on Saturn, maybe you met him on your way here?

+1 Inquiring minds want to know!

Me, too..ever since I saw the hunter guy use it in Jurassic Park. The SPAS-12 will be one of my first purchases once I finally leave Jersey for good "Clever Girl"

Without doubt, Officer Jim did a great job.