PORK ROLL or TAYLOR HAM!?

[PORK ROLL or TAYLOR HAM!?]

FYI – I thought some of you might be interested in an article in Wednesday’s (2/13/19) New York Times about this forums favorite and enduring, if not polarizing subject.  Below is the article that I have cut and pasted for your benefit.
AVB-AMG

A Jewish Bakery Adopts the Pork Roll*, Egg and Cheese

By Pete Wells
February 13, 2018

Pete Wells extols a breakfast treat on a bialy at Shelsky’s Brooklyn Bagels.

While Shelsky’s Brooklyn Bagels offers the pork roll, egg and cheese on the traditional kaiser roll or bagel, the best iteration just may be on a bialy.CreditCreditMoya McAllister for The New York Times

It is a safe guess that the Eastern European Jews who brought the bialy from Bialystok to New York City, piecing back together the recipe for this plain but beguiling dimpled roll in their new world after fleeing their old one, did not do it so that one day it could be sliced open and stuffed with a New Jersey pork sausage that comes in a cloth sack.

To be fair, this was not the original plan at Shelsky’s Brooklyn Bagels, either. The idea was to serve pork roll, egg and cheese sandwiches on a kaiser roll or one of the bakery’s palm-size, hand-rolled bagels. Peter Shelsky, the bakery’s owner, grew up in Manhattan, but he knew that some good things come from New Jersey, particularly pork roll, which he wanted to sell in the mornings.

*Also known as Taylor ham, (for those who are more enlightened about their processed food products....), pork roll is a cured, smoked and cooked meat product that has the tightly pebbled appearance of engineered stone, like a Corian countertop made of flesh. Pressing sliced pork roll on a hot griddle intensifies its saltiness while giving it a hint of a crust that contrasts attractively with the slightly spongy interior. Griddled pork roll, combined with a cooked egg and a slice of American cheese, is eaten across New Jersey as a breakfast sandwich.

Usually it is found on a kaiser roll. Sometimes it is seen on a bagel. But some Shelsky’s customers requested it on a freshly baked bialy, and others followed, and now pork roll sandwiches made on bialys are nearly as popular as the ones made on rolls, with bagels a distant third.

The bialy might have been custom-made for the job, particularly the ones at Shelsky’s, which are baked to a darker brown, their thumbprint divots filled with a more robustly caramelized onion confit, than garden-variety bialys. Both traits are intensified if you have the bialy thoroughly toasted, as the person behind the counter will almost certainly recommend.

$6.50 at Shelsky’s Brooklyn Bagels, 453 Fourth Avenue (10th Street), Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-855-8814; shelskys.com.

[Walking Dead...things that annoy me]

20 minutes ago, remixer said:

BTW can we submit this illustration to the White house?

@remixer

We could, but I do not think it is expensive enough for our federal government to truly consider......
AVB-AMG

[Walking Dead...things that annoy me]

On 2/11/2019 at 8:02 AM, remixer said:

From what i understand the original idea was how steels deal with forces and from which direction.  Having them on the inside would have put Lateral on the supports and can buckle...  Placing them on the outside would only possibly break the support connections which are made to withstand tension forces with no chance to have the actual support fail due to lateral force.  

In the real world... inside supports are better as they are protected from the non zombies

I guess an easy way to look at it would be to push a straw on both ends and it would buckle... now attempt to stretch the straw, it will maintain its strength.

@remixer

We are not the only ones who have observed this simplistic design on TWD and have commented on it.  FWIW - Below is a sketch section diagram created by someone who has put more thought into what a preferable, as well as more effective design for a protective wall would entail, that could conceivable be constructed by the survivors in Alexandria:

AVB-AMG

[Walking Dead...things that annoy me]

On 2/4/2019 at 6:45 PM, AlDente67 said:

 And why the hell did the architect dude design walls with the supports on the outside?

@AlDente67
As an Architect myself, I wondered the same thing when they first encountered the fortified planned, sustainable suburban town of Alexandria.  It really was overkill to have diagonal structural steel beam supports, serving as buttresses, on both the inside and outside of the corrugated metal wall.  It clearly presented an obvious potential means for other hostile humans, outside the town, to more easily climb up and over the protective walls.  Using the buttressed members just on the inside, spaced closer together and laterally braced together, would have been sufficient structurally to do the job of supporting this wall.  Go figure...??

On 2/5/2019 at 12:01 AM, Danno said:

Why do they walk everywhere? Did the zombies eat all the bicycles? 

@Danno
Ha, ha...  That is one of the first things I asked myself as well.  They would be able to travel much farther using less energy if they scavenged up any number of available bicycles.  Also, if they wanted to they could pull make-shift carts behind their bikes with all of their survival stuff and food.  Go figure.

On 2/6/2019 at 2:28 PM, Old Glock guy said:

Normally, I just go with it, shrug my shoulders and say, "Yeah, whatever."  
In the big picture, if you're willing to accept the premise that the dead come back to life and eat the living, it's hard to say that anything else is unrealistic.  

@Old Glock guy
Yes, it is Hollywood TV entertainment, but I am with you and was questioning the premise of the logical and rational existence of the zombies as well.  In TWD, they never did attempt to explain how this sudden and fast spreading pandemic started and whether or not it was confined to the continental U.S.  Then, in subsequent episodes, we learn that everyone on earth is now already infected with this virus, so that when they die they will very quickly turn into a zombie.  How is this even remotely possible...???  Also, from the beginning of this TV series, I was wondering why do these dead folks, (Zombies), have to eat flesh of a human or animal?  After all, they do not have a functioning digestive system....they are dead!!!  As we have seen on many occasions, many of the zombies have had their stomachs and/or intestines gorged out or suitably destroyed, so where is the flesh they presumably "eat" going in their bodies and for what purpose....???   It is not as if they need nourishment of food and water, like a living human... If you think through any of this, it does not make much sense! 

Ok...ok, it is make-believe entertainment.  I get it.  For those of you who are movie buffs, you may remember the 1968 George Romero film that introduced flesh-eating zombies, called Night of the Living Dead.  It is considered the Grand Daddy of the zombie film genre.   In addition to TWD series, we have seen subsequent zombie films of various quality including the relatively recent World War Z.

At least in the World War Z movie, the writers provided the audience with the premise that zombies do not have conscious thought or any cognitive problem solving ability since they do not actually think.  It was further explained that the virus would reactivate the most primitive portions of the brain of a dead person.  They included the following:
- the motor cortex, so that the zombie could walk, move arms and hands and bite things.
- the sensory cortex, so that the zombie can see, hear, and smell its prey.
- the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls hunger, which in this case never shuts off so the zombie is always hungry and always will bite humans and animals.
I guess that the writers of TWD just assumed that their audience would also be aware of this descriptive understanding of zombies, but it really is a big leap of faith, IMHO.  But in the name of entertainment, I do accept, with a leap of intellect-denying faith, that these zombies do exist in this Hollywood film and television dramas fictionalized apocalyptic world.

As a number of us have discussed in the "NJ Prepared" forum here on NJGF, I would be much more concerned and afraid of who the real "zombies" would be in a real life SHTF scenario.  As a probable consequence of either an EMP attack or a massive, country-wide and prolonged electrical power failure, the real zombies would be humans.  Humans from the inner large cities, who after less than two weeks, have become desperate for finding additional food and potable water in order to survive.  These urban dwellers would quickly shed our historically accepted and practiced modern norms of civil, law-abiding society in their frantic search for food and water.  They would quickly degenerate into like-minded mobs or gangs, intent on looting and scavenging wherever and from whomever they can forcibly obtain both of these basic necessities. 

Having said all this, I will admit that I am hooked out of continued curiosity, having faithfully watched every episode of TWD from Season 1 / Episode 1 through Season 9 / Episode 8 and will record the remaining episodes of Season 9 and watch them when I have time.  FWIW, my favorite characters that I enjoy watching, are Darrell and Carol, who I consider to both be truly independent and self-sufficient mavericks who know how to fight and survive, yet have not completely lost their moral and ethical compass, but will do what they have to in order to protect themselves and other members of their extended survivalist family/tribe.

FYI - I read today that TWD series has been renewed for a 10th season, which I find really ludicrous since they should just end it with a final episode in Season 9, IMHO.  Time to put this zombie series to bed.....!

AVB-AMG

[Florida Triple-amputee Air Force veteran Starts Crowdfunding Site to Pay for Border Wall]

GoFundMe "Trump Wall" campaign to refund all donors after falling short of $1 billion goal

Here is an update from January 12, 2019 from CBS News (link at the bottom of the transcript)
As you will see, there are some interesting and disturbing aspects to this guy Brian Kolfage:
AVB-AMG

A GoFundMe campaign to subsidize what it called "the Trump Wall" will refund all money to donors because it did not meet its $1 billion goal, said Bobby Whithorne, director of North America Communications for GoFundMe. Donors will receive their money on April 11, unless they choose to donate their contribution to the campaign creator's new venture, GoFundMe said in an email to the campaign's participants.

Brian Kolfage, a triple-amputee Air Force veteran, raised more than $20 million on the crowd-funding platform to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. At the onset of the campaign, Kolfage said he would only collect the funds if the campaign hit its goal of $1 billion — about one-fifth of what President Trump has been demanding from Congress to build it.

"However, that did not happen. This means all donors will receive a refund," Whithorne said in an email to CBS News.

The refund announcement came a day after BuzzFeed News reported that Kolfage pocketed money in a previous GoFundMe campaign intended to help other wounded soldiers. Kolfage raised $16,246 for a veteran mentorship program, but BuzzFeed News reports that after collecting the funds, he didn't use the money as promised: none of the partners he claimed to have worked with — including Walter Reed, Brooke Army Medical Center and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany — have any records that Kolfage worked with their patients or donated money, according to representatives at the centers that BuzzFeed News spoke to.

In an update to donors Friday, Kolfage did not say missing the goal was the main reason for the refund. Instead, he pointed to government inefficiencies and the fact that the federal government "won't be able to accept our donations anytime soon."  Kolfage gave donors the option of giving their GoFundMe contribution to himself and a team he assembled to privately construct the border wall. The group, a 501(c)(4), is called "We Build the Wall, Inc.," according to an email from GoFundMe to contributors.

"Our highly experienced team is highly confident that we can complete significant segments of the wall in less time, and for far less money, than the federal government, while meeting or exceeding all required regulatory, engineering, and environmental specifications," Kolfage wrote in his update.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, a 501(c)(4) is an non-profit "operated exclusively to promote social welfare."

Donors will have to proactively opt to give the money to Kolfage; if they do nothing the money will automatically be returned, according to Whithorne.  A spokesperson for Brian Kolfage, Jennifer Lawrence, did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/border-wall-gofundme-gofundme-border-wall-campaign-to-refund-all-donors-after-falling-short-2019-01-11/

[Traffic ticket- Failure to signal]

14 minutes ago, GRIZ said:

@AVB-AMG interesting story.  VA has always been death on writing tickets as we all know.  My first experience driving through VA was in 1969 headed down to Fort Jackson, SC in my Austin Healey. I managed to stay out of trouble.

I have a strategy I've used for years that's kept me out of trobule. 

@GRIZ:

Driving your Austin Healey must have been fun but I bet your back and body were a wreck at the end of each day of driving such a long distance.

Ok, other than driving at or close to the posted speed limit, what is your strategy?

AVB-AMG

[Traffic ticket- Failure to signal]

16 minutes ago, voyager9 said:

So your system knows the posted speed limit (both dynamically via cameras and many map/GPS list them) and an integrated laser/radar detector/jammer. Would be relatively straightforward to only have the detector activate and hammer emit when driving over the speed limit. Could also set EMCON based on state since that doesn’t change often. 

@voyager9:

While what you suggest may be possible and could work fine, it is way beyond my electronics expertise and something that I would not go to the trouble, let alone expense on modifying on my car, especially since it is a leased vehicle.  Also, if what you suggest is done to the vehicle and their are any subsequent issues affecting any of the other electronics in the car, that modification may invalidate the manufacturer's warranty, an expensive roll of the dice on these higher end vehicles.

AVB-AMG

[Traffic ticket- Failure to signal]

16 hours ago, voyager9 said:

Ironically he didn’t know it was your car until after he pulled you over and actively looked.  Probably could have played more ignorant “What’s a laser jammer?  Wow, that’s a thing?”  Maybe could have avoided him looking. Once they took pictures I guess it’s all over (unless you claim their part of the 360 cameras). 

@voyager9

At this point, I figured why lie about it.  I was guilty of forgetting to turn them off before entering VA.  The stupid irony was that I was not speeding, something that I told the Trooper.

BTW, the Trooper does not have to be all that smart to look closely at the front grill of the car to eventually spot the location of each recessed laser jammer.  Unlike remote radar detectors, (that I had in my previous AMG), that can be mounted behind the car's front grill, in order to be fully effective the laser jammers must not have any obstructions in front of them.  The further recessed they are the narrower their "cone" of jamming the laser becomes.... 

AVB-AMG

[Traffic ticket- Failure to signal]

17 hours ago, Fred2 said:

I'd rather get a radar detector ticket than a speeding ticket, so I keep mine on in VA.

@Fred2:

You should be aware that some State Troopers are now using so-called Radar Detector Detectors made by Spectre ELITE to see which drivers are using radar detectors.  Running your Radar Detector in VA is taking a big risk....  Also, in some cases, it has been reported that the LEO's may confiscate your windshield mounted radar detector as evidence.  You are taking a big risk with your radar detector active while driving in VA.

AVB-AMG

 

[Traffic ticket- Failure to signal]

26 minutes ago, Malsua said:

When traveling outside of commuting I run WAZE.

@Malsua:

I have also been using WAZE while driving through VA, but probably due to the same brain fart on this last trip, did not open up that App on my iPhone.  Shame on me....
BTW, if your vehicle has Apple CarPlay, you can run WAZE on it and it will show its screen information on your car's built in computer screen.

AVB-AMG

[Traffic ticket- Failure to signal]

Laser Jammer Ticket

I received a traffic violation ticket just before Christmas.  It was from a Virginia State Trooper in Accomac, VA and was for using my laser jammers to jam his vehicle speed detection laser gun.  The irony was that I was not speeding and was only traveling two (2) mph over the posted speed limit of 55 mph.

Several days before Christmas, my wife and I were both driving our respective cars from NJ down to NC to our vacation house where we were planning on hosting the extended family for Christmas.  We had too much stuff, luggage, Christmas presents, food, etc., to all fit in one car, hence the need to take two cars. We take the route through DE, to Route 13 that goes north-south along the eastern shore of MD and VA, to the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel to Norfolk, VA, then down to the Outer Banks of NC.  Having done this trip countless times over the past 25 years, I am very aware of the locations of the usual speed traps and slow down accordingly. 

I know that radar detectors are illegal in the state of Virginia.  I always stop at a location, either in MD or NC, prior to entering VA, to remove my windshield-mounted ESCORT MAX 360c radar/laser detector and connected ESCORT M1 dash cam combo.  When I have that radar/laser detector mounted and activated, I also usually also have opened the Escort Live app on my iPhone to coordinate the GPS features and communicate with other users to get alerts of LEO locations ahead.  As required by VA law, I store it in the far back of my SUV, unconnected to any power source and inaccessible to me the driver.  I did that routine this time as well.  At the same time, I usually also turn off the laser jammers.  This time though, stupid me, I forgot to flip the on/off switch concealed under the dashboard of my separate, stealth, laser jammers, recessed mounted in the front grill of the SUV.

My enjoyable drive on a bright sunny day, not speeding at all, listening to an audio book playing through the vehicle’s audio system, was interrupted by the repeated chirping sound, accompanied by a digitized audio voice warning of “laser detected”.  At that moment, I realized that I had forgotten to turn off the laser jammers and instinctively reached down to flip the switch off.  I did this and a moment later passed the gray colored Ford Crown Vic VA State Trooper parked on the right side of the road. I glanced at my speed and realized with much relief that I was not speeding at that moment.  I had two vehicles behind me, including my wife in her car.  I could see in my rear-view mirror that the VA State Trooper was pulling out onto the roadway in pursuit of “someone”, hoping it was not me.  I, along with the two other cars behind me were in the right lane of this one-way, two-lane highway, (Rt. 13).  The Trooper sped up and was tailing me in the left lane at my 7:00 o’clock position.  He then pulled in behind me and turned on his flashing blue lights and we both pulled over to the side of the road in a safe spot.  (FYI, on this trip, I had none of my firearms in my vehicle so that was not going to be an issue….).

My wife pulled over in her car as well and parked behind him.  He got out of his car and went over to my wife, who introduced herself as such.  The Trooper barked at her to not park behind him and to pull up in front of me, which she did, which rattled her a bit.  The Trooper came up to me, as I was following the proper procedure of having both hands on the steering wheel where he could see them, having already lowered my driver’s side window.  He asked for the usual “License and registration please….”, which I gave him.  He then followed by saying:  “I have good news and bad news for you….  The good news is that your laser jammers are working as designed.  The bad news is that they are illegal to us in Virginia….”  I responded that I new from the posted signs at the state line that radar detectors were illegal in VA, but was unaware that laser jammers were also illegal in VA.  (I know, I know… ignorance of the law is no defense….. but I was just being honest with him.)
I told him that I was not speeding and he unsurprisingly responded: “How would I know, you were jamming my laser gun…..).  At this point, another VA State Trooper with his blue lights flashing, pulled up behind the first Troopers car and joined him at my window.  I asked the Trooper how he knew that it was me and not the other cars jamming his laser, since we were all close together.  He said he just guessed that it was me since I had the “nicest” car with the widest tires.  The other Trooper went up to the front of my SUV, bent down and located the two recessed laser jammers and then retrieved his digital SLR camera and started to photograph them for evidence.  The first Trooper went back to his car and wrote a VA Uniform Summons for me “operate vehicle w/ laser jammers”, a violation of VA Law Section 46.2-1079.  I asked what the monetary fine was for that offense and he, nor his partner said that they knew.  I subsequently called the appropriate General District Court in Accomac, VA and learned that the fine is $101, but that no points are issued to your driving record.  Once I was back in NJ, I wrote a check and mailed it to the Accomac courthouse, along with a copy of my signed/dated summons.  I also contacted the NJ Commission of Motor Vehicles and was told that since laser detection and/or jamming is NOT illegal in New Jersey, that no points would be added to my driving record.

Of course, I could not help myself and commented to both Troopers that VA should revise and update their road signage at the state line, to be clearer by saying something along the lines of “Use of any electronic devices to discover or impede LEO speed detection is illegal”.  They both laughed said that VA is too cheap to invest in updated signs.  They asked me what the little camera is for in the front center of my SUV’s grill.  I explained that is to read roadside speed limit signs and immediately show that speed on the BMW head-up display on the lower inside of my windshield.  They then asked why my wife was driving a separate car and not with me.  I looked at them and grinned and said that “after many years, we both have learned that part of the success of a marriage includes separate bathrooms and separate cars….”  They chuckled and said that in the future to make sure that I turn off my laser jammers before I enter VA, since some LEO’s may even try to remove them from my vehicle and confiscate them.  I ensured they that I would do so, and off we went.

Well, after the fact, I researched the current law on laser jamming in the U.S.  I knew before that jamming radar has been outlawed federally in the U.S. but that jamming laser had not been specifically addressed and was, for the most part legal, except for states that had begun to enact laws and regulate against it.  I learned that now, those states outlawing laser jamming include Virginia, as well as AL, CA, IL, MN, OK, NE, SC, TN, TX, UT and the District of Columbia.  Also, most of the eastern provinces of Canada also ban laser jamming.  I kicked myself for being so ignorant for not staying current on state laws, like I am on CCW in states that I travel through.

My laser jammers, Blinder HP-905 Compacts, were the state-of-the-art devices when I purchased them and had them installed in my vehicle in 2016.  But like any electronic technology, it is always a tit-for-tat, incremental advancement by a number of manufacturers, for both speed detection laser guns and corresponding laser jammers.  There are now speed detection laser guns, made by Dragon Eye Technology, using next generation software, that render most current laser jammers useless.  So this counter measure may become less desirable, as well as effective, especially considering the cost and changing state traffic laws.

So my lesson from this experience is to keep abreast of the traffic laws of the states where you drive and drive through.  Also, only spend the money and use these “counter measures” at your discretion and risk, but do not relay on them as an end-all panacea.  They are just additional tools, where legal, to help alert you of probably LEO’s around you that are monitoring traffic speed and to remind you to drive within a reasonable speed range, taking into account a number of variable factors, including the posted speed limit, traffic volume, type of neighborhood, environment, time of day / light level, and weather / road conditions.

AVB-AMG

[10,000]

Congratulations Zeke on 10,000 posts....!

Don’t mind those others who can't understand you.  I remember when you first started out working in the German Coast Guard a number of years ago.....   You have come a long way!

AVB-AMG

 

[Shotgun Shootout - Frosty's Nuts Edition - Dec. 22nd]

Unfortunately, I will have to miss this one.  We are leaving Saturday morning to drive down south to NC to celebrate Christmas with the extended family.  I hope that you all have good weather....

AVB-AMG

[Florida Triple-amputee Air Force veteran Starts Crowdfunding Site to Pay for Border Wall]

On 12/20/2018 at 6:34 PM, Scorpio64 said:

Kolfage will be on Fox News tonight.  Tune in to Laura Ingraham at 10:00p

 

On 12/20/2018 at 10:01 PM, Sniper said:

Just a reminder, starting now, if anyone is interested to see if this guy is legit.

@Scorpio64 & @Sniper:

Yeah, I watched the short segment of the interview of Brian Kolfage on Laura Ingraham's show on Fox News last night.  Even Ingraham was surprised and took to task and corrected Kolfage when he made the absurd statement that "this wall is in our Constitution..."  I had to chuckle and just shake my head as I watched as he was flustered and taken back by her asking where in our Constitution does it say that, and he started to bumble and fumble a response.  She really helped him save face and recover by saying that she felt he meant "our sovereignty".  I think he is well-meaning, but is also being very naive and simplistic in achieving his goal, even if it does turn out to just be a momentary publicity stunt.  I would not be surprised if the initial notoriety and momentum of this GoFundMe campaign peaks in Jan. or early Feb., or when the government shut down ends and then will rapidly lose steam and fizzle out.

I think that all of those contributing to Kolfage's GoFundMe campaign should do some more research before they give money, motivated by their knee-jerk, feel good inspiration and shared feelings.  It is now being reported by main stream news sources that according to the U.S. Treasury Department, general donations to the Federal Government are directed to a “Gifts to the United States” fund, that is set aside for “general use” by the federal government for “budget needs.”  Specific federal agencies cannot access this funding without a congressional appropriation.  Some agencies can accept gifts directly for earmarked purposes, but it is not clear if the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees our country’s borders, is among them.

AVB-AMG

[Florida Triple-amputee Air Force veteran Starts Crowdfunding Site to Pay for Border Wall]

On 12/20/2018 at 10:10 PM, Scorpio64 said:

holy smokes.  I think AVB donated $50,000.00 anonymously.  He's a closet conservative.

@Scorpio64:

When purchasing a very old house as your home, what do you do?

• A Liberal wants to tear it all down and start over with something new
• A Conservative does not want to change anything and preserve what exists
• An Independent / Moderate wants to restore the good parts and renovate and modernize the other parts.

I appreciate your wry sense of humor and know that you were just being facetious with your post.
Just to be clear, politically, I consider myself to be an Independent / Moderate.  Since NJ is a closed primary state, I am registered as a Democrat so I am able to vote in the primary elections.  More importantly though, I see both parties as overly ideological, with Democrats being too liberal and Republicans being too conservative.  I usually realize that the “either/or” ideological choices presented by either side are not absolutely right or wrong.  Most of the time, I recognize that both sides have a piece of the truth and see flaws in the standard liberal and conservative perspectives.  I make the effort to research, understand and consider both sides of complex issues, before reaching my own conclusion forming my opinion.  Yet, I wish that our elected politicians in Washington would work together more and find acceptable compromises.

Ultimately, I believe that every human being is equal, but we should let all people have their freedom and ability to live the life they choose to live. Allow people to do what they want with their lives, whether it’s good or bad for them. Allow competition and the opportunity to become successful and wealthier and accept a society where they are for “the common good” and agree with the altruistic concept “that we are all in this together”, as opposed to the self-centered belief that  "its every man for himself".

AVB-AMG

[Florida Triple-amputee Air Force veteran Starts Crowdfunding Site to Pay for Border Wall]

9 hours ago, Scorpio64 said:

holy smokes.  I think AVB donated $50,000.00 anonymously.  He's a closet conservative.

Hmmmmm........

[Florida Triple-amputee Air Force veteran Starts Crowdfunding Site to Pay for Border Wall]

1 hour ago, Scorpio64 said:

Dude, it's only been up  3 days.  It is already blowing away records.  I'm sure this guy thought this through.  This is America, where anything can happen.  It's goin' down brah.

Well, I disagree, but time will tell.....

AVB-AMG

[Florida Triple-amputee Air Force veteran Starts Crowdfunding Site to Pay for Border Wall]

This is just one more well-meaning but very ill-conceived and misguided attempt to play on people’s emotional fears and naivety.  @SIGMan Freud has pointed out a number of important issues that have not really been considered yet, that will affect this approach. 
Do any of you honestly think that this GFM effort will garner anything close to $1 BILLION, let alone $5 BILLION….??? 

I prefer to donate to charities whose causes I believe in and who have a proven historical track record of having a very high percentage of each dollar donated ACTUALLY going to that cause, and not to support an administrative bureaucracy. My preference is to give money to help people and not send messages.  Having said that,  I agree that this GFM effort, while will most likely fall far short of its monetary goal, will send a signal to politicians that a certain percentage of Americans want a border wall, or at least better enforcement of border security to deter illegal immigration.

Having followed this entire border wall episode since 2016, I have found it to be very enlightening.  Keep in mind that Trump’s insistence that Congress give him $5 billion to help pay for the wall is a departure from his vow throughout the 2016 presidential campaign and into his presidency, that we would build a new wall along our southern border and that Mexico would pay for it, not the American taxpayers.  Sane and intelligent people knew that would never happen.  Some politicians say that he is being so insistent now about funding for the wall in order to fulfill his campaign promise.  IMHO, it is not a campaign promise that is being broken, but was a lie from the very beginning…

The total length of the U.S.–Mexico border is 1,954 miles; as of August 2017, just 705 miles have at least one of four kinds of barriers: pedestrian primary fence, pedestrian secondary fence, pedestrian tertiary fence, and vehicle fence.

A very important question remains: How much would a border wall cost?
Cost estimates range from $8 billion to $67 billion or more, depending on whom you ask and the number of miles of wall that would be built. Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress have said they expect a wall to cost from $12 billion to $15 billion, based on the cost to rebuild existing border fencing covering a third of that distance, though those projections do not include the cost of buying non-government land. Based on Trump’s 2017 budget request for $2.6 billion to plan, design and build 75 miles of wall, Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill’s office estimated the per-mile cost would be about $37 million, or nearly $67 billion for the entire 2,000-mile border.

A July 2018 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office warned that the wall might “cost more than projected, take longer than planned or not fully perform as expected.”

https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/693488.pdf

This report further concluded that the US Department of Homeland Security "faces an increased risk that the Border Wall System Program will cost more than projected, take longer than planned, or not fully perform as expected." Factors like a varying terrain and land ownership had not been taken fully into account, the report said, which drive up costs. The overall cost of the wall is unknown, so the report simply notes that the administration plans to spend "billions" on its construction and calls for Customs and Border Control to analyze the costs for future sections of the wall.

During the election campaign candidate Trump claimed that the wall would cost only $12 billion, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) internal report in February 2018 put the cost at $21.6 billion, but that may be a major underestimate.  The estimates vary so widely because of the lack of clarity about what the wall will actually consist of beyond the first meager Homeland Security specifications that it be either a solid concrete wall or a semi-transparent/open structure, “physically imposing in height,” ideally 30 feet high but no less than 18 feet, sunk at least 6 feet below ground level to hinder tunneling under it; that it should not be scalable with even sophisticated climbing aids; and that it should withstand prolonged attacks with impact tools, cutting tools, and torches. But that description doesn’t begin to cover questions about the details of its physical structure. Then there are the legal fees required to seize land on which to build the wall. The Trump administration can use eminent domain to acquire the land but will still have to negotiate compensation and often face lawsuits. More than 90 such lawsuits in southern Texas alone are still open from the 2008 effort to build a fence there.

I am not an expert in border security so I read and listen to and put a high value on the opinions of those who are.  In case you missed it, back in April 2017, Brandon Judd, President of the National Border Patrol Council, the labor union that represents U.S. Border Patrol, testified before Congress and said: “I will not advocate for 2,000 miles’ worth of border. That is just not necessary. But what I will advocate for is a border wall in strategic locations, which helps us secure the border.  The building of barriers and large fences, a bipartisan effort, allowed agents in part to dictate where illegal crossings took place and doubled how effective I was able to be in apprehending illegal border crossers.”  He continued by saying in his written testimony: “A wall is not a panacea to illegal immigration and drug trafficking…illegal immigrants and drug traffickers routinely go over, under, and through the existing fencing that we already have in place. Fencing without the proper manpower to arrest those who penetrate it is not a prudent investment.”

AVB-AMG

[Wine Recommendations]

On 12/15/2018 at 12:16 AM, JohnnyB said:

Oh God! You made me remember Christmas eve 1976......those 2 bottles of Andre Cold Duck at less than $3 per bottle that I drank made me leave a red trail in the snow all the way home from my then girlfriend's house back to mine! I had a hard time explaining my condition to my father, who was a Philadelphia Cop, why his 17 year old son was drunk as a skunk! Must have been the Christmas spirit, he let me slide and never brought it up again!

@JohnnyB:

Ha.... I think many of us had similar experiences in our youth in high school as we experimented and learned just what our tolerance level was for alcohol.  Around the same time as your memorable experience, I had a similar experience.  I was at a party of a classmate at her parents house and all of us were drinking in excess.  That included Cold Duck, Boone's Farm, beer, etc...  I at least had enough presence of mind, even in my intoxicated state, to realize that I was in no condition to drive my parent's VW Bug back home.  I gave the car keys to a good friend of mine who was "almost' sober so that he could drive us both home.  I vaguely remember rolling down the passenger side window and expelling that evenings liquor and other contents of my stomach out of my mouth as we were driving in the cool night air.  The next morning, my father entered my bedroom, opened the window shades and presented me with a pail of soapy water and told me that my immediate first job that morning would be to go outside in my hungover state and completely wash and clean the VW Bug since I had created quite the artistic mural on the exterior passenger side.  Then of course, I was grounded for a couple of weeks.  Ah, the lessons of our youth....

AVB-AMG

[MRE's - Talk to me.]

On 12/16/2018 at 5:21 PM, Sniper said:

I know YOU aren't storing your water in plastic bottles, but in cans. But, you took a pot shot insinuating that water in plastic bottles was a no-go for two years. So, MY point was, water stored in plastic bottles should be rotated just like canned veggies are rotated.

I used "you" as a generic term, maybe "everyone" would be better, as to not upset you.

@Sniper

Ok, I got it.....  I apologize for the confusion.
It was not a "pot shot", just educated knowledge of what we know now about how plastic degrades over time.  I do not think it is a good idea for anyone to completely trust the purity of any water that has been stored in any plastic containers for 2+ years, especially store-bought bottle water in plastic bottles.

AVB-AMG

(BTW - What happened to the "22"...?)

[Wine Recommendations]

On 12/15/2018 at 9:29 AM, 45Doll said:

The Wine Library in Florham Park has the absolute best prices on Bogle anywhere. I buy it there by the case; they must buy it by the truckload!

@45Doll
If you are in fact referring to the retail store called Wine Library, it is located on Morris Avenue in Springfield, NJ. They have a very good selection of wine and is our "go to" wine store for special wines.  Are you thinking of a different wine store in Florham Park?
https://winelibrary.com/

Now, other than Costco, I have found that the 14-story chain of Bottle King liquor stores in NJ usually have the best prices on most readily available wine and beer and hard liquor.  https://www.bottleking.com/

On 12/15/2018 at 3:08 PM, 45Doll said:

By the way for those un- initiated to Champagne: Veuve Clicquot = The Widow (Clicquot)

Back in 2014, my wife and I toured the Champagne region of France, (specifically Reims and Epernay) and visited the Champagne Houses of Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.  

For those who may be interested, here is some history that we learned on our tour:
Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin was born in 1777, married Francois-Marie Clicquot in 1798 who had a small wine-making business.  Unfortunately, he died prematurely in 1804 which made Barbe-Nicole Clicquot a widow at age 27.  She was a very strong woman who had a good business sense.  With the assistance of her chief Cellar man, she is credited with perfecting the art of remuage (riddling), to clarify the champagne.  This is where the champagne bottles are placed in racks at a downward angle towards the cork. The bottles are then rotated a quarter-turn every day for 6-8 weeks to allow the sediment (lees) to settle in the neck of the bottle.  At the end of this period, the sediment was removed and a mixture of still wine and sugar added

Madam Clicquot was a sly businesswoman.  In 1812, the Russian tsar placed an embargo on French bottled wine.  She decided to pack champagne bottles into coffee barrels and sent them to Russia.  Next, in 1814, she had her company charter a neutral Dutch ship to convey 10,550 bottles to Königsberg, (now called Kaliningrad, Russia), a major port for the Russian market on the Baltic sea, followed by an additional 12,780 bottles a couple of weeks later.  She was subsequently awarded the role of being the sole supplier to the Russian royal court that cemented her success. When Madame Clicquot died in 1866, their sales had reached 750,000 bottles a year. Even back then, her peers recognized her formidable contributions, and referred to her as the Grande Dame of Champagne. 

The tour was fascinating, including descending down about 80-90 ft. below grade into the the maze-like tunnels carved out of the limestone where the ambient air temperature is a constant 55 deg. F., the ideal constant temperature for most wines.  Here are some photos from that tour and subsequent tasting afterwards, ( I would love to have that VC refrigerator.....):

AVB-AMG

[MRE's - Talk to me.]

5 hours ago, Sniper said:

"All Gone"... that could be an issue..

This is why everyone needs redundancy.. My thinking, "one is none, two is one, and three is where you need to be".

Why are you storing water in plastic bottle for two years? You should be using and rotating that stored water, just like your cans.

@Sniper:

Yes, the fact of any of this type of planning is that at some point, everyone's supplies will be "all gone". 
I believe that everyone needs to consider their own situation and ultimately what their goals are for survival time and then decide for themselves just how long a time period they can realistically be self-sufficient in their home.  Is it 2 weeks or 2 months or 2 years?  I dare say that this choice will be different for everyone.  That will then dictate both the quantity and feasible redundancy for essential supplies such as water and food and fuel, as well as how realistic is it to be able to have multiple sources of both that are if not readily accessible, at least a strong possibility.

Once again, you are misreading what I have written.......
(I suggest you take another look at and re-read what i actually wrote)

I am NOT storing our emergency water supply in plastic bottles at all.  I have a number of cases of sealed canned water for this purpose.

AVB-AMG

[Daily humor thread]

And now for another wishful thinking perspective....
AVB-AMG
 

 

[MRE's - Talk to me.]

For our emergency food supply, my preferred approach has been to stock up on canned food, instead of dried or freeze-dried food.  As we eat some of it we replace it with newer cans of the same.  The reason is  because most canned food, such as vegetables and fruit will last many years past their so-called expiration date listed on the can, since the metal is a better container for preserving their contents than either plastic or cellophane.

Also, the canned vegetables and fruit are packed in potable water which is another very important fact that many folks tend to overlook.  Who knows what situation(s) may exist in a SHTF scenario and what condition our municipal water supply will be in.  Therefore, the nourishment from both the canned food AND the water from the can, will have double benefits for our sustained longevity, (of course, until it is all gone.....)

BTW, I also have sealed canned water, which will last longer, that is remain potable longer, than water in sealed plastic containers that will eventually leach some of their unhealthy plastic chemical compounds into the water after approximately two years or less....

AVB-AMG

[Wine Recommendations]

5 hours ago, Handyman said:

@AVB-AMG's wine cellar looks like this:

 

5 hours ago, 45Doll said:

Hey, you forgot

 

Oh god, now I think I have a headache.

 

4 hours ago, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot said:

Not fake wine. Pairs well with Russian dressing...

 

@Handyman, @45Doll & @WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot:

Thanks to the three of you for giving me a good laugh this evening....!
My wife and I drink wine with our dinner on Friday nights and weekends, or when traveling or celebrating a special occasion....   (So just about all the time....)  
I think  that Maksim and others have provided the OP enough good advice for him to figure out what to get.

But I will admit that like you all, back in my teens in high school, going out on a Friday or Saturday night with friends drinking beer and some of the too sweet, but easy to drink wines pictured above, including Boone's Farm and Cold Duck and had the expected awful, head-pounding hangover the next day.  Of course, we drank whatever we could get our hands on and too excess, with the inevitable consequences.

In the 2000's, on our trips down to NC we would often stay in the area in and around Charlottesville, VA.  On several occasions we went to the tasting room at the Kluge Vineyard and enjoyed their red, white and sparkling wines.  They ultimately had to sell the vineyards and winery and Donald Trump bought it and of course named it after himself.  Unfortunately, the quality of the subsequent wines has deteriorated.... (why am I not surprised?)

If I was out on a date for dinner and wanted to try to impress my date, I would order either of the two wines below, that always seemed to be on the wine list back in the 1970's.  Both cost around $12 - $15 at that time, and I think they are not much more today:

AVB-AMG