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Comment Re:Farm topography (Score 1) 94

Isn't there available LIDAR information available for your area?

I while back I was looking at some for one of the areas that I hunt and it was accurate enough where you could see the ruts in the road where vehicles regularly drove down gravel roads. I can't find it at the moment but it was available in an interactive form online.

Comment Re:Saw the debate (Score 1) 451

From my experience (being raised in a fundamentalist baptist church that was probably different only in actions to the Westboro Baptist Church) it goes deeper than that. These people are so invested in their belief system that if any portion is proven to be wrong it means that it is all wrong. The bible for them is the gold standard of truth and everything in it is of divine origin that speaks with one voice (never understood this). For them religion is their reason for existence and provides all the meaning in their life and they don't want that to be a lie. Unfortunately they use religion to justify all sorts of strange belief like the gays need to die, black people carry the mark of Cain and as such are sub human, the universe is only ~6000 years old, a women must submit to their husband, etc.

Comment Re:Saw the debate (Score 1) 451

Given the age of the stories there may have actually been a flood of almost biblical proportion. Go back to the end of the last ice age and if you had lakes like Lake Missoula emptying it would seem to fit. It isn't like dumping 500 cubic miles of water would go unnoticed if there was a human population near by that happened to survive. It wouldn't surprise me if there were similar events that got passed down by oral tradition to various people in Eurasia. Give the story ~8000 years to morph and for people to hear similar stories from all other tribes and it becomes a global flood.

Comment Re:What a nice ad... (Score 1) 138

Do you change your own oil in your car?

Always, as well as most of the other work on the cars.

Make your own peanut butter?

No but I haven't eaten peanut butter in close to 20 years, I do make my own jams though.

Bake your own bread?

Yes and I love the smell that lingers for about a day after doing so.

Build your own furniture?

Yes because I can't find good furniture for prices that aren't extortion level priced. That and you try finding a solid walnut desk.

While I understand the need to make things other people's problems there is a real sense of accomplishment when you do something your self. Once you get good at doing things you can generally do a better job than the quick and dirty you paid someone. When I change oil I actually spend the time while the oil is draining to check things that should be checked regularly, like belts, hoses, suspension, wheel bearings, lights, etc. I also will take care of things like knocking some of the dust and dirt out of the air filter, and changing the power steering fluid that is in the reservoir, charging the battery all the way, greasing the wheel bearings. Now add in that I can do a full synthetic fluid change for about $50 on a vehicle that has a 7 quart oil capacity and takes a rather expensive canister filter. The 45 minutes I spend changing oil I come out ahead since I would spend about 45 minutes to go get it changed and get back from the rapid oil change place and they do a shitty job which costs more and likely they would cross thread the drain plug.

Comment Re:I wish I'd thought of that (Score 1) 221

It's amazing what a long-handled flat-bladed screwdriver will do to your average pin/wafer tumbler lock...

I am always shocked at how many people don't know that trick. I did that to an old fire chest I had that in all the moves I had lost the key and the fire chest was only $30 so it was the quick and simple route. Also if you damage the pins and tumbler enough just about anything will work as a key as those things wear out. The ignition on my old Bronco II was so worn I could use a small pocket knife blade in the key slot to start it. For security forget padlocks since the easy way around them has and always will be an angle grinder. Working at a U-Haul with a storage facility we were always dealing with units for non payment and eventually would auction off the contents. The day of the auction you go out with the angle grinder cut the lock, let the bidders have a peak shut the door, and sell it. A nice silicon carbide or diamond coated cutting wheel goes through those locks like a hot knife through butter, even these recommended locks.

Comment Re:The military saves lives! (Score 1) 75

I'm approaching the 5 gallon mark as well now and give every 2 months. For me it is something that I need to do to prevent illness as hemochromatosis runs very strongly in both sides of my family. I figure I am doing my self some good and doing other people some good at the same time since if I actually were to develop hemochromatosis I would still need to get drained but the blood would be of no use. As an added benefit I am an universal donor with O- so it is always an in demand donation.

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