Replacing XM15 Fixed Stock with a Six Position Telescoping Stock

I bought my Bushmaster semi-automatic magazine-fed rifle around 2001.  Since Assault Rifles were illegal during that era of the Clinton Gun Ban, it is not an Assault Rifle (yet?).
I like the rifle.  Once an initial bolt tightness was alleviated after a break-in period, the rifle has been rock solid reliable and digests even really cheap low power reloads consistently.  I equally enjoy using the rifle for target shooting, hunting coyotes and occasionally plinking.
One thing I did not like about the rifle was the Reno-Era fixed stock.  It is a flat-top rifle and I shoot it with both the carry handle sights and a large 10x fixed-power scope.  Since the scope is large, fitting eye-relief to both it and the carry handle can be awkward.  And, to be perfectly honest, the fixed stock does not look right on a rifle with a carbine-length barrel and Bushmaster Dissipator front end.

Luckily, Bushmaster makes and sells their factory-fit six position stock as a direct replacement.  It comes with everything needed for the swap and is a bargain at a bit over 100 clams.  I originally tried to buy the stock from a large Midwestern company that sells shooting supplies, but in today's political climate, keeping these in stock was apparently not possible; my purchase was cancelled by the vendor after a considerable back-order dealy.  I ended up purchasing it directly from Bushmaster, part number F1000360.

As mentioned, the kit comes with everything needed for the swap, sans instructions.  While it isn't needed, an AR15 combo wrench is a handy thing to have.

We start with ensuring the rifle is not loaded and the gun secured in a vice.

I've heard horror stories about how hard the stock can be to get off of a factory Bushmaster rifle.  I do not have copious upper body strength and so I was prepared for the worst, ready to use an impact driver if needed (or possibly even cut off the old stock).  However, a twist with a large screwdriver easily removed the upper screw on the stock; the factory nylon locking material only marginally resists turning the screw.  Once the screw is out, the fixed stock slides off of the existing buffer tube.

The lower receiver can then be removed from the rest of the rifle per factory manual.  Once the two halves are separated, the existing buffer can be removed from the buffer tube by pushing down on the buffer retaining plunger and pulling out the buffer.  Then push down on the buffer retaining plunger and unscrew the buffer tube.  This will be snug, but shouldn't be too tight.  An AR15 combo wrench or standard 5/8 wrench is used to remove the buffer tube.  Once unscrewed, be careful not to lose the buffer retaining plunger or the rear take-down pin spring.

The rear take down pin detent spring is held on by the fixed stock.  In this picture, the spring is put back in place prior to reassembly.

Install the included castle nut on the new buffer tube, then slide the buffer plate on the buffer tube as shown in the picture.  With the new stock, the buffer plate holds the take-down pin spring in place.

Install the buffer plunger and hold the plunger down while screwing in the buffer tube until the plunger is appropriately held in place by the cut-out in the tube.  This is where buying factory parts is nice as the buffer tube has a small cut-out which perfectly holds the buffer plunger in place while also allowing it to retain the buffer.  Some after-market parts may require a bit of fitting.

Hold the plate against the rear of the receiver and tighten the castle nut against the plate.  Use an AR15 wrench to tighten the castle nut securing the new stock, plate and receiver all together.  The castle nut needs to be tight, but not threadstripping tight.  It does not need locktite, nor does it need to be "staked."  Channel Locks or the like can be used to tighten the castle nut, but that is gorilla gunsmithing.  The AR15 wrench is really nice here.

The new stock can now be pushed onto the buffer tube by pulling down on the pin that holds the stock in position.  To install, it needs to be pulled down farther than can be accomplished with the stock adjustment lever.  Once installed, the adjustment lever can be used to slide the stock for and aft.

Push down on the buffer plunger and install the new buffer spring and new buffer.  Once released, the buffer plunger should securely hold the buffer and spring in the buffer tube.

The stock is now installed on the existing receiver.  This entire operation should be doable within about 30 minutes.  It is a good time to clean the rifle since it is apart anyway, stretching the time only marginally.

Finished, the adjustable stock is functional.

And, with a ridiculously large fixed 10x scope (which is almost as long as the barrel), it is ready to make some noise.

Stream of Consciousness

Most years develop a personality.  2013 is nearly half over and it seems vaguely flavored so far.

The last few weeks have been unusual.

A few weeks ago I had to go North for a wedding.  The wedding went off without a hitch, or with a hitch depending on your point of view.

The motorcycle was the weapon of choice for the trip to and from the wedding - this should be expected this time of year.  The trip north was wonderful with almost perfect weather despite forecasts of rain.  The nice weather prompted the avoidance of the interstates until they were nearly unavoidable.  The motorcycle part of the trip almost made it qualify as an adventure.  Almost.

The wedding was for my sister.  Because it was family, there were many family members (both close and extended) that I saw there.  It was the first time all the siblings were in the same place in over 15 years.  It was also the first time I saw my brother in around eight years.  When I mentioned this to some people after returning home and to work, the reaction was an assumption that the family doesn't get along.  Funny in that we really do.  We just all have our own slightly self-absorbed lifestyles; this is not a bad thing.
It was fun to get together with them for a while.  There are some interests that intersect in the group of us, but there is no question that our parents raised a group of kids who are independent to a fault.  Despite our differences, there are also many similarities.  I'm starting to believe some behaviors must have a genetic component.  This is something to perseverate about, now and in the future...

Several Uncles and Aunts that I hadn't seen in many years were at the wedding as well.  It was good to see them, although I continue to understand more, slowly.

During filial visits, I was surprised how despite our completely different industries, personalities and even job titles, my sister and I had many similar nuances, likes and complaints about work.  When I got home, I found out I was getting promoted at work.  Since this wasn't something I was actively seeking, I was shocked.
Not being one to look for the spotlight, the announcement was fairly uncomfortable.  The broader email announcement later was more tolerable as I heard many congrats from current coworkers as well as former ones I haven't heard from, often in a long time.

It hasn't been a very good week for vehicles.  I got a nail in the nearly new rear tire of one of my motorcycles.  I tried repairing it twice with Stop-N-Go plugs.  I have never had these plugs fail but this leak will not stop.  The Stop-N-Go appeared to work initially, but after a few commutes, the tire was back to losing nearly 20psi/day.  Given the potential for catastrophic consequences if a motorcycle tire deflates very rapidly while on the road, I think my life is worth enough to buy a new tire.  I do want to see what the inside looks like once the punctured tire is unmounted.
One of my other vehicles blew a coolant hose on the road.  It was not an expensive fix, just a bit of a pain.  Despite nearly perfect weather, the nearest tow truck Allstate Motor Club could send was nearly 90 miles away.  I went with Allstate over a decade ago since they were one of the few that provided emergency roadside help for motorcycles.  Now that I have roadside assistance from the American Motorcyclist Association, I may not need it.  I will look into AAA - both with and without the option of motorcycle coverage as a second alternative.  Aside, I was surprise AutoZone rents tools out for free, charging the price of the tool and refunding that amount in total on return; I'm sure this prompts parts purchase at AutoZone, but is an outstanding service to those of us who have not invested in things like coolant system pressure testers.
One of my other cars has a broken plastic engine shield.  I really don't know why new cars all seem to have these.  We all are not going to drive Ferrari Enzos with clear polycarbonate engine covers, but I miss the concept of engine as art that should be part of car design.  Likely it is gone for good and replaced with an ugly plastic shield.  Do not pay attention to the man behind the curtain.

I bought a used engine cover for the car off of Ebay.  When it was delivered, the part was cracked - while it definitely wasn't in the picture on Ebay - leading me to believe the real possibility of damage while shipping.  I was certainly expecting to chalk up a loss, but the Ebay Seller worked with UPS and we both were quickly refunded our money.  Faith is renewed in humanity through the small Ebay Seller.

It is June now, hopefully 2013 will begin to coalesce into something  more definite before the year is half over.

Moultrie Plot Stalker Camera

Of all the interests I've dabbled in, one that has consistently held energy has been photography.  This has lead to much better vacation pictures, but the aspect I like the most is some of the other interesting things that are possible.  Double exposures.  Reflected light.  Soft focus, etc.  And, time lapse.
I've played around with time lapse using traditional inexpensive digital cameras and it works but there are some limitations.  So a couple years ago I bought a Wingscapes time lapse camera.  This has been taking pictures daily of my back yard now for over a year (with a brief interruption due to a faulty Moultrie product, which is the reason for this post).

Late last year (2012), I bought a Moultrie Plot Stalker camera to take the place of the Wingscapes TimeLapseCam I've been using.  The Moultrie was similar in form to the Wingscapes and by downloading the manual I could see that the overall function was nearly identical as well.  The Moultrie was a little less expensive, but didn't have the ability to focus at close distances; this didn't matter since I wanted it to take the place of the Wingscapes, freeing it for other time lapse projects.
At the beginning of the year, I installed the Moultrie camera to continue my long term time lapse project of my back yard as I wanted the Wingscapes close focus for some other ideas.  Over the first few weeks, the Moultrie Plot Stalker only took pictures about half the time.  I'm 100% sure I was using it right since the function was nearly the same as the Wingscapes.  The Moultrie camera was defective.
Any time pictures were pulled off of the camera, it took an elaborate ritual to get it to take pictures again.  But, since the camera appeared to be functioning normally, it was impossible to tell if it was actually taking pictures.  There is a little red LED on the camera which indicates whether it is taking pictures - it blinked merrily away, often never taking a photograph.

Time lapse photography is a long term time investment.  Sometimes these projects take hours or days.  In the case of my back yard time lapse, it takes months to years.  Losing this data was exceedingly frustrating.

The camera was still under warranty so I sent it back to Moultrie with a letter explaining the problem and how to recreate it.  Weeks later, I received the camera back with no change to the unit and a letter that clearly stated that Moultrie did not try to recreate the problem and the camera was working correctly.  It was a little insulting that the letter had written on it to check my batteries and SD Card (hand written).

Since time lapse photography can be a long time investment, I was hesitant to trust the Plot Stalker anymore.  Earlier this week, I decided I wanted to try to time lapse something that was only a couple hours of time and could easily be recreated so I decided to use the questionable Moultrie camera.  I installed fresh Duracell batteries and a good 16GB SD Card.  After securely mounting the unit and setting it up, I left it to take pictures - that later would be stitched into a movie.
The Moultrie Plot Stalker failed after 15 minutes!

The end result is shown in the video embedded in the posting.
I don't blame Moultrie for selling a product which is not of the best quality.  Since there are several cameras that use that form and function similarly, I don't even think Moultrie actually makes it.  I'll also note that not only do they not sell that camera anymore, I can't find any legacy information about it on their web site (some embarrassment perhaps?).
I don't fault Moultrie for selling a camera which did not function as advertised.  To quote a mechanic acquaintance of mine, anybody who thinks paying more for something means it will never break has never owned a Mercedes.  The lack of positive reviews on this camera from commercial sources does suggest my Moultrie Plot Stalker is not an isolated case however.

I do fault Moultrie for not standing behind their product.  The Moultrie Plot Stalker was so obviously defective that after taking the time to send the product back with a letter on how to recreate the problem, they should have remedied the situation.

I'm not going to rant and rave about how terrible Moultrie is.  They are just trying to make a profit like every other company out there.  But, since they don't make anything terribly unique, there are many other options.  Given Moultrie's inability to stand behind a product with the Moultrie name, their products will be avoided.

Was shooting the Moultrie Plot Stalker with a 9mm Silly?  Yes, but it was going in the garbage either way so it was also a little cathartic and fun.

10 Rules for Life

No, this isn't a self-help posting.  
This isn't an advice posting (that would violate a lower level rule of "When people ask for advice they usually don't want it.").  

TJ's Rules for Life

1. When the whole world is an asshole, it is time to look in the mirror.  This IS the first rule for life!  I sometimes have bad days, sometimes bad time-periods.  I try to realize this and cope, minimizing my potentially negative interactions.  Sometimes I just avoid personal interactions unless completely unavoidable.  A long dog-walk can go a great distance to cure this.  It is also important to remember that there are people in the world who really are assholes, but probably not the whole world.
2. Saying nothing is usually the best option.  "Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something."-Plato   I can't count the number of times I've consciously kept my mouth shut and it was the right choice.  Too many people love to talk and can consistently talk themselves into a problem or end up talking about nothing at all marginalizing what they say.  If a person rarely talks, when they do say something others are more inclined to listen.
3. Just because it is free, doesn't mean you want it.
   Being born into a cheap family, I used to love anything free.  I learned free stuff is often free for a reason.  Often, free stuff isn't really free.  Many free things end up unused or junk.  Unrequisited free things can lead to more 'stuff' and more stuff tends to clutter life, not improve it.  This rule is not:  Don't take anything that is free.
4. The cheapest bid is almost never the best deal.
   I've learned this more than once.  I'm sure I'll need to learn this again.  Most have to learn this the hard way.  The word "almost" is in this rule and needs to be.
5. Going with a more expensive option doesn't mean better service or outcome.
   This rule took longer to learn since I first had to learn and live Rule 4.  Rule 5 must follow Rule 4.  I had to learn that salespeople lie, options and services don't always match expectations and money can not buy some things.  I also call this the Champion Siding Rule - their bid for siding was very high, their service was terrible and the results were merely adequate.
6. If there are doubts, wait 12 hours before hitting the Send button.
   This is important, especially if it is on a day when the whole world is an asshole.  Draft emails are wonderful to allow reflection and revision before sending.  Sometimes changing, adding or deleting a few sentences can make a world of difference.  A corollary to this is that conflict is never resolved by email (and nobody's mind had ever been changed by a 'comments' posting).  In a slower time, this was probably true for sending mail letters, but the promise of pain could be more drawn-out.
7. When people say, "I'm Sorry." they usually are not.
   I'm sorry, but this is an absolute truth.  I try very hard to only apologize when I mean it.
8. Don't expect anyone to be a mind reader.
   I very often find myself hoping for someone to catch an unspoken meaning.  Or to interpret actions to understand the motivation.  This is self-destructive.  I should be open (I'm not) and honest.
9. Don't expect something not to be done because doing it would be stupid.
   Lots of people do things that can be interpreted as dumb.  Lots of things are done that are dumb.  This is also the management rule. Management will do dumb things since their motivation is different and sometimes unexplainable.
10. If you are very concerned with how something is going to be done, do it yourself.  This is the Ann Landers Rule.  It applies to small things:  If you don't like the way your significant other does the dishes or mops the floor, shut up and do it yourself.  It applies to big things:  If you don't like the way your coworker is handling a project, be prepared to step up.

Three very important things to note:

• This is not a static list.  This list and its order has changed over the years.  It is called learning; something I hope to continue to do until the day I die.
• This is my list.  If someone doesn't agree with something on it, they are free to write their own and try to live by it.  I will feel free to steal other's rules as my own.
• I reserve the right to repost this with modified explanations and revisions (see first bullet point).  I also reserve the right to contradict myself.

I keep this list on my Google Drive so I have access to it just about anywhere.  

I value order and tidiness so I keep my Windows Desktop typically very clean - a few shortcuts, a few transient files I'm (supposed to be) working on and this list.  The fact that this document sits permanently on my Desktop demonstrates its value.  I open it occasionally since I honestly believe these "rules" can help me in life.

  

If only it were this easy.

Post Script (or Outburst)

As I was thinking about Facebook and social media in general later, I recalled something I read over 10-years ago (from The Journal of Mundane Behavior - now defunct).  I'm reprinting it without commentary below; draw your own conclusions.  Hopefully there is a point.  The writing on this is too good to let it sink into oblivion.

Away Message, by Rebecca Blatt:

Before Wharton junior Jose Joseph leapt from his eighth-story bedroom window this fall, he prepared for his death. He wrote a suicide note explaining his intentions. He emailed a few friends expressing his concerns. And finally, he posted an away message on his computer.

I choked on my coffee when I read that last step in the Daily Pennsylvanian, the University of Pennsylvania's student newspaper. Why didn't he just turn off his computer or leave it running? Why did he think about his computer at all? Instead of visiting a friend or seeking professional help, why did Jose Joseph turn to his keyboard and monitor?

Theoretically, the away message is just an answering machine for a computer. It is a feature of America Online's Instant Messenger software. This program allows users to converse with each other over cyberspace. Users send Instant Messages, phrases or short sentences, which appear almost immediately on the monitor of their IM "buddy." My friends and I spend hours chatting on IM. When we must leave our computers and still wish to receive notes, we post away messages that are automatically transmitted to anyone who tries to contact us.

However, advanced Buddy List technology has revolutionized the uses and intentions of away messages. Now users can check away messages of other users without them knowing. This transformed a simple tool into a vast public forum, revolutionizing communication.

The basic away messages remain brief and practical. Phrases like, "At class but you can reach me on my cell phone," or "Away this weekend, back Sunday night," allow friends to keep track of each other. These away messages prove especially helpful when trying to arrange a meeting or a phone call.

My friend Jessica updates her away message religiously and provides detailed information about her activities. Last night her away message said, "Peeing, then eating at Chili's with Cory, then partying at Sig Ep." Why does she feel obligated to reveal every intimate detail of her evening? Should I really know when she can squeeze a trip to the bathroom into her hectic schedule?

I worry that someone could abuse this information. My parents always turn a few lights on when we leave the house so no one will know they're away. I fear that a cyber nut could easily track the movements of any individual posting such exhaustive itineraries.

In addition to inviting vulnerability, away messages can also create the appearance of elite status. Messages like, "Out for the night having a good time" translate directly to, "Nanny-nanny-boo-boo—I'm partying while you're staring at a screen!" Buddies posting messages like, "Working on a paper—don't interrupt" really mean, "Look at me—I'm being productive and you're obviously not!"

IM users sometimes post Away Messages to target a particular buddy. In most cases, this mark of prestige flatters the intended recipient. For instance, after I sent my friend Steve a homemade present he posted an away message saying, "Rebecca—you made my day." What a thank you note! He expressed his gratitude in a public forum for all of his friends to see. I beamed with pride when I realized he dedicated his only cyber-statement to me!

Sometimes IM users initiate wars with each other via away messages. This strategy allows users to not only avoid awkward face-to-face confrontations, but also bolster support from bystanders who can watch each battle unfold. When my friend Will caught his girlfriend with another guy he quoted Drew Hill and posted, "Somebody's been sleeping in my bed." His girlfriend responded in Phil Collins' words, "How can you just walk away from me when all I can do is watch you leave?" The online face-off continued for days, until they finally decided to discuss the situation in person. What a disappointment for the spectators!

However, emotional revelation is not always for sport. "Having a bad day" and "Drowning in a sea of tears" often blemish my buddy list. These messages invite a reaction. They elicit sympathy and may even provoke a phone call. An IM user who posts this type of statement and receives several encouraging responses can feel reassured. In this scenario, an away message functions as a litmus test for personal worth.

Although IM users occasionally target specific buddies, they must keep in mind that they are really addressing dozens of online addicts. My buddy list contains 158 buddies, whose away messages I consult regularly. I realize they can do the same to mine. Although this extensive audience intimidates me a bit, it also provides incredible opportunities. With a few strokes of my keyboard and clicks of my mouse, I can relay a message to hundreds of friends throughout the world.

I bet when Jose Joseph sat down at his computer the night he committed suicide, he recognized the immense power at his fingertips. I bet he realized the vast audience he could address. He used his away message to expose his deepest emotions, and I bet he hoped for a response. He was trying to connect with someone when in reality he was separated by miles of fiber optic cable. As he flung himself out of his Hamilton College House single, a small window on his computer screen expressed one final statement to the ubiquity of cyberspace. In the center of his monitor in blue Times Roman font, his Away Message read, "There is no wound more deep and no ailment more dire than a broken heart."

What Facebook Has Taught Us

1-Our lives are not that interesting.  2-Other's lives are not that interesting.  3-Even boring people are sometimes interesting.  4-Corporations are not our friends.  5-Businesses can be liked.  6-Facebook is no substitute for real interaction.

I think I joined Facebook in late 2009 - a little late to the party.  I was aware of it much earlier when it was restricted to college students as I had an intern from The University of North Carolina.  It seemed like an interesting concept, if a little frivolous.  I recall the intern commenting how she used Facebook as her primary communication method with friends (real) - email was only for adults.  Yeah, that one made me feel a little old.

Shortly after the intern left to go back to school, Facebook opened to anyone older than 13? who had an email address.  Many people at work joined, but the whole concept still seemed trivial, if interesting to most of us - a belief which is still validated.

I joined more out of boredom than anything else.  On a cold miserable day late in the year, I was looking through little-used parts of my Blackberry and found the preloaded Facebook app.  I joined and it told me I had no friends.  I can only assume that Facebook the business didn't realize what a cold reception that was.  My first posting (to no one) was a quote from Hunter S. Thompson.
I was shocked when a few days or so later someone sent me a friend request.  A previous acquaintance had found me after joining, this lead to a former coworker, recent coworkers and eventually friends (again, real).  By Facebook standards, I still have relatively few friends, and some of them aren't.  I suspect many Facebook Friends are as real as Casper the Ghost.

Like many people enjoying new things, I initially posted stuff frequently at first.  For most new users I encounter, this is typical.  The situation is reminiscent of the mid '90s where new PC owners became adept players of Microsoft Solitaire and Minesweeper (ahhh, windows 3.1).  There appear relatively few dedicated users who continue prolific Facebook posting.  I even had a Farmville Farm for the first six months or so.  Eventually my Farmville Farm began to feel like work instead of fun - always harvesting those damn crops, so I sold off everything and posted a sign in the middle of my farm saying it was seized for failure to pay taxes.  I kept the application active for quite some time until there was a Zynga permission change that I couldn't stomach.  Thankfully, I can turn off most Facebook game posts as they are absolute chaff (pun intended).

I now log on to Facebook about once a day.  My posts are fairly rare and likely to be nonsequiturs or hidden/vague references to things going on.  I do enjoy it as a way to see what people who I rarely see are up to, but it is often just a tool to joke or insult current friends and coworkers.  I have to be careful at times due to some of my "Friends" (young nephew, work management, etc.).  This is not a big deal since I won't post anything that I wouldn't care if the world saw with only minor embarrassment, and my profile picture is either a cryptic picture of me or a picture of something which tangentially references my mood.

What has Facebook Taught us?

1. Our lives are not that interesting.  After the initial burst after joining Facebook, there is only so much that can be said.  At times things said on Facebook are just extensions of what was said in person or "reshares" of what others have posted.  Most of our lives are dominated by the truly mundane and Facebook has demonstrated that in spades.
2. Other's lives are not that interesting, even people we thought might be interesting.  Everyone knows individuals who we thought held captivating lives.  Since there seems to be significant intersection between this group and the subgroup of prolific posters, we now know this is not true.  Compellingly interesting people do not have the animation to post much on Facebook.  Posting pictures of the perfect cherry-cheese danish or the endless quips of the children or pets serves to demonstrate the lack of honest activity.  
3. Even boring people are sometimes interesting.  Since I see things from people I often don't interact with closely, I've been fascinated by some of the hobbies people have or what some people do on vacation.  If most of our lives are dominated by the mundane, things like vacations or other big events or accomplishments can be really interesting and shared.  The corollary to the "Other's lives are not that interesting" is that there are likely interesting people who do not participate in Facebook.
4. Corporations are not our friends.  The "Like" function for companies serves as a tool to allow them to introduce more advertising in our lives.  I will at times "Like" a business for a short time for a specific purpose, but generally unlike later.  The "Coporations are not our friends" rule applies to Facebook as well.  Facebook as an entity is paid for by ads, which is fair since it is free for most of us.  But, it is not serving some altruistic purpose.  I personally do not believe I've ever clicked on a Facebook ad.  The constant threat of changing Facebook security and user agreements serves as a reminder of what Facebook the corporation is.
5. Businesses small enough to be personal can be be "Like"ed.  I have only a few business in the "Like" group and they really are companies I have a connection to.  The endless row of suggested companies continue to fall painfully flat.
6. Facebook (or any social media) is no substitute for real interaction.  My friends are people I see and talk with often or at least occasionally.  My Facebook "Friends" are people I may scan at times to see what they are up to.  If Facebook where honest, the Friend button should be destroyed and replaced with the "Acquaintance" button.

Facebook serves a purpose and has some redeeming attributes.  It is in a tough spot as a ad-based service holding on to what made it mildly interesting while also becoming corporate shill for other corporate shills.  Since the Facebook IPO which was largely seen as a travesty, the real profitability of the company seems to be ambiguous.  Facebook "Home" will become a terrifying development once it includes ads (and it will), making ads go from push to push harder.
Still, it has a long-term place in the Internet lexicon.  As people grow up with "Social Media" it will be interesting to see what happens to the entire genre as it continues to mature.
Like many people, I'm on the fence and would not lose much in my real life where it to go away.  Charge me for it?  Bye.  Continue making ads more prolific and doing so more deceptively?  Bye.  Change security settings in a way I'm uncomfortable with (to date, I think these threats are overblown)?  Bye.  I can't always remember why I even have an account.

For now, I guess it is worth the time of my life it currently consumes.

AFK

Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker

"I sat there a long time, and thought about a lot of things.  Foremost among them was the suspicion that my strange and ungovernable instincts might do me in before I had a chance to get rich.  No matter how much I wanted all those things that I needed money to buy, there was some devilish current pushing me off in another direction - toward anarchy and poverty and craziness.  That maddening delusion that a man can lead a decent life without hiring himself out as a Judas Goat."

From The Rum Diary by Hunter S Thompson

The college I went to starts classes earlier than most colleges.  As a result, it got out early and graduation was early.  I'm not sure what reminded me of this and I'm also not sure why I kept pondering this so many years later.  Eighteen years is not a significant anniversary.  Or, it isn't a number most would consider worthy of reflect.  Multiples of five get all the attention, why celebrate 25 years instead of setting the alarm clock for 6:47 in the morning.  I'm not sure why the snooze alarm on most clocks resets the alarm for nine minutes, but I appreciate that it isn't 10.

With another school year over for nameless and faceless students at my (or any) college, I'm struck by how small decisions can have huge consequences.  This may seem obvious in some cases - take a different route to the library and get in a car accident.  In other cases it is less obvious - if my first car had been something other than what it was, I might not have graduated college (there is a serpentine path that almost makes this a near certainty).  

What I didn't fully understand was how big some big decisions where at the time.  I'm sure this continues.

When I was nearing graduation, I started interviewing for jobs related to my degree.  I was working at the time as an auto mechanic and doing reasonably well at it.  Many of the job offers I was getting were for far less money than I could make as a mechanic.  College was looking like a poor financial decision for a time.

Then I got three job offers any of which I would have taken in the absence of the others.  They were still for less money than I was making, but long term prospects were better and as much as I like the hands-on work of auto-repair I knew I could make more.  I still sometimes miss the hands-on work, but I don't miss burning my hands on exhaust pipes.

I thought I really wanted to work for a large company, so I took the offer from the largest company and moved a few hundred miles away.  I didn't see it as a long-term or even an intermediate-term choice.  I saw it as something to start with, "I can always look for something else in a few years."

Nearly two decades later, I'm still at the same company.  I've moved around a bit, but the idea of quitting to find something else isn't so appealing in the current job market.  Looking at life in entirety it wouldn't even seem appealing in a good job market, although I know many people job hop often.  

Sometimes I think my job makes me crazy.  Sometimes I wonder how different things would be if I had taken one of the other offers.  Or stayed wrenchin'.  Could be better, or not...

This isn't necessarily a bad thing or a good thing - more ambivalent than anything else.  History is a grammar exercise where we find the present tense and the past perfect.

They just found the skeleton of a young woman a few miles away from my house.  She had been missing for about a year and a half.  She left her home in a nearby suburb with almost nothing and vanished, no note or sign of a struggle.  On reporting that the skeleton was found, the local news anchor said that "the mystery is solved" (it isn't) but that "nobody knows yet what happened" (someone does).  Odds are high it was someone close to her.  Stranger abductions are rare events.

According to the FBI, there are around 600,000 missing persons in the US in a year.  A surprising number of them are not runaway kids.  There are about as many "closed" missing persons cases a year as new ones. Closed can mean a skeleton at a dump site.  According to the Justice Department, at any one time there are approximately 100,000 missing persons cases and 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains.  Sorting through numbers on missing people from trustable sources is difficult without knowing the definitions used.  But, the numbers are staggering.  Over the course of a few years, hundreds of thousands of people disappear, never to be seen or heard from again.
And yet, anybody who is reading this (anybody who can read this) is in the most fortunate few relative to the 100-odd billion people to have ever lived.

There is a thread of craziness in everyone - I'm convinced.  The thread may never manifest itself outside of riding a roller-coaster, "...dare I eat a peach for the fuzz."  For most, there is a stronger bit of life mayhem which is probably healthy. 

In a small number of humans, the thread becomes a rope too strong to tear away from and the tug turns to a pull and goes in a terrible direction.  Read a few of the stories of the millions of missing persons and there is an unavoidable tendency to question humanity.  Read of some of the closed missing persons cases and the belief that depravity underlies many people is validated.  

Life is seen at the surface, but there is an undercurrent, often ugly, always present and generally unacknowledged.  

Looking back on the nearly two decades since graduation there are very few constants in my life.  One of the only constants though has been my Mr. Coffee coffee maker.  Thinking back, I think I bought the coffee maker in 1991, about this time of year after college classes ended when I moved into my first apartment.  I can't think of too many other things I had in 1991 that I still have now.

Since I bought my cheap 4-cup Mr. Coffee automatic drip coffee maker:

• I have moved seven times.
• I have had seven dogs (four I miss terribly, three I still have).
• I have had approximately 15 cars.
• I have had seven motorcycles.
• I have had at least six computers.
• I have been through approximately 39 states and 6 Canadian Provinces or Territories.
• I have had at least nine lawn mowers.
• Only three mobile phones.

• But one coffee maker.

My coffee tastes have changed from the cheapest robusta-laced coffee I could buy to decent national-brand coffees to coffee mixed with chicory to specialty bean-style coffees and "premium" (read slightly better) whole bean coffees.  Available for around $20 now, this old grubby coffee maker probably cost less than $10 when I bought it in 1991 within a few days of getting keys to my apartment.  With nearly daily use, it is hard to comprehend how much coffee this little guy has made.  Back of the envelope calculations suggest at least 1500 gallons.  

Have a hot cup of Peet's.