79F at 720 says “yes again, and harder too” for Houston.
I didn’t link directly to this story when it was reported, because I was waiting for more info, like why he was targeted at 330am. But now I’ll link to Peter and thru him to Ferfal….
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-nightmare-for-parents-and-sobering.html
““This is the worst kind of crime against a family,” Sheriff Troy Nehls said. “Three crooks forcing their way into a home in the middle of the night is appalling. To make matters worse, they accosted a 7-year-old child. They’re cowards, to say the least.”
Nehls said the father kept telling the intruders there was no money and to take jewelry or a car, but the masked men weren’t satisfied.”
Like peter and ferfal, I think we’ll see much more of this, as we have imported people from places where it is much more common, and despite the Dow doing well, the economy in general is still tough for most people.
So, what can you do?
Don’t flaunt wealth. Keep in mind that someone else considers wealth might be much less than what you do.
Be aware of your surroundings. LOOK for cars following you, LOOK for cars parked in your area with people in them. This guy was targeted. Someone found out where he lived. My neighbor that was at the Y while her home was burgled believes targeting is the only thing that makes sense. The staff at your local haunt may be trustworthy, or not. They may have a brother with a gang problem, or who is a junkie.
Vary your routine.
Harden you home. Lock the dang doors. Install simple upgrades to strengthen entrances. Install more complex upgrades if appropriate. [added some links below] LOOK at your home when you return from a trip– is anything out of place?
Harden your heart. Make the decision about your response ahead of time. It’s not just you or your money at risk. The cop calls the attackers “cowards” which is the same knee-jerk name calling as with terrorists. They are not cowards. They are a lot of things, but afraid isn’t one. Trusting in the goodwill of someone who has ALREADY threatened to hurt or kill you is a REALLY bad idea.
Arm yourself and become at minimum familiar with the use of the weapon. Better to get actual training in its use. Keep it close to hand. Your physical security measures are meant to delay attackers while you arm yourself.
Consider having “give up” money or jewelry. I have an envelop of cash in my desk drawer. It looks like more than it is, and is my “here, get out, it’s all I have” wad. Same for my money clip when I’m out of the house. I’m not suggesting “do whatever they say and you’ll be fine” but I AM suggesting that a level of compliance gains you time, space, and helps gauge their intent. It can also provide the distraction you need to defend yourself.
Beyond all this though, you need the mindset that this stuff happens. Right here in your town, in your home, in your area.
Like terror attacks, mass shootings, or natural disasters, IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU. Take steps.
nick
[edited to clean up the writing.]
I believe that Mr. Lynn has an anniversary of his exterior world arrival date today. Let’s all congratulate Mr. Lynn on being another year older on his slow progression to becoming an old man.
Another year close to a drooling idiot, Mr. Ray? lol!
Upgrading the entrance means more than just the front door. I can’t tell you how many steel doors with expensive bolt locks I’ve seen mounted to soft pine door frames with a full length glass window on either side.
“Upgrading the entrance means more than just the front door”
yes! I’ll look for some of the previous discussion with OFD about this. There are lots of simple things, that don’t require a lot of skill or money, that you can do to make it harder on the crooks, without looking like a bunker.
The key is a systems approach, or layers as in “defense in depth.”
n
Another year close to a drooling idiot
Gettin’ old ain’t that much fun, but neither is the alternative.
I carry an extra bandana nowadays.
REposted from a while ago:
Nick Flandrey says:
27 July 2016 at 11:48 (Edit)
@OFD
“we need to replace/reinforce the front and back doors/frames/strike plates and hinges. ”
Don’t wait. At the very least, take 10 minutes and replace a couple of the short screws in each piece of metal (hinge etc) with longer screws- 3″ deck screws or “structural” screws in preference to drywall screws. But if all you have is drywall screws use them. (Drywall screws are hard and brittle, and are relatively easy to shear or break, deck screws or structurals are stronger.)
This is a very simple upgrade and takes very little time or money.
Next step is to reinforce the strike plate and (possibly) the door around the lockset. If your door hardware and door were installed in the last 30 years, a strikeplate or metal sleeve for the door should fit without any work. They are cheap too, and easy to install. (Dave, I know your’s isn’t, but an off the shelf plate might still work.)
https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Line-Products-10385-Accommodates-Centers/dp/B00D2K33NG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1469633391&sr=8-5&keywords=door+strike+plate
https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Line-Products-10539-Reinforcer-Stainless/dp/B006GDULOK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469633578&sr=8-2&keywords=door+reinforcement+plate
full reinforcement:
https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Line-Products-11026-Reinforcement-Construction/dp/B00FB29LZW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1469633596&sr=8-3&keywords=door+reinforcement+plate
If your hinge pins are on the outside (door opens outward) you can replace the hinges with non-removable pins or retrofit this:
https://www.amazon.com/HINGEMATETM-DOOR-SECURITY-PINS-PACK/dp/B01HRPW5D0/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1469633455&sr=8-8&keywords=security+hinge+pin
Which is easy and quick and cheap.
If your door is non-standard, and none of the door jamb reinforcement strike plates work for you, it’s pretty straightforward to make your own. I had to do this for my front door.
A piece of flat steel, about 3 ft long, 1 1/4 inch by < 1/8"thick, a 1" metal cutting hole saw, and a 1/8" drill bit for the screw holes, and a bigger bit or a countersink bit to recess the screws, and bob's your uncle. Hold it up to your door jamb, mark for the strike and deadbolt locations, lay out some screw holes (a bunch, spread out) and do the drilling. Most of the door openings I've looked at have plenty of room for the metal strip without recessing it into the wood. Install with long screws. Total project cost should be about $40 if you own the drill. I've commented before on the aftermath of a door kick daylight burglary of my rental house. The wooden jamb held up pretty well, the deadbolt wedged into the metal strike plate, and the force basically PULLED the deadbolt out of the door (along the axis of the bolt). The door was destroyed by the area around the lockset 'folding' but the actual failure was the deadbolt pulling out. I've since upgraded the jamb, added a long strike plate, and replaced the hollow core door with a solid wood, steel skinned door (with a beautiful TX star glass insert) and a security storm door. NONE of the upgrades are visible from the street. I was able to do the install work, and I got the door at Habitat (new but discounted), but had to buy the security storm door at retail from Lowes. It wasn't a cheap upgrade but it made the tenants feel safe again, and was far less than the cost of the stolen property. nick That was one of those days with a lot of good comments too https://www.ttgnet.com/journal/2016/07/27/wednesday-27-july-2016/
or this day:
https://www.ttgnet.com/journal/2015/04/10/friday-10-april-2015/
If anyone is interested in the mish mash of word salad that purports to be thoughtful commentary, this article hits most of the points.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/affordable-housing/colonialism-and-the-lost-indigenous-housing-designs-20180528
“what she calls “re-operationalizing their traditional homes” in a modern context. ”
Maybe I don’t have the cultural referents, but the article makes little sense to me.
And then there is this piece of racist garbage:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/my-life-changing-switch-to-only-tv-shows-that-feature-real-black-lives-20180607
“Zenobia Jeffries posted Jun 07, 2018
Three years ago, I made a commitment to watch only television shows that featured Black actors, writers, and directors.”
—-
“What those television shows of my youth told me was this: To be White—or, hell, just to be around White people—was to be struggle-free, to be happy. ”
—-
“So, along with mainstream America, I continued to watch mostly White people living their lives. And a disturbingly consistent storyline emerged: the traditional White male narrative (TWMN). The White man as hero—father, lover, soldier, as creative, as humorous, as resourceful, the problem-solver. The White man as savior with justified violence. The White woman as every man’s desire, sometimes a damsel in distress, sometimes a badass who could keep up with her man.”
—
“So three years ago, I made the commitment. I turned to shows that I believe told the truth, or at least a more realistic version of the truth when it comes to social issues—and Black people, period. I would only watch shows created by filmmakers of color or shows featuring Black actors navigating their TV world similarly to the way in which we navigate our real world. ”
—-
“All single, all brilliant, all attractive—and all brown-skinned, often with natural hairdos to boot.”
—-
“When I reflect on the role media, specifically television, have played in my life, I recognize that I’d been programmed to value Whiteness and devalue Blackness. And if I can feel this way as a Black person, then, of course, White people can, too.
We’ve all been programmed for Whiteness. I think it’s high time we all deprogram ourselves.
Try my experiment yourself. See the fullness of Black lives.”
n
I believe that Mr. Lynn has an anniversary of his exterior world arrival date today. Let’s all congratulate Mr. Lynn on being another year older on his slow progression to becoming an old man.
Thanks ! My 58th time around the sun. Or does that begin at gestation so I am at 58 years and 9 months around the sun ?
Mum told me the other day that I was five years earlier than their plan. That worked out much better for them than the one who was born at five years as he is a freaking nightmare (my youngest brother). I am somewhat compliant, my youngest brother is in rebellion against everything in creation.
Like peter and ferfal, I think we’ll see much more of this, as we have imported people from places where it is much more common, and despite the Dow doing well, the economy in general is still tough for most people.
I have not figured out where this happened yet but it is very unnerving as it was probably less than ten miles away from the house.
And torturing a kid is a new low for home invaders.
The sheriff will find them eventually. There may be 760,000 people living in this county now but he is very dedicated to his job of keeping us safe. I would be willing to bet two cents that the invaders are connected to the invadees somehow. Either through an employee or a friend of a friend.
@Nick, after trying to read the yes(meansno)magazine links in your comment I have quite the headache. Never has so little been said by so much.
So let’s revive mud huts and buffalo skin teepees with no sanitation, learn how to live in a ghetto hovel, and have no sense of ambition or personal responsibility.
Trump’s immigration policy does not go far enough, it also needs to apply to the teat-suckers that live here now. For those Democrat-Liberal-Progressives (DLPs) that espouse a lifestyle other than “the American Dream” provide them with a one-way no return allowed ticket to the country we (the Deplorables) want to send them to; like Somalia, Venezuela, North Korea…
“A.F. Branco Cartoon – It’s Our Time”
https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-it-our-time/
Yup, you will never see that cover on the magazine formerly known as Time.
So let’s revive mud huts and buffalo skin teepees with no sanitation, learn how to live in a ghetto hovel, and have no sense of ambition or personal responsibility.
At this rate of illegal immigration, the USA is going to become South Africa.
https://nypost.com/2018/06/27/ocasio-cortez-wants-to-be-president-mom-says/
The only thing better with the cartoon would be tRump peeing on the donkey.
Newly emboldened Commie Cortez has already said she is down with impeaching tRump and opening the borders. Constitutional scholar, not, probably hasn’t even read the rag that represents the FUSA. You know, the country where she is free to say shit like that.
I’m greatly enjoying the DLP meltdown. Like known scholar “Whoopie” Goldberg: “Stay out of my behind, stay out of my vagina.” Kennedy is 81 and apparently can’t retire. He supported the LGBTQXYZ/BLM community for decades. Not good enough, so he gets eviscerated. My favorite DLP comment so far: “There are only two choices left. Put on a Nazi uniform or report to the deathcamp.” The response from a Deplorable: “I shouldn’t tell you this, but there is no WiFi at the deathcamp.” Lol!
And Dennis Miller:
I’m pretty sure Justice Ginsburg will still be going strong at the end of Trump’s first term and probably even at the end of his second term. Maybe even at the end of Pence’s first term. Not so sure about the end of Pence’s second term/beginning of Ivanka’s first term.
H/T Twitchy
At this rate of illegal immigration, the USA is going to become South Africa.
The Death of Johannesburg
The Incredible Ruins Of Detroit
Going to?
ADDED: But there may yet be a ray of hope: For ‘Migrants’ and ‘Asylum’ Spoofers, the Party’s Nearly Over
I’m pretty sure Justice Ginsburg will still be going strong at the end of Trump’s first term and probably even at the end of his second term. Maybe even at the end of Pence’s first term. Not so sure about the end of Pence’s second term/beginning of Ivanka’s first term.
She’ll still be around for Barron’s first term. 22 years? Easy.
Ginsburg never struck me as a true believer early on.
Sonia Sotomayor is the Justice that scares me the most. Have you seen her comments in her dissents? She’s under the impression she sits the bench in the nation’s highest court to be a judicial robe-wearing SJW. Hey Sonia, nobody is interested in your speculation about the social impact of a decision. We’re interested in your expert interpretation of evidence, facts, US law, and the Constitution.
SCOTUS Justices should all be cold-hearted originalists.
Sonia Sotomayor is the Justice that scares me the most. Have you seen her comments in her dissents? She’s under the impression she sits the bench in the nation’s highest court to be a judicial robe-wearing SJW. Hey Sonia, nobody is interested in your speculation about the social impact of a decision. We’re interested in your expert interpretation of evidence, facts, US law, and the Constitution.
Sotomayor was specifically put on the bench to be the “Wise Latina” SJW.
She’s doing exactly what Obama intended as is Justice Hermione Granger Kagan.
I guarantee both of those picks were personally selected by Valerie Jarrett. The sad part about the Rosanne Barr meltdown is that Jarrett is even less likely now to ever be held accountable for her antics while advising Obama.
Kagan reminds me more of Kathy Bates – especially that movie where she’s more like Norman Bates.
Kagan reminds me more of Kathy Bates – especially that movie where she’s more like Norman Bates.
“Misery” ???
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misery_(film)
I turned it off when she started sawing the guy’s leg off. Or maybe I am thinking of another equally horrible movie.
Just got back, scanner has a drug buyer moving to a buy location while under surveillance.
The officer says he’ll “Put the address on whatsapp” so they know where they’re all going, even if they lose the suspect!
n
I can see justices disagreeing about the intent of a word, clause, or phrase in a law or even an article in the constitution. I do, however, expect them to stick to the letter of the law. That is their jobs. If they want to change things, they should be legislators.
What’s so frickin’ hard about understanding that there are THREE branches and each has a different job?
edit: F’rinstance – the speed limit on 12th street is 35 mph. Officers of the law are supposed to enforce that, not decide whether or not it’s fair. It’s the judge’s job to ensure that the law is applied fairly. It’s council’s job to keep the law and change it if necessary.
Let’s all congratulate Mr. Lynn on being another year older on his slow progression to becoming an old man.
BTW, get off my lawn !
I just want them to “enforce” the Constitution as written. It’s not a “living document”. The meaning of the assorted English words therein haven’t changed in the last 200 years.
Want an amendment? Then get one done. Stop defining what “is” “is”.
I’m grumpy. The crick in my neck was almost gone and wow, while I thought I slept good last night, I can hardly look to the right. Or up, at an airplane and then right. Oh well, while I need a haircut, it’s handy to pick my head up with a hand. 🙂
I have to dig a grave this weekend. First, I have to mow the area. Not huge, 60# dog size. Prepping! Payton is a boxer, almost 16, and her back legs are going out. Mostly her left hind leg. But she is managing. Seems happy and has a good appetite. She’ll let me know when it’s time. It is what it is.
Snowflake… 🙂
Happy Birthday to Mr. OFL. !!!
That’s Old Fart, not ….
Kids these days, nothing but lazy complainers……..
said every old guy since forever 🙂
n
https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/EDGE
Very cool idea.
n
Did not know we had these:
”
Protective Security Advisors
The Department of Homeland Security, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Office of Infrastructure Protection operates the Protective Security Advisor (PSA) Program. PSAs are trained critical infrastructure protection and vulnerability mitigation subject matter experts who facilitate local field activities in coordination with other Department of Homeland Security offices. They also advise and assist state, local, and private sector officials and critical infrastructure facility owners and operators.”
https://justnet.org/uas/index.html
The officer says he’ll “Put the address on whatsapp” so they know where they’re all going, even if they lose the suspect!
Whatsapp. Geesh. The police aren’t that bright where you live.
They are chatting away on an open frequency, repeated across the whole of south texas…..
n
Erf… I’m currently frustrated with younger son. At the age of 21, he’s just totally unmotivated – and unmotivatable – to get off his duff and _do_ something. He’s in summer vacation now, but managed to never look for a summer job. Doesn’t visit friends, doesn’t have hobbies, he’s just…there. Happy to do anything you ask of him, but never initiates anything. Sort of like a potted plant.
Over the past year or two I’ve tried everything I can think of: supportive, demanding, you name it. We even sent him in for a medical evaluation. He swears he’s not depressed; he just doesn’t know what to do with himself. I’ve suggested finding some open source project to contribute to, because he’s a good programmer, but even looking for one is apparently too much effort.
Lately, it’s gotten even worse – his personal hygiene is suffering. Sure, I could tell him to go take a shower and get a haircut, and he would even willingly do it. But…WTF?
That is weird. My only experience is myself and friends, but nothing matches.
If he’s not depressed, and there is no organic reason (lead poisoning, head trauma, brain tumor), I’ve got no idea. It’s weird that he’ll act with direction, but not without.
n
My Dad told me where the door was. I wound up joining the Army as I was out of ideas. It was a choice I HAD to make for myself.
User gripe: A user gets a message telling him there is danger ahead. User complains to IT that he’s getting an error message. Why is he getting an error message? Why can’t IT make it stop?
Don’t pee on an electric fence. How hard could that be? Do you want me to take the sign down?
Brad, I believe the moralistic answer to your son’s malaise is, too much porn.
(And now you have that thought in your head. LOL I suck. No, wait, totally wrong idiom in this context.)
I think it’s a collision between economics and our instincts. Most people don’t really put any effort in unless pushed by either another person or by need. All the basic needs are met for members of the middle class, so some fraction doesn’t have any drive to do anything. I don’t know if that hits young adults more than other ages or if I just notice it more in them. Some grow out of it; I don’t know if most do.
Solutions include a few years of military service and finding him a girlfriend who has goals and thinks he can help her to achieve them. In both cases you’re out-sourcing the pushing. I don’t know which option is more painful.
@SteveF: No, I’ve thought of that possibility too. But I actually don’t think so. He also games a lot, but he games “because he doesn’t know what else to do”.
Life is too easy? That’s likely part of the explanation. He’s in a tough university, and just floating through. He gets decent grades without trying. He doesn’t have to work (and avoided looking for a summer job, despite parental pressure). We’ve discussed taking a really hard line, but that’s a one-way street – if we go that way, we cannot just back off a month later.
And it really is more than just laziness. He himself is very bothered by his malaise. He wants to be involved, to care about things, but he just can’t. Hence, I’m pretty convince that this is some sort of low-level, chronic depression. Hence, the medical screening, which came out negative. Maybe we need a second opinion.
Military service…um… He did a solid year of military “service”. They saw he had computer skills, assigned him to a unit that was responsible for managing some computer resources. Turned out, the unit was vastly overstaffed for what they did (empire building), so he spent a solid year solving Rubik’s cubes. That may actually have been the the beginning of the problem.
I do appreciate the suggestions, and will happily take any more thoughts that come your way. We’re certainly at wits end…
Uh, what? -blink- Waitaminute. Are you actually soliciting ideas? From me? Have you learned nothing in the years we’ve both been commenting on this blog? My ideas usually start with murder and then take a sharp turn toward genocide. Either you’ve had a lapse in sensibility or you’re truly desperate.
re the military service suggestion, I’d written and then deleted (for reasons not now clear in my mind) a paragraph going into some depth on my thoughts. One was that most European militaries are to be avoided because they’re just play soldiers headed by relatively junior bureaucrats as a stepping stone to more important positions like the Ministry of Taxation. However, your kids are dual US citizens, IIRC, and a few years in, say, the USAF might be time well spent. I have no idea of what legal issues or other obligations that would entail.
re the pushy girlfriend suggestion, it wasn’t entirely facetious. It’s along the ideas of the old saying “Behind every great man is a woman”. The common wisdom was that the wife would have goals or aspirations and would push or inspire the husband to reach them. I don’t think it was very true, but there’s enough truth to at least think about. I’ve seen something along those lines work several times in people I know; the couples were successful in material or career terms but I have no idea how happy they were with each other.
A variant on To-Do lists would get him through the day, if applied with self-discipline, and might kick him out of the doldrums. Have him write a “To do today” list with just two items: something useful and “Make tomorrow’s list”, and set the expectation that he’ll accomplish everything on the list. As time goes, increase the number and scope of the tasks.
Along the same lines, there are books and seminars on goal setting and planning.
OK, everyone else, much against my nature I’ve been trying to be actually helpful rather than presenting poison pills disguised as reasonable ideas. Let’s hear someone else chime in.
SteveF may be right about the list, but it didn’t work for me. I get most things done when they have to be done. What really gets me going is doing things I like to do, and things that have to be done NOW. Neither is great, but both work.
I got a lot done after the military by learning to program. It was difficult enough that it was a challenge, and the results were interesting enough that I got satisfaction out of getting it done. Over the years I’ve grown bored several times and moved to new careers. Programmer, teacher, analyst, network admin, woodworker, race timer. Every one of them is challenging and technical, which suits me well.
So what excites your son? What does he find challenging? Hint: Gaming ain’t it. Find something challenging and satisfying. That and some solid fear might motivate him enough to get going.
Fear? I fear embarrassment, hunger, cold, rejection, and death. I work to avoid those things.
I got a lot of good out of the Navy Nuclear Power Program and Submarine Service. I got a lot of “book learning” during the 6 years of college-level engineering that the Navy crammed into 6-months of classroom and another several years of actual operational experience crammed into the second 6-months, not to mention the other specialized training I got beforehand in Electrician’s Mate A-School. Because I was 1st in my all my classes I got to write my own ticket as far as where I went for duty. I’ll take life onboard a submarine any day over a target (surface craft). There is no “skating” (goofing off, shirking work) on a submarine. It is amazing how much there is to do while cruising around the world’s oceans. Even though some would consider that I got a “specialized education and experience” in the Navy it actually helped by critical thinking, acceptance of responsibility, and gave me the confidence to tackle anything.
SteveF: Uh, what? -blink- Waitaminute. Are you actually soliciting ideas? From me? Have you learned nothing in the years we’ve both been commenting on this blog?
Well, it was against my better judgment 🙂
Seriously, thanks for the input. A couple of ideas worth mulling over. We’re having a sit-down tonight, be interesting to see what comes up in conversation…
@brad, it also occurred to me that there are ‘x prize’ style challenges online. There are places you can look to find problems that need solving, and then attempt to solve the issue. On a smaller scale, there is electronic piece work, like ask and expert, or amazon’s Turk….
n