Kat really needs our help

 

Late last month, I wrote about Kat Ainsworth Stevens.

She's a friend and occasional member of the North Texas Troublemakers, and an active gun writer - you've probably read articles by her if you read gun mags or several well-known Internet sites.  When last I wrote about her, she was facing imminent surgery for breast cancer, and since she's a free-lancer, she doesn't have medical insurance to help.

She's had her surgery, which was massive - double mastectomy, every lymph gland in sight, all that sort of thing.  She's recovering from it at present, and is facing both radiation and chemotherapy to knock down any remaining traces of the cancer.  To make matters worse, her four-year-old son developed some sort of intestinal disorder that required him to be hospitalized as well:  but Kat can't visit him much, because her wounds are still draining and the risk of infection is simply too great.  That's a very tough row to hoe.

Kat's received her first bill from the hospital.  It's well into the five-figure bracket, and it won't be the last, either, what with chemical and radiological therapy still to come.  Her friends have therefore organized a raffle for a Foxtrot Mike Ranch Rifle (description at link).

The one on offer in the raffle has been upgraded even further, making it a very desirable firearm.  Click the link to see it in more detail, with more and larger images, and enter for the raffle.  Any donation up to $100, no matter how small, gets one ticket, and multiple tickets are given for larger donations - details at the link.

Kat's good people, and deserves our help.  Please donate whatever you can afford, either to the raffle, or (if you prefer) to the original GiveSendGo fundraiser, which is still in operation.

Thanks, friends.

Peter

A friend needs our help

 

Many of you have doubtless read articles in gun magazines and related publications by Kat Hel.  Lately she's written under her married name of Katherine Ainsworth Stevens.  She's a friend to most of us in the North Texas Troublemakers, and to my wife and I.  She visited our home just a week ago.

Kat has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and it's the nasty kind.  She's to undergo a double mastectomy within weeks, followed by reconstructive surgery and all the cancer-related treatments (chemotherapy, possibly radiation therapy, and so on).  She has to handle all this while coping with a four-year-old son and a husband who's himself undergoing treatment for a long-term condition, and is thus less able to help.  It's a hell of a load on her shoulders.  To make matters worse, Kat is a free-lance writer.  She doesn't have medical insurance, and has to pay for all the costs involved out of her (minuscule) savings - which are already exhausted.  The hospital is helping as best it can, but the specialists involved are demanding their pound of flesh (you should pardon the expression) in cash.

A friend of Kat's has launched a GiveSendGo fundraiser for her medical expenses.  Dorothy and I have already contributed separately, as have many of our friends.  She needs a lot of money, so I'm boosting the signal here.  If you're able to help Kat, she's good people and deserves our aid.  Please click over to her fundraiser and contribute whatever you can.  It'll be money well spent.

Thanks in advance, friends.

Peter

A heartfelt "Thank you!" to my generous readers

 

In early October I asked for your help for James and Tirzah Burns, two friends of long standing.  James had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic disease, and was in hospital, and another friend had launched a fundraiser to help them with related expenses.  Many thanks to those who donated.

Sadly, James' illness was too far advanced.  He died on October 29th.  I mentioned it in these pages, and again asked for your help for the family with funeral and other expenses.  Again, some readers were generous, and helped a great deal.

Tirzah is now dealing with all the post-funeral bureaucratic paperwork, and preparing their two children for life without Dad at home.  It's going to be tough for them.  Despite all the distractions and the pain of her loss, she sent me this brief text message this morning:  "Peter, please thank your readers for me for such kind donations".  Together, we helped her keep the family afloat, financially speaking, while James was no longer able to earn a living, and now his life insurance and other assistance are in the process of kicking in (once all the paperwork is done).  They should be able to cope for several months at least.

I'd like to add my personal thanks to Tirzah's.  She's good people, as are her children.  My wife and I hope to have them visit us sometime soon, to relax and get over the stress of the past few months.  They're definitely the kind of people worthy of our support.

Peter

Sad news

 

Regular readers will remember my bleg a few weeks ago to help James and Tirzah Burns.  James was suffering from pancreatic and other problems, and was in a bad way.  I linked to a GiveSendGo fundraiser for them.

Sadly, James didn't make it.  His illness was too far advanced.  He went home last week under hospice care, and died yesterday afternoon.

Tirzah is left with their two young children, a son and a daughter, and now has to take care of all the arrangements for the funeral and a host of legal paperwork.  James was the family breadwinner, so there's also the question of how the family will earn a living in future.  My wife and I love and highly respect Tirzah, so we're sure she'll be working hard to find solutions, but to lose one's "other half" is . . . well, to call it "traumatic" is a massive understatement!  She's got a very big load on her shoulders for the next few months.

If you're able, please click over to their fundraiser and help the family with even a small amount.  Every little helps.

May James rest in God's peace, and may his sins be forgiven him.

Peter

Giving, and the mentality of giving

 

A few days ago I asked readers to support two friends, James and Tirzah Burns, as James struggles with very serious illness.  Thank you to all who responded.

One respondent, Boron, said this in a comment.

It tears at my heart not to be able to be as free with my money (provide to those in need) as I had been was while I was workng.

Whatever money I've put away; we need it most now that I'm retired with disabilities.

The pennies that have fallen through the cracks we use to provide the little extras for our children, particularly in these times.

The remainder we're putting aside for our grandchildren's education.

It is all the more painful for me as a Jew aware of my obligations: tzedakah and more particularly, gemilut chasadim.

The more important question of course, invades my conscience: "Do I take the crumbs from my childrens' mouths to feed a stranger?"

I often wonder what will be my answer to Him.

I've had some long discussions with friends and acquaintances about giving to others;  when it is (or perhaps is not) appropriate, how much one can/should give in relation to what one has or earns, deciding who or what causes deserve our contribution and which do not, and all that sort of thing.  It's been interesting to develop a way of looking at giving that isn't bound to any one religious faith or secular philosophy, but rather to the simple fact of living as a human being.  Here's how I look at it.

I begin by acknowledging the many times I've needed help - and not only economically, either:  emotional support, advice, encouragement, all are "help".  From there, it follows logically that if I have needed help, I should be prepared to offer help to those who need it, because they are human beings, too.  The nature, kind and amount of that help are, of course, open to discussion.  For example, I won't help an alcoholic or drug addict buy more of the poisons that feed their addiction, and I won't give them money to buy those things for themselves.  I will, however, buy them food, and help them get to a place where they can get the physical, mental and spiritual help they need to change their lives (e.g. the Salvation Army).

There are those who object that by refusing to help them do what they want to do, I'm in effect judging them, forcing them into moral or ethical compartments with which they might not agree.  I guess that's right - but by not exercising judgment, by helping them continue with their self-destructive behavior, I would be contributing to the inevitable end of such moral laissez-faire:  their demise.  I won't accept such co-responsibility;  I can't, due to my own moral code.  If that doesn't satisfy some critics, well, I'm sorry about that.  They can help in whatever way seems good to them, and I'll do likewise.

What worries me more than such questions is the number of people today who seem to regard it as a weakness to support anyone.  What's theirs is theirs, and they don't see why they should share it, particularly if they might have to delay or postpone something they want in order to spend their money, or time, or talents on someone else's need.  The concept of giving as a duty, as a way of life, seems foreign to them.  That stands in stark contrast to the unknown sage who said:

“I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing that I can do, to any fellow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it; for I will not pass this way again.”

All those points, of course, can be made irrespective of any religious background.  To a Christian, the Bible is filled with admonitions and encouragements to give what one has to help those who have not, and to support one another in the trials and tribulations of life.  Many regard those obligations as fulfilled by contributing to the collection in church on Sunday.  Fortunately, many more go further than that.

My own personal approach to giving starts by thanking God for the many blessings I've been given, some without requests to others, others as a result of asking for help (the most recent example of which being my bleg for help with medical bills last month).  That leads to a direct corollary:  if I hope and expect to receive help when I need it, I must be ready and willing to offer help when others need it.  It's like two halves of the same coin.  I may not be able to offer as much as another person needs, or the precise form of help they need, but I'll get as close to it as I can.  My wife and I don't "tithe" as such;  we rather say that our money is there to meet our needs and those that the good Lord puts in our path.  Some months we may give very little to others.  Other months we may donate a lot more than a tithe.  It all depends what needs present themselves, whether or not we feel led to respond, and our current ability to do so.  However, it's a fundamental rule for us that we should always be willing to respond as best we can.  If we try to hold on to everything we have, why should we expect others to be any different?

It's also true, of course, that we can't possibly meet most of the needs around us.  We're not rich, and are unlikely ever to be so.  Therefore, we donate according to what is practical and possible for us, and trust the good Lord to make up that which we cannot.

A final thought.  I think we would all do well to develop a "mindset of giving".  This is where we look around us, at people and activities close to us, and ask how we can contribute.  There may be nobody needing help with hospital bills, or trying to rebuild their home after a fire;  but our local small-town library may need funds raised, or our old folks' center wants money to upgrade their facility.  A few dollars from enough people can help them a lot.  If we actively look to pick just one project or need each month, and support it with a few dollars or a couple of hours of work, that's a start.  It puts us in the right mind-set to recognize larger needs when they arrive, and be willing to consider helping to meet them.  We don't just dismiss them out of hand, or casually disregard them.  If we all did that, I think a lot more of us would be willing to help out in all sorts of ways that we currently don't think about.

Hope I didn't bore you with this diversion into the weeds.  I just thought Boron's point, and similar comments made by a couple of other readers, deserved further attention.  I'll be interested to read your own perspective(s) in Comments.

Peter

Another bleg for two dear friends

 

Tirzah and James Burns are close friends of my wife and myself.  If I recall correctly, we met Tirzah even before she met James.  I officiated at their wedding in 2013, and baptized their son and daughter a few years later at Libertycon in Chattanooga, where they live.

James has developed severe problems with his pancreas, to the point that a few weeks ago, doctors weren't certain whether he'd be able to survive them.  They've managed to get things back into some sort of balance, but there's a long way still to go.  Meanwhile, of course, James' income has dried up.  We and other friends have helped as best we can, but more is needed.

Oleg Volk, also a long-standing friend of the Burns, has therefore started a fundraiser for their medical and other expenses.  May I ask you to help the Burns family in their great need?  They're very good people, and are beloved of Dot and I.  Thanks in advance.

Peter

It's hard to find enough ways to say "Thank you!"

 

On September 8th I launched a fund-raising campaign to help pay for some major surgeries I've got coming up, where insurance coverage (at least in the short term) is doubtful.  I set a target of $50,000, which I thought wasn't likely to be reached, but it was the amount needed:  so I took a deep breath, said a prayer, and set off with that goal in mind.  My wife and I have raised a similar amount through taking out a second mortgage on our home, and we'll also draw down our savings to make up any shortfall.

To my utter astonishment (and very great relief and gratitude), the fun-raising target was reached just one week later, on September 15th.  There have been a few donations since then, so that the amount raised currently stands at over $56,000.  I feel very humbled to realize that so many of you like my work enough to support me so powerfully.  I've run out of ways to say "Thank you!"

I'm going into hospital later this week for the first of my surgeries.  Thanks to your support, it's fully paid for, so the hospital won't have to threaten me with reinsertion of the bits they remove if I can't pay!  I'll leave the fundraiser up until the end of September, to allow any late donations to be processed, then shut it down.

Thanks again, friends.  God bless you all.

Peter

A very heartfelt "Thank you!!!" to my readers and friends

 

Last week on Monday my wife and I launched a fundraiser for my medical expenses.  I explained at the time that they're expected to total well over $100,000, possibly twice that.  We've been saving as best we can, and have taken out a second mortgage on our home, but we were still facing a big shortfall.  We set a fundraising target of $50,000.

To our surprise and great relief, you've responded very generously indeed.  As I write these words, the fundraiser stands at $49,236.  I expect we'll reach our target today or tomorrow, if this keeps up.  After the IRS takes its share and other expenses are met, we should get about $35,000 out of this campaign.  This is a huge relief to us, and gives us greater confidence that we can cope with the bills to come.

It's been suggested to us that we should raise the target to a higher figure, but that seems a bit cheesy somehow.  Yes, the total bills may be quite a bit higher, but we don't know that for sure yet (it'll take months to have any certainty), and we don't want to appear greedy.  We're more than grateful for what we've already received.  We'll probably leave the fundraiser open until the end of September to give late responders a chance to join in, and then close it down at whatever the level is then.  Meanwhile, if you would please continue to mention the fundraiser now and again to your friends and contacts on social media, we'll appreciate that very much.

We thank God for all of you, and for your great generosity.

Peter

Asking for your help, dear readers

 

Regular readers will know that I've been battling multiple health issues for almost 3 years.  They led to an interruption in writing books, because I simply couldn't concentrate well enough to produce what I consider acceptable work.  I've also been blogging less frequently, for the same reason.

Last year I underwent four kidney procedures in an effort to overcome nephrotic syndrome, which first revealed itself as a severe case of hydronephrosis.  The situation was not helped by an incompetent urologist who subjected me to three procedures and then declared me cured.  He was wrong.  Fortunately, I could feel things still weren't right and insisted on a second opinion, which led to a fourth procedure to see what could be salvaged.  Sadly, although the last procedure brought temporary relief, it couldn't resurrect my right kidney;  so, later this month, it's coming out.  I hope that'll be the end of my kidney problems.  (Humans can live with only one kidney, provided it works normally;  so I'll be hoping for the best!)

About three years ago my partly disabling spinal injury, suffered more than two decades ago, began to give me more trouble:  increased pain (lately greatly increased), impaired mobility, and other issues.  Treating this has been complicated (understatement!) by legal issues.  The original injury was work-related, and treated by workers compensation;  but they closed the case in due course, and aren't about to reopen it unless it can be proved beyond doubt that any new problems are directly and immediately related to that injury.  Medical insurance, on the other hand, insist that since there's an older work-related injury in the same area as my current problems, the two must obviously be related, so workers comp should be paying for treatment.  I'm caught in the middle fighting two different sets of bureaucrats, both of which want to ensure that they don't pay for anything.  Lawyers are now involved, and it'll almost certainly have to be dealt with in court in due course.  However, treatment can't wait until the paperwork stops flying.

My wife and I have taken steps as best we can to carry the load so far.  We've mobilized our savings, and taken out a second mortgage on our home.  A very generous reader also donated a significant amount of money last year, which helped us pay for one of the surgical procedures on my kidney.  However, even after all of that, we're still facing a very large medical bill this year (possibly running into next year).  Spinal surgery is very expensive.  The lowest quote I've been able to get (hospitals being notoriously reticent to provide actual cost numbers in advance) is $49,625 for the surgery alone (i.e. surgeon's fees, anesthesia, use of operating theater, etc.), excluding:

• Diagnostic costs;
• Hardware or implants that may be required;
• Overnight or longer hospital stays;
• Post-surgical rehabilitation and physical therapy;
• The cost of treating any complications that may result.

All those expenses are over and above the surgery, and also for our account.  Total costs may exceed $80,000, according to those who've been through this before.  (I emphasize again that this is the lowest quote I've been able to obtain.  Others are significantly higher, exceeding six figures in all.  "Medical tourism" may be a cheaper alternative, but high-quality medical care remains expensive, even in the Third World.  Furthermore, long flights with a newly-repaired spine are sure to be very uncomfortable, and may be medically inadvisable.)

Therefore, I'm turning to you, dear readers.  If you enjoy this blog, and/or you've enjoyed my books, will you please consider helping us meet these expenses?  We've done our best to meet them according to our abilities, but even using the lowest quoted costs, we're going to be up to $50,000 short.  (If we eventually get something from either workers comp or medical insurance to pay some or all of our expenses, we'll use that to clear any remaining medical debt, then donate the rest to help someone else in our position.  We're far from alone in dueling with medical bureaucracies, we know!)

We've started a fundraiser at GiveSendGo, which appears to be one of the most honest and reliable services of its kind.  You can click on the link provided, or on the top link in the sidebar of this blog, to be taken there.  My wife and I will be very grateful for any support you can provide.

Thanks, friends.  God bless you all.

Peter

Will you please help two very good people?

 

My wife and I have been friends with Jason and Amanda Fuesting for a long time.  Amanda has been trying to become pregnant after many health and other issues, including artificial insemination, but nothing has worked.  She's also just learned that there's a "suspicious" growth that may involve cancer:  she's undergoing a biopsy today to find out what it is.

All those medical issues have left the Fuestings with some top-heavy medical bills.  We're contributing to help them, because they're very good people who deserve it (quite apart from the fact that we both like them!).  I'll be very grateful if you, dear readers, will consider helping them as well.  They have a GiveSendGo fund-raiser:  click over there to make your donation.  Every little helps!

I think, in today's economic circumstances, we're all likely at some time to need our friends to make it over hurdles like these.  The Golden Rule applies:  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".  If we hope to receive help when we need it, it's incumbent on us to help others when they need it.  I hope that together, we can get Jason and Amanda over this financial hump, and back to normal.

Thanks for your help.

Peter

A fundraiser I'm supporting

 

Courtesy of author and friend Michael Z. Williamson, I learned of a fundraiser by Keith DeCandido and Shoshana Edwards to help pay for some really nasty medical bills.  They write:

Shoshana Edwards, the author of the Harper's Landing series (Easy as Pie, Madness of Trees, Death Lives in the Water, Deathly Waters, The Secrets of Water), as well as a veteran of the Society for Creative Anachronism and a superlative quilter, is struggling at the moment. She has many medical bills and a business deal that would have enabled her to sell books has fallen through, leaving her with a big pile of science fiction & fantasy books taking up a great deal of space. Unfortunately, doctors don't take books for payment....

Therefore Shoshana -- who is one of the nicest, sweetest, most generous people you'd ever want to meet -- is asking for help, not just to help pay the bills, but also to clear out all these dang books. When you make your donation, if you take a screenshot of it and send it to shoshana at whysper dot net, along with your mailing address, you may find yourself with a book!

There's more at the link.

Friends, I know how crushing medical bills can be.  Last year I underwent no less than four surgical procedures to try to deal with kidney issues.  They didn't work, unfortunately, and my kidney will have to be removed later this year.  However, even though the procedures didn't work, my wife and I still had to pay for our share of their cost, and that was a real problem - until a very generous reader, unasked, offered us a donation that helped pay them off.  We'll be forever grateful for his help.  Now another writer needs the same sort of help, and we think it's a sort of "paying it forward" to ask for you to help her in her turn.  We've already made our donation.

If you feel so inclined, particularly if you've had to face medical bills that threaten to submerge you (financially speaking), please click over to the fundraiser and offer what you can.  Also, whether you can help or not, how about mentioning the fundraiser on your social media accounts, to spread the word?  What goes around, comes around, and we all may need such help one day.  My wife and I have learned the hard way, on far too many occasions to count them, that if we help others, we will be helped in our turn, as the Good Book promises.  It's a spiritually and mentally healthy way to live, IMHO.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

Phil from Bustednuckles could use your prayers and support, please

 

Phil's going into surgery tomorrow, Friday, for what sounds like an awfully complicated condition.  Here's what he says in his latest post about it.

The original plan was to have them ram a tunnel across my lower belly, thread an artificial artery through from one side to the other and splice the right side upper femoral artery to below the blockage they couldn’t get out on the left side and then ram another tunnel from the left side under the new splice down my thigh and reconnect to the Femoral artery just above the knee. The Untrasounds revealed a new narrowing in the artery just below the left knee so now plans have changed. I am going in this Friday at 7:00 for check in and they added another surgeon. They are going to do some Angioplasty on this newly discovered narrowing and put a stent in just below the knee so when they splice in from above there will be better blood flow down to my lower left leg which is the whole purpose of this surgery in the first place. They figure 6 hours even with 2 surgeons and probably 2 months to recuperate. Myself, I think it’s going to be longer because I m still not 100% healed up from the surgery last December.

There's more at the link, and in this earlier blog post.  Read both for more information.

I'm sure I don't need to emphasize that this is serious stuff.  Messing around with blood vessels can lead to nasty complications (ask me how I know this!), and it sounds as if Phil is going to have a hard time with rehab after the cutting's done.  Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  He's good people.

Peter

A tasty, healthy fundraiser I'd like to see succeed

 

Readers may remember that in 2023, I wrote about an outfit called Steadfast Provisions, which produces some of the best-quality pemmican I've ever had the pleasure of eating.  I said at the time:

I've been so impressed by pemmican's effect on my own health that I wanted to share some of the results in advance, as it were.  For two weeks, excluding the weekend between, I ate no other solid food at all besides minimal quantities of pemmican.  I found I didn't need much of it at all to satisfy me, along with liquids such as water, black coffee and tea, bouillon, and occasionally some bone broth.  I've used it as part of an intensive weight-loss fasting diet, and the pemmican more than made up (nutritionally speaking) for the "regular" foods that I was no longer eating.  (Yes, I'm checking that through blood tests, which are an integral part of such a strenuous diet for obvious health and safety reasons.)

Steadfast Provisions makes pemmican in one-meal-size 750-calorie bars (in seasoned, unseasoned and "simply salted" flavors) and bricks containing enough nutrition for one person for three days or more (in seasoned and "simply salted" flavors).  I bought the latter, simply salted, because it was the only item available in their online store at the time (they sell out their production runs very quickly, to a dedicated customer base).  As noted above, it appears expensive at $97 per brick;  but when one works out the amount of fresh meat involved, the price is far more justifiable.  At over two pounds in weight, one brick of pemmican contains over ten pounds of lean fresh meat;  then there's the cost and time involved in drying, crushing, preparing and packaging it.  On a pound-per-dollar basis, that's a very reasonable price, IMHO.

On its own, the "simply salted" version of pemmican doesn't taste particularly appetizing, in my opinion (although it's not at all unpleasant - just bland;  the seasoned version might add more flavor).  However, if one cuts a slice and then spreads a little honey on it, or even a fruit preserve, it becomes far more palatable.  (I note that Native American tribes used to eat pemmican with wild honey.). Also, when combined with beef bouillon or bone broth, pemmican adds a huge dose of protein to the drink.  That's mainly how I've been using it.  As part of my liquid fasting diet, I've occasionally used Campbell's Beef Consommé, which has minimal calories and/or carbohydrates but a lot of flavor.  Chopping a small amount of pemmican into it is a great way to increase its food value.

There's more at the link, including the usefulness of pemmican in an emergency or travel situation.  It's amazingly useful stuff, and lasts a long time.  (We've just opened a pemmican brick that's sat in a storage cupboard for two years.  Tastes and looks just fine.)

I recently tried to re-order some pemmican, only to learn that Steadfast Provisions is busy setting up a brand-new commercial kitchen with all the necessary hardware to expand their production.  They're running a KickStarter to fund the new building, and are offering some significant discounts (up to 20%) on their products for those sponsoring it.  They're already well along with the project, and will resume production in their new premises within a couple of months.

I'd love to see them succeed with their fund-raiser.  This is a small company in a remote part of the country, producing a food that's almost unique (at least when done properly, as they do), that offers measurable health benefits and many uses.  (I'm here to tell you from my own experience, it really helps with keto and carnivore diets, and weight loss.)  If you, like me, are trying to follow such diets, and/or would like to help a small business that (IMHO) deserves to succeed, please click over to the KickStarter and contribute what you can.  I've already made my pledge there.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

I need help with a steering diagnosis, please

 

This question is for all you mechanics and automotive experts out there.

I drive a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder.  Over the past six months the vehicle has seemed more and more “twitchy” in its handling when at speed and on rougher surfaces.  This past weekend, my wife and I drove from Iowa Park to San Angelo and back, and the problem appears to have become much worse – so much so that it literally scared us.  At times we worried we might lose control of the vehicle.

The problem occurs in specific conditions:

• When at higher speeds (60-80 mph);
• On rougher road surfaces (not on very smooth surfaces);
• When the road curves, or when the driver changes direction;
• When the vehicle is under acceleration or the cruise control is applying power to maintain speed (not when the vehicle is coasting without the accelerator being used).

All of the above appear to be necessary to create the specific problem.  When they are present, the vehicle can lurch or “twitch” for a second or so when changing direction.  It’s very abrupt, almost as if the vehicle is about to go out of control, but it doesn’t last long enough to make that actually happen.  Sometimes it’s merely a mild twitch, but other times it can be hard and strong enough to really scare us (both driver and passenger).

I've wracked my brains to figure out what might be causing such a problem.  It doesn't resemble a CV joint issue (although that may be part of it), and other front suspension and steering components don't display any obvious problems.  I've sent the car in to the dealership for their mechanics to look at, but so far they haven't reported that they've found anything.

Can anybody suggest what might be causing it?  If so, please advise in Comments.  Thanks!

Peter

Another question for archers and bowhunters

 

Following my inquiry yesterday, a number of you provided useful information about conventional bows and crossbows.  Based on that, I think it would be best for me to learn how to use a crossbow before I try to write about it.  (I already know how to use a conventional bow.)

That being the case, and being on a tight budget, here are a couple more questions for the crossbow users among us.

1. What's the best entry-level crossbow on which to learn?  (By "best" I mean suitable for purpose, of reasonable quality, not a toy, not likely to break if I look at it funny.  I don't want to buy a cheap Chinesium knock-off.)  Brand and model recommendations, if you can, please.
2. How much would such a bow cost?  Is it worth looking for a used crossbow at a reduced price?  I've seen some apparent bargains, about half off the new price, but I don't know enough to tell whether they're in good condition and/or worth the money.  (If any of you know of a bargain-priced used crossbow in good condition, of worthwhile quality, please let me know.)
3. What accessories are necessary, and which are merely handwavium?  I'm sure I don't need a thermal or laser sight as a student!  I'm a total novice, so any and all input is valued.

With your help, I hope to pick up something within the next couple of months, and learn how to use it before writing about it.  That seems to me to be the best, most authentic way to go.

Thanks again.

Peter

A friend and fellow blogger needs help

 

Jennifer Hast and her husband have been part of our team at the North Texas Troublemakers for years, even though they live in Oklahoma and can only occasionally get down our way.  They've been regulars at our annual Blogorado gathering, too.

Sadly, Jennifer has just been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Both her mother and her sister have already survived this disease, so as you can imagine, she's taking it very seriously.  She's asking for help with some big medical expenses, plus the cost of being off work for a month to recover from the procedure.  You can read all about it at her GiveSendGo fund-raiser.  She was in the process of starting her own business, but that's obviously on hold until she can put this behind her.

My wife and I have already donated, and we'll both be very grateful if you'll please read what Jennifer has to say, then contribute what you can to help her get through this.  She's worth it.  (I'm not just saying that because of the utterly delicious lumpia she sometimes brings to Blogorado, either!  They're a bonus. If I could figure out how to wheedle a lumpia out of her for every $10 my readers contribute, I would in a heartbeat!)

Thanks in advance.

Peter

A reminder: Lawdog still needs help with his legal costs

 

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that our buddy Lawdog, whom most of you know, is having a fundraiser to cover legal expenses for what I regard as a trumped-up, malicious charge.  You can read more about the case at Old NFO's place.  Follow the links he provides to see what Lawdog's friends are offering as raffle prizes to those who contribute.

The fundraiser has been pretty successful so far, raising over $40K.  However, I know what lawsuits can cost in terms of legal fees, and $40K doesn't leave much margin for error at all - particularly when taxes have to be paid on funds raised like that.  I'd love to see Lawdog's fundraiser hit $50K, which would be enough (I think) to meet all likely demands on his bank account over this matter.

If you've already donated to the fundraiser, thank you very much!  Your generosity is greatly appreciated.  If you haven't - or if you have, but are willing to consider more - please click over to his fundraiser and do what you can to help.  Lawdog's a good man, as I said in my earlier post, and I really want to see him come through this free and clear, without being tied up for years in debt to his lawyer and expert witnesses.

Thanks muchly.

Peter

A fundraiser for a very worthy blogger and writer

 

Our mutual friend Lawdog, who's a blogger and a writer as well as a recently-retired peace officer, has been fighting a legal battle for the past two years.

I can't say too much about it prior to the court case, but basically he was accused of unprofessional conduct - which I don't believe for a moment.  It involved a very violent situation that had to be resolved right then and there, for fear of injury to others, and he did so very effectively, IMHO.  As one who's worked with law enforcement in a prison setting for a number of years, I applauded when I heard about the incident - and I still do.  Sadly, some of the "woke" influence in law enforcement appears to have rubbed off on others involved, resulting in bleating, moaning and misdemeanor charges against him.  You can hear the man himself talk about it on a recent livestream with Old NFO.  The video is here:  the relevant excerpt starts at 14 min. 4 sec. into the clip.  Please click over there to view it.

I give Lawdog my highest possible personal seal of approval.  When my wife and I moved here almost eight years ago, it was primarily because of his presence;  being friends, we wanted to be closer to him, as well as live in an area offering greater security and peace and quiet.  He's become an even better friend since then, to both of us.  If my wife's life were in danger for any reason, and I desperately needed someone to get her out of it, Lawdog is one of the top three people in the world I'd call upon for aid;  and she and I know he'd respond without a second thought.  He's that kind of guy.  It goes without saying that, knowing him as I do, I regard him as innocent of the charges brought against him.

Sadly, Lawdog has expended his available funds on pre-trial legal costs and other defensive measures.  A peace officer's salary isn't great at the best of times, particularly not in smaller towns and cities in Texas, so he's never had the opportunity to accumulate much in the way of savings.  He's launched a fund-raiser to help pay for future costs.  My wife and I are already all-in on that, and will remain so.  I'd like to ask you, dear readers - particularly those who've read Lawdog's books - to please help him out as well.  I can't think of a worthier cause than his.  I'll be personally very grateful if you'll please click over to his fundraiser and do what you can to help.  Good lawyers and expert witnesses ain't cheap!

Thanks in advance.

Peter

Will you please help rescue a little girl?

 

The Intrepid Reporter, whom we've mentioned several times in these pages, is fighting a legal battle to gain legal custody of one of his grandchildren.  It's a horror story of competing interests, different laws in multiple jurisdictions, bureaucrats and emotions that's been painful to follow.  You can read about it here at the fundraiser he's launched to deal with legal and other costs.

To summarize, his granddaughter was spirited out of his state, Florida, by her mother, who took her to Tennessee.  He and his wife followed, and gained a brief legal respite, but the child has since been taken in by Child Protective Services while the matter is being resolved.  She appears to have already suffered some harm from the process and the stress.  How it will turn out is anybody's guess, but all we can do is hope for the best for the poor girl.  It's always the kids who are the real victims in something like this.

At any rate, having followed the saga for a long time through his blog posts, I'm going to support his efforts, and donate to his fund-raiser.  I'll be very grateful to you, dear readers, if you'll please consider doing the same.  We can't help everyone in this world, but now and again we get the chance to make a difference for someone.  I think this is one such occasion.

(Oh - one last thing.  The amount the fundraiser is trying to achieve is a guesstimate.  Legal fees and other costs can amount to many times that total.  I know.  As a pastor, I've been involved in several such cases, and I've learned the hard way how expenses can spiral.  Therefore, even if the target amount is shown as having been reached, please donate anyway.  I'd say the odds are all too high that the costs will exceed the target.)

Thanks.

Peter

Exercise with less than half a back

 

As most readers are aware, back in 2004 I was seriously injured in a work-related accident.  After two surgeries, culminating in a spinal fusion, I ended up with a damaged left sciatic nerve, and in pain 24/7/365.  I can keep the latter under control if I work at it, and use pain-killers when needed, but it's no fun.  It's restricted my mobility, so that I can't walk too far without needing a stick, and not much further before I have to sit down and let the pain subside before going on.  Running is out of the question, and my sense of balance is also affected, so that cycling (on roads, anyway) can be tricky.

Another result of the injury was that my neurosurgeon told me I'm restricted to carrying not more than 25 pounds for the rest of my life.  I'm afraid I've honored that more in the breach than in the observance on occasion (try moving house carrying only 25 pounds at a time!), but generally the pain issue has helped forced me to observe it more-or-less faithfully.  I'd hoped to do more strength training to compensate for the enforced lack of aerobic exercise (see preceding paragraph), but found that I simply couldn't tolerate very much weight on a barbell before my back went on strike and started hurting me badly.  To add to my difficulties, over time I've developed arthritis in my spine, which I'm told is a normal side-effect after a spinal fusion.  It adds to the pain burden and further restricts flexibility.

I've been struggling to find a "middle way", some form of exercise that can help keep me a little fitter than a jellyfish, but won't trigger my pain reflex or mobility issues.  I've been working out with dumbbells rather than barbells, because a dumbbell doesn't rest on my shoulders or neck or spine, making it less stressful.  I can add weight to a pair of dumbbells, as heavy as my restrictions will allow, and use them in movement exercises to keep my muscles in trim.  (There are lots of exercises that use them.)  I haven't tried kettlebells to any great extent yet, but may do so soon.  (On the other hand, is it worth using kettlebells when one's already using dumbbells?  Will readers with experience of both comment, please?)

I'm trying to combine dumbbells with step training.  The latter has been used for decades as a conditioning exercise for new workers on South African mines, and I'm familiar with the way they do (or did) it.  I can't do it for long periods or at high intensity, but I can manage a few steps up and down while using a dumbbell in various exercises, then take a break before doing it again.  (I seem to use a lot more weight on my dumbbells than is seen in most videos of step exercises.  Those things are tiny!)  I hope the added workout will help my cardiovascular health to at least some extent.

Are there any other alternatives for someone in my position?  I'd appreciate suggestions from readers, please.  I don't want to die because I've become an unfit slob, but compared to most people my age, that's what I am, because I can't exercise anything like as hard or as fast as they do.  If you can offer suggestions, please do so in Comments.

Thanks.

Peter