I Give Us (SM) an "F" as in "Fail"... told you some will not like it

Thanks for the kind words @PaxMentis
Appreciate that...

Have a great weekend!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

So far, I haven't found SM to be like that. I am sorry you did, @Tevin.

Funny, I was just recently talking to @Bear that I do not frequent a lot of other forums any more because so many times, the moderators and the membership are so ready to jump on you (meaning anyone) if what you say disagrees with the forum's founder or principle or premise.

And I truly believe that if you cannot speak freely, it is not worth being there. And they didn't jump on me. I see it happening to others. And I think, WTH?!? I want to share, I want to learn, and I even want to be entertained at times. But I am not a Kool-Aid drinker.

 

Aloha @Gray Wolf

Thanks for your comments... yup... my Grandfather who was an awesome woodworker and had amazing tools.... told me that even if I could only afford one quality screwdriver at a time vs a cheap set all at once... buy the one quality screwdriver because it will never let you down and it will outlast the cheap set....

LOL... totally agree on the matches.... I know how to make fire a number of different way... but I'd just be showing off or maybe trying to teach someone who was really interested in learning ... if I had matches or a lighter in my pocket....

The practical person in me would also think I was an idiot for doing it the hard way when I could just light a match and get to other things...

Thanks again,

Have a great weekend!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

LOL @TXKajun great post... and good for you... can't tell you how many times I've had a duh moment and just did the "right" thing instead of putting it off....

Yup... "tough questions".... "hard assessments".... "thinking the unthinkable".... I'm a "bug in" guy after many many years of being a "bug out " guy listening to all the right folks about bugging out and bug out gear.... just not the right thing for me.... or for my family....

Once filled my backpack with all my gear... sheesh... it was when I was much younger and that thing weighed what felt like a ton... figured adrenalin would help... what a "tool" I was I think you are right on... and agree with your points... at least for my own assessment of my own situation....

LOL again... I'm just sanding down and refinishing a bug out cart I spent way too much one to get it ready to sell locally... it's an EZ Cart that is sold for hunters to pack out game.... there was a method to my madness when I purchased it but I won't go into that right now...

Thanks again for the great post and thoughts... made me laugh.... naw... don't think a tactical wheelbarrow is the right thing at this time ....

Have a great weekend!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Aloha @smithcp2002

Thanks for the good points and the reminder... I will indeed remember that....
Knowledge is such a wonderful thing... good thing we have an unlimited capacity brain (well most of us anyway )

And passing that knowledge and wisdom on... yeah that's a special honor that does come around every once in a while when those paths you talk about, manage to cross... I hope to a helpful resource whenever that may be...

Thanks again....

Have a great Weekend!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Thanks for sharing @NotSoSneaky good stuff ... sage advice... I'll remember....

That last one applies to me sometimes.... trying to fix that

Have a great weekend!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Thanks @Brokor for your well thought out post and the link....

You make very valid points... having the knowledge doesn't necessarily mean you don't have the tools... what you need and what you have are two very different things... I am definitely not an advocate of, nor was I promoting gaining knowledge to get rid of all your tools.... I apologize to everyone if that is how I came across....

You also make a good point... knowing how to use your tools if critical... how many and what you carry is a personal choice... just don't ask me to slow down because you can't move as quickly with all your gear... remember the bears and that all I need to do is out run you.... LOL....

I'll also agree the right tool for the right job for the right person with the right skills to use them....

I agree that SM is a wealth of information for the member who is searching for it... for that matter... so is the internet...
I wonder if there is a better, easier, quicker, funner way to get the right information for the right tool for the right job to that member.... that would set SM as a leader as far as learning and resources go... just wondering....

Thanks again for the great post and thoughts... I've got a stainless Kelly kettle with all the accessories that I never use... hmmmm... maybe I should break it out and use it or lose it

Have a wonderful weekend!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Thanks for the kind words @Motomom34

You hit the nail on the head in many ways and I hope SM, the wonderful resource it already is, improves to meet some of your goals...

Yeah... as was mentioned earlier... enthusiasts (not their fault) want the best... and so will often recommend the very latest and best gear... with all the best intentions...

Seek out and find those that will match (Your) needs, skills and budget... to the right solution...

Another possibility that may help ... is if SM can brainstorm, create author a checklist, resume, RFP type helpful document that our
members can download and fill out and either take with them when they go seeking services or products...

It doesn't have to be perfect... but a checklist of questions they can read and answer that may help them ... even prep for a post to ask for advice or help....

Waddya think?

Thanks again fro the comments and thoughts...

Have a great weekend!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Aloha @vonslob

Great post and observations and comments....

I'm paring down as well... and actually find myself 4-5 times more effective and efficient... who knew?

Yeah... Failing now when you are practicing or testing means you are inconvenienced and your ego hurts a bit... as opposed to failing when it really counts... means you get hurt, die, or worse... your loved ones are affected similarly

No argument... quality always comes first... buy the best you have budgeted and can afford... you will never regret that... unless of course you don't learn how to use it correctly

Yup... @BTPost is very helpful and has helped me a number of times through his posts and directly... great guy!

Ok... maybe too harsh... I'm thinking about it.... sometimes a "Fail" is good thing... as long as you get back up, get back in, do something different and finish what you started....

Thanks again...

Have a great weekend!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

The more I think about Bear's post, the more conflicted I am about the today vs tomorrow problems and the skilled versus workable solutions. I think I have some ideas that may work if TSHTF and I am using as many of them everyday as I can. They make my present life much more comfortable, affordable and enjoyable. I have no idea what they would do for anyone else.
Example 1 I have used wood for heat for most of the last 40 years and my last tank of oil lasted about 7 years. Through a process of elimination at my present house after 30 years of trial and error and going through two chimneys, four stoves, two chainsaws, one wood splitter, three fire wood racks, two wood carriers, and a few other forgotten changes, the wife and I are happy and comfortable with the final solution. Will a 55 gallon drum with an Alaska stove kit and a piece of tin in a window with the stove pipe out of it work. Yes it will and if it was all I had available, it is what I use. It will it also use a lot of wood, be hard to control the heat level, fill your house with smoke, be likely to burn you or your house down, require feeding or adjusting every couple of hours,void your home owners insurance, require seasoned wood and the drum will burn out in a year or so. I know as I have heated a house with a barrel stove. I feed our present stove once or twice a day, it burns clean, is 7 years old and shows no wear. uses half as much wood, and it keeps the house comfortable. The stove cost me $2,000, weighs 500 pounds, is placed on a stove board and the stainless double walled chimney cost $1,000. Can you carry it in your bug out vehicle, leave at your camp, or improvise it after TSHTF, no. In that case it may well be that the "best" solution for you is a Tractor Supply barrel stove kit and some stovepipe.
Example 2 I repair tools for a living and often get involved with generators and have been improving the test tools I use over the last 40 years. I now use a Fluke multimeter that cost about $300 and using it has a fairly steep learning curve. With it I can check the generator voltage output within a volt or two, check for voltage drop under load, set the operating RPM of the engine, check frequency drift under load, check out the diodes and capacitors in the control circuits, check the windings out to .1 ohm of the listed values, check out the leakage between the windings and all these tests will take less than 30 minutes. I could use a light bulb and a continuity tester for many of the tests and I would if they were all that was available. If someone asks me how to check out a generator, I honestly don't know what to tell them. Very few of them will want or understand a 20 minute crash course in generator repair based on 30 years experience and requiring test equipment, but anything less will most likely not help them fix their generator.
I think that is ever more important to describe the degree of expertise you wish in the answer to your question. There are people on this forum that have expertise in many different areas. If the ship was sinking, I would want to know where the lifeboats were, Seacowboy would want to know where the leak was and have ideas on how to fix it, both responses are correct, just based on our different knowledge base.
When all is said and done, I hope to get as many expert answers to my questions as I can at the level I wish and rather than agree with Bear's F rating, I think I should get the F rating if I don"t ask the correct question and interact, politely, with those responding, as to the level I need.

 

LOL @Hanzo....

Sun Tzu and Sourdough.... deep thought... meditate on it and you'll see the connections

Totally agree.... needs first (real needs)....
LOL... ask me about the bikes for the monkeys before you go get them... I've got three quality bicycles hanging in the cave....

Have a great Sunday buddy!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Aloha @Tevin

Thanks for posting your comments and thoughts...

Courage of your convictions... it's a good thing... tenacity and endurance too... and commitment....

I started this thread and it took well over 2 hours to compose the first post... then read every single post... then yesterday afternoon I knocked off early to reciprocate and acknowledge each and every member who took the time to read my rather long and somewhat "different" first post and respond.... my responses took over 3 hours of time... but it was part of my commitment to this place... I finish what I begin... no matter what... (sadly... I wasn't always like that... I am now thankfully)

I always remember a quote a dear colleague shared with me... we've lost touch but it hangs in my shop to this day some 30+ years later.... Her name is Corinne and I'm grateful.... here it is...

" It is not the critic who counts, not the person who points out how the strong one stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the individual who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends oneself in a worthy cause; who, at best , knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who; at the worst, if one fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his/her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat"

Theodore Roosevelt

Yes... in many ways I am the "critic" in this thread... I am also committed and in this arena to make a difference... to have the courage to say what I think... accept the stones and arrows... look beyond the surface of the comments and opinions and filter / distill them down to their true positive value and run with that... rather than what may on the surface look and feel negative...

I stayed and am staying... I've not always agreed with members and posts here... had some less than helpful or kind words tossed my way directly or indirectly... privately and publicly...

It's all part of "it"... whatever that may be... life, work, love etc....
Carry a knife... expect to get cut... know how to deal with it ....
Carry a gun... expect to get shot... know how to deal with it....
Love... expect no love or hate... know how to deal with it...
Get good at something... expect someone to be better or think they are... know how to deal with it...
etc...

Failure, Conflict, Criticism, Defeat... it's all part of real living... knowing how to deal with it really well.... that's when Life gets really rewarding and fun... and interesting enough... that's when folks begin to grow, learn and really get the most out of life...

I sincerely hope you are not feeling like I am lecturing or criticizing you and your actions... I am not.

I am happy you posted... I am grateful you shared...

It's awesome that you are skilled and are sharing those skills through your blog... skills must be shared and passed down or they are lost.... Oblivion... that's not a good thing... so I applaud you ....

Thanks for taking the time and at least caring enough... to come back and post...

If you don't mind... I'm gonna keep "sharing" my thoughts, knowledge, opinions, skills, wisdom... and humor here on SM...

Frankly I don't care if the Owner, Administrators, Moderators, Editors or other Leaders or self appointed experts don't appreciate it or if I get a few "terse" or "tangy" slaps or comments... I'm a big boy and I have learned to take a "hit" and learn from it... and if it is a "nuclear" hit that throws me off my feet and out of the ring... all the better... if I am not dead... I will get back up and climb back into the ring and finish what I started...

People are mostly good... and the gang here is no exception... if I make a difference in ONE members life... all that other "crap" is always worth it to me... even if every once in a while I have to bend over and pull something ... someone stuck up my "ass" ... "no defeat".....

Good luck with the second Blog and in all your sincere endeavors to share your knowledge and wisdom... that's good stuff....

Have a great Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years!

Thanks again....

Have a great Sunday!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Thanks @BTPost I will acknowledge that you ALWAYS... do your best to share and help.... It's a good philosophy you have about repaying debts... knowledge, skills and wisdom... need to be passed on... so they are not lost and those that are interested to not have to repeat all of our mistakes and failures... but can taste some successes early on... and maybe help us and others as well....

Have a great Sunday!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Learn how to love and accept love too. Surprising how many people do not.

 

I think that's a fantastic idea @Brokor !

It certainly can include the links... and maybe all that's needed to add some basic first questions a member needs to ask themselves first... before a purchase or before asking on a thread....

Like...

Why do I need this? or is it that I want this?
Do I know how to use this? or can I learn how to use this effectively?
Will I really use this?... how often will I use it?... when will I use it?
What is my budget for this?
Is there something else I should consider first? is there a logical progression or am I putting the cart before the horse?
What are the options from basic to fully loaded?
Which do I really need?
Are there resources to help me?.... videos, forum, local experts

Something along those lines.... if members know that a person has looked at your checklist / questionnaire then if the person asks... the members can at least inquire about their answers... and maybe help them more effectively....
(these are similar questions I asked to the member in my first post here and why I graded SM a "Fail")

Let's do this... I am happy to help... or you can run with it... I am sure it will morph as more folks use and review it... ultimately I think it will be helpful to avoid what happened and what caused me to post this thread....

Thanks buddy,

Have a great Sunday!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

@Bear, let me know what the bikes are and what you want for them. Maybe I'll take all three.

 

LOL @Hanzo... They are dusty.. some rust on them... but all excellent quality.... two Electra cruisers and one Specialized Mountain Bike... good working projects for the Monkeys and their Dad... we can talk later....

 

That is too bad, because of crappy people you are not posting more. I say screw them and would like hear more about what you know.

As far as the moderators not caring, maybe because we are all adults they feel they should stay out of it unless it get out of hand. There are some jerks here but there are jerks in the real world also, so once again I say screw them and share what you know.