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CHIEF

Burnt Ends
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Everything posted by CHIEF

  1. Throckmorton, Texas 2006ish. Heading to the hunting lease, CCL had just come out. Didn't have one, was unarmed. Three guys fresh out of prison and their cousin were fucking with people on the road between Breckenridge. They were running about 60, so I passed them, it pissed them off. High speed chase all the way to Throckmorton, my 3/4 Dodge was faster than their Aurora. I pulled into the restaurant where my buddies and family always meet, 2-3 of them had CCLs, so I was going to have help, but I had gotten their before any of them. I see the guys in the Aurora hit the ditch and turn around, I already had boost built, threw it in reverse when they ran up behind me and parked the truck in the middle of their hood, so they had no get away car. Told CHIEF Jr. I loved him very much, but Dad was probably about to die. Anyway, I had a box cutter, and backed myself into the door jam. It was me against 4 guys that probably outweighed me by 20-30 lbs. each. I was able to cut them up so bad between punches that it freaked them out enough they quit pummeling me and ran across the street to the hospital. The only LEO in 60 miles pulled up and absolutely ripped me for not being armed. It really hammered home that it is better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it. CHIEF
  2. I agree. But I think we are looking at a new business model developing. There will be a decline in full service businesses that offer materials, installation, servicing, and warranty. It's going to be up to the consumer to source those on their own. You can't blame consumers for wanting to get the best price, and you can't blame the labor for wanting to make as much as possible, especially if they aren't receiving benefits through the company. They get a 1099 at the end of the year anyway. It will finally be the end of the Mom and Pop businesses. My main concern is what is this doing to our tax base with so much cash under the table, and the ability to hide cash and draw unemployment benefits. CHIEF
  3. It's their fucking business model. Draw unemployment benefits, get paid in cash, work when you feel like it. CHIEF
  4. No, it is worse than that. They are expecting them to pad business operations and material expenses with bogus receipts and pay them in Benjamins. It takes some unmitigated gall. They are starting to flood social media marketplaces, and are now competing with legitimate businesses, and will do the labor, if you supply the materials. If you are outside the city limits there isn't any code enforcement. CHIEF
  5. They hit up the local DFW trade schools. A lot of the guys coming out want to be compensated as though they have been there for a few years. A lot of weeding through rocks to find the diamonds. It's not really hard to be a diamond, show up for work, be dependable, do your job right, and have a good attitude. When they get where they can get quicker and take on more service calls, their pay increases proportionately, they get bonuses, etc. With skyrocketing material costs, it is tough raising your labor rate 25-30%. Business owners are worried that customers will choose to delay projects, or cancel them entirely. Or worse, use the cash guys on the side. CHIEF
  6. It has been a long time since I have paid a tip in cash, and looking around my local watering hole, it seems as though that cash tips are few and far between. It could be another reason it is hard to find waitstaff. Granted, you don't have to fight for the bartender's attention, like at Billy Bob's, or any other concert venue, but tip jars and extra cash laying on top of the cc receipt is sparse. CHIEF
  7. Wow. Didn't even think about that. She has a CC purse. I've taught her to be very aware of her surroundings. For her, it is mainly walking into the Houston office, the hotel, and going to eat at night. She has a hammerless revolver and can pull it quick from her purse, but that would do little good if she lost her purse. Also, I am like you AB, in that I respect property or business owners wanting to keep their premises gun free. I can choose wether or not to go there, and respect their decision. Their property rights supersede my 2nd amendment rights in my mind. Life, and property are two of the main tenants of why we have the 2nd Amendment. CHIEF
  8. Flipped the axle on the huntin' trailer to get across the river and up a hillside to camp. I have 14" of ground clearance at the lowest point (sewer connect). Kyler Murray can walk under it without hitting his head. CHIEF
  9. I'd take 281 to Wichita Falls. You could have chicken fried steak at Jake and Dorthy's in Stephenville, then a burger at Herd's in Jacksboro, followed by another chicken fried steak at Murn's in Archer City, then a grilled steak at the Big Texan in Amarillo. You would be fat as fuck. But those are all good eatin'. Or you could get a "to go" order at Herd's and Murn's, you would have good food for the whole drive to Denver. CHIEF
  10. If you don't have a CCL can you carry concealed? I don't carry in rural areas (stays in truck), but Mrs. CHIEF carries a .38 in her purse in Houston. She is usually by herself in a rough part of town. It would be nice to not get in trouble if you stick one in your boot when traveling in unfamiliar areas. I don't particularly ever want to open carry. CHIEF
  11. I never knew that was an option, and imagine that most people don't. I've never heard of it. CHIEF
  12. It is a new phenomenon in my rural area. A lot of these potential employees are coming from other towns. Greed and low morals are the likely culprit. Snitching will probably get some retaliation. But the info is coming directly from the source, the employers looking for employees and doing the interviews, or the ones scheduling interviews and getting "no shows". A lot of it is hard work in the heat. Some of us sat around and talked about it last night. The general consensus was that these assholes want to work for cash just enough to bridge the gap between their old incomes and their benefits. A lot of these potential employees worked in the oilfield, and were probably ran off for their shitty work ethic, and not showing up. It's mainly showing up in the trades, welding, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, etc. The solution most came up with, was that there needs to be a deadline to quit extending benefits, and to post job openings on the TWC Texas Jobs database. I always thought the longest a person could be on unemployment was 39 weeks, but some people have been on for 14 months. CHIEF
  13. These are $25-35/hr. jobs. These are skilled jobs. $50-70k per year, in cheap rural areas. There is an underlying issue. I'm thinking it's people thinking the economy might tank, and there would be millions trying to get back on benefits and are leery to their own detriment to get off. Something has to be done to reassure them that it is the right time to get back to work. Mrs. CHIEF's company has scheduled dozens of interviews where no one shows up. This is a pivotal moment, people need to have faith that the economy is churning back to life, or what they fear, may very well happen. These people want their cake and eat it too, they want to make the high hourly wage and not report it, but want to keep sponging off the government to supplement their income to six figures. You are right that no one will want them, they have poisoned their own well. But you can't pay these people for doing nothing for the rest of their lives. CHIEF
  14. That's what the business owners, I know, are saying. It's theft. I have no employees, but these business owners are months behind. It would be long term employment. It's definitely not worth going to jail over, and tax evasion usually incurs that kind of wrath from the IRS. CHIEF
  15. I've ran across several business owners that have interviewed potential new employees. The latest, today, was the owner of the welding shop I use. He can't find anyone willing to get off of unemployment benefits and potential stimulus checks. They have 6-9 months of work backed up. They are willing to work for cash to not lose those benefits, but are unwilling to become full time employees. This has been discussed briefly in other threads, but it is becoming a big enough problem to warrant a thread. Are people gun-shy that they are going to get off of unemployment, then get laid off with uncertainty in the economy? Has a two person household streamlined itself to get by on $1200/week? None of the owners I talked to were willing to pay in cash, afraid of getting into trouble. But I assume some are willing to do it. CHIEF
  16. Did a little research, not saying it's the right or wrong decision, but Jaydon dislocated his right knee twice in Jr. High, both season ending injuries. The doctor told him if it happens again, he is probably done with football. http://www.kleincainfootball.com/articles/how-jaydon-blue-overcame-injury-to-become-the-top-rb-in-the-country In 31 games, he averages about 20 carries, and 15 receptions, so 35 touches. That would mean being a target about 350 times this coming season. I don't know the percentage of touches he split, but if any other backs graduated that were talented enough to split carries with him, and no one is waiting in the wings, maybe his workload was going to increase drastically. Maybe they graduated a lot of talent and won't be very good next year. There could be a host of reasons that we are not privy to. CHIEF
  17. I have that bottom camo in antique oilfield equipment in a Carhartt style jacket. CHIEF
  18. The builders around here are now asking for $10k in non-refundable earnest money on new builds. This is in a rural community. CHIEF
  19. That's exactly what he is saying the propulsion system is, he says it creates it's own gravity. He says he worked on one of the nine alien spacecraft that are apparently in Area 51, and all of them use the same propulsion, which cannot be explained with our current knowledge of physics. It's a long watch, but fascinating. CHIEF
  20. Its in an area that is rural but connected to downtown Ft. Worth and is 15 minutes out. All of the roadways in the area are adding multiple lanes, including the one the property is on. For four years DOT road workers will be able to be within 5-6 miles of work. CHIEF
  21. Most employees of major commercial contractors get a per diem. Most of them buy an RV to live in, and pocket the remainder of the per diem. That will be my target customer. The land I'm looking at should keep me full for the next 10-15 years. My uncle that sold the storage facility will be my primary investor to take down the land cost. I'm sure it will take 6 months to a year to get the proper permits and the engineering done. CHIEF
  22. She loved you, more than you will ever know. She is the biggest influence on your life. Dads are wonderful. But very seldom is a man blessed with a Mother such as you have. We have known each other for decades, you are one of the few people that talks as fondly of their Mother as I do, she was a great lady and God is lucky to add her to his Heavenly Kingdom. You will see her again one day, I know it in my heart, and I know to in my soul. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers, and especially your Father. May this chapter in your life grow your faith, and your family's faith. Viva Romans VIII. CHIEF
  23. You gotta keep the ants in your ant farm from killing each other? CHIEF
  24. Unions are great at developing qualified workers from apprentice, journeyman, to masters in their trade. They also will keep you out of trouble with OSHA. The problems, I've seen, are inefficiency. Trade shows at Freeman's Coliseum in San Antonio are the absolute worst. They won't even let you plug in a surge protector and you go half the show without electricity. If you want to use a forklift, it is $600/hour with a one hour minimum. The item I want pulled off isn't even worth $600, and I would have to sell twenty of them to pay for that one hour. I like everything about unions except the greed. They have no idea how to operate in a competitive bid market. CHIEF
  25. One of my parents favorites was the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City, MO https://www.1856.com. It sank into a mud bank overnight and everything was completely preserved. CHIEF
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