Occasional depression thread

[Swede]

Oh man, I am sick as a dog. Some sort of virus. The older you get, the harder it hits. Why do people go to work sick? All it does is spread the virus around, and f--k over your co-workers. I know I got this from work, as none of my family is sick.

 

Another pet peeve - shaking hands. When are we going to get rid of that filthy, germ-spreading tradition? The Japanese have it correct, a polite bow or head nod. Anything except some sniffling dude extending his hand to you, and expecting you to gather all the crap from his hand into yours.

[TheSidewinder]

Did you get your Flu Shot this year, Swede?

 

If not...... well..... I'll bet you do NEXT season.

 

Kidding aside, you have my sympathies.

 

I now get my Flu Shot every year without fail. The last time I had the flu was 8 years ago, the LAST year that I DIDN'T get a Flu Shot.

 

And it was getting it that year that finally convinced me to make it a requirement. For the first couple days I thought I was going to fucking die. The next few days I was afraid I *WASN'T* going to die.

 

Good luck. Juices and bed rest are the order of the day. Taking fever reducers just seems to prolong it, so I let the fever take its course. It's Natures way of fighting the cold in the first place.

(Obviously, very high fevers need to be reduced.)

[FrankRizzo]

Unfortunately, I have no faith in flu shots. A majority of my relatives are doctors, and the CDC routinely releases a statement, a month or so after immunizations, that they picked the wrong strain. All that pain of getting shot-up in the arm with some nasty crap, only to find that it's completely useless.

[TheSidewinder]

Yeah, that does sometimes happen.

 

Umm... this (or last?) year was a nearly perfect match from what I heard, though.

 

And even if it's not a good match, it DOES make the flu less shitty if you catch it.

[h0lx]

All that pain of getting shot-up in the arm with some nasty crap,

They must use elephant needles, wherever you live then.

[Swede]

I don't think it is the flu, just a very bad cold.

 

I have a pet theory about colds. There are hundreds or thousands of strains, hence no vaccine possible. Look at any group of little kids in first grade... I almost guarantee that at any moment in the winter, 1/3 of them have streaming noses and the sniffles. My kids picked up 2 to 4 a year, and passed them on to me.

 

As you get older, though, you've had so many colds, and your immune system is more mature, the severity of the cold, when you do get it, is usually much less than the equivalent cold in a kid. You have a fairly large suite of powerful antibodies kicking ass on a daily basis.

 

I think my problem today is that I hadn't had a cold in almost 2 years. My immune system was not primed, and I'm getting absolutely hammered. No fever, but achy as hell, and my head feels like a balloon. I'm tempted to pull a W.C. Fields - his cure for a cold was to climb in bed with a fifth of bourbon, and ride that train for a couple of days!

[Richtee]

I'm tempted to pull a W.C. Fields - his cure for a cold was to climb in bed with a fifth of bourbon, and ride that train for a couple of days!

 

Seems logical to me...hell I sometimes do that without a cold

[optimus]

Bad news for amateur chemists, and society in general:

 

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/03/24/londo...s-reach-ne.html

[Swede]

Bad news for amateur chemists, and society in general:

 

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/03/24/londo...s-reach-ne.html

That upper poster cracks me up, but it's also a little sad. The "terrorist" has stuffed his garbage bin to the brim with empty chemical bottles. It's overflowing... any passerby can see the bottles poking out.

 

Real terrorists are not stupid. They definitely aren't going to dispose of their materials in this way.

 

Our societies, though, have definitely declared war on experimental chemistry, even non-pyro chemistry. One of the most egregious cases IIRC was a pHD who was doing his own polymer research; he was raided, and his entire lab, + notes, was confiscated. I think we talked about it somewhere here on APC. Anyway, the sheeple are afraid of chemicals and chemistry, because they don't understand it. They look at chemicals the same way they look at guns. Only REAL scientists/police should have or need chemicals/firearms.

[Richtee]

Well, gentlepeople, I am retiring. A very BAD coincidence occured today. No harm or anything, but I have been convinced that this hobby is too risky health-wise and too "on the edge" of legalities.

 

I do appreciate all the sound advice, and should have heeded more of it...;{)

 

I do feel I have learned much...problem is putting that knowledge to use is really frowned upon in society these days.

 

I may still post a BBQ pict or two however ;{) Those who have my email may wish to stay in touch for culinary reasons

 

Take care!

[Miech]

Well, that gives the whole forum a reason to make a post here . I can understand your decision though.

[Swede]

Richtee, what happened, bro'?

 

Rather than leaving, consider the following:

 

1) Scale back in size in all ways

2) avoid deadly chems. Stick to carbonates of strontium and barium, BP and charcoal devices, etc.

3) Turn in more of a research direction. Experimentation on a small scale can be very rewarding. Not all of us are making 8" shells. I haven't tried one above 3" yet, because I'm having plenty of fun doing what I'm doing already.

4) Focus on small, innocuous rockets. Work on tooling, on perfecting a cored engine, or new ways to pass fire.

 

Whatever you decide, you have been a valued contributer and all-around good dude in my eyes. Good luck!

[optimus]

That upper poster cracks me up, but it's also a little sad.

 

My sentiments exactly - I'd laugh if I wasn't crying!

 

Richtee, I would also recommend scaling back in this kind of situation (although I really have no idea what yours is). I had a bit of a 'scare' a few years back and am only doing very small scale stuff these days, still thoroughly enjoying it. Whatever you do don't disappear forever!

[andyboy]

Well, gentlepeople, I am retiring.

 

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

 

Anyway, it's your decision and you are doing the right thing, don't stick with something if you feel bad about it, gut feelings should not be taken lightly. Hope to see you back after the smoke settles.

 

Take care. Andyboy

[Richtee]

Richtee, what happened, bro'?

 

Well, I don't suppose there's any harm in explaining.

I will copy a PM to here that I sent Sidewinder.

___________________

 

I was out on a service call this AM, and evidently someone... prolly the kid, left thru the front door, which has a bit of a latching problem. Anyway, it blew open, then UPS dropped off some parts for a job, and called it in to the county. They came out...and of course searched the place.

 

Found 3 3" shells I had built... and then I pulled in after the job was done.

 

Needless to say I was the Anti-christ for about an hour... 30 guys in 4 trucks show up...HAzmat truck- the State police bomb unit...local ATF... All the while keeping me outside while they searched.

 

All they removed was the three shells, a commercial 3" I had and a couple 1 shot Thunderkings, and like 5 sticks of QM.

 

That's it. No ticket, no summons... the ATF lady left me her card. They wondered about the big bowl of rib rub I had upstairs.... ;{)

 

I suppose if it was gonna be a big deal... they'd have hauled me off. They left prolly 20 plastic hemi's, all my chems, visco, ball mill, BP... weird eh? I mean why would I be making pretty colors if I was a nutcase...I think that was the call.

 

Sooo... I'm gonna cash out I guess. I will miss it, but these times are not for my type I guess. I am bummed...

----------------

 

Talked to the ATF lady today and told her I may be heading out of town for work...was that a problem...she said no. I hd also sent her the post I made here, along with a note of how well my flower beds would be doing this year with the nitrate addition... she laughed about that one. Honestly, she has been the coolest person in this whole fiasco I have talked to.

 

Sooo... I dunno. But I guess this is a warning that it's not 30 years or more ago. What really sux is this may ruin even going to shows for me, because I will always wonder... "How did they do that?" "What was that comp"? Damn.

 

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement folks. But it's the end for me. I guess unless works starts to suck so bad I get licensed and change trades ;{)

Edited March 31, 2009 by Richtee

[BigBang]

Why don't you just get a LEUP? Sounds like you actually have a decent agent so it wouldn't be that bad.

[Richtee]

Why don't you just get a LEUP? Sounds like you actually have a decent agent so it wouldn't be that bad.

I have no idea what a LEUP is... She is pretty cool. I think she may have saved my bacon, so to speak.

I'll have to send her a pound of the best hickory smoked stuff home made I got..or would that be bribery???

Edited April 1, 2009 by Richtee

[Mumbles]

Low explosive user permit. I think you will need contingency storage at least though. A small indoor magazine would suffice too if you have a large enough yard. I hear they can be converted from joboxes pretty easily.

[Richtee]

Low explosive user permit. I think you will need contingency storage at least though. A small indoor magazine would suffice too if you have a large enough yard. I hear they can be converted from joboxes pretty easily.

Hmmm would whistle and flash be covered in that? Well..regardless, I do not have a seperate building. And I do not have the resources now to make that investment. And STILL local law prohibits without permits. It's not worth it.

[TheSidewinder]

I'll have to send her a pound of the best hickory smoked stuff home made I got..or would that be bribery???

 

Yes, that could easily be perceived as bribery.

 

But even if it wasn't, screw that ATF agent. Send it to me!

 

[Mumbles]

You could always take up beer brewing like all the cool people on the board

 

You could just lay low for a while, and do some reading. You know you don't want to leave all of us fun people. Catch up on your pyro videos, or start doing some commercial shooting.

[Ventsi]

Yeah Rich .

trust me im no expert but you should lay down a while and when you are feeling good one day call that agent and talk about getting legal, then go to their office and do what you need to do .

 

Maybe they will ask you to go to the bathroom with a little cup to see how much nitrates/GD Al you've inhaled.

 

Really though you should try gettinig legal, not soon but in the future.

[Steps]

Rich it sucks about your situation... There was a point where i feared i might get in trouble for having stuff, then i threw away my iodine and phosphorus and a lot of random solvents. All i got is nitric acid and a few made up nitrates. But i don't do any sort of fireworks type situations anywhere near my house.

 

You shouldn't quit though! Tone down, the power to manipulate fire into colours and patterns is great and should never be quit .

Edited April 1, 2009 by Steps

[whitewolf_573]

Don't give up Richtee.

 

i don't know how are the laws there in USA. But we all know that what we do is very dangerous,and in a lot of places and countries is ilegal or forbiden in some way.

 

I don't know if make fireworks , is ilegal in your state. Or if you should have a license to do it. I neither know if is easy to get licensed , what i know is that we souldn't never give up,after all,we love what we do,and is important for our lives.

 

Yes,we need to have other things also of pyro,but isn't pyro important for you ?

 

I don't think so,i think you are perhaps sad,and bad,but my friend,that not will be for always.There will be better times.

 

All bad things have a reason,or a oportunity to grow and improve your live.

 

I know sure that you like pyro,and that you are a very good pyro,and in some time you will be back,because we need you,your experience,your friendship,your posts...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2009 by whitewolf_573

[Richtee]

You could always take up beer brewing like all the cool people on the board

 

You could just lay low for a while, and do some reading. You know you don't want to leave all of us fun people. Catch up on your pyro videos, or start doing some commercial shooting.

 

Heh Of course they came across my old CO2 tank- Questions... my wort chiller... "You moonshinin'?" Racks of flip-top bottles.. Man... this place must have been a field day for them...;{)

 

I just may ask about this LEUP thing. Out of curiosity anyway. But as I said before, I don't have the space nor money to build some now.