Around in Circles

Hello and welcome to another AIC video.

Today we are going to be talking about “EDC” or every day carry. 

If you’ve been part of my channel for any time at all, you know I am a gun owner. And a gun is like any other tool, It doesn’t do you any good, if you leave it at home. So I am licensed to carry in my state, and I do. Just about every time I leave my house I have a pistol on me. These top two are my main choice, my RIA 1911 in .45 and my Taurus G2c in 9mm. Both have proven to be very reliable. I take them regularly to the range to practice with and remain competent with them. I also do dry fire practice with them. Where I practice for if I have a malfunction, reloading, and drawing skills. As with any tool – proficiency comes with practice. 

But if you notice I said “just about” no Every single time. There is a problem with that statement. If I ever have an issue, knowing my luck, it will be that time I do not bring my gun with me. 

Why are reasons I don’t bring with me? First and foremost it is other’s fear. Second it is law. 

So my 1911 is what I carry when I don’t care about what other people see/know. Usually when I’m camping and I can open carry, or I am on an off road trip and everybody else i’m with also is carrying, (coyote, javelina, and bears, before we even get to people). My G2c is when concealed carry is necessary, but I can choose my own wardrobe to easily conceal my weapon, and i’m going to be standing/walking around a fair bit, and not sitting for 8 hours a day. 

But I cannot always dictate my dress code, My work for example has a required dress code, maybe I am going swimming, or running, or some other physical activity where I am wearing less supportive/concealing clothing? And it’s usually at these times funnily enough that I will be around people who are most afraid of guns. You see these here? They are all unloaded, mags are out, and the slide is locked back. In this form, short of me picking one up and chucking it at you, you are in no danger of being injured from one of these firearms, and yet, my own mother would see this and cry out in terror, thinking that they would jump up off the table and start blastin’.

So that is where this gun comes in. This is a Ruger LCP2. and it is my newest weapon. Now that covid restrictions have dropped, I find that I am participating in far more activities than I have before, even pre covid. But these other two guns just don’t fit the bill of being a concealed carry in a lot of these situations. I had an LCP before, but I didn’t like its sights, I didn’t like it’s trigger, and in the last year I struggled to find ammo for it. So I ended up selling it. I didn’t need to carry something so compact anymore, so I stopped. But now, with the new activities, I find myself needing something again, hence the purchase of the LCP2. Now if you see, the ammo here, this is .45, this is 9mm, and instead of being what you expect, .380 for the LCP2, it is .22LR. This gun is available in both calibers, .380 and 22lr, and I chose the .22lr for a myriad of reasons, but the main one is that is is simply an ammo I have stock of, and plenty of stock of different brands/types that i can pick one and have a supply of reliable ammo for quite a while. I did not want to have to start trying to find .380 today. The other reasons fall far behind. .22lr can and is still an effective round, it also means it would be easier for my wife, or my kids as they get older etc. but it was mostly what I have available TODAY in my own inventory. 

I will admit I have not shot this gun yet. I bought it just last week, then almost immediately went out of town. I plan on going to the range in the next few days to try out a few different kinds of ammo, this is just federal bulk, because that’s the box I have open right now. 

Here are my thoughts on it compared to the G2c

Obviously it is smaller. A LOT smaller. That is the whole point, but I don’t feel like it is “too” small I can get enough of a grip on it that I can comfortably sight and control the recoil (not that there is much with a .22lr anyways). 

The grip texture is better on the g2c. It’s much grippier, where the lcp2 is just textured. Probably good for pulling in and out of a pocket, not so great when just holding it, but probably plenty sufficient for this caliber. 

The safety is weird. All three of these have a manual safety, and the 1911 and the g2c are a sweep where the LCP2 is a push forward to disengage. It is better than my walther P22 which safely operates in the opposite direction, so I usually put it on safe when I mean to fire, and fire when I mean to safe. It also fully disengages the trigger from the firing mechanism. Which to me is the probably more important part. With this being a pocket gun, it really is smart that it makes the trigger ineffective so you cannot accidentally shoot yourself in the leg with this, if another object engages the trigger. .

It has a mag safety which is meh. I’m neither for or against them, they just are. I’m sure in some situation it might be fine, but it has 10 rounds, and if you are not effective with 10 rounds of .22lr, you’re not going to be effective with 20. Just make sure your mag is seated. 

I’m not thrilled with the finish on the slide, this is a $350 gun msrp, and the finish on the slide kinda sucks, even for that price. You can see how uneven it is. I know they offer ceracoated options on their website, but I have yet to see one in the wild. 

Disassembly is what ever. It does require a flathead screw driver to remove this pin, you need to be careful to not scratch the slide. The g2c requires no tools, and the 1911 requires just a stronger thumb than I have, so I use an old gift card to push on the barrel bushing and the slide stop. At least it is not a specialized tool and can be done easily without effort. 

The trigger feels much better than the old LCP and way better than the g2c. It’s no 1911 obviously, but it’s pretty OK. this isn’t a competition gun, this is a “in the other person’s face” kind of gun. 

I wish it came with a 2nd mag. My G2c was under $300 and it came with two mags.

Holsters – This half kydex, half leather is by far my favorite style of holster for iwb, but for my LCP2, while I got one, the pocket holster will be my main carry option. I specifically got this so it would fit IN my pocket as a pocket gun. I might look at other options that hide the profile better, if you have any suggestions leave them in the description down below. 

Now it is time to actually go out and shoot, if you would like a follow up with the ammo I use and the results let me know. 

Thank you for watching, I hope you have a fantastic day!

First and foremost, I didn’t just wake up to 5 kids (well… kinda, for 4, I had at least 9mo to prepare for their coming, the last one I got a call from a lawyer to come pick up my niece before she was put into the system).

I have always wanted to be a dad, I always wanted kids. I had a great dad, I have 3 siblings and we all get along pretty well for the most part, we at least look forward to seeing each other when time permits. I used to babysit even after I had a “real” job, till parents no longer felt comfortable letting an 18 year old dude watch kids (the double standard really sucks btw). I have always just enjoyed being around kids, playing games, and playing jokes.

becoming a dad wasn’t thrust on me randomly. I didn’t have sex till I was married, My wife and I waited a minute before getting pregnant (we wanted to start having kids for a year, but birth control didn’t do what it was supposed to, so we were a few months early, but it was fine, we were excited).

The first was and adjustment, my wife became a stay at home mom, so our income basically cut in half since we had similar incomes.

#2 was actually not that bad, and didn’t seem like much of an increase.

#3 was a HUGE adjustment, we were outnumbered, and it showed.

#4 was a “wife wants it” I was happy with 3, wife felt like we needed another, and it was an adjustment, but not because we had another baby, but because she is just so much more…. her than our other kids. The first three were pretty easy babies, my last one? Let’s just say if she had been our first, she would have still been our last.

all of our kids are ~2 years apart in age. so pretty close together.

as far as meeting their needs. Small babies really don’t need a lot. Warm clothes, food, and to have somebody pay attention to them. People spay wayyyy too much money on babies. Too much on clothes and accessories. I know people who have spent more on their first kid, that I did for a new car. That’s insane. most everything you can get 2nd hand. they grow though clothes so fast, and our kids spent half their time naked besides a diaper because they destroyed their outfits faster than we could clean them. (food, spit up, poopsplosions, etc).

As they get older, it really just came down to making sure I listened to them and their needs. and set expectations. My kids don’t have their own phones, they share a room, they sometimes wear 2nd hand clothes (its amazing what you find at a 2nd hand store that will still have new tags on them), and that’s OK, there is nothing wrong with any of that.

Financially, when I was first married, and first had kids. I worked long hard jobs that didn’t pay much. But I pushed through my career and education (I do NOT have a 4 year degree, but I got some industry certs, and just expanded my knowledge and experience), and now my son is 11 (our first biological child) and my wife has been at home this whole time. and I make 6 figure income. We’re not wealthy, but our needs and most of our wants are met. We don’t go to Disneyland every year like my bother who’s a lawyer, and his wife who’s a registered nurse, but I am able to spend far more time with my kids than he is, and my wife is able to be there for far more than my sister in law. our youngest is 5, and my wife is planning on working at least part time after the youngest is in kindergarten. what you make today should not be what you’re making tomorrow. Being married and having kids/people relying on me absolutely pushed me to progress faster than when I was single. I absolutely make more money than I would have if I had not had that sense of responsibility. I was perfectly happy making 1/4th what I make now when I was single, because I shared a cheap apartment, was able to travel, etc. but now? they need me. I also care for my future as well, since my future is also their future.

Spare time? what is spare time? I mean, even before I was married and had kids, I had a side hustle, I currently do youtube, but I’ve worked on cars, mowed lawns, etc for extra cash. I don’t watch TV, cannot be bothered by it. I do spend too much time on reddit, but usually when I’m pooping or taking time to respond to somebody about something like this. but if I’m sitting doing nothing, that’s time I could be doing something to make money, play with my kids, get something done/clean in the house, go poke at my project car, etc. To me when people say “spare time” it usually means time wasted, and I cannot stand to waste time. we only have so much. I am very fortunate with my job I am able to work from home most days, some weeks I put in 60 -70 hours, but other weeks, i put in 20-30, so I can really flex around and do what I need to, as long as my job gets done, and nothing gets broken.

It really comes down to priorities. Most people I know who want to put off kids, or who question even having kids, or who are struggling with the kids they have, they have priorities that are in contrast with being a parent. They are focused on their own wants and needs FIRST, and the kid comes second, and that means a lot of conflict. The funny part is, My wants are met. They are usually just delayed a bit. I have toys, guns, cars, computers, the latest gadgets I could want. I DIDN’T have those things for years, because I was busy with my kids and work. but once things smoothed out? I have them in spades. I maybe didn’t travel as much as a young person, but I did live in Europe for a couple of years, and my wife did travel a bit as well before we got married. But when our youngest is 18, we’ll both be just ~50, which gives us PLENTY of time to travel, and far better means to travel than we did when we were in our 20’s. and we’ll have adult kids, and possibly grand kids by then to also be able to do cool stuff with. In a way, kids are kinda like built in Friends (if you do it right), and you can rely on them to always be willing to do cool stuff.

My dad retired last year (2020) and He wanted to do scuba lessons, So he invited me to learn to scuba with him, and he paid for the lessons. Now they are going to be living in Hawaii and then hopefully new Zealand for the next couple of years, and so we have plans to visit them out there (first Hawaii, then hopefully new Zealand) and go scuba diving and other fun things. I hope to do the same with my kids, as we get older.

I personally think people who want kids are insane for putting it off. I have friends who are in their mid 30’s and just now looking to start a family when My kids are half grown. I cannot imagine having to start with a baby today. I love babies, and will hold them all day long till they start fussing, and then I GLADLY give them back, no way I could be up all night with a baby now. NO thanks. and people who do the deed and end up pregnant without being in at least a committed relationship much less married I also feel bad for, and I think the consequence of their choices puts them off behind with kids. I have known a ton of those two. My wife being able to be home to do most of the care of the kids and household allowed me to focus on providing and growing my career. and has set us up far better than we could ever be alone, juggling a baby and a job by ourselves. having kids and when we were having them was a deliberate choice on our end. Don’t think I’m trying to judge those people i mostly just feel bad for the situation they are in, and glad I made the choices to not be there.

sorry for the novel, I just typed out my stream of thought, I might go back and clean that up later. but yeah. that’s that. not sure if there is any wisdom in there, I just have seen what works and what doesn’t and trying to emulate those that have had things work for them.

Lenovo, I have a plea; Please stop! I only have so much money!

For the last year or so I’ve had two laptops for my personal use. My P43s, which I love. It has been a great machine for my needs. It has the horsepower I need to edit videos and work remotely, but it is not all that light and the battery doesn’t last all that long. So I also have one of these, lenovo’s most budget of systems, an Ideapad 1 (this one with the amd 3050e). It fills that gap, it is super light, super thin with a super long battery life, but it’s use is limited to watching streaming video and checking email. But having two laptops is kind of a pain, and so I’m always on the lookout for a new solution, and I went on the internet and I found this:

In full disclosure, Lenovo is awesome, and has graced me with the opportunity to review this, A thinkpad x1 nano, so I did not buy it with my own money. And while not a perfect laptop, it comes dang close.

The specs are all there. An 11th gen core i7, 16 gigs of ram, xe graphics, 13” 16:10 aspect ratio, super bright 2k touch screen, beautiful carbon fiber body. 

The keyboard is fantastic. It is slightly smaller and slightly different from my p43s, the key travel is shorter, and it has a bit more resistance. But that isn’t a detriment. It gives a great feel, and if you like thinkpad keyboards, you’ll be up to your standard typing speed and accuracy in just a few minutes. The extra resistance makes up for the lack of travel, giving a similar amount of effort for key presses. It is far better than the ideapads/legions I have reviewed, better than any dell or HP keyboard I have reviewed. Thinkpad Keyboards are one of the biggest reasons I keep going back to the brand. 

One of my favorite things is that it is nearly silent, and runs cool. Typical tasks don’t stress the system so it generates little to no heat, and even when running benchmarks, it still stays lap comfortable even when being pushed to the max. The fan noise is nearly non-existent, with just the slightest whoosh of air. 

That 16:10 aspect ratio makes 13” a usable size. I have tested a number of 13” laptops, and have never really liked them.  I feel like the drop from 14 to 13 you lose too much usability without gaining any benefits of much smaller 11 and 12” screen laptops.. But due to the aspect ratio, it makes it taller and narrower, and so you get most of  the vertical height of a 14”, but it also makes the system physically smaller and lighter. I really hope this trend continues on laptops. It’s not quite going back to the 4:3 days, but it’s absolutely a step in the right direction. 

Battery life is excellent, while using this laptop I was getting well over 7+ hours on a charge. And that’s without it dropping to battery saver or reducing screen brightness. Your mileage will vary of course, based on usage. 

Weight, this laptop is under a kilo… the touch screen model just over 2lbs, non touch just under. I couldn’t find anything. The performance without the weight? Yes please. 

Compared to my P43s with dedicated graphics it performs so much better with integrated graphics. 

CPU: 4000 points better

GPU:500 points better
Is it a gaming laptop? No, but will it run your 3d printer software? A a VM or two? Absolutely.

Where is it lacking? I said it’s not perfect. To be this thin and light, have a touch screen, sacrifices had to be made. It has a gloss screen. I much prefer a mat screen. Working in offices with fluorescent lighting, or sometimes having to work outside, I find the mat screens just easier on my eyes. I personally would skip the touch screen, and get the available mat screen, BUT you then lose the attractive carbon fiber top, and get just a black case. You also only get two thunderbolt ports. It’s all about that dongle life ‘yo. I will say that 3 years ago, for me personally that would be unacceptable. But today? I’ve had a few laptops that charge from usb-c, so I have spare power cords. I’ve had to pick up a few usb-c docs, I have had to get a bluetooth mouse, I’ve upgraded my home wifi, so it is not the punishment it used to be. In a larger laptop it is still not acceptable to make these port sacrifices, but for something this small, this light, it’s acceptable. Now comes the big pill to swallow, The laptop MSRP is pushing $3000… BUT Lenovo being Lenovo almost always has some sort of sale going on. And right now the top spec one goes for $1500, but that could change in the next few days. 

This is not my own text, but it is by far one of the most influential things I have read in my life. on reddit user breakfastpotato provided the following:

Don’t rock the boat.

I’ve been thinking about this phrase a lot lately, about how unfair it is. Because we aren’t the ones rocking the boat. It’s the crazy lady jumping up and down and running side to side. Not the one sitting in the corner quietly not giving a fuck.

At some point in her youth, Mum/MIL gave the boat a little nudge. And look how everyone jumped to steady the boat! So she does it again, and again. Soon her family is in the habit of swaying to counteract the crazy. She moves left, they move right, balance is restored (temporarily). Life goes on. People move on to boats of their own.

The boat-rocker can’t survive in a boat by herself. She’s never had to face the consequences of her rocking. She’ll tip over. So she finds an enabler: someone so proud of his boat-steadying skills that he secretly (or not so secretly) lives for the rocking.

The boat-rocker escalates. The boat-steadier can’t manage alone, but can’t let the boat tip. After all, he’s the best boat-steadier ever, and that can’t be true if his boat capsizes, so therefore his boat can’t capsize. How can they fix the situation?

Ballast!

And the next generation of boat-steadiers is born.

A born boat-steadier doesn’t know what solid ground feels like. He’s so used to the constant swaying that anything else feels wrong and he’ll fall over. There’s a good chance the boat-rocker never taught him to swim either. He’ll jump at the slightest twitch like his life depends on it, because it did .

When you’re in their boat, you’re expected to help steady it. When you decline, the other boat-steadiers get resentful. Look at you, just sitting there while they do all the work! They don’t see that you aren’t the one making the boat rock. They might not even see the life rafts available for them to get out. All they know is that the boat can’t be allowed to tip, and you’re not helping.

Now you and your DH get a boat of your own. With him not there, the balance of the boat changes. The remaining boat-steadiers have to work even harder.

While a rocking boat is most concerning to those inside, it does cause ripples. The nearby boats start to worry. They’re getting splashed! Somebody do something!

So the flying monkeys are dispatched. Can’t you and DH see how much better it is for everyone (else) if you just get back on the boat and keep it steady? It would make their lives so much easier.

You know what would be easier? If they all just chucked the bitch overboard.