I’ve got a lot of problems with you people. It is time for the annual airing of grievances. You can probably guess some of the items because it seems like they are on my list every year. However, there are some new ones this year. Thank goodness because I get tired of brining up the same issues. Stay tune to the end if you want to hear about how this process has effected me and the impact to the new year.
Author: bhayes952
December 19, 2025 – Better Late Then Never
This is just another sign that I am over my head. Typically Fridays would be a book review or nothing at all. That being said, I have not had a single chance to read in the last couple of weeks. My typical day lately starts work at 5 AM and my head hits the pillow around 9:30 PM at the earliest. I am packing, wrapping or attending social obligations. However, this post was supposed to happen some time in October.
I probably have enough content to do two posts, so I will probably do something next week on my hunting trip. I really wanted to talk about the binocular harness and how it did so that is today. I invested pretty significantly in this setup based on hearsay from Meat Eater and you might want to know if it is worth the money. You can also tell that I am no good at selling things because I don’t even show the product in my picture. Here is a link to my previous article.
Today I won’t rehash the previous article but my thoughts on how the product worked. We are talking about the Badlands Bino Harness that I used every day for my week long hunt. First and foremost, I would put it on first things in the morning as we were getting ready to leave camp. When you try to put the harness on with the binoculars in them, gravity tends to pull the harness down making it difficult to snap together. It would be helpful to have a second set of hands when trying to get the apparatus on. Another added issue I had was that with my shoulder pain, I had some mobility problems reaching around. I never tried to put it on dry or empty.
Once I got the harness on, it was comfortable. I never really felt constrained when driving or sitting at the table for lunch. I also never felt any weight strain on my back or neck. I had no issues putting my coat on and my backpack after that. Some of the early days were in the upper seventies so I didn’t need a coat but only in the early morning and late afternoon. Due to the fact that it was difficult to get rigged up, I left it on from sunrise to sunset.
Later in the week, it started raining. The harness is water resistant but that doesn’t mean that I am. I was able to zip my coat over the the whole thing without problem. Another indication that it is not too bulky. If you are out of shape and hence a sweater, Wearing a bino harness is going to cause addition perspiration due to its padding and footprint on your chest.
It was comforting having my best pair of binoculars handy. Previous to owning this, I would carry a compact set of binoculars around my neck. This worked OK, except that sometimes I didn’t wear a shirt with a front pocket. There is no way I would walk around with loose binoculars banging around as I step over logs and such. The visual quality of my full size binoculars was certainly an upgrade.
I actually have more attachments/pockets for my harness then I used. I had it setup with the rangefinder and the utility pouches on the harness. I can say that I used my rangefinder for the first time where I wasn’t sitting still because I didn’t have to dig it out of my backpack. The utility pouch held my phone securely enough and I would be able to access it to look at maps while I was hiking. There is also room for my compass that I kept for backup and navigation purposes. One caveat is that the utility pouch is not waterproof. If you phone or whatever you put in that pouch is not, keep that in mind.
Did I like it? Heck yes. Here is my review.
| Score | Score | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Value | 2/5 | Badlands have lots of accessories to customize your rig how you want it. | Of all the choices out there, many are significantly cheaper with the same configuration that I used |
| Quality | 5/5 | This is a well built rig that fits binoculars snugly | |
| Performance | 4/5 | All the gear you need in a place to easily get at when you want it. | It is not the product’s problem that it is difficult to put on but maybe there is a better way. |
| Because of the semi-custom sizing, sometimes the flaps (magnets) would come open dug to snug fit | |||
| The small amount of MOLLE led to a compromise placement of the rangefinder pocket. |
End Your Programming Routine: You may think that based on my scores, I didn’t like the product. I did, I really did. That being said, I probably should have purchased the cheaper option based on how much I am probably going to use it in the future. I would recommend this for a multiple season hunter. They can take advantage of the modularity based on multiple uses. I am one of those guys that has more money than time. No problem buying the best, just be aware that there are suitable alternatives.
December 17, 2025 – Who Do You Want to Be?
While the deal is not completely done, we are in the process of packing. We are also paying rent in the new house and so we have the keys but I am a little leery of doing too much until the deal is done. It does allow us to do some advanced planning about how things are going to be arranged at the new house. As I pack, I am wondering how I am going to cram things into the places that no longer exist. It makes me feel like I missed my window on some hobbies and that maybe I should consider down sizing. My internal debate today.
December 12, 2025 – Mere Christianity, Book Three: Chapters 7-12
Read along: http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Mere%20Christianity%20-%20Lewis.pdf
Two weeks in a row, what is happening? Did I get my mojo back or have major roadblocks been removed? No. But, I have gotten this far in the book and I would really like to keep the rhythm of at least the Friday reviews going. My neck is feeling a little better than it has in week’s past but this recent flurry of activity really has more to do with topics stubbed out months ago. Don’t hold your breath because we have a valid offer for this house which means that the move is one step closer.
This is the conclusion to virtues that we started last week. When I look at these six chapters as a whole, these are supposed to more important then the ones from last week. There are a couple of things jumbling around in my head, including pride is not actually a virtue but a sin and the opposite of the rest of the group. That weakens the overall argument when things are not completely buttoned up. Below is a couple words on the points of each chapter.
- Love your neighbor
- Pride is the worst sin
- Love without like
- Christianity is focused on Heaven without any real knowledge
- Faith is a prerequisite to be a Christian.
When I look at this group, I see all of the most popular sermon topics. Faith, charity, hope, forgiveness and fighting pride are all of the tenants of Sunday morning. This is not to say that chastity or or marriage virtue are not important but they are typically not the focus in my experience. It seems appropriate that Lewis would put the focus on these virtues this week as they are in line with the typical Christian dogma.
I think that Lewis actually make some really good points this week. The Christian focus on things that we have no knowledge such as Heaven are pretty good fodder for non-believers. We like to come off as authorities in things that we really have no basis. In fact, we barely even have sources inside of the Bible and hearsay. While I choose to believe in the Bible, I will admit that the text has some dubious origins. I guess that is the very definition of faith.
Speaking of faith, this is an interesting topic. My definition of faith is belief in something that is not fully provable because of the desire to want it to be true. This can have what I would call good intonations and bad ones. We use that word in context of belief that a new coach will recruit better, hire better assistants, be able to see things other coaches did not. In other words, there is no definitive proof that the future will be better but that we want it to be.
We use faith as a transference of things that are too distant or outside of our circle of influence. I have faith that the fund managers for the mutual funds in my 401K are being executed to the best of their goals. I have no idea if this is true or not, but I want to believe it and as long as the funds are meeting my expectations. I have no idea whether those funds could have made 50% more and I never will because I am not there.
Faith has to have some ambiguity to it. If it is 12AM, it is not really faith to say that by 9AM the next day there will be daylight (in most months). Unless the sun explodes overnight this is more of a fact than faith. We can have faith that we will wake up the next morning, but that is not guaranteed. People of all ages go to sleep and don’t wake up. This is not to mention that there will come a day that will be our last. That being said, the probability that I will go to sleep and not wake up is extremely low. It is not nothing so I have faith.
I used the word dogma earlier in this post. That was intentional. I think where Lewis’ arguments here break down is the overall purpose of the work. You cannot use circular logic to prove something. God exists because you should take care of people less fortunate than yourself. It is commanded through the Old Testament and approached in softer ways through Jesus. That is not proof, the supporting the argument is reinforced by the very subject in doubt.
I don’t think anybody ever said that Lewis was a trained philosopher. Maybe his reputation as a celebrity was the best way to make a convincing argument. It happens all the time in this current culture. I guess what I am saying is that the overall argument is weakening for me. We will see if by the time we get to the end things hold up.
End Your Programming Routine: It is not explicitly stated in the book or in some of the other analysis that I read that we have shifted from proof completed to what is inside of Christianity. I am speculating that this where we are at this point. That being said, I go back to this work being a message of hope during the Nazi air raids of WWII. Strict adherence to Christian chastity doesn’t really do that for most. They might have wanted some faith that their bomb shelters were good enough. I don’t know, I am getting a little lost in the point now.
December 11, 2025 – Nobu: A Memoir
Do you know Nobu? I really didn’t until I read this book. Nobu: The Memoir is the Left Coast Culinary Book Club for November. Yes, I know that it is mid-December and that is how far behind I am. The good news is that this month we will be doing a comfort themed book with everybody using the Betty Crocker cookbook. I am not reading that one.
So, who is Nobu? He is the celebrity chef that is credited with popularizing Japanese food in America. According to his story, he opened his first and flagship restaurant in the LA area in the mid-1980s. My truth is that I have never heard of him until I read the book, but I am certainly aware of his protégé Morimoto from Iron Chef fame.
I think that his fame to me is a bit circuitous in my life. Living on the West coast, we have always been closer to Asia. When I was in early middle school (about that time frame), we hosted a Japanese Exchange student. My wife had a Japanese student as a roommate (mid-1990s) and they are still close today. This is a long way from eating and liking Japanese food but it was exposure.
This was also the time frame that Japanese cars became main stream acceptable. You have to understand that there was a lot of anti-Japanese bias prior to this point. There were too many long memories about war in the Pacific as a result of World War II. My own grandfather, refused to even be passed on the road by a Volkswagen. But, he did buy a brand new Honda Accord in 1982. As new generations succeed older generations, that icy acceptance starts thaw.
None of that has anything to do with the book but I was setting the table about how this was something new. I won’t give away all of the book but Nobu’s path was interesting. As a result of getting in trouble as a teenager, he was sentenced to supervised training as a sushi chef. That foster relationship turned out to be a globe trotting opportunity for Nobu.
Adherence to principals, proximity and providing something unique were also fortuitous to Nobu as well. This is where he met Robert DeNiro and where his celebrity status became solidified. With DeNiro financially backing exclusive expansion Nobu went from being a principled establishment to a luxury brand.
It is kind of surprising that I had never heard of him before. But then again, I don’t live my life by the Food Channel or food media; I participate in it I suppose. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to the point in the book where he had an establishment in Las Vegas until after we came home. Otherwise, I would have made a point to go there considering I was reading the book on the plane there and back.
I never want to attribute success to luck. I do think that there was a bit of luck involved but I do not want to discount that Nobu created a lot of that luck. He is a big believer in craft mastery and good ideals. This would be things like making sushi to the best of his ability as well as greeting all of the guests at some point in the meal. If he would have just stayed behind the prep station, he possibly would never had met DeNiro.
I think that Nobu’s personality really resonates with me. He has no faith in pedigree. A person may not have all of the ultimate abilities to become a head chef when they are a dishwasher. But, on the other hand they are almost always capable of more. Master one skill and take the opportunity to do the next thing. There is a lot of grounding in that methodology as well. It helps a person have compassion for others.
I have found this in my own career when I started working for these mega corporations. My experience got me hired but my degree status has kept me pretty static over the last five years. I don’t have an MBA and I am not really that interested in it. But because I don’t, I just keep doing what I am doing regardless of the fact that I am capable of so much more. Nobu definitely doesn’t run my company.
He also talks about the concept of fusion as well. Nobu says that fusion is not two dissimilar things put together but a respect for local ingredients adopted under the practices of a Japanese restaurant. He used an example of a popular slider that got nixed from the menu because the Japanese palate traditionally doesn’t use bread buns. They instead developed a rice cake version. I respect that.
End Your Programming Routine: I like this book because I found it inspirational. It is a true American success story. It doesn’t talk too much about the food, but it definitely has inspired me to respect the craft of sushi more than I have. With my experience being almost exclusively national chains and ‘Asian’ restaurants, I really would like to try something made with passion and an eye toward excellence.
December 10, 2025 – I Can Do Anything, I Am So Smart
Many people have doorbell cameras these days. My wife is obsessed with them; I am so, so. I like the idea of having a security system including cameras but I don’t like the fact that they are constantly dinging and going off. Our front doorbell camera was our first and it certainly fell into the nuisance category. Not to mention that at least half of the time it would miss the mail man delivering. What good is this thing anyway?
I decided that the solution was to upgrade from the base model to the professional model. I also did away with the battery because we were more frequently discharging the battery then I really thought was reasonable. The heat of the summer would somehow cause it to run on battery instead of the line power. Previously, I never had the doorbell not work because it was summer time.
I had it in my head that I needed to pull the refrigerator out to get to the chime mechanism. Despite the fact I already an a resistor in line (for the base model), the professional model needed another do-dad. I was reading that it had a capacitor to regulate power to the camera. That seems reasonable.
I have not pulled the refrigerator out since we have owned it (three years). The refrigerator is deeper than the original and to actually remove it, the doors have to be taken off. That is both refrigerator and freezer. Needless to say, it is not trivial. You can see from the picture that I did it. I stuck my head behind the refrigerator and all I see is the transformer. What the heck?
Epiphany. The doorbell chime is actually covered by the sign above the refrigerator. This is the largest reason that sign is placed where it is. For many years, there was a clock wired to the chime mechanism. It was put in place in the 1970s when the kitchen was built and my wife thought that it had served its useful life when we bought the refrigerator. The fact that the sign was there meant that the doorbell was out of sight and out of mind.
Fortunately, taking the doors off was the perfect reason to clean things out. It is amazing the amount of crud that builds up inside the freezer. Not only was it far past time but it was also necessary to get ready to sell the house (I did this work in September just so it doesn’t seem like I replaced the doorbell before moving out). We also paid a cleaning crew of three, four hours of kitchen cleaning and I still see things that need to be done. It is kind of amazing and gross but the kitchen has been loved.
The point is that what I thought I knew I didn’t. I did a lot of extra work because I was confident I knew what I was doing. I delayed doing this job for weeks because I was going to have to pull the refrigerator out only to find out that I could have swapped the doorbells in an hour at the most. Talk about humble pie when I had that moment.
Aside from being humbled, what else can we learn from this situation? Well, other than pride no harm, no foul. But seriously, how many other things in our life are we certain about? Pseudo science and politics come to mind. I don’t really want to go there today and so I won’t but anytime the phrase ‘the science is settled’ should send warning bells off. Memories are clearly foulable, mine is no exception.
This wasn’t the first time I had egg on my face from not remembering correctly. My wife says that this is arrogance. I think that I am relatively humble and I would say confidence is the proper word. But, there can be a very fine line between the two. Since I brought it up, it is fair game about what people think of me. But, I would say the difference is confidence is the ability to go into the unknown without fear versus arrogance is forcing your narrative onto others. To bring it home, me stating my opinion is not forcing anyone to agree or even listen, it is putting something out there as a beach head to stand the test of debate.
End Your Programming Routine: I could see this developing into something like a sermon but you don’t want that and it wasn’t my intent. What I am doing is holding that inner mirror up to make sure that we periodically check ourselves so that we don’t get too certain about anything. Even established facts should be periodically challenged or evaluated to make sure that they still hold up. This isn’t about a doorbell installation but being an adjusted human being.
December 9, 2025 – Milwaukee 12V Max
I needed another cordless tool-set like I needed a hole in head. I have an old Craftsman 14.4V drill, Makita 14.4V drill and Makita 18V drill and impact driver already. But, I wanted a second impact driver for one in the house and one in the shop. I thought that a smaller form factor would be the right approach rather than adding another 18V tool.
This actually all started several months earlier. I don’t like to admit this on multiple fronts but I started thinking that I wanted a power screwdriver. My wrist occasionally bothers me when I put together all of the boxed furniture my wife purchases. This has become especially true since I have been battling this neck injury. I did some research and there were a few, good options out there but the battery platforms were all lower voltage than the tools I had.
The Milwaukee brand screwdriver had high ratings and they offered a lot of other tools in the same battery platform. Once purchased, I had the green light to buy tools from a different line. Another benefit was that local hardware stores carry their tools and batteries. Of course, a lot of the above jibber jabber was written in early October before we decided to move. So throw that logic out the window.
What I mean to say is that there is an argument for owning both the 12V and 18V platforms. The smaller form factor of 12V tools are more compact and cheaper than their 18V cousins. It really doesn’t matter that they have less run time (my experience) and homeowners need one hole or is installing one shelf and not pounding screws all day long every day.
When I compare my 18V Makita to this new 12V Milwaukee setup, I really do feel as though the Makita is superior. They batteries run longer and hold charge for literally months without me touching them. That said, the Milwaukee has plenty of power for the around the house use when charged and ready to go. I have noticed a significantly faster, dormant discharge rate of the 12V batteries. I am still looking to quantify how much better in my long term ownership of these new tools. But what I can say is that every battery was fully charged when I put it away and a month later the batteries are showing half charge.
If you will recall, at one point I was considering becoming a contractor or something in the construction field. One reason I have multiple tools is to have them in different places at the same time. I could leave tools at the job site (securely of course) and still have enough resources at home to do the things that I need. It goes with a similar philosophy of having tools in the shop as well as in the home. Let us be honest, no homeowner really needs more than one battery operated drill unless it is special circumstances like building a deck with multiple helpers. The prudent thing would be to see if a tool could be borrowed. But, I am also kind of lazy and don’t like to run to the shop 100 times for everything that I need to do a job. Adding a second pair just shortens my trips to the basement instead.
One tool that I find I use a surprising amount is my corded multi-tool. This thing is amazing, especially for fine, finish type work like scribing or precision demolition. When trying to precision cut an 8′, T-111 panel it is a pain to try to manipulate a cord and be on the ladder at the same time. I would desperately like to get a cordless version but as handy as it is, I need a justification to spend $250. But, if I look at the Milwaukee 12V version, it is only $100. I think that I could probably justify that for almost any project. Yeah, it is not going to run all day but I already have a corded version that can do that. This would be to trim up one molding spot to slide a floor tile for a finish cut without moving furniture to get to the outlet.
I would argue that for most homeowners, the 12V is more than adequate. I wouldn’t even recommend going to 18V just to get the extra benefits given the cost. I have been extremely impressed at these tools considering my last 12V experience was in the Ni-Cad battery days. This was when you needed the higher voltage tools just to have adequate power.
End Your Programming Routine: My son asked, why Milwaukee and not Makita? They also have an extensive 12V line. The real answer is that they had the screwdriver I wanted but he also doesn’t know that I have been a Milwaukee fan since before I owned the Makita cordless tools. I have a number of corded tools from them and I think they are equally good in their own right. It is hard to justify another battery platform unless there is a distinct advantage like dipping into another tool line that meets your needs.
December 8, 2025 – Tis the Season 2025
It’s that time of year again. It is time for my gift buying episode. The thing that is different about this year is that I also talk about strategies that I typically use for my spouse. I probably won’t get a lump of coal this year but these are the kinds of things I would suggest for guys like me. Feel free to send me something on my list and good luck in your season’s shopping.
December 5, 2025 – Mere Christianity, Book Three: Chapters 1-6
Read along: http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Mere%20Christianity%20-%20Lewis.pdf
Hopefully you have all finished the book by now. I have not but maybe you listened to my podcast of excuses yesterday. I really did not plan to just go silent for weeks but my life runs me at this point. Those are the the things that I can do along with the things that I have to do and limited by the things that I am able to do. Enough of that.
Below are the bullet point summary. One for each chapter.
- Morality is a set of rules that attempt to regulate individuals internally as well as between each other. All rules are equally important and not to be picked and chosen.
- Prudence, temperance and justice are three virtues essential to Christianity. These are not binary, all or nothing ideals but have degrees of gray that have to be weighed.
- Biblical views should support political opinions and not run them.
- Psychoanalysis, very popular and up and coming academic idea is separating the unconscious from free will. This is controversial idea when equating self worth and sin. Those were Lewis’ thoughts.
- Sexual morality; repress it and get more of it. Yet, Lewis subscribes to the traditional idea of celibacy outside of marriage. It does seem a little counter intuitive.
- Being in love and relationship love are two different things. This is the concept that relationships change or progress over time. Interestingly, the begins the chapter with divorce and that is why it is important to recognize the progression of love.
It is good that I did this chapter summary weeks ago because I have a hard time remembering what I read two months ago. This is really half of what Lewis was trying to get across but it makes it more convenient for me to split this section in two. What is he saying anyway? I say that the message is that morality is necessary to the human race.
You might say what does morality have to do with proving that there is a God? I would probably be in your camp as well. Lewis tries to make the connection between God and morality. After all, the Old Testament is generally many, many pages of Jewish laws largely about morality. The new covenant sends Jesus to edit many of those laws.
I think that it is an interesting idea that Lewis comes up with that morality is not to control people or sort them out per se. Rather, he has this idea that morality is a training ground for Heaven. Meaning, these are the skills necessary to be successful in Heaven. I suppose that you could say people self select entrance to Heaven by being moral or not. I really do not know how this could be proven.
I really do like the idea that virtues are not binary. When I learned the ten commandments as a child, I learned the words “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. But, I have heard the more modern “Do not Murder” which I think is actually more appropriate. If the commandment was more in my language, then so many biblical heroes would have violated that commandment and could have never been in favor of god. That is also presupposing that there are exceptions for things like war and self defense. My personal feeling is that it would be better to stick to “Thou Shalt Not Kill” but then there are always those gray areas like what if it was an accident? Therefore, I have to agree that morality is not binary.
The world is full of paradoxes. I mean what about surrogate parenting. I really don’t believe that it is infidelity but by the strict definition of fidelity we have somehow agreed that this is a place where a woman bears a child that does not belong to her is morally OK. To play devil’s advocate, what if God was saying that particular couple was not supposed to have kids for whatever reason? And what if that reason was that one of the parents poisoned their bodies with diet or drugs or whatever? Or what if the person just did not want to go through the pregnancy process (Paris Hilton anybody)? The permutations are endless.
End Your Programming Routine: Next week we will get the full effect of this Book and what Lewis was trying to do. It seems amongst the literary analysis there is some speculation that this is a weaker argument then the first two books. I tend to agree but that doesn’t mean that we cant refine a little value out of this. Let’s keep going into pride, hope and faith next week.
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