M.I.A. or Where'd he go?

[mroliver77]

I was doing a search a few days back and found an older thread from this forum when it was on the aimoo server. There was a lot of familiar posters. Many or most are still here but some I do not see. I know we have lost some and most have that beside their handle. I have seen many times where we have 14000 or some large # of members. Well lots of them were drive by's. But where are the others?
I liked to read Morgan Astorbilts posts and he disappeared a while back. mikenbarb I know went through bad times but was back for a while but now has been gone for months. There were quite a few but these couple stuck in my mind. Anybody know about them.
Who else has gone missing?
Jay

[Hip's Ax]

Ricochet.

[MT Gianni]

People do move on. Some liked us better as a trail camp than a small town, Many had a lot to give and are missed.

[geargnasher]

I miss Richochet, too. Last rumour I heard he was in a motorcyle accident and spent a little time in the hospital, but was supposed to be ok. That was just over a year ago.

Gear

[BSkerj]

I think Barb is over at the S&W site quite a bit moderating...I could be wrong though.

[mroliver77]

Ricochet was here on feb 22 this year. He has bee conspicuously absent of late. When somebody has been here a long time and participated so fully I worry if they just disappear. Not that one needs to be here long or post a lot to be part of our "family". This forum and folks is very special to me. If someone moves on so be it. If they need help I want to know.
Jay

[AkMike]

Junior42 is still MIA also... :D

[Jim]

Junior1942 is not MIA, he's AWOL. He fell out with a few people here a good while back over some political beliefs and made it known that he'd had enough.

[9.3X62AL]

Political beliefs are a silly reason to rag on someone. I don't know why we get so wrapped up and serious about politics anyway--our politicians CLEARLY aren't serious about them. :)

I miss ol' Junior a lot.

[btroj]

I too miss Junior. He had ALOT to add to cast bullet discussions and that is why I am here.

Brad

[wiljen]

Ricochet is alive and well and doing just fine last I heard. He is a physician and works here where I live. Just a matter of too many things, not enough time I think.

[7br]

Political beliefs are a silly reason to rag on someone. I don't know why we get so wrapped up and serious about politics anyway--our politicians CLEARLY aren't serious about them. :)

I miss ol' Junior a lot.

Ditto....

[cajun shooter]

Mike&Barb did come back for a while after the tragic and sudden death of Barb but he had a lot of irons in the fire. He and another forum member bump heads some and I don't know if that had anything to do with his leaving. Jr 1942 is typical of good Louisiana people. They will bend but not break and rather than keep bending he just got out of the wind.

[Beekeeper]

Wiljen.
Have you any data on Dale Clawson (DLCTX)?
I know he was having health problems but he has dropped off the end of the earth also.
Sent him an e-mail sometime back asking if he was alright after the big fire and so far no answer.


Jim

[skeet1]

I miss Junior a lot also. I don't agree with his political beliefs either but he sure did have some excellent input reference casting and reloading. I think that we all let our political beliefs get in the way of our friendship with him.

Ken

[wallenba]

Junior is a cultural anthropologist and is involved studying and living with Jazz and Delta Blues.
You can see his web pages here. > http://deltablues.net/
http://www.castbullet.com/

[Bad Water Bill]

Mike&Barb has not been around for quite a while. After the death of Barb he said he would have his hands full as he had to raise 2 young children and that is hard to do being a single MALE parent. Don't ask me how I know. I have sent him a couple e mails but have not heard from him/

I also miss Junior as he had some very good ideas and a lot of info. He also had a site on camping and cooking that were interesting.

[mroliver77]

Maybe it is time that we stop ragging on a persons beliefs, state of residence, what side of the Mason-Dixon line they hail from, where the shop, yadda yadda yadda. There are a few here that run rough shod over any that have a difference of opinion with them. Many like to pick on California. I seen Sua Gaun get a belly full of it the other day and lashed out at others about it. I don't blame him a bit. I personally have had enough of the Yankee slurs. I have seen it said this forum is akin to setting around the campfire with a bunch of friends. Some of the actions here would be unacceptable around a campfire at my house. I am not that thinned skinned either. I am very civil and polite though. I have found the same qualities in most here and that is one reason I have stayed on. I better stop before you all think I am touchy feely sort.
Jay

[Finster101]

Not touchy feely at all Jay. I like the Political discussions, but people can get carried away. The other problem with a written forum like this is that things you would say at the campfire with a smile and a joking tone of voice being sarcastic, can come out mean spirited in print when at times it was not meant to be. The people who Post often kind of learn each others personality and are a bit more tolerant of each other. Just my thoughts.

James

[alamogunr]

There are many I miss on this board. Jr and Ricochet especially. I have printed several of Jr's articles from his web site. Ricochet always had good input on milsurps.

We should all remember that this is Cast Boolets. There is a section at the bottom of the main page for "Political and Religious" discussions. If someone feels the need to wander into those topics, they should take it there.

John
W.TN

PS Although I live in the South, I was born in Illinois, was raised in Tennessee and my first job was in Northwestern Ohio(46 years ago).

[wiljen]

No I do not, But I will try and find out.


Wiljen.
Have you any data on Dale Clawson (DLCTX)?
I know he was having health problems but he has dropped off the end of the earth also.
Sent him an e-mail sometime back asking if he was alright after the big fire and so far no answer.


Jim

[Bret4207]

Junior brought the abuse on himself. I do the same thing at our local NPR affiliate station political blog. I'm pretty much the lone conservative. I can sympathize, but I wouldn't leave over it. I swing by Juniors hunting and shooting website occasionally.

I miss Carpetman and Scrounger. Scrounger was one of those guys I just loved to argue with. As someone else said, the lack of nuance available to us here is probably what sends most guys away.

I even miss Starmetal Joe. If ever there was a guy that was better at sticking both feet in his mouth clear up to the hips, other than myself that is, it had to be Joe. Once you got past that he was a hoot. I know he still lurks here. (No Joe, that doesn't mean I want you to call me, thx anyway)

OTH, there have been a few people banned that I am more than happy to say I hope I never, ever run into again. There are some folks that are just......unpleasant.

[EMC45]

I saw Junior lurking the other day. He had leveled some pretty harsh accusations at me and a few others here. He apparently did not get the knee jerk response he was expecting/used to, so he left in a huff. I figure he was baiting me and a few others into some confrontations, but it didn't stick. I think that made him mad. He made the blanket statement of "racism" when he could not rebutt with fact or logic. Typical liberal response. Weak. Lame.



I did think his cast bullet posts were really well done though. His camping and hunting stories were enjoyed by me and others here as well. His site is pretty neat too. His politics? No thanks!

[runfiverun]

in my job field
rule #2 is don't bring your feelings to work , cause they are gonna get hurt.
we expect emotions to be displayed, frustrations vented, etc..
it's a fact of the job, especially since we spend double the amount of time with the crew than we do with our family.

the political forum is gonna be harsh it says so right on the description.
but it should be left there.
much like the chat room,p.m's and the telephone are used to talk to your buddies,
all have a different feeling, and the boolits sight shouldn't be judged by what appears in print or opinions voiced there.

[buck1]

A few have passed on to the great range in the sky Like swaggerman, leftoverdj, azstew and more.
Others are getting tired of being atacked on every post by the local "I know everything better than you and have the big mouth and long wind to prove it " group.
Bigger is not always better.
Dont get me wrong MOST here are great friends but the small but deticated group of sharp teeth can and do a lot of dammage.
Just my .02....Buck

[old turtle]

I feel that the political discussions should be confined to the idea or view point being discussed. It is alright to point out flaws in each others argument but the person making his views known should not be attacked. The members of this board are very knowledgeable and I have both been and attempted to help others in our common interest.

[MtGun44]

Junior posted on a thread I was on yesterday. I said "HI".

Bill

[timkelley]

I hope Junior is back. Politically he and I are polar opposites but I still like his opinions on other things.

[bearcove]

Yeah the negative comment about politics places etc get old.

My sore point is Union bashing. Someone takes a bad company and the makes the leap that its bad because its union... and all union members are lazy and unskilled.

I work as a pipe welder/ pipefitter out of Local 412. We do work at nuclear facilities and at places like Intel. We get most of the work because we can do the work.

We are the best craftsmen in our trade in our area.

Your milage may vary. But I get pissed every time I read a neg comment about us.

[alamogunr]

I think that most of the negativity concerning unions is due to "industrial" unions. Early in my career(Industrial Engineer), I worked for an old line automotive supplier. The union in that plant was as corrupt as the Mafia. If a member stepped out of line(the line was drawn by the "bargaining committee"), he was "convinced" to be quiet. The union didn't get that way by accident. In past years the company, before I was transferred there, was no angel either.

You guys that have worked in plants like that can imagine that I wasn't the most popular person on the factory floor. Luckily I was young and didn't have a family. I would have been concerned for their safety if I had a wife and children then.

I was also fortunate that many of the old timers in the factory were from the same area of the South I was from. They helped me out more than I realized at the time.

There are two sides to every story and most who condemn unions have only seen(or read about) one side.

John
W.TN

[Longwood]

Yeah the negative comment about politics places etc get old.

My sore point is Union bashing. Someone takes a bad company and the makes the leap that its bad because its union... and all union members are lazy and unskilled.

I work as a pipe welder/ pipefitter out of Local 412. We do work at nuclear facilities and at places like Intel. We get most of the work because we can do the work.

We are the best craftsmen in our trade in our area.

Your milage may vary. But I get pissed every time I read a neg comment about us.
I sure do agree with you. I have worked for the Machinist and Aerospace workers, the Cork and Rubber Workers, the Steel Workers (three places), the Cement (can't recall the rest of the name) Workers and the Teamsters unions.
I never did see the lazy people the jealous non union people talk about. As a mater of fact, they were some of the hardest workers I ever worked with anywhere.
All of those jobs were good jobs with highly skilled workers that paid well and had decent benefits. I have had a few BAD non union jobs with few benefits (if you can call them that) also and it is very plain to see why the non union people with the crappy jobs and benefits they have to pay for are so jealous.
Benefits you pay for???? Now that's an oxymoron if I ever heard of one. I try to feel bad for them, but somehow, I just can't!

[Heavy lead]

I sure do agree with you. I have worked for the Machinist and Aerospace workers, the Cork and Rubber Workers, the Steel Workers (three places), the Cement (can't recall the rest of the name) Workers and the Teamsters unions.
I never did see the lazy people the jealous non union people talk about. As a mater of fact, they were some of the hardest workers I ever worked with anywhere.
All of those jobs were good jobs with highly skilled workers that paid well and had decent benefits. I have had a few BAD non union jobs with few benefits (if you can call them that) also and it is very plain to see why the non union people with the crappy jobs and benefits they have to pay for are so jealous.
Benefits you pay for???? Now that's an oxymoron if I ever heard of one. I try to feel bad for them, but somehow, I just can't!

Jealous.......really?
Seriously?
That is one huge assumption, and I'm sure you know the the definition of assume.
But if it makes you feel better to believe this, by all means go forth.

[shotman]

I have never seen a union member say they didnt know more and work harder. BUT I have never seen the other side say the same about them. Union is 7% now so does that tell you something
THATS not why I posted does anyone Know what happen to -Mikenbarb - Mike- ken dont know Bret?

[Heavy lead]

On another note, when I first became a member here close to 3 years ago I found the posts by two different members here, if nothing else quite arrogant. Now these were not political, but shooting, casting, and loading related. I've always considered myself a good rifle shot, pretty good shotgun shooter, but handgun, although I've always enjoyed them, not so much.
However without naming the posters by handle, I kept going back to their posts, seeking them out in fact as regardless of how I felt the delivery, they were informative. In reality over the last 3 years I've become a pretty good handgun shooter, always pushing the envelope on load development, casting, and mostly shooting skills.
Basically many here, but mainly these two posters and their wisdom have made me a much, much better shooter. Their once seemingly arrogant posts and beliefs are now seen by myself as more of authoritive, brutally tough love advice that I'm glad I didn't tuck my tail and run, and not listen.
Sometimes when someone rubs you the wrong way, it's for a reason. They have something to say you don't want to hear. But if you listen, and be honest with yourself the eyes, ears and thought process opens and you learn.
I certainly did, and continue to do so.
If someone hurts your feelings, sometimes you just need to suck it up. Sometimes you can learn a lot from it.

[Bad Water Bill]

THATS not why I posted does anyone Know what happen to -Mikenbarb - Mike- ken dont know Bret?

Several of us have sent Mike e mails with 0 response. When Bard suddenly died Mike said he would have his hands full taking care of the kids. I also heard he had some health problems. Sure hope he is still around. To bad we do not have phone #s here or I would give him a call.

[462]

I was going to stay out of this, because of the drift, but I have to agree with Heavy lead's last post. At first, some members came across as arrogant and all-knowing. However, after a while, I begin to better understand their personalities and what they were conveying, thus adding to my learning.

The ignore feature is readily available and very easy to use.

I deliberately stay away from the religious and political forum.

Back on topic. What happened to Mike in Co? I rarely agreed with him and we even had a PM disageement, but he did have some interesting things to impart.

[Bret4207]

Yeah the negative comment about politics places etc get old.

My sore point is Union bashing. Someone takes a bad company and the makes the leap that its bad because its union... and all union members are lazy and unskilled.

I work as a pipe welder/ pipefitter out of Local 412. We do work at nuclear facilities and at places like Intel. We get most of the work because we can do the work.

We are the best craftsmen in our trade in our area.

Your milage may vary. But I get pissed every time I read a neg comment about us.

Gee, you should try being a cop around pretty much any board on the net...

[badgeredd]

I was going to stay out of this, because of the drift, but I have to agree with Heavy lead's last post. At first, some members came across as arrogant and all-knowing. However, after a while, I begin to better understand their personalities and what they were conveying, thus adding to my learning.

The ignore feature is readily available and very easy to use.

I deliberately stay away from the religious and political forum.

Back on topic. What happened to Mike in Co? I rarely agreed with him and we even had a PM disageement, but he did have some interesting things to impart.

462,

You hit the proverbial nail on the head.

I've been here for a while and now post less, partly because I have learned a heap and partly because I have refrained from making remarks. A few that have disappeared, IMHO, will not be missed by most everyone. Most that have passed away had s lot of knowledge and some keen insights to pass along. A few that have chosen to depart the forum for various reasons including Junior have left for reasons that may or may not be valid to rest of us. Politics can and will get some heated response and go back to the old expression about heat in the kitchen.

What I am trying to say (not very well) is we need to remember that our posts need to be civil and not based on some broad-based personal belief or prejudice. That being said, those who bait others into a confrontation shouldn't be surprised when they are called out.

I sure miss TAWildcatt and his abundant knowledge.

Edd

[mroliver77]

462,

You hit the proverbial nail on the head.

I've been here for a while and now post less, partly because I have learned a heap and partly because I have refrained from making remarks. A few that have disappeared, IMHO, will not be missed by most everyone. Most that have passed away had s lot of knowledge and some keen insights to pass along. A few that have chosen to depart the forum for various reasons including Junior have left for reasons that may or may not be valid to rest of us. Politics can and will get some heated response and go back to the old expression about heat in the kitchen.

What I am trying to say (not very well) is we need to remember that our posts need to be civil and not based on some broad-based personal belief or prejudice. That being said, those who bait others into a confrontation shouldn't be surprised when they are called out.

I sure miss TAWildcatt and his abundant knowledge.

Edd

Well said Edd. And I also miss TAWildcat's knowledge and presentation of it.
Jay

[MtGun44]

Never had much personal contact with unions. All the bad things that I have heard about
unions have come from union members just absolutely livid over how corrupt and useless their
own union was. I'm just a bystander, but seems like if the union members aren't happy,
something must be wrong.

Bill

[blackthorn]

I was going to stay out of this ---BUT---I have seen both sides of the Union/non/union thing and there is some right on both sides! Unions (like government) is only as good (or effective) as the people who own it! If you dont go to meetings and speak up---well--guess what? The few who do will rule the rest!!! Just like politics--if you dont join a party (dont matter which one) those who do will decide who represents you in government. Unions came about because of the way the boss, corporations treated thier workers. If you are really interested (and unbiased) do some research! For instance--in the early part of the last centuary, if you worked in the bush (logging) in BC and you were killed in an industrial accident, they stuck you behind a stump until quitting time so that production would not be interupted!! In 1932 in Newwesminster BC one big forest co. mill had different wage rates for white guys (married) another for white guys (single) one for chinese guys, one for aboriginal guys and one for east indian guys. So---dont whine to me about the rotten old union! They are there largely due to the rotten old bosses! Have a great day one and all.

[375supermag]

I have been around here a little while, but don't post much, for a couple of reasons.
One, I shoot cast bullets but I don't cast my own...at least, not yet. So, I don't know anything about casting bullets.
Two, I can't be on the site as much as some others, so usually a valid response has already been made that summarizes any input I might be able to make. Me, too generally isn't very helpful to anybody.

However, as a former union member (SteelWorkers Local 7390) for nearly 30 years, I do have some insight into what goes on in local unions and, unfortunately, the power that the regional and national officers have.
Our local union officials were constantly making private deals with the company and dropping grievances without even consulting the member who filed the grievance. The excuse was always that the regional officials told them to drop it.
One particularly disgusting thing that happened on the national level was when the national meeting was held in either Atlantic City, NJ or Ocean City, Md, I can't remember which. At any rate, there were some votes being taken that were not going the way that the national officers wanted them to go. So, they demanded that they be re-voted on. Eventually, they simply decided that they had played nice long enough and simply had the votes counted secretly and declared that they had won. There was quite a bit of outright intimidation, according to our local officers who were there.

The most reprehensible thing that happened to me personally was when the local and the company began a program of actively trying to get rid of "troublemakers". The union local and the company instituted a policy of "downsizing" that circumvented all the rules covering layoffs and "bumping". Basically, it was decided that you could no longer "bump" a junior employee, unless you had held that exact job at some point in the past, regardless of whether you could prove you could do it. "Troublemakers" with nearly 30 years in the union were downsized right out the door, while friends of the union officers with as little as 5 years seniority remained employed. When I attempted to file a grievance, I was basically ignored. When I contacted the regional representative, who incidentally had come from our local and was friends with the local union officers, he refused to get involved. Letters and phone calls to the national offices were responded to with, "That's what your local officers are there for." Amazing...almost as amazing as the fact that after I was laid off, a friend told me that my bid job was being done by an employee with less seniority than me who had never done the job before. He was also the son of a good friend of the local union president, but I am sure that was just a "coincidence"...

One other thing that always amazed me about the local union was how guys who had worked there for years and drove 10-year-old vehicles were suddenly able to afford brand new vehicles when they became local union president. These were guys I had known for years and they could never afford a new vehicle before, yet all of a sudden they were trading in old cars and buying brand new cars. I sure it was just a "coincidence"...

Another strange thing that happened was when it suddenly became extremely important to re-evaluate a certain job that a certain local union officer held. Practically overnight, a job was raised two entire levels with a large increase in pay. Just another "coincidence"...

I have worked at a non-union job for nearly nine years since my layoff from the Steelworkers.
I don't pay union dues and eventually earned the right to make more money through merit increases than the people in my old local make today. Is my new employer perfect?...Hell No!
But they are not nearly as corrupt as my former employer and the United SteelWorkers.

[MT Gianni]

I learned at an early age that I was much better off having someone else negotiate my wage than myself. I saw too many instances of people doing little work and bragging up what they did getting a higher wage than the quiet guy in the corner outperforming him 25%.

[MT Gianni]

Mike in Co was asked to take 10 days off a while back. He has been back but not posted much.

[SWANEEDB]

I too have thought of Mikenbarb, last I heard from him he wanted a mold I had, never heard from him since, Sheepdog disappeared at about the same time, what happened to him?

[geargnasher]

On another note, when I first became a member here close to 3 years ago I found the posts by two different members here, if nothing else quite arrogant. Now these were not political, but shooting, casting, and loading related. I've always considered myself a good rifle shot, pretty good shotgun shooter, but handgun, although I've always enjoyed them, not so much.
However without naming the posters by handle, I kept going back to their posts, seeking them out in fact as regardless of how I felt the delivery, they were informative. In reality over the last 3 years I've become a pretty good handgun shooter, always pushing the envelope on load development, casting, and mostly shooting skills.
Basically many here, but mainly these two posters and their wisdom have made me a much, much better shooter. Their once seemingly arrogant posts and beliefs are now seen by myself as more of authoritive, brutally tough love advice that I'm glad I didn't tuck my tail and run, and not listen.
Sometimes when someone rubs you the wrong way, it's for a reason. They have something to say you don't want to hear. But if you listen, and be honest with yourself the eyes, ears and thought process opens and you learn.
I certainly did, and continue to do so.
If someone hurts your feelings, sometimes you just need to suck it up. Sometimes you can learn a lot from it.

I really didn't want to derail this thread further, but regardless of the topic I feel that the above is VERY well said, and echos my sentiments exactly.

Gear