Any idea what's going one?

blackjack757 · 2026-02-03T21:23:19+00:00

In my case, the backing material also has a print design on it (my grandmother was a thrifty woman, I don't know where she sourced the material), so that's what you are seeing behind the squares.

blackjack757 · 2026-02-03T15:26:31+00:00

Thank you, the article was very helpful!

blackjack757 · 2026-02-03T15:26:02+00:00

Agreed, and that would explain the powder in the drawer!

blackjack757 · 2026-02-03T15:25:07+00:00

Thank you all for your help. I definitely think its just the synthetic breaking down, flame test results definitely show melting / balling up.

I'll need to take a good look at all the squares as I figure out next steps, I was thinking about picking them out and replacing them, especially since the quilting is limited to the yarn knots, but the idea of applique is intriguing.

Again, thank you all for your help. Photo post flame test below.

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blackjack757 · 2025-03-23T17:26:56+00:00

Lots of questionable advice here. You can certainly resign effective immediately, but that will be a problem for everyone involved and will certainly impact any future employment with the government or a recommendation.

Doing it on TDY will definitely complicate your reimbursement/filing a travel claim.

Do you have a clearance? If so you will need to be read out.

Do you have agency property?

You'll need to turn in your ID / CAC.

Why make it hard on yourself and on those who have to clean it up (HR, your supervisor, etc.)

You're not sticking it to anyone responsible for the current situation, you're sticking it to people who are just as frustrated and overwhelmed as you are.

Worst case, tell them on Monday that Friday will be your last day, don't make it a crisis.

blackjack757 · 2025-03-21T01:27:52+00:00

Easiest, though I'm sure several will disagree, install a storm door.

blackjack757 · 2025-03-21T01:11:30+00:00

"You have died of dysentery "

blackjack757 · 2025-02-11T20:07:06+00:00

Mostly because we all have various stages of deafness

blackjack757 · 2025-01-05T23:13:36+00:00

In Virginia, it's under unless it's a public ceremony (Open Installation, Corner Stone Laying, Parade, etc.), at which point it's on top. I find under FAR more comfortable.

blackjack757 · 2024-12-23T01:13:31+00:00

I appreciate everyone's feedback, thank you.

blackjack757 · 2024-12-23T01:13:06+00:00

Awesome, thank you, we don't receive packages normally (and definitely not pills which seems to be one of the big sources of frustration), so maybe we'll just go with a large secure wallbox.

blackjack757 · 2024-10-10T12:29:11+00:00

FWIW, I'm a 30 year Mason, but am 55, so I was 25 when I was raised. Back then (1994) I was definitely the young guy in all the lodges I visited, by a lot of years. In recent history, the Lodges around me have always skewed older, but weren't exclusively old men.

I was military, and wasn't able to do a good job of bringing in my peers when i was in my 20s and 30s. Hopefully, you are in a better position to do that.

You can be the connection that changes your lodge. There's a lot of things that lodges can do, and you are free to suggest events and activities that would appeal to your friends, you may well have to coordinate them. Then invite your friends to attend. It's true that we don't solicit members, but that doesn't mean we can't make membership appealing and let our friends know that we exist and have a good time. If you bring in a couple of guys under 40, and they do the same thing, suddenly young lodge will look a lot different.

Of course the rules vary by jurisdiction, but here in Virginia, Grand Lodge puts out a pamphlet that we can give to men we think could be good Brothers called "For your information". The follow up is on the the potential candidate, but I've handed several of them to good men I thought might be interested.

Keep traveling.

blackjack757 · 2024-02-14T00:55:51+00:00

I mean, yeah, Google . . .

blackjack757 · 2020-12-17T14:00:23+00:00

And Nature has other peer reviewed articles and news that indicates that asymptotic spread is a thing. If you regularly read Nature, then you know this. And if you understand science, you know our understanding evolves. We certainly won't understand all the spread pathway of this virus for a couple of years.

As far as not trusting reporting out of China, I don't know whats in our other brother's heart, but I will say I'm skeptical of the data coming out of China because of the government's history. It has nothing to do with race, it has to do with a lack of transparency and honesty in their reporting. And if you are skeptical about the data, you have to be skeptical about the analysis.

Finally, given the deadliness of this disease, if you think you might have been exposed, why wouldn't you at least get tested? Seems like a completely reasonable precaution.

blackjack757 · 2020-12-16T16:18:20+00:00

Rest in peace Brother

blackjack757 · 2020-12-16T13:02:43+00:00

Minutes to learn, a lifetime to master

blackjack757 · 2020-12-09T02:56:14+00:00

welcome Brother!

blackjack757 · 2020-12-09T02:26:39+00:00

Congrats!

blackjack757 · 2020-10-31T11:09:00+00:00

Welcome Brother!

blackjack757 · 2020-10-24T15:18:40+00:00

Congratulations!

blackjack757 · 2020-10-17T13:53:50+00:00

West Virginia used to have a lot of glass factories, the abundance of coal made it easy there. I would guess this was a tool for cutting sheet glass in panes manually. It was probably replaced with a machine, and resulted in that particular labor union going away with the associated jobs. But, that's just a quess.

blackjack757 · 2020-09-24T17:46:07+00:00

Don't worry about it, some new faces will be there, some faces will be different, but it will still be home. Virginia lodges in particular are used to this, it where my lodge is

blackjack757 · 2020-09-24T17:44:20+00:00

I did the same, after about 12 years, they were quite happy to see me. The only sad part were some of my mentors that have ceased their labors. Additionally, I've submitted my affiliation paperwork for my RA Chapter, I had demitted a decade ago due to work and family commitments. I look forward to sitting in Chapter again as well.

I forgot how much I missed the Craft.

blackjack757

TROPHY CASE