[TheForge] OT rant (armor)

[Justin Fellenz]

You know, guys and gals...

(this is semi-serious)

Reis got me thinking, and Frosty got me thinking bigger. It seems like
there are a few of us on this list who are either underemployed, with
skills but no shop, or who run their own shops and maybe are looking
for some work. Just talking off the cuff, it occurred to me that we
could sort of band together in a loose coalition of sorts and make
armor for the boys across the pond. Like Reis said, many of us have the
equipment to do it, and there are hands that could help. There needs to
be a head to the beast, some point of contact with the government, ok,
that's not too tough, I live here in the navel of the political
universe (ugh) and have a little time and like doing that sort of
thing. Or maybe someone else is more qualified and connected--if so,
please step forward. I am a little bit familiar with small business
regs for contracting and tricks like 8a (woman/minority-owned
businesses). The problems as I see it are 1. figuring out a way to
actually get product to the people who need it, which means finding the
decision makers here in town; 2. getting everone organized and working
out who does what and how everyone gets paid; and 3., a lesser problem,
figuring out what to make and developing standard templates.

It's real possible that all these are, singly or together,
insurmountable problems. But I am curious, just kinda woodshedding, if
any of you would be interest in such a venture. All of us together are
still only going to be able to produce a pretty small amount of
stuff--there's no replacement for a huge foundry. But if the guys are
scrounging scrap piles, maybe it would help. And there is a place for
"small business" in government contracting, by law. It might generate
some work in the good ol US of A, put some government money in the
hands of us citizen-types, and it would allow us to actually *do*
something for our guys instead of just bitching or *saying* "I support
our troops". 

I dunno. Maybe it's too big to organize, maybe there's no point in it.
There's a good chance there's no real way into the government, the war
will be over before the first piece of iron ships. If everyone's busy
or y'all think I'm nuts, then there's no product. But I think we all
agree that work is good, money is better, and whatever you think of the
war our troops deserve everything we can do for them. Seems like
everyone wins. Thought it might be worth a try, anyway. 

If any or enough of y'all are at all interested I can go sniffing
around here and see if I can actually get connected to the right
people. 

Thoughts?

JRF

--- Andrew Vida <osan at netlabs.net> wrote:

> 
> 
> Justin Fellenz wrote:
> > Always thinkin big, Frosty. Gotta respect that.
> > 
> > I'm a gummint contractor...it's our job to generate bloated prose
> for
> > money and then go to meetings about it. Oh, and occasionally we
> build a
> > thing or two, but mostly it's bad prose and meetings.
> > 
> > Maybe we can get haliburton to build it. Put us all to work for the
> > next 5 years. Please post salary requirements offlist. New tools
> for
> > everyone!
> 
> 	It would serve them right, given they stole all the rest of the
> jobs. :)
> 
> 
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