Mamma Mia! How Much is She Worth?

According to a survey by Salary.com, a division of a “human resources consultant” Kenexa, your mamma should be earning $115,000 per year for the work she does. Who did they ask — her sons?!! We all love our mamma and I strongly believe children benefit from having their motther at home, but common get a grip, a stay-at-home mom is worth nothing like that $115,000.

This ridiculous over-inflated salary was worked out by dividing a stay-at-home mom’s role into 10 professions: day care center teacher, CEO, psychologist, cook, housekeeper, laundry machine operator, computer operator, facilities manager, janitor and van driver; and then calculating how many hours they do in each of these roles. Apparently the people at Kenexa think that the average American mamma does almost 97 hours work a week, including 13.2 hours as a day-care teacher; 3.9 hours as household CEO; 7.6 hours as a psychologist; 14.1 hours as a cook; 15.4 as a housekeeper; 6.6 hours doing laundry; 9.5 hours as a computer operator; 10.7 hours as a facilities manager; 7.8 hours as a janitor and 7.8 hours driving. Which all goes to prove what we already knewabout HR consultants: they are complete morons!

Firstly, we can get rid of the roles of CEO and facilities manager because Mrs stay-at-home mom USA isn’t running a commercial company or leasing a property; she’s looking after the house, 2 kids and a pet dog. We can also get rid of the role of psychologist because she isn’t one, and the average American kid doesn’t need to see a psychologist, therapist, or counsellor. And as for computer operator — 9.5 hours checking email, social networking, and online shopping isn’t work. So that leaves day care center teacher, cook, housekeeper, laundry machine operator, janitor and van driver — okay anyone else notice the overlap here? Apparently American housekeepers don’t have any cooking, cleaning, or laundry duties.

Also how did they come of with 6.6 hours for laundry? Does the typical American housewife wash by hand and wring dry?!! Loading and unloading a washing machine takes a couple of minutes at the most and another couple of minutes to hang clothes out to dry or load and unload the spindryer, and 5 minutes ironing at the most. How about 14.1 hours a week cooking!!! That’s 2 hours a day to cater for a family of four. How many meals does the average American family eat? And unless I’m missing something a stay-at-home mom “stays-at-home”, so how the hell do they come up with 7.8 hours driving a week? Does the average American mom do her shopping out of state?

The truth is that a part-time nanny and part-time housekeeper could fill all the roles of a stay-at-home mom for well under $30k, and they wouldn’t get the car, clothing allowance, meals, or home either.

 

Merry Christmas

We would like to wish all our readers a very merry Christmas

Love Stefi, Rob, Amica, and Pietro

 

Česká Zbrojovka CZ 2075 RAMI P

Calibre	9 mm Luger; .40 S&W; 9 mm P.A. Rubber
Magazine Capacity	10(14); 8(10); 10
Trigger mechanism operation	SA/DA
Sights	fixed, snag free
Overall length	168 mm
Barrel length	74,6 mm
Height	120 mm
Width	33 mm
Weight	665 g
Barrel	hammer forged
Surface treatment	black polycoat
Safety features	manual safety hammer safety notch firing pin block

In 1975, Česká zbrojovka based in Uherský Brod, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) introduced it’s now famous the CZ 75 9mm semi automatic pistol, which is still in production and is still one of them most popular semi autos in the world today. The CZ 2075 RAMI is their subcompact offering which came out circa 2007. The CZ 2075 RAMI P is the polymer version of the aluminium alloy 2075 RAMI and is 30 g lighter, other than that it’s the same gun. I had the opportunity to try out the CZ 2075 RAMI P 9x21mm this week. Don’t worry it comes in 9×19 mm, but that calibre is illegal for civilian use in Italy.

The first thing I noticed was high light it was. At 665 g this has to be the lightest subcompact I’ve ever fired. By contrast, the H&K P2000 SK 680 g and the Beretta PX4 Storm SubCompact is 740 g, although the CZ 2075 RAMI P is actually 5mm longer, 3mm taller and 0.5mm thicker than the P2000 SK, and 10 mm longer than the Px4 Storm Subcompact. So it’s really not a smaller gun — no more concealable – but it has a 10 +1 round capacity in 9mm, whereas the P2000 SK and Px4 Storm Subcompact have a 13 +1 round capacity.

The only problem I had with shooting it is that the trigger is uncomfortable and bites my finger. The ergonomics aren’t as good as the P2000 SK and Px4 Storm Subcompact, but it still was a good fit for my petite hand. Rob finds all subcompacts too small and the RAMI is no exception.

Shooting wise, it is a fantastic gun. I fired 300 rounds with no failures and that was with no cleaning or lube. The gun is designed to be accurate to 50m and it is. But what really interests me is rate of fire, recoil and accuracy over 10m in a dark room. The CZ 2075 RAMI P does all of those things well: it has illuminated titanium three-dot sights and it’s sleek shape is great for point shooting and there is very little  recoil. However, despite being a great little female friendly gun. I still prefer the P2000 SK and Px4 Storm Subcompact, so I didn’t buy it.

 

Say Hello To My Little Friend

Over the weekend we went tactical shooting testing out new handguns we bought. I fired over a 1,000 rounds!!!

I tried the Taurus 856 out with some tactical shooting drills… I hate it. The recoil isn’t too bad shooting two handed, but I really noticed it shooting one handed especially shooting with my off-hand. Six rounds isn’t enough and it’s not as smooth or fast as my semi autos. So I gave it to my little sister and I’m now the proud owner of a H&K P2000 SK. I tried and liked the Sig Sauer Pro 2022 but the P2000 SK  is such a sexy gun, it feels better in the hand, performs as well as the SP 2022 and is a better concealed carry option. It’s 9×21 IMI like my other two defensive firearms, the Beretta Px4 storm and Beretta Px4 storm subcompact.

Amica replaced her Glock 17 with a Bersa Thunder 9, which is a very accurate firearm and she kept her Glock 26, and got the Taurus PT 709 Slim, which really is slim. It also very accurate for such a small gun. You can easily wear it inside your skirt.

Rob already recently bought the Caracal C Quick Sight, and he’s not ready to replace that yet although I don’t like it. But he bought the H&K P30, as a carry weapon, which I love. Neither of us have owned H&K before, but they’re worth the money, unlike SIGs, which I feel are overpriced. Rob chose the incredibly reasonably priced Tanfoglio Force 10 Carry as his third defensive weapon. It’s a 10 mm AUTO, which is usually a target calibre but Tanfoglio seem to offer all their defensive guns in that calibre as well as the standard calibres. The Force Carry 10 might be known by a different name in America, but it’s a great polymer concealed carry gun, the Force series are based on the ČZUB CZ 75 frame.

We’re also all allowed to register 6 sporting firearms each. I’ve got a Beretta 87 Target .22LR, a Tanfoglio Combat Sport 1o in 10mm Auto, and Taurus PT 1911 in .45 ACP. Amica has a Tanfoglio Force 99 Sport and Taurus PT 24/7 in 9×21 IMI, and Rob has an Astra Daytona and Tanfoglio Witness 1911 Custom in .45ACP, and Beretta Stampede Deluxe .357 Mag revolver. We also got 6 shotguns in the house the Benelli M4 Super 90, Beretta Tx4 storm and Franchi SPAS-15 for defence and tactical shooting, and the Benelli M2 Comfortech Camo, Beretta Xtrema2 AP and Beretta AL 391 Urika 2 Camo MAX4 for hunting.

Some people might think we have to many firearms, but I’d rather have too many firearms than not enough because what good is a right of self-defence if you don’t have the means to defend yourself?

 

Taurus 856

Italian firearms law is complicated but essentially all citizens are allowed to possess 3 ”armi comuni da sparo” (common firearms), which are usually handguns, 6 “armi sportive” (sports firearms), 8 antique firearms designed before 1891, and an unlimited amount of ”armi da caccia” (hunting firearms),but we’re not allowed to own any “armi da guerra” (military firearms). All firearms in Italy are designated into those categories usually by calibre and in the case of sports firearms by purpose. What this means is that when I buy a new handgun I have to give up one of my existing firearms, or at least get it registered in someone else’s name.

Until last week my 3 common firearms were a Beretta Px4 storm, Beretta Px4 storm subcompact and Beretta 21 A Bobcat. I used to have a Beretta 8045 Mini Cougar which I had to give up, i.e. pass on to my sister, when I bought my. Px4 storm subcompact. After a lot of persuading from Rob, I decided to replace my Beretta 21 A Bobcat — or pussycat as Rob calls it — because it only fires 22LR rounds and just isn’t a manstopper. So last weekend I bought a replacement: the Taurus 856 .38 Special +P in Blue Stainless Steel. It’s apparently the gun issued to the Singapore Police Force, which is strange because most police forces issue semi-automatic pistols.

Taurus 856 .38 Special +P Steel

I chose to go with a revolver instead of another semi-automatic pistol because of I never fired a revolver and the .38 Special +P has nearly as much stopping power as a 9mm semi-auto and a lot more than a 22LR semi-auto. The Taurus 856 is 629 g (22.2 oz), 165mm (6.5″) in length, with a 51mm (2″) barrel.  Like the 21 A Bobcat it’s a DA/SA. It has a reasonably comfortable rubber gripped handle and it’s a 6-shooter. The 21A Bobcat 22LR only took 7 rounds although it was a much smaller gun. One of the reasons I chose the Taurus 856 is that I’m petite — 160cm (5′ 3″) and 49 kg (108 lbs) — and it’s supposed to have less recoil than some other snubnose revolvers but it still has more recoil than my Px4 Storm and a slower firing rate between rounds.

At $441 dollars it’s reasonably priced and is overall a much better defensive choice than the Beretta 21A Bobcat 22LR. Still, I don’t think I’ll be keeping it long: I’m a semi auto girl.

 

Mepra Linea Ice Oro Cutlery

Every girl likes nice table cutlery, but we usually keep our best for dinner parties and special occasions, and end up eating with a cheap set we don’t really like because we don’t want to ruin our best set from too much washing. That’s why I love Mepra Linea Ice Oro — they look fantastic and they’re incredibly hard wearing, so you can use them all the time.

They’re dishwasher proof, don’t stain and resistant to corrosion, and they retain their gold colour, which is why they’re marketed to restaurants and hotels as well as home kitchen use.

MEPRA ORO ICE

Mepra Linea Ice Oro 5pc

They made of 18/10 Stainless steel and obtain their gold titanium surface through “Physical Vapour Deposition”, an advanced molecular implant process developed by NASA scientists (so the space programme wasn’t a complete waste of money). As well as Ice Oro (gold), Mepra have Oro Nero (black gold) and Bronzo (bronze) lines too but the Ice Oro is my favourite. The collection is also reasonably priced you can get 5 pc place set for $110, serving forks and spoon for $40 and a ladle for about $70. So you can get six place sets, 2 serving forks, 4 serving spoons, a cake trowel and a ladle for around a $1000.

 

Wüsthof Classic Ikon Crème Block Set

Wüsthof Classic Ikon Crème 9 pc Knife block set

The Wüsthof Classic Ikon Crème 9 pc Knife block Set includes:

• Peeling knife  - 7 cm (2.75″)
• Paring knife  - 9 cm (3.5″)
• Sausage knife – 14 cm (5″)
• Carving knife – 16 cm (6″)
• Bread knife – 20 cm (8″)
• Santoku – 17 cm (6.5″ )
• Cook’s knife – 20 cm (8″)
• Sharpening steel – 26 cm (10.2″)
• Straight meat fork – 16 cm (6.2″)

Some people like Japanese knives; I don’t. I prefer European knives. The Wüsthof Classic Ikon Crème 9 piece block set costs around $1,000, which is expensive even for professional knives, but there is a reason that Wüsthof knives are the choice of top professional chefs, like Gordon Ramsay, who uses the Classic Ikon range. So you have to expect them to be expensive but you’re definitely not just paying for the name. These knives are fantastic to use. The synthetic cream handles were designed for comfortable and control as well as appearance. They feel good in your hand and cut effortless. They come razor sharp and hold the edge well, and they look absolutely gorgeous in your kitchen.

 

How Effective is Pepper Spray?

When I was a 21-year old Studentessa in Rome, living away from home I bought myself some OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) spray because I thought it would be an effective incapacitant and would cause instant temporary blindness and involuntary coughing and sneezing, and put down any potential rapist or mugger. But the reality is very different. Soldiers and police are trained to overcome the effects of OC  spray through sheer willpower. Here is a video of a female USMC recruit doing just that.

So as an incapacitant OC spray usually isn’t very effective, and it is also going to be very difficult to use in an attack. I can draw and shoot a firearm far more quickly and accurately than I can an OC cannister, which is too small and tricky to operate. And if that wasn’t bade enough I’ve got to get a direct hit in the face without catching any myself. So you might expect me to say that OC spray is a poor choice for personal defence but actually I think it’s a very good choice for a girl, as long as she understands it and has the right product.

FOX LAB MEAN GRREN

I sometimes carry Fox Lab MEAN GREEN, which is legal in Italy because it’s under 10% OC, and is probably the best OC spray on the market. It has a 6% concentration of 3 million SHU pepper resin. As Fox Lab point out a higher percentage of resin can delay reaction time, making the spray less effective. What makes an OC spray effective is the  Scoville Heat Units (SHU), because this causes intense burning pain. OC isn’t going to involuntarily shutdown an attacker, it’s the burning that will stop him. So the hotter the better.

But what makes Mean Green the best product on the market for me as a girl is that it’s also a green dye that will cover his face.

Mean Green Face

If someone tries to rape, mug, carjack or attack you, the pain will deter them but the green dye will identify them if you go to the police. Also if they were able to resist the spray, the fact that they were green and easily identifiable would also be a deterrent. A man has got no chance of claiming consensual sex if he’s been sprayed with OC and painted green by the girl.

Obviously, if a girl carries OC there is a risk that she might get sprayed herself, if she tries to use it to close to her attacker. So be sensible use it as soon as you feel threatened. I also carry Fox Labs Sudecon wipes in my purse, just in case I have a blonde moment and accidental spray myself. They’re designed to remove the spray and decrease decontamination time but they won’t stop you looking like Shrek.

I don’t think OC spray is an alternative to a firearm and knife but its an effective non-lethal addition, and if you can’t carry a gun or knife, then it’s a must.

 

Home Defence

The place we’re often at our most vulnerable is the place that we often feel safest: our home. We are all potentially at risk from attack or robbery from an intruder in our home. Actually this is a lot more common than people think. Few girls seem to realise that they are more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted by an intruder in her home, than by a stranger in the street, a car park or an elevator. Lots of other girls I talk to think they’re perfectly safe as long as they’ve got good locks on the doors and the guys tend to be even more blasé about home security. Apart from the fact that locked doors and windows aren’t much of an obstacle for most burglars. It’s unrealistic to think that we will lock every door and window. I know I don’t. I work from home a lot and when it’s a hot day, I’ll open up the balcony doors and my bedroom window for air, and I’ll often go on to my roof top.  How hard would it be for an intruder to break into my house when I’m alone? Not very.

So what can we do about home defence?

If you’re going to keep weapons for home defence, they need to be kept ready to use and where they’re immediately accessible. Each of us has 3 handguns. I have a Beretta Px4 storm, Beretta Px4 storm subcompact and Beretta 21 A Bobcat; Amica has a Glock 17, Glock 26, and Beretta Px4 storm subcompact; and Rob has Beretta Px4 storm SD, Beretta Px4 storm compact and Beretta 3032 Tomcat. So if Rob and Amica take their firearms to the range and leave me in the house alone (they do that they’re mean ) I’m down to 3 handguns. I keep my Beretta Px4 storm in a fixed place, where I know it will be if I need it and walk about with either the the Beretta Px4 storm subcompact or Beretta 21 A Bobcat.

Why do I do that? Because I might be on the roof or balcony, in my bedroom, taking a shower or relaxing in the bath when someone breaks in, and the intruder might be between me and my main handgun. So carrying a firearm or keeping one with me within reaching distance just makes sense. It’s no more difficult than carrying a mobile phone.

Rob and Amica do the same, although they usually both carry 2 handguns and several knives. Amica has 2 shotguns, 4 tactical folding knives and a decorative knuckle duster in her collection of weapons, and Rob has 3 shotguns, 14 tactical folding knives, 11 combat knives, 5 traditional Italian fighting knives, 3 machetes, 5 sticks, 4 maces,1 stun baton, and Christ knows what else in his weapon collection. But it never hurts to be prepared. We’ve also got a big mastino napoletano who guards the house at night.

One of Rob’s shotguns the Franchi SPAS-15 is designated for house protection, and never leaves the house unless he leaves his Benelli M4 Super 90 at home as a substitute. Why do we need a combat shotgun if we’ve got handguns? Good question, a shotgun has more stopping power and is hard to miss with even in the dark.

But where we’re most vulnerable is the the first point of entry into our homes: the front door. How many people get attacked on their doorstep or in their house by someone they’ve pissed off, like the angry ex-boyfriend or neighbour? I never answer the door to strangers when I’m home alone, and I’ll know if it’s a stranger because I have a concealed CCTV camera and an intercom at the door. But we’re also vulnerable to attack entering our homes. Rapists will often try to force their way into the house when a girl has just opened the door.

 

Cold Steel Swords

These video from Cold Steel are hilarious: the Italian longsword, Großes Messer and the two-handed great sword.

Being split straight down the middle from crotch to head with a two-handed sword…. Ouch!!!