Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967

Jolly rascal, ain't 'e~?

For what it's worth, the 7mm Vanguard has a twist rate of 1:9.5; the standard Remington is 1:9 - sometimes 1:8. Slightly to moderately faster for the Remington, and would likely explain the accuracy difference with the same ammunition. Lighter bullets through the Vanguard should tighten the group, if conventional wisdom holds. Sassparilla Kid has a Vanguard in .270 that's quite accurate with it's Leupold scope (don't recall the scope model). By the way, the Vanguards are Japanese made Howa barreled actions in Weatherby livery.

Back in the college days we usually had a bunch of 'em around the Kappa Phi Delta frat house - ol' Hank worked at the old Allen's Meats packing house, and would collect magnets from slaughtered animals and bring 'em home. Kinda fun novelties to play with... sorta the original "fidget spinner." Some folks used to tape 'em to their carburetors to boost their gas mileage. (And no, I never taped any danged cow magnets to my carb!) You can get 'em from Amazon!

I'm totally surprised I haven't seen it in california... yet!

Another one ~ not sure, but this might be original... and the setting's cool, 'specially with the cowboy hat and Rolling Stones t-shirt.

Not Marty Robbins; but, almost sixty-seven years later, not bad!

And now, for those of us who may have raised teenagers (or perhaps might have been a teenager ourowself!), something a bit different....

Condensed version.... Complete movie~!

Well... if you tune in to the Sooper Bole, you can catch Bad Bunny in the halftime show. Perfect time for me to change the oil in the pickup! 😉

No comments, pleeze....

A simple AI analysis of Venezuela's Standard of Living changes since the turn of the century. This is called "History": Major Political & Economic Events Affecting Living Standards in Venezuela 1999–2003 Chávez presidency begins → Introduction of currency and price controls. These policies temporarily masked underlying problems but increasingly distorted markets and incentives. 2007–2008 Oil revenue peak → Living standards briefly crest, driven largely by high oil prices and heavy state spending, increasing dependence on oil income. 2013 Death of Chávez / Maduro assumes power → Loss of political legitimacy and deterioration in economic management and institutional capacity. 2014–2015 Global oil price collapse → Severe revenue shock strikes an economy already weakened by controls and reduced productive capacity. 2016 Widespread food and medicine shortages → Breakdown of supply chains and purchasing power becomes visible to the population. 2017 Hyperinflation begins → Rapid collapse in real wages and savings, accelerating poverty. 2018–2019 Mass emigration crisis → Millions leave the country, reflecting a sharp decline in living conditions and economic opportunity. 2020 Renewal of international sanctions & political standoff Sanctions by the EU and other bodies were extended in response to Venezuela’s ongoing political polarization and human-rights concerns, reinforcing economic pressure. Consilium 2021 Opposition talks with the government continue The U.S. offered to begin lifting sanctions if the government and opposition formed an interim government without Maduro—a proposal that didn’t resolve political stasis. Reuters 2022 Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado barred from office Maduro’s government banned a leading opposition figure from holding public office for 15 years, drawing international condemnation and undermining political pluralism. Reuters Barbados Agreement & partial sanctions relief A deal with the U.S. eased some sanctions on oil and bonds to help improve economic conditions, though many political barriers remained. Reuters 2023–2024 Controversial 2024 Presidential Election Nicolás Maduro was elected to a contested third term amid widespread reports of fraud and exclusion of opposition figures—intensifying political polarization and challenging legitimacy. Global Centre for R2P Nationwide Blackouts Venezuela suffered widespread power outages in 2024 due to infrastructure failures, reflecting ongoing economic and utilities deterioration. Wikipedia 2025 Maduro sworn in amid protests and international rebuke On January 10, 2025, Maduro began his third term in an election widely seen as lacking transparency, sparking protests and sanctions from abroad. AP News Economic strain deepens Venezuela raised taxes on the private sector as oil revenues fell due to sanctions and the exit of foreign oil firms, worsening economic hardship and inflation. Reuters

Careful there, Joe... someone might think you might approve of AI in the kitchen... BTW ~ it works!

Couldn't resist....