Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967
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Posts posted by Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967
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I thought it was a really good and well-played game... particularly when considering that these athletes are "college kids" whose primary focus is academics and leadership training. Every one of 'em had to meet highly demanding GPA and SAT requirements for admission ~ plus most needing a nomination from a senator or congressman.
One thing that did surprise me was the tattoos a few of the cadets were sporting. The times, they are a-changin'!
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Lookin' grim for Navy....
"Don't Give Up the Ship!!"
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All ain't as hoped....
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On 11/12/2025 at 11:01 PM, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:
If I ever find myself with some free time, I'd like to get some light canvas (painter's drop cloth?) and make some "grocery" bags. And stencil an abstract of THIS guy on the things!
Well... it looks like I better put my plan into action. Just heard on the news a "reminder" that as of 01 January 2026 ALL plastic grocery bags will be banned from california stores (but you can bring your own). Paper bags will be available - maybe - for a dime apiece. Folks enrolled in food assistance programs will get theirs free.
Free bags have been banned for some time statewide, longer in some communities. I'll never forget the first time I encountered this - I went into a supermarket in Cayucas, california, with Ms Helen Brimstone sometime back in the 'teens. Went through the "self check" lane, had a major hassle with the supervising clerk when the machine tried to charge $12.00 for 1 1/2 lbs of mushrooms at $1.99 a pound. The gal actually argued with me! But I prevailed. However, when all paid for, I looked for a bag. No bags. So I asked, and was quite startled when this same clerk literally sneered at the out-of-towner (me!) and bragged, "WE are a BAG FREE city! You have to provide your OWN!"
Oh, swell. No bags - not even to buy. I literally took off my light jacket and made up a "bindle" of groceries, just to get back to the car. *Grump!*
Yup... gotta make me up some "Brown Bags."
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As I've said so many times over the last few years, every time I think california can't go any faster down that Highway to Hell, CalTrans opens a new express lane. And so it is with AB 1263:
Want to order a new set of grips? Sights? Virtually any "accessories...?" Well, do it quickly!
This fella tries to soften the impact, but it's like telling a man who loses a leg "look at the bright side! Your shoes will last twice as long!"
I'm thinking this may totally end buying any accessories from individuals selling on sites like Gunbroker or Ebay...
California residents will face significant new restrictions on ordering gun parts like grips and sights online starting January 1, 2026, due to AB 1263, requiring strict identity/age verification, signed acknowledgment of notices, and matching delivery/ID addresses, leading many out-of-state retailers to stop shipping directly to CA to avoid compliance burdens. Barrels will require purchase through a licensed dealer with a background check, while other accessories will need adult signature and ID verification, making online ordering complex.
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Well, effective January 01, 2028, the disposable bottles are banned in california*. We will only be allowed the "official" refillable bottles. Stock up now!
*Joining the list with grocery bags, turpentine, and a whole host of other things we all grew up with.
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I use mine all the time. 😊
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On the subject of black bears... they even come in blonde!
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A bit of trivia: "The Enemy Below" was the inspiration for the Star Trek episode "Balance of Terror" (season 1, episode 14).
A tense, psychological 'cat-and-mouse' battle between the Enterprise and a Romulan 'Bird of Prey.' Kirk, in the Robert Mitchum role, and the Romulan captain in the Curd Jurgens part, develop a grudging respect for each other.
A fairly decent parallel story.
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Ms Helen Brimstone, Half-Breed Pete, and I just watched it two days ago!
Pete and I tended to be a mite critical of "techincal issues" at times... but all in all, definitely a good film - from back in the day when they really used film! 😊
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My circa 1910 English Mousehole anvil is stamped "0 - 3 - 18" The "0" is for hundredweights, and it's less than a hundredweight (and, as the man said, to the Brits, a hundredweight is 112 lbs). The "3" is for quarters of a hundredweight. So a quarter of a hundredweight is 28 lbs; therefor 3 quarters is 3 X 28 = 84. And the "18" is pounds. So, 84 + 18 = 102 lbs.
A small but really sweet old anvil. Bought it a number of years ago from Bernhard Heer, a marvelous artist and craftsman... and a really cool dude!
"And yonder stands old Mousehole Forge,
"In dingy honours dres't,"Famed in the days of good King George,"For anvils, England's best.”Mousehole Forge ~ 1632 - 1933
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1 hour ago, John Kloehr said:
Then maybe you can confirm for me. If I write a check, and put some time next month as the date, my understanding is the check is still good and payable today. That the date on it has not yet come does not matter, the signed check is a contract to pay now.
Correct. Technically, you can notify your bank and request it not be cashed before the date written on it... essentially placing a "temporary stop payment" on the check.
Good luck with making that work!
Like "check signature verification." I was once given a tour of one of Bank of America's vaults. And no, it did NOT resemble Scrooge McDuck's Money Bin (darnit)! But during the tour, someone asked about "signature verification." Well... they had an algorithm; every so many checks that the algorithm would select were to be verified. I was taking notes, and when I got back to my office, I worked out that algorithm - it was as bogus as a certain aforementioned bank's reputation. The only time a check would be "signature verified" was if it was challenged.
Oh - and those movies and TV shows where they stuff ten million bucks into a briefcase...? Uh... no. One million; maybe two, if it was a large one. With $100 bills, a single million would take 10,000 bills, which would be nearly 700 cubic inches. Maybe if that briefcase held a post-dated check for a few million dollars...?
Edit: One million dollars, in $100 bills. Weight about 22 lbs
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A bit of FYI trivia... in some circles, the "little line" is known as the "Courtesy Field":
The "courtesy field" on a check is the small box where the amount of the check is writtin in numerals. It is called this because it exists as a convenience, or courtesy, for automated check processing systems. The legal amount is the value written out in words on the line below the courtesy field, and it is the official amount of the check in case of a dispute.
In other words, if you wrote $150.00 on the "little line" and accidently wrote "Two Hundred Fifty and 00/100" on the "big line," you could be in for a bit of a surprise when you check your account balance.
(In a former life, ol' Hardpan was a career banker. 'Til he came to his senses!
)
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1 hour ago, Chantry said:
I strongly suspect that particular speech was very carefully gone over by a lawyer to make sure that charges could not be filed.
I'm sure it was. Doesn't mean that it is right. And, keeping in mind the character of those who made the statements, some are not known for their veracity; others perhaps not known for their keenness of original thinking. And a quick review of the group of which these individuals are members of have had quite a number of their legal challenges overturned of late... and in the very arena they are attempting to "interfere" with.
I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of unofficial scolding... which will prob'ly make 'em proud.
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Likely having read the same article that you likely read, I'm inclined to say that those clowns should at the very least be ashamed of themselves, and possibly could be themselves considered guilty of any number of things just short of treason... like "activities affecting armed forces."
"'Activities affecting armed forces' can be a crime, and it is defined in the United States Code as either a general offense or one that occurs specifically during wartime. These activities include actions intended to interfere with military loyalty, morale, or discipline, or to promote the success of an enemy during wartime. The specific penalties, such as fines and imprisonment of up to 10 or 20 years, depend on whether the activity occurred during a time of war."
Edit: At least some of those individuals are former commissioned officers. That said...
"...former military officers are still subject to certain military regulations and law, most notably the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). While they are generally not bound in the same way as active-duty personnel, they can be subject to recall to active duty, can be court-martialed for certain offenses, and have restrictions on political and commercial activities."
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I'm still grousing about the 12 oz pound of bacon and the three pint half-gallon of ice cream.
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Harbor Pilot, done with his assignment.
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23 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:
I think I still have a couple of Weaver K-4s
Me too. I'm kinda fond of the Weaver K4-W... have a couple, including one on my sportered Yugo Mauser.
Just gave the Kid a K-2.5 (with post "German Sniper" reticle) for his Sears Model 50.*
*FN Mauser, .30-06 ~ early 1950's production... looks like it just came off the new rack. 🙂
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Good magazine. Excellent magazine, actually, in my not-so-humble opinion... been enjoying it since back in the 70's.
I've always liked that the articles get into some of the more technical aspects of firearms, and never have the "feeling" of being sponsored by someone's marketing department.
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Yup ~ an apt description.
I drive part of 99 in the Central Valley several times a week - it's dicey at best!
Here's "my" section... the intersection where I usually exit or get on "The Ninety-Nine," as the locals call it; I don't give it the "the." Anyway, we call this part "Hallelujah Corners." Why? 'Cuz when you make it across, you're inclined to shout "Hallelujah! I made it!"
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Of Viands and Victuals
in SASS Wire Saloon
Posted
I do enjoy Max's videos. I've spent many an evening watching him and the Townsends...!