Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967

For what it's worth - and that ain't much - I was born in Oakland. But I grew up up mostly in Texas, and returned when I was 16 and "graduated" from high school there. Castlemont HS, at one time a wonderful school but by my time arguably one of the ten worst in the country (if not the absolute worst). During my time there it would make national news for race riots, shootings, and worse. I was one of perhaps 30 "white" kids out of a student body of over two thousand. 'Twas not pleasant; downright brutal, in fact. Definitely not the classic "high school experience." New York Times headline from three years earlier Castlemont HS in the "Good Old Days" Same school, "modern" times

Damn. A setback. Got to spend the afternoon at the medical center ~ total blockage due to scarring. Cystoscopy, and a Foley for the next dozen days or so. A "backup" of over a liter will sure get one's attention. Yikes!

Reckon he'll punch through 'bout Election Day....

There... fixed it for ya, Alps....

So I had a follow-up with the urologist this morning - who turned out to be a most delightful lady doctor. During the discussion, I said that I'm not a real big fan of "alternative medicine," but asked her if she had ever heard of Java Tea - Kumis Kucing, or Orthosiphon stamineus. She had not, and was curious why I asked. I told her that I've never been big on "alternative medicine," but that my little sister had recommened the herb as a tea. It seems that our dad, who had a history of stones, had started using it and never had another stone. Was my sister a medical type, she asked? I then said that, oddly, Elizabeth was an acupuncturist, and had actually studied in Bejing. To my surpise, the doctor laughed, and said "I strongly suggest you listen to your sister!" She then told me that she was herself a proponent of "alternative medicine," and had a great appreciation of the Chinese discipline - "they've been doing it a heck of a lot longer than we've been doing much of what we do!" Well, I was astonished. The doc then went on to say that we needed to be more open-minded, and recognize that there were things out there that really do work, and that she personally availed herself of acupuncture and herbal pursuits. And she also said that she intended to research the herb. I'll be darned...! My already high regard of baby sister just ratcheted up another couple notches!

So... remember that Secret Service gal in sunglasses who couldn't find her holster after the Trump shooting?? Well... we now know where she came from! @Subdeacon Joe posted on the Memes thread earlier today the "Time Warp" scene from the Rocky Horror Picture Show ~ and by golly, at the 2.00 mark there she is!! Or was....

Mine has a 6" barrel (yours is actually 4.2"! ) And you're right on the ammo part ~ but for some reason, mine reeeally doesn't like "cowboy" loads. Oh, it'll shoot 'em all right, but accuracy just ain't the same as with peppier rounds. But they're still fun to shoot!

'Stones - of the "kidney variety." Don't recommend 'em. Few hours in the ER this last Sunday (but not my first "rodeo"). Nope... don't recommend 'em at all. Also don't recommend the pain meds ~ they do work, but I reeeally don't care for the mental fog. I'd make a right terrible druggie! That said, I do think the previous experience with morphine was preferable to this trip's Dilaudid. Kudos to the ER staff, though - they take this stuff seriously!

Izzat why they're now green? And kudos to that "enterprising nut smuggler!!"

My dad, aboard Ranger....

As a side note: the first three are "permanent trophies." As such, new ones are made each year and awarded the championship team to be kept permanently. The fourth, hockey's Stanley Cup, is a "travelling trophy." In that, it is passed on to the new season's championship team with the team's name engraved on the lower band. (It's also the oldest North American sports trophy, having been first awarded in 1893). The bowl atop is the actual original trophy. The lower portion is comprised of a barrel with five removable bands. When the cup runs out of room for new names, the top band is removed and the others move up one spot. Every 13 years, a band is retired and placed in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

National championships ~ Vince Lombardi Trophy (football), Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy (basketball), Commissioner's Trophy (baseball), Stanley Cup (hockey).

For what it's worth, his poor selection of words had been pointed out to the **** on the Tube of You....

Yup! Climate protesters glue themselves to Porsche museum but needed to go potty

Glued themselves to the wall. The museum folks shoulda oughtta just turned off the lights and left 'em there overnight. I hope that sentence included a diet of only tomato soup for two years.

Sassparilla Kid* has a 16 ga Winchester Model 12 that was his "Go-To" shotgun for years. Ducks and doves and clay pigeons all feared the lad and that gun.... Alas, with lead shot now illegal for hunting in california it's pretty much retired - he's not about to mess up the full-choke barrel with steel shot, and lead trap loads are a challenge to find. Hopefully some day he'll stumble upon a proper barrel and bring it out of retirement. *He still fondly remembers dinner with you and your delightful missus some fifteen or sixteen years ago... The kid - limit of doves before the start of work ~ 16 ga Model 12, back when lead shot was still legal.

Oakland doesn't deserve a team. Hell... Oakland doesn't deserve to exist! My buddies and I used to go to a LOT of games "back in the day" - college and after. Many, many games would have only a few hundred people scattered throughtout a stadium that held something like fifty thousand. Their first World Series game wasn't a sellout! The Coliseum actually wasn't that bad - until they butchered it to make Al Davis happy. Then it was beyond awful.

I truly enjoyed that, Joe. But I have to confess, when I first saw the thread title I honestly expected something totally different....

Nigh onto ninety bucks for a bale of bung fodder...? Dang!! Bidenomics??

I'm getting curiouser and curiouser about the 28 gauge...