Trailrider #896

If one is going to be driving where a layer of ice that doesn't appear to be ice, aka "black ice", the first thing to do is....SLOW THE HELL DOWN, but do it gradually. If you aren't use to driving on ice, the best thing is, if you can avoid it, DON'T GO! Sometimes you just can't avoid the situation. If you a thinking of going to places where ice may come up suddenly, and are going to be living there, and the law permits, I like studded snow tires. Some states will permit them in winter, but not in summer. If you are moving to such climate, find a vacant parking lot that has been shovelled, but has a layer of ice, and practice driving. But slow down, regardless. The worst drivers I see are Colorado natives who think it is there godgiven right to drive 10 miles over the speed limit regardless of the road conditions! One time I started out to go somewhere in the metro-area, driving a 4WD vehicle. I got three blocks from home and there were two cars spun out and into light poles, and into each other! I did a careful 180 and went home!

Don't forget "Major Martin", the Man Who Never Was! Dead body floated into Spanish coast with documents indicating the Allied invasion of Southern Europe was to take place near the Adriatic, instead of Sicily.

Not only the above historical events, but the fact that American Government/civics aren't being taught in highschools and college. If those topics were taught, any presidential candidate who promises "to lower/raise taxes" is gaslighting. Congress must pass such legislation, although a president can "jawbone" Congress to get laws passed, which he/she may sign or veto. Abraham Lincoln is purported to have said, "You can fool all the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all of the time." OTOH, Maverick's Ol' Pappy is supposed to have said, "You kin fool some of the people all the time, and all the people some of the time, an' those are might good odds!"

I am far more concerned about what isn't being taught in highschool and college history courses: The facts that presidents can NOT raise or lower taxes without passage of legislation by the House and then the Senate; the fact that a president CANNOT employ the U.S. military within the United States, except under extraordinary circumstances, using the National Guard in times of riot or rebellion. Look up the provisions of posse commitatus. And a bunch of other stuff about how our government is at least supposed to work. If these things were taught to the majority of voters, the B.S. advertised on the media would get laughed out the door! Meanwhile, Go, Broncos!

Speaking of the sound of a shotgun being racked: The late, great Bill Jordan was patrolling alone in a squadcar, in El Paso, at night, when he spotted a known drug dealer. The dealer spotted the car and took off running, heading to the entrance to an alley. Jordan jumped out of the car, and despite being the ultimate pistol shot, grabbed a '97. As the perp ducked into the alley, Jordan didn't follow, knowing that because of the streetlight behind him, he'd be backlit. So he racked the slide on the shotgun, and the perp came to a screeching halt and threw both hands straight up in the air! There are many sounds in this wonderful world; there's the sound of a baby calling for its mother. But there's no sound to give one pause...like the sound of a shotgun being wracked in the darkness!

It was the dark of the moon, and I don't recall the date, but about 0215 I was out on a Minuteman I targeting team. We were about five miles down the road from the only bar in about 100 miles. There were four of us, me, two EM's and a site security guard. The guard was the only one armed...with an M-2 Carbine with one fifteen round magazine, which only had 10 rounds issued. My two team members were "down in the hole". A vehicle pulls up to the gate, with the headlights fully in our faces, so you couldn't see who was behind them! Guard walks slowly up to the gate, as we were not expecting anyone. I edged over to the ditch (about 2 feet deep was all) on the side of the drive, hoping if "they" shot him, I might be able to cross over and grab his weapon (like a dumb 2LT). Fortunately, it was a couple of guys having just come from the bar, and feeling good. They even offered us a beer, which, we politely declined and they backed up and drove away! Don't know if the guard had a round chambered or not. Fools rush in...

Anybody ever get hurt in one of those dances? Wonder if they start out practicing with wooden or rubber knives...probably not?

I still like the Kurt Russell/Val Kilmer version better. Seemed more realistic...to me, anyway.

Vote early, vote often! Like they do in Chicago. Don't live there anymore, but I figure my parents and grandparents are still "voting" from their permanent address...in the cemetery.

When shooting BP through a chronograph, I would stick pieces of paper in front of the screens to keep the smoke from doing that exact thing.

Don't know, and I told the range NCO about it, so as far as I was concerned it was his responsibility to check them out. There were only two times when I was required to be armed, and in one instance, it was to carry a piece of sensitive equipment out to a launch facility where some tests were being run. I was given a snub-nose .38 Spl. revolver, with ball ammo. It was at night, and I was alone in the vehicle. Had I run into any potential enemies, they would, no doubt have outranged that POS by hundreds of yards. I made a good show of checking to see the gun was loaded, strapped it on, got into the pickup truck and drove off the base. As soon as I got a ways away, I stopped the truck, took off the snubbie, unloaded it, and reached under the seat where my own S&W M19 was, loaded with .357 HP's, and strapped it on. Being a revolver, I figured nobody would question it until I got back to the base to turn in the snubbie. No problems.

I bet those .38 Spl revolvers shown in the photo were some of the ones the Air Force used for sidearm qualifications in 1966. They were marked, "U.S.Navy" on the barrel. Scared the hell out of me. No NOT the recoil, as I owned and regularly shot a Ruger Flat Top .44 Mangle-em and my Dad's M1911A1. No, I was afraid I was going to kill somebody on either side of me because the gun was shaving jacket material so badly. After two shots, I cleared the weapon, put it down and went to the range NCO, and asked him if I could use my own gun, as long as it would shoot issue .38 Spl. Ball (FMJ!). He sad, sure, so I went downtown and bought a S&W M19, which I used to qualify Expert. The only aiming training the Air Force gave me, I never found out how I did...AND DIDN'T WANT TO, since it was targeting Minuteman I ICBM's! Fortunately, we never had to find out.

Thus what to the stars? Ny Latin is a little rusty.

I believe the chopsticks are attached to an elevator-like structure that will lower the booster down on the launch platform. Frankly, I think this is an optical delusion. Just like landing Falcon 9 boosters...like aligning a Minuteman I guidance system...it's all done with mirrors! We'll see if this booster will be refurbished and reflown and caught again! Then, the next thing will be sending the Spaceship into Low Earth Orbit, and then possibly landing it. Anyway, congratulations, SpaceX! Moon, here we come. (Nevermind Artemis!)

Like I said! Loose nut behind the buttplate!