Trailrider #896

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!

My crystal set came in a kit. Worked pretty well...when I wasn't listening to my folks' super-hetrodyne radio for The Lone Ranger or Sgt. Preston and his dog Yukon King.

One thing that irks me about candidates for executive office... "I will (raise/lower) you taxes." NO YOU WON'T! You can "jawbone" the legislators (state/Congress), and if you can get a majority to vote for whatever it is you propose, then you can sign it into law or veto it. Most people don't understand or have never been taught the powers the Constitution assigns to the legislative and executive branches. Abraham Lincoln is supposed to have said, "You can fool all the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." OTOH, Bret Maverick's Ol' Pappy said, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, and those are mighty good odds!"

I make it a rule to never sign petitions, period.

He would still have to load it from the front of the cylinder, as described. In point of fact "cartridges" were available for cap-and-ball revolvers, except they were or could be constructed. They were formed from nitrated (combustible) paper, filled with black powder and containing a lead ball or "conical" lead bullet. For purposes of the story, they would have to be loaded with smokeless powder to cause a blowup (and maybe it wouldn't). The percussion cap would still have to be placed on the cone on the rear of each chamber. Nowadays we call the cone "nipples", but that term wasn't used in the presence of ladies.

Could you spare a little for the Front Range of Colorado?

Loose nut behind the grips or buttplate if the gun is a rifle.

Air bag vests/pants. Helmets with visors. So you fall off and are thus protected. Except you break your neck and wind up paralyzed or die! No thanks!

A college mate rode a Harley down a hilly street and hit gravel at the curve. Got off without road rash as he was wearing a pair of heavy woolen Air Force enlisted trousers. Tore them up, but saved his skin. As he was scheduled to turn the uniform in the next day (end of the Spring semester) he just folded them so the damage didn't show and turned the uniform in! Me, I don't bother with such stuff...I won't go near a motorcycle!