Trailrider #896

I'm 82-1/2. My parents both made it to 98. I have told my doctors, including the one who repaired my hernia yesterday, I intend to make it to at least 108. with a good quality of life!

The interesting thing is the TV ad I've seen advertising Onterio. Do you think they are trying to tell us something about their public opinion of a relationship with the United States? As far as Greenland is concerned, the main reason for U.S. to have a firm connection is the ability to project military power in the North Atlantic and the Arctic. With the "northwest passage" becoming more and more a commercial and military reality, We need to be able to control access more than we now do. We currently have assets up there with the cooperation of Denmark. OTOH, the citizens of Greenland are apparently not treated all that well by Denmark. Also, there a lot of natural resources there that we could benefit by having easier access. The future is ahead. My own personal "crystal ball" is black, heavy and has three finger holes (okay, two and the thumbhole) and I can't lift it anymore anyway!

They will figure out what mods need to be made, and fix it for future flights. That is the nature of build a little, test a little, fly some more. I had wondered if it was some type of anomaly or if the ship veered off course and the Flight Termination System (FTS) destroyed it. At least they got enough telemetry data to get a good fix on the problem. Ad Astra, SpaceX!

OLV's, one 7-1/2" and one 5-1/2". .44 Mangle-em brass, 7.5 gr Universal behind 213.5 gr hard-cast bullets. If I am short of loaded rounds, I switch cylinders to .44-40 with 8.0 gr Universal behind the same bullets. MV from the 7-1/2" barrel = 950 ft/sec. Just grab whichever Rossi carbine matches the cylinders. Unfortunately, age has caught up and I have arthritis in my right shoulder and my right thumb, and haven't shot any matches in quite a while.

Snow use!

Of course that 3-foot long hopper was real...just like jackalopes in Wyoming! (Sorry, don't have a picture available.)

82-1/2. Used to be 5' 10-1/2". Now they've got me 5' 8-1/2" or so! Some spinal arthritis, etc. Just compression with age. Now if I went to the International Space Station, I might get some of that back. Not likely to happen, of course.,..

The "engineers" who designed the Minuteman launch facilities didn't think about the maintainers having to climb a 20 foot ladder to install the motor into the track so that the troops could attach the basket used to take them down inside the launch tube for access to the missile! The motor had to be hoisted up by a pulley on the level with the door, but then the pulley had to be slacked off so the troop could swing it onto the track segment in the door! Of course, doing that maneuver, the airman had to push himself away from the ladder! Don't recall anyone getting hurt, but....

FBI says they believe the New Orleans purp did NOT act alone! Explosives found in the vehicle. Suspect jumped out of vehicle shooting at police! They return fire and "neutralized" the suspect! Report some sort of flag related to ISIS was on a pole sticking up from the back of the vehicle! In addition a vehicle exploded in front of Trump Las Vegas Hotel! Reportedly, one person inside the vehicle died! This, too, being investigated as a possible act of terror! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? Sugar Bowl game postponed!

And what did your friend do to take a gaur? Something larger than a .22rf I would imagine! Friend of mine who used to hunt Cape Buffalo in Africa used a .500 Nitro Express and one time a .577 Nitro Express! He had taken a number buffs at the request of the local game managers to feed the local population.

RIP, Sir! | | |

I have been disappointed not to see the movie, "White Christmas" played anywhere I could find this year. It was more about two guys trying to help their old commanding officer. Although I seldom watch the other standard, "It's a Wonderful Life", I haven't seen it anywhere either. Halmark has been playing new stories that have basically the same plot about somebody returning to their old home town to save their relative's store or somesuch! Anyway, Merry Christmas or Happy Chanukah! to all!

Bikini test Baker.

SDJ - Thanks for posting this podcast. What is the link for that host? Thank God the crew of the one plane got out! When the A/C (Aircraft Commander/pilot) told his WSO, "We gotta go!" it became the backseater's decision to pull the handle to initiate both ejection seats because the WSO has to go first. Otherwise, if the pilot's seat fires first, the WSO would literally become toast from the rocket plume of the pilot's seat! The pilot could eject by himself, if the guy in back was incapacitated, but under "normal" circumstances, the back seat fires first, followed seconds later by the front. It is going to take some time to sort out what actually happened, for the reasons stated in the podcast. it will NOT be covered up! Speaking of toast, I suspect the skipper of the CG's carrear is. The Navy has been firing CO's for "lack of confidence in their ability to lead" for a lot less! This is no game! Whoever said that there are no American military in harm's way in the Middle East, should have know better...and didn't! God Bless them all! Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah, Pards!

Once LeMay decided that "high altitude precision bombing" wasn't working against Japan, he ordered all the guns, except the tail guns taken off the B-29's, and the gunners replaced by incendiary and napalm bombs, going in at 5,000 and 8,000 ft.! Biggest losses on those missions were from mid-air collisions. Took out a lot of Tokyo and other cities before the "Silver Plate" missions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.