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Trailrider #896

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Everything posted by Trailrider #896

  1. Nowadays, with that Iranian spyship radioing targeting data to the Houthis, and two fleet taskforces around, and we are still doing damned all to protect commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian ocean (one tanker struck by an antiship missile just recently). For our Navy to do anything besides swatting drones out of the air, the word has to come down the chain-of-command, but the Wuss-in-Chief is in the hills somewhere celebrating Christmas! What has to happen? Loss of an oiler with a gazillion barrels of oil spilled, or a U.S. serviceperson to be KIA? Tell Iran to beach that motha or retrieve it from the ocean floor!
  2. What kind of jet was that? Thought at first it might be a T-38, but the canopy isn't right. Doe it have ejection seats, and did he brief Jim on how to eject? When I had a fam ride in a T-33, the Air Force pilot told me, "If I say, 'Eject! Eject! Eject!' and you say, 'What?'. you'll be talking to yourself!" No Zero/Zero seats in those old birds. Just the booster charge to get you and the seat out of the aircraft!
  3. With radar on that plane, I guess they gave Rudolph the night off! Merry Christmas, Pards!
  4. Shane! Shane! Come back, Shane! Merry Christmas, Pards!
  5. As soon as I could read, my Dad showed me how to read a map, and I used to "navigate" for him on long road trips (before everybody flew). When I bought my 2018 vehicle, I intentionally had them omit the GPS display. In the first place, I feel it is a distraction, and would rather have a map. And, yeah, I have a flip phone! I guess on the latter, I will eventually have to get a smart phone, but it can wait...maybe for my 82nd birthday this summer!
  6. In point of fact, steam locomotives like the Burlington O-5b, a 4-8-4 Northern type were intended to develop maximum tractive effort at higher speeds. for use pulling heavyweight passenger trains and/or freights of considerable tonnage. Smaller-drivered seamers were generally intended for starting and pulling tonnage "drag" freights, and developed more of their tractive effort for starting and maintaining heavy loads, but with limited speeds. The Burlington M-5a, 2-10-4 Texas type initially pulled heavy coal trains in Southern Illinois, until the "Q" decided they needed higher speeds (up to 55 mph) for timed freight operations. This was accomplished by reducing the diameter of the pistons, without changing the driver diameters. Diesel locomotives get best tractive effort for starting at low speeds, but, given the right gear ratios, can go at higher speeds. As mentioned in the video, it is much easier to add more diesel units for hauling heavier trains. All fun and fascinating!
  7. At my age (81), to attempt such activity, I would truly be "Finnish'd"!
  8. Say the secret woid an' divide a hundred dollars!
  9. Operation Prosperity Guardian will combine the naval elements of quite a number of nations to escort commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The Houthis and Iran have objected saying this violates international law! Nevertheless, some of the commercial outfits will send their ships around the bottom of Africa rather than through the Suez Canal, which will add time and cost, which will translate to increased prices for petroleum energy!
  10. What he said while pounding his shoe at the U.N. was, "Your grandchildren will live under socialism!" He may have been right!
  11. Nobody is talking about a land war with Iran. Hit the Houthi launch sites (if they can be found and targeted). As to Iran "annoying" the U.S., they are, so far targeting commercial shipping via the Houthi and Syrian proxies. These commercial fleets are now going to avoid the Red Sea, sending their shipping around the Cape of Good Hope, which will take weeks and drive up the cost of petroleum. What should we do if and when U.S. personnel are KIA? Russia has enough problems with Ukraine, in spite of Putin rattling the nuclear saber. China isn't even that happy with Putin. I am more concerned with China's actions in the Indo-Pacific. (Which, BTW, is why we are renovating the airstrips on Tinian!) The way you stop a bully is to belt him/her in the chops before you wind up in a serious/deadly fight. Appeasement doesn't work! (See Neville Whatshisname...the guy they named the umbrella after!)
  12. Of the Brewster Buffalos sent up to intercept Japanese Zeros at the Battle of Midway, I don't think any of them got back.
  13. If this took place in several of our larger cities, the DA would probably let the "poor soul" go free. After all, all he did was kill the other guy!
  14. I believe that Abraham Lincoln said something to the effect that if America fell, it would be from within, rather than by invasion from a foreign power. I don't know if what is happening is from without or within. Also, see my new post, "How long, Oh, Lord? How long?" As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is US!"
  15. A tanker in the Gulf of Aden or thereabouts was struck by a Houthi drone today. No report on the extent of damages, but the U.S.S Carney shot down 14 drones as well. (Wonder how much of the SM-3 (Standard Missile-3) they have left before running out of ammo...obviously classified! Defense Sec'y Austin said that a "coallition" must take some action as these attacks on shipping in the Red Sea are interfering with Freedom of the Seas, having little to do with the Israeli-Hamass war. Manufacture of these anti-ship missiles and drones is beyond the capabilities of the Houthis, so they are coming from Iran. Why are we, the United States of America, allegedly the most powerful nation on Earth, with plenty of assets in the region not taking action to take out the launch sites in Houthi-controlled Yemen? I was taught in AFROTC 101 that a nation's power not only depends on the capability to use force, but the will to use it when necessary! As the words in another verse of the Star Spangled Banner say, "And conquer we must, when our cause it is just... And this be out motto, 'In God is our Trust'"! How long, Oh, Lord! How Long?
  16. When the wind comes from the North, the waves on Lake Michigan can get like the worst ones on Superior! And they can come up quick! When I was a teen, my uncle had a 52 ft. ChrisCraft. We wer over on the Michigan side, and things got pretty rough. He had a radio on board that had a more powerful transmitter than was later allowed, but it was a good thing we did. We heard a call from a smaller boat calling the Coast Guard station, as they had run aground stern first. The man had gotten his family off okay, but wanted help pulling his boat off. The Coast Guard station couldn't hear him, but we could. We relayed the request to the station and they sent a 36 foot double-ended boat down, and we circled well offshore until they could get within range of the boat's radio. Exciting! God Bless the Coasties!
  17. The way to prevent magazine chain fires in the Henry is to 1) utilize bullets with a flat meplat .250" in diameter or larger; and 2) be careful not to let the follower slam down when you release it after loading, and 3) to let the rounds slide down with the rifle held at a shallow angle above horizontal; 4) be sure to seat the primers slightly below the level of the cartridge case. I love to shoot my Navy Arms (Uberti) M1860 Henry, but, unfortunately, back problems make the muzzle-heavy piece such that I can't handle it very well. M1892 (Rossi) with 20" barrels can almost be handled one-handed, which works better for me.
  18. As Pogo Possum (Walt Kelly, cartoonist) said, "We have me the enemy and he is US!" Louis Lamour used to write that the reason why Old West people had to take the law into their own hands, was, because "back East" people could call the police when laws were broken, and could pretty much rely on "justice" being done for the law-abiding citizens. Considering that in most of our large cities, you are in greater danger than in Dodge City, South of the deadline on a Saturday night, and there is almost NO likelihood of miscreants being punished, I wonder what Louis would write now? (I haven't checked with the earthquake people in Boulder, Colorado, but I'd bet there is considerable seismic activity at his grave! Until and unless the honest citizens get together, and elect people who will enforce the laws, the future of our country is in serious doubt!
  19. Ditto! More about two former-GI's trying to do something nice for their retired C.O.!
  20. Wife and I are looking at various cars for when our granddaughter graduates from high school. Supposedly some Subaru have a sensor that detects if you are about to hit the car in front of you, and hits the brakes. But if it does, and the car following you doesn't stop, whose fault is it? Not sure I like the idea. An alert driver is the best thing. I'm with Scotty on Star Trek..."Th' more they overthink th' plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain!"
  21. Actually, one-quarter of a sheet of Scott single-ply TP, poke gently, but not compressed over 28 gr. of IMR4198 makes a great over-powder filler in a .45-70 case. Use a 385 gr cast or 405 gr jacketed bullet. Let the bullet compress the filler. Otherwise, when it comes to the original use...I'll pass!
  22. The "media" no longer consists of journalists who simply report the news. Instead, they write or report slanted ideas. Huntley and Brinkley and Edward R. Morrow are causing seismic events. How many of the mass shootings are caused by individuals who left multiple clues on the internet that they were not dealing with a full deck, and intended to commit massacres? Yet, even in cases where cops were aware of it, nothing was done before the event! I was under the impression that lying on a Form 4473 was a Federal crime, yet at least one individual hasn't been prosecuted....yet...maybe? I am reading an interesting book, "Unwoke" by Senator Ted Cruz, about the media and what is being taught to many kids these days.
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