HarryO

A rancher got in his pickup and drove to a neighboring ranch and knocked at the door. A young boy, about 9, opened the door. "Is yer Dad home?" the rancher asked. "No, sir, he ain't," the boy replied. "He went into town." "Well," said the rancher, "is yer Mom here?" "No, sir, she ain't here neither. She went into town with Dad." "How about your brother, Howard? Is he here?" "He went with Mom and Dad." The rancher stood there for a few minutes, shifting from one foot to the other and mumbling to himself. "Is there anything I can do fer ya?' the boy asked politely. "I know where all the tools are, if you want to borrow one. Or maybe I could take a message fer Dad." "Well," said the rancher uncomfortably, "I really wanted to talk to yer Dad. It's about your brother Howard getting my daughter pregnant.." The boy considered for a moment. "You would have to talk to Pa about that," he finally conceded. "If it helps you any, I know that Pa charges $500 for the bull and $50 for the hog, but I really don't know how much he gets fer Howard."

Bobby & Bubba, Arkansas mechanical engineers, were standing at the base of a flagpole, looking up. A woman walked by and asked what they were doing. 'We're supposed to find the height of the flagpole,' said Bubba, 'but we don't have a ladder.' The woman took a wrench from her purse, loosened a few bolts, and laid the pole down. Then she took a tape measure from her pocket, took a measurement, announced, 'Eighteen feet, six inches,' and walked away. Bobby shook his head and laughed. 'Ain't that just like a woman! We ask for the height and she gives us the length!' Bubba and Bobby are currently working for the government...and helping to design the "stimulus package."

Heredity and Ginseng root seems to be my ticket to an active lifestyle. I think the Chinese got that one right.My grandfather was 82 when dad was born. Dad was the youngest of 6 kids. My grandmother was 28 when dad was born. I'm told I get it honest from "bad breeding" according to mom's side of the family. Harry

All Hail Master Harry!!!! PS. Hope they are appropriately assisting in your recovery to perfect health!!! They're probably one of the reasons I'm taking so long to fully recover.There's something to be said for "home health care" and is a motivational factor to regain my health. It's tough enough being a single full time parent at any age but I will say it's a blessing and great gift I never expected nor could have imagined being so wonderful. It definitely keeps the "old fart" symptoms from surfacing as frequently and I recommend it to keep you young. And besides all that, being a single full time dad is a "chick magnet". The nurturing mother instinct kicks in making the girls lose all sanity and reason. Harry

"life's too short to dance with ugly women"

I'll turn 60 in July, single full time dad. My son turned 8 in november. I have 3 steady girlfriends. 28, 27, 27. Two live next door on each side of me and the other works for the local school system. Life is good. Harry

I buy a lot of used speakers from estates, auctions, storage shed repos, etc and I run into a bunch of nasty, filthy grills from time to time. On MDF backed grills you can NOT even get them damp. If possible I remove the cloth from MDF and machine wash on gentle with cold water and Woolite for delicate fabrics. If I can't remove the cloth I'll use Woolite foam carpet cleaner and when dry they can be vacuumed. Caution: I've had some grill cloths fade when using the carpet cleaner. Then I'll have to replace the cloth or occasionally I'll use RIT dye in a spray bottle to bring them back up. On plastic frame grills I use a mixture of Windex, dish soap, water, and laundry soap in a spray bottle. Shake well before using. I wet them thoroughly, let them sit about 15 minutes, and rinse them using the shower massage. I let them dry thoroughly before reinstalling. You can put a fan on them if needed for faster drying. On some grill cloths that are "loose", I'll use hot water to shrink and tighten the cloth. FYI: Hot water can loosen the adhesives holding the cloth. Harry

Here's the foam blocks I use on my CDPs and tube preamps. Cheap and effective. I think about $6.00 for a set of 4 if I recall correctly. I bought them after finding out isolation can make a difference.

I ran into the same thing a couple of years using a Denon DCM444. A friend of mine gave me some cheapie brass cones that attached with double backed tape discs and I tried them. The clarity was greatly improved. I attributed this to the placement of my CDP close to my speakers in a small room. I've done this to all my CDP's since trying with and without. Some I noticed no differences in but others the difference was very noticable. My ShengYa tube CDP greatly benefits from Isolation. It's a very heavy unit and I figured it wouldn't make any difference. I also use foam blocks to isolate vibrations from my tube preammp and tube amps. There's a noticable difference on some tubes. I'm not sure it's a cure-all for all systems but for some it's a must. Harry

Best wishes this holiday season to all. Harry

Thanks to all for the good wishes. I'm back up and on my feet. Blood sugar issues. I'm still pretty weak but I'm running the right side of the grass so I guess I'm ok. Four + days ICU. I'm lucky. Blood sugar hit over 600!!! New regimen to be employed to keep the health up. Take care of yourselves as the alternative sucks. Harry

Pearl Harbor united all Americans to a common cause. Please stay alert and keep our country and lifestyle safe. Bless all again who have protected and served our country. Harry

The NFL is still a business. Players of exceptional talent will be kept on rosters until they no longer are valued. If Burress doesn't produce he will be "suspended" or his contract terminated. It's not about role models, the law, behavior issues, it's about the money the owners and NFL make. There's been many players of dubious conduct through the history of the NFL that should never have been allowed on the street. It sure hasn't kept them from playing pro football has it? If you want to dig into issues the OFFICIALS should be investigated. WAIT!! isn't it in their contract that they are beyond investigation and are above any scrutiny? I thinks so!

another

Pic of Rob and grandson

Jeff, I'm sorry for your loss. I loved your dad. I miss him. Today was another "missed phone day" to your dad. His passing has left a big gap in my life.If your family needs anything please let us know. Harry

Hey Roger, You're still talking about 9mm that was developed over 100 years ago. Many improvements have been made since then. 9mm is NOT my favorite caliber. I have a lot of respect for a guy that can clean up the aftermath of a shooting. Medical personel were some of my most valued friends. The corpsmen and medics ARE some of the bravest and craziest SOB's I've ever had the honor to serve with. I owe them my lifelong respect, admiration, and life. I have the utmost respect for ANY combat veteran having placed him/herself in "Harms Way". I have the utmost respect for anyone who has/have/is serving this country. This does include any law enforcement, Guard unit, fire fighter, etc that puts their life on the line everyday or can be called to do so at any minute. It's not a pretty sight myself and too many others have seen first hand. And YES, I've used both in combat situations. I do prefer the 45 personally but having used the 9mm I can testify first hand it is more than adequate to "bend, fold, staple, and mutilate. Even a 45 not properly placed doesn't do the job the first time. I have seen more than anyone's share of gunshot wounds. I have 3 distinctive painful scars from being on the wrong end of 7.62 fmj's courtesy of Russia and China. Expeditionary Force Marines almost 19 years. First in, Last out. First hand info. Not second hand. I've probably handled, evaluated, and fired 80% of the worlds weaponry at one time or another. Pulling the trigger on a human being is a heckova lot different than a piece of paper One of my favorite practice sessions was shooting clay targets with an Officers Model Colt 45acp from the back of a moving PBR on the Sappone river in '68. Sometimes coming under fire. There's a shite load of crazy Navy personnel still on the loose. LOL! I've been loading a little longer than that. I shot National Match, competition handgun, Trap/*****, until my eyes started showing their age. Yep, I'm an old fart set in his ways. I'm not so old as not to have retained my memory as far as I know. You're right. I've never been under fire from a paper target, coke bottle, or milk jug. And I never shot paint ball so you win this pi..ing contest. Harry

Not an appropriate question on an open forum! You ask this question from a combat veteran and law enforcement officer you might just get the answer you don't want to hear.

Roger, My apologies If I'm rude here.I'm not one to make statements without knowing most or all the facts but I really must question your qualifications here. All I've seen here are damaging weapons from misuse, abuse, and overloading to the point of dangerous handling. Nice stories and secondhand knowledge are good conversation pieces but I'm sitting here shocked no one else hasn't said something. I just want to ask your qualifications on knowing what the heck you're talking about. So far all I've seen are ALL the don'ts on use of a firearm. I'm not talking about crap you've read in some magazine or fireside chats either. Training? Certified education? etc? Harry

I have the USP in 9mm and 45. Both work very well for me. I will probably keep the .45 and sell the 9mm at some point. I've reduced the "gonna' keep these in my inventory when I retire" down to 1 x M4A3; 1 x MP5 (perfect for home defense....); 1 x Mosberg M500 12 gauge (nice mil version, parkerized, extended tube, etc.) and the HK USP in 45 cal. The HK is a very accurate pistol, as are most of the others. I've had no problems with ammo, and generally shoot 230 grain, FMJ "Blazer" during practice. Duty ammo is "Gold Dot", but it's expensive and we only shoot one or two mags of that stuff every 90 days. Weapon is extremely easy to break down, clean and re-assemble, etc. Never had a single misfire (yet...) and would likely be the result of a defective round if it occurred. We also practice with fake "stovepipe" jams, "round did not go off" drills, etc. all the time to make sure clearing and relocking a round is second nature. That being said.... I may sell the 45 and eventually buy a Springfield Armory 1911 to keep after I retire. I'd install a Wilson trigger and a high quality guide rod with a better bushing and that's about it. The HK line is "Top Notch" (to borrow the phrase) I wouldn't sell any of my extras unless replaced by another "personal" piece.I'd be all over the HK 9mm from Marshall if I needed another one. HEY, Marshall, you around? Harry

I'm not trying to win anything. The post was originally about 1911 models which I'm familiar with. Practice promotes familiarity. If you're going to carry a firearm and practice for defense I strongly suggest practicing/training on an urban combat course. This is the most critical training you can have. Most people I know including military and police have no business with a firearm. They could desperately use the urban combat course to hone their skills so they will be safe with a firearm. I'm sure this will stir the pot but it's the truth. Take the course and see how much you don't know. Firearms are forever. PERIOD!!! Harry

Test after test have shown a revolver is prone to total lock up not being able to fire. Primary culprits are foreign objects in and around the cylinder. The cylinder will lock up not being able to be fired at all. Semi autos are subject to failure also but can usually be easily cleared by shoving the slide forward or actually pulling the slide back clearing objects that keep the firearm from firing. THis is a standard "sandbox" test which has the revolver design being basically ignored in defense situations. Not trying to rain on anyone's parade but it's one of the main factors in my using the semi auto. I have a few revolvers (S&W 10, 29, Ruger Blackhawk 30 cal carbine, 357, Super Redhawk 44 mag and numerous revolvers from family hand me downs to diverse acquisitions over the years. I'm familiar with most firearms from around the world. Actually I was a weapons specialist for quite a few years in the USMC. They all will do the job. Any caliber, brand, model. Choose yer poison fellas. Harry

Dean, You'll like the S&W. Black the rear dots and you've got a quick pointer. Second shot acquisition very good, quick control, good rosewood grips for float and control. Improvements needed: Mags are weak on top. Not an issue as there's dozens of replacements available. I don't like the new Wilsons. They'll come apart when they hit the ground on ejection. Bottom cap is held on by tension only. McCormick is a good clip. as are the military surplus. solid and dependables. Front sights tend to slip across the slide. They need peened. I've got one. Good shooters and very cost effective. Good choice. Thumbs up from Indy. Harry

S&W?

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2008/11/29/obituaries/doc4930696e79da8551206546.txt Marvel just sent this. It says little about the man.