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I know I don't really know most of you but I also know that there are probably some of you who only tollerate me because my picture of Millie as my avatar for most of my time here made you think I wasn't all bad. :)  Anyway...I though I would share this as I had to let her go late yesterday afternoon...   -------------------- Over a period of about three weeks, my little girl, “Millie” the basset hound went from a full of life and beautiful girl and love of my life to being a very ill little girl. I noticed her appetite starting to wane the last week of September. I didn’t think a lot of it at the time because it wasn’t all that unusual for something to upset her stomach and for her to forgo a meal or two or even three before returning to gobbling up her breakfast and dinner. Into the second week I was getting concerned; changed her dog food to see if she would eat more and that seemed to work for few days. I boarded here at my vet’s facility (her usual place) the first weekend of October (Friday through Sunday afternoon October 4-6, 2013) because I was out of town and noted my concerns to the staff – when I picked her up on Sunday afternoon they said she hadn’t eaten much on Thursday but seemed to eat normally Saturday. I took her home and she did seem to eat okay then stopped eating again by Monday…I started supplementing her food with canned and for a couple of days, that worked but she was obviously getting worse. I took her into my vet’s office on Thursday the 10th and had many different tests run; all of which seemed to indicate a problem with her liver. We started her on medication in hopes that it was an infection that could be treated. Initially, Millie took the medicine and she ate well for about a day or so but by Saturday, she was throwing up a lot and finally, by Sunday, refused to eat anything at all. I took her into Dr. Barker on Monday morning and x-rays showed a large mass near her liver. On my vet’s recommendation I took her to another facility so that we could have an ultrasound done - it took only a few minutes for the ultrasound to confirm both the mass and many tumors throughout her liver and spleen. There was no choice; no right choice anyway except to let her go and ease her pain but nothing is ever going to ease the pain or fill the huge empty hole in my heart. I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved that long-eared, droopy-eyed bundle of unconditional love…she was my pal…she was my best friend…she was my little girl…my “Sweet P” and I’ll always love, miss and remember her. Rest in peace my sweet little girl - I lost you far too soon and I'll always love you. ------------------------------    

I see there is a lot of interest as of late in the 300 Blackout. And it seems like there are a lot of people planning on building one in the near future so I figured I would post up some things to take into consideration when building a 300 Blackout. The two biggest considerations are what gas system and what twist.   First, let me start by saying that other than the barrels and muzzle devices all other parts are identical to what is found on any 5.56 AR-15. The lowers are identical and you should be able to use any standard lower that functions with a 5.56 upper with a 300 Blackout upper. A threaded 300 Blackout barrel will use 5/8-24 threads. That is the standard for any .308 caliber muzzle device.    What gas system do I need?   There are two types of gas systems used in the 300 Blackout, pistol length and carbine length. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on how you look at it.   A carbine length gas system does not require an adjustable gas block and requires no adjustment if shooting supersonics. You can use a standard gas block which is a little cheaper than and adjustable one. But with a carbine length gas system you may run into problems cycling if you are not shooting supersonic, full power loads. I know I have read, and helped, a lot of people with carbine length gas systems and in 90% of the cases it requires a lot of custom parts to get it to function when shooting subsonic ammunition, even factory subsonic ammunition. Now if you are going to be adding a suppressor then the cycling issues go away in most cases. With a carbine length gas system you cannot shorten the barrel too much below 16" without running into cycling issues both with and without a suppressor. If all you ever plan on doing is shooting supersonic ammo then the carbine length gas system will work great. If you reload then the carbine length gas system can be finicky as far as what powders and bullet weights can be used.    A pistol length gas system may require an adjustable gas block, depending on port size, with a 16" barrel to shoot both supersonic ammo and subsonic ammo. A pistol length gas system setup to shoot subsonics may be over gassed when shooting supersonic ammo without an adjustable gas block but in most cases the gun will still be reliable but run a little dirtier. A pistol length gas system will be reliable with subsonics even if you do not have a suppressor. A pistol length gas system allows you to use the widest variety of powders and bullet weights. It also allows you to make a SBR or pistol with a barrel length down to as short as 7". The most reliable setup is going to be the pistol length gas system whether shooting subsonics or supersonics.    So in the end if you plan on shooting subsonics you want to have a pistol length gas system. If all you are going to be shooting is supersonics then a carbine length gas system is going to work fine. But a pistol length gas system will work with both but might require an adjustable gas block. You should be running an adjustable gas block anyways to tune the gun for reduced recoil, reliability as well as to keep it cleaner for longer. Using an adjustable gas block you can artificially lengthen a pistol length gas system but there is no way to artificially shorten a carbine gas system.   ***************************************************************************************************************************   Reloading for the 300 Blackout For reloaders. There is tons of published data out there for both supersonic and subsonic loads. But you can also use load data for the 300 Whisper, which has been around for several decades. The two rounds are interchangeable.   As far as dies go any should work but I have seen some issues as of late with Lee dies. Personally I like the RCBS dies because I can replace the expander ball. It is important for me because I cast and with the .311" expander ball I do not size my cast bullets down as I seat them into the case.    For those of us that cast or plan to. Be mindful that not all 30 caliber cast bullets will work with the 300 Blackout in an AR. Some require the OAL to be 2.26" to avoid exposing the lube grooves. And when you seat ANY bullet, cast or jacketed, to that length it can cause problems with some magazines. The ideal length should be under 2.15". Also, when loading cast bullets the case necks need to be larger than what you would use for jacketed. Also, if shooting cast you must bell the cast mouth. Lee makes a universal case mouth expanding die. And you want just enough of a bell to not shave the cast bullet. You should not be able to easily see or feel the bell.    So how or where do I get brass? You can either buy it or make your own. Buying it is self explanatory but because the caliber is based on a necked up 223 you can use 223 or 5.56 brass to make your own. You cut the 223 case off at the shoulder. Then you size and trim like any other caliber out there. To cut my brass I use a Harbor Freight mini chop saw and a fixture that holds the cases but you could use anything really. And even though it is a small case it still requires lube just like the 223.     **************************************************************************************************************************   What twist do I need? Twist rates. Barrels can be had in 10, 8, 7 and now 6.5. If you plan on shooting supersonics then any of them will work but if you are going to be shooting subsonics then you must take the twist rate into consideration. The numbers below are generalizations and you must test to verify.    A 10 twist will stabilize most jacketed bullets up to 200 grain and most cast bullets up to 220 grains at 1,050 fps.   An 8 twist will stabilize most jacketed bullets up to 220 grain bullets and most cast bullets up to 250 grains at 1,050 fps.   A 7 twist will stabilize most jacketed bullets up to 240 grains and most cast bullets 250+ grains at 1,050 fps.   And the 6.5 twist is out there because there are rumors of a 260 grain Hornady Amax soon to be released.    With that being said you MUST verify your individual gun to ensure it is stabilizing the bullets. Shooting an unstable bullet will not harm anything unless you have a suppressor. To test shoot at a target 100 yards away without the suppressor on. Inspect the bullet hole in the target. It should be round and all edges look uniform. If the hold is oblong or has one edge that seems a more feathered than the other then the bullet is not stable.  If you find your load is NOT stabilized you either need to go to a lighter bullet or a faster velocity. Some 8 twist guns will stabilize 240 grain bullets and some won't so you MUST verify, especially if you are using a suppressor. I have a 10 twist gun that stablizes 245 grain cast bullets but I have had others that would not.         If anyone has any questions feel free to ask. I am sure I am missing a few things here. And remember the only dumb question is the one not asked.            

To know a dog is to know unconditional love.

One side of me is happy for you, but the other side is sad for the seller.

While he understands it's not the same, Grizwald said he'd be more than happy to come over and play, if you ever need someone to slobber and drool all over your house. He said he'd even be willing to hog your side of the bed.

Robert, of the many things I and all of us here could say...I believe Timestepper summed it well. I'll just add this. You provided a loving home to a beloved companion and in return received the most unconditional and sincere love on this earth short of that of our Lord Jesus. Know that you will be reunited. Remember her for the good times and the love you shared. God Bless.

RIP Millie, you are missed.   Condolences, Robert. It'll never get better, but it will get easier.   Funny how when one's heart is full there's room enough for the whole world, but when it's empty there isn't room for even the tiniest grain of sand...   I can't say anything to make it any easier, only time will do that. In the mean time... we're all here and thinking of you and wishing we could do the impossible and a little of us hurts along with you.   Peace, friend.   :sadwave:

The world needs more Flea...

I'm really trying here, but I just can't accept that it is the government's fault if someone's child goes hungry. If my kids don't eat, how on earth could I justify blaming someone else? It's my responsibility. And I'll add to that, anyone who is claiming they can't feed their kids is full of sh** if they have anything of value, such as smart phones, iPods, iPads, computers, flat screens, jewelry, etc. I'd sell off my wedding ring before my kids would starve.

The best tool you can invest in is between your ears. The old saying 'A book, a cook does not make' There's NO skill you shouldn't be trying to learn. From edible plants in your area, memorizing where potable water sources are, to pressure canning, gardening and crocheting. Learn to knit a sweater and weave a basket. Fix a small gasoline engine, siphon gas from a late model car. You need to develop a skill set that will allow you to bend your environment to your will. That will be your best survival tool. Without skills in producing, concealing and protecting, all your preps will be much appreciated by those who find them and take them away from you by hook or by crook. I tell people, decide where you want to die. Is it where you are or somewhere else? Find that place and start surviving there NOW. Learn it know it live it. If you're already living the lifestyle then when fan gets splattered, then only outside threat levels will change. Your instinct to live with what you have and what you can procure YOURSELF will be the same. One of the best things you can do right now is weening yourself off the mentality "I'll just go out and buy one". I make a point to at least attempt to repair or make a new one myself on EVERYTHING I can. Even if I fail or am not satisfied with the results and end up going to buy a new one. Whatever you're replacing still has value if you can learn something from trying to fix it. Think outside the box and you'll be amazed where you'll be in a year or two. You can stockpile so much ammo. You can't eat it p, it tastes like crap. Lol

I use the Free Microsoft Security Essentials and I've never had a problem with a virus since. It also doesn't bog down the computer like other antivirus software did.   http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download   Try it. :up:

You need to get something other than Norton. It's the worst antivirus software on the market, just about as close to nothing as possible. I'd recommend ESET NOD32

Nope. It's your property. You can pretty much carry as you see fit.

Found this on one of my friends Facebook page , never even thought about it until I read it , makes you wonder if Obama already had this pland way ahead of time to try and make it go down this way what's your thoughts??? Did anyone besides me wonder how they got all those signs distributed far and wide, including to all the national parks and cemeteries overseas only eight to ten hours after the government shut down? Take a look at this from someone who wanted to remain anonymous. I have worked in the government on and off for 40 years. During that time I became quite familiar with requisitions, bidding, awarding contracts etc. It is a time consuming process with bean-counters and pencil-necked bureaucrats every step of the way. The simplest request takes months not days or hours. In less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-“this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown. There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or . This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance at least 6-8 months ago. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House.

Our condolences to you.  We've been down this road a couple of times and it is always a challenge.  And yet as difficult as it is to lose one, I'll trade that brief sorrow for the years of unconditional love in a heartbeat.  In our case, after a few weeks or a few months we always decided that we missed the pitter patter of little feet on the floor and were ready to adopt another 4 legged member into the family.  The two we have now are both rescues and while we love them both dearly, we still talk about and miss the ones who came before them.  They will always be part of our lives and our hearts.  As I know Millie will always be part of yours.   Our thoughts are with you!

I don't care about your errors. I still cannot join the AR social group. :-P

Robert,My condolences go out to you and everyone close to her. Nothing can describe the loyalty a pet has to its owner.I painfully regret hearing of your loss. Knowing our pets are always gods little creatures that we've been blessed with,I hope you find that new lil friend that will benefit from the good life you had with Millie. I've lost a few in the past and understand,,,,  I remain truly;and hope you can find peace despite your loss

Deer Hunting is frustrating. For 8.5 months I am wishing for deer season to hurry up and get here, then for the next 3.5 months I wish I had the time to go hunting. So, I'm pretty much frustrated year round. Haha

  Plus, unless the business is actually producing something useful, you may as well just be giving the money directly to the employees in the first place. Otherwise you're just wasting resources and probably making somebody (politicians buddy) rich. And there won't be the market forces necessary to force the business to suffer the death it needs either.   Corporate welfare should not be regarded as any less worse than personal welfare. Both badly need to go.

You cannot use deadly force to protect property. If someone already has stolen your property and is leaving you cannot shoot them. Or if someone is trying to steal your property you cannot shoot them. You can use whatever means needed to protect your property except deadly force or the threat of deadly force. Now if they escalate to deadly force while you are trying to protect your property then you can meet force with force. But if you find someone on your property you cannot shoot them unless they are a threat to your life or someone else's life, even if they have bypassed your gate or crossed fences.   If you are in your house and someone is trying to break in it doesn't automatically give you the right to shoot. Now if they are in the house and you are in fear for your life then you can shoot. Do not shoot from inside your home at anyone who is outside unless they are firing at you.   Up until they enter your residence the only crime they have committed is trespassing which is not justification for the use of deadly force.   You want to avoid conflicts at all cost and defuse them at the lowest level as possible. Shooting someone should be the absolutely last resort when all others have failed. Even if the shoot is justified you are going to find yourself in a place you don't want to be, both mentally and financially. The bad guy's family can sue you and it will cost you thousands to defend yourself. I know a justified shooting excempts someone from beind sued but it still takes a court hearing to get the case thrown out and anyone who goes to court on something serious without an attorney is asking for trouble. And imagine in the off chance the authorities think it was not justified, that can cost you a lot more than money.   99% of the time just yelling at a bad guy that the cops are on their way will make them flea.

I got a doe yesterday first with the crossbow jerky time

I'd recommend downloading Malware Bytes http://www.malwarebytes.org/ to clean up your PC. You may need to download it from a different PC and put it on a thumbdrive to transfer it over to the infected PC.   For Antivirus, I use Microsoft's free Security Essentials. I've seen reports that it is not the absolute best antivirus, but I've been quite happy with it. You can't argue with the price. Plus, it is not bloated with all the crap that comes with Norton. It's just an Antivirus and does not use a ton of system resources.   Another trick of mine is to use virtual machines. I have a Win7 Vm running on my desktop. I've configured it so that the virtual hard drive is non-persistent. In other words, when the VM is powered down, any changes that were made to the VM while it was powered up are forgotten. It goes back to exactly the way the VM was when I powered it on. That way, if I get a virus, just rebooting the VM cleans it all up. Once a month I set the disks to persistent and install patches, then set the disk back to non-persistent. I use VMware's free VM Player application to run my VM's. You can even download free, and already installed and configured VM's in O/S' like Linux. Just download and run the VM. If it gets crapped up, delete it and download a fresh copy.

A towel. Anywhere in the galaxy, you need a towel.   - OS

All this Is great advice. I'd lile to add: you need a way to secure your home. Wood, screws, nails, booby traps, etc... If you are planning on staying put, plan on defending your castle. Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

From my understanding, even if you are on your property, you do not have to have a gun carry permit to keep a firearm to defend yourself with. The HCP only applies if you travel off your property. Meaning it protects you the permit holder from any criminalization of "intent to go armed".   On your property, you are covered with or without a HCP, off property you are covered by having a HCP.

Four Classic 22 Rifles I bought these four 22 rifles last week. Remington Matchmaster 513-T Lyman sights. Built 1940-68. I think this is a 1941. Marlin 39A 1954 Remington Model 24 22short Semiauto. Lyman sights. Breaks down with no tools in seconds. 1922-35. Tube comes out of stock. Stevens Little Scout Model 14 1/2. Single shot LR, rolling breech lock. 1909-1936. This semiauto 24 with easy break down is really a cool John Browning design. About 75 years old. Lyman sight on The Matchmaker. Calibrated to 200 yards. Very heavy target rifle in VG condition. These haven't been fired in years but are in good to very good condition. I have been having fun taking them down, learning about the respective mechanisms, and cleaning them up. Bores are all good to excellent. I think the resale value is easily double to triple based on my research.

The government shutdown talk and the debt ceiling talk has got me wondering.  If we are 17 Trillion in debt, who out there is still loaning us money any ways?   Western Sky? Other Native American Tribal lenders you see on TV?   Talk of funding the government to Jan 15, sounds more like one of those Check in to Cash pay day advances.

They had the Barrycades around the monuments in DC the day the shutdown started, that's "premeditated" in my book.

half the battle, of course. I saw this and thought I'd share the awesome as some of you grew up during my generation and even some whom didn't can appreciate this.

I snuck out to the new lease today and hung a stand for muzzle loader season. I bush hogged a 40x100 yard opening out of 7 ft tall briars. There were 3 does in it as I left today. Gonna be good I hope!

Thanks for the translation. :)

I'd have to put my covers on my pmags to be able to pop my pmag covers.

I'm sorry for your loss.  I've had to have enough beloved pets put down over the years to know how much it hurts.

  I was about 60 feet from that debacle.  I never saw so many people reach for guns that weren't there (myself included).   :rofl:

Some great advice given above.   Renewable is the key word. No matter how much you have stored up, eventually it will all be consumed, bartered, stolen or go bad. I purchase many items on the Internet. In a worse case scenario such as hyper-inflation or an economic crash, which I feel is inevitable, problems will occur not purchasing face-to-face and locally when you need something. Many products and services might be a thing of the past.   Best to have what you need to start on hand or the means to be able to barter with something people "need". IMO, a person needs a minimum of 9 months of food for each member of the family to get by until a large garden can be grown. That means having a "two year" supply of properly stored and protected seasonal seeds on hand, and the hand implements to plant and maintain a garden. I said two years worth of seeds because you're not guaranteed a successful garden every year. Like this year, 2/3 of my huge garden died or did not produce well due to excessive rain, standing water, constant mud, mold, mildew, bugs, rabbits and deer. Same with pestilence, hail, drought, high winds, etc.   We have an abundance of deer, turkey, squirrel and game around here. But during an extended emergency people are going to get hungry, game seasons and limits are history and the wardens are at home protecting their own so, that resource will rapidly become almost non existent. A stocked pond and / or access to a local river or lake would be very beneficial.   As was briefly mentioned, conservation of resources and total use will also be paramount for quality of life. Many items can have multiple uses, recycled and used for a variety of tasks. Don't totally depend on fossil fuels and technology for survival and the more craftsmen skills you possess, the better off you and your community will be.   Beans, bullets and band aids are a must but, don't forget #1, water. A Berkley or such water filter will be worth its weight in gold. Cholera and other nasty's will be a big problem when SHTF so potable drinking water and safe sanitation and cleanliness are a must. Water and sanitation are going to kill more people probably than anything else, as history has proven. So, soap, laundry detergent, dish soap, disinfectants, cleaning supplies, first aid supplies, and common over the counter medications and anti diarrhea products are way up there on my list.     One other thing that is critical on my list that so far isn't panning out is; keeping what you have, including your life from the hoards of looters, criminals and drug addicts that will be roaming during our next pandemic, regional / national disaster, economic collapse, etc. Security and survival in numbers. Most everyone around here believes things will go on as they always have and the government will take care of them. Some attitude huh? It would be nice to have a local plan with my neighbors and they realize the possibility of life without WROL. IMHO, a family by themselves won't stand a chance for long when a group wants what you may have and have you drastically out numbered and have the element of surprise.

  I have an RRA upper. Lancer Advanced Warfighter mags. They make two grades. You need the good one.

  :up:  Now, where are the pics?

Timestepper, I hunted forever before I finally found a .357Mag/20Gauge. Paid way more than I wanted to for it. But the guy that was selling it, was selling it for a guy in a rest-home, dying of cancer, and he needed some money to pay some medical bills. I feel good about the purchase, and love the gun... in fact, I bought a .357Mag Ruger Blackhawk as a hunting companion to it.

Get a Mac , quit paying for anti anything software ! The money is up front , but no annual fees for annual software.

  Yep.   In the real world, would take some extraordinary circumstances to got popped someday for having first made a rifle from a virgin lower, but hey, do it according to the book and you never have to think of a lie, eh?   (A quirk of this ruling is that federal law has no maximum length for a barrel to be classed a handgun, so really, anyone who builds an AR and puts the stock on last, first made a handgun, cause it can't be a rifle without a stock.)  But don't necessarily take that advice as your statement. :)   - OS

I assume a borrowed one will do , the law reads it is as just as it is first assembled. First a pistol , then a pistol , legal to go rifle and back and forth ; but not the reverse.

  It's not "capable of fully automatic fire", in any position, eh?   - OS

  No way he thought so, just prepping up the excuses so it's not his fault.

I agree the 938 is nice! They did have to upsize it just enough that, for me, it isn't nearly as discreet for pocket holster carry.    :2cents:  For both 238 and 938, it is a good idea to look at the manual before disassembly/assembly for the first time. The ejector can be manipulated into the wrong position during disassembly if not careful. I read about it online is probably the only reason I didn't mess up. 

My 3MIL with Knife Connection scales Izula II 3, I2, DPX HEST by Rowen

No big deal to me.  It's designed to piss off the conservative/opposing side of the subgroups and it makes no sense at all on why our Veterans and Military should be affected at all. Or National Parks for that matter, surely this cost is a small fraction of what they waste.   I read somewhere that 93% of the EPA is "non-essential", bet the same is true for the IRS and any number of government agencies. It's all for show and political games. The first thing to cut should be the salaries of all the dickheads responsible and the last thing should be our Military.

Reminds me of the guy who was fishing from a bridge while my wife and I were canoeing. He cast his line just as we floated by and his sinker bounced off the side of the canoe and his hook snagged my fish stringer. After many apologies on his part and some laughter and ribbing on the part of me and his buddies about cheating and trying to catch someone else's fish, I unhooked his line and we went on our way.

Okay, just one stupid thing.... (since it wasn't really me who did it.)   My cousin Mike was 14 and I was 12 and we'd just been to a rodeo on Saturday night to watch one of my older brothers in the bull riding event. Sunday was a beautiful day and after church, Mike and I were still filled with awe and envy and the desire to become genuine, glorified bull riders our ownselves.   Now, genuine Brahma bulls were in short supply in our neck of the Kansas plains, but our Grandad had a big old Charolais bull named Brummy. Brummy was a gentle giant and wouldn't hurt a flee and all us grand kids had sat on his back at one time or another, so me and Cousin Mike knew that "loadin' him in to the chute" would be a piece of cake. What we were going to afterwards we weren't too sure of, but figured if we could rig us up some good "bull hooks" (slang for the modified spurs bull riders use), we'd stand a chance of becoming genuine rodeo heroes.   So we did some looking around and some tinkering and finally rigged up some pretty neat bull hooks which, if I recall, consisted of about 4 inches of double barbed barb wire wound around and twisted through some old bridle leather we'd found in the barn and lashed onto to the heels of our cowboy boots.   Now since Cousin Mike was the oldest, strongest and wisest, it was up to him to go first while I acted as the "chute man." (Being the "chute man" consisted mostly of me just leading Brummy up to the rail fence that ran next to the chicken coop and then climbing onto the coop side of the fence and holding his bridle while Cousin Mike climbed up on top of the coop preparatory to the rather inspired mounting maneuver he'd personally devised and christened the "paratrooper mount" - back then, paratroopers were our 3rd favorite heroes, superseded only by cowboys and mountain men.)   So I got Brummy up next to the fence, crawled between the rails, then reached back over the top rail and got a good grip on the bridle. When I was set, Cousin Mike shouted "GERONIMO!" bailed off the top of the hen house, lit astraddle of good ol' Brummy, grabbed a double handful of hide (we'd forgotten to make a bull rope) and jammed his homemade bull hooks into Brummy's flanks...   To this day I'm not real sure what happened next, but when the dust had cleared and I could see again, my dad was kneeling over me, gently cradling my freshly broken arm and trying not to laugh out loud, Cousin Mike was squalling something fierce from the pig pen on the other side of the chicken coop and my uncle Bill was trying to help Mike out of the slop but was laughing so hard he kept losing his grip on Mike's hand. (We didn't know they'd seen us earlier and had been spying on us from behind Grampa's threshing machine.)   A trip to the nearest ER (about 25 miles away) and I had a new cast on my arm and Cousin Mike was the first one to sign it. On the way back to Grampa's farm, Dad asked if I'd learned anything and I said, "Yeah, Brummy don't like para-trooping bull riders!" (Come to think of it, he wouldn't go anywhere near the chicken coop again after that, so I guess he prob'ly didn't much care for chickens, either.)     ...TS...

Well, I have got one memory that come to mind that happened back in the mid 70's not to long after I got home from Service. Not much scared me back then. Syill your and dumb and , well you know the rest but anyway I was a part time fireman for subscription fire department there in Donelson/Hermitage area. There are two different events that I can remember both involved me and people that don't respect the sounds of sirens and emergency vehicles trying to get to a fire or accident. This is back when Lebanon Road was still two lane from Donelson to Hermitage. I was driving truck #2 which had a huge nose pump on it plus twin smaller pumps and hauling 800 gallons of water. It's about 8 Pm and a call comes in about a house fire so we are in route had all the lights on the truck lit which I think was about 20 plus both spot lights lit. Had twin Federal Q sires on front fenders that you could hear for at least 10 miles when they were wound up. We reached the two lane and this little old man in a 1971 Ford maverick was going 25 MPH and would not move over. I was on his back bumper and he would not move. I rocked out into left had lane on coming traffic twice but had to get back in because of on coming traffic. Finally I got enough of a break I could get the entire truck in left hand lane and on coming cars were moving to shoulder to give me room. This truck had big hook bumpers that extended out past the rear and I kept looking in mirror and guy in shotgun said your not gonna and about that time I swerved the truck just enough to hook the front wheel well of that maverick and I ripped the fender off the car and never took my foot off the gas, Just reached down and radioed that I hit a car  it's 20 and I was still in route so they sent the police and come to find out when we arrived at the house and began fighting the fire the old man in that maverick followed us all the way to the fire and was cussing me and threatening me and I look over at one of the Leos on the seen and he stuffed the old man in a squad car. We put the house out just losing the garage and saving the rest. I looked and Red , one of the other firemen was removing the fender from the rear bumper of the firetruck. In the end the old man got a ticket for fail to yield to emergency vehicles and following a  fire truck to a fire and reckless driving. I know it was a mean thing to do but back then I really didn't care........   About a month later same truck different situation. Intersection of Jacksonian Blvd and Lebanon Road. I have #2 stretched out all lights lit sirens screaming and I knew the light was gonna go red on me and I was hoping everyone would sit still on cross street." wrong"  big 1972 Buick 225 pulled out into intersection and I couldn't swerve much hauling the water but I was able to hit the land yacht in the rear quarter panel with that front pump and spun the car around in the intersection. Never took my foot out of it and went on to the fire. Just radioed that I hit a car and told them the 20 and a metro police car was sitting in a gas station and saw the whole thing so they were already on site in a few seconds. Four young men high on Pot were in the Buick and they all said they never saw or heard any fire truck and they didn't know what hit them....Needless to say they all went down town to the Graybar Motel. Lost 1 room of the house in the fire. Needless to say my batting averages were not to good with the traffic deals but I was batting 1000 on not losing any complete houses to fires. I worked for them part time until Metro took over in 1978 and Subscription and volunteer fired departments went the way of the dinosaur but I can say one thing I looked back over the years I worked there and we had a better response time and lost less homes to fire than all that fancy metro fire department equipment did in the same time period............ :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

I find it interesting that if you are going to drink any amount of alcohol apparently you no longer have the ability to defend yourself with the best tool available.  In this example the cop smelled beer on his breath.  I doubt it had been any length of time since he had consumed.   I seriously doubt anyone can not be under the influence after drinking a 12 pack.  There certainly are people who can drink large amounts and not show outward ill effect due to their experience as a drinker.  But they are still under the influence.