monkeylizard

I'm thinking those tassle bits at the top of the crap pile pic would glue onto a leather jacket as some kick-ass shoulder pads . . .

If they don't have a personalized plate that says "HOMER" that's a missed opportunity.

But did you leave your phone number on a public forum ?

Breaking Bad was set in ABQ for a reason . . .

I found dark skies on the Natchez Trace Pky around 9:30 . . . . nothing. I checked the skies in Bellevue again at 4:30a . . . nothing but clear skies and stars. Maybe a very slight pink glow on the northern horizon, but probably just city light pollution. Glad I got to see what I did on Friday night. We may never see them again in Tennessee in most of our lifetimes.

Impossible to predict more than about 30 minutes out. In Bellevue (southwestern corner of Nashville) we had a decent show from 9:30 to about 10:00. Then it slowed down. I checked back at 10:30, 11:00, and 11:30 . . . nothing. I'll be trying again tonight in about 30 minutes from a better vantage point with more open space before hitting walls of trees and houses.

+1 to TFA and FPC. I've supported GOA in the past and would do so again. I'm also a life member of NRA but don't send them any money. If these new reformers on the board can get things cleaned up, we'll see. NRA's main purpose right now is to be the big elephant in the room taking the heat from the anti-gunners while more effective and nimble groups like FPC and GOA fly under the radar get the work done.

1. Decide what you want to hunt. This will dictate a lot of things from clothing needs (like blaze orange for deer, but not for turkeys), licenses to purchases, weapons to use (rifle vs. shotgun vs bow vs black powder rifle), seasons, bag limits, identifying a processor if needed, etc. It's also important to know what to do with the animal once you've bagged and tagged it. You're going to need to know how to at least field dress a deer if you're hunting deer, but that's not useful information if you're hunting ducks or turkeys. 2. Make a realistic assessment of your access to huntable land. Do you have friends or family with large tracts you can access? If the land is hours away, will you really make the trip often enough to be worth the effort? If no easy access to private land, do you have the money to join a hunting club or to lease land? Depending on size and location, a lease will run from about $1000 to $5000 annually. Very large tracts with a wide variety of ecosystems (deer, turkey, upland game bird fields, wetlands for ducks, etc.) may go for $15000+. If none of the above, that means TWRA public land. 2.b - Stands. This is a combination of 1 and 2. If you're going to be hunting from a stand, you can't leave them up on TWRA land. That means a climbing stand or carrying in a ladder and setting up a stand. Ask yourself if you're physically fit enough to use a climbing stand or to carry in and out the ladder you need. Private land is easier because you can usually leave tree stands in place there or perhaps even build an enclosed stand. If after working your brain through those 2 you still want to go for it: 3. Take the TWRA Hunter Safety Education course. If you're over the age limit (born on or after January 1, 1969) you don't have to have it, but it's very good information and a first-time hunter really should know the stuff in the course. 4. Read and understand the TWRA Hunting Guide, especially all licenses needed for what you want to hunt. 5. Buy your licenses and permits 6. Go do it. If you have the money then an easy way to get into hunting of some kind is to go to a hunting lodge. It's basically a hotel where you go out each day hunting. You bring your clothing, guns, and ammo, and they do the rest. Some specialize in larger game like deer, elk, boar. Others focus on birds. Prices will vary with the luxury-level of the lodge.

CarMax has fair prices and a broad inventory. You won't get a steal, but you likely won't get ripped off, either. I used Carvana once. The whole process was super easy and I went to pick it up at the vending machine on I-65 in Nashville. I'm very particular about my cars' appearance and this one was something like a 90% car in their grading. It would be about a 75% in my book. I drove it around the block, came back, and exercised my 30-day return. The guys working were a little surprised, but got the paperwork together and it was no hassle at all. Lesson learned was that IF I ever want to use Carvana again, I need a car with a 98% or better in their grading.

I had a similar great experience at Harper Jeep a few years ago on my Wrangler. I found it online in a search (AutoTempest), called and negotiated a price I liked. I drove over, gave them a check, and took it home. It was easy and no up-selling. I generally dislike dealerships, but whatever Harper's doing, it's the right way to operate.

I wish we still had the Nashville Community Education program, but it got its funding cut during the Covid lock downs and never resumed. They had neat classes like canning, cast iron primitive cooking, gardening, sewing, paper making, etc. in addition to various ethnic cooking classes, sports classes (like fencing ), music classes, computer skills, writing, painting, and more.

What kind of party is someone having where they'll be watching their guests sit on the toilet?

Seems a waste. In the highly unlikely event of a SD shooting, buy the second one then. If a person can afford to buy 2 now, they can buy 1 now and 1 later if needed.

One of the best and subtle Easter eggs in GB:Afterlife is Dana's piano. I've never found anything on the Interwebz mentioning it, but it's there. In Egon's house when the family first arrives there's a damaged upright piano against one wall. I think you can see it in another scene too. I went back to the original GB and sure enough, it's the exact same piano from Dana's apartment at the end of the movie when her place has been damaged from the dimensional portal.

I watched Ghostbusters: Afterlife again a few days ago and found a small hole in the writing. Ray is talking about how Egon leaving NYC and taking the gear left them high and dry. He's ranting and says something like "we even had to sell the firehouse. <pause> It's a Starbucks now." which is a pretty funny line. But they're back in the firehouse in the new GB: Frozen Empire and it's exactly how they left it, not a Starbucks.

"Afterlife" is "Ghostbusters: Afterlife", the one from 2021 with Egon's daughter and grandkids continuing the original Ghostbusters story line. It's a good return to the original arc as opposed to the lousy all-women reboot because Hollywood gotta have gurl-pwr . . . The new Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a direct sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

"One Life" with Anthony Hopkins was pretty good. Just wrapping up its theatrical run so it should be on streaming services any day now. "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is fun. Kind of like "Afterlife" but the cast feels a bit too crowded at times.

GI Joembies

LOL! I was counting the Browns but totally forgot the Raiders had moved. You're right about the Colts too. That lunchbox is from 1976 and the Colts left after the '83 season.

The Dukes will always live in Hazzard, but about that second part . . . .

Gang-banger parents won't likely be affected by this, not just because of selective prosecution. The facts of this case won't generally overlap. Gang bangers don't usually get their guns and ammo from momma.

Around mid-December, start asking when the employee Christmas party is.

About 1/2 those NFL team have different logos now and three aren't in those cities any longer.

I have a few I've never shot, but they were all used by their prior owners. Some are old milsurp warhorses that I either don't have ammo to feed to them, I haven't taken the time to learn how to operate them, or I simply haven't been to a long enough range often enough to get them into the mix. Those I really don't mind not shooting. Their value to me is in the stories they tell. I'm definitely a collector vs. a shooter with the WW2 stuff. I do have one modern rifle (7.62x39 AK) still NIB. I got a good price from a trusted member here so I grabbed it and put it away. I have another "better" AK I shoot. I guess the NIB one is squirreled away for EOTWAWKI or if AK prices go nuts then I can turn some cash. I have a few that have had very few rounds through them. I built an AR pistol with my TGO upper and lower from the group buy a few years ago because pistols were kind of the hot thing at the time. I'm not sure I put a full 30 round mag through it. I prefer the 16.5" or longer ARs so it sits and does nothing. Same with an AK pistol. I got a Mini Draco years ago and was planning to SBR it, but never took the NFA plunge. I know I didn't get a whole 30-rd mag through it. It's kind of fun to shoot, but I'm not accurate with it so it too stays tucked away for "maybe someday I'll do something with it". My Mosins (1891/30 and an M44 carbine) are kind of like them too. I know they've had a lot of rounds sent through them by Soviet troops, but not by me. They're a hoot for a few rounds down range and to watch the huge fireballs from the M44 but then that's enough. I keep them "just because".