[Editor's Note: This is the first of three posts unrelated in the sense of continuity, but correlated in the sense that these thoughts all passed through my mind while listening to the song which follows the words. I have no idea why they emerged as they did or if the song had
anything to do with them .... but, I still am thinking / wondering about them. I like to psychoanalyze myself, you see ....]
Point One ....
There is a cliché / joke about the "gun
lover" who discovers he has a holster, but does not have a gun to use it with
.... so, what does he do? Sell the holster? No .... he buys a gun which fits it.
Something similar happened to me a couple
of months ago. I did an ammunition inventory and discovered I have about seven
hundred rounds of .38 Special ammo which dates back nearly twenty years. The
problem is, I sold the last .38 Special revolver I owned, a Smith & Wesson Model
36, in 2009.
Yep, you guessed it. I did not sell the
ammo .... I bought a revolver in which I can fire the ammo. I ended up with a
Smith & Wesson K-38 Combat Masterpiece Model 15 revolver, the handgun used by most FBI agents and many police officers from some point in the 1950s until into the 1980s, when
semi-automatic pistols became the rage of the day.
The one and only occasion I had to fire a
Model 15 before was once upon a time when a friend of mine who was an FBI agent loaned me his to run through the FBI Practical Pistol Course with it. I still have the booklet which accompanied the classroom segment of the course, and used it to form the model when I set up my own pistol range during my "Sanctuary/Refuge" incarnation in Dakota.
To be honest, my shooting was pretty lousy that day, especially when compared to that of the "coppers" also going through the course .... but, I was sort of young, accustomed to semi-automatics and, as my son describes me now, I have hands and eyes "born to shoot Colt Model 1911 semi-automatics, not revolvers." Immmm .... but, I did shoot well enough that day to meet qualification standards for the purposes of my appearance.
To be honest, my shooting was pretty lousy that day, especially when compared to that of the "coppers" also going through the course .... but, I was sort of young, accustomed to semi-automatics and, as my son describes me now, I have hands and eyes "born to shoot Colt Model 1911 semi-automatics, not revolvers." Immmm .... but, I did shoot well enough that day to meet qualification standards for the purposes of my appearance.
The best part about this forty-one-year-old
piece (1975 for you non-mathematicians) is that it is like new and probably
never, ever even been fired. The next best part is that I bought it (won it) on an
internet auction site for about $100 less than Model 15 revolvers in much worse
cosmetic condition are selling for these days. Got lucky !!
Anyway, I love this "latest flame." The only problem
is that being like new, it is too pretty to shoot .... I guess I might have to
buy another which has been used a bit more ....
10 comments:
Nice new baby you got!
Well, "flame" correlated posts, I say. :-)
Greetings from London.
Yes, it is, Anita, and I am close to buying another Smith & Wesson .38 Special, but a bit smaller model, more of a "pocket gun," to keep this one company. When I wrote this one is like new and "too pretty" to shoot, I meant it. I will buy another which is in good condition, but actually looks used, for occasional carry and fun on the shooting range. Then, I will "cease and desist" purchase of guns/guns/guns for a while until I am refocused in other regards.
Thank you, Anita .... you are a gem ....
Well, what else would you expect from a "correlated guy," CiL?
Just dwelling on the song for a moment, it is beautiful -- the melody gives me shivers and the lyrics are beyond romantic.
Just to switch topics on you, I had a telephone call this evening from a media outlet conducting a political / election survey. In relation to this post, my response to a National Rifle Association question was "strongly favor" its positions. In response to several questions circling the presidential contest, the bottom line came out that although I consider both candidates unworthy of office, I would pick Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. It is pretty bad / sad when you would vote for a man for president who you absolutely would not shake hands with or ever sit down and have a drink with -- but, that is where I am right now.
Thank you, CiL .... glad, as always, to see you here ....
My take on the photograph is that it is autumn in your neck of the woods which means it's time for you to head off on a hunting trip. Possibly, looking for that fossil the article mentions? :-) The mind boggles.
Greetings from London.
Excellent interpretation, CiL !! Actually, I had meant to leave the "no point" post open for comments, but "accidentally" blocked them.
Autumn, yes .... and falling leaves by the hundreds of thousands mean more work .... uffff ....
A hunting trip, possibly .... but, for what prize is the question without an answer at the moment. Not the fossil, for sure. Such things are fascinating to me, intriguing, but I am more in the mood for things which glitter at this point in time.
The second presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump concluded a while ago. I think Trump dominated, although he did so in his usual, illiterate fashion. Trump was Genghis Khan; Clinton, a dowager queen, with her head in the clouds. The status quo remains the same.
Thank you, once again, CiL.
I saw snippets of the presidential debate (post-tape, of course) and to me Trump looked lost. Almost beaten. I think he'd rather be fighting another fellow instead of a woman. He reminds me of a couple of classmates I had back in high school. Equally bullish and inarticulate.
The status quo will remain the same for years to come. Over here we have one Jeremy Corbyn fighting the opposition. Bar an unpredictable implosion in the Tory Party, if Theresa May calls for a general election tomorrow, the Labour Party will be almost obliterated. I would (will) vote for Corbyn. but that would be out of habit. I like his policies but can he put them into practice if he does not win?
I think that if Hillary gets to office she will avoid a Bill 2.0 version, which will mean a more watered down and left-of-centre government. She will have learnt the lesson of the Sanders and the Trumps.
Times are changing. Into what? I have no idea but the future looks interesting and scary in equal measure.
Greetings from London.
The problem with life is that a person cannot live forever. And, for sure, I do not mean that in the context of "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll." I mean it in terms of life being so damn fascinating on a human scale that I hate the fact I will not be around to watch it transpire ad infinitum.
Even in the short term, though, through the next decade or two, I think the world will find itself spinning and engaged in a war (dare I say it ??) to end all wars. King George III will roll over in his grave and British bands everywhere will be playing the song, "The World Turned Upside Down." In Europe, things will be worse, for it will be among the primary battlegrounds, and civilian causalities will be among the primary deaths. I really think so ....
Switching to life around here in a lesser sense, Donald Trump finally has finished me off. I will not vote for him. But, neither will I vote for the "evil witch," Hillary Clinton. No presidential vote for me, this time around. I know your thoughts on religion, but in a light-hearted manner I will say that if there is a place after this life such as hell, surely Trump and Bill and Hillary Clinton will share the same room.
Barring some "bombshell" event between now and election day to shatter the Clinton candidacy, I think she will win and the only hope for conservatives such as myself is that the Senate and the House of Representatives will remain in Republican control.
Clinton does not really frighten me except in the sense there already is a Supreme Court vacancy and there likely will be a couple more during the next four years. Conservatism and constitutional rights could get blown right out of existence with progressive justices appointed by her who believe law needs to be interpreted, rather than enforced.
Add to that, as I have said before, with my background being what it is, her handling of Benghazi -- before, during and after -- has disqualified her from any governmental position of authority.
Thank you, CiL, for your return here and for your comment. By the way, I think many of James Joyce's short stories form the epitome of his literary life ....
Uma bonita arma Fram. Para colecionador essa é uma obra de arte. Bem conservado esse revolver.
Gostei da sua música.
Ando um pouco ausente da rede. Por isso ainda não havia aparecido aqui no teu blog.
Bom fim de semana!
For those who enjoy firearms, Smareis, Smith & Wesson revolvers are beautiful as well as practical in an utilitarian sense. And, in terms of design, they not only form visual art, but also functional art, which surpasses most artistic creations.
Uffff .... I sure am on a pedantic kick this evening, am I not ??
Yes, the band, Cheap Trick, had more than a few fine songs -- none really super, in my opinion, but many fine ones.
We all are gone from "this place" from time-to-time, Smareis, and as long as you are here now, that is what counts .... and, I am very glad you are here now and have left a comment for me. Thank you, and remember to send me your smile now and then when the winds drift north to me ....
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