So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[Edward]

Dirty Harry had a 6 shot revolver. I remember him asking that guy on the ground, if he fired 6 shots or 5 shots. You feeling lucky, punk?

No idea if the writers of said film had this in any way in mind, but in the Wild West it was common to load guns with only five bullets, and let the hammer sit on the empty chamber while in the holster, that way they sought to avoid any nasty accidents in the absence of a safety. I'm told the design of a 357 Magnum renders this concern an irrelevance despite the absence of a manual safety switch, but I do sometimes wonder if that put the idea into their heads to think about number of bullets - although of course Harry's point is about losing count of shots, not how many he had in the gun to begin with (impliedly a full six).

 

[Harp]

No idea if the writers of said film had this in any way in mind, but in the Wild West it was common to load guns with only five bullets, and let the hammer sit on the empty chamber while in the holster... but I do sometimes wonder if that put the idea into their heads to think about number of bullets - although of course Harry's point is about losing count of shots, not how many he had in the gun to begin with (impliedly a full six).

Harry carried a .44 Magnum, and might have kept an empty chamber.
Some who carry .357 load .38 with a .357 magnum in last chamber.
I carried both a .45 Colt and later a Python, preferred not to chamber a round .45 slide,
and kept an empty chamber for the revolver.
...tangent comment: with the M16 rifle preferred an eighteen round load
instead of a full twenty to reduce tension. Some armorers would load
two or three tracer rounds top magazine, always took out tracers
since enemy can detect flare locus.

 

[Trenchfriend]

It's not really a bad thing, just mentionable.

Unbelievable, how much house martins can poop, when their breed is hatched! Today, I finally covered the window board with good old alu foil and ballasted it with the water bowl. And what do you think, how much is now on the foil? Just from one day!

But I think, they will be fledge in the next days. I mean, September is coming fast!

 

[EngProf]

No idea if the writers of said film had this in any way in mind, but in the Wild West it was common to load guns with only five bullets, and let the hammer sit on the empty chamber while in the holster, that way they sought to avoid any nasty accidents in the absence of a safety. I'm told the design of a 357 Magnum renders this concern an irrelevance despite the absence of a manual safety switch, but I do sometimes wonder if that put the idea into their heads to think about number of bullets - although of course Harry's point is about losing count of shots, not how many he had in the gun to begin with (impliedly a full six).

The writer in question - John Milius - knew what he was doing in terms of firearms and firearms information. Among other credentials he was on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association when Charlton Heston was President of the NRA.
The "load only five" policy was applied to older-technology single-action 1873 Colts during the Wild West era. They could fire if dropped and if they hit just right (or wrong).
During WWII a Navy sailor was killed when he dropped a Smith and Wesson (S&W) revolver on a steel deck and it went off. Those revolvers had an internal hammer-block mechanism, but it turned out to be inadequate. S&W immediately re-designed the internal mechanism of their revolvers to prevent such occurrences. Any post-WWII S&W revolver (including Dirty Harry's Model 29 .44 Mag) is safe to carry with all six cylinders loaded. (Colt had added that technology since before WWI.)
Revolvers do not have external safeties.
However, in the modern litigious era, S&W has added a key-lock mechanism which allows a person to lock the action by external means (separate key).
I think the "number of shots" speech is just a dramatic buildup so Harry can ask the "punk" if he feels lucky. ("Well, do ya?")

 

[Fifty150]

With modern revolvers, the hammer is not in direct contact with the firing pin. An energy transfer bar slides up when the trigger is pulled. The hammer strikes the transfer bar, which transfers the energy to the firing pin. All six cylinders can be kept loaded. Even if the weapon is dropped, nothing is in contact with the firing pin to ignite the primer on the cartridge.

 

[Harp]

Its Friday. I should run my laundry over across the street, pick up tomorrow.
Or, I can wait and run the bag tomorrow before 10.00 and retrieve at 17.00 hrs, but this ties
down an obligation to be in the hood tomorrow afternoon for retrieval.

Being a lazy bachelor has benefits and drawbacks. I did dishes yesterday, more followed last nite
when I pan fried a steak. Now, I have laundry. And being a lazy ba***rd bachelor doesn't help
since I took the day off and do not care to move a muscle. Just screw off on the internet and read
some hoss trackz stuff. And mebbe get the bankroll together for tomorrow. Mebbe not, just cruise
the weekend.

 

[Harp]

^Decided to cruise the weekend. No track today-somehow caught in a philosophic discussion yesterday
with a gal pal who disapproves thoroughbred gambling, threw off my concentration.

All I need do today is fetch my laundry from across the street, wash some dishes.
I think the dishes can wait until tomorrow.

 

[Harp]

.

All I need do today is fetch my laundry from across the street, wash some dishes.
I think the dishes can wait until tomorrow.

Went across the street this morning around Eleven but since I had dropped off my bag after 0ne
yesterday, laundry wasn't ready and I was advised to return this evening at Five.

 

[LizzieMaine]

My cat and I are at loggerheads over her medication. She trolls me, and I troll her, and somehow it gets done.

https://www.rocklandstrand.com/news/old-new-normal-chapter-7-its-cat-video-time

 

[Harp]

My cat and I are at loggerheads over her medication. She trolls me, and I troll her, and somehow it gets done.

Fascinating feline Ms Carol.

So, you slipped her a mickey. Not bad. But will she wise up to this ploy? And now that the cat's out of the bag,
so to say, what if someone in the local community tips her off?

 

[Turnip]

@LizzieMaine I remember dark passing your community heading northward, must have been 1999 or 2000. Paying not real attention that time I’ll visit your theatre next time. Don’t worry, won’t pester anyone around, just leave a little, empty orange pill box, or kind of a turnip…

 

[tonyb]

My cat and I are at loggerheads over her medication. She trolls me, and I troll her, and somehow it gets done.

https://www.rocklandstrand.com/news/old-new-normal-chapter-7-its-cat-video-time

One of our mutts is on two prescription medications, the other is on five, plus a prescription diet. The “new” cat (we inherited an 11- or 12-year-old, as best the vet can figure, cat, and a few hundred more bucks in veterinary bills, so far) is not yet on any meds, which is one small consolation, seeing how challenging it was to get our last cat’s medications down her gullet.

I really didn’t want another cat. But what ya gonna do when the sickly shirt-tail relative you’ve been housing for several months takes a turn for the worse and winds up in a nursing home and his cat is left to — what? — the local animal lockup? The great out of doors? The world ain’t lining up to adopt 12-year-old cats. I sometimes threaten to fricassee the furry little a**hole (he loves us, often during the 0300 hour), but I accept that I’m now stuck with him.

 

[LizzieMaine]

@LizzieMaine I remember dark passing your community heading northward, must have been 1999 or 2000. Paying not real attention that time I’ll visit your theatre next time. Don’t worry, won’t pester anyone around, just leave a little, empty orange pill box, or kind of a turnip…

Glad to have you -- declare yourself, and get a tour and a free popcorn!

 

[Tiki Tom]

Glad to have you -- declare yourself, and get a tour and a free popcorn!

Lizzie is a generous and open soul. So far, my policy has been to keep my cyber world and my real world completely and hermetically sealed from each other. I like my real world without surprises.

 

[LizzieMaine]

We've had a few Loungers come and go thru our doors over the years. In show business anyone who comes thru the door to see your act is welcome. Just don't throw fruit, it upsets the janitor, and help is hard to find.

 

[tonyb]

Communicating pseudonymously, as most do around here, differs dramatically from “real world” exchanges. (Although the “real world” identities of several of us, myself included, are easy enough to uncover, seeing how in many cases those identities are hardly covered at all.)

But even for those among us whose identities are known, the distance afforded by this medium changes the very nature of the discourse. It’s a whole ’nother species, really.

You lose a “friend” online? BFD, right? That person isn’t a part of your “real” life anyway. You won’t be bumping into him at the supermarket, or you wouldn’t know it if you did. And he can’t reach through your iPhone screen and wrap his hands around your throat.

It is changing us, in ways we can see already. Online communications *are* the “real world” now, and we got a whole lot to learn about living in it.

 

[GHT]

Communicating pseudonymously, as most do around here, differs dramatically from “real world” exchanges. (Although the “real world” identities of several of us, myself included, are easy enough to uncover, seeing how in many cases those identities are hardly covered at all.)

But even for those among us whose identities are known, the distance afforded by this medium changes the very nature of the discourse. It’s a whole ’nother species, really.

You lose a “friend” online? BFD, right? That person isn’t a part of your “real” life anyway. You won’t be bumping into him at the supermarket, or you wouldn’t know it if you did. And he can’t reach through your iPhone screen and wrap his hands around your throat.

It is changing us, in ways we can see already. Online communications *are* the “real world” now, and we got a whole lot to learn about living in it.

You make a good point Tony, it's one that I have seen flagged up in a number of places. Do a quick random search and lurk a while on a forum that's, by & large, mainstream. See how quickly threads become toxic, that's because people, when they get online, it's a lot like alcohol, their inhibitions melt away. They feel more free to be themselves, and say things that they usually keep under wraps, because saying them in person is un-pc, or just not nice, but online...............

For some lonely people, forums have been away of engaging with others, but most don't know, or realise, that about 90% of communication is not the spoken word, or in the case of forums, written word. We communicate with body language, eye contact, voice tone, gestures, nuances, all of which are lost when you only have the written word. Is it any wonder that toxic spats occur? Some even goad others deliberately, for them it's good sport. Sad old world.

 

[tonyb]

… See how quickly threads become toxic, that's because people, when they get online, it's a lot like alcohol, their inhibitions melt away. They feel more free to be themselves, and say things that they usually keep under wraps, because saying them in person is un-pc, or just not nice, but online...............
…

And then there’s the problem with making casual, off-the-cuff comments that come back to bite.

I can’t imagine any thoughtful person not hesitating to put in writing the comments he or she would utter among friends. But then, we all have our moments.

I read of these people, such as that fellow who was and then wasn’t the new Jeopardy! host, who years ago made what turned out to be ill-advised comments that cost them jobs and reputations in the here and now. Such retribution often seems the product of a decidedly stingy spirit. I almost expect to see re-education camps. Public self-flagellation isn’t enough for these scolds, apparently.

 

[Fifty150]

In today's world, anything you post online is there forever.

Bartender Edit: It can be! Examples deleted for fire prevention reasons.

 

[ChrisB]

And then there’s the problem with making casual, off-the-cuff comments that come back to bite.

With only 377 posts in 11 years, I have done my best to avoid that situation. I always hesitate before hitting the “post reply” button.

It is better to remain silent and be thought perhaps a fool….