Sunday, August 31, 2014

During The Zombie Apocalypse Pick Your Allies Wisely

So the Zombie Apocalypse finally hits and you suddenly realize there is no way you and yours are going to survive it unless you hook up with some loyal allies. Whom to pick? Now, you may think I am about to answer that straight forward and seemingly simple question but no I am not. I will leave it to you to decide. I will give you a couple of choices though and you can start the process of vetting friends versus foes (not counting the zombies) now before its the end of the world as we know it.

I will say this:

If they look like the first gal below, I think there is a good bet they are safe as an ally. If you wife objects just tell her to look at it this way, she brought her own gun and ammo to the fight.  (Although where she hid the ammo is anyone's guess but caching ammo is a good trait - isn't it!)



On the other hand, if your potential ally looks like this, well you tell me (or at least tell yourself) - are you looking for an ally that's ready to kick ass and mow em down in droves or one who wants to hand out flowers and tell you that love is the way as a zombie is about to bite off your face.


Both very attractive and probably very capable women in their own ways but yet, I think the decision would be an easy one. What about you?

All the best,
Glenn B

The Zombie Apocaplyse - Maybe I Shouldn't Have To Ask...

 ...but it's getting close - isn't it? You can just sought of feel it creeping up all around you, can't you?


 
Just one reminder, don't forget strangers either.
 
All the best,
Glenn B
 

Saturday, August 30, 2014

He Needs To Start Funding The United States...

...in its efforts to combat Islamic extremists and terrorism. As I recall, the Saudis funded Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. Now the Saudi King is warning us - we and Europe for good measure - need to do more to fight terrorism, specifically in the form of ISIS. The only reason for the change of heart is that ISIS is threatening the kingdom of Syria and the Saudi rĂ©gime would likely be next in its sights if successful there. Until he starts giving free oil, at least to the U.S. military and until he starts openly throwing other funds our way - toward the defeat of terrorism - we should let him blow his rhetoric and his oil out of his arse.

See: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/30/saudi-king-warns-isis-terror-threat-to-europe-us/

All the best,
Glenn B

"Tactical Uniform Position" Armed Retail Security Guard???

I was browsing through some want ads, on a popular online job site, when I came across one looking for retired police & law enforcement to fill armed guard jobs. Among the regular qualifications (such as needing an armed guard license, training all up to date, drug testing, etc.) was this blurb (and I quote): "This is a "Tactical Uniform position" in a retail store".

Is it that militarized police departments are not enough? Are we now to expect going shopping at our favorite department stores only to find armed guards in service therein who are donned in tactical attire? Think about that picture for a moment.

Makes me wonder what a Tactical Uniform security guard would be equipped with in a retail setting. I am guessing, that since this is within NY State, such a guard could be armed with a handgun, maybe even a longarm, but certainly not with a baton, or OC Spray, or any other type of weapon because nothing under the laws regulating armed security guards in NYS allows for such. Hopefully they are not riding around inside the store in tactical security vehicles - whatever one of those would be.

I suppose it means they will be tacked out in really tacticool clothing though. Maybe they will be issued black wraparound sunglasses, black Kevlar helmets, black body armor (although that may not be legal for a guard in NY), a black body armor carrier with lots of Velcro, snaps and pockets, black BDU type shirt and trousers, black boots, black elbow, knee and shin pads, a black gasmask in black carrier and the like. The whole concept of a Tactical Uniform position in a retail store sounds so ridiculous, I decided not to apply. I mean, after reading that, I could only imagine the mental ineptness of the mall ninja meathead managers for whom I would be working or worse yet, the attitudes of the coworkers with whom I would be working knowing they had put in for a Tactical Uniform position in a retail store! What is this country coming to?

All the best,
Glenn B

Thursday, August 28, 2014

A Firearms Tragedy That Should Have Been Avoided - Learn From It

The parent's of the 9 year old girl, who brought her to a firearms range in AZ and allowed her to fire an Uzi did nothing wrong as I see it. The girl firing the gun did nothing wrong from what I understand. Yet sadly, the firearms instructor teaching her to shoot was killed when the gun was fired full auto by the little girl and the recoil caused her to lose her hold with her left hand and thus lose control of the muzzle. The gun came up, back and to the left apparently around more to the left than back or up, while still firing, and a shot hit the instructor in the head killing him. (source)

I realize the family is grieving, everyone involved is grieving and probably in shock too but the time to say this is now in the hope that it may help prevent another such tragedy. When you teach young children to shoot, especially something like a full auto gun, you as the instructor are absolutely responsible for assuring that it is done in a safe manner. That means keeping hands on the weapon to control it while the child is firing it until you are sure, absolutely sure, that the child knows how to handle it and is actually capable of handling it and knows what to do should control of the weapon be lost. That lesson should have been learned by the instructor when he was taught to become a firearms instructor and should have been common practice by him when teaching both adult and minor shooters. 

The video, seemingly of the actual moments before the actual tragic shot, surprisingly shows the girl firing the gun up to just before the moment that the bullet hit the instructor and I do mean just before as in a split second. It is evident, in the video, that the instructor was not hands on the Uzi she was firing, he seems to have had one hand supporting her elbow as she fired it probably because he thought she could not properly support the weapon on her own, his other hand is on or close to her back. There is a bench in front of her on which she could have and probably should have supported the weapon freeing his hand to be on the weapon, not on her elbow. The gun came right around at him with no resistance from him once the girl lost control of it. As firearm instructors (certified or not), especially of small children, we must never forget that we are responsible that things are being done safely. You cannot treat a nine (9) year old shooter like an adult nor expect them to be able to responsibly handle a firearm like an adult. You need to be hands on and that does not mean both hands on the shooter, it means at least one hand on the gun.



Note that this accident is not a reason that young children should not be taught how to shoot, or to prevent them from shooting guns like Uzis, but it sure is more than enough reason to make sure that doing so is accomplished safely with special regard to the fact that the shooter is a young child (and in this case to the fact that the gun was full auto) and thus additional precautions must be taken by the instructor.

Nothing much more to say except that my sincere condolences go out to the family, loved ones and friends of the instructor who was apparently doing what he loved and helping to continue the tradition of our liberty to exercise the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in America by bringing youngsters into the fold. I also hope that the girl will be able to overcome the mental anguish she must surely be suffering, truly - she did no wrong. To the rest of you, please shoot and instruct safely.

All the best,
Glenn B

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Drove About 175 Miles Today...

...to go check on some firearms accessories that I have out of state (no I did not put accessories in italics to hint I really mean guns, I really mean a sort of accessory for guns). I wanted to make sure the items were not rusted and still secure. Also wanted to make sure to put new silica desiccant packs in with them to keep them rust free.

Driving on the first leg of my trip and suddenly I realized that I had forgotten my MapQuest directions. Luckily, my son put his GPS in my car when we went to the NE Bloggershoot last month, so I made do with that annoying POS instead of turning around to get the directions. It got me there without any wrong turns so I cannot berate it too badly but must say it is annoying with all the stupid directions that are not needed and with its all too often spoken mantra of "recalculating". Once there, I went into the storage area, found that my items were indeed secure and just as I had left them and were all rust free. That is a good thing because while they are indoors, they are not in an air conditioned (or heated) room and it was pretty hot and humid in there today and I suppose it was pretty cold in there over the winter.

Anyway, good for me, I did not have to clean them with Gunzilla or Breakfree CLP and a wire brush.The big ammo can that all of the accessories are in is not exactly airtight, or at least I think so because some of the hold downs do not close tightly on the lid. Yet is was dry as a bone inside of it and the indicator for the desiccant pack in there still had a faint amount of blue on it. That meant it was not saturated (as far as its drying abilities go) and still has some life in it before it needs to be rejuvenated in an oven. That was a very good thing because not only did I forget he directions to get there but I also forgot the fresh desiccant packs. Drove to Walmart to see if they had any desiccant but no luck there. I am not too concerned about it, everything was in such good shape today after about 7-8 months of being there that another month or two before I go back is not about to change anything very much. Next time I go, I will make sure not to forget anything and it will be within a month or two - or so I promise myself now.

Leave it to me to drive all that way there and then realize I forgot one of the most important things and then have to drive another 175 miles all the way back home, knowing for that part of the drive that I had accomplished almost nothing. What can I say, I was kind of, sort of, in a hurry since once the I should go today bug bit me, I figured if I did not hurry up and get on the road I would just put it off as I have been doing for the last couple to few months. I had figured I should drive up there at least every six months to see if the things I have stored there need any maintenance and care, especially for rust prevention, and was just happy I finally made the drive and everything was in good shape.

If I keep this behavior up, I may become hyper-active - who can say. At least I am getting out of my recent rut of sitting at the laptop for way too long doing just about nothing except looking for a job. So far this week, I started a new job and made this trip. Tomorrow, I am going to see if I can talk my uncle into a few hours of fishing. I have a doctors appointment later in the afternoon but that leaves the morning and early afternoon. With any luck, we may be eating grilled bluefish for dinner tomorrow.

All the best,
Glenn B

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Obama Had Better Hurry Up And Apologize Again...


...otherwise these kids (whoever they are) may grow up to hate us and blame us for everything. Or worse they may simply not respect us and try to wipe us off the face of the earth. Oh wait a minute, is that what they are being trained for right now do you think and do you also think they don't give a damn about Obama or his apologies, hate us regardless, and want to kill us no matter what?


Well then, maybe Obama had best grow a set and terminate the problem with prejudice right now while we still have the upper hand. Of course, if he doesn't (and I doubt he will), we could always elect a president who will address the situation without delay and who, with some true determination geared at us surviving and maybe even at allowing the United States of America to remain a free nation, will go right at it with all of the force necessary to defeat it.

Hat tip to MG for sending me the video.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sunday, August 24, 2014

I Am About To Be Back In The Workforce...

...as a somewhat productive member of society as I will be starting a new job tomorrow. No heavy lifting, it's going to be an on call security job to fill in for other folks who don't make it to work for whatever reason. 

A few minutes ago, I thought I ought to take a photo of myself right now, as I look before I trim the mustache and beard. They are on the unruly side right now but not too bad. Still, I figure it is important to make a good first impression on my first day at work - thus a trim is in order. Then, after I trim them up a bit, I can take an after photo to mark the difference. (I would say improvement but what's the use in BS'ing anyone.)

So, I sat down and turned on the laptop's camera and clicked away. After taking the photos, I realized that I may not be looking as ready for a new job as I had thought. I may need a major overhaul and not just a trim of the facial hair. Here, take a look for yourselves and bear in mind that the photograph is exactly the way it came out on my laptop's camera - no editing, no retouching, nothing - that is the raw shot.

The hue in the photo, with the color of the walls and ceiling
brings to mind words from an old Jimi Hendrix song - Purple Haze:
"...lately things don't seem the same".

Listen to Hendrix sing it here: http://youtu.be/39DENARnUtM.

Every photo came out just about the same. I am sitting amid a purple haze in an orangeish t-shirt and have a greenish complexion. My beard and mustache look blurred, the left side of my face appears sunken in and there are black and white dots on my face (blacks dots throughout the photo too). Note too that the ceiling in my basement is actually white, the walls a light to medium yellow, my t-shirt is light gray, there are no dots like that on me and my skin tone definitely is not green.

I don't get it, I have not changed any settings on the camera. This is the first time pictures ever came out like this for me. I am not going to mess with it, hopefully it will sort itself out next time I reboot the computer from a cold start but if not I'll contact HP. Now, if this was back in the mid sixties to mid seventies, I could have made it big with psychedelic photos like that. Right now though, I am wondering if it is some sort of an omen related to the new job. Hopefully, I won't look like that, in anyone's eyes, when I get to work tomorrow and I have even higher hopes that I will not feel the way I look in that photo by the end of the first day on my new job.

All the best,
Glenn B

Thursday, August 21, 2014

I've Got Nothing - But Oh Man Does Ivy Mike Café Have Something

I was over at Wirecutter's site about an hour or so ago and read a bit of a piece he had posted from another blog. That piece came from the blog Ivy Mike CafĂ© and of course Kenny gave a link to it so his readers could go to the other site and read all of it. I did just that, clicked on the link and I wound up at the Ivy Mike CafĂ© site, in this post: #Ferguson – when assholes collide.

Go there, take a look. No, do more than that - really take the time to read it - the whole post. Do yourself that favor because it is that good. Now mind you, you may not understand every word. I surely did not but I am not ashamed to say that tonight I increased my vocabulary by doing what I am about to suggest. When you do not understand some of the words, do yourself another favor and go to a site like www.dictionary.com before you read any further so you can look them up immediately. (If you read it and understand all the words without looking some up, you either have a PhD in English or you are a liar to say you understood them all.)

If you think that we need to change America, to save it, and think at all like me along those lines instead of like a progressive twit, you will probably finish that piece and think the person who wrote it is dead on balls accurate. I certainly do. I cannot remember reading a better commentary on the issues the author discusses, in fact on almost every issue facing our nation, than that one.

If the link above fails, try going to this address:

 http://www.ivymikecafe.com/2014/08/21/ferguson-when-assholes-collide-2/

Lest I forget to mention, there is a new blog linked to on my blog roll.

Thanks Kenny, had you not posted it, it would have been my loss.

All the best,
Glenn B

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Just When I Am Ready To Start Enjoying Myself...

...I get notified that a job I put in for - and for which I have been: going through a background check, submitted to a drug test, filled out and submitted several documents - finally wants me to start working this Friday. Actually, it is an on call job and they want me at work on Friday and Monday to cover for someone else; I guess my training will be on the job. Disappointingly they gave me no advance notice, prior to an email today, as to when I would be starting. I simply cannot work this Friday due to prior commitments and hope they understand and will accept that. I guess I will find out tomorrow if that will fly. I can work Monday though. I hope that works for them because the sooner the better after this Friday.

A paycheck is sorely needed, even from a part time, floater, kind of a position for which the pay is good but not great. It is certainly good enough for me though! Apparently I will be filling in for people who take vacation or call in sick or have to miss a day for whatever. I imagine they cannot expect me to always be available but since it is just going to be weekdays, I will probably be there when needed (except for this Friday as noted). There is, as I understand, no holiday work either and that is fine by me. The only real drawback is that if someone calls in sick, they will be calling me at about 0600 to tell me they need me. Me and 0600 do not see eye to eye right now but I suppose that will only require a somewhat minor adjustment in my sleep habits.

It will be nice having some spending cash flowing in that will let me catch up on my credit card bills and after that will give me enough cash to pay for heating oil this winter. With luck, I will have some left over for ammo and a hunting trip. Hopefully the job, my coworkers, my bosses and I will all mesh well together. Looking forward to it.

All the best,
Glenn B

The NY State Hunting Seasons Are Almost Upon Us

This coming license season is from September 1, 2014 through August 31, 2015 as opposed to years past in which the license year ran from October 1 through September 30th. That is an improvement because to hunt gray squirrels, for which the season still begins on Sept. 1st, one does not need last year's license. Other parts of the new license rules here in NY seem totally screwed up to me and why they changed the purchase system as well as deleted the Sportsman's License (hunting and fishing combined) and Super Sportsman is beyond me. The fishing license has to be printed immediately after purchase and now is a piece of computer paper from my home printer with less than waterproof ink; this state is screwed up or should I say the bureaucrats in NY are such.
 
Anyway, the seasons will start soon. Squirrel season, as I said on September 1st, many other small game seasons in October and regular deer and bear in November. With all that in mind, and since I have not gone upstate for even a single day trip so far this summer, I am long overdue for a scouting trip. Once again, Brendan and I will probably hunt NY State public land; although, he can also hunt private land owned by his girlfriend's parents. Lucky him. Unlucky for him was that he did not get a deer management permit (doe permit) for the area where their property lies. We did get three others between us, two of them closer to home than usual. I will be heading out tomorrow to scout out at least one of those areas and maybe to at least find the other one. I am already somewhat familiar with the one I will scout and the other is totally new to me so I may just do a drive by for now to see where it is and how easy it is to find.
 
I've got my day pack stuffed with gear I usually carry when hiking - not that I usually go hiking but when I do I want to be prepared. I figure I could live off of what is in it for at least a few days if something happens to me and I get stuck in the woods. Chances are though that would not be for long where in NY I plan to scout as someone would likely find me within a day or two at most. Anyway, I am happy to be going to get out and do something I will truly enjoy. Have been in a bit of a funk lately and need the change in pace.
 
If I am lucky, I may get a chance to op a shot at a few red squirrels, chipmunks and or woodchucks. The woodchuck would wind up as table fare, so too might the red squirrels depending on whether or not they look big enough to bother with and as for any chipmunks, they will make good snake food for my ball python. It would be great getting an 8-10 pound woodchuck for the smoker or BBQ. Hunting small game aside, it sure would be nice if I get to see some deer sign. Last time we were at this particular place, we saw some deer but did not get a shot. We sure got eaten alive by ticks though; as I recall, it was soon after that when I came down with my second bout of Lyme Disease. So, I am bringing some 99% deet with me tomorrow and will anoint myself thoroughly with it.
 
I may also get in some frogging if the pond on that tract of land looks to have any bullfrogs. Yummy, frogs legs are delicious but you need some big frogs to make it worthwhile. If I also happen to see a snapping turtle in the shallows and can get off a safe shot, I may try bagging one of them too - snapping turtle soup is to die for and I have not had any in years.
 
If all goes well tomorrow, I may do this at least once or twice per week right up through firearms deer season in November - that is taking scouting trips. The hiking I would do can only help lower my blood pressure while getting me in shape for hunting season. Who knows, I may lose a few pounds while at it. It's bout a couple of hours drive each way but I might be able to stand that a couple of times each way every week. Time will tell if I do it or not, so too will the results of my first scouting trip of the year. There are a few places closer to home but that mean closer to NYC. They probably would tend to be crowded with more hunters and hikers and horseback riders and bicyclists and whomever else, even during hunting season, than my first choice that is a bit further. If I get lucky though, I may find something suitable closer than a 2 hour drive. If not and if the first choice also stinks, I have a 3 1/2 hour drive to up near where my uncle owned his farm. At least I know the lay of the state forest there, the problem with that is that I have never gotten a deer there except on the farm when he owned it. Not once in many years have I connected on the state land. Plenty of time between now and hunting season though for me to find a place to hunt.

Edited to add: Well so much for tomorrow, my uncle - the one who owned the farm - is arriving from Florida tomorrow. Nice of him to remind my muddled middle age little gray cells at the last minute but better then than never. Maybe Ill go upstate wih him over the weekend.
 
All the best,
Glenn B



 

Money From Heaven In Atlantic City - Just My Luck

There I was driving down the road in Atlantic City, kind of lost on a side street, hoping for divine intervention to get me going in the right direction, when all of a sudden there was this huge armored car that swerved around the corner in front of me and cut me off. Then as if out of nowhere there was something coming at my windshield. Since I had slammed on my brakes to avoid hitting the armored car, I was positioned just right - just my luck. It was a big grayish blob as best I could tell and crash it hit the windshield and smashed it to smithereens, then bounced onto the hood and dented it badly, rolled off and wound up going under my still moving but slower car and bumpity-bump-bump-bump got caught in the undercarriage causing me to lose control. I crashed into a fire hydrant at about 7mph. Lucky 7, maybe for some but not sure if it was for me. Even at only 7mph the crash caused an awful lot of damage to my car. I keep calling it my car only because I was driving, in truth I had borrowed it for the trip to AC and neither the owner or I have insurance for such a catastrophic event, just my luck - really it was.

Well, when I finally got out and checked on everything, I could see it was going to be expensive and bemoaned that I would be paying it off for about 10 years when I took a second glance at what was under the car that had hit the windshield and caused this mess. It was a money bag and it was full of money. Just my luck though, only twenties, tens and fives - not a single hundred in sight. I pulled it out, put it into my gym bag and threw it into the trunk. Somehow not one person saw me do it, my luck seemed to have changed.

Got a tow and took my gym bag out of the car leaving the wreck at a local shop. Went to my hotel and once there I counted the loot which had been in the bag, a casino money bag. They won't miss it, I suppose. It amounted to $21,000.00 a mere pittance for a casino. Just my luck again though, a money bag from the heavens (or an armored car) falls onto the car I am driving and it only has 21K in it instead of millions. What the heck, I went right down to the casino in my hotel and lost 5K quick - yeah of the money from the bag. Then figured I had best hold onto the rest for at least tonight if not tomorrow since this was supposed to be an overnighter. Counted it again and confirmed only 15K remaining.

The guys from the body shop just called, the estimate for the body work on my pal's car is $14, 998! Shit that leaves me with $2.00 after what I lost in the casino and now I can't even find my own wallet or my own cash - must have lost that in the wreck. Just my luck. Wait a minute, let me pause here, someone is knocking on my hotel room door. OK, I am back, they are letting me sign off. It's the police, they want to talk to me, they got me on a Department of Homeland Security video camera as the money  bag smashed into the windshield and wanted to know if I know the whereabouts of it. Just my luck, they are saying something about an extended stay for me in AC....

In truth, I imagine someone found the money bag with the missing 21K and is all that much happier for it but it wasn't me. Of course, had I found it, I would have turned it in and settled for the reward. See: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/20/21g-falls-off-truck-after-pickup-from-revel-casino/?intcmp=latestnews

All the best,
GB

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Remington Lays Off 105 At America's Oldest Gun Plant

The head of the union for workers at Remington's plant, in Ilion, NY, has announced that 105 Remington employees at that facility have been laid off. 3Remington began business in Ilion in 1816 and is the oldest firearms manufacturer not only in New York State but in the whole of the United States. Shame on the tyrant Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his pass laws by night henchmen because they are responsible, by passage of the NY SAFE Act, for Remington moving two production lines, so far, to Alabama. Thus they are responsible for the current layoffs. Source: http://www.wktv.com/news/local/At-least-105-people-laid-off-at-Remington-Arms-271719531.html

I swear, I feel like I am living under a communist regime and that the bureaucrats and politicians here are becoming just as tyrannical as anyone ever seen in power in Eastern Europe. FUAC.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sure Has Been Lots of Looting but...



A hat tip and my thanks to a contributor whom I have decided to keep anonymous, lest he be labeled or harassed as anything other than someone passing on a joke. I thought that was hilarious, priceless, and very telling about social issues. Sometimes, even during tragic ones, we need to see what humor we can see. So, my hat is also doffed to whoever created it.

All the best,
GB

Monday, August 18, 2014

I Was Going To Say It Must Have Been One Ugly Tattoo...

...but then I read that the police believe these guys carved up and burned part of a guy's arm, to remove his tattoo because they thought he had shown disrespect for a band. They reportedly belonged to a fan based group for the band and thought the guy did not deserve the tattoo because of his presumed disrespect. Hard core fans I suppose. 

My bet would be the tattoo was gang related. That brings me right back to my original thought, it must have been one ugly tattoo and if it wasn't, it sure must be ugly now. The guy wound up losing his arm below the elbow but the article did not say if his buddies cut it off or if it had to be removed medically because of them allegedly having carved it and burned it. 

See: http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/police-men-tried-to-remove-housemates-arm-tattoo 

What the hell is wrong with people!

All the best,
Glenn B

Ebola and Bullshitting Bureaucrats

I just do not understand why many politicians, bureaucrats and other government employees feel compelled to spew balderdash just about every time they open their mouths as if they have to protect the citizenry from the truth or as if they believe we are too stupid to understand the truth. Take for instance the case of the latest person, in the United States, who is undergoing testing for the Ebola virus. The bureaucrats (including the doctors involved) are playing it down. They are saying she has symptoms that are consistent with Ebola's early signs but it is improbable that she has it because , they are saying, she had no known contact with Ebola and they are only testing her out of an abundance of caution

One has to wonder why they tell us bullshit like that because they certainly are full of it. While they are testing her, it is not due to an abundance of caution. Yes, of course they are being cautious but not overly so! For them not to test her for it would be absolutely negligent on their part. Testing her is the logical thing to do to rule out Ebola and to find out what she has if not Ebola. It is also the logical thing to do to see if she actually has it and that it is logical to do it is based upon the facts surrounding her illness and her recent personal history. 

She lived and worked in Sierra Leone. She was a teacher there. Sierra Leone is in Africa, western Africa. It just happens to be one of the three major countries involved in the current outbreak of Ebola. She was obviously in contact with others who lived there, she was not a recluse. Does it matter that she had no known contact with it to make one be cautious and check her for it - maybe yes but only if there was not another reason to check her. There is another reason, she is ill and she has early stage Ebola symptoms.

The woman in question reportedly traveled back to the U.S. from Sierra Leone on August 4 and then, on August 15th, she started to show symptoms which are the same as those for the initial signs of someone with Ebola. Ebola has an incubation period of from two days to three weeks. Her symptoms, the timing of them, the fact that she lived and worked in an Ebola stricken nation all are evidence that indicate that caution is NECESSARY based upon those FACTS. There is no abundance of caution here - there is a logical and prudent application of caution and I she actually has it, it may prove not to have been enough caution. Yet, U.S. officials try to make it sound as if it is almost impossible that she has it and that they are going overboard to protect us all by testing her. Why is that. 

Whether she has it or not is no reason for these officials to spew caca de toro (that's my kind of Spanish for BS). We should be treated as adults and instances that could possibly wind up effecting us all should be reported to us truthfully and transparently and not with balderdash wrapped all around them. It's BS like that which continues to promote an overall distrust of not only the government but the medical profession. They of course, know best - or so they think of themselves. It is that attitude that can hurt us and hurt us badly.

If for instance, this woman has Ebola, then everyone with whom she came in contact since shortly after her arrival here is the U.S. may be at potential risk. As time goes on, so too will everybody who came in contact with those other folks and on and on. I am not trying to stir fear and panic, I am stating a fact that people should be aware of  because Ebola is a deadly disease that is not difficult to transmit from one infected person to another. Why make folks aware without veiling things? Because if anyone else she came in contact with also gets the same symptoms, they should be seeing their doctors without haste.

Hopefully she will not have it but what if she has it and people believed it when they heard how improbable it is that she does have it. I, for one, would rather hear some other cautionary words coming from these government stooges and doctors as to what precautions to take if you were in contact with her than that they are using an abundance of caution in testing her. You can bet every health care official who has treated her, since they decided to use their so called abundance of caution in testing her for Ebola, has worn full body protection including a full face mask - maybe even a gas mask and full bio suit to protect from what the are calling an improbable case of it. You can also bet that they would call any medical professional, who treated her while not so protected, negligent and foolish as opposed to someone who just did not use an abundance of caution.

Read the source article for more info.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Ebola - This Is How A Zombie Apocalypse Would Begin...

...if one actually could ever take place. There would be an outbreak of the disease or whatever causes people to become zombies. Then, assholes (in the form of people) would panic and spread it by way of their panic and stupidity. It is already happening but not with zombies and it may be worse than had it really been zombies.

The Ebola virus seems on the verge to of spreading its distribution much wider because a rampaging bunch ignoramuses (there are no better words to describe them except maybe the words fucking assholes) pillaged a local hospital's Ebola ward and ran off with many items infected with the Ebola virus or at least with items that were contaminated with the bodily fluids of Ebola patients (and that likely means with the virus too). Some of the items stolen included medical equipment, bloodied sheets and bloodied and vomited on mattresses. In addition, when the assholes ransacked the hospital, many of the Ebola ridden patients fled in fear of their lives (who could blame them with an overwhelming number of superstitious idiots rampaging through the halls of medicine). So now, not only is there a lot of contaminated material from the hospital out in the streets of the biggest slum in Monrovia, Liberia but there are also a number of infected patients out there too who probably are too scared to want to be found.

Read this: http://news.msn.com/world/liberia-ebola-fears-rise-as-clinic-is-looted

Now just imagine that Ebola not only made you sick but turned you into a violent, crazed, maniacal, mad dog kind of a person who would attack others without provocation and maybe even bite them. Sounds a lot like a zombie - doesn't it. Even if one of these patients didn't bite you, if they were to come into contact with you and get any of their bodily fluids on you - you would be in trouble - BIG TROUBLE - because Ebola is spread through bodily fluids of infected persons, such as their blood, saliva, vomit, feces and sweat.

Don't think that this could effect us here in the USA? Well think again. While authorities are claiming that the people who raided the Ebola ward were residents of a local slum, what if some of them were terrorists or if the whole thing was a terrorist plot. The terrorists drum up the locals into a frenzy, get he locals to go on a rampage in the medical facility and throw in a few of their terrorists buddies to accompany the locals. The idiotic local officials pretty much write it off as a local incident that maybe could spread Ebola but it could be much worse. It could be that in fact the terrorists now have sheets, mattresses and medical equipment that are all contaminated with Ebola. What do you think they might want to do with that if they have it?

I seem to recall an incident in Benghazi in which OUR government officials, officials of the all knowing US of A, such as Rice, Clinton and Obama tried to play it down saying the attacks in Benghazi 
were unplanned attacks provoked by a film made in our country. Truth be told, it came out that indeed it had been a preplanned plot by terrorists and had nothing to do with the film. Do you think they, they being the politicians, might do the same in Liberia - that is give us a line of bullshit about what happened? I think it likely - maybe if not out of deliberate will to deceive for political gain then out of sheer ignorance or maybe just out of a wish not to create a world panic.

Of course, even if terrorists were not at all involved; consider for a minute that a person who stole infected materials becomes infected and then comes in contact with a family member or friend. The family member picks up the Ebola virus (which takes a couple to few weeks to show symptoms) and that family member just happens to be about to visit the USA on a trip (business, vacation or heroin smuggling - you choose). He comes in contact with hundreds during his trip at: the airport in Liberia, on the plane, in Immigration and in Customs in the USA, in the airport baggage area in the USA, on his trip from the airport to wherever. All the potentially newly infected people, that this traveler could have infected, would not show symptoms for a couple to a few weeks but yet be contagious before showing symptoms. How many people would they unknowingly infect.

Yep, this could be just how a zombie apocalypse might start; then again, maybe it has started. Maybe this is it but I sure as hell hope not. I would rather face man eating and very hungry zombies whom I knew were dangerous than come in contact with any person I passed on the street, dealt with in a store, got food from in a restaurant or medical care from in a hospital, et al, who could unknowingly have Ebola.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Dogs At The BBQ

Last night, for most of the night, we had about 12-15 people at any given time early on and then later on at least 8 of us hangers on. We also had 7 dogs in the backyard for most of the party. Two were extracted by about 3/4 of the way through the night shortly after one of my daughter's and son-in-law's Chihuahuas puked all over my son-in-law and on the fairly expensive animal hide that was draped over the patio sofa.

My son was pissed - not pissed on mind you - just pissed off. It is his rug/skin and was fairly expensive. Luckily for him (and maybe for the dog) it puked on the skin side so should be easier to clean. As for my son-in-law's shirt, it did not fare that well and wound up in the trash. I guess that is what you do when you are an exec at a large department store since you can get your shirts at super discounts. I would have washed it had it been mine. Maybe I will anyway if I feel like dumpster diving in my own trash can. The other 5 dogs, our 5, remained.

Good for us and for our dogs, none of them got sick. I think the one that puked did so because it had been eating pieces of ribs that one (or more) of the folks at the BBQ was feeding to all of them and those ribs had a spicy rub. I tried to discourage that, but was guilty myself a little. I only give them the cartilage from inside so it has no or almost no spice on it but was guilty nonetheless. I guess Chloe probably got a spicy outside part though. Have to say though, she was not a happy camper earlier in the day when she arrived at our place with my daughter; maybe she was already coming down with something. Anyway, she puked a little inside and that was a warning but it was clear and not made up of food. Then when she upchucked outside on the skin and shirt - it was brown as molasses and about as foul smelling.

Oh well, such is life. At least the dogs are not hungover as far as I know. I sometimes let them have a little beer if they want it, never anything stronger and they seem to like it - sometimes. I guess it depends on the type of beer. As it was last night, I did not see them getting any from anyone - bunch of greedy drunks we were.

Mostly, the dogs hung out with us the length of the party. Mimi, our medium sized mutt went inside shortly after the other two left but Pepe (le Pew), Lucy and Abby our three Chihuahuas stayed outside as did Roxie our fairly big mutt. They seemed to be having a good time and it suddenly got better at about 1130 or so when my son showed up with a small tray full of bacon. Yummy, they liked that and we were lucky again they did not get sick because it had some sort of spice all over it. It was also nice and salty and thus began another round of drinks for we greedy drunks. Actually though, I had stopped drinking long before that myself and was not even fairly lit by then. Go figure.

I think that all in all, except for Chloe who got sick, the dogs had as good a time as the drunkspeople. Maybe next time I should let them have a few so they can feel the full effect ;>).

All the best,
Glenn B




 

The Wife Sleepeth Still

..but not beside still waters. Although, I think that her sleeping in late today is due to the amount of firewater she drank last night. Not really firewater, it was that crushed grapes stuff - wine not whiskey. I suppose though that she had enough to get anyone looped and she apparently was pretty well lit last night.

At least when she wakes up, she will not have to do anything to clean up the party mess. I took care of all of that as the night and the party rolled along. Hopefully her hangover will not be too bad. While I'd like to say, hopefully she will not have a hangover, I know better after how much she drank last night. Based on my few past experiences when I have seen her get snockered, she will have a big one but not as bad as her last one last year. Oh well, life will go on!

And yes, the BBQ party was excellent. That is especially so because I am not hungover and because I have a lot of ribs and dogs for leftovers and no remaining guests sleeping in the bushes in my yard.

All the best,
Glenn B

Saturday, August 16, 2014

The BBQ Beer Run

As thought, I wound up going for some beer and picked up a 36 can case of Budwiper (not lite), a 6 pack of McKenzie's Green Apple Hard Cider (for me and my son), a 12 pack of Mango-Rita (a fairly good Bud product if you like mixed drinks), a 25 pound bag of ice, an eight pound bag of ice for reserves and two McKenzie's Cider pint sized glasses (though they look a bit shy, maybe 14 oz.). Along with the case and a three quarters of ales I have on hand (which is a 6 pack more than I had thought earlier) , the bottle of fruity alcoholic beverage from St. marten, a bottle of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey (that I sort of stumbled across in my memory when I recalled my son has one hidden in the garage), and about 3/4 of a two litter bottle of vodka and whatever anyone else may bring - one has to have hope - we should be set for a nice friendly and neighborly party. The grill has been cleaned by yours truly and I think my duties for the day, short of grilling some dogs and toasting some buns, have been completed. It's time to go put away my side-arm and just wait for the partiers to show up - just maybe while sipping one or two of those McKenzie's Green Apple Hard Ciders. Are what timing, the dogs are barking at the side gate, apparently someone arriveth or maybe noteth but its time to hiteth the cooler!

All the best,
Glenn B

The Big BBQ Blast

It's a madhouse and that would be our house as we prepare for the big BBQ of the year. We are sure not big partyers, don't hold many big dinners or BBQs but today we are having about 15 folks (including us) for a BBQ. Thank the heavens that number includes us. We have a smallish house with a postage stamp sized backyard, and a small patio on the side of the hosue, so it is already tight with just a few more people than us. With 15 it is going to be very close around the patio table and two folding tables. Of course, we will make it through okay.

The highlight of the day should be that my son is smoking some ribs and all I have to cook are the hot dogs (and if I am being nice I will toast the buns too). Then, there is the beer, of which I only have a case and a half but since all or almost all the women will be drinking wine, I may be good there - especially if I stick to vodka. You know me and thus already knew, without me saying, that I will be going to the liquor store and the beer distributor for more regardless. There is also the bottle of some kind of weird fruity liquor that my son-in-law and daughter brought back from their vacation down in St. Marten but maybe I will save that until later, until my son-in-law gets here from work.

Right now though, I am pretty much taking it easy. Cleaned up the armory man-cave over the past few days and must admit it looks a lot better than it did before. It's not Felix Unger clean, not by a long shot, but at least now there is not any stink of lizard or tortoise crap from inside any of the critter tanks (not that I allow it to build up, I remove it regularly, but I usually only thoroughly clean each tank weekly and it can stink by cleaning time), no dust bunnies the size of cantaloupes (is that how you spell it!) under the futon, no 1/8" thick coat of dust on my trophies or atop the picture frames, no soot on the shitter walls (from burning candle after candle after each use of the throne), nothing staining or stuck to the toilet, no pile of dirty laundry on the washing machine (well only a small one next to it), no rifles to trip over anywhere, no spare ammo rolling around here or there, no full ammo cans half sticking out and just begging your toe to stub itself, no 3/4 empty beers bottles, in fact all the empties have been rinsed out so none of that early morning bar room odor either, no half eaten whatever that I forgot to finish but was smart enough to put up to high for the dogs and barely a dog hair in sight (the vacuum cleaner sure worked over time and if it could drink, I'd give it a few beers). I guess that I'll have to have a few in its place. 

In fact there is an orangey aroma in the basement. That's because the woodwork gleams, I used enough Orange Glo on it to clean and polish it to last months. The glass over the framed pictures sparkles. Each critter tank likewise, I may need to buy more Windex, I sued that much of it. The carpet looks cleaner than it has in a month even though I have been vacuuming it about weekly but I guess the cleaner look is due to the fact that I went over it more than once. There is a roll of paper towels by the basement sink. There is a new roll of TP in the throne room. If you were so inclined you could eat off of the porcelain, it is that clean. There are still some little things, here and there, that are out of place but that gives it the lived in look but it is better than just pretty clean and pretty straightened up. Even the extra blankets are folded and the pillow stacked neatly under the blankets on the roll-away bed. Yep, it is about as clean down here as a French whorehouse late on a Sunday afternoon after its weekly clean-up. Don't ask how I know how clean that would be. Anyway, you get the picture without me saying how I know.

Now if the rain holds off, and my temper remains tempered, it might be perfect. Already had a bit of a spiff with she who must be obeyed she who must be adored. It was nothing and was over almost as soon as it started and things are being arranged nicely outside right now. Yes, because I am in here typing to my heart's content. Now, I did help, don't think because I am blogging right now that I have not been helping. I cleaned the basement, I brought up a spare table and some of the folding chairs and cleaned them off first after too long in the basement nook in which the get hidden away. I did the shopping for the hickory and pecan wood for smoking the ribs and the lighter fluid to ignite them. I shopped for the ribs, BBQ sauce (we get a great one at Costco but darned if I can recall the name) and most everything else we need for the BBQ. Yes some things, like the beer, may not be enough and I may have to yet do more sopping. So right now, I have some free time while the wife putters about. Later, I will be busy again going to get ice (good time to get beer and booze too, or so I would think), setting up the coolers, grilling the dogs, toasting the buns, making small talk with the guests and getting sloshed (I don't have to drive). Then again neither do almost any of our guests. I will keep an eye on the two couples who do have to drive and call a cab if they need it. I am pretty sure that the two couples driving to our place will each have one of their pair as a designated driver; but if not, there is always the cab company.

Right now, I should stop ranting and get some breakfast inside of me, then head off to pick up another case of beer - maybe something like Bud Light or whatever diluted swill people drink nowadays that they think passes for beer. I know my son will sometimes drink that stuff but not me. I may even get some good stuff, Spaten sounds nice for a beautiful summer's day. I'll see what they have and ten pick something good.

Oh well, I am off.

Later 4 U,
Glenn B 

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Now The First Day That I Met You, I Was Looking In The Sky...


...When the sun turned all a blur
And the thunderclouds rolled by

The sea began to shiver
And the wind began to moan
It must've been a sign for me
To leave you well alone
Read more: Black Sabbath - Warning Lyrics | MetroLyrics
So goes the beginning of the best lyrics, on the best album of all time BLACK SABBATH by Black Sabbath. If you listen to no other part, listen from about 27 minutes and 32 seconds on to about 37 min. 57 sec (on this particular recording).

Better yet, listen to the whole damned thing. Then bear in mind it actually was damned - the Catholic Church condemned (or banned it) it at the time. It simply is the best album of eternity - and if they play it in heaven or hell - I would be content to be in either listening to it forever. FGUWTD.

The last video I had up was corrupted version. Hopefully this one is correct, no time to listen to all of it now though so posting it in the blind (or should that be in the deaf).   



To me, there is no better, no more perfect album, than Black Sabbath - the debut album of the group Black Sabbath. It came out all of a few months passed my 14th birthday and was one of the, if not the, first album(s) I bought. In all the time since then, I have never heard anything better than that. It is the alpha and the omega of music. 

I would hope it is played at my funeral or at least in a bar where my buddies get together to tip a few back as they think of me having passed, but just not someday too soon.

All the best,
Glenn B

Verizon - WiFi and TV Problems - One After The Other For Months

I've been having problems with my WiFi signal going on and off and also numerous problems with my TV now for probably at least 6 to 8 months now. Cannot recall just how many times the service repairmen have been here but at least 6-7 times I guess. Each time someone comes, they find a different problem and sometimes also the same problem a previous repairman found. Take today's visit by a repairman for example. He changed the outside box, put on a new splitter, replaced some cable tat was badly banged up because the guy who first installed it did it so that it ran along the frame on my garage door. Yes, it was attached to the garage door frame in a way that assured that every time the door was closed it banged into the cable thus squashing it that was the new thing found today. Then there was a slitter that needed replacing - that was a thing supposedly already done. In addition there was the outside box where he cable comes into my house via the box on the outside garage wall. He changed that and the last guy did the same thing.

I am hoping that after today's visit the problems, especially the one with my WiFi connection will have ceased. In truth though, unless I now use my laptop outside some evening (as I sometimes do while sitting on the patio) I will not know. That's because I will no longer need to use WiFi in the snake-pit man-cave (our basement) since the repairmen today hooked up a cable, running from the Verizon set top box in my basement (by way of a splitter he added) to the laptop. At the laptop end, they (there were two of them here by then) added a small black box that accepts the cable and has a jack for an Ethernet cable on the other side. The ethernet cable hooks it to the laptop. Not one other repairman had suggested that and I have to hand it to the first guy who arrived today and did the Lion's share of the work on my connections. If it works right, and I no longer lose the Internet connection, I will be happy. If the WiFi now also works right, for when I am outside, I will be absolutely thrilled. If the connection still does not work right, I may go back o the cable company.

I will admit, nice enough technicians always show up to do the Verizon repairs but no one has fixed the problem yet with the possible exception of the guys who showed today. Time will tell if the got it right and as I said it would be due to he first guy's work because he did all the repairing, the second guy only helped with adding the splitter and new cable from set-top box to laptop in my basement. I have spent more money giving these guy a tip than it has been worth it to date. No more tips after today if it was not repaired properly this time around. I would rather spend the tip money on beer. I will only add that the guy today seemed to really know what he was talking about so I am optimistic.

All the best,
Glenn B

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Coming Out In The Gay Community Can Be Difficult...

...and I do not mean coming out of the closet but coming out of the Ammo Locker! Seems it can be a bit tough for gay folks who are also 2nd Amendment advocates to cope with many of those in their communities (note that was plural as in the GBLT and RKBA communities) who see them as either turncoats or as abominations of the natural order (usually respectfully in that order).

See: http://news.msn.com/us/the-gay-advocates-of-gun-rights-1

I can say without a doubt that I am not a supporter of gay marriage nor of many of the so called gay rights (there are no gay rights just as there are no hetero rights there are just rights). However, while I do not agree with the gay lifestyle, I do tolerate gay folks while not accepting that being gay is anything other than abnormal (please note there is a difference between tolerance and accepting). Abnormal means exactly what is says, I am not saying that the GBLT lifestyle is evil or bad, I think it unnatural and that it is lived by so few as to be far below the norm numbers-wise. That is my opinion. If you don't like it - who cares, not me. If you like it - who cares,  also not me! Just saying but as I also said, I tolerate gays.n fact, I tolerate them just as I tolerate almost everyone else with ideas, beliefs, opinions, lifestyles, ethics and morals other than my own so long as you are not trying to violate my rights, control my liberties, convert me by force or harassment, tyrannize me, otherwise hurt or kill me because of the differences between our beliefs. Heck, if I can tolerate those on the far left, and those on the far right (both being pretty much absolute kooks) then I can tolerate almost anyone maybe even you. If you support the RKBA and liked Ronald Reagan, I even may tolerate you if I am convinced you otherwise are bonkers.

Anyway, I found the article quite interesting and quite full of irony. It is truly sad commentary on the state of the GLBT community when they, seemingly the majority of them in general, shun gun owners - even they who also happen to be gay. After all, isn't it the GBLT community, whom we hear, always screaming about tolerance. Yet, as I have known for many years already, who do not tolerate well their own kind who also happen to support the Right To Keep and Bear Arms.

Don't let me lead you astray though, the article is not mainly about tolerance or intolerance - it is about a gay shooter and supporter of the RKBA who is also a life NRA member. Then again, maybe tolerance is exactly what it is mainly about - just tolerance coming from the folks usually accused of being intolerant by the moaners, groaners and whiners. We firearms enthusiasts can seemingly tolerate just about anyone. As I said, it is quite the interesting piece.

Thanks to me having seen that article, there is a new blog appearing on my blog roll:

Top Shot Chris Cheng

It is listed in the Blue Zone, under the header - TAKE A SHOT WITH THESE SHOOTIST BLOGGERS, NOT AT THEM.

All the best,
Glenn B

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Lauren Bacall - a Dark Passage to The Big Sleep

One of the great actresses of all time, Lauren Bacall (aka: Mrs. Humphrey Bogart), has been lost to us (source). She will be mourned and missed by anyone familiar with her work and I must say I will miss her dearly.


Not only was she a native New Yorker (thus I have an affinity for her), she also was one of the best, most beautiful and most sultry actresses I have ever seen. She was repeatedly considered one of the most beautiful women ever, not only by fans but by organizations such as Harper's Bazaar (a very well know magazine back in the day), Empire Magazine and People magazine. In fact, her appearance in Harper's Bazaar quickly led to a screen test and she was given a starring role, in 1944, next to Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not (also starring Walter Brennan).  It was her very first film and there she was with Bogart and Brennan!

She starred in other true classics such as: The Big Sleep, Dark Passage (both beside Bogart) and in Key Largo (with both Bogart and Edward G. Robinson). Bogart was enamored with her from the beginning. They were married in 1945 and remained married until Bogart's death in 1957. She also acted beside the likes of: Gary Cooper in Bright Leaf, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe in How To Marry A Millionaire, Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda and Natalie Wood in Sex And The Single Girl, Albert Finney and Ingrid Bergman in Murder On The Orient Express, John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart in The Shootist, Jack Lemmon, James Garner and Dan Akroid in My Fellow Americans and as a voice of one of the cartoon characters in - Family Guy's - 'Moms The Word' episode as recently as this year. It was rumored she was working on a film in production at the time of her death. There were many more films and Broadway productions to her credit. Thus her acting career spanned the better part of 70 years! (Besides my personal knowledge of her films, the source for almost everything else in this paragraph was http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000002/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1.)

She was an amazingly beautiful, wonderfully productive and legendary actress who could act better than any today!

They say that actors/actresses die in threes and sadly it seems all too often to be true. With the passing of Robin Williams yesterday and Lauren Bacall today - I can only wonder whom we will lose and mourn next!

All the best,
Glenn B

She Thought Obama Was An Arsehat...

...then appeared to support him completely once he made her part of his cabinet (even to the point of outrageousness on Benghazi). She is now back to her normal politicizing self and to her seeming habit of placing blame on everyone else (even her former boss) and has now gone for Obama's carotid artery with claws fully extended as she prepares to make a run for the presidency. Who else but Hillary! See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/10/clinton-critical-obama-foreign-policy-says-failure-to-act-in-syria-created/

All the best,
GB

Monday, August 11, 2014

Awakenings Nevermore...

...except in reruns. This was a bit of a shock: Robin Williams was found dead of a reported apparent suicide (source).

I guess he was a pretty darned good actor although I will admit I did not like much of his acting after Mork & Mindy. That NaNu NaNu stuff was a riot. I saw him in few movies after that, there was just something about him that creeped me out. I must say though, I was moved by the movie Awakenings, that was great and he was good in it along with DeNiro. Another of the few of his movies I have watched all the way through was Mrs. Doubtfire, it was okay. I also saw Hook but was not too impressed. Then again, I have to admit, he was excellent in The Birdcage and even better in The Survivors with Walter Matthau. Not trying to debase him, just saying he was not my favorite actor but I know he was a good one. He sure had his following and I know millions loved him and will miss him greatly.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Friggin' Yugo SKS Bolt Disassembly

Brought the Yugo SKS to annual NE Bloggershoot last weekend. Fired a few hundred rounds through it and took it down to clean it today. Yeah, I know screw me for waiting a week. Well, I am happy I waited because if I had done it right after getting home from a 5 plus hour drive last weekend I may have had a coronary if I added what happened tonight to the aftermath of the drive.

What a frigging pain in the arse it is to disassemble an SKS bolt, at least one in a Yugo SKS anyway (and this is a common problem with the Yugo SKS). I remember having taken the bolt apart some time back and that the firing pin retention pin was a bit of a pain to remove but it came out without too much trouble. Well, that was not the case tonight. It must have taken me the better part of two hours getting that one pin to come out. Most of that time the bolt soaked in mineral spirits in the hope that would loosen it up somewhat (or should I say the false hope cause it did not work).


The bent and broken punches from the set with
the center punch that did the job underneath them.
After soaking it in the mineral spirits, I pounded on that bastard using my brass punch set and the tiny lightweight hammer that came with the punches. Two of the punches bent. I switched to a bigger hammer and wailed away again, this time the punch I was using snapped in two and it was not one of the ones that had already bent. I tried a small steel punch I had as it was the only straight steel punch I had (actually have 4 of them all basically the same). That one bent too.

Then, in desperation, I grabbed a center punch. They are tapered and the tapered end becomes much too wide for the hole that the retaining pin was in. I figured if I was careful, I could give some much stronger whacks to this punch because it is steel, thicker than the other steel ones I have, and very strong. After about 25 to 30 hard hits, the pin finally budged. It took another 5 to 6 good strong whacks to get it far enough out that I became fearful if I hit the punch again it would go too far in and widen the hole (remember this punch is tapered or conical). So I stopped, straightened out one of the bent brass punches by hitting it with the hammer and used that for the rest of the way. Talk about a pain the arse - that was one but it was not finished there was yet another.

Apparently the firing pin in my Yugo SKS is also a pain to remove. I had to use pliers. I would think it should have just slid right out as there was minimal fouling in the channel and on the pin. Not only did it come out with difficulty but it went back in the same way. I had to whack it with the nylon end of my punch set hammer to seat it. I do not recall whether or not I had that difficulty last time I disassembled and cleaned the bolt (maybe I did have some difficulty last time because its been awhile and that would have been incentive not to do it often). Even though it was difficult - the firing pin moves freely enough not to slam fire (which is sometimes a problem with this type of firing pin). I am thinking of ordering a replacement firing pin to see if that makes a difference, that is if I can find a reputable source for one. Actually, it seems I have already found a couple of them. I am not too sure if I want to get a firing pin of the same design as in my rifle like this, or go with an enhanced version like this one.

Before I change the firing pin though, I am going to look for the receipt for my punch set. I am hoping I got it from Sportsmansguide because if I did, I can either get my money back or get a replacement as part of their satisfaction guarantee. Took a break, looked for the receipt, and yes indeed it came from Sportsmansguide.com - so an email is on the way to them requesting a replacement or a refund. In the meantime I will decide on which firing pin to go with once I get paid next month.

All the best,
Glenn B

S&W Model 22A-1 - First Shots

I took the S&W Model 22A-1 along with us to the bloggershoot last weekend. I figured it would be as good a time as any to run some rounds through it, not so much to see if it was a tack driver or not but to see how well it functioned. I have to admit, I did not expect it to do too well because it appears to be cheaply made to me.

Having only two (2) mags for it meant I got to shoot 20 rounds out of it (10 round mags), then had to stop to reload meaning I lost my spot on the firing line (which accommodated six people at most at one time). That was a bit time consuming because after reloading the mags, I had to wait on a line to get back to the line. In all, I shot maybe 60 to 80 rounds at most through it. Not many and nowhere nearly enough to make it a true test of the little plinker but enough to realize that it functioned okay, at least with the ammo I was using that day. The ammo was CCI Blazer and Federal high velocity, copper plated, 36 grain hollow points (1993 vintage). The gun fed, fired, extracted and ejected every round without failure.

It was pretty accurate too, at least at a very close range. The target was set up at about 5 yards. I fired off a couple of mags rapid fire to see how it would function, then switched over to slow fire for the next couple to few magazines full. While shooting slow fire, I was able to attain a single group smaller than a dime for one mags worth of lead. That was with the old Federal ammo. The other groups were from smaller than a nickel to about a quarter in size.  The slightly smaller than nickel sized group was also with the Federal ammo; I think I only fired 20 rounds of that ammo through the S&W. The other groups that were a bit more open, from a nickel to a quarter size, were with the CCI Blazer.

I might have done better had I not been getting bombarded with hot brass casings from a full auto gun while shooting one stint of two mags worth of ammo and had I not had the guy next to me shooting off a 50 caliber rifle. The shockwave from the muzzle on that thing was tremendous and it certainly did just a little to make me loose my concentration on the next shot. Anyway, I did okay with it and have to say that at the least it seemingly would make a decent plinker. I think it would also probably make a decent small game pistol but will have to do some serious firing at a regular range to determine that. I will be doing just that - taking it to a regular range for some further evaluation on a future date. I'll write it up in more detail after that.

As for the impression I got after its first shots, I am happy with it even though, as I said, it appears to be cheaply made and I expect certain parts will not take all too long to fail. I guess after a year or three of toting it around and shooting it here and there, I may be able to tell if the parts I am guessing will fail will have done so or not. Hopefully I am wrong about it and it will prove itself a better made pistol than I suspect. By the way, the problem I wrote about recently with having difficulty getting one of the mags out of the mag well seems to have gotten a bit better though it is still not as easy as it should be to remove that particular magazine.

All I all, it seems like a fair to okay pistol so far, though it could use some improvements (such as having not one but both mags come free properly) and time and more ammo will tell if it is a plinker or a junker.

All the best,
Glenn B

Friday, August 8, 2014

Old Ammo - Like Old Faithful

Old Faithful is a geyser within the confines of Yellowstone national park. It erupts, send a plume of water skyward, about every 60 to 90 minutes dependent of the length of the previous eruption. The intervals between eruptions lasting less than 2.5 minutes is about 60 minutes; however, if an eruption goes for more than 2.5 minutes then the next one should take place in about 90 minutes (source). The thing is that Old Faithful has been faithful respective to its eruptions at least for hundreds of years, maybe thousands of years, because it always goes bang (so to speak).

I can happily say, I recently bought some ammo that is akin to Old Faithful in that regard - it always goes bang - at least so far anyway and I think we fired about 150 rounds of it this past weekend. Now my ammo is nowhere nearly as old as that geyser and not even old as my oldest ammo but it is kind of old. In fact, it was dated, I imagine by its previous owner, 12-30-93. So it is 20 years, 7 months and 9 days old as I type. Consider though that it is value pack ammunition (in other words inexpensive or cheapo ammo) and it still has gone bang for every round we have taken out of the box. That is a good thing. Besides being good that it still booms, it means I did not waste my money when I bought two 550 round boxes of it at auction without realizing it was already 20 plus years old. Not wasting money on old misfiring ammo definitely is a good thing.

Bang-bang, shoot-shoot.
The ammo in question is Federal .22 LR, high velocity, 36 grain, copper plated, hollow point, value pack ammunition. I have to hand it to Federal, they made some good ammo back then. Besides being viable after all those years, it also is pretty accurate. I am not saying it is target grade ammo but it is certainly suited for plinking or hunting. At 5 yards, while at the recent bloggershoot I attended, I was able to put in in nickel to quarter sized groups just about every time from a certain pistol. I said just about because, at least once, I put 10 rounds of it into a single hole smaller than a dime. Sometimes I amaze myself. Yes, I know, that may not be great shooting for an expert target shooter but it sure as hell was for me and yes, I am easily amazed.

Now that I have opened the box, I guess I will use it up as my go to 22 ammo whenever I shoot 22s. It fed, fired, extracted and ejected in three different pistols without any failures - a Beretta 70S, a Ruger MKII, and S&W Model 22A-1. Luckily, I purchased two boxes of it. I can keep one closed and maybe try it out in another 10 or so years; although, I doubt I will be able to hold off that long. I will probably fire it long before I fire off any of my newer 22LR ammo.

All the best,
Glenn B