Thursday, April 30, 2015

This Woman Has Talent


- Watch More Funny Videos Bounce

Yep, she sure does have talent, I rarely have seen another woman quite as talented when it came to sucking down a glass of suds.

All the best,
GB

Do You Mean The Kids' Families Don't Feed Them

One of the most illogical things I have ever read was a quote of a woman who was blasting Whole Foods for supplying free lunches to the National Guard troops who were called out to protect lives and property in Baltimore. This is what she posted on Twitter:

 "As Baltimore's poorest kids are left hungry due to school closure (no school lunch), @WholeFoods feed the oppressor." Source.

There is absolutely no logic in what that woman tweeted as far as I can tell. Calling the National Guard oppressors in this instance is ridiculous in my estimation. The people who are unjustifiably oppressing others are the ones who have been rioting and destroying legitimate businesses.

As for the kids going hungry - pardon me but I think that one of the most idiotic statements I have ever read. Why would the kids be left hungry? Would it be because their parents were to busy rioting to take the time to feed them? Or would it be that the parents spent their public assistance money on drugs and booze instead of buying food for their own kids? Any responsible parent would assure their kid was getting fed.

As for why the guardsmen were there in the first place, isn't that the fault of the rioters. No riots would have meant no National Guard troops being called in. That woman did not bother to slam the rioters - did she! Typical twisted leftist mentality is all I see there.

As far as Whole Foods and also the Five Guys restaurant that gave free food to the guardsmen, I tip my hat to them for doing some good amid all the chaos in Baltimore. Here is hoping all the guardsman remain safe while there. By the way, it would not surprise me in the least if some of the kids of those very same guardsmen were the ones missing a day at school.

All the best,
Glenn B

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

If This Ain't Enlightening (at least it should be)


All the best,
GB

Ever See Someone Bend Over Backwards To Shoot?

I have seen shooters at many ranges literally bend over backwards while they have been shooting. I've witnessed it with both handgun, rifle and shotgun shooters. I don't quite understand why anyone would assume such a position while shooting but am even more flummoxed as to why an instructor would allow one of his students / shooters to do so. Yep, that means I have seen instructors allowing it, even instructing shooters to take that stance. If you have any question as to the stance to which I am referring allow me to illustrate with the following photo of an attractive young lady who is shooting in just that manner, by literally bending over backwards:

Pleasing to look at maybe but definitely a
poor stance for shooting a handgun. Source.
What could make any handgun shooter (not just that model) actually bend over backwards that way to shoot is beyond me. It is uncomfortable, it puts unnecessary strain on the neck, back, shoulders, arms, hips and legs. It is sure to contribute to you shooting poorer than you would if you took a good stance with your feet and if leaned forward a bit, with shoulder and neck relaxed, which would also alleviate much of the additional stress caused by leaning backwards. That is also true not only for handgun shooters but for rifle as well as shotgun shooters.

There is a fairly brief tutorial, about three shooting stances, over at PoliceOne that you may want to check for pistol stances. I do not quite agree with everything they demonstrate but my disagreements are on minor issues. You would be much better off learning those basic shooting stances for pistol instead of shooting in a stance similar to the model pictured above.

One note, the stance they picture as the Weaver Stance, on PoliceOne, is not, as far as I am aware, the actual Weaver Stance but is the improved Weaver Stance (or even the Fighting Stance) which un-blades the body from an assailant. An image showing the actual Weaver Stance is seen below:


As opposed to the images at the PoliceOne
tutorial, you can clearly see the bladed side
portion of the body in this photo. Source.

Whichever stance you choose, I wish you safe and effective  shooting.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Predict Current Baltimore Mayor Will Be Reelected...

...if she runs for reelection. I hope I am wrong but I'd make a small wager on that bet. Even if only half of the things in this article are true, and she is totally inept to be a mayor (as I imagine she must be after making the statement that authorities in Baltimore gave rioters space to destroy) then she needs to be ousted ASAP. Yet, I figure it is the same rioters who will vote her back into office as a sort of repayment for letting them go berserk and destroy part of the city. After all, if they did not hesitate to violate several laws by way of their violent criminal outbursts, what is to prevent each of them from voting for her many-many times if she runs again.

Personally, I think she needs at least a size 12 up against her arse to boot her out of office and into handcuffs. In addition, if what is being said is true, that she gave the police a direct order to stand down either before or when the rioting was taking place, I believe her, at least in part, to be personally responsible for every injury and piece of destroyed property. She should pay for property and medical expenses with her own dollars besides being arrested for something along the lines of inciting violence. Room to destroy indeed - I think she has got to be one of the biggest leftist idiots ever elected to office!

All the best,
Glenn B

Good Deal On 2015 BU Silver Eagles

I came across a decent deal on brilliant uncirculated 2015 Silver Eagles (U.S. $1.00 coins) from www.govmint.com for $17.95 each, limited to ten coins. I ordered them immediately, not as an investment so to speak but as a failsafe should the economy collapse. I have a small stash of silver coins to that end. My order came to $179.50 for the coins plus $14.95 for shipping for a total of $194.45

Here is why that is a good deal. Ten of the same coins are currently (as I type) selling for:

$217.40, including shipping, if purchased from Apmex.com using a credit card as payment.

$221.25, including shipping, if purchased with a credit card from Goldmart.com

$234.62, including shipping, if purchased from Kitco.com and a credit card was not an acceptable form of payment. Note that if  had decided to pay Kitco by one of those other forms of payment, I would have to pay by bank check/money order or by personal check or by bank wire. If I paid by bank check/money order there would be an additional fee at my bank, same for a bank wire (and that is a high fee) and if I paid by personal check I would have to wait for the check to clear before they would ship.

I paid govmint.com with my credit card yesterday and they shipped my order yesterday, the same day on which I placed it. As you can see the savings was more than enough to cover the cost of a single coin. I am not sure if their prices on these coins are competitive if you decide to buy from them other than under this offering but this specific deal is a good one in my opinion.

So, if you are preparing for the worst, or just a coin collector, it might be wise investment.

All the best,
Glenn B



 

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Some Brooklyn Brewery Brews

Being Brooklyn born (at Evangelical Deaconess Medical Something or other) how could I not try a case of mixed brews from the Brooklyn Brewery. I kind of figured they would suck and I was kind of, sort of, somewhat right but I have to say I was also more wrong than right. I loved two of the four offerings in the case and one was passable; it was just one of the four that sucked. The case consisted of a six pack each (all 12 ounce bottles) of Brooklyn Brown Ale, Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Pilsner and Brooklyn East IPA.

I tried a Brown Ale first. It, in my opinion, sucked. It was, without a doubt in my mind, one of the worst brown ales I have ever imbibed. Nuff said, nod, nod, wink, wink, know what I mean but if you want, go ahead and waste spend your money on it (bearing in mind that was my opinion of this swill brew and yours may differ).

Then I tried a Brooklyn Lager. It was pretty decent. Nothing special mind you, as far as I was concerned, but good enough so that I surely would drink it again without hesitation. I am not about to tell you it had a nutty flavor, enhanced by dingle berries, with a hint of apple-wood smoke or anything like those wine wussies tell you (and I like wine to but drink it because it taste good and gets me high and not because of fantasy bullshit illusionary flavors) but it was decent.

After the lager, I went next to the Brooklyn Pilsner and I was pleasantly surprised. It is not, the best pilsner I have ever tried, which has been and remains Pilsner Urquell (and I visited Pilsen in the Czech Republic just to try some of it there, it was wonderful there, on tap, just as it is here in bottles) but it is one heck of a good pilsner.

The last was best, the Brooklyn East IPA. If you have ever tried an IPA (as available in the USA) and thought it too strong tasting, why not try one of these. It is 6.9% alcohol by volume brew. Not as strong as some other IPAs but none too shabby in that regard. So, if you like IPAs, this is not too weak either. It was a pretty good IPA is all I will say, except for saying I liked it.

All are worth giving a try. I got mine at Costco and I suppose that the price there was much better than I would have gotten at a local distributor.

While writing this post and getting the links for the beers and the brewery, I found out that Brooklyn Brewery offers free tours on the weekends. I have already put the makings of a visit there in motion and expect I will soon be visiting it with my son and two brothers-in-law.

Finally, I'll note, I enjoyed the very last Brooklyn East IPA as I wrote this, it was delicious and hit the spot (as did a few moonshine cherries too).

All the best,
Glenn B

 

A Voice (or Pen) of Reason For All Sides In Baltimore...

...is to be found in Fox News' Judge Andrew Napolitano. The man makes a lot of sense and I agree whole heartedly with virtually all of what he says. Read it here:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/04/28/baltimore-riots-who-will-protect-rights-lives-and-property-city-residents/

Let me just add this, in answer to the question posed by the title of his article - If the people were armed as the Bill of Rights enumerates we should be, then government would be much more hesitant to allow police officers to get away with murder in the name of Justice. Don't get me wrong, I am not slamming the police or law enforcement in general but I must say I am sick of the so called Blue Wall of Silence that allows for deaths like those of Freddie Gray to go unpunished because one bad cop cover for the crimes of another. Hear me on that, any cop who keeps his mouth shut and does not give evidence freely and truthfully, when he sees another cop commit a felony even if the victim of that felony is a dirtbag, is a bad cop and a criminal himself. Of course, maybe this was an accident but withholding evidence in such a case is just as bad. Just look at the results so far.

All the best,
Glenn B

Imagine Taking This Along As Carry-On Luggage

TSA agents would have conniptions!


 
 All the best,
Glenn B
 

Woman In Baltimore Dressing For Riots

Just saying, if she lives down that way, she could wind up being the best dressed and most prepared woman near the Baltimore Riots.


All the best,
GB

Baltimore Burning - Screw That Here Is Some Real News

I am sick of cops all to often unjustifiably killing suspects, the ensuing protests that morph to riots, the looting, the arson, the assaults, the cries of racism by racists, the politicians seeking advantage in crises and so on.

So, I searched FoxNews for something really important and came up with this totally useless, albeit amusingly informative, piece of news about geekdom at its finest. And mind you, the guy who invented, and the those who addictively play with, study, adore and hold contests for Rubik's Cube are indeed geeks - or as we once called them - nerds, to the nth degree.

All the best,
Glenn B

Monday, April 27, 2015

Ammo Alert - 22LR

Dick's Sporting Goods has (or maybe had by now) 525 round boxes of Remington Golden Bullet Value Packs in stock today for $29.99. The round is a 22LR, brass plated, hollow point. There is a limit of one box per customer per day. I read, on a firearms forum, that is has been widely available at DSG, at least here in NY State, since yesterday. They have cases of it available but as I said only one box per customer per day.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Can Just Imagine The Traffic Nightmares...

...that the meeting of these two hypocritical sacks of turd has been causing in Manhattan and on roads to J.F.K. Airport. Makes me happy I don't have to drive in Manhattan today or on any roads passing the airport. I suppose that is just another benefit of me being retired.

All the best,
GB

I Never Thought Of George W. Bush As A Great President...

...and in my esteem he was mediocre at most times and average to good at best; I believed him one of the most liberal or left leaning Republicans I have ever seen in the Oval Office. Yet, I firmly believe that he was/is a true patriot, that he had the best interests of America at heart and that included having good intentions toward our allies and an ass kicking attitude toward our enemies. All that seems very different with the current president, so different that it cries out to be strongly criticized by former presidents. Yet, GWB has kept mostly mum on what he thinks of Obama's policies and actions. 

That is until now. If this report is correct, President Bush has unmistakably and strongly criticized President Obama over his willingness to do a nuclear deal with Iran while at the same time putting our allies in the Middle East into jeopardy (thus also jeopardizing us). I know it is not customary for a prior president to strongly criticize a sitting president but I think it about time that he did so, after all - our National Security and that of the Middle East and maybe the world depends on countries like Iran not getting nukes. Regardless, it is about time that GWB gives BHO at least a little of what Obama has been shoveling onto Bush for years now.

All the best,
GB

Buyer Beware Ther Are Some Crazy Gun Prices Out There

I visited a sporting goods store recently, one in which they sell hunting, fishing, boating  camping and hiking gear and supplies (among other things). I was like a playful kid in a toyshop, I couldn't keep my hands off of the rifles on the used gun rack. I picked up one after the other and admired each with a gleam in my eye and felt a tug on my purse strings each time I handled one of those beauties. I was looking for a Remington Model 8 in .35 Remington but sadly (and luckily for me) they did not have one. Had they one in stock, I likely would have been several hundred dollars poorer had I succumbed to my impulses or just in a poorer mood had I not bought it.

While I did not see one of them, I saw lots of other toys that called my name, especially those in 22LR. They all had a strong allure for me, from the mundane Marlin Model 60, to the very fun Ruger 10/22 with hardwood stock, to a Winchester model 25 to at least another dozen and a half that I looked at. There is a certain 22 I would have considered buying had they had one in stock and that is the Marlin Levermatic; I had one with some minor problems and sold it. While I don't really regret selling that one, I would like another in excellent condition. Again tough, sadly and luck for me - they did not have one. 
 
As for the rifles they did have, I did not bother looking at the prices on most of them simply because I was not about to buy any of them; however, I did notice the price on one of them. That one was a Ruger 10/22, apparently the standard model with the hardwood stock. They had a price tag on it asking for $279.00. I thought it must have been a misprint or that I had been mistaken in thinking it the standard model so I looked it over again. It was the standard model, without modifications, as far as I could tell. I literally scratched my head in wonder about the price on it. Yes, it was in very good to excellent condition, looked almost new - remember I was looking at the guns on the used gun rack - but it was used and they were asking for what I was pretty sure was more than the selling price of one brand spanking new in the box. Made me ask myself how anyone would buy a used one, at the price they were asking and also had me asking myself if gun prices had gone up that much recently to have made that a reasonable asking price for a used 10/22.
 
Right after looking at the Ruger 10/22, I picked up a Marlin Model 60, obviously somewhat of an older gun, with wood stock, in what appeared to be very good condition. Marlin has probably made tens of thousands of the model 60, if not hundreds of thousands of them. There was nothing special about that gun either except, I think, for the price. They were asking well over what I figured one would go for new but since I cannot recall the exact asking price that is all I iwll say about the price tag. Again though, I stood there in awestruck wonderment trying to figure out how they had the brass cojones to ask a price like the one they had on that Marlin Model 60; I was pretty sure there was no way in Hades that a used Marlin Model 60 was worth that much.

I have known since my first visit to that particular store, many years ago, that they have rather high prices on much of their merchandise. Yet, one can sometimes find excellent bargains there so I go back now and again and anyway. As for the bargains, I found none that were appealing to me but I did buy quite a few things that I needed and also bought some gifts for my family. 

As for the prices on those two rifles - normally, I would leave it at that but for some reason those prices continued to bore their way under my skin and annoy the hell out of me. Perhaps it was mostly me doubting my own knowledge of gun prices or just idle curiosity that had me check on those prices but regardless of the reason that is what I did just this morning. I went to the store's website and checked on their pricing for both a new Ruger 10/22 and a new Marlin Model 60. They had several Ruger 10/22 variations available but the standard model with wood stock was listed at $249.99. The Marlin Model 60 was only available with a synthetic stock and it was listed at $169.99 and let me just say here that the asking price of the used Model 60 was quite a bit higher than that. Maybe I was wrong, maybe those rifles on the used gun rack were special ones in some way, shape or form. Yet, I sure could not see what made them any better than standard models that were new in the box since they sure looked like used standard models to me.

Anyway, after checking on the prices for new ones, I did some head scratching again. Then I smiled due to a feeling of almost overwhelming contentment with myself. That was because it was at that moment I had realized - I had never bought a used gun from that store. I probably will never buy a used gun from them at prices like that either. That is not to say that I'd never buy a used gun from them. I might do just that if they offer one at a bargain or even a decent price.

As for you, you can do whatever you want with your money but I would recommend following the old saying: Buyer beware. You really need to know your gun values before buying a used or new one. Now, I am not trying to sway you one way or another on whether or not to spend it at any particular store, thus the reason I am not naming the establishment. I am just letting you know about what I saw there this past weekend that irked me like chigger boring into my hide until I got it out of my system by blogging about it today. As I said, you can spend your money however you want to spend it. Me though, if I wanted a Ruger 10/22, I'd buy a new one, probably for even a good deal less than the $249.99 they are asking, then I'd use the difference to purchase as much 22LR ammo as I could with it (which sadly isn't much as of late).

All the best,
Glenn B



 

Are You Likely To Get Burned For Your Macho Gun Signs, Bumper Stickers...

...and even the t-shirts you may be wearing. I have pretty much always frowned on displaying (to the public) anything that indicates a potentially perceived willingness to use lethal force, even those things that obviously were meant to be humorous. I don't hang signs on my fence or anywhere on my property that say things like: "I am armed, are you? Think about it before intruding." or Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again. Nor do I routinely wear any clothing that displays such sentiments as: "Two to the chest, one to the head, we like em alive but we'll take em dead" or "Gun Control Is Hitting Your Target" or "Make My Day" (with a pic of a 44 magnum).

I think my son believes that due to me being over cautious. Regardless, I find it quite prudent, especially since I carry on a daily basis, to avoid such things. I am more than willing to legally defend myself, my family or innocent parties, using lethal force, from someone about whom I have reasonable belief to think poses an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death to us from which we believe we reasonably cannot retreat without being harmed. I don't want any overzealous prosecutor trying to frame me by making me look like some kind of a raving gun nut in the event I ever have to use deadly force against anyone again just because I wore a t-shirt indicating I might do so.

I am a responsible gun owner and am very willing to use deadly force if legally and justifiably called for. I also want to be able to defend myself from any legal claim, criminal or civil, that says I was not justified in using said force and that one of the reasons I used it was because I was predisposed to do. I do not need a prosecutor trying to claim that there were several pieces of evidence that sowed I had said predisposition - such as t-shirts I wore, signs I had posted on my property or bumper stickers I had stuck on my car.

You may think that all so much balderdash but the truth is that some prosecutors who are anti-gun, or just seeking easy convictions at any cost (including the cost of your freedom at the expense of their own dishonesty), will try to use those things to nail you to the cross. If you don't believe me, just watch and listen to this lawyer, a former prosecuting attorney, explain it:
 


All the best,
Glenn B

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Here Is What I've Done Today...

...not that you would be interested but please allow me to say that retired life is great. So far, today, I:

Woke up at about 0530 and I am sure only because I was getting up each workday for the last few weeks at that hour.

Went right back to bed after taking a pee.

Slept until about 0730 and again went right back to bed after another pee.

Dragged my arse out of bed at about 0830.

Ate breakfast after I made it for myself. I had left over ham heated in a pan with butter until browned nicely on the outside, a couple of sunny-side up eggs, a couple of pieces of toasted Lithuanian bread slathered with butter and a couple of cups of Joe.

Signed onto the Internet during my second cup of Joe.

Sat on mine arse for hours at my computer during which time I read my email, paid some bills, looked up some stuff on my critters, blogged, placed a post on a reptile forum, did the Facebook things for a bit, looked over and read some of the news at FoxNews.com (twice) and accomplished absolutely nothing of any great importance.

I also fed my critters, did some tank maintenance on my aquariums, had a shot of moonshine, looked at my email and the news again and farted at least once.

I definitively decided against going to Home Depot to pick up the first ten or so bags of lawn soil that I will need to kind of, sort of, just about flatten out the other half of my backyard before we have a garden fence installed.

I explained away my not going to Homer's to my wife and she agreed, I should wait until tomorrow. Maybe that was because I also did some dishes and folded some wash.

I think I also scratched my package a couple of times somewhere in there and I took another piss and a dump too.

Yes, I washed my hands several times.

Sat back down at the laptop for awhile again and did a lot of nothing.

Other than that, I gave a few gifts to the family that I bought at Cabela's yesterday, gave my brother-in-law the younger an overdue birthday present, petted the dogs, fed the tortoises and bearded dragons and the fish and newts again and maybe scratched my package again.

Before dinner, by maybe an hour or so, I cooked up some fresh baby octopuses (or is it octopi - or both) that came packaged with a few pieces of red and green peppers (hot ones, I think of both of them) and garlic and some tomato paste of one sort or another that was also in the package. I added some salt and pepper, cooked it all in olive oil and butter. I forgot the scallions I had also bought to add to the mix but did not forget the oyster mushrooms. It was friggin delicious! My wife ate some and oddly enough she really enjoyed it; so did my son.

We had dinner after that, roasted chicken and that was scrumptious too. Had another goodly sip of moonshine (did I mention the first one) and am now enjoying a Golden Monkey Tripel Ale (which certainly has become on of my all time favorites) as I blog this post. It is available at Costco at an excellent price. While I do not get anything for giving Victory Brewing Company and their products a plug, I sure wish, that in this case, they would send me a case or three - which I gladly would accept and so note here on the blog.

Just poured and a starting the second beer right now. Am contemplating another wee dram of moonshine.

Lest I forget, my son and I sampled the moonshine cherries that I started to soak last night. I have figured that if I pay $22 for a pint of moonshine and put half of it into a jar with three jars of maraschino cherries, instead of buying Moonshine Cherries also for $22 per jar, I will be better off. Why? Because it takes about four jars of cherries at $1.49 a pop, added to half a jar of moonshine to make up a batch thus leaving me half a jar of straight moonshine left to sip. You do the math. As for the cherries, they tasted alright but have not soaked long enough yet for the full effect. I figure that should improve drastically over the next couple to few days - at least if we can avoid eating them before then.

Not an interesting life - today or possibly any other day - but it sure is great being retired because I can do more of the same, which is pretty much more of nothing, just about any day. As long as the gout (and any other ailments) stay at bay, and the wife does not try to kill me for being a lazy bum, I am okay with it.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

You Shoot An Armed Home Invader...

...the police arrive on the scene. They tell you, who possibly had every right to shoot the invader: 'Police don't move, drop your weapon'. What you do next could either save your own life or cause you to lose it at worst or be injured at best. If you were in a similar situation, to this, what would you have done?

All the best,
Glenn B

Another Pic Of A Woman With Her Finger On The Trigger

What is it with all these woman, with their fingers on the triggers of firearms, when having their photographs taken? Hasn't anyone taken a moment to teach them the rules of firearms safety??? By the way, this photo posted for your education relative to firearms safety and nothing else - yeah right!


Anyway, I would not mind being her firearms instructor as I am sure most men would not mind one little bit.

All the best,
Glenn B

Road Trip To The Hamburg Reptile Show & Cabelas

I took a short road trip to Hamburg, PA yesterday to attend the Hamburg Reptile Show. Normally the trip takes about 2.5 hours, it took me about 3.5 due to traffic in NYC. Once there, I spent a few hours inside the Hamburg Field-House debating whether or not I should buy any of the wide variety of herps that the many vendors had on display there. I badly wanted to pick up four or five Blue Tailed Newts and a couple or few of Iranian Newts, that a certain dealer was offering but declined; more on this later. There were a lot of other dealers offering anything from venomous species, like Puff Adders, Pygmy Rattlers and Gila Monsters to those offering the more mundane (and safer) herps like Sulcatta Tortoises, Pixie Frogs, Colorado River Toads, Corn Snakes and Ball Pythons. There were also folks selling non-herp species like several types of tarantulas, scorpions, and rodents.

I debated not only on those newts but also considered picking up some guinea pigs, ducklings and rats (the last two as snake food and the first as potential breeders for a colony of cavies for possible people food); I declined despite badly wanting those newts. In fact, I declined getting all but one herp - a normal appearing ball python, obviously a 2015 hatchling but of large enough size to know it has been eating well. I got that not for myself but as a donation to the Long Island Herpetological Society's annual auction set for June 7th.

All in all, I had a great time there with only one bump in the road so to speak. As a quick suggestion to dealers (of anything), let me say that you really ought to be careful about what you talk about in front of your potential customers. I was about to purchase at least 5 of the Blue Tailed Newts (from a dealer with whom I have done business before) and two or three of the Iranian Newts. That would have amounted to about a $200-$250 purchase depending on how many I bought and depending on if I would get the 5 to 10% discount for which I was going to ask for buying multiple animals. Suddenly, without even acknowledging I was standing there for a few minutes already, his apparent partner (the other guy working his table anyway and someone I have never met or dealt with before) started talking about people who ask for a discounted price when buying a few to several animals from them. His partner called those folks several derogatory names including: "...cheap fucking assholes..." for trying to get a better price when they were offering a good price already. The other dealer, the guy I have dealt with before, heartily agreed.

Then the first guy ranted on and on for at least five minutes about such customers, all in a very negative manner, as I stood at their table looking at their offerings and listening to every word that this loud mouthed slob (who had food falling from his mouth while talking because he was stuffing sandwich into his mouth at the same time) spewed from his blowhole. The guy with whom I have done business agreed with him every time he blasted those 'fucking cheap assholes' and he threw in a couple of choice descriptions of his own. They both totally ignored me, the customer waiting to be attended to by them. In the past, I have asked for and received such discounts from that same particular dealer on some newts that I purchased from him.

It is standard operating procedure among most reptile & amphibian dealers to discount the price somewhat when a good number of animals are purchased at the same time. Yesterday though, I did not even inquire about such a discount since they were so busy slamming customers who asked for a discount. I was about to say something like 'Hey you peckerwood dickhead, I was about to ask for a discount on five or more of these Blue Tailed Newts and on two or three of the Iranian Newts here, does that make me a cheap fucking asshole?' . I decided that instead of getting myself all worked up, I would keep my blood pressure at a decent level and not fuck up my remaining time at the show. So, I just walked away and ignored them. 

That means I also left without spending a dime on their stuff; maybe thy can afford to lost a $200-$250 sale but I figure that is bad business. I would have to have been a true asshole to have spent one penny there, so as it turns out - the real assholes were the two guys behind the table bad mouthing customers. I am going to post the above note about the dealers on a reptile forum that I know the guy with whom I have dealt before will have a good chance of seeing it. Fuck him and his big mouthed asshole business associate.

Anyway, I had a good time at the show, probably at least in part because I maintained my cool (for once). Besides the one snake that I bought, I also picked up some supplies that I needed for my critters at home. Then I went to Cabela's.

Ah yes, that is what makes the trip to this particular reptile show more alluring than most to which I have traveled - Cabela's is only a 5 minute drive from the field-house. While at Cabela's, I truly enjoyed the museum quality display of stuffed animals taken by hunters.


I also enjoyed watching the decent variety of live fish they have on display in their spectacular aquariums. Of course, I also perused their merchandise. I spent $185 at Cabelas. Truth is, I had not anticipated spending almost anything there and at fist purchased only$27.00 worth of firearms related stuff that I needed, like some  Breakfree CLP and a box of ammo. That ammo was a single box of 100 rounds of CCI Mini-Mag 36 grain CPHP ammo. It was a lone box only because there was a one box per purchase restriction on them.

When I got to my car, I decided I would go back inside and buy another box of the ammo. Well, I did that but also wound up purchasing some needed items and some gifts for my family. As for the needed items, I picked up two LifeStraws (one each for me and my son) for our hunting trips. I also got some candied nuts for my daughter, a jar of Cabela's dry rub mix for my son-in-law, a couple jars of spicy mustards (for my brothers-in-law), a sweater for my wife, a two pound bag of sausage ends & pieces (for me, my son and whomever), a couple of shake & bake style boxes of buffalo sauce flavored chicken coating, a toy for my dogs, and a bag of Andy Capp's Hot Fries - all that along with another box of the mini-mags. After all, I still had that $200-$250 that I had not spent, as I had planned to spend, on those newts at the reptile show.

All the best,
Glenn B

Friday, April 24, 2015

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Three Weeks And Two Days Of Work...

...ends at quitting time tomorrow. When I retired back in 2011, I did not expect to be working fulltime ever again (unless the job paid very well and was a no brain and no work position - but then I already had retired from the government so that was not about to happen). I have been working part-time, on call mostly with some advanced scheduling now and again, and probably have been averaging about 16 or 24 hours per week, since last August. For just over the past three weeks, I have worked every weekday while covering for a coworker who is on vacation. While having done so will be an okay boost for the pocket-book but I must say, I am happy I am not working fulltime for more than that. Getting up every morning at 0530 is for the birds - not me.

Going back to the part-time, on call, work is better than okay with me. I prefer having at least a couple of days per workweek, in addition to the weekends, to do whatever in Hades I want to do and there is no way to do that working fulltime. Retirement can be fun but not if you wind upon working full time except maybe at a rifle & pistol range, a mountain resort, or a... (I had best not mention my other choice I may get in trouble at home). 

Anyway, I am looking forward to my deliverance that will commence tomorrow at quitting time.

All the best,
GB  

Drip Dry

April showers and dips in the pool guarantee to get us all wet but this young lady seemingly has found a way to speed up drip drying when she doesn't have a towel handy:


I realize you probably have not noticed but if you look closely, you can see droplets of water falling as she bounces them.

All the best,
Glenn B

It's Been All But Guaranteed I Would Not Vote For Lindsey Graham...

...in a primary (if I could vote in the Republican primary but I have dropped out of the RINO party) and that I would not vote for him for the presidency. Who or what sealed that so nicely, so early, in the running? It was none other than former presidential hopeful (and everlasting super-RINO among RINOs) John McCain when he answered a question on whom he endorses for the presidency and said:

“Lindsey Graham. Lindsey Graham. First, last and always.” (source)

He also made me think I may have to support Rand Paul whom he vehemently opposes. I look at it this way - virtually anything John McCain says on domestic or foreign policy is absolute bullshit or at least questionable as such. He is, in my estimation, an ardent Obama arse-kisser and supporter who has been subverting the conservative base of the Republican party for a long time. I believe he fooled many by getting them to believe he was a conservative Republican based on his war record and on lots of  fast talk. Yet, I think it has come out in recent years, he is nothing more than a very liberal, leftist leaning, RINO.

All the best,
Glenn B
 

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

A College Graduate From A State University Might Get My Vote For President...

...and I might even consider voting for someone without a college degree. I almost certainly will not vote for anyone who is a lawyer or has a law degree and would be reticent though to vote for another moron with a graduate degree from an Ivy League college. The truth is that every president subsequent to Ronald W. Reagan went to an Ivy league school, the most recent attending the cream of that crop - Harvard. Most of them were fairly moronic, even the better ones and some such as Obama, Clinton and G.W. Bush range from absolutely terrible, to very terrible, to fairly terrible respectively. Besides being a graduate of an Ivy League school, Harvard, the current arsehat also holds a law degree. More here.

My thanks and a hat tip to Peter Q. for the link to that article.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Winchester SXP Malfunction Video & Recall

Note: I wrote this post and found more info after writing it. That new info appears below in red.

I cannot attest to the veracity of what is seen in this video but I see no sane reason for anyone to fake it. If you own a Winchester SXP Shotgun, you should definitely contact Winchester to find out if there is a problem with them and if there is a recall and or a fix for the apparent problem shown in the video. Since the video was just published two days ago (of me posting this), you may want to check with Winchester now and then again in a month or two.

In the meantime, I would recommend not handling a Winchester SXP until you find out if this is an isolated incident or a problem affecting many guns. If you decide to handle your SXP, be extremely careful when and if you decide to do so.



This just goes to show the importance of practicing firearms safety when handling a firearm.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THERE IS INDEED A CURRENT RECALL IN EFFECT FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF WINCHSTER SXP SHOTGUNS WITH 3 1/2" CHAMBERS. THESE SHOTGUNS ARE ALSO CALLED THE SUPER X PUMP. 

I do not know if the recall is for the same problem as seen in the video, it could possibly be for some other problem and the malfunction shown in the video could be something new. Anyway as far as the recall goes, Winchester offers more info here:
http://www.winchesterguns.com/support/files/images/wfa/2015-All/2015-Recall-Info/SXP_Recall-Notice_2.pdf 

and here: 
http://www.winchesterguns.com/library/articles/detail.asp?id=205 

If you own an SXP, I strongly urge you to call them to determine if yours is part of the recall and to determine if the malfunction shown in the video is the same or different than the reason for the recall.

All the best,
Glenn B

Racial Profiling In Car Stops

It's amazing that the police make stops like this one, obviously only due to racial profiling:



All the best,
GB  

The Dog Owner Should Have Been Beaten...

...to a bloody mess for leaving is dog behind resulting in the pooch's death. I am by no means a petaphile, but sometimes what people do to animals deserves a damned good beating. The only out I see for the car/dog owner in this decades old case would have been had the owner been disabled but I tend to doubt there were many disabled driver's in the 40s.



By the way, this The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse has always been my favorite film of a bridge being destroyed. Too bad for the dog though.

All the best,
GB

Boat Carrying Reported 700 Potential Illegal Aliens Capsizes...

...in the Mediterranean apparently on its way to Italy or another European nation (source).

Sometimes other people's misfortunes are a blessing to others and I am pretty sure that Italy did not need another 700 leeches sucking their already pathetic economy dry. Too bad those folks did not stay in their own country and truly work hard at bettering it and life there instead of fleeing adversity to try to live off of the hard work of others who are already suffering from financial and other hardships.

Is it wrong to say that Italy just got very lucky? Perhaps it might be looked at as crudely insensitive and ethically wrong to say it but the truth is the truth. I am not a bible thumper but I believe that there is merit to the saying: 'The Lord helps they who help themselves.' And brother believe me, that does not mean they who help themselves to what others have worked for and earned.

All the best,
Glenn B

New Style of Push-Up

The new method of doing push-ups does little to work out the arms or shoulders but apparently does wonders for the chest.



All the best,
GB

Things I Trust More Than Hillary Clinton

Mexican tap water 
 
A rattlesnake with a "pet me" sign 
 
OJ Simpson showing me his knife collection 
 
An elevator ride with Ray Rice 
 
Taking pills offered by Bill Cosby 
 
Michael Jackson's Doctor 
 
An Obama Nuclear deal with Iran
 
A Palestinian on a motorcycle 
 
A Jimmy Carter economic plan 
 
Brian Williams news reports 
 
Loch Ness monster sightings 
 
Prayers for peace from Al Sharpton

Gas station Sushi 
 
A fart when I have diarrhea 
 
A Nigerian money scam
 
A hat tip to Dennis McC for all that (except for that last one added by me).
 
All the best,
Glenn B

This Can Only Happen So Many Times...

...before the suspect who is confronting a law enforcement officer (LEO) seriously wounds or kills the officer or an innocent bystander. Restraint may be seen as the politically correct thing, the religious or moral high ground, the compassionate thing to do. However, when it comes to someone unlawfully threatening a person with imminent serious bodily harm or death, and if that person believed there was virtually no chance for escape from the threat, that person (in my opinion) should not hesitate to shoot or otherwise incapacitate the attacker by use of another form of deadly physical force.

I can understand that law enforcement officers are second guessing themselves and second guessing the intentions of the bad guys. If it is true though that the officer in this particular case would have been fully justified to shoot the suspect, then he probably should have done so in my estimation. As per Police Chief Randy Harvey that was the case:

"This video footage, it eliminated all doubt that this officer would have been justified if in fact it came to a shooting." 

But the officer said:

"I wanted to be absolutely sure before I used deadly force."

Sadly, the only way to be absolutely sure that someone is going to use deadly force against you is to allow them to actually do so. So what the officer said, in my judgment, is that he possibly would wait until he is actually harmed, or at least shot at or attacked in some manner, before he fired back. The law (here in NY and in most states of which I am aware of self defense laws) does not require anyone to be absolutely sure before defending themselves with deadly force. You usually need to have a
reasonable belief or probable cause (or something similar depending on how the law is written) to believe that you are being threatened with imminent serious bodily harm or deadly force - no law I have ever seen relative to use of deadly force in self-defense or defense of a third party states that you must be absolutely sure of anything.

It's nice that the officer did not get hurt, it's nice he did not have to shoot anyone; its nice he has a clear conscience and does not have to live with weighing his decision whether he was right or wrong, to maybe have killed a man, for the rest of his life; it's nice the suspect was not injured or killed. It's all wonderful this time because this time the officer's guess, that flew in the face or reason, was right. God bless him for making the right call and let's hope it was because something indicated the suspect was not really about to attack and not because of being hesitant to use deadly force for no good reason. 

Perhaps all that gives some people that warm fuzzy feeling all over and that is all well and good. Bear in mind though, it is all well and good until the same officer, or another, is faced with the same decision, in a very similar set of circumstances when the suspect attacks and maims or kills the officer or an innocent third party because the officer hesitated or outright decided not use deadly force when it was justified. Using deadly force is a tough decision to be able to make but you must be able to make it when it is justified and called for and you must be able to arrive at that decision based upon probable cause or reasonable belief (whatever is required by law) if you want to survive. If you cannot base your decision upon probable cause, you should find another career. I am not saying this officer needs to seek new employment - please read what I wrote and not what you want to think I wrote. I am saying if you cannot do such - then you are not fit for LE work. This officer has to think about what happened and decide that for himself.

I am dead set against the excessive use of force by police or civilians. Yet, I also think it less than responsible not to use deadly force when it is justified. Why? Because, sooner or later, some other officer will probably do likewise and wind up regretting he did so, that is if he lives long enough. Not every suspect who charges you yelling "kill me" is trying to commit suicide by cop, some are taunting, some are daring, some are psychos, some are going to be trying to get you to second guess yourself to give themselves that split second advantage, due to your hesitation to defend yourself, that is all they need to kill you. I do not look forward to reading the story where that happens. So, if deadly force would have been absolutely justified in this case, as the police chief indicates, then I think it should have been used. The officer's decision though was his own, he is lucky he guessed right. Had I been in that situation as a LEO, I in all likelihood would have acted in another manner had I believed my life or the life of another innocent was in imminent danger. Remember, you do not need to wait until knowing for sure that deadly force is about to be used against you in order for you to use deadly force to defend yourself. You usually need reasonable belief or probable cause that such is imminent (and in some instances for civilians you also need to reasonably believe you cannot escape -  check the laws of your state or locality on what is required). Of course, if you do know for sure, you had best act quickly to defend yourself and any others so threatened. As it turned out the officer in question is being patted on the back and has been given high praise; sadly though, had he guessed wrong, he would have been carried on his back and given high praise too - at his funeral. It is a tough call to make but it has to be made if you want to live to see another day with any amount of certainty.

I foresee more stories like this one coming out since as of late LEOs have been under fire for excessive use of force. I think more of them are going to become trigger shy, at least the good ones who truly live up to their oaths of office and who do their jobs ethically and with respect for the law and the public at large. Note, I am not saying they should be trigger happy but an LE needs to be able to make the decision to use deadly force and needs to know that such a decision should almost always be based upon reasonable belief or probable cause as required by the law and not upon absolute certainty. The courts need to realize that too. Every time LEOs shoot someone they need to be held accountable under the law and rightly so but lately they are held accountable to a much higher degree than even the law provides for because they are being held accountable to the whims and second guessing of the political correctness of: politicians seeking to use anything they can to their own advantage,  race baiters, malcontents, police-haters, anarchists, ambulance and hearse chasing lawyers, and other opportunists of the moment who are more than ready and willing to take advantage of an LEO shooting a suspect even if it was undeniably justified. You only have to look the recent events of Fergusson, MO to see that. 

Of course, there are also way too many cases of police involved shootings wherein the officers use excessive force and were not justified in using doing so. Prudent and just application of the law though is what is required to address those situations after the fact; there is no call for the lynch mob mentality that we have witnessed all too often. BUT - there must be prudent and just application of the law in each and every case and it must be transparent and completely open to public review. If we hung the bastards who resort to deadly force when not called for under the law, whether a LEO or not, and praised and rewarded those who use it, LEO or not, to justifiably stop a deadly threat, we would be much better off as a society.

All the best,
Glenn B

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Planet Of The Apes May Not Be That Far Off



The apes in the movie Planet of The Apes hunted men and used guns, cudgels, whips, nets and other weapons to do so. It all seemed pretty far fetched but made great science fiction. The thing is, it evidently is not all science fiction, at least regarding apes using weapons to hunt.

A troop of chimpanzees, in Senegal, has been found to make and use spears to hunt animals on which they prey. They have been observed doing it for many years. It makes me wonder if a real life Planet Of The Apes is not all that far in the future as it was in the movie. More info here: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/innovative-female-chimps-may-have-pioneered-tool-use-hunting



All the best,
Glenn B

Nearly Half of Israelis Believe Another Holocaust Is Possible

Almost half of all Israelis believe another Holocaust is possible. That is according to survey results made public just before Holocaust Remembrance Day which was two days ago (source).

I find that absolutely astounding in today's day an age. How could that possibly be in today's world of rampant beheadings of those of other than Islamic beliefs based only on their faiths,  incessant calls for jihad, violent protests in which all of the protestors - up to tens of thousands of them - are Muslims (such as after the posting of the Danish cartoons depicting Mohammad) fatwas posted against Jews, Christians and others on a daily basis, the advance of ISIS with the destruction of Israel as one of their goals, the goal of Hamas to destroy Israel, the repeated and almost daily calls for the destruction of Israel by various other Islamic groups including the state of Iran, the U.S. snubbing Israel again and again despite Israel being one of our staunchest allies in the Middle East? What I am asking is not how it can be that so many believe it could happen again but how is it that apparently so many do not believe it could happen again!

If only half of all Israelis believe it could recur then that obviously means that more than half believe otherwise. That is truly astounding and very troublesome in my mind. It makes me wonder how people can bury their heads that far up their own arseholes as to not see the light of day ever when it comes to their own welfare. The only thing positive, in the fact that nearly half of all Israelis believe another Holocaust is possible, is that the numbers are up from last year, so some folks must have pulled their heads out of their arses.

Me, I truly find it difficult to grasp the fact that less than half of all Israelis believe another holocaust is possible. In fact, I believe that if nothing drastic is done to prevent one, another is going to be carried out in the not too distant future. If it does not happen in my lifetime then it will take place during the lifetimes of my my children.

All the best,
Glenn B

It's A Glorious Saturday...

...at least near where I live. The sun is shining, it is 68 degrees Fahrenheit, there is no wind of which to speak and it is a day to enjoy. How would you spend a day like that - fishing, hiking, bike riding, out shooting?

As for me, I am going to clean up my yard and gardens; try to level, or at least raise up, a low spot in my backyard; spread some cow shit in my gardens; plant some flowers; and get some other yard work done. Maybe I'll even mow the grass, replant the front lawn, and spread some grass fertilizer and bug killer.

I know, I could be at the outdoor range getting in some fine shooting today but it just ain't gunna happen - not today and probably not tomorrow which is promising rain. At least I can get some sun today and that will be a good thing.

All the best,
Glenn B

Friday, April 17, 2015

It's Friday Night - After A 40 Hour Work Week...

... for me, and add to that a 40 hour work week the week before and 16 hours the week before that and consider the fact that I had gout last week and the week before and all I can say is: Guess what the fuck I am doing tonight since the gout has not bothered me all this week! I started off with a shot or two of moonshine and am enjoying the last few sips of a Golden Monkey Tripel Ale (9.5% alcohol, 1 pint 9.4 fluid ounce) and will soon open another of those ales (and have another dollop of moonshine or three) to celebrate the weekend of goutless, booze consuming, freedom from the bullshit at work. Too bad I can not afford to just stay work free and booze plenty - I think I would enjoy life more, at least until I wound up with cirrhosis of my liver, if I could make it financially without work and just drink as much as I wanted. Seriously though, I would much prefer to be able to make it without working even if it meant drinking less, well maybe a bit less than I do now. Work sucks at this stage of life.

All the best,
Glenn B

Old Age & Smoking

 

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Scandalized DEA Agents Face Minor Repercussions


The administrator of the DEA, Michelle Leonhart, told a House committee that she could not fire agents who allegedly had:

1) Allowed prostitutes onto government (as in our government) leased property, that property being the quarters of the agents while on assignment in Colombia.

2) Had sex with those prostitutes, in the above government leased property, at sex parties which were funded by a narcotics cartel (a fact of which it is claimed the agents should have been aware).

3) Left their firearms, official smart phones and computers in the care of  corrupt foreign police while they were engaged with prostitutes.

4) These parties took place over the course of several years.

5) Had upwards of 15 to 20 such parties (although it is not clear if the same agents were at each or the parties or even if some were at more than one).

6) Used government money do so.

(Source of the above.)

I am no prude; in fact, I don't think anyone would have to be fired for soliciting sex with a prostitute while off duty stateside or maybe even while abroad and off duty. (I am quite the Libertarian on that issue, I don't think the government has any business restricting the world's oldest business.) Yet, to participate in these sex parties and have narcotics cartels pay for them and to leave your weapons and other government property like smart phones and computers in the possession of corrupt foreign officials (who easily could have compromised the information on them) and to somehow use government money in all that is beyond the realm of professionalism and more than hints of negligence, and possibly criminal negligence, in ones duties. 


So, I kind of am wondering, which higher up DEA managers, or administrators, or maybe even higher up folks like Obama Administration bureaucrats or politicians also partook of these orgies (imagine the government is calling them sex parties). It seems almost to beg the question of who else must have been involved when Michelle Leonhart reportedly is trying to get us to believe she cannot fire any of the agents involved and can only give them a 2 week suspension. A slap on the wrist like that, with all the agents keeping their jobs and not facing other serious repercussions and keeping their salaries and pensions intact, certainly might at least hint at said punishment amounting to nothing more or less than hush money.

All the best,
Glenn B.
 

Is It Jealousy...

...or just that look that accompanies out an out lust?

 
 
All the best,
GB


 

These Motherfuckers Destroy Anything They Want...

...aad Obama stays mum about it and uses pretty much the least force against them possible in trying to stop them. (Then again, is he really trying to stop them???) Yet, if any non-Muslim burned a q'ran or used some of the pages of one to wipe his arse, and posted the video on YouTube, Obama would be all over the news blaming that person for all the violence that would be sure to ensue and that would most certainly have been committed by Muslims.

These so called Islamic extremists killing rampantly and destroying humanity's artifacts are poor excuses for syphilitic pigs in my estimation and those who tolerate their actions are not much better. They need to be stopped and stopped soon or they will eventually destroy all of humanity's artifacts and destroy all of humanity itself other than themselves (and may do that too sooner or later). Sadly, leftist politicians seem all to ready to give them the capability of attaining the ultimate destructive power in the form of nuclear energy and eventually nuclear weapons. Once they have them, all is lost.


All the best,
Glenn B