The Bear Huntig Trip, part 1...

or How Sleeping Beauty Slept.

Yes you probably guessed that sleeping beauty is my son Brendan. Right now, ay 0809, is is up in our fast asleep. We are in a Holiday Inn Express in White River Junction, Vermont. It is a nice small town, surrounded by lovely green hills, a place to which I might like to retire.

It took us about 5 hours, almost exactly, to get here from our home on Long Island, NY yesterday. From out home to Danbury, CT we averaged about only 30mph. From Danbury to Hartford, CT we averaged about 40 MPG. That was horrendous. After that we made good time. We did the total of 272 miles in exactly 4 hours 50 minutes. That was 19 minutes less than the estimate given to me by MS streets when I planned the trip. During that time, I figure, Brendan slept about 75% of the time. At least someone got to our destination for day one well rested. While I had little company that was awake, at least it did not rain as the skies threatened to do.

We checked into the Holiday Inn in White River Junction, then headed over the river (I would guess tyhe White River) to a brewery/pub/restaurant in New Hampshire. I had a delicious steak dinners and Brendan had Chickem Parmigan (spelling). It was all delicious as was the beer and a hald I had. Then off to WalMart to get some last minite supplies and back to the hotel. We watched some thriller, Lucky Number Sevin or something like that, with Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman, lousy start - good in middle - good finish. Then we watched another Bruce Willis movie, one of my all time favorites: The Fifth Element. Then to lala land for the night. I got up very early, hours ago, sleeping beauty - he is still snoozing.

Time to go bring him back to the world of the living and head out. Probably no blogging until next week again for me, I doubt there is a pc at the lodge, but who knows. Check again tomorrow.

All the best,
Glenn B

One last rant before our trip...

and it is really not a rant at all, just a copy of an email that a good friend of mine sent to me. It was the first time I saw this, I wonder if it is true. Take a look and wonder about it yourselves:

SIGN IN A STORE WINDOW "WE WOULD RATHER DO BUSINESS WITH 1000 AL QAEDA TERRORISTS THAN WITH ONE SINGLE AMERICAN" This sign was prominently displayed in the window of a business in Philadelphia . You are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory statement. One would think that anti-hate groups from all across the country would be marching on this business , and that the National Guard might have to be called to keep the angry crowds back. But, perhaps in these stressful times one might be tempted to let the proprietors simply make their statement . . We are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps o ur greatest liberty. And after all, it is just a sign.

You may ask what kind of business would dare post such a sign? Answer: A Funeral Home (Who said morticians had no sense of humor?)

You gotta love it!!! God Bless America!

I'm Grateful Its Not A Polar Bear Hunt...

...because if Brendan and I were about to depart on a polar bear hunt, instead of a black bear hunt, I guess I would just have to call it off after having heard the latest dismal news about polar bears. I mean, even I am not that into hunting that much so as to be heartless enough to go out and hunt a species that is going through all the problems that polar bears seem to be facing lately.

First of all they have it pretty rough up there north of the Arctic Circle with Eskimos hunting them, and because it is about as cold as it gets on this earth much of the time. Yet, now that they have evolved to get used to that extreme bitter cold, what happens - global warming - or so Al Gore would have us believe (and after his recollection of his dad singing him that Union Ditty as a lullaby years before it was even written - I don't know how much I believe anything he says). Then as if Global Warming and all that super insulating fur was not enough to screw the polar bears over, what else could happen to mess up their chances of survival?

Well, I'll tell you what else could happen, if only because I read it at FoxNews.com @

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210444,00.html

Here is a tiny bit of what they had to say at Fox:

The polar ice cap may not be the only thing shrinking in the Arctic. The genitals of polar bears in eastern Greenland are apparently dwindling in size due to industrial pollutants, a new
study finds.

That has got to be, shall I say - uncomfortable! Besides the obvious discomfort in that, can you imagine they just might freeze and fall off! As you probably remember from physics class, now that I remind you, smaller things lose heat faster. Egads man could you imagine that predicament - double ouch and turning blue and falling off at that. That is unless of course Al Gore is right about Global Warming; in which case shrinking testicles might not be a bad thing because they would not get all that sweaty if they were smaller since they would retain less heat.

Of course, as it stands now, scientists are worried that this shrinkage factor (thank you George Kastanza of Seinfeld fame) will effect their love making abilities. I wonder, is this because it will have the girl polar bears laughing at the guys with the really tiny balls? My guess is, if a guy polar bear was lucky enough to have been super sized before this all started, he would be normal sized after being effected by the pollutants in question, and therefore none the worse for the wear. The girls would not be laughing at him, would they?

Who was it that taught us about natural selection and the survival of the fittest, was it Darwin? I guess time will tell if he was right, at least in regard to polar bears. All kidding aside: I, for one, hope that there are a large number of survivalist polar bears out there which will make it through this latest set of problems, if these problems really exist at all. They have always been one of my favorite animals; and the planet truly would be at a great loss without them. They are magnificent beasts.

All the best,
Glenn B

Must have done something right...

...just recently anyhow. I say this because I have been getting an average of 9 people visiting this blog per day since it started, and today I have had 16 visitors so far. Nice to see more people are stopping by. It makes me sorry that I will be away for a week without any blogging in that time, but the Bear Hunt must go on. Of course, when Brendan get back from Maine, I suspect I will have some good stories to relate whether or not Brendan bags a bear. After all, the actual kill is only one of the parts of the overall hunt. Not that I don't want him to get one, I am anticipating bear meat steaks through much of the winter, at least the fall through the holidays anyhow; but I have hunted enough times where I got skunked to know the kill is not all there is to an enjoyable hunt. It certainly makes even a miserable trip well worth it though, if only for what winds up on the plate later.

Well anyhow, thanks to all of you who have visited the blog, I hope you have enjoyed it so far. I hope you will start checking in about September 4th again, when I figure I'll be blogging again. By the way, if they have a PC at the lodge, which I sort of doubt, I will try to write up something.

Thanks again to all of you.

All the best,
Glenn B

Blogging versus Bear Hunting...

...guess which wins!

Today is the last day before Brendan and I depart for the north woods of Maine for our bear hunt. We will be preparing for the trip today, so we will be busy throughout most of it. For example, in a few minutes, I'll be on my way to get the oil changed in the car. I'll pick up some windshiled wiper blades, and washer fluid and get that all set just right. Then it is time to do the laundry, to get our scent off of our clothes. Then time to pack our gear, check our guns and so forth. Then I have to buy our licenses online. All in all it will be a busy day.

Once we leave, I doubt I will have any access to a computer, and if I do, I may not have access to the internet. So once I get up from where I am sitting right now, my blog probably will effectively be shut down until we return from the hunt, that is unless I have a oment tonight. I hope the few readers I seem to have will understand, and that you will all come back to read my stuff once Brendan and I return from the hunt. That should be on or about September 3rd.

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Stay safe and enjoy other fine blogs such as www.theothersideofkim.com Thanks

All the best,
Glenn B

Loose lips - not in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Two weeks after an alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners was thwarted in Britain, Pakistani authorities have screwed tight the faucet that had trickled intriguing details from their investigation.

The above quote is from FoxNews.com @ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210404,00.html.

The thing about the statement and the whole article is that you get the feeling, or at least I get the feeling, that at least as far as the writer of the article, and maybe one or two others quoted in the article, it is implied this tight lipped trait on the part of the Pakistani government is a bad thing.

I see it as a great thing. Read the article and see if you agree with me. By being tight lipped, the Pakistani government is not keeping the information from the British, or from other friendly governments who need the info to conduct investigations of terrorists; but they are keeping the information from being leaked to such folks as those in: the media, in terrorist organizations, and to others who do not have a need to know. Good for Pakistan.

It is about time that some government shows some restraint in the amount of information they release or leak, to the media, the public, and to government bodies that do nothing but then blab it to the press, about these investigations. If you say - hey wait a minute, I am the general public - well just let me remind you that so too are the members of al Qaeda. Any leaked information, even about the names of those who are being detained could give a tactical edge to the bad guys. This would not be good. As it stands now, without this information being released, they have to wonder who is being detained, what knowledge might the detainees have that is potentially available to those detaining them, and so on. Keep them in the dark, and it gives the good guys an advantage to some extent at least. If the news media or the public does not get the information as soon as they would like, well in the words of Sister Walter Phillip (a nun of the Dominican order from my grammar school days): Tough Noogies!

It is about time that at least one government in the war against terrorism showed some sense in this regard, my hat goes off to Pakistan.

All the best,

Glenn B

A Peaceful Country Prepares For War...

There are many countries in the world today, at least 192 as I recall. Some of these nations are not all that peaceful, they boast about how they are preparing for wars of annihilation against other countries. Some are more peaceful but yet ready to go to war for certain reasons. Others have had civil wars of one sort or another ongoing for a number of years. Many have standing armies, at least one does not. Not many have had a state policy that was extremely anti-war for their own government and people, a policy geared at preventing that particular country from ever engaging in a war. Yet, Japan was just such a country.

The people of Japan have had good reason not to want to engage in military struggles ever again. They learned a lesson about the consequences of unfettered military at the end of WWII. It is a lesson that luckily the rest of the world has not had to learn in the same manner as has Japan. Japan was the only country to have ever been attacked by nuclear weapons. They paid a heavy toll for their aggression in WWII. They learned a lesson and learned it very well. For the past 61 years Japan has not developed a military capable of even defending itself.

That is all changing, and apparently changing rapidly. Japan is about to purchase a fairly large number of advanced Patriot interceptor missiles from the United States of America, as reported on in FOXNews.com @ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210256,00.html.

Why the change, what could compel Japan to move so strongly back into the realm of nations preparing for war; what could make them forget the lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Well, first of all I don't think they have forgotten the lessons. They well remember the price paid for unfettered aggression, and they remember the lesson of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I think they remember those lessons very well; and I think that they also have learned from them very well. In fact they learned from these lessons so well to have come to the conclusion that the current world situation is one in which they are at great risk of sustaining another nuclear attack on their homeland. This is absolutely unacceptable to them. They are now preparing for the possibility of just such an attack, and they are gearing up to prevent one should it come. This time though, the attack will not come from the USA; instead it is the assistance to counter such an attack that the USA will give to Japan.

Japan realizes that China, India, Iran, Korea, Pakistan, are all potential nuclear threats. Relations between India and Japan seem stable, they are an ally to the USA and Japan. Pakistan is an ally of the USA and therefore an ally of Japan (so long as the current Pakistani government remains in power, and that hold on power is tenuous at best). China has never been all that friendly toward Japan, and the build up of the Chinese military forces has been a large one in recent times. Why are they building up, possibly as a defensive measure, but who knows at this point. North Korea, they are another story altogether. They have already fired missiles over Japan in so called tests. If they get nukes, they may well decide to strike Japan with the US military bases that are there. North Korea is an enemy of the USA and Japan - make no mistake about it. Even if they have not started a war yet, it is in the making. Iran is an ally of North Korea.

The Japanese are practical people in most respects. The one thing I do not believe they have been at all practical about for many years since WWII was the defense of their own nation from attack. They had an extremely limited military, they depended upon other nations too much. Now things seem to be changing. They are stocking up on defensive missiles. These are missiles that were developed to shoot other missiles out of the air. Those other missiles, the ones the Patriot missiles shoot down, they are not defensive in nature they are offensive, aggressive – they may well carry a nuclear warhead. North Korea is about to develop nuclear weapons, that is if they have not been successful at it already. Iran is developing its nuclear capabilities while snubbing its nose at the United Nations resolution that has forbidden it to do so. The Japanese are a smart people, and they long for peace, they have lived as a peaceful nation for 61 years. Yet they are smart enough to live by an old axiom: They who long for peace must prepare for war.

It is about time the rest of the world woke up, if a peace loving country like Japan is scared enough by the potential threat, then so too should the rest of us be likewise.

Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch...

...is how I think the saying goes. I wonder if that also applies to snakes? The fact is I keep a variety of herps (reptiles and amphibians) and I breed some them. This year I bred Baird's Rat Snakes and Western Hognose Snakes. Last year I had eggs from both of these species only to have them all get cooked in my incubator when the heat element over heated. This year though it looks as if success is here at least in part so far. The Western Hognose Snake laid 9 eggs, so far 4 of them have hatched out completely, three others are partially hatched out (takes a baby snake a while to get out of the egg), and two not yet slit open (they slit rather than crack because they are more leathery and not fragile). The Baird's Rat Snake laid 8 eggs, all due to hatch in about 2 weeks. While I have not counted my snakes before they have hatched, I do anticipate a good year this year. If lucky I can trade or sell the babies to keep my hobby going. Now you may ask why do I keep such critters. Well when I was a kid I was not allowed to keep a dog or cat or bird in our apartment. My uncle went out and bought me a turtle and he also got one for my brother. I have bee hooked ever since. Five years at summer camp catching garter Snakes, Water Snakes, frogs and turtles just kept it all going. These creatures fascinate me. Of course, we now have three dogs and a cat too, and we have kept other small mammals and birds too; but we also have: several snakes of various species, three lizards, two tortoises, one turtle, and two frogs. Oh yeah, I forgot the mice, we have them too. My son likes them all too. Keeps him out of trouble somewhat, and teaches him some responsibility about caring for things. He now works his first job at a veterinarians office as a kennel worker. An okay job for a HS kid. He is dreaming of becoming a vet someday, and you know he maybe on the right track for it. Not a bad hobby, something to interest both children and adult alike, something in which a parent must help a child until the child is old enough and learns enough to do it alone, and it helps them in biology class.

If you have an interest in herps, or want to see if they are for you or your kids, you can visit these sites: www.lihs.org, or www.kingsnake.com.

If I get some pics of the babies, I'll post em here later.

Comments, only a few so far....

...what is up with that. I now have a hit counter on the site, and I know I have gotten a fair amount of visitors to the blog since I started it. Yet, I am getting very few comments. Is it difficult to leave comments on this blog? I mean that as a real question. Is there some confusion as to how to do it? I am pretty sure they can be left by registered and unregistered viewers, and can be left with or without a name. Or is it that the rants I leave here are not worth a comment? Heck, even if you don't agree, I would love to hear from you explaining why - so long as it is kept respectable. Won't you please leave a comment for me if you read my blogs, that way I know if they are worth writing as I do them, or if I need to make changes. Thanks.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Venerable Libra Among Us...

I just got through reading a few articles in my new copy of the American Rifleman. I usually glance at them when I receive them, read the Armed Citizen section (gotta love those dirtbags falling to armed citizens) ; and maybe I read an article. Tonight I read two articles, plus the Armed Citizen. The articles were both very interesting, one about the Model 1903 rifle and how it changed from a 30-03 to 30-06 chambering, the other about the 30-06 cartridge itself. I will have to get me a rifle in this cartridge one of these days. It will probably be used, and old, but somethiung that is neat and fun nonetheless; maybe a Winchester 1895. Of course, brand new, in the box, would be very nice.

One thing both of these articles did was to wake me up to the fact that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the 30-06 cartridge. One of them also brought to light that the 30-06 was first adopted on October 15, 1906. I am not all that up on astrology, but I believe that makes the cartridge a Libra; something I share in common with it. If luucky, maybe I will receive a rifle chambered for it on my birthday. If there is anyone out there who likes my blog and has lots of money, you can feel free to bestow such a gift upon me. I will humbly and thankfully accept it. Then I'll do a write up on it and on your benevolence.

All the best,
Glenn B

Another Hitler In The Making - Maybe

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran said Tuesday it was ready for
"serious negotiations" on its nuclear program, but a semi-official news agency reported the government was unwilling to abandon nuclear enrichment — the
key U.S. demand.

The above quote was from FoxNes.com @ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,209722,00.html

If it is true that Iran has once again snubbed its nose at the United Nations resolutions to stop Iran from enriching uranium, then something needs to be done, and it maybe something drastic. Iran is mirroring, more and more each week, the activities of the Third Reich shortly before the outbreak of hostilities that led to WWII.

Just as there were accords and pacts in place prior to the outbreak of WWII, there are resolutions now. The restrictions prior to WWII were geared at preventing Germany from building up its armed forces, those today at preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power capable of creating its own nuclear weapons. Back in the 1930's, Adolph Hitler thumbed his nose at the rest of the European continent, and at most of the rest of the world. He blatantly spewed out his speeches of hatred geared toward the destruction of misfits, the criminally insane, and physically and mentally handicapped people; this led into his ravings against the Russians, his wish to conquer Russia, and of course to his ranting diatribes against the Jews. Of course this culminated in his attempt to rid the world of Jews, his attempt to successfully conquer Russia and his attempts to conquer the world and create a master race.

Does anyone truly believe that the president of Iran is much different than Adolph Hitler was in the 1930's. Many of the same types of behavior are evident in his speeches and his behavior. The United States is seen as the great Satan, the Jews are seen as worthy only of utter destruction, the holocaust has been said not to have taken place, and the race to achieve nuclear power status and to be capable of creating nuclear weapons goes on unabated. No one is doing anything serious to stop this threat, just as no one did anything to stop Hitler before he unleashed blitzkrieg and the holocaust on Europe. Are we going to wait until it is too late again. Do we have to see countless millions of people suffer and die because a madman wants to wipe a people from the face of the earth?

This time we will not have allies in France, they have already capitulated to the Muslim nations by offering to send only 200 troops (100 combatant and 100 non-combatant) to Lebanon to enforce the ceasefire. We will probably not have allies in Spain, they have capitulated to the terrorists after the Madrid bombings and pulled out of Iraq. We may not have one of our historically staunchest allies in great Britain, as many of the people of that nation have turned their backs to us. We certainly will not have many other nation members of the Untied Nations supporting us, they turned their backs on us and greeted terrorism with open arms long ago.

Who will stand by us? I hope England, but as I said this is not certain. Italy almost positively. Poland, Denmark, Australia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, some other European nations, and maybe Russia. Of course Israel will be at our side, but sadly will in all likelihood be the first target should Iran ever fire off nukes.

We need to take action now. We need to forget about outdated rules of engagement in Iraq and get serious at killing the opposition. We need to regroup troops in Afghanistan. We need to institute a major military recruitment drive. We need to stockpile munitions for our air force and navy and ground troops. We need to be ready should war break out with Iran; and we need to be ready to perform surgical pre-emptive strikes to neutralize Iran and any nuclear ability before it is too late. We need this done with lots of planning, so it works out right and does not turn into a quagmire. Then we need to act, again before it is too late and we wind up with hundreds of millions dead because we ignored another madman who seems on the verge of being quite capable to create havoc in the world.

How can we do this, by writing to our elected officials and letting them know we want action, and we want it now. Start by asking that we pull out of the U.N. and that we make sure to strengthen our alliances with those nations in NATO, and with outr allies in the Eastern hemisphere. Do something before it is again to late to prevent tens, maybe hundreds, of millions of deaths.

Best regards,

Glenn B

I'm Out On Sick Leave But I'm Not Sick...

...and yet I am not playing hooky from work. I had to take my son to the doctor today, an orthopedic surgeon to be exact. This past Saturday evening my son punched something, let's just say for the sake of this piece, that it was a punching bag. He hurt his hand and wrist while at it, as a matter of fact he walked in the door and told me he thought he had broken his hand. I looked, felt, prodded, and squeezed. He did not go ouch too much, no swelling, no bruising, so on the ice it went. It stayed the same until last night, Monday evening when it began to swell. Oh well, a call to the pediatrician who told us to see an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in hands. Brendan was seen by the OS today. First order of business was an x-ray, then about a 2 hour wait to see the doc. Doc asked what happened, and Brendan told him about hitting a heavy bag. Funny how the doc immediately joked that a broken hand on a Saturday night was usually the result of a fight! Brendan's eyes opened in surprise at that, but the doc insisted he was only joking. The OS said he did not see any fractures, but since it was the hand and the wrist that was hurting and swollen, off to a radiologist for a CT Scan. After about a total of 4 hours at doctors, good news - no breaks.

As it turned out, the OS told us if not broken he can shoot next week, but it probably will hurt quite a bit. Hopefully he will need only one shot. If we are lucky Brendan will still be able to shoot straight on his upcoming hunting trip to Maine this coming weekend. By now he has already figured out that you have to think before you do some things, punching something is one of those things to which you have to put some thought, at least just a bit of thought anyhow. He is 16, maybe it will sink in. He is missing a week of work that he did not have to miss, and he will miss the money sorely, maybe more so than his hand hurts. He has also been grounded to avoid any other unfortunate decisions on his part that may lead to another such accident. In addition he is wearing a wrist brace, and will be for a couple to a few weeks. Luckily it can come off for the hunt.

Life goes on.

Something old...

This is something a bit old, at least by the standards of today. I wrote this back in 2003, but I figure it is just as applicable today as it was back then. Enjoy.


GUNS IN THE BEDROOM
One Man’s Opinion


Here is my opinion, about keeping a loaded gun in the bedroom. It is only my opinion; well maybe it is a bit of humor too, or maybe a clever ruse to get certain people to believe one thing and be later surprised to find out otherwise. You be the judge.

I like guns, I like being able to use them, I even don't mind shooting some dirtbag who breaks into my house and whom I believe is threatening me or my family with serious bodily harm or death. But I am not going to tell you that I keep a loaded firearm in my home. I still have one child, my son, living at home, and a wife and two dogs and a cat and lots of snakes and lizards and a turtle. My daughter is at college nearby, and sometimes comes home unexpectedly at all hours of the night/morning – I hope never with a snake or lizard of a boy. I would rather not shoot her (her boyfriend maybe another story - but right now I like him, he is a good guy) or any other family member because I was awakened by a noise, and in some half asleep groggy state I take action that is terminal. Of course, chances are my dogs will wake me before anyone even gets into the house or; if they only wake up after the bad guys are in the house the dogs will most likely keep them at bay long enough. That is long enough for me to take a moment to wake up fully, realize what may or may not be going on, and load for bear just in case. My dogs are scared of their own shadows and bark at almost everything. Hell I bet though that if a burglar broke in they would lick him to death. In that case his laughter would wake me if he was the ticklish type. If not, oh well I guess I’d sleep though it and call the insurance company the next day (talk about real burglars).

Back to guns for a minute here: Loading for bear includes not only loading the gun, but grabbing a flashlight, putting on shoes (a very important step, no pun intended). I don't need to jam my toes on the stairs. You know what comes next don’t you? Then in a knee jerk reaction I squeeze one off. What do you mean you don’t understand how a knee jerk reaction would make me squeeze one off? You know - the toe bone is connected to the foot bone, the foot bone connected to the ankle bone - on up through the knee - thus the knee jerk reaction. Eventually we follow those bony connections all the way up to the trigger finger. With my luck I'd shoot my other toe and start all over again!

My next action would be to ask my wife, in a loud voice, if she has her gun ready. I hope she has enough smarts to say yeah, instead of asking “what gun”??? Now do you really want to find out if my wife has a gun? Stop by unexpectedly at 4AM and find out first hand! During this time my wife will be calling 911, then either gathering the kids to our room or having them lock themselves in their rooms. We will let the dogs out into the hall - hopefully they will keep their courage (Ha!) and go for whomever it is doing all the intruding. I will be on the move with the dogs and the light. BUT before any of us goes out of the room, I will in loud voice challenge any potential intruder. "Helloooooooo Mr. Or Ms. Intruder, is anyone out there? Please leave us alone. I have a gun and my wife knows how to use it, err I mean we both have guns and both know how to use them."

Now you may ask, and I don’t blame you: “Why take the time to do all this and then to announce that I am coming out to take a look around?” Well this is serious, really serious: I, for one, would rather not be surprised to find out the police just raided the wrong house and I came out shooting or even pointing a gun at them. Chances are I or you would lose in that one - don't you think. (Please note we are out of the serious zone and back to delirious once again.) I would rather not wake up in heaven - is there really such a place for guys like me, and I shudder to think the alternative is real! Nor do I want to wind up in jail for shooting a police officer, not even for a night and then be released with a justified finding (yes I am being serious again just for a moment). Psychologically speaking, I do not think I could live a normal life (what is normal anyhow) again after that kind of a mistake even if it was the officer's fault for breaking into the wrong house, not identifying himself (or whatever), wearing a full black ski mask and holding a bag full of loot (or was that entry gear). Of course if you hear someone yell: THIS IS THE POLICE, but you for some reason have strong doubts: you can always go lock yourself in your room, and ask them to prove they are police or other law enforcement officers. They have ways that can convince you, believe me, yes we do.

Now on the other hand, if someone - let's say like the jealous husband of your neighbor's wife - gets all the way to your room with a weapon of almost any sort, forget your gun. If they want to whack you they are going to be able to do it. Man you must have been really drunk to let him get in that far without waking up! Of course, if you were in that much of a drunken slumber, be happy you did the right thing by not having a loaded firearm around because guns and alcohol really do not mix. Of course this will be little solace to you as someone cracks your noggin with a baseball bat just as your neighbor's wife jumps out of bed and runs out of the bedroom, along with your neighbor's dogs, screaming "Help Police". Now wait just a darned minute - let me go back to the Police issue here for a moment and get this straight. If your neighnor's wife and dogs just ran out of the bedroom in which you were having a nice drunken slumber - well is it possible just for a moment that the Police are in the right house after all - right behind the enraged husband who is hitting you up side the head with a bat? Was it that your neighbor called the police to come and get your fat behind out of HIS bed, and he decided not to wait for them to protect HIS wife and HIS dogs and HIS honor? Man you have gotta remember which house is yours in the first place - and no wonder you couldn't find your gun - it was under YOUR pillow, in YOUR bed, at YOUR house, right next to YOUR wife, where you should have been!

Speaking of wives here is another thing to be wary of when keeping loaded firearms in the bedroom. I would hate to wake up, grab my loaded gun from a night table and commence firing at the big bad hairy burglar/robber who just jumped me, only to find out my wife finally made it through the ice age and decided to - well you get the picture! A darned shot at that moment could ruin a truly promising good time! (Enough of delirious for a moment, let’s get serious again.) You really have to be careful with loaded firearms around the home. Do something to give you that extra moment to wake up before even thinking of picking up a loaded firearm if you can. Then if it is really a bad guy, and you cannot get away, and your life or a family member's life is threatened or you are threatened with serious bodily harm (or whatever your state's laws say are the proper guidelines to follow - and they have been met) then my guess would be: go ahead, you can legally blast the guy. Remember shoot to stop - but if the bad guy does not stop threatening your life until dead - well you shot to stop and he finally stopped). If you decide to do it otherwise, you know, outside the law - well you too may wind up in prison with: no house, no money, a divorce, no chance to see your kids ever again, and with a big hairy boy friend. I can attest, no matter how little I have gotten since I have been married, I do not ever want it where the sun never shines, as it so often comes to men in chains! Yes I think I would tend to be careful in such a situation, but I would definitely shoot if that is what had to be done to protect my life or a life of a family member from a bad guy. Now if only I can stop shaking long enough to load those darned bullets, I'd be ready for anything.

Luscious Libations 1...

A glass of Chardonnay on ice. To be more specific, a glass of Chardonnay Bourgogne (a white wine) by Louis Jadot. The vintage probably does not matter, this is a fairly common table wine, but if it does matter to some of you then allow me to say the one I am currently enjoying is 2002. As I recall this is one of those rather simple pleasures that should be affordable by just about anyone in this country, I am pretty sure it was less than $12 for the bottle. For me it usually is a one or two glass at a sitting kind of thing. Right now, as I sit here typing this rant, I am enjoying a sip now and then between keystrokes. Everyone else has already retired for the night and I am left alone with the computer, the keyboard, my thoughts and the wine. Not a bad arrangement at all, I highly recommend it to those of legal drinking age who are responsible, and do not have problems with alcohol, consumption.

I am also a fan of other white whines and also some red whines. More about them as I enjoy them. I am a bigger fan of beers and ales, likewise more on them in the futre. For now though let me tell you this glass of whine is going quite well with my mood and with my writing. It makes for a bit more of an enjoyanle night time entry into the land of the virtual rant.

Going Postal

Today, August, 20, 2006, is the 20th anniversary of the event that started it all for the term "Going Postal'.

On Aug. 20, 1986, Patrick Henry Sherrill tucked two .45-caliber pistols into his
postal satchel, locked the doors of a post office in this Oklahoma City
suburb and systematically killed 14 people, then committed suicide.
This quote was from an article at FoxNews.com @ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,209463,00.html

Apparently not only the term has stuck with us, but so too the actual act of Going Postal in the most literal sense. Over the past 20 years, according t said article, there have been 50 violent deaths in the Postal Service, including the case of six postal workers who were shot earlier this year at a postal facility in California by a former postal worker who then killed herself. The article stresses how the Post Office has tried to prevent such incidents from occurring. My guess is that they have been none too successful. Maybe there is some combination of the paper dust, the glue, being a federal employee, doing the same thing day in and out, the non-stop flow of the mail, or maybe in some manner the stress of a relentless tide of mail coming in over and over again is akin to an unending invasion, much like illegal immigration. Wasn't it the character of Neumann on the old Seinfeld show, when asked by Jerry what it was about, who said something like: 'Its the mail, it never stops coming'.

I don't want you to think I am making light of the situation, I am not. It is a serious problem, and the problem is not just limited to the post office. Of course, many try to take the easy, pretty much brainless way out of this, they say it is all due to people having guns. I say not, if only because of the overwhelming number of people with guns who would never do such a thing. I also remember a day when things like this were unheard of, or at least were very rare occurrences and folks had guns then too. Now events like these seem almost commonplace in postal facilities, schools, churches, parks, other businesses, city streets, and just about anywhere you can imagine. Whatever it is, it seems, at least to me, people working for the post office are somewhat more prone to this than those employed for other businesses, though the problem seems as rampant in schools. I would think there is an underlying psychological/social cause for this, though I am not expert enough to say what it is; I am smart enough to realize that most of the so called experts are apparently full of crap when they name the reasons. My main guesstimate as to why these things happen are because of: a breakdown of a universally acceptable morality, a breakdown of people learning how to be responsible for their own actions, a lack of strict or even severe criminal penalties for such actions, a breakdown of interpersonal skills, an overall atmosphere in this country and the world of the 'everything has to be my way or no way mentality' and this leads to rage when it goes some way else.

All in all there may just be too many rats in the cage, and some should have to be eliminated. Heinous criminals who do such things may not be worth keeping around, but that is a point for another discussion at a later date. Of course, it is also a great shame that citizens are not permitted to be armed at all times, in all locations, in order to help protect against such terrible acts of criminals and madmen.

Today though, let's just try to remember those who have fallen victim to such attacks and give a thought or prayer for them. Also let us not forget those brave souls who in some way took real action to help end such attacks as they were ongoing.

Light Blog Today...

It's Sunday at about 0945. I just got home from pulling a midnight shift at work, a fairly rare thing for me at this point in my career since that is usually for the younger bucks. In addition, I have been up since about 0800 yesterday, with a grand total of about 4 minutes quasi sleep. I looked at my PC monitor in the office to check the time early this morning, saw it was 0729, then I realized suddenly it was 0733. I have no idea what happened in between those times. If that can be called sleep, then I guess I was sleeping for about 4 minutes.

It was a fairly full day yesterday, going to the bank, doing some shopping, going to the range with Brendan, doing some gardening, taking carre of my animals, watching a movie to relax, then off to work for the midnight shift today. I suppose what I am trying to say is that I am exhausted. With that said, let me wish you all a happy day; I am off to dreamland.

All the best,
Glenn B

Something To Do On A Saturday

I was thinking of blogging about world events today, then I remembered it is Saturday. I have betetr tings to do on Staurdays than to use all of my time blogging, but I will give you a small one here before I go to the range with my son.

What better then to talk about than going to the range as a way to spend some quality time with your loved ones, or even by yourself. Brendan and I love going to the range to improve our marksmanship skills, to prepare for hunting trips, to have fun, and to bond. It is one of the best places to bond for a parent and children that I can think of. Let me explain why I think so.

Teaching a child to shoot signifies something very special to your child, and to you too. First of all it means that you want to do things with your children, probably something you already love doing, so you want to share it with them. Secondly it means that you think your children are ready to do something which requires a lot of trust of them by you. It also indicates that you are willing to do something that requires you to pay an awful lot of attention to your child for an extended period of time, afterall you do not just hand a child a gun and say go have some fun, nor is it like teaching a child to ride a bike. Once they learn how to ride, they ride off with there friends. If you teach them to shoot, they surely cannot go to the range themselves at, let's say 9 years old. You have to continue to take them to the range and teach them about shooting, and shoot with them, if they are to continue this as a hobby or sport as a child. You have to spend time with them, during which time you pay an awful lot of attention to them, but yet during which time your continuously strive to get them to the point where they are fully capable of handling a firearms safely by themselves. The whole process is something that gets them to exercise things you have taught them, to accept responsibility and to act responsibly, to continue to closely bond with you the parent even throughout their teen years, to learn about one of our greatest rights, to prepare for times in their lives when they will combine all those things to make tehemselves fine upstandinbg adult memmbers of the community.

Going to the range with the kids though is not just a narrowly restricted activity. In the case of my son and I, I try to spread out the range trip experience with other things. Because of that, I choose to go to a range that takes us about 45 minutes to an hour to reach. My son, who now has a learner's permit, usually gets to drive. Sometimes after we are done at the range, we go to visit my mom who lives wioth my sister, my brother-in-law and my nephew. It makes for a nice family visit. We may also stop out and get some shopping done (maybe at Home fdepot, so I can get some work done around the house). A typical range trip witout the vist to our relatives may take about 6 to 8 hours total. With a trip to my mom, it is an all day affair.

My son could choose to do many other things on a Saturday in the summertime (he is almost always off on Saturdays since he works on Sundays). He could ride his bike, play ball, work on a project in the garage (lord knows what he is doing, but I know it isn't building bombs, he gets enough bang at the range), or he could hang out with his friends. Hanging out with friends is normal activity for a teenaged kid. He can do it almost as much as he likes, as long as he is done with his math studies (he get tutoring over the summer to be ready for the fall), done with his chores (which he sometimes slacks off on), and as long as he is not being restricted for having messed up. Iam pretty happy, and proud of him, that he chooses to go to the range with me on Saturdays when I ask him to come along. It makes me realize I am doing something right as a parent if he is still interested in doing things with me. That is a real good feeling.

Just when you think people cannot get much worse...

along comes a story like the one , with some pretty terrible allegations. I just read it on the 1010 WINS radio station website at this link: http://1010wins.com/pages/70993.php?contentType=4&contentId=190780. It is a story about an alleged child molestor, who allegedly has preyed upon children between the ages of 23 months and 8 years old over the course of the years 1998 through 2005. As per the report, the alleged suspect was a contractor who molested children in the homes in which he was working. I don't know how long they leave these stories up on the net, but if you want to read it I suggest clicking the link as soon as possible.

Amazingly this guy, according to the article: allegedly molested the children often while the parents were in other areas of the homes. He allegedly sometimes showed them pornography while he molested them, he allegedly restrained some with rope and or handcuffs, and he allegedly videotaped himself and the children in some instances as he molested them and or as childen were in various states of undress.

According to the article, a neighbor interviewed about him stated: "Never in a million years would I think he would do what he did,'' said Mandeville, who said he's known Bilski for 15 years. "He was a good friend. It's sad. It's terrible what he did to the families and it's terrible what he did to himself.''

Well I have to boom about this one. In my opinion, if this actually winds up being proven to have happened and this guy is found guilty, then it will not be only sad that this happened it will be, as I see it, absolutely intolerable! I am of the belief that anyone convicted of such crimes against children should, at the minimum, receive 25 years incarceration per instance of any child being molested. So if you were to molest a single child 5 times and be convicted of that, you would receive 125 years in jail - no chance of parole. If you molested 2 children at once, you would receive 50 years if convicted; and so forth. If you were found guilty as a repeat offender, I am of the opinion that the death penalty would be too good for you. This guy, if convicted, would be in jail for at least many lifetimes if he lasted that long.

Of course I am not in charge, and I have no power on my own to try to get the necessary legislation passed that would implement strict sentencing guidelines for those convicted of such offenses, those whom I believe to be heinous monsters. Then again, I can vote, and I do vote regularly in all major elections and in some minor elections. I suggest you all do the same and that you all vote for law and order candidates who want to put a stop to things like this from happening. I also can write, as is evidenced here; but I also write to my elected officials on a fairly regular basis about issues that are of concern to me. I will be writing to my congresswoman, my senators, and quite possibly to the governor of NJ about this one. If as many of us as possible did likewise, then at least people who were convicted of such offenses would stand a very slim chance of ever being able to do it again. Tolerance may be a good thing in some cases, but I am of the ilk that tolerance of this sort of thing is insanity.

A final note, lest you think I have condemmed this man already. All of the allegations above, were just that - allegations. They were, in essence, reported in the article. This man has not been found guilty of anything, though it appears allegations have been made and charges have been filed (quite a large number of them). Yet based on allegations and charges alone, I will not convict and condem anyone. This man, like anyone else in a criminal prosecution within the USA will have his day in court, probably many days in court, and so it should be. I kind of have some hope that he would be found not guilty because I would like to believe that things like those alleged cannot and do not happen. Yet,if he is guilty of these alleged offenses, I would have little if any mercy for him as those children would probably suffer through the rest of their lives.

All the best,
Glenn B

Simple Pleasures, quite frankly maybe the best of all...

Today is Friday, or I should say it is my Saturday this week because I worked this past Sunday. While technically not Saturday it is my first day off this weekend. Not bad. I puttered around on the Internet today trying to locate a local dealer who had in stock a riflescope for which I have been searching. Well I actually looked for a few scopes, but none of them were to be had anywhere locally, and I needed it by today for a shoot tomorrow. The scope is mainly for our (my son Brendan and I)upcoming black bear hunt at the end of the month, and it will sit atop our Marlin 336. I was pretty disappointed that I could not find a the illuminated reticle scopes for which I was searching. In fact, I did find one 2 days ago at B&H Photo in NYC, but it was scratched and the last they had in stock.

As it turned out I went down into the basement, and cleaned the 336. That was simple pleasure number 1. Talking to Brendan about the gun and about our hunt, as I put it back together, was simple pleasure number 2. Then I grabbed a Tasco 3-9x42MM, Mil-Dot reticle scope that I have had laying around unused for a few years, and I slapped that on the Marlin. I have only mounted one scope before, and I did a fair to good job on that one, so I hope I did likewise with this one. Brendan and I will take it to the range tomorrow to sight it in. I was none too happy not to have found a scope with an illuminated reticle, but having had this one on standby, so to speak, was nice; that was simple pleasure number 3 today. Finally getting a scope mounted on the 336 was also nice, simple pleasure number 4 was that I got it done at all.

Not too long after I was done with that, I realized my daughter had taken our car, and I was stranded at home - well not stranded really but too far from the gun shop to walk there to get ammo within a reasonable time. I gave her a call on the cell phone and she told me she would be home soon. When I asked where she had been,, she said looking for a job; that was simple pleasure number 5.

Soon after that, my wife got home from work. My daughter and son came in just after that. My daughter got a phone call almost as soon as she had walked in the door, it was someone telling her to come in for a job interview based on her looking today! That was quick, and it was simple pleasure number 6.

I put the finishing touches on the Marlin and then put it away. Then I mowed the lawn while my wife was making leftovers for dinner along with a nice fresh salad. The salad had some tomatoes from our yard in it. We ate dinner outside on the patio, and we each had a glass of wine with dinner. I enjoyed my wife's cooking and her company immensely. That was simple pleasure number 7 for today.

Simple pleasure number 8 was when I realized that the whole family was nice to one another today, no moaning, no groaning, and no arguing. I am not as grumpy as I once had been. It wasn't a very special day, yet all those things above that I have labeled as simple pleasures made it one heck of an especially fine day. We didn't have to go out and spend a lot of money on things, we didn’t have to go somewhere special to spend the day, we didn't have to go to a fancy restaurant, we didn’t have to have a special meal, we didn't have to do anything out of the ordinary, we just had a nice day. A nice day is one of the simplest pleasures of them all, and when shared with your family, at least even in part, a nice day is hard to beat.

All the best,
Glenn B

If we don't take action Asian Union May Spell Disaster for the USA

The following blocked paragraph is from Yahoo News at http://news.yahoo.com /s/afp/20060817/bs_afp/
aseanjapanchinaskoreaaustraliaindianzealand
_060817122005>

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Japanese officials have proposed a sprawling 16-nation free-trade grouping with China, South Korea, Australia, India, New Zealand and the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc.

Go to the linked site, read the whole article, although you can get a good picture of what is to come from just that first paragraph if this actually goes through.

What I think this all means is that there will be a European Union that has made the European economy stronger in most countries within that union, and an equivalent in Asia that will likely strengthen the economies of many of the nations within that union. That leaves this side of the world including North, Central and South America.

What options does that leave to the United States of America? Of course, the USA could form a wonderful union with all of the nations within North, Central and South Americas. This might be a great boon to the economies of many of the poorer nations involved in such a union; but what would that do for the US economy?

Countries in Europe got to team up with other European nations that had strong economies and that actually were quite productive as far as things like manufacturing and agriculture went. For example Italy gives its European counterparts things like wine, Fiats, and great tourist spots. Switzerland gives them the Alps, skiing, chocolate, clocks and banking. Germany gives them Mercedes Benz, fine Solingen steel, and some of the greatest beer in the world; and the list goes on for other countries in the EU.

In Asia it will be likewise. Japan brings a wealth of manufacturing, the cultured pearl business, fishing fleets, Sony, Toyotas, and aggressive marketing. South Korea gives us Hyundai. Australia gives exports of lamb and other agricultural products, great tourist spots, and a strong military. Chine gives a very strong military, nuclear technology, a wealth of people resources and agriculture. The list also goes on.

In our neck of the woods the USA would be able to give: education (for free to illegal aliens), a wealth of other free services such as health care (to illegal aliens), low or no taxation (for illegal aliens), a wealth of agricultural produce (often given for free or through government subsidies to illegal aliens), manufactured products such as the flags of all South and Central American nations (waved by illegal aliens during protests of tougher Immigration laws), wide open spaces (which are currently being quickly filled in by illegal aliens), constitutional rights (which are being usurped by crooked politicians who favor acceptance of illegal aliens).

What does the USA get in return from its neighbors. If you guessed illegal aliens, well you would only be partly correct. You see we do get agricultural products from Canada to include timber, and food products, and they also give us a better view of Niagara Falls from their side of the border, and from what I understand there is great hunting and fishing to be had north of our border. I don't always agree with Canada's political train of thought, but I like Canada for the most part. Now we turn to Mexico, what do they give to such a Union. Yes you guessed right, their main contribution has and probably would be a mass of illiterate, unskilled people who come to the USA to recolonize it. We currently often refer to the great majority of these folks as illegal aliens. They also give us something else, illegal drugs. Each year millions upon millions of dollars of illegal narcotics are smuggled into the United States from Mexico. These include soft drugs like marijuana; but also include killers like cocaine and heroin. In addition we also wind up getting an overflow of opportunistic thieves and other criminals from Mexico. This is why the auto theft rates along the southern border are historically often sky high. We get much of the same from Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela (which also gives us the threat of being our enemy) and so on. In addition, lest you think I have overlooked them, our neighbors in the Caribbean such as Haiti give us more of much of the same. Of course lest I forget we also get some special things from places like El Salvador such as MS-13, the violent crime gang.

So what can we do to strengthen our future in light of all of this. First of all we can get rid of the illegal aliens who are here sucking us dry. Then we can submit an economic unionization plan to our neighbors to insure they will use their resources to the best of their abilities to foster strong economies. This would include eliminating: drug trafficking, illegal border crossings, sweat shops, and the like. It would also foster instituting: decent wages in said countries, fair labor laws, a decent educational system, and so forth. Can it be done, sure it can. Will it be easy – hell no. Yet countries like Mexico, that actively seek to promote illegal immigration to the USA by the poor of Mexico, is one of the richer nations on this side of the world. They have huge oil reserves, but getting to them through the systemic political corruption in a country where mordida (the small bite, aka: bribery) is a way of life is almost impossible, and certainly not cost effective.

The truth of the matter is that the USA is going to have to depend largely upon itself, as it always has done, to remain a viable economic power in the world of the future. In order to do so we need to manage: our resources carefully. This means not giving them away to tens of millions of illegal aliens. We can continue to welcome legal immigrants tom our shore, but ilegals, let's face it - many of them commited a crime as their first act upon our soil. In addition, we will have to manage our domestic and foreign policies wisely. This means a replacement of most of the politicians on state and federal levels by politicians, whom we vote into office, who truly have the good of this nation as their goal as opposed to having an anti one person outlook. Let’s face it folks, if all the majority of one of our political parties wants to rant on about is how we need to get rid of our current president, well then something is drastically wrong with our politics. First of all, don’t these folks realize that he is out in a couple of years no matter what! So why rant on about getting rid of him? Likewise why does the other side, or at least much of it, feel the need to support him 100% in everything he does?

As I see it, we need to get together on this across party lines. This does not mean we have to all vote for one candidate or for a third party candidate (though that might be a help, that is if there was a really viable third party – which there is not currently). What it does mean is that we, and our current elected leaders, ought to get together to plan a reasonable, well thought out plan, for the economic survival of the United States of America before it is too late and we slide down the slope to becoming a third world nation. I am open to suggestions about how to do so, suggestions that are non-partisan, and logical. My first one was mentioned above, let’s get rid of those, many of whose first act upon our soil was a crime, of course, by whom I mean illegal aliens. Then let’s work onward from there, let's get rid of politicans who drag us into the dirt and replace them with men and women whose only goal is to better the USA; it can only get better for us if we do so.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Boomers: Beretta 70S

Aah, my Beretta 70S in .22LR is one of my favorite guns. I bought one back in the early 80s when I was living in El Centro, CA, and working in the Border Patrol in Calexico, CA. It had a minor problem that needed repair, or maybe I sent it in to get a longer barrel fitted to it (that was long ago and I now vaguely remember that it may have been for a barrel fitting and not a problem at all), so I sent it into Beretta. They did what they had to do to it, sent it back to me via UPS, and UPS in their ultimate wisdom left it on my front doorstep because I was not home when they made the delivery. When I got home, the gun was not home anymore. Apparently someone helped themselves to it while it sat there all lonesome and such. Well after me filing a report with UPS, Beretta and the Sheriff's office, I finally got a replacement Beretta shipped to me by Beretta, and paid for by UPS. The one in the picture is that replacement.

I have taken good care of it over the years, and have also had a lot of fun with it. If you ever want o purchase a reliable pistol in .22LR, this is one that you should consider. Of course, they are no longer in production, but they can be found with some fair regularity on sites like GunBroker.com. I made sure to buy extra magazines for mine, and I am quite happy that I did so. Extra magazines may actually be harder to find than are the pistols nowadays. All in all, one of the best firearms purchaes I have ever made. I can assure you it convinced me that Beretta was a quality firearms manufacturer - as will be evidenced in future postings of Ballseye's Boomers.

This particular pistol has an alloy frame, steel slide, adjustable rear sight, fixed front sight, and holds a magazine with an 8 round capacity. The mag release is on the lower left side of the grip. The action is single action only. Safety is mounted on the left rear of the frame (like a Colt 1911). It can be carried cocked and locked though I recommend against this. I believe it has an inertia firing pin, but do not hold me to that.

Lots of fun to shoot, easy to take care of, and made with the quality control that is a halmark of Beretta.

Safe shooting,
Glenn B

Has New Orleans become a gulag?

The following is a copy of the text I received in an email from the NRA today (I am a life member of the NRA). When I read it I had what Kim du Toit refers to as an RCOB moment; RCOB standing for the Red Curtain of Blood that sometimes descends over one's field of vision in moments of extreme anger. Yes when I read the following I got pretty darned mad at who, in my opinion, are the boobs running New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.

Read it yourself and see what you think, then remember they could just as well have said it was any other part of the Constitution or Bill of Rights that does not apply to the people in NO or LA.

Statement from Chris Cox on NRA'sLawsuit Against the City of New Orleans

Today, in a landmark victory for NRA and law-abiding gun owners, Judge
Carl J. Barbier of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
denied the City of New Orleans' motion to dismiss NRA's lawsuit against the city
and held that the Second Amendment applies to law-abiding residents in the State
of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans. Straining the bounds of credibility
and reflecting the true sentiment of anti-gunners, the City of New Orleans
contemptuously argued that the Second Amendment does not apply to residents in
the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans.

NRA first
filed suit after reports surfaced indicating that, following Hurricane Katrina,
firearms were confiscated from law-abiding New Orleans residents. Former New
Orleans Police Chief Eddie Compass issued orders to confiscate firearms from all
citizens, under a flawed state emergency powers law. With that one order, the
one means of self-protection innocent victims had during a time of widespread
civil disorder was stripped away.

NRA filed suit in federal court
and won a preliminary injunction ending all the illegal gun confiscations. After
the City of New Orleans failed to comply with the court's ruling and dishonestly
claimed that the gun confiscations never occurred, NRA filed a motion for
contempt that included an order directing all seized firearms be returned to
their rightful owners.

After denying the illegal confiscations for
months, on March 15, 2006, Mayor Nagin and the New Orleans Police Department
finally conceded in federal court that the seized firearms were stored in two
trailers. The city then agreed in court to a process by which law-abiding
citizens would be able to file a claim to receive their confiscated firearms.
However, few firearms were returned because the NOPD never notified gun owners
how to claim their guns, and turned many away citing impossible standards for
proof of ownership.

Today's ruling sets the stage for a continued
legal fight in which NRA will be forced to expend additional resources to fight
back the anti-gunner's blatant and shameful attempts to ignore the Second
Amendment. The case will now move to discovery and pre-trial
preparation.

NRA will keep you informed of future developments
regarding this case.
If you would like to make an online contribution to
support NRA-ILA's efforts in this case, please visit https://secure.nraila.org/Contribute.aspx.

It was first paragraph alonethat got my blood to the boiling point so much so that it welled up enough within to pour down over my retinas and make me see red. Does the mayor or governor, or the attorneys working for NO or LA (the state) think that they are running a gulag in which their citizens have lost their Constitutional rights? Exactly what is it with them that they would have the unmitigated audacity to contend that the 2nd amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America does not pertain to the people of both New Orleans or LA?

For that alone, I believe, both the mayor and the governor should be impeached, maybe even arrested and tried for anything that would apply. It is coming to the point where there may well be talk of armed insurrections against local or state governments of the same ilk. I do not condone such, but I think I would probably understand why they would take place. It is almost as if we are becoming prisoners in this country, held captive by our politicians, who are acting very much like oppresive tyrants.

All the best,
Glenn B

Our Government at Work...

According to FoxNews.com, the DEA and U.S. Coast Guard have teamed up to successfully nab an alleged drug lord, Javier Arellano-Felix, whose gang is allegedly responsible for up to 20 murders within the USA and Mexico. He was nabbed while aboard a fishing boat while in offshore waters off of the coast of Mexico, and the information leading to the arrest was from a tip. See the full article at this link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208700,00.html

I have to hand it to both the DEA and the US Coast Guard for working so well together as to arrange what apparently amounted to a boarding/raid of that fishing vessel at sea. I have to also hand it to whichever agency it was that developed the informant who supplied the tip. This is what is called excellent law enforcement work, and these efforts are sure to put at least a crimp in the activities of the Arellano-Felix gang. Federal law enforcement personnel like these risk their lives on a daily basis to help keep our country free of criminals and the effect of their illegal activities. My hat goes off to the DEA and US Coast Guard for a job well done.

Bear Hunting Plans, oh what anticipation...

Some things come along only once in a lifetime. When they are good things, things that we have dreamed about for years but for one reason or another we could not achieve, then they stand to become a great event in our lives. I remember reading Outdoor Life and Field and Stream magazines way back when I was in my teens - dreaming of the first day that I would be able to go hunting. That day has long come and gone, heck I don't even remember what it was for which I first hunted. I do recall one of my earliest hunts was for squirrels, and another for deer but cannot for the life of me pick which was first. Oh well, it was still an event of a lifetime even if memory fails me right now, and even if I did not get anything. I do remember the first deer hunt, and that was a grand experience for me even though I did not bag a deer. I saw one and missed, and that was a thrill, all on its own worth all the time and effort I had spent preparing for that hunt - my first deer hunt.

Well now at much closer over the hill to my 51st birthday than my 50th, I am at it again. I am preparing for an event of a lifetime. At the end of this month I will take my son Brendan hunting in the Maine woods. We will be hoping to bag a black bear. This is not something I really ever gave to much thought to in the past. While not against bear hunting, I was never tempted all that much to hunt for one. That changed recently pretty much on a whim, and because of a desire to do something special with Brendan before he goes back to school this fall. We have taken a yearly road trip, for the past few years, each summer. Sometimes we have gone fishing, other times looking for herps, other times canoeing - but every time it has been a get-away from the urban of NYC where I work, and quasi urban sprawl of Long Island where we live.

A few years back it was on one such road trip when Brendan caught his first brown trout, one of about 20 or 22 inches. That was some impressive fish, and it was an even more impressive smile on his face after he landed it.

His first hunt was for gray squirrels about three years ago, only saw one squirrel, got a shot but missed - yet he was as happy as had he been a hunter who bagged the limit for the day. We have not hunted much, but have gone out once or twice since then, so as you can imagine a hunt for bear should be a hunt he will remember for a lifetime. It sure will be one I will not forget, nor will I forget all the preparations I have been making due to my spur of a moment decision to go on this hunt.

I was amazed I could even get reservations with a guide service. I figured for sure that all of them would have been booked well in advance. I was pretty much right on with that assumption, so I was very pleasantly surprised when I was called by an outfitter who had a cancellation. As a matter of fact, 2 outfitters called me telling me they had people who changed plans, so there were available slots for Brendan and I. It was tough choosing between the two, but I finally opted for the one with an additional day's hunt for only $50 more. This will be one of those deals where all room and board is included in the package, as is a guide, cleaning of the kill and p[reparation of the meat(if Brendan gets lucky) and so forth. You may have noticed I just said if Brendan gets lucky. Well, as much as I would like to hunt, I could not afford the additional cost of both of us actually hunting, it is much less expensive if I go along as an observer non-hunter, so I will be at his side but not hunting. Anyhow, if he bags a bear, that will be more than enough meat to last for quite a awhile and I don't think we have enough room in the house for 2 bear skin rugs. I am not primarily a trophy hunter, we will eat this critter if he gets one, but nor do I want to waste anything, so if he gets lucky we will also make a rug of the bear skin.

Regardless of me not being able to hunt, I can only imagine this will be a great deal of fun for us, and a great life experience for both of us. Just my giving in to the whim to go on this hunt and actually spend the money is a change for me, all of my hunts are usually pretty much low budget affairs. Of course I am sticking a bit to my old ways and not hunting myself, keeping it within reason price wise, but for me to shell out for this without first doing a year or two of research on the guide services who are available is a major breakthrough for Mr. procrastination himself (that being me). Once I made the decision, I had to start to get ready, and that includes making sure Brendan is prepared for the shot of a lifetime.

Along those lines we have been going to the range at least once a week for the past few weeks. he was already an okay shot with small caliber rifles, but just started shooting my Remington 870 in 12 gauge, my marlin 336 in .35 Remington, and my Mosan Nagant in 7.62x54R. All decent sized calibers for Black Bear for sure. He has had many a day with a sore and bruised shoulder, but his enthusiasm keeps him shooting and learning how to shoot better, well under my instruction anyhow. That is where about 14 years of collateral duties as a firearms instructor on my job came in handy for this hunt. He shot a one hole group at 50 yards last weekend, that with the Remington 870 with regular 2 3/4 inch slugs. His best group was 1 3/8 inches, I was impressed when I realized he had shot better than me. That was with open sights too!

There are and were lots of other preparations, such as: contacting about 20 guides, picking the guide, buying Brendan a camo outfit/rain gear, getting a scope for the marlin (which has proven to be a pain because it has to be somewhat low budget since at this point I have little money because of the cost of the trip), and so on. I am also trying to get Brendan ready for this knowledge wise about bears. As far as safety goes he is there already, but I still pound that into him each time we shoot. I suppose I also have to make sure the car is ready for the trip.

Brendan's anticipation is up there along with mine, but maybe not quite as high if only because he is not the one taking his son hunting on the hunt of a lifetime - I don't think he realizes yet that this is what this hunt is going to be for me! I can't wait till we leave, August 26. I keep you all posted.


If you want more info about our plans, you can find them at the forums at The other Side of Kim at: , and at . That second thread also has some pics of Brendan's targets. Hopefully when he sees the bear, he will shoot half as straight as he does at the range.


If you want more info about our plans, you can find them at the forums at The other Side of Kim at:

http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/14355/, http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/14654/ ,

http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/14776/.

That last link also has some pics of Brendan's targets. Hopefully when he sees the bear, he will shoot half as straight as he does at the range.


All the best,
Glenn B

Screw California Dreamin'- Wake Up California!: Will GFWs ever learn- gun control DOESN'T WORK.

Here is a link to a commendable blog, that shows a lot of common sense about guns, the fallacy of gun control, and criminals. Screw California Dreamin'- Wake Up California!: Will GFWs ever learn- gun control DOESN'T WORK.

My hat goes off to Draven. To him I say: Congrats on your new blog. I love it. Keep up the good work and maybe you'll be able to shake some of those fruit and nut trees out in the PRK so much so that you wake up a few of those California Dreamers and they see the light of reality.

A Bit Of Blather From Ballseye

Today is the first day of this blog, so I will give you a hint at what is to come later on. Well, it will probably wind up being a rant more than a blog. In future rants I'll talk about lots of things somewhat, and a few things a whole lot. Things near and dear to me are the USA, patriotism (that goes across party lines, if you are as old as me you should remember that, the real kind of patriotism not today's party affiliation loyalty and dedication, but loyalty and dedication to our country), my family, firearms and shooting them, herps (no not herpes - herps - or reptiles and amphibians, which I keep and breed as a hobby), ales and beers (of which I do not imbibe too excess, usually anyhow), good books, sci-fi, travel, hunting and fishing, photography, general adventure, world events, and on and on.

I hope you will join me to share your thoughts with me and my readers. Please, try to keep it polite, courteous, civil - no matter how much you may agree or disagree with another poster and what they have written. Thanks to all for this common courtesy.