Bulgarian Maniac Beheads Apparently Unarmed Retiree

A Bulgarian reportedly beheaded a woman, yesterday, in a supermarket on the Spanish island of Tenerife. This is why, if you can be armed, you should always be armed:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386762/British-woman-beheaded-Tenerife-machete.html

If reading that article did not scare you enough to arm yourself, then read this one:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1387225/Woman-beheaded-Tenerife-retired-grandma-Norwich.html

That was the original article I read about it, it goes into more detail about how the guy was stalking his victim and how the woman realized he was stalking her. She even went into a government office and asked for help. Then when she thought all was clear, she left and he again was tailing her and reportedly followed her into the store where he killed her. Too bad she was not the one who had the thought to grab a knife or machete in the store.

May she rest in peace and may the guilty party receive true justice at the end of a rope.

Be careful out there,
Glenn B

Today Was A Pretty Nice Day For Me

I had a pretty nice day today. I drove out to my sister's neck of the woods on eastern Long Island this morning 9ad into the early afternoon). My destination was not my sister's house but the local village hall. Along the way, I saw my friend and fellow Long Island Herpetological Society member, John H on the road - headed in the wrong way. I pulled a u-turn and flagged him down and we headed to the village hall in tandem. We were there in a couple of minutes where we were met by my sister. Shortly thereafter, a custodian arrived and he let us in to the building. Others also started to show up - the others being Cub Scouts dropped off by their parents. John and I, with some help from the others started to unload the special cargo of our cars and put everything inside. Soon enough we were set up and the show began.

The show was nothing less than a Long Island Herpetological Society presentation on reptiles & amphibians for the local Cub Scout pack. John and I each took turns showing various herps to the scouts and the two oms who stayed with them (my sister and a nice lady Ann Marie). We showed off a good variety of critters including: 2 Corn Snakes, 2 Hermann's Tortoises, 3 Crested Geckos, a bearded Dragon, 2 Red Foot Tortoises, a Morning Gecko, a Leachianus Gecko, a really beautifully colored Panther Chameleon, an Anderson's Salamander, 5 Blue Tailed Fire Belly Newts, a Blue Tongued Skink, and an African Clawed Frog. We had a absolutely captive (or captivated) audience for over an hour. It was not until the snacks came out that we started to lose the interest of the youngsters. I have to hand it to these kids, mostly 10 year olds and a 14 year old, they were pretty sharp. Not only did they ask really intelligent questions, they answered questions likewise and they had several points to make along the way.

I have got to hand it to my friend John, his presentation of his animals was quite informative. He sure knows his stuff when it comes to lizards and he sure has some interesting ones! Both I and the scouts were lucky he came along today.

After that we all parted ways and I headed home. I called the wife while en route to ask if she wanted to go out to diner and she told me she already had plans to go out with our daughter and our neighbor Trish. Then I asked if we needed anything from the supermarket or Costco and she said "nope". I drove on and decided to make a stop at a pet shop on the way. I needed some dog snacks, and some fish food for my newts, salamanders and tropical fish. Just before I got to the shop, I called my son and asked him if he wanted to go out to dinner with his old man. He said 'let's go'. I made my stop and headed right home. At home, we I offloaded all the critters with Brendan's help and soon after we were off.

We headed into Glendale, Queens, to Zum Stamtisch - a really good German restaurant and bar. It was packed when we got there and I asked if he wanted to sit at the bar to eat. he agreed and as luck would have it, 2 people were just leaving the bar and we had a couple of seats at an otherwise packed bar. We had a nice meal, I had a few drinks, my first bier in about 2 or 3 months and 2 shots of Kirschwasser. I was only going to have the bier and one shot, but an old friend who bartends there bought me a second shot. Brendan had a single Hefe Weisse Bier, same as I had. It was a good time but too short and the next thing I knew we were headed home.

When I got home, Brendan stayed out to go meet some of his buds. I came down to the basement, fed the fish and plopped down to watch some TV and write a blog post. Just as I sat down to start blogging, I felt something on my arm tickling me. I looked over and found a freeloader who probably hitched a ride on me out near my sister's place. It was a tick, her area is loaded with them. Lucky for me, it was only crawling on me and had not, to my knowledge, sank its mandibles into me for a meal. Last time I found a tick stuck in me, from out that way, I got a rash. I went to the doc who told me don't worry because it was absolutely, positively, definitely not a Lyme Disease rash. She did a test anyway and yes, of course, it was positive. Second time I had it for sure, probably the third time in actuality. I do not want it again, my joints have suffered enough. Anyway, the tick today was not a deer tick, it was way too large. You can bet I am happy about that and that I did not find it dining at my expense.

Now I am blogging and half assed watching a movie called Event Horizon. I think I need to pay more attention to the movie, so later 4 U.

All the best,
Glenn B