It's Retiree Saturday Again...

...and while I had been convinced that every day being a Saturday, now that I am retired, was a good thing - I am no longer so certain of that anymore. For instance, today, I will go out and again tackle the roots remaining in what used to be my front lawn. Probably would have taken me all of a half hour at most with a roto-tiller but I have been doing it by hand. It seems my pampered and thus soft hands can not take all that much of the roots burning the skin away in small patches as I try to win the tug of war with the toes of the four trees on near my front lawn - an Linden tree at curbside, an Evergreen and Dogwood on the main  part of the lawn and a Japanese Maple on a section between the walkway and driveway that I have not even considered touching until I see how the main part of my postage stamp sized lawn comes out once I have replanted it. If I don't get that section right, then this fall I will call in some professionals to do it the right way. Now back to the backbreaking, knee pulverizing and finger blistering job that I have been doing over the course of what - two weeks now. Man oh man - those tree toes can sure get a grip and be hard to pull out but I am winning, slowly yes, but surely too. I have a small patch remaining, only about 4 hours of work (at most) left to me to get out rest of them. Once they are out, I will turn the soil a bit with a pick, remove any grass or weeds that started to grow since I began my project in lawn procrastination and then I will plant the seeds. That will take all of a half hour at most. what has been taking me so long is mostly that the darned root are a pain in the neck, literally, to pull out and that it has rained an awful lot over the past couple of weeks. Add to that a couple of raw pots on my left fingers, where roots slipped out of my dirty hands but where it seemed like the roots actually tugged back into the earth as I tried to yank em out and that made me take a day or two off too. Wussy that I am, I did not want to go back out there and get garden soil and cat crap (yes, as I was digging up and pulling out roots, I realized it smelled as if a cat let loose on my lawn a few times) into the sores, so I waited a day after each before continuing. Heck, I have a lot of time on my hands every day being a Saturday and all.

Of course, that means my wife thinks I should be doing things to fill my days. I spend about three to four hours online, at least three days per week, looking and applying for jobs. I actually have an interview set up for tomorrow morning for a security job at, of all places, a public library. The pay is pretty low, the hours are few and the job does not commence until September. I have to wonder why a library needs two guards on duty right during the hours the high school across the street from it gets out, make me wonder about whether or not it is a reform school. Oh well, first interview that has been offered other than an on the phone interview after which I did not get that job. I plan to be there with bells on. Other than looking for jobs, I do the wash, do the dishes, mend some minor things, mow the lawn, do some vegetable gardening and weed pulling and water the wife's flower garden. I don't do a heck of a lot. Maybe I should start some projects in the house just to keep me busy and her happy.

Today, I'll be mowing the lawn, putting out fertilizer spikes for the trees, and ripping out roots (and making the trees moan). After that, if there is still time, I have to package up a shotgun for shipment to Browning for repair. Hopefully I'll make a trip to UPS with it today, to get it on its way. As you can see though, it is already almost noon and I am still sitting here blogging via my laptop. Oh well, no hurry, I can always do whatever needs to be done on Saturday. Heck, that's right, today is Saturday - so is everyday now that I am retired. Rats!

Really now and right now, I have got to go and get some work done before the wife gets home from work or she may clobber me. Later 4 U.

All the best,
Glenn B

Village Voice Questions Police Shoot of Alleged Zombie Like Attacker

As incredible as it may seem, The Village Voice, has come out, questioning, and as I see it, apparently in opposition to, the police shooting of Rudy Eugene as he allegedly was attacking Ronald Poppo by reportedly eating off his face. Yes, they ask a lot of questions, but it sure seems they are, in the least, implying the officer was wrong to have shot Eugene. See this article.

Here is my opinion on that:

I almost cannot believe the outright idiocy of those on the ultra-left who think that the police using deadly force to stop an apparent raving lunatic's brutal attack on another man - one in which he allegedly had brutally injured and seemingly was about to further severely injure the victim - was unjustified. They claim that the Eugene was unarmed. They question the shooting and seem to imply that police should not have shot him because Eugene having been unarmed must have been a mitigating factor even though allegedly killing or severely injuring another. The Village Voice claims that the police ordered him to stop and he did stop "sort of"  because he looked up at the police while chewing the other man's flesh and growled. Thus they imply that at that moment Eugene was no longer an imminent threat to the victim (by law imminent being the end all be all as far as use of deadly force by the officer went when a person is in danger of death or serious bodily injury) and that the officer should have used a different degree of force other than deadly force. Then they back up that claim with a partial quote from a witness:

"The guy just stood, his head up like that, with pieces of flesh in his mouth. And he growled."

Then the Voice says: "Then police started shooting."

But that is not exactly how it happened according to other reports. Funny how maybe the Village Voice would show it with a little less of what was said so as to fit their viewpoint, isn't it? According to another report, this one here at The Huffington Post, it happened just a little bit differently, as per an on the scene witness:

"Vega later told news outlets that when Rivera yelled at Eugene to back away, the naked man merely raised his head "with pieces of flesh in his mouth," growled, and began chewing again."

Did you catch the little bit of difference, which probably did not matter toward justification of use of deadly force (the officer already had enough) but certainly that gave the officer even more cause to use deadly force. The assailant allegedly "...began chewing again". So, the officer fired one shot at the point when Eugene reportedly ignored his order and started chewing on the victim's flesh again. To me, the fact that, the alleged bad guy reportedly started chewing on the victims flesh again, would indicate - he had not stopped as lawfully ordered by the officer but had intended to continue to assault Mr. Poppo. Therefore, the victim's life was still threatened by imminent death or serious bodily harm. That imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death was all the justification that the officer needed to be justified in using deadly force. Then the officer shot him - once.

What happens next, right after the first shot, only goes to support the officer's mindset that Eugene posed a continued and imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death to Mr. Poppo. Also from the Huffington Post article was this:

"Rivera reportedly then shot Eugene once, but Eugene still continued to attack Poppo's face, prompting the officer to shoot multiple times until he was dead."

Eugene allegedly continued to attack the victim and the officer, then and only then, fired additional shots beyond the first shot until Eugene stopped (the officer was justified to shoot until Eugene stopped and it does not matter legally if justifiably shooting to stop results in the death of the assailant). Get that, the guy had supposedly been shot and then allegedly continued his attack on the victim! What does that tell you? It tells you that if the officer had believed that Eugene posed an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the victim, at the moment he fired his first shot, then the officer was absolutely right in said belief as evidenced by Eugene's alleged further actions. That the alleged assailant had still posed an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death to the victim was upheld by the alleged assailants further actions. so why second guess the officer when his apparent mindset was proven correct? Bear in mind, the officer did not have to 'know' that more serious bodily harm or death was going to happen, he needed probable cause to believe it was about to happen. If the facts of the alleged assault and that Eugene allegedly ignored the officer, remained atop of Mr. Poppo and then continued chewing on the victim's flesh was not enough to constitute such probable cause - heaven help us. Yet, the Voice then goes on in essence to say that, the moment when the alleged assailant looked up would have been the opportune time for the officer to have (now get this):

"...whip out the "non-deadly force" -- or a boot to the face, or a baton to the skull, etc. "

Maybe the folks at the Village Voice should learn exactly what constitutes deadly force because they most certainly advocated using it on Eugene even though they question the officer for having used it. A kick to the face definitely would be the use of deadly force and a baton to the skull absolutely would be the use of deadly force. So, what non-deadly force are they talking about when they actually give examples of deadly force and say that the officer should have resorted to it their way?

Maybe they were confused with regard to what is deadly force. Maybe they meant something like a TASER. They claimed that the police love TASERs and thus maybe should have used one of those because it is non-lethal force (true in most cases but sometime lethal). I don't know about TASERs that much but do indeed know that not every officer carries one. I also know that, in many cases, TASERs have not proved effective on the first shot against crazed assailants. Heck, even the officer's first gunshot did not stop Eugene from allegedly continuing to rip apart the victims face with his teeth.

There is no doubt in my mind, that if the facts are correct as reported by sources other than the Village Voice, the officer was fully justified in his actions and in fact, probably chose the best action to have taken. I think that it is about time that the ultra-liberal folks at the Village Voice, and any ultra-right wing anti-government types who also oppose this shooting, ought to realize, there is no reason for any officer, in such a situation, to put himself into harms way by getting as close as suggested so as to be able to strike the alleged bad guy with boot or baton. There also is NO reason for the officer to allow the victim, Mr. Poppo, to be continuously placed in harms way, not for even one moment longer, because you wanted the police to treat the alleged assailant in a gentler, less lethal, manner. Face it, the officer dealt with this alleged zombie like kook the only way he should have done so. It is about time you honor the officer, Miami Police Officer Jose Rivera, for saving a life instead of questioning him as if he is suspected of having done a wrong. Shame on you Village Voice, is all I can think.

All the best,
Glenn B

It's Memorial Day - Take A Moment...

...to think about all of those, in military service during wartime, who sacrificed all in defense of our nation to protect our way of life, our Constitution and us.

Today is the one day a year set aside for us as a nation to remember them, to memorialize them, lest they be forgotten. It doesn't take long to give them a thought, maybe to say a little prayer for them, to assure they will live on forever. They would have done at least that much for us had they survived and had we been the ones to have perished.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Can Almost Agree With Hard Line Muslims On This One

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/05/27/lady-gaga-cancels-indonesian-show-over-security441650/?intcmp=trending

While I don't agree with what were to have been their planned methods, I kind of, sort of, like the fact that they think she is terrible.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ah The Stamina Of Youth

The son got a bit snockered at his graduation party yesterday afternoon through last night through early this morning - him along with a good number of his friends, my wife (expecting a major hangover for her), daughter, my wife's coworker/friend, and some of our neighbors. I had a beer but was feeling too rundown to drink more so I drank about 5 cups of coffee. Luckily for me, and intelligently for Brendan's friends, they all decided to walk home. Most did not bring cars but the one who did left it parked on our block. Had they wanted me to, I would have driven them home but when I asked about driving them they all opted to walk. The party started at about 2PM yesterday, about an hour early when my in-laws showed up, then my sister her beau and my nephew and his best friend and slowly but surely all the rest we expected. It ended at about 2AM this morning right after I sent my son a text message reminding him he had work at 0700. He was still outside with one of the neighbors until then. From the sound of it, he headed upstairs to hit the sack at about 0210.

I went up to wake him for work; I am guessing that was at about 0655 or so. He was, up and out, on his way to work at 0703. Not too bad considering the party and all. I asked if he was still feeling a bit tipsy and he said "no" and did not appear to be at all; he had stopped drinking awhile before the party ended (that was smart on his part). Had he even hinted of still being under the influence, even just a tiny bit, I would have driven him into work. Yet, it may be a tough day at the kennel today, all those dogs yapping and Brendan maybe going to have a bit of a hangover, then again maybe not. College graduation only comes around once and he is still young, with lots of stamina, so he will make it through the day okay.

All the best,
GB

Is Sniping To Become A More Exacting Science?

A young lad, in Germany, has finally answered a 300 year old question left to us by Sir Isaac Newton regarding how to calculate the exact path of a projectile that is affected by gravity and air resistance. I would have thought this was already known but apparently it was only ever partly figured out until now. Perhaps the study and applications of ballistics will become more exact than they are now. In practical applications, I could see this enhancing a sniper's capability to hit targets at further distances than were previously thought possible or in the ability of one nation to better target another with ballistic missiles. (That is a scary thought - isn't it; seems to be more than enough scary stuff in the news today!)

All the best,
GB

Has The Zombie Apocalypse Actually Begun - Naked Man Shot and Killed By Police In Miami

"Miami police and witnesses say that an officer on Saturday fatally shot a naked man who was chewing on the face of another man on a downtown causeway off-ramp."

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/26/cop-shoots-kills-naked-attacker-in-miami/?intcmp=obinsite#ixzz1w59Qh3E6

"Police theorize the attacker might have been suffering from "cocaine psychosis," a drug-induced craze that bakes the body internally and often leads the affected to strip naked to try and cool off."

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/26/2818832/naked-man-shot-killed-on-macarthur.html

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/26/2818832/naked-man-shot-killed-on-macarthur.html#storylink=cp

Yeah right, but that is not what I am thinking. I don't know about you but stuff like this scares me and makes me think of places like Racoon City (if you don't understand the reference, watch the movie Resident Evil). Maybe it is because I watch many too many zombie movies or maybe it is because seemingly crazy people who commit monster like violence are becoming all too common or maybe it is a combination of both. As it stands now, this attack, with its zombie attack like similarities - a man, a naked man at that, in a very weird location for both him and the victim to be afoot, chewing off another man's face and ignoring police orders to desist, then being shot several times to stop him and the police having an immediate hypothetical reason as to why he was naked and violent to the extreme - is almost too much for me to cope with, this early, on a Sunday (or as I now say in retirement, just another Saturday) without me thinking about something horrifically phantasmagorical like a zombie apocalypse. All that, especially before my first cuppa Joe, was pretty freaky. What I can cope with though is not important.

I almost cannot fathom what the police officer who had to shoot this guy is going to go through. Not so much because he shot him and killed him but because of the gruesomeness of the crime that he witnessed and took decisive action to end. Neither can I imagine what the victim of the crime will have to go through after having survived an unusual assault as that and likely winding up facially disfigured for life (they said the guy ate half of his face).

Just way too weird not to be scary.

All the best,
Glenn B

It's Memorial Day Weekend Again - So Let's Memorialize

Memorial Day weekend is upon us once again. The beaches officially open this weekend, at least here in NY, and the BBQ's get fired up ad the beer and booze flows, sales galore abound, discounts are given to military personnel. If we know a Soldier, or Airman, or Sailor, or Marine or Coast Guardsman we probably are going to be likely to thank them for their service.

Once again, despite our good intention, we apt to get it all pretty much wrong about Memorial Day. Memorial Day is not for those currently serving or for veterans. Their day is Veterans' Day. Memorial Day is very different or at least was meant to be something very different. It is a time to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, during time of war, to serve and protect our nation, our Constitution, our way of life and each and every one of us. It is a time to memorialize the dead, to pay homage to our bravely fallen grandfathers, fathers, mothers, spouses, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and so on who lost their lives during wartime while serving our great nation.

I am not about to tell you, even for a moment, that we should not be respectful and thankful to those currently serving but I am going to repeat - it is not their day on Monday - it is a day to remember those who are among the missing. We must never forget them nor their sacrifice - so, during the ballgame, or while at the department store sale, or when enjoying the BBQ - take a moment to give them a thought - those who have drank from the same canteen.

All the best,
Glenn B

Pretty Lady Reviewing Ruger 22/45 Mark III

Nice video, pretty gal, nice gun.

All the best,
Glenn B

My Manifesto

I was just over at Breda's blog and saw that she wrote about those BS posters with all those feelgood-isms (as she called them). I agree, that stuff is mostly balderdash.

She suggested writing out own manifestos. I thought about that, wondered what was mine and realized I was already living by mine. Then I wrote it out for the world to see. Got it all done in about less than a NY minute. Here it is:

My manifesto:

We all die, it is a question of how and when, mostly when. I am not too worried about it at this stage of my life, I have done onto others mostly as I would have had them do onto me, that was conditionally - I acted this way or that way dependent on how they acted toward me after I first showed respect. That is how I would want someone to treat me. So now, I plan to have as good of a good time as I can have, and to share my good times with others who can appreciate it, in what time I have remaining. I cannot see anything better than that except maybe for how I spend the end moment. Who knows, today or tomorrow I may die at the hands of some bastards or worse. If it's the bastards who get me, I plan to take one, or two of them, along with me - if it's worse well what can I do except to go and hopefully do it bravely, always sure I have left a little of myself behind for others to carry on as best they can from what I have helped teach them. That just about has it down perfectly for me.

All the best,
Glenn B

College Graduation and Party Central

Well, my son has graduated from college. He decided to opt out of graduation ceremonies, which I think was a thing he may later wish he had not done but it was his decision aand we are having our own graduation ceremonies tomorrow anyhow. He did well, in college, he wound up with a 3.27 GPA which certainly beat my undergraduate 3.23 GPA. Nice to see he is smarter than the old man (who would be me).

Tomorrow, we are having a graduation party for him. I think my wife arranged for about 35 folks to show up, including us. I hope the rains hold off because I think 35 people in our small house would turn it into a loonier madhouse than usual, by far. Whatever, we will have a good time especially since it is being catered. The wife handled that and also picked up all of the soft drinks.

Lest you think I had nothing to do with it, I got to clean the basement today, including the toilet down there. Oh joy! I also vacuumed the basement and got outside spruced up and ready. In addition I have the extra folding chairs and folding tables ready to be set up. I'll hold off on that until I find out tomorrow if it looks like rain or not.

Now, don't go thinking, wow this guy is sure a wussy - letting his wife set up the catering and buy soft drinks, then doing cleaning chores. I also went out today and did the manly thing, I picked up some libations - some excellent and some the choice of my son. He chose Bud Light, wanted a keg but settled for cans (you would think being college educated he would select better beer). I also picked up some Spaten Oktoberfest Bier and some Franziskaner Hefe Weisse Hell. (Yep, that is what they call it but it tastes like it was made in heaven.) So, in all, we have soft drinks, beer and some wine already on hand. I think I will keep the hard stuff out of sight and am sure we have enough spirits for all without it.

Good food (that we do not have to cook), good beer (at least some of it), and good friends all together, with my son the guest of honor (the college graduate yet still pretty conservative) - it sure promises to be a good time for all.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Dawning of the Age of Mosquitos

While doing some lawn work yesterday, or maybe the day before, I had at least two, maybe three, mosquitos zero in on me. I think one actually got first blood for the season. It seems that the age of the mosquito has dawned early this year, by about a month or so. The season probably should not really have started yet, but apparently no one let the pesky little blood suckers in on this and they buzzing about and are attacking with bloodlust and glee.

The only reason that I am posting about this is because, I was driven to write this post since, I just caught one of the little buggers as it flew between me and the front on my laptop's screen. I got 
him in midair and squashed the livings out of him - it made me feel darned good too. too bad I could not have shot him with the .45 but i guess that would have messed up the computer and the wall behind it. Oh well, crushing the little booger was pretty satisfactory.

I guess, tomorrow, I'll have to check my yard and make sure there are no pockets of standing water anywhere, like in unused flower pots or buckets that may be out and about. I imagine that with all the rain we had lately, along with the somewhat warmer than normal temps, it is going to be mosquito paradise around here really soon.

All the best,
Glenn B

Geography Lessons Needed

I may not be the brightest bulb to have ever been screwed into the socket but as far as my knowledge of the world goes I do shine at least a little bit. In fact, I am so bright, when it comes to world geography that I know that someone over at Fox new online is either a moron or just cannot find enough new worthy items to fill in the blanks. being that the world is a busy place, with lots of news, I have to imagine it is the former - someone there is a moron at least when it comes to geography. Why do I say this? well, I visited Foxnews.com today as usual and I went to their World news page. On that page they give a listing of news articles under headers by region, 3 of them today when I looked, Mideast, Europe and Asia. Then under those headers they show articles that should, one would expect, pertain to those regions. Now bear in mind, there were many articles listed on each header, but I wanted o specifically show why someone at Fox is not all that up on geography so I only kept the ones that were mistakenly put under a header:
　

Mideast
Is China a developing country? Key question unresolved in latest round of climate talks

Europe
Is China a developing country? Key question unresolved in latest round of climate talks

Asia
Fears that Europe lacks plan to keep Greece from falling out of the euro hurt markets

Giant new telescope to be built in South Africa and Australia

That was all found at this link, although you must bear in mind, it may all have been changed by the time you visit the link as it is a news site and things change pretty rapidly in the news. It is amazing, to me, as what passes for a professional website today, especially one purporting to be the site of a major news organization. Don't get me wrong, I like FoxNews.com, it is my favorite online source for the news. I just wish they would start to hire some reporters, or website developers and editors with a little bit of education 4th or 5th grade smarts when it comes to things like geography.

Heck, both south Africa and Australia most certainly do not belong grouped under Asia, they are continents in and of themselves. Europe likewise. As for China falling under both Europe and the Mideast - which one does it fall under? Oh, wait a minute, that's right, - it is in Asia! So why put articles about those countries and or continents under the obviously wrong regional header? It does not matter if each article in some way shape or form addresses those other regions and or continents in addition to the one mentioned in the article's title; they should be listed under the regional header most applicable to the crux of the piece - that which is expressed in the title of each article.

It is simply amazing, to me, how ignorant the person must be who listed those articles under those headers. American education and excellence in the workplace most assuredly have seen their sunset.

All the best,
Glenn B

Pawn Stars and Hardcore Pawn - Unintentional Commentary About Our Society

I like to go to estate sales, tag sales, an occasional garage/yard sale now and again, to estate auctions. I also lke to try to sell some of the treasure I buy at those places. Sometimes I have made good money, other times people have offered me an amount that I thought was a joke. I just turned them down and held onto the item to try again. Sometimes, after not selling it for too long a time, I had to realize it was not worth as much as  wanted and I would settle for a much lower price. Once or twice I even realized I never should have bought the item in the first place because it was jsut out and out junk, so I threw it away. 

I guess, with those interest it was pretty natural for me to wind up liking shows about antiques like Antiques Roadshow, about turning trash into treasure like American Pickers, and about people getting what they can with odd things they have like on Pawn Stars and Hardcore Pawn. They are fun to watch, at least for me.

I guess I would never have expected it but there has been an added benefit for me, other than entertainment, while watching these shows. By watching them, I have learned a lot about American society, especially about those in our society who believe they are entitled to what other people own. I got education mostly from the last two shows I mentioned - Pawn Stars and Hardcore Pawn.  Maybe not so much by watching Pawn Stars and more by watching Hardcore Pawn but the truth is that if you watch them both you get to see vastly different societal groups and how each thinks what is fair and just.

For instance, you watch Pawn Stars, a guy brings in what he claims is Houdini's straight jacket. The guys in the shop ask the potential seller if it is okay to bring in an expert to verify that this is indeed Houdini's actual straight jacket. The seller agrees, the expert comes in and he indeed does verify with photographic evidence, that it was Houdini's straight jacket, one he actually used in his acts. The guy asks for a certain amount, and Rick - the shop's owner, haggles with him. The seller decides that Rick is not offering enough and then he leaves the shop with the now very prized straight jacket. This all takes place in an atmosphere of relative tranquility. This is the case with almost every sale or purchase offering that is seen on this show. The shop is located in Las Vegas, not the most conservative of locales but one in which people are known to be, in general, productive and who work for a living even if most of that work is dedicated to the gaming/gambling industry.

Then we move to the Detroit, MI area where the store shown in Hardcore pawn is located. They have a very different type of clientele than does the shop on Pawn Stars. If you doubt me just watch each of these two shows a few times. Many of the folks shown, who come into the pawn shop on Hardcore Pawn, get into arguments with the shop's staff. What do they argue about? Well it seems that when they come into the shop to sell or pawn something, many of them truly seem to believe that they are entitled to the shop owners money and that when they ask for a set price, in that shop, the money they are trying to get in the deal is actually owed to them no matter what is the value of the item they are tring to sell. If they don't get what they ask, most leave, but many - way too many - go berserk and demand that which, for some unfathomable reason, they believe is already theirs.

It, that sense of entitlement, makes me wonder why in Detroit and not in Las Vegas. Sure, some of the folks who go into the shop on Pawn Stars, the one in Las Vegas, expect to get more than they are offered and some become incredulous or even upset that they were not offered more but they often just decide not to sell and to try elsewhere. I do not recall seeing one who ever started to get violent while demanding that the shop give them exactly what they are asking. I have never seen one person in that shp act as if they are entitled to someone else's money. On the other hand, in the show Hardcore Pawn, we see many heated altercations between store employees and potential sellers - sellers who obviously believe they are actually entitled to get whatever price they ask for any junk they are trying to sell. We also see people, who have pawned items, disputing angrily how much they owe or do not owe while trying to get pawned items back or manage their accounts. Again - why in the Detroit area as opposed to Las Vegas.

I can only imagine that it has something to do with the deep seated leftism that has established itself in Detroit. Detroit has not had a conservative mayor in what seems like eons. It had been a manufacturing mecca but became a fortress of unionization and the jobs disappeared. It is one of the most rundown, if not the most rundown, city in the United States. It is a city full of decay and desolation from what I can see and of course, it has a huge welfare program! There is little, if anything, about the Detroit of the last couple to few decades that makes me think of productivity, of the work ethic, of the American dream. Instead, when I think of Detroit, I think of it as being a prime example of how policies on the left have failed us. I also think of it as a city full of leeches, those who think that everyone else owes them something. That was my picture of Detroit for many years before Hardcore Pawn was ever a sparkle in the show producer's eyes.

Now, if the folks shown on Hardcore Pawn truly are the customers of that particular pawn shop and if their actions as seen on the show are real and not staged, let me ask you this: What more do Americans need to open their eyes and realize that all this welfare and other entitlement crap has gone to far? We need to end it and end it now and get people working instead of sucking on the once huge but now almost dry government tit. It is about time people work hard for what they want instead of trying to take away from the rest of us what we have worked hard to earn.

All the best,
Glenn B

Spent An Hour At The Range Today...

...along with spending the $7.00 to shoot there, the $2.00 for 12 targets, and about the $120, or so, that it cost for the 5 boxes of ammo that I shot. When you think about it, shooting surely can get expensive. I cannot think of many other things, that I enjoy so much as to actually make it worth it, that cost me almost $130 per hour (and that is the hour's range costs not inclusive of the cost of the initial equipment you need like gun(s), extra magazines, ear protection , shooting glasses, shooter's box or gear bag, cleaning kit, etc.).

I had a blast and did well too!

All the best,
Glenn B

The Mystery Of The Stevens 66-B, Part 2

As you may recall, I recently purchased a Stevens Model 66-B rifle, at an auction I attended in upstate NY, and that when cleaning it I found a piece of paper, between the stock and the metal, with another person's name, town of residence and what I assume was an old phone number on it. The story about that is here. I had some small concerns that the rifle may actually still belong to that other person but, as I say, only small concerns. I sort of figured, he probably had forgotten he put that little identity label in there for someone to find should his rifle ever become lost or be stolen. The paper was yellowed and obviously very old, the phone number only had 4 or 5 digits (must be very old too) and I was about to forget about it all too when I had a twinge of conscience. I knew that had I lost a gun or had one stolen from me, I would want it back - no matter how many years ago it had disappeared from my life. So, I did what I thought was the right thing, I tried to look-up the man on the Internet and actually found someone by his name in the same village the name of which was written on that small slip of parchment like paper. Amazingly, the information shown for him said his age was in the 70's or 80s (80s I think), gave a different address than the one I had on the paper for him but in the same village, and had a current phone number.

So, I called the number. I got a generic message saying to leave a message. It did not say anything like: "Hi, this is Art F., leave a message" there was no identifying data on the phone greeting. I left a message. No one called me back. I may have called again but do not remember for sure. Today, after a wait of about a couple of weeks, I called the auction house where I purchased the rifle. The lady who answered the phone seemed a little hesitant to want to help me, had me explain the story a couple of times, then apparently did some checking. She said that the rifle had been bought from someone in R---, NY, the same village that was shown on the remnant of paper. She assured me that the person from whom the rifle was bought, by the auction house, was an honest reputable person in her experience. I guess that is going to have to be good enough for me. I was hoping that she would be able to tell me that: "Yes, Arthur F---- sold it to the auction house" or that: Mr. F----'s estate sold it to us (I would have preferred the former). I guess I will never know who sold it to them and that I will have to presume it was a legal sale and all.

As I said right from the start, I was not all that concerned that it was a stolen gun, just had a question or two about it to satisfy me that it had not been stolen from or lost by Art F---- and that it was not still rightfully his. An employee, of a reputable auction house, telling me that they got it from a person known to them as honest and reputable, from the same village shown on the little scrap of paper along with Art F----'s name on it, is good enough for me. I am now of he belief, much as I was when this little mystery began, that Art F---- just forgot all about putting his name on that slip of paper and disposed of the rifle with the paper still hidden under the wood of the stock or that Art F---- may no longer be with us and that his family sold the rifle when liquidating his estate. 

I will leave it at that and I will enjoy this fine little shooter for as long as I own it. Then my son will enjoy it after me - well, he will get to shoot it now whenever he wants too and I hope he keeps it after I am gone and then passes it on to his son when he has one. It certainly is a fine shooter, there is no exaggeration in me saying that. I had it shooting pretty good groups, granted only at 50 feet but then I was shooting at NRA 50 foot smallbore targets. The range report on the Stevens 66-B can be seen here.

I have to say, I am very happy that I made the effort to assure it was not stolen or lost and that it is now rightfully and legally mine. That way there will be no nagging little questions popping up, in my mind, about it now and again. Even if I had to have given it up, that would have been okay. I know, without a doubt, that if someone were to return a long lost firearm to me, I would be quite happy about it. I also know, without a doubt, that if I was the one doing the returning to someone else, while maybe out a few bucks and a bit saddened by having to give up the gun, it would also have made me quite happy to have done the right thing and to see the other guy reunited with his rifle. So it was worth the effort either way. As it turned out, I get to keep it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Holster Retention - What Level & Type Is Right For You

A funny thing about terminology is that, even when applied to such things as critical as firearms and their use, people often think terms mean different things, at least to one degree or another. A good example of such would be the term 'retention' when applied to holsters.

What this term means when applied to a holster, in essence, is the ability of the person wearing a holster, and the inherent ability of the holster itself, to retain the handgun within the holster. Some people do not get that and think that it is solely the holster's ability to retain the pistol. That is a big mistake, one that could cost you your life.

I was recently looking for a new holster, still am, for my Remington 1911 pistol and for my Beretta 92FS pistols. The manufacturer of one holster contacted me, explaining he understood I had concerns about retention relative to his company's holsters, holsters designed so that they did not use anything but friction to retain the handguns for which they were suited. He assured me that his company's holsters had excellent pistol retention properties and that friction would keep the pistol in the holsters. He missed my targeted concern by about mile, at least.

While I do want a holster that will keep my pistol inside of it with a good amount of friction, I also want an additional method by which my pistol is retained other than by friction alone. This is very important failsafe to me and it should be important to you too. The reason I do not want friction being the only method to retain my pistol in the holster is that I have run into too many situations where friction alone does not do the job. I have seen pistols fly out of friction only holsters as the person wearing that type of holster was running or jumping. I have seen and have had happen to me, pistols being basically ripped out of a holster by something that overcame the force of the friction such as a branch, in heavy brush, catching the grip and yanking the pistol out as the shooter walked on unaware that his gun was about to be yanked out of his holster. I have seen pistols being easily taken away, right out of the holster, from a person wearing a friction only holster, by a person who was assailing the person wearing the holster.

Friction only holsters make it easier for the things I just described to take place. Yeah, they look cool. You can draw your handgun a bit quicker because there are no other retention devices you have to deal with other than the friction caused by the holster itself, so they may be great for certain types of competition and target shooting. The thing is, when it comes to the kind of competition you may face when someone is assaulting you in hand to hand combat, you do not want to have a holster from which the bad guy can easily take away your pistol from you nor do you want a holster from which a pistol can inadvertently fall out or from which it can be easily removed by an outside force such as that of a branch hooking onto it.

So what is the fix for this? It is the addition of at least one or more retention devices to the holster. They can range from a fairly simple design, requiring one step to operate to a fairly complex design that requires multiple steps to operate. The good thing about the added retention device(s) is that having one or more does require at least that one additional step before the gun will come out of the holster. It makes it more difficult for a bad guy or an inadvertent set of circumstances, to remove your pistol from your holster. The bad thing can be that, with certain holsters, it can take so many steps that it takes the holster wearer too long to get the gun out of the holster when needed. So what to do?

What you want to do is to get yourself a holster that strikes a balance between your security and the your ability to draw quickly and that does not endanger you while at the same time keeping the bad guys at a disadvantage if it comes down to them trying to take your gun away. Holsters are often classified by retention level and the levels are usually given as: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and up (usually seen with Roman numerals but let's face it folks, the Romans of old are gone and so too should be there archaic numbering system). There often is some confusion with the retention level numbering system and what each number signifies. The confusion is caused by different people assigning different numbers to the varying levels of retention. It is not very confusing though and all you need to do is ask which system is being used to immediately get a grasp of what each number signifies for any particular holster.

For instance, some people call a friction only holster a Level 1 retention holster. Others would say there is no retention device, thus the holster does not have a retention level number and those folks would start Level 1 with a holster requiring manipulation of a retention/release device in order to be able to draw the handgun. A holster like that would be a thumb break holster with which you have to manipulate the thumb-break (usually a snap) to be able to draw the pistol. For the remainder of this article, I will use the following retention level designations:

Level 1: Friction only. all you need to do is draw the weapon.

Level 2: Manipulation of a retention/release device is required to either secure or draw the weapon (note, activation of the device to secure the gun can be either passive or active for any of the following levels but remember you must actively release it to draw the gun). Again, an example of this would be a simple thumb-break holster.

Level 3: Manipulation of a primary retention/release device is required to draw the weapon, but it will remain secure in the holster unless a secondary retention/release device is also activated after the first has be activated. An example of this type of a holster would be one requiring operation of a thumb-release and then operation of a button on the side of the holster with your index or middle finger. Another example is a type with a hood wherein a hood slides over the hammer and you first have to push the hood down (first manipulation), then while holding it down you must push it forward (second operation) to be able to draw.

Level 4: To achieve a higher level, such as Level 4, just continue adding a retention/release device per level as you go up.

You probably can imagine that the higher the retention level, the more difficult it would be for a bad guy (or a fall or snag) to take your weapon out of your holster, thus the more secure it would be at a higher level. You probably also have realized that it will take you longer to draw as more retention levels are added because it will require more actions on your part to release the mechanisms. It would also be much more difficult, maybe even nearly impossible, to draw from high retention level holsters with your off side hand in the event your usual drawing hand has become disabled.

I prefer a single operation beyond just the draw to remove my weapon from the holster. Therefore I tend to use thumb-snap holsters. Through years of experience when others have tried to take away my side are, either in training or in real life situations, I always have been able to retain it. While this includes many, many times in training, it also includes at least 3 times when real honest to goodness dirtbags tried to relieve me of my handgun, at least two times when they had the sole intention of shooting me with it. Had they been more familiar with holster and gun take-aways they may have gotten it but they did not. Then again, the other officers who tried to take it away during training never were able to do it either and they had been trained in gun take-aways and were familiar with the type of holster I was wearing.

So, why couldn't any of them successfully take my gun away from me? The safety or retention/release device, even though only a Level 2 device, one requiring only a simple and single manipulation to release it, was enough to allow me the time to take defensive pistol retention actions. I will not explain them in this already long piece, just suffice it to say that having a thumb-snap gave me the split second I needed to hold onto my pistol and foil the take-away attempts. Once I was in the defensive mode, you can bet I fought to hold onto it and to get the advantage in the situation, and I fought with everything I had in me. I have a scar on my left bicep, to this day since about 1982, from where an illegal alien bit me. After realizing he was not getting my gun away from me easily, he resorted to other measures, that bite, to attempt to hurt me to make me give up my defensive hold on my revolver. Let me just say, he was unsuccessful beyond that bite and he lost the battle although I was scarred for life by what doctors at the time called a superficial bite mark (oh fuck those bleeding heart liberal illegal alien lovers).

If I was going to go above a Level 2 retention device, I would opt for a Level 3 at most. I would not go any higher than that because I believe that wearing a holster above Level 3 retention is asking for trouble. Even a holster at Level 3 can sometimes be difficult for the wearer to operate properly above it, I think can cause a nightmare. Depending on the actual retention/release types (I do not mean the level but the actual type of releases such as thumb-snap, lever, push button, twist, hood, and so on) it is at a Level 3 or above (and remember, I mean by the levels as I described them previously) that it would very likely become difficult, dependent on the type of retention device, for you to draw with your off hand should your usual drawing hand become incapable of drawing your weapon. With a Level 3, it would probably be fairly easy to open the hooded type retention device with your off hand, but trying to release the retention devices when it has both a thumb-snap type and a push-button type release might be much more difficult. Beyond Level 3, well, maybe somebody could do it proficiently with the off hand but the skills required to operate a holster of a higher Level than 3, regardless of retention device type, often involve at least one release and sometimes 2 that need(s) you to use fine motor skills to operate it properly. Fine motor skills, even in your usual drawing hand, may be impaired simply by the stressfulness of the given situation so it even may be difficult to draw from a Level 4 holster even with your strong hand.

Fine motor skills, as opposed to gross motor skills, are much more difficult to perform while under extreme stress. Gross motor skills come to you much more naturally under such stress. Believe me when I tell you, when you realize your life is being threatened and you need to get it right to live, you will be under extreme stress. As opposed to some Level 3 and almost all higher level retention holsters, many retention Level 2 holsters only require a gross motor skill to release the retention device (some do require a fine motor skill though, be aware of that). For example, most thumb-snap holsters do not actually require your thumb to precisely land on the snap to operate them, in fact many do not even require your thumb to be involved at all, but will open if you operate the device with the heel or even the blade of your drawing hand. The heel or blade of the hand hitting the release, as opposed to your thumb hitting a cherry spot, to open the release is a gross motor skill as compared to a fine motor skill. Those holsters allow you to draw almost as quickly as a Level 1 holster but do afford some additional retention properties.

Before closing, let me finish up by saying there are other considerations in choosing the best holster retention level for you. Whether or not you carry openly or concealed can make a difference in the choice you make. An openly carried holster, while not necessarily a target for a bad guy, certainly does allow others to see your holster and to see just what type of retention device, if any above mere friction, that it uses. I would never recommend open carry in an unconcealed Level 1 retention holster (friction only). If you choose to carry openly, or if you are a la enforcement officer who must carry openly while in uniform, I strongly recommend a Level 2 retention holster at the minimum but strongly would recommend that you consider a Level 3 retention holster, one that you have determined you can operate proficiently with either hand. Carrying concealed can be a bit different. Others can not usually predetermine what type of holster you are wearing. So, should you get in a hand to hand confrontation and someone tries to take away your concealed handgun, there could be less of a chance they will have figured out beforehand how to overcome the retention device. Thus, you may decide, that if you carry concealed, you might want to opt for the minimal retention level that affords something more than merely a friction hold or in other words, a Level 2 retention holster. The decision is up to you if you are getting a holster for personal use and may or may not be up to you if you are a LEO. If you are the one who decides what level of retention you can use, and what type of retention device you can have on your holster, I would advise you to make the selection with care by educating yourself about available holsters, their retention levels and the types of retention devices with which they are equipped.

Ultimately, you probably are the one who has to decide on what level of retention you want in a personal holster and maybe the one to decide the same in a duty holster. The best way to do so is to try a number of various holsters with different retention levels and with different types of retention devices. Then make up your mind after having educated yourself as to their different properties and how easily you can operate them and how efficiently you can defend your pistol in them from a take-away attempt. If you are a law enforcement officer, or in the military, you may or may not have a choice. If you do have a choice, you should also make a similar educated decision. In either case and regardless of in what type of holster you ultimately decide to carry your handgun, or in what type you are mandated to carry it, you should practice pistol retention techniques (learn them from a professional firearms instructor if at all possible) while wearing it and while having someone trying to do a gun take-away from you (also learn those techniques from a professional firearms instructor and make certain not to go overboard and hurt one another). Use of a "red or blue gun" (plastic or hard rubber non-firing practice gun, often totally red or blue in color) is highly recommended for such practice. Making an educated choice as to retention level and retention device type can go a long way toward selecting the right holster for you. Getting the right retention level holster for you, along with the right type of retention device(s) for you, can go a long way to assuring your pistol is secure while at the same time allowing for you to have a quick and efficient draw if needed.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Obamacare Disgrace

Even the doctors cannot stand for it!

A hat tip to Jack C. for that one.

All the best,
Glenn B

Very Lucky Lady Shooting 1911(?)

Firearms safety is one of my priorities when guns are around. Let's face it, if not handled properly, they can wind up hurting you or someone else unintentionally. So, when you are handling them at the range, while hunting, while cleaning them at home or whenever and where ever, you should know how to handle them safely and how to keep yourself from harm even if just an observer.

The video you are about to watch shows a young lady firing a 1911, or so they call it in the video title, at the range. She is handling it pretty safely for the most part. I only say for the most part because she keeps it pointed downrange but she does violate a couple of safety issues - ones that could get her hurt. Watch the video and see if you can tell what I mean. I will leave my observations in the comments section of this post as to what I saw that she is doing wrong. Hopefully she will learn to correct those mistakes before she is injured due to one or more of them.



Me being the stickler that I can be for range safety, I must also point out, that the range officer or the observer, behind the young lady is also possibly in violation of what should be a couple of strict range safety rules. I cannot speak for the particular range where this video was made but I know that each and every range, where I have been to shoot, has had a certain safety requirement that the guy in the video is breaking. The guy giving range commands is also apparently breaking from what should be strict range safety rules.

If you want to stay safe, while shooting at a range, the rules I will mention in the comments section, should be followed.

All the best,
Glenn B

Another Bee Gee Dead - Why All The Fuss?

DISCO SUCKED, still does.

As for the Bee Gees, they were, in my opinion, among the most obnoxiously arrogant bums I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. I dealt with them during their stay at a hotel in NY. That was, as best I can recall in the late summer or early fall of 1979, when I was working as a house dick in a high end hotel in Manhattan. (I actually remember the year and time of year because that is where I was working when I was called for my career starting job in the Border Patrol.) As I remember, I thought that they were extremely rude, crude, completely arrogant scumbags who showed so much disrespect for their fans who had assembled there as for it to be a mystery to me as to why they were so popular. Frank Zappa, whom I recall also stayed at the same hotel, is in my memory as an absolute gentleman. Go figure, the stage persona of each seemingly did not match the reality with either the Bee Gees or Zappa.

Of course, mine was a brief set of encounters with each but that was more than enough for me with regard to the Bee Gees.

All the best,
Glenn B

Five History Making / Changing Guns

Some fairly interesting firearms history can be found in this slide show about 5 guns that truly made, if not changed, history.

See it here: http://www.mandatory.com/2012/05/13/5-guns-that-changed-history/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058&#photo=1

Make sure to click on "more" on each page to be able to read everything they have on each of the guns.

All the best,
Glenn B

Job Qualifications - The Reality of My Suitability For Employment...

...or lack of it, is finally sinking through my thick skull. Apparently, after 32 years plus, of an impeccable federal law enforcement career, I am not even qualified for jobs such as: a maintenance laborer, cleaner, front door security guard at a department store. I applied for those somewhat menial jobs, jobs I would have been willing to accept nonetheless, with high hopes. Lest you think that maybe they considered me overqualified, I also applied for other jobs from the bottom of the heap up to the apex of upper management. Some of the better jobs for which I have applied are District Manager of Investigations for a large department store chain and a few Director of Security positions for a few private firms. Some of the mid-level jobs for which I have applied were: security manager for a college dormitory authority, several investigator positions, of all types, with state and local agencies and with private companies, executive chauffeur, anti-money laundering business analyst and on and on. All were without even one indication that anyone was seriously interested in my qualifications. Thus, I must conclude that, my qualifications mean squat and thus I am not qualified for any of the jobs for which I have applied (about 63 jobs since early March). That is rather frustrating after, as I said, an impeccable career in federal law enforcement. A career mind you, in which I truly always remembered I was a servant of the people and it was not the other way around and one in which I did my best to protect our nation and our citizenry often at considerable risk to myself. Yes, frustrating indeed.

Still though, I am continuing my job search. Today, I searched through about two thousand job listings on three job sites. I was able to pull out 3 jobs for which I would have thought that I was qualified and I applied for them. I also searched a few websites of companies I thought might be hiring and applied directly to one of them for a job they were offering. That was for the job of House Dick (security agent is what they call it nowadays) at an upscale hotel. Who knows - maybe I'll get it; I used to work there in that same job, right before I went into my federal career. If not, then I will keep on looking and will keep on banging out applications and sending out my résumé (which is now down to 3 pages). It may be disheartening to keep getting turned down but I will not give up that easily. I need a job so I can pay my taxes to help pay back all the money the government has wasted on those who just will not work. Besides that, I can use something to supplement my retirement annuity but even more so, I just want to work. Maybe that makes me some kind of a weirdo but that is it in a nutshell, I want to work - it is an ethical thing.

Anyone out there have a job for me in the greater NYC area?

All the best,
Glenn B

Yard and Lawn Work Sucks...

...sometimes, like today. I am still working on getting in a new front lawn. I was on my hands and knees for about 2 1/2 hours today, with a little garden hand shovel, digging up and pulling out roots. I only got about 1/2 of it done in that time. In a few minutes, I am going back out and will continue pulling out roots.

I don't think this is hurting any of the trees whose roots are being mauled by me. Last time I did this, it did not harm any of them despite the roots getting torn out; although, I think I heard a few subtle screams as I did it (can screams be subtle -sure they can if they are coming from trees). I may have heard one or two of those subtle screams today and some other moans and groans too. I am pretty sure the Evergreen let out a moan and a groan. The Linden Tree had maybe a scream or two escape it and the Japanese Maple was pretty quiet, they endure pain well.

My knees and back are aching a bit, so no more crawling around on my hands and knees with that tiny shovel, to loosen the soil and roots. I am going to use the pitchfork instead. Of course, I will have to get down on my knees to pull out the roots once I get em  loosened up a bit with the pitchfork but it will be easier and go faster with the pitchfork - just maybe not as good a job. Whatever, it will be good enough for me and hopefully for the new grass. I hope to get it seeded this evening, otherwise during the week. We will see.

Just in case anyone was wondering, I went to Home Depot yesterday to rent a roto-tiller. Even the smallest one they had would not fit in the trunk of my Corolla. Thus, I have been doing it by hand. If I had rented one of them, the job would have been completed and the lawn seeded, all within an hour. Oh well, I need the exercise. 

All the best,
GB

I Owe Someone From A Holster Company An Apology...

...I just wish I could remember whom by name. It was the owner of one of the holster companies whose names were recommended to me, when I asked for suggestion for a new holster in one of my posts recently. He got in touch with me via an email saying he would give me a holster to tryout and just asked that I blog about the product pro or con. I am pretty sure it was the owner of Dragon Leatherworks.

While I certainly appreciated the offer, I would not have taken the holster for a review. I don't do reviews on request and do not accept samples from anyone with an eye toward a review. When I review something, it is something that either I paid for, was issued (that is now in the past sine I m retired) or that was given to me as a gift. That is just a principle of mine but that is not why I did not get back to him. I forgot to get back to him and when I finally thought of it today, I realized I inadvertently must have deleted his email. No offense was meant, not snubbing anyone - just did it absent minded not purposefully. Sorry about that.

All the best,
Glenn B

Africa, Antarctica and South America...

...are the three continents from which my blog receives the least traffic. Every now and then I get someone in South America to take a look, used to have a regular down that way but whomever it was seems to have given up on me. As far as Africa goes, every now and again but even less so than South America, I get someone in Africa to take a look. Those folks are usually located in some Islamic nations in northern Africa, like Egypt. I do not think I have ever gotten anyone in Antarctica to view my blog. I do not even know if SiteMeter, whose free service I use to check my blog's stats, registers hits from Antarctica.

Oh well, just a useless set of facts on in which continents my blog is viewed the least. Maybe I should write up some posts on big game hunting in Africa, or about the pyramids in Egypt, or the Inca temples in Peru, or about Argentine beef, or about how friggin cold it can get in Antarctica, or on Penguins to get their attention (the people, not the penguins) in those places. I will admit, my blog is meant for anyone to read, but without a doubt I write for an American audience. That is meant as in the America the country, not either of the Americas the continents.

It is nice though, to see that I do garner quite a bit of interest, on a regular basis, in other places such as in Asia (for instance folks Japan, S. Korea, India are all among the regulars), Australia (a few different locations in the country and continent of the same name), Europe (England, France, Germany,  among my regulars there) and the other countries in North America (a few people in Canada are regulars, one I think of in Nunavut Province on Hudson's Bay, I forget the name of the town) outside of the USA. It also would be nice if folks in South America, Africa and Antarctica also had that much of an interest but such is life, I suppose my stuff just does not appeal to them. 

All the best,
Glenn B

Tec-9 Disassembly and Reassembly

Nice video, of a pretty gal, taking apart and putting back together a TEC-9. Too bad there are no audio instructions to explain each step as she goes along. Of course, some of the guys who see this will not give a hoot about whether or not there were audio instructions!



Being the critical type that am I, allow me to point something out. In general, if you are going to field strip and reassemble a weapon for cleaning, or other purposes such as making a video, it probably is best done with the bullets removed from the magazine, and left nowhere near the firearm, to avoid an unintentional discharge. Note, somewhere in there, someone placed an empty magazine on the table because the one she puts into the gun at the end of the video appears to be unloaded; although, when she started to assemble it, the live mag was still on the table. I also recommend removing the magazine from the weapon with your finger off of the trigger, and outside the trigger guard, if possible.

All the best,
Glenn B

MIL-DOT Scopes - Think You Know What MIL Stands For?

I am into guns and shooting, more so pistols and shotguns than rifles. I shoot rifles a  lot too but am certainly not into all of the nomenclature and other technical stuff about them. I have a lot to learn and my guess is that many others out there also have a lot to learn. I learned something new today, I learned exactly for what the abbreviation MIL stands for in MIL-DOT when referring to an optical rifle scope. Do you know what it means?

I don't think it was ever any big secret but I can tell you that an awful lot of people have gotten it wrong when telling me the meaning of Mil in Mil-Dot. Those folks have included other average shooters like me, long range marksman, high-power shooters, military types, SWAT type members, firearms instructors, gun dealers, and people I have met at ranges who had a Mil-Dot scope on their rifle.  If you, like me, and the folks I just mentioned, thought it was an abbreviation for 'military', then you ought to visit the page at this link and enjoy a short but meaningful read about two terms: Minute of Angle and Mil. You might learn something new, I did. In fact, I learned two things, the meaning of Mil - and that while I knew what Minute of Angle meant, I probably could never explain it properly without notes in front of me.

All the best,
Glenn B

Scary Monsters Indeed - Maybe The Scariest Of All Live Within Us

I read some news over at a fellow blogger's site today, it was news about Monsters. Art, from Home Place - Art's Stuff,  got some bad news, he is facing a monster, one that is inside of him. He has prostate cancer. On the good side, his docs say they found it early.

Why am I telling you this?

Well, last year when I was diagnosed with cancer, it took me awhile to let my secret out to the world, heck - even to my family. I did not want to bring up bad news right before and for a couple of weeks after my daughter's getting engaged (her fiance had us all in on his plan), nor while my aunt was dying from cancer, nor shortly after my brother-in-law's wife had passed on from it. I waited and kept the monster called cancer in the dark from others and also kept another monster inside, the monster called hopeless fear. It was a scary time for me. After I told my wife and family about it, I let some friends know, then let work know, then let the world know on my blog. The response I got, from family, friends and coworkers was to be expected - very supportive, in fact more than I had thought would be coming from them came my way with lots more love than I would have imagined especially from family. The response I got from people out there in the blogosphere was very unexpected. People all over the world were pulling and praying for me, lighting candles for me, sending me emails wishing me well, and so on. It was very humbling but also was very uplifting and very welcome support from people who for the most part are total strangers to me. Without it though, I do not know if I would have been able to keep up the fight, I do not know if family and friends and coworkers and docs and nurses and techs and treatments would have been enough, it was that tough and you guys helped pull me through. 

So again, why am I telling you about Art's condition here on my blog? I am hopeful that some of you, my few but dear readers, will go to his blog and do for him what you did for me: Help him kick cancer's ass!

All the best,
Glenn B

Whoopi Goldberg In The NRA! Should I Cancel My NRA Life Membership???

Yep, you read it correctly. Seemingly ultra leftist, Whoopi Goldberg is, apparently in her own words, a member of the NRA. Since she and the others, on the May 9, 2012 edition of The View, were talking about guns and gun control with John Stossel, I have to imagine she meant the National Rifle Association and not some other organization that uses the initials NRA.

Gosh, it makes me want to reconsider having a life membership with them because I doubt very much that she has had a sudden change of heart from what have appeared to have been, and have appeared that way over many years, her ultra leftist attitude. Have I somehow read her wrong for all those years or did she join the NRA for something like shock value or just as a lark or maybe to be able to fall back on them for support should she ever be charged in a crime involving a gun that she keeps, in the closet (figuratively not literally) for self defense? I am simply flabbergasted. I hope to find out more about her NRA membership and about her views of the 2nd Amendment and the overall right to keep and bear arms.

Watch the video and pay attention to the audio, you can hear her say it herself:



Oh, I have to ask that you please do not start to think that I am a fan of The View. I may have watched 5 minutes of it, 10 at most, over the whole time it has been on television. I saw the news in a firearms forum and decided I had to share it with my readers. The thought of having a video showing Joy Behar, here on my blog, makes me want to puke! I would be willing to bet she is not an NRA member but a contributor to the Brady Campaign or similar organizations but her making me want to vomit has only a little to do with that; in general, I find her, her politics, her attitude and her mannerisms totally repulsive.

As for Whoopi being in the NRA - who woulda thunk it!!!!!!!!

All the best,
Glenn B

Paul Harvey - If I Were The Devil...

This is a great prediction, well a warning at least, originally from 1965 but this may well be a revised version. It makes one heck of a lot of sense today if only becase it fits America so well right now:



I did not always agree with Paul Harvey but he certainly hit it right on the head sometimes! If nothing else, he certainly was an eloquent speaker with unusual intonation and a great voice.

All the best,
Glenn B

Another Gun Blog Added To My Blog Roll

I added Emily Gets Her Gun to my list of linked blogs under the header: TAKE A SHOT WITH THESE SHOOTIST BLOGGERS, Not At Them (over on the right in the blue zone. In the event the link does not work, go to this address to view it:  

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/guns/.

It is a regular part of the Washington Times online edition. Looks to be a good gun blog.

All the best,
Glenn B

Arthritis - As Old As The Hills - It May Actually Be Older Than Most Mountain Ranges

When you think of arthritis, and that is probably not much unless you, someone close to you or one of your pets is burdened with it in one form or another, you likely do not wonder how long it has been around. The truth be told, or what seems likely to be the truth, is that arthritis has been afflicting creatures on earth since long before most, if not all, of our current mountain ranges were even hills.

It has been reported that scientists have discovered the fossilized remains of a pliosaur, a sea roaming, predatory beast, of huge proportions, that evidently had an arthritis like disease in its jaws. They say it suffered from it for years, long enough to put its jaws out of alignment so that the teeth (and some of its teeth were up to 8 inches long in a jaw about 10 feet long) of the upper jaw left marks in the lower jawbone. Ouch is all I can think. I have osteoarthritis and bursitis, have had disc surgery due to a completely extruded disc, and have suffered with Lyme disease twice. I know the terrible pain such maladies can cause even when the diseases are not severe. I cannot imagine living for years with excruciating arthritis pain, as they surmise this great beast must have done, that is until its jaw broke. They think it broke due to erosion of the jaw joint, misalignment and other arthritis caused damage - and never healed again thus maybe leading to its death by way of starvation.

Interesting article, worth a read. See it here: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/16/ancient-loch-ness-monster-suffered-arthritis/

All the best,
Glenn B

If You Are Or Ever Were A Gun Blogger...

...now is not the time to stop gun-blogging. Now is the time to continue doing it with a passion while at the same time doing it civilly and with respect toward others who may have differing views on issues like gun control. I am not trying to say that you should show compassion and understanding to people such as those in The Brady Campaign. Rather, what I mean is that you write plenty of positive gun blog posts now, that are supportive of gun rights in a fair and respectable manner I (as in not like raving and ranting in a tirade of invectives), so as to draw more folks to our cause than you scare away from it. You can still call it as you see it and we need you to do just that. We need to get the fence sitters over on our side of the fence and the way to do it is with posts that show respect for them while remembering that maybe they voted for the current guy in office but are on the fence about whether or not they should do it again. This is an election year and we need all the help we can get to overthrow our current tyrannical dictatorship vote in a new administration, a more gun-rights friendly one, and get rid of the sitting one.

I have noticed that some pro-gun bloggers seem to be getting out of blogging or have simply not been all that productive lately as relative to posts that support our right to keep and bear arms and our right to be able to defend ourselves with them. I do not know the reason(s), there could be many of them. I am hopeful that those bloggers have not given up their guns and I am pretty sure they have not. I think though that they have given up, or slowed down, on gun-blogging. 

Come on folks, get back into it - we need to have you stick to your blog-guns, to see you consistent on the draw, to see your gun-blogs blazing away, to see your words accurately and reliably shooting down the opposition with no harm to bystanders and maybe even protecting them and their rights, to know you have our backs at this crucial time in what surely will become an historic election year either way that it turns out. Your blogs don't specifically have to be about gun-rights or gun-politics, heck you can just write about how much fun it is to shoot, about people defending themselves or their families with firearms, about your gun collection and why you collect, about how you hunt with firearms, about your target shooting experiences, about being a woman shooter I (as in a woman who shoots and not as in someone who shoots women), about gun shows, about gunsmithing, about training and tactics, about ammo, about teaching youngsters to shoot, or about how grandpa taught you to shoot and to respect our right to keep and bear arms. Yes, of course, you can and maybe even should also write about our right to keep and bear arms and our right to defend ouselves, our families and innocents with them.

Gun-blogging can do us a lot of good but we need you to get it out of the holster for the world to see it. Otherwise, you will just be shooting blanks and the next thing you might wake up to find are jack-booted thugs government agents or police breaking into your home to take away even your water-pistols.

All the best,
Glenn B

Alcohol Or Mind Altering Drugs And Gunpowder Do Not Mix - It Is A Cardinal Rule Of Firearms Safety...

...and has been around for a long time, long before the so called '4 rules of firearms safety'. The importance of this rule is that the all the others often go completely disregarded once booze and/or drugs are mixed with gunpowder. I would be willing to bet dollars to donuts that booze, drugs or both were involved in this shooting:

http://main.aol.com/2012/05/15/shawn-mossow-shoots-friend-at-request_n_1518270.html

Simply amazing how friggin stupid booze and drugs can make people, then again, some people need no help at all in that regard.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Anti-Gun Mind Gone Berserk - Public Worker Reportedly Fired After Finding Gun And Turning It Over To Police

Let me tell you folks, if this story is true, as it is written right now, then someone in the Wayne County (near or part of Detroit, MI - I think) government needs to have his or her head examined and maybe deserves a good demotion or firing too. You see, a Wayne County groundskeeper was fired for possessing a gun on county property. He found the gun while doing his job and turned it over to the police. The reason the county says he was fired was reported on like this:

"According to a Wayne County spokeswoman and the rules, employees aren't allowed to possess a weapon on work property."

See: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/15/detroit-groundskeeper-fired-after-finding-loaded-gun-handing-it-to-cops/.

There are many reasons it is called the Loony Left, this but one of them but this one shows the left at its looniest.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Powerful Yet Brief Video About The Power Of Words And My Commentary On How It Could Change The Political World

Skip the opening advertisement and go directly to the video (which is an ad itself but a great one, maybe the best I have ever seen).

Enjoy this one, it is likely to bring a tear or two to your eyes and/or give you a certain feeling of wonderment in both your mind and your gut. Too bad most people are not really as thoughtfully intelligent as was the lady portrayed in this video, we could change the world if such was the case.



For example, think of the wonderful worldwide effect that changing one word could have if we changed just one word in the campaign slogan: "Vote Obama" to the word "Fuck...". Can you guess which word I would change?

I may have posted on this one before, if I did, well I know I did not give it the same political slant as this time. Anyway, the video is worth watching again, no matter your politics.

A hat tip to Patrick J. S. for the video link.

All the best,
Glenn B