The Old Tasco Scope On My Marlin 336 Makes Me A Happy Shooter

I sighted in the Marlin 336 on Friday night at a local range. I usually like to sight it in at 50 yards since I figure that to be the range distance closest to the average far distance I might shoot to get a deer. I hunt in fairly heavy brushy areas and or woods (in the openings of course when I can) and usually have shot deer out to no more than 35 yards. This rifle is scoped so I figure maybe I would shoot out to 75 yards or even 100 yards but 35 to 50 is much more like it. Well regardless of me liking to sight it in at 50 yards, I could only get to the indoor range and that only has a 25 yard range. So that is the distance at which I checked the scope.
 
I set it it on it weakest power 2.5X. It goes up to 10X, it's a pretty big scope. I had thought that maybe the scope had gotten knocked out of alignment on our trip to the Fifth Annual Northeast Bloggershoot not too long ago and wanted to make sure I had it pretty much zeroed in before hunting season. I thought that if it was still zeroed, that would be fine. If not, then that would mandate a trip to the outdoor range to zero it at 50 yards. My 336 shoots .35 Remington caliber. I remembered that it shot about 2-3" low at 25 yards with Winchester-Western ammo. I could not remember how low it shot at 25 yards with Remington Core-Lokt ammo but it also shot low with that ammo at 25 yards when zeroed in at 50 yards.
 
Somehow, I forgot to bring along a box of the Winchester-Western Ammo. I brought only a box of the Remington Core-Lokt and 3 rounds of the Winchester-Western that I had loose in my bag. So, I loaded it up with 3 rounds of the Remington first. I figured if it was really off the mark, since I suspected it had gotten knocked out of zero at the bloggershoot, I could sight it in good enough with the 20 rounds of that ammo. I fired the first 3 shots of Remington Core-Lokt at 25 yards. That is all I needed to fire with that ammo, it told me all I needed to know once I saw the grouping.

I had the scope set on 2.5x for the first shot. I set it to about 6X for the second shot and back to 2.5X for the last shot. I was standing, leaning over the bench, with my right elbow supported on the bench, left elbow up in the air. No sand bags or anything like that, I wanted this to be somewhat like me maybe leaning on a stump or log out in the woods or as if I was firing from a seated position supporting my arms on my knees. It was about as realistic as I could get at this range. The target was a 12" x 12" sheet with a 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" diamond outline around the center. I aimed the cross hairs dead center, at the smaller orange diamond, which is just about 1/2" by 1/2" across. The small squares in on the target are 1" x 1". My group size, across the widest spread from outside rim of one shot to outside rim of the other, was about 11/16th of an inch across. If you measure from the outside of one the shot on the left, across the center shot, to the inside of the shot on the right, then it was a group size of about 7/16th of an inch or thereabouts - hard to measure because it is a one hole group for all three shots and the inside rim of that shot hole had to be estimated.

As you can figure from the picture, I figured it was still zeroed. Also, as I had thought it would do, it shot a bit low at 25 yards, in fact, if I recall correctly the Core-Lokt would shoot about an inch or two high at 50 yards when the gun had been zeroed in with the Winchester-Western ammo, which is what ammo was used the last time I zeroed in this gun. That means it would not shoot quite as low as the W-W ammo at 25 yards. As you can see, it shot about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch low at 25 yards. Splendid - I tell you - splendid! I then took the three rounds of the W-W ammo I had on hand and shot it. Well, I shot my Glock 19 and my Ortgies pocket pistol first. Then I shot the Marlin 25MN in 22 WMR, I went through about 50 rounds with that rifle. After that, I decided to shoot up the three rounds of Winchester-Western ammo, that I had with me, through the Marlin 336.

The W-W ammo shot about an inch and a half to two inches low and the group was opened up quite a bit over the Remington Core-Lokt ammo out to 2 1/8th inches at the widest spread, outside rim of one hole to outside rim of the other. Not so good but okay for deer hunting. I know can do better with it, probably as good as I do with the Remington ammo, and am guessing that after the first few shots with the 336, followed by about 100 with the Glock and another 16 with the Ortgies, and then 50 with the 25MN, I was a bit fatigued (Bear in mind that I broke 2 ribs just 2 1/2 weeks before and they are still aching a bit when I do certain things; good excuse for crappy shooting anyway.)

When it comes right down to it, the old Tasco scope I have on the Marlin 336 was not knocked out of zero at all.  I will take it to the range again, maybe in a week or two, next time with more ammo, and will shoot it more to make sure it is good for myself. Hopefully Brendan will cone along and shoot it too although if zeroed for me it is usually okay for him too. I have to say, I have surely gotten my money's worth out of that scope. It was very inexpensive, on sale, several years ago. I was advised against getting a low end scope and almost regretted it because within a year or three of me having bought it, Tasco went out of business. They have since reopened under another corporation and no longer honor the warranties on older scopes like mine but mine has taken a beating at the range, in the trunk and while out hunting and has remained in great shape. I have had that scope on the Marlin since about 2006, taken off for cleaning the rifle now and then but that has been the scope for the Marlin since then. I have owned it at least a couple to a few years longer; it sat around in the box that long before it went onto the Marlin. I had bought it with an idea of getting a very different gun on which to mount it but when my eyes started to get a little weak, I put it on the 336 and am happy I did so. Not a bad decision at all, Brendan got his first big game animal, a black bear, with the Marlin 336 with that scope on it - a one shot and immediate kill.

Yep, you can say, I am a pretty darned happy shooter with that Tasco scope sitting on the Marlin 336.

All the best,
Glenn B

Essentially Free Firearms Training Offered

I am offering free basic firearms training to anyone who can legally possess firearms and who has little to no experience with firearms. This includes training in firearms safety, basic nomenclature, basic handling, basic marksmanship, and basic care and maintenance of your firearms.

The deal is this, I will train you at a local range - you pay for the range time for yourself and for me. You will need to supply the firearms (I may be able to supply a .22 bolt action rifle, for training only, to those who do not yet have one); I will not supply handguns. If you wish to learn how to shoot a pistol or revolver, you will have to be properly licensed if required. You will also need to supply your ammunition (I can supply some 22LR ammo free of charge in some instances) and safety equipment such as eye protection and hearing protection.

This is pretty much a local offer, to people living within a reasonable distance from my home in the greater NYC area and western Long Island. Of course, if you live outside of that area, and would like me to train you, I could possibly do so but then some arrangements would need to be made for my travel expenses. I would love to train someone in Lake Placid, NY or Tucson, AZ but it's not like I can just hop on a commercial jet, fly to your location, put myself up in a hotel for a few days all at my expense just to give you free shooting lessons. I may be a feller but certainly am not a Rockefeller.

The offer is good for anyone, who can legally possess a firearm: who is 18 years old and older who wants to learn how to shoot rifles and or shotguns and is also open to anyone 21 years old and older who would like to learn to shoot pistols and revolvers. I reserve the right to end this offer at any time and or to deny training to anyone for any reason whatsoever at my personal discretion.

As for my qualifications, I had collateral duties as a firearms instructor for 14 years while in the employ of the U.S. Customs Service. I have received firearms instructor training from and been qualified as a firearms instructor by:

The National Rifle Association (currently certified as a Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor for handgun and shotgun)

The United States Customs Service (where I was certified to instruct: handgun, shotgun, rifle and submachine gun)

I have also received additional firearms training from several other sources.

If interested, please contact me by way of the email link on my profile page.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sold Some Ammo Day Before Yesterday - How Did I Do?

I sold a couple of boxes of .380 ammo yesterday. Winchester, Silvertip, hollowpoints, 50 rounds in each box, factory fresh, old reserves. I got $10 a box for them and gave the guy about 50 to 75 rounds of loose .40 S&W ammo, also factory fresh, old reserves, for free. I was happy with the transaction. How did I do? Do you think I qualify as a good businessman?

I imagine if I was in the ammo selling business, I would be going broke soon. Truth be told, I almost hated having to sell it to him. The "him" in question was a good friend of mine. Still though, I find I cannot just keep giving away ammo as I have done in the past, even if the people I have given it to have been friends. Well, at least not give it all away for free, after all I did give him a good amount of the .40 cal stuff for free. The twenty bucks I did get will go to a good cause. I will buy a box of .45 Auto with it. Now, if I was a businessman, I would have gotten at least $25 to $30 apiece for each box of the .380 ammo and then bought at least three to four boxes of .45 ACP with the proceeds. Oh well…

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Just How Does President Obama Feel About Islam

He pretty much summed up how he feels about Islam in a single sentence, when he told the world leaders, at the recent General Assembly of the United Nations, this:

“The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/09/26/media-ignore-obama-attack-on-those-who-slander-prophet-islam/#ixzz27gJCgF5s

So, when someone says Jesus Christ is God, or that Yahweh is God or that Vishnu is God or that Buddha was a great religious teacher, or that there is no God, I guess he is saying they should have no future because they are saying, in sum and substance, that the prophet was wrong, and would't that be slander, or worse would it be blasphemy, in a Muslim's eyes. I wonder if Obama thinks beheading would be a proper way to end their futures, as it seems many Muslims believe. Voting for this guy, I think, is a vote to destroy the Constitution of the United States of America as we know it and once that is gone so to is the nation and the American way of life - freedom.

All the best,
Glenn B

Just How Do You Feel About Islam

If you are anything like me, then you will agree with what you are about to hear in the embedded video. Once again, Pat Condell hits the nail squarely on the head.

Why is it that non-Muslim people across the world do not get this message. I suppose mostly because there are so many far left leaning liberals in the world. If you are a far left leaning liberal, don't be offended, think about why I said that. In fact, no matter who you are, think about it with me for a few moments. Liberals want, even demand, tolerance yet do not one for moment tolerate anyone who disagrees with them. Just go out and tell some gay or lesbian, at a gay pride parade, that while you can tolerate them living near you, you will never accept their sexual choice as anything but deviant or as anything less than abnormal behavior or immoral behavior or whatever you believe it to be. Then watch their reaction. I guarantee you will make the news because of their intolerance. The same goes for anyone from a staunch women's lib movement, take NOW for example. I would bet if you spoke up in support of Sara Palin at a NOW meeting, saying she is a woman and you support her wholly and believe in her politics, they would vehemently denounce you. The same, in essence, for welfare recipients that make a life of being on the dole instead of working and same for all the Occupy crowds. Disagree with them and their so called values and they will attack you with hate in their eyes.

Does that sound at all familiar. It is the mantra of the Muslim, they (for a large part of the Muslim world) hate anyone who is not Muslim. Well, that is only going to make me more resolute to stand against them. I am sick of pandering politicians like President Obama, bowing and apologizing to them and telling them how hateful and disgusting it is when someone in this country exercises his or her rights. Yet, Obama has continually been derogatory toward Christians, conservatives, 2nd Amendment Advocates, free speech advocates, people who wish to live and work in right to work states and so on. But I digress, this is about Muslims, not about Barack Hussein Obama (AKA: Barry Sotero - self professed Muslim).

No more ranting, without further ado, here is the video:



Hat tip to Peter Q for the heads up on the video.

All the best,
Glenn B

Well Shiver Me Timbers - All Men Abandon Ship

What a friggin' mess, a half million dollar rescue/pursuit boat reportedly sinks, due to the commands of a seemingly incompetent yet experienced Port Authority (of New York and New Jersey) Police Department Sergeant, in New York waters. And to think that the boat in question had the number 7211 (or 7+2=9 followed by 11 - which I would guess was no coincidence) but had what I can only consider as an asshole in command, who listened to whom I guess was another asshole - who was reportedly a civilian safety training instructor.

I do not know who of the both of them was the bigger moron, the trainer who reportedly recommended opening a submerged hatch on the vessel or the sergeant in command who reportedly ordered that the underwater hatch actually be opened. If the report got it right, and if the trainer is still working for his private company, or the sergeant still working for the PAPD after this is over and done with, I think it will only go to show how unions need to be scaled back immensely. I believe there is nothing short of union skullduggery that can save either one of them.

Of course, the greater part of the fault, I would think, would go to the officer for ordering the hatch to be opened and to the vessel's overall commander. Imagine being in charge of a boat, or boat's crew, and losing the boat because you ordered the crew to open a hatch that was submerged (as in under water)! How he even could have considered that advice, from a so called civilian safety instructor, is beyond my comprehension. Even as a little kid, I knew if you pulled the plug out of the bottom of the boat, it was going start to fill with water and probably sink. Just about any good cartoon or slapstick comedy, with boats in it, taught you that.

See:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/blunder_is_dumb_as_hull_YbkDyUUNo6ksxENXK8alKI

Hat tip to Jay G of MA-rooned where I first read about this incident.

All the best,
Glenn B

Obama Supporter 2008 versus 2012

This video about says it all.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

 



Jihad - It Seems Someone Out There Gets It - We Need To Save Civilized Mankind

An ad that has run for weeks in San Fransicko (where the media apparently considers vandals as artists), on buses, will soon also run in the New York City subway system. Read about it here. My guess is that, even though the courts have said it must run, it will either be banned by politicians or will result in violence, sooner or later, caused by fanatical Muslims in in the USA. In a way, although I do not want to see anyone injured by them, maybe people being injured again in the USA by Muslim fanatics would be the wake-up call that is needed to get people to realize that Islam, as it now stands and as is now practiced by hundreds of thousands if not millions of Muslim fanatics, is the enemy.

Yes, there may be moderate or non-violent Muslims out there but those are not the ones with whom I am concerned, I am concerned with the fanatics and there seems to be no shortage of them in the form of violent rioters, death dealing Jihadists, the ones who fulfill fatwas of death, the ones who kidnap then torture then behead people with different beliefs than their own, the ones so offended by a cartoon that they go berserk, the ones who kill people of other faiths routinely, the types that flew the planes on 9/11 and so forth. I think that they need to be converted to non-violent ways, post haste, but I am at a loss, as seems the rest of the world to be, as to how to accomplish that goal. I think though that such a change must come from within Islam itself but I do not see it coming any time soon. It needs to happen fast though, otherwise, I fear that the only other tenable solution may wind up being to be wipe them, the Muslim fanatics, off of the face of the earth to protect the rest of us.

All the best,
Glenn B

Decisions, Decisions - I Missed The LIHS Opening Meeting Today

I am a member of the Long Island Herpetological Society, have been for well over 20 years now. I joined up in the first or second year. Just as luck would have it, I was looking through the classified section of my local news paper and saw the LIHS ad for a meeting under the Pets section. I went to that meeting and have been going, as often as I can, ever since.

Well, maybe not quite as often as I can, I mean I could have gone to the opening meeting, today, for the 2012/2013 season but chose not to go. Normally I would not have missed it if I could have gone and I certainly could have gone today but chose to do something else. I got to thinking over the last couple of days about roasting/smoking something in my BBQ grill this weekend. For the past two days or so, I gave that a lot of thought and yesterday I bought a 5 3/4 pound boneless leg of lamb to that end. I have also been promising my wife, for the past couple of days that I would prepare it today. Had I thought of the LIHS, in that time, I would have waited until tomorrow to smoke the lamb, especially since the wife already had planned to roast 2 ducks today (which she did and they were ever so delicious). As my little gray cells had it, my muddled middle aged memory and little gray kicked in once again in forgetful mode and thoughts of the LIHS meeting eluded me on Friday, Saturday and up until almost precisely 1PM today, the start time of the meeting; which was also the time I checked my email and saw a reminder about the meeting. Damn, I had just fired up the grill, had the wood, hickory and cherry, soaked and was almost ready to throw on the lamb.

It was a tough decision for me to make and I mean that too. That because I have not seen the folks from the LIHS since June or July and I miss them, many of them good friends. Then there was the other side, the lamb would be part of a family dinner and we don't have enough of them. (Or so I had hoped it would be part of dinner tonight, it took until at least an hour after dinner started to get it to being what I hope is perfection, it is resting in the kitchen as I type.) I chose the family dinner thing. Had I not already had the meat sitting out of the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes, and had I not already salted it, I would have put it back into, or left it in, the fridge and headed to the meeting getting there about a half hour to 45 minutes late.

As it was, I stayed home and smoked the lamb. My loss in one the one regard that the meeting is lost, I cannot go to the meeting tomorrow. I could have waited until then to smoke the lamb had my timing just been different by several minutes and as it is will probably wait until then to eat it regardless. Oh well, there will be the October LIHS meeting. I will have to make sure not to be working that day and set a reminder on my cell phone's calendar for the meeting date. I don't have many other interests that would get me to join  other societies to more enjoy those other pursuits, I truly enjoy the reptile and amphibian thing that much. I can tell you, I am more than a little perturbed with myself that I went shopping while hungry yesterday and sort of got a one track mind all set on smoking the lamb today. Since the lamb only was done well after dinner, I have not even tasted it yet . I think it would have tasted best shortly after coming off of the grill but things worked out the way they did and now I suppose I'll wait until tomorrow. Perhaps I would have just been better off waiting until tomorrow to smoke it in the first place.

Damn those aging little gray cells and my muddled middle aged memory. Oh well, decisions - decisions, you have to live with the ones you make and now I'll have to wait until next month for the next LIHS meeting.

All the best,
Glenn B

Muslims Now Want An International Anti-Blasphemy Law - What Are We To Come To Next?

I am willing to bet, and mind you the following is all my estimation, my opinion and my guesswork that:

Many nations of the world will actually offer serious consideration to Muslim demands for an International Anti-Blasphemy Law (and mind you only anti-blasphemy against Islam) and among them will be at least several to many non-Muslim nations. Let's face it folks, it is time to wake up to the teachings of Islam, Muslims intend to conquer the world. True, they have not made many demands on the world community as of yet but they have started to do so and this is just the latest of such demands. Why would they start now? Let's face this too, they have the bomb and more than one of them (in Pakistan, the country that shielded Osama bin Laden and is a Taliban stronghold) and it looks promising another Muslim nation, Iran, will also soon have nuclear weapons capability as the USA, Europe, and Israel all dawdle over how to handle the Iranians while they happily fire up their reactors.

In fact, the Pakistani government is so immersed in all of this that it has been reported that a Pakistani Government Minister has offered a $100,000.00 reward for the murder of the person who made the video / film Innocence of Muslims. That same minister reportedly also said that anyone responsible for blasphemy deserves death (source). Think about that for a moment, and bear in mind that to Muslims "There is no God but Allah...", so if you come right out and tell a Muslim that Jesus is God, or that Yahweh is God, or that Vishnu is God, you have in effect committed blasphemy against Islam. So, it is about time that you should realize, Pakistan is not an ally but a bitter enemy of America, of freedom of speech, of freedom of religion, of Christianity, of Hinduism, of Judaism, of Buddhism, of Taoism and of any other religion you can think of and of any nation in the world that is not Islamic. 

Not sure of that yet because you are saying, hey - that minister was only the minister of railways in Pakistan and you bet he was not authorized by the Pakistani government to offer the reward. Well think again. Take just another moment, in fact take minutes, hours and even days to think about what what happened when Pakistan declared "A Day of Love" so there could be peaceful protests of the above mentioned film while at about the same moment the Prime Minister of Pakistan reportedly said: "... an attack on Islam's founder was "an attack on the whole 1.5 billion Muslims." " (source).

Is there any wonder that the Muslims of Pakistan and other Muslim nations broke out in violent riots resulting in scores of deaths and injuries and that they are calling for the destruction of the USA. The PRIME MINISTER of Pakistan just said, in essence as I see it, that all 1.5 billion Muslims have been attacked by way of that film that was made in America. How is it he has such audacity. Is it because Pakistan has nukes and because, President Barack Hussein Obama bends over backwards to kiss the ass of the Muslim world.

Bear in mind, Pakistan is supposed to be our ally in the war on terror. (Whoops sorry President Obama, I forgot I am not allowed to say "war on terror" anymore. Now that I think of it though, I am retired from government service and now and can say what I want, so yes it is a WAR ON TERROR.) Regardless of their so called allied status with us, they have seemingly: shielded the Taliban and given them refuge since shortly after 9/11, shielded Osama Bin Laden and gave him refuge for several years, fueled the fire of anti-Americanism among the Muslims not only of their own nation but of all Muslims nations and Muslims everywhere as well. Do you really need more to think about to come to the realization that Pakistan is an enemy of the United States of America and of all freedom loving peoples?

When are our so called leaders going to realize that it is the Muslims against the rest of the world. They are already starting to spout such rhetoric (no not our leaders, the Muslims) and they are doing it with brazen indifference as to what might be the consequences. That is about the greatest indication to me that Iran is probably closer to having nuclear weapons than anyone suspects but that is pretty much gut feeling guesswork on my part. If I turn out to be right, and even if I am wrong, what does it matter. Iran will have them sooner than soon enough and then we will be facing at least two Muslim nations with nukes and who knows to how many others they will then export them. It will not be more than 5 years away, at most, that one of those countries nukes Israel if that long, or maybe even nukes the USA. I think - much sooner. Then what? World War III or will President Obama just apologize and surrender.

Could we not avoid it all, could we not end it relatively much sooner? How? Could we not end all, and I mean every penny's worth, of any type of aid to Islamic nations overnight? If that does not work within a few months, could we, with Israel and at least some of our other allies nuke Iran's nuclear facilities, and then threaten to nuke Pakistan and end it right then and there? Would there not be a definite turn of events and would it not be one in which the world would see an end to continued protests of America, of Europe, of Freedom of Speech and Freedom Of religion taking place in the Muslim world. Can we not bring them to their knees now or a year or two from now and then it thus not be too late to save us from either conversion or death at their hands? Or is it too late already, are our heads destined for the chopping block? You decide! Are you going to wake up and demand our leaders take immediate action against Islam to fight, to protect us and all freedom loving nations and people, in the war against terror or not? Islam, in its current form, is the enemy - that can be no plainer or simpler as I see it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/22/14036172-pakistan-official-offers-100000-reward-for-killing-of-maker-of-anti-prophet-muhammad-film?lite

Summer's Last and Fall's First Partial Day, Soon To Be The Skeeters' Last Day

Today has been not all that much different than yesterday and probably will prove to have been not all that much different than tomorrow. Yet, the seasons have changed and I have to say that Fall has definitely been in the air around my way. Right now its a cozy and mostly cloudy day with a temp of 74 degrees Fahrenheit, the breeze is blowing from the south at about 16 mph with gust up to 24 mph and my wind chimes are chiming in every couple to few seconds. They are a little heavier weight than some and the music they make is a bit subdued and deeper toned than from most similar chimes I have ever owned. It is nice and I am enjoying it. I was outside a little while ago with all 7 degs (not a misspelling that's what we call em sometimes). Not a miscalculation either. Right now all 5 of ours are here and so too are both of my future son in law and daughter's degs. I think they enjoy the fall weather, well the early to mid fall weather, as much as do I.

It always amazes me, it happened last night, just out of the blue and into the black by around 8PM or so. The days certainly have shortened considerably from even a month ago let alone since the last day of spring back in June. So far the temps and the daylight have both give up quite a bit. About the only thing that has not lessened is the daily attack by those little whirring vampire wanna-be's that just live to suck your blood and breed. Man, the mosquitoes have been hot and heavy this year, worse than last year. I have noticed not only that they have gotten worse but that my assessment, from last year, of the types we have around here was correct. We have a new kid on the block in the skeeter department, Tiger Mosquitoes. Now, I am none to sure that is their real name, but I am guessing it is. When I was in Haiti in 1998, we were told that not only were there a lot of mosquitoes to get you at night and that the ones that got you at night carried malaria but there were also another species during the day that transmitted Dengue fever. They were described as being black with gray stripes (or gray with black stripes) and not only voracious for blood but as being mosquitoes that dove right at you without that incessant flying and whirring around for any amount of time. Well, last year, I noticed that the mosquitoes around here were doing just that. I took a good look at one and guess what, yep gray and black striped. Not quite as big as the ones I recall from Haiti but very similar in appearance and habits. If I remember correctly, the ones in Haiti supposedly came from japan. I figure if they could survive in japan, then Haiti, they sure could make it in New York. I probably should do some checking to see what kind the ones around here are, but for now I just call them Tiger Mosquitoes. Even my brother-in-law in Queens, a borough of NY City, commented on them to me recently. He too noted their marking and their habit of coming right in at you at full speed and then just harpooning you in broad daylight. While they are out in the daytime, most of them, along with most of all the other types here, come out at twilight - just like vampires.

Just a little longer for all of them to be about. One frosty night and that is usually it for them. They will definitely all be gone after one freeze. It is amazing their eggs survive the winter but obvious that they do so. Last night, I was literally buzzed back into my house after sitting outside for about 10 minutes just after dusk. I did not get bitten too many times, maybe 5 or 6 that I know of and all of those on my left hand. It seemed that for some reason, last evening, my left hand was an extremely attractive feeding spot, go figure. I slapped em all almost immediately, so luckily did not see more than one bite mark/bump after they bit me. I will be happy to be rid of these little blood sucking buggers to be sure.

All the best,
Glenn B

Pork Ribs - Excellent, Beef Ribs - Great, Cracked Ribs - Suck

I guess it has to do with getting old, with being at death's doorstep last year, and with feeling run down in general for the last month and a half or two, but I am still surprised at how much a couple of fractured ribs can be a pain in the rib cage, shoulder, back and even neck. Of course, I have been having problems with my right shoulder and upper back around that shoulder blade and m neck for a few years now so I guess the cracked ribs have just added to the exquisite intensity of the pain I have been experiencing with every little stretch, cough, reach, wist, turn, pull, push and whatever other movement of which you can think in which the ribs move even just a little. Truth be told, they have been feeling a lot better than they did 8 or 9 days ago, even much better than just a few days ago, that is until last night. It took a couple of weiss biers, 2 Naproxen sodium tablets, a 10/325 mg Percocet and a couple to a few 5 mg Hydrocodone HCL tabs to make it feel better. That may be because I have not been taking anything during the day, on workdays, to alleviate the pain except for the Naproxen sodium tablets, which are muscle relaxants. With work and driving to and from it, I decided it would be better not to be under the influence. It may also just be because I tossed a towel over my head around my upper back and shoulders, yesterday after my shower, and I twisted a bit to much or whatever and felt something stick and go click. Man, I almost let out a howl. I figured it was a fluke and stretched a bit this way and that and tried the same move again, knucklehead that I am. The second time the result mimicked the first but not nearly half as bad. I am guessing my ribs had moved, slipped, gotten pushed out of normal alignment and when I made the move with the towel - ouch. I really had not been feeling much pain at all for at least a couple of days, except when in bed and turning over, until I did that. The rest of yesterday and today have been mildly hellish.

I was told, by the radiologist who examined my x-rays, that my ribs would be very painful for a week, then fairly painful for a couple to a few weeks more. It is amazing how true that has been considering the fractures are pretty small but I guess that is the nature of the beast known as cracked ribs. I have had quite a few other broken bones and none have hurt like the ribs have pained me. Tonight, two weiss biers, a couple of the muscle relaxants (taken this afternoon) and one of the Percocet (a generic form) and one hydrocodone have done the tick - almost. Almost is good enough for me. I'll take one more hydrocodone before I hit the hay if I need it and will hopefully get a much better night's sleep than I did last night. I need the sleep, I have to be at work tomorrow morning. Thankfully, I am only working a few hours tomorrow.

Still though, I am feeling a lot better than a day or three after I broke them. I can actually cough now without feeling like collapsing or moaning in pain. I can adjust my draws, pull them up, pull up my socks, bend over, twist and turn with relative ease in most instances of each. If you have ever wondered about how it feels to have broken ribs, stop wondering, it hurts a lot and it sucks.

All the best,
Glenn B

Muslims Who Decry and Attack America And Obama's Apologies To Them

Well, there I was, saying I had rarely seen Obama burned in effigy, certainly as compared to GWB. While that still holds true - I learned of at least once instance, maybe two where Obama was burned in effigy just today over in Pakistan and neighboring countries. All this over the video on YouTube that purportedly blasphemes Allah and Mohamed. Then I hear again, that President Obama is damning that video and assuring Muslims, by way of a commercial over in Pakistan that cost the U.S. taxpayer tens of thousands of dollars, that the U.S. government tolerates all religions. Really now! So since the tens of thousands of Muslims who are protesting and are doing so in the name of Islam as spurred on by religious leaders, and by the Qur'an, have turned their protests into violent riots and scores of people have already been injured and died in them, does that mean that president Obamaessiah also condones those religious killings, at least the ones perpetrated by Muslims in the name of Allah?

How is it that politicians like Obama and Clinton, H. just do not understand that the Muslim religion, when it comes right down to it, has zero tolerance for any other religion or any other viewpoint that does not agree that Allah is the only one true god and that Mohamed is his prophet? After all, one of their favorite sayings seems to be "There is no God but Allah". If you do not believe then by force they are to either convert you or kill you - it is in their version of the good book. So to politician like Clinton and Obama, who want us to tolerate, even except Islam, I say simply say bullshit because there are other gods in which people believe and other faiths that drive them and none of those faiths, like Islam, are calling for the conversion of the rest of the world and the annihilation of all nonbelievers. While we do not need to accept the teachings of the Bible (Old or New Testaments) or of the Book of Mormon, or the teachings of Jesus, Yahweh, Buddha, Vishnu, Zeus, Pele and all the others - from what I have been able to tell, any who follow them will at least tolerate one another from other religions except for maybe a handful of hardline kooks. Of the major faiths in existence today such as: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, the Bahá'í Faith, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism and Confucianism, it is only the Muslims, the followers of Islam, who continually strive to conquer the world by way of conversion and the sword and it not just a handful of kooks but at least millions and millions of them who think that way. It is only they who routinely take offense at any slight, insult, comedic relief, satire, or any other use of freedom of expression that goes against the teachings of their so called holy book. Yet, they routinely destroy the holy books of other religions, just try to enter Saudi Arabia with a Christian bible let alone actually read one there in public. They constantly do against other religions what they will kill the followers of those other religions for when the others do the same against Islam. In other words, it is okay for them to blaspheme other Gods but not for others to do so to their God or the blasphemers of the Islamic God must dies. Thus by their same reasoning it is okay for them to put to death those of other religions who may have slighted the Islamic faith but heavens forbid should you harm a hair on a Muslim's head, that means that they will be at war with your nation seemingly forever - no matter the justification that you may have had for harming that Muslim (such as the U.S.A. allied with Muslim nations and fighting against Muslim terrorists - how dare you attack them, you are now the enemy of all Muslims, even the ones with whom you were allied. It is the Muslim mindset. It is also the same as how dare you blaspheme or insult Mohamed or Allah because that means you are now the enemy of all 1.5 billion Muslims. And of course, our President bows to them and apologetically tells them how horrible it was that someone in our country has offended them as they continue on their killing rampage not caring who dies in the violence and not caring one iota about the words of president Obama or Secretary of State Clinton. That these blabbermouths only are experts on how to use their mouths is much of the problem because they offer no practical response and give only hollow words and words that they pretty much reserve for those of the Islamic faith only.

So what exactly does the President Obama and ghis administration do when it comes to the Gods of other religions being blasphemed? They ignore it. Take for example the new art exhibit that is soon to open in new York City called Piss Christ. "The artwork features a “photograph of the crucifix submerged in the artist’s urine.”" Not not the empty cross, but the crucifix with Jesus Christ impaled upon it. See:

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/wh-silent-over-demands-to-denounce-piss-christ-artwork.html.

Recently there also was an obvious anti-Mormon play, or at least a play that poked fun at Mormonism. I think on Broadway, and guess what, it was laughed at and found to be funny by U.S. political leaders. You certainly have not heard one peep out of President Obama in order to denounce it. Yet, as soon as someone does the same to something that is Islamic, those very same politicians - including the president of the USA Barack H. Obama - are denouncing it as an outrage and apologizing to the Muslims of the world. Oh yeah, now I remember, Obama was that way himself towards Christianity with his hanging onto their bibles and guns quote. So why does this happen, why does Obama keep apologizing to the Muslims, standing up for Islam, while disregarding insults to religions like Christianity, even making such insults himself? The only reason that I can see is that Obama is or was a self avowed Muslim and I truly believe he has an affinity toward them more so than he does for America.

Well, of course, there really is another reason, the followers of Islam go berserk and start killing in the name of Allah and their Prophet. They say that they were insulted. Oh my, insults being a reason for mass riots, property destruction, hundreds of injured people and many dead ones too - imagine that if a Christian tried it here in this country! In regard to how the president responds to it all, President Obama probably just about qualifies to be called Piss Obama each time that happens because my guess is that each time it takes place, his pants suddenly get pretty warm and wet and cries out apologetically because he is scared to death that he may be mistaken for one of the blasphemers. Yet, each time the Muslims insult anyone, or protest, or burn our flag, or destroy our property, or riot, or injure or kill Americans, he gets all cozy with the Muslims apologizing for Americans and is apparently okay with that. The thing is, if our president had any true feelings of American patriotism, he would be bombing terrorist strongholds in Libya right now and in Pakistan too, then invading them. He also should be withdrawing all of our embassy personnel from all Muslim nations. He should cease all financial aid to and trade with Islamic nations. He can, I think, legally take this action and base it all as being opposed to Islam and not be in violation of our Constitution. You see, I believe that Islam is not a true religion at all; I think it is a system of governmental control that passes itself off as religion or merely uses religion as a front. Yes, there is religion involved but only in as much as it controls its followers and takes over and controls whole nations and force the people of those nations to convert or kills them. When our governmental leaders realize that and classify Islam as such, only then will they have achieved the wisdom and the courage to take the course of action that is needed and they will strike back full force at anyone who attacks U.S. citizens in the name of Islam. That likely isn't going to happen under the administration of the Apologist President, self avowed one time Muslim, Barack H. Obama. Voting him out in November surely would be a step in the right direction.

All the best,
Glenn B

Have You Ever Seen Muslims Burn Obama In Effigy?

I was visiting MA-rooned this evening, as I often do, since it is pretty much a daily read for me. Jay has an interesting post about Obama flags being sold from President Obama's official website. They are obviously based upon the flag of the United States of America. I think they are a disgrace as far as any truly red-blooded America should see them. They certainly seem to me to do grievous dishonor Old Glory. You can read Jay's post about the flag here.

This post is not about Jay's post nor about the flag he brings up in it. It is about a thought that crossed my mind after reading one of the sentences he wrote in that post. In the post, Jay says this: "It does make you wonder, though, if our response to the unrest in the Middle East would be different if they were burning Obama flags..."

That got me to thinking. Both you and I probably have watched the world news over the past couple of decades or more, and we all probably have seen many an American flag burned by Muslims protesting almost any policy of the United States imaginable. In fact, they burn our flag, over almost anything that disagrees with hardline Muslim tenets even if the disagreement is between the Muslim world and another country not the USA. In addition, you and I most likely have seen the burning of world leaders in effigy. The majority of those burnings, in all likelihood, would include representations of U.S. Presidents, including every one of them since at least Ronald Reagan up through George W. Bush and maybe even the current president - Barack Hussein Obama. I really should not say "maybe even the current president" as I am almost certain I once saw, maybe up to three times, by way of Fox News, his effigy being burned in a Muslim nation right after he became president. I kid you not, that is how many times I recall seeing him burned in effigy.

Now, think about that for a moment. How many times can you honestly recall having seen an effigy of President Barack Hussein Obama being burned by Muslims. Think hard on that subject and really be honest in your answer. There is no doubt that the Muslims who do these things and who perpetrate other abhorrent acts aimed at the USA, including acts of terrible violence such as the recent killing of American embassy personnel in Libya, have not abated one iota in their hatred of America since Obama became president. In fact, it seems that their hatred of the United States has gotten worse - and no I am not necessarily blaming president Obama for that, I think it will likely increase under any president until we kick their asses most profoundly as war seems to be what they understand. That though is a topic for another discussion. What I am addressing here is what seems factual to me, we just do not see news reports about the burning of president Obama in effigy. Why is that, do you think?

Is it because there are indeed as many burnings of his effigy as there were of other presidents, say for instance as many as there were of George W. Bush or Ronald Regan but for some reason we are not seeing them or hearing about them. That would beg the question, if there are nearly as many - why are they not making the news reports. Indeed, if there are as many, they certainly are not reported in the news with anywhere near the frequency that we saw such reports about George W. Bush being burned in effigy.  It seems that we got to see news coverage of him being burned, or I should say of his likeness being burned, at least bi-weekly while he was in office. Almost every time we got to see an American flag being burned by Muslims, there was the likeness of  George W. Bush hanging by a rope from a pole, that a Muslim was holding, as another poured gas on it, and yet another lit the match setting it all ablaze. If this is the case, then shame, shame, shame on the Mud Slinging Media Main Stream Media, and even on the not so main stream media, for not showing it all to us in living color with much more frequency. I mean, isn't it as news worthy when it happens to representations of our current president as when it happened to effigies of our former leader immediately previous to this one?

What if the above is not the case? What could be another reason for us not seeing burnings, in effigy, of president Obama? Could that reason simply be that there have been virtually no burnings of his likeness by Muslims? I suppose that is a possibility which would directly lead to a follow-up question of: "If so, then why not?". 

Would it indicate that Muslims around the world, hardline extremist Muslims at that (although I do not think them so extreme when Muslims are hardline but I digress), have a reason not to burn his likeness very often, certainly nowhere nearly as much as they did with the previous president? Would that reason be an affinity for President Obama? Bear in mind, before considering that question, or while considering it, that the Muslim world, on the whole, still hates America as much as it ever has, if not even more so, under President Obama. So what could it be that would make them not want to burn his effigy as much as that of our other leaders. Would it be because there is an inherent likeness between President Obama and the Muslim world? Is it because he is, or at least has been, a self-professed Muslim. Would it be because of the lame excuses and virtual apologies he gives for things like the violence that recently claimed 4 American lives in Libya. Would it be his saying things, in essence, like: 'here in America we respect all religions as much as the next and we abhor anyone who speaks out against a religion'? (As a side note, whom is he trying to kid - I seem to recall his own clinging to their guns and bibles quote - this guy is one hell of a bullshitter.)

All the while that he is placating the Muslims by saying how much we respect their religion, is he really saying that he respects a religion that, by the tenets of its holy book, plans to conquer the world, convert nonbelievers or kill them, behead blasphemers or converts to religions other than Islam and so forth! I cannot believe the words that come out of his mouth about how he respects Islam as our people are being killed by followers of that religion based upon their religious beliefs and at the same time he in essence apologizes for American exercising their rights under our Constitution as there is something wrong with our rights to things like free speech. At the same time, I would bet that the Muslims of the world believe him about his respecting Islam. Thus the reason they may not be burning him in effigy as much as his predecessors. I think it a definite possibility, that is, if indeed they do not burn his likeness nearly as much as they have our other leaders, that they don't do so because he respects their religion even at the cost of Americans losing their lives because of the practice of that faith. 

I think, that if it comes right down to it, there is a good chance that the media has had nothing to report because the Muslim world in fact loves President Obama as one of heir own. I find it hard to believe that the media would not show Muslims burning him in effigy in a good number of news reports, it seems it would just be too 'news worthy' for them not to show it. Heck, they still show American flags being burned, don't they? Still, the MSM here at home have shown other things that would tend to embarrass him or show him in a bad light but of course, They jsur do not show anywhere nearly as much as they did of George W. Bush and in that regard the media shows its extreme leftist bias. So, when it comes right down to it, the lack of seeing Obama burned in effigy all that often still begs the question - why do we not see his likeness burned as much as we saw it of our other leaders?

Again, is it the press that is withholding news worthy burnings of his likeness from us - for whatever reason? Maybe just because they think it unworthy news, all of a sudden. Or maybe because they find it distasteful, to show our president being burned in effigy, all of a sudden. Or maybe, as I suspect, as they have done for years, the MSM is showing its extreme leftwing bias and is doing so for the for the political advantage of President Obama. Are they trying to convince the leftists and the independents, in this country, those who may vote for him, that the whole world loves him and he is destined to be the great peacemaker between the USA and the Muslim world; that regardless of the facts showing him failing miserably with regard to relations between the USA and the Muslim nations of the world. Let's face it, under President Obama, those relations have grown considerably worse - take Pakistan for example and don't forget Egypt or Iran or Afghanistan or Iraq. Granted, those relations probably would grow worse under any president who did not take an extremely stern course in dealing with them but that has certainly not been course of the great apologist who is currently in office. 

Then again, the media may have nothing on which to report in this regard. Maybe it is just a fact that the Muslims are not burning President Obama in effigy anywhere nearly as often as they have our other leaders. Maybe that is truly because they consider him to be one of them. The way he has responded to the killings of our embassy personnel in Libya recently almost makes me think that has to be the case. It is a scary thought but one that the man himself seemingly keeps perpetrating - the thought that he is one of them as much as or more than he is one of us. It is the thought that the enemy is not only within the gates but sitting on the seat of power. That scares the heck out of me, it should scare the heck out of you too, if only because it is becoming more and more plausible and yet so many in our country are ready to vote him in for a second term.

All the best,

Glenn B

PS: By the way, I know that President Obama has been burned in effigy numerous times, though we did not usually hear about it or see it on the MSM. In addition, it  has not happened as often as was for his immediate predecessor and that is especially true of such burnings in the Muslim world. Here are search results using the same criteria for both BHO and GWB  (first name, middle initial, last name) followed by the exact same wording in each search and run on the exact same search engine, Bing, in exactly the same manner:

George W. Bush burned in effigy: 36,700,000 results

Barack H. Obama burned in effigy:  9,010,000 results

So please, if you comment, and want to show how many times President Obama was burned in effigy to disprove me, make sure to compare it to burnings of GWB, then show me how it happened to Obama just as often in the Muslim world and how it was reported on as frequently as those of GWB in the MSM, as opposed to other sources of information, or don't bother to argue because you would be off topic. If you do care to comment, discuss, argue, whatever your viewpoint, keep it respectful. If you must be disrespectful, you can just go fuck yourself instead of, and likely with much more success than, trying to have your comment seen here - just sayin'.

A Good Night's Sleep Has Eluded Me

I slept like crap last night. Got some sleep but kept waking up to reruns of Don Knott's movies. Finally shut of the TV but did not sleep any better once it was off. I am going to hit the hay and try to get in a few hours of quality sleep time once the wife heads to work and it is quiet around here again. If I am lucky, I can get in almost 3 good hours of snooze time before I have to get up for work.

All the best,
GB

Three Schrade Knives - All Made In The USA

The three pictured knives were all part of my inheritance, from my late brother's estate. (That's a laugh, not that he is my late brother but that he had an estate.) Oh well, I got to pick some things I wanted like to keep from his belongings and three of the things I picked were these knives. All three are Schrades and all three were made in the USA. The two that are not in the packaging were made in the USA when everything about Schrade was still made in this country. The other one, well the knife was made in the USA but Schrade had already bowed to the pressures of our long weakening economy and started to have the packaging made in China (what a shame).

Neither of the two used ones are in great shape, one needs some work to remove some rust, and the other a bit of polishing up. The one in the package is like new, old stock. Sorry that I could not get a better pic of it through the packaging.

The knives are a bit special to me because, if I remember right, I gave all three of them to Ray a long time back. The first one I gave him was the Old Timer hunting sheath knife, the second one was the Schrade Scrimshaw and the last was the special edition that is still in the package. I know for sure I gave him the first and the third and am pretty certain I gave him the second one mentioned too. Without further jabbering on my part here are a couple of pics of the knives, now all family heirlooms I suppose.

 

I wish they still made them here. It was kind of nice to be able to buy relatively inexpensive knives, of decent quality, made not only in the USA but in New York State as well. My bet is that not only did federal taxes have them sell out to the Chinese but so too did the damned taxes in New York, some of the highest in the nation. Probably did not matter much in the long run, my bet is that within 10 years, New York will attempt to ban the sale and possession of just about any kind of knife imaginable.

At least we still have these - Old Timers not only by virtue of their name but by virtue of when they were made - in the Old USA.

All the best,
Glenn B

New Blogger / Google Format

I was more than happy with the old format for Blogger but now Google has come along and changed it. I imagine I will get used to it sooner or later now that it seems I am being forced to use it; I cannot find an icon to click that will allow me to continue to use the old format. Such an icon had been there, if it is still there I cannot find it. I signed on today, after cleaning my browser and such, and was brought to the new format. I have to wonder what the fuck is wrong with leaving something that was not broken just the way it was instead of fixing it. Goddamn liberals always have to be changing things and seemingly can never be satisfied with things the way they are. If they ever found themselves, in their, long sought after, Utopia, they wold not know what to do to enjoy it. Within a decade at most, probably much shorter a time frame, they would be condemning it as conservative and evil and George W. Bush's fault. Sooner or later, people should mature enough to realize that good enough should be left to stand for as long as it lasts.

I Love Bacon But It Sure Ain't The Only Good Eats On A Pig

Ah, the pig, swine, porker, oinker or whatever else you want to call it. It could be the most perfect animal in all of God's creation from a person's point of view who likes good eats with plenty of variety. Why some religions consider it evil or unclean is easy to understand. Perhaps, I should qualify that to say why some religions considered it unclean or evil a thousand years ago made sense. In today’s world, with what we know about germs and parasites and all those other little boogers, that often live inside of pigs and that can get inside us an screw us over health wise, and with all we know about proper hygiene and proper cooking techniques, it should be much less of a concern to us. Yeah, I know, some still truly people believe that the pig is evil or even the devil itself. Good for them, let them enjoy their religious beliefs and good for me because it means more pork in my belly. With all of the knowledge we have now, proper handling of pigs, even those raised without the use of antibiotics, should keep us essentially disease and parasite free from anything that might infest a pig and be passed onto humans. Well, from anything other than evil spirits maybe but I'll take my chances with the possibility of evil spooks and just wash my hands well after handling the raw meat and eat mine well cooked. 

As I said, from the pot of view of someone who likes good food and a variety at that, the pig may be God's perfect creation. The different cuts of the flesh truly have very distinctive flavors, so much so that sometimes you might think you are eating the meat of two different animals if offered both cuts in the same meal. I love everything I have ever eaten that has come from swine. Some of my favorite cuts are pork tenderloin, pig bellies, loin chops, ribs, pigs feet, pigs knuckles (when is the last time you saw lamb or beef knuckles for sale for human consumption) and the snout. Even the fried skin is excellent. I am not much of an organ meat eater but I would probably give it all a try when it comes to porker innards. I figure they probably would be delicious just as has been every other part of the pig that I have eaten so far.

Then there are also prepared meats made from swine. Where would the world be without pepperoni, salami, pork hot dogs, breakfast sausages, Italian sausages, Land Yeager, Krainerwurst, pigs in a blanket, Bratwurst, Steamed Dumplings (the filler is often prepared pork), and so on. Lest you think I have forgotten, allow me to mention here, the king of prepared meats SPAM! The pig is one heck of a versatile animal when it comes to making good food out of it, and yes I like Spam and consider it good food along with everything else I have mentioned.

Of course, besides the different tastes of each cut of meat, there are also all of the wonderful recipes for swine flesh from oh so many countries and cultures around the world. There is bacon, Canadian bacon, salt pork bellies to name just a mere few. Then there are dishes like Yeager schnitzel, Moo Shoo Pork, rib roast, bacon and eggs, stuffed pork cutlets, Virginia Ham for Christmas dinner, schinenspeck, stuffed pork chops, Italian sweet sausage with eggs, potatoes, peppers and onions, Hungarian pork chops, Chorizo and eggs, Peking pork chops, Sweet and Sour Pork, hot dogs and sauerkraut, standing rib roast with red kraut and potato salad, and the list goes on and on. I love beef and I love lamb but I do not think I could eat them anywhere nearly as often as I can eat pork and not get tired of it. The only other meat, actually fowl, that I could probably eat as often as I could eat pork would be chicken. As far as I know, they have not yet made Spam out of chicken and thus Pig Meat Rules. 

If you like bacon, and who in their right mind (except maybe those restricted by religion) does not like bacon, do not sell yourself short by not enjoying the rest of the critter in as many different ways as you can try it. one hint as to how to enjoy it more, use the fattier cuts of meat when you buy pork. In other words, if you buy chops, don't go for the new age extra leans chops. In my opinion, and I base that on a lot of pork that has gone through me, they stand too much of a chance of coming out dry. Even worse, as I taste it, when pork loses the fat it loses its flavor (just like any other meat but more so than most others). I sued to watch Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and have to say that one of the most insightful things he ever said, on that show, was that pork should be fatty to be enjoyed properly. If anyone knows good eats, and how to enjoy it, especially meat, it is him.

Bacon is great, when I eat it I cannot get enough, but the rest of the pig is also excellent eating when it comes to the edible parts. If you only eat bacon though, that is okay, it leaves more of the rest of that filthy beast for me.

 

All the best,

Glenn B (swine eater for life)

 

As The Ribs Crack

Wednesday, I found out I had cracked a couple of ribs during a fall. Yesterday, I found out that they can, start hurting more and more as each day goes by, then suddenly go from hurting pretty friggin bad, to howl inducing, leg crumpling, fall to the floor excruciating pain in the wink of an eye.  

A trip to the emergency room and a new set of pictures revealed that not only were my ribs fractured but that my pleura (a double membrane surrounds the lungs and separates them from the chest wall) had overly filled with fluid by way of Pleural Effusion, or so they told me. Let me just say it was friggin painful. I actually did everything I mentioned above from howling to have my legs crumple, to hitting the floor in pain that went from fairly bad to excruciating in a wink. The excruciating pain and howling lasted a minute or two. Then it was just terrible pain and me being able to get up but remain sort of bent in pain. Then a quick replay of it all. 

All that as my wife watched rather unconcerned by it all. She eventually drove me to the ER and dropped me off. I was home, a few hours later, after having gotten a big shot of something in my rump that apparently helped ease the pain and made it bearable. The symptoms as described by the literature from the hospital are: shortness of breath, rapid breathing, cough or hiccups, sharp chest pain that hurts more with coughing or deep breathing. Well I only had one of the three symptoms and all I can say is thank goodness I did not start coughing or breathing deeply.

Today I heard some gurgling as I breathed. The gurgling subsided after a few minutes and while I heard it the pain did not increase - which was a good thing. I was a bit concerned but since the pain was manageable and steady, I figured I could wait until tomorrow to see my doctor for a follow-up. No more trips to the ER today. ,So far, today, the pain has remained tolerable thanks to the Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen) and plain Oxycodone HCL that I have been taking, but that did little to nothing yesterday when my pleura apparently effused. Today though, was another story and I actually had an almost normal day. I was feeling good enough to get out a bit today and to do some things clean-up wise in my basement, to smoke a tenderloin and grill some steaks. What a difference a day (and a big shot full of magic juice in the ER) can make. 

Then there is the coughing. I cough every now and then, like anyone else I suppose, during the course of a day. I have tried to avoid coughing, and phlegm clearing, but it has proven impossible. What a difference a small cough can make, even the smallest cough fills my chest with hammer pounding pain even if only for a moment. Nothing seems to have helped with that, not the Percocet, not the shot at the hospital, not the over the counter muscle relaxant I have also been taking, not the cough medicine I have imbibed, and not all the time that I would think I should have been healing since I cracked my ribs on early Wednesday. I am hopeful the doc can give me more potent drugs tomorrow and that coughing will no longer be a painful by sometime fairly early tomorrow.

All the best,
Glenn B